Chapter 6   

Connor sat at his desk, thumbing through the latest batch of wanted posters he’d received in the mail. He was having a hard time focusing because he kept wondering how the twins were faring with Jamie. He’d seen one of them sweeping the walkway in front of the store, but he wasn’t sure if it was Katie or Keeley. He didn’t know if the same gal went to the store yesterday and today and was merely using the name Daisy one day and Lark the next, or if the gals were actually trading off. Wouldn’t it be more likely that Keeley would be working with Brian since she was his intended?

He tapped his fingers on his desk. Connor didn’t like a mystery he couldn’t solve, like which twin was which. He and Brian needed more time with them. If he could study them for a bit in the sunshine, he felt certain there would be some distinguishing feature to help him tell one from the other. Of course, that still didn’t tell him who was who, but first things first. It was time he and Brian took the gals on a picnic. Connor rose just as a ruckus sounded outside.

The door opened, and three of the town’s busybodies attempted to squeeze through the doorway all at once. He pursed his lips to keep from grinning at the comical site. Mrs. Abernathy was big enough that she needed to turn sideways to get in.

“Stop it. You hear me? Quit your pushing,” Mrs. Sherwood hollered. “This was my idea, so I should go first.”

“Quit yanking on my arm,” Mrs. Fennimore fussed. “It’s so dark in there, I cain’t see a thang.”

Bertha Abernathy, the most respectable of the trio, backed up while the other two wrestled their way in. Connor leaned his hip against his desk, bracing himself to be lambasted for whatever offense he or someone else had committed. Whatever it was, it sure had ruffled their feathers.

Once inside, the ladies preened, shifting shawls, adjusting hats, and smoothing out their dresses. Finally, Mrs. Sherwood cleared her throat and looked straight at him. “We heard about poor Mrs. Thurman and her sweet babe.” She eyeballed him and lifted her chin. “We think it’s a travesty that you’ve left that innocent orphan—bless his heart—in the care of those two foreign women who are playing games with your emotions. Why, you don’t even know their real names.” As if to emphasize her words, she frowned, made a tsk sound with her tongue, and gave a single shake of her head.

He knew them as Daisy and Lark. “I do know their names, not that it’s any of your business, and both women are perfectly capable of caring for Jamie for now.”

“What do you mean by ‘for now’?” Mrs. Abernathy was still winded from her march to his office.

“If I find a suitable family willing to adopt the boy, I’ll give him to them, as long as no relatives show up asking for him.”

“And in the meantime, who knows what them Irish gals are exposin’ him to. Are they even Christian?” Mrs. Fennimore adjusted her spectacles, as if trying to see him better.

Annoyed with her attack on the twins’ heritage and faith, he stood. All three women had to look up. He liked that fact. “I’m the law around here, and I see nothing wrong with leaving the boy with the Quinns.”

“Well, I never.” Mrs. Sherwood turned toward the door. “Let’s go, ladies. He’s not willing to listen to reason. We’ll just have to show our disagreement with his choice at the ballot box, come next election.”

Once the old hens had left, he shook his head. Every time he did something they didn’t like they threatened not to vote for him. He might as well walk over to his rented house and see how Jamie was faring—not that he had any doubts, but it was his job to make certain the boy was all right. The twins were strangers to the child, after all. Everybody was. Poor little guy.

As he reached his rented house, he heard Jamie crying. Connor knocked on the door and waited a long minute before it opened. Whichever twin she was looked at him with a frazzled expression. “Oh Connor. I don’t know what to do. He won’t stop crying.”

“Let me see him.” She willingly handed over the baby, whose wails only increased. “When did you feed him last?”

“Several hours ago.”

“Have you tried giving him a cracker or cookie?”

She shook her head. “I made some oatmeal, but he wouldn’t eat it.”

“Let’s try a cookie. Perhaps his teeth are coming in and are hurting. I’ve seen plenty of babies gnawing on things around town. It seems to help.”

“All right. We have a box of sugar wafers Brian gave us.” She brushed her hands down her apron and hurried to the kitchen. She fumbled to open the box then pulled out a cookie and handed it to Connor.

He held the wafer in front of the boy, and Jamie’s cries lessened. Connor pretended to take a bite then held the cookie near Jamie’s mouth. Jamie shook his head and reached for the twin. “Which gal are you?”

She took the baby. “Kee—” She looked up at him with wide brown eyes.

He knew she was frazzled to have let her guard down. A slow, victorious grin pulled at his lips.

Her eyes turned defiant. “But you don’t know if I’m Lark or Daisy.”

“That’s true.” A quick trot over to the store could solve that mystery.

She sighed. “I’m already tired of this ruse. It’s so awkward when we have to introduce ourselves to the people we meet. They’re suspicious of us because we aren’t using our real names.”

“That will pass. They’re more curious than anything. Brian and I grew up in this town, and many of the town mamas have tried to foist their daughters on us. It grew old years ago. That’s why we looked into getting mail-order brides.”

Her expression softened. “I’m sorry. Aunt Colleen had started inviting men she knew to dinner in hopes of us marrying one of them.”

