The Bride’s Secret_A Western Romance Story Read online

Tom looked at his sister. “I already said hello to you today. I’m going to work.”

  He moved around the counter while his sister, Allan and Elizabeth laughed.

  Elizabeth held out the flier to Sue. “I know you’ve seen this, haven’t you?”

  Sue took the paper from him. She nodded as soon as she saw the front. “I’ve seen it. I saw Allan putting up the fliers.”

  “Sam got them,” Allan said, mentioning his boss at the saloon, the owner of the Horse N Saddle. “He asked me to paint the town with them. Not a big town. Only took me an hour.”

  They all chuckled. “So I guess you want to go to this?” Sue asked with a teasing smile. He knew she wanted to go, too. He grinned.

  “You know I do.”

  “And you know I do, too. Of course we’ll go.” She looked at Elizabeth. “We’ll all go. It’s going to be fun. In fact, I think I’d like to go each day they are here. You know every performance can’t be exactly the same.”

  Elizabeth nodded. “You’re right. But we have to take care of the hotel, too. I don’t know if we’ll have time to go every day. I’d like to go as often as I can though, I know that.”

  Tom spoke up from behind the counter, looking up from his papers. “We don’t always have to go together, too. I’ll watch the hotel if you want to go with them and you can watch it if I want to go.”

  Elizabeth looked over her shoulder at him, smiling. “Yes, that works, doesn’t it?” She looked back at Sue with a smile. “Problem solved.”

  “It’s going to be so much fun.” Sue gushed, looking up at Allan, who put one long arm around her shoulders and hugged her from the side.

  Allan and Sue, who were standing fairly close to the front door, moved out of the way when the bell above the door tinkled and two people entered. They stopped immediately, looking at the three young people.

  “Hello!” Elizabeth said, as Allan and Sue stepped to the side and went to sit on the couch in front of the long window at the front of the hotel. “Welcome to Wickenburg. I’m Elizabeth. This is Tom. Will you be staying for more than one night?”

  The man smiled at her. “Yes, we plan to stay for the rest of this month. I’m Andrew Randolph. This is my wife, Sheila.”

  Elizabeth nodded at them both, holding out her hand in Tom’s direction. He was smiling at them. As they walked over, he turned the guest book around and pushed it toward them. “If you will put your signatures here, please.”

  Andrew bent over the book, taking the pen in hand and signing for the both of them. Tom turned the book around once he was done and checked for a room that was empty. There were several. It was not a busy hotel. He took a key ring from its hook and turned around, handing him the key. “You will be in room 6. It’s up the stairs to your right.”

  “I’ll show them, Tom,” Elizabeth said. “If you’ll just follow me, I’ll show you where it is.”

  Andrew and Sheila walked behind Elizabeth as she went up the stairs.

  “What has brought you to our town?” she asked in a friendly voice.

  “We have been traveling for our honeymoon,” Andrew answered. Elizabeth looked over her shoulder at them as she stepped off onto the second floor.

  “Oh, that’s wonderful! When did you get married?”

  “About a month ago. We’ve been traveling ever since, trying to keep on the same route as the rodeo. You know about the rodeo?”

  Elizabeth nodded. “I sure do. We were just talking about it downstairs.” She walked to the third door on her left and held her hand up. “This is the room here. I think you will find it comfortable and clean. If you need anything at all, please let me know. We provide extra towels for bathing, if you need some. The bathing room is at the end of the hall on the other side of the hotel.” She pointed. “Down there. We offer breakfast and dinner but no lunch. There is a restaurant down the street.” She stepped to the side while Andrew opened the door. He had no trouble with the key and was pushing the door open in only a moment. “Of course, we are very friendly here and Tom and I do eat lunch. If you want to join us anytime, you are welcome.”

  Sheila looked at her, speaking for the first time. “How nice of you. We might do that. We’d like to get to know some of the residents here.”

  Elizabeth spoke as Sheila and Andrew went into the room, setting their bags on the bed, looking around the room.

