by Sarah Banks
That was what had appealed to him the most, someone to come home to. He wasn’t looking for love, he wasn’t even sure if he believed in love. Companionship was more along the lines of what he was looking for. And someone to share his bed wouldn’t hurt either.
So he had returned to Sweet Creek and placed an advertisement for a bride with Lucy Spencer. He had been friends with Lucy’s husband before he suddenly passed away more than two years ago now and he considered Lucy a friend now too. Even though Lucy had stated she had no intentions to marry again herself, much to the disappointment of the numerous bachelors of the community, she had consoled them by starting her own business, Sweet Creek Mail Order Bride Agency and began to find brides for the overwhelming number of single men that filled this town, like most towns this far west.
Ethan’s criteria for a bride had been minimal. He remembered asking that she be pretty, kind and not mind being alone for long stretches of time because he had always worked long hours, more so now that his business was growing so rapidly plus he was frequently called out of town.
He must have received a dozen responses over the following weeks. He had automatically discounted the ones that didn’t send pictures. He wanted to know what he was getting. He had ended up picking the one with the prettiest picture although he would never admit it out loud. Her letter had said her name was Charlotte, she was twenty-two years old and had red hair and hazel eyes. He didn’t remember much else of what had been in her letter besides confirming she was perfectly fine being on her own for long stretches of time and that her father had recently remarried. He had only read the letter once or twice in total but he must have looked at her picture a dozen times a day. And now she was here.
The black and white picture hadn’t done her justice. Her hair was a stunningly bright copper color, her green eyes deep with browns and flecks of gold. She had delicate pink lips, a stubborn chin which he found charming, a graceful neck and long delicate fingers. He remembered her hand shaking in his during their vows. When he saw her glance toward the church door briefly he wondered if she had changed her mind, but she didn’t, not his brave wife.
As soon as the vows had been completed he wished that he could have swept her into his arms and immediately taken her home but he couldn’t. Because three weeks ago, after he had sent her train ticket, his life had turned upside down. Charlotte didn’t yet know and he had to tell her, soon, because it affected her nearly as much as himself. He really should have told her before the wedding.
Three weeks ago while in Denver he had received a telegram from Lucy Spencer informing him that his brother-in-law had died in a fall from his rooftop. No doubt while intoxicated Ethan presumed.
He remembered trying to make sense of the words. His sister’s children were now orphans. He considered himself a good uncle, he made sure to visit regularly. The whole reason he even lived in Sweet Creek was because of his sister who had since passed away the year before.
Nearly thirteen years ago, one year after their mother had died, their father gone much longer than that, his sister Pamela had gone and fallen in love with John Snyder. They all lived back east then. Ethan had been in his late teens, his sister two years older, his only remaining family. He had tried to talk her out of marrying him, not only because John had an itch to move west but because even back then John had had a hint of a drinking problem. But his sister had not been dissuaded. She had been in love. So Ethan followed, not wanting to lose touch with his sister whom he’d always been close to especially after the death of their parents. They settled in Sweet Creek, Colorado, way back before the train even laid tracks there, where John had a cousin.
Within a year Ethan had started up his own furniture store after working a few odd jobs. He always had an affinity and natural talent for woodworking and there was demand for it in Sweet Creek. So Morgan Furniture was created, right around the time his sister delivered her first child, Claire. The following year and nearly every year after, she had miscarriages trying to give her husband a son, until finally she did, dying shortly after.
Every time Ethan thought about losing his sister felt like a kick to the gut. Even though John loved his wife, he loved his alcohol equally. Ethan was glad he had followed them to Sweet Creek. Not only had he been able to spend that time with his sister before she passed, but he had been there to provide for them when John had trouble keeping work on account of his drinking.
Overall, he knew his sister had been happy. She had never asked for much, taking pleasure in the little things. Ethan thought she had deserved so much more. And even though she died shortly after delivering Ben, he remembered her being pleased she had finally given her husband a son. John had done his best to care for the children. Ethan never doubted John’s love for his wife and children but his drinking had only gotten worse after Pamela’s death. Even though Ethan had been surprised to hear of his death, he supposed it shouldn’t have been completely unexpected. And now the children were in his care.
Ethan had no experience fathering but he had plenty of experience uncling. He was well versed in spoiling them with gifts and giving piggyback rides but the rest was all new to him. Claire had been a tremendous help. She taught him how to change a diaper and helped look after Ben when she wasn’t in school. He didn’t cook so he took them to the hotel restaurant twice a day. At breakfast, he’d also order lunch to take home. He knew taking care of his niece and nephew would only be temporary. But he had business that he’d already left too long. Charlotte’s arrival couldn’t be more timely.
He had to return to Denver, tomorrow, and he had to explain all of this to Charlotte without the children around, specifically Claire, to overhear. He should have told her before they got married. He knew that. He should have given her a choice, but frankly he thought if he did, she wouldn’t have married him. So he had been selfish, because the second he spied her getting off the train he wanted her, more than anything he had ever wanted in his life.
