Besotted in Branson: An At the Altar Story

by Barton, Keira K.

  The guys were nodding as the purple-haired woman addressed them, and they each had looks of sympathy and understanding on their faces. Jim Bob even had his hand over his heart.

  “Tim agreed to bring you all with him to help Susan get White River Ranch back on its feet, and I hope you’re up for the task. You’ll have the weekend to get settled, but work starts on Monday at seven a.m. sharp.” Dr. Lachele pointed her finger at the men as if to drive home what she just said, but Tim didn’t think they needed it. They all looked like they’d just been scolded by their mean fourth-grade teacher, and Tim had to stifle a laugh.

  He knew these guys well, and after what Lachele had just informed them of, Tim was sure they’d do whatever they could to help Susan. It also didn’t hurt that she was beautiful and pregnant. He was glad he’d gotten an answer to that question before he’d had to ask.

  After the men left, Dr. Lachele approached Susan. “I think that went well, don’t you?”

  Susan nodded. “Thank you so much for taking care of that. I feel foolish for not just doing it myself, but it’s still hard for me to talk about Clarence, especially to strangers who didn’t even know him. I hate feeling so dependent on others, but I know I would’ve started crying, and I hate that even more.”

  “It wasn’t a big deal at all. Eventually those wounds will start to close up, and you’ll be able to remember him and speak of him without feeling the pain so acutely,” Dr. Lachele assured her. “Now, come over here and give me one last boobie bump before I have to leave.”

  Susan gave her a weak smile. “If you insist.”

  It was the first time she’d smiled or even seemed happy at all since Tim had laid eyes on her, and witnessing it made him want to make her smile over and over again. There was something magical in the way it lifted the heavy veil of sadness that seemed to hang over her, and Tim would use whatever means he could to rid her of it. It was nice to know that smiles were one of those things.

  “All right, you two! I’m off! Enjoy!” Dr. Lachele called out as she waved and walked toward the door.

  Tim waved back, hoping he’d measure up to the challenges that lay before them. He was walking into a minefield without a map of where the explosives might be. He knew that the smallest things could trigger grief, and he hoped he’d be smart enough to help this woman without hurting her even more. The weight of that responsibility settled onto his shoulders, but he felt strong enough to bear it. He’d signed up for this knowing it would require a lot of him, and he was willing to give it all he had.

  Three

  Cynthia was waiting with Adin and Cody out in the parking lot, and when Susan and Tim exited the church, the boys ran up to Susan and threw their arms around her.

  “You look really pretty, mom,” Cody said.

  Susan ruffled his red hair—the one physical trait he’d inherited from her. “Thanks, sweetie.”

  She felt the prickling sensation of tears forming in her eyes. It had been months since she’d gotten out of pajamas, let alone done her hair and makeup. The most touching thing about Adin’s statement though, was the fact that he was still young enough to say that to her without being embarrassed.

  Cody had given her an equally animated hug, but he hadn’t said a thing. Susan had noticed even before Clarence died that he was starting to close his emotions off to her more, but the tendency for him to do so had grown exponentially since his father’s passing.

  “Boys, this is Tim Roberts. He’s going to be taking over the operation of the ranch. Tim, this is Cody. He’s thirteen and he’s my oldest. And this,” she said, turning Adin around to face Tim, “is Adin. He’s eleven, and he’s finally going to discover what it’s like to be a big brother come October.”

  Tim leaned over a little bit so his face was the same height as the boys’, and stuck his hand out. “Nice to meet you, Cody.”

  Cody narrowed his eyes slightly, but he took Tim’s hand and shook it, then shoved his own hand back in the pocket of his only good church pants.

  “And you too, Adin,” Tim said, offering his hand to Susan’s younger son.

  Adin’s lips curved the tiniest amount into an almost-undetectable smile as he took his turn shaking Tim’s hand.

  Susan felt proud of both of her boys as she watched them. She noticed that both of their forearms flexed as they shook hands with Tim, and she knew that meant they’d remembered to be firm, and not floppy like a dead fish.

