Prologue

Stevensville, Montana, 1867

“Are you quite alright there, miss?” The station master’s voice was gruff but kindly. “Can I help you with anything?”

Charlie Parker swiveled her head around, smiling at the man hesitantly. She knew her cheeks were stained red from embarrassment. The train into Stevensville, Montana, had departed ten minutes ago, and the passengers who had disembarked at this station were long gone. All except for herself, who was now walking the small platform, her trunk near a wall, wondering where on Earth Mr. Levi Strauss, her intended husband, was.

What am I doing here? How could I have abandoned my life in New York to head West to marry a man I’ve never even met before?

Charlie felt a small runlet of sweat trickle down her neck.

It was hot and dusty here, and she felt like she’d been traveling forever. She was so tired that it was difficult to even stand.

And the man she was intending to marry was nowhere to be seen.

“I’m fine, sir,” replied Charlie, hunching her shoulders. “My ride should be here at any moment….”

At that moment, a tall man rushed onto the platform, taking off his hat. Charlie stared at him. He stared at her. For a moment, neither of them spoke.

“Miss Charlotte Parker?” His voice was deep, drawn out, and thick with a Western twang. His eyes widened. “You are Miss Parker, aren’t you?”

Charlie tried to smile, taking in his appearance in one long stare. He was quite tall, taller than the average man, and muscular. He wore dusty cotton trousers, a stained white shirt covered in a camel-colored vest, and a kerchief tied around his neck. He looked just like she imagined a rancher from Montana would look.

His hair was light brown, and he had a matching colored long beard, which was a little on the scraggly side. But the most intense thing about the man was his eyes; they were a bright, piercing blue, direct, as if they were looking into her very soul.

Charlie felt a jolt.

He’s handsome. I wasn’t expecting that.

“I am,” she affirmed, her smile widening. She stuck out her hand. “But please, don’t call me Miss Parker.” She laughed. “And not even Charlotte, which just makes me think I’m in trouble. I’m called Charlie.”

“Charlie?” The cowboy scratched his head, gazing at her steadily. Those bright blue eyes flickered slightly. “I’m Levi Strauss.” His eyes shifted furtively as he gazed around the platform. “My apologies for being late. Let’s get going.”

He turned away abruptly, picking up her trunk as if it weighed as much as a feather. It had taken two men to haul it from the train, and they had struggled.

Charlie hesitated for another moment before following him. A small wagon was waiting. He helped her aboard before flicking the reins without a word. She barely had time to take in the small township before the wagon took a sharp turn, heading out toward the mountains, which formed a stunning backdrop.

Charlie’s eyes widened.

It was spectacular!

The mountain range was strung along before her, a jagged, snow-topped panorama, seemingly without end. The mountains seemed to hug the landscape. She watched an eagle soaring through the sky. She had never seen such a large bird, being used to city pigeons, which squabbled but hardly soared like this magnificent bird of prey.

She had never seen anything like it in her life. Even the air was different here to New York: colder, somehow, even though it was the height of summer.

“That is truly amazing,” she cried, unable to help herself. She turned to him. “To think, you see this every single day!”

He glanced at her, smiling faintly. “I guess I’m used to it, but it is pretty spectacular.” He hesitated. “It’s the Bitterroot Range, the longest in the Rocky Mountains.”

Charlie shook her head, unable to believe it. “You are a lucky man, Mr. Strauss.” She turned fully toward him in the seat, gazing at him curiously. They had exchanged a few letters, but he had never told her much about himself or his home. “You’ve lived here all your life, haven’t you?”

He nodded shortly. “I have. I was born and raised here.”

“How interesting!” Charlie could barely contain her enthusiasm. It was as if the invigorating mountain air was revitalizing her, wiping away the weariness from her long trip. “I have never headed West before, but I have always been fascinated by it. There are so many stories, so many wild tales, that I barely know what is fact and what is fiction….”

She kept rattling on, feeling quite euphoric, her feet tapping against the wagon floor. She was here, at long last. The journey was over. She had managed to find a new home for herself, to start anew, after all her tribulations. Even her nerves were dissipating.

Levi Strauss glanced at her from time to time but didn’t say much as they climbed higher on the track. Charlie peered at him, her words trailing away. He had hardly spoken a word. She suddenly realized that perhaps she had been talking too much. Did he think her a chatterbox?

