Twice Promised (The Blue Willow Brides Book #2): A Novel (5 page)

Greta suddenly backed away from Zach. “What she means is we had a visit from a grizzly!”

Sue sucked in a deep breath and hugged her mama’s leg tight, staring up at Greta with frightened eyes.

Greta tapped her toe on the hardwood floor. “It’s a good thing there was a gun left behind by your trapper friend.”

“I’d made a trip to the outhouse,” Cora said, her face turning pink, “and got stuck in there when I heard this weird growling sound. I knew it wasn’t a dog. Greta saved my life last night!”

Annabelle and Silas were all ears now, and Jess pressed closer with interest.

Greta smoothed down the front of her dress with her hands. “Well, Cora, I wouldn’t go that far, but I think I scared him away.”

“I was too scared to open the outhouse door, I can tell you that!” Cora’s bottom lip trembled as she fidgeted with the buttons on her jacket.

Zach reached out a hand to Cora, but Greta pushed it away. “I’m really sorry he didn’t show up while I was there, but sounds like Greta took things in hand all right.” His chuckle seemed to further irritate the two.

“Cabin? What cabin? Zach, why don’t you enlighten me?” Jess said, wiping his hands on his apron.

Zach’s face reddened. He could feel everyone’s eyes on him. “They’re staying over at Jeb’s cabin.”

Jess looked sharply at him. “And just what might you have to do with these two young ladies?”

Silas and Annabelle nodded their curiosity. He might as well go on and break the news to his brother now, while he was listening for once. Zach stood between the two ladies, draping an arm around each of their shoulders. “I want you to meet two very important women in your life, Miss Greta Olsen and Miss Cora Johnson. One of which will be
your
future bride.”

Greta smacked at his hand and Cora took a step back.

Annabelle’s eyes widened, and Silas gave his wife a warning look.

Zach sighed. Nothing like having an audience. Jess would get him for this.

“Oh my . . .” Sue said.

Jess pulled back with surprise. His gaze flew from Zach to the two women, who stood waiting. “
My
future bride?”

“Yep! Thanks to the US mail.”

“Zach, what in the world are you talking about? I haven’t ordered a bride! Have you been drinking or spending too much time talking to your cattle?”

“That’s what I tried to talk to you about last night, but you went to sleep before I could—and you know I don’t drink.”

Jess’s face was a thundercloud waiting to burst. Looking over at the mail-order brides, he said, “My brother has brought you here under false pretenses. I’m very sorry if you’ve been inconvenienced, but he will see to it that you have fare back to where you traveled from, won’t you, Zach?”

Greta pulled off her gloves and slammed them down on the counter. “I think you’d better explain to your brother what’s going on, Zach.” Cora opened her mouth to speak, but Greta laid a hand on her sleeve, so she pressed her lips together in a tight line.

Zach touched his brother’s arm. “Can I have a word with you privately?”

Silas turned to Annabelle. “Let’s go find those boots for Sue, shall we?” Before Annabelle could respond, he took hold of Sue’s hand to propel her and his wife away from the brothers.

“There’s nothing you could say in private that you can’t say to me right here and now!” Jess’s jaw clamped tight, and Zach knew if his jaw muscle twitched, he was in no mood to reason.

“Oh, I think there might be a few things I can say.” Zach shifted from one foot to the other.

Greta fingered the gold locket around her neck, giving Zach a reproachful look. “Please, go ahead. Don’t stop on our account. One thing I won’t be is an intrusion on such an industrious and busy mercantile owner as yourself, Mr. Gifford.” She looked around with obvious disdain at the cluttered store.

Zach grinned. “Now don’t go gettin’ your petticoats in a tangle. We’ll work this out.”

“Perhaps it would be best if we left you two alone to talk,” Cora said. “We can have a look around until you’re through.”

“I think that would be wise.” Zach flashed a look at Jess. “What do you say, Brother?”

Jess threw his hands up in complete exasperation. “Let’s go.” He stomped toward the back of the store.

