An Unexpected Groom Read online

  To Jesse’s frustration, he wasn’t anywhere near enough to hear what they were saying. He wanted to sneak closer, but it was hard to be inconspicuous in a wheelchair. Instead, he moved behind a water trough and watched for fifteen more seconds as Ransom and the man spoke without acknowledging each other, until the man pushed away from the wall and walked out of sight towards the back of the saloon. Ransom looked around before heading in the opposite direction from Jesse, disappearing from sight around a corner.

  Jesse resumed his journey to the general store, thinking about what he’d seen. He was probably reading too much into it. Now he knew Ransom was a thief, he was suspecting everything the man did. But something about the whole exchange between the two, if they had in fact been talking to each other, struck him as odd.

  It didn’t matter anyway. It wasn’t like he could do anything about any of it. Right now he had more important things to deal with, like preparing the most perfect picnic ever made to woo the most perfect woman in the world.

  Chapter 18

  Louisa raised her hand to move a stray strand of hair into place then thought better of it. She’d opted for a softer style anyway and the errant curl suited it.

  She gently prised a few more loose then turned her head from side to side to check the effect in the mirror. Satisfied, she went to fetch her shawl from the bed.

  Her bonnet also lay on the bed and she stared at it for a few seconds before picking it up. Back home she would never have considered leaving the house without a hat, but now she was growing to hate the thing. She was far more comfortable without it, but it was Sunday and she was going to church. She couldn’t go to the Lord’s house without a bonnet.

  Her thoughts strayed back to the previous day. She hadn’t even taken a bonnet with her on the picnic and she hadn’t missed it one bit. Neither had Jesse, if the way his gaze repeatedly strayed to her hair was anything to go by. She loved it when he looked at her like that. She probably shouldn’t, but she did.

  At a knock on the front door she grabbed her reticule and Bible and hurried through to the hallway. Her heart did its usual skip when she opened the door to Jesse’s smile.

  He cocked his head to one side, his eyes travelling slowly down to her feet. “I know I’ve seen the skirt, you wore it on Monday, but I’m not sure about the blouse.”

  She laughed. “Are you writing everything I wear down?”

  “Don’t need to. Every day I look forward to seeing what new and wonderful outfit you have on. It’s one of the highlights of my day.”

  That was going to be a problem. She’d worn just about everything she owned now. “I don’t have that much more to wear that you haven’t seen.”

  “In eight trunks? What’s in the rest of them?”

  She looked down. “I mean I don’t have much more that I can reach. The trunks are all piled up in my bedroom. I can only get to a couple of them to open.” That was more or less true.

  He shrugged. “I can wait. And it’s no hardship seeing things more than once. Just means I get to enjoy how beautiful you look in them all over again.”

  Her cheeks heated and she couldn’t hide her smile. “You’re going to make me conceited.”

  “That’s a price I’ll just have to pay. Are you ready to go?”

  “Almost.”

  She glanced outside to check no one else was around then leaned down to kiss him, lingering against his lips for somewhat longer than she’d initially intended. When she straightened again, his mouth was hanging open.

  “Shall we go?”

  His jaw still slack, he nodded. “Uh huh. Where are we going again?”

  ~ ~ ~

  Pastor Jones’ sermon was on the prodigal son. It was a story Louisa had heard many times before so was one of the few parts of the Bible with which she was familiar, but with having only just begun getting to know her heavenly Father again, it resonated with her more than ever.

  She couldn’t help wondering if God had inspired the pastor to speak on that particular subject for her. The thought that He would do such a thing was both new and wondrous. God, the Maker of heaven and earth, who flung the stars into place and created enormous mountains and fathomless seas, was speaking to her. And even more amazingly, He was telling her that despite all the years she’d spent ignoring Him, He loved her and accepted her and was welcoming her home.

  At one point she had to dab at her eyes with her handkerchief and Jesse reached over to touch her hand, looking worried. She smiled and turned her hand over to give his a reassuring squeeze. She wasn’t sad, she was very happy indeed.

