The Texan's Inherited Family

She grabbed her teaching materials then hurried out of her room. A quick glance at the grandfather clock in the main hallway told her that she’d better hurry if she planned to get that cantankerous schoolhouse stove going before class started. She popped into the kitchen only long enough to glean a muffin from a rather tired-looking Mrs. Bradley, before heading out the front door.

A whirlwind of yellow-and-brown oak leaves swirled around her as she hurried down Main Street toward the schoolhouse—their chaos an apt visualization of her nervousness, which increased the closer she got to the schoolhouse. There had been a few minor disturbances early in the school term while she had been adjusting to teaching and the students had been adjusting to her. The president of the school board, Mr. Etheridge, had warned her that another incident of any kind would warrant a discussion of her fitness for the teaching position with the rest of the school board. Sending the man’s son home on Friday with a black eye and bloody nose courtesy of Reece Tucker couldn’t have helped matters.

Helen took a deep breath to calm herself down. Surely Mr. Etheridge must have understood from her note that she’d managed to de-escalate the situation quickly. If nothing else, he had to appreciate the fact that she’d kept the boys from hurting each other further and had even gotten them to apologize.

Feeling a bit more confident, Helen unlocked the schoolroom door and got the fire in the stove going just as students began arriving. A few called jaunty hellos, but most just silently stored their dinner pails in the coatroom then rushed out to play until she was ready to call them in. She had the school bell in hand to do exactly that when Violet, the youngest of Mr. Bradley’s three daughters, met her at the schoolhouse door. “Helen, why didn’t you stay for breakfast? You missed all the excitement!”

She ought to remind Violet to refer to her as Miss McKenna during school hours, but technically the bell hadn’t rung yet, so Helen allowed herself to be drawn in by the fifteen-year-old’s exuberance. “What excitement? What’s happened?”

“Amy eloped last night!”

“Eloped?” Her mouth fell open. “I don’t believe it. How? With whom? Why?”

“With Silas Smithson, of all people! I don’t think you’ve met him. He left town over a year ago. He stayed at the boardinghouse while he was here, which is how he and Amy became sweethearts. He tricked us all into thinking that he worked with the railroad when he was actually an undercover Ranger. I guess Papa’s pride was hurt by Silas’s deception, because he forbade us to have anything to do with him once the truth came out. That didn’t stop Amy from corresponding with him in secret all this time. At least, that’s what she said in the letter she left us.”

Helen shook her head. “No wonder Amy asked me to give Ellie the Bachelor List. She wasn’t planning to be around long enough to do it herself.”

“You have the Bachelor List?” Excitement lit the girl’s blue eyes. She caught Helen’s arm. “What is it like? Where is it? Did you find out who your match is?”

“I had the Bachelor List. It was nothing grand—just a folded-up piece of paper. I didn’t find my match because I didn’t know the paper was the list until Ellie figured out what it must have been. By that point, I’d already lost it at the shivaree.”

“You lost it? Oh, Helen. That’s tragic.”

Helen sighed. “It certainly is, and I feel horrible about it. Hopefully, Ellie will find it today. Meanwhile, I need to ring the school bell or we’re going to start the day late.”

“But I have so much more to tell you! This elopement is the most exciting thing that’s happened to me.”

“You’ll have to tell me the rest at dinner. Now, hurry and put your things in the coatroom. I need to ring the bell.”

Violet gave a dramatic sigh as she opened the cloakroom door then shut it immediately. She glanced back at Helen with wide eyes. “There’s a man in there!”

Before Helen could do more than frown, Quinn Tucker emerged, hands raised as though he was a victim of a holdup. “I’m sorry, ladies. There just didn’t seem to be a good time to interrupt.”

Helen held back a laugh at the guilty expression on his face and crossed her arms. “Yes, well, there generally never is when you’re eavesdropping. What were you doing in there, anyway?”

“I was bringing Clara and Reece the dinner I ordered for them at the café.” He slipped his hands into his pockets then glanced at Violet. “I won’t tell anyone what I overheard.”

“Oh, half the town has probably heard the story by now and the other half will know soon enough. Tell whoever you want. I don’t mind.” Violet gave them a quick smile before disappearing into the coatroom.

