Seven Brides for Seven Mail-Order Husbands Romance Collection

by Davis, Susan Page; Dietze, Susanne; Franklin, Darlene

  Chardy Stevens was a friendly sort. She took over running the store after her father’s death and had four younger brothers to raise on her own. Debbie shook her head. God had been so good to her, sparing her the tragedy Chardy had endured. She had no reason to complain, the pampered baby sister instead of the eldest stepping into the role of mother to her brothers and sisters.

  And Chardy had taken part in the audition. Whom had she chosen? Debbie glanced around the mercantile quickly, hoping to spot him, but she didn’t see the candidate.

  Chardy’s customers stole glances at Debbie and Zack for the same reason, no doubt. The whole town had watched the audition. “Shall we get this over with?”

  “Oh, I think I got over the embarrassment when I hollered, ‘hallelujah.’” Zack grinned from ear to ear and winked. “Let’s see what Miss Stevens wants.”

  Zack studied the mercantile owner. They had met during the audition, of course. Between work and family, she had an immediate need for a husband. Wanted one, too, which wasn’t always the same thing.

  But she wasn’t the one for Zack. He’d known that as soon as they interviewed, and apparently she had agreed.

  “Hello, Miss Stevens. I’m—”

  “Don’t tell me.” She closed her eyes. “You’re Zack. I remember because of the Z. Unusual.”

  “That’s right. Zack Gage.”

  “You have a winner here in Debbie. The Barkers haven’t been in Turtle Springs very long, but we’ve all fallen in love with her.”

  “She’s a fine woman.” Zack shut his mouth before he said more than he should.

  “Oh good. I’m glad things are working out between you.” She smiled broadly as if she could guess all their secrets.

  “And your gentleman?” Zack wished he could remember the name, but he had been so focused on Debbie’s choice, he missed most of the other pairings.

  Chardy blushed, and looked to the floor. “We’re making plans.”

  Ah. He decided not to pry. “Debbie tells me I can find the world in this store.”

  Chardy laughed, a hearty sound. “We try to provide whatever our customers may need.” She leaned forward and winked. “Or desire. Go ahead, look around. If there’s something you want and I don’t carry, I’ll try to get it for you.”

  Hopefully they had satisfied everyone’s curiosity. Zack returned his attention to Debbie and guided her to the far corner, where a few shelves might protect them from the curious glances. “Let’s start the tour back here. I believe I can identify the equipment.”

  Debbie giggled. Large farming implements filled the floor, and wall posters featured other items available by special order. “Some of these would come in useful on the homestead.” He walked around, checking the machinery and workings of each piece. “They’re well made.”

  “There’s half a dozen things we’d like to have right this minute. But Papa wants to stretch out our funds until we start making money again. He refuses to go into debt.”

  “A good quality.” If his own father had paid more attention to sound financial management, they might not have lost the factory. But Zack didn’t know for certain, and he was blessed with a fair-sized inheritance.

  “Besides, we’re Yankees.” She grinned and shook a finger at him. “‘Use it up, wear it out, make do, or do without.’ It’s in our blood, and that makes us good homesteaders.” She flashed an uncertain smile in his direction. “At least, we hope so. Perhaps we trust in our strength more than in the Lord’s.”

  “Well, you know what Jesus had to say about farmers, both good and bad. He sends sunshine and rain on both sides in equal measure. No special treatment for good Christians.” Too many good men had died on the battlefields for him to take automatic protection from all of life’s problems for granted.

  He studied the equipment and gave up his wish list, for the time being. “Whatever equipment your father has, I can probably keep it going. And I might be able to make some things if we can get ahold of the lumber. I hear I can order it here, that there’s no lumberyard.” He tapped the plow he was leaning against. “Our factory made a plow a lot like this one. I have the know-how.”

  “Did I hear you say you can fix a plow?” A woman Zack didn’t recognize came up behind them. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude. But I wanted to introduce myself. We’re neighbors. I’m Susan Terry, and here’s my husband.”

