Rhonda Gibson - His Chosen Bride

Hannah stood beside the wagon. She appeared both happy and worried. “We are having a birthday party for Daniel in a couple of weeks. Be sure and come out for it. All right, Millie?”

Millie took the empty pie plate Hannah was handing up to her. “I will.”

“Good.” Hannah allowed Daniel to wrap his arms around her waist. She smiled up at him, and love shone from her eyes.

Why couldn’t Lucille have loved him like that? Bitterness touched his soul for a brief moment as he watched the happy couple. Love had shown in Lucille’s eyes but it had not been for him. It had been for the ranch. He pushed the unpleasantness aside and decided to be happy for his brother and Hannah. Levi tore his eyes from them.

His mother had been thrilled with their baby announcement, and the brides had all looked at him expectantly—all but Millie, who was too busy congratulating her friend to pay attention to him.

He clicked his tongue, and the horses moved forward.

Millie waved at Hannah and called, “I’ll see you in a couple of weeks.” Then she turned and placed her hands in her lap.

Levi wasn’t sure what to say so he didn’t say anything. More than once this evening, he’d felt Millie watching him, but Levi didn’t think she was looking at him as husband material. During dinner, she’d seemed entertained by his situation with the brides.

His mother had complimented Millie on the pie she had brought and then promptly began praising Emily Rodgers’s baking skills. According to his mother, Emily’s cinnamon buns would melt in his mouth. Since he favored the buns over most desserts, he assumed his mother had been trying to make Emily more appealing in his eyes.

He’d smiled at the redhead only to have Susanna Marsh state that she could sew better than anyone back home and then that if he’d like, she’d make him a new Sunday shirt. Levi had almost spewed his coffee all over the dinner table at the offer. That had been when he’d caught Millie’s grin. It hadn’t been the first one of the night, but it had been the brightest.

She broke the silence in the wagon. “So did you speak to your mother about the brides?” Humor laced her voice.

“I listened more than I spoke. She was more than happy to tell me she’d read my letters and rewrote them.”

Millie frowned. “How did she get your letters?”

Levi sighed. “I placed them in the box beside the front door, to be mailed by the next person who went to town. That was foolishness on my part. I should have taken them to town myself.”

“What did she write? Surely she knew you couldn’t marry all three of them.” Confusion laced her pretty face.

“I don’t know the exact words, but Ma said she promised them that if her son didn’t marry them that there were other eligible bachelors in the area and that she would help them settle down in Granite, Texas.” Misery wrapped itself around Levi’s shoulder like a winter’s fog.

“I see.”

“No, you don’t. No one does. She is determined that I marry and has given me a year to do so.” He didn’t wait for Millie to comment. “If I don’t, she’s going to sell the ranch.” Levi realized he was pouring his heart out to a virtual stranger, but Millie made it easy to talk to her.

The wheels of the wagon crunched loudly in the silent night. “That’s not much of a threat. You live in town.”

Levi sighed. “That’s true, but Daniel lives on the ranch. It’s his home.”

“Couldn’t he find a new home? People move all the time.”

She meant well, Levi was sure of it. Millie just didn’t understand because she didn’t know the Westlands or their history. “It’s not that simple. Daniel promised Pa he’d make sure the ranch continued to run before he died. In the process of doing that, Daniel fell in love with the land and he would do anything to hang on to it, including placing a mail-order bride ad and falling in love with Hannah.” He thought the last part of his explanation would be enough for Millie.

“Then why doesn’t Daniel tell his mother how he feels? I’m sure she’ll relent and let him keep it whether you marry or not.”

It all sounded so simple when Millie put it like that but again, she didn’t know Bonnie Westland. The woman had thrown down the ultimatum, and now they would all pay if he didn’t do as she said.

“It’s not that simple, Millie. Daniel would never disrespect our mother. The land isn’t his to fight with her over, and once Ma makes up her mind, there is no changing it.”

Silence hung between them once more. After about half an hour, Millie spoke again. “So you will cow down to your mother’s bossiness.” It was a statement that sounded full of disappointment to him.

“No, I will marry because I love Daniel and I want him to be happy. After Pa died, Daniel became a second father to me. He’s stood in front of charging bulls to keep me safe. This is the least I can do for him.” Once the words were out of his mouth, Levi knew he’d marry before the year was up.

What other choice did he really have?

Chapter Four

Millie felt sorry for him. She’d thought her ma was bossy, but Ma would have had a hard time keeping up with Bonnie Westland tonight. At dinner, Bonnie had positioned herself at one end of the table and Levi at the other. She’d made sure everyone could see and hear her handsome son. She’d told each of them where to sit and then the questions began. Fortunately for Millie, Bonnie had paid very little attention to her.

The mail-order brides had answered Bonnie’s questions, and Millie had learned a lot about each of them.

Susanna Marsh had worn her widowhood like a badge of honor. She’d boasted of being an excellent wife and housekeeper, and claimed she specialized in making clothes for herself, her husband and the needy.

Anna Mae Leland had spoken quietly. She’d confessed she loved to teach and really would like to live in town.

At that point, Hannah had leaned over and whispered in Millie’s ear, “That’s why I’m having such a hard time getting her to take over the ranch school.” Millie realized quickly that nothing passed Anna Mae’s attention. Anna Mae raised a fine brown eyebrow in their direction as if to tell them whispering in public was rude.

Emily Rodgers had explained that she was the oldest of twelve and loved to cook and bake. She’d grown up on a small farm in Kansas, enjoyed gardening and hoped to find a job in town.

Millie had expected to be questioned in the same manner, but instead, Bonnie had complimented her on the pie she’d brought and then proceeded to tell Levi that Emily’s cinnamon buns were much better. Millie’s only consolation had been that Beth had baked the pie, not her. Of course, she didn’t say that. Millie was wise enough to simply smile and let the conversation flow right over her.

When Bonnie had directed her clear green eyes straight at Levi, Millie, who had been seated the farthest away from him, had leaned forward slightly in her chair. She’d wondered what his mother would expect to happen next. It hadn’t taken Bonnie long to demand Levi tell the ladies a little about himself.

The mail-order brides had sat up straighter in their chairs. Daniel had scoffed and Hannah had grinned. Looking back on it now, she could understand why Levi’s ears had turned bright pink.

Levi had laid his fork down, cleared his throat twice, and then proceeded to tell them that he placed God above all else.

From the corner of her eye, Millie had seen the frown that Susanna had hurried to mask. Millie wondered if it was because Susanna expected to be first in her husband’s life or did she have something against God or Christians? Having been raised in church, Millie figured the other woman simply wanted to come first in her future husband’s life.