Melinda and the Wild West (12 page)

When the New Year rang in, they took pots and pans
and went outside and banged them loudly with a ladle, yelling to
all the neighbors, “Happy New Year. Happy New Year to
everyone!”

Gilbert smiled at his daughter and said,
“May this year be better than last year and may we learn from our
mistakes.”

Jenny added. “And I’m gonna try to be a
better student for my teacher.” She sighed. “I miss her, Pa.” Then
she lifted her eyebrows curiously. “Do you like Miss Gamble?”

Gilbert thought a while and nodded. “Yes, I
do, Jenny.”

“Pa, do you ever think you’ll get married
again?”

“Never really thought much about it.”

“Why not?”

“Never saw a real need before.”

“Why not?”

“I suspect that I’ve been so happy with my
daughter and so busy on the ranch that I never really thought about
it before.”

“Pa, do you think you might start thinkin’
about it now?”

Gilbert thought for a bit, rubbing his chin.
“Perhaps. Why are you asking me all these questions, Jenny?”

“Just curious, that’s all.” She looked down
at her feet. “I really like Miss Gamble.”

Gilbert smiled. “Are all these questions
you’ve been asking me pointing to someone special, Jenny?”

“Perhaps.”

Gilbert laughed. “You’re just like your Pa. I
say ‘perhaps’ just to avoid an answer and so do you.”

Jenny giggled and Gilbert chuckled warmly.
“Jenny, it’s time for bed and it’s cold out here. Let’s go in.”

Jenny nodded and gave her father a hug.

“
Good night and I love you, dear. Sleep well.”

After Jenny went to bed, he stayed up for a
while thinking about what Jenny had said. Gilbert had been thinking
about Melinda during the holidays and had missed her. He had been
invited over to Martha’s for Sunday dinners ever since Thanksgiving
and he had become comfortable with Melinda and her ways. His
thoughts roamed to their conversations and her beautiful green eyes
and graceful movements. He knew that Jenny wanted a mother, but he
was not quite ready for that commitment as of yet. He needed to
guard his heart carefully because he had something that he needed
to work out on his own before pursuing that direction.

As the train pulled into Bear Lake Valley,
Melinda felt like she was home again. After just four months, this
place felt like home. Why was that? As she realized how special
this quaint little town had become, Melinda’s heart melted.

She noticed the mountains were covered with
a white blanket and the land was knee-deep with snow. The green
pines were dabbed with an icy crust and moved gently in the
breeze.

The train slowed down as it approached the
terminal. She looked out the window, searching for her aunt and
uncle. Her heart fluttered with excitement when she saw their
carriage waiting for her. When the train came to a stop, she
grabbed her two bags and purse. As she stepped to the edge of the
passenger car, she breathed in the fresh crisp air and joy filled
her heart. It smelled so clean and fresh, so different from the
city.

Just as she stepped down, she heard a deep
familiar voice. “May I take your luggage for you?”

Melinda recognized that voice and she
immediately raised her head. There was Gilbert watching her descend
the stairs. With surprise in her voice, she said, “Mr.
Roberts?”

Gilbert was gazing at her with great
interest. He hadn’t seen her for a couple of weeks and he thought
she looked mighty fine. “Martha asked me to pick you up. Your uncle
is sick and she hated to leave him. She asked me to pick you up in
her carriage because my buckboard wouldn’t be as comfortable.”

Gilbert held his hand out for her luggage
and Melinda handed it to him. “May I take the other one, too?”

Melinda shook her head. “No, it’s all right.
I can manage. I don’t want you to be weighed down when I’m
perfectly able to carry at least one.”

Gilbert chuckled at her independence. As she
held her skirts and stepped down from the train, he watched her and
said, “My, it’s good to see you again.”

Melinda was surprised to hear that. As she
searched his eyes for a clue to his feelings, she asked, “Is it?
Why is that?”

Gilbert was not ready for that sort of
question. He could not say exactly why he was so happy to see her.
Could it have been that he had missed her and had been thinking
about her for the past couple weeks? He was not even sure of his
own feelings at that moment. He was too concerned about the
differences in their personalities.

