The New Year's Bride (Holiday Mail Order Brides Book Two) (5 page)

Elle audibly gulped.  “Oh yes, that.”

“Elle, try not to sound so excited,” Summer said sarcastically.  “Tell me truly.  Is Spencer not to your liking?”

“He answered Mrs. Ridgley’s advertisement and I accepted his proposal.  I can’t very well back out.”

“You could if you really wanted to, but I … well I just can’t understand why you would.”

Elle again turned away from her friend.  She swallowed back the lump in her throat.  “Perhaps he isn’t so interested in me …”

“Of course he is!”

Yes, but maybe if she managed to avoid him until she found out what Mrs. Ridgley had to say, she wouldn’t risk losing her heart to him.  She’d caught little glimpses of him the night before at supper.  His smile, the way a dimple formed on his left cheek every time he laughed at something Mr. Turner had said.
His dark eyes, and hair were all too wonderful.  His voice was heaven, and several times she wanted to imagine what it would be like to have him whisper in her ear as she’d seen Clayton do with Summer.  She wanted to work on her wedding dress, talk about flowers and wedding cake and punch and who was the local preacher, who would be coming, all the wonderful things one does when putting a wedding together.

But she couldn’t.  She had to find out what happened first.

Elle swallowed hard, squared her shoulders and turned around to face Summer.  “Well then, if you say he’s interested then I’ll take your word for it.”

Summer smiled. “At least he didn’t shoot you in the foot the moment you got off the stage.”

Both girls laughed at that.  Summer had told her the entire story while Clayton and Spencer were in the barn doing some evening chores.  It was hilarious, if not a little miraculous.  Who would have thought an accident could have served to help bring two people together?

“Let’s go inside and bake some cookies,”
Summer said as she turned and slowly walked back toward the house.  “Besides, we might end up with visitors later.”

“Visitors?”

“Yes, by now the whole town knows you’re here.  Someone’s bound to just happen to drop by and of course have to come say hello.  Namely, Nellie Davis.”

“Who is Nellie Davis?”

“Oh trust me, you’ll find out soon enough!”  Summer didn’t wait for Elle to respond.  She instead made her way steadily to the house.  Whoever Nellie Davis was, she at least would offer Elle some sort of a distraction that afternoon.  If she wasn’t going to be able to get to town until the next day, she didn’t want to keep thinking about all the “what ifs” involved in her dilemma.  What she really wanted to do was enjoy her day with Summer and then stare at a handsome Spencer Riley when he got home later.  She would at least afford herself that one small luxury.

What Elle didn’t know however, was that thanks to a little prompting from Clayton, Spencer had more than staring at his future bride over the suppe
r table in mind.

Five

As it turned out, Nellie Davis didn’t show up at the Riley farm with
her daughter Charlotte in tow to inspect Spencer’s new bride.  Nor did she show up the next day, nor the next.  But that’s not what had Elle chewing her nails (a bad habit of hers when she was nervous) and Mrs. Riley in a dither.  It was the fact neither Clayton nor Spencer had time to take the women to town so they could start getting what they needed for the wedding.

The only good news in the whole of it was
Summer’s limp was nearly gone and she was walking quite well now.  Of course Elle was happy for her friend, especially after hearing how hard it was to get around on crutches for days on end.  But despite the good news, Elle still had a problem.  She still had to find out what happened to Jethro and the man she’d shot back in New Orleans. The only way to do that of course was to ask Mrs. Ridgley and the only way to do that was …

“Elle!  Didn’t you hear me?”

Elle about jumped out of her chair at the suddenness of the question.  She looked up at Summer who sat in a chair opposite hers in the parlor.  They were doing the mending together.  Once again Elle had been sucked into her own thoughts and all the “what ifs” of her tangled situation. “I’m sorry, I was doing a bit of wool gathering.”

“A bit?  I’d say more like a wheelbarrow full!  What is it that has you so out of sorts today?”

She set the shirt she’d been mending in her lap.  It was one of Spencer’s and that simple fact didn’t help the situation any either.  He’d been most attentive the last two nights after he got home and was becoming harder for Elle to resist.  “I was hoping to get into town today.”

“Me too!” Mrs. Riley exclaimed as she came into the parlor.  “And thank Heaven, Clayton has finally agreed to take
us!  I’d say lets go ourselves but with Summer not quite ready, I just don’t want to risk it.  If something were to happen and we had to walk to town or back home, your poor foot would give out, I’m sure.”

Summer visibly cringed. “The thought of
having to use crutches again doesn’t hold much appeal at this point,” she agreed.

Cla
yton stepped into the parlor.  “Ladies, if we’re going to town, then let’s hurry.  I’ve got work to do later this afternoon and Mr. Johnson needs some help over at his place too.  If you want to have a decent amount of time to do your shopping, we need to go now.”

