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  After a moment, Berniece nodded. “I can do that. I’m not sure about taking the baby out, though. The winds have been high lately . . .”

  “Charlie has already agreed to watch Ruth for us while we’re gone.” He took a step toward her. “I want you to know that I appreciate all the work you’ve done since you came to Montana, and I’m sorry that I haven’t treated you better. I hope you’re willing to start with a fresh slate tomorrow.”

  “Yes, I think starting fresh would be good for both of us.”

  “Will you walk me to the door?” he asked, not sure why. He knew it would make Charlie happy, but more than that, it would make him happy.

  Berniece set whatever she’d been sewing—one of his shirts, it looked like—aside and followed him to the front door. “Was there something else you wanted to say?” she asked him.

  He shook his head. “No, but I wanted to let you know I’m not just apologizing because Charlie is making me. Maybe that’s a small part of it, but I really am sorry for treating you so poorly since you arrived. Will you forgive me?”

  She nodded, a slow smile on her face. “Yes, I will. Besides, we’re starting with a clean slate tomorrow, so no apologies are necessary.”

  He grinned at that, leaning down and kissing her cheek. “I’ll see you at church in the morning, and I’d be honored if you and Ruth would sit by me.”

  Berniece nodded. “I’d be happy to.” And she would. She would have Charlie to introduce her to the other women, and she would feel like she belonged as she sat holding Ruth beside him.

  “I appreciate it.”

  With those words, he left, and Berniece stood staring at the closed door behind him, a smile on her face. Maybe he was a good man after all.

  She returned to the parlor, a silly grin on her face, and she sat down on the sofa, picking up the shirt she’d been mending. As she worked on it, she was aware of Charlie and Abel watching her, but she said nothing. They didn’t need to know what she was thinking about anyway.

  Berniece woke early to get the picnic ready for lunch and get Ruth ready for church. She put a beautiful gown on the baby, and it occurred to her someone had worked hard sewing for Ruth. She would need to take over that task as soon as she was caught up on everything else.

  When she got to church with Charlie and Abel, Kane was waiting beside his wagon, and he immediately offered her his arm. They walked into the church like a perfectly happy newlywed couple. It occurred to her that he probably wanted people to think they were doing well and had never argued, so she made a point of looking at him with a smile. She caught other women smiling at them as they headed to the pew they would share with Charlie and Abel.

  As soon as they were seated, Charlie began introducing Berniece to the people who came along. “This is my new sister-in-law. She came here to marry Kane.” Charlie didn’t add that she was a mail-order bride, which helped Berniece a bit. She didn’t want the whole town to know her business anyway. It was enough that Charlie and Abel knew she and Kane had been fighting.

  As she met more and more women, Berniece began to feel a little overwhelmed. She’d only ever really attended the church that she’d grown up going to, so there were few strangers. This was a church entirely populated by strangers.

  As soon as everyone took their seats to begin the service, Berniece sighed with relief. “So glad that’s over.”

  Charlie laughed. “Most of the women in town are nice, but I don’t really know many of them. Once Veronica died, it was easier to stick to myself and just spend time with MaryAnn and the baby.”

  Kane returned to sit beside Berniece, and he smiled at her tentatively, as if he was still a little worried she’d be angry with him.

  “Clean slate, remember?” she whispered to him, and he grinned, nodding.

  “Clean slate. I couldn’t ask for a better gift from my beautiful bride.”

  Berniece blushed, having never been given a genuine compliment by a man before. It felt strange.

  After the service, they hurried out of the church, and Charlie took Ruth. “We’ll take care of her. You two go have fun.”

  Berniece nodded, smiling. “We won’t be too terribly long.” Though she wanted to be. This Kane seemed so different than the one she’d been getting to know since she arrived in Missoula. He helped her into the wagon and made sure she was comfortable before walking around and picking up the leads.

  “I thought a nice drive out of town would be good. We’ll find a good spot for a picnic. How would you feel about eating beside the river?” he asked.

  “There’s a river? I know so little about this place. I’ve only been to the mercantile, the train station, the church, and Charlie’s house. Everything else is a mystery to me.”

  “Well, then I need to show you around the whole area. I hope you feel like a long drive.” He smiled over at her, and she grinned back. The picnic basket was stowed in the back, and she gripped his arm as he drove. She could feel the ripples of muscles under it, and it caused a small flutter in her belly.

  He drove in a full circle around the city, stopping at the Bitterroot River. “We can picnic here.” He pulled a quilt from the back and put the picnic basket in her hands. “I’ll spread the quilt.”

  She nodded, smiling at him. She’d had no idea her husband could be quite so charming. He’d kept up a steady stream of conversation on the drive, pointing out different sights and answering her questions. It was so much more pleasant than she’d imagined spending time with him could be.

  Once they were seated, she pulled out two ears of corn and the fried chicken she’d made for them. “It won’t be hot now, but it should still be good.”

  “I’m sure it’s fine.” He reached into the picnic basket for one of the jars of water she’d added in, and he unscrewed the lid, tilting his head back and drinking. A lone trickle of water rolled down the length of his throat, and all she could think about was licking it off his skin.

