The Brides of Chance Collection (51 page)

“Let us pray.” Gideon quickly ended the sermon, allowing the women to escape to the kitchen. Widow Greene took the little girls and her son, Davie, out to the play yard. Priscilla White flounced along behind her, steering clear of the kitchen.

As soon as the door shut, Alisa burst into giggles. Miriam and Reba looked at Delilah with concern until she joined Alisa, and soon the entire kitchen rang with laughter.

“Oh, the look on Scudd’s face when Mike grabbed him by the collar and yanked him back,” Alisa reflected when she had regained enough control to speak again.

“Do you know…” Delilah suppressed a fresh burst of giggles. “I was thinking he should carry a handkerchief if he had a cold. I didn’t realize…”

“He was sniffing you like a fresh-baked pie?” Miriam filled in.

“Served him right Mike reined him in,” Reba observed tartly. “Those MacPhersons sure are an interesting bunch, but they’ve got their hearts in the right place. Now.” She straightened up. “We’ve got a passel of hungry men out there, so we’d best get stuff on the tables.”

Paul glowered impartially at the horde of men around the barn as they gathered to try their hand at horseshoes.

“I’m of a mind to think that the real winner today may not be the man who hooks the most shoes.” Ross Dorsey grinned.

“Yep. It’s the man who snags that purty little new filly on Chance Ranch,” another man agreed.

“Just so’s it ain’t another one of you brothers,” Rusty griped.

“She’s not a brood mare, fellas.” Bryce joined Paul in scowling.

“Easy enough fer you ta say with three women on your spread,” someone scoffed. “You’re the best-fed, best-dressed, luckiest men around.”

“And you know it!” Nathan Bates chimed in.

“Not to mention the other benefits,” someone grumbled.

Paul started toward the men, ready to begin a brawl. Broken arm or not, he wasn’t going to listen to them talk that way about Delilah, Miriam, or Alisa. Daniel grabbed his good arm, bringing him to a stop almost before he’d started.

“I don’t want to hear that kind of talk. These are good women—ladies.” Daniel glowered at all and sundry of the neighbors, whose reaction reminded Paul just which brother was best at this sort of thing.

“Aw, we didn’t mean nothin’ by it, Danny-boy. We’re right glad to have ’em livin’ hereabouts.”

“They’s shore nice ’bout whippin’ up a mess o’ vittles fer us ev’ry week,” Obie piped up.

“And it’s nice just to be around ’em.”

“Yeah, just enjoying their company, is all,” Ross agreed.

“Hey, Scudd,” someone exclaimed. “What’d she smell like?”

“Didya get a snootful?” another man eagerly asked.

“I shorely did.” Scudd closed his eyes blissfully, then cracked one open to make sure he had a captive audience before continuing. “Smells jist as purty as the little gal looks. Like a flower in spring.” Several men nodded and smiled.

Paul shrugged out of Daniel’s grasp and stomped nearer. “Don’t any of you be getting ideas.”

To his surprise, Mike stepped over to his side, reminding Paul just who’d come to Delilah’s rescue earlier when he’d been sitting too far away.

“Here I thought I’d learned ya about that. If ’n ya need another lesson in manners, I’d be plum tickled ta oblige. Seems ta me you could use a good thumpin’.”

Scudd bristled visibly. “It was worth it, and I’d do it again.”

“You’d better not,” Paul warned.

“ ’Course not,” Scudd agreed quickly, falling back a step.

Satisfied, Paul turned to face the rest of the town. “We’ve been through this enough times you all should know better. Any woman under our roof is as good as family—”

“I’ll say, seein’ as how they become family. You brothers are called Chance ’cause ya don’t give anyone else a chance to catch a bride,” Rusty complained. “Ya hog ’em all.”

“Yeah. Seems to me like we can figger who’s got an eye on this one,” Ross challenged. “You gonna stake yer claim?”

Paul found himself on the receiving end of several accusing glares but refused to back down. “She’s not a piece of land, and well you know it. Listen, she just lost her pa, so you all need to back off.”

“So long as you play by the same rules.”

Paul pushed back a twinge of guilt at the pointed comment.

“She’s Miriam’s cousin,” Gideon added, “so I’ll take it personally if she’s bothered.”

“And that means she’s kin to my daughters,” Daniel reminded all and sundry.

“So don’t give us reason to ask you to leave,” Paul finished.

“That’s enough,” Gus broke in. “I’m too old to waste what time I’ve got left listenin’ to y’all argue. Now which one of you whippersnappers thinks he can take me on at horseshoes?”

That night, Daniel helped Paul take off his boots.

“Still in a temper, eh?” Daniel broke the silence.

“Just thinking.” Paul shrugged, not liking the direction his brother was headed. He’d only heard that tone of voice from Daniel when he was talking to Polly or Ginny Mae. “I don’t like every last man in the township circling around her like vultures.”

“Well, it seems to me maybe you’re doing the wrong thinking. Being sweet on a woman isn’t supposed to turn you sour.”

Paul looked at his brother in silent disbelief.

“Don’t you give me that look. I’m different. It wasn’t loving Hannah that took it out of me. It was losing her. And I’m telling you right now, you can’t lose what you never had, so you’ve no call to be looking like somebody put a hole in your favorite hat.”

That coaxed a smile from Paul. “Here I thought you were mad about how Delilah threw that knife.”

