The Unexpected Bride

by Debra Ullrick

  “Are we all set up outside?” his mother asked.

  He pulled his gaze away from Rainee and looked at her. “Yes. I was just coming to get you two. Shall we?” He offered each of them an arm and tried to ignore the tingling sensation Rainee’s touch created.

  His mind froze, and the silence in his brain was deafening.

  He needed to quit feeling like this, no matter how remarkable Rainee was. But every time he saw her, he liked what he saw more and more, not her outward beauty but her inward beauty. And when she touched him, even as innocent as this was, his feelings became stronger.

  His hand itched with the temptation to yank Rainee’s arm from his and to flee far away from her while he still could. But he feared it might be too late already and besides, his manners wouldn’t allow him to. He corralled his emotions and did what needed to be done—and found he enjoyed doing it far too much.

  Outside, under the clear blue sky and warm morning sun, he escorted his mother and Rainee to the rows of flat log benches situated under the morning shade on the east side of the house.

  He noticed a small huddle of people off to the side. Jesse and Hannah were among the group, talking to the neighbors. Haydon turned his back on his brother. The last thing he wanted to do was talk to Jess before a church service.

  He’d tried to forgive his brother, but every time he got around Rainee, he was reminded again what Jesse had done not only to her but also to him and anger over the situation would settle on him again.

  His gaze touched on his mother’s for a brief moment. She wasn’t pleased or fooled by his actions, but he needed to stay away from his brother for a little while longer. Otherwise he might say or do something he would regret. And he had enough regrets to last him two lifetimes.

  Rainee gazed up at him. Her countenance appeared sweeter than it had last night. He couldn’t quite read the look in her eyes—nor did he want to—so he broke contact and looked in front of him to where all the neighbors were seated. He was met with glances and stares of curiosity, gaping mouths and whispering.

  He glimpsed Rainee’s flushed face and wondered again what would drive a beautiful, kind woman to do what she had done. Desperation? Lack of money? What? The more he pondered her reasons for leaving her home and how hard it had to have been for her to place an advertisement, the more his heart softened toward her. It took a brave woman to do what she had done. He admired her for that. She deserved a suitable husband.

  Not liking where his thoughts were leading him, he gave himself a mental shake and looked for an empty seat.

  Leah and Abby sat with the neighbor’s daughters, who were close to their own ages. Michael and Smokey sat at the far end of the back row. Haydon followed Michael’s trail of vision to a young blonde beauty talking with Mrs. Swedberg. The girl appeared to be close to Michael’s age. Haydon smiled, relieved that his brother had taken their talk to heart and given up his infatuation with Rainee.

  He led his mother and Rainee to the only available bench. He stepped back and motioned Rainee forward, but his mother stepped ahead of her and sat down, forcing him to sit beside Rainee. His gut twisted, knowing his mother had done it on purpose.

  He sat down on the cramped seat. His leg brushed against Rainee’s, and warmth spread down his leg. With one jerk, he moved his leg over as far as he could.

  Reverend James walked in front of the makeshift podium and removed his hat. The sunshine blazing down on his head brought out the orange highlights in his copper hair. His green eyes connected with each person. “Thank you all for coming. I look forward to our time together.” He smiled. “Today I feel led to teach about the importance of seeking God’s will for our lives. Have we become so independent and self-sufficient that we think we don’t need our Heavenly Father or His direction? If so, where has that attitude gotten you?”

  A deceased wife and nothing but misery. It would have been nice to be able to get clear of those thoughts, but they were chained to Haydon’s spirit as surely as if they were physical.

  “Whose will do you want in your life—God’s or your own?”

  Haydon’s shoulders dropped. At one time he had longed to do God’s will and sought it out on a daily basis. But not once had he sought God’s will concerning Melanie.

  He had loved Melanie and wanted to marry her, despite the many warnings he’d received from his friends, his father and, if he could bear to admit it, from his Heavenly Father.

