Marcus’ voice croaked as he swallowed his tears and emotions. “I met you and your family when you were traveling in a wagon. Do you remember me when I rode my white horse by your wagon? I had a soldier’s uniform on that day.” The girl’s face crumpled, probably feeling the trauma of the attack.
“Molly, I think you had a dolly who had...a blue dress on? What’s your dolly’s name?”
“Car…Carrie. I lost her,” the girl said looking as though she didn’t know how she formed those few words.
How would Sarah or Cate handle this moment? They’d pretend nothing was out of the ordinary. “I’m sure I can find her later, but you might have to tell me what she looks like.
“How about we finish reading this book first? Moses and Molly, would you like to come sit on my lap so we can finish this story, then we’ll find a snack to eat.” Mesmerized, the children crawled into his lap, as if it was the most natural thing to do. Marcus put his arms around the children and opened the book so they could all look at the pictures again.
“N is for a nightingale’s nest high in a nut tree. Can you touch your nose?” Both children touched their nose as they stared at the illustrations.
The children relaxed against Marcus as he read. When he finished reading and closed the book, little Moses looked up at him and said, “Read again?” Marcus’ heart squeezed hard thinking of what the children had gone through and how a simple picture book was bringing their former life back to their minds.
Marcus saw their parents die that fateful day, but fate had also saved the children. What would happen to them now that he knew their first names, but not their last name?
Chapter 15
Marcus arrived after the Sunday church service had started, but circumstances as they were, he was happy it was only a half hour after it began. Marcus had sent a telegram from Hays, so the family knew he’d be coming in on this morning’s train.
Isaac stood on the church steps, watching for his arrival. He looked twice at Marcus, but waved and opened the church door to let Sarah know he’d arrived.
Marcus needed a few minutes with his bride, and their children before they walked down the aisle together.
Isaac stepped back out the front door and Marcus asked, “Isaac, can you ask Sarah and the children to come out here? We need to talk before the ceremony.”
“I see why, but I know it will work out,” Isaac smiled and winked at him. “We brought your new suit and Sarah’s wedding ring with us, so you’re all set for the ceremony.”
In a couple of minutes, Maggie and Marty rushed out of the church ahead of Sarah carrying Maisie, but stopped short of running to him for hugs. Sarah was breathtaking in her new blue, print dress and the girls looked so cute and happy in their matching pink dresses. Isaac and Cate trailed behind the children, walking hand in hand.
“Sarah, children…I’d like to introduce you to Molly and Moses.”
“Where’d they come from? Why are they with you?” Maggie asked. In the meantime, Marty moved to hide behind Sarah’s skirt, suddenly shy seeing unfamiliar children the same size as him, standing behind his Poppa Marcus.
Marcus met Sarah’s shining eyes, wordlessly asking if this was okay with her. She smiled and nodded in agreement, ready to love any child who needed a home.
“I met Molly and Moses on my trip to Fort Wallace and they need a family. Molly is five years old and her brother Moses is three, so they are right about your age. I’d like them to join our family to be your brother and sister—if Momma says it’s okay—and include them in our marriage ceremony today.”
“Molly needs a dress to match us,” Maggie pointed to the silent girl hiding behind Marcus.
“I brought extra clothes along in case anyone needed a change before the ceremony, so I have a dress along which should work for Molly, and a shirt for Moses, too,” Sarah beamed.
“Marty, can Moses wear one of your new shirts for our wedding?”
“Don’t matter to me except Grandma said I had to stay clean, so he has to, too. But he needs a haircut,” Marty pointed to Moses’ long hair.
“Well, we haven’t been able to get it cut…yet. Moses’ hair is clean, and that’s what counts for now.”
“Okay,” but Marty looked a little puzzled at the change of his family dynamics.
Marcus got down on one knee and pulled Maggie and Marty into his arms. “Remember how Uncle Daggy can speak different words for the same thing? He taught you how to say mother and father in Swedish?”
“It was moder and fader,” Maggie remembered.
