"I think Wesley was my surname and my adopted parents used it as my first name. I'm guessing my family came from England as I don't remember ever speaking another language."
"Do you know what happened to your parents? Did you have any siblings?" Amelia asked as she buttered her roll.
Wesley went still for a moment as he recalled an incident in his past. “They, uh, died. I mainly remember a policeman pulling my little sister and me out of the door of our home and down a long flight of steps. We were taken to the orphanage because we had no other family.”
"Oh, how awful for you," Kaitlyn interjected before Amelia could say the same. "Do you know what happened to your sister?"
"No. She was put in a separate section of the orphanage, and I never saw her again. I'm guessing she was adopted or died," Wesley shrugged his shoulders. Amelia supposed since he had such little memory of her, she might not feel real anymore.
"You all were adopted to families in Shawnee County. Do you have siblings now?" Kaitlyn asked.
Shawnee County, Kansas? That was in the eastern part of the state, less than a hundred miles away.
"I was adopted by an older couple needing help on their farm. Both passed on while I was stationed at Fort Riley."
"And the farm?" Amelia wondered why he wasn't farming the place now if there were no siblings.
"A nephew of my adopted father inherited it," was all Wesley said in a flat tone.
How sad that the couple adopted him, but didn't consider him a son to pass on their land?
"Were the other boys’ situations about the same as yours?" Pastor asked quietly.
Wesley nodded before shoving a big forkful of mashed potatoes in his mouth, so he didn't have to answer.
"Now you can all call Clear Creek home and build a new life, complete with businesses and families," Kaitlyn concluded as she set her fork and knife across the top of her cleaned plate.
Amelia's heart softened at what she'd learned talking with Wesley in this short time. If all the men's pasts were similar to his, they were craving to settle into a permanent home that accepted them.
Amelia glanced back to Barton and noticed he was staring at her. Did he like her? Maisie was a sweet, kind woman, a good possibility for any man in this room, including Barton.
"Will we be meeting at other times to get to know the other women too?" Wesley asked. Amelia noticed he had been studying Nadine Paulson at the table to the left of them.
"There will be other opportunities, as your work schedule allows, for you and Amelia to court," Kaitlyn said as she moved her back against the chair as the waitress took her used plate away.
Wesley opened his mouth, probably to protest, but Amelia stopped him by pressing her thumb against his thigh under the table while saying at the same time, "Oh look, we have cream puffs for dessert!"
When Pastor and Kaitlyn looked over their shoulders, Amelia whispered to Wesley, "We'll talk about this later."
Chapter 5
"Well that was a good meal, and good company, but..." Wesley trailed off as the six of them sat in the living room of the barbershop apartment after their noon meal at the hotel.
If the weather had cooperated, Barton would have suggested they rent horses at the livery and explore the countryside. He needed to get out to think about this situation.
"I had fun visiting with Avalee Paulson, although she said she has a fiancé out of town. Lorna Elison asked her 'since when,' and Avalee glared at her but didn't answer.”
"I don't think the young ladies like the Peashooter's plan," Tobin finished his rambling with a sigh.
"They were caught by surprise, that's for sure. Millie Wilerson talked as if I was going to take over the livery. Have the Peashooters assigned us our jobs besides our wives?" Squires asked.
"That's funny since you're scared to death of mules," Tobin chuckled.
"Does the livery have any mules in stock?" Squires wide-eyed stare told of his skittishness around the beasts. An old mule nearly squashed Squires in a stall when he was a youngster, and he'd never forgotten it.
"Don't know since we haven't started on the barn clean up, but I didn't see any in the outside corral," Barton said to ease his brother's mind.
"So, what are we going to do about all this, Barton?" Squires asked. "I refuse to work with mules when Tobin's better with livestock anyway."
"Amelia said we'd talk later. Did any of the other women say something similar?" Wesley asked.
"Avalee muttered a lot of things under her breath. I think she's a little hot-headed, but I still like her," Tobin said as he leaned back in the large rocker, trying to get it moving since his feet barely reached the floor.
