“Didn’t you meet her when she got off the train?” Cullen asked Kandt.
“I was late in arriving, but saw your brother, Angus, help her from the train. She can’t use her left arm. It’s stuck as if her shoulder and elbow are frozen.”
“So, you walked away instead of meeting her?” Cullen asked incredulously.
“My wife has to be a strong, sturdy woman, and that fragile cripple couldn’t chop wood let alone dig the outhouse hole.”
Cullen sighed. He’d been telling the rancher for months his mail-order bride would appreciate an outhouse, but Kandt apparently hadn’t gotten around to it. The man always said she had the whole ranch to do her “business” on.
Cullen worried that the woman would see the man’s shack he called home and hightail it out of there anyway, but Kandt wasn’t giving her a chance to make up her own mind.
“Maybe she just hit her elbow getting off the train, and it’s sore. You got to give her the chance to explain her injury. It might not be permanent.” Cullen argued.
“I think it is, plus she’s so tiny. How’s she going to load a fifty-pound bag of flour into the wagon by herself?”
“Richard, you ordered a bride, not a mule! Don’t expect her to be able to do all the jobs you can.”
“Well, I was hoping for a big woman like Doctor Pansy, only pretty.”
Cullen bit his tongue, so he didn’t blast the man. His brother, Mack’s new wife, Doctor Pansy, was over six-foot tall and outweighed Cullen by at least fifty pounds, but her plain, hard face had softened with love. The newlyweds were so besotted with love it was almost nauseous.
“Then you should have placed an ad for a ‘pretty’ woman who could work like a mule all day and have time to fix meals and wash your clothes at the end of the work day.”
“An ad like that would have cost too much.”
“You get what you pay for when you’re cheap, which is the woman who’s standing at the depot waiting for you.”
Sweat ran down Cullen’s back, but it wasn’t because of the afternoon heat. He’d been a part of this fiasco because he wrote letters to the woman for Kandt. But it was still the rancher’s duty to take care of the woman, not his.
Cullen glanced down the street again and swallowed hard as his parents walked up to the woman. Oh boy. Now there was going to be trouble.
“You better do something, Richard, because my parents are talking to your bride.” And when his mother found out the woman was abandoned, she’d be moved into the parsonage in minutes.
“I stopped and talked to your father before I went to the depot. I asked him to marry us before we rode out to my ranch.”
“And since you two hadn’t shown up, my parents decided to check on your delay.”
Cullen ducked back in the door of the post office because both the woman and his parents were looking this direction.
It was time the man faced his predicament. Cullen grabbed Richard’s arm and yanked him out on the boardwalk before the man could find his footing. That’s all it took for Cullen’s father, Pastor Patrick Reagan, to see the stray groom and point towards them.
“Time to face the preacher and say your vows with your bride, Kandt. And you better remember ‘for richer for poorer, in sickness and health’ or my ma will see that you do.”
“She still carries that peashooter in her reticule?” Richard asked as he stayed on the boardwalk.
“Yes,” Cullen decided to answer, although he didn’t know for sure. “So, you better greet your bride, or my ma will shoot you.” Kaitlyn Reagan was quicker on the draw than Sheriff Adam Wilerson when Cullen’s sister-in-law, Iris, was taken hostage in a situation before Iris and his brother, Fergus, were married. His ma put her hand in her reticule and shot the abductor in the arm without pulling the gun out of her bag. And that wasn’t the first bullet hole his ma had patched in her reticule either.
Luckily the man wasn’t maimed for life, or his mother would have gone to jail for murder.
“Oh Deuteronomy,” Cullen muttered as his parents looked over letters the young woman was showing them. He was in deep trouble because they would recognize his handwriting.
His father pointed at both Richard and himself, then waved at them to come over to the depot.
Both men looked both ways down the street, then walked toward the small group standing by the young woman. Cullen’s brother, Angus, had stepped out of the depot to join the group.
“What’s going on?” Mack’s voice behind Cullen made him stumble. Of course, Cullen’s luck, Mack was working nearby on his latest building and walked over to check the impromptu meeting.
“Kandt’s mail-order bride has arrived,” Cullen finally answered since Richard wasn’t saying anything.
“Congratulations, Richard. Didn’t know you ordered a bride. Cullen kept his mouth shut about it,” Mack told Kandt as he slapped the man on the back.
“I’m not marrying her,” Kandt growled.
“Why not? She’s a pretty little thing,” Mack asked before rushing on to say, “although I prefer my pretty big wife.”
“Mr. Kandt,” Cullen’s father, snapped as the three of them arrived at the depot. “I just met your future wife, Miss Rose Leander, who you didn’t meet at the depot as you should have. Why the delay in meeting your bride and bringing her over to the church for your ceremony?”
Cullen’s ma laid a hand on his father’s arm to stop his questioning.
“Miss Rose Leander, I’d like you to meet two more of my sons. Mack, the one covered in sawdust, is a carpenter and married to the town physician, Doctor Pansy. And Cullen, who is the postmaster of Clear Creek is unmarried—at the moment.”
