“You must be thrilled.”
“I am. I’ve always wanted children.”
Mary Louise knew that feeling even though she’d buried it deep inside her away from her thoughts. Even as a child, she could see herself with two or three children. They would romp at her feet, laughing and playing. The missing picture had always been her husband.
Now, could it be Kirk? She did like him. More than any other man she’d ever met. Even better than Stephen, who she thought she’d marry. She really hadn’t been in love with him. And she knew now that he was more in love with her daddy’s money and power than he ever had been with her.
Good riddance, she’d told herself. Today, she believed it. With Kirk, it was different. She wasn’t even sure if he was one of the mystery grooms, but he was a nice man, smart and handsome, and would be a good, steady provider.”
Mary Louise looked at Suzy. “How do you deal with being a sheriff’s wife and the danger he’s in.”
“I try not to worry. Whenever I hear a gunshot, my heart stops. I have to remind myself that we are all here temporarily. That someday, the Good Lord will call all of us home, and I keep busy. It does help that he has a deputy now, and the town is much tamer than it was in the past. Yet, there are long, lonely nights when he is away on business.” Suzy tapped her empty cup on the table. “Are you thinking of marrying Kirk?”
“I like him, but he’s never even asked me to dinner. I am looking for a husband, and Kirk fits the husband criteria I came up with for myself. He’s a good man. Steady and honorable. Handsome. Kind. Handsome.” She laughed.
“Ah, I do see it in your eyes. I wouldn’t be surprised if you and Kirk aren’t soon married.”
Mary Louise pointed to the guest room. “My friends and I, we’re all looking for husbands. We have a club that meets on Thursday nights and have dinner together. We talk about how to go about catching a man. As you can see, none of us have figured that out. And we have mystery grooms in Lone Oak. At least two who are looking for wives.”
Suzy grinned. “You do? Who are they?”
“We don’t know. So, this month, we all wrote mystery bride letters. At the social, we just might meet a man or two who is interested.”
“How exciting. I’ll be praying that you get just the man you want.”
“Thank you, Suzy. And thank you for being honest about your life with Bill as a sheriff.”
“If you want to talk, I’m free anytime. Well, until this little one comes. But do come and visit. And if you and Kirk get serious, I do hope you’ll come by for dinner.”
“I’d like that.” Mary Louise was about to wake up her friends when they both came out dressed and ready for step two of their adventure. Although the first part hadn’t gone as planned, Mary Louise now believed it had gone perfectly. She’d had such a good talk with Suzy, and some of the misgivings about being a sheriff’s wife had been laid to rest.
Chapter 9
Mary Louise sat beside Kirk, feeling almost as if they belonged to one another. He’d told them that he didn’t want them driving alone on the roads when all those ranchers left the conference.
She had gladly let him drive the carriage. Sneaking a glance his way, she had to admit she enjoyed looking at the sheriff. Would he be her perfect match? He seemed to enjoy sitting with her.
“I said, did you see that bluebird.” He pointed to a tree.
Mary Louise looked where he pointed and nodded. “It’s beautiful.” She just didn’t seem to be a country girl. What kind of man was Kirk? Would he be bored in the city? She really had no desire to camp out in the rugged country.
“You’re quiet today. Do you have a lot on your mind?” He looked at her, concerned worried his brows.
“Just taking in all the scenery. Thank you for rescuing our trip.”
“What’s a sheriff for if not to keep people safe?” He smiled and clicked to Samson to hurry him along. “Dry Springs isn’t much of a town. Are you sure you want to go there?”
She looked at him. How could she say they had to because they might have letters to mystery brides awaiting them? “Yes, I think Diane knew someone who lived there.” Mary Louise smiled and hoped he couldn’t see through her storytelling. She looked down. All right, it was a lie. She didn’t know if Diane or any of them knew someone in that town, but they’d all sent letters to their newspaper. And she wasn’t about to tell Kirk about that.
“We should be back in plenty of time for the social tomorrow night.”
Mary Louise looked at him. Was he thinking of dancing with her? “I’m excited. I hope you’ll be there.”
