“Now, I understand why the two of you were together today,” she said, smiling at them, wondering what it would feel like to be sandwiched between two strong, husky men.
She’d never experienced one man, and if they chose her, she would have two men showing her the ways between a man and a woman.
Maybe she was wrong, but she had to make certain before she committed to anyone that she wasn’t marrying a gambler. That would send her running in the opposite direction.
“Let’s go sit outside while they get the dinner ready,” Jakob said.
She could feel him watching her. His sharp blue eyes were gazing at her, and she could see he was determining what kind of woman she was. Well, wouldn’t he be surprised? Her lessons had paid off, and she was a lady.
Martin opened the door and they both waited while she glided through just like Mrs. Newton showed her. When she stepped outside onto a patio area, there were gas lanterns hanging throughout the area making it feel cozy. Small tables were scattered about so everyone could sit and chat without others nearby.
With a glance, she saw that Mary and Daisy were sitting outside talking to some men.
Jakob pulled out her chair and she sank down.
They took chairs on either side of her.
“What made you decide to come to Montana?” Martin asked, gazing at her.
The man had the sweetest mouth and his eyes were kind. And yet, an air of sadness seemed to pervade him.
“Great question,” she said. “My father, who is now deceased, was a gambler. We had fifty acres of some of the best farmland near Charleston. He lost it in a poker game.”
The anger of losing the land that day came back, but she successfully held it back, remembering that she was a lady, and ladies didn’t show their emotions.
“I had to move out of my childhood home. Leave behind family heirlooms, but most of all my dog. He didn’t deserve to be forced into another home in his old age.”
The pain of leaving him still stung.
“How did you meet the matchmaker?” Jakob asked.
“Mrs. Newton was putting up flyers advertising for mail-order brides. I spoke to her and she told me to move in with her until the train left. Here I am.”
Jakob frowned at her, his emerald eyes darkening in the lantern light that was above them. “What about your mother?”
“My mother ran off with the pan salesman when I was five. I never saw her again,” she said.
Martin reached out and took her hand. “So you’ve never had a woman’s touch.”
“No, my father raised me,” she said, remembering not to say papa. “And if either one of you gambles, please tell me now. That is a complete deal breaker for me. In fact, why did you name your ranch the Lucky Strike?”
Jakob leaned back in his chair, his eyes carefully assessing her. “Martin named the ranch the Lucky Strike because he used to work in the mine. Most of his family’s money comes from the mine, or it did before his brother bought it.”
“Oh,” she said, thanking God the money wasn’t from gambling. “But you didn’t answer my question. Do either one of you gamble?”
“I have in the past,” Martin said. “But not here. There is no gambling hall here. We have a saloon, but no gambling is allowed. I’ve never been good at winning money, so I don’t enjoy it.”
She nodded and turned to Jakob.
“No, I don’t gamble. I’m not about to lose my hard-earned money.”
While she knew they could be lying to her, she felt like they were being honest. “Good. After losing our ranch, I want nothing to do with someone who gambles.”
They sat there for a moment. Martin ran his thumb over her hand. It was a soothing feeling that had her breathing funny.
“What about the two of you? Are your families here?”
Martin glanced at Jakob and she could tell he was sending him some kind of message.
“My parents are both dead,” he said. “But I have six brothers and a sister.”
“Oh my, that’s a large family.”
“Yes, it is,” Martin said. “And so far, we all live here. It’s hard to get together, but you’ll meet several of them tonight.”
“Oh,” she said, glancing around.
“My mother and three sisters all live back in Charleston, of all places,” Jakob said. She could feel him scrutinizing her. “Have you heard of Sarah Moore?”
The Moore family was a big society family and she’d never come into contact with them because they didn’t have anything to do with ranchers like her father and herself.
“No, I’m sorry, I haven’t,” she said. She wondered if he would check up on her. Well, she had told him the truth about herself. She had nothing to hide. Her family would never have been considered on the same social level as his was. She and her papa were poor ranchers.
Just then the cook announced the food was ready.
“I’ll get your plate for you,” Jakob told her.
“Thank you,” she said.
“Martin, you stay with Blanche.”
A smile crossed his face and he stared at her. “You’re just so pretty. What other questions do you have for us?”
“How many horses do you have? Tell me about your ranch,” she said.
The man’s eyes rose. “You really are a rancher.”
“Oh, yes, I loved working with the animals,” she said, not wanting to hide what made her happy. “It was so hard to leave them all behind. Especially my dog, Rusty.”
Tears welled in her eyes and one trickled down her cheek. “Don’t cry,” Martin said softly.
“I’m sorry. He was such a loving dog and it broke my heart to leave him. I’d had him for over twelve years.”
He reached over and thumbed the tear from her face. “I love dogs.”
“Me too,” she said. “We also had twenty horses a couple hundred cattle and twelve of the meanest goats.”
Laughter bubbled up from him. “I hate goats. When Jakob and I started the ranch, I said no goats.”
“The babies are sweet, but then they grow up to be mean little buggers.”
For a moment, they just stared at one another before he lifted her hand to his lips. “I’ll be honest and tell you, I wasn’t certain I wanted a wife. You’ve made me reconsider. Having you as a wife would be good, just keep in mind that sometimes I can be difficult. Jakob, he wants a lady to be our wife. And you seem like you’re very much a lady.”
She started to laugh. “I try very hard to be a lady, but just like you, sometimes it can be difficult.”
“Then I think you’re going to be a perfect match for us,” he said. “We have two weeks to get to know each other, but I can see no reason why you’re not the one.”
“Good,” she said. “I’m very excited about living on a ranch again. But more than anything, I’m excited that I’ve found two men to be my husbands. You seem like the perfect match for me.”
Without thinking, she reached over and pulled his mouth to hers. It was a soft, gentle kiss. A brief meeting of lips that she initiated because she’d never been kissed, and she wanted to experience how it felt.
Their lips barely touched and yet warmth filled her. When they moved apart, she smiled at him. “I’m sorry I was being forward. I’ve never been kissed before and I wanted to experience what it would feel like.”
Shaking his head, he leaned toward her. “Oh, darling, that was not a real kiss. When we’re not surrounded by people, I’ll show you a real kiss. One that will make you melt in my arms.”
The thought of a kiss being more was something she couldn’t understand. So she leaned in closer to him.
“I can’t wait.”