Rhonda Gibson - His Chosen Bride

Millie nodded and allowed him to guide her in the opposite direction of the way the lad had run. She wanted to scream, but since the only reason she’d come to Granite was to return the money Mr. Westland had sent for her travel expenses, she’d go along with him for now. After making him wait so long for her to arrive, Millie didn’t feel it would have been right to explain her change of heart regarding marriage in a letter. No this had to be done in person.

As they walked, Millie struggled inwardly with her emotions. Just like her mother, Levi Westland had taken charge, not bothering to ask her what her plans were. For now, she’d give him the benefit of the doubt, but if he thought just because they were supposed to get married, that he could control her every move, well, he had another think coming.

She wasn’t marrying him or any other man. Millie had come to Granite to tell him that she’d been mistaken in answering his mail-order bride advertisement. She had thought at the time it was the only way to escape her controlling mother and to flee from the law.

But on the trip out, she’d changed her mind. Because Millie knew it wouldn’t be right to keep the money he’d already spent on her passage to Granite, Millie had taken a job in Lubbock Texas.

It had taken her six long months to earn his money. She’d grown up during those months and realized she should have stood up to her mother and told the law what had happened.

Millie still wasn’t sure if the U.S. marshal was after her or not. Burning down Eliza Kelly’s house had been an accident, but now she understood that by running away, she appeared guilty and it wouldn’t look at all like an accident to the law.

Her thoughts calmed a bit as she glanced around the small town of Granite. It looked like a nice place to settle. Millie thought about the art gallery she hoped to have someday. If all went well, she might just stay here and make that dream come true. Then she could return to Cottonwood Springs a success and with a little money to pay a good lawyer.

In his letters, Levi had described Granite and its people as warm and welcoming. As if to prove his point, a woman with a small boy in hand smiled and waved at them. Millie returned her smile and wave. If everyone was as friendly as the woman Millie felt sure she’d be happy here. But would Levi allow her to stay once she told him she didn’t wish to marry after all? Or would he expect her to pack up and move on?

Levi had said he’d given up on her. That was good. She’d be able to tell him that marriage was out of the question and she had earned enough money at Miss Hattie’s Laundry, and by selling a few of her drawings in Lubbock, to pay him back for the trip to Granite.

To break the silence, Millie said, “This looks like a nice town.” She noted a furniture builder’s shop and inhaled deeply. Was that Levi’s carpentry business?

The soothing scent of wood filled her nostrils. Millie didn’t think the scent drifted out from the store; more than likely it came from the man beside her.

Her papa worked at the sawmill in Cottonwood Springs. The smell of fresh wood shavings always gave her comfort. Today the scent reminded her of Papa, and longing entered her heart to see him again.

Levi offered a stiff chuckle. “We like it.”

He continued walking with her, nodding at the locals, so Millie allowed her thoughts to drift back to her father. She missed him dearly but couldn’t see herself returning home just yet.

Mother was as demanding as the day was long and Papa was as meek. He allowed her mother to boss him around. She told him what to do and where to go as if he were a child. No, Millie had had enough of that in her eighteen years at home.

Reflecting on her parents’ relationship, Millie knew she didn’t want or need a loveless marriage, in which one person ruled the roost and the other lived life in misery. It was sad that she thought of her parents’ marriage like that, but doing so had enlightened her that she didn’t want such a life.

Her gaze moved back to the handsome man beside her. He seemed lost in his own thoughts so Millie tried to work through hers. How was she going to tell him they weren’t getting married? Did he still expect her to marry him? For all she knew, he could already be married.

Levi suddenly stopped. “I’m sorry. I just realized you must be tired after your long trip. My business can wait until this afternoon. Why don’t we go eat lunch at the boardinghouse and afterward you can rest?” He didn’t give her time to answer, simply turned around and began walking back the way they’d come.

Millie frowned at him. He flashed a smile in her direction and once more she was taken aback by his good looks. Maybe Levi Westland had charm, but no matter how much he planned on using it to get her to marry him, he could just forget it. All her life she’d been coddled and pampered, but at what price? Millie sighed. Until she’d run away from home, she’d never been free. Her mother had made sure she was hardly ever alone and that she’d never made any decisions on her own.

As they continued along, Millie thought about the event that had forced her into thinking she needed to run away.

Mrs. Eliza Kelly had asked her to watch her shop while she took her friend schoolteacher Hannah Young to the train station in Durango, Colorado. It was an all-day trip so she would be gone for a day and a half. She’d told Millie that if she wanted to spend the night in Eliza’s house, she could. Her mother had agreed to let her stay.

Millie had made the mistake of telling her friends that she planned to spend the night at Mrs. Kelly’s and would have the house to herself. The other girls had decided it would be fun to come over and smoke a few cigars. The boys always snuck around smoking the horrible things.

Her friend Charlotte had brought a handful to the shop and said it was time they found out what was so wonderful about them. They’d made plans for the girls to come over later, after the shop had closed, and try them out.

If only she hadn’t tried to smoke one of the horrible cigars before the other girls arrived. She’d just lit it when her mother had come barging into the house. Millie had panicked and tossed the other cigars out the kitchen window. She’d laid the lit cigar on the windowsill and hurried into the dining room to meet her mother.

Mother had decided she shouldn’t spend the night alone and forced her to go home. Before Millie could sneak out and back to Mrs. Kelly’s, the cigar had rolled out the window and into the dry ground below. It had set the grass and remaining cigars on fire. The house and dress shop had gone up in flames and burned to the ground.

Millie lassoed her thoughts with a snap. No use crying over spilt paint. The only thing to do was set things right. And that, she planned to do. Millie shaded her eyes with her hand.

Granite wasn’t a bad-looking settlement and so far she hadn’t seen a saloon. That was a huge plus in her books. However, she did miss the trees and flowers that lined Main Street in Cottonwood Springs.

They took a side street that didn’t have as many businesses. Her companion remained silent as they passed Bob’s Mercantile and the Sewing Room.

Bob’s Mercantile had a window on each side of the open door, with an old flyer advertising the newest parasols from New York City. The plank exterior was newly whitewashed, and Millie could see barrels in the center aisle near the door.

But the Sewing Room grabbed her attention, and she slowed, trying to take it all in. Every frill imaginable had been showcased in the two windows; a quilt, hankies, ribbons, bonnets...even an apron. A sign hung in the window stating it would soon be closing and everything was on sale.

“We’re almost there,” Levi finally offered.