She knew they were trying to help, and she racked her brain for a moment for some means to support herself. Not finding any solutions, she was about to say yes when the blacksmith, who she’d completely forgotten was in the room, cleared his throat.
She looked up at him, his deep brown eyes trained on her. He’d been the first person to help her the day before. He’d seemed just as quiet then as now, and she remembered that he’d seemed a little taken aback during her altercation with Walker.
He had a piece of paper in his hand, and their eyes met as he handed it to Suzanne.
Suzanne unfolded the paper carefully and her eyes grew wide as she read whatever was on it. She looked up from the paper at Joe questioningly as she handed the document to her sister.
Sadie skimmed the paper quickly and smiled, folding it and placing it back in Joe’s hand. She clapped once and squeezed her sister’s hand as the door bells rang but no one looked toward the door. All eyes were on Joe. Including Olivia’s, but she didn’t quite understand why.
“What do you think, Mr. Stanton?” Suzanne asked, very formally in Olivia’s opinion.
Joe twisted his hat in his hands and nodded at Suzanne, who grabbed her sister’s hand again. Both twins’ smiles spread from ear to ear.
“Go ahead, then,” Suzanne urged as Sadie’s hand flew to her mouth and her eyes grew even wider.
The blacksmith ran a hand through his dark, wavy hair and held his hat over his chest. He blew out a breath and turned toward Olivia as he shoved the mysterious paper back in his pocket.
“Miss Blanchard, it appears that you are in need of a husband, and I’m in need of a wife. Would you do me the honor of becoming mine? I can promise you a safe and secure home. I guess we’ll have to see what happens from there.”
Olivia gasped and held her hand over her heart. She really looked at him, as if for the first time. He was taller than her by a head, and he was very handsome—but her eyes were trained on his. The deep brown pulled her in, and the smile wrinkles around them—well, she made up her mind.
A bead of sweat appeared on his forehead and she turned and looked at both Sadie and Suzanne. They both grinned and nodded, and as her life had been completely upended in the space of a single day, she decided to trust them, her longtime friends, and she wasn’t sure if she surprised all of them, but she sure surprised herself when she said, “Well, yes. I suppose I will. Thank you for asking.”
Chapter 13
Joe couldn’t believe his own ears. Or his eyes. Had he really just asked a woman he barely knew—one covered in soot from head to toe—to marry him? Granted, he’d not been able to think of much else since he’d met her. He’d fought the urge to check on her several times, but seeing her now—well, he’d been quite relieved to see she was all right.
He’d sat silently by while she told her tale of woe, and a doozy it was. She’d lost everything—her ranch, her home, her father fairly recently, and all of her inventory that was to carry her for a year. Hard work that was, too, hog farming.
His mother’s voice had crossed his mind once or twice as she’d told her tale and he’d fought the urge to help.
“Joseph, remember what happened to your father. There’s no good in helping. Just keep to yourself and mind your own business,” she said in his memory.
But this woman, Olivia, was in dire straights, with nothing to her name and no prospects. When Sadie and Suzanne had suggested she set out to be a mail order bride, his hand had crept into his pocket. He fiddled with the advertisement he’d written and had planned to give to Suzanne to send to the newspaper, and the thought that here was a girl that he at least knew right in front of him considering answering an ad something like the one he held at that very moment.
He knew he wanted to steer his mother away from what would no doubt be a disastrous union if she had the opportunity to plan it, and at least Olivia was someone he’d met and found interesting—if interesting was the right word. The thought grew as she spoke, and when both Suzanne and Sadie had nodded, guessing his plan, it just sort of happened.
And now she’d accepted. He glanced over at Suzanne, hoping for some direction, as this was uncharted territory for him. And for Olivia, too, he was certain.
“Now what do we do?” he said as the bells to the door jingled.
Suzanne kept her attention on Olivia. “You’re sure you want to do this, Olivia?” she asked, her eyebrows raised.
“I think...yes, yes, I am sure,” Olivia said as her cheeks flushed. Sadie hugged Olivia once again and held her shoulders, standing back. “We’ll have to get you cleaned up so he can see the beauty he’s getting,” she whispered in Olivia’s ear during the hug.