Quinn opened the schoolhouse door for Helen then gave her the same crooked grin Reece often used when he knew he was in trouble. “Does that square me with you, Miss McKenna?”

“I suppose it does.” She glanced up at him when they reached the grass. “Of course, I’m still waiting for you to keep your half of the deal we made last night.”

“I got suckered into that deal and you know it.” He narrowed his eyes at the innocent smile she gave him and lifted a brow before setting his hat on his head. “Good day, Miss McKenna.”

“Good day, Mr. Tucker.” She rang the school bell as she watched him stride toward Main Street and wondered what it was about him that she found so attractive. In Austin, she’d preferred gentlemen with a certain level of suavity, affluence and ambition; but those very qualities were the ones that had left her ringless at her engagement dinner. Quinn seemed to be a different sort of man—honest, unassuming, devoted and a bit desperate in his attempts to be a good uncle. Perhaps that was what she found attractive.

A small hand tugged at her skirt. She dropped her gaze to find Reece’s sparring partner standing before her with a greenish-yellow ring around his left eye. She knelt down. “How are you, Jake?”

He shrugged. “Aw, I’m fine, ma’am. Pa told me to be sure to give you this.”

She took the envelope he handed her then thanked him and sent him into the schoolroom with the rest of the children. She tore open the letter, which was so brief it was almost a waste of good paper. She was to dismiss the children thirty minutes early so that an emergency meeting of the school board could convene at the schoolhouse that afternoon.

She pulled in a calming breath. No need to panic. Despite all of her hopes to the contrary, she’d seen this coming. Perhaps it didn’t have to be a bad thing. After all, this meant her job performance would be reviewed by all the members of the school board—not just Mr. Etheridge. The two other members had seemed nice and welcoming when she’d met them at the beginning of the term. But what if Mr. Etheridge was able to convince them that she was inept at her job?

She could always return home. Her parents had made sure she knew their door was always open to her, but she didn’t want to leave Peppin. In this town, she was known for what she did and who she was. In Austin, people knew her for what her family did and who they were in society. She’d received this teaching position based on her own merit, not on the influence of her family. She meant to make the most of this opportunity and that did not mean getting fired only five weeks into the semester. If Mr. Etheridge thought it would be easy to get rid of her, he had another think coming. She might not be able to be a wife and mother, but she had no intention of letting her replacement dream slip through her fingers without a fight.

Chapter Two

Please. Please. Please. Quinn’s pleading matched the hurried rhythm of his steps as he left the schoolhouse behind. What were the chances that God had seen fit to answer Quinn’s prayer for a wife only seconds after he’d spoken it? That could very well be the case if the paper that had gotten caught up in his banjo strings was the same one he’d overheard Helen saying she’d lost—the Bachelor List.

If Ellie had included him on the list, surely she would have matched him with someone who would be a good mother and wouldn’t mind hitching up with the likes of him. Why, he might not have to do any courting at all if he showed the woman they’d been matched on the list. The children could have a mother by the end of the week if this panned out.

He waited until he could duck into the alleyway beside Maddie’s Café then pulled the list from his pocket, grateful that his lack of time to do laundry meant he had on the same pants he’d worn the night before. He unfolded the paper and pressed it against the side of the building to smooth it out. It certainly appeared to be a list of some kind. He ran his finger down the column of script, looking for the circle with the line through the side of it that would signify the beginning of his name. There it was. Q-u-i-n-n. Quinn. The only word he knew how to read and write.

“Thank You, God! I’m on the list.”

He threw a kiss heavenward to thank his grandmother for giving him the skills to figure out that much. However, as usual, it wasn’t enough. He knew from all the talk he’d heard about the list that the name of the woman he was supposed to marry should be right next to his. That looked to be true, but whose name started with a letter that looked as if he was staring straight at a beefy Longhorn bull?

Folding the paper back in his pocket, he blew out a sigh and pounded the side of his fist on the wall. He was going to have to ask for help. There was no way around it this time.

Two years. He’d been in this town for two years and no one knew that he was illiterate. Never once had he needed to set aside his pride and admit defeat until now. What else could he do? The children needed a mother. He needed them to have a mother.

