Mail Order Calamity (Kansas Brides Series #4)

by Barbara Goss

  “You think she has feelings for me?” Pete asked, hope in his voice.

  “I do.”

  “Tell you what: I’ll have a little talk with Mrs. Smith and we’ll see what we can do.” Cole winked at him on his way out.

  Chapter 8

  Pete stopped at the general store to pick up his mail and he found a letter for Elaina from Sarah, the woman who was originally supposed to be his bride. Was he sorry she wasn’t his bride instead of Elaina? No, he'd been quite satisfied with Elaina, but knew now that he probably hadn’t shown her that very much. While he did wish he had another chance with her, he also was a bit angry with her for ending it without trying harder or agreeing to counseling, and to tell Garrett’s wife about their problems on top of it all? Maybe he was better off, after all. Even though he knew that not to be true, he had to convince himself of it.

  He walked the letter down to Edna Smith’s house, knocked, and Edna answered.

  “Why, good morning, Peter.”

  “Good morning,” Pete said. “I have a letter here for Elaina.”

  “Would you like to come in?” she asked.

  “No, I have to get to the office,” he said. “Just send her my regards.”

  “I surely will,” Edna said, taking the letter from him.

  As Pete walked to his office he wondered, should he have gone inside? What would he have said to Elaina if he had? It was one awkward situation.

  When he walked into his office, Cole was standing by the bulletin board reading the wanted posters.

  “Looking for anyone special?” Pete asked.

  “I am. I heard gossip that the Lowery gang's headed this way.”

  “Oh, great! The notorious bank robbers. Have you notified Lee VanSickle at the bank?”

  “I did. He’ll be on the lookout and take all the necessary precautions,” Cole said.

  “Do we have a poster for them?” Pete moved over to scan the posters with him. “Yep, here they are, all five of them, but there's only a picture of the leader. Are they all brothers?”

  “I don’t think so. I think just the leader's named Lowery.”

  “The poster states, Jeb Lowery, Sam (unknown), Abe Jensen, Robbie Davis, and Rupert (unknown),” Pete said. “Strange they’d come to Hunter’s Grove, since we’re such a small town. Maybe they’ll ride on by us and head for Abilene. I’ll wire the constable there.”

  “Five of them! When they robbed the bank in Wichita there were only four of them. They must have picked up a new one somewhere along the way,” Cole said. “Too bad the poster only has a picture of Jeb Lowery and not the others.”

  “Was that robbery in Wichita when you were constable?”

  Cole nodded.

  Tucker Smith ducked his head into the office. “Here’s a telegram that just came in for you, Pete.”

  Pete took the paper. “Thanks, Tucker.”

  Cole peeked over Pete’s shoulder. “Yep, they’re on the way. If you need extra help, just holler,” Cole said.

  Elaina opened her letter from Sarah and read it while Edna poured their afternoon tea. She started to read and then gasped suddenly.

  “What is it, dear?” Edna asked.

  “Bad news,” Elaina said. “If I told you, it wouldn’t make sense. I’ll have to tell you the whole story of how I came to be here.”

  Elaina related how she’d witnessed the bank robbery, identified one of the men, and then had to leave town. She explained how Sarah had given her Pete’s letter and ticket.

  Elaina took a quick sip of tea, “So now Sarah writes that the sheriff searched the Fillmores’ house and found enough evidence to lock up all of the Fillmore boys, except the father, who wasn’t there. They’ve been searching for him, but he’s disappeared.”

  “He must have heard about his sons getting arrested and fled,” Edna said.

  “Sarah continues on to say that my parents’ home was broken into and robbed. My mother and father said the letter she’d sent them was missing, as well as many valuables. The robberies were shortly after Sarah and my folks received the letters. They suspect it was Rupert, the father, yet they still can’t find him. She’s writing to warn me to be careful in case he comes here looking for me.”

  “Oh, dear. In that case, you should let Peter know about it,” Edna said.

  “This is awfully awkward. Would you tell him, Edna?”