"I don't—" Barton started to talk as a knock echoed through the apartment. He stood up and walked to the door.
"Mack said we had the day off, but he must need to tell us something," he said as he opened the door.
Standing at the top of the stairs were six young women, and they didn't look happy.
"May we come in?" Maggie Brenner, Barton thought the oldest of the group, asked, even though he thought he might be pushed out of the way if he said no.
"Welcome, ladies," Barton motioned them to join them in the living room. Gordon and Squires hastily moved dining room chairs into the living room to create more seating.
"I sense you want to talk about the Peashooter's plan?" Barton addressed the group as they walked in. Everyone stood up when the ladies arrived, giving them the best chairs in the room, and then sat down on what was available. Barton and Gordon stood since there wasn't enough seating.
"First of all, we apologize for our mothers’ and their friends’ idea," Avalee Paulson announced. She was sitting on the settee with her sister, Nadine. "They've done stunts in the past, usually to protect someone though, but not to plot for an outcome."
"They've done this is the past? Did those marriages stick?" Barton asked.
"This is their first matching endeavor," Amelia pointed out. "And their pistols haven't been involved, yet."
"Have they ever shot and killed anyone?" Tobin asked in horror.
"It's been a few years, and their peashooters aren't strong enough to actually kill," Amelia shrugged as she said it.
"What happened?" Tobin sat forward in his seat.
"Oh, let's see...Was it when Iris Reagan, Kaitlyn's daughter-in-law, was almost kidnapped?" Amelia looked at Avalee for confirmation.
"I think so," Avalee waved her hand in the air as if it didn't matter. "Kaitlyn walked up and shot the man in the arm, through her reticle, so he was caught by surprise."
"Amelia told me how the Peashooter's caught her murderous father, while in church," Wesley added.
All the men's eyes turned to Wesley, and then to Amelia.
"I was an infant and don't remember it," Amelia replied with another wave of her hand. "Now, we need to talk about their current plan. It's fine that Kiowa offered you jobs. What else did they say you’ll get?"
"Housing, now in this apartment, and individual places once they are fixed up. That includes the blacksmith, above the barbershop and the mercantile, Boyle’s house, the extra hotel apartment, and uh, the dress shop apartment after two of you Brenner women move out,” Barton stumbled over the final words.
“We just moved in last month, and we like it!” Maisie, the youngest Brenner exclaimed.
"The idea is that two of us will move out to new homes when we marry," Maggie explained to her sister.
"Oh. But I really want to stay in the apartment if I can," Maisie added.
"We've talked this over and agree this 'plan' might be a good thing for us too," Amelia told the men.
"One of you will marry me? Oh, I'm so excited!" Tobin exclaimed.
"Toad..." Peter and Wesley said in exasperation at the same time.
"Did you call Tobin...Toad?" Avalee asked in shock.
"It's all right, Miss Avalee. We all have nicknames going back to our childhood. And they all start with the same letter. Barton is Badger,
Squires is Squirrel, Gordon is Gopher, Peter is Possum, and Wesley is Weasel."
Now it was the men's turn to groan, and the women laugh.
"Which name do you all request we call you by?" Avalee asked.
"Doesn't matter. We'll answer," Tobin grinned at Avalee. The woman actually rolled her eyes. Avalee seemed to be the most serious one of the women.
"You know, if nothing else, I think we might become good friends," Maggie noted with a smile.
Barton looked to Amelia to see if she was smiling though. She was the one that mattered to him.
"How do you suggest we proceed to get to know each other? Besides the ways I'm sure the Peashooter's have already planned," Barton asked.
"We've talked and we're not quite sure—no offense—if their matching of couples is correct. We'd like to play some parlor games to get to know you better. Take picnics out of town to the river or to Horsethief Canyon, without our chaperones," Maggie suggested.
Barton looked around the room, and everyone seemed in agreement with their assessment, both of the matching and getting to know each other better.