He knew just who to go to for help, even if it would be a bit humbling. He walked into Maddie’s Café and waved his thanks to the proprietress for keeping an eye on the two youngest children while he’d taken the elder two their dinners. Maddie offered him a distracted smile as she went about filling orders. Quinn realized it probably hadn’t been a good idea to leave them with her since they were quietly drawing on the table with their colored chalk rather than the slates they’d been given. He wiped the evidence away with his sleeve the best he could before removing the chalk from their hands, which started Olivia wailing.

Quinn placed the eighteen-month-old on his hip then grabbed the hand of four-year-old Trent and hurried outside. The only blond in the family, Trent’s brown eyes stayed as solemn as he’d been silent since soon after his parents’ deaths. The boy’s little legs chugged along as he frowned up at Quinn, who took that as a sign to slow down. Olivia stopped wailing long enough to push away from him and stare at a passing lady. The little girl reached out for the stranger. The woman saw her and smiled. It was a heartwarming moment until the girl’s hand latched on to the fake red bird on the lady’s hat. There was a struggle and when the woman finally managed to get away, she was missing the ornament. Quinn gently wrestled it from his niece’s hand and offered it to its owner. “I’m sorry, ma’am.”

The woman shook her head as she backed away. “She can keep it.”

“Sorry!” Quinn called again then stared into Olivia’s blue eyes as he gave the bird back to her. “The last thing I need is for you to start running off women.”

The girl hugged the fake feathered ornament to her chest. Looking at him very intently, she said, “Doggie.”

“No. That’s a birdie.”

“Doggie.”

“Sugar, you can talk real good for your age, but most of what you say just isn’t right. Maybe I ought to get Miss McKenna to have a talk with you.” He reached down to grab Trent’s hand again but came up empty. He glanced down. There was no trace of the boy. Panic rose in his throat. “Trent!”

Something landed on his boot—a little hand, which was attached to a pudgy arm. That was all he could see because the rest of Trent’s body was underneath the raised wooden sidewalk. Quinn knelt down to haul the boy out of there. “What are you doing? How did you even fit under there? Now you’re covered in dirt.”

The boy didn’t respond. He never did. Instead, he just frowned even harder and lifted a bright red feather that obviously belonged to the bird’s tail. The sight melted Quinn’s heart and it was all he could do to remain firm, when he wanted nothing more than to hug the boy close. “Thank you for picking that up for your sister, but you must not do that again. Do you understand?”

He waited for Trent to nod before wiping the dirt from the boy’s face and combing the mussed blond hair into place. “That’s good because you scared me. I thought I’d lost you. Hold on to my hand and don’t let go. We need to cross the street. Are you ready?”

With Trent dutifully clutching his hand and Olivia on his hip, Quinn made it across the street into the blacksmith’s shop. Rhett Granger glanced up from whatever he was pounding on at the iron. “Be right with you, Quinn.”

Quinn put Olivia on the counter and set Trent beside her, caging them in with his arms and body. Olivia was too busy playing with her ill-gotten gains to care, but Trent immediately started wriggling. “Hold still, son. This will only take a minute.”

Rhett tucked his work gloves in the pocket of the leather apron he was wearing. He approached the counter with smiles for the children, who completely ignored him. “How can I help y’all?”

“Rhett, you’re one of the most trustworthy men I know and a real good friend.”

His friend’s amber eyes lit with surprise. “Thanks, Quinn. I could say the same about you, but you didn’t just come in here to shower me with praise, did you? Not that I mind if you did...”

“No, and I don’t have the time or the patience to beat around the bush, so I’m going to come out with it.” Quinn reluctantly allowed Trent to slide to the floor since the boy was trying to climb down his body, anyway.

“That’s always a good policy.”

Quinn looked around to make sure they were alone then leaned forward. He kept his voice low. “I have the Bachelor List.”

“You have it?”

“Yeah, and I’m willing to give it you if you will just read it to me.”

Rhett stiffened. “I’ve already been told who my match is. Since that woman ran away with someone else last night, I’m not particularly interested in the list.”

“Amy? Your match was Amy? I didn’t know. You didn’t tell me. I mean, I knew you were sweet on her, but...” Quinn shook his head, searching his friend’s face to see how hard the news of Amy’s elopement had hit him. “I’m real sorry. How are you holding up?”

