The Bride Price (Misled Mail Order Brides Book 1)

by Ruth Ann Nordin

  “I know you’re a proud man,” Joel told Sep. “But it’s not a weakness to ask for help, especially when things are as serious as this.” Joel showed him the missive. “You’re like the little brother I never had. I’m not going to stand by and watch anything bad happen to you if I can do something to stop it.”

  Sep would be lying if he said Joel’s willingness to help him didn’t bring him relief. It would be nice to have someone else sharing the burden with him. “I’d be happy to have your help. Thank you.”

  In an uncharacteristic move, Joel gave Sep a hug. “We’re friends. And friends stick together.”

  Sep had no idea Joel regarded him in such high esteem. It felt good. It was one thing for Joel to think of him as a little brother, but it was another to be called a friend. Swallowing the lump in his throat, Sep hugged him back.

  ***

  An hour later, Sep was at the bank pretending to sign the documents that would bind him to a $300 loan. It had taken some time to convince the bank employee to go along with the ruse. It didn’t help matters that he couldn’t go into detail and explain why he was pretending to take out a loan. In the end, though, he was able to convince the employee to do it by paying the bank a small fee.

  “I still can’t believe you’re making such an unusual request,” the man said as Sep signed the loan papers.

  Since the papers were real and Sep was signing his name to them, he had written in the loan amount at zero dollars. It was a ridiculous thing to do unless someone understood why he was doing it.

  The man who had written the missive to him was probably watching him. If he did anything that didn’t look authentic, it would ruin his plan. He had already told the man that he was going to get the $300. Now, he was in the process of making the man think he was actually getting it.

  Then, he would leave Angela in town to spend the night with April, so when he went back home with Fred, the man would assume he was leaving Angela there so that she wouldn’t get involved in the transaction when Sep “gave” the money to him.

  Sep didn’t plan to hand the money to the man outright. Fred was good at tracking things. Usually, Fred would track animals, especially deer, when he was hunting. But in this case, he figured that Fred might be able to sniff out the trail the man was taking around his property. He hated to take that kind of risk with Fred, knowing full well the plan could backfire on him, but he couldn’t pick out the man’s scent. He needed Fred to help him.

  Joel would be helping him, too, but his role would be different. He would not be coming out at the same time Sep would. Joel had agreed to stay back in town for twenty minutes. That would give Sep and the man enough time to go back out to the farm, which should be enough time for Joel to go out there undetected. Sep wanted to make sure the man didn’t expect Joel to be following them.

  Sep wasn’t going to do anything to put himself or Fred at risk as soon as he got back home. He planned to place the envelope he was about to get from the banker into the bucket. He figured he would get to the house before the man did. Then he would try to find where the man had been hiding. When Joel got there, he could worry about finding the man then.

  If the man had wanted a face-to-face confrontation, he would have approached Sep directly. But, he hadn’t done that. He had chosen to sneak around and then leave a letter for him.

  The more Sep thought about it, the more he was convinced that this was the work of one man. It just didn’t seem logical that more than one man was behind all of this. If there was more than one man involved, then it stood to reason that they wouldn’t be taking such great care in hiding. And, if Sep remembered right, there was only one set of unfamiliar footprints when he noticed them on his property.

  Sep finished signing the papers and looked at the banker who was sitting across the desk from him. “I know this is unusual,” Sep said. “I can’t explain why I need to do this, but I assure you that I have no other choice.”

  Well, that wasn’t completely true. He could take out the loan for real and give the man the money. But, who knew if the man would be satisfied with $300? What if, in a year from now, he came back asking for another $100? Or another $200? Men who were greedy for money were often unsatisfied. They always wanted more. They could never get enough. Sep had been around Harvey enough to know that. As soon as Harvey knew he could get something from someone, all he did was coerce that person into giving him more.

  Sep could not give the man who was blackmailing him a single dollar. As soon as he did, it would be over. And who knew if the stakes would be even higher next time? What if, by this time next year, Angela had a child? Right now, he had to worry about her and Fred. He didn’t want to worry about her, his child, and Fred. No. He needed to do it this way, and he needed to do it now.

  The banker took the signed loan documents and finished writing on them. Then he went to the back of the room that Sep assumed had the money.

  Sep glanced around but he didn’t recognize anyone. No one seemed particularly interested in him. They all seem to be doing their own business at the bank. Which only left him to suspect that the man was somewhere outside, lingering in a place close enough to the bank without taking the risk that Sep would catch him.

  Sep thought about looking out the windows and seeing if he would find him, but then he thought better of it. The last thing he wanted was for the man to suspect that he was about to set a trap for him. And that meant he had to play the part of the scared man who was going to do anything someone told him to. He didn’t exactly enjoy playing the victim, but he found no other recourse. This method would buy him the time he needed.

  Reassured that his plan would work, he relaxed in the chair and waited for the banker to return.