"How do we meet without the Peashooter's, or their families, seeing us do it?"
"Carefully, but we have our allies, our own siblings, that will help us. Both my older siblings, Gabe and Mary, are married, and they will host us at their homes," Amelia said.
"But then we're still chaperoned," Maggie noted, "and I think we need to visit without anyone interfering."
"Then let's plan evening meals together, rotating at the places you will eventually live in," Amelia suggested, looking at Barton. Was she interested in him? He hoped so.
"We should also take turns providing the meals. How about we start first at our apartment," Maggie suggested. "Would it work with everyone to meet at the dress shop apartment tomorrow evening, say six-thirty?"
"I think we can be done with work and cleaned up by then," Barton agreed.
"Can I cook one night, ladies? I make a good shepherd’s pie," Tobin puffed up his chest a bit and winked at Molly. By golly, she winked back too. Was there hope that Tobin would find a mate?
"Thank you, Tobin. We'll look forward to that one day this week," Maggie said. "Now how about one parlor game before we leave? Our choice?"
“All right. What do you want to play?” Barton asked, anxious to see what the women had planned. Charades, Forfeits, Blindman’s Bluff?
"If you gentlemen would line up the chairs, and each takes a seat. Oh, and pull out your handkerchiefs," Maggie instructed.
"Uh, I've used mine when I had a coughing spell in church," Tobin sheepishly confessed.
"Don't worry about it," Maggie said as she took Peter's handkerchief from his hand, shook it out and twisted it. "We're going to tie these around your eyes so you can't see us."
Oh, oh. Were the ladies going to tie them in their chairs and leave them as punishment for going along with the Peashooter's plan? Barton didn't see any of them carrying in a rope.
"Can anyone see? We want no peeking!" Maggie asked. "All right. Keep your hands on your laps."
"What are you going to do to us?" Tobin said worriedly.
"We're going to kiss you, gentleman, but the way the Peashooter's matched us. Then, we're going to kiss whoever we might be attracted to."
"I'm gonna get kissed twice? I've never been kissed before!" Tobin exclaimed excitedly.
Barton heard a woman sigh. Who had been sitting with Tobin at the hotel? Avalee Paulson.
"Okay, we're not going to say a word. Just kiss you and step back. Then in a few seconds, we may, or may not, switch places and kiss you again. Think who's kiss you like best, number one or number two."
Barton inhaled deeply when he sensed someone was close. He raised his head, getting ready for the kiss. The woman smelled like roses, so he knew it was Maisie whom he'd been matched with. Although all three of the Brenners probably used the same rose-scented soap and toilet water.
The kiss was soft, lasting only a moment, but it didn't give him any spark of excitement.
"Now we're getting ready for the second kiss," Maggie said as Barton heard soft steps in front of them.
Another woman leaned forward. She didn't smell of roses, but what? He couldn't quite tell.
This kiss was more demanding, longer, and passionate. Yes! Barton wanted to kiss this woman again.
He heard footsteps as the women retreated.
"Now take off your handkerchiefs. Which kiss did you like better?" Maggie asked.
"Two," half of the men mumbled in shock.
"I liked them both!" Tobin clapped his hands, "but yeah, there was something extra special about the second kiss."
Barton looked at Amelia, hoping it was her who had kissed him the second time, but she was staring at the ceiling instead of meeting his eyes.
Ha! He'd smelled saddle soap. It was Amelia who had kissed him! Barton stared at Amelia until she looked his way. She tried not to show any emotion but failed as her pale complexion turned a rosy blush.
Barton hoped he’d just kissed his future wife.
Chapter 6
“Oh, that was fun!” Maisie giggled, as they ran down the steps into the street below.
Amelia felt no emotion when she kissed Wesley, but there were fireworks when she kissed Barton. And she knew Barton felt it too.
What’s the plan for tomorrow night?” Amelia asked to calm her racing heart.
