His Substitute Mail-Order Bride

by Sherri Shackelford

  James was married to the local dressmaker in town, and they had a daughter, Ava. He did odd jobs around town when he wasn’t working at the stockyards. The boys had been fascinated by his beaded jacket with the leather fringe, and they’d struck up a friendship. When work at the stockyards was slow, James occasionally took them fishing.

  “I didn’t realize Pippa was in town.”

  “Her husband is visiting on railroad business. She’s using the opportunity to stage a performance of Lord Dundreary Abroad. The committee has approved the funding for a new set and costumes. Should be our best show yet.”

  Pippa and her husband, Gideon Kendrick, had met and married in Cowboy Creek. Though Gideon’s work with the railroad took him all over the country, they returned to Cowboy Creek whenever possible. A talented actress, Pippa was also masterful with costumes and makeup. Everyone looked forward to attending the theater when she performed.

  “If Pippa is involved,” Russ said, “I’m already looking forward to the performance. I’ll escort you on debut night.”

  “I’d like that. Perhaps Seth and Marigold can join us.”

  “Seth isn’t much for the theater,” Russ said, “but he’ll go anywhere Marigold leads him. She’s good for him. I’m happy for Seth.”

  “I am, too. I spent too many years leaning on him after...after what happened with your father. It wasn’t fair to him, having all that responsibility.”

  “Adam and I were just as guilty of depending on Seth too much.”

  Seth had always been the responsible son. He’d become the patriarch of the family after their father disappeared, rebuilding the family legacy while Adam and Russ had pursued other interests. All three of them had taken Seth’s hard work and dedication for granted.

  Seth had repaid the loan to Ogden by selling off some of the land, only to lose the herd when he left for war. Thankfully, they’d sent their mother to live in Philadelphia before armies from both sides had burned and looted their way through Missouri. A dutiful son, Seth had regained his fortunes in the cattle markets of Colorado.

  Without uttering a single word of complaint, Seth had put his wants and needs aside and sent for their mother. He’d come to Cowboy Creek to start over yet again, and his hard work was finally paying off.

  None of them had realized how much of a burden he’d shouldered until he took on the added responsibility of the three Radner boys after the death of their parents. Seeing the change in his brother following his marriage to Marigold, Russ was ashamed he hadn’t taken notice sooner. He hadn’t realized how unhappy his brother had been until he’d seen him happy.

  His mother took a seat on the proffered chair. “Marigold has been a darling, and she takes excellent care of the boys.” His mother adored the Radner children and enjoyed living on the ranch, helping Marigold and caring for her four new grandchildren. “We all owe Seth a debt of gratitude.” His mother scuffed the ground with her toe. “Have you heard from Adam recently?”

  “Not in months. You know how it is with him. His work takes him to places we can’t follow.”

  Following the war, Adam had joined the Pinkerton Detective Agency. He’d sent a few letters over the years, but he didn’t correspond regularly. Russ didn’t know the details of his brother’s work, but he knew Adam was often in dangerous situations.

  His mother dabbed at her eye. “I pray for him every day.”

  “I’m sure he’s fine, mother. The agency would contact us if something happened.”

  “You boys mean the world to me.” Unshed tears thickened her voice. “I’d be devastated if anything happened to you.”

  His anger flared. The next time he saw Adam, they were going to have a long talk. Their mother deserved better. Adam could at least write a letter now and again, letting her know he was alive.

  “Nothing is going to happen to any of us,” Russ said. “Especially me. I’m just a pencil pusher. Nothing dangerous in my line of work.”

  “Oh really?” She dropped the handkerchief from her eye and pursed her lips. “Then what about this afternoon?”

  A guilty flush crept up his neck. The tone of her voice yanked him back to being scolded as a child. No matter his age, she was still his mother. “I’m sure whatever you heard has been exaggerated.”

