Mail Order Baron (The Brides of Tombstone Book 3) (3 page)

“Of course. She’s my baby girl and always will be.” He turned to Molly and flashed a smile. “I’m her godfather.”

She nodded. “I see.” These must be Ben’s best friends for them to choose him to be godfather to their child.

“Won’t that interfere with your plans with Molly? You’ll have to take Hope to your wedding.” Julia rubbed her belly as she spoke.

“That would be appropriate,” said Ben. “She was there at your wedding to Matthew, she should be there at mine to Molly.”

“I apologize, Molly, but it looks like Matthew and I will both miss your wedding. I hope that it’s wonderful.” Julia paced by them again. “You better go talk to Lizzie and see if she and Mal can stand up with you.”

A reprieve? She sucked in a breath. “That’s all right. We can wait for you to get back on your feet. Can’t we, Ben?” Molly hoped she didn’t sound too anxious.

“How long will that be?” asked Ben, his brows coming together.

“Probably a week. How much notice do you have to give the judge?” asked Julia.

“I don’t have to give him but a few hours’ notice. He said we’d just have the ceremony in his chambers. Obviously, Molly won’t mind waiting. But I would like to keep with our plans and have the ceremony tomorrow.”

He had the audacity to look at her, raise an eyebrow, and grin.

“Are you sure? Wouldn’t whenever Julia is out of her child-bed be fine? The wait is only a week.” She followed Julia’s progress around the room. “To be honest, I wanted to get to know Ben a little better before the wedding, anyway.”

“It’s true she did mention it.” Ben pointed to his chest, “I’m the one who wants to get married so quickly, but Molly is the one who originally wanted to get married sooner, so we will marry tomorrow. I don’t want to wait any longer.”

Disappointed, Molly took a deep breath. The more she watched Julia circle the office the queasier her stomach became. She thought she would be sick if she kept watching her much longer.

“I think I’d like to sit.” She pressed her hand to her stomach.

Julia pointed at one of the chairs against the wall. “Of course, take a seat. Matthew will be back in a few minutes. He’ll come by to see me first before he takes Hope to the hotel.”

As if on command, the door to Molly’s right opened. Through it walked a tall, handsome man with a lean build. He had brown hair with gray at the temples and carried a beautiful blonde baby.

“Ah, Matthew. Just the man I came to see. This is Molly,” he waved his arm toward her, “my fiancée. I wanted you and Julia to stand up with us, but it looks like you two will be busy.”

“That’s true. Julia is bound and determined to have this baby today.” He turned to the little girl in his arms. “Hope, you want to go play with Uncle Ben?”

The baby nodded and held out her arms to Ben.

Molly had never seen anything so precious in her entire life. Seeing these big strong men holding this sweet baby girl, she felt her heart just melt.

Ben gathered Hope close and tickled her under her chin. “Hello, Little Bit. How are you?”

The baby laughed. “Bababababa”

Ben laughed. “Molly, meet Little Bit. Also known as Hope. She’ll be a year old next month.”

Molly stood and reached out toward the baby and smoothed her fingers down Hope’s soft cheek. “Hello, Hope. Aren’t you a sweet little thing?” She hadn’t been around a baby since Robert was born, but somehow she knew what to do. She hadn’t forgotten.

“She’d have to be to put up with these two big softies. She has them both wrapped around her finger.” Julia walked by on another lap around the room.

“I can see how that would be easy to do. I could fall for her in a minute, myself. She’s adorable.” Molly tickled the baby’s feet.

Hope gave Molly a big smile and held her arms out to her.

“She seems to have taken a liking to you.” Ben passed the baby to Molly.

Hope smiled and patted Molly’s face. Molly’s heart melted. That quickly, she was enamored of this baby and longed for some of her own. She looked up at Ben. He’d make a good father if what she’d seen of his behavior toward Hope was typical. Suddenly she wanted to get married with all haste and start a family. If she could get past the wedding night fear.

“I guess I won’t fight you on getting married right away.”