“I realize this will be an adjustment for everyone, but…Molly and Moses have been living in an Indian village. They’ve been speaking the Cheyenne language lately, but they’ll start remembering the English language with us talking to them.”
“To them, the word mother,” pointing to Sarah, “is said ‘heške’, and father,” pointing to himself, “is ‘heho’.” Marcus watched Molly and Moses look at Sarah and him as he said the words.
“Remember how it was a big adjustment when you moved into the ranch house? It will be strange for Molly and Moses at first too, so we’ll have to be patient with each other.”
“Will they get new puppies?” Maggie asked. Marcus looked up at Sarah and she appeared to be waiting for the answer, too.
“You children can share the three dogs you already have. I don’t think Grandpa wants any more dogs in the house right now,” Marcus said looking up at Isaac, because three puppies running through the house was already three too many.
Sarah moved to kneel and hold her hands out to Molly and Moses. “Hello children. I’m your new momma. Did you understand me?” Sarah patiently asked. Marcus was happy the two shyly nodded their heads. Next she pointed to Maggie, Marty and Maisie, saying their names as a way to introduce them to the new children. “You also have three baby brothers who you’ll meet when we go inside the church. And this is your grandpa and grandma standing beside us. You’ll have the same aunts and uncles and cousins as your brothers and sisters, too. So, would you like to join our family?” Sarah motioned to include everyone in their circle.
“Can you comb my hair like…hers?” Molly softly asked while pointing to Maggie’s braided pigtails.
“Molly, I’m very good at braiding little girls’ hair,” Cate responded, as she held out her hand to Molly and Maisie. “Come along girls, take my hand. Maggie, you need to get your extra dress and a comb out of the carpet bag in the back of the church entryway, so we can fix Molly’s hair like yours and change her dress,” Cate led the girls away without Molly causing a fuss.
“And Isaac,” Cate turned back to say over her shoulder, “You need to take Marty to the boys’ outhouse before we start the ceremony. You know what his ‘squirming’ means. Take Moses with you and change his shirt, too.”
As everyone took off to do their tasks, Marcus gathered Sarah in his arms and held her tightly. It was so good to be back to her and their children. “I know,” Marcus started speaking while breathing the scent of Sarah’s hair, then pulled her back to look her in the eyes, “I know I should have asked you first about adding two more children to our family, but…”
Sarah put a finger to his lips to stop him.
“I’m glad you brought them home with you. Your nightmares were telling you to help those children, and you did. Plus Moses was my father’s name, so he’ll always be a reminder of my dear poppa.”
“I’m glad Isaac built a big house. We’re filling it about to capacity.”
“We will always have room for more children if the need arises. Although…the way Momma and your uncle have been acting these last few weeks, they may want to move into their own house for some privacy.”
“Do you think there’s a wedding in their future?”
“I sincerely hope so. They could marry when your parents come for their visit next month. Oh, I haven’t told you yet. Your parents sent their congratulations to us and look forward to meeting our family.”
“It’s
been several years since I last saw them. Father always wanted me to have a long military career like he did. But I’m ready to face him and say I found a ‘vocation’ I’m proud of… a husband to a wonderful woman and the proud father of a large family.
“Huh. Now I’ll have my own little army to command at the Cross C,” Marcus happily grinned.
“I think we should call it Fort Brenner,” Sarah whispered back as she raised her lips, looking forward to Marcus’ kiss, “but the only ammunition we need for our little troop is lots of hugs and kisses.”
After a delay, which no one minded, Sarah and Marcus stood in front of the church with five children in front of them. Sarah had asked the children beforehand who they wanted up front to hold their infant brothers. They wanted Grandma, Grandpa and Uncle Daggy, so each held an infant among the group at the altar.
“Dearly beloved,” Pastor Reagan started the ceremony as he smiled at Sarah and then Marcus, “we have come together in the presence of God to witness and bless the joining together of this man, Marcus Brenner, and this woman, Sarah Wilerson—and these eight children—in Holy Matrimony…”
Never did Marcus think, as he lay wounded and faintly hearing the fighting going on around him, that the love of a woman and a passel of children would bring him back to life and clear the nightmares of that day.
