Chance Creek Brides (Volumes 1-3 & the Stagecoach Bride)

by Mary L. Briggs

  She allowed herself a quick peek over the long counter at Seth Murphy. The white grocer’s apron he wore looked clean and crisp over his blue shirt. Working behind the front counter, he already looked right at home, as if he’d worked at the store for years.

  He had to work until he’d made enough to pay for the window and barrels of apples, as well as compensation for the money Uncle Wally had lost while he closed the store and they got everything cleaned up. And somehow Seth had talked him into keeping him on for an extra while. Frankie suspected Seth needed it to earn money to replace the wagon he had wrecked. The day of the accident, he had seemed quite worried about what his older brother’s reaction would be when he saw the wagon and heard about the all the damage he had caused in town.

  Frankie smiled and balanced another can. It was nice to have him in the store. Mrs. Hamilton, was such a grouchy old thing, always ready to complain and blame her mistakes on Frankie. Seth would be pleasant to talk to when business was slow.

  Despite all the trouble he’d caused, he seemed like a good fellow. Everyone who came in the store knew him and wanted to discuss the accident, the first excitement in town for the week. The teasing had been endless.

  She twisted her lips and sighed. She was sure that Uncle Wally was paying him twice what he paid her. But there was no complaining on her part. She and Charlie had a warm place to sleep and plenty of food. Nobody could ask for more. Still, if she could make money faster, she and Charlie could be on their own.

  The conversation Seth was having with Mr. Mills drifted across the store and she turned her eyes back to the cans she was shelving.

  ***

  “That’s what those reins are for, son,” Mr. Mills laughed. “You control the horse with them, ya know. And look at what’s out in front of the wagon!”

  Seth chuckled and put the bacon and bag of flour into the basket Oliver Mills had set on the counter. “Don’t worry, I’ve learned my lesson, sir. From now on, my eyes are on the road. I‘m just thankful that no one was hurt,” he added, glancing in Frankie’s direction.

  His heart dropped a bit at the thought of her and her little brother on that sidewalk right before he’d allowed the wagon to run up on it. The Lord had surely been looking out for those two. And him, too. How could he live with himself if he had caused them harm?

  “Well just you be careful,” the customer advised as he took the basket from the counter and headed to the door.

  “You have a nice day, sir,” Seth called after him, grinning as he wiped down the counter with a cleaning towel.

  Chapter 4

  Frankie gritted her teeth at the familiar giggles that reached her ears. No doubt Violet and Penny were on their way inside to see Seth again. They’d been hanging around for the last few days, saying silly things and pretending to shop. She had wondered yesterday if they had distracted Seth from his driving earlier in the week. He seemed a very competent young man these past few days, so something must have captured his attention from his task at hand.

  Violet Summer, dressed in a lavender lawn dress, her golden hair in ringlets, was the picture of perfection as she stepped inside the store. Rays of sunlight, shining through the door behind her, cast a willowy shadow across the scrubbed pine floor. The hat perched atop her head was an exquisite creation of tiny birds and silk flowers. It looked more suitable to a Sunday service than a Wednesday afternoon visit to the store.

  Frankie squashed the familiar pang that threatened to overtake her common sense. The thought of having a pretty dress and her hair pulled up and combed into the latest style was something she seldom used to think about. But now it seemed more than she could bear. Especially after the incident a few days ago. She swallowed back the painful memory of Seth mistaking her for Charlie’s older brother.

  Help me, Lord. I know being jealous is wrong. You’re taking such good care of us that I know I shouldn’t complain. Please forgive me, but for right now, I just can’t help but want to look like a real woman.

  Penny Wilson, close behind, wore a dress of blue-sprigged fabric with black trim. She was pretty, but seemed a mousey thing compared to Violet.

  “Well, good morning, ladies,” Seth greeted them. “Don’t you two look pretty today.”

