His Substitute Mail-Order Bride. Sherri Shackelford
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have every right to be angry with me.”
“I’m not angry, Anna. I’m frustrated. Have you ever been traveling along a path, only to find that nothing is turning out the way you expected?”
“I’ve had that sensation. Yes.”
A jolt spiked through him. That’s all he felt. Frustration. Not sadness or disappointment. Not heartbreak. If anything, he was annoyed. He and Susannah had struck a deal, and now she was changing the deal. He’d approached their relationship as though he was approaching a contract negotiation. They both wanted something the other had: Susannah had craved the security a husband could provide, and he’d wanted a family and children. While emotions were best left out of contract negotiations, they seeped into personal matters.
“I’m sorry,” he said. The weary note in Anna’s voice sent a pang of regret through him. “I shouldn’t have asked. You’re not in the middle of this any more than you were in the middle of what happened between Charlotte and me.”
“You don’t have to apologize.”
He’d been so young and naive with Charlotte. Anna had been even younger. They were a thousand days and a thousand miles from who’d they’d been all those years ago. He’d approached his relationship with Charlotte as an eager schoolboy, and he’d kept a level head with Susannah. Neither approach had saved him from disappointment.
Rehashing the past wasn’t doing either of them any good. “You said you needed a favor. How can I help?”
There was an exhausted slope to Anna’s shoulders that reminded him of the battle-hardened soldiers he’d met during the war. Her eyes spoke of a soul-deep sorrow, and his heart softened.
“I need a job.” She rushed ahead. “I’m a hard worker. I can cook and clean. I even assisted my late husband in his law office. I heard there’s a new hotel in town. Perhaps they need a maid? You must know people.”
He barely managed to hide his shock at her request. What catastrophe had forced her on this path? Her family had been quite well off. Had she fallen on hard times before or after her marriage? Why did that even matter? She was here now. Here and in need. Plenty of men had gained and lost fortunes while the country rebuilt. Following the war, more than one man had made imprudent investments.
“You’re exhausted,” he said. She was in no shape to clean hotel rooms. “We’ll settle everything after you’ve had a chance to rest.”
“Never mind. I shouldn’t have imposed.”
Russ flipped back the edge of his coat and planted one hand on his hip. The throbbing in his head intensified. He wasn’t putting her off. He was truly concerned about her current state. Why did she insist on reading the worst into his innocent words?
The deep creases around Anna’s eyes spoke of too little sleep and too much worry. She was fatigued beyond a lengthy train journey.
Russ looked at her for the first time. Really looked at her. A thousand tiny clues added together. Anna was widowed. She was riding the train on a borrowed ticket. She was too thin. She was desperate for a job but hadn’t gone to her sister for help.
Something had gone terribly wrong in her young life.
She was evading the real question, and though it pained him to push her, he craved answers. “I could better help you if you told me the truth.”
Why did Russ have to be so perceptive?
Pursing her lips, Anna pointed at the distant horizon. “Is that Cowboy Creek?”
“Yes.”
“It’s larger than I expected.”
“The train route helps. We have a thriving depot.”
“That’s nice.”
“I promise I only have your best interests in mind,” Russ said. “If you reconsider, and you’d like a friend, I’m here for you.”
She was desperately trying to evade his questions. Most men enjoyed talking about themselves. Why must he keep turning the conversation back to her?
“You know the truth.” She twisted a bonnet ribbon around her finger. “I’m a widow. I borrowed Susannah’s ticket. I need work. You know everything there is to know about me.”
Her pulse thrummed in her ears. Though she longed to confide in someone, she caught the words before they escaped. If he knew what they were saying about her in Philadelphia, he’d never agree to help. At best, he’d treat her with pity, at worst, derision. This was her one chance to start over. She didn’t have any other choice but to remain silent.
“Anna,” he began, “I don’t feel I know you at all. Not anymore.”
“All I need is a job reference,” she said. “Finding work benefits both of us. I’ll be able to repay the cost of the ticket sooner. Unless you’re uncomfortable. We haven’t seen each other in years, after all.”
“I’m happy to give you a reference. I’ll do whatever I can. You have to know that you can count on me for help.”
Anna narrowed her gaze. What if she was making a terrible mistake? Trusting the wrong man had led her down the path of destruction once before. What if he wanted something in repayment for helping her? She didn’t have much to give. Perhaps he was being charitable, or perhaps not. These past few years had her questioning everyone’s motives. Though he must know she had nothing to offer, she’d best be on her guard.
“Thank you,” she said. “I didn’t mean to sound surly.”
She’d take him at his word that he’d help her find a job. Nothing more. Cowboy Creek was her best chance at living free of the scandal, and she most certainly wasn’t confiding in anyone about her recent troubles. Especially Russ. With his past connections in Philadelphia, he could rip open the story before she had a chance to escape again.
“I understand pride, Anna.” He glanced at her askance. “Just remember that pride often comes before a fall.”
“Pride is not the problem.”
She had more important things to consider. Things like surviving to the next week, the next month, the next year. Pride was the least of her worries. The news in Philadelphia had shredded whatever vanity she might have possessed.
“Then I won’t press you,” Russ said.
Her heartbeat slowed to a normal rhythm once again. “Thank you.”
“We’re almost there. I’m sure you’ll want to rest after we’ve visited the doctor.”
For now, she’d be grateful for the things that had turned out well. At least she wasn’t stranded in the next town over. At least she’d made it this far. At least he didn’t know about the scandal. Yet.
He was suspicious of her. Sooner or later that skepticism was going to get the better of him, and he was going to make inquiries. He’d sent to Philadelphia for a bride, after all, which meant he kept in touch with people he knew there. How long could she hide? Once he mentioned their renewed acquaintance to his friends back east, someone was bound to share the salacious gossip. After all, it had only been three months since Edward’s death had made her a widow.
At least letters traveled slowly in this part of the country. Perhaps by the time he discovered her secret, she’d have enough money to relocate to another town.
“I don’t need a doctor,” she grumbled. “I just need a little rest.” She stifled a yawn. Lately, it felt as though no matter how much she slept, she still needed another hour or two.
Russ touched the gash on his forehead. “The doctor is for me.”
“I’m