  “No, dear. If he asked me questions about the matter, I wouldn’t know the answers. Besides, this is something you need to do yourself.” She patted her hand. “I’m sorry.”

  “You’re absolutely right. I’ll go see him tomorrow.”

  Before heading out to see Pete at his office, Elaina picked one of her prettier, ready-made dresses, and took pains arranging her hair.

  When she opened the door to the constable’s office, she realized she’d never been there before. Two good-looking young men she didn't know were standing by Pete’s desk. She smiled at them.

  Pete was sitting in his chair, leaning back in it and talking to the two men. Pete started to stand, but she gestured for him to remain seated. She stood there, waiting to be introduced.

  “Garrett Tucker, Cole Johnson, meet my…my wife, Elaina.” Both men removed their hats and bowed.

  A thrill went through Elaina when he said, ‘my wife’ in such a tender way.

  “We’ll be going,” Cole said. “Keep us up to date on this.”

  “If you need any help we’re both willing to drop everything and support you,” Garrett said.

  “Thanks,” Pete said.

  He still hadn’t looked her in the eye. She watched his friends leave and wondered if he’d look at her, now that they were gone. Instead, he started shuffling papers around on his desk.

  “Is this visit personal or business?” he asked, still looking at his paperwork.

  His attitude annoyed Elaina.

  “Strictly business,” she said with a touch of haughtiness in her tone.

  “Have a seat, then. Would you like some coffee?” he asked.

  “No, thank you.”

  “I can’t offer anything else‒coffee’s all I have.”

  “I received a letter from my best friend, Sarah, and the contents have me a bit on edge.” She tossed the letter onto his desk.

  He glanced at her briefly before he opened the letter. He leaned back in his chair, read the letter, and then threw it down on his desk.

  “Sorry about the home robbery,” he said. “So this Rupert, how old a man is he?”

  “I don’t really know. His son’s ages range anywhere from eighteen to twenty-five. As you know, one of them was betrothed to my sister.”

  “I remember,” he said as he stared at the bulletin board, the one that had the wanted posters hanging on it.

  Elaina wondered why she’d taken such care to look good when he hadn’t done more than glance at her since she come in. His attitude only reinforced her intention to get the annulment. She’d visit the courthouse next.

  “Rupert…” he mumbled. “He lived in Ohio, right?”

  “Yes,” she said. “Why?”

  “We have an ornery gang headed this way. They’re bank robbers, and one’s named Rupert. It’s not a common name, so it does make me wonder. I can’t see how a Rupert from Ohio would be mixed up with Jeb Lowery, who I think is from Indiana.” Pete rubbed his temples. “I don’t know what I can do until he gets here, Elaina, if he does at all.” He then turned her way to looked at her and she wished he hadn’t; it only served to make her heart beat faster.

  She stood quickly. “Edna thought I should report it to you.”

  “She’s right. I’ll be on the lookout for a stranger. That’s about all I can do at this point,” he said. “If you need anything, don’t hesitate to let me know, especially if you see this Rupert.”

  “Thank you.” She moved toward the door and put her hand on the doorknob when she heard him say something. She stopped and turned.

  “Is there anything else I can do for you?” he aske
d in a soft voice.

  “No, I’m doing just fine,” she answered.

  He nodded. “Good.”

  She left the office and headed for the courthouse.

  Pete threw his pencil at the door after she’d left. Doggone, that had been awkward. He hadn’t known how he should introduce her. Should he have said, "Meet my ex-wife?" No, she was still married to him. Maybe he should have introduced her as his almost-wife. He’d tried not to look at her while she was there because when he did, all he remembered was that kiss and her clinging to him. He had noticed how good she'd looked, and it only made him feel worse.

  He noticed she’d forgotten her letter. He picked it up and read it again. He recognized Sarah’s handwriting, and it made him wonder if she was still available. He had her address in his hand. He threw it down. He didn’t think anyone else would do, at least for now.

