Read Zack's Montana Bride (Sweet, Clean Western Historical Romance)(Montana Ranchers and Brides Series) for Free Online Page A

happen. Now that we're here," she said.
    Zack nodded. Straight to the point. He recalled that she had always been like that. Always been ready to offer an opinion, never shy to stand her ground. He'd always loved that about her. He wasn't surprised that she had three strong minded children. He'd have been amazed if they had turned out any other way, given the qualities their mother possessed. But there was more that Zack wanted to know before they got on to the subject he guessed she was as eager as him to talk about.
    Marriage.
    "Tell me something about the last few years," he said to her.
    Lydia raised a surprised brow. "Like what? I thought I'd given you all my recent misfortune in those letters."
    Zack sat down on the seat and leaned an arm across the back of the long wooden bench. Lydia didn't even move when his hand went close to her back. There was only the merest flicker of her eyes as his arm moved into position. A crease of a smile appeared at the edge of her mouth.
    "Tell me what things were like after you left me," he said.
    Her eyes narrowed at his choice of words and he immediately regretted how they sounded. He was beginning to learn that living with four new women in his life was going to force him to become a whole lot more tactful.
    "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that to sound like it did," he said quickly.
    Lydia smiled. "It's okay. I know what you mean. In any case, it's what happened. I left you. You didn't walk away from me. Nor did we ever have a falling out. We never disagreed, or argued about anything, as far as I recall," she said.
    Zack smiled. "Well, that's not quite true. There was that time when you thought I'd forgotten your birthday, and you didn't take too kindly to me pretending that I'd arranged to go out for a night on the town with my friends, Aaron and Joshua."
    Lydia playfully smacked him on the shoulder. "I'd forgotten all about that. And here I was thinking you and I were always the perfect couple," she said.
    Zack grew serious for a moment and moved closer to Lydia. Once again she didn't move away from him, merely watching him with her beautiful blue eyes. Eyes that Zack thought he could stare into for the rest of his life. Eyes that captivated him and drew him in close, exactly as they had done so many years before.
    "We were the perfect couple. Wasn't that true?" he said.
    Lydia smiled and blinked slowly in agreement, but she didn't say anything in response.
    Zack sighed and paused before continuing. He wasn't sure how far he should go talking about the past, or how quickly he should move on and get to the main topic they both had to consider.
    "And don't we still look like a good couple?"
    Lydia turned away and Zack felt a sinking sensation in his gut.
    "Things are so different now," Lydia said. "So much has happened. I wonder if we are the same people we once were."
    Zack leaned closer. "Even if we're not, even if life has changed us both, all that matters is that we are together again."
    Lydia turned back to him and Zack felt the heaviness become stronger in his gut when he saw the expression in her eyes.
    Suddenly he heard a voice coming from the direction of the stable. He looked over in the direction and saw Kate come running out of the stable. "Mama. Gretchen won't let me touch any of the horses," Kate shouted. It was the first time he'd heard Kate speak in such a loud voice. Since she'd arrived she'd been the quietest of the children. But now her voice carried strongly across the width of the yard.
    "Tell her it's okay. I said so. Just do what Ned tells you," Lydia suggested.
    Zack watched Lydia giving advice to her daughter and saw the years of experience and patience that could only come with dedicated motherhood. Lydia was different. He could see that now. She'd acquired depths of patience and calm that were in stark contrast the fitful ebullience of her younger years. Zack wondered how long it would take him to adjust to this new aspect of Lydia.
    "Ned will make sure they