“We have enough in this house to get by just fine for now. I’ll finish stocking the kitchen and get towels and bedding in the meantime.”
Elof stared at Linnea. He couldn’t believe his luck in finding this woman. This marriage would be solid and loving.
What else could he ask for? Jamie crosses his mind. He’d loved that boy. Hopefully they’d have a child of their own someday.
Chapter 13
“Are you ready?” Nolan asked Elof as they stood outside the church before the afternoon’s service.
“Got the new clothesline posts and wire up yesterday in the backyard. Linnea still has a list of things she wants, like flowers planted in front of the house,” Elof shifted from one hip to the other as he talked, nerves on “cavalry alert” this morning.
“No, I meant are you ready to get married today?”
“Oh yes. Can’t wait for Linnea to move into the house with me. It’s been a long two weeks.”
Nolan laughed. “According to Holly they could have used more time to plan the wedding.”
“Clean clothes and a preacher is all I needed today.” Although he had bought a new set of clothes for the occasion.
“Oh, but the women in this town like to make a fuss over the bride. A quilting bee, a new dress, a flower bouquet, a wedding cake...”
“I haven’t heard about any of that. I’ve been out of town shoeing horses most of the week so I can spend next week with Linnea.” Elof grinned.
“Planned a wedding trip?” Nolan guessed.
“Yep. I’m taking Linnea to Topeka to see Jamie.” They both still missed Jamie. Elof figured the best way to ease their minds was to see where he lived.
“Uh, you might hold off on that trip,” Nolan said looking through the crowd.
“Why?”
“Far! I’m here for your wedding!” Jamie yelled as he plowed into Elof’s side.
Elof picked up the boy and hugged him close. “Oh, how I missed you, Jamie,” he whispered in his ear, squeezing his eyes tight to keep tears at bay.
Then he eased his hold so he could look Jamie in the eyes. “How’d you know me and Mor were getting married today?”
“Pastor wrote Grandpa a letter,” he grinned. That sounded just like something the Reagans would do for he and Linnea.
“Well I’m sure glad. Have you seen Mor yet?” He couldn’t wait to see Linnea’s reaction when she saw Jamie.
“Nope. We just got here on the train. Grandpa’s checking in at the hotel, but said I could run ahead.” Jamie looked around. “Grandma Martha’s over there visiting with Grandma Cate,” he pointed over to the group of women on their left.
So that’s why Pastor said they needed to marry this afternoon, instead of Clear Creek’s usual tradition of right after Sunday church service. They had to wait for the surprise guests to arrive.
Should he worry what else the Reagans might have planned for today? No. Any surprises they had planned would be wonderful. Elof gave Jamie another squeeze and set him down when one of the Wilerson boys called out Jamie’s name. He shot off to see his friend, thoughts already switching to something else.
Elof turned to Nolan. “Did you know about this?” he asked his friend.
“No, but I bet every woman in town did. They can keep secrets and plans things like you wouldn’t believe. Marshal Wilerson always said they’d make a better posse than a group of gun-toting men.”
“What would the women do, swing their reticules at the bad men?”
“You’d be surprised how many women packed a pea shooter in their reticule when this town was young.”
“Gotta go. Linnea’s walking out the parsonage door so I better stop Jamie from knocking her over.” Elof glanced around and realized there was a group of women now standing at the church door…with Jamie hiding behind them. He moved to a place where he could see her reaction.
“Jamie!” Linnea cried when the group of women parted and Jamie rushed to her.
Tears came to his eyes, and probably half of the congregation’s. So this is why the church doors were closed and everyone was waiting outside.
Pastor moved up to the steps and raised his hands. “All right everyone! The special guests have arrived—besides the bride and groom—so go inside now. He opened the church doors and people lined up to go inside.
He watched as Linnea talked to Jamie and his grandparents. She was so pretty in a new light pink dress and matching hat. It complimented her blonde hair and fair skin. Actually, it reminded him of the pink Linnea flower that grew wild in their province in Sweden. Elof guessed the dressmaker, Mary Jenkins, designed and made the ensemble for her.
