Conner's Contrary Bride
Page 11
He grabbed her hand and pulled her into their old house, now devoid of furnishings, so they had nowhere to sit except on an old window seat in the sitting room.
Conner pointed to it. “After you. We need to talk.”
Elsie sat and waited for him with a look he could only describe as curious and frightened. He took her hand and rubbed it to put her at ease. Her eyes widened, and he knew she was waiting for him to speak.
“I’m sorry,” was all he could think of to start.
He thought she’d meant to say she was sorry, but she bit her lip, and he knew she wasn’t sorry for the things she’d said to him the night before—she’d meant every word. And he’d deserved every word.
“Come here,” he whispered, holding out his arms.
She moved into his arms stiffly, which wasn’t what she usually did. He had to tell her why he was afraid to have a child. She deserved to know, but he knew it would make no difference to her, and he’d lose the battle. Still, he had to try.
He lifted her chin and gazed into her big blue eyes, filled with both curiosity and hurt. Conner kissed her forehead. “There’s a reason I don’t want you to conceive a child. I’m afraid of losing you.”
“I’ll take that chance,” she said calmly.
“You’ve become my reason for living again. You’ve brought such sunshine into my life. Even your contrary disposition has endeared you to me. I realized that—don’t get me wrong—I loved Mary, but it was nothing like this. You, with your red hair and freckles, have changed my life, and I can’t risk losing you.”
Elsie squeezed his hand. “You led me to the Church and introduced me to God, and I’m so thankful for that. I know that God led me here because He knew you needed me, and I needed you. It was His plan, and whatever happened to the matchmaker’s work, God’s will was done. I can’t believe he’d allow the same thing to happen again, and we won’t let it.”
“I wish there was some way to ensure that,” Conner said.
“Pray for it. I’m willing to go through with it. If I die, I know I’ll go to heaven. It’s like anything else in life—you can’t avoid something because you’re afraid to try. Let God handle it. If it’s His will that I die, I will, whether it’s falling off a horse or giving birth. You can’t stop living, Conner.”
He let her words sink in, and he felt a bit embarrassed that he had been the one to lead her to the Church and God, and he was the one who had lacked the faith.
Conner held both her cheeks in his hands and peered into her eyes. “Maybe I’m guilty of loving you too much—too much to forget that it’s all in God’s hands. I stopped reading my Bible before bed because I was too eager to make love to you.”
“Let’s read it together every night, then. You can help me understand some of the verses that confuse me,” Elsie said. “But I want a child, Conner. Please, prove your love for me by giving me the thing I want most in the world—except for you, of course.”
Conner kissed her lips. “You were right. I have been selfish.” He sighed. “We’ll start making that baby tonight.”
“After our Bible reading,” she reminded him. Her smile lit up her face so radiantly, it even reached her tear-filled eyes. He’d made her happy, and it felt wonderful that he had the power to do that.
“I love you, too, Conner. I was heartsick after realizing I’d hurt you with my words.”
“You did, but I needed them to wake me up.”
A pounding on the clinic door made them both jump from their passionate kiss. Conner stood up, pulling her with him. “We’ll finish this tonight. A patient awaits us.”
Chapter Nineteen
Elsie made an announcement at their Thanksgiving dinner. Conner had already confirmed it with an examination.
“Bertie, I hope you won’t mind having to cook for another family member.”
Bertie looked at Conner. “Your sister, Beth, is coming for a visit?”
Conner laughed. “No, it’s a much smaller visitor... or should I say, permanent resident?”
Bertie plopped into the empty chair. “Oh, thank the good Lord—a baby!”
For Christmas, Conner gave her a gold wedding ring. Bertie gave her several baby things she’d been knitting and sewing, and Elsie had also found the time to knit some baby clothes.
She hadn’t started to show yet, but Conner kept a close eye on her condition.
It had been a cold and snowy winter, and the clinic had patients coming in with colds and the flu. Conner had hired a woman from town to help him in the clinic; he didn’t want Elsie to catch any of their illnesses. This gave Elsie time to knit and crochet for their baby.
Early spring reminded Elsie that she’d been in Hays City for a full year. She was happy being a woman of leisure but the woman who assisted Conner was attractive. Elsie felt pangs of jealousy from time to time. Camille was a brunette with rosy cheeks and a beautiful smile. She was slim, and now Elsie was not. Her stomach was so large, she found it hard to move around—and her husband was working closely with Camille.
One night in bed after their Bible reading, Conner pulled her close. “No more love-making, but I can still hold you in my arms.”
Elsie moved into his arms. She loved snuggling with Conner, but Camille still bothered her. He couldn’t make love to her, and he worked all day with a lovely woman. It was a worry that she couldn’t shake, even though she knew her husband loved her.
“How is Camille working out?” she asked, trying to sound casual.
“She’s slower with learning the names of the instruments, unlike you.” He kissed her forehead. “But she’ll do.”
“She’s very attractive, don’t you think?”
“She’s all right, I guess.”
She heard and felt Conner’s chuckle.
