The Bride's Matchmaking Triplets

by Regina Scott

  As all gazes swung his way, the rancher seemed to shrink. Then he raised his chin. “Six months,” he said. “Six months from the day we found them.”

  “That would be mid-December,” Lula May calculated. “Let’s say December fifteenth, so they can be settled before Christmas. All in favor?”

  “Aye,” most of the men chorused.

  “Opposed?”

  Brandon glanced at Magnuson, but the big rancher shrugged.

  Lula May banged her gavel. “Motion carries. If no kin come forward by December fifteenth, Pastor and Mrs. Stillwater can adopt the triplets. And we’ll gather up new clothes and toys for them when they do.”

  “Now, wait a minute,” Magnuson started, but Lula May pointed her gavel at him, fixing him in his seat.

  “Can’t be easy raising three boys the same age,” she reminded him. “There are no hand-me-downs when they’re all the same size.”

  “He’s the one who asked to take on the burden,” Magnuson protested, though weakly.

  “Elizabeth and I are prepared to take care of the boys,” Brandon assured them all.

  But it seemed they’d have to wait to become a family officially. He didn’t like the thought of explaining that to Elizabeth.

  * * *

  After Dorothy Hill left, Elizabeth paced about the kitchen, straightening dishes on the shelves, inventorying the preserves, polishing the kitchen table. No matter how swiftly she moved or how hard she tried to think of something else, she was all too aware of the men and Lula May on the other side of the door. Brandon had seemed so certain the Lone Star Cowboy League would agree to his proposal to adopt Jasper, Theo and Eli. What if he was wrong?

  Would they lose the boys after all? Would she have to watch them go to the children’s home, knowing they were just across the street but so far out of reach?

  Would Brandon regret he’d married her if they couldn’t adopt the boys?

  Oh, but she was just borrowing trouble!

  She heard the voices grow louder for a time, but they sounded happy, and she let herself hope. Everyone so respected Brandon. How could they refuse his request? Very likely he’d be coming through that door any moment to tell her the boys were theirs to love and keep forever.

  Then it grew quiet again, punctuated by one loud “What!” She shivered and forced herself to go out into the field and gather some wildflowers to brighten the kitchen table. But even the sunshine and the sound of birdcall couldn’t calm her thoughts.

  At times, she thought she saw something in Brandon’s eyes that said he cared more for her than their marriage of convenience would imply. That kiss would seem to prove it. She knew her heart was leaning in his direction. But was she just mistaken, as she’d been in Cambridge? Was she building castles in the air?

  A movement at the corner of the lawn caught her eye. Was that the hem of a skirt just disappearing around the corner? Had she discovered the Good Samaritan? She clutched her flowers close with one hand, lifted her skirts with the other and dashed off in pursuit. This time she would catch their well-wisher!

  She rounded the corner and ran right into Constance Hickey.

  The pianist recoiled even as Elizabeth’s flowers flew in all directions. Elizabeth caught her balance and sucked in a breath. Mrs. Hickey, the Good Samaritan? It couldn’t be! She glanced around the woman, but the only other people on the street were Gil and Jo Satler, showing Mrs. Johnson the children’s home.

  “Mrs. Stillwater.”

  Elizabeth’s gaze returned to Mrs. Hickey. The lady’s mouth was tight and her eyes narrowed. Oh, what had she done now, upset some closely held Little Horn tradition?

  “Mrs. Hickey,” she greeted her, bending to pick up her flowers. “What brings you to our door on this lovely day?”

  “What are the Lone Star Cowboy League members doing in the parsonage?” she demanded, as if Elizabeth was harboring fugitives of the law.

  “Meeting to approve the children’s home,” Elizabeth told her, straightening.

  Mrs. Hickey brightened. “Oh, is there some problem with the orphanage?”

  Must she find something to complain about in every situation? From the moment Elizabeth had met her, Mrs. Hickey had been on the lookout for trouble. Was it gossip she wanted or something more? Perhaps it was time she found the challenges she sought.

