Two Brides Too Many (31 page)

Kat gave up on the letter and walked to the bucket full of dirty dishes. She’d just stuck her hand in the soapy water when she heard the sound of wheels churning rocks out front.

“Someone’s here.” Nell rose from the rocker and left her stitching hanging on the arm of the chair.

Kat nodded. “It’s not Boney this time, unless he traded his mule for a wagon.” She dried her hands on her apron while Nell pulled a corner of the curtain back and peeked outside.

“Oh.” A smile lit her sister’s blue eyes as she unlatched the door and pulled it open.

Kat expected to see Judson standing there, but it was Morgan who stood on the small porch. He held a single yellow rose—its vibrancy surpassed only by the brightness of his smile.

“Morgan?”

“Good evening, Kat. Nell. I must get back to work, but I thought you might need this.” He held the flower out to her.

As Kat reached for it, the little finger on her left hand brushed his thumb, sending a blissful shiver down her spine.

“Thank you.” She leaned forward and sniffed the rose. “But what’s the occasion?”

“I’m looking forward to our picnic.” His dimple deepened with his smile.

“I am too,” she said. She wished she had a plate of fresh-baked cookies to give him in return, but she supposed she’d have plenty of other opportunities.

“Have a good night, and I’ll see you tomorrow, picnic basket in hand.”

“Good night.” She closed the door and looked around the room. None of the other flowers spoke to her soul as this one yellow rose did. And Kat desperately desired a future with the man who delivered it.

A private picnic that he was looking forward to was a promising start.

F
ORTY

K
at woke early Saturday morning and looked out the window. The early morning sun was just peeking up over the mountains. The sky was clear, and the air was already starting to warm. It was perfect picnic weather.

“Do you think I look all right?” Kat twirled, and her long skirt swished around her feet.

Nell stilled the broom in front of the stove and studied her. “You look beautiful. And I think that green cotton is his favorite of your dresses. I don’t think he noticed anything else in Hattie’s parlor the last time you wore it.”

That’s why she’d chosen it. Kat lifted the jelly jar containing Morgan’s rose from the top of her trunk and breathed in the sweet fragrance of the bud.

“If the man doesn’t get here soon, you’re going to wear out your sniffer.” Nell crinkled her nose.

Kat giggled. “One rose, and I’m a goner.”

“Don’t be silly. You were a goner long before he arrived with that rose.”

“It probably started the night he came to the boardinghouse to take care of Rosita and had her put the scope in HopHop’s ear.”

Nell nodded. “That was a tender moment.” She bent and swept her pile of dirt and lint into a dustpan. “He was so good with her. He’d be a good father.”

“That is, if he still wants children. He didn’t just lose his wife, but a son too.”

“People heal, Kat.” Nell emptied the dustpan into a trash bucket and looked at Kat. A look of admiration lit her eyes. “Just look at you—you’ve made this place a home. And you’re well on your way to becoming a famous writer.”

“Famous, huh? I may be the writer, but you’re the dreamer.”

“Famous or not, you’re a living example of a person who is healing from hurt.”

The sound of a horse’s hooves grating against rocks drew their attention to the window. Morgan’s buggy bumped its way up the road, and Kat pulled her cream-colored shawl from a hook by the door.

Please, Father. I want Morgan to be a living example of a person who is healing too
.

Five minutes later, Morgan offered her his hand and helped Kat into the buggy. As she climbed in, she spied the picnic basket nestled on a quilt under her seat.

Morgan eased in beside her and took the reins. “Do you and Nell have everything ready for the wedding next weekend?”

“I think so. We should—it’s about all we’ve discussed.” That, and
a certain man and a yellow rose. A man with moral conviction and spiritual devotion whose smile caused palpitations.

Morgan guided his horse down to Eaton Avenue and turned left as if he were going to the hospital.

“Where are we going? Do you have a patient to see before we head to Tenderfoot Hill?”

Morgan stared at her. It seemed he was studying her lips, but it may just have been wishful thinking on her part.

“I thought we’d save that spot for another day.” Pulling up on the reins, he stopped in front of a vacant lot with sticks and twine stretched out across it. “I have something I want to show you.” After he helped her out of his buggy, he reached for the basket.

Kat looked down at her dress, then at the sticks. They were going to picnic on dirt?

Morgan handed her the basket and pulled the quilt from his buggy. “We’re celebrating new beginnings today.”

“We are?” Kat followed him to the edge of the strange pattern of sticks and twine. She was curious to find out what he was talking about, but no doubt it had something to do with Judson and Nell.

Morgan unfolded the quilt and laid it on a smooth piece of ground inside the perimeter of sticks. Then he took the basket and set it on a corner. “Kat, take a good look around you, because you’re looking at my property.”

Kat gazed around the empty lot.

“Remember hearing about the man who lost his leg in one of the explosions last month—Ethan Goeke?”

“We prayed for him. He’d lost his house and his job.”

He pulled a piece of paper from his pocket. “This was his land.”