  “Pleased to meet you. Mrs. Terry, Mr. Terry.” Zack extended his hand to the husband. “If I can get away this afternoon, I’ll take a look at it.” Adding money to the family pot would make Zack feel better. He had no illusions. His potential father-in-law was more concerned about proving up the homestead than his daughter’s marital happiness. Zack would have to figure that out on his own.

  While Zack chatted with the Terrys, Debbie had slipped away. She was visiting with a bride he’d met at the audition. Anna? Alma? No, Alanna, that was it. The two of them were giggling like schoolgirls. Giggling.

  Zack scanned the store, searching for the source of their amusement. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Men, women, and children wandered the aisles, exploring the goods the store had to offer.

  Not just families. Men, on their own. The grooms from the audition? He recognized one face—Sidney Anderson, who headed in Alanna’s direction.

  Ah. Sidney had been Alanna’s choice. Zack decided to join the trio. Debbie smiled at his approach. “I told Chardy you can repair farm equipment. She’ll spread the word—you may have more business than you want.”

  “I appreciate that.” As long as Charles gives me time to make the repairs. Maybe if Zack slept only two hours a night, he could accomplish everything on his list of chores. Maybe if he was lucky, he could get four hours. “I hate to interrupt, but Debbie promised me a tour of the world in this store.”

  They responded with a polite laugh. “I’ll see you later,” Debbie promised as she slipped her hand around Zack’s proffered arm. “First stop. France. Pay attention, in case you ever decide to buy me a gift.”

  Goodness, she was flirting with him. “Lead me away.”

  She stopped in front of toiletry supplies, generally of more interest to the ladies than to a man. “Fancy perfume?” He hazarded a guess.

  She shook her head. “Scented soap. A real treat compared to the lye we’re reduced to so much of the time.” She lifted one bar. “Rose.” And another. “Lavender.”

  Zack joined the game, sniffing a package. “Lilac,” he said, surprised.

  A stronger scent tickled his nose and he tracked it to its source. Pine. He made a note of the soaps Debbie had requested before he went in search of the homey smell of the evergreen. A little further along in household products, he found two-inch square bags sewed around all four sides.

  Debbie giggled. “I prepared sachets before we left Maine, to keep the scent of home in my belongings. Chardy asked about selling a few.”

  Zack lifted the sachet to his nose and inhaled deeply. He was transported back in time to childhood memories, like hiking through the woods surrounding his grandparents’ home. The towering trees, the flickering sunlight, the soft calling of a chickadee …

  When he opened his eyes, the cowboy hats and sunbonnets hanging on the walls reminded him he was in Kansas. “I want to buy one of those things,” he said.

  She smiled, as if she knew exactly what he was thinking.

  Chapter 6

  Cornhusks rustled as weight shifted on one of the mattresses in the soddy. Debbie stirred to wakefulness. The door opened, letting in a spit of fresh air, but she couldn’t see who opened it.

  Even so, she had no doubt: Zack. Twice this week the same sound had awakened her, but she hadn’t caught him yet.

  What was he doing outside in the middle of the night? She worried about him. In a couple of hours, he’d come back into the house, and the same sounds would wake her up again. Didn’t her parents notice his nighttime wanderings?

  She flopped on her back and wondered what had changed. Maybe she could g
o with him when he returned their neighbor’s plow, and they could talk, the way they had after he first auditioned. Didn’t the man know a girl wanted to be courted, to be sweet-talked, even if it started with an audition?

  Unless he’d changed his mind. That possibility hurt more than Debbie could have guessed. She wanted to be married. She wanted to know a man’s love, the joy of bearing children, of creating a home to bring laughter and beauty and culture to this Kansas frontier.

  She tried to go to sleep, but her mind kept working. God, was I wrong to take part? Do You have other plans for me? She thought of the Proverb she was memorizing. “Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established.” So, Lord, I guess I just need to wait for You to establish my works and my thoughts.

  She heard sounds outside the soddy. Pa’s gun lay out of reach, by the door where he could grab it before heading out. In case it wasn’t Zack she heard.

