by Linda Ford
Anker had smiled at Lena. “Seems to be a family trait.”
She’d reached for his hand and squeezed it. “Not anymore.” She’d learned the joy of giving and receiving love freely and without consideration for repayment.
She vowed she would show her father the same love.
Anker had gone to bring him to live with them.
The buggy grew closer and she strained to get her first glimpse of her father in most of her life.
Anker pulled up close and came around to lift a wheelchair from the back. He lifted down a man then stepped back so she could see her father.
Lena stared. She’d expected a shrunken, helpless man but instead, the man in the chair looked as robust as Anker. His arms were thick and muscular. His skin bronzed as if he’d just come from a day’s work in the sun. And his hair was as thick and brown as she remembered it.
Anker held out his hand to bid her forward.
Charlie gave her a little push.
And then she ran. Her father’s arms came up and engulfed her. “Papa. Papa. I am so glad to see you.”
Tears threatened to drown the poor man so she pulled back.
Tears coursed down the brown leathered cheeks of her father. “I couldn’t believe you wanted me. Not after all—”
“We want you. I’m only sorry it took us so long to find you.” She signaled for her children to come forward. “This is your grandfather.” She introduced them one by one.
Each greeted him in a fashion typical to her individual children.
Charlie shook his hand. “We’re very glad to see you, Grandfather, and we’re looking forward to having you live with us.”
“I hope you’ll be happy here,” Lars said, as he, too, shook hands.
Johnny gave his grandfather a quick hello then turned his attention to the chair. “Can I have a ride in this when you don’t need it?”
Her father laughed. “So long as you don’t break it. It’s my legs, you know.”
Anker set baby Anna in her grandfather’s lap. “Our youngest, Anna.”
As the others watched, Anna studied her grandfather then favored him with a wide, toothless grin.
“She is so like you were as a baby,” Lena’s father said.
Anker pulled Lena to his arms. “I keep saying she’s a beauty.”
Lena knew he meant her as much as the baby and she let herself relax against his chest.
“Let’s get Grandfather to the house,” Anker said.
Charlie grabbed the wheelchair handles and slowly, cautiously, choosing the smoothest route, headed up the path.
Johnny walked at the side, watching the wheels turn, and Lars skipped ahead, waiting to open the door.
Lena turned her face to Anker, loving each dear line of his face. “Thank you so much for bringing him.”
“I could do no else once we found him.”
“I don’t know what I would do without you. You have made my life so full of love and joy. And to think I almost turned this down for—” She couldn’t finish. She could no longer say what she would have had if she didn’t have Anker and her family. Nothing, she suspected, but emptiness and a frightening determination to trust no one.
Anker kissed her quickly then said, “You have given me far more than I have given you.”
She knew he had long struggled with feeling he had enough to offer a woman. As she often did, she said, “Anker Hansen, you are the best man ever.”
He hugged her.
She continued, “Thank God, He has certainly turned my disastrous past into a life of joy.”
“Lena, my darling, I love your more and more each day.” He kissed her.
“Aw, they’re kissing again,” Lars said.
Laughing, Anker turned Lena about. “Let’s get your father settled.”
Lena paused at the doorway and looked at the fine pair of pine trees on either side of the door.
Anker noticed her interest. “God has truly blessed us.”
His arm about her shoulders, they entered the house, ready to begin a new stage of their lives.
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Sneak peek of Abandoned Bride
As Sam Andrews rode toward home, he watched a buggy roll up to his house. The last thing he needed was company. He was wet, muddy, and tired clear through. He’d had enough trouble in this one day to last him the rest of the spring. A water hole was blocked and had to be cleaned out so the cattle could get water. A dozen cows were missing and needed to be found and returned to the herd. Harry was gone and not planning to come back.
The buggy deposited a woman and child at his doorstep, unloaded a trunk and valise, and left.
He closed his eyes. Planning-to-stay company. The worst kind under the present circumstances.
He looked longingly at the barn, wanting nothing more than to rub down his horse and then head for a tub of hot water. But manners overcame need and he went directly to the house and dismounted.
“Ma’am, may I help you?” Her hair was as blond as spun gold. Her eyes as blue as a summer sky.
The boy beside her hung his head, so Sam couldn’t really say what he looked like except for a mop of pale brown hair. He wasn’t very big. Still a stay-with-mama size.
“Are you Harry Ortwell?” the woman asked.
He knew that accent, the vowels round and musical. There were other Norwegians in the area.
“No, ma’am. I’m Sam Andrews.”
She fixed her blue gaze on him in a way that made him feel he’d somehow failed her. “I need to speak to Mr. Harry Ortwell.”
“’Fraid that’s impossible. Harry left for parts unknown two weeks ago.”
Her mouth fell open. She blinked her eyes rapidly and then closed her mouth with a click. Her lips pulled into a hard line.
The truth hit him like the fists of a giant. “You’re the woman Harry’s been writing to.”
“Miss Elin Hansen. The woman he promised to marry.” Her accent deepened so “woman” sounded like “voman.”
Sam sighed. That would explain Harry’s sudden departure. Harry was notorious for making promises and breaking them with absolutely no regard for the consequences. Sam should have known when he saw Harry stuff his latest letter into his pocket that something like this had sent him running.
