Mail Order Bride - Westward Bound: Historical Cowboy Romance (Montana Mail Order Brides Book 3)

by Linda Bridey

  Geoff and Maureen looked at each other in disbelief. Geoff said, “I certainly didn’t see that coming.” As a father, he was torn between disappointment at Marcus’ lack of adherence to tradition and respect for his letter asking their pardon and for their blessing.

  “Nor I. I always thought they only wrote one another to irritate each other,” Maureen said.

  Something bothered her, but she couldn’t quite put a finger on what it was. Tessa had run away to pursue her own dreams and to have an adventure. Her instinct about meeting Dean with the possible intent of marrying had been a good one. Maureen and Geoff loved Dean and all of their children and were happy to see that Dean was a good provider for them all. That Dean loved Tessa and their family was evident whenever Geoff and Maureen had been in Montana.

  Maddie and Seth’s circumstances were quite different. They had helped each other through some very difficult times and Geoff and Maureen had been witnesses to their deepening relationship. It had been a pleasure for Maureen and Geoff to watch their second daughter wed such a special man like Seth.

  But this situation with Claire and Marcus was another matter. It confused her and Maureen could tell that Geoff was thinking along the same lines. His brow puckered and he fiddled with his wedding ring, which was his habit when he was deep in thought. He raised the letter again and continued.

  I am not rich, but I make a decent living. My house is not large, but together we would make it a home and I keep it in good repair. I have quite a bit of land, so expanding wouldn’t be a problem. On my honor, I will take good care of your daughter and make her happy in every way. Claire adores Aiyana and wants to help me raise her, and we plan on having more children.

  As I close this letter, I would respectfully ask that you consider your answer carefully and see that Claire and I make a good match and would have a happy life together.

  Respectfully,

  Marcus E. Samuels

  P.S. Once the wedding date is set, I will be very happy to see you, Maureen, and dance with you at the reception. Geoff, I know that you will be gracious and allow me this small pleasure.

  Despite the serious nature of the letter, Geoff and Maureen smiled at Marcus’ last sentences. It was just like him to add some levity to break the tension a serious situation like this caused.

  Geoff and Maureen looked at each other in silence for a few moments.

  “What do you think, Maureen?” Geoff asked.

  Maureen sighed. “I honestly don’t know what to think. It’s all rather sudden, but then again, neither of our other daughters’ courtships was very long. And we certainly don’t know what their letters contained and I would never dream of invading Claire’s privacy.”

  Geoff nodded. “You’re right. Marcus is a good fellow. His moods can change on a dime, but Claire is much the same way. They’re both highly intelligent and enjoy arguing about a variety of things. This whole new side to Marcus does give me pause. I’ve never had any dealings with Native Americans, so I’m not sure what to expect there. It would seem that Claire accepts his other family, however. Perhaps we should write a letter to Tessa and get her take on all of this?”

  “I think that’s a good idea,” Maureen said.

  *****

  It didn’t take long for Tessa to respond to their inquiries.

  Dear Mama and Papa,

  It was so good to hear from you! I miss you both so much and always enjoy hearing from you. Everyone here is well health-wise, but as Marcus stated in his letter to you, there has been much conflict over the revelations about Marcus’ heredity.

  I love my husband so much, but he is wrong about all of this. I can understand why he was so hurt about Marcus’ deception, but he will not even attempt to take a look at the reasons why Marcus felt he could not come forward about it all. I cannot imagine what it must be like for Marcus to know that he is the product of such an awful event, and yet he is such a caring, amusing man.

  This information was compounded by the death of their mother and fear of being rejected by his brothers. At that time, he didn’t know anything about his Lakota family, as he calls them, and would have had no one if Dean and Seth would have disowned him. At the tender age of sixteen, this would of been an incredibly difficult burden to bear and I admire Marcus’ fortitude in dealing with it all.

  Although he won’t admit it, Dean is also jealous of Marcus’ other siblings and the close relationship that Marcus has with all of them. Seth says that he is going to take Marcus up on his offer to meet them. Seth is extremely curious about this other family and even though he is a little jealous, he has kept an open mind about it all. Claire has already met several of Marcus’ family and has developed an immediate rapport with them.