“Why didn’t you?” He held up the wafer and waved it in front of Jamie. Finally, the boy reached out and snagged it. He put it in his mouth, sucked on it, then inhaled a shuddering breath through his nose.

She shrugged. “We didn’t want men who’d marry us merely for our looks. And we’d never been able to make any choices concerning our own lives. Becoming mail-order brides was our decision. And we both wanted to live someplace where it wasn’t cold and snowy. I just never realized how warm it was down here.”

Connor didn’t have the heart to tell her the heat of summer was yet to come. “It will help when you have some cooler clothing to wear.”

Her cheeks turned a dusty rose. She walked over and sat on the settee and placed Jamie beside her.

“He seems to like that cookie.” He took a seat in a chair angled to face the settee. “So, did you work in the store yesterday?”

“No. Katie is better suited for that. People make me nervous—at least when there’s a bunch of them asking questions.”

He leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “Won’t that be a problem if you marry Brian?”

She gazed at him with wide eyes then stared out the window.

What was she not saying? “You are going to marry him, aren’t you?”

Suddenly she jumped up and fled the room. Connor rose, unsure what to do or why she was so upset. He reached for the baby, and this time the kid let him pick him up. Connor walked partway across the room to where Keeley had disappeared. “I’m taking the boy with me for a while. It will give you a break and a chance for him to be outside.”

When she didn’t respond, Connor grabbed another cookie and headed out the door. He walked straight to the store, anxious to see Katie since he knew who she was. As he entered the mercantile, he was disappointed to find Katie helping a woman with some fabric. He located Brian in the storeroom.

His cousin looked up from the box of lanterns he was unpacking. “Hey, what brings you here, and how’d you get the baby?”

“Keeley was having a hard time. Guess he’s been fussy. Understandable, since everybody he sees is a stranger.”

“Aw, poor little fellow. I unpacked something today that he’d like.” Brian turned and rummaged through a pile of things on the counter then suddenly spun back around. “Keeley?”

Connor grinned. “Took you long enough.”

Brian moved closer, holding a shiny metal baby rattle. He shook it, and Jamie grinned and dropped his soggy cookie. He reached for the toy. “How did you learn her name?”

“Purely by accident. She was so frazzled because Jamie was crying that when I asked her name, she just plain said it.”

“So Daisy is Katie.” Brian frowned.

“Why does that upset you?” Jamie held the rattle up near Connor’s face, and he shook the toy, receiving a grin from the kid.

Brian sighed and looked away.

Connor could tell he was troubled. They never kept secrets from one another, so he knew his cousin would tell him sooner or later.

Brian walked over to the storeroom door and peeked into the mercantile. Then he spun around. “Let’s go outside.”

Connor shifted Jamie to his other arm and followed his cousin. He glanced down and grimaced at the cookie mess that slimed his shirt.

Brian sat down on the edge of the freight deck, and Connor joined him.

His cousin shook his head. “Daisy—uh Katie—does such a good job in the store, except for rearranging things. I thought for certain she was Keeley. Why would Katie come both days instead of her sister? You think Keeley is afraid of me?”

“Keeley told me she was more of an introvert, and that Katie was the outgoing one. Your customers intimidate Keeley.”

“Well, that’s a problem. Especially since …” He looked at Connor, eyes heavy with concern. “I seem to find myself attracted to Katie.”

Connor’s eyes widened for a second before he schooled his expression. “That could be a problem, except, well, I might be attracted to Keeley.”

“You are?” Brian straightened. “What are we going to do?”

Connor smiled as Jamie whacked him in the chest with the rattle. “I have a plan.”

Keeley tiptoed from the bedroom where she’d put Jamie down for a nap. She blew out a sigh as she entered the parlor. Today had been much easier than yesterday. Discovering that Jamie would eat some simple foods besides taking the bottle had been the main thing that helped to satisfy the little boy. And perhaps he was getting used to her.

She dropped onto the settee and fished out the diaper she’d been hemming from the basket. The boy went through them almost faster than she could wash them. Having another dozen or two would reduce the number of days she had to do laundry. She finished hemming the diaper and reached for the scissors. A knock sounded at the door.

Her heart leaped at the thought of seeing Connor again. She hurried to the door and opened it, peeking out with a smile on her face. An older woman she hadn’t met stood at the door with a small basket on one arm. “Can I help you?”

The woman beamed a smile. “I’m Mrs. Evelyn Rice, wife of Pastor Rice. He leads the only church in Cactus Creek. I want to welcome you and your sister to town.”

“How nice of you. I’m Keeley Quinn. Would you care to come in?” She stepped back and opened the door all the way.

“Thank you. I’d love to visit for a bit, but I’m sure you have your hands full caring for the Thurman boy.”

“Please, have a seat. How did you know about Jamie?”

Mrs. Rice smiled again. “It’s a small town, dear. There are few secrets. Although, I will say Connor and Brian did a good job keeping things quiet about you two almost until you got here. But word has a way of getting out. Two mail-order brides arriving at the same time was the talk of the town once it had. We’ve never had even one mail-order bride come to our small community, and we actually got two of you.”