  He thought back to all the warning signs. Signs he had chosen to ignore. He’d been deceived not only by his own willful stubbornness, but also by his wife and her many charms.

  Back East Melanie had attended church regularly. She said and did all the right things. But after they’d married and moved out West, she refused to attend their local meetings. Instead she holed up in their cabin until everyone went home because she refused to socialize with these “backwoods lowlifes,” as she called them.

  And it had only gotten worse over their short time here. In one of Melanie’s fits of displeasure, she mockingly confessed the only reason she had attended church in the first place was to show off her new dresses and to impress everyone with her high social standing. He should have seen that, but he’d been too blinded by what he wanted to see, by what he wanted to be real.

  The ultimate blow came when she told him she wasn’t a Christian and she didn’t believe in God or Christ. She’d faked faith because she knew Haydon wouldn’t marry her otherwise.

  Haydon’s heart ached afresh, knowing Melanie had possibly died not knowing Jesus. He could only hope before she’d drawn her last breath, she had asked Christ into her heart. After all, Melanie had heard the salvation message plenty of times.

  The sound of people singing splintered his mind from its painful memories.

  Haydon closed his eyes and sang the words that meant so much to him. A few choruses later, his concentration switched to the sweet but slightly out-of-tune voice next to him. Only it wasn’t Rainee’s off-key singing that had hooked his attention, it was the conviction in her tone. She sang as if the words meant something to her.

  He stole a sideways glance, and what he saw mesmerized him—Rainee’s face raised toward heaven, shiny drops sliding down her sun-bronzed cheeks and glowing face. Gone was the snobbish image he had engraved in his mind from their first encounter.

  Reverend James said the closing prayer. The women excused themselves and started setting out the generous fare.

  Haydon stood back and watched Rainee as she jumped right in and helped. She draped tablecloths over the makeshift tables and made several trips to the well, filling bucket after bucket with water and carrying them to the table. She made numerous trips in and out of the house, her arms loaded with homemade desserts.

  Melanie would have never done any of that. In fact, Melanie did nothing but read her dime novels, sit in front of a mirror or bark orders at his sisters. When he had found out she had been ordering them about, he had immediately put a stop to it.

  Abby’s cry snapped his attention in that direction. His little sister was sitting on the ground, looking at her knee, crying loud enough to alert everyone within a 30-mile radius to her plight. He started toward her but stopped when he saw Rainee hurrying toward Abby. Haydon watched as she dropped to her knees in front of the child, never once giving heed to what the dirt was doing to her dress.

  “What happened, Abby?” The kindness and genuine compassion in her voice touched a chord deep inside him. A chord he would rather not have strummed.

  “I hurted my knee,” Abby cried.

  “Oh, sweetie. I am so sorry. Come. We will make it feel all better.” She scooped Abby up and carried her into the house.

  Minutes later, they stepped outside together. Abby held Rainee’s hand, smiling and skipping happily at her side.

  Haydon picked up another bench and carried it over to one of the tables, eyeing his neighbors as they too watched Rainee’s every move. They had to be wondering who this woman was. So far, his mother had offer
ed no other information other than her name. It wouldn’t be long, though, before someone asked how she came to be here.

  From yards away, Haydon’s gaze zoned in on nineteen-year-old Jake Lure strutting up to Rainee like a bull on the hunt. Haydon dropped one end of the bench. It thudded as it hit the ground.

  Abby pulled away and ran toward her friends.

  Jake cocked his shoulders back and tipped his nose up higher than normal. He reached for Rainee’s hand and kissed it.

  Her cheeks suddenly reddened. To make things worse, within seconds, forty-five-year-old Norwegian widower Tom Elder, seventeen-year-old John Smitty, and twenty-three-year-old Peter James, Reverend James’ brother, each took turns introducing themselves and kissing her hand. Each tried to outdo the other. They reminded Haydon of a bunch of young bucks trying to claim their territory. It would have been funny if he could have allowed himself to laugh about it, but his protective side had already kicked in.

