Canceled-Order Bride (Sons Of A Gun Book 1)

by Brenda Sinclair

  “You can say that again.” The widow waved him toward the kitchen and he followed. Entertaining a single gentleman alone in her home wouldn’t be considered proper by some folks’ standards, but the McLennon men’s exemplary reputation in town would go a long way to keeping the gossips at bay. Besides, Jackson couldn’t care less what those old biddies thought.

  “I cannot tell you how much I appreciated your help. The wood you had delivered is dry and burns so well. And the church has been extremely generous, including that angel who’s married to the preacher. Our situation has completely reversed. I can’t believe how lucky we were that you stopped to make inquiries the day you heard Victoria crying.” Mrs. Cameron handed him a cup of coffee.

  “Glad I could be of help.” Jackson sipped the strong brew, just the way he like it. The widow would make some lucky fellow a great wife, if she allowed herself to love again.

  “What brings you by today?” she inquired.

  “Have you found a job?”

  Mrs. Cameron shook her head. “I inquired at the general store to no avail. Asked a few folks about taking in laundry, but no luck there either. With Victoria in the house, I don’t much like the idea of taking in borders. Especially men I’ve never made acquaintance with before.”

  “I can understand your reluctance,” Jackson agreed. “How would you like to work in a ladies’ shop?”

  Mrs. Cameron straightened in her chair. “I believe I would love it!”

  Ten minutes later, Jackson found himself accompanying the widow to Amanda’s Clothing Emporium. This could solve the store clerk problem if Lily moved to the ranch. And he’d rest easier knowing the woman he loved was safe and sound under the McLennon roof again. Then he could suggest they marry. And what better idea to send Connors on his way.

  The small bell above the door tinkled when Jackson and Mrs. Cameron entered the store.

  “Be right there,” Lily called from somewhere behind the curtain in back.

  “That’s Miss Watson. She’s in partnership with my sister,” Jackson explained. “She’s moving to the Double M, leaving her position as clerk available for you.”

  “What a marvelous opportunity!” Mrs. Cameron exclaimed, smiling. She patted Jackson’s arm. “Thank you for thinking of me.” She gazed around the store, her eyes as bright with excitement and wonder as a child on Christmas morning.

  “How can I…” Lily halted in her tracks. “Jackson, hello.”

  Jackson smiled at her and then he felt his jaw drop when he spotted the woman standing beside her. “Aunt Ruby, what are you doing here?”

  “Why, I’m fine, Jackson. Thank you for asking. And how are you?” His aunt chuckled and winked at Lily.

  “I’m sorry.” Jackson warmed under his collar, knowing the blunt question sounded rather rude. “How are you, Aunt Ruby? And what are you doing at Amanda’s store so early in the morning? You must have left the Double M very early.”

  “Actually, I arrived last night.” Aunt Ruby patted Lily’s arm, a wide smile creasing her face. “Lily sent for me and here I am. I started work today.”

  Mrs. Cameron gasped and her face paled.

  Dang it! Jackson hadn’t anticipated this snag in his plans. “You hired Aunt Ruby to work here?” he blurted.

  Lily nodded. “I thought about our conversation, and I agree with your suggestion. I’ll be moving back to the ranch later today since Ruby has agreed to work for your sister.”

  Amanda appeared from somewhere in back. “Jackson, I thought I heard your voice.”

  “Hi, sis,” he muttered, stepping closer to Mrs. Cameron who appeared ready to faint any moment now. He intended to catch her before she landed on the plank floor.

  “Hello, I’m Amanda McLennon,” his sister said, introducing herself. “May I help you with something?”

  “She’s with me,” Jackson muttered. “I was hoping…”

  “Hoping?” Amanda encouraged him to continue.

  “I figured you might offer her a job. She’s the widow of the bank manager who was killed during the robbery.” Jackson shrugged. “I didn’t know that…”

  “That we’d already hired Aunt Ruby.”

  “Yes.”

  “I should go.” Mrs. Cameron headed for the door. “I need to finish sewing my daughter’s dress while she’s at the picnic and not underfoot.”

  “Wait!” Amanda exclaimed.

