Grooms with Honor Series, Books 7-9

by Linda K. Hubalek

  “About the same amount of time as her late husband. Doesn’t look like she’s mourning him though.”

  “Meyer’s first wife and baby daughter died a few months ago and he was still mourning them. He ordered a bride to be a mother to Jamie, not to be his wife, so I think things were...tense between them.”

  “They latched on to you?” Elof didn’t like what Nolan meant.

  “I asked her along, not the other way around,” Elof clarified.

  Nolan laughed. “So, I’ll ask again. Could there be a wedding between you two in the future?”

  “Depends on what I can find for a job and a house,” Elof confessed. “I can’t offer them anything right now.”

  “Well, enjoy this plate of biscuits and gravy and we’ll start on your problems. I want to see my friend happily married and settled in a town like I am.”

  Chapter 6

  Linnea couldn’t believe her luck. Here she sat in a little town café talking with two Swedish women about her own age. They had told her of their hardships before they were married, and how good their lives were now. The sisters’ parents and two brothers’ families had also settled in the area. Could she hope Clear Creek could become hers and Jamie’s home too?

  All the while, she enjoyed the best hot meal she’d had for a week. Holly’s cherry pie was so good she could have eaten another piece.

  Rania touched Linnea’s forearm when she saw a woman and a group of little boys walking toward the café door. “Brace yourself, Linnea. Here comes Kaitlyn Reagan.”

  Jamie was hopping up and down with energy Linnea had never seen since she moved in with him and his father. Young playmates were just what he needed to adjust to his new life.

  The boys swarmed around the women’s table, talking all at once to their mothers. They looked in age from eight to four, perfect for Jamie to fit in.

  “Hello, ladies. I just met a new boy, and I need to meet his mother.” She paused a moment realizing she was having problems talking because of the active boys.

  “Holly, is Nolan in the kitchen?”

  “Yes, he is, with his army friend, Elof Lundahl.”

  “Any cookies in the jar?” Every boy turned to Holly at Kaitlyn’s question.

  “Of course, and you boys can go in the kitchen and ask Nolan to raid it.”

  Five boys dashed through the swinging door to the kitchen and Linnea could hear Nolan say “Whoa!”

  “Much better.” Kaitlyn pulled up a chair next to Linnea and held out her hand. “Welcome to Clear Creek. Do you need a place to stay?”

  Linnea turned to Rania to be sure she heard right.

  “Yes, you’ll be living with Pastor and Kaitlyn Reagan.”

  The parsonage wasn’t very big, considering the Reagan’s raised six boys here, but it was the perfect place for her and Jamie. There were two rooms upstairs, with a full and a single bed in each room. This way they could be together, but each has their own bed, although Linnea wasn’t surprised when Jamie crawled into bed with her last night. So much was new, different for him again, so he felt comfortable being with her, and she was glad they were making progress between them.

  Elof joined them for supper with the Reagans last night, even though he was staying with Nolan’s family. The older couple asked questions about them and shared about their family and community. It was easy to feel like a family visiting the Pastor and his wife, even though she and Elof weren’t married.

  “Hear that bird, Jamie?” Kaitlyn asked. “That’s a meadowlark.”

  “But where is it? There are no trees for it to roost in.”

  They’d stopped on top of a hill, watching the green grass slightly waving in the breeze and realized there wasn’t a tree in sight.

  Elof mentioned last night that the horses needed to be ridden after their rail travels, so Kaitlyn volunteered to show them the countryside this afternoon. Linnea rode in the buggy Kaitlyn was driving, and Jamie and Elof were on the horses.

  “The birds live in the grass, Jamie, even though they can fly.”

  I see three homesteads in the distance. Whose are they?” Elof pointed to places a few hills over.

  “You met the women yesterday at the café. The left place is Hilda and Noah Wilerson. The far right is Rania and Jacob Wilerson’s ranch, and their brother Leif Hamner and his wife Tina live between them. They all married in ‘73 and have a passel of kids between them.”

  “Nolan mentioned another brother, Dagmar?”

