A Texas Promise

by Laura Conner Kestner

Realizing that Maggie’s friend was truly concerned, Eli felt bad about the thoughts he’d been having. “No. I don’t think so. Believe me, if I thought Maggie was in trouble, I’d be tearing this town apart, not going through it at this pace.”

  Avalee smiled at him in a knowing way. After he was outside on the front porch, he heard a burst of excited babbling erupt from within. Well, that should give them plenty to talk about for awhile.

  After searching every other place he could think of, Eli headed home. He should’ve checked with Peg Harmon first. Maybe Maggie told her where she was going. Even if she hadn’t, Eli would find her.

  Because no matter how he looked at it, he couldn’t imagine a future without Maggie.

  * * *

  Eli pushed open the door to Nathaniel’s office, and heard his brother’s deep laugh coming from the living quarters at back, and then an answering feminine giggle.

  Despite his weariness, Eli smiled. His brother was certainly having a better day than he was.

  “Nathaniel?” Eli shouldered open the door to the kitchen and froze.

  The laughing girl was Maggie. She sobered when she saw him, and then gave him a defiant glare as she placed a plate of food in front of his brother.

  “What’s going on here?” Eli asked.

  “We’ve been fishing,” Nathaniel said, looking at Maggie with a big smile on his face. Aggravation shot through Eli. Not only was that his girl, he’d taught her to fish!

  Both of them stared at him as he pushed further into the kitchen. Maggie had the grace to look embarrassed, but Nathaniel kept on smiling.

  “Come on in,” he said, “and make yourself at home. Maggie fried up the fish, and boy, let me tell you, it is good.”

  Eli tried to get words out, any words. All he came up with was, “Why?”

  “What’s that now?” Nathaniel never stopped grinning.

  “What is she doing here?” Eli finally managed. “I thought she left on the train.”

  “She was about to, was all packed up and everything. I stopped by to tell her and Lucinda goodbye when it dawned on me that I didn’t want them to leave.”

  “You didn’t want them to leave?”

  Nathaniel shook his head. “Nope, I was real disappointed that Maggie wasn’t going to be my sister-in-law. I got to thinking that since you didn’t want her, maybe I could talk her into staying here as my wife.”

  “Your wife?” Eli couldn’t believe his ears.

  “Yep.”

  Maggie was standing there, twisting a dish towel in her hands. Nathaniel reached out, looped his arm around her waist and pulled her close. “You gotta problem with that, brother?”

  Eli didn’t stop to think about the fact that Maggie immediately pushed away from Nathaniel, or that his brother’s tone and expression were goading. In fact, he didn’t stop to think at all. In one swift move he was across the kitchen, had Nathaniel by the collar and was jerking him from the chair.

  Nathaniel didn’t seem a bit surprised. “If I didn’t know better I’d think you were jealous, Eli. That maybe you wanted Maggie for your own wife. Could it be?”

  “Yes, blast it! I spent the day searching all over Fair Haven for her and then raced back here to get ready to go out again, wherever I had to go, until I found her.”

  All the mirth was gone from Nathaniel’s expression. He pushed away from Eli, straightening his shirt as he stepped back. “Perhaps you should tell Maggie that.”

  Nathaniel picked up his jacket, nodded to Maggie and headed for the door. “I was only teasing about asking her to be my wife. All I did was offer her a shoulder to cry on until you came to your senses.”

  Eli hung his head, embarrassed to look at Nathaniel as he left, scared to look at Maggie. The silence was deafening. He held his breath when he heard her move across the room, and then let it go when she stopped beside him and slipped her hand into his.

  “Is it true?” she asked him.

  “What?”

  “What you said to Nathaniel, that you want to marry me. Or were you lashing out in jealousy?”

  Eli snorted. “Oh, I was jealous all right, but I meant what I said. Before I can ask you anything, though, I need to clear up things with Nathaniel.”

  Maggie nodded. “I’ll be here. By the way, I had no idea he was going to say all those things. There’s nothing between us.”

  “I know that. I’ll be back as soon as I find him.”

