Santa's Mail-Order Bride

by E. E. Burke

  He sat. She couldn’t have been thinking clearly, to kiss him in full view of everyone in the store. Now, he wasn’t thinking clearly, because he couldn’t think about anything except kissing her again. But that wasn’t why he’d brought her back here. He had to explain why they couldn’t be together, after answering her question.

  “The Meaneys aren’t taking care of the children placed in their charge,” he explained. “Felix ran away. I caught him the other night trying to steal shoes. He’d given his new clothes to his brother and sister, and he didn’t look like he’d eaten for days. For a fact, he hadn’t bathed in a month. The judge said he would look into the situation, and in the meantime, he put the Erickson children with me. It’s only for a few days. I’m selling out.”

  She’d been leaning on the counter, her chin propped on her hand, gazing at him with a look of amusement, until he uttered the last sentence, and then she jerked up straight. “Selling out? What do you mean selling out?”

  “If I sell the inventory, I’ll have enough to repay my creditor in full, so he won’t send more of his goons after me.”

  “But…you said business had been good this month.”

  “It has been, but I haven’t earned enough to pay off my debt and keep my doors open.”

  “Why did you borrow so much money from that awful man?” Her chagrin acted like acid on his soul.

  Sum rubbed his fingers on the counter, reluctant to tell her how stupid he’d been, but that was already obvious. She’d damn near been killed because of his stupidity. He turned on the stool and straddled the fall of her skirts in order to face her while he told her the bitter truth.

  “My father, I told you about him, he was always chasing the next big idea. He’d make money and then lose it, invest and go broke. I wasn’t going to be like him, so I put my money into a store and went into business with a partner. We did very well…so well my partner up and vamoosed with all our money. No bank was willing to loan me enough to start over.”

  Her eyes rounded and sympathy welled in the fathomless depths. “Oh, Sum. That’s awful, a man you trusted…”

  Sum released a dark laugh. “Yeah, he also happens to be my cousin. I don’t have a large family, but the one I do have is worthless. I should’ve known better.”

  She grasped his forearm and gave him a reproachful look. “Of course you’d trust your family. I would. That doesn’t reflect poorly on you.”

  “Sure it does.” He slid his arm back until he could take her hand and brushed his thumb over smooth, warm skin. So weak, he couldn’t resist. Nor could he stop thinking about trailing his fingers over her bare body. “I wasn’t careful enough, didn’t have money put aside. Just like my father, I invested it all in the business. Couldn’t pay my employees, and I burned bridges with suppliers when I didn’t pay my bills. I left Philadelphia when the collectors came after me, and I moved onto this corner because I thought it’d be easy pickings.”

  She gazed at him sadly. Now she knew he was opportunistic, selfish and deceitful. That ought to be enough to warn her away from him.

  He let go her hand and plowed his fingers through his hair. He had no business touching her. Only a cad would compromise a lady. “I can’t risk staying here and exposing you to danger. Even if I get the loan paid off, there are other people out there who’d take a piece of my hide if they could get it.”

  Maggie drummed her fingers on the counter. “So, that’s why you’re treating me like I have poison ivy.”

  He smiled at her tart reprisal. “Aw, now, it’s only been a couple days, and you’ve been holed up at home. I did come by.”

  “That’s what Victoria told me. The doctor doesn’t think I have a strong constitution. He wanted me to stay in bed until tomorrow. That’s ridiculous. The only thing bothering me is not seeing you.”

  Her sweet sentiment soothed his aching heart, although he didn’t deserve her care and concern. He took her hand, stroking her slender fingers because he couldn’t help himself. “Maggie, sweet Maggie. Don’t tempt me. I’m trying to be a gentleman.”

  She leaned in, her eyes twinkling with mischief. “I don’t want you to be a gentleman, Sum. I want you to ask me to marry you and give me another kiss.”

  Thank God she kept her voice low. He, on the other hand, almost fell off his seat and had to brace his feet on the floor. Ironic, how just two days ago, he’d been plotting to make her fall in love with him, and now that she wanted him, he had to push her away. No, not ironic, it was a miserable shame, and even more so because he’d wooed her, knowing he wasn’t worthy of her.

