Chapter Eleven

The late evening sun cast an orange glow over the garden as Penny sat in a rocking chair on the back porch and stitched on the apron she was working on. Carol and Patricia were inside cooking supper. Maggie, Luke, and Gregory were out checking fences. Ed had been called away to town, and Ace... Ace was still nowhere to be seen.

Penny frowned. She was sure he was having quite a good time in town with his whiskey and his women. Pain throbbed in her chest—what a foolish woman she was.

Somehow, she had managed to hide her pain from Carol and Patricia when she'd returned. Ed had scolded her for going into town alone and warned her not to do so again—this country could be dangerous for a lady. She had simply nodded and agreed to with his rule—Penny had chosen not to mention that she'd had Ace's company.

When Patricia had asked if she'd gotten any word back from Francine, Penny had told her sister that Francine and her family were going to be gone on holiday for the next couple months, so Penny was going to be calling the ranch home. She hadn't been willing to let her sister know what Francine had truly said, or that their mother had also sent word. Penny had already bared her soul and cried today—she was in no hurry to do so again.

Carol and Patricia had both been overjoyed at the news that Penny was staying around. Penny wished she could say the same—seeing Ace, being around him on this ranch, was going to be very hard for her to do. He had broken her heart.

After having the necessary conversations, Penny had sought solitude and remained quietly by herself for the remainder of the day. She knew that she would be okay. This pain would not kill her—if emotional pain could kill a person, Penny would have died long ago.

Hoof beats sounded, indicating the Ed was returning from town. Penny knew supper would be served soon. With a sigh, she placed all of her sewing supplies in the floral patterned box Carol had given her. She made her way around the wraparound porch to the front of the house and froze.

Ed hadn't returned alone. Riding behind him on a second horse was an exhausted looking Ace, covered in dirt and blood. "Get your ass out to your house, son, and get yourself cleaned up. I don't want your mama seeing you looking like that. I should have left you in that jail to rot."

Jail? Ace had gotten himself thrown in jail? Why? She sat her sewing box down and, without giving much thought to it, went to meet the men. Ed had already dismounted his horse and was striding toward the house. He shook his head as he neared her. "Given the mood that boy's in, I'd advise just going on in and leaving him to his temper."

"Let her come talk to me, pa. I got a few things to say to the Princess."

Penny forced a tight smile. "I'll be just fine, Ed. I have a few things to say to the ignorant drunkard."

Ed simply shook his head and yanked off his hat. "Ace, you best remember how we raised you," he warned before striding into the house. Squaring her shoulders, Penny approached Ace who had dismounted his horse and was waiting for her.

Damn him for being so handsome, even in his current state. He was covered in dirt, his jaw was welted, and his lip was split. His shirt had been torn at the shoulder, revealing his tanned skin beneath it. Penny's physical assessment of the man ended quickly when the stench of him reached her nose.

Dear Lord, he smelled like a whiskey vat. "Well, you certainly look and smell familiar," she quipped. "Much like the first day we met. I suppose first impressions do tell a person all they need to know."

Those brown eyes, flecked with gold, narrowed. "And you got that damn nose back in the air, so I guess they really do."

That hurt. She didn't want to fight with Ace. She wanted to let him hold her, kiss her, speak to her the way he had in town. Fool. That was all she was.

"What happened to you? I'm assuming you must have had a bit too much fun at the saloon? I assumed you would be far too tired after visiting your lady friends to cause much trouble anywhere else."

Ace snorted. "I didn't have any goddamn fun with those ladies."

Penny tried hard to ignore the way that made her heart just the slightest bit happier. "Why not? They certainly seemed eager and you weren't exactly fighting off their advances."

A tired sigh left Ace's busted mouth. "What was I supposed to do, Penny? Punch them? I sure as hell didn't invite their advances either."

Penny crossed her arms over her chest in an attempt to shield herself. "I won't compete with those types of women."

"There ain't no competition," Ace assured her. He took her wrist and pulled her body against him. Penny felt her body heat considerably. She was so small and fragile compared to his strong build and it felt so safe and warm to be held this way by Ace.

She couldn't give in to these feelings again. "Let me go, Mr. Montgomery. You stink of whiskey and it disgusts me."