One of Linnea’s hands was wrapped around Jamie’s shoulders. The other held a cluster of white roses, looking very much like the rose bush blooming in Millie Wilerson’s yard. Elof would plant whatever color and however many rose bushes Linnea wanted along the front of their house.
He was so glad Linnea was getting a special day. Now her arranged marriage in Sweetwater Springs was only a piece of paper and bad memories.
Today they were celebrating their union with a whole congregation of friends. He and Linnea had found their home in Clear Creek.
***
“Elof, please take Linnea’s hands and repeat after me,” Pastor Reagan instructed while giving each of them a serious look.
“Elof, will you have this woman to be your wife; to live together with her in the covenant of marriage? Will you love her, 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?”
“I will,” Elof stated with a clear, strong voice.
Elof slid a bright gold band on her left ring finger and then squeezed her hand as he said, “Linnea, 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.”
“Linnea, now it’s your turn to repeat the vows.”
“Linnea, will you have this man to be your husband; to live together with him in the covenant of marriage? Will you love him, 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?”
Linnea stood straight and proud as she stated to Elof, “I will.”
When she was left widowed and homeless, it became Elof’s mission to be sure she and Jamie were taken care of. And then his next mission was to win her love. Elof had proved to her that love can happen at any age, anywhere, and to anyone.
Elof was a groom of honor...
Epilogue
“Okay, now?” Jamie asked his grandfather as he jumped up and down in from of Elof and Linnea.
“No. Not yet. Keep a lid on the secret until I say the word,” Mr. Schmidt smiled down at Jamie then looked at him and Linnea.
“Thank you so much for the reception, Mr. and Mrs. Schmidt. We didn’t expect this at all,” Elof said as he hugged Linnea to his side.
He and Linnea thought the churchwomen planned a table of cakes and pies in the shade of the church after the ceremony, and everyone would stand or sit on the ground to eat and visit.
Instead, before they had a chance to walk down the aisle after their ceremony, pastor announced everyone should follow the bride and groom over to the Paulson Hotel. The wedding reception would be at the hotel and the congregation was invited.
Three tables, covered with lace table clothes, displayed a variety of desserts. But another table held a three-tier wedding cake, frosted in white icing with a tiny bouquet of pink roses sitting in the top layer. Linnea’s eyes teared up seeing the room when they walked in the door. And there was pink strawberry-flavored punch in a big crystal punch bowl and two huge coffee urns for drinks.
Neither he nor Linnea had ever been to such a fancy wedding reception.
“We owe you so much for finding Jamie. If you hadn’t kept him with you...” Mrs. Schmidt started to tear up, but shook her head to cle
ar her thoughts. “Anyway it was such a pleasure working with the Paulsons, and the Reagans, to surprise you.
“Now?” Jamie started jumping up and down again.
“No, I need to say something else first.” He pulled something out of his coat pocket and handed it to Elof.
“Train tickets and a key?” Elof asked, puzzled as to why he was given them.
“We’d like to send you two on a weeklong wedding trip. Here are train tickets to Topeka, and the key to our house for you to stay there. The housekeeper knows you’re coming and will only stop by a few times to be sure you have everything you need. We’ll be staying here so Jamie can visit his friends.”
“Oh my! Really? Thank you so much to both of you,” Linnea said in surprise, but then stopped to look at Elof.
“Do you want to go on a trip or stay here to visit while they’re in Clear Creek?”
“Well, I was going to surprise you with a trip to Topeka to see Jamie, but now he’s here instead.”
Elof looked down at Jamie and knew they’d prefer to stay in town while Jamie was here.
“Sir, could we save the train tickets to come see you another time, say for Christmas?”
“No, use them tomorrow. We’ll be staying here for two weeks, so you can still see Jamie the next week. Because... now, Jamie,” Mr. Schmidt prompted him.
