Chapter Three

      William stood holding a niece on each hip. He stared at the group of five women, wondering if they had lost their minds. He could see one or even two of them being a little addled due to age, but all five?

      “We’re not asking you to move away, at least not right now. All we’re asking is that you consider Miss Rodgers as a future bride. She could help you with the girls, and she really is a sweet little thing,” Mrs. Harvey said as the others nodded their agreement.

      When the women had stopped him on the sidewalk in front of the bank and introduced themselves as his neighbors, he’d been happy to meet them; but now they were butting in where they didn’t belong, and he planned to put a stop to their meddling. “Look, ladies, I know you mean well, but I have no intentions of marrying Miss Rodgers or anyone else. Now if you will excuse me, I’m going home.” William thought they’d move to the side and let him pass.

      He thought wrong.

      Mrs. Orson put both hands on her chubby hips and demanded, “Why not? Those girls need a mama. If they had a mama, she’d know how to keep them quiet so a body could rest at night like God intended. Miss Rodgers comes from a large family. She’s perfect and knows how to take care of small children.”

      So that was it; they didn’t care about Miss Rodgers. They just wanted him to keep the girls quiet. Rose sucked her thumb with her head on his shoulder. Ruby’s chubby little hand played with the hair on the back of his neck. He returned his attention to the ladies. “You’re right, but I’m not the man to get one for them. I’m sorry we disturbed your sleep last night. I’ll try to keep them quieter.”

      “If you are going to stick around here, won’t you need a wife to take care of the children while you work?” Miss Cornwell asked in a quiet voice.

      The elderly woman did have a point. He’d need someone to help him take care of the girls but didn’t think the woman had to be his wife. Surely he could pay someone to watch Ruby and Rose.

      Thanks to his visit to the bank, William now knew that his grandmother’s house belonged to him and his sister, Mary. A lump formed in his throat as he thought of Mary. Now that she was gone, William would make sure that the girls would own the other half of the house. He’d made arrangements for his money from the sale of the mercantile to be transferred from the bank in Denver to the Granite bank. Then he’d walked over to the general store and asked about the job Miss Leland had mentioned the night before.

      Mr. Moore had eyed the girls and then agreed to give William the job. He’d asked William if he could work from ten in the morning until four in the afternoon, and William had agreed.

      “You ladies wouldn’t happen to know of any young ladies who would be willing to watch the girls while I work, would you?” He hoped the change of subject would sidetrack them enough to drop the idea of him marrying Miss Rodgers.

      Mrs. Orson sighed. “You got a job?”

      “Why, yes, ma’am, I did.” He looked directly at the sour-faced woman.

      She shook her head. “I see. The only lady I know of who is home during the day and able to keep up with two small children would be Miss Rodgers.” Mrs. Orson looked to the other women for agreement. “Emily Jane gets home around eight thirty every morning. Isn’t that right, ladies?”

      The group nodded. He could see the spark of joy and scheming in their eyes. William couldn’t believe he’d walked right into their plans for him and Emily Jane. Well, hiring the woman to watch the girls and marrying her to watch the girls were two very different things.

      Rose began to fuss at standing in place too long. Ruby decided it was time to join her sister in the protest, and she too began whining and trying to push out of his arms.

      “If you will excuse me, ladies, I need to get these wiggle worms home.”

      William took a step but stopped when Mrs. Green called to him.

      “Mr. Barns, you will check with Emily Jane about watching the girls, won’t you?” she inquired.

      “She is really good with young children. After all, she has had lots of practice,” Mrs. Harvey prompted.

      They were an insistent bunch, he’d give them that. He grinned at Mrs. Harvey. “I’ll ask her, and thank you for the recommendation.” William hurried down the sidewalk toward home but could still hear them as he walked away.

      “He really seems like a nice young man.”

      “I think he and Emily Jane would make a nice couple, don’t you, Lois?”

      “I do hope those girls settle down soon. I need my sleep,” another grumbled.

      “Well, after a woman gets her hands on them, I’m sure they will become little darlings, and Emily Jane is just the woman for the job,” Mrs. Orson said in a no-nonsense tone.

      Their voices faded as William hurried toward the house. As soon as he started walking again, the girls quieted down. They were already little darlings. He really didn’t see that having a woman in their lives would change them that much.

      Each girl laid her little head on his shoulder. It was a short walk to his grandmother’s house, now his and the girls’ new home. He reached for the doorknob and found a small cloth bag hanging on it.

      William ignored it; even though his curiosity was stirred, his hands were full. He carried the girls inside for a morning nap. After changing their diapers, he put them in their cradles. Thankfully, they curled up and went to sleep almost immediately.

      Tiptoeing from the bedroom, William sighed and closed the door. His gaze moved about the sitting room. Thanks to Miss Leland and Miss Rodgers, the house now looked and smelled fresh. Once they’d started cleaning the night before, they hadn’t stopped until the whole house shone.

      He remembered the bag on the front doorknob and went to retrieve it. The sweet scent of sugar and spice filled his nostrils. William pulled it open and saw two cookies inside. Had Emily Jane brought them over? Or perhaps another neighbor. Until he found out, William decided not to give them to the girls.

      After the racket the girls had made last night, it wouldn’t surprise him if one of the neighbors put a sleeping draft in the cookies. He grinned at the silliness of his thoughts. Still, he’d wait on giving them to the girls until he was sure they were safe.

      He walked over to a big chair and sank into its cushions, laying the cookie-filled bag on the side table. A yawn stretched his mouth wide. Nap time for the girls was one of his favorite times of the day. Often at night, one or both of them would wake up fussy. When was the last time he’d gotten a full night’s sleep? As his eyes drifted shut, William’s thoughts went to Emily Jane Rodgers. Would she watch the children? If so, he silently prayed she could get the girls into a regular sleeping routine.

      * * *

      Emily Jane pulled a fresh batch of oatmeal raisin cookies from the oven. She never tired of the baking smells that filled the kitchen. This recipe was no exception. She’d played with the ingredients a bit