Mail Order Man

by Heather Gray

Sarah could see Mr. Livingston meant the statement in humor, but her humor had fled. Until she confirmed with Ida and John that he was who he said he was, she was not comfortable allowing more familiarity with him than she already had. Add to that the problem of all this mail, which Sarah was still certain had to be some kind of mistake, plus her run-in with the men in town that very morning, and Sarah wasn’t sure what to do.

  She finally answered, “Mr. Livingston, I appreciate the invitation, but we have not yet been formally introduced, and I do not think it is proper for me to call you by your given name.”

  Samuel certainly wouldn’t need to be a super sleuth in order to notice how uncomfortable Sarah had become. Her experience in town that morning came rushing back to her, and she couldn’t believe how uncharacteristically permissive she had been with him up to this point. Pulling formality around her like a cloak of protection, Sarah took only a small step back but managed to place a gulf between them. Samuel, for his part, nodded respectfully to her and then went to help with the mail bags.

  As Samuel went out the door, Sarah could have kicked herself. She knew she sounded stilted but seemed able to do nothing to change. Knowing plenty of work was waiting and that she needed to put her enchanting talking wall out of her mind, she pulled her work apron down from its hook and tied it behind her back in her normal no-nonsense way. Sarah then pivoted around only to see, through the front window, her handsome talking wall dumping out the rest of the coffee she had made. The entire contents of the pot, not simply what was in his mug, went flying. He raised his head, and his eyes widened in surprise. Offering her a crooked grin, he shrugged guiltily, telling Sarah he’d been hoping his actions would go without notice.

  Sarah stared at him blankly, not sure what to make of his action. On his face was an expression mirroring that of a little kid who had been caught pilfering candy. Sarah’s eyes fell to the mug of coffee she had set for herself on the counter. Even in a solid-colored mug she could see straight through the coffee to the bottom of the cup.

  The door clinked softly as Samuel came back through it. When Sarah didn’t say anything, he spoke up. “I thought I would make a fresh pot?”

  The events of the day thus far conspired together in Sarah’s mind. The ludicrous situation with the mail piling up around her, the terribly weak coffee she saw sitting in her own mug, and the way in which Samuel mentioned the coffee – more like a question than a statement – all caused a laugh to bubble up out of Sarah. She was certain she ought to behave in a more refined and serious manner given the uncertain nature of her relationship with Samuel, but she could not hold the laughter in. Before she knew it, she was doubled over in laughter and wiping tears away from her eyes as she gasped for breath.

  ****

  Samuel did not laugh as he stood there watching Sarah. He simply drank in the sight of her. Never had he seen a woman so attractive before. It was apparent she was beautiful when he saw her on the street. When he realized she ran the stage office, he knew she was a good Christian woman, for his cousin had already mentioned her to him. The way she conducted herself with Cesar and defended his parents’ schooling of their boys demonstrated her kindness. Not until she let her guard down and began laughing, though, did he realize how breathtaking Sarah was. Her face shone with joy and good humor, and the fact that she could laugh at herself and her own awful coffee only served to cultivate the emerging attraction he felt for her.

  A few curls had worked themselves loose from Sarah’s bun and bounced around her head in a way that made Samuel’s hand itch to reach out and discover for himself if those curls were as soft as they appeared. Her eyes twinkled with merriment. The corners of her mouth tilted up, making Samuel want nothing more than to kiss the laugh lines that now framed her captivating rosy lips. Samuel could not tear his eyes away from her mouth and fought to gain control of himself so he would not frighten her. He had been dealing with matchmaking mamas for a lot of years and had dealt with many a young woman being pushed in front of him for inspection. This was the first time, though, he felt a stirring deep inside of him in response to a woman. The urge to get closer to and know more about the lady before him was nearly overwhelming. What made her grey-green eyes dance with mirth? How would her wheat-colored hair hang down her back once it was out of its bun? Samuel wanted to run his fingers along her delicate jaw and see her eyes darken with the same feelings coursing through him. He wanted… Samuel reined his thoughts in by sheer force of will, not wanting the intensity he felt to be apparent in his gaze.

