Free Mail-Order Bride Ink: Dear Mr. Turner by Kit Morgan

did?”
    “Oh yes,” Susara said, smiling at Mr. Turner. “He was also very good at tying knots. He once tied his sister to a tree behind the schoolhouse. It took me a while to discover her.”
    Mr. Turner groaned.
    “Discover her?” Pleasant asked, a little shocked. “Didn’t she call for help?”
    “Emeline? Heavens no, she was far too proud a child for that. Actually, she was trying to chew through the ropes when I found her.”
    Mr. Turner began to laugh nervously. “Oh my – I’d plumb forgot ‘bout that!”
    Pleasant looked at him, aghast. “I’m sure your sister hasn’t.”
    “I’m sure she hain’t. But I did a lot worse to her growin’ up – and she to me. After all, she is my big sister.”
    Pleasant wanted to ask what sort of things, but Belle and Sadie were bringing in dessert along with Jefferson and Edith. They had coffee and pie while the children devoured two plates of cookies. “Which child is the youngest?”
    “Thena,” Sadie said. “Though it’s close. There are three nine year-olds here on the ranch – she just happens to trail the others by a couple of months.”
    “And our oldest is seventeen,” Harrison said. “Eighteen, once Honoria has her birthday in June.”
    Pleasant nodded. Huge families like this weren’t uncommon in the South, nor living so close together. But even there, the Cookes would be larger than most. “Am I to understand that you take a wagon full of children to town with you every day for school?” she asked Susara.
    “Yes, that’s right.” Susara took a sip of her coffee. “It wasn’t as easy when they were younger, but we managed. Winters are the worst.”
    “Winters?” Pleasant said, her voice barely audible. Good heavens, how could she forget about winters? This far north, that meant cold – and she hated the cold.
    “They ain’t as bad as all that,” Mr. Turner told her, his voice gentle. “Not if yer prepared for ‘em.”
    “I wouldn’t be too worried, Missy,” Jefferson said. “You’ll be snug and warm out at Eli’s place. It’s so tiny, it’s easy to heat.”
    Her eyes swiveled to him. “Tiny?”
    “Sure – one room don’t need much in the way of heatin’.”
    One room? Did she hear him right?
    “‘Course, I plan on addin’ onto it,” Mr. Turner said quickly. “‘Specially once we start havin’ younguns.”
    Pleasant tensely looked around the beauty of the dining room. This was a normal environment for her. But the Triple-C was obviously quite prosperous. Her future husband was a deputy, a simple lawman – how much did he make? Only enough for a one-room cabin, apparently. She slumped in her chair, feeling a little faint.
    “Hey now – ya sure yer okay?” Mr. Turner said. “Ya ain’t sick, are ya?”
    “Oh no, I’m fine.” She quickly straightened up.
    “That’s a relief. I’d hate to hafta pay a visit to Doc Drake with ya. He’s awful busy tonight patchin’ up the outlaws we shot.”
    Pleasant’s eyebrows headed for the ceiling. “Shot?! You shot someone today?” she squeaked.
    “Well, yeah. I ain’t gonna go into the particulars, ya bein’ a lady and all, but they shot at us first, so we shot back. I got three of em’ myself.”
    Pleasant’s eyes rolled back as her body dropped away into oblivion. If only she could stay there awhile.

    * * *
    “ I didn’t say shot dead!” Eli carried his future bride into the parlor and gently laid her on a red-tufted sofa. “Dang, I never saw a woman faint before.” He looked at Colin and Harrison. “Are they like this for long?”
    The brothers looked at one another. “I suppose it depends on how great the shock was,” Colin said.
    “She’s still out,” Harrison said. “You must have given her a big one, Eli.”
    “What?! Me?” Eli cast a worried glance at Miss Comfort. “What do I do?”
    “You do nothing,” Sadie said, kneeling on the floor next to the sofa. She picked up one of Miss Comfort’s hands and began to pat it as Belle fanned