The Marshal Takes A Bride (3 page)

Chapter
Two

“Mother!” Tucker called as he strode into the home his family had lived in for over twenty years. The door slammed behind him as he walked down the hall, past the parlor to the bottom of the stairs. He had ridden hell-bent from town after leaving Sarah and her grandfather, determined to put an end once and for all to his mother’s interfering ways.

He couldn’t believe that once again she had stuck her nose where it didn’t belong. Would she never learn to let her children make their own choices and decisions in life?

“Tucker, what are you doing here?” his mother said, as she came down the stairs, surprise on her face.

Eugenia Burnett looked the picture of the sweet little grandmother, but everyone in her family knew that image hid an armor of determination that no knight could have ever penetrated. Tucker pitied any person who stood in her way where her children were concerned. It was understood that Eugenia would do whatever she felt necessary to take care of her family.

“I’m here to discuss your
package.
It arrived from Abilene today,” he said, his voice gruff with anger.

“Well, where is it?” she asked excitedly.

“I left Sarah Kincaid James with her grandfather,” he said angrily.

“That’s nice. I haven’t seen Sarah since she left to go to that fancy school back east. But what about my package? What does Sarah have to do with my package?”

“Drop the act, Mother. I know about the telegram.” “What telegram, dear?” she asked innocently.

“The one you sent Sarah saying that her grandfather was ill and that she needed to come home,” he replied, his voice sharp.

His mother reached the bottom of the stairs and paused, gazing up at him, her brown eyes curious.

“Well, he was ill and he needed her,” Eugenia said, turning on her heel and walking past her son into the dining room and on into the kitchen.

Tucker followed her, determined to settle this once and for all. “But his illness wasn’t life threatening.” “At the old man’s age, who can determine what, is life threatening and what is not?” She threw up her hands. “He was very ill.”

Tucker reached out and caught his mother by the arm, halting her forward progress. He released her arm and walked around her still form to stand in her direct path, making her face him. “Mother, you lied to Sarah. You made her think that he was about to die. How could you be so cruel?”

“I did no such thing. I told the truth. She chose to interpret that he was dying,” Eugenia replied, her hands on her hips.

“What did you say?” Tucker asked, already knowing what was written in the telegram.

“I only told her that her grandfather had been ill, that he was doing poorly and needed nursing care,” Eugenia replied.

Tucker stared at her incredulously. “Do you have no conscience? How could you take her away from her patients?” Tucker asked, his temper simmering just below the surface. “What if she had been killed coming here from Tombstone? That’s a dangerous trip, Mother.”

“I only sent Sarah a telegram saying that her grandfather was ill. Had been ill for quite some time and was doing poorly. I did not say he was dying, he needed
her
or anything else. The woman made the decision on her own to come, so stop blaming me.”

She turned to the stove where a pot of coffee simmered. She reached for a cup sitting on the counter and poured the warm, fragrant liquid.

“Why did you send the telegram at all, Mother? If Mr. Kincaid were seriously ill, don’t you think he would have bidden Sarah to come home?” He paused, his eyes narrowing at the way she didn’t seem fazed by his accusations. “Or did you think that Sarah would come home and that you could somehow manage to get the two of us together?”

She whirled around to face him. “Now, why would I think there was any possibility of getting a man like you to settle down?”

He glared at her, shaking his head. “Mother—”

“I sent the telegram because if it were me, I’d want my grandchild to come home and take care of me. I also sent it hoping that Sarah would decide to stay in Fort Worth and that she could deliver Travis and Rose’s baby. Doc Wilson is getting old, and this town could use a younger doctor. Yes, I hope she stays. As for the two of you getting together, if I were Sarah, I wouldn’t have you. You’re too damn stubborn to see that you need a wife.”

Tucker stared at his mother, speechless. It took a moment before the words poured forth. “Well, good. I’m glad you see it that way, because I sure as hell didn’t want to have to tell you that it wasn’t going to happen. I’m not getting married, and you can take that to the bank. You should be happy you got Travis and Tanner married off. But leave me alone.”

