Otherwise, Riley would have handed Sophie to Bertie and taken over no matter how much the child cried.
Bertie braced her feet and tugged on the reins to stop the horses in front of the house. Riley waited to see if she could do it without his assistance and felt a burst of pride when the wagon rolled to a stop in front of the gate.
“You did wonderful, Bertie. I couldn’t have done any better myself.” Riley set the brake then wrapped the reins around it. He climbed down, still holding Sophie, and reached up a hand to help Bertie.
She hurried down, opened the gate, and ordered the children to march right into the yard. Riley walked down to the barn and found one of the other hands to put away the horses and wagon since Sophie continued to hang onto him for dear life.
They spent the afternoon playing in the yard. Bertie brought out glasses of milk to go with the cookies Shea had sent.
Sophie finally fell asleep, so they let her nap in a nest of quilts outside while Bertie read a story to the other children.
With the afternoon nearly spent, Riley kept watch over their charges while Bertie went inside and began preparing dinner. She didn’t know what to serve the children, and decided perhaps something simple would be best. She fried a big pan of bacon and made stacks of pancakes. Rather than try to crowd the children into the kitchen or create a mess in Aundy’s dining room, she let them eat outside on the picnic table beneath the cottonwood tree.
Garrett rode up, tired and dusty as the children finished their meal.
“I’m gone for one day and you bring in a whole herd of rascals to take over the place,” Garrett teased as he handed the reins of his horse to Glen and walked into the yard. Sadie and Noah both ran over to him, hugging his legs. The rest of the children all sought his attention. He spoke to each one of them, eventually making his way around to where Riley sat on the end of the bench holding Sophie. The child picked at a pancake and drank part of a glass of milk, refusing to sit anywhere except on Riley’s lap.
“Might I assume Aundy is at Dogwood Corners with Marnie and Lars?” Garrett whispered as he sat down next to Bertie in the spot Noah had vacated.
“You would assume correctly.” Bertie tipped her head toward the children. “Do you think we should plan to have them spend the night here?”
“I’ll eat a bite and clean up then head over there. If it’s okay for them to go home, I’ll come back and get them. If not, I’ll give you a call.” Garrett helped himself to a stack of pancakes and poured on syrup then took the last two pieces of bacon off the platter. “Little scavengers hardly leave a man a morsel to eat.”
Garrett winked at one of the boys sitting across from him and the children laughed. They were accustomed to their uncle’s teasing.
While Bertie asked Molly and one of the other girls to help with the dishes, Garrett changed his clothes. He rode off to Dogwood Corners with a promise to telephone as soon as he had any news to share.
The children seemed interested in staying in the house, so Bertie settled them in the front room where they played guessing games and Riley told them stories that kept them occupied.
When the phone jangled, Bertie worried the children might trample her in their haste to find out if Marnie was well and they could go home.
Sadie grabbed the receiver before Bertie could reach it but she took it from the child with an admonishing look. “Nash residence.”
“Bertie, this is Garrett. All is well here. Tell the kids they have a baby brother and we’ll be over to get them soon.”
“That’s wonderful news, Garrett. Tell Marnie and Lars we’re all so happy for them. Riley and I can bring the children back. I don’t think they’ll sit quietly and wait for anyone to come get them.” Bertie looked over the wriggling bodies surrounding her and smiled. “We’ll be there soon.”
Sadie snatched the receiver from Bertie and plunked it back in the cradle. “Well? What did Uncle Garrett say?”
“He said you have a new baby brother and your mama is fine. If you can sit still long enough for us to get the horses hitched to the wagon, we’ll take you home.”
Whoops and cheers filled the house and Riley grinned at Bertie over the top of the children’s heads.
Riley tried to hand Sophie to Bertie but she again fussed, refusing to let go of him. Bertie patted the little one’s back and kissed her cheek. “I’ll run out and see if one of the men will hitch up the team. I’ll be right back.”