They made a sharp left turn, and she saw a sprawling homestead in the distance, assuming they had arrived at their destination.

“Is this Eagletail Ranch?” she said in a bright voice. “Why, it’s so pretty—”

“This isn’t Eagletail,” he interrupted abruptly, pulling in the reins as they reached the house. He turned to her. “This is a neighboring ranch belonging to the Twist family. Nancy Twist told me about you. She was the one who set all this up with your friend, Martha Miller, in New York.”

“Oh, of course,” she said, frowning, her eyes flickering toward the ranch, then back to his face. Why had they come here first? Why hadn’t he taken her straight to his home…which was about to become her own?

He jumped down, holding out a hand to assist her. He didn’t say a word, just strode ahead toward the back door.

Charlie felt a stab of misgiving.

Had she chattered too much?

When they reached the door, he stopped, gazing down at her. His blue eyes were impenetrable now.

“We need to talk,” he said shortly. “This is a better place to do it.”

Charlie nodded uncertainly. Had he taken an instant dislike to her and wanted to send her back already? And if so, what on Earth was she going to do now?

***

Nancy Twist, Martha’s friend, was a small, round woman with bright, black eyes. She seemed surprised by the visit but gathered her wits quickly and warmly welcomed them. She settled them in the parlor, leaving them to make coffee.

Charlie took a deep breath. Her misgivings were intensifying. It seemed an odd thing he had taken her there first. And he had hardly spoken at all on the trip.

“What do you need to talk to me about?” she asked, unable to wait another moment.

Levi Strauss rubbed his beard. “There’s a few things I need to explain,” he said slowly. “I know we agreed to marry straight off…but I want a trial period before we commit.”

“A trial period?” Charlie’s head was spinning. “You never said anything about that—”

“It’s for the best,” he interrupted, his gaze hardening. “It’s best for you, for me…and for the girl.”

The girl. He must be referring to his ward: the orphan he had adopted and the reason he wanted a wife. Martha had told her about Levi Strauss’s situation, of course, and how he was desperate to find a mother for the five-year-old. And Charlie hadn’t minded. She would’ve taken on a tribe of children to escape Julia, her brother’s wife, and the cold atmosphere in the family home.

“I must make sure you are suitable,” he continued in a firm voice. “Life here isn’t for the faint-hearted, Miss Parker.”

“Charlie,” she corrected. “My name is Charlie.”

He looked faintly annoyed, his lips twisting into a frown—like he didn’t want to acknowledge her first name and wished to keep her at a formal distance.

Then, after regaining his wits, he continued as if she hadn’t even spoken. “The trial will be for a month. You will be the girl’s governess in that time, tending to her. My sister will be married in a month’s time and can chaperone the living arrangements until then.” He cleared his throat. “In a month, we can decide if we want to make it a permanent arrangement.”

Charlie gaped at him. She didn’t know what to say at all.

At that moment, Nancy Twist entered the room, carrying a tray laden with coffee and cake. The older lady smiled at Charlie, oblivious to the tense atmosphere. “And how is Martha these days?”

They started chatting about their mutual friend. Levi sat back, taking a piece of cake and watching them. He tapped his fingers on his knee with a slight furrow between his brow.

As Charlie sipped her coffee, she glanced at him occasionally. He was refusing to look at her now. She felt a hot flush rise through her body, causing her hands to start shaking. She put down the cup, fearing she might spill coffee all over Nancy Twist’s rug.

“I have uprooted my entire life to come here and marry you, Mr. Strauss,” she said, her chest tightening. “That was the agreement. And now, you have changed the terms without bothering to inform me before I got on that train to come here.”

His eyes darkened.

There was a deafening silence.

Nancy Twist rose, putting down her cup and smoothing the creases in her apron. “Oh, I think I hear the dogs barking. I’ll be back in a moment.”

The woman hurried out of the room, closing the door behind her. But not before she looked back at Charlie, shaking her head, her lips thinned. Nancy Twist had gotten the gist of what was going on and seemed angry with what Levi Strauss was doing to her, and she wasn’t the only one.

Charlie took a deep breath, turning back to her intended husband.

“Well?” She exhaled through her nostrils. “I think I have a right to be disappointed. And a little angry.”

He snorted. “I think if we can’t see eye to eye already, Miss Parker, then I was right to ask for a trial period.” He stood, grabbing his hat. “I reckon we’ve outworn our welcome here. Come on.”

