Seven Brides for Seven Texans Romance Collection

by Amanda Barratt

  “Thank you, ma’am.” He left the porch and walked around the cottage to the back of the house. It was a cozy backyard with a hedge enclosing the space to offer privacy. Two large pecan trees stood in the middle of the yard, offering shade.

  Emma sat beneath the trees on a wrought-iron bench. She wore a yellow skirt and a white blouse, and her dark brown curls were gathered at the nape of her neck in a yellow ribbon. Her head was bent over a beautiful patchwork quilt lying on her lap, and a needle and thread were in her right hand. She looked so serene, with little wisps of hair playing about her cheeks in the gentle breeze. For a moment, Hays contemplated leaving her in peace, but the thought of walking away without seeing her smile was a prospect he didn’t want to consider.

  She must have sensed his nearness, because she looked up from her work and rewarded him with the smile he had been seeking. Her green eyes sparkled with welcome, and her cheeks turned a pretty shade of pink. “Hello.”

  In that moment, Hays realized his attraction to her had grown into something far more serious than friendship. He had come to admire her deeply. She was loyal, honest, and above all, she had a heart to serve. The fund-raiser had faced several setbacks, but each time she had found a way to persevere. She was patient with her students, faithful to her family, and she was a good friend to Connie during her time of grieving. Yes, Emma was stubborn and strong-willed, and she was often more serious than necessary—but even those qualities could be strengths when she chose to use them wisely.

  Above all, Hays liked Emma. More and more every day.

  “Howdy.” He walked toward her, enjoying the high curve in her cheekbones, the fullness of her lips, and the silky-white softness of her neck.

  She set aside the quilt and offered him her full attention. “I didn’t expect to see you today. I thought you’d be busy catching up at the ranch.”

  “I thought it might be nice to do a little something different today—with you.”

  She picked up the quilt again. “I wish I could, but there are so many things to do before next Saturday.”

  Hays took a step toward her and put his hand over hers. “Emma.”

  She stopped and looked up at him.

  “It’s only one afternoon.” He studied her, trying to understand her thoughts. “I’d like to take you for a ride to show you something.”

  Her mouth parted as if she was going to refuse him, but something flickered in her gaze, and she nodded. “All right.”

  Relief and disbelief shifted within his chest and he smiled. “Would you like to know where we’re going?”

  Emma snipped the thread and put her needle inside her basket. She stood and wrapped the quilt into a neat bundle. When she looked at him, there was a hint of mischief in her eyes. “Surprise me.”

  He liked her answer.

  They walked across the backyard and entered the house. Mrs. Longley and Hope were in the small kitchen peeling potatoes. Both ladies lifted their gazes when Emma and Hays entered.

  “Mama, Hays has asked me to go on a ride with him,” Emma said, setting the quilt on a worktable.

  Emma missed the pleased glance her mother and sister sent each other—but Hays didn’t.

  “Hays!” David ran into the kitchen. “I thought I heard your voice. Can you take me to the 7 Heart? I want to keep practicing my roping for the spring roundup. Is Mr. Bowie at the ranch? Do you think Clara will have puppies soon? Could you take me to see?”

  “Not today, Davey. I’m taking Emma on a ride.”

  “Can I come?” David asked, looking at his oldest sister with bright eyes.

  Emma began to respond, but Hays beat her to it, afraid she might say yes. “I’ll take you out tomorrow after church if your parents agree.”

  David turned his freckled face to his mother. “Can I, Mama?”

  “May I?” Mrs. Longley corrected. “And I’ll ask your papa when he comes home, but I don’t think there will be a problem.”

  “Whillikens!” David said. “That’ll be fun.”

  “David,” Mrs. Longley chastised, “please refrain from using slang.”

  “Ah, Mama.”

  “I’ll grab a shawl,” Emma said to Hays. She leaned over and kissed her mother’s cheek. “I’ll be back before supper.”

  “Where are you going?” Hope asked.

  “It’s a surprise,” Emma said.