  Marcus’ daughter, Aiyana, is a joy and she is so precious. She has Marcus’ beautiful gray eyes and his smile. I do not know much about her mother, but from what I can tell, Aiyana has Marcus’ pleasant disposition. You will enjoy having her as a grandchild as much as you do Sadie and Jack. Marcus has always had an affinity for children and this is even more apparent when he is holding or playing with his daughter. He is extremely proud of her and is an excellent father.

  It’s amazing to see how nonchalant he is about changing diapers or cleaning up spit-up. He was the same with his niece and nephews and I suspect that he has also done this a lot with his Lakota family. There are so many things about Marcus that make more sense now that we know his heritage. His appearance is only one of them.

  Though he does not have a medical degree per se, Marcus has much medical training and has ministered not only to his tribe, but to us as well. He has helped all of us with various ailments and injuries the past few years and has most recently helped me through a very virulent period of morning sickness.

  Regarding his and Claire’s relationship, we were as confused as you about the sudden turnabout in the nature of it. While we still have questions, it’s undeniable that they are close. It is not the closeness of friends, but rather a romantic intimacy. I do not think that Marcus, as impulsive as he can be, would have given his mother’s engagement ring to Claire unless he was committed to her and had the utmost serious intentions towards her.

  It is a beautiful emerald ring of excellent quality and Claire loves it so. This is mainly because of the significance of Marcus giving her something that obviously means a great deal to him. Personally, I think that they will make a good match and frankly, I have always thought so. They already have our blessings, but I know that yours is the most important to them. I hope all this has helped you make up your minds.

  All my love,

  Tessa

  P.S. One last bit of information about Marcus; he is also a good cook, so they will not starve.

  *****

  The next few days were busy ones for everyone. Claire made Marcus understand that his house needed a huge amount of work. Seth had laughed at Marcus’ dismay as he and Maddie helped the younger couple clean out the place. Privately he teased Marcus about learning to live with a woman.

  “You’re not gonna be able to leave your clothes all over the place like you’re used to doing.” Seth’s brow furrowed. “Why are so many of your clothes on the floor?”

  Marcus shrugged. “That’s where I leave them when I go to bed.”

  “On the floor?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Okay. Where are your underclothes?” Seth asked.

  “On the floor.”

  “What do you wear to bed?”

  “My skin,” Marcus said with a smile.

  “You sleep naked?”

  “Now you’re getting it,” Marcus said.

  Seth’s laugh rang through the small house. “You’re gonna have to stop that, little brother.”

  “Why?”

  “What if something unexpected happens?”

  A cocky smile spread across Marcus’ face. “I’m counting on it.”

  Seth smacked his chest. “Knock that off. I meant outside. At least if you have pants on, you’re
prepared.”

  “If a bear comes around, do you really think pants are going to protect me? I have this thing they call a gun. That will protect me and mine much better than pants,” Marcus said. “Besides, I don’t think Claire is gonna mind.”

  Seth just quit the conversation at that point, saying he didn’t want to know any more than Marcus had imparted. Marcus laughed him out the door.

  *****

  Four days later, Seth was helping Marcus organize his barn and was surprised to turn around and be face to face with an Indian brave. He hadn’t heard the brave come up behind him. Seth eyed him for a moment and then smiled and said, “Which one are you? Black Fox, He Who Runs, or Owl?”

  Surprise showed in the brave’s dark eyes. “He Who Runs. Are you Dean?”

  “Nope. Seth.” Seth held out a hand.

  He Who Runs looked at it a second and then shook hands with Seth.

  “Nice to meet you,” Seth said.

  Marcus came in the barn and stopped when he saw the two of them. He said something in Lakota to He Who Runs, who smiled then.

  “What did you tell him?” Seth wanted to know.

  Marcus smiled. “I told him that you’re very curious about them and that you’re afraid to sleep naked.”