Once they were behind the curtain separating the store from supplies, Jess’s tension mounted. “Zach, have you taken leave of your senses? I don’t need a bride. I’m perfectly fine living alone and running the store.” Jess folded his arms across his chest.

“No, you just think you are. You couldn’t run this place without my help and you know it. I’d much rather be out punching cattle.”

Jess caught the seriousness of his brother’s true feelings in that moment. Had he unintentionally forced Zach to work with him?

“I’m sorry if you’re angry with me. I tried to broach the subject last night.” Zach ran his hands through his thick, wavy hair. “What you
need
, Jess, is a wife, a helper—not me! Someone to help you run the place who
wants
to, and who can rub your back at night when you’ve been standing all day.” Zach propped his hip against the rough tabletop, letting his leg dangle. He nonchalantly picked up a knife, whacked off a hunk of cheddar cheese, and smiled at his brother, his eyes twinkling.

“I do just fine without a wife, and if you’re so all-fired ready to start ranching, then go ahead, and don’t let the door hit you in the back as you leave! What I do or don’t do about a wife is my business, not yours.” Jess drew closer and poked Zach in the chest with his finger. “Understand?”

“Would you just calm down a minute and listen to reason? I’m trying to help you. You’re so distracted with running this place and making everyone happy that you don’t give yourself a passing thought. I took it upon myself to help you out by placing an ad for a bride—actually, two. I thought if you had two to pick from, that would make it easy.”

Jess closed his eyes briefly and shook his head. “Why didn’t you just ask me about your idea?”

“’Cause you would’ve said no.” Zach swallowed the bite of cheese and reached for another, but Jess stopped him.

“Would you quit that while we’re having a serious discussion?” Jess wanted to smack him upside the head. But then he had to admit that Zach was right—he never would take the time to find a wife. Men outnumbered the women in Central City five to one, so it was unlikely he’d ever find a single woman to his liking. Men clamored over every female as soon as they stepped foot off the train. During the winter the passes were closed, so they were basically shut off for a few months at a time.

Zach wiped his hands on his apron. “Sorry. But would you just relax? I think this will all work out, and these two ladies are eager for a husband and are willing to work in the store until you decide between the two of ’em. You can kill two birds with one stone, so to speak.”

“If—and I mean
if
—I decide to go along with this nutty idea, I certainly won’t be courting that outspoken one. In fact,
you
can court one of them!”

“Me?” Zach cocked an eyebrow.

Zach’s look of surprise gave Jess a momentary feeling of elation. “Yes, Zach. I’m just giving you a taste of your own medicine.” Jess smiled, thinking Zach’s little plan had backfired. He knew that Zach wasn’t interested in marriage until he got his ranch established.

“Does that mean you’ll let them stay and work in the store?”

Jess scratched the stubble on his face. He hadn’t taken time to shave this morning. Had he known two pretty ladies would arrive to meet him, he would’ve been more motivated to clean up a bit. He wondered what their first impression of him was. Against his better judgment, he found himself answering, “I’ll give it a try, but not for you—for those poor ladies who traveled here on my account.”

Zach slid down from the table, clapping his brother on the back. “That’s more like it!”

“Don’t get too excited. It’ll only be for one month.”

“One month?”

Jess shrugged. “Take it or leave it. This was your harebrained idea, after all.”

“Oh, all right.” Zach muttered something under his breath as he walked toward the front of the store, then paused. “I promise you, Jess, you won’t regret it.”

“We’ll see about that, won’t we?” Jess watched his brother saunter back to the two waiting brides and their customers. What had he just gotten himself into?

Heaven help me!

5

Jess walked to the counter and grabbed the list he’d originally started working on before his surprise interruption. This latest shenanigan of his brother’s had really been over the top.

