MINDY'S MAIL ORDER HUSBAND (5 page)

          
Mindy
frowned.
 
“Money doesn’t make you happy
even though it is a necessity,” she said, looking at Brett.

          
“Our
fathers only know money and the more they have, the more they want.
 
They’ll never change.”

          
“That’s
sad.”
 
She took a couple bites of her
cake as the conversation lulled and each ate and drank their coffee.
 
She kept wondering what Brett’s father was
like and what he would think of her and the ranch.
 
In her mind, with all she heard from Brett and Brace, she figured
the man wouldn’t like her.
 
He’d
probably want Brett to hightail it back home.
 
She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye.
 
Even though he’d only been here for two
days, she liked him being here to take charge of the ranch.
 
What would she do if his father arrived and
changed his mind?”
 
Would Brett leave
her?

Chapter Five

          
A
month had passed since Brace visited and Mindy found she was beginning to see
the man for who he was instead of remembering the day he’d visited the ranch
and tried to buy it from her pa.
 
Brett
bought a bull and several cows from Brace to add to the ones she had.
 
Brace had delivered two wagonloads of hay
and straw and her cows were beginning to gain weight.
 
For that, she was thankful.

          
As
she stood on the front porch and looked around, she was prideful that her
husband and the hands had whitewashed the house, the bunkhouse, and even the
barn.
 
It was looking good.
 
The flower seeds she’d planted were
beginning to sprout and the garden at the back of the house was flourishing
with vegetables.

          
All
seemed right with her world, except that Brett hadn’t tried to consummate their
marriage yet.
 
She was confused since on
their wedding day, he told her he wanted a real marriage, a willing wife, and
children.
 
So what had happened to
change his mind?
 
Didn’t he find her
attractive?
 
Was he regretting marrying
her?
 
She knew he loved the ranch
because of the hard work he put into it to make it thrive.
 
Did he fool her and only marry her for the
ranch?

          
Mindy
sighed heavily and sat down on the steps.
 
She saw Scuffy come out of the bunkhouse and limp towards her.
 
“Hi Scuffy.”

          
“What
you doin’ sitting out here daydreaming?
 
Don’t you have work to do?”

          
She
laughed and moved over for him to sit beside her.
 
“I got all my work done for the day.”

          
“I
guess me and that husband of yourn is going to have to find you something to do
then.”

          
“I
have enough to do as it is.
 
I just got
done early today.”

          
“What’s
bothering you?
 
I know something is
because the only time you get your work done in a hurry is because you are
worried about something.
 
Spit it out,
gal.”

          
“I
think Brett regrets marrying me.”

          
“What?
 
You done gone loco or somethin’?”

          
Mindy
sighed.
 
“We haven’t…
 
Well, you know.”
 
She blushed, and looked out at the corral where the horses were
running around.
 
She had no one else to
talk to about it and Scuffy was like a second pa to her.

          
“Have
you given him any indication you want him?”

          
“He
said on the way home from the wedding that he wanted a willing wife and
children, but he hasn’t so much as touched me, except to hold me in his arms every
night.”

          
“I
think you need to show your husband that you want him to make love to you.
 
How else is he going to know if you don’t
tell him?”

          
“He’s
my husband.
 
It’s up to him to take
matters into his own hands, isn’t it?”
 
She looked at Scuffy waiting anxiously for an answer.

          
“Brett
is a kind and decent man.
 
I expect he’s
waiting for you to make the first move.”

          
“How
do I do that?
 
I let him hold me.
 
Surely he knows that I have feelings for him
since I don’t move away.
 
He just kisses
me on the forehead like I’m a child, not his wife.”

          
“Then
you got to make him know that you’re ready to begin being his wife in all
ways.”

          
“How
Scuffy?”
 
She saw his cheeks turn pink
and he swiped his hand across his face.

          
“Is
there something special he bought you that would make him think that maybe
you’re ready?”

