Gabe's Pledge (Grooms With Honor Book 3) Read online

  “That was invaluable help,” her mother commented, knowing what the training did to help Mr. Dolecek.

  “I can make a light angel food cake, and polish the parlor pump organ like a pro.” Mr. Dolecek grinned. “But I have enough work with ten rooms that I could use a wife to help me. Finding a mail-order bride who grew up in a hotel—and living close by—was a dream come true.”

  Iva Mae smiled when Mr. Dolecek turned to smile at her, but only because it was the polite thing to do.

  “Ah and here are our other daughters, Avalee and Luella,” Ethan announced as her sisters rushed up to the dining room table. “Girls, this is Mr. Frank Dolecek from Wilson. He’s here to visit your sister.”

  “Which one?” Leave it to Luella to ask.

  “Iva Mae and Mr. Dolecek have been corresponding, so he traveled from Wilson to meet her and our family.”

  Greetings were murmured while Mr. Dolecek rose to pull chairs out for her sisters. The man seemed genuinely nice.

  Ethan cleared his throat. “And while I have everyone here together, I’d like to announce a surprise. The older girls know this, but, Helen you don’t yet.”

  “What surprise?” The younger girls asked together, almost simultaneously.

  “Helen, for your Valentine’s gift from me—and your daughters—we’ll be having our portraits taken at Fergus’ studio at two o’clock this afternoon.”

  Squeals, like no other than a group of girls could make, finally surprised Mr. Dolecek. Granted he did laugh after shutting one eye and jumping his shoulders upward for a second, but now he knew what it was like to be around sisters.

  “Can you still hear me?” Iva Mae couldn’t help leaning towards him and asking.

  “Young girls can certainly squeal, can’t they?”

  “You should hear them argue,” Maridell added with a smile directed to Mr. Dolecek.

  “But we barely have time to get ready! Why didn’t you tell me sooner, Ethan?” Her usually unflappable mother was calculating getting herself and eight girls dressed and hair done in a few hours.

  “All our dresses are pressed and ready to put on, except for whatever dress you want to wear, Mother.” Maridell was the best at soothing their mother when she became worried.

  “When did you do this?”

  “We gathered the dresses yesterday, brought them over to our apartment to clean and press.”

  “Everyone’s hair—”

  “Can be done in a short period of time when we older girls do the younger ones.” Maridell replied and Iva Mae watched her mother return to her usual poised, hostess posture.

  “Did I come at a bad time?” Mr. Dolecek looked embarrassed at his timing.

  “Not at all. You and Iva Mae have plenty of time to visit before, and after the photography session.” Her mother’s smile was warm and gracious again. “Iva Mae, why don’t you show Mr. Dolecek around town before lunch?”

  “Do we need a chaperone?” Mr. Dolecek politely asked.

  Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Maridell suck in her breath and hold it.

  “I’m sure Maridell would be glad for that honor, as I need to get ready for this afternoon’s surprise.” Their mother graciously solved the problem of Iva Mae having to be alone with Mr. Dolecek.

  Maridell would have squealed like Phoebe if she could. “Yes, I would be honored,” she politely replied to their mother.

  Good. Maridell could help keep the conversation going with Mr. Dolecek. Iva Mae didn’t relish meeting townspeople and having to introduce him to others.

  Lord, please help me get through today, Iva Mae silently prayed.

  Chapter 9

  Gabe watched Iva Mae, Maridell and the visitor from the upper window of his sister’s apartment. He studied the man as they walked on the snow-covered boardwalk across the street. He was clean cut, attentive to the conversation between the three of them, and overall looked like a nice man—unfortunately.

  “What are you doing up here, Gabe? Burdette said you came in the back door and ran up the stairs to our home.”

  Mary looked down to the street when Gabe didn’t answer.

  “Who’s with Iva Mae and Maridell? I don’t recognize the man.”

  Gabe sighed loudly. “The man Iva Mae met through the matrimonial agency.”

  “Mr. Dolecek came to visit?” Mary’s eyes widened in surprise.