  Hearing his sister’s order, Mrs. Cameron swung around to face her, face paling again.

  “What did you say?”

  Mrs. Cameron’s eyes widened. “I… I don’t know… Whatever it was I didn’t mean to offend anyone. Clearly, the job belongs to this lady.”

  “Not about the clerk job. What did you say about sewing your daughter a dress?” Amanda hurried to her side. “Does that mean you’re a seamstress?”

  Mrs. Cameron glanced at Jackson and then at Amanda. “I suppose I am. I’m sorry, I won’t be one of your customers, Miss McLennon. I couldn’t afford it. Besides, I sew all my own clothes and my daughter’s.”

  “Can you operate a sewing machine?”

  “Yes, of course. I own a Singer machine that my husband bought me shortly after we married,” Mrs. Cameron explained.

  “Did you sew the dress you’re wearing?”

  Mrs. Cameron glanced down at the simple calico garment. “I made it from my own pattern a couple years ago.”

  Amanda clapped her hands together. “That’s perfect!” she exclaimed, beaming.

  “I… I don’t understand.”

  “You’re hired!”

  “Heavens, I couldn’t deny this lady her job. She was clearly hired before me.” Mrs. Cameron headed for the door again.

  “No! Wait! You’re both hired!” Amanda hurried after the widow, halting her exit. “I have so many orders I require another seamstress. Hopefully, one who comes with a machine.”

  Mrs. Cameron’s expression clouded for a moment until the meaning dawned. She gasped. “You want me to work for you as a seamstress?”

  “Yes! If you’re willing to bring your sewing machine along also. I haven’t another machine, but I can certainly use another seamstress.” Amanda guided Mrs. Cameron back to the front counter. “My aunt can wait on customers and take measurements for custom orders, leaving you and me with uninterrupted time to sew. And my staff receives a twenty per cent discount on all of their purchases. You could afford to buy your personal sewing supplies, perhaps even some clothes from me.”

  “I… I don’t know what to say.” Mrs. Cameron wrung her hands and glanced at Jackson.

  “If I was you, I’d say yes,” he drawled.

  “Yes!” Mrs. Cameron exclaimed. “Miss McLennon, if you’re even half as nice as your brother, I’d love to work for you.”

  “Oh, she’s as nice as me,” Jackson offered, grinning. “And a whole lot prettier, too.”

  Everyone laughed.

  “Then that settles it.” His sister reached for Mrs. Cameron’s hand and shook it enthusiastically. “Call me Amanda. And please tell me you can start tomorrow.”

  “If we’re going to be working together, you’d better call me Nancy.” Mrs. Cameron hugged her new employer. “Thank you so much. You have no idea how much I appreciate this. And I’ll gladly start tomorrow, but what will I do with my daughter?”

  “How old is she?” Amanda inquired.

  “Eight.”

  “Bring her with you. She can dust shelves and make a bit of money also,” Amanda suggested. “She can read or draw when we’ve run out of work for her.”

  “She’d love that. And she can take out the trash. I’m certain you’ll find lots of things for her to do. She’s quite a help around the house for me. Even threads my needles.”

  “Wonderful!” Amanda squealed. “Thank you so much.”

  “Mrs. Cameron doesn’t appreciate this job half as much as I do,” Jackson muttered. “Lily, when will you be ready to move back to the ranch?”

  “Give me an hour. Amanda and Ruby helped
me pack last night. I just need to show Ruby a few more things and say my goodbyes.”

  “I’ll rent a wagon at the livery and be back in sixty minutes.” Jackson hurried toward the door.

  “Mr. McLennon, could you bring my sewing machine here first?” Mrs. Cameron inquired.

  “Certainly, ma’am. I’ll meet you at your home in forty-five minutes.”

  “That would be perfect,” she replied.

  “Thank you, Jackson,” Amanda called as he dashed out the door.

  “You’re welcome, ladies.” He needed to set his plans in motion and get Lily out of Milestone before she changed her mind. And certainly before Sawyer Manning showed up in town. Especially if Connors had accompanied him.

