Lily perked up as the stage turned off the main track onto a smaller path. “How far?”

“‘Bout a mile is all,” Oscar said.

She stared out the window and saw the forest around them. “It’s beautiful here.”

“We think so too. I expect Ma’ll be standin’ on the porch waitin’ for us. Willie’s pretty prompt.”

She smiled. They’d spent the last few days talking and getting to know each other. He’d told her how his family had stopped in the area years ago when they were part of a wagon train heading west. His mother was expecting Anson any day, and the family stayed behind on the Oregon Trail so she could deliver as the other wagons moved on. Anson was born the next day.

Josephus White had taken Anson’s birth as a sign they should settle where they were. So he built a homestead – a crude one-room cabin and a barn. Over time they cleared enough room for some pasture and a few small crops, expanded the cabin and began providing hospitality for travelers from the other wagon trains that followed.

But just when they got things the way they wanted for their little slice of heaven, the unthinkable happened. Josephus died, leaving behind Mrs. White and her three sons. Oscar was twenty-four at the time and Henry twenty, but Anson was only six.

“Your mother was very lucky to have you and Henry after she lost your father,” Lily said as the stage rolled along. “I always thought siblings should be close together in age, but with something like that, space is a good thing.”

“Yeah,” Oscar agreed. “I was already a man and so was Henry, kinda. Anson was just a little tyke. Ma took it the hardest though. Real hard.”

“Of course, as would any wife.”

But Oscar sighed and faced forward. “You’ll see when you meet her.”

She was about to ask what he meant, when Willie pulled the team to a stop. “White’s Stage Stop!” he called out.

“‘Bout time y’got ‘ere,” someone slurred outside the coach. “Land sakes, Willie, don’t make me wait for m’boy ‘n ‘is new bride!”

“Aw shucks, Mrs. White, I’m right on time,” Willie griped as he climbed off his seat. He hopped onto the porch and gave the woman standing there a peck on the cheek. “How’s the most beautiful woman in the world?”

“Same as ever. Yer bed’s all made up, ‘n supper’ll be in a couple hours. Now where’s m’boy?”

“Right here, Ma.” Oscar disembarked from the coach and helped Lily do the same. She looked up at the woman on the porch with a gasp. If Oscar were female, about twenty years older and over a foot shorter, he’d be the spitting image of the woman now descending the porch steps.

Well, except for her lopsided face and smile. Now she understood why Oscar had said his mother took her husband’s death hard – the poor dear must’ve had a stroke. The entire right side of her face looked like it was sliding off the bone. Between that, the single bushy eyebrow across her forehead, and the patchy hair on her face matching that on the top of her head, she made quite the picture.

But Mrs. White’s eyes were warm and friendly, her open arms inviting, and she certainly didn’t lack for enthusiasm. “There’s m’Oscar ‘n his new bride!” she slurred, tears in her eyes. She hugged her son first before turning to Lily. “Ooooh, ain’t you a vision! Oscar, what a vision she is!”

“I know, Ma. Lily Fair’s a beautiful woman. The Lord’s been good to me.”

“Tha’He has. Now let’s hope He’s just as good t’yer brothers.” She pulled Lily into an embrace that felt like being wrapped in a favorite quilt.

Lily couldn’t help but smile and hug her back. “Hello, Mrs. White. Oscar told me so much about you and Henry and Anson, that I feel I know you already.”

“Well, but th’rest o’us dunno ya yet. Might take a while – ‘em boys o’mine are always busy.”

“Working,” Oscar quickly tacked on as he took Lily’s satchel from Willie. “Anson and Henry are fishing, I expect?”

“Anson’s huntin’,” his mother corrected. “Dunno where Henry’s got to, other’n I know he’s fixin’ t’ surprise his new sister-n-law.”

“Me?” Lily said with a smile. “Oh heavens. What does he plan to do?”

“If I knew that, child, ‘twouldn’t be a surprise. ‘N even if I did know, I wouldn’t tell ya n’spoil it.”

Lily’s smile grew. “You’re a wise woman, Mrs. White.”

“Oh, don’t start wi’that ‘Mrs. White’ nonsense, chile. I’m yer new ma ‘n thass whatcha can call me.”

Slurred speech or no, her tone said she would brook no argument. “Very well then. Ma, I’m pleased to meet you.”

Ma smiled. “‘N I been waitin’ t’meet ya fer years.”

Oscar chuckled and motioned Lily toward the porch steps. “C’mon inside and I’ll show ya ‘round. Then we’ll get to work.”

