An Unexpected Dilemma Bride_Family of Love Series_A Western Romance Story

by Elliee Atkinson

  “They haven’t with me.”

  “So is it just you and your sister? Are your parents still alive?”

  “Momma and Papa moved to the East Coast some years ago. My grandparents live in Virginia and kept boasting about how green and beautiful it is out there, so they finally went back.”

  “That’s where you’re from?”

  Laura shook her head. “Not us. We were born here in Louisville, in this very house. And it’s not just Lily and me. We have a brother.”

  Daryl lifted his eyebrows and cocked his head to the side. “You do? And what does he do?”

  Laura’s face remained neutral as she answered, though her eyes strayed out over the garden, which had recently been soaked with rainwater. Small puddles were gathered around certain areas where the ground wasn’t level. To Daryl, it looked like she wanted to put on some galoshes and go stomping through the water puddles. Her face was sad and he wanted it to be happy again.

  “Jimmy is in a hospital for the mentally deficient,” she replied in a soft voice.

  Daryl had no idea how to respond to that. He didn’t know anyone who had a relative in one of those hospitals. When he didn’t say anything, she continued. “His birth was very difficult. It was one of the reasons my mother decided to move back to the East Coast. There are some very fine hospitals there for people like my brother.”

  “May I ask how he is mentally deficient? Just not very smart?”

  “He was given the label of being retarded. He can’t speak more than a few words and can’t remain focused on anything long enough to learn, say to read or write. He’s going to have someone taking care of him for the rest of his life.”

  “How old is he?”

  “He’s 23.”

  “He’s been like that since birth?”

  “Yes. Momma said it was strange because even though he was an early birth and things didn’t look good for either of them for a time there, she thought he looked perfect when he was born. I was very young and don’t remember him being any other way than he is now. But he is a handsome young man. It’s probable that his brain didn’t develop all the way or maybe didn’t develop properly while he was in my mother’s womb.”

  “I see.” Daryl nodded. He didn’t know whether he should say he was sorry or not. It might not be something she was ashamed of. “I… I don’t know what to say. I am sorry that your family has to go through such heartache.”

  Laura nodded. “Thank you. We have learned to deal with it over the years. Lily and I rarely see him, if ever. I think the last time we saw him was at least seven years ago.”

  “Is that when your parents moved to the East Coast?”

  “No,” Laura shook her head. “Lily and I went to see them in Virginia. The institute is close by, so we went and visited him while we were there.”

  “How did he look?”

  Laura looked up at him as if she didn’t expect the question. “He looked… happy.”

  Daryl smiled. “Well, that’s a good thing, isn’t it?”

  “It is,” Laura nodded, her eyes moving back to the puddles in the garden. “I… I don’t think anyone has ever asked me about how he was doing. They usually just say they’re sorry and change the subject.”

  “I’m interested in your family, Laura. Especially you. I’d like to get to know you better.”

  “And I, you.” They locked eyes briefly before looking away.

  “I do believe my friend Heath is very interested in your sister.”

  “Yes, it does appear that way. Is Heath a good man? She says he is, but she barely knows him. You’ve known him for a long time. What can you tell me about him?”

  “He is a good man,” Daryl responded. “And he’s a hard working one. He has a son and is a widower. His wife died some years ago. He has been a bachelor ever since, raising his son the best he can.”

  “How sad.”

  Daryl nodded. “We’ve all experienced losses and gains in our lives. He’s gotten over it. I’m sure he will be happy with Lily, if she is willing to give him a chance.”

  Laura nodded. “I know my sister well. She is interested in him. I think they will be courting very soon.”

  “I’m glad to hear that. Heath deserves to be as happy as he can be.”

  “Don’t we all?”

  “We do. But sometimes it escapes us for a time. We gotta wait until God sends us our intended.”

  “Unless your parents arrange a marriage for you when you’re a baby.”

  Daryl shook his head. “I would never do that to my children. It wasn’t done to me. I don’t know anyone who had that done to them.”