  He wanted to forget moving benches and go stand next to Rainee’s side to keep the predators away.

  But what gave him the right to do so?

  Her new admirers were only doing what he refused to do.

  Rainee looked around until her gaze touched his.

  His heart did an upward kick like a frisky colt on a brisk spring day. The quiet desperation in her fawn-colored eyes pled with him to rescue her. And rescue her he would. After all, a promise was a promise, and he had promised the Lord and himself that he would watch over her today. Even so, he would have done it without a promise, knowing how desperate men out West were for womenfolk.

  Haydon finished setting the bench down and strode over to where she stood. He extended a hand to each of the men. “Hello, gentlemen.” They each shook his hand but never took their eyes off of Rainee. He couldn’t really blame them. She was a very beautiful woman. A woman who was under his care for the time being. “The ladies have the food ready now if you’d like to grab yourselves a plate.”

  “Miss Devonwood, would you do me the honor of joining me?” Tom bent his elbow and offered her his arm.

  John stepped in front of Tom. “I’d be mighty honored iffen you’d join me, Miss Devonwood.”

  “She’s eating with me.” Jake grabbed Rainee’s arm and yanked her to his side.

  This whole thing was getting out of hand. He needed to do something and fast. Haydon stepped up along the other side of her. “Sorry, gentlemen.” He eyed each one with a warning glance. “Rainelle is with me.” The second those words left his mouth, his gut cringed. Where did that come from? Couldn’t he have said something else?

  She looked up at him. Her smile of approval warmed his soul. Even though it felt hypocritical, he knew he had done the right thing. He tucked her hand through his arm, and the sudden fluttering of his heart made him even more confused about what the right thing was.

  As he led her to the food tables, the men’s stares bore through him like railroad spikes. No doubt, the men believed he was staking his claim on her. Well, let them think what they wanted. His only intention was to watch over her while she was a guest in his mother’s home. Just keep telling yourself that, Haydon, and you just might believe it yourself pretty soon.

  Then, a few steps forward, he realized his mistake. The perfect resolution to the mess Jess had gotten him into might very well be standing in the food line. If she married one of his neighbors, he would be free of his burden.

  Burden.

  But was she really a burden? Or was he scared to death she wasn’t?

  Since her arrival, she had helped his mother and sister prepare meals, bake bread and desserts, weed the garden, scrub the kitchen floor, clean the house, wash clothes and do any other chore that needed done.

  He liked that about her. She was at home being one of them. More important, when he was honest with himself, he realized he liked her. He always had. In fact, the word like was starting to feel too tame.

  Reverend James’s message trailed through his mind. The point here wasn’t whether or not she was a burden. But what did God want him to do? Determination rose in Haydon. He needed to find out just what God’s will was in this situation. This time he needed to know before he let his feelings take over.

  While Rainee gathered a small amount of food onto her plate, Haydon filled his with fried fish, quail, a thick slice of ham, morel mushrooms, potatoes boiled with dill, a slab of butter to eat with his potatoes and Lefsa.

  She grabbed two tin cups and dipped them into one of the buckets of water and handed one to him.

  “Thank you.”

  “You are welcome.” There was that smile again. The one that could turn a man’s head and heart into mush, including his. He mentally shook himself.

  Drinks and plates in hand, he led her to an empty table. At least it was empty—until Rainee sat. Then her group of admirerers barreled to their table and sat across from her.

  Guess they didn’t think he was staking his claim on her after all. Haydon sighed inwardly and lowered himself next to her. His shoulder brushed hers. Their gazes connected. Her eyes sparkled and she smiled that sweet smile of hers. Haydon’s heart melted like sugar in a cup of soothing hot tea, and his lips curled upward.

  She looked away, and he heard her suck in a sharp breath.