  Eli didn’t have to look far. Nathaniel was sitting outside on the bench. He gave Eli a rueful smile. “I planned on leaving you two alone for awhile. Then I realized I’d stormed out of my own house. I have a patient coming by later so I’d better stick around.”

  They sat there in silence for a moment. “You don’t really have any feelings for Maggie, do you?” Eli asked.

  Nathaniel eyed him warily. “Why?”

  “Well…”

  Nathaniel bolted to his feet, jaw tight. “If you’re about to tell me that if I want Maggie then you’ll walk away, so help me, I’m going to haul off and punch you right smack in the nose.”

  Eli jerked back. “What?”

  “You’re trying to do what you always do,” Nathaniel said.

  It was clear that his brother was angry, angrier than Eli had ever seen him, but he didn’t understand why. “What are you talking about?”

  “Let me ask you something,” Nathaniel said. “When we were kids, and we only found enough food for one of us, if there was only one crust of bread, who got it?”

  Eli looked away.

  “Me, that’s who. I was too little and too messed up to know what was going on back then. Once I figured it out, I wanted no part in it.”

  Nathaniel’s voice dropped to a whisper. “Do you honestly think that I could just pick a woman and child to replace the ones I lost? I would give anything if it worked that way. If it were that easy. It’s not.”

  Eli started to voice his agreement and then stopped. A child? What was he saying? He stared at Nathaniel.

  “Yes, our baby died, too.”

  Eli felt as if he’d been kicked in the gut. “I’m so sorry. I never knew.”

  Nathaniel stared off into the distance. “Someday I’ll tell you about it. I can’t yet.”

  Throat tight, Eli looked at him, not knowing what to say.

  Nathaniel sighed. “You can’t fix everything for me, Eli. But thank you for the times that you could, and did. I think Maggie is a wonderful woman, and that baby is something special. But they’re not for me. And more importantly, Maggie’s crazy in love with you. Now get on back in there and do whatever you have to do to grab onto the miracle that God has dropped into your life.”

  Eli did something he hadn’t done in years. He hugged Nathaniel and then started back inside.

  Hand on the doorknob, he looked back at the man he knew better than anyone else on earth, and yet in some ways, didn’t know at all.

  “Just for the record,” Eli said. “I do want the best for you, but I wasn’t about to step aside. I would have fought you for Maggie.

  Nathaniel grinned at him. “I’m glad to hear that. Now go.”

  Back inside, Maggie was sitting at the table, staring up at him over the forgotten supper. “I had planned on proposing in a much more romantic way,” he said. “Now, I guess I’m desperate to get the words out there. All the pretty phrases have flown right out of my head.”

  She stood and walked around the table. “Tell me what’s in your heart, Eli. It doesn’t have to be pretty words.”

  Eli took a deep breath. “I want you buried beside me in the cemetery,” he blurted.

  Maggie stepped back. “What?”

  He groaned. “That sounds crazy. Let me try again. What made me realize I didn’t want to live without you was a stop by the church this morning to chase away Adger Wilson’s pig and mule.”

  Her patient look had turned to one of confusion. “I don’t understand.”

  Eli ran a hand along his jaw. He was trying to sweet talk her and so
far all he’d done was mention graveyards and stray animals.

  “While I was there, I looked at the gravestones. I could see the span of people’s lives. Couldn’t help but wonder what they’d done with it. That’s when it hit me. However much time God gives me, I don’t want to waste any of it by trying to control everything. And I want you by my side. And however long that is, one day, one year, or fifty years, I want you to know I loved you every minute of it.”

  Her eyes filled with tears.

  Eli took a deep breath and hurried on. “And I want to know that when your time finally comes, which I pray is many, many years from now, that you’ll be laid to rest beside me in the Moccasin Rock Cemetery.”

  “What if I go first?” she asked, her tone teasing, despite the tears.

  “Then I’ll be counting the days until I can join you.”

  He kissed her then, a tender kiss full of love and promise.

  “I’m moving forward in faith,” Eli said, “but I’ll admit I’m still worried about you not having the kind of money you’re used to.”

  “I’m not.”