  Elizabeth leaned closer and dropped her voice. “Yes, there’s a terrible problem. I’m sure I don’t know how we’ll deal with it.”

  Mrs. Hickey’s eyes widened. “Do tell.”

  Elizabeth heaved a sigh. “Well, since you ask, and seeing how you are such a pillar of the community, I’m sure I can confide in you.”

  Mrs. Hickey’s head bobbed up and down so fast Elizabeth wondered she didn’t get dizzy. “Yes, yes, of course. I am a lady of discretion.”

  Or not. “All those orphans will need someone to love them, someone to encourage them,” Elizabeth told her. “They’ll have houseparents, of course, but I fear no two people can give so much. I only wish I knew someone of good character and impeccable taste who could organize a ladies’ auxiliary, a group of dedicated women to support those dear children.”

  Mrs. Hickey straightened, eyes narrowing once more, and Elizabeth sent up a prayer that she had judged the woman’s need correctly.

  “I’ll do it,” she declared. “I’ll charter a ladies’ auxiliary for the orphanage. I know everyone in town. People listen to me.”

  “Oh, Mrs. Hickey, thank you!” Elizabeth put a hand on her arm.

  “It will take a great deal of effort,” Mrs. Hickey said. “But I don’t mind. If there’s anything I hate, it’s being idle.”

  Thank You, Lord!

  “I’m not good at that either,” Elizabeth admitted. “I’d much rather keep busy. Dare I ask you to do me the honor of attending our next dinner party? I’m sure everyone will want to hear your plans for helping our dear children.”

  Mrs. Hickey’s smile was soft, melting the frown that habitually sat on her narrow face. “I would be the one honored, Mrs. Stillwater. I’ll let you know when the auxiliary is set to meet. I hope you’ll have time to join us.”

  “I will make time,” Elizabeth promised her.

  With a nod, Mrs. Hickey strode off, skirts flapping and steps determined.

  “What do you know, Lord?” Elizabeth murmured. “All she needed was a purpose.”

  She shook her head in wonder as she went to pick a few more flowers for her bouquet.

  She returned to the kitchen to find Brandon sitting at the table, hands spread on the worn surface. She was ready to tell him what had happened with Mrs. Hickey when she remembered the meeting and all that was at stake. It had obviously not gone well. Once more lines drew down around his eyes, and his smile looked strained. Stomach knotting, she set the flowers on the sideboard and went to join him.

  “What happened?” she asked as she took her seat. “Did Casper Magnuson find fault with the children’s home?”

  He drew in a breath. “No. The league agreed unanimously to open the home this Sunday.”

  “But something didn’t go the way you wanted,” she pressed, afraid to hear the answer.

  He raised his brows. “What makes you say that?”

  Elizabeth shook her head. “You have the most polite smile, pleasant even. But it commits to nothing. I know it stands you in good stead with your congregation, but I’ve come to realize it generally means you are trying to hide how you really feel.”

  He sighed, shifting on the chair as if the seat had become uncomfortable. “I suppose it started with my father. The less you did to set him off, the better. Now it seems there are too many times when a minister must be circumspect. But you have every right to know how I’m feeling. I didn’t like how the meeting ended.” He met her gaze, the silver of his eyes clouded. �
�The league wants to wait before letting us adopt the triplets.”

  Now it was all she could do to keep her face pleasant. “Oh? Why? Please tell me those wretched rumors had nothing to do with the decision.”

  “No one mentioned the rumors,” he said, so firmly she pitied anyone who did mention them in his presence. “They’re still hoping that relatives will turn up.”

  Elizabeth frowned. “How likely is that? It’s been months.”

  Brandon spread his hands. “It’s possible the family didn’t receive word right away and then had to wait through roundup and harvest before starting out.”

  Disappointment was like a blade in her heart. “So even though rumors spread like wildfire in Little Horn, they move like molasses everywhere else?”

  He smiled at that. “Apparently so.” His smile faded as quickly as it had come. “I’m sorry, Elizabeth.”

