The Wrangler's Mail Order Bride

by Cindy Caldwell

  She hopped off the train nearly as soon as it came to a full stop. Dropping her valise, she rushed into Sadie’s open arms, holding tightly to her friend. Sadie pulled back, clasping Clara’s hands. “Oh, dear Clara. We’re so happy to see you, and thrilled that you’d decided to take Hank up on his offer—well, to help him, actually.”

  Clara pulled her handkerchief from her sleeve and dabbed at her face, wishing she’d taken the time to look in a mirror. She looked from her friend—certainly a sight for sore eyes—to the man smiling next to her.

  Sadie laughed and grabbed his arm, pulling him closer. “Clara, this is my husband, Tripp Morgan.” She smiled, looking up at him proudly, her arm through his. She leaned toward Clara, her hand to the side of her mouth, and whispered, “He’s a chef.”

  Clara laughed, her heart warmed that her friend was so happy. And clearly in love.

  “I’d heard that.” She held her hand out to the man with the shy smile who seemed not to be able to take his eyes off Sadie. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Morgan,” she said, shaking his hand.

  “Same here, Miss Martin.” He gave her hand a shake, smiling. “Welcome, and we are so grateful that you decided to come.”

  “I told Hank how lucky he was that you were willing. It only made him pull his hat down further and stalk away,” she said, hiding her laugh with her hand.

  “And I can see why you said that now.” Tripp tipped his hat to Clara and made his way over to the pile of bags unloaded from the train.

  As he walked away, Sadie put her arm through Clara’s and turned her toward the stagecoach. “Isn’t he wonderful?” She could hardly take her eyes off of Tripp, either, and Clara wondered if it would ever be that way for her, smiling at her friend’s happiness.

  “And wait until you meet Hank. I really think this is a truly fortunate match. For both of you.”

  Clara squeezed her friend’s arm. “I’m a little nervous, now that I’m here. It seemed like just a—well, a good idea, but now it’s feeling more real.” Her breath quickened as she thought about all of the things that it meant to be a real wife. And wasn’t sure at all that she even knew what those things were.

  “Don’t worry. We have a long ride in the stagecoach, at least two hours. We didn’t want you to have to ride alone, not knowing where you were and all. And the restaurant is closed today, so we came up to fetch you.”

  “And I’m so glad you did,” Clara said. “I really don’t even know where I am.” She looked around at the strange surroundings. Buildings were much taller in Chicago than here in Arizona Territory, and the roads were even different.

  Sadie guided her toward the waiting coach and Tripp handed her bags to the driver. Clara’s cheeks flushed as Tripp opened the door for them, waving them in ahead of him, and sneaked a quick peck on Sadie’s cheek. “Tripp, stop that, now. We’re in public.”

  Tripp laughed as he stepped in and closed the door behind him. Clara glanced at Sadie, whose big, blue eyes were turned to Tripp. It was easy to tell that she really hadn’t mind the kiss at all.

  Chapter 3

  “I hope you don’t mind that Hank didn’t come along to meet you.” Sadie still had her arm through Tripp’s, where it had rested the entire trip. “We thought you might like to rest—and maybe freshen up a bit.”

  Clara’s hands flew to her hair, tucking it back into the pins it had fallen out of. “Oh, is it that bad?”

  Sadie laughed, patting her friend’s knee. “No, of course not. You look lovely. I just remember the long journey and how grateful I was for a hot bath, a good meal and a real bed.”

  She squeezed Tripp’s hand as he turned and smiled at her. “Yes, and it was nice for me to have a chance to get ready. I was nervous, too.”

  Sadie’s eyes grew wide. “Tripp Morgan, you never told me you were nervous, too.”

  “How could I not be? I was marrying someone I’d never met. Why do you think I made every dish I could think of to try to impress you?” He kissed his wife’s forehead and turned to Clara. “And knowing Hank, I’m pretty sure he’s feeling a little unsettled, too.”

  Clara sighed as she watched the river flowing alongside the road. “You know, Sadie, you told me very little in the letter you wrote. All I know is that he is a wrangler—and I don’t even know what that is. And that he needs a wife to inherit property.”