  “Maggie, please understand, even if I worked at everything I could think of, or find to do, from sun-up to sundown, I’ll never make that kind of money.”

  “I’m not worried,” she said. “But, I’ll tell you what, if I decide I need more money, I’ll make it myself.”

  His eyes widened. “How?”

  “I don’t know,” Maggie admitted. “But I can assure you that it won’t be illegal, or immoral. Do you doubt that I can do it?”

  Eli smiled. “Maggie, darlin’, I have no doubts about you at all.”

  Epilogue

  Eli stepped into the Fair Haven church and stopped in his tracks. He and Maggie had been here yesterday, making arrangements for today, and the place had looked nothing like this.

  They had agreed in the interest of time, a simple wedding would be best.

  Now there were bows, wreaths and candles…everywhere. It was beautiful, but who was responsible?

  He caught sight of Caleb’s wife, Abby, and Jenna and Avalee scurrying back and forth through a side door. The three of them had been busy. They had all celebrated Christmas together just a few days ago. The women must’ve saved all the decorations for today.

  Looking around, he noticed that some of their family and friends had also arrived in Fair Haven. Eli had agreed to the ceremony taking place in Maggie’s church. That was the only thing she’d asked for. Since it was about all he could give her, he had readily agreed.

  He’d been touched when Wilkie Brown had agreed to travel from Moccasin Rock and help in any capacity needed. It would be the two preachers conducting the ceremony.

  Eli was surprised to see Bliss and Peg sitting in the same pew. He thought Bliss was watching over things in Moccasin Rock.

  “Don’t get your drawers twisted,” Bliss said when Eli approached them. “Silas and Big John are keeping an eye on things. I’m heading back right after the wedding.”

  Silas? Big John? Eli was glad the men were willing to assist, but how would Moccasin Rock fare? Silas might have half the town locked up by tonight. Thankfully, after the wedding was over, Caleb would be helping Bliss enforce the law until he and Maggie returned from their honeymoon.

  His gaze was drawn to his mother as she entered the church. Maggie had helped her get ready for the wedding, making sure she had a beautiful dress, and fluffing up her hair somehow so that it seemed fuller, softer. She looked so happy and content.

  Eli kissed her cheek, grateful beyond words that he had an opportunity to do that.

  He headed to the front of the church, and turned toward the back where Nelson Radford was standing. Eli realized he would need room for his mother, and a father-in-law, in his new house. He’d barely finished, and already he was adding on to it.

  There were times in his life when the thought of such responsibility and commitment would have scared him to death. But the feeling uppermost in Eli’s mind was gratitude.

  God had blessed him more than he’d ever dreamed, and more than he deserved.

  An organist began playing a wedding tune at about the same time that Nathaniel, Caleb and Brody joined him. He was grinning at the sight of them all polished up, when Maggie stepped into the back. Eli forgot everything else.

  Taking her father’s arm, Maggie pressed a kiss to his cheek, then all eyes watched as she made her way up the aisle—head high, smile wide. Breathtakingly beautiful.

  Then she was standing beside him. Eli wasn’t sure he’d been this nervous before a gunfight.

  He listened as Wilkie Brown spoke about making God a priority in your marriage, and then Maggie’s pastor, Alfred Campbell, began his part with “Dearly Beloved.” For the next several minutes, Eli replied when prompted, pledging to love, honor and cherish Maggie for the rest of his life, and hoping he had many years to do that.

  Then the preacher turned to Maggie. “Do you, Magnolia Eileen, take this man to love, honor and obey, for as long as you both shall live?”

  Eli was watching Maggie, waiting for her reaction to the “obey” part, when it dawned on him what the preacher had said. Magnolia?

  She grinned at him, one eyebrow quirked. He wasn’t sure if it was from his obvious surprise at her name, or at the thought of obeying him. He wasn’t worried. Life with Maggie would keep him on his toes.

  After a kiss that Eli wished they could’ve shared without the curious onlookers, he and his bride left the church arm-in-arm.

  Outside, Maggie exchanged tearful, though happy, goodbyes with her father, Peg and his mother.