Rhett shrugged. “I don’t know. To tell the truth, I didn’t know her that well since our conversations mostly consisted of me tripping over my tongue like an idiot while she looked at me in confusion. Other than that, all we ever exchanged were a few looks and smiles. I guess my heart might not have been quite as involved as I thought it was.”

“But you’re disappointed.”

“Yeah.” Rhett sighed. “I’d hoped she was the one—especially since we were paired on that list.”

“Well, this might not be much of a comfort, but I’m sure there’s someone else out there. Perhaps someone you’ll be able to talk to without being nervous around.”

Rhett lifted a skeptical eyebrow. “I’m not sure how likely that is since my brain seems to abandon me anytime a relationship turns romantic. I’ll tell you one thing, though. If there is another woman out there for me, I won’t find her with the Bachelor List. You’d be wise to give it back to Ellie and find a woman on your own.”

Quinn grimaced. “I hate to point this out, but Ellie has gotten every other match she’s ever made right, so I’ll take the chance. Please read it to me.”

“Rub that in harder, why don’t you?” Rhett narrowed his eyes and leaned against the counter. “If you’re so interested, why don’t you just read it yourself?”

“I would if I could.” He stared Rhett in the eye and waited for confusion to turn to enlightenment then pity. The pity never came—only compassion—which was almost as bad, except it didn’t leave quite as awful a taste in Quinn’s mouth.

“I’ll read it for you. Have you got it on you?”

“Yeah.” Quinn laid the list on the counter between them and pointed to the only word he recognized. “My name is right there. I know that much, but whose is next to it?”

Rhett glanced down at the spot Quinn indicated before folding up the list and handing it back as if he couldn’t get rid of it fast enough. “Ellie put you with Helen McKenna.”

The words reached his brain then fell flat as the pancakes he’d tried to make that morning. “Come again?”

“The schoolmarm. Helen McKenna.”

“That isn’t funny.” Quinn tried to give the list to Rhett again. “Read it right.”

Rhett held his hands up and refused to take it. “I’m telling you, Quinn, it says Helen McKenna. I wouldn’t joke about this.”

Quinn closed his eyes and lowered his head in defeat as the hope that had flared in him burned out like a faulty matchstick. What had Ellie been thinking? Helen McKenna was far too good for him. She’d been nice to him—friendly, even—but she’d never consider him as a marriage prospect. He had nothing to offer a woman like her.

A tiny forehead braced against his. He opened his eyes to see Olivia blinking up at him from inches away, her big eyes nearly crossing in the effort. He kissed her tiny nose then straightened to his full height. He may not be Helen’s first choice in a man. However, judging by the way Reece and Clara talked about her nonstop, she’d probably be the children’s first choice in a mother. That was enough for him. “She might not love me, but I dare her not to fall in love with my kids. She’ll marry me, if only because of that.”

Rhett looked dubious. “Are you sure that’s best for them? For you to marry a woman you don’t love?”

“A mother is what’s best for them. She’ll be a good one. Ellie must have thought the same thing. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have matched us up.” He put the paper back into his pocket. “I’ll need this as proof. I promise I’ll give it back to you as soon as possible.”

“Don’t bother. I have no use for it. Besides, I’ve had enough woman trouble to last me a good while.” Rhett gave him a nod of silent encouragement. “I’ll be praying for you, man.”

“Thanks. I’ll need it.” He scooped Olivia back onto his hip, reached down for Trent’s hand...and came up empty. He pulled in a deep breath. “Trent!”

A head poked out from beneath a bench in the waiting room. Quinn strode over and held out his hand. “We just talked about this, son. You are not allowed to crawl under anything that puts you out of sight without letting me know first. That includes benches.”

Quinn opened the door with his shoulder then stood outside trying to figure out what to do next. He should probably get the haircut and shave that Helen seemed so particular about. He’d need to find someone to watch the children for an hour or so to get that done. Maybe the doctor’s wife? He hated to impose on her again so soon, but she had said she’d be happy to help if he needed someone to watch the children again.

He frowned as he rubbed a hand over his thick beard. He could hardly expect a schoolmarm to accept the proposal of an illiterate man who reminded her of a bear. While he couldn’t do anything for his lack of book learning, he could get rid of some of his wildness.