  He wished he’d had more experience with women. Maybe then he wouldn’t have bungled things so badly. He’d only had a few romantic flings, and they were with saloon women, before he'd become a Christian. After that, he still desired the company of women. Heck, he loved women. They were so soft, gentle, and often soft-spoken and loving. Yet as a Christian, the only way to get himself a woman was to do it the right way. That’s when Garrett had suggested the mail order bride tactic in order to get himself a wife.

  As he sat there, brooding, he remembered the sermon he’d heard on Sunday.

  Give God the reins of your life.

  Whew. That was a hard thing to do. What if God wanted him to stay single? He wanted a wife! Then he started to think about why he wanted a wife so badly, and he was shocked at the reasons that came to mind: to cook for him, to clean for him, to keep his house, to milk his cows, to collect his eggs…no wonder Elaina hadn't been happy. When he’d dated the saloon women, he hadn’t thought about cooking or housekeeping at all. All he'd thought of was how soft, sweet, and lovable they were. Why then, just because he'd made a woman his wife, did he expect something different from her?

  No wonder she’d left him.

  That’s when he started to think that if he put his life into God’s hands, God certainly couldn't screw his life up any more than he already had. Maybe he should give it a try. Tomorrow, he’d go see Reverend Flannery and talk to him about it. Should he go afterward to Elaina and beg, even though he hated begging? Or should he forget trying to make it happen and just let everything come to him?

  Is that what God had wanted when he'd said to give him the reins?

  Chapter 9

  Elaina walked into the courthouse and stopped to read the directory. She jumped when a man’s voice spoke to her from behind.

  “Mrs. Mullins?”

  She swung around. “Oh, Mr. Johnson! You startled me!”

  “Can I have a word with you?” he asked.

  “About what?” she asked.

  “About Pete.”

  “Really, Mr. Johnson, I—”

  “You can call me Cole. I just need a minute of your time.”

  “All right. Go ahead, talk.”

  Cole looked around. “This isn’t a good place. Let’s go to Rusty’s. I’ll buy you a cup of tea.”

  “Look, Cole, it really won’t do any good to plead Pete’s case. It just wasn’t working out,” she said.

  “Just give me five minutes of your time, that’s all I ask.”

  Elaina sighed. “All right. Five minutes.”

  He escorted her to Rusty’s, hoping Pete wasn’t looking out of his window at the time.

  After they'd been seated and had cups of hot tea in front of them, Cole cleared his throat.

  “I can understand your wanting an annulment, I really can. If things don’t work out, it’s good to know that before… um…before, you know.” He blushed, and Elaina couldn’t hide her smile.

  “And that’s what I set out to do today, get the wheels in motion.”

  “I wouldn’t do that until you’re safely back to wherever you came from,” he said.

  “Why not?”

  “Once the men in town hear that you’re a free woman—well, I can’t tell you what might happen. Some of these men haven’t seen a woman as pretty as you in years, and some maybe never. They’ll be lining up at Edna’s front door, and if given the chance, some will handle you quite roughly. These aren’t gentlemen, Mrs. Mullins.”

  “It would be that bad?” she asked. “And you can call me Elaina. I don’t want to get used to the name Mullins.”

  “I heard you met Clyde. There are a lot more like him out there,” Cole said. He sipped his tea and set the cup gently into the saucer. “Now, my good friend, Pete, he’s a real gentleman.”

  “I know he is, but he doesn’t really want a wife‒he wants a farm woman who can cook. I’m not very domestic, although I’m learning,” she said. “Pete doesn’t need a wife; he needs a maid.

  “But you see, there’s the difference. Women think like women and men think like men.”

  “What?” The man had her confused.

  “Men think differently and they aren’t as good at expressing themselves. If you could just give him another chance‒”

  “No.” Elaina stood. “Thank you for the tea, Cole. I’ll take your good advice about the annulment and wait until I’m safely back in Ohio. Good day.”