  Curiosity overcame her, and she decided to check things out. At the doorway, she waited for her eyes to adjust to the nighttime sky. With hardly a cloud and a thousand dots of light, the sky sparkled like a house after spring cleaning. She could see almost as well as in daytime.

  Holding the shotgun steady, she padded quietly on her bare feet around the corner—and poked Zack in the stomach with the rifle barrel.

  Shivers ran up and down her body. “I could have shot you. I should have left it inside.”

  He held his finger to his mouth, reminding her not to wake up her parents.

  “What are you doing out here?” They asked the question simultaneously.

  “Ladies first.” Zack’s grin stretched widely, as if he held the winning hand. Perhaps he did.

  “I heard you go outside. At least, I thought it was you.”

  His eyebrows went up. “And so you came after me with a gun?”

  Her eyes flickered in dismissal. “I wasn’t sure.”

  His mouth worked. “Have you checked this side of the soddy recently?”

  “Only to see that all the sod in the prairie has taken up residence there. If we keep it up, soon we’ll have a grass-covered mound. We can call it Barker Hill.” She slid her eyes at him. “Or Gage Hill.” The sod was stacked up nearly as high as in the soddy, forming three rough walls as though they were adding an extra room.

  “Barker-Gage?” He suggested, and they both laughed.

  “So, what’s your secret? Why are you out here? Making plans for Gage Hill?” She walked around the walls. “Adding another room?”

  He shook his head. “None of those. Come and see.” With a small smile, he led her to narrow entry in the wall she hadn’t noticed before.

  It took a few minutes for her eyes to adjust to the shadows. But once she did, she couldn’t believe the sight.

  More slices of sod were piled in one corner, along with dirt and rocks. The ground had been torn up. The walls weren’t erected well enough for habitation, and the open sky overhead suggested this wasn’t meant to be another room.

  Maybe Zack couldn’t do any better quality work in the middle of the night. “So tell me. What is so important that you are spending half your nights working out here?” She’d let him speak for himself.

  “Not half the night.” A smile tugged at his lips. “Only an hour or two.”

  She waited for his explanation.

  “You’ll think I’m crazy. I’m doing it for you. I know how much you’re missing your flower garden. And you’re afraid you might not get one here for years.”

  Debbie’s mouth opened and closed, as if she couldn’t picture it. “What are the walls for?”

  Her less-than-enthusiastic response dampened his joy, and his smile dimmed. “To keep my real reason secret for as long as I can. I’m afraid if your father finds out I’m doing all this for a flower garden, he’ll tell me to stop.”

  Her nightdress rustled as she sank to the ground. She ran her hand over the soil. “This is so well tilled, it’s almost ready for planting right now. And you did this all for me?”

  Wonder filled her voice, and his heart swelled. “Yes, ma’am.” He grinned. “You deserve flowers and every other kind of beauty surrounding you. And you shouldn’t have to wait for it. Maybe you can’t have fancy French soap every time you go to the store, but you should be able to pick a flower every day.”

  He stepped closer and clasped her hands. “You’re right. It’s almost ready.” Leaning forward, he whispered. “And I bought a few of those flower seed packets you’ve been eyeing at the store. A day to till the rows, get them straight and ready, and then I’ll plant the seeds.”

  She couldn’t stop smiling. “No. We’ll plant the seeds. I’ll follow you outside tomorrow night and the next night until we get them all planted.” She looked overhead. “And pray for rain.”

  Uh-oh. Doing it by himself, he had been able to sneak in and out. Even so, Debbie had discovered his secret. If they both left, Mr. Barker would find out. Quickly.

  But how long could it take to plant the seeds? One night? Two? Surely God could close the man’s eyes long enough for them to finish the job, to do the work Zack had promised to accomplish for Debbie. To honor her, and the Lord, who created the flowers.

  “I can’t wait. But I think we’d better get back inside. Let me go first.” She slipped around the corner and inside the soddy. He waited five minutes, giving her time to get settled, and later than he usually retired. When he crept onto his mattress, he couldn’t relax enough to sleep. When he did, he dreamed of lilacs and roses, swaying in the breeze. That kept him asleep until Charles hollered to wake him up.

