Brides of Texas

by Hake, Cathy Marie

  Never before had he heard her say, “My baby.” It was always, “The baby.” It wasn’t just what she said, but how she said it, too. Rob knew then and there that God was going to bless him with a wife and child at the same time.

  Chapter 15

  So I learned an important lesson,” Ismelda said as she clipped a thread. She gave Mercy a wry look. “It doesn’t matter how long he’s lived in Texas, a German farmer still doesn’t know what he’s asking for when he says spicy food is okay.”

  “I’ve tasted your chili. I know better.” Mercy finished hemming the baby gown.

  “We made mild tamales for lunch. You don’t need to worry.” Carmen patted her hand.

  “I do love your tamales.” Mercy smiled. “That, and your sweet corn casserole. For Thanksgiving, you might want to make that.”

  “Otto won’t need to wash away the taste with a whole pitcher of milk,” Carmen teased. “Ismelda, stop snitching my scissors!”

  They continued to chatter and sew. As lunchtime neared, Mrs. Kunstler arrived, and she brought along a gentleman. “Isn’t it lucky you are in town today, Mercy? I’ve been wanting to introduce you to Chester Heim. He’s my cousin’s cousin.”

  Mercy stammered what she hoped would pass for a polite greeting as she tried to subtly cover her large tummy with a length of cloth. A woman with a mere month to go before having a child only associated with family and very close friends. It was embarrassing enough for Otto’s mother to have introduced her to this stranger—surely she wasn’t trying to play matchmaker!

  Carmen gave Mercy a confused look.

  “Ismelda, why don’t I help you set the table?” Mrs. Kunstler bustled away.

  Mr. Heim mopped his brow. “Miss Stein, I’ve been eager to meet you. Please understand how much this means to me.”

  “I’m sorry. I don’t—”

  He sat beside her on the settee and grabbed her hand. “Time is short.”

  Mercy snatched her hand away. “Mr. Heim, excuse me.”

  “The baby, I want it,” he blurted out.

  Carmen bolted out of her chair. “Mr. Heim, you need to leave.”

  “My wife and I—we’ll take it!” Mr. Heim clamped his hand around Mercy’s arm. “It’s for the best. I know you’ll agree.”

  Mercy stared at him in horror. In a matter of seconds, Mrs. Kunstler was standing beside him, testifying to his character. At the same time, he was pleading on behalf of his wife. Carmen had fled, and Ismelda stood in mute horror.

  “You can rid yourself of your shame this way,” Mrs. Kunstler declared.

  “You won’t be encumbered,” Mr. Heim asserted. “Someday, maybe another man will come along. You wouldn’t have to confess—”

  “That’s enough!” The doctor’s bellow silenced the room. He strode right up to Mercy. “Mr. Heim, you are to leave now.”

  “No.” Mr. Heim puffed out his chest. “You knew about this, but you didn’t help us. I’m taking matters into my own hands.” He turned back to Mercy. “Don’t you see? This way you won’t be completely ruined.”

  “Mercy was never ruined.” The doctor’s voice came out in a rumble that would make thunder sound like a mere whimper. He knelt beside her. “I’ll let no man slur her.”

  “I didn’t mean it to sound badly,” Heim stammered. “You’re alone, Miss Stein. My wife and I—we want children.”

  “Miss Stein is not alone. She has family who love her.” The doctor slid his hand over hers. “Aye, and there’s a man who loves her, too.”

  Mercy tore her gaze from Mr. Heim and gawked at the doctor.

  “ ’Tisna like I’d planned, but I dinna regret making my declaration.” He squeezed her hand.

  “He’s the one, Doctor.” Carmen limped back through the front door, her features strained. “He needs to leave.”

  “Everyone needs to calm down,” Mrs. Kunstler said.

  Mr. Heim tugged on Mercy’s sleeve. “Listen to me. My wife and I would give your baby a good home. If the doctor will take you, the two of you could have your own children.”

  “If I’ll take her?” Rob’s voice resonated with outrage. “I’d be blessed if she’d take me!” He stared into Mercy’s eyes. “Your value is far above rubies, Mercy. Whate’er decisions you make, they need to be based on what you know and feel deep down in your soul. Dinna allow anyone to discount how special you are, for you are a daughter of the King of kings.” He rose and helped her to her feet.