While Bertie hurried out to the barn, Riley had Molly round up the basket with Sophie’s things. The children collected their jackets and coats and gathered the toys they’d brought along.
Bertie returned with Glen driving the wagon and Fred walking along beside it. They helped the children into the back then watched as Riley climbed up to the seat still holding Sophie.
“You want one of us to drive the wagon, Riley?” Glen asked as he watched Bertie wrap the reins around her hands. Riley leaned over and released the brake.
“I think we’re in good hands, Glen, but thanks for the offer.”
Glen and Fred both stared, open-mouthed as Bertie snapped the reins and the team started down the lane.
Mindful of maneuvering the turn where the lane met the road, Bertie managed to make it without scraping the fence posts and breathed a sigh of relief. Riley patted her leg then jerked his hand back at the too-familiar touch.
He turned his attention to the toddler in his arms. Sophie fought to keep her eyes open. He shifted her in his arms so he could rock her back and forth. Molly handed him Sophie’s blanket and he covered her with it.
She was asleep before they reached the turn to Nora and J.B.’s place.
Bertie drove them to Dogwood Corners without any problem and the children spilled out of the wagon, hollering as they raced up the steps to the house.
Garrett and Aundy met them at the door, telling them to be quiet and they could take turns going upstairs to see Marnie.
Riley and Bertie lingered long enough to pop their heads inside the room, admire the baby, and congratulate the new parents.
Garrett and Aundy planned to spend the night at Dogwood Corners, so Riley took Bertie home. All the way there, he wished, as he had so many times, that he were free to pursue her, to love her.
Instead, he walked her to the front door, kissed her cheek and left to go home to his own cold, lonely bed.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Riley didn’t know if something had spooked his cattle or they’d randomly decided to mow down an entire section of fence, but the fence was flat and cattle milled around the yard when he stepped outside that morning.
He phoned to tell Garrett he might be late. The man encouraged him to take the entire day off to do what he needed to.
As Riley set a new fence post in place and packed dirt around it, he thought of all the help Garrett had provided to him since he moved to Pendleton. He’d helped move his cattle from the depot, loaned him equipment to mow his hay then brought over men to help pile it into stacks and fill the barn loft.
He’d offered guidance, support, and friendship unlike anything he’d ever experienced.
Riley stopped and wiped the sweat from his brow and resettled his hat on his head before he set the next post. He was nailing up the last pole on the fence when he noticed two riders loping toward him.
He raised his hand in greeting, recognizing Garrett and Lars. As he wondered what brought them to his place, he brushed his hands on his trousers and climbed over the fence to greet them.
“Looks like you got that fence repaired,” Garrett commented as he and Lars dismounted, admiring the new fence. “I bet they don’t plow right over it again.”
Riley grinned. “Not this section of it, anyway. How’s that new baby, Lars?”
“Perfect. We even settled on a name for him.”
“You did? I thought maybe we’d be calling him baby or Junior until he picked his own name.”
Lars grinned. “No. We named him after both of our fathers — Aleksander
James Thorsen.”
“That’s a grand, strong name,” Riley shook hands with Lars. “What brings you two out here?”
Lars took off his hat and gave Riley a shamefaced look. “I came out to apologize to you, Riley.”
“Apologize? What for?” Riley asked. There wasn’t a single thing he could think of Lars had done that needed his forgiveness.
“For forgetting about this.” Lars held out a crumpled slip of paper.
Confused, Riley took it and unfolded the thin page. The words he read made him lightheaded and he leaned back against the fence. He read the missive again to make sure his eyes weren’t playing tricks on him.
Eugenia Eunice Parley Walsh — deceased
Died — March 2, 1903
Cause of death — stepped in front of oncoming train
Place of death — St. Louis, Missouri
Eugenia had died days after she killed Joshua and ran away. She must have taken a train right after she disappeared into the night and made it to St. Louis before realizing what she’d done.
A gamut of emotion flooded through Riley. Sorrow. Guilt. Relief. Shame. Joy.
