Rhonda Gibson - Groom by Arrangement

Dan laughed. “Seth Billings is a good judge of character. He trusted you to escort Eliza Kelly home, and you did just that. I also saw the way you defended the little lady, and that made me like you even more. Plus, it didn’t hurt that you just confessed you weren’t a close friend of our marshal. So if you want the job, it’s yours.” Dan pushed away from the stall and stepped closer to Jackson.

Jackson extended his hand. “I’ll work hard.”

“I believe you will,” Dan answered as they shook hands.

He started to walk out of the barn but stopped halfway through the door. “Come on over once you get Eliza settled. I reckon the poor woman is going to have a rough time of it for a while.” He shook his head and walked out.

Jackson thought about Eliza as he secured the wagon. What was she going to do? Would she take the Tuckers up on their offer of a home? His gaze moved over the fabric and boxes of supplies she’d bought for her store. He thought about driving them over to the Tuckers’ home, but she hadn’t agreed to stay at their place. The supplies might be all right overnight in the barn, but he didn’t think they should be left out in the barn much longer than that. Tomorrow he’d ask if she wanted them moved someplace else.

Jackson pulled his bag and Eliza’s from behind the seat. He saw the little doll she’d worked on earlier in the day and gently placed it inside Eliza’s bag. The woman was precious; her consideration for others touched his heart. He wondered if her community realized what a jewel they had.

He took his time walking toward Rebecca and Seth’s house. His gaze moved about what he could see of the town. It seemed as if everyone had returned to their businesses and homes.

Thankfully, he didn’t see Miles Thatcher anywhere about. He’d already decided that if he did see the little man again, he’d make sure Miles left town. Even if he had to tie him to the saddle. He pushed the thought away and prayed the little man hadn’t damaged Eliza’s standing in town.

Jackson sighed. Cottonwood Springs was to be his home for a full year. He prayed he’d fit in here better than he had in other small towns. It seemed odd that Miles Thatcher was the man who was supposed to have moved here and now he found himself taking the little man’s place.

As he reached the side of the house, Eliza’s voice came through the open window. Jackson stopped and leaned against the building. He tilted his head to the side to hear her better. She sounded both sad and desperate. He rubbed the stubble on his chin as he listened.

“What am I going to do? I can’t stay here. Now don’t interrupt, you know it’s true. You have the baby, Janie, Seth and Ruthann plus yourself living here in a three-bedroom house. There is no room for me. Not that I’m blaming you, I just can’t ask you to add another person to the mix.” She didn’t give Rebecca time to answer. “I am so glad Millie had already gone home when it happened, but I’d love to know how the fire started. Did Millie say?”

Rebecca’s soothing voice floated to him. “You can stay here until the Tuckers leave town and then take them up on their offer of using their house until yours is rebuilt.”

Eliza’s miserable sigh drifted to him. “What about Seth?”

Loneliness filled Rebecca’s voice as she answered, “What about him? He’s in Durango for who knows how long. You and I both know those trials can last weeks.”

Eliza’s voice lost all sounds of desperation as she reassured her, “I’m sorry, Rebecca. I know you miss him.”

She’d seemed to have put her own concerns to the side to comfort her friend. Jackson wondered if Eliza was always this giving to others.

“Oh, you stop that!” Rebecca giggled. “I’m supposed to be comforting you, not the other way around.”

Sadness reentered Eliza’s voice. “What am I going to do about the business? I don’t have enough funds in the bank to rebuild. I bought a few supplies in Durango but didn’t buy buttons. I should have bought buttons.”

Rebecca chuckled. “Only you would think about buttons at a time like this, Eliza.”

Eliza’s soft twinkling laugh joined her friend’s. “I do tend to have a liking for them, don’t I?” Her voice sobered and she said, “It doesn’t matter now, does it? What am I going to do, Rebecca?”

Jackson wanted to help but didn’t know what he could do. The thought that the Bible spoke of helping widows troubled him. It was his duty to help Eliza Kelly. He frowned as he tried to figure out how. If only Miles Thatcher had been a decent man, he could have married Eliza and she’d have a home again.

He frowned, not liking that thought at all.

Why had her friend Hannah ventured outside the community to find them husbands? Earlier in the day, Eliza had explained that Cottonwood Springs had a new schoolteacher because Hannah had been accused of being fresh with one of her students. Hannah had been mortified that the residents of the town would believe such a lie and had decided to become a mail-order bride. But why had she searched for a husband for Eliza, too? Weren’t there any eligible men in the area to marry?

Rebecca’s voice reached his ears again. “We’ll figure out something. Now as soon as your Mr. Hart brings us your bag, we’ll get you into a hot bath and tonight you can sleep in my room with me.”

“All right but you didn’t answer my question.”

One of the ladies blew her nose. Jackson suspected it was Eliza.

Rebecca laughed. “Which question? You ask them and then speed along until I forget what you asked.”

Jackson almost chuckled. He was glad he wasn’t the only one who had problems keeping up with Eliza’s train of thought.

A huff filled the air before Eliza repeated her question. “Did Millie know what started the fire?”

“No, but since both the sheriff and Seth are out of town, Reverend Griffin did a little snooping around and found a half-smoked cigar behind your house. The men are speculating that some of the local boys might have snuck back there for a smoke. And Mr. Walker confirmed that several of the nasty things were missing from a new shipment he’d gotten in his last order.”

Eliza asked the question Jackson was thinking. “If there was only one cigar behind my house, why do they think a group of boys were smoking back there? I mean, that doesn’t make sense, does it? No, I would think they would have found more cigars. Maybe it was just one boy, sneaking a smoke.”

Rebecca added, “Maybe the other boys took theirs with them. Anyway, Seth will figure it out when he gets home.” Rebecca’s voice took on a motherly tone as she soothed. “Come on now, drink your tea and I’ll go out to the barn and check on your Mr. Hart.”

“He’s not mine.”

Rebecca giggled. “If you say so.”

Jackson pushed away from the wall and headed toward the front of the house. He didn’t want the women to know he was eavesdropping on their conversation. Now that he thought about it, it really wasn’t a nice thing to do.

After delivering Eliza’s bag and assuring Rebecca that the animals were settled in, Jackson walked to the smithy. Rebecca Billings had called him Eliza’s Mr. Hart. He shook his head. Women said the strangest things, but he couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to be married to Eliza and be her Mr. Hart. He pushed the thought away. She seemed like a sweet woman, but he didn’t delude himself into thinking she’d ever care about him. And why should she? He wasn’t loveable and didn’t deserve her care. He didn’t enjoy his feelings of protection where Eliza was concerned. Would he become too attached to her if he stayed here?

Jackson pushed the worrisome thought away and focused on the small town as he walked. New trees had been planted along Main Street in front of the newspaper office and the doctor’s office. Several of the stores had flowerpots sitting in front of them with fresh green shoots coming up. Soon there would be colorful flowers in them.