Mail Order Meddler (12 page)

Andy found them sitting together a few minutes later.  The baby was sleeping in Tracy’s arms and she held her staring down into the little face she loved so much.

Andy took the baby from Tracy’s arms and gently placed her into her cradle.   “Are you doing any better?” he asked.  He sat down on the bed beside her and gently stroked her arm.

Tracy shrugged, the words her mother had taunted her with coming to mind.  “I think so.”

“What is it?  Is something else bothering you?”

Tracy bit her lip, wondering what to say.  How did she tell her husband that she needed him to love her, so he’d better start?  “Cecelia just said some ugly things.”

Andy’s face grew angry all over again.  He put his back to the headboard and slid an arm around her shoulders.  “She did?  Like what?”  He kissed the top of her head where it rested against his shoulder.

“She said that because I was a mail order bride, you would never be able to love me.”  There, she’d said it.
  She didn’t really want to hear his response, because she was certain he’d reject her, but at least she’d know. 

Andy laughed.  “Well that’s silly.  I hope you told her that I loved you almost from the first moment I saw you.”

“I couldn’t lie to her.”  She shrugged, a tear slipping out of her eye.

Andy looked at her in surprise.  “Lie?  You think telling her that I love you would be a lie?”  He used his thumb to brush the tear from her face.  “I’ve been in love with you for so long it feels like it’s always been the case.  You make me happy to get up in the mornings, and even happier to come to bed at night.  I was failing miserably at raising my brothers and sister, and you came along and made it look so easy.”

Tracy blinked a few times, the tears falling down her cheeks.  “You really love me?”

Andy nodded, his lips gently brushing against hers.  “How could anyone not love you?  You’re an amazing woman.”

Tracy took a shuddering breath.  “I’ve waited my whole life for someone, anyone to say those words to me.  Oh, Mattie says them, but she’s eight.  What kid doesn’t love the person who takes care of them when they’re eight?”

“Well, I love you.  I love you so much that the idea of you going away makes me feel like I’m dying inside.”

“Why would I go away?”  Tracy shook her head in disbelief.

“You were offered a life of luxury for you and our baby.  How could you stay here and not jump on that chance?  Who would stay in an old house that looks like it’s about to fall over when they could live in a mansion in Boston?”

“You were really worried I’d leave you?  For them?”  Tracy shook her head.  “I love you, Andy.  I love you and the children.  I don’t even want to think about what my life was before you.”  She sighed, resting her head on his shoulder.  “Francis did a good thing for us, sending that letter.”  She laughed.  “I wanted to throttle him for the first couple of days I was here, though.”

He laughed.  “It took me about twenty-four hours to realize that I could never let you go.  You kept talking about how you were only staying for a month and then you were going to go back to Massachusetts.  You had it all planned out.”  He shook his head.  “I was so scared I’d come home one day, and you’d be gone.”

“I would have taken Mattie with me.”

“After ten minutes with you, she’d have followed you anywhere.  It’s so strange to me that you could have gone through your life without people smothering you with love.  I have never in my life met a woman who I thought was good enough to raise my siblings.”  He sighed.  “I didn’t want to fall in love with you, you know.”

“You didn’t?  Why not?”

“My father loved my mother with everything inside him.  Seriously, he all but worshiped at her feet. 
If there was twenty dollars to feed the whole family for a year, he’d spend half of it on a special gift for her, and make us deal with the rest of it.”  He shook his head.  “I promised myself long before they died that I would never love a woman the way he loved her.”

“But you wouldn’t do that.  You don’t put me before the children.”

He laughed softly.  “Of course I do.  I love Edith more than I can ever say, but when I rode toward the house, I was worried about you, not the baby.”  He stroked her cheek.  “I love you, but I was afraid to say it.  Afraid it would give you too much power over me, but you know what?”

She shook her head.  “What?”

“You won’t do anything to abuse the power over me.  Ever.”

“Why would I do that?  I want us all to be happy.  I couldn’t be happy controlling you that way.”  She kissed him softly.  “I love you way too much for that.”

“So you’re never going to decide your mother’s offer is something you want to accept?  You won’t take Mattie and Edith and run off to Boston?”

She shook her head.  “I would never do that.  I feel loved here.  I can’t go to Boston.  No one there feels about me the way you do.”

He smiled, his eyes dancing happily.  “I guess I’m glad your mother and her husband came by today acting as they did.”

“You are?  Why?”

“Because it forced me to tell you how much I love you, and I like the smile love puts on your beautiful face.”

Tracy sighed contentedly.  “I need to go and tuck Mattie in.”

“Before you came, no one ever tucked Mattie in.  You spoil her.”

Tracy got out of bed.  “Everyone needs to be spoiled sometimes.” 

Epilogue

Francis stood looking out over his ten acres of land.  They were all his now.  He’d been working to save enough money to buy them for ten years.  Andy had promised him he’d give him a bull and six cows from his own herd to get the ranch started, but first?  He had to build a house on it.  It was only a mile from his brother’s house, and he would be able to visit often, which was one of the reasons he’d been drawn to the land.

