The Bridal Swap

by Karen Kirst

  “Is there anything else you need?”

  “No.” Kate rested her hands on the top of the chair. “Thanks for bringing this over. Would you like to join me?”

  “I wish I could, but I gotta check on the new calf.”

  She lifted the dessert plate. “Take at least one of these with you.”

  Grinning, he held up his hands. “There’s a dozen or more of those in the kitchen. I’ve already had my fair share.” He started for the door. “See you at supper.”

  When he’d gone, she stared at the table, her gaze caught by the lone cup and saucer. Tears sprang up. It seemed she was destined to always be alone.

  Seated at the end of the pew with Mary on her left, Kate admired the church’s stained-glass windows and ornately carved wooden podium. It was not a large building, by any means, but it was well-maintained and the pews gleamed in the muted, rainbow-colored light.

  “What a lovely church,” Kate murmured.

  Mary sat with her gloved hands folded primly in her lap. “Do you attend services back home?”

  “Yes.” Kate pictured the grand, overstated auditorium and the fashionably dressed men and women who attended the services. The preacher there was nice enough, though she often left feeling dissatisfied. “I’m eager to hear Reverend Monroe.”

  “He’s a good speaker.” She nodded. “I like his practical style. He’s humorous, too.”

  “It was good of him and his wife to take in my driver and Mr. Crandall the other night. I’ll have to personally thank them.”

  “I’ll introduce you after the service.”

  “Thank you.”

  Mary leaned close, her voice hushed. “You didn’t happen to see Joshua this morning, did you? He’s never late.”

  “No, I didn’t.”

  He wasn’t at supper last night. When no one remarked at his absence, she’d assumed he’d informed them of his whereabouts. When he hadn’t shown up for breakfast, Kate got the sinking feeling he was avoiding her. Why his behavior should bother her she hadn’t a clue. So what if Josh O’Malley didn’t like her? She wouldn’t be here forever.

  Glancing over her shoulder, she became aware of several people watching her with interest. Pretending not to notice, she stared straight ahead once more. Of course, the townsfolk would wonder about her. By now everyone must know she was not Josh’s fiancée. She didn’t like being the center of attention, however.

  Maybe that’s why Josh hadn’t come. How difficult it would be for him to face these people—his friends and acquaintances—and admit he’d been cast off! Father, please comfort him. Ease his hurt and disappointment.

  At last, the service began. With Mrs. Monroe at the piano, the reverend led the congregation in two familiar hymns. Its beauty was in its simplicity. Her spirit soared at the sound of the pure worship, voices lifted in praise to God.

  When everyone was seated and the reverend opened his Bible, Kate sat unmoving, absorbing his every word.

  Sitting in the very last row, two steps from the door, Josh couldn’t tear his gaze from Kate. He studied the sweet curve of her cheek, the pink tip of her ear, the slender slope of her neck.

  He should be listening to the sermon, he knew, but her rapt expression—the vulnerability and wonder he saw there—captivated him. She’d indicated faith in God, so why did she look as if this was the very first time she’d heard God’s Word preached?

  He tried to turn his attention to the reverend and failed. His conscience troubled him. He’d been callous and rude, and he was never rude. He prided himself on being a gentleman, yet look at how he’d treated Kate from the very moment he set eyes on her.

  The fact was she scared the daylights out of him. Here he was supposed to be nursing a broken heart and instead he found himself intrigued by his former fiancée’s little sister.

  His instinct told him to steer clear of her. But he didn’t want to hurt her. And avoiding her would not go unnoticed, not by her and certainly not by his family.

  Remember, she won’t be here forever.

  Fall was a busy season on the farm, anyway. Hog killings, apple peelings, corn shuckings. When he wasn’t helping his father and brothers, he’d be in his workshop, making furniture. The time would pass quickly.

  Before he knew it, everyone was standing for the closing prayer. He’d missed the entire message because his mind had been filled with thoughts of her. Not good.

  Wanting to skip the inevitable questions and looks of pity from the congregation, Josh ducked out the door and headed home ahead of his family. He waited for Kate in the shade of her front porch.

  She hesitated when she saw him. What was she thinking?

  “Hi.” He stayed where he was, waiting for her to come to him. His parents and brothers waved but continued toward the house.

  “Hello.”

  Kate appeared every inch the sophisticated heiress.

  She was meticulously dressed, as usual, in a light brown linen suit with cutouts and dark cocoa piping on the sleeves. Her gloves and bonnet were also dark brown. With the help of his mother, she’d styled her hair differently today—the top half caught up in ribbons while the mass of dark waves tumbled about her shoulders. Sunlight glinted in the strands with each movement of her head.

  “What did you think of the service?” Arms folded, he leaned back against the railing.

  She climbed the three steps and stopped, her hands folded primly at her waist. “I’ve never heard anything like it.”

  That surprised him. “Francesca said your family attends church every Sunday.”

  “That’s true. Our pastor’s sermons are mostly about helping the less fortunate. Not once have I left there feeling as I do now, convicted yet encouraged.”

  Interesting. “Your sister didn’t care to discuss her faith. I realize it’s a private topic for some people, but now I’m wondering if she didn’t have a foundation to draw from.”