“You will not!” his mother snapped. “You two hain’t been married a week – give the poor girl a couple days t’get used t’the place. Or at least ‘til tomorra. Ya can hannle the six o’clock stage without’er.” She and Oscar had been the only passengers on Willie’s stage, but he’d informed her that another one was only a few hours behind theirs. Still, per Ma’s order she’d have a chance to unpack and rest.

Oscar laughed. “Anythin’ ya say, Ma.”

They entered and Lily quickly looked around. It was very obviously a cabin that had been gradually expanded into a sort of hotel. There was a large living room, which also housed the front desk, and a dining room off to the left. Beyond that, a doorway led to a large kitchen.

Ma caught her gaze and waved in that direction. “Kitchen’s through there. All th’guest rooms are upstairs, but our bedrooms are down here on th’first floor. When we added th’seconn story, we figgered it best t’keep all o’us in one spot ‘n th’guests in another. Works out fine. ‘Sides, Henry snores some’n awful.”

“Oh, I see,” Lily said, trying to hide a smile.

Ma didn’t bother to hide hers. “Oscar makes some noise too, fer that matter.”

Lily giggled. “Thanks for the warning, but I already know.” They’d kept to their own sides of the bed on their wedding night, but Lily had woken once or twice, sure she was hearing the workings of a nearby sawmill. No, it was just Oscar.

“Maybe so, but a man snores loudest in his own bed.” Ma winked at her with her good eye.

“Ma!” Oscar complained.

“Well, ‘s true, ain’t it?” his mother said.

Lily managed not to laugh, just. She’s supposed she’d have to wait until tonight to find out if Ma was right.

She’d also have to wait and see if Oscar would at last exercise his husbandly rights. So far he hadn’t. After their wedding night in Clear Creek, their accommodations didn’t lend themselves to any sort of intimacy. Two of the ranches they’d stayed at had only the barn to sleep in. Oscar, being a gentleman, didn’t think consummating their marriage with an animal audience looking on was proper.

But tonight would be different – they were home. Not that it was familiar to her, but she was home. She’d done nothing but travel since leaving Denver – one night of rest in Clear Creek wasn’t enough to compensate for it. But here she was, so she’d better adjust to it. Provided she got the chance. For all she knew, Oscar would send her packing within a few days. Everything came down to what she’d been dreading most.

Once again she looked over the large rooms, the welcoming atmosphere around the hearth, the inviting kitchen beyond. The stage stop was very homey. No wonder people liked to stay there. If she were a weary traveler – which, actually, she was – she’d want to stay there too. And she did want to. But would she get to?

“C’mon, Lily Fair,” Oscar said. “I’ll show ya our room, then the kitchen. Best room in the whole house.”

She couldn’t help but laugh. “A true chef if I’ve ever heard one.”

“Tha’he is,” his mother agreed. “‘N I’m glad he’s back. We had a full house lass night, lemme tell ya. Come t’think, I got sheets dryin’ on th’line …”

“I can help you with those,” Lily offered.

“No need, chile. I’ll have ‘em folded ‘fore supper. Y’just get settled in t’night.”

“Thank you … Ma.”

Mrs. White nodded. “Glad t’see I gotta daughter that minds. Not insinuatin’ nothin’, chile. Juss that yer callin’ me Ma right off like I asked, warms my heart.”

“I’m glad,” Lily said.

“Come along, Lily Fair,” Oscar said, motioning to a door she hadn’t noticed yet, probably because it was on the other side of a huge hutch at one end of the front counter. “This leads to the family bedrooms,” he explained as he opened it and stepped through. He pointed to the first door on the left – “That there’s Henry’s room” – then to the first door on the right a little farther down the hall. “That leads to the kitchen.”

“And where is our room?” she asked.

“Third door on the left at the end of the hall. The room opposite is Anson’s. Ma’s is between ours and Henry’s.”

“What happens when your brothers get married one day?”

Oscar shrugged. “Then their wives will share their rooms, just like yer gonna share mine.”

She shook her head. “I mean, when they have children?”

Oscar stared at her moment, as if startled by the question. “Oh, that. Well, we ain’t given that much thought as yet. I guess ‘cause everyone figgered I’d be the first to marry.”

“Oh,” she said with a blush. It was a subject they hadn’t covered during the journey from Clear Creek. Her eyes drifted to the floor.

Oscar touched her lightly on the arm to get her attention. “‘Course I’ve thought ‘bout children. But I wasn’t sure how ya’d feel ‘bout them, ya bein’ married before and all. I guess ya never had kids with yer first husband …”

“He went off to war before we had a chance,” she interrupted.

Oscar stared at her a moment, caught himself and looked away.