“Isn’t his grandson coming home soon?”  Mrs. Riley asked.  “You’d think he’d want to take over the farm for his grandfather.”

“He’ll be done with that fancy schooling of his this spring,” Clayton told her. “I hear Matthew Quinn is coming home early though.  He’s so far ahead of his class, he plumb graduated already.  Mrs. Quinn says he’ll be home in a couple of weeks.”

The corners of Mrs. Riley’s mouth curved up into a tiny smile. “Yes, dear. I already know.”  She turned on her heel and left the parlor to get her coat.

Clayton frowned as he watched her go, pushed his hat off his forehead, then put his hands on his hips.

“What’s wrong?” asked
Summer.

“She’s up to something.  I know that look,” he said in a low voice.

Elle turned to the front hall.  She couldn’t see her future mother-in-law but could hear her humming a merry little tune.  “Up to something?”

“Oh yes, trust me,” Clayton began.  “You’ll soon learn Miss Barstow that my mother is not all she appears.  She’s got something cooking and it’s not in the kitchen!”

“Clayton,” Summer began, her voice just above a whisper. “How do you know?  She’s been here with us since Elle arrived, no one has come or gone from the farm expect you and Spencer.  How can you think your mother’s …”

“Because I know my mother!” he quickly pushed out.  “Now let’s go.”

Elle and Summer glanced at each other and shrugged.  They obviously weren’t going to find out what it was Mrs. Riley had “cooking” as Clayton called it, any time soon.  So they put on their coats, bonnets and gloves, and together the four of them left for town.  Elle was excited to finally go!  What a relief to be able to send word to Mrs. Ridgley and be one step closer to finding out what happened!  Which meant that in the mean time, she’d only have to avoid Spencer Riley a week more at the most!  But the task was becoming harder by the minute and who knows what today would bring while they were in town.  Last night he hardly took his eyes from her and it made her entire body break out in gooseflesh!  If he kept looking at her like that she might crack under the pressure and not be able to look away.  After supper he offered to help her with the dishes. Standing in the kitchen next to him was pure Heaven!  But she didn’t dare allow herself the giddy sensation standing so close to him caused, nor how the feel of his arm against her shoulder warmed her entire being.  How could this be happening?  She didn’t even know the man yet and was doing her darned best to keep from falling for him!  At least until she heard from Mrs. Ridgley.

The drive to town was chilly yet
Elle welcomed the cold as she and Summer huddled together in the back of the wagon.  They sat atop some folded blankets and had the added warmth of a quilt to cover them, but the cold bit through Elle’s clothing and she shivered something awful.  At least it distracted her from thoughts of Spencer!

“You’re not used to this kind of weather yet,”
Summer said stating the obvious.

“I’m sure…totototo get used… used to in eventually,” Elle said with chattering teeth.

Summer leaned over to whisper in Elle’s ear. “Once you’re married you won’t ever be cold at night anymore!”

Elle’s eyes widened. “Summer James … Oh!  I mean Riley!  Don’t say such things.”  For one, the thought of lying in Spencer’s arms on a cold winter’s night was too much to bear, and for Heaven’s sake!  What if Clayton and Mrs. Riley heard what she said?

Summer giggled at the scold and adjusted the quilt around them.  It wasn’t long before they got into town and pulled up in front of Quinn’s Mercantile.  Clayton set the brake and hopped down then helped the women out of the wagon.  Elle’s feet were freezing and it hurt when they touched the ground.  She lifted them up and down to get some feel back in them.

“Don’t worry, you’ll adjust to the cold in time,” Clayton said.  “I’m going over to the Sheriff’s office to see what Spencer’s up to.  You ladies take your time.  Oh
, and mother?”

“Yes dear?” Mrs. Riley
asked as she headed for the steps to the mercantile.

He smiled and looked right at Elle. “Spencer said spare no expense.”

“Oh!”  Mrs. Riley exclaimed as she spun to him. “Well now, this may turn out to be quite the adventure!”

Clayton’s jaw tightened as he smiled. “Try to contain your excitement mother. You’ll scare people.”

“I’m not scared.” Summer quickly replied.

“Nor am I,” added Elle, sensing the other two women’s delight.

“But I am!” Clayton barked as he turned on his boot heel and headed down the street to the sheriff’s office.

Mrs. Riley and
Summer laughed at his retreat.  Both knew Clayton watched over the farm’s finances like a mother bear guarding her cubs.  Spencer simply tossed his earnings into the pot so to speak.  For Spencer to say “spare no expense” meant just that!  If Clayton said it, it usually came with an “up to this amount” tacked on.  Both brothers were incredibly generous with those they loved, but Clayton was the more practical one.

Mrs. Riley and
Summer both knew that Clayton wanted Spencer and Elle’s wedding to be special and so was giving his blessing where the spending of the farm’s money was concerned.