  Hope sighed and went back to peeling her potatoes, her gaze no longer focused on those present.

  “Have fun,” Mrs. Longley called.

  Hays followed Emma out of the kitchen and into the sunny front parlor. She reached for a white shawl, but he grabbed it before she could. “May I?” He settled the shawl around her shoulders and rested his hands there for a moment. Before she could pull away, he reached for the door and opened it for her. “After you.”

  She passed by, and he caught the delicate scent of lavender. He wanted to pause and savor the smell, but he followed her out the door and closed it behind them instead.

  “I can’t quite believe I’m outside enjoying such marvelous weather at the end of January,” Emma said, accepting his hand as she climbed into the open buggy. “Back home—” She paused and quickly looked at him as if she had said something wrong.

  He climbed up into the buggy as she settled into the seat.

  “Back home, what?” he asked.

  “Nothing. I remember that you asked me to stop comparing Minnesota to Texas.”

  Hays dipped his head to look her in the eyes. “That doesn’t mean I don’t want to hear about where you grew up. Actually, I’d like nothing better.”

  It seemed as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders, and she began to tell him all about her life in Minnesota. She spoke almost nonstop from the center of Hartville all the way to the edge of the 7 Heart Ranch and the section of land Pa had promised to Hays when he married.

  She spoke about her work with the Ojibwe Indians and how her parents had married at the Belle Prairie Mission when they had only known each other for a week. “My parents worked for the American Board of Commissions for Foreign Missions, and they were required to be married to serve on the mission field. My father was a hundred and fifty miles up the Mississippi serving at Red Lake, so he got into a canoe and went to Belle Prairie because he had heard there was a single female missionary there.” She laughed and Hays chuckled, imagining Reverend Longley as a young man pursuing a wife. “When he got off the canoe,” Emma continued, “he learned there wasn’t one single lady, there were four, my mother included, and they were all looking for husbands.” Her voice held a hint of awe. “Somehow my father knew she was the one, and they fell in love in seven short days. They’ve never regretted their decision once.”

  “Do you think it’s possible to fall in love so quickly?” Hays asked quietly.

  Emma gazed out at the passing countryside and nodded. “How could I not? But I think it’s very rare.”

  They were now on Hays’s property, and just over the little rise they would see his favorite place on earth: the banks of the Sabinal River. There was one place in particular he loved. It was where the tree roots were exposed along the riverbank from years of erosion and where the canopy of leaves furled out above the water to create a little sheltered haven.

  Hays stopped the buggy in a clearing and took a deep breath, inhaling the fresh air. He would save the best for last. “What do you miss the most about Minnesota?”

  Emma sat with her hands clasped in her lap, a faraway look in her eyes. “There are so many things. I miss the dense forests that open onto tree-rimmed prairies. I miss the vibrant green in the summer and the blinding white of the winter. I miss our Ojibwe friends and our mission family.” Her voice filled with longing. “But most of all, I miss the water. The endless lakes and the rushing rivers. I miss the Mississippi, which brought my father to my mother.”

  “I thought you’d say that.” Hays slapped the reins against the horses’ backs, and the buggy went into motion again. Emma had mentioned t
he Mississippi several times in the past few weeks, and from the first mention, he had wanted to take her to this place.

  The buggy pulled up to the little rise and the Sabinal came into view. The sunlight made the water sparkle and the green leaves shimmer. It wasn’t really a river but rather a wide creek. In the summer it was often reduced to little more than a trickle, but at the moment it was running strong.

  Emma inhaled and grabbed Hays’s arm.

  The touch made Hays pause. He sensed she didn’t realize what she was doing, but he didn’t mind in the least.

  The view mesmerized Emma. “It’s … it’s breathtaking.”

  The horses followed a gentle path worn into the soil.

  “I thought you’d like it,” Hays said.

  His voice brought her out of her reverie, and she realized her hand was on his arm. She removed it and clutched her hands in her lap. “I’m sorry.”