  “There are a lot of wonderful people here in our town. I’d venture to say the majority of people will smile at you, even though you’re a stranger. Some towns are afraid of strangers. If you are the drinking kind, there is a saloon just down the street, the Horse N Saddle. It’s a good place, not rough. Rarely are there any fights there. I mean, it’s happened but it’s not frequent. My brother, Allan, who was in the lobby when you came in… he works there behind the bar. They serve food, too, if you want to have a beer with your lunch or dinner. Sam is the owner. He’s a good man. You will like him. The restaurant serves good food as well.”

  While she talked, Andrew went to the small closet area and peeked through the door. Sheila put her bag on the bed and walked to the window. Their window showed the view of downtown Wickenburg. From the second floor window, she could see the street that stretched out in front of them and dead ended at the hotel. The main street they were on went from left to right. The buildings that ran along the side streets hosted various types of businesses. She could see a hat shop and dress shop right next to each other, which she thought was very convenient. In the other direction, across the street, she saw the restaurant Elizabeth had told them about and what looked like a blacksmith shop.

  She turned around. “I like this town already,” she said, smiling at Elizabeth. “Look at the people here, Andrew, come and look.”

  Andrew went to the window. Elizabeth walked to stand behind them, curious what it was about the Wickenburg citizens that made Sheila pleased. Andrew scanned the people walking, men on horseback, a few wagons passing by.

  “There are a lot of people smiling,” Andrew said. “Is that what you mean, love?”

  Elizabeth smiled at the term of endearment. Sheila turned her head to smile at him.

  “Yes. Smiles are contagious, you know.”

  Andrew laughed. “You’ve told me many times. Perhaps you should tell Elizabeth.”

  Sheila turned her smile to Elizabeth. “Smiles are contagious, Elizabeth. Remember that. And when you are smiling, you can hear better.”

  Elizabeth’s eyebrows shot up. “You can hear better? How do you know that?”

  “My father is a scientist. He studies the human body. He knows a lot of interesting facts.”

  “And he probably told you every single one of them,” Andrew said, leaning to give his wife a peck on the cheek. She closed her eyes when his lips contacted her skin, her smile widening. Elizabeth was reminded of her love for Tom and the thrill it gave her when he touched her. His hugs were the best hugs she’d ever had. She had no doubt that Sheila felt the same way about her husband.

  “I’ll leave you two to get settled in. Please remember, if there’s anything you need, just ask.”

  “Is there anyone available who can give us some information about the town? I know there are sights to be seen here. And I’d like it if someone was available to take us to the site where the rodeo is being held.”

  “Do you have one of the fliers?” Elizabeth asked.

  Andrew nodded, going toward one of his bags.

  “Oh, you don’t have to get yours, Mr. Randolph. I have one. It has the address on it. When would you like to go?”

  “We don’t want to stay in the hotel for too long during the day,” Andrew said. “It is our policy that we get out and enjoy the sunshine every day of our honeymoon. Even if it’s raining, we try not to spend…” He looked at Sheila, grinning. “Too much time in the hotel room.”

  All three chuckled.

  “So,” he continued. “We will probably just unpack and come downstairs.”

  Elizabeth nodded. “All right, I’ll ask my bro
ther Allan to take you around town, if you like. Apparently, he’s not working or he wouldn’t be here.”

  Andrew nodded. “That would be very helpful. Does he know anything about the town and could give us some information?”

  Elizabeth lifted her shoulders gently. “I think if you want to know anything about this town, you should talk to Adam Collins or Mark Anderson. They… they kind of run this town.”

  Andrew’s eyes widened. “They run this town?” he asked with a hint of caution in his voice.

  Elizabeth laughed. “I didn’t mean it like that. They have been here for a long time. Mr. Collins’ ancestors built it from nothing.”

  Andrew laughed. “I see. And can your brother tell us where these men are?”

  “He sure can.”

  “Wonderful. Thank you so much.”

  CHAPTER TWO

  ONE EXTRA REASON

  ONE EXTRA REASON

  The owner of the saloon, Sam O’Connell, was a large man with bright green eyes and a mop of red hair on his head. He was a large man but not fat. He stood at a little over 6 feet and was muscular with broad shoulders. He was a gentle giant.