Sarah smiled at Marcus as she exchanged vows with him. Not only did she persist and snare the soldier she loved, she gained a family by fate. Today, besides promising to be a loyal and loving wife to Marcus, she promised to be a devoted and loving mother to eight children. She finally had the wonderful man as her husband, and the family she longed for.
Epilogue
A week later
“Marshal Wilerson,” Ben Sandall, the depot agent called from the doorway as he opened the door to the jailhouse. Adam was sitting at his desk, visiting with his brother Jacob, who sat across from him in another chair. “I hate to interrupt you, but you need to talk to a young lady over at the depot. She’s asking for someone to take her out to the Cross C Ranch.”
“See if someone over at Boyle’s Livery can take her out there,” Adam said as he looked at Jacob. “I hadn’t heard Isaac mention he had company coming to visit. Did you, Jacob?” Adam asked.
“Nope, but it’s been a few days since I’ve been over there,” Jacob answered.
“She says her uncle is Isaac Connely,” the agent added.
Adam looked at Jacob. “Did you know Isaac had a niece? I’m pretty positive Marcus is Isaac’s sister’s only child. “
“That’s not the problem, men…I’d swear on a stack of Bibles she was your sister, Sarah, when she stepped off the train. This young lady is Sarah’s identical twin.”
Adam met Jacob’s puzzled look, then Jacob’s face turned pale under his tan.
“Ben, could you ask her to wait outside the depot until Adam and I are done talking? Then I’ll escort her to the Cross C,” Jacob asked. As soon as Ben shut the door, Jacob asked Adam, “Quick, where’s your spyglass?”
“Jacob, you’re going to spy on her across the street? So someone looks a little like Sarah. What’s the big deal?”
“Give it to me before she decides to walk over here!”
Jacob pulled the glass from a desk drawer and handed it to Jacob, who quickly stepped to the window and put the glass to his eye.
“Oh no,” Jacob said after he looked a few seconds at the young woman now standing in front of the depot. “Except for being maybe a few years younger, she is Sarah’s twin!”
“Gimme that!” Adam snatched the glass from Jacob and looked across the street at the person in question.
A few seconds later, Adam lowered the glass and looked at his brother. “Holy cow! She and Sarah look more alike than…Sarah looks like us.” He narrowed his eyes as Jacob paced back and forth like a caged animal.
“I have a feeling you know something about this young woman I don’t…so spill it, Jacob.”
“If I’m right, this is going to devastate Ma and Sarah.” Jacob grabbed the spyglass from Adam’s hand and looked again. “It just has got to be a mistake...but I’d bet all my money in the Clear Creek Bank it’s true.”
“What?!”
“At this point I think I can break my promise to keep Ma’s secret to myself, because everyone’s going to know soon enough.”
“Jacob, what in the world are you talking about?”
“Didn’t Isaac have a step–brother when we all lived in Illinois?” Their parents, Moses and Cate Wilerson, were friends with Isaac Connely while growing up together in Illinois. The Wilersons moved to Kansas in 1861, and Isaac settled near them after the Civil War ended.
“Yeah, I kind of remember hearing that Isaac’s father remarried shortly before we moved here, but Mr. Connely died right after the marriage. Hmm…the woman did have a grown son about Isaac’s age, didn’t she? But I’ve never heard Isaac mention him, come to think of it. What do all these questions have to do with the woman who looks like Sarah?”
“I’m betting Sarah and that person are half–sisters.”
“You’re nuts! How!?”
The End
I hope you enjoyed reading this book in the Brides with Grit series. Please help other readers discover my books by recommending them to family and friends, either by word of mouth or writing a review. I’d really appreciate it.
Dear Readers:
The series setting is based on the famous old cowtown of Ellsworth, Kansas during its cattle drive days. The town of Clear Creek though, is fictional, based on the many little towns that sprang up as the railroad was built across Kansas.