  “I shouldn’t have gotten involved with you, and your brother is right. You need to stay away from me.”

  She blinked, looking astonished. “Do I have wax in my ears, or did you just say my brother is right? You’ve been telling me all along, he has nothing to do with us.”

  “Yes, well…” He had said that, and still thought her brother had no right to dictate who she married. “The point is, you ought to go back to Kansas City, teach children, and fall in love with a good man.”

  “Faith. The fairies must’ve taken my Sum and left a mewling changeling in his place.”

  “Mewling changeling?” He would’ve smiled at her colorful choice of words if he weren’t so miserable. “For Pete’s sake, Maggie. I’m trying to do the right thing for a change. Something unselfish.”

  She gripped his coat sleeve. “If I wanted someone selfless, I’d marry a priest.”

  His lips twitched. Lord, how he loved her. She somehow managed to inject humor into even a heated exchange. “Priests can’t marry,” he pointed out.

  Maggie sat back, releasing his arm. She flicked her finger at imaginary lint on her skirt. “Yes, of course I know that, and it’s a good thing, too. What with their vows of chastity and all.”

  Sum swallowed a laugh. “Why are we talking about priests?”

  “I don’t know. We should be talking about the children.”

  “The children?”

  Maggie cocked her head and gave him a look that said his mind had become slow. “As I’ve told you before, there aren’t many places orphans can go if they aren’t taken in by a family. I suspect the only way to find families for the Erickson children will be to split them up.”

  He didn’t like her point, nor did he agree with it. “They can’t be split up. You, of all people, ought to know that. They’re siblings. All they’ve got left is each other.”

  She gave him a pleased smile. “Yes, you’re right. That’s why you need a wife.”

  Sum crossed his arms over his chest. She might think she could trip him up by talking in circles, but he was wise to her methods. “A wife? Now, why would I need a wife, when I’ll be leaving without the children.”

  “You can’t ensure they won’t be split up,” she insisted.

  “What about your brother? He could take them.”

  “They don’t have room for five children…and Victoria is pregnant again.”

  There went that idea. “I’m sure someone has room.”

  Maggie folded her arms in obvious mockery. “If they did, why haven’t they taken the children by now? They were orphaned two years ago, and no one stepped up to adopt them. They don’t want to be separated, so the judge let them go to the poor farm together.”

  Sum frowned at her logic. “There’s no point arguing. The judge will deal with it.”

  “He put them with you. I think he knew what he was doing.”

  “Oh, good grief, Maggie. He only put them with me because I offered to take them, temporarily. He’s aware of that.”

  Maggie lowered her arms and her expression softened into something approaching pity. “You know what I think? I think you wouldn’t mind if it was more than temporary.”

  Darned if that didn’t feel like a stab to the heart. To be honest, which he wasn’t, he had been thinking about settling down and having a family…with Maggie. He hadn’t thought they might start out with three children. Wait, they weren’t start
ing out at all.

  He huffed, hoping he sounded convincingly disdainful. “The other Sum might not mind, but this one isn’t interested in being a daddy.”

  A loud wail drew his attention.

  Sum glanced at the front. Elsie had put the boots away and it appeared she had taken a doll from the shelf over to a little girl, who looked to be about four. The mother glared at Elsie, not appreciating the kind gesture, probably because her spoiled child clutched the doll, crying, and wouldn’t be appeased unless it was purchased for her.

  “Take that doll away,” insisted the frazzled mother. “You shouldn’t have brought it over here in the first place.”

  The woman’s churlish tone got under Sum’s skin.

  Elsie’s fair complexion bloomed bright red as she stammered an apology. She tried to take the doll away from the little child, who clung to it and screamed to high heaven.

  “Excuse me,” Sum said to Maggie. “I’ll be back in a moment.”

  He strode down the aisle between the display cases. When he reached Elsie, he put his arm around her thin shoulders and gave her a reassuring hug. “Thank you for helping out. Why don’t you see if Miss Smith might need some assistance?”