  “I would have preferred to hear about the incident from you,” she declared. “I can’t believe I had to learn about your outlaw encounter in a conversation with Tomasina. Imagine my surprise when I bumped into her at the opera house, and she regaled everyone with your brave rescue. She assumed I knew.”

  Tomasina was the mayor’s wife, a spitfire redhead who’d ridden into town on a cattle drive last year. Though she and Will were as different as chalk and cheese, they somehow managed to be perfect for each other at the same time.

  “There was nothing brave about it,” Russ said. “Tomasina is exaggerating.”

  “What exactly happened then? And what’s this I hear about Susannah missing the train? How does one miss a train? They run on a schedule, after all.”

  A part of him had been dreading this encounter with his mother since the arrival of the bride train, but now that she was here, he figured he might as well get it over with.

  “Susannah isn’t coming,” he said, cutting right to the point.

  “Is she all right?” His mother’s annoyance instantly transformed into concern. “Has something happened?”

  “She’s fine. She merely had a change of heart.”

  “A change of heart?” His mother snorted. “Did she at least have the decency to send a letter?”

  “Yes.”

  “A letter? That’s all? A letter!” The concern returned to annoyance just as quickly. “I don’t know what’s wrong with women these days. If all she can do is send a letter, then it’s her loss. You deserve someone better. I don’t know why you had to send to Philadelphia for a wife anyway. I mean, certainly I understand why some of the men of Cowboy Creek feel that a mail-order bride is their only choice, but you’re not just anyone. You’re handsome and successful.”

  “You have to say those things.” Russ lifted his eyes heavenward. “You’re my mother.”

  “You’re going to be the mayor someday!”

  “My political career is uncertain.”

  Especially now. He’d been so sure about what he wanted and where he was going. This morning had changed everything. The hitch in his plans had left him unbalanced for the first time since Charlotte had thrown him over. He was growing heartily tired of having his life derailed by fickle women who just happened to fall in love with other people.

  “You’re going to be the mayor, and we both know it,” his mother declared. “There’s no need for false modesty. You’re absolutely the most qualified man for the position. Anyone would be a fool not to vote for you.”

  “Now you’re exaggerating.”

  “I’d say that even if I wasn’t your mother.”

  Russ chuckled. “I’m certain you would.”

  “You deserve someone like Marigold. Someone who is mad about you. You deserve love, not some...some...ramshackle agreement with a stranger.”

  Susannah’s words rattled around in his head: Anna deserves better. There was nothing like contemplating the misfortunes of others to put one’s priorities back in place. While he was wallowing in humiliation, Anna was dreadfully alone in the world. At least he had his mother and Seth. He had Will and his friends in Cowboy Creek. Near as he could tell, Anna had no one.

  “Do you recall Anna Darby?” he asked.

  “Charlotte’s younger sister?”

  “That’s the one.”

  “Hmm.” A wrinkle appeared between his mother’s brows. “She enjoyed playing in the dirt all the time, as I recall.”

  “I believe the term you’re searching for is gardening.”

  His mother shuddered delicately. “Same d
ifference. While I enjoy a beautiful garden as much as the next person, I far prefer the finished product more than the process. Just like I can adore a beautiful bonnet without seeing how it’s made.”

  “Anna is here. In Cowboy Creek.”

  “Are you quite certain? I cannot, for the life of me, imagine one of the Darby sisters in Kansas. I thought their father was strategically marrying them off to build his dynasty?”

  “Mr. Darby passed away.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that, of course.” His mother patted the side of her bonnet. “But he was a difficult man. While I shouldn’t speak ill of the dead, I was never very fond of him. He treated those poor girls as though they were bargaining chips for his personal advancement.”

  “She’s a widow now. Mrs. Anna Linford.” He heaved a great sigh. “And you can’t paint the sisters with the same brush. Anna wasn’t anything like Charlotte.”

  “Thank the stars for that.”