“Cause me and Grandpa and Grandma are moving here!”
“What?” Elof and Linnea said in unison and disbelief.
“Jamie will continue to live with us, but he needs parents—his Mor and Far as he calls you—besides grandparents. And this is a wonderful town where he can run with his friends, it has a good church, and we assume a good school,” Mr. Schmidt explained.
“During this stay we’ll be working with Mack Reagan to plan the house he’ll build for us,” Mrs. Schmidt beamed. “It will be our retirement home and we can’t wait to move to Clear Creek.”
Linnea gave Elof a hug before bending down to capture the wiggling boy. She kissed his cheek and gave him another hug. “I’m so happy we’ll all be together again.”
“Besides needing the two of you, Jamie missed his pony,” Mr. Schmidt smiled at everyone. “The pony I found for him was ‘too old and stuffy’.”
“Well it barely moved!” Jamie declared and everyone laughed. Oh, life was going to be happy and busy with Jamie in and out of their house, probably with a crowd of his friends tagging along half the time.
“Mrs. Lundahl, you’re going to have the cookie jar full for whenever Jamie shows up?” Elof asked with a smile.
“That’s the first you’ve called me by my new name!” Linnea beamed up at Elof.
“Of course cookies will always be available for you,” she looked down at Jamie, “and the two of you,” she looked at the Schmidts.
“Well, we do have two things to ask of you though, if it’s all right with you. First, please call us Martha and Barney,” Mr. Schmidt implored.
“Of course, we’d be honored,” Elof answered, even though it would take a while not to be formal with the Senator and his wife. But Elof figured they’d become second parents to Linnea and him before too long.
“Now, you can say ‘no’ to this second thing and you have plenty of time to decide.” Mr. Schmidt looked to his wife and she motioned with her hand to go on and ask it.
“Our new house won’t be done by the time school starts. Rather than Jamie start school in Topeka and change schools later, could he come back here this fall to live with you? I promise it will only be for a few months until our house is ready.”
Elof looked down to Linnea. She raised one eyebrow—like Kaitlyn did to Pastor—then gave him a smile and a nod yes. He returned the gesture with one eyebrow—and a quick kiss.
“Yes, we’d love to have Jamie live with us when he starts school.”
“Good!” Jamie replied. “Now can we go ride Curly and Clem?”
Mr. Schmidt did a little coughing laugh behind his hand, “Uh Jamie, your far and mor wouldn’t be able to go riding until they’re back from their wedding trip.”
“Why?” Jamie looked puzzled.
A simple question children asked hundreds of times, and he hoped they’d someday have children asking them the same thing.
“Why?” Elof looked down at Jamie. “Because your mor and me just got married and we’re going to go to Topeka to celebrate—alone, “Elof added as Jamie started to interrupt him, probably wanting to go along.
“Okay. Ya gonna bring back a baby?” Jamie asked next.
Linnea turned her face into Elof’s shoulder, probably embarrassed and red-faced.
“Uh, it’s a little too soon for that by next week,” Mr. Schmidt answered for him.
Oh, you never know,” Elof gave Linnea a sideways hug and a wink. “We brought Jamie home from the Montana Territory.”
~*~*~*~
I hope you enjoyed Elof and Linnea’s story. Please keep reading to enjoy a scene from Angus’ Trust, the next book in the Grooms with Honor series.
Fall 1886
Colorado Mountains
Daisy swatted at whatever was bothering her face. It felt like a bug was running down her forehead. She rubbed her face and felt something sticky on it. Her head was pounding in pain and for some reason she knew opening her eyes was going to hurt.
She realized she was sprawled on her back and she felt grass when she moved her hand alongside her body. Birds were singing overhead and it sounded like wind was blowing through leaves. Why was she outside laying on the ground?
Daisy slowly opened her eyes but her eyesight seemed blurry. She closed her eyes and took deep breaths, trying to keep from panicking.