  The minute she stood, self-consciousness flooded her. Mercy knew just how huge she looked.

  The doctor tilted her face up to his. “You’re every bit as beautiful as you are innocent.”

  He had her halfway across the street before Mercy could speak. “Are you taking me home?”

  “In a manner of speaking.” He took her into the beautiful home that they’d built and seated her on the veranda. “Wait here for a moment.” He left and reappeared in a matter of seconds. Kneeling beside her once again, he pulled a thin gold band from his pocket. “My Da’s last gift to me was Ma’s ring and a piece of advice. He knew caring for bodies makes a doctor close off his heart so he doesn’t have to feel the pain. He warned me not to do so but instead to take a chance at love.”

  Mercy stared at the ring. So he’s willing to take a chance and marry me out of pity.

  “Clear down to my soul, I love ye, lass. ’Tis been hard, waiting to tell you. I pledged to your grandda I’d not court you without his leave. It’s felt like an eternity, but I finally gained his permission yesternoon. I’m askin’ you to be my wife—and for no other reason than the love God gave me for you cannot be denied.”

  Slowly, he tucked the ring in her palm and curled her fingers around it. “You hold my heart in your hand. ’Tis a matter all on its own. I canna expect that you dinna have questions or concerns, so I’ll not mince words.

  “The child you carry—I’ll honor your decision whate’er you choose to do. Just as I love you, I’ll cherish this wee one and rear him as my verra own. But if you sense you canna love him without reservation, I’ll understand if you wish to allow others to take him into their hearts and home.”

  She swallowed. “So you’re not trying to salvage my honor so the baby is not a—” She couldn’t bring herself to say the vile word.

  “Blessing. Each child is a blessing.” He looked at her steadily. “You’ve two separate decisions to make, Mercy. On one, I’ve told you I’ll support whate’er you decide. On the other, though…” He lifted her closed hand and kissed it. “I’m going to do everything in my power to sway you into consenting to be my bride. I’ll love you with every breath I ever take, Mercy. Marry me.”

  Her hand stayed in his, but she turned it over. “A woman in my condition does not think of finding a man who can love her. I once said I wanted a man who would love me regardless of what life brought and who would stand beside me in the bad times.”

  “I’m that man.” The truth sparkled in his eyes.

  “But there is another part. That man—I should love him with all that is within me.” She opened her fingers, and the ring fell into his palm. “I care for you—and today, I find I care for you in a way I did not realize. It does not seem possible.”

  “With God, all things are possible. This love is from Him, Mercy.”

  The last reservation she held crumbled. “I do love you, Robert.”

  “Duncan! Go fetch Mr. Stein. Chris, grab the parson. We’re getting married!”

  Mercy yanked on his sleeve. “Robert! I cannot get married. Not like this.”

  He cupped her face in his hands. “The day I showed you the plans for the house, I told you I couldn’t care less about how it looked on the outside. ’Twas the inside that counted. Well, I meant that then, and at the same time, I’m taking those words back this verra minute. You’re beautiful, and you’re wearing the delft frock I fancy. You couldna be more perfect than you are at this moment. I’m not goin’ to give you a chance to change your mind. Nae, I’m not.”

&nbs
p; “There’s no need to rush.”

  “Ooch, lass, I’ve been longing to profess my love for you. Now that I have, I dinna want to cross that threshold unless I’m carrying you across it. I’m a reasonable man. I’ll give ye a whole hour.”

  “An hour!”

  He nodded. “Carmen can help ye wi’ some of her posies. She and her sister can fuss wi’ your glorious hair and make themselves pretty so they’ll stand alongside you. Aye, since I’ll be havin’ Duncan and Chris stand wi’ me, it’s fitting your two friends are there. Your grandda and brother—they’re the only others who really matter, aren’t they?”

  Mercy thought for a moment, then admitted slowly, “Yes.”

  “Good! Then ’tis set.” He gave her an enthusiastic kiss.

  One slim hour later, Carmen finished brushing Mercy’s hair and topped it with a flower wreath she’d hastily made. “You’re beautiful!”

  “Here. We made this for you.” Ismelda pressed a bouquet into her hands.