  ****

  As Sarah settled down and got her laughter under control, she nodded to Samuel and said, “Alright then, Mr. Livingston, you may make a fresh pot of coffee, but I’m warning you, if it turns out as bad as mine did, I won’t try to spare your feelings by sneaking around to dispose of it while you aren’t paying attention. I’ll toss it out while you stand right there watching.” So there would be no mistake and he would know she was jesting with him, she added, “Though that was terribly kind of you,” and gave him a wink. Sarah was shocked by her own daring and quickly pivoted away, busying herself with work so Samuel would not see her own reaction to the wink she’d given him.

  ****

  “This does not make any sense at all,” Sarah mumbled to herself as she sorted through the mail. Letter after letter was addressed to Eligible Female, Larkspur, Idaho Territory.

  Cesar had been helping her to go through the mail in each bag, trying to separate it between the pieces for Eligible Female and those for the town’s residents. So far only two pieces of mail had been for residents of Larkspur. The rest were for Eligible Female.

  Sarah jotted a note onto a piece of paper and called Cesar over. “Cesar, I need you to take this to the mayor please. Tell him it is not life-threatening but it is urgent.”

  The look on Cesar’s face declared his panic to everyone within sight. “Señorita, no hay…”

  If his expression of horror hadn’t been enough, Sarah would have known by his lapse into Spanish that he was extraordinarily uncomfortable with her request. She patted her hair back into place as she thought this through. “Cesar, I need to get this note to the mayor, but I cannot leave the stage office. I need you to do this for me. It’s important.”

  “Miss Jenkins, if I may,” Samuel, who had remained at the office, interjected. “I was supposed to escort my cousin to the mercantile this morning. I would gladly accompany Cesar to the mayor’s office before going to collect her.”

  Worried Cesar might be offended by the offer, Sarah watched him closely. Her young employee, she knew, did not like being treated as a child. The look of relief on the boy’s face was so genuine, though, there was no way Sarah could deny Samuel’s request. She was not entirely comfortable being alone at the office today, in light of the strange mail and her encounter with the men this morning in town, but this seemed a good solution. Sarah paused in her thoughts as she realized she was having trouble with mail and males. There had to be a joke in there somewhere, but for the life of her, she couldn’t figure it out.

  Knowing Cesar would come back straightaway and she would not be alone at the office for long, Sarah felt comfortable with Samuel’s plan.

  “Excellent, Mr. Livingston! I do believe you may be the perfect solution.”

  Realizing what she’d said, Sarah stammered for a moment and then quickly corrected herself. “I mean to say, I do believe you may have the perfect solution.” A light blush tinted her cheeks as she waved Samuel and Cesar off. As they left, Sarah returned to her work sorting the mail. She had admonished Cesar to be sure to get back before the next stage arrived, and she knew he would honor that request.

  ****

  Sarah had managed to rescue seven pieces of mail for real live Larkspur residents by the time Cesar returned from the mayor’s office. “The mayor said he would be along within the hour, Señorita.”

  Sarah nodded and thanked him for the message as the next stage arrived. A frenzy of activity ensued as everyone became b
usy with both passengers and more mail flooding into the stage office.

  Putting on her best smile, Sarah greeted the passengers as they came into the office to inquire about lodging, luggage, and stage connections that would deliver them to other towns. She noticed two more men arrive who seemed a bit less than reputable and who did not come into the stage office but rather lingered outside in a way Sarah typically frowned upon.

  Accompanying the passengers were another three bags of mail. Along with the six bags of mail on the previous stage, these bags set a new record for Larkspur. Sarah had been running the stage office for the past two years. Prior to that, she had helped her father run the office for as long as she could remember. In all those years, Sarah could not recall a single month when they had received this much mail, let alone a single day. This Eligible Female business, whatever it was, was going to be a problem. She could feel it. Somebody somewhere was up to something, and Larkspur was the butt of the joke… or of a sinister plot. Exactly which was yet to be determined.