  “I suppose it’s gone out of style.”

  “I’m glad.” Daryl looked at her soberly. “Marriage should be about love, not convenience.”

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  GOOD RIDDANCE TO BAD RUBBISH

  GOOD RIDDANCE TO BAD RUBBISH

  I am never gonna get rid of this dust,” Daryl mumbled, running a cloth over the mantle and the table beside the front door. “This is gonna drive me crazy. Gonna have to get a maid just to clean every day so I don’t have to do it.”

  He chuckled at the thought of getting a maid. He couldn’t think of anything more arrogant and pompous than having “help” around the house. He could take care of his own cleaning, thank you very much. He didn’t need servants to clean up after him.

  He looked at the door when a hard knock drew his attention. He hadn’t had visitors in some time and was immediately curious. He went to the door and pulled it open to see Esther standing there, her face a red, wet mess and her arms crossed tightly over her chest. She was shaking like a leaf in the wind.

  “Daryl, I need your help,” she said in a pleading voice. “May I come in?”

  Daryl nodded, looking over her at the driveway and the yard. No one else was with her. “Are you alone?” He took a step back and let her pass him. She nodded, went to the couch and sat, lowering her head into her hands to sob so hard her shoulders shook.

  Daryl closed the door and moved to sit next to her. He put his arm around her and she rested her head on his shoulder. “There, there, don’t cry. Tell me what’s happened. Is everyone okay? Is Johnny okay?”

  “He’s fine. He’s not even home. He went to school this morning.”

  “Then what’s the problem? The twins? Are they okay? Is it Bethany?”

  “No, no.” She shook her head vigorously, sitting up to lean forward. “It’s James.”

  Daryl felt himself stiffen. He didn’t like the man. What concern could he possibly have for him? “What about him?”

  “He didn’t come home last night. I’m afraid he’s dead outside a saloon somewhere or shacked up with a woman from the brothel.”

  Good riddance either way, Daryl thought. “I’m sure it’s not like that. I’m sure he’ll come back.” Even as he said the words, he knew the feeble attempt wasn’t going to fool her. And it didn’t.

  “There’s no way for you to know that, Daryl. Plus, with the kind of man he is, I’m afraid he won’t come back and will say good riddance to us all.”

  For a brief moment, Daryl thought about what a coincidence it was that he had just thought that phrase moments before she uttered it. He focused on her and gave her a squeeze around her shoulders. “You must be confident, my dear. What do you want me to do? Go look for him? Do you think that’s wise? I don’t think he likes me much.”

  Esther snorted. “James doesn’t like anyone. He just likes money and taking it from other gamblers whenever he can. I’m sure he made someone mad. He could be shot to death in an alley somewhere and how would I know? No one would care enough to come tell me.”

  “He may not have had many friends…”

  “Any. He didn’t have any friends.”

  Daryl nodded. “He may not have had any friends, Esther, but you do. And if a friend of yours recognized him, I’m sure they’d come tell you. They wouldn’t keep something like that from you. People like you, not James.”
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br />   “That’s not what he says.”

  “You shouldn’t listen to things like that. They are lies. He’s trying to bait you into an argument, trying to sway your mood and make you angry at him. Would you like a cup of tea? It might calm you down.”

  “I don’t want you to go through all that trouble for me, Daryl. You’ve already been so kind and helpful.”

  Daryl shook his head. “It’s not trouble. And you’re my friend, Esther. I don’t like seeing you like this.” He stood up and held out his hand. “Come into the kitchen with me. We’ll sit at the table and talk for a bit. Does he know you’re here?”

  Esther stared at him. “He didn’t even come home. I don’t know how he would know I was here.”

  “Of course, of course, I don’t know what I was thinking.”

  She looked at his hand hesitantly before moving her eyes back up to his face. She placed her hand in his and he helped her stand. He pulled on her gently so she would go in front of him.