  Gabe wasn’t surprised Mary knew his name.

  “Yes. I don’t know if it was planned or not.” He looked at his sister, because she probably knew.

  “I’m sure it was a surprise to Iva Mae. She only wrote back to him because it was the polite thing to do.”

  “You don’t think she’s interested in him? He looks like he’d be quite a catch.”

  “The only man Iva Mae wants to ‘catch’ is you, Brother. And you need to either propose to her, or let her know you never plan to.” Mary scolded him.

  “I was planning on it as soon as I bought the Johnston house from the bank. But, Cullen said it sold yesterday.” Gabe wiped his hand down his face, but never took his eyes off the trio across the street.

  “Now I don’t know what to do for a home. There’s no other house on the market in town right now.”

  “You know, you’d never make a good outlaw or a lawman, Gabe. A mother for that matter either.”

  Gabe turned to look at his sister. “What on earth are you talking about?”

  “If something has to do with Iva Mae, you always hesitate when facing a challenge, or hide instead of charging forward to tackle the problem.”

  “I do not.” Gabe argued, but he knew what she meant.

  “You always charged in to help me, be it when we lived in New York, or after we moved here. But with Iva Mae, you hang back for some reason.”

  “She’s a strong woman and would be offended if I bullied her.”

  “Pfft. You’re not the bullying type. Making suggestions and being the first to act is appropriate for a man. Just remember she may have some ideas you need to consider because marriage is a partnership—and sometimes she may be right.”

  Mary slid her arm around Gabe’s middle and gave him a sideways hug. For being his little sister, she always had good advice.

  “So what should I do? I’m finally ready to move out of Pa’s house, and all that’s available is a single room at the Donovan Boarding House.”

  “At least you checked into that. Maybe you should move in there before your marriage.”

  “I’m going to start paying room and board to Darcie instead, to give her some income of her own. She’s definitely earned it for raising the two of us.”

  “Yes, she has. What would we be like if we’d stayed with our mother?”

  “Self-centered. Rude. Never knowing the meaning or value of hard work...or love.”

  Mary gave Gabe another hug. “I’m so glad you stood up to Mother on that fateful day thirteen years ago. You didn’t hesitate when you asked me to stay in Clear Creek with you, so you could protect me.”

  “I couldn’t see you leave with her. People in Clear Creek showed me what normal family life was like, and we didn’t have it with Mother.”

  “So, I’m paying you back for what you did for me.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Mary let go of Gabe’s waist and turned to face him. “I bought the Johnston home for you and Iva Mae. I was afraid someone else would buy it before you got around to it.”

  Gabe shook his head. He was so embarrassed, but so relieved at the same time. His little sister had saved his dream.

  “I can pay you back,” Gabe countered right away.

  “I know you can, but let this be a secret gift between the two of us.”

  Mary raised her hand to stop his protest. “Spend your money to furnish your home now and maybe to build an addition on it in the future. I have more money than I can spend in my lifetime, so I want to spend a little on you.”

  “Buying a house isn’t a ‘little’ purchase,” Gabe argued.
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  Mary looked down at her folded hands for a second before looking back up. “I’ve never told anyone, but Abram was a very good poker player. I hated he spent so much time away from me and the children gambling, but...”

  “But what?”

  “It paid off.” Mary bit her lip, but then smiled. “He put his winnings in stocks instead of throwing it in the next poker game. I’m a rich widow, Gabe.”

  “How rich?” Gabe couldn’t believe it could be that much money.

  “I cashed in the stocks for fear I might lose the money, and put it in a savings account in a bank in Kansas City. Now I have over forty thousand dollars in that account. And since I also own the bank, I have another account that continues to fill with its revenue.”

  Gabe’s mouth dropped open. He was speechless at his sister’s wealth.

  “I’m so happy for you, Sis. So why are you living here in a frontier town instead of living the life in high society in Boston or New York?”

  “Family, Gabe. You, Tate, Amelia, Reuben, and Darcie mean so much more to me than money or material things could ever give me. And that’s why I brought my children back to Clear Creek to grow up. I want Burdette and Nolan to know that family value is worth more than cash in the bank...although it is fun to spend it.”

