Jake found himself studying Sara’s expression once more and realized he wasn’t going to find a hint or what was on her mind. Some men might be frustrated by her answer, but Jake was fascinated by her ability to mask her thoughts.
“Fine. I’ve decided that you, Miss Smith, will sleep in the bedroom next to mine and remain Miss Smith until we’ve been recognized as Mr. and Mrs. Elliott by the Territory of Montana.”
Sara laughed again then leaned over and kissed him before saying, “I’ll see you in the morning, Mister Elliott. Tomorrow will be a very interesting day, and I hope tomorrow night will be even better.”
She stood and left the lamp on the table before she stepped into the hallway and disappeared into her bedroom.
Jake was a bit surprised when he heard her bedroom door close. He soon realized that Sara would continue to keep him puzzled yet enthralled even when they were old and gray. But he hadn’t confessed the main reason for his decision about the sleeping arrangements. He’d noticed that she’d already moved her things into the neighboring bedroom, so he suspected that she may have only been testing him. Even if she wasn’t evaluating his morality, he thought he’d survive one more night just dreaming about being with Sara.
He blew out the lamp before he walked down the hallway. He was about to turn into his bedroom when he remembered that he’d left his Winchester and the Sharps in the front room. So, he continued into the dark room, picked up both rifles and carried them through the still open office doorway. He turned to the rifle rack and was about to return the unused Sharps to its place when he noticed that the Martini-Henry was gone.
After placing the Sharps in its proper place, he put his Winchester where the missing British rifle had been. He assumed that Dave had taken it with him but wondered why he hadn’t mentioned it in his letter. He figured that Dave had just sealed the envelope, set it on the desk and as he was leaving, decided to take the long-range rifle. He wasn’t going to light another lamp to check on the ammunition, so he dismissed the mystery for the night and walked to his room.
After stripping to his skivvies and sliding under the quilts, Jake’s mind was far too busy to let him fall asleep.
Tomorrow, he and Sara would go to the bank. He’d withdraw a thousand dollars and have her added to the account before they walked to the bakery and the dreaded talk with Mrs. Kemper. He wanted to have Sara standing beside him when he asked her about the reason for his father’s generosity as he wasn’t sure how she’d react. She could even slap him for the insinuation but would be less likely to release her anger with Sara at his side. He doubted if she could provide any answer that wouldn’t add to the poor opinion he held for his father.
After the tense meeting with Mrs. Kemper, they’d see Reverend Faraday but might need to visit the county courthouse. He then shifted to a more mundane Elk task. Now that Dave Forrest was running his own ranch, Jake would have to appoint a new foreman. It didn’t take long before he decided to offer the position to Jack Parker. He was the oldest and most experienced ranch hand and was well respected.
He’d miss Dave but was happy for him and hoped everything worked out for him on his small ranch in Meagher County near Judith Creek.
Jake continued to revisit everything that had happened since he’d returned for another hour before he finally drifted off to sleep.
CHAPTER 8
Jake was the first to leave his bedroom in the morning. After ripping on a pair of britches and hurrying outside, he returned to his bedroom where he washed and shaved using the wash basin in his room.
He was fully dressed and had started a fire in the cookstove when a grinning Sara waltzed past in her nightdress to visit the privy. Jake was sitting at the table still wearing a smile when she returned. But instead of returning to her room, she simply plopped onto his lap and wrapped her right arm around his shoulders.
Jake had his left arm around her waist as he said, “I’m glad to see you had a good night’s sleep, Sara.”
“I don’t intend to sleep as much tonight, Mister Elliott. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
“I’m sure you will. At least we won’t have to saddle the horses. When I visited the small house, I saw Bill Jackson standing beside Mars, Vulcan and Orville’s horse. All of them are waiting for us.”
“I assume you mean the horses are waiting for us and not the men. So, I guess I’d better move along.”
Sara initiated a long kiss before she hopped onto her feet and trotted down the hallway.
Jake shook his head as he smiled. He wondered if he’d ever adjust to Sara but hoped that he wouldn’t. He expected her to take at least a half an hour to get dressed but she stepped back into the kitchen just five minutes later wearing her riding ensemble.
“You impressed me yet again, Sara,” he said as he stood to make the coffee.
“Did you expect me to be wearing britches and a gunbelt, sir?”
Jake laughed lightly before he answered, “No, ma’am. You took much less time to dress than I had expected.”
“I don’t waste time, Mister Elliott; or haven’t you noticed?”
“You did sort of propose on my second day back, so I should have figured it out by now; shouldn’t I?”
She smiled then said, “I’ll keep you on your toes,
