The Wrangler's Mail Order Bride (4 page)

C
lara was
careful not to trip on her way down the stairs as the twins pulled and tugged. She’d been watching her feet to make sure that her introduction to her future husband did not involve a tumble down the stairs and her sprawled on the floor, so when she reached the bottom and the girls let go of her hands and ran to the kitchen, it was her first opportunity to look up. When she did, it was all she could do to suppress a gasp as she looked up into the kindest face she’d ever seen, with sparkling blue eyes and dark hair brushed back away from his face. He held his hat over his heart, his face flushed but his eyes twinkling. She was unable to find her voice as her head tilted to the side and she studied the laugh lines around his eyes, sure that he’d spent quite a bit of time outside in the elements to have them, but relieved they were laugh lines rather than frown lines.

“Hank Archer, this is Clara Martin. Clara, Hank. And while I’m at it, this is my husband James.” Suzanne pulled a man forward, smiling up at him. He was quite tall, and as Clara turned to him, he held out his hand with a smile as broad as Suzanne’s.

“Very nice to meet you, James,” Clara said, welcoming the brief break she’d gotten before she had to actually speak to Hank. She knew she couldn’t possibly have met him before, but there seemed to be something very familiar about him. She wasn’t quite sure what, so she just held out her hand and smiled. “And to meet you, too, Hank.”

He quickly wiped his hand on his pants before extending it to her, which she thought must be a habit from being outside so much as right now, he was very clean and dressed in a nice jacket with some sort of string tie, clasped together with a turquoise stone set in silver and shining in the light of the foyer. He even smelled nice—masculine, but nice.

He tipped his head slightly as he shook her hand, his eyes cast at the floor. When he looked up again, the twinkle remained and his smile returned as they both looked to Suzanne.

“Oh, yes, right. Please come this way. Tripp and Sadie have dinner ready for us,” she said, looping her arms through both Clara and Hank’s. She pulled them forward as Hank reached behind him and tossed his hat to James, who caught it with a smile and hung it on the hat rack by the door. “You’re going to love this.”

Clara smiled as she reached the table. Taking in the roast chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, and spying the apple pie on the sideboard, she clapped her hands, looking to her dear friend, Sadie, as warmth spread across her chest. “All my favorites,” she said, sighing. “Thank you.”

Sadie and Tripp exchanged smiles, and Sadie said, “We wanted to make you feel welcome, and at home. It is a long journey, and if I remember correctly, very nerve-wracking.”

She squeezed Tripp’s hand as she spread her other across the table. “Sit down, everybody. It’s here for us to enjoy.”

Clara jumped at the feel of Hank’s hand on her elbow as he gently guided her to a place setting and pulled out her chair for her, scooting her forward as she sat. She’d never been courted before—too busy working and no time for it—and she wondered if this was part of it.

She shook her head, as he wouldn’t have to court her. They were just going to get married for the property, so she pushed any thoughts of a relationship out of her mind.

Sadie and Suzanne filled her in about the Occidental and how it had come to be such a success, with only occasional good-natured objections of fact from Tripp.

“Actually, it’s Hank and his father we should thank,” Sadie said, smiling at Hank as she handed him a piece of apple pie. “If you and your father hadn’t asked for Tripp’s trail cooking, who knows where we’d be.”

Hank cleared his throat. He hadn’t spoken much during the meal so far, and Clara was anxious to hear him speak. To get to know him better, even though it really didn’t matter.

“It was really just something we thought Tripp might actually like to do if he thought about it. And also something we’d been sorely deprived of when he was away in New York.” He popped the last bite of one of Sadie’s biscuits in his mouth and picked up his fork to start in on the pie.

Tripp nodded his head briefly at Hank. “Thank you for the compliment, and I suppose all’s well that ends well.”

Sadie stood up and began to clear dishes off the table. “Would anyone like coffee?”

A unanimous “yes” sent her toward the kitchen.

Tripp leaned back in his chair. “So, Hank, any more news about the property? We were able to fill Clara in a little bit on the coach ride down, but not too much.”

“Well, how much did you get to say?” Hank set his napkin down on his plate, scooting back a bit with his eyebrows raised at Tripp.

