A Groom For Nora

by Cyndi Raye

  “I’m in agreement with you. I think the twins want the same thing.”

  Nora stared at Rusty’s profile. “How do you know this, Rusty? You wouldn’t unless you’ve been speaking to them.”

  “I don’t want you to get excited now, Nora. A few times the twins came to me asking how to do something. I never turned them away.”

  Instead of getting upset, she gave him a kiss. “You are a man of honor. Those boys had no man to look up to but you tried, didn’t you, Rusty? You never even had to.”

  He sighed. “This is my home. Like you, it’s where my heart lies. No matter what Robert had done, I felt it my place to try to pick up the pieces of his disaster. We all tried to keep you from knowing how horrible a man he was. Maybe we shouldn’t have but it did lead to a grand adventure, didn’t it?”

  He kissed her gently, his weathered face covering her sweet lips. Birds chirped on cue. The sun began to beat down, warming the morning air. She smiled against his lips. It had indeed been a grand adventure.

  <><>

  Nora wore her wedding gown, a cream-colored dress of simple cotton material. The sleeves flared open at the wrist and along the matching covering.

  She wore her hair down. Even the younger women sighed when they saw her standing at the screen door ready to make her way to the alter.

  Callie gave her a hug. “With your hair down, you look ten years younger, Nora. Here.” Callie handed her four long stemmed roses, two in pink and two in white. The thorns were carefully removed so she wasn’t pricked by them.

  Melody straightened out the train in the back. She hugged Nora the longest. “I’m glad you are finally going to be happy.”

  Abigail gave her a hug with one hand while Russell slept in her other arm. “I love you, Nora.”

  She turned to stare at the three women who were now her daughters. “I love all three of you and that little baby boy. There is going to be lots of changes in the years ahead, ladies, so hang on tight because there are two more Young-White men to marry off.”

  They all giggled at the inside joke. Nora had told them how her and the widow were planning to make sure the Young men found a mail order bride also.

  The three ladies walked towards the guests first, sitting in the front row while Nora made her way alone down the aisle towards Rusty, who stood at the alter alongside Pastor Murphy.

  Nora almost burst out laughing when Rusty threw a glance at Cooper, glaring at him and then puffing his chest as if to say he got the goods after all. She shook her head, unable to hide the smile displayed on her face.

  Rusty took her hand, staring at the roses for a moment before pulling one from the small bunch. He tore off some of the long stem and gently placed it in her hair. “Perfect,” he told her before turning back to the Pastor for the official ceremony.

  “You may kiss the bride,” Cooper finally told him and boy did he. Rusty made a big show of leaning Nora back and laying a kiss on her that she was wide-eyed when he stood her upright.

  She placed a hand over her mouth. “Oh, my, Rusty,” then realized he was showing off for the pastor’s sake.

  Pastor Cooper wasn’t even paying attention. Nora turned her head slightly to see what he was looking at. Interestingly, he had his eyes on the Widow Young. She was in the second row, sitting between her twin boys, trying to hide between them. The widow was shy but when she spotted the pastor staring, a blush the size of two ripe apples covered her cheeks.

  Nora turned back to Rusty. “You can stop showing off to the pastor,” she whispered in his ear. “He has his eye on someone else.”

  “I’ll never stop showing the world how much I love you,” Rusty told her, bending her back for another deep kiss. The crowd began to clap.

  Nora straightened up, laughing, then turned and threw her small bouquet of flowers into the crowd.

  It was said whoever caught them would be the next to marry. She had purposely pointed them in the direction of the widow but instead, one of the twins caught them. He looked shocked and passed them off to the other twin brother, who then laid them in the widow’s lap. They all three laughed.

  “Everything is going to be alright,” Nora told Rusty, giving him a swift kiss of her own.

  As they turned from the alter she began to laugh. Out in the yard were her three boys, piled on top of each other, wrestling as if they were thirteen again, their wives turning to stare at the ruckus.

  Nora swept past the ladies, reaching out to touch the baby’s cheek, knowing the legacy of the White family would continue on.