“It just is,” he blurted out.

“Oh.” Melinda felt a little disappointed.
She wondered if he had been thinking about her as much as she had
about him. Slowly, they walked toward the carriage. “It’s good to
see you again, too.”

Gilbert grinned as he put the luggage in the
carriage. With a teasing tone in his voice, he asked, “It is? Why
is that?”

When she saw him grin, she knew he was
teasing her and she was not in the mood to be teased. All she
wanted was to find out how he felt about her. That was all. Melinda
noticed that he had not responded to her question, so why should
she answer his? Two could play that game. No, she was not about to
back down and dodge his question just as he had done, so she
answered with a bluntness that surprised him.

“It’s good to see you because I’ve been
thinking about you. I wondered how your Christmas and New Year’s
Eve were. We’re friends and I enjoy being around you. That’s why.”
When she saw his surprised expression, she added, “At least I can
answer your question, which is more than you did.” She looked into
his eyes and said with a little impatience, “What are you so afraid
of, Mr. Roberts?”

Melinda was not about to be intimidated by
his question. She gave her answer and it was the truth, and she was
proud of herself for not backing down. She watched Gilbert’s face
and waited patiently for his reaction.

When Gilbert heard her indignant tone, he
grinned and then he burst out with laughter. “You know, Melinda,
when we get together, we are just like two bulls butting
heads.”

Melinda was not sure if she liked that analogy,
but she smiled and then laughed herself. “I guess we are. But I’m
not quite sure that I like being compared to a bull. Do you really
want to know how I feel?”

Gilbert nodded. He searched her face and
eyes while he listened to her. He wanted to know how she really
felt.

She took a deep breath and began. “I like
you, Mr. Roberts. I like you a lot, but I don’t know how you feel.
You don’t show your feelings or even say what you feel. You seem to
hide your emotions, and I don’t know whether you like me or not. I
simply asked you why it was good to see me, and you avoided the
subject like an illness. I just don’t understand you at all, Mr.
Roberts.”

She put her hands on her hips and stood
looking at him impatiently, waiting for a response. She had been
blunt and she wondered how he would take such an answer from a
woman.

Melinda’s words seemed to stir his heart.
She cared. She actually cared. As she spoke, his eyes swept over
her and he realized how attractive she was, even with all that
spunk. Her auburn hair shone in the sun, and her rosy cheeks, her
expressive green eyes, and the soft, gentle curves of her body made
her look achingly beautiful to Gilbert. When his eyes strayed to
the soft curvature of her mouth, a longing to kiss her rose sharply
within him. Looking into her eyes and studying her intently,
Gilbert impulsively stepped toward her and slid his hands around
her waist, pulling her close to him, and pressed his warm lips to
hers. Then he wrapped his arms around her and held her tenderly as
his lips caressed hers. Relishing her softness in his arms, he let
his kiss linger.

Melinda’s heart beat rapidly and her pulse
raced, as it had never done before. His lips were warm and tender,
and happiness overtook her, along with surprise. His hands were
strong and his touch made her heart sing.

As he enfolded her in his arms and pulled
her closer to his chest with the palms of his hands on her back,
Melinda felt as if she were melting into his arms and a tingling
sensation seemed to start at her lips and continue down to her
toes. As she felt his muscled arms tighten around her in an
embrace, she realized that she had never felt this way with any man
before. Her spirits soared as happiness spread through her body and
she found it difficult to come back to earth again. She felt him
squeeze her tightly as his warm lips pressed against hers and she
sighed in ecstasy. When he pulled away, she looked into his
softened eyes and joy filled her soul.

Little did Melinda know that her reception
of his kiss had had its effect on Gilbert and he was not ready for
what his heart was telling him. She seemed so vulnerable and he was
afraid of hurting her. When Gilbert noticed how she had responded
to his embrace and melted into his arms, he suddenly became unsure
of himself. His heart had skipped several beats during that embrace
and he had found it difficult to let her go. He knew that he had
fallen in love with Melinda, but he needed time to think.