  Elaina walked back to Edna’s. If only Pete would ask her for another chance himself…but even if he did, she couldn’t be sure it would make any difference. Had he sent Cole to do his bidding, or had Cole done it on his own? Even so, she couldn’t take another chance on Pete, his house with all the repairs and dressing up it needed, and the cows, the chickens, the cooking…she just couldn’t do it. As she analyzed her feelings she came to the conclusion that she cared deeply for Pete, but not for his house or the fact that he wanted a maid more than he wanted a romantic relationship.

  “So,” Rupert Fillmore said to Jeb Lowery, “if I rob one more bank with you, you’ll help me kill the woman who caused my sons to be jailed?”

  “I said I would, didn’t I? I think that after this next one, we might even be able to retire for a while. That last bank was a good haul,” Jeb said as he saddled his horse. “Does this Hunter’s Grove have a bank?”

  “I don’t know. I’ve never been there,” Rupert said. “But the girl’s a real looker and before I kill her you can all have a bit of fun with her. I think that will make my boys feel better‒to know she went out humiliated.”

  “Wait, didn’t you say she was in Hunter’s Grove because she married a man there?” Jeb asked.

  “Yeah, what of it?”

  “I’m sure he isn’t going to look the other way while we make off with his beautiful bride,” Jeb spit out a wad of chewing tobacco. “This might not be as easy as you’re thinking. There’s probably some law in that town.”

  “I’ll come up with something when we get there, after we've been able to stalk around some. So, we hit Hays, and then go directly to Hunter’s Grove?” Rupert asked.

  “That’s the plan.”

  “I couldn’t help overhearing,” Robbie said. “I get first chance at the girl since I ain’t been with a female in so long my—”

  “Enough! We don’t need the sordid details, Robbie,” Jeb snapped. “You can be first since you’re the youngest. Now, let’s get this job done before we plan the next.”

  Pete walked into the livery owned jointly by his two friends, Garrett and Cole. Garrett was polishing a buggy while Cole was hitching a horse to it.

  “I just got news,” Pete said loudly.

  Both men turned and awaited his news.

  “The bank was just robbed in Hays. They said it was Lowery and his gang. The sheriff reported they’re headed this way.”

  “If they’re riding fast they could be here tomorrow night or early the next day,” Cole said.

  “I’ll need someone to stake out the bank, and someone to accompany me when whoever eyeballs the bank signals us,” Pete said.

  “I can watch the bank,” Garre
tt said, “since I don’t have as much experience at gun fighting. But how am I to signal you?”

  “You’ll need a partner. Someone who can run and get Cole and me when they appear,” Pete said.

  “Sounds like a good plan, Pete,” Cole said. “Who can we get to stake out the bank with Garrett?”

  “What about Brock VanSickle?” Pete suggested.

  “The son of Lee VanSickle?” Garrett asked in surprise.

  “Why not?”

  “Pete, his father's the banker,” Garrett said.

  “Well, he’s twenty-four, and I'd think he’d have a strong interest in saving the bank from being robbed, then.”

  “True,” Garrett said. “What do you think, Cole?”

  “I like the idea. Brock’s a good sport‒he’ll do it.”

  ““We’ll start the day after tomorrow. Even if they managed to get here tomorrow, it'd be night time and they wouldn’t be robbing a bank when it’s closed,” Pete said.

  “We’re onboard,” Cole said, and Garrett nodded.

  Edna and Elaina had just finished lunch and were clearing the table when there was a knock at the front door. Edna handed the dishes she was holding to Elaina. “I’ll get it, dear.”

  After peeking through the front window to see who was at the door, Edna swung it open. “Come in, Brock,” Edna said, holding the door wide.

  The young man walked in, removed his hat, and greeted Edna. “I have the six-month report.” He held up his satchel and winked at Edna.

  Edna gave him a knowing smile. “Come right this way,” she said, leading him to the dining room where Elaina was just setting down a clean tablecloth. “Ah, the table is clear. Thank you, dear,” she said to Elaina.

  “Brock VanSickle, I’d like you to meet Elaina um—”

  “Elaina Andrews,” Elaina filled in. “Nice to meet you, Mr. VanSickle.”