Zack's Montana Bride (Sweet, Clean Western Historical Romance)(Montana Ranchers and Brides Series) Read online

  Zack turned and frowned. "You are joking. Right?"

  Mrs. Brodie shook her head. "Just make a good impression, Zack. She's going to be as nervous as you. Just remember that. And there are children to think about too," she said.

  Zack took a deep breath and nodded. "You're right. I need to make a good impression. Those kids will sure be feeling strange in a place like this. They've been used to city life."

  Zack went to the window again. The buggy was rolling into the yard. Mrs. Brodie took Zack by the shoulders and looked up into his eyes. The teasing had been replaced by an expression of genuine goodwill. "Just be yourself, Zack. That's the best thing you can do. It's what she'll be wanting."

  Zack smiled down at Mrs. Brodie. His housekeeper had been a rock all the years he'd known her. And now was no exception. "It's just so incredible to have her back," he said softly.

  "Maybe some things are meant to be," Mrs. Brodie said quietly.

  Outside there was the sound of the buggy drawing to a halt. Zack forced himself to stay away from the window. Mrs. Brodie released him and Zack made his way to the front door. He paused and took a deep breath before slowly opening the door.

  Zack stepped out onto the porch, looked across the yard and felt his breath stop, his throat tighten, the blood drain from his face.

  It was her. Lydia was actually here. Now. In the one place where Zack would never have expected to see her.

  She was looking at him, sitting there on the front seat of the buggy, only a few feet away, elegantly dressed in an exquisite blue outfit that made her look like she'd been dropped from a sophisticated Eastern salon onto the wild Montana landscape. Her eyes were fixed on him, and he was sure he saw her mouth drop open ever so slightly.

  And one thought overwhelmed Zack's mind. It was so forceful that there was nothing he could do to stop it completely taking possession of him.

  Lydia was so astonishingly, breathtakingly beautiful.

  Zack forced himself to take a breath. He willed himself to smile at her, aware that his face had frozen temporarily into an expression of pure and total amazement.

  And then she did the one thing that truly made his heart leap. She smiled at him, her face lighting up, her lips parting into a warm, genuine smile.

  Zack's feet felt rooted to the spot. For a moment there was only Zack and Lydia. It felt as if time had stopped.

  An excited scream cut into the timeless moment and Zack became suddenly aware of a flurry of activity around Lydia. A small girl wearing a white dress was standing next to Lydia on the buggy and was pointing off in the direction of the corral.

  "Look, Mama. A pony," The little girl yelled excitedly.

  Lydia turned to the girl. With a gentle hand on the girl's arm, Lydia tried to calm her daughter down. "I can see that, Daisy. We can see the pony later. First, I'd like you and your sisters to meet someone very important," Lydia said.

  Her voice. Lydia's voice sounded like sweet music to Zack's ears.

  It was almost the same, although now it had perhaps a slightly more authoritative edge to it than he could remember. But then she'd only been eighteen years old when he'd last heard her voice. Zack stepped off the porch onto the soft earth of the yard, taking a step closer, the smile fixed on his face

  Ned stepped down off the buggy and came around to Zack. Ned smiled at Zack. "I'll just get me some water," he explained and headed for the kitchen.

  Zack took one more step closer to the buggy. Lydia was busy fussing with the three excited girls. Another few steps and he was by the side of the buggy.

  Zack cleared his throat and looked up at Lydia. She was turned away from him and quietly asking the two girls in the back seat to keep their voices down. Zack looked at the locks of blonde hair which tumbled out from under Lydia's pretty blue bonnet. She still had her back to him. The two girls sounded like they were arguing about something. But, all that Zack could think of was how pretty their mother looked close up, even if she still had her back to him. For a moment, Zack thought that she was turning away from him deliberately, delaying their introduction. But then he could see just how much it was taking to get the two girls to stop their friendly disagreement.

  Zack cleared his throat, this time louder and with a grin toward the boisterous, noisy girls on the rear seat. The dark haired girl suddenly stopped arguing with her fair haired younger sister and turned, fixing Zack with a penetrating, quizzical look.

