CUFF ME Daddy: A Single Dad, Police Officer Romance

by Rye Hart

  Love, Rose

  Rose was going to have a baby! Now that she was with child, there was no way that papa could force her to come back. That night at supper, I broke the news to my parents.

  It took quite a bit of convincing on my part but, papa finally agreed after a few days of lengthy discussions with mama. Within a week, I was ready for my long journey to Colorado. Mama was at the train station to see me off while papa remained at home. As the train pulled away from the station, I settled in near the window and opened a book.

  Chapter Three

  Eden decided to make a journal of her trip; something she would be able to look back on and enjoy in later years. Sitting in the dining car, she wrote of her journey thus far and felt a pair of eyes on her.

  “Excuse me for staring but are you a writer?” a young man asked. “I mean I see you are taking notes.”

  “No, I’m just keeping a journal of my visit to my sister in Colorado,” I answered politely.

  “That’s a beautiful place,” he says with a smile. “I’ve been there many times.”

  “This is my first time away from my home in New York,” I admitted.

  “I promise you will enjoy it. May I sit down?” the man asked.

  Though I didn’t know this man from Adam, he seemed pleasant enough and we were surrounded by a train car full of people. “Yes, do sit,” I said.

  He sat across from me and a waitress came over and smiled. He looked at me. “Would you like to order something?” he asked.

  “Just coffee please,” I said to the waitress.

  “Two coffees,” he said and the waitress shuffled off to fetch our drinks.

  I looked at him, at once eager to know more about him. “Are you from Colorado?” I asked.

  I suddenly realized I hadn’t even introduced myself to him. I extended my hand and said, “I’m sorry, I seemed to have forgotten my manners. I’m Eden O’Bannon.”

  He gently took my hand in his and the touch of his palm made my nerves hum. “A pleasure to meet you Eden O’Bannon, I’m Clayton Reeves.

  “So tell me Miss Eden, where are you from?” he asked.

  “From upstate New York. And you Mr. Reeves?”

  “I was born in Boston, my grandfather was in the newspaper business. My father married the boss’ daughter and kept the business running after grandfather passed.”

  “And are you are following the family business?”

  “No, not it that sense. I started my own publishing firm.”

  He took out a card from his jacket pocket and handed it to me.

  “Reeves Publishing,” I read aloud

  “If that journal your writing is half as interesting as I believe it will be, maybe we can make a deal,” he said with a smile.

  I looked at my writing tablet then back to him.

  “Well that’s very kind of you but I don’t think that anyone would be interested in my ramblings.”

  “Oh you’d be surprised Miss Eden.”

  The waitress came over with the coffee and I put the journal away.

  Clayton looked over at me still smiling. “So tell me, what made a young lady from New York leave the east coast for Colorado?”

  “Well as I said, I am going to see my older sister Rose. She’s having a baby in November and asked me to come out and be with her for the birth.”

  ”And how did Rose come to find herself out west?” he asked, placing his elbows on the table and leaning in to hear more. I shrugged my shoulders and took a sip of my coffee. “She was a mail order bride,” I said matter-of-factly.

  “A mail order bride? Now that would be an interesting story,” he mused.

  “Mr. Reeves are you fishing for a story?” I asked, trying to mask my disappointment. Clayton was a very attractive man and I’d been hoping that his interest was in me. Not wanting to put myself through any more humiliation, I stood and excused myself, feigning exhaustion.

  After six days on the train, the last leg of my trip to Colorado was to be by stagecoach. During those next few days, I made the acquaintance of a Mrs. Clara Palmer. She was a delightful lady of eighty years who had more vitality than some women half her age. I enjoyed her company immensely and told her the story of my travels. It was late afternoon when the stagecoach arrived in Colorado Springs. I stepped off the coach and heard my name.

  “Eden! Eden!”

  I turned and saw Rose running toward me.

  “Rose!”