          
“No,
I put on my nightgown, and I don’t even ask him to turn around anymore, so he
should know.”

          
“You
still wearing that old tattered nightgown your pa bought you ages ago?”

          
She
nodded.
 
“Yeah, it’s comfortable.”

          
“Maybe
you need to go to town and buy a nice one and then maybe he will take the
hint.”

          
“I
have a new one I bought when he made me buy clothes before coming home.”

          
“Then
that’s your answer, I think.
 
Put it
on.
 
Let him see you’re wearing it for
him.
 
He’s probably afraid you still
aren’t ready.
 
I know he’s fallen in
love with you cause all he talks about is you when we’re out working.
 
He’s always wondering what you are doing or
if you are all right.
 
He cares for
you.”

          
“Really?”
 
She smiled.
 

“Yes, now you go
in that house and make your husband a fine supper and go to bed early and show
him you want him.”

          
Mindy
hugged Scuffy and jumped up from the steps.
 
“Thanks Scuffy.
 
I love you.”

          
“I
love you too, gal.”

          
She
ran up the steps and into the house, only to stop short when she saw Web
standing there with a gun aimed at her.
 
She wanted to scream, but she knew Scuffy would come in and she didn’t
want Scuffy to get shot.
 
“What are you
doing here?”

          
“If
you scream or yell out, I’ll shoot Scuffy.
 
Never cared for the old man anyway.”

          
“What
do you want?”

          
“What
is rightfully mine.
 
I want my pay and
maybe a little taste of you.”

          
Mindy
stepped backward hoping to turn and run, but Web reached out and grabbed her by
the arm.
 
He pushed the gun against her
temple and her heart beat triple time.
 
She knew he was dangerous and figured he wouldn’t care if she lived or
died either.
 
“I don’t have any money.”

          
“Yeah,
well your husband has.
 
Rumor has it in
town that his father is rich.
 
As a
matter of fact, he arrived in town on the train with his own private car.
 
He even has a man with him who caters to all
his needs.
 
The whole town is in an
uproar about Brett’s rich old man.
 
Seems he runs the bank back where he lives, so I’m just going to take
you with me for ransom.
 
Where’s your
paper and pencil?
 
You’re going to leave
your husband a note and if he knows what’s good for him, he better deliver the
money or I’ll kill you.”

          
Mindy
swallowed hard willing herself to remain as calm as she could.
 
She needed to think. Brett and the men
wouldn’t be back for another hour.
 
“My
writing table is over there.
 
She
pointed to the other end of the room.
 
When Web turned to look, she ran into the kitchen and out the back door.
 
She heard him yell, but she ran to the
bunkhouse just as a shot rang out.
 
She
felt a searing pain in her shoulder just as Scuffy opened the door to see what
was going on.
 
She ran headlong into him
and they both almost toppled to the floor.
 
“Shut the door and bolt it!”
 
She
stumbled to a chair at the table and flopped down on it, tears rolling down her
cheeks at the pain in her shoulder.

          
“What’s
going on?”
 

          
She
saw Scuffy get his rifle and peer out of a crack in the wall.
 
“That’s Web.”

          
“Shoot
him!
 
He shot me in the shoulder.”
 
Scuffy raised his rifle just as Web called
for them to come out or he would set fire to the bunkhouse.
 
Scuffy cursed and stuck the barrel of the
gun in the hole and pulled the trigger.
 
Web fell face down in the dirt.

          
Scuffy
ran to Mindy.
 
“Let me take a look at
that.”
 

          
Mindy
swiped her hand across her eyes trying to dry the tears that fell as Scuffy
ripped open her dress.
 
“Dang bullet’s
still in there, gal.
 
Come on; let me
help you to the bunk.
 
I got hot water
on the stove and I’ll get some clean rags and get it out of there.”

          
She
nodded, but the room kept spinning and when she glanced at her shoulder, her
torn dress was soaked in blood.
 
She
groaned and fainted dead away.