He never loosened his hold and those dark eyes seemed to be seeing straight through her. "You weren't disgusted by me this morning."

Penny put her hands on his chest and shoved. Ace finally released his hold and Penny put several feet of distance between them. "Why were you in jail, Ace?"

Ace shrugged, patting the horse's neck. "For beating the hell out of Billy Henkley."

Penny sighed. "You should go home, Ace. As your father said, I'd hate for your mother to see you looking so....unkempt."

Ace crossed his arms over his chest. "Ain't you even gonna talk to me? Ask me why I fought with Billy or why them women were after me?"

Shaking her head, Penny squared her shoulders, gathered all her self-control and met his gaze. "No, I'm not. None of those things matter. The only thing that does matter is that I was correct in my first assessment of you. You are no different a man than my father and I will not spend my life miserable with you."

Without giving him a chance to respond, Penny spun around quickly and made an escape into the house. She was nearing tears again and wouldn't give Ace the satisfaction of seeing them. Once inside, Penny stood against the wall for several long moments, breathing deep, and managing to hold back her tears.

She had known the man Ace was. She wouldn't forget it again. That didn't mean she couldn't have a good life here. She was still contemplating going into business for herself. Having her own shop full of fabrics, dresses, aprons, purses, and more.

Tomorrow would be a new day where she could forget about the pains of today.

***

Carol was concerned about her son. Ace hadn't been home for any meals in the last three days. She had heard from her other children that Ace had been quiet, temperamental, and avoiding everyone—and he'd been throwing himself into work. None of those things sounded much like her youngest son. Ace was a genuinely happy person, who threw himself into having a good time even when he was working.

Then there was Penny. She seemed sad, withdrawn, and was throwing herself into her sewing—remaining locked in her room most of the time. She would not tell anyone what had happened in town to cause her to have lost the happiness she had gained during her first week on the ranch.

Carol knew that whatever had happened had to involve Ace. Ed had admitted that he had bailed Ace out of jail the day Penny had been there—and she had also been told by Molly Holbrook that Ace and Penny had been sharing a rather private moment behind the post office.

Carol wanted to talk to her son. She had tried to corner him several times around the ranch, but he had always managed to make an escape. She supposed she'd have to go to her son's cabin and force the boy to speak to her.

Carol glanced over at the pillow case her daughter-in-law was attempting to sew a ruffle onto. "Dear, that's horribly crooked. You should probably undo it and start over."

Patricia sighed and laid her sewing in her lap. "I truly am hopeless."

"Not as hopeless as I am..." Maggie muttered, holding up the feed sack she was supposed to be turning into a dress. So far it appeared as if the sack was winning.

"Girls, you just need more practice," Carol urged. "A lot more practice."

"I don't see why I gotta be in here sewin', mama," Maggie grumbled. "I'd rather be out there workin'."

"Just amuse your mother," Carol implored. "Sewing and cooking are necessary skills unless you want to starve to death in tattered clothes."

"I figure I got you and Patricia to cook for me and once Penny and Ace get hitched, I'll have another sister that can do all my sewin'."

"They would have to be on speaking turns in order to get married," Patricia reminded her. "They would have to share vows."

Carol shook her head. "No matter what Ed seemed to think, I'm not convinced Penny and Ace are compatible. Something happened between them and neither has been the same since."

"A kiss happened," Maggie winked. "Ace must be a real bad kisser.. poor man."

Carol threaded her needle and raised her brow. "Maggie Anderson! What do you know about kissing?"

Appearing sheepish, Maggie smiled. "Not a thing, mama. Not a thing."

Patricia sighed. "I wish Penny would speak to me about things. I hate seeing her so withdrawn."

"She hasn't opened up to you at all?" Carol inquired.

"No, but, then again, she never has. Penny doesn't open up to anyone. When I try to speak to her about what happened in town, or about Ace, she shuts down and changes the subject."

"Ace better not have done something to hurt that girl," Carol snapped, though she honestly couldn't see Ace hurting anyone intentionally.

"You know him, mama. A born heartbreaker,"

"Anyone I know?"

Carol leapt from her seat at the sound of her youngest son's voice. She ran to Ace and threw her arms around his neck. "Finally, you've come close enough for me to hug you!"

