Mail Order Lila

by Patricia Pacjac Carroll

  Second chances collide with lost causes.

  Lila, a young saloon girl, tangles with another sheriff and is run out of town. On the stagecoach to nowhere, she meets Mattie Windom, a woman with twin babies. The woman is dying and asks Lila to take care of her children. She gives Lila the name of a man that she was to marry.

  Zanzibar, Zandy, Smith is waiting for Mattie Windom, his mail-order bride, but when he goes to pick her up he is surprised to see Lila and the babies.

  A Christian Historical Western Romance

  Gentle read, clean and wholesome, with fun, faith, and Hope and always a happily ever after.

  Mail Order Lila

  Widow, Brides, and Secret Babies

  Book 21

  By

  Patricia PacJac Carroll

  Mail Order Lila Widow, Brides, and Secret Babies Book 21

  Copyright © July 2020

  Published by Patricia PacJac Carroll

  ALL rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, (except for inclusion in reviews), disseminated or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, or audio. Including photocopying, recording, or in any information storage and retrieval system, or the Internet/World Wide Web without written permission from the author.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is purely coincidental.

  Cover Designer: Virginia McKevitt

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  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Epilogue

  Mail Order Lila

  Widow, Brides, and Secret Babies

  Book 21

  Chapter 1

  1870

  Texas

  With fat, grubby hands, the sheriff grabbed for her, but Lila scrambled out of his reach. She was quick on her feet, good at ducking, and was already out of the saloon before he’d turned to set his sights on her again.

  His shouted words followed her. “March yourself to the stage depot, young lady. I’ll not have you challenge my authority in my town.”

  She turned and saw his red face and even redder bulbous nose as the big man lumbered after her.

  Lila Swanson was no fool, and she knew when her time in a town was up. Just because she didn’t want to be a party to a swindling gambler, she was forced to leave. She was sure that the sheriff was in cahoots with Jake the Snake, but it didn’t matter. She was looking for another town.

  Two hours later, she was on the sweltering stagecoach, she was sure she smelled almost as bad as the cowboy in the seat across from her. But he wasn’t complaining, and neither was she. Where she was going? She really wasn’t sure.

  The stagecoach was headed south and west. That wasn’t a comforting thought as she’d just been thrown out of Fort Worth ~ Where the West Begins. At least, that was what the sign had said.

  Lila settled back in the rocking stagecoach and tried to figure how she could get out of this life of always being thrown out of one town after another. But then, being a saloon girl was all she knew.

  Finally, after several more hours, the coach stopped at a small shack that served as a stage depot, and the driver told them that was the end of the day’s ride. Tomorrow morning, another stage would take them onto Brazos City. Lila went in the shack and was relieved to see another woman sitting at the table.

  Wishing she had a shawl to pull around her exposed shoulders, Lila sat down beside her. “Hi, I’m Lila Swanson. I’m traveling to wherever this stage takes me.”

  The woman turned to her and stared.

  At first, Lila figured it was the kind of look she got from women who found her to be dirty and of the wrong crowd. But the more she looked at her, Lila saw that the lady had red-rimmed feverish eyes.

  “Are you all right?”

  The woman shook her head. “Fever. Help me.”

  The man who ran the depot pointed to a room. “She’s got the room back there. I don’t know why she came out. Take her and get her away from the rest of us. She’s sick and shouldn’t be here giving us the disease.”

  Lila stared at him. “What disease?”

  “Don’t know. I just don’t want to get sick. I’ll put a couple bowls by the door, and you can feed her. I’ll bring the milk too.” The older pot-bellied man scowled as if the thought it was more work than he wanted to do.

  Lila helped the woman stand and helped her to the room. There were two cots, and she put the women on the closest. “Let me help you.” Lila took off her cloak and undid some of the buttons on her blouse.

  Feeling the woman’s forehead, Lila shook her head. “You’ve got a fever, all right.” She didn’t wait for the woman to answer but rose and went to the water bowl. She took her handkerchief and dipped it in water and dabbed the woman’s face.

  “There, we’ll get you feeling better.” Lila looked at the woman. They were about the same size. The woman even had reddish hair like Lila. “What’s your name?”

  “Mattie Windom.” She closed her eyes as if the effort had been too much.

  “Hi, Mattie.”

  The woman stared at her and then grabbed her hand. “Please, take them.” She paused and caught her breath. “I’m a mail-order bride. Zanzibar Smith. Brazos City.” She panted as if she couldn’t catch her breath.

  Lila patted her forehead with the wet cloth, trying to bring down her fever, but nothing she did helped. After a couple of hours of trying to get the woman to eat or drink anything, Lila happened to glance at the cot by the window.