***

          
Mindy
moaned and tried to pull herself awake.
 
Her shoulder throbbed and her mouth was cotton dry.
 
She heard hushed voices and wondered what
had happened.
 
When she finally willed
her eyes to open, she saw Scuffy and Brett standing over her their expressions
grim.
 
She tried to speak, but her voice
was too raspy.

          
“I’ll
get her some water,” Scuffy said.

          
“Thanks,”
Brett said, kneeling down beside the bed and taking hold of Mindy’s hand.
 
Scuffy handed Brett a tin cup of water and
he slipped his arm under Mindy neck and lifted her as gently as he could and
held the cup to her lips.
 
When she
nodded, he handed the cup back to Scuffy.

          
“What
happened?”
 
Mindy asked.

          
“Web
shot you and Scuffy took the bullet out.
 
It almost went all the way through, but not quite.
 
We had the doc out and he said in a few days
you should start feeling better, barring infection.
 
He left some laudanum for pain.
 
You need it now?”

          
“Yes,
please.”
 
She watched Brett get up and
get the medicine for her.
 
“That’s
bitter.”

          
“Yes
it is.
 
Here, take some more water to
wash it down.”

          
Mindy
drank half the cup.
 
“Did Scuffy kill
Web?”

          
“If
he hadn’t, I would have.
 
You don’t have
to worry about him anymore.
 
I had one
of the men take his body into the Marshall.”

          
“Good,”
she said, feeling the room sway.
 
Her
shoulder wasn’t throbbing as much now.
 
“Where am I?”

          
“Still
in the bunkhouse.
 
Doc said not to move
you for a couple days.
 
The men are
bunking down in the barn.”

          
Mindy
blinked and tried to remember something she was going to tell Brett, but for
the life of her, she couldn’t remember what it was.
 
She struggled to stay awake, but the world disappeared and the
pain receded with it.

Chapter Six

        
Brett
sat by the bed and bathed Mindy’s face, arms, and chest with a cool damp
cloth.
 
She’d come down with a fever two
days ago.
 
He’d been busy cleaning her
pa’s room and moving their things into it while Scuffy looked after her, not
knowing for sure how she would react when she woke up and found out what he
did.
 
He stowed all her pa’s things in
her room so she could go through them whenever she felt she could.
 
He’d carried her up to the room, put her in
bed, bathed, and put a clean nightgown on her and tended to her.
 
Several times she called out for her pa and
that about broke his heart.
 
She loved
her pa so much, it was a shame the man died.
 

          
He
ran a weary hand through his hair as she whimpered.
 
“It’s all right, Mindy.
 
I’m here.
 
I won’t leave you.
 
I promise.”
 
He leaned down and kissed her tenderly, cursing fate.
 
He’d finally found the woman he loved and he
prayed she wouldn’t die.
 
He wanted to
live his life with her until they were old and gray and sitting on the porch
rocking their grandchildren.

          
The
ranch had enough acreage that they could have ten grandchildren and there’d be
room for them all to marry and build homes on the ranch.
 
It was the most beautiful place he’d ever
seen and he’d made it prosper, but it didn’t mean a thing to him without Mindy.

          
He
dropped the washcloth in the pan, bowed his head and prayed hard for God to
heal her.
 
He prayed for God to take the
fever away and to spare his wife.
 
He
was so tired and placed his arms on the edge of the bed and laid his head on
them.
 
He’d rest for a bit.

***

          
Mindy
opened her eyes.
 
She was soaking wet
and felt cold even though she was covered up to her chin.
 
She tried to sit up, but fell back against
the pillows.
 
Her shoulder hurt and she
felt weak as a newborn kitten.
 
She
glanced to her left and saw Brett.
 
He
was sleeping.
 
Then it all came back to
her.
 
Web shooting her, the pain, and
then feeling like her entire body was on fire.

          
She
reached out her hand and ran her fingers through Brett’s dark hair.
 