  Every part of him showed that sorrow, from the downturn of his lips to the slump of his shoulders. Though her own heart was hurting, she only wanted to reach out, to reassure him.

  “Don’t worry,” she said, laying a hand on his. “It will come out right.”

  His head came up. “How can you say that? I thought you wanted us to be a family.”

  “I do,” she promised him. “I’m disappointed, of course, but I understand the league’s reasoning. If loving relatives are searching for the boys, we’d want to give them every opportunity to find them.” She made herself smile. “So, the children’s home was approved to open. That’s good news.”

  “Now who’s putting on a pleasant face?” he asked, his smile returning.

  Elizabeth raised her chin. “I am. Quite determinedly and unapologetically. I learned during the scandal with my uncle that it was better to move forward than stay stuck in what might have been.”

  “I admire you for that. I still wonder sometimes how different life would be now if we hadn’t had our misunderstanding.”

  She dropped her gaze to her lap. “I’ve asked myself the same question. I’m not sure in the end we would have been happy, regardless. Either you would have stayed in Cambridge, become the dull, pedantic minister they were all grooming you to be, or I would have come West with you and Bo and shriveled under the challenges.”

  He shook his head. “I have never seen you shrivel, Elizabeth.”

  Hadn’t he? Perhaps friendship was as blind as love. “I look back, and I see so many times I could have done more, could have been more, but I stepped back from the precipice. If I had been stronger, I wouldn’t have needed Florence as an intermediary. I could have reached out to you directly. But the scandal and Aunt Evangeline’s stroke nearly buried me. It took a while for me to find my feet again.”

  “And then you came to Little Horn,” he marveled.

  She felt her smile broadening. “And then I came to Little Horn and found adventure aplenty. Feuding families, secret Good Samaritans...”

  “Demanding parishioners,” he added.

  “Interesting parishioners,” she countered. “With stories and characters worth knowing. I’m thankful I came.”

  “I will always be thankful that David answered your advertisement. Did he tell you I was the one who pointed it out to him when it was reprinted in the Austin newspaper? I never dreamed you were on the other end.”

  Funny how that had worked out.

  “So, what now?” she asked.

  “Now we wait,” Brandon answered. His fingers flexed under hers, a caress against her palm.

  “And pray,” Elizabeth said. “That the triplets will finally have a family.”

  And please, Lord, let that family be ours!

  Chapter Eighteen

  That Sunday, Elizabeth joined everyone in Little Horn and the surrounding areas to dedicate the new children’s home. Clouds scudded across the sky as a cool breeze played with the ladies’ skirts and set the gentlemen’s hats to tilting. The crowd was so large it fanned out halfway across the street and bellied ten deep in front of the table where Mercy Green was ladling out the cider the McKays had donated under a banner advertising the Arundel General Store. Mrs. Hickey was busy recruiting for the newly organized Children’s Home Ladies’ Auxiliary, moving from lady to lady with great determination. Annie and her mother helped Elizabeth with the triplets, and the three were able to move toward the front of the crowd, where they could see all the activities.

  A sharp noise sounded from the front steps, where Lula May was making good use of the gavel Brandon had made for her. The diminutive strawberry-blonde raised a hand to turn all eyes her way.

  “Thank you for coming,” she called, glancing at the men and women who thronged around her. “As president of the Lone Star Cowboy League, I just want to thank everyone who had a hand in making this day possible. I think we agree how important it is to care for all of Little Horn’s citizens, young and old. First, let’s have a round of applause for Amos and Susan Crenshaw for donating this fine house for the children.”

  In Elizabeth’s arms, Jasper clapped his hands as the people around him did the same.

  “And we owe a debt of gratitude to David McKay, who brought up the idea and never let us forget it.” She smiled fondly at her brother-in-law as he stepped up beside her.

  “There’s a reason for that,” he said, glancing out at their audience. “As many of you know, after our parents died, my brothers and I were separated and farmed out to relatives, some of whom struggled to raise us. This house means that no child in Little Horn will ever feel unwanted or unloved again, that each will have a chance to become part of our community.”