  Then Lydia turned and looked at Zack and his heart leapt at the sight of her delicate, elegant features. Her beautiful blue eyes.

  "Lydia," Zack said failing to control the cracking of his voice. "It's so good to see you again."

  Lydia's bottom lip quivered slightly as she gazed down from the seat. "Zack. It's such a pleasure to meet you again," she said. Her voice was soft and filled his ears with a sweetness he hadn't known in years.

  Zack reached up a hand. "May I help you down?" he offered.

  Lydia smiled and nodded, reaching out a gloved hand and allowing him to wrap his fingers around her own. The touch made Zack's hand almost tremble. He swallowed and forced himself to straighten and adopt an air of courtesy.

  Zack took a step back and watched Lydia rise to her feet and step down off the buggy. With a downward glance she straightened her dress. Zack was aware of the children watching wordlessly from their seats, but it took all the strength he had to tear his eyes away from their beautiful mother and give all three of them a reassuring smile. In turn, all three faces scrunched up in response. Zack smiled when he saw that.

  "Thank you," Lydia said wiping dust of her dress. And then she lifted her head and gazed into his eyes and he felt like the world had shifted on it's axis. Her clear icy, blue eyes were every bit as lovely as he'd recalled so many times before. Only now there was a moist shimmering which prompted Zack to quickly address the children.

  "And who are these lovely young ladies?" he asked with a smile. Immediately the eyes of all three widened and identical smiles spread across their features.

  Lydia turned. "May I introduce my daughters." She gestured to the small girl seated on the front bench. "Daisy. Say hello to Mr. Buchanan."

  Daisy stood up and curtseyed. "Pleasure, Mr. Buchanan," she said in a tiny, thin voice that sounded a little tired. Zack felt a tug at his heart. The little girl was so cute and so well schooled in good manners.

  Lydia gestured toward the rear bench. "Kate." The older girl curtseyed in similar fashion. "Mr. Buchanan. Mighty nice to meet you," she said with a smile, all politeness and good graces.

  "It's an honor to meet you, Kate," Zack said. Kate's face lit up when he said that.

  With a final gesture toward the dark haired girl next to Kate, Lydia introduced her oldest daughter. "And this is Gretchen. My eldest," Lydia said. Zack caught the briefest of glances from Lydia, as if she were trying to explain something to Zack.

  "Gretchen. I'm mighty pleased to make your acquaintance," Zack said. And then he bowed, placing a hand across his heart. "It's a real honor to meet all of you. I'd like to welcome you to ranch Buchanan." When he raised his head he saw that all three of the girls were looking at each other in astonishment.

  Zack was aware that he perhaps should temper his enthusiasm. He didn't yet know how Lydia had explained the situation to the children. How much detail she'd given them about the plans. But, they certainly seemed happy. Well, two of them at least. Zack saw that Gretchen was giving the ranch house a real good look. He wondered what was going through her mind.

  Zack glanced at Lydia and saw that she seemed pleased at his gesture of Montana courtesy.

  "Let me take some of your bags," Zack said moving to the back of the buggy and undoing the straps that held the small number of cases. "Is this all you brought with you?" he asked Lydia.

  She nodded. "Don't worry there's more to come. I've arranged for the shipping firm to transport some more of our things. It'll take a few weeks though." She glanced at the first of the trunks Zack was trying to get his arms under. "I
n the meantime, that should do us," she explained.

  Zack tried to lift the trunk but quickly set it back down with a thud. "Whew. What have you got in there?"

  Lydia smiled and the children giggled. "The bare essentials," she said.

  "Is that all?" Zack asked jokingly. "Feels like you've got some gold bars in there," he said.

  "You know how children are. They like to have their own things everywhere they go," Lydia said with a glance at her daughters. All three frowned.

  "When can we see the rest of the ranch," Gretchen demanded suddenly.

  Zack glanced at her and raised his eyebrows. "I figured you'd all like to get settled in first. I think my housekeeper has some plans to feed you all first. How does that sound? Are you hungry?"

  Gretchen glanced at her sisters. Kate spoke up. "We haven't eaten much today. Have we, Mama?"