Indescribable joy filled him that he was finally free of his past, free from his vows to Eugenia, free to marry Bertie.
His smile radiated happiness as he looked at the former U.S. Marshal. “Thank you for this, Lars. I appreciate it more than you can know.”
Lars grinned and slapped Riley on the shoulder. “Again, my apologies. I received the telegram a few minutes before I got word about Marnie going into labor. I shoved it in my pocket and forgot all about it until this morning when I pulled on my coat. I’m so sorry, Riley. You could have been married to Bertie a week ago.”
Riley grinned and sprinted toward the barn. “I’ll take care of that right now!”
Garrett and Lars both laughed as they followed Riley. Somehow, they convinced him to put on a clean shirt before he ran right over to Garrett’s place to find Bertie.
While they saddled Mud, Riley took the fastest sponge bath of his life, combed his hair and put on his newest pair of pants and a starched shirt. He grabbed his good Stetson and raced outside.
The three of them started to ride across the field to Nash’s Folly, but Riley stopped and gathered the last straggly daisy blossoms growing along the ditch.
He caught up with the other two men and passed them halfway to the house.
“Don’t take no for an answer,” Garrett called after him.
Lars laughed. “We can meet you in town at the church with everyone, if you prefer.”
Riley ignored their teasing and went to the house. He jumped out of the saddle and raced up the back steps, rapping loudly on the door.
Bertie opened it with a smile and squealed when he rushed inside, wrapped his arms around her and kissed her with all the pent-up longing he’d held in check since the moment he met her.
She melted against him, melted into his arms with a welcoming sigh and returned his passion with equal ardor.
When Riley finally pulled back, he dropped down to one knee and held out the daisies to Bertie. “Would you please, please do me the honor of becoming my wife, Roberta Elizabeth Hawkins. I promise to cherish you every single day and you’ll never have to worry about finding a home. It’s right here in my arms.”
“But what about Eugenia?” Bertie gave him a questioning look.
Riley handed her the telegram. Bertie read it twice then tossed it into the air before wrapping her arms around Riley’s neck and pulling him down for another kiss.
“When, Bertie? When will you marry me?”
“Tomorrow.” She pulled back and gazed into the face of her beloved. “I’ll marry you tomorrow in the church with any of our friends and family who want to come.”
The back door opened and Garrett stepped inside followed by Lars. “We’ll come. I’ll even telephone Millie and ask her to put the word out if you want.”
“I’ll call her myself, but thanks for the offer.” Bertie grinned at Garrett then looked at Lars. “Thank you, Lars, for finding out what happened, for uncovering the truth. Without it, we would never have been able to think about a happily ever after.”
“I’m pleased I could help. You two deserve to be happy.”
“Speaking of happy…” Aundy walked into the kitchen, her face pale. Garrett pulled out a chair and placed a hand on her forehead as she took a seat.
He squatted down in front of her. “Are you sick, honey? Do I need to take you to see Doc Reed?”
Despite her obvious illness, Aundy beamed. “Actually, I’ve already been to see him. He said I should feel much better in a few more months, but entirely wonderful in about six months.”
“Six months?” Garrett looked from Lars to Bertie and Riley then back to his wife. “You’re not making any sense, Aundy. What kind of illness do you…”
As realization set in, Garrett pulled her up from the chair, an exuberant look on his face. “Are you saying… Are you really…?”
Aundy nodded her head as tears trickled down her cheeks. “We’re going to have a baby, Garrett! We’re finally going to have a baby!”
Garrett whooped and swung her around the kitchen while Bertie hugged Riley and Lars offered his congratulations.
“A wedding proposal and a baby announcement all in the same day — I don’t know how much more excitement I can handle,” Lars teased, giving Aundy a hug when Garrett set her down. He settled his hat on his head. “I think I’ll go home to my beautiful wife, brand new baby, and our house full of rascally hooligans for some peace and quiet.”