  “Dagmar Hamner manages his wife Cora’s Bar E Ranch. It’s one of the biggest in the area. And their parents, Oskar and Annalina Hamner live there too. You’ll meet them all at the church on Sunday.”

  Kaitlyn flicked the reins, and their horse moved forward again.

  The weather was so much warmer than what they’d left in the Montana Territory. The difference in altitude and being further south made a big difference. They certainly didn’t need coats here.

  Linnea glanced at Elof comfortably riding on Clem a short distance to their right. He looked so different now that he was no longer wearing his military uniform. His wide-brimmed brown felt hat kept the sun’s glare out of his eyes. His tan shirt and gray trousers looked good on him, and Linnea couldn’t help compare him to George. The two men were as different as night and day in their looks and personalities and caring for people around them.

  The scene of George’s death still flashed in her mind now and then when she least expected it, but new memories of being with Elof were filling in between them.

  Jamie still had flashbacks but came to lean against her when they happened instead of running away as he did the first days. Hopefully, he was young enough the worst memory so far in his life would be replaced with better ones.

  “Does Jamie have any relatives that you know of?” Kaitlyn’s question pulled Linnea away from watching Elof and Jamie ride and talk between them.

  “I’m not sure. We left so quickly, I haven’t gone through everything in George’s trunk yet. The Meyer family Bible was in the trunk and everyone listed, except Jamie, had a death date recorded. I don’t know about his mother’s family. There were a few photographs, but all the studios were listed as back East.”

  “Did George say where they lived before moving to the Montana Territory?”

  “One of the photographs was taken in Columbus, Ohio. Elof asked if that was where they moved from, and Jamie thought so but wasn’t sure.”

  “It might be wise to talk to Lyle Elison, the lawyer in town, about your brief marriage and Jamie. His mother may have siblings or parents, and would want to know of George’s death and Jamie’s whereabouts.”

  Linnea wondered about that but pushed it to the back of her mind. She was getting so attached to Jamie and wanted to raise him herself. What would happen if Jamie had relatives who wanted him to live with them?

  “Boys! Turn down this lane!” Kaitlyn called to Elof and Jamie.

  A lovely two-story white house with a wrap-around porch came into view as they drove down the lane. An older man standing by the barn saw them and waved, then started walking up to the house. By the time the buggy had pulled up to the house, a woman had joined him on the porch steps.

  “Hello, Kaitlyn! Out enjoying the day?” The woman called as the man walked up to hold the horse’s bridle.

  “I’m bringing new Clear Creek residents out to meet you,” Kaitlyn called while climbing down from the buggy.

  Linnea looked over to Elof to see his reaction, but all he did was smile and shrug his shoulders.

  “This is Mrs. Linnea Meyer and her stepson, Jamie. And Elof Lundahl, Nolan Clancy’s friend who recently retired from Fort Ellis.”

  Handshakes were made between the men and nods between the women.

  “And this is Cate and Isaac Connely, dear friends and honorary grandparents of every child in the area,” Kaitlyn said with a flourish, and everyone chuckled at her remark.

  “Welcome to you all,” Mr. Connely greeted with a smile. ”Elof and Jamie, let’s take th
e horses to the corral for water. I’m sure the ladies will have refreshments ready for us when we return.”

  Linnea watched Jamie walk beside Elof, his pony following right behind him, as he listened to the men talking.

  “Come into the house, and we’ll fix afternoon coffee.” Mrs. Connely offered.

  “Linnea’s a recent Swedish immigrant and enjoyed meeting Rania and Hilda yesterday while they were in town,” Kaitlyn told Cate as they walked through a lovely home. It reminded her of Mrs. Eklund’s taste in furnishings.

  “And please call me Cate, Linnea. I know basic Swedish since Rania and Hilda are my daughters-in-law and all my grandchildren speak both languages.”

  “Thank you, Cate. I feel so fortunate coming to a place where other Swedes live. My English is poor at times,” Linnea blushed as she tried not to stumble over a word.

  Gratefully, Kaitlyn took over the conversation explaining Linnea and Jamie’s situation to Cate. Linnea knew her story would be all over town in a day or two, but it couldn’t be helped, as that’s what happened. She was married a short time, her husband died, and then she traveled to Clear Creek with a friend of Nolan’s.