  It had been a little over a year since she’d left but it felt like an eternity. Hugging my sister again was the most wonderful feeling in the world. Rose stepped back and smiled.

  “Let me look at you. Oh Eden you look so grown up.”

  I had to say Rose looked beautiful, and there was a glow about her. I was so excited about seeing my sister, that I forgot my manners. I turned around and saw Mrs. Palmer standing back where we got off of the coach.

  “Rose, I want you to meet someone.” There was a smile on the older woman’s face as the two of us approached her.

  “Mrs. Palmer this is my sister Rose. Rose, Mrs. Palmer was with me for the last part of my journey. I told her about you coming to Colorado and getting married.”

  “Well I hope Eden didn’t bore you Mrs. Palmer,” Rose said laughing. “I’m hardly a pioneer.”

  The older woman smiled. “Not at all, I found the idea of a mail order bride very exciting. In fact I may try it myself,” she said with a wink.

  Rose absently patted her stomach and the old woman smiled again.

  “You sister told me you are expecting. You must be very excited.”

  “Yes, we are. Oh but listen to me going on and on. You must be tired after your journey. Please allow me to you take you to the hotel?”

  “That would be very kind of you,” Mrs. Palmer said.

  “Alright we’ll take you there but only if you promise to come to dinner at our house this evening. Shall we say eight?”

  The older woman smiled,

  “Eight would be wonderful.”

  Chapter Four

  The guest room Rose had set up for me was as beautiful as the rest of her house. Rose had brought a woman’s touch to the rustic design and softened it. It had been a welcome change. Rose herself seemed to have changed also. She elegant and charming, not one bit the restless young woman she had been only a year ago.

  Jason was not at all what I expected. In my mind I had pictured a rough and ready cowboy type complete with hat, boots, and spurs. Instead I found a tall, handsome blonde man in a three-piece-suit. He was warm and welcoming and I liked him instantly. The adoration in his eyes when he looked at my sister made my heart sing for her.

  “Eden?” came Rose’s voice at my door.

  I opened the door and found her holding a beautiful dress in her arms.

  “I wanted you to have something fancy to wear your first night here,” she said, offering me the dress.

  She placed the beautiful russet colored dress on my bed. I had to admit it was beautiful.

  “Oh Rose you didn’t have to. This is all just too much,” I said, feeling a bit overwhelmed. Though our parents were not poor, we had grown up modestly. I had never worn such a dress.

  “I’ll hear nothing like that. You are my sister and have come here to be with me, so I intended to spoil you. Now hurry and get ready, Jason has gone to get Mrs. Palmer.”

  I walked over to the bed as Rose continued talking. “This Mrs. Palmer, is she from back East?” Rose asked.

  I looked over to her as I began to change.

  “I never really asked her. I do know she has traveled quite a bit.”

  Rose helped me into my gown, fastening the buttons at the back.

  A short while later as Rose and I were sitting in the living room, the carriage with Jason and Clara drove up. Martha, the housekeeper, opened the door to greet them as Jason helped Clara out of the carriage. Martha smiled at him.

  “Miss Rose is in the great room waiting for you.”

  “Thank you Ma
rtha. And may I introduce to you Mrs. Clara Palmer.”

  “Hello Martha!” Clara said with gusto.

  “Ma’am welcome to the Saunders home,” Martha said graciously.

  Jason escorted Clara into the great room where Rose and I were sitting.

  “Eden my dear you look lovely,” she boasted heartily.

  Jason smiled and looked at me. “I agree with Mrs. Palmer, Eden you look beautiful.”

  I thanked them for their compliments, feeling my cheeks burn slightly at the attention.

  “Shall we go in for supper?” Rose said.

  The conversation at the table was a mixture of a variety of subjects from the railroad coming to Colorado Springs, to politics back east. It was Jason who finally asked Clara why she was here in Colorado.

  “So Mrs. Palmer, we know you’ve traveled all over, what brings you to Colorado may I ask?”

