A Mail-Order Groom for the Determined Heiress – Extended Epilogue

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Seven Months Later

The kitchen door banged as Clara barged through it. Her bare feet slapped at the floor as she ran through. Maggie could hear her feet pound up the stairs as she moved around her bedroom. She smiled to herself, one hand absently moving to her round belly. There were plenty of changes heading their way over the next few months. It was important that she take the time to appreciate life as it was in the moment rather than just thinking about the future.

A clatter of wagon wheels and jangling harness announced Priscilla’s arrival. Maggie was thrilled to have company. Though going into confinement out in the territories wasn’t entirely practical, Maggie had chosen to stay out of the public eye once she could no longer hide her pregnancy behind loose-fitting clothing. She deeply respected the older generation and did not wish to give any offense by appearing obviously pregnant.

It had only been a few weeks since Maggie had chosen not to go into Chester. Still, she was eager to hear whatever news there might be and have some fresh company. Besides, with Gideon gone driving the cattle down to the market in Kansas, there had been little adult conversation to be had.

“Look at you!” Priscilla cried as she came into the kitchen. “You’re blooming.”

Maggie laughed. “I guess I am, if you want to call it that.”

Abel came into the house and announced, “Did you tell her our news?”

“Abel! We were going to wait!” Priscilla swatted at her husband playfully.

But Maggie ignored Priscilla’s reserve. With growing excitement, she demanded, “Priscilla Holloway, are you expecting?”

Her cousin couldn’t keep from beaming. “I am! It’s new, so we aren’t telling anyone other than you and Gideon. We’ll tell my family later, once we’ve had time to make sure things are going well.”

Maggie pulled her cousin into a tight hug. Tears sprang to her eyes. She knew how badly Priscilla had been hoping for a baby ever since she and Abel married. Of course, everything made Maggie cry these days. Clara had taken to teasing her about it, and Maggie couldn’t help but laugh at herself.

Since lunch wasn’t for another hour or so, Abel offered to walk up to the ranch to check in with the remaining ranch hands. Cleve was gone on the drive, along with Ronald, Elmer, and Javier. Horace had remained behind to keep an eye on things and Ugo wouldn’t leave the cookhouse without a stick of dynamite. They’d taken on a few new hands for the cattle drive, men that Gideon had worked with before.

“Is Abel going out to the ranch?” hollered Clara from upstairs.

“Yes!” Maggie replied. She looked at Priscilla and smiled impishly. “I’ve talked to her about yelling in the house, but she gets too excited to remember. And now that I’m about the size of Missouri, it’s just easier this way. Mother would turn over in her grave.”

Clara charged down the stairs, tore through the kitchen, and ran through the yard, yelling for Abel to wait for her. Priscilla watched the little girl run past and shook her head. But she was smiling ruefully, too, and Maggie didn’t worry that her once-prim-and-proper cousin was at all shocked.

“Let’s go to the parlor and get you off your feet,” Priscilla bossed.

Hand rubbing her lower back, Maggie turned and left the kitchen. Gratefully, she sank into her favorite chair with a groan of pleasure.

Priscilla laughed and perched across from her. “How are you feeling these days?”

“Tired and ready to cry at any given moment. But otherwise, I feel wonderful. Since the nausea came to an end, I’ve really enjoyed being pregnant. How are you feeling? Is the morning sickness awful?” Maggie cringed, the memory all too fresh of her own early months of pregnancy.

“It hasn’t been too bad,” Priscilla replied. “Pauline was so very sick with her last little one. I was afraid that might be in store for me, but I’m glad to say that I think I’ll survive.

“Did I tell you that there’s a new doctor coming to Chester?” Priscilla asked, suddenly changing the subject.

“A doctor? In Chester? That’s a surprise,” said Maggie. “A good one, mind you. I don’t know how a doctor would choose to set up here of all places.”

Her cousin leaned in and said conspiratorially, “I think Gideon was a part of it.”

“Gideon?!”

“That’s right. From what I can gather, he wrote to the doctor from back in Dempsey. The man had been looking to move away ever since the town began to grow rough. Since he knew Chester would be more to his liking, Gideon asked the man to set up his practice here. And he agreed!”

Maggie rubbed her belly absently. “Well, that was thoughtful of Gideon, I suppose. I will feel better knowing there’s a doctor in town. Mrs. Ledger has been delivering babies around here for years. I think she was the midwife when I was born.”

“Me too,” Priscilla agreed. “But there haven’t been nearly as many babies in recent years, and I think she’s glad to have a doctor on hand.”

“I’m glad she won’t be put out. I can’t picture giving birth without Mrs. Ledger on hand.”

Her Pricilla’s hand went to her own abdomen, and she grinned, “Me either. Oh, Maggie, I’m so excited!”

They discussed the details of when the baby was likely to make its arrival and Priscilla’s dreams for the nursery.

“Have you thought about how you’ll keep the restaurant running?” wondered Maggie.

“Abel and I have gone back and forth about it. He wrote to one of his aunts, Leona Fletcher. He used to spend some of his winters with her and his uncle. I take it his uncle died sometime last winter, and Aunt Leona isn’t too sure what to do with herself. She isn’t very old, and Abel raves about her cooking. We’ve invited her to come and make a home here, in Chester and help with the cooking and maintaining the hotel.”

Maggie’s eyebrows lifted. “That sounds like the perfect solution.”

“I hope it will be,” Priscilla said with a shrug. “We might have to find a way to share the kitchen, but I’m praying it will be a good solution for us both.”