Charlie gaped at him. “Well, I never in my life….”

He didn’t say anything more. He just walked to the door, clearly expecting she would follow him, like a well-heeled puppy.

Charlie got to her feet, and her lips thinned. What was she going to do?

She couldn’t tell him to take her back to the train station. She had nothing to return to—no happy home where people would welcome her with open arms. The smart thing to do would be to follow him—she knew that—as much as she was outraged by this sudden, bizarre change to their agreement.

“Well?” He eyed her. “Are you coming or staying?”

She raised her chin, looking him straight in the eye. “I will prove you wrong about me, Mr. Strauss. Just see that I don’t.”

He harrumphed, walking out the door. Charlie stomped her foot before inhaling, muttering a small prayer, and following him. Poor Nancy Twist. She probably regretted the day she played matchmaker for this odd man.

I will make the best of it, she told herself. I will try my hardest. But I must admit, I am not very impressed with Levi Strauss so far. What kind of man does such a thing?

Chapter One

“There you are!” A woman with fair hair and a bright smile greeted them at the doorway to the ranch. “I was beginning to get a little worried, Levi.”

Charlie smiled hesitantly at the woman. She guessed this must be Levi’s twin sister, Sara, who he had mentioned in his letters and who would ‘chaperone’ them for the trial period before they got married.

If we get married, thought Charlie darkly.

Levi didn’t bother acknowledging his sister’s concern at all. “Sara, this is Miss Parker,” he said.

The woman held out her hand. “Miss Parker, it is so nice to meet you at long last!”

“Please, call me Charlie,” she replied, feeling a bit shy as she took her hand. “That is what everyone calls me.”

“Charlie it is, then,” said Sara, her smile broadening. “Welcome to Eagletail.” Her eyes roved over Charlie. “My, you are a pretty one!”

Charlie’s cheeks turned pink.

She glanced in the mirror in the hallway quickly, feeling she must look a fright after the long journey. A small, curvaceous woman with thick, black hair and green eyes in a pale face stared back at her. Did she look her age? She was turning twenty-five in only a few weeks. She was old for a first marriage.

That is, if I am going to be married at all now. The terms have changed. Perhaps I am destined to be an old maid for my entire life.

“You are too kind,” said Charlie, turning back to the friendly woman.

At that moment, a little girl with long, red hair and gangly limbs ran into the hallway, stopping abruptly and staring at the new arrival.

“Who are you?” asked the girl, tilting her head to the side in the manner of a curious bird as she studied her. Her eyes were a light, bright brown. “My name is Eleanora, but I am called Ellie!”

“Nice to meet you, Ellie,” said Charlie, bending down to greet the girl, noting the dusting of freckles across the bridge of her nose. “I am Miss Parker. I am pleased to meet you.”

Ellie nodded in a distracted way, walking to the hall stand and picking up a vase of flowers.

“Put that down, Ellie,” said Levi in a hard voice. “Now.”

The girl hesitated, staring at him. The vase slipped from her hands, crashing to the floor, but luckily, it didn’t break. However, the flowers and water were upended, forming a messy pool.

“Oops,” said Ellie, grinning impishly. “Sorry, Uncle!”

Charlie suppressed a smile.

The girl seemed a bit mischievous, but her high spirits and curiosity were infectious.

Levi Strauss, however, didn’t seem impressed.

His face darkened, and he glared at Ellie.

“You need to listen when you are told,” he scolded. “Little girls don’t play with vases.”

“There is no harm done,” soothed Sara, rushing to pick up the vase. “It isn’t broken.”

Charlie shot him a quick, reprimanding glance, rushing to help his sister pick up the scattered flowers. His tone was very sharp with the girl, who was only five, after all. She noticed that Ellie didn’t seem cowed, though. The little girl simply tossed back her long hair, giving him a challenging look before skipping away again.

“I need to get back to work,” said Levi, turning away abruptly. He put his hat on his head. “I will be back for supper.” He strode out the front door, banging it behind him.

Charlie looked at Sara. “Is he always so short-tempered?”

They stood. As Sara put the vase on the hall stand again, Charlie stuffed the flowers back in.

Sara laughed uncomfortably. “That’s Levi.” She hesitated. “At least, that’s what he’s like now….” She shook her head, collecting herself. “I will take you to your room so you can rest a while, Charlie. You must be tired.”