“Are you aware of who she is?”
“Who she is? I’m not sure where you found her. In town, I guess.”
“Yes, I found her in town. She’s the sheriff’s mail-order bride. Can you imagine that? They haven’t married yet because Babcock is waiting for his family to arrive from Pittsburgh. They’re very much in love.”
Elsie felt the tenseness in her body relax, and her heart stopped throbbing so hard. Camille was marrying Joe Babcock.
Conner sat up straight. “Wait, you didn’t think for one moment that I—"
Elsie kissed his lips to silence him. “Of course, I didn’t... well, maybe a little. Here I am, fat as a sow, and Camille’s so pretty and slim.” Elsie pouted. “I feel like an elephant.”
Conner rubbed her belly gently. “You, my gorgeous wife, are carrying precious cargo, and because of that, I think you are the most beautiful woman in the world.”
Elsie was sitting on the settee, knitting a baby sweater when she let out a sudden gasp.
Conner sat on a chair nearby, reading a book. “Are you all right, sweetheart?”
“It’s probably nothing. Sometimes, our child is naughty and kicks me somewhere that hurts... although he—or she—has been quiet all day.” She looked up at Conner in alarm. “You don’t think something is wrong, do you?”
Conner put his book down, moved her ball of yarn, and sat beside her on the settee, rubbing her stomach softly.
She gasped when another cramp-like pain hit her.
“That was a more painful one, wasn’t it? I felt your stomach tighten. I think it’s time.”
“Bertie!” he called. When she appeared from the kitchen, he said, “Let’s go through the drill for real this time.”
Bertie smiled. “I know the drill, and I’m on it.” She fled the room.
Conner had drilled Bertie on exactly what to do when the time came. He picked up his wife and carried her up the stairs. While extremely worried, he tried hard not to show it. Would this be his last moments with Elsie? Then he reminded himself of who was in charge. He prayed to God that he wouldn’t lose Elsie or their baby. He’d gone through it once, and it had been hard enough, but if he lost Elsie... well, since God was in charge, there w
as not much he could do to change things. He had, however, called Dr. Wadsworth in from Russell to deliver the baby, as he couldn’t bear to do it himself.
Part of the drill he and Bertie had devised was for her to bring up boiling water and sterile cloths along with his medical bag, just in case Wadsworth took too long to get there. Then, she was to run to the hotel and bring the doctor back for the delivery.
As much as he believed in God and His will, he still paced the floor and bit off most of his fingernails. He wanted to ask what was taking so long, but being a doctor who’d brought many babies into the world, he knew it often took hours, especially with the first baby.
Now and then, Bertie would come out of the bedroom to tell him all was well. “She’s a strong one for being so tiny. I haven’t heard her cry out once.” She smiled. “It’s going well. I have to get back in there... Doc says it won’t be much longer.”
Conner knelt on the floor outside of the bedroom and prayed harder than he ever had before. When he heard Elsie groan loudly, he cringed. He wished he could take the pain from her. It didn’t seem fair that the woman had to bear so much pain for both of them to become parents. He’d made a point of holding her hand until Wadsworth had shooed him from the room.
He heard one loud groan from his loving wife that sent a pain through his entire body, then he heard a baby’s cry.
He smiled. He was a father, but was he still a husband?
Conner continued to pace as he waited for someone to come out to let him know if Elsie was all right. He stopped and turned when the bedroom door finally opened and Wadsworth invited him in.
Wadsworth slapped Conner’s back, “Congratulations—you have a healthy son and a strong, brave wife who is recovering remarkably well.”
Conner ran to Elsie, who sat propped up with pillows and holding their son.
“Are you feeling all right?”
“I’m fine, Conner. It wasn’t as bad as I’d feared. I’m ready to try for a daughter, next.”
He leaned over, kissed her, and looked upward. “Thank you, God.”
He gazed at their son in her arms. “He’s beautiful. What should we call him?”
“I think he should be Conner Jr.,” she said.
“Heavens, no,” Conner said. “I disagree. I’ve always hated my name. My father put me through college, and he has a wonderful name.”
“What’s his name?”
“John Beauregard Van Gates, III. It’s the perfect name for him.”
“I disagree with that name,” Elsie said, kissing the baby’s forehead.
Conner grinned. “Of course, you do, but since you bore all the pain, you can name him whatever you want.”
“Meet your son, John Conner Van Gates.”
“It has a nice ring to it,” Conner said. He touched the baby’s hand, and little John grabbed his finger. “Look, Elsie—He will be a strong boy.”
“And full of little boy mischief. You’d better work on that fence.”
“I’ve ordered the lumber, and Hazel’s handyman has agreed to help me build it.”
Elsie looked up at him. “I love you so much, Conner. Thank you for trusting God enough to let me become a mother. I couldn’t be happier.”
Epilogue
Eight years later.
The Van Gates family usually spent Sunday afternoons together. In the summer, as it was that very day, Conner and Elsie were playing with the children in the yard.
“Johnny,” Elsie called, “be careful of your sister. You’re pushing her too high on the swing.”