  His size helped him when ruffians came into the saloon and wanted to start trouble. There were only a few instances Sam could remember that stuck out as a bad fight at the saloon. He was happy to say he had never had a table broken, though a chair was once.

  He sat on his sister’s porch, drinking in the sunshine. He gently rocked back and forth, though his feet stayed flat on the ground. He lifted a pint of ale to his mouth and took a long drink. Afterward, he smacked his lips and said, “Aaah.” The ale tasted good. He’d closed the saloon that afternoon because Allan had been asked to show some new visitors around town and he already had plans to visit his sister, Rachel, and her husband, Daryl. He wanted to take advantage of the sunlight and drink in as much as he could.

  Daryl was in the garden, working with the plants. He only planned to spend a short time there, pulling beans and potatoes out of the ground. They had a big party planned to celebrate the first night of the rodeo that was coming to town.

  Sam laughed aloud. If there was one thing Wickenburg was known for, it was throwing a party for whatever reason was spoken aloud. It could be the celebration of the blue sky or the celebration of rain the crops needed to thrive. If someone mentioned it, it was bound to happen.

  There would probably also be a party to say farewell to the rodeo. Then one the next week for some reason as well. Any reason they could find.

  He watched Daryl digging in the dirt looking for potatoes. He liked his brother-in-law a lot. He was good to Rachel. Rachel deserved only the best. A few moments after he thought about her, she came through the door of her pretty little cottage. Daryl had moved into Rachel’s home when they married, instead of the other way around. Daryl came from out of town and didn’t have a home in Wickenburg. Even after a year, Rachel’s cottage had barely changed its appearance. Sam had to assume Daryl didn’t care that it looked like a woman lived there without a man. The only indication of Daryl’s presence was his horse, saddled up in front of the house in case he was needed.

  “It’s nice out here, isn’t it, Sam?” His sister passed in front of him and sat in the rocking chair on the other side of a small table that separated them.

  “It sure is, little sister,” Sam replied, shifting in his seat. He looked her over, noticing how similar the two of them were. She had the same red hair and green eyes. She also had the same light Irish accent. She turned her face to watch her husband in the garden and Sam noticed she seemed to be gaining a little weight. His first thought was that she was pregnant. A sense of excitement ran through him at the thought of being an uncle and holding a baby for the first time. He opened his mouth to ask her but shut it on further thought. If she wasn’t pregnant, she would be upset that he had pointed out her excess weight gain. If she was pregnant, he assumed she would have told him by now. He was her only relative. He would be the first to know. Well, more like the third. Daryl would know before he did.

  Rachel turned to look at him. “I want to go to that rodeo you’ve been advertising, Sam. When will you be free to come with me?”

  Sam’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “What do you mean? Won’t Daryl go?”

  Rachel giggled. “Yes, he’ll go. I just want to go with you, too. I’ve been missing you, Sam. We don’t see each other often enough. You work a lot and, I know, you like it and you need to. I just miss having you around more often. You used to come by all the time and have dinner. Before I was married.”

  “Of course I did. You were alone way out here in the woods in your little cabin. Who am I to say someone wouldn’t come along, like Daryl did, and not be the gentleman he was? I was checking on your safety and at the same time enjoying a delicious meal and the wonderful company of my darling little sister.”

  Rachel tilted her head to the side, smiling softly. “Aww, that is so sweet of you, Sam.”

  “Well, I do love ya.”

  “I love you, too, big brother.”

  “I’ll try to come by more often.”

  “I do hope you will.” Rachel’s smile turned teasing and he instantly knew he was about to be told she was pregnant. He wanted to guess ahead of time but was again afraid he would be wrong. Best to let her tell him.

  “And why is that? You already bored of your husband?”

  She chuckled. “No, silly man. You’ll have an extra reason to come over.”

  He grinned wide. “Oh, really?”

  “Yes, really. Can you guess why?”

