Her stomach clenched with the information.Five!Oh, dear Lord!On the heels of that, another thought occurred to her. How had Lucy managed all this without her knowing? The answer was simple. Lucy often rode into Serenity to see Ben, and picked up the mail before returning home. That’s how she kept all this secret. Until now.
“How many have shown up so far?”
Evie stiffened. “Three.”
Another giggle escaped her. “Three is good. For a start.”
“No, it’s not.” Evie glared at her. “This isn’t funny, Lucy!”
“Oh, yes, it is. You’ve played matchmaker for my brothers, but you don’t like it when someone plays matchmaker for you.”
Lucy was correct. She had played matchmaker for Teddy, Esteban, and Heath.
“Yes, I did help your brothers choose the right wife,” she admitted, “but this is different. I didn’t interfere. I didn’t…place advertisements in newspapers, for heaven’s sake. I didn’t correspond with them and invite them to show up on my doorstep. I am not happy with this entire situation, my girl.” She rose from her seat and walked toward the desk where Lucy sat, her hands on her hips. “I want it to stop. Right now.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Lucy’s smile disappeared, so did the humor that had been dancing in her eyes, as if the realization struck her that nothing about this was funny. “You’re angry with me.”
“Yes, I am.” Evie paused, determined not to let her emotions get the better of her, but it wasn’t working. “Why did you do it? Why did you advertise for a husband for me?”
Lucy looked down at her hands then back up at her, wide eyes suddenly brimming with tears. “I didn’t want you to be lonely.”
“When have I ever been lonely? This ranch is filled with people. There isn’t a chance to be lonely.”
The girl dropped her gaze. “I wanted you to be happy,” she whispered.
Evie threw up her hands, frustration getting the better of her. “Why does everyone assume I’m not happy? I am. I have everything I need or want. Stop interfering in my life. I will decide when or if I want to meet someone. I don’t need help. I don’t want it.”
Still fighting with her emotions, Evie lowered her voice and knelt down in front of her niece. She reached for Lucy’s hand and held it within her own. “It could have been dangerous, too, Lucy, which Teddy has brought up a few times. I’m sure you didn’t consider that, did you?” She didn’t give her a chance to answer. “I don’t know these men and neither do you. Who knows what kind of man could show up here? He could be an outlaw. Or a thief. Or a murderer. People aren’t always what they seem, especially on paper. It’s very easy to write lies just as easily as it is to lie to one’s face.”
The tears filling Lucy’s eyes spilled over and rolled down her cheeks as the full implication of her actions hit her. She gulped in air. “I’m so sorry,Tia. I hadn’t thought of that.” She swiped away the wetness. “I never intended to hurt anyone.”
“I don’t want your apologies, Lucy. I want you to fix this. No more prospective husbands. I mean it.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Lucy nodded, sniffing away the tears. “Do you forgive me?”
Evie raised her hand and cupped Lucy’s cheek. “Yes, I will forgive you but only as long as you promise never to do something like this again. It isn’t fair. Not to me or any of the gentlemen coming here looking for a wife, especially since I have no desire to marry.” She dropped her hand then stood but maintained eye contact. “Since you’re so good at correspondence, I want you to write to those men who haven’t shown up yet and rescind any offers you may have made.”
Lucy nodded, swiped at her eyes once more. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Today.”
“I will.” She picked up a fancy fountain pen from the desktop and grabbed a sheet of paper from the drawer. “Just tell me who you’ve met.”
Evie closed her eyes for a moment and paused before she said something she’d regret then answered once she had full control of her thoughts. “Horace Quinn arrived yesterday, but, as he stated to me before he left here like someone put a burr under his saddle, ‘we won’t suit’.” She began to pace but her gaze never left Lucy’s. “Did you know he expected me to leave here and live with him in Santa Fe where he has a hardware store? He even had the audacity to arrange for a Justice of the Peace for the very afternoon he came here! Like I would ever leave Montaña del Trueno.”
She shuddered, remembering her revulsion when he kissed her hand, his lips soft and wet, like a child’s. Or a fish. “And another thing—he doesn’t like children. Did you know that? Did he tell you that in his letter? The look on his face when Toughie interrupted our conversation and offered him a cookie was one of pure disgust. And fear. I got the distinct impression that he just wanted a wife to take care of him and work for him in his store.”
“I am sorry,TiaEvie. He did not mention in his letter that he didn’t like children. Or that he expected you to leave the ranchand move to Santa Fe.” She made a note on the paper. “Mr. Quinn wasn’t what you would consider a good husband. What about Mr. Peña? Did you meet him?”
“I did. He seems like a nice enough man, I suppose. Attractive. I’ve offered him a job, so he’ll be staying. For a while, at least. It wouldn’t surprise me if he didn’t stay long.”
“What aren’t you telling me about him?”
Evie continued to pace, going from one end of the room to the other, stopping only to pick up a picture in a frame, this one of Toughie, who, surprisingly, sat still long enough to have his photograph taken. “He’s…too young.
“Too young? How young is too young?”
“He’s more than ten years younger than I am, Lucy.” She put the picture back where it belonged and turned slightly to see Lucy studying her intently.