“I can answer that,” said Clara, dabbing her mouth with her napkin. “I know that you inherited property from your grandfather. I know that you need a wife to claim the inheritance. And I know that there’s a timeline in the will.”

Hank rubbed the back of his neck. “Then it sounds like you know about as much as I do, Miss.”

“I’m a bit confused, though,” Clara said, looking from Hank to Tripp. “Is the property particularly valuable? Especially large? I would think that taking a wife whom you don’t know is a fairly extreme measure for a piece of property.”

Tripp turned from Hank to Clara. “It’s a bit of a long story, but the property is adjacent to Hank’s father’s ranch. If Hank wasn’t in a position to inherit the property on his grandfather’s death, the property was slated to go to someone else. Apparently, Mr. Archer feels it’s important to keep it in the family. Probably because it’s prime grazing land.”

“That’s right,” Hank added. “That’s all we can think of as to why Pa is so adamant about this happening. I mean, it’s a nice chunk of land, but I’m not even sure how my mother’s father ended up with it in the first place. And Pa’s not been too willing to talk about it.”

“That’s rather curious.” Clara twisted her napkin on her lap as she waited for more of the story.

“Maybe we’ll find out more about it tomorrow,” Hank said, shrugging his shoulders.

“Tomorrow?” Clara questioned Suzanne.

“Yes, Mr. Archer has a big fiesta planned in honor of your arrival, Clara. It’s at the Archer Ranch, which is beautiful. You’ll love it.”

Clara felt the butterflies return as the reality of the situation set in. Now she’d meet his family. Soon enough,
she
would be family. Or at least formally.

“Is that all right with you, Miss? We’d be mighty pleased to have all of you come out. You must be wondering what you’ve gotten yourself into.”

Clara’s heart pounded in her chest as she looked at Hank, his hopefulness impossible to ignore.

“Of course, I’d be happy to come. I look forward to meeting my future family, as well as seeing the ranch.

Hank’s smile spread even wider as he breathed a sigh that Clara thought sounded like relief. “Thank you, Miss. Tripp, are you willing to bring everyone out, or should I come to fetch people?”

“No, James and I can handle it, Hank, but thanks. If everything’s the same as it used to be, you’ll be needed for preparations.”

Hank’s face clouded as he stood and reached for his hat. “Nothing’s changed there, Tripp,” he said, his voice low. He turned to Sadie. “Thank you for the wonderful supper, Morgan family. I’ll be taking my leave as I imagine Miss Martin could use some more rest.”

Lucy and Lily jumped out of their seats and each hugged one of Hank’s knees. “Can we ride tomorrow, Uncle Hank? Can we?” Lucy tugged at his sleeve while Lily stood silent, her blue eyes not leaving his face.

Hank squatted and gave both of the girls a hug. “We’ll see, little ladies. Not sure what’s on the agenda for tomorrow, but if I can saddle up for you, I sure will.”

The girls squealed as they ran upstairs, their mother right behind them. “Night, Hank. We’ll see you tomorrow,” Suzanne said as she disappeared after the twins.

Clara laughed as she stood and turned toward Hank. “They’re quite a handful.”

Hank and Tripp exchanged looks. “You think
they
are a handful. Wait until you meet my six sisters,” Hank said with a shake of his head.

“Oh, they’re all right,” Tripp said. “If a little…busy.” He clapped Hank on the back as they walked toward the door.

Hank shook hands with James and Tripp, and nodded his head at Sadie and Clara before he turned toward the door. “Busy. Is that what you call it? We’ll see how tomorrow goes. Good night, and thank you again for the fine supper.”

As Hank closed the door behind him, Clara spun toward Sadie. “Six? Really six sisters?”

Sadie picked up more dishes and said over her shoulder on the way to the kitchen, “Yes, six. But they’re a lot of fun. The twins love them.”

Clara sat back down, and the butterflies returned. Six sisters? And his father a widower? Her last thought before she headed into the kitchen to help with the dishes was to wonder who looked after all of them. She wasn’t sure if she was prepared for it to be her.