“I thought you wanted to wait.” He shook his head and Molly understood why he would be confused.

“I’ll pick my fights but this isn’t one of them. Besides the sooner we do then the sooner we have one of her.” She kissed Hope’s forehead and was greeted with sweet, clean baby smell, like she’d just been bathed.

Ben grinned and his eyes became a soft smoky gray. “Your command is my pleasure. We’ll talk to Lizzie and Mal, to see if they can stand up for us.”

“I’m sure they will.” Julia’s voice was strained. She’d stopped and was bent over.

Molly knew she must be having a labor pain and touched her own stomach. She could almost feel her pain and that made her somewhat nervous.

“Let’s check you and see what progress you’re making.” Matthew circled an arm around Julia’s back and helped his wife down the hall. “Ben, come by after you talk to Lizzie. We may have a new baby by then.”

“Will do.” He turned to Molly. “Let’s go back to the hotel and get the surrey. Lizzie and Mal Brandon live a few miles outside of town. Do you want to carry Hope, or her valise?”

“Given that choice I’ll take the baby every time.” She looked down to the baby in her arms. “Yes, I will. I’ll take you every time.”

“She’s easy to love isn’t she?” Ben’s voice was soft, gentle.

“Yes. I’ve already fallen for her.” She cuddled the baby tighter. “I can only imagine how much you and Julia must love her having been there at her birth.”

“Matthew, too,” said Ben. “Julia brought her home that night and she and Matthew have raised her ever since. They will tell her about her father and mother when she gets old enough to understand.”

“They’re good people…your friends.”

Smiling he nodded. “The best.”

Instead of going to the hotel, Ben guided them to the stables behind it. There he hitched up the two sorrel horses that were housed in the building.

They both had beautiful red-brown coats and the short white socks on their rear legs matched exactly. She wondered if they were twins.

Ben had the surrey ready to go in minutes, and then he helped Molly in with one hand and held Hope with the other arm.

“Here you go. You get to hold the most precious of cargo while I drive.” He handed Hope to Molly.

She settled the baby in her lap and wrapped both arms around her, making her as safe as she could.

Ben walked around the back of the buggy and got in next to Molly.

“Are my girls ready to go?”

“We are.” Molly heart leapt. She was already one of his girls.

He slapped the reins on the horse’s butts, and they started walking. Ben steered them out to Main Street and then out of town. Once he’d cleared the congestion of people and conveyances he let the horses have their heads, and they began to canter.

The Brandon ranch was about five miles from town. The thirty-minute trip was filled with Hope’s chattering and laughter from Ben and Molly at the baby’s antics. The time passed quickly.

He pulled up in front of a plantation-style home, such as Molly had only seen in drawings. The home was beautiful, with four white columns supporting a roof over the large porch. A wooden swing, table and chairs graced one end of the porch and two lovely wooden rocking chairs with a low table between them were on the other end.

The entrance was marked by a dark wooden double-door.

Ben set the brake and jumped down. He came around the surrey and took Hope from Molly so she could climb down.

Together they walked the up garden path to the stairs and then across the porch to the door. Ben lifted and released the knocker on the door twice.

Soon a very tall woman opened the door. She looked up at Ben.

“Ben and…company. Come in. Let me see that baby.” She held her arms out to the child and Hope leaned forward, reaching toward her. “Hello, sweet baby. To what do we owe the pleasure and who is this lovely lady with you?”

“This is Molly McGregor. She’s my mail order bride, my fiancée and we’re getting married tomorrow.” He turned to Molly. “This is Lizzie Brandon.”

“Pleased to meet you Mrs. Brandon.” Molly held out her hand.

“Just Lizzie, please.” She shook Molly’s hand

“As you wish. I’m just Molly.”

“I’ll come right to the point,” said Ben. “We need you and Mal to stand up for us, tomorrow if you’re available.”

“That shouldn’t be a problem. Let’s go to the library and talk with Mal.”