Mrs. Riley all but ran up the stairs to the mercantile doors.

“Why hello there!”  A tall, thin, grey haired woman behind the counter called to them as they entered.

“Good morning, Mrs. Quinn!”  Mrs. Riley called back as she wiped her feet on
a small rug by the door.  “We have lots of shopping to do this morning!”

Mrs. Quinn’s fact lit up at
what she obviously deemed a call to action.  Her mouth formed into a bright smile as she clasped her hands together in front of her. “Wonderful!  Where do we start?”

Mrs. Riley went straight to the store counter.  “Let’s start at the top and work our way down!”

“Brilliant!”  Mrs. Quinn agreed and hurried around the counter to where Elle stood.  “Now, off with your coat and bonnet so we can get started.”

“My coat and bonnet?  Why do I need to take them off?”

“Now don’t ask questions, dear.  We’re experts at this sort of thing.” Mrs. Riley said.

“Experts?” Summer laughed.  “I don’t recall this much excitement when I went shopping for my wedding things.”

“That was on account of your injury, dear.  We didn’t want to tire you out.” Mrs. Riley explained.

“Oh no, that would ne
ver do!” Mrs. Quinn added. “We went easy on you.”

Elle and
Summer glanced at each other, concern on their faces.  The two older women looked like a couple of contestants in a race that was about to start.

“Now do as Mrs. Quinn says dear and take off your coa
t, bonnet, and gloves while you’re at it.”

Elle stood and stared at Mrs. Riley for a brief moment before she
began to comply.  How could she let Spencer spend money on her?  What if they couldn’t be married?  How was she going to weasel out of this?  She didn’t want Mrs. Riley to go through all this trouble if …

“If I decide I don’t care for something we’ve purchased, can it b
e returned?” Elle suddenly asked as she began to unbutton her coat.

Mrs.
Quinn and Mrs. Riley went stock still as if she asked the most ludicrous question in the world.  “Why, yes …” Mrs. Quinn began hesitantly.  “If you really think it’s necessary.  You can exchange it or I can return your money…”

“Oh but come now, Miss Barstow … Elnora … I’ve made up my mind to start
calling you that from now on,” Mrs. Riley said. “We’re here to buy your wedding things, why in Heaven’s name would you even think to return something?”

Elle swallowed and offered a weak smile. “What if something doesn’t match?”

“Well that’s why we’re all here to help you dear, so that we get it right the first time!” Mrs. Riley explained.

“Oh, yes… of course. 
But I do need to get to the telegraph office, maybe I should take care of that first … oh dear!” Elle suddenly exclaimed as Mrs. Riley and Mrs. Quinn came at her at once.

“No time for that now!” Mrs. Quinn said as she pulled Elle’s coat off.

“You can do it when we’re done!” Mrs. Riley added while she whisked away her bonnet.  “Now, let us take a good look at your hair … what color ribbons, do you think?”

“I have just the thing!” Mrs. Quinn said excited
ly as she turned and hurried to a shelf behind the counter.

Elle sighed in resignation and looked to
Summer who stood doing her best not to laugh.  “Was it like this for you?”  Elle asked.

“Oh no, they were much calmer when I was here to get my wedding things!”

“Wonderful,” Elle mumbled under her breath.  Wonderful for everyone but her that is.  She wanted to be able to enjoy the moment, but her only thought was to get to the telegraph office.

The door opened to pull Elle out of her lamenting.  She turned and sucked in a breath at the handsome man that came into the mercantile.

Spencer!

Oh she couldn’t deny her attraction now!  He was gorgeous!
Beautiful (if one could use the word in conjunction with a man) and sauntered into the mercantile like he owned the place.  “Hello ladies,” he drawled. “Having fun yet?”

“We’re just getting started,” his mother said.  “What are you doing here?”

“Can’t I come say hello to my future bride?”  He asked and went straight to Elle.  “Hello sweetheart,” he said in a low voice and tipped his hat.

Elle’s entire body grew hot. 
Sweetheart?
  He’d not used any endearments when addressing her before.  This was a first, and she hoped not the last as her back tingled with delight at his words. “Hello,” she said shyly.

Ohhhh
but she shouldn’t be enjoying this so much!

He stepped closer and looked down into her eyes. “Find anything you like?”

Elle’s breathing stopped.

“Spencer, I told you we’re just getting started,” his mother scolded. “Now if you don’t mind, why don’t you come back in an hour and check on things then.”

Spencer continued to look deeply into her eyes. “Hmmm …” he began, his voice rumbling in his chest as he drew closer. “Blue I should think.”

Elle tried to breath, she tried to swallow, but all she could manage was a tiny gasp.

Spencer reached up and wrapped a tendril of her blonde hair around one of his fingers.  “Blue would go so well with your eyes,” he whispered as his own eyes roamed her face.