  She blinked a couple of times, forcing herself to look away. She wasn’t even sure where that thought had come from. Keeping her eyes on the chicken, she took a bite and smiled. Even though it wasn’t hot, it was still warm, and the food was good.

  They ate through everything she’d brought, including a dozen chocolate chip cookies, mostly in silence. She desperately wanted to ask him about Veronica after what Charlie had said the previous day, but she wasn’t sure how he’d react.

  Finally, she found her courage and looked at him. “Tell me about your first marriage.”

  He frowned, looking down at his hands for a moment. “I’m not quite ready to talk about Veronica yet.”

  “All right.” She looked away, wishing he wasn’t keeping secrets from her. Veronica’s name had been mentioned a couple of times at church, and she felt as if the whole town knew some sort of secret that she could only guess at.

  He reached over and covered her hand with his. “I’m sorry. I’m not trying to hide anything from you, but I’m just not ready to discuss her. I know that’s strange.”

  She simply nodded, wishing things were different between them and she could get him to tell her whatever everyone else knew. He moved toward her on the quilt, looking deeply into her eyes. “I really am sorry.”

  She shrugged. “I guess if you can’t talk about it, then you can’t. Maybe someday.” She thought for a moment about asking around town, but if he didn’t want her to know about Veronica, then she would wait until he did. Yes, there were ways of figuring things out, but at that moment, she knew it was more important for her to trust him. She leaned forward and rested her forehead against his shoulder. “When you are ready to talk, I’ll be here.”

  He pressed a kiss to the top of her head, finding affection with her a great deal easier than he’d expected. She felt right to him in a way that Veronica never had. He rested his cheek atop her head for a moment when something caught his eye. “Stay very still,” he said softly, reaching for the gun he always wore at his hip. He knew some said you shouldn’t wear a
gun to church, but he couldn’t not wear one. It frightened him just thinking about it.

  Berniece moved closer to him, nervous about what must be behind her for him to act so peculiarly. She was afraid, plain and simple.

  He pulled the gun and fired two shots. The first went into the rattlesnake’s head, and the second cut it in half. When she turned and saw the dead snake, she gasped, shaking her head and throwing herself into his arms.

  Seven

  Kane wrapped his arms around his wife, holding her close. He found himself thankful for the snake, because it had made Berniece move closer to him. He looked down at her, tilting her chin up to his, not surprised when he saw tears on her cheeks. “It’s okay.”

  She took deep, gulping breaths before nodding. “Thank you for saving me.”

  “Happy to do it. Especially since it brought you so close.” He wiggled his eyebrows a little to make her laugh, which she did.

  “I think I’m done sitting on the ground for our picnic for the moment.”

  “I can understand that. Do you want to drive for a little more, or should I get you back to Abel’s house?”

  Berniece looked up at him, pursing her lips as she considered the question. “Why don’t we get Ruth from Abel’s and go home?” Because suddenly, it did feel like home. There were still secrets between them, but they would be taken care of when the time was right. At least after this sweet time together, she had a hope that the time would eventually be right, and she wouldn’t need to continue worrying about her future.

  He smiled and nodded. “I’d like that a lot. And I’m not going to take you and all you do for me for granted anymore. I promise you that.”

  “Thank you.” Berniece didn’t feel the need to say anything else on the subject. They had a clean slate. “Let’s go get our baby girl.”

  Kane grinned. “I think you already do think of her as yours, don’t you?”

  She nodded emphatically. “I do. I came here to be her mommy, and that’s what I intend to be.”

  “So, you’re what? A mail-order mommy?”

  “Well, I’m certainly not much of a mail-order bride. We do keep separate bedrooms after all.” She got to her feet and started to clear away the remains of their picnic, putting the refuse and dirty dishes into the basket. She would make sure she cleaned them for Charlie before they went home to the ranch.

  “Do you want to share a room?” he asked, looking perplexed. “I honestly thought I was doing you a favor by not sharing a room with you.”

  “For now, I think it’s good. I would like more children eventually, though. Little Ruth doesn’t need to be an only child forever.”

  He stood up and folded the quilt they’d used for the picnic. “Then let’s plan on sharing a room whenever you’re ready.”

  Berniece carried the basket and the sloppily folded quilt to put them into the back of the wagon. “I thought you found me repulsive,” she said, not meeting his eyes.

  “Repulsive? Why would you even think that?” Kane caught her shoulders before she could run over and get into the wagon. “I think you’re one of the prettiest women I’ve ever met.”

  “Then why did you only kiss my cheek at the wedding? I thought for sure we’d kiss our first time after we were pronounced man and wife, but instead, you just kissed my cheek. It made me feel . . . ugly.”

  He shook his head, feeling like the world’s biggest heel. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t intend to have a real marriage with you, and I was planning on treating you like a maid. Which I did for a day or two, if you’ll recall. I didn’t kiss you, because you shouldn’t kiss your maid.” He looked deeply into her eyes for a moment. “Are you sure you want to be a wife and not a hired servant?”

  Berniece nodded emphatically. “I’m positive.”