He had such thick black hair except for the
silver at the temples.
 
He needed it cut
too, although she liked it long enough to touch his shirt collar.
 
It was longer than that now though.
 
When he stirred and sat up, looking at her,
she smiled.
 
“I’m wet and chilled and I
can’t seem to get up out of bed.”

          
“You’re
better?
 
The fever’s gone?”
 
He reached out and felt her forehead.
 
She was cool to his touch.
 
“Thank God,” he said, standing up and
rushing to get a dry nightgown and clean sheets.
 
“I’ll have you dry and comfy right away.”

          
Mindy
let him undress her, wash her, and put the dry nightgown on her.
 
When he picked her up in his arms and
carried her to the chair by the fireplace, she realized they were in her pa’s
room.
 
A fire crackled and popped in the
fireplace.
 
“If I had a fever, why do
you have a fire built?”

          
“Because
you kept saying you were cold.”

          
“That
was the fever.”

          
“I
know.
 
How’s your shoulder?
 
Is it hurting really bad?
 
Do you need some laudanum?”

          
She
shook her head.
 
“It hurts, but not
enough to need that bitter medicine.
 
I
am weak though and hungry too.”

          
Brett
grinned and ran to open the bedroom door.
 
“Scuffy, we need some food up here for our gal!
 
She’s awake and hungry!”
 

          
Mindy
smiled when she heard Scuffy thank the Lord for miracles.
 
She turned a little in the chair and watched
Brett pull off the covers on the bed, roll them all into a ball, and dump them
onto the floor before putting clean bedding on.
 
When he was done, he strode over to her and scooped her up into
his arms and carried her to the bed, laid her down gently, and tucked the
covers around her.
 
“The room looks
nice,” she said, when Brett sat down on the edge of the bed and took her hand
in his.

          
“We
needed more room.
 
I hope you aren’t
angry at me for bringing you into your pa’s room.”

          
“I’m
not and thanks for bringing all my things in here.
 
It looks like you were busy while I was sick, besides taking care
of me.”

          
“I
was, because I couldn’t sit still only to bathe you and care for you.
 
I was worried sick about you.”

          
“Thank
you.”

          
Brett
grinned.
 
“No thanks needed.
 
I’m just happy you are better, and in a few
days, you’ll feel like new.
 
The doc
will be here to check you tomorrow.
 
He
kept telling me you were young and healthy and would survive, but I imagined
all kinds of things.
 
You gave me a few
more gray hair at my temples.”

          
“I
like your silver hair.
 
It makes you
look distinguished.”

          
“Then
you will love my father.”

          
Mindy
gasped as she remembered.
 
“When Web
tried to abduct me for ransom, he said your father was in town.
 
He said he wanted money and you and your
father were rich because your father arrived in town with his own rail car and
had a man who catered to his every need.
 
Have you seen him yet?”

          
“No.
 
I sent word to town and told my father he
would have to wait to visit because I was taking care of my wife.
 
Until I knew you were going to be all right,
I couldn’t deal with him.”

          
“How
did you know he was here?”

          
“Truman
told me when he arrived back from taking Web’s body to the Marshall.
 
It seems my father is the talk of the
town.
 
I sent him back to town with a
message to my father.”

          
“He’s
welcome here, Brett.
 
I would give
anything to have my pa back.”

          
“I
know, honey.”
 
He leaned over and kissed
her lightly on the lips, surprised when she slipped her good around his neck
and kissed him back.
 
When he broke the
kiss, he leaned back and touched her face with his fingertip.
 
“I hope you know that I’ve fallen in love
with you.
 
I’ve just been waiting for
you to fall in love with me.”

          
“What
took you so long to tell me?”
 
She saw
Brett’s eyes widen.
 
She took his hand
and held it.
 
“I thought you didn’t love
me and that you only married me for the ranch when you didn’t consummate out
marriage.”

          
“Are
you kidding me?”

          
She
shook her head.
 