  “You know where the kitchen is, don’t you?”

  “Yes, I’ve been here before.”

  Daryl nodded. “I thought you had. It’s been a while, though, hasn’t it?”

  “We came to Louisville right after we got married. That was nearly fifteen years ago.”

  “You knew my sister, Rebecca, then, didn’t you?” Daryl thought a change of subject might help Esther get her mind off her troubles. If she was more at ease, she would be able to think straight.

  “I did know Rebecca,” Esther responded, pulling out a chair from the kitchen table and sitting at it. She immediately stood back up. “Oh, I should make the tea. It’s what…”

  Daryl shook his head, interrupting her. “No, you won’t make the tea. You are my guest and I’m going to be your host and you can’t stop me.”

  He was glad to see the look of amusement cross Esther’s face and she sat back down without a word.

  “You and I didn’t get to know each other until your Johnny got old enough to come trespassing on my property and help me with chores.”

  Esther laughed weakly. “Yes, it’s been about five years now, hasn’t it?”

  “It has. Did you know my sister well?”

  Esther watched him go through the motions of making a pot of tea. “I knew her well, I would say. That was when we were… when James and I were getting along much better. I used to be involved in the sewing circle and the washing area and all of those volunteer things the women of Louisville put together all the time.”

  “When did you stop?”

  Esther colored a deep red. It highlighted the pale spots on her face that Daryl could only attribute to the stress of living with a dangerous man every day. “I stopped going the first day James gave me a black eye. I didn’t want anyone seeing that. After that, I was too ashamed to go back. I didn’t want them knowing what I was going through. I would look like a fool.”

  Daryl sat across from her and leaned on the table with his elbows. “Maybe one of them could have helped you.”

  “It was bad enough you knew. I was afraid you would tell your sister for the longest time.”

  Daryl raised his eyebrows. “I’m sorry, Rebecca, but I didn’t know. I didn’t know how bad it was until only a few months ago when Johnny came here during one of your… arguments. He was scared.”

  Esther looked ashamed, dropping her dark eyes to her balled up hands in her lap.

  “Don’t be ashamed, Esther. I just don’t know how to tell you how valuable and loved you are. Your children love you and need you to be strong. You’ve been through so much. You need to get away from that man. If I were one of your lady friends, that’s what I’d tell you. It’s imperative that you get away from him.”

  Esther shook her head. “I can’t, Daryl. I can’t go anywhere without him. How would I live? I have four children. There’s no job that will pay a woman the kind of money needed to feed and clothe them. They’re already in tattered clothes, hand-me-downs from my brother.”

  “If he isn’t giving you the funds to clothe the children now, what difference would it make if you left?”

  “I don’t have anywhere to go, Daryl. Nowhere. No family will take in me and the children. I’m not going to put them in an orphanage, for goodness’ sake. I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

  Daryl looked at her for a moment. “Do you want me to go to town and see if I can find him?”

  Esther’s face revealed how relieved she was. “Oh, Daryl, if you would do that, I would be so grateful.”

  Daryl nodded. “I’ll go now. You go on home. If I see him, I won’t say anything to him. I’ll just come to your place and let you know where he is.”

  “Thank you, Daryl. Thank you so much.”

  CHAPTER NINE

  A BELLIGERENT DRUNK

  A BELLIGERENT DRUNK

  Daryl watched Esther walk across the field in the direction of her farm. He’d never seen her on a horse. He really was less acquainted with her than she seemed to believe. He hoped she wasn’t forming too strong of an attachment to him. She turned at the gate and waved at him.

  “I’ll see you soon!” he called out, waving back.

  Once she was on the other side of the gate, he turned and went back inside to get his vest, gun, and hat. He pulled on his boots and strapped the gun to his waist.

  Ten minutes later, he was riding Prince down the road to town. He passed by the Fisher farm, but there was no movement that he could see. For curiosity’s sake, he told himself she was probably taking a nap with her babies while Johnny and Bethany were at the schoolhouse.