  “Are you going to move into our house?” Adin asked.

  Susan was a little surprised at his blunt question, but she quickly interceded so Tim didn’t have to answer. “Tim and I are going to talk about that and a lot of other things tonight, sweetie. I promise once we have everything figured out we’ll tell you exactly what’s happening.”

  Adin looked up at her. His beautiful hazel eyes the exact same shape and color of his father’s. “I wish Dad could just come back and help you,” he said.

  A sharp pain seared in Susan’s chest, but she tried not to let it show on her face. “I know, buddy. Me too.”

  Her agreement seemed to pacify Adin’s concern, but his statement reminded her that even though her grief was thick, and heavy, and hard to bear, her boys were suffering through the loss too. They were carrying their own sadness. The realization of it all was almost too much to wrap her mind around.

  Cynthia must have noticed the dazed look on her face, because she piped up after being a silent bystander for the past five minutes. “Hey, Suze, can I take the boys to my house? They can hang out with Trevor and I’ll feed them dinner. That way you and Tim can have some time alone to talk and figure things out.”

  Susan looked from Cynthia to Tim, then back to Cynthia. “Are you sure?”

  “Of course! We’d love to have them,” Cynthia stepped closer, then ruffled Adin’s hair. Adin playfully swatted her hand away, and it made Susan smile. He hated when anyone but Susan touched his hair, so naturally Cynthia couldn’t help herself.

  “You’ve already done so much for me today—” Susan started to protest.

  “Don’t even try to fight me on this,” Cynthia said. “Just call me when you’re ready and I’ll bring them home.”

  “All right,” Susan finally agreed. “Boys, you behave. You listen to Cynthia, and mind your manners. If Trevor gets annoyed with you, you have to leave him alone. You understand?”

  Cody and Adin said, “Yes ma’am,” in unison, and Susan could see that they would do anything she said if they were going to be able to spend time with Trevor.

  Cynthia’s son, Trevor, was seventeen and about to be a Junior in High School. He was an only child, and Susan knew Cynthia was counting down the days until he graduated and moved out, but Susan’s boys thought he walked on water. They often talked about wanting to be just like him when they got older. He was somewhat of a local hero due to his achievements on the football field, and Susan had taken her boys to quite a few of his games. Hopefully they didn’t bug him to death.

  “Come on boys, let’s go.” Cynthia said as she started backing away toward her yellow Jeep Wrangler. The fun color matched her personality perfectly. Susan could still remember almost a year ago on a hot day in late August when Cynthia had driven it up the dirt road to their house. She’d honked the horn over and over again until Susan and the boys came running out to see what the matter was. She’d had the biggest smile on her face as she sat there in the passenger seat, thrilled about her new “member of the family,” as she’d called it.

  “Be good!” Susan called again as the boys climbed into the back seat. She could still see them since Cynthia had taken the top off for the summer.

  “Bye, Mom!” they called as they drove past where she and Tim were still standing.

  Susan waved, happy the boys were showing so much excitement as the Jeep sped by. For a brief moment, she forgot about what she’d just done, and what her life had turned into. But then she remembered she was standing in the church parking lot with a man who she’d just married. Clarence
was dead. Her real husband was gone. And now she had a new one. A man named Tim. A stranger.

  With how busy the day had been, she hadn’t had time to notice how she was feeling, but now that things had settled down, and she and Tim were alone, her heart started racing. Had she just made the biggest mistake of her life? She wasn’t ready to fall in love again, and she didn’t even know if Tim was a person she could fall for. She had no idea what to expect from this man.

  She felt impatient to lay down some ground rules with how tricky the situation was, but she also didn’t want to seem like a tyrant who was commanding him to do things her way. She hoped she could figure out how to tell him, in the nicest way possible, that she wasn’t really interested in romance. The only thing guaranteeing that he wouldn’t run for the hills was the fact that they’d both signed a contract to stay together for a year. One year to get back on her feet, then she could figure out a different plan.