Men’s voices in the yard drew the women to their feet. Maggie couldn’t guess who Abel was talking to and walked to the window, lifting the curtain and peering outside.

“Gideon!” she cried. “He’s home!”

As fast as she could manage, Maggie hurried through the dining room and kitchen and made it as far as the steps when her husband drew near. Gideon was tanned from his days on the trail, making his smile all the brighter.

“I’m covered in trail dust,” he warned her when it became clear that Maggie was going to throw her arms around him.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” she brushed his words aside. “I’ve waited weeks to see you again. Come here and let me greet you properly.”

Gideon stepped up on the bottom step so that his face was the same height as his wife’s. The two grinned at each other for a long moment before his hand came up to her chin, and he kissed her. Maggie poured all the longing she’d had in his absence into that kiss. When he finally drew back, Gideon’s expression had become a little dreamy.

He looked down at her belly and exclaimed, “Goodness! You’ve certainly grown.”

His hands spread over her stomach. Maggie’s cheeks grew warm at his touch. She’d missed so much about this man in his absence. She’d missed his smile, talking with him about the everyday things that occurred, dreaming about what they would do with the ranch, their hopes to get a teacher in Chester one day for Clara and the new baby down the road. And she’d awakened each day wishing he was lying next to her in the bed they now shared in what had been her parents’ room and was now their room.

Gideon’s arms wrapped around her, and she fell into his embrace, burying her face in her neck. Together, they sighed as one, and the little person inside Maggie gave a definite kick. Gideon pulled back, his face showing his amazement at feeling his son or daughter move.

Abel and Clara had slipped past them and into the kitchen so as to give the other couple a moment alone. But it wasn’t to be long-lived. Clara swept the door open and leaned her head out.

“Are you two done yet? Priscilla says she brought a cake, and we should eat it to welcome you home, Uncle Gideon.”

“Priscilla’s cake?” Gideon said, anticipation lighting his eyes.

Maggie laughed. “You’d best get inside. You look like you could use a good meal.”

Her husband smiled warmly at her and took her hand before leading her into the house. Maggie couldn’t shake the feeling that everything was right in her world now that Gideon was home. All through lunch and the long, hot afternoon, she sat near him. They chatted about all sorts of topics. Gideon told them about the high points of the cattle drive. Abel discussed the search for a deputy and told how his new role was growing and changing. Clara ran off to play near the pond once lunch finished, and the adults were able to talk about other things.

“We dealt with a few rustlers along the way,” Gideon said when his niece was out of earshot. “It might have been the remnants of Kincaid’s gang. Now that they’re missing their leader, and most of the worst offenders are in jail, they’re likely trying to reform.”

Abel leaned forward. “I’ll keep that in mind. There’s a sheriff down in Rosa Rio now who’s quite a character. We’ve met up twice now, and I like him. We’ll have to trade notes sometime soon and pass on any information we have to the marshal.”

The pair didn’t stay too long. Maggie got the feeling that they knew how much the little family needed some time to themselves. Once Priscilla and Abel had headed back to town, Gideon took himself off to take a bath. He went outside to empty his saddlebags and brought in the things that belonged in the house.

Clara returned, and Maggie brought out some lemonade she’d made. The three sat on the front porch in the shade and sipped from their cups, watching the wind blow the trees in the yard.

“I like it here,” Clara declared out of the blue. “This place feels like home.”

Maggie smiled gently at the girl. “I’m so glad you are happy here, Clara. We’ve all been through our share of sad, hard times. It’s so good to know that we have a happy home now.”

To her surprise, Gideon’s eyes were a little misty as he smiled at them. “There are times when I can’t believe how far we’ve come this past year. If you asked me last summer, I would never guess that I would be married with a permanent home for me and Clara and a baby on the way. God has been good to us.”

Clara, whose eighth birthday had been the past spring, said, “I still miss my mama. But she would have liked you, Aunt Maggie. If she’d had her pick of people to marry Uncle Gideon and take care of me, I think you would be exactly who she’d pick.”

Maggie couldn’t keep herself from bursting into tears. She pulled Clara into a hug. Once she’d mopped up her face and chuckled at herself, Gideon took her hand.

“In some ways, it’s like Dorothy did choose you. If it wasn’t for her kindness to Tucker, I never would have answered your advertisement in the newspaper,” he said, wonder in his voice.

A pang of grief tugged at Maggie. She missed her parents terribly. But if they couldn’t be here with her, she was so very glad that they’d helped her find her way to Gideon and Clara. And even poor Tucker had played a part in bringing her to them. There were times when she still struggled with anger at his actions. Still, she was finding it easier to forgive him with each day that passed.

She continued to exchange letters with Tucker. He would be in jail for quite some time, but he’d come to care for his family and regret the actions in his past. She hoped he would grow to be a better man, and she would continue to encourage him to follow a better path. It made her wistful to think of him, knowing that her parents would want her to forgive him.

“It’s a story I wouldn’t have believed possible if I hadn’t lived it,” she said with a sigh. “It’s the sort of thing only God in heaven could have pulled off.”

“I will never stop being glad that He brought so much good from our pain,” Gideon said, leaning forward and kissing his wife.

Maggie smiled to herself and felt the baby within her stretch. Yes, life was good. And she couldn’t wait for all the wonderful things that were yet to come.

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OFFER: A BRAND NEW SERIES AND 5 FREEBIES FOR YOU!

Grab my new series, "Hearts Across the Frontier", and get 5 FREE novels as a gift! Have a look here!

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