by Kit Morgan
His eyebrows shot up, and he glanced at Jack and his grandfather. “Do you mind giving us a moment?”
“Not at all,” Jack said, “Use the front. The boys went to get more shelving from my place – it should be quiet up there for a few moments.”
Elwood watched Gus pick up a hammer before leading Dorcas back to the storefront. “What is it?” he asked gently.
Dorcas’ throat grew thick and she couldn’t speak. This man was being so wonderful, and that blasted Vernon could ruin it all.
“Dorcas?”
“I … well, I …”
He took her hands in his again. “Dorcas, don’t you want to get married?”
“It’s not that,” she said with a shake of her head. “I do want to get married. It’s just that … I didn’t leave Denver on very good terms.” She bit her lip and hung her head. For Heaven’s sake, one would think she’d shot someone the way she was acting. In this case, it was avoiding being shot, or worse.
“What do you mean?” Elwood asked as he drew closer.
Dorcas could feel the heat of his body, smell his masculine scent combined with soap and paper. “My parents don’t know where I am,” she finally said. “By design. I left rather suddenly.”
“Don’t you get along with them?” He reached up and brushed a loose wisp of hair from her face.
His fingers were large and warm, the tips rough. For a moment she felt a calm come over her. “Not lately.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. Do they know you’re getting married?”
She looked at him, swallowed hard and shook her head.
To her surprise, he drew her into his arms and gave her a hug. “I understand.” He drew back. “My parents and I are also in … disagreement.” He closed the distance between them, and she sensed his hesitancy. They were alone in the storefront with no chaperone – if someone were to walk in and see her in Elwood’s embrace …
He must have sensed it too, and drew away. “Dorcas, you should write them a letter, apologize or whatever you need to do. You’ll feel better for it.”
“I know, and I will … eventually. I’m just not ready. Can you understand?”
“Oh yes. Sometimes I wonder if I’ll ever see my family again.”
She went to the counter and leaned against it. “Sounds like we both have letters to write. How long have you been Noelle?”
He came over to stand next to her. “Since April. Started building right away, and have been wrapped up in it ever since. Hadn’t given much thought to letter-writing until now.”
“Do your parents know where you are?”
“No.” He sighed. “After we’re married, we’ll both sit down, do some writing, renew acquaintances. How does that sound?”
She smiled at his reassurance. He had a nice voice – gentle, firm, with a determined edge. This wasn’t a gunfighter or the sort of man others feared, but he was smart and relatable. So far, Elwood Hunter was perfect for her. “Yes, that sounds like a good idea.”
He closed the distance between them again. “Glad to hear it,” he said gently. “I don’t want either of us going into this marriage fretting over our pasts. We should be free to think about the future from now on.”
She smiled shyly and nodded. “Sounds good to me.”
He took her hands again. “It’ll be all right. I should probably escort you back to the Golden Nugget now – Norah doesn’t make idle threats when it comes to suppertime.”
She laughed. “I wonder what happens when Seamus is late.”
“Perish the thought,” he said through a grin. “But he’s never late – that should tell you something.”
Dorcas smiled, put her arm through his and let him escort her to the door.
“You be sure to come to supper tonight, okay?” Gus called from the back of the shop.
Elwood stopped in mid-stride, smiled and rolled his eyes. “Sure thing, Grandpa Gus!” he called back. He gave Dorcas’ arm a gentle pat and led her outside.
Chapter Six
By the time they got back to the Golden Nugget, Norah already had the table set for supper. Dorcas studied the corner the table was tucked in as the proprietress approached with a smile. “Back in time for supper, I see. I’m glad to see ye so prompt, Mr. Hunter.”
Dorcas gave her future husband a sidelong glance. He caught the look and shrugged. “You might as well know … I do sometimes get wrapped up in things and lose track of time. One of my flaws.”
“Nonsense,” Norah said. “I wouldn’t call it a flaw so much as not paying attention.”
“I’ll try to be more dependable,” he assured her.
“Tell that to yer wife, especially when the children start coming.”
“Children!” Dorcas squeaked, and quickly put a hand over her mouth. “Oh dear – I didn’t mean to sound so surprised. Of course we’ll have children.”