  At the close of the service Mrs Jones came over and sat beside Louisa. “Simon and I have been invited to spend the afternoon with friends, so you’ll have the house to yourself. I was thinking you could invite Sara, Amy, Lizzy and Jo to join you for lunch.” She glanced over to where Sara and Amy were sitting near the back of the church. “It might be good for you to get together. Provide a bit of support for each other.”

  Louisa looked at Jesse. “I know your parents invited us to lunch again...”

  He waved a dismissive hand and smiled. “They’ll make do with just me. It’s a great idea. I know I’m irresistible, but you’ll just have to tear yourself away from me this once.”

  “However will you manage?” Mrs Jones said to Louisa with a smile. Standing, she patted her shoulder and ruffled Jesse’s hair. “Have a good afternoon both of you.”

  Jesse smoothed his hair as she walked away into the crowd. “If any of your friends need help getting home, we can give them a ride in my pa’s wagon.”

  Louisa dragged her eyes from the strands of golden-brown hair sliding through his fingers. “I’m sorry, what did you say?”

  He lowered his hands, his lips curling into a knowing smile. “I can take Sara, Lizzy and Jo home, if they need a ride.”

  “Oh, thank you. That’s very kind of you.”

  “And afterwards we could go somewhere, if you’re not too tired.”

  She’d been thinking that very thing herself. “I’m sure I won’t be.”

  ~ ~ ~

  Louisa tried to play hostess when they reached the house, but the others were having none of it.

  “But it’s my home, sort of,” she protested as Amy, Jo, Sara and Lizzy swept into the kitchen and began opening cupboards and pulling out cooking utensils and pots and pans. “I should be serving you all.”

  “Nonsense,” Sara said. “We’re all in this together, even when it comes to getting lunch. Now where is the mixing bowl?”

  Within twenty minutes the meal was cooking, including a cake for dessert made by Lizzy, and the five of them were gathered in the parlour. Louisa ached for each of her friends as they told their stories. It seemed very little was working out as they’d anticipated, for any of them. As she listened to Amy’s reasons for coming and her confusion over what to do now, Sara’s problems with Daniel since his accident, Lizzy’s distress over the behaviour of her husband, and Jo’s unhappiness with hers, Louisa came to realise something - of all of them, she was perhaps the happiest and most settled with Jesse. And yet she was one who was considering returning home.

  When it came to her turn to tell the others about how things had gone in the nine days since they’d arrived, she almost felt guilty at her situation not being worse. What right did she have to doubt her parents when Amy had grown up without a family? How could she be unhappy that the town wasn’t larger when Jo was living so far away from it, more or less alone? What did she have to complain about when Jesse lavished her with attention while Lizzy’s husband barely even spoke to her? Of what consequence was Jesse’s disability that barely slowed him down when Sara’s husband was coping so badly with his own? And yet, when she told them about it all they were as supportive and loving as if she’d been subjected to the worst of everything.

  “I’m sorry,” she said, wiping at a stray tear, “I feel like such a fool. Jesse’s the most wonderful man and I adore him and I couldn’t ask for anything more, bu
t I’m still doubting.”

  Sara took hold of her hand. “You mustn’t feel bad about that. We’ve been here nine days. I know a lot can happen in nine days, and it has, but we’re not going to just forget about our lives before we came. I miss my family every day and I know we all do.”

  “Yes!” Lizzy nodded emphatically.

  “It’s completely understandable you’d be unsure of what to do,” Amy said. “And I’m sure Jesse understands it too, seeing as, from what you’ve told us of him, he is the most handsome, caring, perfect man on the face of the earth.”

  Louisa smiled. “I may have got a little carried away. I didn’t lie though. Does that sound like I’m boasting?”

  Jo rolled her eyes. “If I had a gorgeous, loving, charming, funny, and all the other things you called him man enamoured with me, I’d be boasting too. Tell us again about when you saw him without his shirt on?”