Because he had to leave town so quickly, the children would be thrust into her care. It wasn’t exactly what she had signed up for. But he would assure her it was only temporary. That he had already written their grandparents, John’s parents back east, to take over their upbringing. He loved his niece and nephew but they would be better off with their grandparents. He would visit as often as he could, send money so they weren’t in want of anything and then when they were old enough, he would have them come out and visit him. He had it all figured out. Now he just needed to tell Charlotte.
Chapter Six
After the ceremony they had lunch in the hotel restaurant before walking to Ethan’s house, with his niece and nephew still in tow. Not quite like the honeymoon her father and stepmother recently had in Niagara Falls, not that Charlotte was exactly complaining.
She was pleased to see he lived in town at least. Like the church, his house was far different than the area she came from but charming nonetheless. The two-story house was not brick, but wooden and could use a fresh coat of paint. Until next spring, the flowerboxes that sat in front of each window would remain empty but she quite liked the large front porch with ornate detailing of the posts and railings. She knew her husband owned a furniture store and wondered if his talents had extended to building this home with special details she hadn’t seen on any others she passed along the way.
Her trunks were stacked on the porch, all ten of them. Halfway up the steps Ethan turned to her. “I should have told you not to bring any household items. We have pretty much anything you might need and what we don’t you can get from the mercantile.”
“I didn’t. They’re books,” she told him. She had wanted to take them all but forced herself to choose her favorites. She left instructions for the rest to be donated to the local hospital.
His eyes widened. “Books?” He asked in disbelief.
She nodded. “And clothes. That’s all.”
He seemed to silently mull that over for a moment before asking, “Claire, why don’t you give your Au
nt Charlotte a tour of the house while I bring these trunks inside?”
“Okay,” Claire mumbled, disappearing through the front door.
Charlotte hesitated. “You’re going to bring them in by yourself? They’re rather heavy. Perhaps I should unpack some of the books first? I wouldn’t want you to hurt your back,” she said, realizing that her own back was starting to hurt from holding Ben for so long despite the respite she had gotten during lunch. She wanted nothing more in this moment than to set him down. But first she was pretty sure he needed to be changed and she could use a fresh dress as well. He was moist and sticky, even more so after lunch, and now she was too. How did one change a diaper anyway?
Ethan smiled at her, his eyes twinkling. “I appreciate the offer, but I think I can manage.” He deftly lifted the first trunk over his shoulder, showing no signs of strain. She could see the muscles stretch and flex underneath his shirt through his open jacket. Clearly she had nothing to worry about. She hadn’t realized he was so strongly built. He had said he owned a furniture store and yet it never occurred to her that he did the labor.
He glanced at her, catching her watching him and she blushed, quickly turning away and followed Claire into the house.
She followed Claire from room to room. Downstairs was a large living room, kitchen and dining area. While no actual walls separated the rooms, each room felt like its own contained space. Each room was filled, almost overfilled given the modest size of the house, with beautifully crafted furniture. While the furniture lay under a thin layer of dust, the home was otherwise clean. It looked almost unlived in. Every surface was bare. No pictures, knickknacks, personal belongings of any kind. No clock on the mantle, stacks of books on the end tables, blankets or pillows on the sofa, rugs on the floor, just a thin layer of dust covering every surface and a few empty cobwebs up in the corners.
Charlotte immediately had the urge to redecorate and that made her think of her stepmother. Perhaps Margaret had felt the same way when she came to live with her and her father. She had wanted to make their house into her home.
Upstairs was a hallway and four equally sized bedrooms, two on each side. Two were empty. One was clearly Ethan’s. A large bed dominated the room, topped with a dark blue coverlet. There were two matching nightstands, two wardrobes and a washstand with a mirror above as well as a full-length standing mirror beside it. Again, all the surfaces were clean, no personal possessions, just two matching lamps on the nightstands. She rather liked the simple, masculine room, the rich, dark furniture quite complimented the dark blue bedding.
She crossed the hall into the only other furnished bedroom and saw Claire sitting in the center of a single bed. Beside it was a nightstand, then a wardrobe and a half dresser. On the other side of the room sat a crib. Charlotte gratefully placed Ben in the crib and stretched her back.
She turned in a circle and then stopped to face Claire who watched her silently. “Do you…live here?”
Claire nodded.
“But this is your uncle’s house?”
She nodded again.
But the other two bedrooms had been empty. This didn’t make any sense. “Where are your parents?”
“Dead.”
∞∞∞
She waited as Ethan finished bringing the trunks up. Ten times she heard him come up the stairs before he finally joined them in Claire and Ben’s room.
“I put your trunks in the spare room so you’ll have space to unpack,” he said before picking Ben up from his crib. He grabbed a couple of things from the dresser and then lay Ben down on top and quickly changed his diaper.
Charlotte’s cheeks burned. She had completely forgotten to change Ben.
Less than a minute later, Ben was dressed again. Ethan gave him a smacking kiss that made Ben laugh and squirm in his arms.
“Time for a nap,” he said, returning him to his crib. Ben fussed but nowhere near what Charlotte knew he was capable of after his display at the train station.
