Free CHARITY'S GOLD RUSH (A Strike It Rich in Montana novel) by Cynthia Hickey

He had been so focused on winning the bet , that he had allowed other important things, like his children, to fall to the wayside.
    Meg and Sam raced outside , and Gabe noticed how short his daughter’s dress was, rising several inches above tanned ankles. They would need to make a trip into town soon. If they were lucky, they would make two; one when Charity returned and one before the snow fell.
                  After pulling his handkerchief from his pocket, he wiped his brow free of sweat. The day promised to be a scorcher, and the y hadn’t had rain in weeks. Maybe laying a floor in the coolness of the sod house wouldn’t be so bad after all.
                  H e climbed from the wagon and unhitched the horses. “Come on young’uns. Let’s get these horses put away and build your ma a floor.”
                  By the noon hour, the three of them had carried or dragged enough lumber to cover the dirt. Once placed, Gabe would sand it, one section at a time. They ate cold ham and stale biscuits for lunch and supper.
    By nightfall, Gabe stood back and looked with pride on a pine floor. Every muscle in his body ached , and the children had c ollapsed in to bed over an hour ago, but the floor was finished. He hung his tools on a nail by the door and moved to his bed.
    He’d never realized how quiet the place was before Charity came. He smiled, preferring her sharp comments over the silence. He shed his shirt and pants, draping them over a peg. Meg had certainly brightened with another female around the place. What would Charity say if Gabe asked her to be his wife in every sense, come what may? Even if he lost his land?
    He shrugged and stretched out on the cornhusk mattress. She’d most likely scoff and say a deal was a deal. After less than a week as Mrs. Williams, she had no idea what kind of a man Gabe really was. He folded his arms behind his head. He had a year to convince her to stay, and what a year it promised to be.
    ###
                  Charity lay on her pallet beside the cold fireplace and stared through the dark at the ceiling. More tired than she could remember ever being, she willed her mind to slow. The day’s activities, everything from cooking to gardening tips swirled through her mind like a dust devil she’d once seen. Already her pad of paper contained recipes, tips, and household advice from a woman who had been married most of her adult life.
                  From a few feet away, the Stoltzes murmured to each other that secret language between a husband and wife. Charity rolled to her side in an attempt to find a comfortable position on the hard wood floor and tune out their voices .
                  When Hiram had come in from working the fields, he’d gone straight to his wife and placed a tender kiss on her cheek. The memory caused tears to sting Charity’s eyes. Her da had tried tender caresses with her mother, but Ma had always shrugged him off. Yet somehow, Charity had known that marriage could be a joyful thing and she’d kept an eye out for a husband of her own ever since.
                  No one had caught her fancy until Gabriel. Now, he wanted her only as a temporary solution to a problem. Charity sighed and rolled in the other direction. Da told her once that every human had another half. If they looked hard enough, they’d find the person who fulfilled them. Charity wasn’t sure she ever would.

8
                  “Good morning.” Mabel grinned down at Charity. “The sun is shining, God is in H is heaven, and all is right with the world.”
                  Charity blinked away the fog from sleep. How could she have overslept? What w ould Mabel think of her? She got groggily to her feet. “I’m so sorry.”
                  “Don’t worry. You worked hard yesterday.” Mabel tied her apron around her ample waist. “After breakfast, I will teach you to make