Gilbert looked into her eyes and said
softly, “Melinda, I should take you home.”

As he helped her into the carriage, his
pulse was still racing and he tried to think of something to say.
Should he have apologized for his behavior? Why had he acted so
impulsively?

After climbing into the carriage, Gilbert
whipped the reins and sat silently in thought, though very aware of
Melinda sitting next to him. After a while, he decided to express a
few of his concerns out loud.

He took a deep breath and said, “Melinda, we
are so different, you and I. You’re a lady of the best kind. I’m
just a rancher, a cowpuncher, and you’re a lady from the East.
You’re not used to this kind of life here. There’s no future for
us. Don’t you see?”

Melinda could see the frustration in his
face as she watched him speak. “No, Gilbert, you are wrong. I’m a
lady of the West now. And you are much more than just a rancher.
You don’t see yourself as I do. You’re a loving father, a devoted
friend, a fantastic cook, a righteous man, and a protector. I feel
this land is mine now. I love it beyond words. I belong here and I
know it.”

Gilbert smiled. This was the first time she
had called him by his given name. He had asked her to call him that
several times, but he had yet to hear it until now. He shook his
head in dismay as he realized even that was affecting his
senses.

The trip home was quiet and peaceful.
Melinda did not have much to say because her heart was still
pounding. She could still feel the taste of his kiss on her lips.
Gilbert’s kiss and his strong arms around her seemed to linger in
her memory during the ride home, and she was very aware of her own
feelings for the man sitting beside her.

Gilbert was quiet. She could tell that he
was wrestling with something very personal, something beyond what
he had just revealed to her. His anguish was apparent and Melinda
could see it clearly and wished that she could help in some
way.

After he reined in the horse, he took her hand in
his to help her down. He noticed how she gathered her skirts in her
hand and gracefully stepped down from the carriage. Not wanting to
let go, his hand lingered a while before releasing hers. He gazed
deeply into her eyes, as if searching for a reason why he was
feeling this way.

One question after another seemed to haunt
him. What was it about Melinda that attracted him so? Was he
actually in love for the first time in eight years? Why did they
have to be so different? He had not expressed all of his concerns
to her, but at least he was able to express one of them.

After releasing her hand, Gilbert took her
luggage to the door and placed them inside the house. He wanted to
speak to her, but the words would not come.

Melinda said softly, “You needn’t worry
about the horse and buggy. I can unhitch the horse and put him
away. I’ve been doing it for the past four months now. I’m
capable.”

A frown appeared upon his face and without a
word, he abruptly turned around and walked toward the buggy and led
the horse to the small barn. Gilbert unhitched the horse and put it
in the stall. He was not about to let Melinda unhitch the buggy, no
matter how independent she was. This was the least he could do for
her. After shutting the gate, he took off toward his horse, which
had been tied up to a hitching post near the house. Taking the
reins in his hands, he climbed upon his horse and galloped away
without looking back.

As Melinda watched from the
doorway, she wondered what had just happened. Why had he been so
abrupt when he left? Why didn’t he allow her to unhitch the horse
and buggy? Was something bothering him? And why didn’t he look back
at her before he left, as a friendly gesture? As she contemplated
her own concerns, she realized that when he
had pulled her
into his arms, she had never felt warmer than at that very
moment.

A couple of weeks passed and Melinda had not
had a chance to talk to Gilbert since he had kissed her at the
train station. She had seen him a few times in town and he would
nod and smile cordially at her, but he didn’t go out of his way to
make conversation with her.

Melinda thought about him often and tried to
figure out her own feelings. The memory of his kiss and his embrace
seemed to linger in her memory. At long last, she came to the
conclusion that she must be in love with him. Why else would she
have thought of him so often during her vacation? Why else would
she have compared everything he did to James while she was back
East? Why did a warm glow fill her heart whenever she thought about
him? She had never felt this way when she was with James. Her
thoughts seemed to stray toward Gilbert every waking moment. This
had to be love. What else could it be?