They followed her to a large room filled floor to ceiling with bookshelves, most of which were only about half full of books. A dark wood desk stood toward the back of the room with two leather upholstered chairs in front of it. To the right side of the room was a fireplace with a blue damask sofa and two chairs that matched the leather ones by the desk.

Behind the desk sat a dark-haired man, who was totally absorbed by whatever he was looking at on the desk. When he stood it was easy to tell he was at least as tall as Ben, which was only a few inches taller than Lizzie. They definitely made them tall in Tombstone.

Goodness all the men in Tombstone seemed to be handsome, as well. At least the ones she’d met. She supposed she was lucky in that she found Ben to be the best looking of the lot.

“Hello Mal. Forgive us for barging in but Molly and I…oh, this is Molly McGregor my wife-to-be. We need you and Lizzie to join us for our wedding ceremony at ten tomorrow in Judge Blackstone’s chambers. We’d like for the two of you to be our witnesses.”

Molly nodded when she was introduced.

“Well, as usual you don’t beat around the bush or stand on ceremony. Sit down, please. Can we get you some refreshments?”

“No, we’re fine,” said Ben.

“I’m not.” Molly’s mouth was dry as dust. Being nervous always did that to her. “I’d love something to drink. Water would be fine.”

“Very well, if you have it, I’ll have coffee,” said Ben.

“Let me call Maria.” Mal pulled the cord by the desk.

Moments later a small dark-haired woman came through the door. “You wanted something Mr. Mal?

“Yes, please. Three cups of coffee and one glass of water.”

“I’ll be back shortly.” She walked back through the door shutting it behind her.

“Now, what’s this about you actually getting married?”

CHAPTER 3

“The most famous bachelor all the Arizona Territory is finally getting married.” Mal furrowed his brows and touched his forehead. “What is the date so I can burn it into my memory? I never thought I’d actually see it happen. I thought you were full of” he looked at Lizzie and Molly, “bull dung.”

“Stop,” Lizzie swatted her husband. “Molly is Ben’s mail order bride and the woman he’s marrying tomorrow.”

Mal made choking sounds and then burst into laughter. “So, the always marriage-shy, Mr. King, is finally giving in to the wedding bug. What’s the occasion?”

“That’s easy” admitted Ben. “I see what you and Lizzie and Matt and Julia have and I want the same thing. I wanted someone who doesn’t know the extent of my wealth.”

“The extent of your wealth?” Molly jerked her head around and stared at Ben. “I thought you owned the hotel and a couple of saloons. If I recall correctly,” she counted on her fingers. “Silver Star, Silver Nugget, and Silver Lady.”

Ben crossed his arms over his chest.

Mal started laughing. “My dear Molly, Ben King owns half this town. He has controlling interests in The Bank of Tombstone, owns the Bird Cage Theater, two general stores, six saloons, three silver mines and after that I lost count. Needless to say, Ben here is the richest man in Tombstone, maybe in the entire Arizona Territory. We call him The Baron.”

“Ben have you been keeping secrets from your bride to be?” admonished Lizzie then she looked over at her husband. “
We
know that can only lead to trouble.”

Mal nodded. “Lizzie and I almost learned the hard way.”

“What happened?” Molly hoped hearing someone else’s difficulties would make her seem small. Who was she kidding? Tom Marlow was anything but a small problem.

“Suffice it to say, we don’t keep secrets from each other anymore.” Lizzie sat on Mal’s lap and wrapped her arms around his neck.

“I think everyone has a secret or two. It’s the nature of being human.” Molly hoped no one noticed her flush.

Ben took her hand in his and patted it. “What secrets do you have, my dear Molly?”

She patted his hand back. “Nothing to worry your handsome head about.”

He raised one perfectly slanted eyebrow. “We’ll talk more when we get home.”

Molly nodded, but her heart raced. How much should she tell him? Should she tell him anything? Either way there were bound to be consequences.

Hope started to fuss.

Ben reached out and took Hope from Lizzie. “We should probably get back. It’s time for Hope’s dinner. So shall we see you two at ten o’clock tomorrow outside Judge Blackstone’s chambers?”