  Chapter 27

  A week later, Sawyer Manning still hadn’t arrived in Milestone, and Jackson couldn’t stop thinking the worst. At least, he’d ensured Lily’s safety with her living here at the Double M. And she and Mrs. Sheridan were getting along famously.

  But had something happened to Manning? Had Connors realized the Pinkerton wasn’t working in his best interest, but in Lily’s? Had the scoundrel harmed the agent? Or worse?

  Jackson called it a day and yanked off his gloves on the way to the house. He stuffed them into his back pocket and took a deep breath. He needed to prepare himself for news from town. His father had spent the day in Milestone and arrived back at the Double M a few minutes ago, handing off his gelding to a ranch hand to unsaddle and bed down for the night. Something Pa seldom did, believing every man should tend to the care of his own horse.

  “What did you learn, Pa?” he blurted the moment he strode into the parlor.

  “Not a damn thing.”

  Jackson’s heart dropped to his stomach. No news sometimes proved the worst news.

  “Nobody has seen hide nor hair of Manning,” AJ continued. “The telegraph operator hasn’t received another word from him. It’s like he’s fallen off the planet.”

  “Or been pushed.” Jackson poured himself a generous drink, hoping the whiskey would ease his worry but knowing it likely wouldn’t. Nothing short of the agent walking through the door would do that.

  Lily stepped into the parlor. “I thought I heard your voice, Jackson.”

  Jackson caught himself smiling. She wore a light brown day dress covered in a light dusting of flour, the bun at the nape of her neck drooped, and one cheek was smeared with chocolate. The woman he loved more than life itself had been learning to cook again; Mrs. Sheridan possessed the patience of a saint with the formerly privileged Easterner. “Did you have a productive day?” He couldn’t wait for her answer.

  “I’ve mastered chocolate cake,” she replied, beaming. “I never would have imagined such a simple confectionery could require so much time to prepare.”

  “The taste is worth it, though,” AJ chimed in. “I can’t wait to sample it.”

  “Mrs. Sheridan sent me in to warn everyone supper will be a half hour late. Entirely my fault. Apparently, we’ve a bit of cleanup still ahead of us,” Lily called over her shoulder on the way out of the room.

  Jackson laughed. “Pa, can you imagine the chaos in the kitchen with Lily making a cake? Perhaps Mrs. Sheridan should receive a raise.”

  “You’re probably right,” AJ chuckled. “I’ll add a bit extra to her next pay envelope.”

  Jackson sipped his whiskey and muttered, “I’m certain she’ll have earned it.”

  “Your expression tells me something’s on your mind, son,” AJ ventured.

  Jackson nodded. “It’s this Manning business. I can’t help worrying that something terrible is waiting around the corner.”

  “I’ve had the same notion running through my mind. A lurking catastrophe we won’t see coming until it’s too late.” AJ clambered out of his chair. “What you going to do about it?”

  “Me? I don’t rightly know. I’ve run a couple ideas through my mind, but I haven’t settled on one in particular.”

  “Well, whatever you decide, you have my blessing.” AJ slapped his son on the back.

  “I asked before, but you’re certain you don’t want to take back control of the ranch now that the Texas business has been sorted out?”

  AJ shook his head. “No, son. Management of the Double M is yours. You’ve got a good head on your shoulders and solid training behind you. You’ll do fine.”

  “Thanks for your support, Pa. I appreciate your confidence in me.” Jackson chuckled. “More than I have in myself, no doubt. But I do intend to do you proud.”

  “I’d expect nothing less.” AJ headed for the door. “Going to wash some of the road from Milestone off me and then I’ll see you at supper.”

  Jackson nodded, settling into the chair his father just vacated. Jackson often did his best thinking in this chair, recalling sitting on his pa’s lap as a youngster and listening to his father discuss ranch business—very little of which he understood at the time—with his mother. An image of a little boy with auburn curls like Lily’s popped into his mind, the smiling child sitting on his lap. Blue eyes the color of his own gazing into his.

  He shook the notion from his mind.

  Definitely putting the cart ahead here.

  Or was he?

  What better way to ensure Lily’s safety than to guarantee no other man, including Connors, would marry her?

  “Supper’s ready,” Lily called down the hallway.