Keeley forced a smile. She didn’t like knowing everyone was talking about them. Life in a big city like Chicago was so different. “Would you care for a cup of tea?”

“No, thank you, but I would like a glass of water, if it isn’t too much trouble.” She pushed the basket across the table. “I made you girls a batch of apple muffins.”

“How kind of you!” Keeley took the basket to the kitchen, removed the muffins, then returned with the empty basket and a glass of water. She handed the glass to Mrs. Rice and set the basket on the coffee table. “In Chicago, where Katie and I are from, there were muffin men who’d travel the streets at teatime, ringing a bell and selling muffins.”

“I’ve never heard of such a thing. With all the women in Cactus Creek who cook so well, I fear the poor man wouldn’t be in business long should he ever decide to come here.” Mrs. Rice chuckled.

“I think you’re right.” She liked the woman, whom she guessed was in her fifties, judging by her graying-brown hair. Her snowy-white shirtwaist had pretty lace down the front, but the navy skirt she wore was unadorned.

“Have you and your sister settled in?”

“Mostly. As I’m sure you know, we didn’t marry Connor and Brian right off because we wanted some time to get to know them first.”

“Some may disagree, but I think that is truly wise of you. I knew Thomas over a year before we wed. Marriage is quite difficult if the two people involved don’t love one another, and it’s mighty hard to fall in love if you’ve never even met face-to-face. Just beware, there are some ladies who think what you did was deceitful, but honestly, it’s none of their concern. I only mention it so you can be aware in case a few women are not so hospitable.”

“Oh.” Keeley dropped onto a chair across from the settee. “I suppose we shouldn’t be surprised. Connor and Brian weren’t too happy at first either.”

“I think they were mostly disappointed. I can assure you that both of them are decent, God-fearing men. Pastor Rice and I have known them since we first came here to pastor the church. They were barely in their teen years back then.”

“I remember them saying they grew up in Cactus Creek. We were born in Ireland, but our parents came to America when we were only two. We lived in New York for several years, and then we moved to Chicago, where my aunt lives.”

“Lots of people travel around. Thomas and I are originally from Michigan, but after we married, Thomas felt the call to preach. We’ve lived in Missouri, Louisiana, and now Texas.”

“It must be hard picking up and moving so often.”

“Not if you believe you’re going to the place God wants you to be. Where is your sister today?”

“Katie is helping Brian at the store. He’s been so generous to supply us with groceries and the things Jamie needed. We’re working to pay him back, even though he insists it isn’t necessary.”

“Like I said, he’s a kindhearted man.” She took a sip of water. “I should go, but I want to invite you to come to church on Sunday.”

Keeley smiled. “We will. We’re looking forward to seeing how church here is different from the one we attended in Chicago.”

“I’m sure there are many fine ministers in such a big town, but I do need to tell you that Thomas is a mild-mannered, soft-spoken man, so you won’t hear him spewing fire and brimstone.” She chuckled. “Before I go, there are a couple of things I want to tell you. On the first Sunday of the month, there’s a potluck picnic after church. All the ladies cook a passel of food so that the single men and cowboys get plenty to eat. There will also be a big celebration on July Fourth. It’s always a lot of fun. There are games, a talent show, lots of food, which the women bring, a hog roast, music, and then fireworks after dark.”

Excitement flooded Keeley at the thought of spending the day with Connor, celebrating their country’s independence. “It sounds delightful.”

“It is, let me assure you. If you two weren’t already promised to Connor and Brian, you’d probably have more invitations to attend than you could count. You might still get some.”

Her heart thudded. She sure hoped that wasn’t the case.

Mrs. Rice rose. “Thank you for such a nice visit. I look forward to getting to know you and Katie.”

Keeley followed the kind woman to the door. “I do appreciate your stopping by, and thank you for the muffins.”

“My pleasure. Oh, I almost forgot. There’s a sewing circle that meets once a week on Thursday mornings at the church.” She frowned. “I should have let you know sooner so you could have come today.”

Keeley reached out and touched Mrs. Rice’s arm. “’Tis fine. Since Jamie is still getting used to us, I wouldn’t have come anyway. He has enough strangers in his life at the moment.”

“You’re right, poor boy. Connor asked me if I knew of a family who might want to adopt a child, but most of the mothers I know of have their hands full with their own youngsters.”

Keeley couldn’t help rejoicing inwardly. Perhaps she and Katie could keep Jamie for now, and then once she married, she hoped Connor—if she was fortunate enough to marry him—would agree to help her raise him. “Thank you again, and have a nice afternoon.”

“You too.” Mrs. Rice waved then walked down the stairs.

Keeley closed the door. It was kind of the woman to welcome her. She could only hope other women in town would be as nice. Her thoughts turned to Sunday. What could they wear? A small building filled with people would be stifling hot. The last thing she wanted was to faint the first day she attended the church service because she wore her cool-weather clothing. She thought of the dresses at the store. Katie had completed alterations to the blue calico, and she’d worn it today. As soon as Jamie awakened, she would walk to the store and take another look at the ready-made garments.