Angus' Trust (Grooms With Honor Book 1)

by Linda K. Hubalek

“Well, we’ll have no one for church service, at least I hope not. I’d hate for someone to fall and break a bone trying to walk through town. Patrick can save his sermon for next week.”

  Kaitlyn looked out the west window again, this time toward the church, probably wondering when her husband would come back to the parsonage.

  And then Kaitlyn moved to look out the north window. Daisy glanced over her shoulder at the stretch of white trailing north of town. Seth and Tully would be traveling that road into town, if they were able to make it. But they had livestock to care for on the ranch, and bad weather always made extra work for the rancher.

  “We’re postponing the wedding. We need to wait until Fergus, Seth and Tully are here,” Daisy declared. “And my grandparents shouldn’t be out in this weather anyway.”

  “Too late for that wish.” Angus called from the back door, as he pulled off his boots. “Your grandparents are almost to the front porch. Nolan and Gabe are hanging on to them. Holly is along too.”

  “Good gravy, I hope Holly doesn’t fall in her condition,” Kaitlyn muttered as she hurried to the front door.

  “What’s this about postponing our wedding, Daisy?” Angus turned her around by her shoulders to look down at her.

  “We are not marrying without your brothers being present, Angus.”

  “They’ll be here. Trust me. Have faith.”

  “But the weather is so bad and I don’t want them out in it.”

  “Seth and Tully are brushing down their horses in the barn right now, so they’ll be in the house in a few minutes.”

  “That’s a relief. What did they say about the roads and drifts?”

  Angus’ jaw twisted one way, then the other before answering. “Uh, no one else will be heading into town for a while. Neighbors will check on their stock until they can ride home. When...depends on this ice storm moving in.”

  “In other words they risked life and limb to get here,” Daisy huffed.

  “Daisy, chalk it off your worry list. They are here now, as are your grandparents.” Angus waved toward the living room where they could hear a mixture of voices.

  “Okay, let’s contend with them next. I’m sure Gramps has some words of wisdom for us about our wedding.” Daisy shook her head. Men were stubborn, whether they were twenty-six or seventy-six. And snow and ice wasn’t going to get in their way when on a mission.

  “I said we shouldn’t start out on this ice, but he was determined,” Daisy’s grandmother stated as Gabe helped her take off her scarf and cape. Grandma wasn’t dressed warm enough to walk over here, but she probably had to catch up with Gramps and went with what she could grab as he left.

  “It’s Daisy’s wedding day, Edna! We got to be here. Why would you think otherwise?”

  “Sorry, they were already out the door when I realized they’d left,” Holly apologized. “I was finishing the breakfast dishes and I heard the front door close.”

  “Good practice for listening and scrambling when your little one starts escaping out of the house,” Kaitlyn chuckled.

  “And when did you two catch up with them?” Angus asked Nolan and Gabe.

  “Three-fourths of the way over here. We were chipping ice off the boardwalk in front of the hotel—in case the reception was still on—and I happened to glance up and see them heading down the street,” Nolan answered.

  “Well, while I’m here, is the wedding on or off for today?” Gabe gestured toward the door, since he didn’t take off his coat and gloves. “I can tell Mary and the Paulsons on my way home.”

  “Off,” Daisy said, the very same instant Angus stated “on.”

  “We need to wait for Fergus, Angus. He’s on his way and he’ll be home for a while, so we can marry next weekend.”

  “No, I promised it would be today. When I said our wedding would be on the fourteenth...it was meant to be.” Angus shook his head and paced the little space available in the living room. “Fergus will be here. We can marry this afternoon, or later this evening.”

  Gabe tossed his hands in the air, showing surrender to hers and Angus’ debate. “I’ll let everyone know it’s postponed until later in the day. How’s that?”

  “I think that’s best,” Kaitlyn diplomatically replied as she walked Gabe to the door. “One of the boys will spread the word when Fergus arrives.”

  “Boots off!” Kaitlyn yelled as soon as she heard the backdoor open.