  The mayor walked into the stage office as the driver and guard for the stage came in to get some coffee and visit for a few minutes. “Sarah, it’s good to see you. What is the urgent matter?”

  “Mr. Mayor, we have received more mail today than we’ve ever gotten before, and all the letters in those bags,” she pointed to four full bags of mail piled up in a corner of the office, “are addressed to Eligible Female.” Sarah pointed at the floor all around her as she continued, “I’ve also got five bags here I haven’t been able to go through yet, but they’re likely all the same.” She grabbed one of the letters she had most recently been sorting and handed it to the mayor. “I don’t know what to do. Who is this and what is the reason for all of this mail?”

  Sarah was only starting to wind up and could have gone on listing all of the questions she had swirling around her head. The guard from the stage pronounced, “Miss Jenkins, we might have an idea of what’s going on here.”

  All eyes swung to the guard. The mayor spoke first. “That’s wonderful, Mr. …ah…”

  “Mr. Zilner,” Sarah supplied.

  “That’s wonderful, Mr. Zilner. What light can you shed on this situation?”

  As the mayor finished his question, Samuel walked back into the stage office with Ida Grayson, the schoolteacher’s wife. Sarah was pleased to see Ida and was only half-tempted to immediately go over to ask her about Samuel and see if she could get the formal introduction she sought. Instead, she kept her place behind the counter and swiveled her eyes attentively to Mr. Zilner.

  All eyes on him, Mr. Zilner suddenly appeared shy. Sarah had known him for years and had never before seen him so discomfited. He removed his hat and nodded to Sarah, speaking directly to her rather than to the other people in the room.

  “We’ve been having a lot of riffraff showing up along the stage line, all, it seems, heading here to Larkspur. A couple of us w’at work for the stage have overheard talk at some of the saloons. These men all seem to be looking for a wife. We couldn’t none of us figure out why they’d think to be finding one in Larkspur of all places, but that’s what it seems to be.”

  “But why would anybody think to find a wife here in Larkspur?” asked Mayor Smith.

  Remembering his earlier remark, Sarah’s eyes swung to Samuel just as he stepped into the midst of the growing ruckus and spoke up. “I think I have an answer to that, Mr. Mayor. Getting to Larkspur to visit Ida was on my agenda, but not this soon,” he said with a nod toward his cousin. “There were a couple of other stops I had planned to make along the way first. I saw something, though, that caught my eye and told me to head straight here. Trouble is heading to Larkspur, and I was hoping I could get here ahead of it.” Samuel placed a newspaper on the counter. It was opened to the classified section, and one particular ad had been circled in ink. “Take a look at this.”

  Seeking Husband

  Must be honest, faithful and true.

  Must be a good Christian man.

  Send inquiries to:

  Eligible Female

  Larkspur, Idaho Territory

  Everyone in the office crowded around to see the ad. The mayor blanched. Ida’s hand went to her throat. Sarah was sure her own face reflected the shock she felt. Samuel was the first to speak. “This would be funny if it wasn’t so dangerous. Mayor, you’re going to need to talk to the sheriff, get some men deputized and have a town meeting to discuss how to handle this. All unaccompanied or unprotected women need to understand the danger they could be in, and they need to have protection provided to them. An ad like this won’t only bring in the good Christian men. It’ll bring in any man who thinks he can profit – either monetarily or physically – from a plethora of eligible women.” After a brief pause Samuel exclaimed, “Exactly how many eligible females are there in this town, anyway?”

  Sarah found her voice at last. “Cesar, go get your brothers and your parents, please. I am going to need their help. Run quickly.” Hopeful she would not be pulling them away from important work, Sarah could not shake the sense of urgency she felt as she waved her young employee out the door. She then directed her attention to Samuel and Ida. “Ida, get pencil and paper, and let’s start making a list of the eligible women in the area. Not only in town, mind you, but in the surrounding areas as well, anyone who might be at risk if they don’t have protection.”

  Having regained some of his color, Mayor Smith commanded attention with his posture and voice. “Mr. Livingston, I’ll ask you to stay here with Miss Jenkins until Cesar and his family return. She will be safe with them on the premises.”