Lily wasn’t sure what he was thinking. He knew she been married before, even asked a little about John on their journey. But only a little. She put her hand on his arm. “Were you planning on having children?”

“Are children somethin’ ya can plan, Lily Fair?” he asked in all honesty.

“Well, to a point,” she said after a moment. “Though mostly they’re something you hope for.”

“Are ya hopin’ for some?”

She shrugged, feeling unsure of herself. “I hadn’t given it much thought, to be honest. Not at my age …”

“Well, we ain’t so old we cain’t have none.”

“No, we’re not.” She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Now that the subject was open, she desperately wanted to close it. “May I see our room?”

“Sure.” He walked to the door. “Guess I don’t need to carry ya ‘cross this threshold.”

It was true, but Lily blushed anyway. “You can if you want to.”

“If it’s all right by you, it’s all right by me.” He smiled, opened the door and tossed their bags inside, then scooped her up in his arms. “Like I told ya before, I think it’s a right romantic notion.”

Lily giggled as he carried her into the room and set her on her feet. “It is romantic, now that I think on it.”

“Now?” he said in surprise. “I thought on it a lot over the last few years. Maybe more than I should.”

“Is that why you sent away for a mail-order bride?” she asked. “Because you thought it would be romantic?”

“One of the reasons, yeah. But also ‘cause I knew I’d be the first to get married, I had to think about it long and hard.”

“I don’t understand.”

“I’m the oldest – I gotta set a good example for Henry and Anson. Whatever I do they tend to follow.”

“Does that include having children?”

“That includes just about everythin’, I reckon.”

Lily turned from him, not wanting him to see her face, sense her thoughts. Would that include sending your bride away after you discovered you didn’t want her anymore? After tonight, she’d probably find out.

“Are ya happy ya married me Lily?”

She was so startled she almost yelped. “Oh, of course I’m happy,” she said, perhaps a little too quickly. “If I didn’t think this would work, I wouldn’t have done it.”

He watched her a moment. “Hm,” he finally said, then picked up their satchels and put them on the bed. The room was sparse, just a dresser, a large bed with a pretty coverlet, and a trunk resting at the end of the footboard. But it was clean and orderly. The trunk looked like it belonged to a woman – a hope chest, maybe? What was it doing in his room?

As if reading her thoughts, he pointed to it. “Ma thought you might like that.”

“Oh,” she said in surprise. “She didn’t have to give me anything of hers.”

“She didn’t. I ordered it from Oregon City and had it delivered. She just helped me pick it out.”

This time Lily gasped in surprise. “You… you bought it for me?”

“Sure ‘nough. I figgered ya’d like somethin’ to put stuff in.”

Lily glanced around and noted the armoire against the opposite wall. “But it looks like there’s plenty of room for what little I have.” More than enough actually, she thought, looking at her pitiful satchel.

“Not for everyday things,” he said. “But for, ya know, heirlooms.” He put his hands on his hips and looked at the floor a second or two before adding, “For our children.”

Lily felt herself start to sweat. “Of course.” Not that there were going to be any – she’d be lucky if she got to stay long enough to put anything in the dresser. In fact, now that she was finally here, she might as well get what she’d been dreading over with. As she saw it, by morning she’d either still be Mrs. Oscar White, or she’d be packing for the next stage elsewhere …

“I’m gonna go help Ma with supper,” Oscar said. “The next stage’ll be here at six, and it usually has a lotta passengers.”

“Where does the six o’clock stage come from?” If she did have to leave the next day, she wanted to know what options she had besides Clear Creek.

“Sometimes from Oregon City headin’ to Baker City, sometimes the other way ‘round. This bein’ Tuesday, it’ll be comin’ from Baker City.”

“And they come through every day?”

“Not every day – depends on the time of year and the weather, and there’s no stage on Sundays. We’re hopin’ one day the train’ll come through here.”

A hand went to her chest. “But you’re nowhere near big enough to handle a train full of people.”

“Yet. Someday I hope to build a small hotel.”

“A hotel?” She glanced around, even though they were still in his room. “But isn’t this already …”

“Nah, still just a stage stop. But I know what yer thinking. Still, if the railroad comes through here, I’d like it to be bigger than what we got now, so we can serve more guests.”

“Have the railroad men come here to discuss it with you?” she asked out of curiosity.

“No, but I figger they will one day.”

Lily thought of the remote location and wasn’t exactly inclined to agree. But Oscar was willing to wait. Which made one of them – she didn’t want to wait another night twisting in the winds of fate before she knew if Oscar would be willing to keep her. Her inclination was to just get it over with. But she’d wait until after supper to make her final decision.