  She’d been so busy she hadn’t looked around the room except to get the water. With a start, she saw a small foot wiggle out from under a blanket. Lila was just about to go look when Mattie again grabbed her hand.

  “Take them. Promise me. Take my babies. The man. He will take care of them. Pray.” Her voice and life faded on the last word.

  Just as well, because Lila had never been a praying woman. She doubted real seriously that God would want anything to do with a saloon girl who’d been kicked out of more towns than she could count.

  As she held Mattie’s hand, Lila felt it grow cold, and a listen to her chest proved her heart had stopped. Lila hadn’t known the woman, but sadness overtook her. Looking at Mattie, Lila figured she must have been a good woman. Right now, in death, her face had a peaceful look.

  Apparently, she’d been on her way to meet a man, marry him, and start a new life. Her and her baby. With a start, Lila thought of the baby. Now, that was something she knew nothing about.

  There was a trunk with clothes. Lila started for it when a cry from the other cot exploded and was joined by another. Startled, Lila went to it and saw not one but two little ones looking up at her. She felt their foreheads, but they were cool. No fever for the children.

  Lila looked around and found
a couple of bottles. The man had said something about milk. She opened the bottles and saw that they needed to be washed before she could feed the babies.

  Lila ran out of the room. “The woman, she died. Help me.”

  A man was sleeping on a bench by the table. He startled awake. “Someone’s dead?”

  “The woman.” Lila found the old stage agent and kicked him awake. “Wash these. There are babies in that room, and they need to eat.”

  The first man, a rancher by the way he was dressed, jumped up, and ran into the room. In seconds he came back out. “She’s dead.”

  Lila stared at him. “That’s what I said. Do something.”

  He nodded and took a blanket and came back out carrying the woman. “I’ll take her out back and bury her.”

  Things were spinning. The woman hadn’t said much. Other than take them. She must have meant her children. Lila’s head pounded. She didn’t want children. She was no mother.

  The old man handed her the bottles. “I washed out the tubes too. Want me to help feed one of them?”

  “Yes, help me.” She followed him into the room. He picked up one of the little ones and handed her the other. Deftly, he held the child in one arm and put the nipple at the baby’s mouth, and it began sucking loudly.

  “See, you just let the little one lay back in your arms and put the nipple to his lips. He’ll do the rest.”

  Lila did what he said, and soon the little boy was drinking and smiling. “Ah, I’ve never done this before.”

  The old man smiled. “I did, once long ago.” He frowned. “A long time and another life ago. Things happen so quickly.” He was quiet for a few moments. “This one is the girl. You have a boy. Twins.”

  Lila nodded. “I’m sorry the mother died. What will happen to them?”

  “I guess they’ll wind up in some orphanage. Did the mother tell you anything?”

  Lila darted a looked to him as the woman’s words rang in her mind. Take them. “Well, no.” Surprised that she still had one, her conscience butted in, and she heard herself explain. “She did ask me to take them.”

  “Good. I’m glad to hear that. Look how that little one likes you. I don’t know their names. She came in all sick and didn’t say much.”

  Lila smiled as the boy finished off his bottle. “How old do you think they are? Two or three?”

  The old man laughed. “I’d say they’re maybe a year and a half. Old enough to start being weaned. I’ll fix up some rice and see if we can’t get them to eat it.”

  Lila laughed as the boy grabbed her finger. He began talking in gibberish and even called her mama.

  “There you go. He thinks you’re his mama.”

  Lila put a hand to her hair. “We did have the same color of hair. I guess he can’t tell.”

  The man put the girl on the bed and then rummaged in the trunk. “She’s got clothes for them and for her.” He looked at her. “I’d say they’d fit you.” He pulled out an envelope and opened it.

  “Says here she was going to be married to a Zanzibar Smith. Mail-order bride.” He looked at Lila. “You got any plans? By the look of your outfit, I’d say you could use a change of life. Might think about it. Chances are this Zanzibar didn’t know her well. You could take her place.”

  Lila blushed. It had been a long time since she’d been embarrassed by anything, but she felt her cheeks warm and knew she was. “You see me and can guess what I am. How could I show up and ask any man to marry me?”

  He pointed to the two babies. “She had a husband or boyfriend before to get those two.”

  “Oh, I don’t know.”

  “I do see you, darling. You remind me of someone I once knew. She could have married and didn’t. She died a young woman. I’d hate to see that happen to you.”

  Lila stared at him. He was right, and she knew it. The small voice inside her said to take the chance. She turned from him and put the boy down and went to the trunk. There was another envelope.

  She took the letter out and felt as if she were trespassing on the dead woman’s life. The letter was from another man. Caleb James. She wondered if he was the children’s father. Then she read down to where he promised to come home to marry her. But in someone else’s handwriting at the bottom of the letter was written. “Sorry, he died last week.” There was a date and the name of the man writing the note.