  The girl’s grateful smile turned a key in his heart. He didn’t want to admit Maggie was right, because the very idea of taking on three children scared him to death. He would talk to the judge. There had to be a good family out there, somewhere.

  The irate mother finally succeeded at wrenching the doll away from her little angel. She hoisted the weeping child into her arms, and turned to him. “Mr. Sumner, you really shouldn’t let your children run wild in the store. It’s very disruptive.”

  “Elsie was spreading Christmas cheer. I’m sorry if you find that disruptive.”

  The woman harrumphed, whirled on her heel and marched out the door. The crying faded, and the store became blessedly quiet.

  Maggie came up from behind and put her hand on his shoulder. “Just think, we could give the Erickson children so much more than presents for Christmas. We could give them a home. You are a fine man, Mr. Sumner, and you’ll be a very good father.”

  He reached across his chest and laced their fingers together. Letting go of Maggie and the future he’d dreamed of having with her hurt worse than he’d imagined. He spoke low, so only she could hear him. “Maggie, even if it would be safe for you to be with me, and I’m not convinced it would be, after I pay off what I owe, I won’t be able to support a wife or children.”

  She pressed her cheek against his arm. “I know. That’s why you and my brother have to go into business together.”

  Chapter 13

  Christmas Eve had always been Maggie’s favorite time of year. She and her brother would go to Mass together, then they would come home and open gifts. Even though they knew what was in the boxes, they still pretended to be surprised. When David had expanded his family, the tradition continued, with the addition of songs and games, thanks to Victoria.

  Tonight, however, promised to be the worst Christmas Eve ever because the two men Maggie loved were behaving worse than fractious boys in a schoolyard. David refused to partner with Sum, declaring him to be a financial risk. Sum—stubborn man—refused to consider a partnership because he’d lost everything to a thieving cousin and had vowed never to trust anyone again. Maggie wanted to put them both in separate corners until they agreed to sort out their differences.

  Sitting on the sofa, she watched Patrick tear into a box and chortle with glee at the newspaper stuffed inside. He completely missed the toy.

  Fannie sat next to her, holding her favorite doll, the one Victoria had given her shortly after arriving in Fort Scott. The exquisite Jumeau doll had been Victoria’s salvation because Fannie had immediately grown attached to it, and David had been forced to open his eyes and see that all women weren’t like his faithless first wife. He still needed better vision when it came to Sum.

  “Aunt Maggie, open your last gift.” Fannie set her doll aside to retrieve a beribboned hatbox from beneath the Christmas tree—another compromise David had made for his wife. He hadn’t wanted trees, or anything that could catch fire, upstairs. Not after a fire had burned the old store to the ground, killing their parents. Victoria had talked him into putting up a tree two years ago. They didn’t light candles, but the tree’s branches were covered in decorations, including painted Santa ornaments that David had ordered from New York. Maggie had read about the new electrical lights invented by Mr. Edison, but that wasn’t something they could afford.

  Fannie plopped the hatbox in Maggie’s lap. “It’s from me and Patrick.”

  Patrick didn’t move from where he sat tearing up newspaper.

  “Oh, I wonder what this could be?” Maggie shook the box near her ear. She didn’t expect anything breakable because Victoria had asked her what the children might give her, and being practical, she’d suggested warmer gloves.

  She opened the package, removing a nice pair of leather gloves tucked inside, along with a folded piece of paper. When she opened it, Fannie’s smile broadened.

  “You’ve drawn me a picture!” Maggie turned the paper to the side. On it, her niece had sketched a crude house complete with pointed roof and odd-shaped windows. Out front, Fannie had placed a few large flowers and a half dozen little stick figures, some with dresses, others with trousers. “What is this Fannie? Is this supposed to be the store?’

  “No.” Fannie frowned with disapproval. “It’s the children’s home you told me about. The one you said would be built for the orphans. See them?” She pointed to the stick figures. “They’re smiling. They have a place to live.”

