Mail Order Madness (20 page)

Susan shook her head.  “Of course not!  I need you!”  She walked over and hugged the
older woman.  “You were the one who realized he was missing which
is why we found him so quickly.  I don’t know how long he would have been gone if
you hadn’t said something when you did.”

“But I was the one who lost him in the first place!”

“We lost him together.  We were both focused on other things and weren’t paying enough
attention.”
  She wasn’t going to let the nanny take the full blame for something she’d done wrong
as well.

Mrs. Hackenshleimer nodded slowly.  “You still want me to stay?”

“Absolutely!  Who else is going to help me potty train the twins?”
  Susan grinned at the nanny.  “You’re done for the night, though.  Go get your dinner.”

“Thank you.”

Susan took her seat at the foot of the table.  The boys sat in the exact same places
they’d been in the first time she’d eaten with them, and she realized the meal was
the same, too.  So much had happened in the time she’d been in Texas, and she was
thankful she had her family.  She remembered then she was supposed to write Harriett
a few weeks after the wedding and let her know everything was all right.  She made
a mental note to write to her first thing in the morning so she wouldn’t forget.

They all joined hands and David prayed over the food, thanking God that Susan was
in their lives and that they’d found Thomas.  Thomas still had no idea he’d caused
such an uproar, but he liked hearing his name in the prayer. 

Susan turned to Lewis.  “So how was school today?”
  She’d found that asking Lewis before she asked Albert was always a good thing. 
Lewis tended to not only tell her everything Albert had done wrong during the day,
but he happily told on himself as well.

“Albert was making faces at Ruby again.  He had to stand in the corner.”

Susan looked at Albert.   “Who’s Ruby?”
  Was there a girl in the boy’s future?  Wasn’t Ruby one of Beverly’s daughters?

Albert blushed.  “Just a girl.”

“Is she pretty?”
  Susan wiggled her eyebrows as she asked the question, knowing her teasing would
embarrass him.

He shrugged. 

“What’s her last name?”
  She wasn’t going to give up until she knew everything there was to know about the
little girl he made faces at during school.  Wilma had said that was how her relationship
with Ned had started.

“Smith.”

Susan looked at David.  “Is Ruby Charles and Beverly’s daughter?”
  She tried to keep the absolute glee from her voice as she asked the question.  Beverly
would be beside herself is something happened between Albert and her precious little
Ruby.

“Yes, she’s their oldest.  Why?”

Susan’s smile lit up her entire face.  She couldn’t wait until Wednesday so she could
torment her friend over the fact that Albert thought her daughter was pretty.  “No
reason.”
  The smile didn’t leave her face as she continued her meal, though. 
She and Wilma were going to have a lot of fun teasing Beverly.

*****

In bed that night, David asked Susan why she’d been so excited to know Ruby was Beverly’s
daughter. 

Susan laughed.  “Beverly’s convinced her perfect girls won’t marry any of our hellions,
and Albert thinks ruby is pretty.
She’s going to have a fit when I tell her about it tomorrow.
” 

David grinned.  “Charles won’t be happy either.  Let’s have them over for dinner so
we can watch them squirm when Albert looks at their girl.”

“Yes, let’s!”
 

She sounded so excited at the prospect of watching their friends discomfort he couldn’t
help but laugh. 
“You have an evil streak, wife.”

“And you like it, husband.”

“Why yes.  Yes, I do.”
  He pulled her to him more tightly, loving even her mean streak.  He would never
have guessed when she stepped off the train just how well she fit in with his family.

“It’s why you love me.”

He chuckled. 
“It’s only one of the many reasons I love you.”

“Just so there’s one.”  She snuggled into his side and rested her head on his shoulder. 
“I made the right decision marrying you.”

He hugged her closer.  “I know you made the right decision for me and my boys.”
  He’d known that since the first week they’d married.  How had he been so fortunate?

“Our boys.”

Epilogue

January 5
th
, 1885

Dear Harriett,

I was very happy to receive your letter yesterday.  Things are still going very well
for me here.  I know I came to you determined that I didn’t want to marry a man who
had children, but I’m so glad things worked out the way they did. 

My boys make me smile every day.  I can’t imagine what life would be like without
them.  Thomas and Walter are potty trained now.  I can’t believe they’ll be three
next month!  Albert is still sweet on our neighbor’s daughter
, little Ruby Smith.  I tease
her mother constantly about Albert being her future son-in-law.
Lewis is determined he’s going to join the army to fight Indians as soon as he finishes
school, and I pray every day he outgrows that notion.

My life is so very different than what I pictured it would be when I left Beckham,
but it’s no less wonderful than I’d imagined.  Thank you so much for helping me. 

I wish you every happiness in your future.  If you ever need something from me, please
don’t hesitate to contact me.  I think of you as one of my very dearest friends and
will always be grateful for the life I have thanks to your service.  I look forward
to hearing from you soon.

Yours,

Susan

Susan folded the letter to get it ready to post.  She still wondered what had happened
to leave Harriett a widow at such a young age.  And why did she limp?  She knew they
were questions she’d never be able to ask.  She did hope her friend found happiness,
though.  It was sad to see such a pretty woman devote her life to other
s’
happiness and never find a true love of her own.  Someday, she hoped to receive a
letter
telling her
Harriett had found love.