  Sara elbowed her side. “You’re terrible.”

  “Actually,” Lizzy said, leaning forward and resting her chin in both hands, “I wouldn’t mind hearing that part again either.”

  The sound of everyone’s laughter filled Louisa’s heart with gladness. This was what she’d always imagined having close friends would be like. “I love you all so much.”

  “Oh, stop,” Lizzy said, fanning her face with her hand. “You’ll make me cry again.”

  ~ ~ ~

  “Where should I go?” Jesse said as they approached Lizzy’s house.

  “Around to the back is good,” she replied.

  They’d already taken Sara home and Jo had brought her own buggy to church, so Lizzy was the last for Louisa and Jesse to drop off. The five friends had stayed at the Jones’ house for a long time after lunch and it was now approaching five in the afternoon.

  Jesse circled his father’s wagon around the house, following Lizzy’s directions and coming to a halt in the yard at the back.

  Louisa gazed up at the white clapboard, two storey home, impressed. It was bigger than she was expecting, with a range of outbuildings and views to the distant mountains. “This is very nice.”

  Lizzy rose up onto her knees in the wagon bed and leaned her arms on the back of the seat between her and Jesse. “It’s lovely inside, not that I’ve had anything to do with that. Mrs Lassiter takes care of everything, but it’s her day off today. Would you like to come in and look around? I could make us something. Last week when I got the kitchen to myself I baked three different types of cake.”

  Louisa glanced at Jesse. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to spend more time with her friend, but she and Jesse hadn’t had any time alone all day. She was itching to feel his arms around her.

  Apparently her feelings showed because Lizzy said, “Or the two of you could leave now, which would give you a good two hours before dark for you to take a ride, see the countryside, talk.” She looked down at her fingertip tracing a knot in the wood of the seat between them. “Kiss.”

  Louisa gasped in shock, partly at Lizzy’s lack of subtlety, but mostly because she’d been thinking exactly that. “Lizzy!”

  She raised her eyes, affecting a look of innocence. “Yes?”

  Jesse snorted, covering his mouth to smother his laughter.

  Louisa attempted to admonish him with a look, but the smile fighting to break onto her face made it extremely difficult.

  “Well,” Lizzy said, standing, “my work here is done.”

  Jesse took advantage of the time it took her to climb down from the back of the wagon and grabbed Louisa’s hand, kissing the back quickly then releasing it as Lizzy walked around to the front.

  Louisa had to stop herself from giggling.

  “Have a good afternoon,” Lizzy said, smiling. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

  “What wouldn’t you do?” Jesse said.

  Louisa leaned over to nudge his shoulder with hers. “Don’t encourage her.”

  A teasing look slid onto his face. “But I need to know where the boundaries are.”

  She lowered her chin and looked up at him, batting her eyelashes. “I’ll let you know.”

  His smile faded, his eyes widening at her blatant flirting in front of another person. She loved being able to surprise him.

  Lizzy exclaimed a loud “Ha!” which had May and June giving her a look. She reached out to pat May, the closer of the two horses. “Sorry.”

  Louisa waved to her as they pulled out of the yard, turning to the front when she was out of sight. “Do you know Richard Shand well?”

  Jesse nudged the horses into a fast walk. “Only in passing. He hasn’t been here long, about five years maybe. I don’t think he spends much time in town. Why? Is everything all right between the two of them?”

  “I don’t know. Lizzy’s having some difficulties. I just wondered what kind of man he is.”

  He glanced at her, looking worried. “Does she need help? Is she safe?”

  “Oh yes, she’s safe,” she said quickly, not wanting him to get the wrong idea. “It’s nothing like that. They just aren’t really connecting.”

  “Well, I haven’t heard anything bad about him, but that’s about all I can say.”

  She shuffled along the seat closer to him and he wrapped his arm around her, turning his head to press a kiss to her temple.