  “You may ask, Jason. I plan on starting a business out here,” she said simply.

  “A business?”

  I perked up at this. “Clara, you never mentioned this while we were on the coach,” I said. “What time of business?”

  “Well funny enough, I plan to open mail order bride business here,” she said.

  I was shocked at her revelation. “A mail order bride business?” I echoed.

  Clara smiled at me. “Well you have to admit it worked out well for your sister.” “Oh I understand that, but why here in Colorado? I mean the men are here and the women are mostly back east.”

  “Yes the men are here out west, but there are women out here also; daughters of the first settlers in the area. So why confine it to western men looking for eastern women? There are plenty of men back east who want to try their hand with the land out here but don’t have the means to do so. Let the women here call to them!” she finished with a flourish.

  “That’s absolutely brilliant Clara!” I exclaimed.

  “I admit I was a bit skeptical about it until I met you and heard your sister’s success story. You gave me the conviction to go ahead with the idea.”

  I smiled and shook my head, reluctant to take credit for Clara’s decision.

  “Clayton said you would be too humble for your own good,” she said with a wink.

  My head snapped in her direction. I couldn’t have heard her correctly. “Clayton?” I asked, sure I had misheard. A smile spread across Clara’s face. “Yes, Clayton Reeves. He seemed quite taken by you, I must say.”

  I felt a blush color my cheeks as I remembered the handsome publisher I had met on the train.

  “How is he?” I found myself asking.

  “Well I supposed he’s almost to California by now. He said I would find you interesting. Oh yes, he also wanted to know if you changed your mind about the book you are writing.”

  I had completely forgotten about the journal until she mentioned it. I was a bit embarrassed to admit that a few chapters did mention Clayton in them.

  “How do you know Mr. Reeves?” I wondered.

  “He’s my nephew,” Clara said simply. “He did gush quite a bit about you in the short layover before we boarded the coach. I decided to see who this young woman who captivated my dear Clayton so was all about. I must say, his assessment of you was right on the nose,” she concluded.

  I was stunned into silence, not sure of what to say to that. I had been certain that Clayton had only been after a story and found myself disappointed to learn that he was in California now.

  Rose, sensing my discomfort, changed the subject. “Tell me Clara, have you decided on where to open your business?” she asked.

  “Well I was thinking just a small place as I will need only to have a desk and possibly a few chairs.”

  Jason smiled. “There’s a store front right across from the newspaper office if you are interested.”

  “That’s sounds perfect. Do you think I can talk to the owner tomorrow?” Clara asked.

  “You’re talking to him right now. I own the building and I’d be happy to rent the space to you.”

  Without thinking, I blurted out, “I can help you! I work as a secretary in a law firm back home. I can help draw up contracts for you.”

  I looked over to Rose who was eyeing me with curiosity.

  “Why that sounds like a wonderful idea,” Clara said joyfully. Jason stood up with the glass in his hand. “I’d like to make a toast to the-” he stopped and looked at Clara for help.

  “Clara’s place. It will do for a start,” she said, beaming “To Clara’s Place.”

  Early the following morning, Jason took Clara to the small office. It needed a bit of cleaning but it wasn’t totally impossible. Rose looked around the room, already with ideas on how to make it homey.

  “Clara, what you want is to make this the reception area with a desk and a few chairs here, and have your office in the back in that smaller room. Some curtains and fresh coat of paint and this would be perfect.”

  Clara had to admit the idea was tempting. “Well ladies it looks like we’ve got our work cut out for us,” Clara said.

  That evening Clara returned the favor by inviting Eden and her family to join her for supper in the hotel dining room. Clara had requested her party be escorted to her table on the patio with a breathtaking view when they arrived. A smile came to Clara’s face when she saw Eden and her party enter the dining room. Oh Clayton had been spot on described her; she was a lovely girl and it was going to be a pleasure to get these two together. After how much he raved about Eden, she knew he had finally found a girl he was serious about. That’s where the idea of the mail order bride company came about. It made her happy to see Clayton had found a woman to hold his attention for more than a second in time. With all the lovely young ladies in Boston none seemed to hold his attention as this Miss Eden had. Before he left for California, he had told his aunt there was something about this girl that held his attention. It was that comment that made Clara determined to meet this young woman.