  “Charlotte was fragile,” Russ said, not for the first time. His mother had taken Charlotte’s elopement and the subsequent gossip personally. “She did the best she could given the circumstances.”

  “Hmph. I know her father was a difficult man, but making you take the blame for her actions showed a distinctive lack of character.” His mother swept her skirts aside and stood. “Not that you didn’t try and do the honorable thing by assuming responsibility, but I never believed a word of it. Now that we’ve exhausted our conversation about the Darby sisters, what happened on that road today? How were you injured? What were you doing out there to begin with?”

  She leaned forward and touched the gash and purpling bruise on his temple.

  He winced. “It’s nothing.”

  “It doesn’t look like nothing.”

  “After we discovered one of the brides had missed the train at the last stop before Cowboy Creek, Will decided to escort her personally. The next train wasn’t until the following day. It occurred to me that someone might have mistaken the woman’s name, Lowe for Linford. Either way, I volunteered to accompany Will, and we met Daniel on the road. He was traveling to Morgan’s Creek for business. And have you met Mr. Ward? The poultry farmer?”

  “As old as Methuselah and just as friendly?”

  “That’s the one,” he said.

  “On with your story,” his mother prodded. “You still haven’t told me about the outlaws.”

  “As it happened, Anna was the absent bride. Well, not a bride exactly, that’s another story. Mr. Ward had offered to take Anna the rest of way after she missed the train.” Russ considered his next words carefully. His mother needn’t know every detail. She’d worry if she knew how close they’d all come to death. “We heard gunshots and stumbled onto a holdup. Anna and Mr. Ward didn’t stand a chance against two men with guns.”

  “Why didn’t you at least wait for help? You might have been killed.”

  “There wasn’t time. Besides, there were three of us against two of them. The odds were on our side. We feared they’d ransom Anna if they didn’t find anything of value. I created a distraction, and we were able to defuse the situation.”

  “You created a distraction with your head, or so I hear.”

  “What else did Tomasina say?”

  “She said that you saved Mrs. Linford’s life.” His mother leaned over and touched his forehead again. “What does Dr. Mason think of that gash on your hard head?”

  “Nothing. She wasn’t in her office.”

  “Promise you’ll visit her first thing tomorrow,” his mother ordered. “She arrives early. I see her light on during my morning walk.”

  “Yes. I promise.” He hesitated over his next request. “Mrs. Linford is moving to Cowboy Creek indefinitely. Since she doesn’t know anyone, I thought you might introduce her around. She’s staying at The Cattleman.”

  His mother quirked an eyebrow. “I’d be delighted. I’m sure she’s charming.”

  He didn’t want his mother reading any more into the situation than necessary. He considered Anna a friend, and she’d had a quite an ordeal this afternoon.

  “I’m worried about her,” he admitted.

  “Was she injured this afternoon?” His mother rested a hand against her chest. “Tomasina didn’t say.”

  “Slightly. She was more shaken than hurt. There’s more, though. She was ill at the last stop, and that’s why she missed the train. She was ill again after the holdup.”

  “Outlaws, gunfire and witnessing a bludgeoning would be hard on anyone’s constitution.” His mother paused. “How long has she been a widow? Grief can be exhausting.”

  “I didn’t ask, but I suspect three months or so.”

  “I’ll introduce her around. It’s difficult, losing one’s husband. Any children?”

  Russ started. He hadn’t considered that she might have children. “She wasn’t traveling with any.”

  “She couldn’t have been married very long. Sounds as if she could use a friend.”

  Russ exhaled. “Thank you.”

  His mother patted his knee. “You work too hard. You need a rest.”

  “I enjoy my work.”

  “You’re as bad as Seth. At least he spends time with his family these days. You should let Simon do more work. He’s ready for the responsibility.”

  Simon Smith, Russ’s law clerk, was young and hungry. The diligent young man was another one of Will’s projects. The mayor had sent the boy to law school, and he’d tasked Russ with offering the young man an apprenticeship during his breaks from school. Not that Russ minded. Simon did the work of three clerks.