  “Oh, yes, I see now.” Maggie’s throat thickened. Much as she wished she could help make the home a reality, she couldn’t stay without a job, or more importantly, without a husband who could support and help her. Sum had told her he was leaving, and once he was gone, she knew she would never see him again. He was breaking her heart.

  Near tears, she hugged Fannie. “Thank you, dearest. I love my gloves and my picture.”

  David stood and scooped Patrick into his arms. “Time for bed, little man.”

  Her sister-in-law turned from where she sat at the piano. They’d been singing carols earlier, and Victoria played better than anyone. “I’ll take him and change him. Fannie, come along. You need to get to bed, too. Santa won’t arrive if you’re awake.”

  Fannie gave Maggie one last hug, and then ran for her room.

  Her brother moved to sit beside her. He remained quiet for a moment, perhaps thinking about how to explain, again, his reasons for refusing to consider being in a partnership with Sum; not that it mattered, Sum wouldn’t accept a partner.

  If neither man budged, she could do nothing except return to Kansas City to classroom. Teaching had been enough for her before she’d recruited Gordon Sumner’s help with collecting gifts and he’d showed her the kind of life they could have together. Now he’d taken the dream away. She sighed, slipping deeper into melancholy.

  “Will you walk to church with me to light candles?” David asked finally.

  This was something they did each holiday, light votive candles and say a prayer for their parents. She had no doubt her folks were in heaven, the prayers more beneficial to those left behind.

  Maggie nodded. “Of course. We could’ve stayed after Mass.”

  “The children were restless.”

  True enough. No right-thinking person would allow Patrick near lit candles.

  “I’ll get my cloak…” She reached for the hatbox. “And wear my new gloves.”

  David checked his watch as they left the building. Out of habit, she reached inside the cloak for the watch pinned to her bodice, and started. “Did I give you Ma’s watch?”

  “No. I thought you kept it.”

  She frowned, trying to remember. “I can’t imagine where I would’ve put it. If Sum had found it, he would’ve returned it.” Even if the watch had been ruined, she didn’t want to lose it.
She would scour the bedroom and her bags after they returned.

  Although it was cold outside, it hadn’t started snowing, so the walk wasn’t unpleasant. She reminisced about walking with Sum to be fitted for their costumes, when he’d kissed her beneath the mistletoe, and afterwards dragged her down a hill and made snow angels. He could annoy her so thoroughly, and at the same time make her laugh and feel young as a girl. She hadn’t wanted to start loving him, and now she didn’t know how to stop.

  She followed her brother inside the church and over to one of the small side altars, where statues of the saints stood watch over rows of flickering candles with pieces of paper slipped in between. They were petitions from congregants and passersby, anyone who longed for answers, or miracles, or both.

  David dropped coins in a donation box and then withdrew a match from his pocket and used a candle that was about to go out to set his match ablaze. She couldn’t recall why he did that, but he always did, and then he prayed for that person’s intentions as well.

  He touched the match to the wicks of two unlit candles. “One for Ma and one for Da, to remember them. We’ll pray as they taught us.”

  Maggie couldn’t recall her parents’ instruction. David had taught her how to pray, among other things. He’d been more than her big brother. He had been a surrogate father, her anchor.

  David had worked hard, scrimped and sacrificed so she could have an education and a better life. Asking him to make Sum his partner fulfilled her dream, not his. She had no right to expect him to share ownership in a business he’d worked hard to build. Then to make him feel guilty for refusing only demonstrated her selfishness. She’d been praying for God to change David’s mind, when she ought to be praying for a change of heart.

  She pressed her hands together in front of her and bowed her head. It was so hard to trust. God might decide she and Sum shouldn’t be together. If so, she had to accept it, and bear the pain. “O, blessed Lord and blessed Mother Mary,” she prayed in a low voice. “Accept these burning candles as a sign of our faith and our love for Thee. Please hear our prayers, and also include the intentions of the one whose candle burns low. If it is Your Will, grant our petitions. But above all, cleanse my heart of selfishness and make me loyal and faithful to you, no matter the circumstances or the outcome. Amen.”