The Anonymous Bride (Texas Boardinghouse Brides 1)

by Vickie McDonough

  Miss Bennett and Miss O’Neil both came in and handed their entries to the mayor, but she couldn’t see them from so far away.

  “Are you going to allow that mystery bride to enter again?” Miss Bennett lifted her chin. “It’s highly irregular.”

  “I don’t guess it matters since she hasn’t submitted an entry.” Mayor Burke scratched his jaw with his thumb and forefinger. He glanced at his watch. “And the time limit to do so just expired.”

  “Saints preserve us.” Miss O’Neil held her handbag below her chin as if she were praying.

  “What’s the matter?” asked Mrs. Burke.

  “There’s already an entry on the table.”

  The mayor and his wife exchanged a look and hurried outside, followed by the two brides. Jack jumped up and ran to the door.

  “Oh, my, that’s very fine work.” Mrs. Burke fingered the collar of the medium blue shirt then slid her hand down the buttons, admiring it.

  Jack’s hopes shot upward like a firecracker.

  Mayor Burke cleared his voice. “Did anyone notice who submitted this entry?”

  Jack moved past him so she could see, but relief washed through her when the townsfolk stared back with blank looks.

  “Surely, you ain’t gonna allow that fourth shirt in the contest? Ain’t it supposed to be between us three?” Miss Blackstone wagged her finger between her and the other brides.

  “We allowed it last time, so I don’t see how we can exclude it now.” Mayor Burke handed the shirts the brides had made to his wife. “Please distribute those, and we’ll commence this competition.”

  His wife accepted the entries and laid each one behind a numbered bride sign. “How can we start without the marshal?”

  “He’s probably hidin’ out somewhere so’s he don’t hafta get hitched to one of them brides.” The comment from a bearded man standing in the street brought hoots of laughter from the crowd.

  Jack smiled, but her eyes were drawn to the second shirt. She slipped around the mayor’s wife to get a closer look and nearly gasped out loud. On the table lay a tan shirt with brown stitching—the very shirt her ma had made for her pa. She glared at the brides.

  One of them was a thief and a cheat.

  ***

  Luke rode back into town after spending several hours in prayer down at the river. For the past few days, he’d thought about the brides, stewing over them and praying about which one to marry, but so far, God wasn’t answering.

  Even before he reached Lookout, he encountered dozens of buggies, wagons, and saddled horses lining the outskirts of town. Some folks had set up tents and made campfire circles, probably planning on overnighting and attending church tomorrow.

  He wove his way through the mess, half dreading the shirt contest. No matter what, several of the brides would end up disappointed. He shook his head and rode into town.

  People lined the streets like a cattle drive, in spite of the warm day. The sky had still been dark when he’d first ridden out this morning, but now the sun glimmered bright above the horizon with the promise of a perfect day—a complete contrast to the nervousness sending his belly in a tizzy and causing pain between his eyes.

  He rubbed his fingertips in small circles on his forehead. Last week’s measuring session had nearly driven him loco, with Rachel moving around him, leaving her scent, touching him like a wisp of wind. Was it possible that he still had feelings for her?

  He reined Alamo to a stop. What was he going to do?

  If only he hadn’t given his word to marry.

  His prayers seemed to have fallen on deaf ears, even though he knew that wasn’t true. He’d pleaded with God to show him which bride to choose, yet here he rode back toward town, with no leading one way or the other and thoughts of Rachel filling his mind. All he knew to do was to pray more and wait until God revealed His will to him.

  If only the mayor wasn’t pressing him for a decision. And that newspaper lady. He halfway wondered if she wasn’t the anonymous bride. Maybe she added the mystery entry just to beef up interest in the contest and to help sell her papers. Maybe there wouldn’t be a fourth entry today.

  “Hey, there’s the marshal,” a man from the crowd hollered.

  All eyes turned toward Luke, and for the briefest of moments, the town was silent except for a baby’s wail. Suddenly, the crowd erupted in cheers. Alamo jerked up his head at the roar and pranced beneath Luke. There was no getting out of this contest, so he’d best just get it over with.

  He looped Alamo’s reins around the hitching post outside the livery where three other horses had been tied and made his way toward his office.

  “Who ya gonna pick?”

  “I like that Irish gal. Don’t choose her.”

  “You getting married today?”

  The questions fired from all sides. Luke shook his head and pushed his way toward the mayor.

  Jack stood behind the man and raced forward when she saw him. “Luke, I gotta tell you somethin’.”

  Mayor Burke shoved his way in front of her. “Not now, kid. We’ve got to get this judging started.”

  “But—” Jack reached for Luke as the mayor pushed her back.

  Luke scowled, not liking how the mayor was treating the girl, but the man was right. Whatever she wanted to say could wait.

  The boardinghouse brides huddled together at the far end of the table, each one looking as if she’d worn her Sunday best. Even Miss Blackstone’s hair had been pulled up and pinned on top of her head. Just then, the woman scowled and reached up to scratch her head with her index finger. Luke smiled. For some reason, she didn’t seem comfortable all gussied up.