  She leaned her head against his shoulder and sighed in contentment. She wished Lizzy could feel this way with Richard. She wished every woman could find a man who gave her the kind of happiness she felt with Jesse.

  A vision came to her of another woman taking her place in his arms after she left, experiencing the bliss with him that was now hers. Such intense jealousy welled up inside her that for a few moments she couldn’t breathe.

  At the sudden tension in her body, he dipped his head to look into her face. “You okay?”

  She forced the image away and willed herself back to the present, where she was the one he held, the one he wanted to be with, the one he gave his kisses to. “I’m fine. Where are we going?”

  He searched her eyes for a second more before brushing a soft kiss onto her forehead and looking back at the road in front of them. “I thought we’d go where we can watch the sunset. I think it’s going to be a good one tonight.”

  She looked up into the sky where fluffy white clouds drifted beneath cotton-like wisps.

  “I also thought it would be a good place to follow Lizzy’s suggestion about the kissing,” he said, “seeing as it’s usually quiet there, no one else around.”

  Louisa settled her head back onto his shoulder. “Sounds like a good idea to me.”

  ~ ~ ~

  Louisa snuggled back into the pillows behind her and marvelled at the glowing pinks and oranges and purples blazing across the sky over the town below. It was the perfect place to watch the sunset.

  “Comfortable?”

  She rested her head against Jesse’s chest and smiled. “Mm hmm.”

  For a while the only sounds around them on the hilltop were birds chattering in a stand of trees a little way away and the tearing of grass as May and June grazed.

  They’d been there for around an hour, cuddled together in the back of the wagon on the blankets and pillows Jesse had thoughtfully brought. There’d been comfortable silences, easy conversation, and kissing. How Louisa loved the kissing. She was mystified as to how she’d survived twenty-three years never having been kissed, but then again, she was glad her first had been Jesse. Right now she couldn’t imagine ever wanting to kiss anyone else.

  “I’m going to tell Mr Vernon about Ransom tomorrow morning,” he said into the silence.

  She lifted her head to look into his face. “What do you think he’ll do?”

  He gave her a small smile, but it couldn’t disguise the apprehension clouding his eyes. “I have no idea. I don’t even know if he’ll believe me without proof.”

  She huffed out a frustrated sigh. “I wish I could somehow have got something, but it was hard enough to get those people to admit to what Ransom had
done. They all think he was being extra kind and risking his job for them.”

  “They trust him. He’s official. He works for the bank and folks trust the bank. Apart from those who wouldn’t go near one. I used to think people like that were being paranoid, but now I think maybe they have the right idea.”

  She hated seeing Jesse worried like this. It hurt her deep inside in a way that made her want to do anything to help him, no matter what it cost her. It was a little frightening, the way she cared about him, but it also made her happier than she’d ever dreamed possible.

  “Is there anything I can do?”

  He brushed an errant lock of hair back from her face, the touch of his fingertips sending warmth through her skin. “You’ve already done so much. I wouldn’t even know any of this if it wasn’t for you. You’ve been amazing, but only I can do this part.”

  She stretched up to kiss his lips then lay her head back down onto his chest, returning her gaze to the sunset. “I’m here if you need me. And I’ll be praying for you.”

  He took her hand and entwined their fingers, tightening his arm around her. “Thank you. For everything.”

  Chapter 19

  The knock took Jesse by surprise.

  He didn’t usually get visitors this early, not since Luke hit puberty and went from being exceptionally energetic in the mornings, wanting to spend time with his big brother before school started, to barely able to drag himself out of bed. Jesse didn’t miss being woken at some terrible hour of the morning when the sun was barely up, but he did miss the time with his brother. But that was what happened when children grew up, he supposed. One day he’d have his own and the cycle would start over again. He was looking forward to that day.

  He patted his face dry and grabbed his shirt, smiling at the thought of being woken by a little auburn-haired girl bouncing onto his bed.

  Figuring it had to be one of his family at the door, he barely took the time to shrug his shirt onto his arms before opening it.