He shook his head. Helen McKenna. He might as well be reaching for the moon. He might not deserve her, but his children did and that’s exactly who they were going to get.

* * *

Mr. Etheridge reminded Helen of a thundercloud with his snapping gray eyes, prematurely silver hair and commanding voice that filled the schoolhouse with a confidence that dared anyone to disagree with him. “Miss McKenna, you have demonstrated a concerning inability to maintain proper discipline during school hours. The school board overlooked the troubling pranks that took place at the beginning of the school term, but now our students are brawling in the schoolyard.”

A frown etched across the face of Mr. Johansen, whose youngest son was in the fifth grade. “I heard there has been fighting.”

Mr. Etheridge’s pacing steps in front of her desk seemed intended to slowly, deliberately sever any connection between her and the two other members of the school board. “My son, Jake, finds himself in constant need to defend himself from the aggressions of his fellow student Reece Tucker, who is treated with blatant partiality. While my Jake was sent home from school on Friday with a black eye and bloody nose, Reece was allowed to stay at school for the remainder of the day.”

Nathan Rutledge’s gaze locked on Helen’s. The final member of the three-person school board was Ellie’s brother-in-law and the father of a little boy in the same class as Reece Tucker. “Is it true that you only sent Jake Etheridge home, Miss McKenna?”

Helen forced herself to adopt a more pleasant look as she straightened her back and lifted her chin. “Yes, but—”

“You see?” Mr. Etheridge turned to face the other members. “I think it is quite obvious that Miss McKenna lets favoritism get in the way of good discipline. Despite her high recommendations, her inexperience is detrimental to the welfare of our students.”

The indignant flush rising in her cheeks from Mr. Etheridge’s interruptions and the urge to defend herself faded into confusion. “High recommendations?”

Mr. Johansen nodded, though he didn’t take his gaze from Mr. Etheridge. “He means the letter from the governor.”

Her hands tightened into fists. “The governor recommended me for this position?”

“Yes,” Nathan agreed. “It was the deciding factor that led us to choose you over the local candidate—Mr. Etheridge’s daughter.”

Everything suddenly became clear. No wonder she’d been placed at a school so quickly after taking the teaching exam despite having no former experience. She’d thought it was a sign from God that she’d made the right decision in giving up on the impossible to focus on the attainable. Instead, it was simply a sign that her loving, overprotective parents had asked a favor from the governor, who had been a friend of the family for years.

“My daughter was unable to find another position and would be willing to replace Miss McKenna should the need arise.”

She stared at Mr. Etheridge, finally able to understand the reason for his attitude toward her. No doubt he saw her as the interloping city girl who’d stolen the position that rightfully belonged to his daughter. Maybe that’s exactly who she was. Maybe she’d stolen some other girl’s dream. She had no right to do that just because she wasn’t woman enough achieve her own. She shook the thoughts away and forced herself to focus on the situation at hand. Nathan Rutledge was watching her with concern. “Is there anything you would like to say in your defense, Miss McKenna?”

She swallowed and tried to remember the charges Mr. Etheridge had laid against her. “I think any teacher would have been subjected to the same pranks I was at the beginning of the semester. They were harmless and I put an end to them as soon as I could. I can’t deny that Reece and Jake have been fighting. Jake seems to have a bit of an unrequited crush on Reece’s sister Clara and often teases her to the point where Reece feels compelled to defend her.”

“That isn’t true.” Mr. Etheridge interjected.

“I’m afraid it is, Mr. Etheridge.” Turning back to the other members of the school board, she continued, “I didn’t send Reece home on Friday because I thought he lived too far out of town to walk home alone in his condition. If that’s showing favoritism and poor discipline, then I suppose I’m guilty.”

Mr. Johansen gave a weary sigh. “Will you please step outside so that the board may talk privately?”

She nodded and stepped down from the platform. The rustle of her skirts was the only sound that filled the room until she stepped outside and closed the double doors behind her. Only then did she hear the muffled sound of men’s voice rise inside. She stared at the schoolhouse door. That had not gone at all the way she’d planned. She’d practically given up. What was wrong with her?