Where am I? Where was she before she found herself laying on the ground?
She had been riding the Denver, South Park, and Pacific train to see the mountains. Had they stopped somewhere so she got off and laid down to take a nap?
Daisy cautiously opened her eyes again; glad the yellow aspen leaves overhead were bright and clear. She wiped her forehead and then looked at her hand, not surprised to see her fingers tinted with blood.
Had the train wrecked? She couldn’t hear it, or the voices of other passengers. Oh dear God! Am I the lone survivor of an accident?
Daisy carefully rolled on her right side taking in the view of an aspen grove. Nothing else. Where was the train, the tracks?
She rolled back flat, and took a few deep breaths before rolling on her left side. It was the same view, but Daisy could see she was at the bottom of a hill now. She felt her chest realizing there was grass and bits of debris stuck in the now torn lace of her jacket. Shoot. She must have rolled down the hill.
Well—testing the willingness of her arms and legs—she couldn’t figure out what was going on by staring at the sky. She slowly sat up, glad she was no longer dizzy.
Her heart nearly stopped seeing several bodies scattered further up the hill. Were they all dead, or knocked out like she had been?
Keep calm. What did Pastor Reagan always say to recite during troubled times? The 23th Psalm.
“The Lord is my Shepherd—”
“And he better be here…”
Daisy gasped and twisted toward the voice. Ow! That move hurt her neck!
“What the….Deuteronomy…were you doing on that train, Daisy Clancy?!”
Ten feet away Angus Reagan slowly lifted his head and narrowed his eyes at her. Maybe he did that because he was trying to focus, or because he was mad. She guessed the latter since he’d used Pastor Patrick Reagan’s, his father’s, favorite swear line. His face was covered with dirt and blood, but at least he was alive and talking.
Daisy melted back onto the bed of leaves and grass. She wasn’t alone in this disaster after all. If you didn’t count that being with a mad Angus wasn’t a good place to be. But at least there was another train wreck survivor.
“Enjoying the fall scenery. You?”
“Protecting the gold and silver in the express car...until I got distracted,” Angus
growled.
“Wasn’t my fault I needed to use the washroom.” Daisy sniped back.
They could go back and forth like this all day from their prone positions. It had always been this way with the two of them.
“Daisy, get over here!” Angus yelled at her after a long moment.
“Don’t yell at me, or I just might turn hysterical! We’ve been in a train wreck, everyone else seems to be dead and I don’t know where we are!”
“I’m sorry, Daisy. Calm down.”
Daisy rolled up to her knees and tentatively stood up. So far so good. She’d be sore and bruised for a while, but nothing seemed broken, except maybe her nose. Better than the men she now saw sprawled or crumpled up the hill. She leaned over thinking she was going to lose her last meal, but the feeling past.
Now she saw why Angus wasn’t moving. He was tied up with enough rope he looked like a sausage ready for a bear’s breakfast.
“Looks like someone used a fifty foot lariat to tie you up with.” Daisy surveyed the rope tightly wound around Angus’ stiff body. Why had someone taken time to do this?
“When I find the end, I’ll hang on it and then push you down the hill to unroll you.”
“Daisy...”
She knelt down, running her hands down his legs to find the end of the rope. They grew up together so she wasn’t embarrassed—much—by searching his body. She found the end and started working on the knot.
“The last I knew you were standing in the aisle as I opened the washroom door. What happened after that?”
“Somebody pushed me into the washroom and I fell against you, and you hit something hard enough to knock you out cold. As I was trying to get to the window, the train crashed into a man-made barricade and apparently that knocked me unconscious, too.”
“Why do you say someone made the barricade?”
“It was intentionally set up to stop the train. Some of your fellow passengers were robbers.” He jerked his head toward the bodies up the hill. “I’m guessing that’s part of the train crew lying up there with bullet holes in their bodies.”
Montana Sky: Elof's Mission (Kindle Worlds Novella) (Grooms with Honor Book 0) Page 10