  Wondering what was the matter, he followed her gaze. Locked in one of the pens, Kitty’s little beady eyes looked directly at them through the slats in the fence. The sow dropped her nose to the ground and started scooping up the dirt under the bottom fence rail. After several scoops, she looked through the slats again. Then repeated the process.

  He laid his hand on Rainee’s arm and leaned over to whisper in her ear. “Kitty can’t get out. I promise.”

  She looked at him, unconvinced. “Why—why is she penned up so close to the house?”

  Kitty wasn’t all that close, but he’d let that part of the question go. To Rainee, having the pig anywhere within eyesight would be too close. Once again he whispered in her ear to protect her from any kind of embarrassment she might encounter in front of his neighbors. “If I didn’t pen her, she would be joining us in the yard like she often does. I locked her up this morning because I didn’t want her frightening you again.”

  “That is so sweet of you, Haydon. Thank you. You will never know how truly grateful I am for your thoughtfulness.” She glanced toward the pen again and back at him. “Are—are you sure she cannot get out?”

  “I’m sure. Don’t let her digging get to you. She’d have to dig a huge hole before she could slide her fat belly under the fence. You’re perfectly safe. Trust me.”

  Could she? Could she trust him when he didn’t even trust himself anymore?

  She nodded and then picked up her drinking cup.

  “So, tell me, miss.” Tom shoved a huge chunk of ham into his mouth. “How do you know the Bowens?”

  Haydon’s insides stilled and his smile vanished.

  Chapter Twelve

  Sunday evening, after everyone had gone to bed, Rainee draped her shawl around her shoulders and headed downstairs. She stepped out onto the porch to think things through and to pray for guidance about her situation. She tucked her robe around her and lowered herself onto the porch swing. Using the balls of her feet, she put the front porch swing in motion.

  Stars glistened like precious gems in the endless inky sky, and a chorus of frogs filled the silence. Rainee leaned back in the swing and closed her eyes, sighing, relieved this day was over.

  Sitting at the table with all those men at lunch asking her how she knew the Bowens had been quite daunting. She had been prepared to answer anyone if they asked why she was there but not how she knew them. Why, if Haydon had not spoken up when he had, diverting their attention away from the topic, Rainee shuddered to think what would have transpired.

  Because of her love for the Bowens, she had prayed fervently the night before the church service that God would work everything out and spare them any humiliation her being there might cause.

 
God, in His tender mercy, had once again answered her prayers. Even when Katherine had introduced Rainee to her neighbors as her guest, the questions lingered in their eyes, but none put a voice to their curiosity, much to Rainee’s relief.

  Rainee smiled as contentment wrapped itself around her. Though she had only been here a few weeks, she felt at home because of the kindness of these people. Especially Haydon, who kept her in a constant state of confusion. He wanted her to leave, then he protected her from the onslaught of male neighbors. Somehow he had even managed to keep the conversation off of her and onto other things.

  Against her better judgment, she admired everything about him. How he protected and took care of not just his family, but her, too.

  His obvious love for the Lord.

  His kindness and compassion toward his neighbors.

  His deep love for his family. Well, except Jesse, perhaps. She noticed he avoided him.

  She also admired his physical attributes.

  Eyes the color of sapphire gems.

  Teeth as white as freshly fallen snow.

  Hair the color of winter wheat.

  Strength in his masculine jaw.

  And muscular arms Rainee longed to feel, to see if they were as solid as they appeared.

  Rainee’s cheeks heated at that thought. If Mother knew she was thinking about a man’s muscles, she would surely give Rainee a tongue lashing. Before her mother’s words had a chance to formulate in her mind, Rainee blocked them. Proper or not, she found she did not want to stop thinking about him. He represented everything she desired in a man.

  Gentle yet strong.

  Kind but bold.

  Sure and steadfast.

  A man who under all that gruff exterior had a heart as big as the Idaho Territory. A man she now greatly esteemed, perhaps even loved.

  A conversation she and her mother had shared about that very thing strolled through her mind.

  “Mother, how will I know when I am in love?” Rainee had asked.