  Mercy’s lips moved, but no sound came out.

  “Ready?” Grossvater asked.

  “Yes,” Carmen answered. She and Ismelda rushed to the front pew.

  Autumn sunlight poured through the church windows. Mercy wondered how that could be because she felt so cold. Robert wasn’t waiting at the altar for her, and fear welled up. Unaware of her feelings, Grossvater walked her down the aisle. He got her to the front of the church, then patted her hand.

  It wasn’t until then that Robert’s brothers entered. Chris came first, and then Duncan. By then, Mercy wasn’t cold at all. She couldn’t be—not after the shocking sight of the men wearing red, green, and white tartans that bared their knees!

  “They’re wearing skirts!” Peter blurted out.

  “Kilts,” Chris corrected him.

  “Highlanders wear their kilts for important occasions,” Mercy declared. She was marrying into Robert’s family, and a wife owed her husband loyalty and allegiance. Not only was Robert marrying her, but his brothers were showing their acceptance of the union by wearing their odd garb. Her chin lifted. “I’m honored.”

  Chris and Duncan had already been standing straight and tall, but at her words, their backs nearly snapped from pride.

  Robert approached her. He, too, wore his tartan. Having gotten over the original shock of seeing the men in their kilts, Mercy decided then and there that no man had ever looked half so handsome as her groom did in his kilt. His voice was as warm and steady as his hands when he held her close and proclaimed his vows.

  Mercy repeated her vows, and each of the promises she made came straight from her heart.

  “What God hath joined together, let no one put asunder,” the pastor said at the end. “You may kiss your bride.”

  “We Gregors have a special tradition.” Robert smiled as he pulled a length of cloth from the leather tie at his waist. The cloth matched his kilt.

  Draping the cloth over her shoulder, he quoted:

  “As fair art thou, my bonnie lass,

  So deep in luve am I,

  And I will luve thee still, my dear,

  Till a’ the seas gang dry.

  Till a’ the seas gang dry, my dear,

  And the rocks melt wi’ the sun!

  And I will luve thee still, my dear

  While the sands o’ life shall run.”

  He drew her close, and his kiss promised all the love she could ever dream for.

  To Walk

  HUMBLY

  Chapter 1

  You’ve got to come now!” Duncan Gregor shouted hoarsely as he burst through the door.

  Carmen Rodriguez’s gasp of surprise turned into a groan as the flan she’d been tipping out of the pan slithered and slopped into an unsightly mess on the plate. “You’re early. I thought we were having supper at six.”

  “Nae, lass. ’Tisna that a-tall!” Duncan slumped against the doorframe, his chest heaving and his blue eyes huge. “Mercy—the babe!”

  “Why didn’t you just say so?” Carmen ripped off her apron and put on a fresh one as she hobbled toward the door. “What does Robert say?”

  “Rob’s not at home! He’s out somewhere.”

  Well, that accounts for why he’s flustered. Carmen gave Duncan a reassuring smile. She fought the urge to smooth the wayward lock of inky hair back from his forehead. “I’ll stay with Mercy while you go fetch him.”

  “We canna recall where he went.” The man sounded as though he’d been forced to gargle vinegar before making that confession. His gaze swept the house. “Where’s your sister? We need all the help we can get.”

  “Ismelda is at Otto’s, helping his mother. She’ll be back by six for supper.”

  “Why can’t everyone stay put? Especially Rob. A man who’s about to become a father has no business gallivanting off.”

  “He’s a doctor,” Carmen pointed out.

  “Exactly.” Duncan glowered at her. “And just who else is supposed to be helping Mercy through her travail?”

  He’d left the door wide open when he barged in, so Carmen stepped out onto the veranda. Cool days like this always made her left leg ache. She’d broken it as a child, and the bones hadn’t healed correctly. It’s nothing—especially in comparison to Mercy’s travail.

  Duncan cupped Carmen’s elbow. “I’m worried about her.”

  “I’m sure she’ll be fine.” She reached to shut the door.

  Duncan muttered, “This is takin’ too long.” He shut the door, swept her into his brawny arms, and carried her across the street to the clinic. Once inside, he roared, “Where’d you put her, Chris?”

  Silence met them.