“I didn’t know you had a boy.”
“He is Harry’s. His name is Joey.”
Sam stared. “How can that be? You and Harry have corresponded by mail only.” No way had that led to a child.
Her cheeks glowed sunset pink. “He is not mine. A man put him on the train at Grassy Plains. Told the conductor to take him to his father, Harry Ortwell, address Buffalo Hollow, Dakota Territory.” Her eyes narrowed. “Same address as the Harry Ortwell who promised to marry me.”
“Oh, Harry, what have you done?” His partner had gotten himself in quite a squeeze this time.
“May we go indoors?” she asked.
Sam’s weary legs threatened to shake. “Inside? My house?”
She fixed him with another hard look. “I came in good faith. I brought his son. I will wait for him here.”
“He’s not coming back. He was very clear on that.”
“I will wait.” She took a step toward the door.
“Now just a minute.”
Gus opened the door. Where had the old man been all this time? One look at the rumpled white hair and the way Gus yawned, and Sam knew he had only just wakened from one of his naps. Gus spied Elin and the boy and grinned. “Company. Good. Come on in and set a spell.”
Sam introduced Gus to the pair. “Gus is an old friend. He looks after the house for me.”
“What he means is I’m too crippled up to be of any use
so I sit around the house.” Gus signaled the pair forward.
Elin took another step.
Sam planted himself in her way. “No.”
“No?” How did she make that little word sound like a big challenge?
He stepped aside. “You can refresh yourself and then I’ll arrange for someone to take you back to town.” Except all the cowhands were sorting out cows and water holes. That left Sam, who was still muddy, wet, and cold. And mad at his missing partner. He was thoroughly sick and tired of cleaning up Harry’s messes.
Miss Elin took another step toward the house, seemed to remember the boy. “Come along, young Joey.”
Joey didn’t move at first then eased forward, his gaze fixed on the ground at his feet.
Gus stood back and waved them inside.
Sam followed, trying to decide how to handle this.
Gus’s bushy eyebrows rose as Sam reached the threshold. “Don’t bring that mud inside.” The door closed firmly against him.
Sam groaned. He wanted only to clean up and have a hot meal and a warm bed. Instead, he was stuck with a woman and child to deal with.
The door opened and Gus threw out a pair of jeans and a shirt. “Come back when yer decent.”
Sam scooped up the garments and headed for the barn. He tended his horse first. Filled a bucket with water. A cold wash hardly provided the comfort he’d been thinking of the past hour. But a few minutes later, considerably cleaner, his clothes rinsed in cold water and hung to dry, he strode toward the house.
His stomach rumbled. It had been hours since he’d eaten. Neither he nor Gus were good cooks and it was too far to town to go for a meal. But right now, he’d settle for hard biscuits and fried eggs.
He broke stride. The trunk no longer sat by the gate. His insides twisted with something more than hunger. She could not move in like she owned the place. The last thing he needed was more complications in his life. He continued on his way and stepped into the house.
Gus sat at the table with the woman and child. There was no sign of the trunk.
Sam’s stomach pinched his backbone.
The boy looked at him and Sam swallowed hard. He had Harry’s eyes and mouth. No denying he was Harry’s son. Not that he was surprised. Typical of Harry to have no regard for how his actions might impact others.
Gus nodded at him. “Sit down and stop staring.”
Sam pulled out the chair across from Elin. “I’ll take you back to town.”
“I’m staying,” she said. “I will wait for Harry to come and keep his promise to me.”
“She’s staying,” Gus affirmed.
“Can’t count on Harry getting back any time soon.” Sam shook his head. “I don’t have time for a woman and child.” He described his day to Gus, hoping the old codger would see the necessity of taking the pair back.
Gus leaned forward. “Whadd’ya mean there’s twenty head missing? They wander off?”
“I thought so at first but I followed their tracks. Didn’t take me long to see a horse had been with them. Someone took them.”
Gus let out an explosive noise. “Rustlers.”
“I followed the trail until they crossed the river. Lost the tracks in the rocks.”
“Likely long gone by now.” Gus sounded as morose as Sam felt.
“I’m going to have to keep a close eye on the rest of the herd. So you see—“ He turned to the woman. “I don’t have time to entertain.”
* * *
“I have no wish to be entertained.” Elin was not about to take no for an answer. “I left Norway, crossed the vast ocean, rode a train across most of America, all on the promise of a marriage.” She swallowed hard, hoping no one would guess at the fearful way her heart raced. The shock of discovering Joey was Harry’s son was more than she thought she could endure. The ride to Buffalo Hollow had allowed her time to come to acceptance that her marriage would include a child, but then to learn that Harry was gone and she was left to figure things out on her own filled her with a mixture of fear and determination. “I have come here expecting a home, and I will have it.”
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Also by Linda Ford
Contemporary Romance
Montana Skies series
Cry of My Heart
Forever in My Heart
Everlasting Love
Inheritance of Love
Historical Romance
Dakota Brides series
Temporary Bride
Abandoned Bride
Second-Chance Bride
Reluctant Bride
War Brides series
Lizzie
Maryelle
Irene
Grace
Wild Rose Country
Crane’s Bride
Hannah’s Dream
Chastity’s Angel
Cowboy Bodyguard
Copyright © 2017 by Linda Ford
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