“Oh, go on with you.” Aundy blew her brother a kiss as he shut the door with a wink. She turned to Bertie and gave her a big hug. “Now, I think we have some wedding plans to make…”
For a moment, Bertie had to convince herself she hadn’t fallen into a lovely dream. The nudge Bobby gave her as he held out his arm to her convinced her she was wide-awake.
“Are you ready for this?” Bobby asked as Bertie reached behind her and shook out the train of her skirt.
“Without a doubt.” Bertie placed a hand on his arm and smiled. “Is my veil on straight? Do I look presentable?”
Bobby kissed her cheek through the filmy fabric covering her face. “You look beautiful, sis. Absolutely beautiful.” His voice cracked and he cleared his throat. “I can’t believe you’re all grown up and about to become a wife. Mom and Dad would be so proud of you.”
Bertie blinked to hold back her tears. “That means a lot to me, Bobby. They’d be proud of you, too. I know they’d love Ellen.”
“Thanks, Bert. I know we should have included you and her family in our wedding plans, but I’m glad we all can celebrate your wedding with you today.” Bobby patted her hand where it rested on his arm. “I can’t believe how quickly you girls pulled together this wedding.”
Bertie grinned. “I stayed out of the way and let the rest of them have at it.”
Bobby chuckled. “Well, however it happened, I’m happy you and Riley can finally have a future together.”
“Me, too.” Bertie smoothed her hand down the front of her mother’s wedding gown, excited to marry the man she loved wholeheartedly.
The previous afternoon, Nora led a group of women over to Riley’s house and cleaned it from top to bottom. Riley made a trip into town and returned with a mattress for the big maple bed, along with a new sofa and chairs for the dining room table. While he and Nora’s crew set the house to rights, the rest of the women worked on wedding preparations.
Aundy rounded up enough flowers to have Marnie fashion a beautiful bouquet for Bertie to carry. Flowers also flanked the front of the church where Pastor Whitting waited with Riley and Garrett, his best man.
Bertie had asked Aundy to stand up with her and the woman readily agreed. She made her way down the aisle of the church while Bertie and Bobby watched from the doorway.
“Let’s do this,” Bobby said, taking a step forward.
Bertie forgot to be nervous as
her gaze locked on Riley. He looked so handsome in a new black suit with a starched white shirt and deep blue tie that set off the color of his eyes to perfection.
When he smiled at her with his heart in his eyes, Bertie wanted to race up the aisle to his side. Instead, she floated toward him in her beautiful gown with Bobby’s steady presence beside her.
Ellen smiled at them from her seat on a front pew, beside Marvin and Evelyn Tooley. Marvin whipped out a handkerchief and dabbed at his eyes, causing Bertie to grin at the gruff old man.
At long last, Bobby handed Bertie into Riley’s keeping with a wink and an encouraging smile.
Throughout the ceremony, the two of them had to work to pay attention to Pastor Whitting’s words instead of getting lost in each other.
After he pronounced them man and wife, Riley lifted Bertie’s veil with great care. Tenderly, he brushed his fingers along the smooth skin of her cheek and whispered, “I love you,” before giving her a kiss with just enough passion to make heat sear Bertie’s cheeks.
With steady steps, Riley walked her down the aisle to the back of the church then swept her into his arms and kissed her with unrestrained yearning. As laughter and whistles followed them outside, he carried her to Caterina’s restaurant.
As soon as she heard the news about their plans to wed, Caterina insisted they hold the reception there. She closed the restaurant for the evening and served cake and fruity punch along with plenty of lasagna and hot bread. Kade hovered around her, convinced the excitement of the wedding and Aundy’s grand announcement would send her into an early labor. In spite of his dire predictions, Caterina bustled around, clearly enjoying the celebration.
“Thank you for marrying me, Bertie,” Riley kissed his wife’s cheek as he pulled her back against him, relishing the fact that she belonged to him.
“Thank you for loving me, Riley.” Bertie turned and wrapped her arms around his neck. Even with everything that had happened, they would have a wonderful life together.
Bertie (Pendleton Petticoats Book 6) Page 26