He looked at the ground where he’d marked out where he wanted his house to go.  Tracy had helped him come up with a good plan for it, telling him what she thought should be in a modern kitchen.  In 1896, different things were expected than in 1886 when she’d first come to Texas.

He looked behind him at the children running and playing.  Arthur had since moved to town and was working for George, delivering ice of all things.  Who wanted ice delivered?  Mattie sat with her legs curled under her on a blanket with Tracy.  Sweet little Mattie was seventeen now, and she had her eye on a boy from town. 

Edith was nine, Joseph was seven, Samuel was five, and Jacob was three.  Tracy was once again huge with her pregnancy, but she and Mattie had declared that
Francis finally buying the land he wanted was cause for celebration.  He was sure that Tracy was just glad that he was going to be moving out of her house.  She needed the space for her rapidly expanding brood.

He looked around him and sighed.  Once his house was built almost all of his dreams would come true.  The only thing left was to find a wife. 
A beautiful wife from the East. 

He was going to follow in his brother’s footsteps and send off for a mail order bride.  Yes, he knew that he was the one who’d actually sent off for the bride, but that didn’t matter.  Everyone had conveniently forgotten that little fact.  He could send off for a wife for himself more easily anyway.

He walked back to the quilt where Tracy and Andy sat with Mattie, eating the last of the food in the picnic basket.  He eyed the last tiny pie the two women had made together.  “Umm…Tracy?  Are you going to need that pie?  I haven’t gotten one yet.”  He knew none of the others would fight him over it, but Tracy was about to pop, and they all knew what that meant.  If they valued their lives, they stayed away from the sweets.

Tracy looked at the pie in the picnic basket and then at Francis.
  She really wanted it.  “Well, I…it’s your picnic, so I’ll share it with you.”  She didn’t mention that she’d already had three of the tiny pies, and neither did anyone else.  They just smiled at her when she cut it in half and offered Francis the bigger piece.

Francis sank down onto the quilt and smiled, leaning back on his arms.  “This is the life.  Sitting on my own ranch, in the spring, having a piece of pie.”

Tracy laughed.  “It’s time for you to start thinking about marrying, don’t you think?  You’re twenty-six now.”  She expected him to react the way he always did, telling her he wasn’t ready yet.

Francis nodded, surprising them all.  “As soon as the house is built, I’m going to see if I can find myself a mail order bride.”

Tracy exchanged looks of surprise with Andy.  “A mail order bride?”

“You still write that woman who matched you with Andy, right?  What was her name?  Elizabeth Miller, wasn’t it?”

Tracy nodded slowly, not sure where this had come from.  “She’s married now, but she still has her business.  I’ll give you her address when you’re ready.”

“Great.”  He took another bite of his pie, acting as if he didn’t realize his announcement of his intention to marry hadn’t shocked them all. 

Mattie looked at Francis.  “You sure you’re ready to marry?  I mean, being tied down to just one woman…”

“Are you suggesting I ask Elizabeth for two wives?”

Mattie giggled.  “Nothing like that.  I just thought you were a lone wolf.  You always said you wouldn’t marry ‘til you were good and ready.”

“That’s true.  I’m good and ready.”  He stood up and stretched.  “This is a fine piece of land.  Perfect for my cattle.”

Andy grinned.  “What cattle?  You don’t have any!”

“I will as soon as you give me the ones you promised me.  Yes, sir, it’s going to be a mighty fine life.”

*****

Two months later, Francis sat down at the table in his new house and put pen to paper.  “Dear Elizabeth, Ten years ago, you matched my brother up with his bride.   I want you to do the same for me.  I just built my first house on land that I purchased.  I’m a rancher, although not a rich one…yet.  I’d like to marry a woman between the ages of eighteen and twenty-two. I have blond hair and blue eyes, but I don’t care what she looks like.  If you could find me an orphan, I’d appreciate that.  My brother married Tracy Beckham, an orphan from right there in Beckham where you are.  If you could find me a wife just like Tracy, I’d be much obliged.  She needs to be able to cook, clean, and
love.  The ability to love is probably the most important thing to me.  Thank you in advance for your help.  I live in Nowhere, Texas.   Sincerely, Francis Harvey.”

He set the letter aside to mail the next time he went to
Nowhere.  George’s son had taken over for him around the same time Arthur had started doing the ice deliveries there.  Arthur, if he saw the letter, would laugh hysterically at the idea of Francis sending off for his own bride.  Arthur had always been a little strange, though. 

Francis ate a bite of the huge pie Tracy had sent over.  He just dug the fork right into the center and started eating.  There was no need to use a plate when he’d just have to wash it.  Getting into this habit would save his wife a lot of time.  He smiled as he thought about his future wife.  Yes, someone like Tracy was all he wanted.  Life would be good when she was by his side.