  Sam went for it. It had to be what he was thinking. “I think you’re going to have a little bundle of joy, aren’t ya? A little wee one to sport around?”

  “Oh, Sam!” Rachel laughed. “How did you know?”

  Sam decided instantly not to tell her it was originally because of her noticeable weight gain. “You said an extra reason to come over. Unless you’re getting a new horse or putting up a rope swing by the pond out back, I can’t see how it could be anything else.”

  He had Rachel laughing before the end of his sentence. “You’re right, of course. Yes. We are going to have a baby. Dr. Campbell confirmed it today.”

  “Get up here, young lady,” Sam stood up and gestured for her to receive his bear hug. She laughed and stood up, moving into his warm embrace. “I am so happy for you, Rachel. You don’t know how happy I am.”

  “She told ya, did she?” Daryl asked as he walked from the garden to the porch steps. Sam and Rachel both turned smiling faces toward him. He skipped up the steps, his grin as wide as his face, his eyes flashing with delight. Sam held out one of his big arms and Daryl came in for the man-hug.

  “Good for you, brother!” Sam said slapping him on the back several times as he hugged him. He held him out at arm’s-length. “You do know that I will be watching over all three of you like a hawk, right?”

  Daryl laughed. Sam was much larger than he. He was not a small man by any means. He was shorter, but taller than Rachel, who was a petite woman. He never passed up one of his brother-in-law’s bear hugs. It would not have been acceptable had they not been related. However, since they were, Daryl was going to receive and enjoy the benefits of a huge Sam O’Connell bear hug.

  Sam sat back down in his chair but instead of sitting back and relaxing, he sat on the edge, pushing himself into a slant with one arm straightened on the arm rest. “Now tell me. If it’s a girl, it’s gonna be Samantha and a boy, it’s Samuel, am I right?” He grinned. Both of them laughed. Rachel sat back in her seat and Daryl leaned back, half-sitting on the rail. He kept both hands gripping it so he could stretch his legs out in front of him and cross his ankles.

  “We’ll have to see about that, Sam,” Daryl said. “I’ve got other relatives, too. But I guarantee you that at least one of our children will pay tribute to you. I promise you that.”

  Sam laughed. “I was joshin’, but if ya wanna, I’ll be happy to hear it.”

  “Can I ask
ya somethin’, Sam, without ya gettin’ upset with me?”

  Sam stared at him with wide eyes. “I reckon ya can. You’ve never had a problem askin’ me stuff before. Shoot.”

  Daryl poked his tongue into the side of his cheek so that a little bump appeared briefly. “I was just thinkin’… and me and Rache been talkin’ about it…”

  “Oh, don’t you bring me into this. I didn’t say anything, Sam. It was him that brought it up.”

  Sam looked from one to the other. “What in heaven’s name is going on here? What do you want to ask me, Daryl?”

  “Well, we were just wondering if you were ever going to start dating again.” He looked at his wife. “Has he ever dated?” He turned his eyes to Sam. “Have you ever dated anyone?”

  Sam didn’t say anything at first. He didn’t know whether he wanted to answer the question. It wasn’t really any of their business. However, he knew they cared about him. That was why they had been talking about him.

  “Look, you’ve upset him, Daryl,” Rachel said in a taut voice. “Apologize.”

  Sam lifted one hand. “No. He doesn’t have to apologize and I don’t want you getting upset, Rachel, when you just shared this wonderful news with me. I don’t mind the question, I really don’t.”

  Rachel looked at him in surprise. “Really?”

  “Really.”

  “I’ve never asked you anything about your personal life, Sam,” Rachel said. “I always thought you were too private to let me know what was going on with you.”

  Sam chuckled. “No, I just didn’t have anything to say. I haven’t been in the presence of a woman I loved in many years. But now you ask me about it and I tell you, I just don’t know.”

  His wide smile and the way he drew out the last sentence, as if he was about to say something very profound, made both Rachel and Daryl laugh. He grinned at them both. “I have thought about it but there have been no visitors to Wickenburg that have shown interest in the local saloon owner and bartender. And there is no woman in Wickenburg I’m interested in.”