“We’ll make supper for the group, then we need to play some games—or cards,” Maisie said before her older sisters could reply. “After supper upstairs, we could go downstairs to the dress shop and could set up three tables of four to play cards.”
“And we could rotate the couples at the tables to get to know the men better,” Amelia suggested, wanting to spend as much time with Barton as possible.
“What do we tell our mothers?” Nadine asked. As the youngest woman of the group at age eighteen, she must be worried about what Helen would say about meeting the men unchaperoned.
"Tell her you have plans with friends and your sister, Nadine. It's not that you're alone with a man when there are twelve of us," Maggie stated.
"But we kissed two men tonight," Nadine whispered, but loud enough they all heard her.
"And we have the Peashooter's to thank for that," Amelia sighed, thinking of the kiss she'd shared with Barton.
What would it be like to be wrapped in his arms, pressed against his body, and hungrily kissing for as long as they wanted to? Amelia fanned her blushing face thinking about it.
"We need to find a way for each couple to court alone too."
Wasn't Barton interested in the blacksmith shop? Maybe Mary would give her the key to the back quarters, and they could secretly meet there? But then one of her family members would follow and catch them.
"But we don't want to get the men in trouble, and cause them to lose their jobs," Maggie warned Amelia.
That was true too. Amelia wanted to get to know Barton better, not send him away.
"How long before we can marry them?" Maisie asked. "Usually when a mail-order bride gets off the train, they go right to the church to get married before going to their new home."
"But the houses aren't available yet. But once they are..." Amelia trailed off.
Which house did she want to live in? It depended on the man's profession as to the couple's choice.
The smithy's apartment was the smallest but had the most modern amenities. The place was her sister Mary, and Kiowa's, secret honeymoon apartment before anyone knew they'd married. If Amelia and her husband had children though, they'd have to build on to the apartment or move to a house like Mary's family eventually did.
"We need to get home to the hotel," Avalee said as they stopped in front of the dress shop.
"Do you need us to bring anything for tomorrow night’s supper?"
"No, we'll be fine," Maggie answered for her and her sisters. "See you all tomorrow by six-thirty."
Amelia turned north to walk to the Shepar
d's home, while Avalee and Nadine walked down the street to the hotel. She had been mad at her mother and the Peashooter's for interfering in her life, but the more Amelia thought about that kiss with Barton... the more she liked their plan.
***
"What do you think happened in the barbershop apartment, Kaitlyn?" Helen asked as they stood on the third floor of the hotel, watching the young women leave the barbershop apartment and talk a moment before walking to their own residences.
Kaitlyn put down her spyglass. "By the look on the girls' faces, I'd say it was a positive thing. They weren't happy when they left the hotel after our group meal, but they have smiles on their faces after leaving the men now."
"Do you think we matched the couples right? Avalee was not happy the whole meal," Helen was worried at her daughter's reactions to Tobin Billings.
"I think the girls will switch if they want to. They are intelligent modern women."
“And I pray the men you picked out for their husbands are honest, upstanding men too.”
“I had a good feeling about them when we first met. They needed homes where they could be together. And if not, we’ll turn our peashooters on them,” Kaitlyn laughed.
***
"Well? Am I forgiven?"
Amelia paused at the bottom of the steps when she heard her mother's voice from the parlor. So much for sneaking upstairs to her room without talking to her parents. Amelia sighed, turned and walked into the parlor, plopping down on an upholstered chair. Her mama was sitting in her rocking chair doing some handwork. And her papa was reading a newspaper in his large chair by the unlit fireplace.
Her brother, Tate, was probably over at the hotel with his fiancée, Luella.
"After lunch at the hotel I would have said no, but now..."
"Where have you been since then?" Reuben, her adoptive father, asked. Amelia didn't mind he was concerned for her though. He started raising her when she was an infant.
Amelia thought of how to answer that, but she was an adult. "Us girls talked, and then went over to the barbershop apartment to talk to the men."
She watched her parents glance at each other, but they didn't say anything.
Amelia Changes her Fellow Page 4