He grinned and flicked the reins. “I’ll be there unless I have to corral some unruly cowboys.” He glanced at her. “Might even ask you to dance with me.”
Mary Louise grinned back at him. “Well, Sheriff, I might just say yes.” Her cheeks warmed. Why couldn’t she just say yes? Especially when she wanted to say, please dance with me, Sheriff. Please ask me to marry you.
When had she become so desperate? Probably with her twenty-seventh birthday. And why did she have to act so coy? She wasn’t a seventeen-year-old debutante anymore. The time to be playful and bashful in a prideful way was long gone. There was no room for pride. The years were ticking away, and she wanted a husband.
Mary Louise would not go back to her father in Tennessee and marry some old rich man. She wanted love and fireworks by finding a man who couldn’t leave her if he wanted to. She wanted to find a man who stole her breath and her heart whenever she saw or thought about him.
She glanced at Kirk. He could be that man. When she saw him, her breath did catch. She was sitting beside him and wanted to. She really did want him to ask her to dance. And not just for one, but all of them.
Mary Louise looked straight ahead and fired up her courage. “I hope you do ask me to dance.” She’d done it now. She’d put herself out there open to rejection.
He glanced at her. “I believe I will. In fact, I look forward to it.”
She eased back in the seat and smiled. “I do, too.” Yes, she did like this man.
After another hour of riding, they turned onto the dusty street of Dry Springs. The town’s name fit its condition perfectly. They’d only arrived, and Mary Louise regretted the decision to come to the town.
Adelaide tapped her shoulder. “Is there even a hotel in this town?”
“I think so.” Mary Louise looked at Kirk. “Is there a hotel?”
Kirk drew in a breath. “We’ll see. There used to be one, but the town looks like it has had some trouble.” He pointed to some boarded-up buildings.
“Is there a post office?”
Kirk shrugged. “Might be in the General Store. I see it’s still in business.”
“Can we stop there first?”
He looked at her with a wary, if not mischievous smile. “Sure. I’ll stay here with the carriage.”
Mary Louise began to leave the carriage when Kirk caught her arm.
“Just a minute, I’ll help you all out and tie up the horse.” He got out and ran around to help her from the carriage.
She took his hand and felt a jolt of excitement. Looking into his eyes, Mary Louise felt shocked at seeing such a look of endearment on his face. She smiled at him. “Thank you, Sheriff. I didn’t know you could be so gallant.”
He finished helping Adelaide and Diane from the carriage. “Really, it comes under my job description. Help the ladies, especially the pretty ones.”
“Is that so. Well, for whatever reason you are helping us, we are grateful.”
Diane nodded. “Oh, yes. I still get itchy thinking about sleeping in the hay.” She looked around. “Is there a hotel in this place?”
Adelaide walked up behind them. “I see one over there, but it hardly looks better than the livery in Big Springs.”
Mary Louise followed the direction. The half-fallen sign said Hote with the L missing. One window was boarded up, and no one seemed to be around. “Oh dear, it looks like a ghost town.�
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Kirk nodded. “You ladies go on in the general store. The post office should be in the back. I’ll do some checking around.”
Taking the lead, Mary Louise walked inside the door of the store. The shelves were dusty and only half-filled with a scattering of goods. She led her friends to the back until they found a wooden box that had the words Post Office over it. There were a few envelopes scattered about.
Mary Louise looked around, but so far, she’d not seen a soul. She picked up the envelopes and looked through them and found one for Diane, one for Adelaide, and none for her. Well, at least, Diane had received a letter.
Diane grinned and held it to her chest. “I hope this is from him. The one I have waited for all my life.”
Adelaide looked at her. “Really, Diane. I have never heard you talk in such a way.”
“Well, I do hope he is the man of my dreams.”
“You’ve never told me of the man of your dreams. Do you really have one that you dream about?”
Diane frowned. “No, I don’t. It’s more like the nightmare of my life that I am alone and my prospects dimming. But we’re supposed to be positive and smile. So, I’m starting that now. Tonight, I’m going to come up with a man of my dreams.”