  Someone let up a cheer, and Edmund put his fingers in his mouth and whistled in support.

  David stepped down to rousing applause, cheeks turning red.

  “This is a good thing they did,” Dorothy murmured beside Elizabeth, and she could only nod in agreement, her heart was so full.

  “Finally, we want to thank Fannie and Frederick Tyson,” Lula May was saying as the couple came forward, faces pink and beaming. “They’ll be serving as mother and father to these little ones.”

  Elizabeth was sure tears were shining in Fannie’s eyes as she accepted the keys to the house from Lula May. But she had to admit she had never felt more proud than when Lula May invited Brandon to offer the blessing.

  He stepped up beside the lady, breeze ruffling his sandy hair. His gaze swept the crowd and seemed to rest on her. Elizabeth smiled encouragement, though she knew he likely didn’t need it. He had been born to be a minister.

  “Papa!” Jasper yelled from her arms.

  Brandon’s smile widened as the crowd chuckled. “Actually, I was going to say Heavenly Father,” he said. The crowd quieted, bowed their heads.

  “Dear Lord,” he continued. “As we gather before You today, our thoughts are on those who have no earthly father or mother to guide and comfort. You said to let the little ones come to You and never hinder them, for such is the Kingdom of Heaven. So we dedicate this home for orphans in Your name. May all who enter learn the power of Your love and find their place in Your Kingdom and the family of those who love You. Amen.”

  The crowd rumbled with the answered “Amen.”

  Elizabeth glanced around. Caroline was kissing David on the cheek, while their daughter, Maggie, jumped up and down in excitement. Gil was pulling Louisa into the house to show it off, with Bo right behind them. Beside Elizabeth, Dorothy was holding up Theo while Tug made faces at him, setting both the little boy and the widow to giggling. Even Mrs. Hickey looked happy for a change, talking with Mrs. Arundel as they praised Mrs. Crenshaw’s generosity in donating the house, making that lady stammer her thanks.

  It was a family, just as Brandon had said, a great big contentious, loving family.

  You could be part of it, if you’d just open your heart.

 
Elizabeth sucked in a breath at the thought. She’d felt as if she’d grown after the scandal, forced to make her own way in the world. She had congratulated herself on leaving the scared little girl behind. But that scared little girl was still hiding down inside her, whispering of all the bad things that could happen if she truly moved forward.

  People in Little Horn might not like her.

  The triplets might be taken from her.

  Brandon might not return her love.

  For so long, she’d felt as if God had been distant, unheeding to her prayers. Yet here, now, she felt His presence hovering. Perhaps He’d been with her all along, taking the bad and turning it into something good, just as Brandon had said in his sermon. She had too often focused on the bad, when so much good had come from moving to Little Horn.

  Caroline, Louisa, Fannie, Annie and Stella had become friends. Mrs. Arundel and Mrs. Hickey were coming to respect her. Because she’d married Brandon, she could be a mother, if not for the triplets, then for other children in need. She might even have Brandon’s children to love if she opened herself up to the feelings she had for him.

  She’d accepted Brandon’s offer of a marriage of convenience, knowing that he didn’t love her. In truth, she’d been afraid to tell him her feelings for him were still strong. She’d been afraid he’d disappoint her again, fail to support her when she needed it most. Why had she doubted him? He’d proved himself to her over and over—his kindness, his readiness to provide for and guide the triplets, his willingness to help even in the unpleasant tasks or those for which he had little skill. He was a good husband, a good father. She wanted to be his wife, in every sense of that word. United in love over the triplets, surely they could unite as husband and wife. It was all the adventure she could want.

  Now she just had to find a way to tell him.

  * * *

  In the midst of shaking Casper Magnuson’s beefy hand, Brandon glanced at Elizabeth and nearly forgot what he was saying. She was gazing at him with such a glow about her that he might have thought the sun had broken through the clouds on the gray September Sunday. What had brought such a look to her face? As if she saw his interest, she blushed and crooked her finger at him.