His Substitute Mail-Order Bride

Will held up one hand. “I insist.”

The ground rumbled, and Will replaced his hat. “That will be the cavalry, so to speak. You two take the wagon back to town. I’ll see to Mr. Ward. Rest as long as you need, Mrs. Linford. When you’re fully recovered, you and Russ will join my wife and me for dinner.”

As though accustomed to having his orders followed without question, Will didn’t wait for her answer. He strode toward the new arrivals.

Anna shivered despite the warm afternoon. “He’s very sure of himself.”

She wasn’t quite certain if she liked him or not. She’d had her fill of men who insisted on giving orders rather than issuing requests.

“Yes.” Russ appeared resigned to the mayor’s high-handed behavior. “He has to be, given his job.”

“I can’t possibly accept his generosity.”

“You heard the man. He insisted. There’s no harm in accepting.”

“But the room was arranged for Susannah.”

“He knows about Miss Lowe. He’s also aware that you and I knew each other in Philadelphia.”

“Surely our previous relationship is too tenuous for such a generous offer?” Anna lifted her chin. She’d stretched her morality to the breaking point by asking for Russ’s help given their flimsy connection, and she refused to impose on his friends. “I simply cannot accept his hospitality.”

“This solution is best.” Russ motioned toward the wagon. “If you stay at the boardinghouse, people will assume you’re a prospective bride, and you’ll be under even more scrutiny. That’s why we arranged for Susannah to stay at the hotel. Don’t be surprised if you’re still inundated with offers, though.”

“But...but...I’m a widow.” A childless widow.

“Single women are a much-sought-after commodity in Cowboy Creek.”

“I won’t marry again.” Anna set her jaw. She’d been married once, and that experience had been enough. “I’m not ever getting married again. Never.”

Why must everything be so complicated? She didn’t want to be noticed or courted. She wanted to live a quiet life in solitude. She didn’t need much. A patch of land for gardening and enough money to see her through the winter.

She hadn’t considered all the ramifications of a single woman in a town full of unattached men.

“You never know,” Russ said. “You might change your mind.”

Her stomach twisted. She’d gone from the frying pan straight into the fire. Coming to Cowboy Creek had been an awful mistake, and now she was trapped by her impulsive decision.

“I won’t change my mind.”

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, they were on the road. As Russ carefully formulated his next question, Anna sat stiff and silent beside him. Mindful of her earlier bout of sickness, Russ kept the pace of the wagon unhurried. He sneaked a glance at his taciturn traveling companion. She didn’t appear comfortable being alone with him, and he wasn’t certain how to put her at ease.

He’d never considered himself an excessively curious man. As a lawyer, he dealt in facts. Extraneous details only muddied the waters. Yet even he had to admit that why a person wound up in a particular place was at least as noteworthy as how.

Anna, a recent widow judging by the faint shadow around her ring finger, had boarded the train in Susannah’s place. The facts were simple. The motivation was not.

She’d traveled halfway across the country. Alone. But why? She’d hitched a ride with a poultry farmer rather than stay an extra day and catch the next train. If she was destitute and isolated, why not ask her sister for assistance?

“Are you all right?” he asked. “Do we need to stop?”

“I’m fine.” She flashed a weary smile. “That’s the fourth time you’ve asked me that question in so many minutes. Do I look as bad as all that?”

“You look lovely.”

She snorted softly. “You needn’t charm me. The mayor isn’t here.”

“What does the mayor have to do with anything?”

“Nothing.” She ducked her head. “I’m out of sorts.”

“You have every right, considering what you’ve been through.”

She blinked him at him with eyes that reminded him of a lost foundling, and his heart did an unexpected zigzag in his chest. She was being incredibly brave, but she was nearing the end of her endurance. The sooner they returned to town, the better. He had plenty of questions, but they’d all have to wait.

“There was an influenza epidemic in Philadelphia,” she said softly. “Hundreds of people died. Don’t worry. The doctor assured me that I was no longer contagious.”

“Is that what happened to your husband?”

“No. Um. His death was sudden. Unexpected.”

“I’m sorry. This must be a very difficult time for you.”

She muttered something noncommittal, further stirring his curiosity. She didn’t appear interested in discussing her late husband. He respected her mourning. Her reticence must mean she loved her husband very much. Not that he had personal experience with the sentiment. For Russ, love was an elusive emotion.

Four years before, he’d been engaged to Anna’s older sister, Charlotte. The war between the states had left the country in tatters, and he was finishing up his law degree. The time was ripe to settle down and plan for a future. Charlotte was the daughter of a business associate in Philadelphia, and the match had been celebrated by both families. He’d thought he’d loved her. He’d certainly been infatuated.

His chest constricted. He hadn’t known that his fiancée was in love with another man until she’d broken off the engagement. She’d begged him to accept the blame, and Russ had gone along with the ruse. Her father, Mr. Darby, had a reputation as a harsh man, and Russ had been swayed by Charlotte’s pleading.

He kept his eyes fixed on the road ahead. “How is your sister? Well, I hope.”

“I don’t know. I haven’t heard from her in years. Not since she, um, not since she married.”

Not since she’d thrown him over and eloped. “Surely you write letters.”

“No.”

Russ raised an eyebrow. The clipped answer effectively slammed the door on any further questions. He searched his memory but couldn’t recall any animosity between the sisters. Then again, he’d been distracted. Though he’d worked as a lawyer in the army, his title had been more honorary than official. He’d had to apply for his law license upon his discharge. He’d been finishing up the studies he’d abandoned upon his conscription while working long hours as an apprentice at a law firm.

He didn’t remember the Darby family with any warmth. The episode with Charlotte had been publicly humiliating. Her father’s tirade had been blistering. Though Russ had taken the blame for breaking off the engagement, Charlotte’s speedy elopement had spoken volumes. Only the most gullible of the gossips had been fooled. His fiancée had been in love with someone else the whole time he’d been courting her. Russ was only human, after all, and the betrayal had smarted.

Anna had been one of the few pleasant memories he recalled from that time. She’d had a ready smile and a sharp humor, even at her young age. While Charlotte had been demure and shy, Anna was an energetic hoyden with a taste for adventure.

She’d also been given to pranks. “Do you recall the time you climbed the oak tree in the backyard and dropped acorns on us?”

“Yes.” A ghost of a smile danced around the edges of her mouth. “Charlotte was livid. It wasn’t the first time I’d ruined a romantic moment between her and one of her suitors.” Two dots of color appeared on Anna’s cheeks. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”

“It’s all right.” Russ shrugged. “Everything worked out for the best. Both Charlotte and I arrived where we needed to be. We just took the long way around.”