“I didn’t mean to be disrespectful,” Norah said. “But yer groom does like his books.”
“It wasn’t disrespectful at all,” Dorcas insisted, her cheeks were still hot from her reaction. She was marrying the man – children were a natural next step. She glanced at Elwood, who had taken out his pocket watch and was winding it. Just how late could he be?
“This sort of talk makes you nervous?” he asked, putting the watch back in his pocket.
“Now that you mention it, yes,” she said with a lopsided smile.
“Me too,” he said happily.
Dorcas giggled. “It does?”
“Of course. For all I know, you’d come out here, take one look at the room without a wall behind my shop and flee back to Denver. If the railroad was already in Noelle, I’d be in deep trouble.”
Dorcas suppressed a laugh. “It would take more than your back room to make me leave.”
He watched her a moment with a look she hadn’t seen before. Did he like what he saw? Or was he trying to decide? “I’m glad you’re here, Dorcas. In fact, I consider myself a lucky man. Mrs. Pettigrew could have sent you anywhere.”
She smiled shyly. Apparently he didn’t know he was the only applicant.
He pulled a chair out for her, sat in the chair next to hers and reached for a glass of water. “Is there any milk, Norah?”
Norah’s hands went to her hips. “Ye might as well know now, dearie,” she told Dorcas. “Ye’re going to need a cow. This one drinks milk by the gallon.” She turned on her heel with a swish of skirts and headed back to the kitchen.
Dorcas giggled again before turning to Elwood. “You like milk, I gather?”
“We all have our weaknesses,” he admitted. “What’s yours?”
“Oh, that’s not something a lady will discuss.” Especially not when it involved telling him about a possible dangerous situation she’d put herself in. Would Elwood think her more trouble than she was worth and send her packing? He seemed amiable enough, but one never knew. If worse came to worse, would he protect her? Hopefully, Vernon wouldn’t give her a second thought at this point … but again, one never knew.
Norah brought a plate of biscuits to the table. “Try to leave some for the others, Elwood.” She retreated to the kitchen.
“Fresh biscuits – another weakness of mine.” He reached for the bowl. “Want one?”
“Thank you, no – I’ll wait for the rest of the food.” For some reason she felt suddenly shy. They were alone at the table and, except for a few miners seated on the saloon side of the building. It was as if she and Elwood were in a world of their own. Should she tell him now?
“I hear Norah made fried chicken tonight,” he said between bites of biscuit.
Dorcas noticed how his hair shone in the lamplight. The more she studied him, the more she liked what she saw. What if she had to leave him? “Maybe she should write a cookbook and sell it in your shop.”
“And perhaps sell them here too, to her guests.”
“Are you a fast reader?” Maybe if she got him talking, it would take her mind off Vernon.
“Very fast – I can usually fin
ish a book in a few days. But now that you’re here, I’m sure it will take me longer, since I won’t be spending all my time with my books.”
She nodded and blushed. “I suppose not.” For a moment, she felt like another volume in his collection. Still, it was better than being with Vernon.
“Here we are,” Norah looked around as she set a platter of chicken on the table. “Begorrah, where is everyone this evening?”
Seamus emerged from the back carrying several large bowls. “This looks great, lass. I can’t wait to dig in.”
Dorcas looked at all the wonderful food and said quietly, “Now we know why Seamus is never late. This looks delicious.”
Elwood winked.
“Are the Hammonds joining us, do ye know?” Norah asked.
Seamus glanced at the staircase. “They should be down soon.”
Dorcas fidgeted in her seat. “Have you heard when Daphne and her husband will return?”
“Any day now, I expect,” Norah replied. “Don’t worry – as soon as I see her, I’ll let her know ye’re here. Have ye been friends long?”
“Forever,” Dorcas said. “Daphne is my best friend.”
“Daphne?” Elwood said. “Your best friend resides in Noelle?”
“Daphne and Walker Brooks,” Seamus said. “I told you about them, remember?”
“Oh yes, the fellow that went to work for Wells Fargo. An agent of some sort?”