  Kane needed no further invitation. He pulled her to him by the hands that were still gripping her shoulders and lowered his mouth to hers. The kiss he gave her was soft and tentative. This woman was nothing like Veronica, and she deserved to be treated well.

  Berniece wrapped her arms around his shoulders, surprising herself. She was actually enjoying this kiss, when she’d loathed every kiss she’d received before. She moved closer to him, flattening her breasts against the hard wall of his chest and opening her mouth for him. Together, they held one another and explored, forgetting the past few days of frustration with each other and only thinking about how the other felt against them.

  Kane lifted his head after a long moment. “I think I like kissing you, Mrs. Burton.”

  She smiled, resting her forehead against his shoulder. “I know I like being kissed by you, Mr. Burton.”

  He took her hand and pulled her to the side of the wagon, taking her by the waist and easily lifting her into the wagon. “Let’s go get our baby so we can go home.”

  “I’d like nothing more,” she said, her eyes full of warmth. She wanted to spend the rest of the day with him, but at their home and not out where they could be stumbled upon by anyone. She liked the intimacy of kissing him, and she didn’t want to become a public spectacle.

  When they arrived to pick up Ruth, she was sleeping, so Berniece took care of the picnic basket, returning it in perfect condition. She waited until Kane had gone off to speak with Abel before refolding the quilt properly and giving it to Charlie.

  “I couldn’t let you take it back with the way it was so sloppily folded,” she whispered.

  Charlie laughed. “Kane must have helped.”

  “He did. In his own special way.”

  Charlie grinned. “He’s been a good brother to me. I shouldn’t poke fun.”

  “Today was lovely. We went for a long drive, and then we had a picnic. He shot a rattlesnake that was inches from me, and that was fun . . .” Berniece gave a little shudder as she told her friend what had happened.

  “He what? It didn’t get you, did it?” Charlie looked at her friend as if she was trying to spot a snake bite.

  “No, I’m fine, but I was a little rattled.”

  Charlie laughed appropriately. “I can’t believe you’re making jokes about it so soon. I think it would take me a great deal longer to get over my initial shock.”

  “Oh, trust me. I’m still shaking a little.” Berniece shook her head. “I feel like Kane and I are getting stronger together. This was a good move for me, though I wasn’t sure how it would turn out.”

  “I think you did what you needed to do. If he starts taking you for granted now, he’s never going to stop.” Charlie shook her head. “You are definitely doing the right thing for your future as his wife.”

  Charlie brought Ruth down the stairs a few minutes later, handing her off to her father. The baby looked at her father and patted his cheek happily. It was obvious they had truly bonded during the time they’d had to live apart.

  On the drive home, Berniece held the baby, who babbled constantly and incoherently. “She’s in a good mood,” Berniece said with a grin.

  Kane laughed. “I’m not sure I’ve ever heard her be quite so verbal unless she was crying. I like it.”

  “I do, too.” Berniece kissed the top of the baby’s head. “I can’t wait until she really starts talking.”

  “I can’t either. I’m told we’ll want her to be quiet as soon as she can speak, but I’m not sure I believe that.” Kane glanced over at his new wife, holding his daughter, and he felt his heart swell. It truly didn’t matter if he thought she was the most beautiful woman on earth. What mattered most to him was how she treated Ruth, and she had already claimed Ruth as her own child. He couldn’t have been happier with his choice of brides at that moment. And soon they would learn about each other in a more intimate way. For now, they could simply learn to talk to one another about anything and everything as a way to become closer. “Do you have any siblings?”

  Berniece was surprised by the question, but she immediately shook her head. “No, I don’t.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that. I’d have had a horrible time this past year if not f
or my brother. It wasn’t easy even with my brother and his wife’s help.”

  She nodded. “I think I would love to have a sibling. My parents’ marriage always felt strange to me, with my mother afraid to contradict my father in any way. I think I understand now. More than I ever dreamed I would understand.” Albert Chase had taught her a great deal more than she wanted to know about the negative side of some marriages, and they hadn’t even made it to the altar.

  “In what way?” Kane knew so little about the woman sitting beside him. The more he learned, the better he felt like they would do together.

  “Well, my father bragged to Mr. Chase—the man I was supposed to marry—about how much fun it had been teaching my mother her place early in marriage. And then he went on to say that he still spanked her from time to time so she would remember, not because she needed it any longer.” She shook her head. “I cannot believe my mother would stay with a man who treated her that way. And I was appalled she wouldn’t help me to avoid a marriage like hers. She honestly thought that’s how a marriage should be for some absurd reason.”

  “I promise you I will never treat you like that. Why did your father want you to marry a man who would beat you?”

  “My father thinks women have a weaker mind and must be disciplined. Mr. Chase has been his boss for as long as I can remember, and when he expressed an interest in me, Father knew that he would not spare the rod. That pleased him.”

  “That’s terrible.” Kane shook his head. “I’m so thankful I didn’t grow up in a household like that.” He glanced at the baby, who was still babbling happily. “And I cannot imagine marrying a woman who would hit my child. I want to protect her from everything.”