  She called back to her husband who hurried along to catch up with her. “I love you, Rusty.”

  “I love you, my dear Nora. Always have, always will.”

  ****

  Thank you for reading Nora’s story. At first, I was planning on matching her with Cooper Murphy from Coopers Ridge until my readers wanted to see Rusty and Nora together. It just happened anyway and am glad the two got to spend their lives together.

  What’s next for this series? Well, the widow and Miss Addie are probably holding a long conversation at the moment, trying to decide if the twins are ready to marry. Or, perhaps Matt, the ranch hand and Jenna may need a story of their own.

  Stay tuned. Sign up for my emails to find out when each story comes out. Go to www.cyndiraye.com

  Keep reading for a taste of Chapter 1 of the Mill Ridge series book one: An Outlaw’s Honor.

  A Free Chapter

  Enjoy a free chapter of An Outlaw’s Honor - the first story in the Mill Ridge series:

  Chapter 1

  “Look out for your own”

  -the code of the west

  “Good morning, Miss Addie! What brings you to Mill Ridge so early?” Elizabeth was happy to see her mentor at the front door even if the older woman seemed to be in a state of agitation. Her dark well-kept hair was askew, along with a few strands out of place. Elizabeth noted her being a bit out of sorts for the well-managed woman everyone knew and loved.

  Miss Addie took off her riding gloves as she stepped in to the foyer of the boarding house. She looked around. “You’ve done an excellent job here, Elizabeth. I know taking over for Sophie so quickly was difficult and I promise to send you off as a mail order bride soon, you have my word.”

  Elizabeth welcomed the woman with a hug. “Please, sit and have some tea.”

  The pot was steaming on the stove. Elizabeth was always up before her guests, planning out the days meals and making sure everything was in order for breakfast. As soon as Rose, her helper and partner for the time being, finished her early morning work, the two would start breakfast.

  She poured two cups of tea, setting them on the table, along with a porcelain bowl filled with sugar and a fresh cup of cream. After serving, she sat down to wait for Miss Addie to begin. She knew it was fruitless to ask the older woman any questions until they had their tea. Her curiosity was piqued.

  “How is Sophie adjusting to married life with our new sheriff, Salem Nightingale?” Miss Addie didn’t seem to be in a hurry now that she was settled in at the table.

  Elizabeth took a sip of tea. She had replaced Sophie, who managed the boarding house up until she married a lawman. “Wonderful, she spent the first few weeks after her honeymoon teaching me the ropes about match-making and running this place. So far I’ve matched a farmer with one of our wonderful ladies. Jocelyn is so happy with Fred Williams. Then there is Nanette, she’s the quiet one in the crowd, she married Jonathan Myers, one of the workers at the mill. I’m very happy you are allowing me to be a matchmaker, Miss Addie, although I’ll never be quite as good as you when it comes to this position.”

  Miss Addie shook her head. “Oh don’t be prudent. You do a fine job, everyone tells me so. I’m sure you will have every chance to match up every single man in this town and beyond.”

  Elizabeth smiled. “If I did that, I would be out of a job.”

  “Nonsense, you will be married off by then to a wonderful man. When you took this position to help
get the boarding house and matchmaking service started here in Mill Ridge, I promised to fulfil your original request to find you a wonderful husband, and I will.”

  “You are right. Miss Addie. Thank you for the kind words. I believe our Rose is sweet on one of our boarders. And, Reverend Pope feels the same way about her. She is next in line for a husband, but it may turn out I won’t have to do any matchmaking after all. If you would like, please send over two more ladies for me to work with. I will begin my work with them immediately. Perhaps we will wait to see what happens between Rose and the Reverend.”

  “I’m impressed, Elizabeth. When we rescued all of the women from that horrible man awhile back, I had no idea so many would still be here. I was certain all of the girls would go back to their prospective homes. I’m happy to say nine of you stayed. Which is a wonderful thing since there are so many single men that need a good wife. We will build this town up just like we did Wichita Falls.”

