Sherri Shackelford - His Substitute Mail-Order Bride

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“You must be quite busy.”

“I’m never too busy for an old friend,” he said. “Although Philadelphia must seem a lifetime away.”

They weren’t friends. Not really. He was offering now, but he’d make some excuse later, out of the mayor’s earshot. Especially when he realized that she couldn’t immediately pay him back for the cost of Susannah’s train ticket.

An odd set of circumstances had conspired to throw them together. It was logical that Russ had sent for a bride through people he knew and trusted, but Anna had been shocked when Susannah had come to call. Their connection was tenuous at best. The social community in Philadelphia had many overlaps, and Susannah’s family had known Anna’s through mutual acquaintances. Not the sort of relationship that inspired confidences.

The prospective bride had initially written to Russ after an argument with her current beau. Moving halfway across the country to escape her woes had seemed the perfect solution. As time passed, Susannah had come to regret her impetuous decision. Cowboy Creek was too isolated, and the conditions too remote from her society friends. Then her beau had come calling with flowers and profuse apologies.

All of Susannah’s reasons for abandoning a move to Cowboy Creek had struck a chord with Anna. The town was halfway across the country from Philadelphia and the incessant gossip thwarting any chance of living a quiet, peaceful life.

She’d known the moment she appeared that Russ would be disappointed at best, angry at worst. Brides were not cogs in a wheel to be interchanged at will, and she had no desire to marry again. But at least she’d be a thousand miles from the scandal.

Desperate times required desperate measures.

The mayor doffed his hat and dusted the brim against his trousers. “I don’t believe we’ve been properly introduced. I’m Will Canfield, ma’am. I hope you won’t let this experience sour your first impression of Cowboy Creek.” He gave a shallow bow, then he turned to his friend. “You don’t have to stay, Russ. Have the doc take a look at both of you. I’ll make certain every one of those seeds is collected and have them delivered to The Cattleman. Your hotel room has already been arranged. Mrs. Linford.”

“But I can’t—”

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.