Ace hugged her in return and kissed her head. "Hi mama."

Carol pulled away, put a gentle hand on his hairy cheek, and then knocked him hard in the back of the head. "What the hell was that for?" Ace demanded, holding his hands up and moving away from her.

"Watch your language, Montgomery Phillip Anderson. And that was for your father having to bail you out of jail yet again! I don't know why you insist on beating the life out of poor Billy Henkley every time you see him. He was always such a nice boy."

"Yeah, well, he ain't nice no more."

Carol sighed. "Are you hungry? You missed breakfast, but I could make you something...."

"No, ma'am. I had some jerked beef and hardtack."

"Why ain't you out there workin'?" Maggie spoke up.

Ace frowned at the feed sack in her hands. "What the hell is that supposed to be?"

"I reckon it's supposed to be a feed sack," Maggie retorted before sticking her tongue out at him. "Ain't I done damn near perfect?"

"Language," Carol quipped.

Ace pulled off his hat and turned his attention to Patricia. "Patricia, I was hopin' maybe we could talk."

Patricia sat her sewing in her lap and Carol knew the woman was probably relieved to have an excuse to do so. "About what, Ace?"

He glanced at Carol and Maggie before sighing. "Well, hell, I might as well talk to all of you about it. Maybe three women can help me figure out one."

Carol settled herself back on the sofa. "So, you're here to talk about Penny?"

Ace perched himself on the edge of Maggie's armchair. "Yeah, I reckon." The three women remained silent as they waited for him to continue. "Maybe more about her father than her, though."

This clearly got Patricia's attention. "What about him?"

Ace put his hat back on his head and poked at Maggie's pathetic attempt at a feed sack dress earning him a poke from her with a needle. As he shook his abused arm, he continued, "I already gather that he's not a good man. I read the letters Penny got in town the other day and I've heard whispers about your mistreatment...."

"Wait?" Patricia held up her hand. "Penny got more than one letter? She got a letter from our father?"

"Your mother actually," Ace amended. "And another from some sad excuse of a friend."

"And she let you read them?" Patricia shook her head. "Penny told me she only got one letter and it was from Francine—"

"Yeah, that was the heifers name."

"Ace!" Carol snapped.

He shrugged. "She is a heifer, mama. A big ugly one from the sound of that letter."

"Is that why she's been so upset the last few days?" Patricia demanded, her temper clearly rising. "What did the letters say?"

Ace was quick to shake his head. "That's not for me to tell you. But I gathered enough to know your pa deserves my fist to meet his face."

Patricia nodded wholeheartedly. "That and then some. Why do you want to know about him?"

Ace picked up a pin cushion and began tossing it in the air. "Because she accused me of being no different than him."

Her lips pulled down. "She said that to you?"

Ace palmed the pin cushion and Carol's heart broke for her son at the sight of the pain etched on his face. "Yeah, I reckon."

"I think you need to get to telling us exactly what happened between you and Penny in town," Carol urged.

Ace sighed. "It was going great." A ghost of a smile curved his lips. "Better than great, actually."

"Yes, I spoke with Molly Holbrook."

Ace offered Carol an apologetic, albeit sheepish, grin. "She was real upset after getting those letters, but I had her all cheered up. We were gonna go eat lunch together at the café but she wanted to go to the mercantile first. I took the cart and horses to some shade at the livery and, while on my way back to Penny, dear old Billy Henkley sent some women from the brothel out to attack me on the street."

Carol frowned. "How do you know it was him?" she asked. He really had been a nice boy.

Ace's gaze went skyward. "Because he told me it was him. He'd paid them each a nickel a piece, if you want details, just so they could come and pin me to the livery wall. It was like being cornered by wild, frothing dogs!"

Maggie was laughing. "Sounds about like Billy!"

Fussing with her dress, Carol shrugged her shoulder. "He must have changed."

With a grumble, Ace continued. "Penny happened to come out before I could free myself and I could tell by the look on her face, it was trouble. She ran the women off but wouldn't listen to a word I said. Just got in the cart and rode off, taking my damn horse with her."

Maggie laughed harder. "This is great!" She ducked to avoid Ace's hand which had been coming to smack the back of her head.