  “There isn’t too many women here and it can be lonely for some of us. If it weren’t for Rose and Sophie, and the two ladies we just matched up, this town would be all men. We have to fix it soon, Miss Addie. Can you send me two more mail order brides? I have two extra rooms at the moment. I can place two ladies in one room and rent the other spare room out.”

  “Of course, if you feel ready to take on more, I’ll send them over tomorrow. I think I know which two are ready to become brides. My boarding house is filled up and the five ladies left have to share rooms, making it difficult to keep tempers in check at times. Now, the reason I am truly here is to see Sheriff Nightingale. It seems a man rode in to our town last night asking to be directed to Mill Ridge. I was hoping I beat him here since he wasn’t up and about when I left this morning.”

  “I’ve been up since daylight and haven’t seen or heard anyone trek through,” Elizabeth answered. “Why the concern?”

  “He had the looks of an outlaw. I don’t want to alarm anyone but I got the impression he was on a serious quest. He was looking for someone specific. He was asking questions and showing a photo of a woman.”

  Elizabeth smiled. “No worries then, there are only a few women here. Sophie is happily married, tucked away in the Sheriff’s cottage and Rose and I are the only two other women in town. Jocelyn and Nanette live outside of town. I wonder who he is looking for?”

  “Perhaps he is here to stir up trouble and yet I don’t get that awful feeling about him I usually do when someone bad passes through.”

  “Well, you go on and see the Sheriff. I’ll need to get breakfast started. It’s been a pleasure to have you here.”

  The moment she spoke the words, Rose came tumbling down the steps. The girl was so clumsy, she almost fell down the last three. She came in to the kitchen like a whirlwind, all smiles and tucking strands of hair in her bun. Elizabeth had sent her up to tidy the empty rooms earlier in case a guest arrived without notice, which almost always happened.

  “Miss Addie! So nice to see you.” Rose gave her mentor a hug, while Elizabeth looked on in amusement. The girl was simply a mess.

  “Good day, ladies,” Miss Addie told them before rushing out to find the sheriff.

  Elizabeth turned to Rose. “Really, young lady, can you please go and straighten your hair. It looks as if you haven’t combed it.”

  Rose giggled. “I haven’t. I woke up late and pushed it back out of the way. Reverend Pope seems to think I am adorable.”

  “He told you that?” Elizabeth was shocked. When had the reverend been talking like that to Rose? She would need to keep a better eye on the two. After all, Elizabeth took it upon herself to mentor Rose and get her ready for her stint as a mail-order bride. If Reverend Pope wanted to marry her, he’d have to say so before Elizabeth put any time or effort into finding Rose a husband.

  Rose giggled again, placing a pan on the stove. She began to crack the eggs in to the pan, one by one. “He always tells me how beautiful I am, and that I have an inspiring smile.”

  “He shouldn’t be telling you those things in private, Rose. He needs to say if he wants to court you.”

  Rose sighed. “Oh, how wonderful that would be. I am afraid I’m falling for the good reverend.”

  “The reverend is here in the boarding house until his sanctuary is ready. The church is being re-built and the sanctuary will be done shortly. No flirting with the good man, Rose. In the meantime, Miss Addie said there is a stranger coming to town. He was in Wichita Falls last night and is looking for a woman. Steer clear of any strangers, Rose.”

  “I will, Elizabeth.” The younger Rose turned to Elizabeth. “Please don’t worry. The reverend hasn’t done anything damaging. He’s a man of God and his kind words were always spoken on the porch in public.”

  “I’m relieved to hear this, Rose. I’m afraid we may be short on eggs this morning. I see the good doctor is in town so I’m going to go over to see if I can buy some from his stock he keeps in the back yard. I shall only be about twenty minutes at the most.”

  “Take the empty basket and fill it up, please. We may need a few more this morning as I plan to bake a cake this afternoon.”

  Elizabeth took the basket, swinging the handle as she left the boarding house. Rose was going to bake a cake for the reverend after he had mentioned his love of chocolate cake. She smiled to herself. Oh, how wonderful it would be to have the growing excitement of a new love.

