Cheryl St.John - Want Ad Wedding

“I will.” She wanted to bury herself in his strong embrace and seek comfort and safety, but she had no right. They’d once been the best of friends, but now they were estranged friends with years between them. She was going to have to move on as planned.

He exited the boardinghouse, and she felt as though a light had gone out. Turning, she made her way up the stairs.

Aunt Mae had shown Hannah to her room and now opened the door for Leah to enter hers. “It’s freshly cleaned and gets morning sun.”

“It’s perfect, thank you.”

Leah was strong and determined. She would find work. She would select a kind and thoughtful husband. Feelings were too complicated, and she couldn’t trust them. She was here to rest and take care of herself. Because this baby was going to live. She would take no risks. No more travel. Cowboy Creek was her new home, and she was going to make the best of it.

* * *

Daniel entered the Cattleman Hotel and glanced into the restaurant. Will sat at a table with Reverend Taggart, so he joined them. The reverend stood and shook his hand. “That was quite a welcome, Mr. Gardner.”

“Call me Daniel, please. And we’re honored you and your daughter chose our town. How is your room at the boardinghouse?”

“It’s more than adequate, thank you.”

“Will and I want to show you the church. We’ve been meeting on Sunday mornings, and those willing to take turns have led services. It will be good to have a real preacher. Your house is being finished and should be ready to move in to by the end of the week. Maybe you or Hannah would like to pick out the furniture.”

“I’m a simple man, and my daughter won’t be staying with me for long once she finds a suitable partner. I don’t need much, but if it makes your job easier, I’d be happy to select a few items.”

“There’s an adequate furniture store at the corner of First and Grant,” Daniel said. “Select what you need and put it on my account. Irving will know you’re coming.”

“That’s mighty generous.”

“It’s our job to take care of the man God has called to our town. We appreciate your willingness to come.”

“When we saw the advertisement for brides, Hannah and I felt we should write you. I didn’t want to send her off alone, and she was determined to come. It felt right.”

“Did you have a church in Chicago?” Daniel queried.

“Indiana, actually. Lafayette.”

“Wasn’t that where a man set out in an air balloon to try to make it to New York City with mail several years back?” Will’s eyes lit with interest.

“Yes, indeed. That was quite an event. Due to weather, the fellow landed in Crawfordsville, however, and the mail was delivered the rest of the way by train.”

“Have to give him credit for trying,” Daniel added. “Would it work for you if I show you the church and your house tomorrow morning?”

“That sounds good. I’ll meet you outside the boardinghouse?” The reverend stood and extended a hand.

Daniel nodded and both he and Will stood to shake his hand. The reverend left the restaurant.

“He seems like a good choice,” Will commented.

“He does.” A stocky young man poured Daniel coffee and took his order. As soon as he’d walked away, Daniel looked at his childhood friend. “What are we going to do?”

“About what?”

“About Leah, of course. Her lieutenant husband died and she’s a widow.” He shook his head, still stunned by her arrival. “Leah’s a widow. Her folks are gone, too. It pains me to think of her being alone and feeling so desperate that she answered our ad.”

“All of the women who answered the ad were desperate,” Will replied with perfect logic. “We have to figure that much. Most places have very few men of marriageable age left.”

“I know. The women all have their reasons. But this is Leah.”

Will tilted his head in concession. “You’re right. It may not have worked out for the two of us, but she’s the closest thing either of us has to family.”

And family was the most important, yet rarest commodity these days. “Like you said, it’s safe here,” Daniel said.

“The streets are not dangerous for a woman,” Will agreed.

“But we don’t know every last man. You can bet those gals will be buried under invitations to dinners and invited for rides and asked to picnics and all manner of social things. It will probably be confusing to have so many different men as husband prospects.”

Will raised his eyebrows. “We can’t choose for any of them.”

“I know. But maybe we could give Leah our guidance.” They sat in silence until Daniel’s meal arrived. He picked up his fork. “We need to talk to Noah. I wish he’d come today.”

“You knew he wouldn’t. He didn’t want any part of it. He only comes to town when he has to.”

“After I eat, I’m going to see him. Come with me.”

Will took a sip of his coffee and grimaced. “Cold. All right. I’ll go change and head for the livery.”

Will had Daniel’s brown-and-white skewbald gelding saddled when he arrived. They headed west. A few miles away from town, they encountered a small herd of buffalo. Interrupted from their grazing, the beasts lumbered away. Daniel and Will sat astride their horses and watched. As they stayed there without moving, several turkeys strutted out of the long grass and pecked at the ground. Daniel patted his horse’s neck, then slowly drew his rifle from its scabbard on the back of his saddle, aimed and fired. The horse beneath him didn’t flinch. One of the birds flopped on the ground and the others scattered.

Daniel got down to retrieve his kill. “I’ll take this to Noah for dinner. Maybe we’ll make a night of it.”

Will leaned on his saddle horn. “You know he’ll get cantankerous when he figures out we’re hoping he’ll want one of those brides.”

“Yep.” He used a leather thong to tie the bird to his saddle.

Will tipped his hat back and looked at Daniel. “Maybe he’ll take a shine to Leah.”

“Maybe.” Daniel didn’t like the arrow of discomfort that pierced his thoughts and made him turn away to look at the sky. He relived a brief moment of jealousy, remembering the hug Leah had impulsively given Will. His friend had appeared startled and exchanged a glance of confusion with him over her golden head. Daniel prayed he’d either get used to thinking of Leah with someone else or the good Lord would send him his own wife to change his confusing feelings about her.

Before the war Daniel had stood back and watched as Will courted Leah. She had shown his best friend favor. Daniel had never told either of them how he felt about her, but Will had figured it out. Things had been tense at first, and they hadn’t talked about it at length, but Daniel had assured Will that if he made Leah happy, so be it.

After the men had joined the army, Will and Leah’s separation had made communication difficult, and eventually the two had ended their courtship. Daniel and Will had come to terms with the past a long time ago. Life was too uncertain to hold grudges stemming from circumstances that were out of their control. They’d seen each other through days and nights with little to no rations, dug graves side by side, mourned comrades left where they’d fallen and bolstered each other’s grit and determination when death had seemed the easy way out. Leah’s arrival might muddy the waters in respect to their plan for brides, but her presence wouldn’t come between them. He’d see to that.

They spotted Noah digging a post hole. It appeared a section of fence had been broken or trampled. “Did buffalo do that?” Will called. “We saw a small herd.”

Noah squinted at them from beneath the brim of his hat and leaned on the handle of his shovel until they got close. His hat shaded his face and eyes from the sun, and beneath the brim his collar-length hair was dark with sweat. “What brings you two out here? Wasn’t this the big day?”