  “Yes, family is more important than money. And I’ll accept your gift so I can start my family. Especially since I only have a tenth of what you have in my savings account. And to think that I felt four thousand dollars was a lot of money.” Gabe couldn’t help his hoot of laughter, and relief that his plan to surprise Iva Mae with the house could continue.

  “And I know what you need to order to start furnishing your new home.” Mary grinned. “Iris and Iva Mae were looking through my mail-order catalog the other day for items for Iris’ new home. I just happened to ask some questions of what Iva Mae liked and wrote down the items.”

  Mary walked over to her secretary, opened a drawer, and pulled out a catalog and a piece of lined paper. “Here’s her wish list.”

  “Perfect! I’ll order them right away. How long does it usually take for furniture to arrive?”

  “Look in the shipping section in front of the catalog, but I think it took two to three weeks for my new parlor table to arrive.”

  Gabe turned back to look out the window. “And what happens if Iva Mae says no to my proposal?”

  “Your bachelor house is furnished for you to move into, although you may want to give the parlor organ on the list to Darcie.”

  “Darcie wants a parlor organ?”

  “She’s wanted one for years. Haven’t you paid attention?” Mary lightly punched Gabe’s shoulder.

  “Then I’ll order two organs and give one to Darcie.” Gabe was feeling much better, until he glanced outside and saw Iva Mae’s hand tucked around Dolecek’s elbow.

  “So, what do I do about the man courting my future wife?” Gabe bit his lower lip in worry.

  “Go down and introduce yourself. Be nice, polite, and confident. And ask Iva Mae to marry you the next chance you’re alone together.”

  *

  Gabe was feeling down right mischievous when he walked right up to the man clamping Iva Mae’s hand to his elbow. Iva Mae’s green eyes widened in surprise as she yanked her hand out of Dolecek’s grasp.

  “Hello. I’m Gabriel Shepard, the local saddle maker. Who are you?” Gabe held his hand out, ready to squeeze Dolecek’s hand until the other man flinched.

  “Frank Dolecek, from Wilson.” The man squeezed Gabe’s hand right back, but he didn’t have as strong of a grip, thanks to Gabe’s work with stiff leather and hand tools.

  Gabe noticed the “teacher’s stare” Iva Mae had trained on him when he turned away from Dolecek.

  “What are you doing, Mr. Shepard?” A fake smile covered Iva Mae’s clinched teeth.

  “Just wanting to meet your family’s guest, Miss Paulson.” Gabe rocked back and forth on his boot heels, trying not to laugh as Maridell made silly faces behind her sister’s back.

  “May I join you on your walk? Looks like your sister needs an escort.” Gabe stepped back to take Maridell’s hand to place on his elbow.

  If eye daggers would kill, Gabe would be ready for his burial. This was fun to tease Iva Mae, but she’d pay him back later...he hoped.

  “Have you toured to the school yet? The church?”

  “No.” Iva Mae’s back was as stiff as her answer.

  “I think we should show Mr. Dolecek where you teach and worship. Don’t you, Maridell? Someday you girls will be saying your wedding vows in front of the church altar.”

  “I’d love to say my wedding vows and move away from home,” sighed Maridell.

  Gabe noticed Maridell made her statement while staring at the back of Dolecek’s head. Hmm. Maybe Gabe needed to push these two together, if Dolecek was a decent man. Otherwise, Ethan Paulson wouldn’t give him the time of day.

  Shoot! He hadn’t asked Ethan for Iva Mae’s hand in marriage yet! How could he be so dumb to forget that? And why hadn’t Mary reminded him to do it? So, he needed to talk to Ethan before he bent his knee in front of Iva Mae.

  “I think we should tour the home you and Mack have been repairing for the bank,” Iva Mae said over her shoulder. “Before it sells and we can’t go in it anymore.”

  Was she trying to find out if he’d bought it? He wasn’t ready to tell yet.

