His Convenient Wife
His
Convenient
Wife
Ruth Ann Nordin
This is a work of fiction. The events and characters described herein are imaginary and are not intended to refer to specific places or living persons. The opinions expressed in this manuscript are solely the opinions of the author and also represent the opinions or thoughts of the publisher.
His Convenient Wife
All Rights Reserved.
Copyright 2014 Ruth Ann Nordin
V1.0
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Wedded Bliss Romances, LLC
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Table of Contents
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Epilogue
Other Historical Western Romances
Complete List of Romances
Where To Find Ruth Ann Nordin
Dedication: To Catherine Coleman Michel for being so incredibly sweet!
Chapter One
December 1907
Omaha, Nebraska
Harriett Larson stared at Stanley Craftsman, unable to believe him. Did he really just come out and propose to her? And on the front porch of her parents’ house of all places? Since her mother was in the kitchen and her brothers were helping her father in the barn, she was spared the embarrassment of anyone overhearing them.
She wrapped the shawl tighter around her shoulders and shook her head. “No.”
From where he stood in front of her, Stan blinked those light blue eyes that could even now render her helpless if she wasn’t careful. “No?”
“No,” she repeated, steeling her resolve at the flicker of disappointment that crossed his face. “While I sympathize with your situation, I’m not going to marry you.” Truly, he had a lot of nerve! Just because he couldn’t get any other woman to marry him so he could have a mother for the little girl he’d recently adopted, it wasn’t her problem. “You’ll have to ask someone else.”
His shoulders slumped. “I understand.” He placed his hat on his gorgeous blond hair that she often dreamt of running her hands through. “I’m sorry to have bothered you.”
She supposed she should go right back into the house, but she remained on the porch and watched him. He hopped up on his horse and trotted off the property scattered with patches of snow.
How often had she prayed he’d ask her to marry him? But in none of those prayers, did she ask she’d be his last choice. Gripping the doorknob, she opened the front door and went back into the house. She shouldn’t feel guilty. She had no reason to feel guilty. It wasn’t her fault he had rejected her all these years. He was just reaping what he’d sown.
She took off her shawl and hung it on the coat tree, her gaze going unwittingly to the window where she could see Stan in the distance. Shaking her head, she told herself to stop moping over him and headed down the hallway. Her steps slowed as she passed the parlor. How she wanted to talk to her twin sister, Rose. No matter how horrible she felt, Rose could always make her feel better, and more than anything, she wanted to talk to her. But Rose was married to Kent Ashton, which meant she wasn’t living here anymore.
With a sigh, she passed the parlor and went to the kitchen. Her mother was rolling out the dough for the pie she was making.
“Do you need help?” Harriett offered, tucking a few stray strands of blonde hair into her bun.
“No. I’m on my last one.” As Harriett scanned the kitchen for something to do, her ma asked, “Who was at the door?”
Her face grew warm in a mixture of humiliation and anger. “Stan.”
“Stan? Did he want to talk to your pa about the cattle?”
“No. He asked me to marry him.”
Her mother stopped rolling the dough and turned to face her. “He did?”
Noting the excited expression on her mother’s face, she groaned and leaned against the worktable. “It’s not as romantic as it sounds. He only asked because none of the other women he asked said yes and he needs a mother for the two-year-old girl he adopted.”
Her smile faltered. “I’m sorry, honey. That has to hurt.”
“It does.” Harriett swallowed and wiped a tear from her eye. “Do you know he proposed to Rose? He didn’t even mind that Kent was courting her at the time. I feel so foolish. I even bid on him in that stupid auction Uncle Joel had, and he wanted to invite Rose to eat with us. It took all of my strength not to hit him over the head with my basket.”
“Why didn’t you tell me what happened?” her mother asked as she stepped over to her and wiped her hands on her apron.
“There wasn’t anything you could do to change it.”
“No, I couldn’t, but I know the pain of rejection.” She hugged Harriett and rubbed her back in familiar soothing circular motions that always brought her great comfort. “Someday a man will come into your life who’ll adore you. You were right to tell Stan no. There’s no reason to settle for someone who’d rather be with someone else when you can have someone who wants you above all other women.”
“If only such a man would come into my life,” Harriett mused, feeling better.
“He will.” She pulled away from her and cupped her face in her hands. “You’ve got such a wonderful heart and a pretty face. Those are two things a smart man can’t resist.”
“You sound just like Rose.”
With a chuckle, her ma turned to grab an apron from the hook on the wall and handed it to her. “This house isn’t the same without her, is it?”
“No, it’s not. I used to get frustrated because she spent half her time daydreaming when there was work to be done. Then she’d spend her time finishing up the work rambling on about a book she’d recently read or telling me what the daydream was about. At the time, I used to think it’d be nice to have some quiet for a change.”