  “I kind of wish you’d do it again.” He chuckled and she couldn’t help but smile.

  Hays pulled up to the river and stopped the horses. He climbed down from the buggy and then reached up for her. “We can stay as long as you like.”

  She took his hand and climbed out of the buggy. When her feet touched the ground, she briefly closed her eyes and inhaled. “I could stay here forever.”

  “Me, too.”

  He let her go, and she moved toward the water. “It’s so clear.”

  “I’m afraid it isn’t the Mississippi.”

  Emma glanced at him. “No, but it’s perfect.”

  Hays joined her at the river’s edge as she turned in a circle, inspecting the entire area. “If I were going to stay in Texas, I’d want a house right there.” She pointed to the top of the hill. “Where I could see the river every day.”

  “I’m glad you like it.”

  She looked back at him. “I do, very much.”

  “Good, because this is my land.”

  “Your land?”

  “We’re on the 7 Heart Ranch. My father sectioned off a portion of the ranch for each of his sons, like a wagon wheel, with El Regalo in the center. This is my portion, closest to Hartville.” He turned her to face the little rise in the land again. “And that’s exactly where I’ve always planned to build my house.”

  “It’s perfect.”

  “There’s only one problem.” His voice grew serious as he turned her back around to look at him. “My pa won’t let me build on this land and take possession of it until I have a wife.”

  Emma swallowed the sudden nerves that bubbled up, thinking about her earlier worries. Was he pursuing her just to secure his land? She studied him closely. “Why did you bring me here, Hays?”

  “I wanted you to see one of the reasons why I love Texas so much.” His voice softened. “I thought you might like it, too.”

  She wanted to believe him—no, she did believe him. “I haven’t felt so at home since we left Minnesota.” She gazed up at him, and words failed her as she looked into his brilliant blue eyes. Even though he liked to tease, and sometimes he didn’t take things as seriously as she’d like, in the past three weeks he had proven to her that he was dependable, hardworking, and passionate about the school. No matter what she had asked, he had gone out of his way to do. Everywhere they went, people respected Hays, and not just because his last name was Hart, but because he truly cared about his neighbors. He knew almost all of them by name, and he made them happy.

  “Thank you for bringing me here,” she whispered.

  Her heart was so full, she wanted to show him how much she appreciated his thoughtfulness—not only now, but in the past few weeks. Without giving it much thought, she rose on her tiptoes and placed a kiss on his cheek. She intended the kiss to be quick, but when her lips touched his face, she paused. His skin was warm and smelled of a spicy cologne. Suddenly she didn’t want to pull away.

  His arms went around her waist, and he turned his face until his lips were hovering near hers. His sweet breath warmed her mouth, yet he hesitated.

  Her heart longed to be loved, and her lips yearned to be kissed, but her head warned her it was foolish. She was leaving in a month, and even if she wasn’t, could she trust Hays with her heart? There was always the fear that he was just using her to get his land. Yet she wanted to savor the feelings he stirred in her and dive deeper until she was fully submerged under the refreshing waves of emotion. They made her feel carefree for the first time in years. It both exhilarated and frightened her.

  “Hays.” It was the only thing she could think to say before his lips covered hers.

  She melted into his embrace and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. His hand came up to her cheek, and his thumb caressed her skin just under her eyelashes. The featherlike touch sent a delicious thrill up her spine and made her deepen the kiss. She wanted him to hold her tighter, but he was gentle as he kissed her back.

  One of the horses snorted behind her, returning Emma to the present.

  She pulled away from his embrace, her cheeks burning and her heart thumping hard.

  “Emma.” He reached for her hand, his eyes glowing. “You said it’s possible to fall in love in seven days, and I think you’re right.”

  She shook her head, realizing what she had just done. She had given him false hope—had given herself false hope.

  “My pa said I need to be married by this time next year or I’ll lose my inheritance,” he said. “Truth be told, that’s all I thought about the day I met you—but now I want to get married for a far better reason.”