Mary Louise shook her head. “I don’t know. We might be dreaming in the hay next to the horse. Let’s go check out the hotel.”
Mary Louise walked across the street to the hotel. She opened the door and looked in and saw no one. “Hello? Is anyone here?”
The other two ladies crept up behind her, and as one, they walked to the desk. Mary Louise banged on the bell several times.
Finally, a door upstairs opened and closed with a thud, and they heard someone coming. Step, drag, step drag. Mary Louise felt her heart ready to jump out of her chest until finally, the person reached the stairs and looked down at them.
“You ladies ring the bell?”
Mary Louise nodded and put on her best smile. “Yes, we did. We’d like a room for the night.”
“That so.”
Diane giggled. “Yes, it is most assuredly so.” She whispered. “I can’t sleep in a barn.”
With effort, the man hobbled down the stairs. “One room?”
“Yes.” Mary Louise answered for all of them. There was no way she’d sleep in a room by herself.
“It will be two dollars. You wouldn’t be the ladies come to work the saloon?”
Adelaide gasped. “I should say not.”
Mary Louise grabbed Adelaide’s arm to quiet her. The man didn’t look that friendly to start off, and she didn’t want to take a chance of him turning against them. “Could we see the room first?”
With a sneer, the man shook his head. “I made it down the stairs, I ain’t going back up just for you to have a look-see. Either you want the room, or you don’t.”
Mary Louise wondered how long of a ride it would be back to Lone Oak. She didn’t like this town or the man in front of her. The place smelled musty and old, and the city looked dead.
She was about to answer when Kirk entered the hotel and strode up beside her. “We’ll be moving on. Thanks.”
He nodded at the ladies. “Let’s go.” He ushered them out of the hotel and into the street. “We need to get out of here. Get in the carriage. Mary Louise, you drive. Adelaide, you hold the gun and shoot at anyone who comes near us.”
Mary Louise didn’t ask questions, just did what he said. In fact, none of her usually talkative group said a word other than Diane’s quiet whimper. Once they were in the carriage, she flicked the reins and told Samson to go.
Kirk led them down the road to the south. “We’re going to get as close to Lone Oak as we can. We might stop in one of the ranches for protection.”
Mary Louise wondered protection from what. They were almost out of town when a woman ran out of the saloon and waved at them.
Mary Louise slowed the carriage.
“Take me. Please.” The woman’s hair was a mess. Her dress was worn and threadbare, but it was the fear that marked the woman’s eyes that made Mary Louise stop the carriage.
The woman looked over her shoulder at the saloon and jumped into the carriage. “Hurry.”
Mary Louise nodded and scooted over.
In minutes, the woman was sitting beside her. “Thank you. Hurry, we have to get away.”
Kirk rode up beside her. “Get that horse moving.” He slapped Samson on the rump and rode beside them.
Not one to usually be fearful, Mary Louise could smell it in the air. Whether the woman had brought it with her, or the town reeked of it, she wasn’t sure, but she couldn’t get out of Dry Springs quick enough.
They’d gone maybe three miles before Kirk slowed down. He looked back and then slowed Samson. “We need to slow down for the horse. I should have had Hank put two horses on the carriage, but I figured you’d handle one easier.”
She saw the regret on his face. The worry was still around them.
The stranger grabbed her arm. “We can’t let them catch us. Please.”
Kirk nodded. “Drive along this road. I’m going to hang back and make sure no one follows you. I’ll meet you where the roads cross. When you get there, take a right.”
“Got it. Let’s go, Samson.” In minutes, they’d left Kirk and were on their own. Mary Louise worried about the sheriff. And she thought of Suzy and how brave that woman must be. Yet, Suzy’s face had shone with faith as she explained how she dealt with the worry.
Mary Louise wondered if she had that kind of faith. If she could marry Kirk and wait the long dark nights when he was on duty or chasing an outlaw.
She’d always been a strong girl and brave. It had always been one of the things her father disliked and probably the reason Mary Louise prided herself on being courageous. Her thoughts were diverted by crying.