  “Ma. Da, Seth and Tully know to take their boots off before they step on your kitchen floor,” Angus sighed and rubbed his hands up and down his face.

  It was going to be a long day of tension in the parsonage. Daisy didn’t know if she wanted to be stuck in this house all day with all the Reagans—minus one missing brother—who they all were worried about. Plus her grandparents, and her brother and sister-in-law who looked as if they’d prefer to be home alone, while her grandparents were spending who knows how long at the parsonage.

  “Tully! You heard your ma. Take off your boots.” Pastor’s scolding drifted through the rooms.

  “Sorry, I was anxious to see Fergus,” Tully called as he tripped, stocking-footed into the living room. The gangly boy searched the occupants of the room then let out a sigh.

  “Good to see you, Tully. Fergus will be here as soon as he can.” Kaitlyn kissed Tully’s check and gave him a hug, which he absent-mindedly returned.

  “Shoot.” He plopped down on the floor beside the sofa where her grandparents sat listening to the commotion. “Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Clancy.” At least the boy remembered his manners once he calmed down.

  Daisy watched as Mack, Cullen, and Seth marched in the living room, each carrying a chair from the dining room so they had something to sit on. Daisy couldn’t help but smile at Angus, hoping he was thinking about their conversation about needing furniture in their home.

  Holly was in the rocker. Daisy had already claimed one of the easy chairs, and the Reagan boys knew to leave the other two upholstered chairs for their parents.

  Angus looked around the room, sighed, and walked back to the dining room to get chairs for him and Nolan.

  Yes, this family was the reason Daisy had argued they needed to order a long dining room table with extra leaves, and two sets of six dining room chairs, even if it would fill their dining room plumb full. They’d use some of the extra chairs in the bedrooms though when not needed around the dining room table.

  “Well, shall I give my sermon now? You’re all my congregation for today,” Pastor tried to humor the quiet group.

  “No, I already told them you’d save it for next Sunday,” Kaitlyn quipped.

  “Did you bring over your violin, Holly? We could sing while we wait for Fergus,” Tully asked from his space on the floor.

  “No, I didn’t have time to grab it,” usually shy Holly pointedly looked at Gramps.

  “Ladies, I believe it’s time to start Sunday dinner. Shall we move to the kitchen?” Kaitlyn’s announcement was a relief to Daisy, even if it meant peeling a lot of potatoes for all these men. Her grandma held out her hand so Daisy knew to help pull her out of the comfortable sofa. She didn’t want to be left behind, even if it meant sitting on a hard chair in the kitchen. Holly had already scooted out of the rocker and beat Daisy and Grandma to the other room.

  “Daisy, please shut the door between the kitchen and dining room so we can talk.”

  After doing as she was asked, Daisy pulled out a chair and helped her grandma sit down before taking a seat herself. Holly sat down across the table but Kaitlyn leaned against the work table instead.

  “I figured out why Angus wants to marry today, Daisy.”

  “So why today, when it can easily be postponed?”

  “Today was his mother’s birthday.”

  ***

  Angus wasn’t surprised when Ma ushered the women into the kitchen and shut the door between the two rooms. She’d done that whenever he and his brothers got on her nerves when they were growing up. It wasn’t often, but they knew to tone d
own their voices and give her time to herself. Usually she’d calm down and venture out of the kitchen with a batch of fresh-baked oatmeal cookies, or leave through the back door and visit with a woman friend.

  “We just got here. Why’s ma upset?” Tully asked as he scrambled up to sit on the sofa beside Mr. Clancy.

  “The wedding day isn’t going as planned, son. And for a woman who plans everything down to the last detail, this weather derailed her day.” Da shrugged his shoulders and sat back, relaxed in the rocker he’d moved to after Holly left the room.

  “So what do we do about it?” Tully asked again.

  “Wait for dinner,” Mack chided his little brother. “You know Ma cooks and bakes when she’s upset.”

  “So, Angus, what will Daisy do when she’s upset with you and your children? And how will you make it better for your wife?” His father was asking him that question? That was almost embarrassing and Angus felt like squirming in his chair.