  Lydia ran an embarrassed hand along the side of her face. "We had a packed lunch," she explained to Zack. "But it didn't last long."

  Zack nodded. "I see. Well I'm sure Mrs. Brodie can do something to fix that," he said. "Meantime, if you'll all follow me, I'll show you to your rooms."

  Zack heaved up the trunk into his arms and started toward the porch. With a glance behind him, he saw that the children had leapt down off the buggy and were following behind their mother in well organized straight line.

  Zack pushed the door open with his foot and stepped into the hallway. He stopped at the foot of the stairs and turned. Mrs. Brodie appeared from the kitchen, wiping her hands on an apron.

  "My oh my. Look what we have here. What beautiful children," the housekeeper enthused. She reached out a hand and pinched Daisy's clear skinned cheek. "And look at you. Aren't you lovely," Mrs. Brodie exclaimed.

  Zack straightened, trying not to drop the trunk. "Mrs. Brodie. May I introduce Lydia, Gretchen, Kate. And the person whose cheek you just tried to remove, is Daisy," he said trying to hide the fact that breathing was starting to get difficult.

  Everyone shook hands with Mrs. Brodie.

  "Are you hungry?" Mrs. Brodie said, addressing all four of them. The silent look she received was all the reply she needed.

  "Well. I've cooked some lunch for you all. Just get yourselves freshened up and settled in, and it'll be down here, waiting for you," she said.

  "That's very kind of you, Mrs. Brodie. I'm sure the children are already looking forward to that. Isn't that right?" Lydia said glancing at all three girls. They nodded in unison and Lydia smiled with satisfaction.

  The housekeeper glanced at Zack, a look of light hearted concern on her face. "I think you better get that upstairs before you collapse," she said.

  "Follow me," Zack said and started up the stairs. He heard the sound of the footsteps behind him. It sounded like an army had just moved into the ranch.

  Zack led them down the hall and stopped outside the bedroom where he'd spent so long trying to fit in the three small beds.

  "This is your room, ladies," Zack said addressing the three girls. Zack felt something sink in his gut when he saw the expression on their faces. They weren't impressed. He could tell that right away.

  Gretchen's mouth opened and he could see she was about to say something, but Lydia spoke up first. "It's lovely, Zack. Exactly what I asked for." Lydia wrapped an arm around the girls' shoulders and drew them all close. "You know how you all like to sleep in the same room, girls. Think how cozy it'll be. Nights can be a little cold out in Montana. That's right, isn't it, Zack?" Lydia said glancing at him.

  He hesitated, then agreed. "Uh. Sure. Maybe once you're all settled in we can rearrange things," he said.

  "That won't be necessary," Lydia said. "They're going to be very comfortable here," she said following Zack into the room. He laid the trunk down. He turned to the children and watched them file into the room, seeing their expressions of uncertainty as they peered at the beds. "In any case, the ranch is a big place," he said. "You've got plenty a space to roam. You'll see."

  Lydia gave him a smile.

  Zack straightened. "I'll leave you ladies to unpack. And see you downstairs. I think Mrs. Brodie will be glad to serve you all some good, wholesome ranch food."

  Gretchen rolled her eyes, but Zack just smiled.

  Lydia looked at Zack. "Thank you, Zack. That sounds lovely. We'll be down in a short while."

  Zack nodded and locked his eyes on Lydia. He couldn't believe it. She was here, standing in his home, speaking with him, being polite, well mannered, cold even. And that was the only thing that really bothered him as he turned and made his way out of the room.

  Lydia had been formal, polite and reserved. All the times he'd thought about their reunion, Zack had never once thought that it would be like this. Polite. Cold. Formal. He'd imagined something entirely different. Something warm, passionate, even tender.

  But it just hadn't been like that at all.

  And, as he made his way downstairs, Zack Buchanan asked himself if he'd made the biggest mistake of his life in asking Lydia to come back to him, children and all. Above all he asked himself how he was possibly going to formally ask her to become his wife.

  CHAPTER THREE

  She was here. In Zack's house. At last. After so much deliberation and so many letters. He'd been so polite and gentle in the way he'd welcomed them to his ranch. Lydia wondered if Zack had felt the same rush of emotion that she had felt on seeing him for the first time in nine years. So much had happened. So much had changed. But one thing was the same as it had always been. The effect that Zack Buchanan had upon the beating of her heart.