The woman from the town was weeping. She faced Mary Louise. “I’m sorry. It’s been so long. They kept me. In that hotel. Grady, the old man with a limp, had to go down to see what you wanted. I climbed down by the tree in the back of the hotel. It was my chance. I never dreamed I could get away.”
“I’m Mary Louise. The lady with the rifle is Adelaide, and the woman next to her is Diane.”
“I’m Jennifer. Jennifer Grant.” Tears took her over, and she hid her face in her hands.
Not knowing what else to do, Mary Louise put an arm around the woman’s pointed and bony shoulders. Mary Louise figured Jennifer was half-starved. “Adelaide, do we have any food left in our picnic basket?”
After fumbling in the basket, Adelaide passed her some food. “I think there is some bread and maybe jerky.”
Mary Louise gave it to Jennifer, who ate it as if she were starving.
After a few minutes, Mary Louise stopped the horse. “Samson needs a breather. Jennifer, I have a skirt and blouse that will fit you. Diane, help her get it out of my bag. Quick.”
Jennifer had just finished changing when they heard the first shots. Her face went white, and she jumped into the carriage. “Get that horse going. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll run him hard.”
Mary Louise didn’t need any urging. She slapped the reins and yelled at Samson. She didn’t like to, but she took the whip and slapped him to encourage him that she meant business. The horse charged down the road, and they soon came to the crossroad.
“To the right.” Adelaide pointed.
Mary Louise nodded and reined Samson down the right. Another flurry of gunshots made her rush the horse onward. “Get that rifle ready. You do know how to use it, don’t you?”
“Aye. Any girl raised in Texas knows.” Adelaide winked at her.
Mary Louise nodded and guessed that while she’d not learned how to shoot, in a pinch, she’d figure it out.
Jennifer sat straight and tall, but Mary Louise could sense the fear coming from her.
“Don’t worry, Sheriff Taylor will keep them from getting us.” Mary Louise prayed he would and that he’d be safe and come back to her.
Jennifer hung onto the side of the carriage and stared at her. “I hope so. I won’t let them take me back. I’d rather die.”
“We won’t let them take you. Or any of us.” Mary Louise slowed down at the creek crossing and let Samson get a drink.
Jennifer threw her old clothes in the water. “Maybe that will throw them off.”
“Let’s go, Samson.” Mary Louise didn’t urge the horse into going as fast. She could see he was getting tired, so she let him walk.
Adelaide handed Mary the rifle. “I think I’ll walk and give the horse a break. Come on, Diane, a little walk, will do us good.” She reached up and took the rifle.
Jennifer nodded. “I’ll walk, too.”
Mary Louise handed her the reins. “You drive the carriage, and I’ll walk. You look like you could use the rest.”
Jennifer nodded and took the reins.
Diane whispered to Mary Louise. “What if she drives off and leaves us? She looks desperate.”
Mary Louise shook her head. “She wouldn’t do that.”
“She won’t because I’d nail her.” Adelaide grinned. Having said it loud enough for Jennifer to hear.
Mary Louise smiled at Jennifer. “That won’t be necessary. We’re all in this together, and that is how we’re going to get out of it.” She hadn’t asked what trouble it was because she didn’t even want to know.
She believed Kirk would come riding up behind them any moment and tell them how he chased all the bad men away. Mary Louise laughed with Adelaide about how they looked like real pioneer women.
When suddenly, Jennifer lashed Samson and took off, leaving them in the dust.
Mary Louise knew her jaw dropped, and her mouth was still open because she could taste the dust. Finally, she closed her mouth and stared at Adelaide, who had not fired a shot.
With a frown, Adelaide shook her head. “I couldn’t shoot her. She’s apparently been through a lot.”
Diane sighed. “Well, I, for one, do not want to go through a lot like Jennifer has. This is bad enough.”
To the right of the road, a wooded area provided some shade. “Let’s at least go walk in the shade.” She headed to the nearest tree and stopped for a moment. “Do you still see the wagon?”
A Mystery Groom for Christmas Page 6