  “Call me Samuel. I had planned to stay until their arrival anyway.”

  “Good, Samuel, thank you. When you are done here, please come by the sheriff’s office. I have a feeling we will need every able-bodied man in town. We will have a town meeting tonight at six o’clock at the church, and we will need to make sure all eligible females are safely escorted there and back home afterward.”

  “After you announce what is going on, Mayor,” Sarah said, “some of those eligible females may not wish to return home where they will be alone. Perhaps Reverend Green could speak to some of the families in town to see if they would be willing to take in some of the single women for a couple of nights until this is all resolved.”

  “Excellent idea, Sarah. When the Martinez family returns, can you send one of the boys to fetch the reverend to the sheriff’s office for me? There is no time to lose here.” With that, Mayor Smith spun toward the door and started walking with purpose and muttering to himself as he walked.

  Because the mayor’s youngest daughter Minnie was Sarah’s best friend, Sarah had grown up around the Mayor and knew him well. She knew he was making a to-do list as he muttered. Sarah was certain he wouldn’t forget a single item on that list, either, and wouldn’t rest until the list had been completed. The town was in good hands with Mayor Smith.

  As he got to the door, the mayor whirled around and speared Sarah with his eyes. “You will be staying at our house, young lady, until this business is all settled. Have Mr. Martinez escort you home to collect whatever you need when you are done here today, and then have him escort you to my house. Go nowhere unaccompanied. Do I make myself clear?”

  Though Sarah’s independent streak rebelled at being spoken to in such a manner, she knew the words were spoken out of love and didn’t take offense. “As a bell, Mayor, but I am going to need to work late. Can I have Mr. Martinez escort me to the meeting tonight instead, and then I can go home with your family after?”

  “I have your word you will go nowhere unaccompanied?” the mayor asked gruffly.

  Sarah simply answered, “Yes, sir.” She stopped herself from asking if he meant her to be accompanied to the outhouse as well.

  The mayor, seemingly satisfied with Sarah’s answer, nodded briskly and said, “That will be fine then.” He and her father had been good friends, and the mayor always treated her as though he had a soft spot for her. Sarah suspecte
d he was more worried about this unfolding situation than he let on.

  Mr. Zilner and the stage driver finished their coffee and took their leave. “We’ll see you at the meeting tonight Miss Sarah.”

  Sarah nodded at Mr. Zilner’s words. Then the driver added, “I can’t wait to see what this town comes up with. I’m bettin’ the folks o’ Larkspur are gonna be madder ‘n a mama grizzly.”

  The Martinez boys arrived and informed Sarah that their parents would be along in about an hour. Sarah sent Carlos, the oldest of the brothers, to find the reverend and let him know he was needed at the sheriff’s office. She asked him to check with the mayor to see if he was needed for anything else before returning to the stage office. She then put the other boys to work going through the remaining bags of mail to make sure they did not miss anything intended for town residents.

  Ida had paper and pencil out and had begun making a list of eligible females in the area. Sarah was about to start helping her brainstorm for names when she realized Samuel was still standing there.

  “Mr. Livingston, I’m so sorry! I forgot you were here. With the boys here, you are able to take your leave if you wish.”

  “Oh Sarah, please forgive me!” spoke Ida. “I should have introduced you. Samuel, this is Sarah. She runs the stage office here in Larkspur, as I’m sure you’ve realized. Sarah, this is my cousin Samuel. He has business in the area and is going to be staying with us for a spell.”

  Samuel reached for Sarah’s hand and bowed with a flourish. She saw the twinkle in his eyes as he pronounced, “It is a pleasure to meet one such as yourself. Please, Miss Jenkins, call me Samuel.”

  Sarah felt the blush creep up her neck and into her cheeks. The attention he gave her was flattery at its best. She had to ask herself, though, if he was always this bold in his behavior, or if this was a show he was putting on for only her. Working to keep her voice sounding normal and not breathless, Sarah uttered, “Of course Samuel, and you may call me Sarah.”