  Frankie glanced down at her worn and patched trousers. They had belonged to her neighbor, Mrs. Perkins’ son, before he outgrew them. Most of the clothes she’d worn the past few years had been his. She swallowed hard. At least she was hidden behind the counter and couldn’t be seen by the fashionable pair flirting with Seth. Being close to such feminine girls made her want to hide away.

  Violet let go another giggle . “I heard you were working over here, Seth. I’m just sooo glad you weren’t hurt in that awful accident. I felt my heart just go all fluttery when I heard about it.”

  Frankie stopped her shelving and listened. Violet spoke like Miss Shirley, the school teacher back home. Now where had she been from? Georgia? Or maybe it was Alabama. Wherever it was, Violet Summers had the same soft, easy way of talking.

  “Aw, Violet. I wasn’t hurt at all. Just a little problem with the wagon. But it sure makes me feel good to know you care.” His answer was warm and personal.

  Frankie chomped on her lip and rolled her eyes. Now that was stretching the truth a bit. He should at least fess up to the part about the wagon being on its own while he daydreamed the time away. But momma had always said men would say most anything to impress a young lady. And Violet looked worth impressing with her curls and lavender dress.

  Violet’s voice softened to a near whisper. “Why of course I care, Seth. We’re good friends, aren’t we?”

  Frankie gritted her teeth. The girl was practically purring like a cat that just drank a saucer of milk. And no doubt Seth was enjoying every moment.

  “Well I’ve always thought we were good friends.” There was a small silence and he finished, “And you, too, Penny.”

  Penny’s only response was a high-pitched muffled giggle. Probably pressing her lips with the handkerchief she’d been carrying, Frankie guessed, turning her attention back to the job at hand.

  She concentrated on the new box of cans she carefully unpacked. These had dark blue lettering, so they would be shelved separate from the peaches. One of the cans slipped from her hand and rolled, striking the bottom of the shelf. Curling her fingers around it, she felt liquid sloshing around inside as she picked it up. Definitely not peaches. She stared at the label. Only letters, no pictures. The biggest letter was an ‘M’. She was sure of that. Mama’s name was Martha and it started with an ‘M’. What sort of liquid food would start with that letter? And ended with a ‘K’?

  She pressed her lips together and mouthed “M–lk.” Milk? She scratched her head and shook it again. No, it couldn’t be.

  ***

  The bell over the shop door jangled. Through the cracks in the counter front, Frankie saw several ranchers stepping inside, the spurs on their boots jangling as they scraped against the board floor.

  Maybe that would get rid of the two girls and send them on their way. But no, Violet and her friend turned from the front of the store and were headed in her own direction.

  She quickly ducked down and moved in closer to the shelves. Surely they wouldn’t notice her. Pressing her forehead against the cool wood shelving, she listened to the girl’s footsteps on the solid floor, along with the swooshing of their skirts as they brushed against the other side of the counter.

  Relief washed through her as they turned and headed to the back of the store. No doubt they were both in need of more fabric. Too bad Mrs. Hamilton had the afternoon off. She wouldn’t put up with the two of them hanging around, crowding up the store.

  Frankie sat up straight and reached for another can. It must be nice to have money to afford everything you want. Violet probably had a room full of pretty dresses at her house. She hadn’t worn the same dress twice this week, Frankie noticed.

  Her ears picked up their conversation. And try as she might, it was
n’t easy not to listen.

  “Oh, Penny. He’s just the most handsome boy I’ve ever seen.”

  “He surely is,” Penny answered, a dreamy quality to her voice. “It’s a shame he’s just a rancher boy. You know your daddy would never approve of him.”

  Frankie held her breath and listened for Violet’s reply.

  “I don’t know about that. Daddy might. If he thought I really loved Seth.”

  “Well…do you?” Penny asked, her voice slightly breathless.

  Frankie eased herself to a half-standing position and peered over the counter.