  She didn’t travel to America to become dependent on others, but she’d do what was best for Jamie now, even if it meant taking handouts until she found a job and a place to live.

  Elof probably saw relief in her eyes when he entered the kitchen with Jamie and Isaac because she missed his translating. They were from the same province in Sweden, and dialects varied across the country. Cate’s trying to mix Swedish and American words were hard to understand, even though Linnea caught most of it. It was just embarrassing even though the women did their best to put her at ease.

  “Got some molasses cookies for this boy, Grandma Cate?” Isaac walked into the kitchen, holding Jamie’s hand. The child looked happy, even though his face was smudged with who knows what.

  “Grandpa Isaac, you and Jamie need to wash up,” Cate answered without more than a glance.

  The three turned back to the utility room where Linnea could hear them pour water in a basin to wash their hands, and hopefully Jamie’s face.

  “Much better, have a seat and enjoy a snack.” Cate beamed at Jamie when he came back into the kitchen.

  Cate not only had coffee and cookies but biscuits and jam. It reminded Linnea of the before noon and afternoon coffee she always prepared for her parents on the farm. It was a tradition her father always wanted, even if he wasn’t physically working the land anymore.

  Linnea pulled out of her memories when Elof addressed her.

  “Isaac said my best way to work my trade would be to stock a wagon with horseshoes and tools and travel around to the ranches to work on their horses’ hooves and general health.”

  “Are there enough horses in the area for that?”

  “Says so. He has two ranches himself, the Cross C, just over the next hill run by his nephew Marcus Brenner, who is married to Cate’s daughter, Sarah. And the Straight Arrow Ranch further north, managed by Kaitlyn’s sons, Seth and Tully. The Cross C is a cattle ranch, but the other is a smaller ranch running a herd of Morgan horses. Sells them all over the country.”

  “Where would you live?” Linnea didn’t need to know that but wondered if he’d still live in town.

  “Probably have a place in Clear Creek, but I could be gone several days at a time if the ranch work is a ways from town.”

  “Have you talked to the blacksmith in town yet?” Isaac asked.

  “Met Kiowa Jones this morning. Sounds like he’s busy enough with buggy and machinery repair he wouldn’t mind giving up horseshoeing. He could make the horseshoes for me, but then he wouldn’t have to take the time to file hooves and shoe the horses.”

  Elof sounded excited about his plans. Nolan’s recommendation that Elof move to Clear Creek was going to work out for him. Linnea watched the faces around the table as the conversation continued. She needed to concentrate on words and follow along, but she was tired. Tired of grief, tired of travel, tired of the uncertainty.

  She didn’t realize she had shut her eyes for a moment until Kaitlyn leaned close and gave her a sideways hug. “Things will improve. Just give it a little time.” Linnea smiled at Kaitlyn for her encouragement. She knew that was true, but she was anxious to be settled, happy, and—she realized with clarity—be with Elof.

  “Jamie, did you and Curly have a good time on your ride today?” Pastor asked between bites of a tender roast.

  Linnea was half listening as Jamie chattered on about their ride to the Connelys.

  Then Elof stopped eating and stared at Jamie.

  “What did he say? I missed it.” Linnea asked in confusion.

  “He said Cate and Isaac are his new grandparents now so he didn’t have to visit his old ones.”

  Linnea’s eyes widened with comprehension. Did Jamie still have living grandparents? The Bible listed George’s parents as dead. So maybe he was talking about his mother’s parents.

  “Jamie, where do your grandparents live? Can you tell me their names?” Elof asked slowly.

  Jamie’s eyes grew wide, darting back and forth around the room before he finally answered.

  “Poppa said we had to move far away from Grandfather and Grandmother Schmidt because they’d want me to live with them instead of Poppa.”

  Did they want to raise Jamie because George was a widower? Linnea hadn’t been around George long enough to know what kind of a man he was before he died. The Schmidts might be one of the reasons George sent for a new wife so soon after his first wife died.