“But Ma,” the little four-year-old called out, “I like going high. I want to fly like a bird.”
“Conner,” Elsie said, “please make them stop. Florence will get hurt.”
Her husband walked over, plucked little Florence from the swing, put her on his shoulders, and proceeded to run around the yard. “See—you’re flying like a bird. What kind of bird are you: an eagle or a hawk?”
Without thinking, Florence said, “A Parrot.”
Elsie and Conner laughed.
“That kind of bird fits you perfectly,” Elsie took Florence from Conner. “It’s time for a nap.”
“Can I fly one more time?” Florence asked.
“No, sweetie, but after your nap we’ll have a picnic supper, and Aunt Bertie will join us.”
As usual, when her name was mentioned, she was there. “I’ll take her up for a nap, and I have a job in the kitchen for Johnny.”
“Doing what?” Johnny asked.
“Making sandwiches for our picnic.”
Johnny frowned, but after a stern look from his father, he followed Bertie into the house.
Conner joined Elsie on the bench under one of the trees in their yard. “Did I ever tell you I finally got an answer from the matchmaker? I’d written her to ask how you and I ever became a match, and it seems her cat knocked over the box of matched couples, and her young granddaughter did the best she could, trying to match them again.”
“Sounds like God and the cat were working together to match us up, Conner.”
Elsie felt Conner’s hand squeeze hers. “Yes. I believe God and the cat did. I love our little family. I can’t tell you how happy I am.”
“Would you mind if our family expanded?”
“Elsie! Are you?”
“No, I’m not, but the orphan train is due in Hays City in two weeks. I think we should give some unfortunate child a loving home.”
“Elsie, that’s a wonderful idea.”
“Actually, it was your idea, several years ago. I told you I wanted to have our own child first, and God has blessed us with two beautiful, healthy children. I feel the need to give some of that to an orphan. God is moving me to it, I can feel it.”
Conner kissed her cheek. “Do you think you can treat them all fairly? I mean, we can’t openly favor our real children. That won’t be easy.”
Elsie snuggled closer to him. She loved him more each day. “I was thinking that if we got one young enough, he or she would be just like our own. Maybe someone Florence’s age or a year or two younger. I feel as if we can love him or her as much as John and Florence.
Conner smiled. “I disagree.”
“Of course, you do!” Elsie laughed. “What do you disagree with?”
“I think we should adopt two orphans.”
“Why two?”
Conner laughed. “Just to be contrary.”
They laughed together, and Conner pulled her close. “You know, we haven’t disagreed much lately.”
“I think,” Elsie said with a big smile, “we’re finally a perfect match.”
NEXT IN THIS SERIES:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08HSNK3CS Carter’s Klutzy Bride
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08MWZTWK1 Brenden’s Bookish Bride
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08LR34F5G Harvey’s Bashful Bride
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08Y4VSRM4 Matthew's Wild Mountain Bride
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08V8JD8H4 Dalton’s Dual Brides
Also, consider joining our series reader group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/3021432914636222/ Joining gives you information on the series as well as when each book will be released. We also plan some fun posts, too.
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Looking for another good book to read?
Other books by Barbara Goss:
1. Forbidden Legacy
2. Captured Heart
3. Stolen Heritage
4. Dangerous Illusions
5. Silent Love
6. The Final Vow
7. The Kissing Bridge
8. Drawn from Darkness
9. Temptation by Moonlight
10. The Romantic Ruse
11. Shadow of Shame
12. Shadow of Deceit
13. Shadow of Regret
14. Shadow of Hope
15. Sha
dow of Love
16. Shadow of Faith
17. Shadow of Second Chances
18. Sunshine in the Rain and 19. Yesterday’s Rain (Two books in one)
20. Mail Order Mishap Book 1
21. Mail Order Vixen Book 2
22. Mail Order Ruse Book 3
23. Mail Order Calamity Book 4
24 Mail Order Compromise Book 5
25. The Guilty Proposal
26. The Reckless Proposal
27. The Shotgun Proposal
28. The Housekeeper’s Proposal
29. Dan McCall’s Bride
30. Looking for Love
31. Delightfully Deluded
32. Ricochet Romance – (2 books in one) and 33
34. Wanted: Horse Breeder - Silverpines Series
35. Wanted: A Trusting Heart – Silverpines Series
36. Rescued in El Paso
37. A Bride for Nathan (Proxy Brides Series)
38. The Trapper
39. A Bride for Travis (Proxy Brides Series)
40. Hope (Prairie Rose Series)
41. The Secret Diary (Lockets and Lace Series)
42. A Bride for Logan (Proxy Brides Series)
43. The Marshal’s Mission
44. A Bride for Wyatt (Proxy Brides Series, Christmas Edition)
45. A Bride for Adam (Proxy Brides Series)
46. Conner’s Contrary Bride (Matchmaker’s Mix-Up series)
47. Jesse (Bounty Hunter’s of Sunset Creek)
48. A Bride for Cameron
49. A Horsewoman for Harlan