Cullen quickly glanced at his mother before turning his attention to the young woman. Miss Leander’s heart-shaped face featured porcelain skin and bright blue eyes. She wore a dainty feathered hat on her brunette hair. The light blue traveling dress cinched the tiniest waist Cullen had ever seen on a woman who wasn’t in her teens anymore.
Living out on the open prairie would ruin her beautiful complexion before the month was over.
Cullen took Miss Leander’s offered glove hand and gave it a slight squeeze, offering her his silent condolences because the situation was going to get worse for the young woman in the next few moments.
“Nice to meet you, Miss Leander,” Cullen smiled, trying to put the woman at ease.
Unfortunately, her left arm wasn’t moving as Richard had earlier pointed out. How would she cope living on Kandt’s primitive ranch?
“And this is your groom, Mr. Richard Kandt,” his ma continued.
Miss Leander took a deep breath and held out her hand. “Nice to finally meet you, Mr. Kandt. I’ve enjoyed your letters describing Clear Creek and your ranch.”
The woman’s voice was just as delicate as her skin. And it had a bit of European accent to it, but not quite like Richard’s German one.
“If you liked the letters, you better marry the writer then, because I won’t be marrying you,” Richard sharply answered and pointed to Cullen.
“Excuse me? What do you mean, sir?” Miss Leander asked before anyone else could do the same.
Richard shook his head. “I’m sorry, ma’am, but you’re a cripple. You couldn’t do the work required of a ranch wife. It would be better if you married, Cullen, who wrote the letters to you.”
All eyes turned to Cullen, but Cullen turned to Richard. “You asked me to write those letters for you since you can’t read or write. I agreed to help you because you promised no one would know.”
“Mr. Kandt,” his mother was taking her turn at him, “you know the wedding vows say, ‘in sickness and in health.’ You can’t turn a wife away if she has a problem, just as she can’t do the same to you if you’re sick.”
“That’s why I say I can’t marry her now. I can’t afford a hired hand to do her duties. I didn’t even dig an outhouse hole because I thought she could do that herself once she got here.”
“You still haven�
��t built an outhouse yet?” Cullen’s mother asked incredulously.
“A person has the whole prairie to do their business on. Who needs an outhouse?”
“A woman, so she doesn’t have to squat while fighting the wind which blowing her skirt over her head!”
Cullen looked at Miss Leander as his mother and Richard continued to argue as if the mail-order bride wasn’t standing there. He was surprised the petite woman hadn’t dissolved into a puddle of tears on the boardwalk considering how embarrassing this must be for her.
“Kaitlyn, you’re not helping the situation so please stop, and for goodness sakes lower your reticule,” his pa asked, and Cullen, Mack, and Angus stepped out of their mother’s range, just in case a bullet was shot by accident.
“Richard, you sent a train ticket for Miss Leander, so she could be your wife. You are bound by duty to marry her,” Cullen’s father concluded.
“But she’s not suited for my way of life on the ranch. It would ruin her health,” Richard argued back.
“Then buy her a return ticket so she can get back home.”
“I don’t have the money, Pastor Reagan. I had to borrow money from Cullen because I was short on the first ticket. I still owe him five dollars.”
Miss Leander put two fingers in her mouth and let out a sharp whistle which would make every dog in town pay attention.
Cullen’s and everyone else’s shoulders ducked at the shrill sound, then turned toward the little woman.
“May I please speak since this is my life you’re arguing about?” Miss Leander stated while looking everyone in the eye, one at a time.
Cullen’s ma’s smile couldn’t be any broader, proud of the woman’s spunk. Cullen had to admire her too for wanting to speak on her own behalf.
“I was injured in a train wreck some months ago, which damaged my shoulder and elbow. Movement is slowly returning, but I may never have full use of my arm.
“That said, I can do most household tasks, but no, I can’t, and no, I won’t, dig my own outhouse hole and build a building to enclose it. I assumed you, Mr. Kandt would provide the best for your wife and I’m disappointed in you.”
“I’m sorry, Miss Leander but I’m just a poor lonely homesteader,” Richard tried to apologize.
“None the less, your letters were deceiving, painting a lovely description of your ranch and the community.”
Richard pointed at Cullen. “That’s Cullen’s fault then because he wrote the letters.”
Cullen faced the woman, sure he was going to get a good scolding from this pint-sized miss.
Oh, oh. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his mother arch her eyebrow toward his father. Their silent communicating always meant trouble for one of their sons.
“Miss Leander,” his mother interrupted, “although Mr. Kandt is a nice man, his ranch is not suitable for a woman to live there yet—and it may be for a long while due to his financial situation. Would returning home be an option for you?”
“No, I left for a reason, and I will not return to Illinois,” Miss Leander said with conviction.
“You’re welcome to stay with Pastor and I at the parsonage until you decide what to do,” Cullen’s ma offered as he knew she would.
That meant Adolph Bjorklund would be at next Sunday’s family dinner then. He was always on the lookout for a bride. Maybe he’d get lucky with Miss Leander.
“I have a better idea,” his father said, and Cullen felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise.
