in charge of Bella Creek.”
His eyebrows remained arched in question.
“Grandfather Marshall started the town so people would have a safe place to live. Until then, Wolf Hollow was the only town in the vicinity and it’s a rough mining town.”
He nodded, though she wondered if anything she said was making sense to him.
She continued, “Annie married the preacher. Preacher Hugh Arness. Likely they’ll have an opinion about my decision to marry a stranger.” She considered the alternatives and could come up with nothing but asking Hugh to marry them. There was no other preacher nearby and the judge wouldn’t be around until who knew when.
Of course, it might not be a problem if Sawyer had changed his mind. “That is if you were serious about marrying me.” Life had come to a pretty pass when she had to beg a complete stranger to agree to a marriage...or rather, a pretend marriage.
“I’m serious about getting a home for Jill.”
They studied each other.
Carly wasn’t sure what she expected from him but after a moment of silent study, one of the other, she realized he’d said all he meant to say on the matter. “Then we are agreed?”
“I’d say so.”
“Then let’s get Jill and go find the preacher.” She pretended she didn’t feel an uncomfortable tremor in the pit of her stomach. This marriage would change nothing except to have a man in the little bedroom and a child chasing after butterflies.
They returned to the examining room where Kate waited with Jill who now sat cross-legged on the gurney. They both watched Carly and Sawyer step back into the room; both wore curiosity-filled expressions. Carly knew that Kate must wonder what Carly needed to say in private to a stranger, and Jill likely wondered how their conversation would affect her.
“She’s fit to go,” Kate said. “Bring her to Father if you have any concerns.”
“How much?” Sawyer asked.
Kate named a sum and Sawyer pulled the coins from his pocket and gave them to her.
Carly watched Jill. What they planned to do was partly on behalf of this child. Didn’t she need to be informed?
“Let’s go,” Sawyer said.
Jill jumped down and headed for the outer door.
Sawyer caught her arm. “No more running into the street.”
They exited into the empty waiting room.
“Wait,” Carly said.
Sawyer stopped and gave her a hard look. “You’re changing your mind again?”
“I never changed my mind before and I don’t plan to now. But I think we should tell Jill our plans.”
His gaze went to his sister. “Why?”
Annoyance colored her voice. “Because it concerns her.”
Sawyer and Jill both looked at her, one as silently demanding as the other. Carly sucked in air. Fine. She’d be the one to tell the news.
She sat on the bench so she’d be face-level with Jill. “I’m very sorry about your mama and papa. You must miss them very much.”
Jill blinked twice and then grew impassive.
Carly glanced at Sawyer. His expression matched Jill’s. The child had already learned to hide her feelings, had learned it well from someone who admitted to being very good at it.
“Sawyer—” She stumbled a bit at using his name so freely, but seeing as they were to be married... “Well, he wants you to have a home where you’ll always belong.”
Jill’s eyes darted toward her brother. “He’s gonna leave me here, isn’t he?”
“No, sweetie. That isn’t what he has in mind at all. You see I have a very nice home that needs a—” She couldn’t bring herself to say a man. “A family. You need a home. I need a family. So your brother and I are going to get married and we all get what we need.”
Jill stared, her brown eyes intense but Carly couldn’t tell if she approved of the idea or found it loathsome. “Is that okay with you?”
“What kind of home you got?”
“I live on a ranch with my father. We have horses and cows—”
“Puppies and kitties?”
“Not at the moment.” Carly promised herself she’d get one of each as soon as possible. “We had a dog but he died during the winter. He was old.” Carly missed him and hadn’t considering replacing him yet. It was time to think about one now. Every child needed pets.
“I’d have to work?”
“You’d have chores. We all would. It’s how families operate.”
Jill nodded. “That’s what Mama said, too.” She nodded. “Okay.”
Sawyer cleared his throat. “Seems we’re all agreed.”
“Then let’s go find the preacher.” Carly led the way out of the doctor’s house. She turned left, marched past the schoolhouse where Jill would soon be attending, past the town square with trees budding and flowers pushing up through the sod. They turned by the church and went to the manse where Hugh had his office. The three of them stood at the doorway. It felt strange to be coming to this entrance. Carly always went to the door that opened to the kitchen. She knocked.
Hugh opened the door, a smile driving deep dimples into his cheeks. “Carly, go round to the kitchen. Annie’s there.”
“I’ve come to see you.” Remembering the other two, she corrected herself. “We’ve come to see you.”
Hugh’s mobile face sobered and a hard look replaced his smile. He surely must wonder why Carly had brought a man and a child to his office.
“Then by all means come right in.” He waved them toward the pair of chairs facing the desk, realized he needed another chair and snagged one from against the wall.
They sat. Carly to the right, Sawyer to the left and Jill in the middle. Hugh took his place across the desk from them.
Carly had always liked Hugh. He was darkly handsome with a quick smile and those lovely deep dimples in his cheeks. And single-minded. He’d come to town to find his missing son, Evan, and hadn’t given up until he’d rescued the boy. Not unlike Sawyer’s situation. Surely he’d see the similarities and it would make him eager to help.
Hugh directed his gaze toward Sawyer. “I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure.”
“Hugh, this is Sawyer Gallagher and his sister, Jill.”
The men shook hands, Hugh unmistakably curious. Then he offered his hand to Jill and she solemnly took it.
Hugh