  Miss Bennett batted her lashes at Luke and smiled at him with her head cocked sideways. Miss O’Neil looked everywhere but at him. He bet if he were to pick her she’d faint dead away.

  Garrett walked out of Luke’s office with Mark on his heels. “’Bout time you got here.”

  “Yeah,” Mark said, “we were just about to round up a posse to go hunt you down.”

  “Well, I’m here.”

  The mayor nodded and turned toward the crowd, beefy hands lifted. “All right, now that Marshal Davis is here, we’ll get things started. I imagine Luke will want to try on each shirt before deciding on the winner.” Mayor Burke gave Luke a shrewd glance that set his nerve endings tingling, then faced the crowd again. “And if he’s ready to make an announcement, could be we’ll have a wedding today.”

  Cheers erupted. Luke frowned and bit back a growl. He was getting tired of being manipulated.

  “Gather ’round the table, Luke. Look at all these fine shirts.” The mayor shook his head. “Don’t know how you’re going to pick just one as winner.”

  Luke gazed at the table, his heart dipping into his boots. There were four entries.

  People crowded the tables, pushing and shoving. “I cain’t see,” an old cowboy yelled.

  The brides were crowded from behind and moved toward Luke as if part of the herd.

  “Hold on, hold on!” Mayor Burke held up his hands. “Y’all just back up right now ’fore I have the marshal get his rifle.”

  Mumbles and murmurs surrounded them, but the swarm slowly backed up.

  “Now, the marshal will stand here and try on each shirt.” The mayor waved him toward the railing.

  Luke shook his head. “I’m not shedding my shirt in front of all these folks.”

  “Aw, don’t be shy, cuz.” Garrett nudged Luke in the back.

  Enough was enough. Luke spun around and glared down at Garrett. After a few seconds, Garrett held up his hands. “Sorry.”

  “Maybe you should try the shirts on in the jail?” Mark offered loudly, over the buzz of conversation.

  Luke nodded, snatched up the four shirts, and strode into his office. The crowd voiced their objections while the mayor tried to pacify them as if it was his idea to use the jail. “Now it isn’t proper for a man to undress in front of all you pretty ladies.”

  Jack squeezed in b
etween Garrett and Mark. “I gotta tell you somethin’.”

  Luke tossed the shirts onto his desk. “Make it fast.”

  She nodded her head up and down. “One of them brides is a cheat. That brown shirt belonged to my pa. Ma’s the one who sewed it.”

  Garrett and Mark stood behind her. Both sets of eyebrows shot up at Jack’s declaration.

  Luke frowned and tugged out the tan shirt. “This one?”

  “Yeah.”

  “How can you be sure?” Garrett asked.

  “It was in Ma’s bottom dresser drawer a few days ago. I know it by that dark stitching.”

  “It’s possible someone else just happened to sew a similar one.” Mark rubbed the back of his neck.

  Jack shook her head. “I know it’s my ma’s.”

  “What’s going on in here?” Mayor Burke squeezed in the crowded office and looked around. “Get along, Luke. We’ve got a whole town of folks waiting.”

  Luke bent down and looked at Jack. “Keep this to yourself for now. I’ll check into it though.”

  Jack stared at him with her big eyes and finally nodded.

  “All right, half bit. Scoot outside with the rest of the ladies.”

  “I ain’t no lady,” she called over her shoulder as she left and closed the door.

  “That’s the honest truth. That kid is as wild as them come.” Mayor Burke shook his head. “How did Rachel end up with such a hooligan child?”

  Luke narrowed his eyes, halfway ready to knock the mayor on his backside. He oughten to talk about Jack like that. She was just a little girl who needed a firm hand.

  “So, which shirt do you like best?” Garrett laid each one out across the top of Luke’s desk.

  “Pick a shirt; pick a wife.” Mark chuckled.

  “This is just plain loco. How am I supposed to pick a wife by choosing the best shirt?” He shook his head. “You and your crazy schemes. I don’t know how I got caught up in this one.”

  Garrett ignored him and sorted through the entries. “Which one you want to try on first?” He held up the blue shirt and fingered the collar. “This one’s nice.”

  Luke shrugged and crossed his arms, wishing he was anywhere else.

  “You know you’ve gotta do it, so get going.” Garrett shoved the shirt toward Luke. “Put it on.”

  He heaved another sigh but shucked his shirt and pulled on the cornflower blue one. It fit like a gun sliding into a perfectly made holster. He adjusted the shoulders and buttoned it up. Holding out his arm, he eyed the sleeve. “Fits well enough, but the sleeves could be a tad longer. I do like this color.”

  Garrett held up the dark blue shirt and waggled his brow.

  Luke removed the medium blue shirt and tried on the indigo one. It, too, fit well, and the sleeves were longer, but the seams under his arms were too small and restricted his movement.