  “A couple of years ago, a friend of mine walked me through the Scriptures, showing me how to become a follower of Jesus Christ. I shared this with both my parents and Francesca.” She bowed her head, her fingers now clamped tight. “They weren’t interested.”

  A slow hiss escaped his lips. “I’m sorry.”

  And he was. Sorry for them, because they were missing out on a precious relationship with the God of the universe. Sorry for Kate. He, too, had loved ones who didn’t know Christ and didn’t care to know Him. It was tough. And he was sorry for himself. In his longing for a family of his own, he’d neglected to discover the important things about his future bride. As hurtful as it was, he was beginning to think Francesca had done him a favor.

  “Me, too. I hold on to hope, however, that one day they will change their minds.”

  “I’ll pray for that.”

  “Thanks, Josh. That means a lot.”

  In her eyes he saw sadness and something more, an emotion he himself struggled with. Loneliness. But how could she be lonely?

  Kate was the member of a prominent, influential New York City family. Certainly she mingled with other socialites her age. Francesca had written in detail about the grand gatherings they attended each week.

  Another thought struck him with the full force of a sledgehammer. Not only was Kate lovely and sweeter than pecan pie, she was the eligible daughter of oil magnate Patrick Morgan. Single men must be lining up to court her. The image soured his stomach.

  He hadn’t asked if she had a steady beau, and he didn’t plan to. He was not interested in Kate’s love life.

  Pushing away from the railing, he moved toward her. “Are you joining us for lunch?”

  His mother and aunt had planned a picnic.

  “Yes, I’m just going inside to choose a couple of books for Megan.”

  When he
drew near, she stepped aside to let him pass. He didn’t. He inhaled her citrusy scent. “Romance is her favorite.”

  Her long lashes swept down to hide her eyes. “I remember.”

  “And what is yours?”

  “I prefer science and nature books.”

  “You surprise me, Kate.”

  “Why?” Her gaze shot to his. “Because socialites as a rule must only be interested in the latest fashions? Learning cross-stitch and backgammon?”

  “Exactly,” he drawled. “For if you women exercise your vast intelligence, you’ll soon realize you have no need for men.”

  Kate burst out laughing. The musical sound warmed him straight through to his soul.

  “You have a nice laugh,” he said softly.

  She blushed and looked away. He could’ve kicked himself. Why had he said that out loud?

  “Well, I’d better change and get the wagon ready.”

  He did move on then, before he said something else best left unsaid.

  It was a perfect afternoon for a picnic, a flawless autumn day with startling blue skies and sunshine that soothed the soul. Perched on the patterned quilt spread out across the grass, Kate was content to listen to the conversation flowing around her.

  Megan and Nicole sat on her left and directly across were Nathan and Josh. While she and the girls sat primly with their skirts arranged just so, the men had removed their boots and stretched out their large frames so that they were half sitting, half lying on the quilt. Josh was nearest to her, his pant-clad leg an inch or so from her taupe linen skirt.

  Kate felt the weight of his every glance as if it were a physical touch.

  His classical features put her in mind of the marble statues in the estate gardens—Roman soldiers of noble beauty and strength. His skin wouldn’t be cold to the touch, of course, but certainly as smooth. His trim mustache and goatee gave him a dangerous air, and it wasn’t difficult to picture him as a fierce warrior, a leader among men.

  The sunlight made the tips of his hair shine liquid gold. No doubt its texture was that of the finest silk… Enough. Like every other upstanding, morally upright man, he was out of reach. Him especially. To daydream about her sister’s former fiancé was utterly unacceptable.

  Wrenching her gaze away, she scanned the lush, green fields sloping gently to the stream and the trees along the bank. On distant hills stood row upon row of corn. Black shapes were some farmer’s cattle grazing. The landscape’s verdant beauty imprinted itself on her mind and settled deep in her soul. Never before had she been so affected by her surroundings.

  As Josh had said, this place really was a slice of paradise.

  Kate turned her head at the sound of Mary’s laughter. She and Sam, along with Alice, Sam’s late brother’s wife, occupied a second quilt closer to the water. Mary had introduced Kate to the girls’ mother that morning at church, and she had seemed sincere in her welcome. In fact, everyone who’d gathered around at the completion of the services had been kind, expressing their delight at meeting her. It had been as pleasant as it had been unsettling. Their lack of formality had been wholly unexpected. She couldn’t picture the affluent people of her church acting in such a manner.

  Megan and Nicole’s younger sisters, fifteen-year-old twins Jessica and Jane, strolled arm in arm along the bank. Caleb wasn’t here. He’d escaped immediately after breakfast. Kate wondered where he spent all his time.

  “Kate, tell us more about New York.”

  Nicole’s eyes sparkled with curiosity. Of all the O’Malley sisters, the seventeen-year-old wore the finest dresses, and her glossy black mane was at all times meticulously styled, not a hair out of place.

  “What would you like to know?”

  “How far do you live from the dress shops?”

  “There are a number near our home, but oftentimes the designers come to us with new arrivals from London and Paris. If my mother, sister or I need an outfit for a special occasion, they bring sketches and materials to choose from.”