"It wasn't great!" he argued. "That's when Billy came out, admitted what he'd done, and ran his mouth about Penny. I kicked his ass to show him what happens when you talk about my woman."

"Your woman?!" Maggie exclaimed, letting out a yelp when she accidently poked herself with the needle in her hand.

"Are you serious about her, Ace?" Patricia inquired skeptically. "I don't mean to offend anyone, but you aren't known for taking anything, especially women, very seriously."

Ace nodded. "Would I be here putting my pride on the line talking to the three of you about this if I wasn't serious?"

Carol and Maggie both shook their heads. "No, he wouldn't be," Maggie agreed. "If there's one thing Ace was born with it's a whole heap of stubborn pride."

"And one hell of an annoying little sister," he added, earning himself a toothy grin from said sister.

"Well," Patricia folded her hands in her lap. "Our father is a monster. I can never remember seeing him sober a single time. We grew up with dirt floors and constant hunger because what little money he and mama did earn was quickly spent on whiskey, women, and poker. He has a horrible temper, as well, though he never hit me the way I know he did Penny now and then."

Carol was surprised by the growl that left Ace's throat. It sounded much like a bear. "I'll wring that bastard's neck. I'll knock his teeth so far down his throat, he'll have to chew with his asshole."

Carol threw herself back on the sofa and laid her hand over her chest. "Ace Anderson, you will be the death of me."

Ace's fists were still clenched tightly. "Sorry, mama." He turned his gaze once again toward Patricia. "Why the hell would your sister accuse me of being like him? I'd never lay an angry hand on her. Hell, I don't sound like him at all."

"You don't?" Maggie asked, looking up at him. "How many times has she seen you bloodied up from a fight now? And drunk? And surrounded by thirsty packs of brothel ladies?"

"I should have known better than to come to you for help!" Ace exclaimed, shoving himself to his feet and throwing his hands in the air. "You don't take a damn thing serious!"

"Maggie, leave your brother alone. Ace, calm down. We are here to help you."

Patricia stood from the sofa. "Ace, why don't you talk to Penny?"

He looked sad enough to cry. "Because she won't talk to me. She throws that nose in the air and makes herself scarce anytime I think about approachin'."

Patricia sighed. "She always has been too closed off and stubborn for her own good. If she won't listen to your words, then you'll just have to show her with your actions."

"Actions? Like pinning her the barn wall and giving Molly Holbrook something else to wag her tongue about?"

"Ace!" Carol exclaimed.

Patricia's cheeks flushed. "No.. that's not what I meant. I mean you're going to have to make her see through your actions, that you aren't our father. Penny doesn't trust people. She doesn't open up. If she's opened up to you the way you say she has then you're already deeper in than anyone else."

Ace rubbed his neck. "What do you suggest I do?"

"Drinking will always make Penny think of our father. If you're going to win her over, you're going to have to stop doing it."

"Okay."

Carol smiled. She sincerely hoped Ace was finally going to grow up—at least a bit.

"Okay." Patricia seemed to think a moment. "And saloons. Our father spent a lot of time in them and always came home violent. You'll have to stop visiting the saloons in town."

"I can do that."

Patricia fixed him with a pointed stare. "No more brothel."

He snorted. "Of course not. I don't have a single bit of interest nowadays."

"No gambling. At least for a while."

"Haven't done much of that recently anyhow."

Patricia seemed satisfied with that answer. "And you'll have to try to be less violent. If you want her to think you won't use your fists on her, you have to stop letting yourself use them on other people quite so often."

His jaw ticked. "I won't promise not to beat the life out of Billy if he pulls anything or says anything like what he did the other day." Then he sighed. "But I'll do my best to be nice."

Patricia smiled. "That's all you can do."

Maggie huffed. "Really? Just like that the great Ace Anderson is going to turn his life around? Gonna give up drinking, saloons, poker, brothels, and brawling all for a woman?"

"For Penny?" Ace nodded. "Hell yes."

Carol was proud of the conviction she heard in her son's voice. She knew Penny wouldn't stand a chance. Ace was a man who put his entire self into everything he did—he'd been that way his entire life. If he was set on wooing Penny and seeing that she fell for him, it would happen. And if he set his sights on loving her and making her happy, she'd be the luckiest woman this side of the Mississippi.