  Iva Mae changed the direction of their walk, leading them to the house instead of the school. Just Gabe’s luck Mack was inside sweeping sawdust off the kitchen floor when they walked through the house.

  “Hello, Mack. The Paulson’s have a friend visiting today and we thought we’d show him the house you’ve been working on.” Gabe blurted out before Mack made a crack about hearing the house was sold.

  Mack was silent a second as he scanned Gabe’s face and then to Iva Mae’s hand resting on Dolecek’s elbow. “Mack Reagan.” Mack’s slyly smiled as he held out his hand to Dolecek.

  Gabe waited to hear bones crushing, but Mack was polite with his handshake.

  “Frank Dolecek. Looks like you’ve done a good job with the repairs. I own a boarding house in Wilson, so I’m handy with tools too.”

  Okay. Let’s move on so the two don’t start fighting about who is the best carpenter or start swapping project ideas.

  “Iva Mae, I think we should head back to the hotel. We need to eat lunch early so we can prepare for our photography session,” Maridell interrupted the two men staring at each other.

  “Oh, yes. Ethan scheduled a portrait sitting for the family this afternoon, so we should return home.” Iva Mae looked relieved at her sister’s interruption.

  “This is the last time you’ll be able to wander into this house, ladies. The bank sold it yesterday.” Of course, Mack had to get that news out before they left the property.

  Iva Mae’s eyes shot to Gabe’s and didn’t waver when she asked, “Who bought it?”

  “Don’t know, although I know who didn’t buy it,” Mack said while turning to glare at Gabe.

  Mack was going to find himself hanging from a rafter without a ladder underneath him for that jab.

  For better, for worse...for better, for worse...

  Gabe had better have that mantra down pat before he married because Iva Mae was giving him her “you’re in deep trouble” stare, and he was sure it wasn’t the first—or last—time he’d receive it.

  Chapter 10

  It was one of those situations where you had to be polite and tolerate the company. Manners were drilled into her since she was a tot, but boy, she wanted to kick some shins yesterday.

  Frank’s visit was an unwanted surprise. She had written back to both gentlemen and hadn’t received a second letter from either. Heaven forbid if the “your future husband” writer visited next.

  Frank was a nice man, so easy to visit with, and her family liked him, but...there was absolutely no spark between them. Holding his elbow was no different from holding on to a fence post
. Both were strong and hard, but it was just something to hang on to.

  And she had to play hostess to him until he went home on the late evening train. Iva Mae had plans for the day, and he ruined it. She wanted to finish her Valentine’s dress for the upcoming dance, and grade papers so she didn’t have to do it Sunday evening.

  And what was up with Gabe? Iva Mae was shocked when he strolled up and introduced himself to Frank. It was totally out of character for him.

  Why was he in the chipper mood, when he didn’t buy the house? Since it sold to someone else, did he feel like he was “off the hook” to marry her?

  She’d poured her likes and wants into the house, pretending it would be her home shortly. Oh, and she’d gone through Mary’s catalog mentally picking out the furniture, rugs, dishes, etcetera for her house too. Good thing she hadn’t ordered anything yet.

  Today she begged off going to church, explaining she had a raging headache, but in truth, she was nursing a wounded heart.

  “Knock, knock.” Ethan stood in the open door of the bedroom she shared with Maridell.

  “Hello Poppa. Sorry I didn’t feel like being with the family today.” She gestured to the chair across from her at the table where she sat planning her lessons for school tomorrow. Iva Mae knew he came in to talk to her, and that was all right. Sometimes his simple point of view was nice to hear rather than the chatter of her sisters and mother.

  “Gabe stopped in to see you this afternoon. Why didn’t you come down to visit with him?”

  Could he understand how she felt? Wanting to be with a man but he didn’t want to be with her? Well, yes Ethan could. He’d loved Sarah Wilerson, proposed, only to be left at the altar on their wedding day. Sarah left the church and later married her true love, Marcus Brenner.

  “Well, I was embarrassed by Mr. Dolecek’s surprise visit.”

  “But he turned out to be a nice young man. I did like him.”

  “He was okay, but he’s not—”