  Seth glowered at Marcus and stepped towards him. He Who Runs put a hand on Seth’s chest and said, “That is not a good idea.”

  Marcus snapped something at him in Lakota and made a motion for He Who Runs to leave. The brave glowered at Seth.

  “I’m not gonna hurt him,” Seth said. He understood that He Who Runs was being protective. “We just clown around like that. Tell him, Marcus, I don’t think he understands.”

  Marcus translated and He Who Runs smiled and dropped his hand. “So it is with you like it is us?”

  Seth nodded. “Yep. Especially because he has such a smart mouth.”

  “I agree,” He Who Runs said.

  Marcus threw up his hands. “Great, now I’m going to have five brothers ganging up on me all at once.”

  “I think he is drunk,” He Who Runs said. “There are only two of us here and yet he says five.”

  Seth laughed. “I think you’re right.”

  Marcus left the barn, mumbling something about being screwed since he was baby of both families. Seth and He Who Runs laughed harder over that.

  After that, Marcus’ other two Lakota brothers came to his house in hopes of meeting Seth. They bugged him about it so much that Marcus went to the ranch to get Seth one day. He rode up the lane and stopped Rosie outside Seth’s house and whistled for him.

  Seth came from the direction of the barn. “Hey, Marcus, what brings you?”

  “Your presence is requested at my house. Where’s Claire? I came to get her, too. You know, I don’t see what the big deal is about her staying at my place now instead of after the wedding,” he said.

  Seth laughed. “Have you met Geoffrey O’Connor? He’s the big deal and trust me, you don’t want to get on his bad side, especially if it involves his daughters.”

  He rode over to Seth and said, “Yeah, but she’s killing me.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Marcus said, “She’s, um, forward about things and I gotta tell you, I’m having a hard time resisting.”

  “Well, you better keep on resisting because otherwise you’re gonna be in deep shit,” Seth said. “Now, who wants me at your house?”

  “All of my Lakota brothers. They’ve been there the last couple of days, but you’ve been busy here. Can you come today? They’re being real pains in my rear,” Marcus said as Claire came out on Seth’s porch. His face lit up at the sight of her and Claire gave him a coy smile back.

  Seth watched the exchange as Marcus rode towards her. To himself he said, “He ain’t gonna make it until the wedding. Oh, boy.”

  *****

  When Seth met Marcus’ other two brothers, he understood why it didn’t bother Marcus to sleep naked or work around the ranch without many clothes on. He and Dean were always making him keep his clothes on, especially with women and children around, and Marcus had always complained about it.

  All three braves wore only their loincloths and various pieces of jewelry. He Who Runs smiled at Seth and came forward. “Hello, brother.”

  Seth smiled as he dismounted and said, “Hello, brother.” Marcus had told him that that was the standard greeting among Lakota men, not necessarily blood brothers. It made him feel good that He Who Runs viewed him that way.

  He was introduced to Black Fox and Owl. Seth had to look a second time at Owl. He looked a lot like Marcus. “Hello, brothers,” Seth said.

  Owl smiled and he looked even more like Marcus. “Hello, brother. I am Owl.”

  Suddenly, He Who Runs tipped forward and almost went down. Marcus had come up behind him and tripped him. Marcus laughed as He Who Runs turned to face him.

  “Gotcha,” Marcus said. “You gotta listen better than that, brother.”

  He Who Runs silently circled around Marcus, waiting for an opening. Black Fox and Owl backed off and left them to their wrestling. He Who Runs feinted but Marcus was ready and countered the move with one of his own. Seth took comfort in that Black Fox and Owl were smiling at the pair. After several minutes, Marcus stood and said, “Okay. Enough, I gotta get to work here. You can avenge your honor later, He Who Runs.”

  Marcus’ Indian brother smiled and then dropped and tried the same move Marcus had used on Dean on Marcus. Marcus jumped at the last minute and avoided him. He Who Runs rolled back over, caught Marcus’ wrist, and brought Marcus down with him. There was a lot of grunting and laughing as they rolled around.