  Carmen tried to wiggle so he’d put her down. Bad enough her crippled leg kept her from being able to dash around in an emergency—but for him to cart her any farther rated as complete humiliation. “They’re probably still at home.”

  Duncan’s face went colorless. “Oh no.” He kept possession of her, plowing out the back door and across the yard to the house he shared with his brothers and new sister-in-law. “I’m counting on you.”

  “I’d do my best, but I’ve never helped at a birth.”

  “And you shouldn’t have to.” Under other circumstances, his scandalized reaction would have amused her, but Carmen couldn’t make fun of Duncan. The poor man looked downright sick. “I’m countin’ on you to talk sense into Mercy. Tell her she has to wait awhile to have the babe. And be sure to make her promise to go to the clinic. ’Tis safer there.”

  “Safer?”

  “Aye.” Dark head bobbing emphatically, Duncan declared, “Rob’s got enough medical equipment and drugs there to cure every man, woman, child, and beast in three counties. Whate’er Mercy needs, he’ll have it on hand.” He kicked open the front door and strode in. “Chris! What’s takin’ you so long? You were to have Mercy at the—”

  “She’s refusing to budge.” Christopher Gregor looked thoroughly disgruntled.

  “Hi, Carmen.” Mercy sat in the rocking chair and patted her tummy. “It looks as if we’re going to have a New Year’s Eve baby.”

  “Not if I can help it.” Chris glowered at her. “You could cooperate and wait a day or so.”

  “At least go to the clinic,” Duncan tacked on as he let go of Carmen’s legs and slipped her to the floor. The man looked terrified, yet he instinctively handled her with consideration and didn’t turn loose until he was certain she’d become stable on her feet. “Don’t you think that’s a grand notion, Carmen?”

  “I—”

  Mercy curled her hands around the chair’s arms and rocked faster. Carmen wasn’t sure who moaned—but it wasn’t Mercy. About a minute later, Mercy relaxed. “I’m having this baby here, Duncan, and you’re not going to change my mind.”

  “We’ll see to things.” Upon making that declaration, Duncan nodded to Chris. The brothers bracketed the rocking chair and hefted it.

  Mercy let out a surprised yelp.

  “What are you men doing?” Carmen stared at the odd sce
ne.

  “She wants to be in the rocking chair. We’re humoring the lass.” Chris spoke as if she’d turned into a half-wit.

  Duncan jerked his jaw in the direction of the door. “Run on ahead to the clinic, Carmen. Aren’t you supposed to be boiling water or something?”

  “The reservoir on the stove is full.” Mercy tapped Duncan and Chris on their shoulders. “And unless you put me down, the roast in the oven is going to burn.”

  “Don’t care about the roast. I’m more worried about the wee little bun in your oven.” Duncan ignored her insistent tapping and started to walk. Ostensibly not to be dissuaded from his convictions, Chris followed suit.

  “If you men carry me to the clinic, I’m just going to walk right back here.”

  “The pangs are addling her mind,” Duncan muttered.

  “No, they’re not.” Mercy wheedled, “It’s still early. Robert’s books say labor is likely to last twelve hours, if not twice that long. You can’t expect me to spend my first New Year’s Eve as a married woman anywhere other than in my husband’s wonderful home.”

  Carmen secretly admired Mercy’s wiles. She’d obviously come to understand she couldn’t fight both of her brothers-in-law, so she’d divided them by appealing to Christopher’s pride at having built the house. Chris stopped walking, and Carmen suspected as anxious as Duncan had grown, he’d carry Mercy in circles all night if someone didn’t intervene.

  “I’m relieved to see you men are trying to protect Mercy from any eventuality.” Carmen smiled at Duncan. “It’s going to grow nippy tonight. Just in case Mercy relents and decides to have the baby in the clinic, you’d better go light a fire in the stove there so she won’t catch a chill.”

  “Put water on to boil, too,” Chris demanded.

  “I’ll stay right here with her.” Carmen motioned to set down the rocker.

  Two hours later, Duncan stared at Carmen and ground out, “Cookie cutters?”

  “Of course.” Mercy concentrated on cracking eggs into an earthenware bowl. “When everyone comes to visit the baby, we need to show them hospitality. You don’t want to shame me by making me face them without cookies.”