C
lara lifted
the twins into the buggy as she waited for the others to come. She’d woken early, before sunrise, and hadn’t been able to go back to sleep. She’d brushed her hair at least a thousand times before braiding it, undoing it and braiding it again until she heard people downstairs. Her nerves wouldn’t calm down enough for her to do anything else.

As she lifted her skirts and pulled herself up into the buggy, she hoped that her new family would like her. And that she’d like them. She breathed deeply, inhaling the scent of sage as they passed different types of trees and plants. “Suzanne, did you show the twins the picture in the book I brought?”

“Oh, I did. Wasn’t that fun, girls? The book we looked at before bedtime last night.”

“Yes,” Lucy said as Lily nodded. “I liked the pictures of the cowboys on horses.”

Tripp laughed. “I think some of those might be wranglers. Like Uncle Hank.”

“What’s a wrangler, mama?” Lucy said, turning to her mother.

“What exactly is a wrangler, Tripp? You’d likely be the best to explain.”

They all turned to Tripp and even Sadie waited for his response. “Well, what is it? You used to be one, didn’t you?”

As James guided the horses down the road to the ranch, he said, “He did, but the wrangler life isn’t for everybody. It can be a pretty rough life.”

Tripp sighed and took Sadie’s hand. “Yes, it is a tough life. Being out on the trail for weeks at a time can take a real toll. It’s fun for a while, but sleeping on the ground and even eating my cooking—“

“That would have made it all okay, wouldn’t it,” Sadie teased, smiling up at her husband.

“I’d like to think so, but no. It’s a rough life. It’s really better for the younger men with no family. In fact, the last few times I’ve talked to Hank, he’s made noise about being close to done, himself. Wanting to stay put.” Tripp looked ahead at the big ranch house that was coming closer as he spoke, a frown appearing. “But that remains to be seen. Beau seems to want him out there still, and Beau usually gets what he wants.”

Clara’s breath hitched as she listened. She hadn’t really known what a wrangler was, but now that she’d heard, would Hank be gone most of the time?

The group fell quiet as they approached the ranch, the silence broken by the squeals of the girls as their buggy passed a barn that seemed huge to Clara. Peering in as they passed, she counted at least ten horse stalls lining the inside, five on each side. Each had horses peering out, their whinnies reminding her of the cold horses she’d tried to help in Chicago.

“I’ve just recently gotten to know horses, and I love them,” she said as they passed by.

“We do, too!” Lucy cried. “I hope we get to ride today.”

Suzanne smoothed her daughter’s hair. “Now, remember, Uncle Hank wasn’t sure if we were going to be able to do that today. The party is for Clara, so we’ll have to be patient. If not today, maybe we can come a different day.”

Lucy’s bottom lip stuck out so far Clara laughed that it might stay that way, as her mother had always told her it would. The thought of her mother jolted her back to the matter at hand, and as she looked up at the house of her future family, she felt a tug at her heart, wishing her mother were here with her now. She reached up to her ears, reassuring herself that the earrings her mother had given her were there. She’d need all the courage she could get today. And probably tomorrow, too.

Although Clara had expected mostly cactuses and sand, she looked up at full trees as they passed through two long lines of them on each side of the entrance road to the main house. After they’d passed the barn, before they’d reached what she assumed to be the main house, they passed a smaller house, one story, and made from something different than the wood she was used to. The white walls shimmered in the spring sun and she admired the bright blue of the windowsills. It was certainly different than anything she’d ever seen.

Outside of the small house was what looked like an herb garden, but it was apparent that it hadn’t been tended to in quite some time. Its bushes had fallen over, and weeds had pierced their way through most of the small groups of plants, most of which Clara recognized from her sister-in-law’s greenhouse she’d had, full of herbs that they’d used for cooking.

Curious about the state of the garden, she turned to Suzanne who quietly shook her head and nodded toward Tripp. Clara frowned as she saw him look away toward the house, his somber expression discouraging questions of any kind.

James slowed the buggy as they drew closer to the house, and Clara’s nerves jangled as Hank walked down the steps of the porch, tipping his hat to them before he took the reins from James. He held the buggy while they got out, their skirts flouncing as they hit the ground.