  He tipped back his head. “Maybe I should take the boys for an afternoon soon.”

  Having three nephews reminded him of all the fun he and Seth and Adam had had as children.

  Susannah’s untimely defection had him wondering if he’d ever have children of his own. He’d taken far too much in his life for granted. Seeing Seth and his happiness at being a husband and father had Russ yearning for something more.

  His mother ruffled his hair as though he was a young boy and not a grown man. “They’d enjoy spending time with you. They deserve all the love they can get after losing their parents and being uprooted.” Her voice grew stern. “Just don’t make them sit around your law offices while you work.”

  “Would I do that?” Russ feigned innocence.

  “Yes.” She rose from her chair. “I’m going back to the opera house. I only have another hour before James returns with them from fishing. Let’s hope they didn’t catch anything. I’ll have to sit with the smell of dead fish all the way to the ranch.”

  Despite her feigned surliness, his mother enjoyed every minute with the children—even the minutes that smelled like fish. After waiting years for grandchildren, she’d been gifted with a ready-made family, and she couldn’t be more delighted.

  “Now that you’ve satisfied your curiosity,” Russ said, “let me walk you back to the opera house.”

  His mother assumed an expression of mock outrage. “I only came by for my papers.”

  “Tell the truth.” Russ stood up and reached for his coat. “You wanted to check on my hard head.”

  “That too.” She hooked her arm through his elbow and rested her head against his shoulder. “I worry about you.”

  “You shouldn’t. There’s nothing to worry about.”

  “I’m sorry about Susannah,” she spoke softly. “It’s easier sometimes to be angry than it is to be hurt.”

  “I’m neither. Merely resigned. I’m certain everything will turn out for the best.”

  “Enough of this melancholy talk.” She patted his arm. “Tell me more about Mrs. Linford. The former Anna Darby. What brought her all the way to Cowboy Creek?”

  “I don’t know,” Russ said. “But I was hoping you could quietly spread the word that she’s not a prospective bride—d
espite traveling on the bride train. She’s still mourning her husband.”

  “Poor thing. I’ll do what I can. Perhaps you should visit her this evening.”

  “Do you think that would be appropriate?” He hesitated in pushing the boundaries of their tenuous connection. “She’s had a difficult day. She’s probably resting.”

  “All the more reason to visit. A familiar face is a comfort after an ordeal.”

  He puffed out his chest. He’d saved her life, after all. Surely that entitled him to at least check on her?

  His mother waggled her finger. “I know that look in your eye. Don’t let that lump on your head affect your thinking. Just because you saved her life doesn’t mean she’s going to throw flower petals at your feet.”

  “That wasn’t what I was thinking at all.” He grinned. “I was hoping for a parade. Perhaps a banner across Eden Street.”

  “You’re incorrigible.”

  “A statue, then? Something in bronze.”

  “I’m leaving this conversation.”

  “A gentleman caller is bound to be noted.” He considered Anna and sobered. “I don’t want people to get the wrong idea.”

  “You’re a respected man in the community.” His mother tightened the bonnet ribbons beneath her chin and adjusted the strings of the dangling reticule at her wrist. “Letting everyone think she’s spoken for by the next mayor will keep the wolves at bay.”

  “For a time.”

  “Wouldn’t hurt for Millie and Minnie to think you’re off the marriage market.”

  “Ugh.” Russ threw back his head. “In all the excitement, I’d forgotten about Minnie and Millie. You met them?”

  The two cousins were the latest brides to arrive on the train that morning. They were nearly identical, right down to their penchant for overly flounced dresses. They each had matching brown eyes and hair and appeared inseparable. They spoke over each other and completed each other’s sentences. Whoever married one of them married both. Russ didn’t envy the men.

  “Tomasina introduced me to the merry cousins,” his mother said with a smile. “They made quite an impression.”