He kept one ear cocked to Zach’s exchange with the ladies while he perused Cole’s list. The one called Cora was pretty with her dark hair and deep-set eyes. She seemed more soft-spoken than the other lady, Greta, who was tall with blonde hair and a flawless complexion. But what struck him besides Greta’s outspokenness was the brilliance of her cornflower-blue eyes—they were searching and knowing. Just the kind of critical vision that he needed to avoid. He watched as she fingered a gold locket hanging against her bosom. Something clicked in his memory about a locket, but he couldn’t remember exactly what. Many women wore fashionable lockets nowadays. He even stocked several in the broad glass case in the store. Still . . .

Jess watched as his brother escorted the women to the storage area, to give them aprons, no doubt. As they walked past him, Cora seemed nervous, but Greta looked directly at him, flashing a mischievous smile.

“You can store your things right here,” Jess heard Zach inform them, then their voices faded into the background.

Silas strode over to Jess. “Jess, I think we’ve found all we came for this morning. Mind giving me a total?” Annabelle and little Sue were right behind him.

“Of course. I see you found the perfect pair of boots for Sue. Where did your boys get off to?” Jess said as he tallied the items.

“Annabelle sent them back outside to run off some of their energy. They would only make more of a mess than you already have here,” Silas teased.

“Aw, it’s not that bad. Is it?” Jess was beginning to believe Silas and his brother thought alike.

Silas only gave him a wry smile, then winked at Annabelle.

Greta emerged from the storage room. “I can see how easily that type of mess could happen, but not for long. I’ll help Mr. Gifford get things more organized around here, Mr. . . . er . . .” She stuck her hand out. “As you heard Zach say, I’m Greta Olsen.”

Silas shook her hand. “I’m Silas Mead. Nice to meet you, ma’am. And this here,” he indicated with a sweep of his large hand, “is my wife Annabelle and our daughter Sue.”

“I’ve never met a mail-order bride before. You have an accent.” Annabelle nodded.

“I’m from Amsterdam.” Greta gave Annabelle a cordial smile. Jess couldn’t help but wonder,
Is she always this happy?
Jess considered himself a cheerful person. But most women he knew were moody. Happy one minute and cantankerous the next.

“Oh my! Such a long way from home.” Annabelle pursed her lips together in surprise.

Jess knew that nosy Annabelle would try to dig as much information as she could from Greta, who would probably not even notice that she’d been interrogated.

“Not really. I’ve been here for more than a year. I traveled from my sister’s home in Wyoming.”

“I see.” Annabelle’s eyebrows arched upward. “Welcome to Central City.”

Greta leaned down to Sue. “It’s nice to meet you, Sue. I see you’re going to have a nice pair of sturdy snow boots for school, but perhaps I can help you find something more appropriate to wear when it’s nice out. What do you say?”

Sue looked at her mother, who nodded, then turned back to Greta. “I’d like that, Miss Greta.”

Greta took the little girl’s hand, and they traipsed off in the direction of the shoe department, such as it was, between the crowded aisles.

Annabelle turned back to Jess and Silas. “What a nice young woman you’ve hired, Jess. I’m sure she’ll be a big help to you.”

Jess didn’t say a word as he wrapped their supplies in brown paper. Who did that woman think she was? One pair of boots for an elementary-school girl was sufficient! And what did she mean by “organize”? Jess was as organized as he wanted to be. He didn’t need anyone to go rearranging things in his store. He could lay hands on any item desired by the clientele . . . most of the time.

Zach returned with Cora and said to Silas and Annabelle, “Greta and Cora will be working for Jess for a while.”

His comment set Jess’s teeth on edge as the couple stared at him. He noticed Cora’s long lashes as she glanced down at her hands, saying nothing.

“You’ve got two right purty gals to choose from, Jess. It might be a tough decision.” Silas counted out the money for his supplies, and Annabelle picked up the package.

“Don’t you want to wait and see what Greta talks you into buying for Sue?” Jess asked.

“Oh, I plumb forgot. Annabelle, you’d better go see what she’s showing Sue. Not that I’ll buy it, that’s for sure.”

Annabelle handed him the package. “Stay put, Silas. I have a feeling you won’t be able to talk Sue out of another pair of shoes. She could always use them for church or warmer weather.”