“And now you’d love nothing more than to hear her chatter?”
Nodding, Harriett slipped on her apron. “What a contradiction I am, huh?”
“No, you’re not a contradiction. Rose had a tendency to overwhelm all of us at one time or another, but it was also what we loved most about her. No matter how bad things looked, she managed to see the best in things.” She rolled her eyes as she grabbed a pot from a nearby shelf. “Listen to me talk. You’d swear she died instead of getting married.”
Harriett giggled and picked up the rolling pin. “Well, at least we can say she’s in a better place. You know she’s much happier living in that
huge house Kent gave her than being stuck with the lot of us.”
“Yes, she keeps saying she feels like a princess.”
“I suppose her life did turn out like a fairytale. The man of her dreams showed up out of nowhere and whisked her off to an enchanted place.”
Her mother poured some broth into the pot and gave her a sympathetic smile. “Your fairytale will come, honey. And it’ll probably come in a way you least expect it.”
She hoped so. It’d be wonderful if her prince charming would come along and take her to his enchanted home, even if that home was small and simple.
“Why don’t you take the buggy to Rose’s tomorrow and pay her a visit?”
Harriett’s heart leapt. “Really, Ma? You mean it?”
“Sure, as long as we don’t get more snow. Your pa said it’s pretty warm for this time of year, so he expects we’ll have nice weather tomorrow.”
On impulse, she hugged her mother. “Thanks, Ma.” Then she turned her attention to finishing the piecrust, already feeling much better.
***
“What did Harriett say?” Stan’s mother asked as he stepped into her house.
Stan took off his gloves and took his boots off. “She said no.”
She came over to him as he slipped out of his coat and hung it on the hook. “I’m sorry.”
“I can’t blame her. I would have said the same thing if I was her.”
“You would?”
He nodded and went to the kitchen where he plopped down in a chair, shoulders slumped. “Is Maggie sleeping?”
“Yes. The poor thing wore herself out with your pa. She wants to ride a horse in the worst way, but she’s not old enough so he had to keep pulling her away from the stalls. Finally, he took her for a ride in the fields and that made her happy.”
“She takes after Randy that way,” he thoughtfully stated, thinking of the girl’s father.
His mother brought him a cup of coffee and sat across from him. “I think it’s a wonderful thing you’re doing, taking care of Maggie and all.”
He looked away from her and sipped the liquid, oblivious to how hot it was. He owed it to Randy to raise her. If it hadn’t been for his carelessness, Randy would still be alive today. They were trying to retrieve a stray cow on his property, and Randy worried the ground was slippery after the recent storm. Stan insisted the ground was fine and urged Randy to help him. But on their way down the hill, Randy’s horse lost his footing, and Randy fell to the ground and broke his neck.
Night after night for months, Stan replayed that day in his mind, wishing he could go back and do it all differently. The cow hadn’t been worth it. No amount of wishing got his friend back, and it took a long time before he’d been able to forgive himself.
“You didn’t answer my question,” his mother softly said, bringing his attention back to her. “Why would you reject your marriage proposal if you were in Harriett’s position?”
After taking another drink from his coffee, he sighed. “It was no secret that I was hoping to marry Rose. Besides, I proposed to Rose first, and Rose probably told her. What’s she supposed to think? She wasn’t my first choice, and what woman wants to marry someone knowing that?”
“I didn’t realize you proposed to Rose.”
“It was stupid. Kent was courting her. Why would she say yes?”
His mother held her cup and examined it, a thoughtful expression on her face. “We’ve all done stupid things. And as much as I hate to admit it, you’re right. Harriett did the right thing. I made the mistake of agreeing to marry a man who really wanted to marry my sister, and that was a miserable marriage. It wasn’t until I met your father that I realized what a mistake I’d made. If you’re worried about taking care of Maggie, your father and I will help. You won’t have to take on all the responsibility yourself.”
“I know. And I appreciate it.”
But it made him feel like a little boy instead of a twenty-one-year-old man who was old enough to support a family. He finally had a house and land of his own, but what good was it? He thought he was being smart by getting everything set up then seeking out a wife, but apparently, none of it mattered, not when he still needed his parents’ help.
Leaning forward, his mother squeezed his arm and offered him an encouraging smile. “You’ll find someone else you’ll want to marry. Just be patient.”
“You’re right. It’s best if I wait for the right woman.”
“It’ll be best for you and for her.”
He nodded and drank the rest of his coffee. “I should go out and help Pa before I take Maggie home.”
“Alright. I’ll let you know when she wakes up.”
Thanking her, he placed his cup in the sink and headed back outside. He wasn’t sure what the future would bring, but he’d made a promise to Randy that he’d raise Maggie as his own, and he would do everything he could to fulfill it. The wife, if there ever was one, would have to wait.