  Jackson headed for the dining room, smiling now that he’d settled on a surefire plan.

  * * *

  “What do you mean… no?” Jackson blurted.

  “That was the most ridiculous proposal I’ve ever heard!” Lily exclaimed, hands on hips.

  Jackson scratched his head. Apparently, he’d ruffled her feathers again. He’d mulled the idea over in his mind all through supper, even while he enjoyed every last crumb of the chocolate cake she’d baked. What was wrong with his proposal? She hadn’t given the notion one second’s consideration, just rewarded him with an immediate no. Dang it anyway. He’d never understand women, and he certainly didn’t understand her caustic response. He’d heard some women didn’t appreciate a darn thing a fellow did for them. Did that include offering to save them from marriage to a presumably horrible man?

  He threw up his hands. “I don’t understand.”

  Lily appeared completely exasperated with him. “I reckon we should get married. That’s your idea of a proposal?”

  “I need to protect you from Connors if he’s the fellow accompanying Manning to Milestone. What better way to keep his hands off you?”

  Lily paced the parlor rug. “If I moved to a different town and started over, I’d accomplish the same objective.”

  “Not on your life. You’re staying right here.” Jackson reached out and snagged her arm on the way by. He pulled her onto his lap and a small gasp escaped her lips. With his arms around her warm soft body, how he wished she would agree to a marriage of the forever kind.

  “Why should I stay?”

  “Why not? I can’t imagine finding another woman more suitable for me.”

  “So I’m suitable.” Lily leapt off his lap. “The same could be said for a comfortable pair of boots.”

  Jackson scratched his head again; he didn’t understand the connection. What did owning a good pair of boots have to do with marriage? Did all fellows find women this confusing?

  “I love you, Jackson. I love you so much it frightens me sometimes.” Lily looked into his eyes. “But I won’t marry a man who doesn’t feel the same way about me.”

  He gaped. “What gave you the idea I didn’t love you?”

  She stared at him, incredulously, until he warmed under the collar. “You’ve never once told me as much.”

  He wracked his brain. He must have told her at least a few times. He’d thought about nothing but Lily and how much he loved her for weeks now. “Well, if I haven’t said it out loud, I’ve certainly thought it,” he replied, hearing more defensiveness in his voice than intended. “I have
n’t thought of anything except you since the day we met.”

  “You love me?”

  “Of course, I love you! Or I’d never have suggested we get married.” Jackson reached for her, wrapped her in his arms, and settled her head on his chest. “I’m hoping for a marriage like Pa and Ma had. Raising some young’uns. And sharing in the decisions regarding the ranch, and the house, and everything in between.”

  “That’s what I want more than anything.” Lily lifted her head and gazed up at him. “Ask me again, please.”

  Jackson lost himself in her eyes for a moment, then his brain registered what she’d requested. He smiled and settled her a step away from him so he could think clearly without her honeysuckle scent muddling his mind.

  “Lily, I haven’t been able to get you out of my thoughts since the day I rode to the Double M with you all those weeks ago. Your warm personality and cheerful outlook on life wound itself around my heart that day, and I have no intention of ever disentangling myself from you. You brighten my every day, and I fall asleep thinking about you every night. I couldn’t love you more. Never doubt that. Would you please do me the honor of becoming my wife, to remain mine alone and to share our lives together forever?”

  Tears appeared in her eyes and Lily blinked them away.

  Jackson caught himself holding his breath, hoping that proposal would suffice since he doubted he’d come up with anything better.

  “Yes, Jackson McLennon,” she whispered. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”

  He blew out his breath and kissed her before she could change her mind. He couldn’t recall a happier moment in his entire life. He looked deep into her eyes, clouded with unshed tears. “You just made me one powerful happy man.”

  Lily’s hand brushed away her tears. “I cannot tell you how happy I am. I fell in love with you weeks ago, and I’ve dreamed of this moment also.”

  AJ popped his head into the parlor. “Did she say yes, son?”

  Jackson laughed. “Yes, Pa, she said yes.”

  The McLennon elder slapped his knee. “We’re having us a wedding!” he exclaimed.