“Cullen, since you wrote and read the letters to and from Miss Leander, and paid for part of her train ticket, I strongly suggest you fulfill your obligation.”
“What do you mean, Pa?”
“You marry Miss Leander.”
“But, I—”
“You have a secure job and can support her.”
“Yes, I make a living, but I live in a small upstairs room above the café.”
“Cartwright’s house is for sale. I suggest you buy it for your bride,” Cullen’s father smartly said.
“But Miss Leander might not like that idea,” Cullen nervously wished the woman would whistle to stop this silly idea.
“Actually, I would be in favor of marriage with Mr. Reagan. I am a passionate reader and writer of novels. I think we’d have a lot in common.”
Her last sentence caught Cullen’s interest, more than the first. “You write stories, Miss Leander?”
“Yes, my first romance novel has been mailed to a New York publisher. And I gave them Clear Creek, Kansas as my new address to correspond with me.”
“Cullen’s an avid reader, and he writes poetry,” Mack said, before stepping out of Cullen’s arm’s reach. Cullen would pound his brother’s shoulder for letting out his secret hobby—if his parents and Miss Leander weren’t standing there with him.
“I think we’d have a lot in common, Mr. Reagan. I accept your marriage proposal.”
“What? No! I didn’t send off for a mail-order bride! Kandt did!”
“You were an accomplice then, but you’re still responsible for me becoming a Clear Creek resident, Mr. Reagan,” Miss Leander said.
Cullen cringed as Angus slapped and kept his hand on his left shoulder and Mack’s colossal hand gripped his right shoulder.
“Face it, little brother, you’ve met your match and getting married as soon as you can move into your new house,” Angus laughed.
“I’ll even do any house repairs at a discount fee for you and the new misses too,” Mack added.
“Your wedding will be a week from Sunday, Cullen. Welcome to the Reagan family, Miss Leander,” Cullen’s father pronounced.
“No. I am not marrying Miss Leander!” Everyone turned to his outburst.
“Fine,” Cullen’s mother stated, which meant Cullen was in deep trouble now.
“Miss Leander, if you want to stay in Clear Creek, we have other bachelors who would be very interested in marrying you next Sunday. Would you be interested in meeting them?”
Cullen didn’t like the curious look on the woman’s face.
“Yes, I’d like to marry a nice man and stay here. Who would be my possibilities for a husband, and what do they do for a living, so I can narrow the field of whom I want to meet?”
What? Narrow the field? Miss Leander was getting picky.
“The top man actively looking for a bride is Adolph Bjorklund. His shop sells meat, eggs, and butter,” his mother leaned forward as if to tell her a secret.
“He sounds like a decent candidate. We’d always have food for our family,” Miss Leander nodded.
“Then there’s Kiowa Jones, the blacksmith, besides a few other younger men I could introduce to you in church tomorrow.”
“And we have another son, Seth, who is available. He raises horses and has a charming home. He lives a few miles north of town,” Cullen’s father added.
The young woman held her hand out to Richard again and waited for him to take it, before giving his hand a firm shake.
“Since there are other available grooms, I won’t hold you to your agreement to marry me. Thank you for the train ticket to Clear Creek, and I hope you find a suitable bride soon.”
Just like that, Miss Leander dissolved her agreement with Richard, after all the time and effort Cullen spent writing to the woman?
“Come along, dear. I’m sure you’d like to rest after your long trip,” Cullen’s mother said as she pointed Miss Leander toward the parsonage.
Everyone went back to work, leaving Cullen and Richard standing on the boardwalk.
“Dang. I’m out money, but at least I didn’t have to marry her.”
“You still owe me five dollars, Richard. I wrote letters and got her here for you. You’re the one who rejected her, and that wasn’t my fault.”
“How about we wager a bet, Cullen. I’ll pay you the five dollars when she marries someone, but not if you turn out to be her groom,” Richard said as he held out his hand to shake on it.
“I’ll take that bet b
ecause I won’t be marrying anyone next Sunday,” Cullen told Richard with confidence.
We’ll see,” Richard said while reaching into his vest pockets. “I won’t be needing her letters anymore, so you give them back to Miss Leander, or pass them around to her prospective grooms.”
Cullen took the bundle of letters from Richard, enjoying the rose perfume scent that drifted to his nose as he stuffed them in his own vest pocket. Cullen had read the letters to Richard when they arrived in the mail. Maybe he’d reread them before giving them back to Miss Leander—just to help find a suitable groom for her.
Cullen felt responsible for her being stuck in Clear Creek without a husband, but he was relieved the delicate lady wasn’t going to be living with Richard. Being there wasn’t an outhouse, of course.
He watched Miss Leander and his ma walk down the boardwalk chatting as if they were already good friends—or plotting the end of Cullen’s bachelorhood.
Cullen prayed Adolph was interested in Miss Leander because he knew Kiowa wouldn’t be. And heaven forbid if Seth took a shining to her because then Miss Leander would be at every Sunday family dinner.
But why would that bother him? Because Cullen met her first?
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Jasper's Wish (Grooms with Honor Book 10) Page 6