  “You ready to go?” Susan asked.

  “Yes, but,” Tim turned to face where their cars were parked, then looked over at her, “whose vehicle are we taking?”

  Susan hadn’t really thought about the fact that they were driving separate vehicles. Another example of how her brain just didn’t think about the logistics of things anymore. It was hard to make space for the day-to-day stuff, when so much of her mind was consumed by missing Clarence so much. So much that sometimes she even had to remind her brain to tell her lungs to pull in a breath.

  “Why don’t we take your truck? Then you can drive and I can give directions. I think you’ll learn how to get out to the ranch easier that way. I’ll call Cynthia later and tell her to just meet us back here when we’re ready for the boys. Then they can ride home with me in my car.”

  “Sounds like a plan,” Tim said.

  So far Tim seemed like a very polite, agreeable man, but Susan was still wary. After they’d driven several miles in silence, Susan felt silly that she’d sent the boys with Cynthia if they weren’t going to talk at all anyway. She just didn’t know what to say though, and, “Were you surprised to see that I was pregnant?” didn’t really seem like a great conversation starter for a newlywed couple.

  After a few more quiet minutes, Tim cleared his throat and began to speak. “So, did you plan on going on a honeymoon?” he asked.

  Susan almost choked on her own saliva she was so shocked by his question. Of all the things he could have asked, should have asked, it didn’t seem like a good topic choice. Didn’t he want to know more about her, or the ranch?

  She shook her head. “No way. I can’t even think about leaving my boys right now. They’ve been through so much. Their father was their—” Susan swallowed hard to keep the emotion rising in her throat down, then continued, “their hero. I’m sure they’d feel neglected if I left them right now. And honestly, I shouldn’t be travelling in my current state. I’m lucky I don’t have to be on bedrest anymore, but I still need to be careful. My doctor is worried about my placenta and I’ve been ordered to take it easy and to not wander too far from home.”

  Tim glanced over at her, then back at the road. “I didn’t mean to upset you. I wasn’t expecting a honeymoon, but I wanted to know what your plans were so I could make arrangements for the ranch if I needed to. Please don’t think me asking that was anything other than trying to figure out the logistics for the next few weeks.”

  Right, normal people still think about those kinds of things, she thought. “So, you’re already consumed with thoughts about work then, huh?” she asked.

  Tim shrugged. “That’s all I’ve had to worry about my whole life. This whole marriage and family thing is brand new to me. You’ll have to show me the ropes.”

  Susan blinked a few times. “Um, yeah, about that…there are a lot of conversations we need to have that aren’t going to be easy, and this is one of them. There isn’t really going to be a ‘family life,’” Susan said, making air quotes with her fingers.

  Tim’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean by that?”

  “I mean, you’re our new ranch manager, foreman, whatever you want to call yourself, but that’s it. I signed up for Matchrimony because I needed help, and I couldn’t afford to hire anyone with the state the business is in right now. Or maybe I can afford it? I don’t know. I don’t really know what’s happening with the ranch finances at all. That’s why you’re here. That’s the only reason you’re here,” Susan said plainly. She didn’t want them to have any confusion between them about where their relationship began or ended.

  “If that’s what you need from me right now, that’s what I’ll do,” Tim said.

  Susan pursed her lips. That’s not what she needed right now, that’s what she wanted no matter what. She tried to think of a good way to clarify that to him. She took a deep breath. “What I’m saying is, I’m not in this for love. I’ve been in love. I’ve experienced the greatest love of my life, and he’s gone now. So, I’m sorry if that’s what you came here for, but that’s not what this is.” Susan folded her hands in her lap and stared at them until she remembered she was supposed to be directing Tim to the ranch.

  She looked up. “Take this left!”