“Oh!” Olivia cried.
“How about this Sunday?” Suzanne asked as she turned to Joe. “Might as well get on with it.”
“Get on with what?” a tall, large woman asked as she stepped directly in front of Joe.
Joe groaned as he took a step back. Of all the luck. Why did his aunt have to turn up now? Here, of all places?
He took a deep breath and said, “Olivia, please meet my aunt, Mrs. Samson. She’s my mother’s sister.”
Olivia stepped forward and smiled, holding out her hand to her future relative.
The older woman recoiled, her gloved hand on her chest as she gasped. “Young lady, you are filthy. I wouldn’t dream of shaking your hand.”
Suzanne had an odd expression on her face as she leaned back against the counter and folded her hands in front of her. “Mrs. Samson, Olivia is Joe’s fiancée. He’s just asked her to marry him.”
The widow blanched as she blinked quickly, looking at each of the four in turn. She settled on Joseph and looped her arm through his. “Oh, you silly girls. I know a joke when I hear one,” she said before her laughter filled the room.
Sadie moved over to stand beside Olivia, looping her own arm through her friend’s. “It’s not a joke, Mrs. Samson. We all are very pleased.”
Joe stiffened as all eyes turned on him. Seemed like now was the time to come clean. They’d all hear about it at some point anyway, so it might as well be now.
“Yes, Aunt Dorothy, Olivia has agreed to marry me. I believe I’m a very fortunate man.”
His aunt sputtered and coughed as she braced herself against the counter. When she’d caught her breath, she said, “That is not possible. It cannot be—will not be permitted. What about Jasmine? She has made plans—”
“That is no fault of mine,” Joe interrupted as he squared his shoulders. “You and my mother had no right to promise her anything, particularly in relation to my intentions. I’ve made my mind up, and I have acted on it. Olivia and I will be wed this Sunday.”
The older lady tucked a strand of her gray hair back into her bun and pulled on her gloves. She glowered at Joe, and he remembered what that had felt like his whole life. She was as sour as his mother, but worse.
He felt almost lighter than he had in years as he stood tall and crossed to stand beside Olivia himself, offering her his arm. His heart warmed as she looked up at him, her deep green eyes uncertain. He covered her hand when she looped her arm through his and winked at her.
“I—does your mother know about this?” she said, her voice low and menacing. “Surely, she won’t condone this atrocity.”
“I’ll thank you to hold your tongue if that’s all you have to say, Aunt Dorothy. Olivia and I are to be wed, and what my mother thinks or feels about it has no merit in my mind whatsoever. Of course, I do wish she would approve, but if she doesn’t it won’t change a thing.”
The widow tapped her cane on the floor, almost hard enough that Joe thought it might go straight through the wooden planks. She narrowed her eyes at him and straightened her hat, her skirts swishing loudly as she headed for the door.
“We’ll see about that, young man,” she said over her shoulder as sound of the door slamming reverberated through the room.
Joe heard Olivia breathe a heavy sigh and he was sorry that her
first introduction to her new family was his aunt. He wasn’t at all convinced that she would change her demeanor before or after the wedding, and his stomach roiled at the thought of what would surely be coming soon.
Suzanne looked worriedly at the door as customers filtered in. She turned to Joe and said softly, “You two might want to consider getting married sooner rather than later, before the coming storm develops into a hurricane.”
“Yes, that would be wise. It would be better to present this to my mother as a fait accompli,” Joe said as he turned toward Olivia. “I’m sorry for her behavior, Olivia. I’d like to say she’s not always like that—”
“But she is,” Sadie interrupted. “I agree with Suzanne. The sooner the better before you have to face the wrath of your mother.”
Joe worried that after all this, Olivia just might change her mind and he wished they could just go ahead and get hitched. His smile widened as he saw Suzanne crossing the mercantile with a young man in tow.
“And I think I have just the solution. Joe, Olivia, you know Pastor Daughtry. Pastor, do you have a few free moments?” she said, and Joe squeezed Olivia’s hand, relieved that she squeezed his back.