  Tripp set his hat beside him on the seat and leaned forward, smiling. “I can’t say what kind of husband he’ll be, but I can fill you in on Hank Archer, the way I know him.”

  “Hank and Tripp grew up as brothers,” Sadie added as she straightened her skirts. “They are very close.”

  “Yes, we are. He is like a brother to me. And we rode the trail together for years and years.”

  “The trail?” Clara took the pins out of her hat and set it aside as well. She rubbed her sore shoulder muscles and waited for Tripp to continue.

  He leaned back in his seat, taking Sadie’s hand in his. “Hank’s father, Beau, is a well-known and successful rancher here around Tombstone. He has the largest herd of cattle in southern Arizona Territory. Cattle need to move…to graze and be sold…and Hank and I rode the trail from here to Texas every season to get the cattle where they needed to be.”

  Clara’s eyes flew open. “You rode from here all the way to Texas? With cows?”

  Tripp cleared his throat. “Not cows, Clara. Don’t let the Archer family hear you call them cows.”

  Sadie laughed at Clara’s surprised expression, reaching over and patting her knee once more. “Don’t worry. You’ll learn all of this. It can be overwhelming.”

  “It can. I was the cook on the trail and Hank was the best wrangler we had.”

  “What exactly is a wrangler?” Clara asked, not remembering that in the book she’d brought.

  “A wrangler is the man who handles the extra horses. We need to take three horses per hand, so there are spares. Hank is great at it. Best I’ve ever seen. He keeps them in line like nobody else.”

  Clara sighed, wondering what she’d gotten herself into. She had only seen horses from afar, the two most recently being the only ones she’d ever touched. And while she’d felt responsible for them, wanting to help, her knowledge and experience were—to put it mildly—very limited.

  Tripp eyed her, and added, “Don’t worry. You won’t be expected to have anything to do with the cattle or horses. That’s Beau and Hank’s world.”

  “Well, what will I be doing?” Clara realized she only knew how to cook and bake, really. Yes, she loved animals, but really had no experience with them. She hoped she wouldn’t be expected to milk a cow. She was used to getting milk delivered every morning, in glass bottles on the front stoop of the house.

  She blinked hard when Tripp said, “If you’re worried about having to milk a cow, don’t be. Hank’s got sisters, and they each have a job. Pepper and Rosemary are the cow-milkers.”

  “Pepper and Rosemary?” Clara asked. “Sisters?” Her mouth went dry. She’d only had Robert, her very much older brother, and wasn’t sure what to expect with so many…sisters.

  Sadie nodded her head reassuringly. “Yes. Nutmeg, Rosemary, Sage, Saffron, Tarragon and Pepper. Their mother, Katie, was a fabulous cook and taught Tripp a great deal of what he knows. She had an herb garden she tended every day, hence the girls’ names. She died not long ago. So they’re all in that big, rambling house, trying to find their way. But they are very sweet girls.”

  Tripp and Sadie exchanged glances before Tripp continued. “It’s been a rough time for them—for all of us, losing Katie. I’m sure Hank will tell you all about it, but we thought it might help for you to be prepared. It’s a full house.”

  Clara’s heart tugged at the thought of a family of that size—any size, really—losing their mother. One that was obviously loved. She wondered how she could help, how she would fit in.

  “You’ll see tomorrow. You’re the guest of honor at the ranch for lunch. You’ll meet everybody then. And you can get to know Hank.
I do know that they’re in a hurry for you to get married. I heard there was some sort of timeline in his grandpa’s will that said he had to be married within a month after his death to inherit the property. And that’s soon.”

  Clara shook her head, her mind fuzzy as she tried to piece things together. “I don’t understand why that would be in his grandpa’s will. As a requirement.”

  “Nobody understands it, Clara. This was Katie’s father, and she’s not here to shed any light on why this might have happened. It was a big surprise to everybody, including Beau and Hank. All anybody knows is that a wife is what it will take to inherit the land. And it’s land that Beau feels will be very important to the ranching operations,” Tripp explained.

  Sadie cleared her throat. “Yes, Beau feels it’s important, so it’s important.”

  “Now, Sadie…” Tripp took her hand and squeezed it.

  “I’m sorry. I just have my opinions.”