“Aye.” Seamus and Norah took their seats, Seamus said a brief blessing over the food, and they begin to eat.
Dorcas glanced nervously at the stairs. Norah really was prompt. She hoped the Hammonds got there quickly, or they might not get any dinner. “Seamus, about this Mr. Brooks – is he a good man?”
“Of course he is. Ye don’t think we’d let a bride come to town and marry some fool, do ye?”
Dorcas reached for her fork as she blushed. “No, of course not. But Daphne is my friend, so naturally I’m concerned.”
“Of course ye are,” Norah said. “We won’t let ye marry a fool either.” She smiled at Elwood, who was too busy with his chicken to notice. “But didn’t she write and tell ye about him?”
“Yes, but what’s in a letter and what’s … oh, never mind.” Dorcas reached for the biscuits and hoped she didn’t look as silly as she felt. But if Vernon could fool her parents into thinking he was a fine upstanding citizen, couldn’t Daphne be fooled by her husband?”
“Walker Brooks is a good lad,” Seamus said. “Nothing to worry about. “Elwood here, on the other hand …”
Norah jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow. “Seamus! Stop teasing the lad and mind yer manners.”
Seamus laughed. “I didn’t mean anything by it – just having a laugh. But seriously, Miss Minx, we have a lot of good men in this town and we’re blessed to have Rev. Hammond and Mayor Hardt as leaders. They make sure everything and everyone are on the up-and-up.”
Dorcas felt her heart jump into her throat. Was she on the up-and-up? Not really. She glanced at her future husband, who was plowing through his fried chicken with relish. She had to tell him. But when? I’ll get to know him better first, she thought. Yes, that’s what I’ll do – then I’ll have a better idea of how he’ll react. And maybe by then, Daphne will have returned. She’ll know how to break it to him ...
She was beginning to like Elwood Hunter more every minute. Maybe running off to be a mail-order bride wouldn’t turn out so bad. Elwood’s shop and its operations were familiar to her. He was handsome, educated, obviously well-read and (though it was an odd consolation) as nervous as she was. All of which made her more comfortable around him. She smiled, picked up a piece of chicken and took a healthy bite.
* * *
The next day, the saloon was a flurry of activity. The Fourth of July Celebration committee met for breakfast. Dorcas and Elwood had been invited the night before by Rev. Hammond and his wife when they finally showed up for supper. Felicity Hammond was a pretty, auburn-haired spitfire, and Dorcas liked her instantly. Right then, she needed some spunk of her own – she still hadn’t told Elwood about Vernon, and felt guilty about it. She knew she’d feel better if she spoke with Daphne beforehand, though.
“Good morning,” Elwood greeted her as he approached the breakfast table.
“Good morning,” she replied shyly. A tingle went up her spine at the sight of him. He was handsome in a dark hat and suit. Anyone could tell he was a businessman, but he was becoming so much more to her. They’d had a pleasant conversation the night before at dinner, and every moment spent with him made her like him more.
“Morning, everyone,” Rev. Hammond called as he came down the stairs.
Felicity, right behind, followed him to the table and sat. “Did you sleep well, Dorcas?”
“Very well, thank you,” she said.
Elwood took the chair next to hers. “What sorts of things are the committee discussing?” he asked, reaching for the milk pitcher.
“We need volunteers for a few more things,” Felicity said.
“What sorts of things?” Dorcas asked.
“For one, who will be in charge of the fireworks once they arrive – probably this afternoon.”
“I’ll do it,” a grizzly old miner yelled from just inside the hotel doors. He spoke with a fellow at another table before making his way to theirs.
“Morning, Jasper.” Rev. Hammond motioned to Elwood and Dorcas. “May I present Mr. Elwood Hunter and his betrothed, Dorcas Minx. Dorcas is a friend of Daphne’s.”
Jasper squinted at her. “Ya are? Well, any friend of Daphne’s a friend of mine.” He plopped into the chair next to her and grinned. “How d’ya like Noelle?”
Dorcas cringed. His hair was combed and he smelled clean, but his clothes were filthy – and was that liquor on his breath? “I … like it fine.”