It would be all right. He would make it so.
Chapter 14
“I suppose that’s it, then. We’re married.” Joe’s voice floated to Olivia’s ears as though through a fog. Everything had happened so quickly—the pastor agreed, Suzanne shoved a flower in her hand, she and Joe said, “I do,” and now—well, she was married, all before breakfast.
She still felt like she was in a dream—or nightmare, when she thought of the fire—as she followed Sadie up the porch steps of her home. Olivia hadn’t said much, but it had been decided that she’d spend the night at Sadie’s house so that she could get cleaned up and Joe could see to arrangements at his house. She’d be moving there tomorrow.
Moving where? She didn’t even know. Stapleton? Stockton? She wasn’t even sure she knew Joe’s last name, which would now be hers. She’d heard the pastor say it but she couldn’t remember. She shook her head, trying to end the buzzing that coursed through her body, and let it all sink in.
“Do you have a bag or anything?” Sadie asked as she gestured for Olivia to enter her parlor. Olivia lifted her skirts to cross the threshold and got a glimpse of her filthy skirt and boots.
“No, I don’t. This is all I have,” she replied as she unbuttoned her boots and left them outside. She wouldn’t make the same mistake twice and fall asleep with her boots on.
Sadie’s house was lovely, and quite comfortable. The evening before, she hadn’t noticed the white lace curtains, velvet settee and Oriental rug gracing the parlor. Cozy. It was cozy.
A shiver ran through Olivia as she remembered how cozy the ranch house had been—the curtains her mother had made going up in flames in her mind’s eye.
“Are you cold?” Sadie said as she led Olivia through the parlor and into the kitchen. She hadn’t noticed much about the kitchen earlier, either. She’d never thought about what a chef’s kitchen at home would be like, but of course it would be something like this—copper pans hung on the ceiling of all types and sizes, spices lining one of the counters, the wonderful aroma of warm bread.
Before Olivia could answer, her stomach grumbled and her hand flew to her waist. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d eaten—oh, yes, she’d been at the restaurant two days ago and not eaten since. She hadn’t realized it until this very second.
Sadie set the bread and prickly pear jam on the table—Olivia’s favorite—and her stomach grumbled again.
“It would appear that you’re hungry, and I can imagine why. Tripp will bring home some meat pies from the Occidental later at lunchtime, but for now this and a cup of tea will do you some good.”
“You’re about to have a baby, Sadie. I can do that myself.”
Sadie waved her hand at Olivia. “I wouldn’t think of it. I’m fine. If women stopped doing things because they were going to have a baby, nothing would get done, would it?” she said as she put the kettle on the stove, stoked the fire, cut slices of bread, then slathered them with the jam.
All Olivia could do was nod gratefully and sit in the chair Sadie had pulled out for her.
“Besides, the baby isn’t due to arrive quite yet. I know people want me to just sit and wait, but I can’t do it.” Sadie reached out onto the back porch for a bucket and set it under the water pump.
“I suppose it might be a little difficult when you’re accustomed to working so much,” Olivia said as she washed her hands in the kitchen sink.
“So, Olivia, it seems you’re a married woman,” Sadie said softly as she sat down beside Olivia, setting warm tea in front of her.
Olivia wasn’t quite sure what to say, and Sadie waited patiently, stirring a spoonful of sugar into her tea.
The cream she’d poured into her own tea swirled as she stirred it slowly, her shoulders heavy as she thought about what she’d done. It had all happened so quickly that there hadn’t really been time to think.
Until now.
She looked up slowly at Sadie and tears pricked her eyes. Sadie sighed and reached for Olivia’s hand. The kindness made Olivia’s breath hitch in her throat before the sob came, and she pulled her hand back and covered her eyes. It was an odd sensation that Olivia was unaccustomed to. She hadn’t even had time to wallow in despair. Her life had already changed forever—and for the good, she hoped.
“Olivia, Joe is a fine man. Suzanne and I would never have encouraged you to consider his proposal if we didn’t trust that he would be good to you and look after you as you deserve.”