  “Don’t know but I’ll find out.” First sign of trouble would be when she answered “fine” to his question, as he’d already figured that out.

  Da chuckled and looked at Daisy’s grandfather. “Dan, when do you know you’re in trouble with Edna, and how do you defuse it?”

  “Oh, my. I have almost fifty-five years of experience with the woman and she still surprises me at times.”

  He leaned forward and everyone seemed to lean in to hear his answers.

  “It’s different now, especially compared to when we were first married. Then our son was born, and the war happened. Then we became parents again raising our grandchildren.

  “Of course your wife isn’t always right, but you have to remember what caused her to flare up, to defuse it. Maybe she’s needing a kiss and a hug, or she needs space and someone other than you to talk it out.”

  That advice seemed so logical to Angus. Could he remember to look at the situation through Daisy’s eyes before he reacted? Uh, that would take practice.

  “With women, they won’t always remember the words you used, but they’ll never forget how the words made them feel. My best advice is to always think how it will affect their emotions.” Dan sat back in the sofa, apparently done giving advice.

  “Hmm, that thought takes me back a lifetime ago,” Da looked in the distance for a few seconds, and then directly at him.

  “Angus, your mother, Shona, not Kaitlyn, and I used to argue. We were very young and our quick tempers could ignite an argument faster than seasoned kindling.

  “But to defuse it, when one of us knew it was getting out of hand, we’d start saying our vows to get the other person to calm down and realize the argument wasn’t important.

  “For instance I’d say ‘for better, for worse,’ and wait for Shona to say ‘for richer, for poorer’.”

  Angus remembered them doing this. Then you’d say ‘in sickness and in health,” Angus softly answered.

  “Yes. We’d go back and forth, line by line.” While his father sighed, remembering the past, Angus tried to swallow the huge lump in his throat.

  He glanced over at Seth, wondering if his brother remembered this special ritual between their parents. He must have, because Seth’s head was bowed and he was pressing his index fingers in the inside corners of his eyes.

  Emotions you remember a lifetime, and Da’s memory brought their mother back to him and Seth.

  “And we’d end with ‘this was your solemn vow so you need to kiss your bride—or your groom’—depending on who got to say the last line. There were times it might have been said with gritted teeth—or a laugh—but that was our signal between us the fight was over.”

  Everyone was quiet, thinking of this special moment between Da and his first wife.

  “Angus, you need to explain to Daisy why today is so important to you. You want to honor your mother by being married on her birthday. Daisy will love the sentiment and marry you today.”

  His father was right. He needed to explain to Daisy why today was so important to him.

  “Excuse me, everyone.” Angus stood from his chair and took a deep breath before walking through the dining room, intent on pulling Daisy from the kitchen so they could talk.

  Whap! The door swung open, the edge of the door squarely connected with Angus’ nose then snapped back into the kitchen, where a muffled female voice yelped with surprise.

  Angus stumbled back from the blow, feeling pain radiate across his face, then blood drip from his nose. The door slowly opened again with Daisy cautiously looking around it at him.

  “Oh Deuteronomy! Daisy, you broke my nose!”

  Chapter 16

  “Well, at least it’s dark enough in here your black and blue face doesn’t show up, too bad,” Seth murmured sideways out of his mouth.

  They had waited until seven o’clock for Fergus to arrive, but he hadn’t. But, Daisy was determined today would be their wedding day, so word was spread around town that the wedding would take place at eight o’clock.

  Candles and lanterns lit the sanctuary casting glowing light on the walls—and his face—as he and his brothers stood in front of the altar.

  “That’s what you get for breaking one of Ma’s cardinal rules.” Tully started in again from the end of their line.

  “Drop it, Tully,” Cullen growled.

  “Well he’s always yelling at me about taking off my boots—oof.” Angus sighed, knowing Cullen had elbowed Tully to shut him up.