  Chapter Fifteen

  From where she stood near the bank, Angela watched as the banker returned to Sep and gave him an envelope full of money. Well, she couldn’t see what was in the envelope, but it could only be money because this was a bank, and the only thing banks had in them was money. What was he getting money for? He hadn’t gone up to the teller, so the money hadn’t come out of his account, if he even had an account. She didn’t know if he did or not. So he had to be taking out a loan. But why? Who was he going to give the money to? It had to be the person he had been looking for last night. If only she knew who that person was, she might be able to do something to help him.

  It was possible the person had followed Sep to this bank, which was why she had asked April if she could wear her bonnet and dress before she left the house. April had been surprised by the request but had agreed to let her borrow them after Angela quickly explained everything that had been going on since last night. Then she changed into April’s clothes and hurried out of the house right after Sep did.

  She had been planning to follow him as he went on the errand he had talked about. And she had been hiding in a tight spot between two buildings, which offered her a good view of the inside of the bank, for the past hour. Her feet and back were letting her know they didn’t appreciate the fact that she had been standing still for so long, but she ignored the aches. Some things were worth the discomfort. And she was determined to do anything she could to help Sep.

  Sep finally left the bank, tucking the envelope into his pocket. She frowned. Was he trying to get noticed? Was his intention to let someone know that he had money? Probably. It was probably a silent message to the person he was worried about.

  She wondered if the person might be watching him, just like she was at this moment. She drew back the edge of her bonnet so that she could see the other people. No one seemed suspicious, but then, she hadn’t lived here long enough to know who any of these people were. The only person she recognized was the deputy, and the only reason she recognized him was because he helped her get away from Mr. Dodson and his men that night at the livery stable. The deputy was pacing up and down the street. She assumed he was doing this to make sure no one was doing something they shouldn’t. He was a lawman, after all. It wasn’t uncommon for tho
se men to patrol the streets from time to time in her hometown.

  But as Sep went down the street, the deputy stopped pacing and watched him. The deputy wasn’t looking in her direction, but even so, she wiggled into the narrow space between the two buildings so that he didn’t have a direct view of her. Something about the way the deputy was watching Sep didn’t sit well with her. She continued to watch the deputy as Sep went past him on the street. Sep tipped his hat in a greeting, and the deputy returned the gesture. After Sep went around him, he turned and continued watching Sep.

  The deputy waited for a few moments before he followed Sep. Making sure there was no one else watching Sep, she emerged from her hiding spot and went after the deputy. She tucked the bonnet around her face when the deputy glanced over his shoulder so he wouldn’t recognize her. And this gave her the advantage she had been hoping for. It helped even more that there were several other women around her, also walking down the street in the same direction she was. At this distance, she could easily blend in.

  It didn’t take long to realize that Sep was going back to April and Joel’s house. As soon as she realized that, she picked up her pace and took another street and then went through a couple of backyards so that she could reach the house first. She knew it was going to alarm April, but she jumped in through Nora and Hannah’s bedroom window before Sep or the deputy could catch her.

  She ran into April and Joel’s bedroom and hurried to change back into her clothes.

  As she expected, one of the children hurried into Nora and Hannah’s bedroom to find out what had made the noise. “I don’t see anyone in here,” Hannah said.

  “Well, there was someone here,” Nora replied. “The person must be somewhere else in this house.”

  Angela was just fastening the last button on her dress when she heard April ask, “What are you two doing?”

  Angela opened the bedroom door. “It was me,” she hurried to tell the girls. “I was in your room.”

  “Did you fall?” Nora asked. “That was a loud sound we heard.”

  “Yes, you could say that,” Angela replied. She turned her attention to April who was slowly moving down the hall, holding her newborn daughter. “I found out something, and I think it could be helpful.”

  April indicated that she understood, but before she could answer, the front door opened and Sep called out that he was back.

  “We’ll have to talk when we’re alone,” Angela told April, keeping her voice low.

  “Talk about what?” Hannah asked.

  “We need to talk about adult things,” April said.

  “What kind of adult things?” Hannah asked.

  Nora shook her head and sighed. “She’s still a child. She doesn’t understand.” She turned to her sister. “They want to talk about things that are inappropriate for us.”

  “Like what?” Hannah asked.

  “Topics that would only bore children,” April told them before she glanced over her shoulder as Sep came toward them in the hallway. “We were beginning to wonder what happened to you,” she said, her tone light. “You were gone for so long we thought you disappeared.”

  “No, I didn’t disappear,” Sep replied. “But things did take longer than I had expected.”

  “Did everything go alright?” Angela asked him.

  He nodded. “Yes, things went well.” His gaze went to Opal. “I was thinking that since April just had a baby that you might want to stay here tonight and help her with things.”

  Angela looked at April, and it was apparent that they both knew that Sep was only saying this so that he would be the only one going back to the farm. So that meant he was planning to give someone that money tonight. Last night had been a strain for him. He probably wanted to get this thing over with as soon as possible so he would feel safe having Angela back home.

  If she stayed here in town, she could go to the sheriff. Owen had to know what was going on with his deputy, and the sooner she told him, the better. She turned her gaze to April. “I would love to help you, if that would be alright.”