“Claire, Charlotte and I are going to go for a quick walk to show her around town. You’ll be okay here with Ben?”
“Yes.”
“Holler if you need me. We won’t go far,” Ethan promised.
Charlotte followed him downstairs and back outside. They walked back the direction they came, past the train station and hotel restaurant, toward the church but he didn’t point out anything new to her. Sweet Creek was a small town. She gathered she pretty much had seen most of it between the walk from the train station to the church, then to the restaurant and Ethan’s house. She waited for him to come out and say whatever was on his mind but it seemed like he was in no hurry.
With his hands buried deep in his pockets, he finally looked at her and gave her a sheepish smile. “I can’t wait to see that hair in the summer sun. I don’t think the flat winter light could ever do it justice.”
She blushed. She hadn’t known what she expected him to say but it wasn’t that. She self-consciously touched her chignon that she only just now realized could use some repair after being subjected to Ben’s sticky fingers. “Thank you. I used to hate the color. But it’s grown on me. My father said I remind him a great deal of my mother.”
They walked in silence for a few more minutes. She realized he was in no rush to say what he had to say but curiosity had finally gotten the better of her. “Ethan, why didn’t you tell me your niece and nephew were in your care?”
He stopped and sighed. “Because they weren’t. Not until after I sent your train ticket.”
“Oh,” she replied. She was grateful he hadn’t misled her but she didn’t really want to be a mother, at least not overnight. Maybe he hadn’t known when he sent the train ticket but he had known before they were married. He should have told her before the wedding, been honest with her and given her a chance to decide if that’s what she wanted and frankly, she wasn’t sure what she would have done. Maybe that was why he hadn’t told her, because he was afraid she might change her mind.
“It’s only temporary. I’ve already written my brother-in-law’s parents back east. Claire and Ben are too young to send them on their own and I don’t have time to take them. Besides, their grandparents have already written that they’re on their way.”
She felt some relief. If they were already on their way, she would only have care of them for a few more weeks at most. And she would have Ethan’s help. Even though they’d only been in his care for a couple of weeks, he seemed to be competent at taking care of them. She wanted to be a good wife. He could help her learn.
“Charlotte, there’s something else.”
She looked up, somewhat alarmed by his tone.
“I need to leave town.”
“What? When?”
“Tomorrow.”
“You can’t be serious. But we just got married.” She felt breathless with panic.
“I know and I’m sorry about that, but it doesn’t change the fact that I have to go. When my brother-in-law, John, fell to his death, I was called back from Denver. My sister passed last year giving birth to Ben. Our parents have been gone for some time now. There was no one else. Like I said, I’ve written John’s parents but it will be some time before they can get here and I need to get back to work.”
“But I thought you owned a furniture store here, in Sweet Creek?” Her brows were drawn together in a frown.
“I do. But I’m also building a second store in Denver. We’re already contracted to fully furnish a large hotel being built there now. We’ve a tight timeline as it is. I need to be there to make sure we stay on schedule. There’s a lot riding on these next two months. If we successfully furnish the hotel on time, we’ll have made a name for ourselves in Denver from practically the second the doors open.”
“Then take us with you.” Charlotte knew she wasn’t being practical. But she was in a strange place with two children to care for. She thought she’d at least have Ethan, now she would be alone.
“Honey, I can’t do that. Most of my money’s tied
up in the new store. Once we’ve completed the contract, it’ll be a different story and I’d love nothing more than to take you to Denver, perhaps on a belated honeymoon. But right now, I need to travel fast and I can’t afford any distractions. I need your help with this Charlotte.”
“Ethan, you can’t leave me alone with them.” She heard the panic rising in her voice. “I don’t know a thing about taking care of children.”
He took her arms in a firm yet gentle grip. “You’ll be okay Charlotte, I promise. If I can do it, so can you. All you have to do is make sure Ben’s fed and changed. And Claire’s been a big help. She pretty much takes care of herself.”
“But when will you be back?” She blinked away tears.
“I don’t know. As soon as I can,” he promised. He waited until her eyes met his before continuing, “I know this is a lot to ask Charlotte and not what either of us expected as we start our marriage together. But it is just temporary. John’s parents will be here shortly and I’m trying to get stuff in Denver squared away so I won’t have to travel as much. Soon it’ll be just you and me and I can’t wait.”
She looked down as he caressed her jaw, releasing a slow, shaky breath.
His voice lowered. “I know we won’t be intimate right away and I’m okay with that even if I want nothing more than to sweep you into my arms right now and carry you home and up to my bed.”
Charlotte’s cheeks burned. His words made her feel almost lightheaded.
“But I want to kiss you Charlotte, more than anything. May I?”
She looked around. They were in the middle of town. Even though it was cold out, the sun had made an appearance and plenty of people were taking advantage of it. “Here?”
He followed her gaze and then took her hand, tugging her gently to the dim alley beside the mercantile. He pressed her back against the side of the building. He leaned over her, his breath mingling with hers.