  So, the children were orphans. Lila knew what that was like. She’d been thrown into one at the age of five after her parents died. All she knew was looking at the two babes, she knew she couldn’t let that happen to them.

  She looked at the old man. “I don’t know your name.”

  “Everyone calls me Stubby. Been so long I can’t even remember my own name.” He laughed.

  The man who’d taken the woman out back came into the room. “I dug the grave. I think we ought to say words over her.”

  Stubby took the girl and motioned for her to take the boy. “Let’s go. I got a Bible in the other room.”

  Outside under a scrub oak, there was a grave dug, and the woman’s body wrapped in the blanket. The tall man nodded at them. “If it’s alright with you, I’ll read some words over her.” He opened the Bible that Stubby had handed him and started off. “The Lord is my shepherd …”

  Finally, he stopped and looked up. “Lord, we ask you to take this woman to her eternal home. Let her know the babies will be looked after. Amen.”

  He smiled at Lila. “I’m sure you gave her great peace at the end. She’d told me she was praying for the right person to come along and take the babies. I got the feeling that she was waiting for you.”

  Lila darted a look at Stubby.

  Stubby smiled and nodded. “I think the man is right.”

  “I don’t have a job. I can’t take care of myself much less two babies.”

  Stubby pointed at the grave. “Take her place. Go and marry that man.”

  “Marry? What man would want me?” She felt alone and naked, staring at the two men. Surely, they could see what she was.

  “Ma’am, holding that baby, you look like a mother to me. God has strange ways of turning people around. I think that woman was waiting for you. You were the answer to her prayers for those two children. I don’t know you, but I can see you’ve probably had a hard life. I think this is your chance to change, and I think it’s your chance to save those two babies from a hard life.”

  Stubby nodded. “He’s right. Go and meet that man. It’s at the next stop.”

  Lila hugged the boy to her. His sweet breath on her neck blew hope into her heart. For the children, she could give it a try. Why not? She didn’t have anything better to do and nowhere else to go.

  Chapter 2

  Zanzibar, Zandy, Smith led the mule to the barn, but stopped and looked over the land he’d just plowed. The earth was dark and fertile and would make a good garden for the woman. The mail-order bride that was coming. At times, he wondered what he’d done by ordering a wife, but it was the lonely nights that had sealed his decision.

  He was tired of being alone. “Let’s go, Big Ben.” He patted the mule on the head and led him into the barn. “You put in a good day’s work, so extra grain for you tonight.” He took care of the mule and then whistled for the dog.

  Yes, he had animals. But they weren’t the kind of company he longed for. The sun was just about to set when he sat on the porch and looked west and watched God paint the sky with purples and pinks.

  He was ready to share the wonders of life with someone. This woman, Mattie, she said her name was. He wondered what she was like. She hadn’t said much in her letters other than she was lonely, desperate to be married and looked forward to meeting him.

  That was all her letters had said. He got the feeling she was sad. He hoped he could make her feel some joy. He patted the black and white dog sitting beside him. “Well, Flower, she’s coming tomorrow. What do you think about that?”

  The dog licked his hand.

  “Good. I want you to be nice to h
er.”

  The dog woofed.

  “I’ll take that as a yes.” He grinned. If he needed any more proof that it was time for him to find a wife, talking to the animals ought to be it. Mattie had written that she had red hair. Was nice to look at. She was close to his age. Twenty-four to his twenty-six years.

  Zandy stroked his chin. He was a fair-looking man. Handsome, he thought most women would say. He’d shave the stubby beard before picking her up at the depot in Brazos City. The man said the stage wouldn’t be in until around four.

  A two-hour ride into town, he’d leave at eleven and get there early so he could get a proper shave and haircut. Maybe buy a new shirt to impress her. He sure hoped she’d be a fun woman and not one of those moody ones like Jeb Harden married.

  Zandy hardly ever saw either of them smile. Then again, maybe it was the ten kids they had between them. She’d had four when he married her. He’d had three, and together they had three more.

  The children seemed happy, though. They were always laughing and cutting up, especially in church. Of course, that could be why Jeb and Hortense were just worn out.

  He and Mattie would have plenty of time to get to know one another before any children came along. He gave Flower one more pat and went inside. The house looked clean. He’d worked on it all day yesterday.

  The cabin was small, but he had some money, and they could add on. He wanted Mattie to be able to have a say on what she wanted and to buy the material for the curtains. Fortunately, Zandy had saved up enough to let his wife have some fun decorating and buying what she wanted. He’d even made arrangements at the store to take a catalog home so she could go through it.

  Zandy made a quick dinner of jerky and beans and dreamed about the excellent dinners that his wife would make. He’d have to work extra hard, so he didn’t gain weight around his middle.