  Just sitting on the buggy, watching him emerge slowly from the inside of the ranch house, had made her pulse begin to race, her throat to tighten. He looked so different and yet still recognizable as the man she'd left behind. It had taken all her strength to contain the urge to call out to him as the buggy had pulled up in the yard. But she'd had to restrain those impulses, those expressions of relief and delight. Lydia wanted this to be as easy a transition for her children as she could make it.

  So, she had forced herself to stay seated on the buggy and watch him approach her with that smile of sheer delight written all over his face.

  Lydia had never forgotten Zack. But, it had been such a long time since she'd seen him that she'd lost sight of one very important thing.

  Zack Buchanan was the most handsome man she had ever seen.

  Thinking that one thought brought a sharp stab of guilt to her middle.

  She shouldn't be thinking like that. Not when Daniel had passed away only weeks before. Lydia wanted, above all else, to respect her dearly departed husband. And for that reason, all the thoughts about Zack had to be banished, taken fully and entirely under control.

  Lydia gazed around the tiny room and watched her daughters start to negotiate about who would have the best bed. It was inevitable really, that they would argue over such an important thing. Lydia already knew who would win out in the end, but even so, she felt a simple pleasure listening to her children discuss which bed was the best and who deserved to claim it.

  Lydia started to unpack their belongings from the trunk. She opened up the drawers of the small dressing table which was jammed into the corner of the room, and started filling them with the girls' small clothes. She instructed the three girls to start to hang the few dresses they had brought with them in the small wardrobe. Lydia watched the girls follow her instructions.

  One thing was for sure. In a room as small as this there would no space for the kinds of pillow fights that had been such a regular occurrence back in San Francisco. Lydia smiled at the memory of their life back in the city. The family had lived in a small apartment. Daniel had assured Lydia that their stay in the slightly down at heel district would merely be a temporary arrangement. But, one by one, the children had arrived, and life in the apartment had become more and more restrictive.

  Lydia glanced out the window. There would be no shortage of space out here, in Montana. She wondered how her three daughters wou
ld cope with such a dramatic change. It had been hard enough to console them to the loss of their beloved father. And Lydia was sure that all three of her girls were putting on the bravest face imaginable, hiding the real hurt they were all feeling.

  Lydia glanced at Kate and watched her hanging up one of her pretty petticoats. Kate, in particular had taken the death of her father very hard. Lydia frowned when she saw Gretchen push Kate's hand away from the hanger.

  "I want to hang my dress on that one," Gretchen stated firmly, pushing against her sister. Kate leaned back and acquiesced in a manner which Lydia thought too quick.

  "Gretchen. Don't speak to your sister like that," Lydia ordered.

  Gretchen turned and looked at her mother, a flash of defiance in her eyes. But it was soon replaced by a slight tightening of the lips and a nod of the head. "Sorry, mama."

  Kate glanced at Lydia who nodded at her relieved daughter. Kate went back to hanging the petticoat.

  Lydia sighed quietly. It was going to take time. The girls were bound to find things strange, here on Zack's ranch. Especially after having lived all their lives in a city like San Francisco, with all that bustle and activity. Lydia wondered how on earth she was going to keep her girls from being overwhelmed by the sheer difference in the life they were about to embark upon. There was so much to think of. Schooling, friends, how to keep the girls occupied.

  And then there was the issue of getting reacquainted with Zack Buchanan.

  How was she going to do that? Had she just made the biggest mistake of her life?

  But then again, she hadn't had much choice, had she? Lydia's children were the most important thing in her life. She'd had to find some way to ensure their safety and give them at least some chance of a future. Daniel's sudden death had left them with no income and thus no money.

  Not even a dollar.

  Lydia frowned as she recalled the fear she'd felt at the prospect of city life with no visible means. She'd heard stories of unfortunate women who'd fallen on hard times, unable to make ends meet. The choices they'd had to make were not ones that Lydia had been prepared to consider for even a moment.