  “Where do they live, Jamie?”

  Linnea could tell Jamie knew the town but didn’t want to reveal it. Was he scared too? Why?

  “Jamie, we should write to your grandparents to tell them your father died, and that you’re living with your new mother now,” Elof gently explained.

  “You promise I can stay here with you and Mor?” Jamie’s eyes filled with worry—and fear.

  “You’re safe with us here, Jamie,” Pastor assured him. “You can tell us anything you need to about your family because we’ll protect you.”

  Elof didn’t look as confident as Pastor did, but he nodded in agreement before asking again.

  “Where do your grandparents live?”

  “Topeka.”

  Topeka? Wasn’t Topeka on the east side of Kansas?

  “Do you have any aunts or uncles?” Kaitlyn asked.

  “Don’t think so,” Jamie eyed the adults around the table, scared to say more.

  “Where is your mother buried?” Elof asked this question.

  “In a big cemetery.” Jamie was slumping in his chair, growing depressed from this conversation.

  The boy—her son—was about to cry, so Linnea decided to end the conversation. “Jamie, I’m sure the cemetery is a pretty place, and we’ll visit it someday when you’re older.”

  Elof looked at her a second, probably surprised to hear her comment, but he nodded to confirm it. She smiled at Jamie and held out her arms. Jamie scooted out of his chair from across the table and ran around to her embrace.

  “You are my son now, Jamie,” Linnea whispered the words in his ear. “All right?”

  Jamie nodded his acceptance and clung to her as if he was afraid to let go.

  Linnea looked up to meet Elof’s serious gaze. He’d grown attached to Jamie also, and she knew he would protect Jamie from any harm if they had the legal right to.

  She needed to pull out the bundle of letters from George’s trunk. There had to be clues of Jamie’s family in them, and they needed to be prepared.

  Would she need to be married to keep Jamie? She’d married a stranger for survival before. This time she’d do it for Jamie. Her first choice for a husband and a father for Jamie would be Elof, but would he agree?

  Chapter 7

  After Jamie was tucked in bed and asleep, Linnea brought the bundle of letters and the Bible downstairs. Now they sat around the kitchen table, trying to digest a
nd decipher the contents of the letters.

  Elof picked up the next letter in the pile and studied the envelope. “Okay, we might have some answers in this letter. It was mailed from Topeka, sent to Mrs. Noreen Meyer in Columbus, Ohio.”

  He read the letter aloud. It was from Jamie’s mother’s father, demanding she return to the family.

  If Elof had his way, he’d toss the letter and never contact the Schmidts because of the way the man demanded their daughter return.

  But Elof thought of the wording again. The letter could be interpreted two different ways. Was the man worried about the safety of his daughter because of her husband, or just being a tyrant? The letter ended with, “Love, from your concerned father.”

  Why hadn’t they taken the time to read these letters before now? He should have pulled them out of the trunk and read them during the four days of travel.

  “Pastor? Your opinions, both professionally and personally?” Elof valued the man’s thoughts.

  Pastor raised an eyebrow in silent communication with his wife, and she answered back with the same facial expression and a nod.

  “I think the grandparents should be notified, but, after we find out something about them first. I can wire to clergy I know in Topeka to see if anyone knows them. The man’s name sounds familiar for some reason, and I want to know why.”

  Kaitlyn snapped her fingers. “Barnard Schmidt. He was a state senator, probably five or more years ago. I’m sure of it.”

  “Yes, Kaitlyn, I believe you’re right. Now the question is was he a good or bad senator?”

  “I believe a good one.” Kaitlyn tapped her index finger on her lips a few seconds. “You know, Jamie made it sound as if his father didn’t like his grandparents, not that he didn’t like them.”

  “I wonder if Jamie ever met them if George was avoiding the Schmidts.” Pastor mused.

  This put a different spin on the boy’s situation. Was it a good thing Linnea’s marriage to him was brief? Would she have been harmed if the marriage continued?

  “Now I wonder if George let Noreen’s parents know she’d died, or he just took off west.” Elof wondered, wishing Linnea knew more about the situation.