“Don’t worry, son. I wouldn’t inflict any woman with your wanderlust ways. . . .”

“Good.”

“Or your sour disposition.”

The two stood there staring at one another, the room suddenly very quiet. Tucker ran a hand through his hair. His heart was pounding inside his chest “I’m serious, Mother. I’m not good marriage material. I know it, and I’m happy living the way I am.”

Eugenia smiled and patted him on the arm. “Good. As long as you’re happy, I wouldn’t dream of imposing on you a good woman who has a fine family, who would make you a good wife and mother for your children. If she’s not what you want I’m sure some other man in town will see her fine qualities and she’ll be married soon.”

Tucker wanted to roll his eyes, but he resisted. “Did you know that she was married when you sent for her?”

“She’s not married. She’s a widow.”

“So you knew Sarah was available?”

Eugenia sighed. “Sarah is a doctor. Fort Worth needs a new young doctor. I was hoping that she would deliver Travis and Rose’s baby. Plus her grandfather was ill, so she would be coming this way already. If by chance you were interested, then I would have killed three birds with one stone. So don’t go thinking too badly of me. I was only trying to take care of my family.”

“Fine, Mother, but don’t try to push Sarah on me. I’m warning you to leave her alone.”

“I haven’t even seen the girl. She could have become homely for all I know.”

“Believe me, she’s not homely. But there will be no match between me and Sarah or any other woman. Do you understand, Mother?”

“Yes, I understand. You want to spend the rest of your life alone, free to come and go as you please. You want to die without the benefit of having children and watching them grow up, marry and have children of their own. You don’t want a family, Tucker. You want no responsibilities, no ties and certainly no commitments.”

Tucker shrugged. “I don’t see it that way, but basically you’re right. No commitments, no responsibilities.”

“I don’t approve, but I won’t interfere.”

She was far too agreeable. It was a terrible thing not to believe your own mother, but somehow Tucker just didn’t quite trust her.

“You don’t have to approve, Mother. This is
my
life."

***

Sarah had just gotten Lucas to sleep when she tiptoed back into the living area of her grandfather’s suite of rooms, her skirts swishing softly.

She took a seat on the Empire sofa and turned toward her grandfather, who was reading the paper. She sighed, glancing around the very masculine drawing room. Everything was decorated in heavy woods and dark fabrics. There was an air of quiet conservative strength about the room that needed a feminine hand.

“He finally went to sleep,” she told the older man, who had raised her since she was ten.

“Good,” he murmured behind his paper. “He was certainly a tired little boy.” Her grandfather laid down the paper. “Lucas has had quite an adventurous trip.”

“Yes, he’s not used to being confined, and spending all that time inside a coach was difficult. He probably drove the other passengers crazy, but he was really very good.”

Sarah gazed at the man who had become both father and mother to her when her parents were killed.

Her grandfather nodded, his eyes searching hers. “So did you really think that I was dying, Sarah?”

She swallowed, not wanting to admit she had been afraid he would be dead before she arrived. “I wasn’t sure. But the telegram said that you had been ill and that you weren’t getting better.” She flicked at a spot on her skirt. “And because I haven’t been home since I left for college almost ten years ago, I decided it was time to pay a visit.”

“I’m glad you did.”

“You know you could have come to see me and Lucas.”

He shrugged. “I intended to visit you and the boy, but the hotel’s kept me busy.”

“You have people who can run it,” she said.

“Just like you found someone to handle your practice, but you didn’t want to, did you?”

She smiled, thinking of the turmoil she had been in before she left. “You’re right. I hated leaving my patients.”

He glanced at her, his eyes filled with sorrow. “I almost came out when Lucas was born. Especially after I found out that your husband had died. But I broke my damn arm and just didn’t feel up to the trip.”

Sarah looked at her clasped hands and flexed her fingers, willing herself to relax. “Those were trying times.”

She sighed and gazed around the room, the memory of her quick wedding to a man who had died before Lucas was born somehow seeming pathetic and hopeless. Everyone in town had thought she was mourning her husband, when in fact she had been pining for the loss of her child’s father. She had been afraid of raising a child all alone, right up until the moment the midwife had laid him in her arms. Then she knew that everything was going to be fine.