  Clara and Tripp both burst out laughing. “Oh, so you know that too, Tripp?” Clara said as Sadie narrowed her eyes at them both.

  “Yes, I do. Seems we have much in common, Clara. Understanding Sadie is one of them.”

  “And admiring her, of course,” Clara said with a twinkle in her eye as she looked at her friend and realized how much she’d missed her.

  Clara’s heart skipped a beat as she realized where she was, and what she’d done. It suddenly hit her like a cold burst of air—she was in a different part of the country, completely foreign to her, and soon to be married to a man she’d never met. She shook her head at the strangeness of it all, wondering if she’d made the right decision.

  She was relieved and comforted that Sadie liked Hank and Tripp seemed nice enough, but she sensed that there was more that they weren’t telling her. A wave of exhaustion washed over her and she suddenly longed for a bath—and a bed, just as Sadie had predicted. Closing her eyes and leaning her head back against the seat of the coach, her exhaustion got the best of her.

  “Clara? Clara, are you all right?” Sadie said, leaning forward.

  She slowly opened her eyes, rubbing them with her handkerchief. Tripp’s furrowed brow and Sadie’s frown shook her out of her musings.

  “Oh, please don’t worry. It’s been a long journey, and I’m very tired. I wanted this—I do want this—and I’m very anxious to meet Hank. All of them, actually.

  Her smile felt weak, but it was there. She hoped that after she’d gotten some rest, she might feel a little more like smiling. Right now, though, all she wanted was sleep. Tripp and Sadie fell silent as Clara’s head fell to the side, her mind free of worry—for now.

  Chapter 4

  Clara’s eyes fluttered open and for a moment, she wasn’t sure where she was. The terrain out the window had changed again, and she saw what she thought were tall cactuses, based on the pictures she’d seen. She reached into her valise and pulled out a worn book, rubbing her hand over the soft leather that covered it. She opened it to a page with pictures of cactus and tried to match the pictures to what she saw out the window.

  Tripp and Sadie dozed in the seat across from her, Sadie’s head resting on Tripp’s shoulder, and Clara smiled. She breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of them so comfortable together, her heart swelling at the thought that she might have something like that too, one day.

  She set the book on her lap and breathed in the cool, fresh air. It was the beginning of spring, and the late winter snowstorm recently before she’d left Chicago made her appreciate the warmth here even more. Out the window, she saw a beautiful stand of trees that were definitely not cactuses. Tall, leafy and very green, she opened her book and flipped through to see if she could find something similar, even a drawing. Not finding anything, she turned to look again, shielding her eyes against the bright rays of the sun.

  At the base of the trees she could see the figure of a man—too far away to see any features, but she could make out a cowboy hat. The man stood, looking at something that was over the horizon, too far away for her to see. He leaned against a tree and put his hand to his mouth. She heard a faint whistle, and couldn’t look away.

  The scene was so foreign to her, and she gasped as she saw a beautiful, white horse slowly walk up to him. It stopped a few feet away, and he held out his hand to it.

  She gasped when the horse moved the remaining distance toward him, nuzzling his chest as he stroked its nose. Mesmerized, she watched him grab its reins and leap on its back, taking off in the opposite direction at full speed after a brief wave in her direction, she assumed to the driver of the stagecoach.

  She was ripped from her thoughts by the stagecoach driver’s yell of, “Coming into Tombstone, folks. Fifteen minutes.” Clara laughed as both Tripp and Sadie sat bolt upright, clearly startled by the shout. Sadie rubbed her eyes then glanced out the window. “Yep, we’re here. And there’s Suzanne to pick us up.”

  Clara spied Suzanne, each hand clasping that of a beautiful little girl who looked exactly like each other. “Oh, my. It’s going to be just the same as growing up with you two, isn’t it?”

  Tripp leaned forward and looked out the window. “Ah, yes. That takes some getting used to. First these twins, Sadie and Suzanne, and then another two with Lucy and Lily.”

  “They are adorable,” Clara said as she leaned out the window, waving at Suzanne.

  “Maybe it’s something in the water around here. Hank has two sisters that are twins, too. Wonder if it’ll be like that with us.” Tripp kissed the back of Sadie’s hand.