Just as everyone had gotten out of the buggy, they all turned at the sound of one of the horses neighing and its bridle clanking as it reared its head. The buggy pulled forward as it did, and James and Suzanne pulled the twins back further toward the house.

Clara watched as Hank pulled the reins in tighter and heard him speak to the horse under his breath, all the while stroking its nose. The horse’s ears turned toward him as it stomped once and quieted, nuzzling Hanks hand.

Hank smiled, keeping eye contact with the horse as he gave him a final pat and whispered something again. He handed the reins to a young man and said, “Take them around to the barn with the others. Thanks, Ben.”

He watched the horses round the corner before he turned toward the group. His eyebrows rose as he took in the group, mouths agape as they’d watched the scene.

“What?” he said, holding his arms open wide.

“How do you do that, Hank? Even out on the trail, you were the only one who could calm these horses, even in the wildest of times,” Tripp said, shaking his head.

“Nah,” Hank said, pulling his hat further down his forehead. “Anybody can do it.”

Tripp sighed as he turned toward the house, holding his arm out to Sadie.

Hank held his arm out to Clara, and she smiled and took it with her own. She frowned at Sadie when she winked at her, and turned her attention back to Hank and the house. As they reached the porch, Hank stopped and she thought she heard him say under his breath, “Uh-oh.”

She turned her gaze to the direction he was looking, and her eyes flew open wide as a line of girls rushed past and into the door, pigtails flying. The shortest one, about sixteen years old, Clara guessed, stopped in front of the twins. She bent over, her hands on her knees as she tried to catch her breath. “Want to come with us? We’re late getting ready and Papa’s mad, but you can come help, if you want. There’s somebody special coming and we have to look like girls.”

Suzanne looked down at the pleading eyes of Lucy and Lily. “Promise me you’ll mind Pepper,” she said to the girls’ vigorous nods. She placed their hands in the girl’s and shook her head. “Be good, now. And Pepper, this is Clara, the special guest.”

Pepper stood slowly, her face panicked as she stared, open-mouthed, at the twins. She sighed, and turned around, smiling at her brother and Clara. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m not supposed to see you yet, though, until I get ready. Please don’t tell anyone, and I’ll meet you again in a little bit.”

She turned to Hank, her puppy-eyed face having its intended results.

“Scoot. Get along. Pa’s not up here yet, anyway.”

Pepper jumped up and down, gathered the twins’ hands in her own and disappeared in the house.

“So that’s how it goes when I’m not looking, eh?” a voice boomed behind Clara, down at the bottom of the stairs.

Clara felt Hank’s arm stiffen in hers. They all turned toward the voice, which apparently belonged to a tall, handsome man with dark hair, graying around the temples. “Hello, Mr. Archer,” Suzanne said as she put her arm through James’s and squeezed.

“Yes, hello,” Tripp said as he took Sadie’s hand in his.

Clara wasn’t exactly sure what to say, so she waited for Hank.

“Hi, Pa. The girls were on their way to get dressed, like you asked, and Pepper stopped to take Lucy and Lily with them.”

“Yes, I saw that. They were to have been dressed and ready an hour ago.” The man shook his head as he climbed the steps. It seemed to Clara that everyone on the porch had all agreed to hold their breath at the same time. And she felt them all exhale together as Mr. Archer said, “And this must be your future bride, Clara,” extending his hand to her with a tip of his hat and a wide smile.

“Pa, meet Clara Martin. Clara, my father, Beau Archer.”

He bowed slightly to Clara as he shook her hand. “Delighted to meet you, young lady. We’ve been anxiously expecting you.”

“Thank you, Mr. Archer. I have—“

“Please, call me Beau. And let’s go inside. We should be starting soon.”

Both Clara and Hank stared at his back as he turned and entered the house, his boots loud on the porch as he strode ahead of them.

Tripp followed with Sadie on his arm. He clapped Hank on his shoulder as he passed. “It’ll be all right. Let’s just go on in,” he said, giving him a reassuring smile.

Hank breathed in heavily and let it out hard. He turned to smile at Clara and patted her hand that was on his arm.

“His bark is worse than his bite. I promise,” he said as he ushered her into the home of what would be her new family.