  He rode slowly, in no particular hurry to get to town. He’d decided to take the day for himself and not do any work for the people of Wickenburg today. He was everyone’s go-to man when it came to that. It was one of the reasons everyone knew who he was, even if he hadn’t met them. Word got around that he was helpful, had funds and resources, and a lot of knowledge about how to fix situations. He was the kind of man who would find missing children who’d wandered off in the woods and fix a broken porch step for a neighbor on the same day.

  He was well-known, well-liked and sought after by every unmarried woman in Louisville. Even the mothers got involved sometimes, bringing their daughters over to meet him while he was at the grocer or the post office. He was always polite and had even pursued a few. However, he hadn’t found the right woman yet.

  He thought about Laura. “What do you think, Prince? Is she the one?”

  His horse didn’t answer.

  “Yeah, you don’t know either, do you? But she’s a pretty little thing and I wouldn’t mind courting her. Yeah, yeah, I know, Prince, I’ve only known her a couple days. But it’s one of those things where ya just feel it in your gut, ya know?”

  Prince shook his head and snorted.

  “Don’t be like that, Prince. You don’t know her either. She could be the woman I finally marry. I can’t stop thinking about her. She’s on my mind all the time. I run through our conversation in the garden and I… I want to be there again. I want to be holding her hand and kissing her. I know we’re a long way off from that, but… I just can’t help it. She’s so charming, so intelligent.” He inhaled, sighing heavily. “I really think I could fall in love with her.”

  Again, Prince’s only response was to snort and shake his large head back and forth.

  “She makes me forget about everything else. And everyone else. I just want to spend my time with her.”

  He leaned forward and patted the horse on his neck. “You’re a prince for listening to me.” He laughed.

  He passed the outer edges of Louisville, moving onto the dirt road that would lead him to the Long Trail Saloon. If he wasn’t there, he might be at one of the other two saloons in Louisville.

  He passed a tall church and looked up at the steeple, where a huge cross jabbed up into the blue sky. The sight of it made him feel some peace. It relieved the tension in his muscles. If James Fisher recognized him and realized he was there to check up on hi
m, something might happen. He didn’t want to kill James. He was a fast draw and James knew it. Nevertheless, if James had the upper hand, it might be Daryl who lost his life and today was not his day to die. He was sure of it. There was too much to do. Too much life left to live.

  He reached the Long Trail Saloon and took in a deep breath as he dismounted. “Don’t go anywhere, Prince,” he murmured to the horse. Prince bobbed his massive head up and down as if he’d understood.

  “Good man, good man.” Daryl patted the horse on the neck, his eyes staring at the doors of the saloon, wishing he could see through them. If he had to go in and buy a drink, he would, but if he didn’t see James, it meant checking the other saloons, where he would also have to get a drink.

  “Well, I guess I won’t be getting much done today,” he chuckled, stepping up onto the wooden sidewalk and pushing open the doors to the saloon. He went through, immediately scanning everyone in the place. He decided if James was not there, he would not have to buy a drink and therefore, wouldn’t have his senses impaired by alcohol.

  His heart jumped to his throat when he saw James sitting in a corner table, a beer in front of him and a girl on his lap. They were laughing. He was obviously very, very drunk.

  Daryl regained his senses and went straight to the bar to order something. He tried not to look in James’ direction, but couldn’t help being frustrated and angry at the man for what he was doing. Esther deserved a better man than James Fisher.

  He picked up the glass that was set in front of him and took a few swallows. He wanted just enough to take the edge off but not impair his judgment in any way.

  He didn’t see when James narrowed his eyes in Daryl’s direction and stood suddenly, dropping the girl on his lap to the ground.

  She thumped to the floor with an “oof” and looked up at him with wounded eyes. “James… why did you do that?” she whined, holding up her hand for him to help her up.

  He ignored her hand and stalked toward Daryl. “You! You’re Daryl Parker, aren’t you?”