A tear slipped down her
cheek and he brushed it away with his fingertip.
 
“I even discussed it with Scuffy because I didn’t know what to do
to make you love me.
 
Scuffy told me you
loved me and always talked about me.
 
I
was going to try and seduce you that night, but Web ruined it.”

          
“If
he were still alive, I’d kill him again for interrupting our life.
 
I’d like nothing more than to be seduced by
my beautiful wife.”

          
Mindy
leaned over and kissed him when Scuffy came in the door.
 

          
“I
got food for our gal and some for you too, Brett.”

          
Brett
rose from the bed and took the tray from Scuffy and placed it on Mindy’s
lap.
 
“It looks like Scuffy made chicken
soup and dumplings.
 
That’s what we had
for our wedding dinner.”

          
“Thought
it might bring back some memories for you both.
 
How you doing, gal?”

          
“I’m
fine, Scuffy, and thank you for fixing me up.”

          
“You
sure had me worried when you got that fever.
 
Don’t know what I would have done if somethin’ happened to you.”

          
“I
love you too, Scuffy.”

          
“Oh,
go on with ya now.
 
You eat up.
 
I made cornbread with lots of butter on it
the way you like it too and there’s apple pie too.”

          
“Thank
you.”

          
“You’re
welcome,” Scuffy said, leaning down and kissing her on the cheek.
 
“You both eat up and then retire early.
 
You both need a good night’s restful sleep.”

          
Mindy
watched him leave and sighed.
 
“I’m
starved.”
 

          
Brett
pulled his chair up to the bed and they began to eat.
 
There was some color in Mindy’s cheeks and she took a big bite of
the cornbread and groaned.
 
“Good?”

          
“Yes.
 
Now eat so we can go to bed.”
 
She winked at him and saw him wink
back.
 
It looked like their marriage was
finally going to start and she was looking forward to it.

***

          
A
week later, Mindy was sitting on the porch knitting when a fancy buggy with two
men in it and an armed rider on each side drove up to the house.
 
Since Brett was out with the men, she got up
and walked down when the buggy drew to a stop before the porch steps.
 
“May I help you?”
 
The man driving the buggy jumped down and stood back while the
man next to him stepped down to stand before her.
 
She knew as soon as she looked at him that it was Brett’s
father.
 
“Mr. Connors, won’t you come
inside?”

          
“You
sure do get to the point, don’t you?
 
You must be my son’s wife I’ve heard so much about in town.”

          
“I’m
Mindy.
 
Please come inside.
 
Your men may come in too.”

          
“They
will wait here.”

          
Mindy
led the way into the house.
 
“Would you
like a cup of coffee and a piece of apple pie?”

          
“Thank
you.
 
I did get kind of hungry and
thirsty on the way out here.”

          
She
indicated a seat at the table and poured him a cup of coffee and cut him a
slice of pie and put it on a plate and set it on the table in front of
him.
 
“There’s cream and sugar on the
table.”
 
She poured herself a cup and sat
down opposite him.
 
“I can’t believe the
resemblance between you and Brett.
 
He
will be a handsome man when he gets older.
 

          
Brentley
Connors grinned and stirred cream and sugar in his coffee.
 
“I can see why my son hasn’t returned
home.
 
You are a delightful woman and
very beautiful too.”

          
“Thank
you, Sir.”

          
“No
need to Sir me.
 
I’m your
father-in-law.
 
You may call me
Brent.
 
I only allow family members the
privilege.”

          
Mindy
smiled and took a sip of her coffee.
 
“Well, since you are my father-in-law, I’m going to call you
father.”
 
She saw his eyes widen and
then slowly his stern mouth widened into a grin and he threw his head back and
laughed.

          
When
Brett ran into the kitchen, she looked up at him and winked.
 
“Father and I were just getting acquainted.”

          
“What?”

          
Brentley
stood and turned around to look at his son.
 
“It’s about time you arrived.
 
What were you doing?”