  Violet shrugged. “I guess I haven’t made up my mind, just yet. A woman would have to be in some kind of special love with a man to move out in the middle of nowhere. And I’ve considered it, Penny. You know, just in case he ever does ask for my hand. But I’m just not sure what I’d do with myself out there. I mean, can you imagine staring out the windows at nothing but dust and horses all day?”

  Penny reached for a scrap of lace that was lying on top of the bolt of red calico. “Well, the Murphy’s are good people. At least my granny says so. And I suppose you’d have plenty of work to keep you busy, what with laundry, and cooking, and. . .”

  Violet laughed and snatched the lace from Penny’s hand, pressing it against the bolt of green calico in front of her.

  Frankie held her breath as she watched. She had her own eye on that very fabric. Mama always said she looked best in green. If only she could just save enough extra money. . .

  “Don’t be silly. I’d have a maid, of course!” Violet shook her head, sending her golden curls flying through the air. “If Seth really loves me, he‘ll make sure I have someone to do the work. He wouldn’t want me to ruin my delicate hands or pretty clothes. And just think what a mess my hair would be doing all those nasty things!”

  Penny nodded and gave a little shrug. “I suppose so. I can’t help but have noticed that Jared’s wife doesn’t have all those fancy things.”

  Violet laughed. “Well I’m sure she’s just some common kind of woman that doesn’t want any of those things.”

  Frankie rolled her eyes and returned to the floor, folding her legs beneath her. What a silly girl. Surely Seth didn’t like her. He seemed smarter than that. But she couldn’t deny the interest in his voice when he spoke to the girl. Not that it was any of her business. Not that she cared.

  “Violet, look!” Penny’s voice had an urgent quality as she pointed toward the open door of the store. “There’s your papa coming out of the bank. Weren’t you supposed to be at Mrs. Kasper’s for your music lesson?”

  “Oh dear,” said Violet, some of the mirth leaving her tone. “You are right. C’mon–we’d better be going.”

  Frankie breathed a sigh of relief as the two of them stomped by the counter. Good riddance. Uncle Wally didn’t need a couple of girls crowding up the store with no intents of purchasing any merchandise. Still, it must be nice for those two to have so much idle time on their hands.

  She stared at the row of double stacked cans. A smile tugged at her lips. It was a very neat job of it. Only four more to go. She reached for the next can and lost her grip as she lifted it to the shelf.

  Plunk! It hit the wood plank floor and took on a life of its own, rolling beneath the counter and out into the middle of the store.

  She scrambled to her feet. What would Uncle Wally say if it was dented? She needed to save every penny she made and paying for damaged goods was not part of her plan. Her heart stopped as she spotted it. And its destination. It rolled right into the side of Seth’s left foot, giving a soft thud as it struck his leather boot.

  ***

  Seth stared at the object that struck his boot. The bright end of the can flashed in the pool of sunlight pouring through the windows on the back of the store. He stooped and retrieved the wayward tin. “Hey Frankie!” He grinned in her direction. “Looks like you lost a can of milk.”

  He laughed at her puzzled expression as he took the can to her, handing it over the counter top. “Haven’t you ever had any canned milk?”

  She shook her head and stared at the label. “I didn’t know there was such a thing.”

  “Well you ought to at least read what you’re stocking,” he teased. “Do you need some help?” She was a funny sort of girl. So quiet. And she never giggled. What sort of young lady didn’t giggle?

  She shook her head. “No. But thank you.”

  He nodded and pulled the feather duster from his apron pocket. “Guess I’ll do some dusting on these shelves over here.” He pointed to the jars of jams and pickles on the opposite wall.

  ***

  As Seth went on his way with the feather duster, Frankie stared at the can in her hand. She had been right about what the can contained. But how did it keep from ruining without being put down in a bucket of spring water? Or maybe one of those new fangled ice boxes that she’d heard Uncle Wally discussing with a customer last week. They said people in San Antonio had them in their houses. Ice in the house. She sighed and put the can on top of another. City people were just plain crazy.