“You got that right. Still, I can’t in good conscience send Delilah off to any of the rabble lurking around today. She’s one of ours now. And if you aim to keep it that way, you’d best do a bit less thinking and a lot more courting.”

“Don’t you think I want to?” Paul ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. “I’m praying on it, but she isn’t a believer, Dan. You know what the Bible says about being unequally yoked.”

“What makes you think she doesn’t believe?” Surprise colored Dan’s words.

“We’ve spoken about it.”

“I’m glad to see you haven’t been sittin’ on your hands this whole time, then. Let me tell you what I’ve learned, because I have something in common with little Miss Delilah. The Lord took loved ones from both of us. And as angry as I am with Him, and no matter how much I disagree with what He does, I still know He exists. I’m just not so sure He’s worth trusting anymore. Delilah’s the same way. She may not trust Him, but she believes He exists, whether she admits it or not.”

Paul mulled that over for a minute. “So you really do believe in Him? You don’t just tolerate it for Hannah’s memory?”

“Look. This isn’t about me. I’m just saying that Delilah’s had a rough time of it, and you’ve got your work cut out for you. But if you’re going to convince her to trust you and God, you can’t look so surly. Besides,” Daniel grumbled as he pulled up a blanket, “the sooner you manage it, the sooner I can get some peace and quiet.”

“Mornin’.” Any lingering goodwill Paul had toward the MacPherson brothers for their actions two days ago vanished like—well, like a biscuit set in front of one of them! This made the third time they’d shown up in only four days, and Paul was beginning to wish they’d never left Hawk’s Fall. Things would be simpler if those brothers had stayed in Kentucky.

“Mornin’.” He waited in silence, determined not to make this easy for them. They shifted in their saddles.

“Can we’uns have a word with Miz Delilah?” Hezzy failed to ease the tension. “We brung her summat.”

Paul didn’t like the sound of that. “Well, I’m sure she’s busy right now, so how about I pass it along for you?”

Mike eyed him with a knowing glint. “I don’ blame ya fer bein’ less’n pleased ta clap eyes on us agin—you bein’ clever folks an’ all. Still, I reckon we can be civil ’bout this. Ya know we don’t mean no harm and won’ try an’ take no privliges like some.”

“Ya know we jist come to give her those seeds fer her garden,” Obie protested, obviously missing the new turn of conversation.

Paul didn’t like the sound of that at all. The garden was his and Delilah’s—a thing shared and fostered like their relationship. Unfortunately, Paul had to admit, Mike had the right of it. The MacPhersons didn’t have the best manners, but they did have class where it counted.

“Why don’t you come on in?” Paul invited and led them to the house, where they found the women making bacon sandwiches and fixing green beans.

“Hello.” Miriam looked up from the table where she worked with Polly on the alphabet.

“Good morning.” Delilah smiled and wiped her hands on her apron before ringing the dinner bell.

“We brung ya this.” Hezzy thrust a sack toward her.

“Thank you, but I really don’t think I can accept it,” Delilah said softly.

“How come? Mike says it’s proper fer a fella ta take a lady flowers.” Obie’s brow furrowed.

“Oh, well, thank you.” Delilah hesitantly accepted the sack. “This doesn’t feel like flowers.”

“That’s ’cause they’s better’n flowers. They’s seeds from Meemaw’s gardin back home.” Hezzy beamed at her.

“I thunk on it when ya tol’ us ’bout yer garden, Miz Delilah.” Micah fiddled with his hat brim.

“That’s so thoughtful.” She smiled at all three of them. “But really, you should keep them so one day they’ll brighten up your homes.”

“Aw, no sense in that. We ain’t got much skill fer growin’ things. Someone ought to enjoy ’em. It’ll do us good ta see sommat from Hawk’s Fall, Miz Delilah.”

“In that case, I’d be happy to grow some for you. When they bloom, you can take some home on Sundays,” Delilah said graciously as the Chance brothers tromped in and started washing up.

“Something wrong?” Gideon went straight to Miriam’s side and looked at the MacPhersons.

“No, honey. The MacPhersons were just being neighborly and brought Delilah some seeds for the garden.” Miriam turned to their guests. “And of course they’ll be staying for lunch.”

That does it
, Paul resolved as Mike wrangled a seat on Delilah’s other side.
I’m making a second table
.

Chapter 11

A
s before, the MacPhersons dug into the meal with gusto. It really was sweet of them to bring her those seeds, but Delilah decided not to use them all. That way, when the brothers had wives of their own, she could give them back. Delilah certainly had no plans to become one of those women, though.

“You’re lookin’ mighty fine today, Miz Delilah.” Micah almost sounded as though he’d practiced the compliment.

“Thank you.” Delilah focused on her green beans.

“Yep. A bit long in the too—” Hezzy broke off as Obie jabbed him in the side with his elbow.

“But we ain’t seen a gal so purty since the Trevor sisters back home.” Rather than being offended, Delilah choked back laughter with her beans. Surely no woman had ever been faced with such earnest suitors as she!

“What’d they look like?” Logan perked up visibly.

“Oh, hair like a log afire,” Obie reminisced.

“Eyes jist as shiny as a mud puddle,” Hezzy added. “Nary one single gap from a tooth a-missin’.” Delilah fought to keep a straight face at this high praise for the Trevor sisters. And to think, she had the honor of being the next prettiest woman they’d ever seen!