“You bought it?” Kat leaned forward, trying to make out the writing on the paper.

“He tucked the deed into a thank-you letter and gave it to me. Actually he’d given it to Sister Coleman and she delivered it to me.”

Kat studied the panorama. Located on The Hill on Carr at Fourth Street, Morgan’s property overlooked Cripple Creek, with clear views of Mount Pisgah to the northwest and Tenderfoot Hill to the northeast. A ribbon of afternoon sunlight showcased the frosted Rocky Mountains to the west. Taking in a deep breath, she fought the urge to picture herself here with Morgan, enjoying the views for the rest of her life.

She turned back toward him and saw that his attention was fixed on her, not on the vistas. He captured her hand, and her breath right along with it. “I’m building a house here, Kat.”

She moistened her lips. “It’s a perfect location. Close to the heart of town, but not smack dab in the middle of it. Only a few blocks from the hospital.”

“I really like it here, but I could use your help.”

She laughed. “What, you need someone to hold a shotgun on the builders?”

He rewarded her wit with a baritone chuckle. Laughter deepened his dimple.

“That’s not exactly what I had in mind. Not at all what I had in mind, in fact. I was hoping you could help me with the design.” He let go of her hand and opened the sheet of paper. “This is a rough sketch.”

“The big cookstove will go in here.” He pointed to a square on one edge of the drawing. “The house will have indoor plumbing and electric lights, of course.”

“That sounds wonderful.”

“And a porch with a railing and spindles.”

“I like it.”
Just one thing missing—me
.

Smiling, Morgan supported her elbow and led her over the twine to the quilt. He seated her first, and then sat down and removed his shoes. “We’re having our picnic in the parlor.”

Ah, that’s what the sticks and twine was all about—Morgan had laid out a floor plan.

Looking around, Kat tapped her chin. “The room could use a couple of walls, and maybe a sofa and a piano.”

His tender gaze made her glad she was sitting down. She feared her legs wouldn’t hold her up right now if she did try to stand.

“A big window would be nice on this wall for the view of the mountains.”

“There’ll be a nice big one in the dining room too.” Morgan pointed to a roped-off space directly across from them. But as he turned back around, his countenance became serious. “Do you mind if I ask you a personal question?”

She shook her head, suddenly unable to form words.

Morgan leaned forward and took her hands in his. “I was wondering if you would be willing to consider our relationship something other than a friendship. A courtship, perhaps?”

“I think that’d be a fine idea, now that we’re getting along.” She winked at him.

Her prayers had been answered. Morgan had changed his mind, at least about the possibility of marriage. She knew that meant he was on the road to recovery from the grief of losing his wife and son. And as she thought about it, she realized that her acceptance of the offer meant she was well on her way to her own recovery from hurt and loss.

F
ORTY
-O
NE

K
at tapped her toes to the music while Hattie stood in front of the phonograph, reading the telegram. A boy about Vivian’s age had delivered it to the cabin just moments before she and Nell left this morning.

“Oh, this is such wonderful news, dear.” Holding the telegram high in the air, Hattie wrapped Kat in a warm embrace. And for a moment, Kat pretended it was her own mother sharing in her joy.

“It is finally official. My sister is a real writer.” Nell beamed with pride, and Kat soaked it in.

“And
Harper’s Bazar.”
Soft wrinkles framed Hattie’s smile. “Oh, won’t Morgan be so pleased.”

Kat knew he would, and she couldn’t wait to tell him.

Hattie glanced up at the clock. “I know we need to go soon, but with all the talk about weddings and courtship, I wanted to show you girls the dress I wore when my George and I wed.” Her gray eyes glistened. “I’ll only be a minute.” Before Kat could suggest a later time, their dear friend scuttled up the stairs.

“We were so excited about the telegram that I forgot to tell her about my dress.” Concern creased Nell’s forehead. “I hope she won’t be too disappointed that I won’t be wearing hers on Saturday.”

“Now that she knows Morgan is courting me, she’s probably hoping I’ll wear it someday.” Kat lifted the needle off the phonograph, and she and Nell met Hattie at the bottom of the stairs.

Nell took the lovely two-piece dress from her and displayed it over her arm.

“It’s silk mull.” Hattie drew her bent fingers across the full skirt. “My mother made it for me. George’s chin nearly flopped to the floor when he looked up and saw me in it.”

“It’s beautiful.” Kat liked its simple yet elegant style. The shirtwaist was trimmed with a lace insertion and pintucking, and had three-quarter sleeves.

“As you can see, I’ve added some padding over the years.” Hattie laughed, and gazed at the dress. “I didn’t think it would suit you, Nell. I suspect you chose something with a bit more frill and pill.”

Kat smiled. “That describes her choice to the letter.”

“But I thought you might wear it, Kat. That is, if you’d want to.”

“I do.” As soon as the words left Kat’s mouth, she burst into laughter. Clearly, trying to hide her affection for Morgan was a futile exercise. She’d failed miserably.

Hopefully, the doctor was as astute as her two companions.