  Debbie must have shared the same dream. She hadn’t stopped humming and smiling since she started cooking breakfast, flapjacks with honey. Only last weekend they had found the honey. The soddy had rung with the scent of sweetness and joy on the day they had purified and jarred the sweet goodness.

  Dark circles under her eyes matched his own, hinting at the lost sleep. But joy flowed from her like water, hiding traces of anything else. Her happiness could have torn a hole in the roof.

  Maybe he felt it because of what they had shared the previous evening. Her parents didn’t seem to notice.

  Charles allowed five extra minutes at breakfast before he dragged Zack to the fields. Debbie walked with them to the edge of the yard, waving slowly as they trudged through the grass. Zack’s heart beat fast, eager for the day to pass and for the evening to arrive, so they could work together on their journey to joy.

  If he needed more evidence God was smiling on him, by midday they had turned over the last of the soil and removed the last rocks. They would make a handsome fireplace, a thing of beauty in the house he planned to build one day.

  Charles only had eyes for the field. “This afternoon we’ll turn the soil over once more. Twice if we have time. And then tomorrow.” He breathed deeply.

  Zack let Charles finish the thought.

  “Tomorrow we can plow the land. Get the rows ready for planting.” Charles beamed the same kind of happiness that had Debbie flying around the kitchen in the morning.

  God was good. Both the field and the garden, ready for planting at the same time. And like God promised the Israelites, He intended for the Barkers to enjoy the fruit of the land.

  Did that promise include Zack, on this patch of land?

  Charles clapped Zack on the back. “God blessed us the day He brought you our way.”

  The satisfaction the man felt traveled down his arms across Zack’s back and reached his heart. Their hearts beat together, the joy in seeing the impossible fulfilled, the first step of the promise God had given them for the land. For that moment, Zack felt like a member of the family.

  When Debbie called them to lunch, Charles stepped away, but the smile remained on his face.

  Debbie spread a quilt on the grass and anchored it with the lunch basket before joining them. Instead of calling them to eat, she walked to the clearing. With a single hand, she touched the rakes standing at attention at the corner post with
reverence. Bending over, she let the dirt run through her fingers. “Oh, my. It’s nearly ready, isn’t it?”

  Zack let Charles make the announcement. “We should start plowing the day after tomorrow at the latest.”

  Debbie clapped her hands together. “We must celebrate.”

  The two men exchanged glances. “Your father thinks we should hold off until we’ve got the seeds in the ground,” Zack said.

  Debbie shook her head. “I think a special dinner would be good. We’ll dedicate our work to the Lord, for it to take root and for Him to give the increase.”

  Charles’s jutted out his chin. “We will discuss it tonight.”

  Debbie joined them in their luncheon meal, as had become their habit. Some days, Kathleen joined them as well. Other times, only Debbie came. When that happened, Charles finished early and left the two of them alone for a few minutes.

  Zack’s mouth twitched as he walked away. “Our chaperone.”

  Debbie giggled. “I can’t stop thinking about last night. And tonight. And look, you and Papa have the fields ready for planting.” Debbie lifted her hands to the sky. “I want to stand to my feet and dance and shout hallelujah. Before you got here, I didn’t know how much Papa would have been able to plant this year.”

  She shaded her eyes. “Oh dear. That sounds like I asked for a groom only to have someone help out on the farm.”

  He smiled. “That’s all right. Anyone with an eye in his head can see you’re a lovely young woman who is ripe to be wooed and wedded. Ours may be an unusual courtship, but I don’t mind earning your favor by the work of my hands.”

  Nothing was enough for his Debbie. She deserved the fruit of his labor, of the fields, the earth and sea and sky …

  God willing, it would happen.

  Chapter 7

  They’re ready to start plowing and planting. The day after tomorrow at the latest.” Debbie announced as soon as she entered the soddy.

  The news erased weary lines from Mama’s face, “That’s wonderful news.” She lifted her hands from the butter churn and rubbed them together, easing the weary muscles.