  Sadie’s smile wasn’t quite as big as it usually was as her face turned pink and she patted Tripp’s knee. “Let’s not rush into anything there, Mr. Morgan.”

  Tripp raised an eyebrow and winked at Clara. “I think she’s a little nervous.”

  “I am no such thing,” Sadie said, pulling her hand away from Tripp’s and turning toward the window.

  As the coach slowed to a stop, Tripp hopped out, holding out his hand as each of the girls stepped down.

  Clara spotted Suzanne again and rushed to her, grasping her friend in a firm hug. Her smile widened as she bent down, eye level to the two little girls with long, blonde braids hanging down their backs. “And who have we here? And how do I tell you apart?” Clara said, looking from one twin to the other.”

  “Oh, don’t mind them. They’re usually very—“

  “Mama says there is no way to tell us apart, but we know who we are. I’m Lucy, and this is my sister Lily,” said one of the twins, pointing at herself and then thrusting her thumb at her sister.

  Clara put her hand to her mouth to stifle a giggle. She hadn’t had much experience with children, but enjoyed being around them when she’d had the opportunity. She looked again for a moment from Lucy to Lily. “Hmm. I bet I can tell you apart. I will practice.”

  Both the girls giggled. “We’re glad to meet you,” Lucy said, making a small curtsy.

  Clara laughed and took off her gloves, shaking their hands and curtsying herself. “So glad to make your acquaintance, Lucy and Lily.”

  She stood and blinked hard as Suzanne stared at her, mouth agape. “I was going to say shy. I’ve never seen them greet anyone like that right away.”

  “Oh, really? I can’t imagine that. They’re so friendly,” she said and looked down as two little hands grabbed hers. She smiled at Suzanne and shrugged.

  “Well, that’s a first,” Sadie said from behind her. “Took me a lot longer, but you’ve always had that way about you.” She smiled, looping her arm through Suzanne’s. “Come on, this way. Tripp’s got your bags and will bring around the buggy.”

  Clara followed her friends as she squeezed the girls’ hands and felt a squeeze back. She breathed deeply, taking in her surroundings. Robert was her only sibling, and she’d grown up with Sadie and Suzanne. They were as close as sisters to her. Being with them now warmed her heart as much as it had back in Chicago, and gratitude washed over her as she walked behind them, Lucy and Lily in tow.

  They’
d both wanted to sit next to her in the buggy and talked the entire ride home. Suzanne had turned back once or twice, shaking her head at the girls and shrugging her shoulders. She smiled at Clara, and once said, “Let me know if you need some relief.”

  Clara smiled and paid very close attention to the things the girls were pointing out—the mercantile, Tripp and Sadie’s restaurant, the church, the theater. “This is much bigger than I’d imagined it to be,” Clara said as they pulled up in front of a big, white house with two stories and a big porch wrapped around three sides.

  “It’s even so big you can get lost,” Lucy said.

  “Only if you don’t know where you’re going.” Lily crossed her arms over her chest. “She gets lost a lot.”

  “Do not,” Lucy said, folding her arms over her chest as well.

  “Come on, chatterboxes. Let’s give Clara a little break,” Suzanne said as she reached up into the buggy to lift the girls down, one at a time. “Run into the house and see Daddy.”

  Turning to Clara, she said, “Whew. They really were giving you quite the tour, weren’t they?”

  “I was grateful for it. I really haven’t spent any time out of Chicago, so this is all new to me. It’s a lovely little town. Well, a big town. Bigger than I’d expected.”

  Tripp reached up to help Sadie out of the buggy, then Clara. “It’s grown quite a bit since that silver vein was found. Grew fast. Almost too fast. We’re not really in Tombstone proper, but it’s the biggest place close by,” he said as he tied the leather reins to the post in front of the house.

  “And who lives here?” Clara looked up at the big house and smiled. She’d never had her own house, and now, in her mid-twenties like Sadie and Suzanne, was anxious to have one of her own. She’d grow flowers out front in the spring, and have herbs in the garden to cook with. Her heart fluttered at the thought of a home of her own.

  “This is Suzanne’s house,” Sadie said, looping her arm through Clara’s and pulling her toward the stairs to the porch. “She has more bedrooms here than we do. Tripp’s adding on to our house for..well..”