***

Charlie walked to the window in the small room where she was staying: her new home. She opened it, watching the breeze lifting the curtains, breathing in the fresh air, and staring at the ranch.

Her heart contracted.

Well, her new home for the next month, at any rate.

Eagletail was a sprawling ranch with numerous outbuildings surrounding the central homestead. The same majestic mountain range that fringed the town surrounded it, so close that she almost felt like she could reach out a hand and touch it.

Her heart contracted again.

It was stunning. If it weren’t for the fact that Levi Strauss had abruptly changed the terms of their arrangement and seemed so harsh and short-tempered, she would be overwhelmed with joy to be here. As it was, she felt like she was an unwelcome visitor, about to walk on eggshells for fear of doing something wrong and being sent away again.

At least Sara seems nice. And Ellie, even if she is high-spirited and prone to mischief.

Suddenly, she saw Levi walking across the yard next to another man who looked like an older version of him.

Charlie’s eyes widened.

The man must be his older brother, John, who also lived and worked here. Levi had told her about him in his letters, along with his sister. Apparently, their parents had died in a house fire a few years ago, and the siblings ran the property together.

“You shouldn’t gather the cattle like that,” Levi was saying to his brother, glaring at him. “You just took over, and they ran amok. It took ages to settle them again.”

John raised his eyebrows, clearly amused. “I’ve been gathering cattle since I was knee-high to a grasshopper, brother,” he said, flicking absently at a fly. “I’ve done it for a long time. Even before you started doing it.”

Levi stopped walking, gazing at him. “That doesn’t mean it’s the best way,” he argued. “Not by a long shot.”

The brothers faced each other. It didn’t seem that either of them were going to back down. But then, John suddenly grinned.

“Let’s not fight,” he drawled. “I heard you collected your new bride off the train this morning. What’s she like?”

Charlie held her breath.

Her heart started pounding hard, and she froze as she waited to hear what he was about to say.

Levi shrugged. “How should I know? I only just met her.”

Charlie’s heart sank. It was hardly a glowing recount of his first impressions of her. But then, what had she expected? The man had been taciturn with her the whole time, barely uttering a word, apart from his speech about the unexpected trial period at the Twist family ranch.

“She talks a lot,” continued Levi, rolling his eyes. “She barely drew breath on the way here.”

Charlie’s face reddened. Perhaps she had rattled on a bit, but it was only because she was so pleasantly stunned by the scenery. She was just being friendly, trying to break the ice between them. Had he expected her to sit there stony-faced, not speaking at all, like him?

Suddenly, he looked up, seeing her watching them from the window. His eyes widened. Hastily, Charlie dropped the curtain, her face burning. How embarrassing!

Sighing heavily, she walked to the hard, tightly sprung, wrought iron bed, sitting down and gazing at her trunk. She hadn’t even opened it yet, never mind started to unpack.

No time like the present, she thought, springing up from the bed and bending over the trunk. If I unpack, it might make me feel better, as if this truly is about to become my new home.

She opened it, gazing down at her clothes, all neatly pressed and folded for the trip. She had spent days arranging them, making sure she had everything she needed. She had dedicated hours to darning and mending. But staring into the trunk now, gazing at it all, it seemed a little pitiful that it contained all her earthly possessions.

I am betwixt and between, she thought, feeling a small stab of despair. I no longer have a real home. I have left the last one and have no idea any longer if this will be my new one.

Sighing again, she started unpacking. Three calico day dresses. A better gown, a wider crinoline in gingham cotton, suitable for Sunday best. Two nightdresses. Two bonnets. A few chemises, petticoats, pantaloons, stockings, shawls, and stays. One heavy winter coat. As well as her small collection of jewelry, of course, inherited from her late mother.

She hesitated. At the bottom of the trunk lay her Bible. She picked it up, opening it to the first page, where it was inscribed.

For my dear daughter Charlotte, in this year of our Lord, 1858. Your loving father.

Her eyes filled with tears. It was eight years ago that she had lost both her parents, within months of each other, to tuberculosis. Sometimes, it seemed like yesterday, but sometimes, it was a lifetime ago.

She stroked the fading leather on the cover.

She missed them. She missed them so much that it was a constant ache inside her. If they hadn’t passed away, she would never have been in this miserable position. They would never have made her feel so unwelcome in her own home that she was forced to journey thousands of miles to make a new one with strangers.