  “This one’s got a little stain on it. Maybe one of them brides poked her finger while stitching it—or maybe the kid was right.” Garrett rubbed at the spot and unfolded the tan shirt. “I like how it has this brown stitching on it. That’s different.”

  “That’s the one Jack claimed was stolen.” Luke looked it over, but the tan garment revealed no clues as to who had made it. He tried it on, trying to imagine Rachel’s hand sewing it. But if she had, she’d been making it for James, not him. He shucked it off and tossed it on the desk. Garrett held up the final entry. Luke resisted rolling his eyes. What sane man tried on four shirts in a single day?

  He shoved his arm in the white shirt, but when he tried to get his second arm in, he couldn’t. The shoulders were too narrow. A rip sounded, and one of the sleeves tore off.

  “Oops.” Garrett grinned. “Guess that’s not the winner.”

  Luke tossed the ruined shirt on the pile and pulled his comfortable chambray back on.

  “So, which one did you like best?” The mayor drew in closer and leaned over the desk.

  “I don’t know. The stitching on the tan and the cornflower blue was the nicest, I guess, but I like the dark blue color best.”

  “So the dark blue is the winner?” Garrett asked, picking it up again.

  Luke studied it, then shook his head. “No, it’s too tight in the underarms and reminds me too much of my cavalry uniform. I wore that color for ten years.”

  Garrett held up the tan and medium blue shirts and wiggled them in front of Luke.

  “The cornflower blue’s my favorite.”

  “Do I hear a but coming?” Garrett lifted his brows.

  Delaying his response, Luke looked out the window. Dozens of people stared in at him. Finally, he turned back to his cousin. “What if that anonymous bride made that one?”

  Garrett shrugged one shoulder. “You have a three-in-four chance of it not being hers.”

  “Yeah, but that still bothers me.” Luke snagged his hat off the back of the chair and put it on. “Seems like I have a right to know whose competing, being as I’m supposed to marry the winner of the contest.”

  Garrett grinned. “Now that would take all the fun out of the competition.”

  Luke leaned forward and glared across the desk. “This isn’t a game, Garrett. This is my future, my life we’re talking about.”

  His cousin sobered. “I know. Sorry for making light of things.” Garrett stood and set his hands on his hips. “Look, Luke. Mark and I didn’t know all this craziness would happen when we ordered those brides. We were honestly just tryin’ to help you.”

  Luke pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. “I know, but what you did was really dumb. You took those gals away from their homes and families. Gave them hope that they could start over here and get married. Even if I choose one, that still leaves two without husbands.”

  “Leave them to me and Mark. We’ll figure out something.”

  Luke shook his head. “I don’t know what, unless you plan to marry them yourselves.”

  Garrett made a choking sound as if his neck were in a noose.

  Luke grinned. “How do you like it when the tables are turned?”

  “They aren’t exactly turned, are they? I didn’t promise to marry anyone.” Garrett’s mouth cocked sideways in a teasing grin.

  “I sure wish I hadn’t either.” He shouldn’t have yielded to the pressure everyone put on him. A man should marry the woman he loved. A woman who was his friend. Rachel immediately came to mind.

  Maybe he had it all wrong. Men in the West married women they’d just met all the time. The only way to truly get over Rachel would be to marry someone else. So why did that sit so badly with him?

  Mayor Burke reached out and grabbed the blue shirt. “Well, let’s get back out there and see who made this shirt.”

  “Hold on a minute. I’m going to have to figure out who stole that tan shirt.”

  “That kid’s probably just making up that story.” The mayor tugged on his vest.

  “Jack didn’t have any idea?” Mark asked.

  “No, but I don’t mind telling you that I’ve had suspicions about one of the brides for a while now.”

  “Which one?” Mayor Burke’s fuzzy brows lifted.

  Luke shook his head. “I’m not ready to say just yet.”

  Garrett looked as if he was staring out the window in deep thought. He glanced back at Luke, a worried expression on his face. “Could Jack and Rachel be in any danger?”

  Luke shook his head. “Don’t think so, but I’ll keep a closer watch on them.”

  Outside, the crowd started chanting for Luke. “Marshal! Marshal!”

  Holding the winning shirt, the mayor headed for the door but suddenly turned back and collected the other shirts. “If I go walking out with just one, everybody will know that’s the winner.”

  “Makes sense.” Garrett nodded.

  “After I announce the winner, I’ll put the shirts back on the table. Maybe one of you can keep an eye on them and see if the person who brought the tan shirt will reclaim it.”

  “That’s
not likely if it was stolen.” Luke pursed his lips.

  Mark straightened. “Unless they feel the need to return it so Rachel doesn’t know it was ever gone.”

  Luke grinned and slapped his cousin on the shoulder. “If I ever need a deputy, you’ve got the job.”

  Mark’s response was lost as the mayor opened the door. The crowd roared with excitement. Luke followed his cousins outside and glanced around, hoping to see Rachel. It looked like everyone in the county had shown up but her.