“Things have been better since Lucas was born.”

“Did you love your husband a lot?” he questioned.

She paused for a moment, wanting to tell her grandfather the truth regarding her son, but fear kept her from revealing the tale. For a moment she wrestled with her conscience, and then decided to tell him partially the truth. “No. But I love my son more than life.”

Her grandfather stared at her, his face full of surprise, studying her. “Then, why did you marry?”

“It seemed the thing to do at the time. He was a kind man, and I live in a dangerous town,” she lied.

How could she tell her grandfather that she had married Walter Scott James because she had been pregnant with Tucker’s child? That she had wanted her son to have a name without the stigma of being called a bastard.

He stared at her, his expression questioning, but his lips were silent. She felt as if he were attempting to read her mind.

Finally he glanced away. “Lucas seems a wonderful little boy”

“He is,” she said wistfully. “And I’m doing my best to be a good mother to him.”

“But what about you, Sarah?” Her grandfather paused. “You’re still a young woman. You need a man who will take care of you and love you.”

She lifted her chin and stared at her grandfather. “I don’t need another man, Grandfather. I’m happier now than I’ve ever been, just taking care of my son and working my practice. Tombstone has settled a bit, and my life is complete.”

“But don’t you think that Lucas will need the influence of a man in his life? Don’t you think that he deserves to have a father? And you deserve a husband.”

The image of Tucker Burnett sprang to mind, and her pulse accelerated. Even after all these years, it was obvious he wasn’t interested in settling down. “His father is dead. Someday, when he’s older, I may consider remarrying just so that he has a man’s influence, but until then, I’m not interested in getting remarried.”

“Well, at least consider moving back to Fort Worth so that I can spend time with him,” her grandfather said.

Could she move back to Fort Worth and live in such close proximity to Tucker and his family? Could she look at him every day and not, somehow, wind up telling him that Lucas was his son?

“I’m happy in Tombstone. I have a good practice, my neighbors watch out for me, my patients care about me, and I don’t want to pick up and move back here. I’d have to start over with my practice.”

“Just how long will I have the pleasure of you and my great-grandson?”

“My plans are to stay at least a month before we return to Tombstone,” Sarah said, wondering for the second time that day if she had been wise to come home to Fort Worth. Wondering if she could avoid Tucker for a month.

“I’m not going to lie to you and say I won’t try to convince you to stay while you’re here. But I am glad you’re here. That will give me some time to spend with my grandson and calculate my battle plan on how to convince you to move home permanently.”

“Grandfather, you know you can always come out to Tombstone and be with us,” she said, thinking it would be much safer there than here with the presence of Tucker Burnett.

“I know.” He gazed at Sarah. “But my life is here in Fort Worth.”

“Just like my practice is in Tombstone.”

Her grandfather shook his head at her. “Oh, Sarah, you’ve inherited the stubbornness of your father, I’m afraid.”

She laughed. “No. I think I received it from my grandfather. I still remember our lengthy discussions on my attending college. You thought that a woman had no business receiving that kind of education.”

“Well, I still think it’s unnatural. Most women want to get married, raise a family, and take care of a home. You want it all!”

She smiled. “You’re right, I do. But I’m so glad I went to college, Grandfather. Being a doctor has made me happy. It’s given a purpose to my life.”

“If you’re happy, that’s all that matters. But I still have hopes that you will find a good man who will be a father to Lucas and a husband to you.”

Sarah stared off into the distance. The image of a tall, sandy-haired man with broad shoulders and well muscled thighs, who wore his guns slung low on his hips, came to mind. There was a man she had once wanted to marry, but he had not wanted to settle down. He hadn’t loved her enough to stay.

***

Tucker let his horse set the pace on his way back to Fort Worth. The ride was nice and slow compared to the frantic pace he had set to reach his mother’s place. His horse ambled along, taking its time, while he contemplated the return of Dr. Sarah Kincaid James.