  Clara had successfully paired many of her friends over the years, but this match would be her best effort.

  Eden was the first to greet her.

  “Oh Clara, I’ve had so many ideas for your advertisement, I’ve been working on it all afternoon.”

  “Thank you dear but I don’t want you to take too much time away from helping Rose.”

  “I don’t mind one bit Eden helping you,” Rose said. “Besides I was measuring the windows for new curtains for you today.”

  Clara clapped her hands in excitement over the sisters’ enthusiasm.

  Jason held Rose’s chair as she sat down and then did the same for Eden who looked completely overwhelmed as she glanced at the menu. “What’s the matter Eden?” Rose asked her sister.

  At once, Clara picked up on the problem and came to Eden’s rescue. Poor girl had no idea what to do in a place so fancy.

  “May I suggest we start with a salad, followed by steak and baked potato, and for desert well have some cheese cake,” Clara suggested, and everyone nodded their approval.

  The evening had turned out to be lovely and we had thoroughly enjoyed being together. Rose and I had so many ideas for Clara’s office we totally forgot about Jason alone in the front of the carriage. He looked back at his wife and smiled.

  “Don’t forget Clara said you should take it easy,” he reminded.

  “Oh we’re alright Jason, besides women have babies every day,” she said with a wave of her hand.

  “Well maybe so but it would make me feel better if you took it easy.. Eden it’s your job to keep her from get over tired,” he said.

  “Yes sir!” I saluted him and Rose and I collapsed in a fit of giggles.

  “So have you picked out names yet?” I asked when we regained our composure.

  Rose looked at me shyly. “We were thinking of Bannon Saunders for a boy. That way he would be both family names.”

  “Papa would like that,” I said without thinking.’’

  Rose nodded and held back the tears.

&n
bsp; “Oh Rose, there’s no need to cry!” I tried to comfort her “Papa will come around. Even though he’s too stubborn to admit it out loud, I know he’s excited.”

  Rose wiped at her eyes and nodded, not sure if she believed me or not.

  “What about a girl’s name?” I asked, trying to change the subject.

  She looked at me and put her head down. “Oh no, don’t tell me you’re going to name that poor baby something like Beatrice or Agnes or-”

  I saw a smile come to her face and she looked up. “Eden Ciara is the name we decided on.”

  Her words came as a total shock..

  “Jason said I missed you so much that the only thing to thing to do was to name our daughter after you. That way my Eden would always be with me.”

  Then it was my turn to cry.

  Clara, Rose, and I were so busy, I hardly noticed two months had passed by. It was a slow afternoon when I decided to fill out one of the questionnaires in Clara’s office. I had never intended to place it on Clara’s desk but somehow it ended up there. It was early afternoon when Clara called me in her office.

  “Eden dear, I see you filled out a questionnaire. Are you interested in a young man from back home or-”

  “Oh no!” I interrupted her. “It’s just that I see so many woman fill these out and they struggle with some of the questions. I thought maybe if I filled one out, I might be able to better help them. I don’t know how that ended up on your desk.” “What a wonderful idea,” Clara said, beaming. “You’re always thinking of the clients. I like that.”

  Later that day Clara placed my questions in the active file without my knowledge She proceeded to write to Clayton telling him she’d like him to read the profile of a young lady she felt would be a great new writer for his company.

  Three weeks later Clayton Reeves, on his way back to Boston, stopped in Colorado Springs to see Clara and this mysterious woman who was perfect for his company.

  Chapter Five

  It was a sunny morning when Clayton walked into the office and I looked up, startled to see him standing in front of my desk. “Well hello there,” he said with a smile.