  Then she fussed over Lucinda, clinging to her like they’d be gone a year. He marveled at how different they both looked from the day he’d laid eyes on them. Especially Lucinda. She was healthy now, and growing like a weed. He leaned down and gave the baby a kiss. She smiled, gurgled and batted at his chin.

  Eli reached out and drew Brody into the loop. The boy had also gained weight. “Be sure and leave that new rifle in the box until I get home and teach you how to use it,” Eli said. “Can’t have you getting hurt.”

  Brody grinned. “I’ll wait.”

  Eli slapped him on the back. Peg and his mother were going to look after Lucinda and Brody until Eli and Maggie returned home.

  Maggie kissed the baby again, then hugged Brody again, and several other people again. They were going to miss the train.

  Eli glanced over to see Caleb and Nathaniel grinning. He shook his head as they joined him.

  “Why are you in such a hurry to leave?” Caleb asked.

  “Yeah, it almost seems personal,” Nathaniel said.

  “It is. Very.”

  His brothers laughed. Then Caleb grew serious. “I have a business proposition for you.” Then he looked at Nathaniel. “You, too.”

  “Business? What kind of business?”

  “I want to start a cattle ranch, and I want you two to go in on it with me.”

  They both stared at Caleb in amazement.

  “I’ve worked on ranches a time or two,” Eli said, “but that doesn’t mean I know anything about running one.”

  Caleb seemed unconcerned. “So we’ll hire people who do.”

  “You’re throwing some words around that sound real good,” Eli said. “But to hire people, you have to have money, and I don’t. And to invest in a business, you need to have money, which—as I mentioned—I don’t.”

  “But I do,” Caleb said.

  Eli didn’t even have time to get aggravated at him before Caleb hurried on.

  “What I’m trying to say, is that we’ll treat this as a partnership. We’ll each invest what we have, be that money, time or experience. I want to build something, together. In fact, there’ll be plenty for every member of the family to be involved in, if they want. Even our kids can get in on it.” Caleb glanced at Abby, her waist a little thicker now. Of course he’d be thinking of the next generation.

  “You should know I’m adopting Brody and Luci
nda,” Eli said. “They’re Calhouns. They’ll be part of anything I’m a part of.” He’d hired Murphy Patterson to search for any family that Brody might have, but it seemed the boy truly was alone in the world. Or at least he had been.

  Caleb smiled. “I’m good with that. I knew they’d end up Calhouns before you did.”

  “Yeah, me too,” Nathaniel said.

  Eli stared at them. “I’m that easy to figure?”

  They laughed. “About this, yeah,” Caleb said. “So what do you think about my idea?”

  The other two considered it, then exchanged a look and a nod. “Why not?” Eli said.

  “I think we should call it the Calhoun Cattle Company,” Caleb said.

  “Exactly where do you plan to do this?”

  “Out by your place. I’ve bought up a lot of land out there.”

  Their discussion was interrupted by Maggie. “You ready?”

  Without a word, Eli grabbed her hand and set off for the train station, surprised to see that everyone was following.

  As they reached the depot, they passed a man with a handlebar mustache who was standing beside a tripod and several large cases.

  “We have a surprise for you,” Caleb said.

  At first Eli assumed that by “we” Caleb meant himself and Abby. Then he noticed everyone staring at him and Maggie, looking excited. Surely none of them were going with them!

  He and Maggie weren’t getting to go far, or be gone for long. Time and funds were limited. Eli had planned on enjoying every single second of their time away…alone.

  Then he realized that the man with the mustache was also staring at them.

  “We hired a photographer,” Caleb said with a grin. “He was supposed to get here for the wedding, but there was trouble somewhere down the track. The train will be leaving a little behind schedule, so he’s going to take some pictures here before y’all leave.”

  The next while was a flurry of activity as a photograph was taken of Eli and Maggie, and one of everyone who’d attended the wedding. Then someone lined up the brothers: Eli, with Maggie in front of him, Nathaniel in the middle, then Caleb, with Abby in front of him. Nathaniel protested at first and tried to step away, but Eli pulled him back. Hang in there, brother. You’ll find someone again.