  Josh scowled in disapproval. She hoped he didn’t assume those things were important to her.

  “Can you believe that, Megan?” Nicole nudged her sister, her eyes like saucers. “I am so envious!”

  Kate lifted a shoulder. “It’s convenient. I’m not an avid follower of fashion, like my mother and sister. There are certain colors and fabrics I prefer, of course, but my interests lie elsewhere.”

  Megan looked up from the book in her lap, a volume of poetry Kate had lent her, blond curls tumbling across her forehead. “How did you come to be interested in photography?”

  “My father has friends in that field—both amateurs and professionals. Whenever he visited their studios, he didn’t mind my tagging along if I promised not to disturb anything. The cameras fascinated me—the different sizes and wood grains and gadgetry.”

  “When did you decide to try it for yourself?” Josh shifted, and his knee brushed hers.

  The casual contact jolted her. Swallowing hard, she struggled to keep her voice steady. “I wanted my own camera for a long time, but my father made me wait until I was fifteen. Up until the last year or so, the process of taking a photograph and exposing the image was a daunting one. Chemicals were—and still are—involved, although now with the dry plates it isn’t rushed.” She addressed Megan. “I could take photographs of you and your sisters if you’d like.”

  “That would be wonderful! Thank you.”

  Nicole appeared thoughtful. “What should I wear?”

  Nathan chuckled. “Clothes.”

  She stuck her tongue out. “Hilarious, Nathan.”

  “You’ve looked fetching in every outfit I’ve seen you wear,” Kate assured her. “Anything you choose will do splendidly.”

  She blushed prettily. “That’s nice of you to say.”

  Kate caught Josh’s appreciative smile, his eyes communicating his approval. It was obvious he cared deeply for his family. Unlike the ambitious, shallow men of her acquaintance, Josh stood for honor and compassion. He was the kind of man who put the needs of others before his own and would sacrifice everything for those he loved.

  “What did Kate bring for you to read, Megan?” he asked, his gaze never wavering from Kate’s face. Like a moth to a flame, she was drawn to him. She couldn’t look away.

  “The Count of Monte Cristo, Great Expectations and Mansfield Park.”

  “That should keep you occupied for two or three days.” He winked at Kate.

  “Maybe one day Megan and I can come and visit you in New York,” Nicole said wistfully.

  Kate did break eye contact then. “I’d like that,” she said, meaning it.

  “Honestly?”

  “Yes.” She laughed. “You’re welcome anytime.”

  “Josh said Francesca is the same age as our eldest sister, Juliana. Twenty-one. How old are you?”

  “Nicole.” Josh’s voice deepened in warning.

  “Nineteen.”

  “The same age as Megan,” she gushed. “Do you have a steady beau?”

  “You shouldn’t ask such things, Nicki,” Nathan admonished with a nudge of his foot.

  She whipped her head around. “Don’t call me that!”

  Kate sensed rather than saw Josh’s sharpened gaze. “You don’t have to answer.”

  “I don’t mind.” Nicole hadn’t meant to be intrusive. She was young and in awe of Kate’s life in the big city. “I don’t have anyone special in my life.”

  “All three of my cousins are single, you know. Well, I suppose Josh isn’t ready to court anyone just yet after what your sister did to him. And Caleb—” she scrunched up her nose “—is not what I’d call a catch. A bigger grump I’ve never met! That leaves Nathan. He’s real nice most of the time.”

&
nbsp; Nathan had tugged on his boots and was hauling Nicole to her feet before anyone could utter a word. He led her, sputtering her displeasure, toward the water. The three of them sat there in heavy silence for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, Megan cleared her throat.

  “I think I’ll join Jessica and Jane.”

  Face averted, her gaze on the distant trees, Kate wished she could disappear. Her cheeks burned with humiliation.

  “Kate.”

  “Hmm?”

  “Will you look at me?”

  His eyes seemed to see straight into her soul, exposing her secrets. “I’m sorry about that. My cousin rarely thinks before she speaks. I’m sure she didn’t set out to embarrass you.”

  “Poor Nathan.” She dredged up something resembling a smile. “He won’t be able to look me in the eye.”

  “Nathan may seem shy and unassuming, but he can be tough when the need arises.”

  She glanced to where Nathan was walking with Nicole beside the water, his arm around her shoulders. She was a spirited girl. For any man to calm her would take a strong will and finesse.

  Kate moved to rise. “Now is probably a good time to speak with your parents about arranging for another place to stay. It slipped my mind yesterday.”

  A tiny gasp escaped her lips when Josh took abrupt hold of her hand. She’d forgone gloves for this outing, and the sensation of his rougher skin against hers shot fiery tingles up and down her arm. His grip was both gentle and firm, anchoring her to the spot.

  “There’s no need to go anywhere else. Unless you want to, that is.”

  She bit her lip. “I do enjoy being around your family. They’ve been extremely kind to me.”

  His expression remained neutral. “Then it’s settled. You’re staying.”

  Chapter Seven

  East Tennessee was weaving its way into Kate’s heart.