had so eagerly looked forward to meeting and befriending. To learn that they had died under such horrific circumstances…
Everything seemed to go silent, to pull back from her. A heartbeat later her vision clouded over and the earth swayed under her feet.
“Whoa, there.”
Mr. Tyler’s hand was under her elbow, steadying her, lending her a measure of strength.
Sounds and objects came rushing back into focus, racing to keep pace with the emotions that careened through her like water rushing over a fall. Horror at the thought of their deaths, confusion over what this meant for her future, and a guilty relief that her husband had not deliberately shunned her after all.
She attempted to smile at her concerned brother-in-law. “Thank you. I’m okay now.”
He raised a brow. Probably worried she’d faint on him.
“Look, there’s a bench over yonder under that cottonwood.” He nodded his head in the direction of a tall leafy tree. Then he cleared his throat. “Why don’t we sit for a spell? It’ll be cooler in the shade and you can tell me the story of how you came to be married to my bother.”
Callie glanced toward the cemetery, then nodded. She could pay her respects to Leland after she and his brother had their talk.
Then she realized how selfish she was being. These people were his family, his siblings and the people he’d grown up with. “I’m sorry to have made this more difficult for you, Mr. Tyler,” she said softly. “And my condolences on your loss.”
He nodded silently, leading her across the grounds.
“When did it happen?” Callie was still trying to take it all in. “The fire, I mean.”
He released her arm as they reached the bench. “Four days ago.” Both his face and voice were controlled, giving no hint of whatever emotion he might be feeling.
Then it hit her. She plopped down onto the bench. Could it be?
She clasped her hands tightly and stared up at him. “Do you know what time?”
His brow wrinkled in confusion. “Pardon?”
“At what time did your brother die?” She heard the shrillness of her tone, saw his brow go up. No doubt he thought her hysterical. But right now she didn’t care.
He lifted a hand, palm up. “I don’t know. I wasn’t here. I only—”
“Do you have any idea?” she pressed. “Morning? Afternoon? Please, this is important.” Her heart beat with a dull thumping as she waited for his response. A few hours one way or the other could make all the difference in the world.
The thing was, she didn’t really know what answer she wanted to hear.
He scratched his chin. “Virgil did mention the café was nearly empty because it was after lunch…”
“I see.” She sagged back in her seat, not sure whether she was relieved or disappointed.
Help me to see Your will in this, Father. Because right now, all I feel is confused and adrift.
“And just why does the time matter so much?” Jack asked, interrupting her silent prayer.
Callie dug in her handbag and pulled out a packet of papers. She stared at them for a moment, then held them out to him. “Because, as you’ll see if you look through these documents, your brother and I were married by proxy four days ago. At exactly ten o’clock in the morning.”
She gave him a humorless smile. “Which means, since the ceremony occurred before the fire, I am indeed a widow without ever having met my husband.”
Chapter Four
As he took the papers from her, Callie closed her eyes, trying to absorb the fact that she had become a widow without ever knowing what it meant to be a wife. Yes, it was true that Leland had meant this to be a marriage in name only, but she had secretly hoped that, given time…
Stop it! Callie gave herself a mental shake. She should be mourning the man, not the end of some foolish daydream.
More to the point was the fact that she no longer had a reason to be here.
Had she come all this way for nothing?
Heavenly Father, I thought this was Your answer to my prayers. But was I too impulsive yet again? Was this mere wishful thinking on my part rather than Your intent for me? Please, help me understand what it is You want me to do now.
The sound of rustling papers drew her attention back to her companion.
He leaned forward, pinning her with that intense gaze again.
Her skin prickled. Even though they were out in the open rather than closed up in a stagecoach, being alone with him suddenly felt much more dangerous than it had earlier.
“So tell me,” he asked, “how did this proxy marriage of yours come about?”
She bristled at his suspicious tone, forgetting her previous discomfort. Then she softened as guilt washed over her.
How could she sit here feeling sorry for herself while he dealt with such pain? He might seem gruff and overbearing, but how could she blame him? He’d lost his family less than a week ago, and now he was confronted with a sister-in-law he hadn’t realized existed until just a few moments ago.
At the very least he deserved an explanation, something to help him make sense of the situation.
No matter how humbling it might be for her to tell him the story.
“Your brother was in need of someone to help raise his daughter,” she said evenly. “And I wished to find a husband and household of my own. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement.
“As for why we did it by proxy…” She shrugged. “My family wouldn’t hear of my leaving Ohio without ironclad assurances that the wedding would actually take place, and this seemed the best solution.”
His eyes flashed with an emotion she couldn’t identify. “Forgive my bluntness, ma’am, but why you? I mean, you just admitted the two of you never met. And, unless things around here have changed more than I realized, I’m sure Lanny could have found a local girl more than willing to marry him and help raise Annabeth.”
She gave the edge of her bonnet a little tug. He was treading on uncomfortable territory. “Your brother is—was—a good-hearted, God-fearing man. He was very open about the fact that he wasn’t looking for, nor could he offer, a love match.” She brushed at an imaginary speck on her skirt. “He loved Julia very much and was certain he would never feel the same about another woman. I understood and accepted that.”
Callie titled her chin up as she met her inquisitor’s gaze. “I think he found it easier to say those things in a letter, and to someone he hadn’t grown up with.”
At his raised brow, she looked down at her clasped hands. “Besides which, as I said, your brother was a very kindhearted man. He knew I would receive his offer