  Tim signaled and quickly changed lanes to make the last-second turn. “I understand why you feel that way, and I respect that, but I wouldn’t be honest if I didn’t tell you that I came here to gain a wife and a family. And I want to fall in love with my wife. That’s important to me. Now, like I said, I respect you not wanting that, but that’s not going to stop me from wanting that, and it’s not going to keep me from doing my best to win you over.”

  Susan didn’t know what to say. She hadn’t expected this unassuming man to be so bold and straightforward, but it didn’t change how she felt. “Well, I’m sorry, but you might as well give up before you waste your time.”

  “So, am I going to be living in the same house as you and the boys then? If you need this much help with the ranch, I’m assuming you need help at home too,” Tim said, as if he hadn’t even heard her protests about his plans to woo her.

  Susan crossed her arms over her chest. “I do need help at home, which is why I had planned for you to move into our house, yes.”

  Tim smiled, and Susan noticed that his smile was just a little bit crooked, and kind of cute. “But,” she said quickly, “you’ll be in a spare room downstairs, and under no circumstances will you be sleeping in my bed.”

  Tim’s smile grew wider. “I didn’t expect to, just so you know. I want to help you any way I can though, so I’m glad I’ll be around to do that. It has to be tough taking care of two young men and having a difficult pregnancy. I don’t have any experience with that, but I was around Mrs. Firestone for half of her pregnancies. While the older girls were little I remember it being difficult. Tommy was always exhausted when there was a new baby in the house.”

  Susan’s heart softened a little as she listened to Tim talk about his previous employer. Most employees weren’t as observant or caring as he obviously was. He was a sweet man, and his behavior reminded Susan why she’d decided to go this route. She wanted someone she could trust, someone who’d been screened and vetted to be in their home and part of their lives, and she had faith that no one would do that better than Dr. Lachele. She prayed she was right.

  * * *

  When Tim pulled up to the yellow farmhouse at the end of the long gravel drive, he was pleasantly surprised. From Dr. Lachele’s description of how dire the situation with the ranch was, Tim expected everything to be in shambles, but the house and the lawn were well maintained. The house was on the small side, but nice enough, and everything seemed to be in good working order.

  “I’ll get your door,” Tim said after he killed the engine.

  Susan pulled the handle and shoved her shoulder against the door. “I got it.”

  Tim chuckled a little. He’d noticed in the short time he’d known Susan that the woman was headstrong and set on doing things herself, which was funny considering he was only there because she
needed help. He still met her over on the passenger side of his truck and offered his arm, but she just walked right past him and up the porch stairs.

  “You coming?” she called back to him after she was at the door.

  Tim turned around and trudged up the stairs. “Right behind you.”

  As soon as they were through the door, Susan turned around to face him. She pulled her shoulders back a little, and raised her chin slightly. “Listen. I’m going to make this really clear. I need help with four things, and only four things.” Susan held up one finger. “The first is I need help going through the bank accounts and seeing what kind of cash we have to work with. Second, I need you to help me sort through the stack of bills, throw out duplicates, and add up what we owe and to whom. Third, I need you to drive around and make a list of things that need to be done around the ranch, then divvy that list up amongst your men and manage their daily efforts. And fourth, I need you to help with homework and dinner, and tidying up around the house. Beyond that, I just need you to stay out of my way. Okay?”

  Tim smiled. He was a little entertained by how riled up his wife was, and though he didn’t find the situation she was in funny at all, he thought her stubbornness was amusing. She was just really cute no matter what she was doing. “All right. You don’t have to get so excited. I can follow directions, even if you can’t count.”

  Susan’s eyes narrowed. “I can’t count?”

  Tim held up six fingers. “That was six things.”

  Susan rolled her eyes, then spun back around. “Let me give you the tour.”

  Four

  Once everyone was back home, Susan shuffled the boys into the living room and they plopped down on the well-loved brown-leather sofa. They were still in their church clothes, but she and Tim had both changed when they’d been home earlier. Tim had even fixed the leaky faucet in the kitchen after he’d noticed it was dripping while she was showing him around the house.