  April indicated her agreement. “I would appreciate that very much.”

  Angela turned back to Sep. “When do you plan to go back home?”

  “Well,” Sep began, “I don’t want to leave until after supper. It would be nice to spend a little more time with my family, especially since there’s a new member.” He reached over to tap Opal on the nose.

  Angela caught the slight trembling in his hand. He was scared. He was probably more scared for her than he was for himself, but he was definitely scared.

  “Since I’m here,” Angela cleared her throat and glanced at April, “I would love to make supper tonight. After everything you’ve been through, you should rest.”

  April smiled. “That’s very nice of you. Usually, Joel runs right out to tell his mother when I have a baby, and his mother will come out and spend a week with me to help me out. He’s probably telling her about Opal’s birth right now.”

  “Well, I can still help you out in the meantime,” Angela said.

  There was an awkward pause before April led Angela and Sep to the parlor. There were so many things left unsaid, but they would have to wait until the time was right.

  ***

  Within the following two hours, Sally stopped by to welcome Opal into the world, and she brought her daughter, Laura, with her.

  Sep was sitting in a chair in the parlor, and he was only half paying attention to what Sally was telling Angela and April, who were also in the room. Nora had taken Hannah and Levi to a nearby park. Joel had yet to return. Sep kept glancing out the window to see if Joel was coming back, but he wasn’t anywhere.

  “Men and boys aren’t so interested in babies,” Sally said as she cradled Opal in her arms. “Rick and Greg said they’ll be by tomorrow. Today Rick is letting Greg go to work with him. Greg might work at the courthouse. He’s not interested in being a judge, but he might want to be one of the clerks.”

  “It’s good that Greg might know what job he wants,” April told Sally.

  “It is,” Sally agreed. “Greg’s had the hardest time settling on what he wants to do. At least, Rick can show Greg around the courthouse and give him an idea of what his responsibilities would be if he was to work there.”

  “I enjoyed being a teacher,” Angela spoke up. “It was a good experience, and I’m glad I did it. Even so, I’m much happier being married to Sep.”

  At the mention of his name, Sep glanced over in his wife’s direction and caught the tender way she smiled at him. He returned her smile, hoping this wouldn’t be the last day he’d see her. He was taking a considerable risk tonight. Everything was going to boil down to timing. As long as the man didn’t find out there was no money in that envelope, he still had the advantage.

  But if he found out too soon, it could throw everything off. It was easier to be optimistic about his plan earlier that day. But as the hours passed and the time got closer for him to return home, he was getting more and more nervous that it wouldn’t work. He could very well end up being shot before the night was over.

  He rubbed his forehead and tried not to think about it. Dwelling on something too much could be a problem. While it gave him sufficient time to think over what he wanted to say and do, it also gave him time to worry. And it wasn’t just him he had to worry about.

  If Joel would just get home, he might give him some insight that might help him. Sitting around wasn’t helping things. All it did was make the time go slower. While he wasn’t looking forward to returning home, he almost wished he could just get everything over with. Then he wouldn’t have to keep carrying the weight of this burden with him.

  He took another glance out the window. Joel was nowhere in sight. Since this house was placed right in the middle of town, there were plenty of people walking past the window and plenty more were on the other side of the street. Buggies and wagons traveled up and down the road, too.

  The solitude was one of the things he liked most
about being out in the country. There was so much going on at any one time in town. There were probably even a lot of criminals to worry about. Much more here than there would be at an isolated farm.

  From time to time, he noticed the deputy making his rounds down the block. Once in a while, he stopped to talk to a couple of people. But he seemed to be content to take the same loop around the busiest parts of Omaha. He would come down this block, disappear a few houses down, and then about fifteen minutes later, Sep would see him again.

  Something nudged Sep in the leg, and he glanced down at Fred, who looked up at him with an expectant expression on his face. Fred wanted to go outside. He spent some time indoors, but he wanted to spend most of his time outside where he was free to run and play to his heart’s content.

  Unfortunately, Sep could not oblige the dog his wish today. He scratched the dog behind his ears. Maybe that would help settle his restless spirit.

  “That’s a good dog you got there, Sep,” Sally said.

  Sep’s attention went back to the women. “Yes, Fred is one of the best. You can’t do much better than him.”

  “Does Fred get along well with other dogs?” she asked.

  He shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve never had him around other dogs.”

  “Maybe he would like a friend. I heard Tom and Jessica’s dog recently had puppies. They have a Labrador. Those dogs are friendly. I’m sure the puppy would get along with Fred.”

  “Maybe.” Right now, Sep couldn’t make plans to get another dog. He would be doing good just to get him, Fred, and Joel through the night when they went back out to the farm.

  “You know, Angela,” Sally began, “you’re practically a Larson because of your marriage to Sep. Come Christmas, you and Sep should join us at my parents’ farm.”

  April’s eyes grew wide. “You have a large family. I don’t think we can all fit in that house.”