***
“Harriett, I’m so glad you’re here!” Rose gasped as she pulled her sister in for a long hug.
Harriett laughed and patted her back. “By the way you’re welcoming me, I’d swear we haven’t seen each other in years.”
Giggling, Rose let go of her and encouraged her to enter her manor. “Is Ma coming in, too?” She motioned to their mother who was sitting in the buggy.
“She wants to visit with Aunt Sally first. Then she’ll come by.”
“Oh, alright.” Rose waved to their mother who returned the gesture before she urged the horse forward. The footman closed the door, and Rose gave a slight jump. Pressing her hand to her chest, she thanked the footman as he hung up Harriett’s coat. Then she led Harriett to the parlor. “I’m still not used to having servants around,” she whispered. “They’re so quiet. Sometimes I forget they’re even there.”
“Well, to be fair, you opened the door, not him.”
“Only because I saw you and Ma coming up the road. I’ve missed you so much that I had to be the one to greet you.”
They sat on a settee and Harriett shot her a teasing grin. “Why don’t you leave your husband and return home? Then you won’t have to miss me anymore.”
“Oh, Harriett. You can’t be serious. You know I love Kent. I could never leave him.”
“What a shame.”
“I did read a book once where a woman left her husband. And do you know why she left him? Because she was tired of listening to his boring conversations.”
“It sounds like a dreadful story.”
“It was actually comical. The whole time I read it, I couldn’t stop laughing.”
“But she left him.”
“Only to come back. She realized she loved him, faults and all.”
“Well, that’s good.” At least this was one of the stories with a happy ending.
“So tell me, how are things with our family?”
The butler brought in some tea and scones then left them alone.
As Rose poured the tea, Harriett shrugged. “There’s not much to tell, really. Ma’s still making her delicious pies. Pa’s still going around bragging about her. Adam’s making some animals from the woodcarvings he does. Eli’s been playing the piano. He’s hoping to get as good as Kent someday.”
“He’ll succeed if he keeps it up.” She handed her a cup of tea then poured herself a cup. “I love listening to Kent. He plays happier songs these days, which is good. Those sad ones he used to play just tore at my heart.”
“You give him a reason to play happy songs. I remember when we first met him. He rarely ever smiled. Now every time I see him, he can’t stop grinning like a schoolboy in love.”
“I knew he’d be happy with me. That’s why I pursued him as hard as I did. And you and Adam thought I was being foolish.”
“You have to admit it seemed like he’d never marry you at the time.”
Rose sipped her tea and held a scone out to her. “It just goes to show that when you fight for something, good things happen. N
ow, tell me what’s going on with you? You mentioned everyone else and how they are, but how are you doing?”
With a shrug, Harriett took the scone and bit into it, purposely taking her time so she wouldn’t have to look her sister in the eye. Rose was much too perceptive about things. “Fine. Life is the same as always. I help Ma around the house. Oh, I did come up with a new soup recipe. It has lots of potatoes and meat, the kind of thing Pa and Adam like a lot. They really enjoyed it.”
“Well, everything you make tastes delicious, so I’m not surprised. You got that talent from Ma.” After a moment, she added, “Is something bothering you?”
Harriett hesitated but finally nodded. “Yes, there is something that’s bothering me.” She faced her sister and finally made eye contact with her. “Stan asked me to marry him because he wants me to be a mother to the girl he adopted.”
Her eyes lit up with excitement. “He did?”
“But I said no.”
Her excitement dimmed. “You did?”
“You know I can’t marry him. He doesn’t love me. He loves you.”
“But I married Kent, and he’s had time to get over me. You should have said yes.”
“No, I shouldn’t have. Rose, even though he knows you married Kent, it doesn’t mean he wants to be with me. It just means no other woman he’s asked has said yes.”
“Did he say he asked other women?”
“No, but he didn’t need to. It only stands to reason that he did.”
“Not necessarily. Maybe he didn’t ask anyone else. You might be his second choice.”
Harriett grimaced. “If you’re trying to make me feel better, it’s not working.”
“I didn’t intend to be mean. I just meant that maybe he came to his senses and realized you’re the right one for him.”
“I doubt it.” When it looked like Rose was going to argue with her, Harriett groaned. “This is why I didn’t want to tell you. I knew you’d make up some fanciful thing about how Stan really wants me. He doesn’t want me, Rose. He never has and he never will. Yes, it upsets me, but I can’t marry him knowing he’d rather be with you. Maybe he only asked because I look like you and he figures that he can pretend I’m you. Or maybe he is desperate enough to pick anyone and chose me because all the other women he asked said no. Whatever the reason, I really don’t care. The point is, I didn’t degrade myself by saying yes. I deserve someone who wants me above all others.”