  Seth couldn’t tell who was winning, but it sure looked funny. Finally the two men broke apart and stood up. Then they shook hands and patted each other’s backs. Marcus came over to Seth. “So how did you like watching your first Lakota wrestling match?” His breathing was labored from the exertion.

  “It was entertaining. I’d like to know how to do some of that,” Seth said.

  “Oh, hang around with us long enough and you will,” Marcus said. “You’ll get inducted into the club.”

  “Can’t you just talk normal?” Seth said.

  “I mean, you won’t be able to help it. Once they know you well enough, you won’t have a choice in the matter. You’ll either learn, or they’ll wreak havoc on you.”

  “Really?” Seth said, eyeing them critically.

  “Really.” Marcus said. “Okay, I have to get to work here. My bride-to-be is already in the house and if I don’t get to it, there’ll be hell to pay.”

  Seth called after him, “You better get used to it now, little brother!”

  Marcus’ Lakota brothers laughed because they knew it was the truth.

  *****

  Dean was finding out just how much work Marcus had done on the ranch. Not only had he repaired equipment and property, but he’d helped Maddie and Tessa with many things. He’d hauled water for washing clothes, chopped firewood for the stoves and fireplaces, and watched the kids when necessary.

  Hard as Dean tried, and even with Ray and Marty’s help, he was falling behind on the work required. Seth had picked up some of the slack, but refused to do all of it because he was helping Marcus get his place sorted out so it was ready for after Claire and him were married. Jack wanted to help out more, but Dean didn’t want to put too much more pressure on him than what he was already under. However, he did insist that Sadie help Tessa more since Tessa was getting further along in her pregnancy.

  Jack watched Mikey as much as he could to allow Tessa some time to rest, but Marcus’ absence was felt by everyone. Although it did involve his lack of help, it was the loss of all the fun Marcus brought to the place that hurt the most. His whistling and laughter were missed. Dean kept trying to come to grips with it all, but his pride just wouldn’t let him get over it.

  Despite his jealousy, Dean was curious about Marcus’ other family. He knew through Tessa and Jack that Seth had met a
few of them and liked them. This further outraged him because he felt like Seth was choosing sides. He was thinking about all of this as he sat at the kitchen table going over some paperwork late one night.

  Dean heard hoof beats and then a whistle that was reserved only for him. It was Marcus. Marcus had come up with a different whistle for each family member and now Dean heard his. Out of habit, he smiled and then remembered that he was angry and hurt. His smile disappeared as the whistle was repeated. Dean tried to ignore it, but it came even louder. Dean let out an exasperated sigh and headed outside.

  “What is it, Marcus? I’m busy,” Dean said.

  “I’m sure you are, but I have something important to discuss with you. Can you come over here?” Marcus asked.

  “Why can’t I stay right here?” Dean said.

  “Well, you told me not to darken your doorstep again, and I want to make sure my shadow doesn’t fall on it,” Marcus said.

  Dean almost smiled at Marcus’ sarcastic remark, but he was able to hold it back at the last second.

  “C’mon, Dean. That was funny. Okay, I’ll come to you so I don’t have to shout,” Marcus said, and came closer.

  As he looked in Marcus’ eyes, Dean realized how much he’d missed Marcus and he had trouble keeping tears out of his eyes. “What is it?”

  “You know I’m getting married soon, right?”

  “Yes, I know,” Dean said.

  Marcus shuffled his feet a little. “I know how you feel about me right now, but I still want you to stand up with me. I knew you wouldn’t be my best man even though you were my first choice. Seth understands why that is, and he has graciously agreed to be my best man even knowing that. I’m not asking for your answer right this moment, but I’d like you to at least think about it. Will you do that much?”

  Dean swallowed his immediate reply and instead asked, “What about your other brothers? Why don’t you ask one of them?”

  Marcus smiled. “Oh, they’ll be there, but they don’t want to stand up in front of everyone in a suit. They don’t look any better in a suit that you and Seth would in loincloths. I tried to get them to do it, but no dice. Can you imagine Seth in a loincloth? Of course, Maddie might like it.”