She put down the Bible, gazing around the room. Apart from the bed, there was a thin wardrobe, a small dresser with a wash basin and jug, and one bedside table.

How had she gotten here, so far from her home, living amongst strangers? Would she survive in the West? She just didn’t know. She had been so desperate that she hadn’t thought this through properly.

Would it all be too hard with Levi Strauss, and would he send her packing again?

Chapter Two

“Hand me the hammer,” said Levi to his brother, distracted as he bent over the fence. “I’ll nail this while you hold it.”

John did what he asked, holding the fence still as Levi worked on it. The sound of hammering filled the air, along with the occasional hiccup-like crow from Elmer, the elderly rooster. Elmer was often confused and crowed day and night. Levi knew the bird was destined for the stew pot very soon.

“There,” Levi said, straightening. “That should do the job.”

The brothers kept walking, heading toward another part of the fence that needed repair. Levi gazed out over the mountains as they walked, noticing that the tips had more snow on them than yesterday. His eyes lingered. Despite living here his entire life, with the mountains surrounding him, he never tired of the view.

“Your new bride sure is a pretty girl,” remarked John, glancing at his brother with a grin. “You’re a lucky man, brother.”

Levi grunted, his eyes narrowing as he looked at John. Somehow, it didn’t seem right for his brother to notice how good-looking Charlotte Parker was.

Charlie, he corrected himself. She insists that she be called Charlie, like a boy.

“I thought you would have rushed her to the altar before now,” John continued, scratching his head. “It’s been two days since she got here. When are you intending to marry her?”

Levi stopped walking, turning to his brother. He scratched his chin. “I’m not sure yet whether I will,” he replied slowly. “I decided that she could have a trial period of one month. We can decide whether we are suited and make it permanent when Sara marries Sheriff Winston and leaves the house.”

John’s jaw dropped. He looked astonished. “This is the first time I’ve heard of a trial period. Since when did you decide to do that?”

“Since the day she got here,” Levi barked, his eyes hardening. “It seemed the right thing…that I should take the precaution. Just in case we aren’t suited.”

John let out a long, slow whistle. “You mean you just blurted it to her when she got here with no forewarning? How did she react?”

Levi’s cheeks reddened. Abruptly, he turned his face away, staring at the mountains again, but without really seeing them this time.

He felt slightly ashamed of himself. Charlie had been shocked when he told her. She had looked so confused, as well. And then, she had let rip at him, telling him exactly what she thought about the trial period. She had been shaking with anger. He had to admit to himself she had every right to feel that way. He had ambushed her, and no mistake.

He didn’t even know where the idea had come from. He hadn’t been intending it. But then, he hadn’t been expecting her to be so pretty and charming: smiling so sweetly, chattering like a starling, her green eyes shining with joy as she gazed at the mountains.

He had to protect himself. She was here to be a mother to the girl, and that was all. He couldn’t afford to get swept away by her.

Levi gazed back at his brother. “She accepted it,” he said, trying to sound indifferent. “What choice did she have?”

John whistled under his breath. “You’re bold, brother. And don’t forget, she can make the choice to walk away after a month now, too, if she wants. And then, where will you be? Still needing a woman to look after little Ellie. You might have just cut off your nose to spite your face, Levi.”

Levi’s face reddened again. John was his older brother and could get away with speaking to him so plainly, but not many other people could.

“The trial protects both of us,” he snapped, irritation threatening to overwhelm him. “Now, let’s get on with fixing this fence before I die of old age.”

John glared at him. “You did the wrong thing, brother. She put her trust in you. Are you going to just toss her out like the trash? She’s a person. It’s not right.”

Levi felt his heart flip in his chest.

A burning shame rose in him, and he couldn’t look at his brother.

They kept walking.

Levi glanced back at the house, where Charlie was in the yard, throwing feed to the chickens, who were scrambling around her feet, clucking furiously. She looked as fresh as a daisy in a plain green calico gown, a crisp white apron tied around her waist. Sara must have given it to her.

Abruptly, he turned away, pushing her out of his mind. He had a lot of work to do today, and he couldn’t afford to be distracted. Still, she lingered there, which made him even more irritable.

He kicked a stone, sending it flying across the yard.

It would have been better if Charlie Parker had been plain, dull, and a bit witless, as long as she was hard-working, of course. Much better.