  She didn’t think she’d ever fall in love again. Perhaps Elizabeth was cursed. She had been engaged to a wonderful man. They had grown up together in the same town. Their families spent time together, they all went everywhere together.

  When the outlaw gang came to their small town in Kansas, they began to torment the residents. They would rob townsfolk right off the street and no one was able to stand up to them. At first it was mild but when the gang robbed the bank and killed everyone inside, Elizabeth’s whole world had changed.

  Her mother, father and two younger brothers had been in the bank that day. Her fiancé brother, who owned the bank, was killed, along with his parents and grandmother.

  Her fiancé had been out of town, looking over a plot of land he planned to buy. He had saved for two years to buy the land and he had promised her it would be theirs. When he had returned to find his brother and parents dead, along with the others, he had changed overnight.

  His behavior had changed as he began sending telegrams to places far away. He spent less time with Elizabeth even though she needed him more than ever. Her whole family was wiped out. She had no one and yet he began to pull away from her no matter what she said or did.

  His whole world revolved around waiting for each telegram, then leaving town on his horse for days at a time. His clothing began to get sloppy as if he didn’t care what he looked like. Hair that was short and clipped, was now long and choppy, hiding under a wide-brimmed cowboy hat.

  Elizabeth became more worried day after day. She watched his looks turn in to one like the outlaws he swore he hated.

  Then one day he simply rode out of town. She had watched from her family home as he mounted his horse, knowing deep in her heart it would be the last time she’d ever see him.

  The hurt that day was too immense to relive. When she had realized what he was going to do, she ran out the front door, lifting her skirts and striking up dust as she ran as fast as she could to stop him from leaving. “Wait! What are you doing?” She had cried out but he didn’t look her in the eye.

  “I’m a lost soul, Elizabeth. It’s better this way. Go on with your life.”

  She stood there, willing him to look at her but he kept the brim of his hat low over his eyes. “I love you,” she told him. “Doesn’t that account for anything?”

  A strange man she didn’t recognize strolled from the saloon, dusting his hat and placing it on his head. He got on his horse and rode over to the two of them. “Ready?”

  Her fiancé nodded. He directed his next words to her. “Love someone else. I’m done with this town and everyone in i
t.”

  She charged at him, reaching up to grab his leg. She tried to look up at him but he kept avoiding her eyes. “Why, my love, why? We can get through this together.”

  “Forget about me, Elizabeth Sheldon. I’m not your kind of man. I don’t love you any more.”

  Shock filled her from the top of her head down to the tips of her boots. Her skirts went flying as she ran back to the haven of her family home, unable to watch the man she loved leave town. I don’t love you any more! She’d never, ever forget those words as long as she lived.

  Elizabeth stumbled as she crossed the street, realizing she was revisiting a part of her past she had shoved under the porch mat over a year ago. Was this job as match-maker causing her to relive her past? Perhaps she should tell Miss Addie to hurry and find her a husband. She closed her eyes for a moment, unsure how to move on. If she married someone else, was it fair to them knowing she’d never be able to love anyone else ever again? Her first attempt at love went horribly wrong, then the mail order bride fiasco fell through when that awful man tried to sell them as slaves. Perhaps it wasn’t in the cards for her to be happy.

  Realizing it was probably better this way, she decided to tell Miss Addie not to find her a husband. She would stay here, make this home. There was no reason she couldn’t run the boarding house and live her life the same as Miss Addie.

  “Good morning, Elizabeth. Are you here for some eggs?”

  Elizabeth hadn’t realized she was standing on the porch of the doctor’s office. A few folks were staring. “Good morning, Nurse Ellie. May I buy some please? We’re running short.”

  “Help yourself, Elizabeth. It’s busy here today, so just put your money on the counter as you leave. I’m afraid I don’t have time to have tea with you.”

  The good doctor and Nurse Ellie spent two days a week in Mill Ridge to help out until a doctor became available. Miss Addie donated the house and office for the doctor’s use since she owned four or five different establishments in Mill Ridge, too. The doctor and his nurse-wife were trying to see all of the patients possible in the two days they had available.