This particular area is now the current Kanopolis State Park in central Kansas. Being local to where I live, I've hiked the park’s hiking trails where it’s easy to visualize what the area looked like in 1873—because it remains the same now—as then.
Although not all of the Brides with Grit titles may be published as of this book’s debut, please visit your favorite vender to find out when they are available.
You don’t have to, but I recommend reading the books in order to get full benefit of the story line.
Rania Ropes a Rancher (Rania and Jacob)
Millie Marries a Marshal (Millie and Adam)
Hilda Hogties a Horseman (Hilda and Noah)
Cora Captures a Cowboy (Cora and Dagmar)
Sarah Snares a Soldier (Sarah and Marcus)
Cate Corrals a Cattleman (Cate and Isaac)
Darcie Desires a Drover (Darcie and Reuben)
Tina Tracks a Trail Boss (Tina and Leif)
Brides with Grit Series
Rania Ropes a Rancher
A Historical Western Romance
Brides with Grit Series: Book 1
Rania Hamner and her family emigrated from Sweden fourteen years ago to work on a Texas ranch, working cattle and herding them up the Chisholm Trail. Something in her life on the trail caused her to doubt her worth, and her ability to trust a man enough to become his wife. Once the family buys a homestead in Kansas, she meets a rancher who begins to make her believe she can trust and fall in love after all.
Rancher Jacob Wilerson noticed Rania last year when she rode drag behind a herd of longhorns—right down Main Street of Ellsworth, Kansas. He’s been waiting for her family to return this spring with another Texas herd to the booming cowtown, because he hopes to rope her into staying permanently on his ranch—the way she had already roped his heart.
When Rania's past attacks with new danger, she decides to fight for all she's worth because she realizes she wants to be with Jacob forever.
When Jacob realizes Rania is in danger, he rushes to save her, whether or not she still loves him, hoping to rope Rania—his heart—once more, as she has roped his.
Enjoy the beginning of Rania Ropes a Rancher
Prologue
May 2, 1872, Ellsworth, Kansas
Jacob Wilerson stood on the dusty boardwalk on the north side of South Main in Ellsworth, marveling at how th
e town had changed in the five years since the town’s birth. Wooden buildings of all sizes and shapes, mostly with false fronts, mixed in with a few brick establishments like the bank on the corner. The Ellsworth Café. Miller’s Livery. Homestead Hotel. Bold painted signs hanging above the business door or painted on the front of the buildings. The first businesses sprang up overnight in tents and shacks. Some of them are long gone, but other businesses have taken their space. The dirt streets—once an original carpet of prairie grass—varies from muddy ruts, hard-packed snow and ice, to hot powdery dust, depending on the weather conditions and time of year.
There wasn’t a tree in sight; buildings just cropped up on the prairie with the wide–open sky as a backdrop.
Jacob was fourteen, ten years ago, when his folks brought their young family out to the virgin prairie of the Kansas Territory to escape the Civil War. He and his older brother Adam and younger sibling, Noah, each a year apart from Jacob, were at the age they would soon be pulled into the war if they didn’t leave civilization behind.
They left Illinois and kept traveling west, past the Kansas and Missouri border problems, to central Kansas. His father Moses filed a claim on homestead land between the Clear Creek and the Smoky Hill River, two miles south of the Butterfield Overland Route that ran from Kansas City to Denver. But within a few years, forts were established along this same route to handle the Indian uprisings. Fort Harker was built two miles west of their claim and Ellsworth five miles further west. Now their peaceful, private prairie teemed with businesses, people and more cattle than a person could ever imagine—because now the railroad traveled across the prairie too, bringing civilization with it.
Of course his family had changed, too. Adam was now the marshal for the little town called Clear Creek north of their ranch. Adam said he was never going to marry because of his chosen profession. Noah homesteaded the land next to his parents and was writing to a girlfriend back in Illinois.
Cora Captures a Cowboy Page 11