  Chapter 5

  “Frankie. Frankie, can you hear me?” Charlie’s whisper drifted from the hallway.

  Frankie glanced at Mrs. Hamilton, her snores interrupted only by an occasional cough. Silently, Frankie slipped out of bed, stopping to pull on her wool stockings. For late spring, it was a cold night.

  Out the door, she turned and flopped on Charlie’s bed, pushed up against the wall. “Hey there sweetie. What’s wrong?” She kept her voice low. Waking Mrs. Hamilton would only cause trouble. The last thing she needed was for the woman to complain to Uncle Wally that she was keeping her awake at night.

  “Nothing’s wrong. I just wanted you to come and look,” he pointed to the small window, high on the opposite wall. The full moon shone bright and silver.

  Frankie rolled over on her back and scooted up next to Charlie, pulling him close. He was getting bigger and wasn’t much on snuggling anymore, except when he was sleepy. “It’s real pretty, isn’t it?”

  He nodded, his eyes bright in the moonlight. “It makes me think about when we used to go up on Wolf Ridge when it was so bright. We didn’t even need a lantern to find our way up there. Do you miss doing that?”

  Frankie paused. Charlie hadn’t talked much about Jasper Creek since they’d left a few weeks ago. She missed a lot of things about home. The mist on the mountains in the early morning, the sound of the crows talking and arguing up on Caw Caw Mountain. And by now, the wild cherry trees would be in bloom and new baby rabbits would be hopping everywhere. Just thinking about it made her throat tighten.

  She forced herself to hold her voice steady. “Of course I miss it. But I think we’ve got a nice home here. Don’t you?” She held her breath and stroked his hair as she waited for his answer.

  Charlie pulled the blanket up closer to his chin. “I guess.”

  Frankie set her eyes on the moon and willed herself not to cry. If only she could change things, make their life like it used to be. But you couldn’t ever go back. That’s what Mamma always said when she talked about her old home in the Carolinas. But there was always a bit of wishing in Mamma’s voice when she talked about her past. For the first time, Frankie understood how her mother had felt.

  “Frankie?”

  “What is it, sweetie?”

  “What do you think Mamma’s doing right now?”

  Frankie took a deep breath. She couldn’t guess what he wanted to hear. “Well, I’m not sure. What do you think she’s doing?”

  Charlie was slow to answer. “It’s night time, so I guess maybe she’s rocking the baby to sleep. I guess even babies in heaven have to sleep.”

  Frankie nodded, not trusting herself to speak. If her voice trembled only a moment, Charlie would burst into tears.

  “Do you think she misses us, Frankie?”

  She swallowed hard. Explaining heaven to a six year old wasn’t easy, especially when she didn’t half understand
it herself. “I think Mamma’s glad that God is taking care of us. She knows we’re safe with Him. Just like she and the baby are. And she’s probably really happy that we’ve come to live with Uncle Wally. He’s her brother and she loves him a lot.” Would that satisfy him?

  He sighed. “I guess. But if she looks down on our cabin, we won’t be there for her to see. She won’t know what happened to us.”

  Frankie hugged him tighter and patted his back. “Mamma knows, Charlie. She knows.”

  ***

  “Frankie!”

  Frankie stood to her feet at once. Uncle Wally didn’t call her to help him very often, but when he did, he usually had something important. Yesterday he’d sent her on several deliveries. One had been to Violet’s house. She’d never seen such fancy things in a person’s house; velvet curtains, and pretty carpets on the floor. The kitchen itself had been a wonder with the big cooking stove and lots of pantry doors.

  She hoped this wouldn’t mean another errand to that place. “Yes, Uncle.”

  “Over here, girl.” He motioned her to the long front counter, pointing her around behind the cash register. “It’s about time you learned more about the business.”

  Frankie swallowed hard and forced her feet in his direction. She was good at what she was already doing, stocking shelves, dusting, and sweeping the floors. Wasn’t Uncle Wally satisfied with her work?