Olivia caught her breath and folded her hands in her lap. “I know that, Sadie. I made a quick decision because of that. I trust the two of you. I don’t think I would have done it otherwise.”
“Good,” Sadie said. “I won’t lie—his mother will be a bit of a challenge. As will his aunt. But the brothers are wonderful men with a prosperous shop. Joe has a very pretty home on the north side of town, and—well, if we can settle things with his mother...”
“Please tell me what I’m in for. Is she just like his aunt? She was—she didn’t seem very happy. Or understanding.”
“Understanding? No, I certainly wouldn’t say she is. The Widow Samson is well known around town for making things—well, difficult, to say the least. Rose Archer had quite a few run-ins with her, but she and Michael are very happy now. No thanks to the Widow Samson.”
“What does she have against people marrying and finding their own happiness?”
Sadie hid her smile behind her hand and her eyes widened.
“The widow lost her husband several years ago. Of undetermined causes, I might add, and she seems never to have recovered. And, of course, Joe lost his father in a terrible accident, and I believe his mother is equally unhappy because of it. But I should let Joe tell you that story,” Sadie said. She leaned forward and peered out the kitchen window, holding back the curtains that reminded Olivia of the curtains in her own home—or the home she’d had once.
“Looks like it might rain tonight. I’m terribly sorry it didn’t rain the night of the fire. It might have helped.”
That thought had occurred to Olivia more than once as she had lain back, watching the stars in the cloudless sky. Tombstone had very unpredictable weather in the summer months, with monsoon rain storms appearing sometimes within minutes. Why couldn’t that have happened as she watched the flames die down on their own? It sure would have helped.
Sadie stood up slowly, leaning against the back of the chair to support her weight. She winced a bit, and Olivia stood. “Can I help you?”
Sadie laughed. “No. For all my talk of wanting to do everything myself, sometimes I get little twinges, but it’s all right. I think I’ll do better when the baby comes if I stay busy.”
“I don’t know how you do it.”
“You ran an entire ranch by yourself, my dear—Percy aside—so you do know exactly how I d
o it.”
Sadie started to lift the full bucket from the sink, but took in a sharp breath as she did.
Olivia jumped up and took the bucket from her hands, setting it on the floor. “See, that’s what I mean. That’s too heavy for you, especially right now.”
Sadie rubbed her lower back as her other hand rested on her belly. She smiled weakly and said, “Maybe you’re right. I probably shouldn’t be lifting heavy things at the moment, but I honestly think you should have a bath and a good rest before Joseph arrives for supper.”
Olivia turned back to the sink and caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. She gasped and her hands flew to her hair. She spun quickly, her eyes as big as saucers as she said, “Good gracious. I look like a monster.”
She turned back to the window and began to loosen her braids.
Sadie leaned on the table and laughed. “I have to say, I’ve seen you look much better.”
Olivia spun around again, her cheeks bright red. “And Joe married me like this.”
Her friend’s blue eyes twinkled. “Yes, he did. And I have no doubt that he was happy to, Olivia. I believe you two may be surprised at how well you get on.”
She quickly began to unbraid her hair. “How can he have any idea what he’s gotten himself into?” Olivia asked as a laugh escaped and she smiled widely, her long, dark hair falling unfettered down her back.
“We’ll get you back to normal. I haven’t worn any of my dresses from before I was with child, and I venture to guess I won’t be wearing them any time soon. You’re welcome to them, and I’m sure they’ll fit you.”
Olivia’s heart swelled as she hugged her friend. Her life had been upended, and here they were laughing. She felt a little hopeful for the first time since she’d watched the ranch go up in flames and she vowed to do her best as a wife and make things right with Joe’s mother. Certainly she couldn’t be as sour as his aunt.
She lifted the bucket of water onto the stove. “I think you were right about that bath, if you don’t mind. I don’t think I’ve ever been this filthy, even during slaughtering season. I guess Joe married the dirtiest, most exhausted hog farmer in the world. Good luck to him, I say,” she said as both women dissolved into laughter.
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