  Tully was right. Angus broke a cardinal rule today and his nose paid for it. Growing up there was one rule none of them had ever broken, until he did today. If Ma shut the door between the kitchen and dining room they were not to enter. Period. If the house was burning down or someone was for sure dying, they were to knock, not enter. Only Ma opened that door again.

  Angus chuckled and shook his head at the irony of it. The last day as a bachelor and he gets in trouble in his parent’s house.

  Oh, and what rules will Daisy come up with to control their children? Angus looked forward to finding out. He was finally marrying his true love.

  The first notes from Holly’s violin snapped his attention to the back of the church, waiting for the back doors to open and his bride to walk down the aisle.

  The pews were sparsely filled due to the icy conditions. The Paulson, Shepard and Taylor families, plus a few couples filled less than seven pews. Nolan walked his grandmother down the aisle and got her situated in a pew. Gabe came next escorting Ma.

  Ma. His ma. Angus blinked his eyes, thinking how she must feel with him carrying on about they had to be married on his mother’s birthday. Kaitlyn Reagan had been his mother for close to twenty years. Except for a few memories of his birth mother, Kaitlyn had always, and would always, be his mother. She never favored Tully over the rest of her sons. She gave every one of them equal love.

  Before his ma had a chance to sit down, Angus hurried down to the front pew and gave her a tight hug. “Thanks, Momma. I love you,” he whispered in her ear.

  “I know. I’ve always loved you as my son, Angus. Never doubt that.” She gave him a hard squeeze then pushed away to look up at his face.

  She barely touched his swollen nose, then playfully thumped his head. “Now you know what happens when you break a ‘cardinal rule’. That rule was only in place so you boys didn’t plow into the door and break bones, yours or mine. And it always worked, until today.”

  Oh boy. Here they always thought the rule was only for her sanity, and it was also for their safety. Yes, she was their mother all right.

  “Get back up there so your Da can marry you. He’s been waiting to move you to the back of the church.”

  “Yep. One ‘to the back’, five to go.” Angus gave his ma another quick kiss and bounced back up in line with his brothers.

  Angus breathed easier as Molly and Iva Mae walked down the aisle to stand witness for Daisy. Then Holly changed songs and Daisy and her grandfather slowly walked down the aisle, more for the old man’s sake than trying to be dramat
ic.

  Daisy wore a dark yellow silk dress complete with ruffles everywhere. She was so pretty, beaming with pride and happiness. Luckily the swinging door hit her shoulder instead of her face. Even if her nose had been broken—again—she would have walked down the aisle to marry him today. They were a matched pair and he looked forward to many decades of loving, fights, worries, and fun with her.

  Just as the pair were standing in front of him, the back church door opened, causing everyone to murmur and turn to look to see who was coming in.

  Fergus peaked his head into the sanctuary to wave, then stepped back, probably to remove his outer garments. He heard both his parents take a deep breath and release it. The last of their sons was home safe and sound.

  What had Fergus gone through to arrive tonight? They’d find out after the service.

  Fergus ushered a woman to a pew behind everyone else, then strolled up to take his place between Seth and Mack. The Reagan brothers were back in line, him in front, always leading them forward.

  Now he was starting to lead them into a new direction, married life. He hoped all his brothers ended up as lucky as he did with Daisy.

  “Kaitlyn, it’s time to start the service,” his da joked to his ma.

  “I’m in the front row and ready, Patrick.”

  ***

  “Angus, will you love Daisy, comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health; and forsaking all others, be faithful unto her as long as you both shall live?”

  Pastor’s deep voice soothed Daisy’s trembling hands as Angus solemnly replied, “Yes, I will.”

  Angus slid a shiny gold band on her left ring finger and then squeezed her hand as he said, “Daisy, I give you this ring as a symbol of my love, and with all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”

  Pastor gave a nod to Angus, cleared his throat, and turned to her.

  “Daisy, will you love Angus, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health; and forsaking all others, be faithful unto him as long as you both shall live?”

  Daisy straightened her shoulders at his words. She met Angus’ serious gaze with hers when she stated, “Yes, I will.”