The Marriage Barter

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Apparently convinced, Charlotte sank into the chair. “I don’t know what got into her. Maybe you look like her father. Does he, Sasha?”

The little girl looked up at him but didn’t answer.

Charlotte didn’t know quite what to say. Here she was, in the perfect position to lay out her proposition, and her heart was pounding through her rib cage. Of all things, Sasha had opened the door by calling him papa. How easy it would be to ask if he was willing to really be Sasha’s papa, but the words stuck in her throat.

Instead, she croaked out insignificant chatter. “I understand her parents were Russian.”

His brow furrowed. “Russian? That’s unusual, but it explains the accent.”

“And her limited vocabulary. But she’s learning new words every day. Aren’t you, Sasha?”

Naturally, the girl didn’t fully understand what she was asking, but she would. Holly had told Charlotte to read to Sasha, so that the girl would pick up the language quickly.

“I read to her each night.” Charlotte’s constricted throat began to open. It was so much easier talking about Sasha. “Maybe I should read in the morning, too, but there are so many things to do. Breakfast to fix, water to pump, coal to haul inside—” She halted, realizing she was blathering.

“You haul coal?” Wyatt looked outraged.

“Well, Charles did, but since he—” She couldn’t bring herself to say died in front of Sasha. “Well, I have to do it now.”

His gaze narrowed. “No one helps you out?”

“When they can.” She fussed with her gloves rather than look him in the eye. “But I hate to ask them to take time out of their busy days.”

He barely hesitated. “I can help.”

She stared at him, shocked.

“While I’m here,” he amended. “I’ll make sure your scuttle is full.”

“Thank you.” She ducked her head. Again, the perfect opportunity. Again, her heart pounded through her chest. She licked her lips. “I wonder if...”

“If what?”

The words caught in her throat. “If...if...”

A commotion at the door halted conversations and drew everyone’s attention.

“Charlotte! I’m so glad you’re here.” Holly burst into the room with Mason right behind her. “I have something wonderful to tell you, to tell everyone.”

“That’s right,” boomed Mason with the broadest grin she’d ever seen cross that man’s face.

Holly fairly bounced, her smile so wide it would light up the night sky. “We’re getting married tomorrow morning.” She pressed her hands to her face as if in disbelief.

“You heard the lady.” Mason pulled her closer, if that was possible. “We’re getting hitched at ten o’clock, and you’re all invited.”

The room erupted into congratulations, and everyone except Beatrice converged on the couple. The men shook Mason’s hand roundly. The women hugged Holly and said they’d known all along that Mason would come to his senses. Sasha squealed and slid off Wyatt’s lap to hand Holly the bedraggled forget-me-not that she’d plucked on the way to the hotel. “For you, Miffanders.” Sasha couldn’t quite pronounce Miss Sanders.

Charlotte wiped away a tear and struggled to hide the terrible envy that swelled inside her. Holly was her friend. She should be happy for her. She’d known this day was coming. They were perfect for each other. Then why this horrible feeling? It wasn’t right or good.

“Oh, Holly, I’m so happy for you.” She hugged her friend and managed a wide, tearful smile that she hoped would pass for joy.

Holly squeezed her tightly before stepping back with a grin. “Your turn will come. Have faith.”

Except that sometime during the confusion, Wyatt had slipped out of the room.

Charlotte panicked and grabbed Sasha’s hand. She needed to catch him before he disappeared upstairs, but Holly wasn’t finished.

“And, well...” Holly bit her lip. “I hope you don’t mind that I asked Rebecca to stand up with me. I didn’t want to keep you from Sasha.”

Charlotte’s mind whirled. That was the least of her concerns. She reassured Holly that she was delighted Rebecca would do the honor, all the while looking for Wyatt.

“Speaking of children...” Holly tugged on Mason’s arm. “We should tell them the rest of the news.”

Mason grinned and asked the well-wishers for silence, which they roundly ignored. Holly then clapped her hands three times, and the crowd instantly hushed. She then deferred to her husband-to-be.

“As you know, I’ve taken a shine to Liam. That is, we have. Well, we thought, that is, we talked it over, and, you see—”

Holly rolled her eyes. “What Mason’s trying to say is that we’re going to take in Liam as soon as we’re married. The selection committee approved it. Now we just have to pray that the judge rules in our favor.”

Charlotte hoped Holly’s prayers came true. The spunky lad had been Mason’s sidekick since the day he arrived in town to warn the sheriff about the train robbery. Liam belonged with Holly and Mason.