“Glad to hear it. Noelle’s great. Cain’t wait for this celebration. Most excitement we’ve had ‘round here since Walker got hitched to yer friend.”
“Really?” she said with a raised eyebrow. She glanced at Elwood.
He shrugged. “Personally, I think the most excitement would’ve been when Sheriff Draven came to town.” He took a cup of coffee from a tray Norah brought to the table.
“Sheriff Draven?” Jasper scoffed. “Nah, he ain’t nothin’.”
“Bite your tongue, sir,” Elwood said in shock. “Sheriff Draven’s one of the greatest lawmen in this region.”
Jasper squinted at him. “Really. Prove it.”
“He’s tough and a fast draw,” the reverend added.
“Maybe so,” Jasper said, “but I can think of plenty of fellers that’ve had more adventures’n Draven.”
“Name one,” Elwood challenged him.
“Marshal Gant.” Jasper scratched his beard. “Now there’s a lawman fer ya – ‘n he’s got more tales than a cattle herd.”
Elwood glanced at Dorcas and back. She could see he was thinking about this new piece of information – and that Jasper now had his full attention. “Where is this marshal from?” she asked.
“Texas, originally.” Jasper took the cup of coffee Norah offered. “I dunno much ‘bout him, but he strikes fear into the hearts of outlaws like no other man. Not even Draven.”
“Really?” Elwood said, eyes as big as saucers. He leaned toward Jasper. “Tell me more.”
Jasper was about to when Rev. Hammond interrupted. “I’m afraid there’s no time for that now. We have business to discuss.”
Several more folks joined the table, including Mayor Hardt and his wife Penny, and introductions were made. Finally the last committee member showed up, a tiny raven haired woman Dorcas hadn’t met. “Hello, Birdie,” Felicity said, then turned to Dorcas. “May I present Birdie Peregrine? She’s Jack’s wife – they run the post and freight along with Jack’s brother and grandpa.”
“Oh yes, Elwood told me about you. So did your husband – I met him yesterday.”
“Oui, I know. And I wanted to tell you, if you need any
assistance with your wedding dress, I’m happy to help.”
Dorcas smiled at the offer. “Thank you. But Rev. Hammond is going to marry us on Tuesday – I’m afraid there’s not enough time to make one.”
“Oh, bien sûr, but may I at least make a veil, as a gift for you?”
“Tuesday!” Jasper blurted. “The third of July?”
“Sure, what’s wrong with that?” Rev. Hammond asked.
“Ain’t these two gonna be thinkin’ ‘bout getting hitched more’n helpin’ out?” Jasper glanced at Dorcas and Elwood. “No offense, but ya shoulda seen yer friend Daphne and my friend Walker ‘fore they got married.” He batted his eyelashes and made kissing noises.
“Jasper, stop that,” Mayor Hardt said. “You’re exaggerating.”
“I am not!”
Dorcas giggled and turned to Birdie. “A veil is a generous offer – thank you.”
“Every bride should have something for her wedding day,” Birdie said. “I’m happy to do it.”
“We’ll discuss veils and such after the meeting.” Norah picked up an empty tray and headed to the kitchen, returning shortly to lay out the food. As soon as she was done, Rev. Hammond said the blessing and they began to eat.
“So who’s going to help with the fireworks?” Seamus asked.
“I can,” Jasper said, “but I’ll need help.”
“Don’t count on me,” Mayor Hardt said. “I’ve got the blasted railroad to deal with.”
“More delays?” the reverend asked.
“Always.” He stabbed his eggs and frowned. “I’ve got another meeting with Hawkinson tomorrow.”
“I don’t like him,” Jasper commented. “Bet he’s gotta questionable past. But none of my business what ya do ‘bout the railroad, Mayor.”
Mayor Hardt muttered something between bites. This obviously wasn’t a pleasant subject, Dorcas observed.
Rev. Hammond confirmed it by quickly changing the subject. “Elwood, Dorcas, could you help Jasper?”
Elwood turned to Dorcas. “Yes, I think we could.”
His eyes were brighter today, she noticed. Was it because of her? She warmed at the thought. “Yes, we can,” she said.