  “No.” She took another step back, pulling her hands free. “Please don’t, Hays.” She didn’t want to reject him. She liked him far too much to hurt him that way.

  He moved toward her, his eyes serious. “I want you to know—”

  “I wish you wouldn’t. I’m leaving in a month. Mrs. Greenfield is expecting me at the Belle Prairie Mission. I’ve promised to teach the Indian children.” She bumped into the buggy.

  Hays put his hands around her waist to stop her. “Emma, I know you feel something for me, too. If you didn’t, you wouldn’t have kissed me the way you just did.”

  She took a deep breath and lifted the hem of her skirt to step into the buggy. “I want to go home.” To Minnesota. To a place that made sense and where she felt like she was in control of her thoughts and emotions. She hated feeling topsy-turvy, unsure what to think or believe about Hays, about Texas, and about herself. She prided herself on knowing exactly what she wanted and how to get it. This uncertainty made her feel panicky.

  He let her go and walked around the buggy.

  The ride back to Hartville was quiet, but Emma had nothing more to say to him. She refused to allow her heart to give way to fickle feelings. She knew what she wanted, and she knew what she needed to do to achieve her goals.

  They had nothing to do with Hays Hart and his family’s town.

  Chapter Seven

  Main Street had never looked as festive as it did the night of the street dance. Dozens of people trickled into town wearing their Sunday best as they mingled in the dying light.

  Hays stood on the makeshift dance floor with over two dozen nervous bachelors waiting for Ruby and Julia Brown to arrive and give them instructions for the auction.

  Evening had settled on Hartville, allowing the stars to lay a canopy across the dark sky. Paper lanterns had been strung over the street from Mortenson’s Mercantile to Collingswood & Henderson’s Hardware. The tables Hays and Reverend Longley had built were lined up on either side of the street, with the dance floor between them. A stage had been erected nearby, and the Hartville band sat there tuning their instruments.

  “How do I look?” Gage asked, pulling his collar away from his neck. “If I don’t suffocate first, I might actually survive this horrid affair.”

  “You’ll be fine,” Hays promised. “Connie said she would bid on you if no one else does, so you have nothing to fear.”

  “I almost fear dancing with someone more than I
do standing up there alone.” Gage nodded at the stage.

  Ruby and Julia appeared in fancy gowns, their cheeks glowing. They swept onto the dance floor as if they had no cares in the world, but Hays knew better. They had done a good job planning the street dance, and they should be proud. He hadn’t been sure they would pull it off, but they had. He was grateful they had stepped forward to help Emma.

  “Gentlemen,” Ruby said, drawing all eyes to her, “we will begin the auction in one hour, at exactly nine o’clock. We’ll have everyone stand near the stage, and we’ll call you up one by one.”

  Several of the men shuffled their feet, and some, like Gage, adjusted their collars yet again.

  Hays tried to pay attention, but he was watching for Emma to arrive.

  He hadn’t stopped thinking about her all week. They had parted awkwardly when he brought her home after kissing her, but they had seen each other several times since then and had mended their tenuous relationship. She refused to be alone with him again, but he wasn’t deterred.

  Connie appeared on the edge of the crowd wearing a beautiful pink gown. It was the first time since her mother’s death that she had worn anything other than black. She looked lovely—but concerned. Her gaze landed on Hays and she tilted her head toward the bank next door to Mortenson’s Mercantile.

  Hays nodded and wove his way through the growing crowd to meet her.

  “Is everything all right?” he asked when they finally met.

  “No.” She pulled him deeper into the shadows near the building. “I can’t find any of the money we made at the bazaar.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Emma and I counted the money after the bazaar ended, and it was just over half of what we need to build the school. We put the money in the church safe and then went home to prepare for the dance.” Connie’s eyes filled with panic. “When I stopped at the Longleys’ on my way here, Emma handed me another envelope full of money that had been donated after I left. She asked me to put it in the safe. But when I went into the church, the safe was open, and all the money was gone.”

  “Did Reverend Longley remove it?”