Mail Order Bride: A Bride for the Doctor (Bozeman Brides Book 4) (3 page)

H
er mind screeched
to a halt and her feet suddenly felt nailed to the floor. What had he said? A wife?

“You wanted…a…?” she couldn’t complete the question.

“Yes, a wife. I wrote an advertisement saying that I wanted a wife. Three men in my circle of friendship have found wonderful wives through placing ads in the New York paper, but through some sort of confusion, you mistook my intention.”

Her sense flooded back. “I mistook nothing, Dr. Wilson.” She reached into her bag and retrieved the ad. Why she carried it around, she couldn’t say. “Be so kind as to read that, would you?”

His eyes scanned the ad and his amusement changed to regret. “I see. Well, clearly someone at the newspaper misread my request. Some of the words I used are in this, but I know for a fact that I didn’t request a nurse. You see, Nurse Buchanan, my practice isn’t really flourishing at present, but I believed that if I were to marry, the people of this town would be more comfortable in coming to me with their ailments, the women in particular.”

The fog lifted and understanding washed away her anger. There had been a mistake, one that was made through no fault of her own, and yet here she stood, feeling like a fool.

“Well, Dr. Wilson, in light of this information, I will leave you now and go back to New York. I fully intend to pursue this matter with the newspaper and get your money back as well as the money that I will have to spend to return home. There is possibly adequate grounds for a small lawsuit.”

The words stuck in her throat a little, and she felt tears rising, so she spun on her heel and was about to leave when he called out to her.

“Katherine, please wait!”

Whether it was his use of her name that stopped her or merely his voice, she obeyed. “Why?” she asked, not facing him.

He walked around her so that they were face to face. His face was soft and kind now, no longer amused. “Do you want to go home, back to New York? You were certainly in a hurry to leave there.”

She recalled how quickly she’d come after receiving the ticket. There hadn’t even been time for her to write a response. Now, her face flooded with the shame of it all.

“I don’t see any other recourse,” she declared angrily. “I don’t want to get married, and you don’t need a nurse, so what should I do? Should I look for a job as a waitress in the hotel here?” After having spent a full year of her life in training, she wasn’t likely to look for another line of work.

“No, no, not at all,” he replied in a soothing tone. He reached out a hand to touch her, but thought better of it and let it fall back by his side. “But perhaps you could work here. I can’t pay you very much given that I hardly make anything at all, but could you consider this a kind of internship? You will get some experience, and when you feel you’ve learned all you can, you’ll be in a better position to get a job elsewhere.”

She was wary. “But why would you hire me? Out of pity?” She felt her face heat up again. She would take no charity from anyone.

Shaking his head, he answered her. “No, but you could help me just like a wife could.” He rushed on to explain when she gave him an appalled look. “As a nurse, working her in my surgery, you would help women feel at ease. You see, they are reluctant to come to me because I’m a young, single man. Your presence would help enormously.” He watched to see if she understood. “What do you think?”

It made sense, she thought. “But don’t you want a wife?”

Shrugging a little, he smiled. “Maybe one day, but to be honest, I’m not really in a rush. This may sound rather unromantic, but I wanted a wife more to help the people of Bozeman feel at ease than because I was so lonely or truly desiring to end my bachelorhood.”

She saw the sense in it all and quickly made up her mind. All of her anxieties from yesterday were laid to rest in light of this misunderstanding. Everything from the previous day, his behavior, his words, made sense now.

“Alright, but my proposal still stands.” She flushed at her choice of words, given that they’d just been talking about wives, but she continued. “I mean, I’ll stay for a month, and if all goes well, we can consider making this a more permanent arrangement. And, if your practice picks up as a result of my presence during that month, we can negotiate a proper wage.”

“Agreed. But just to warn you, after the cost of the boarding house along with what you’ll need to survive, it will really only be a pittance at first.”

“I understand. Now, would you like to show me around?” She made to replace the cap, but he stopped her.

“Please, Nurse Buchanan, do you think you could leave the cap off? It really is the most…well, forgive my uncivilized manners, but the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever seen.” His smile was both apologetic and humorous.

She relented. “I’ve always hated it,” she admitted reluctantly. “How on Earth is anyone supposed to take me seriously in this…this abomination?”

They shared a smile, and in that moment, Kate thought that perhaps everything might work out after all.

T
he rest
of the day passed by amicably as Dr. Wilson showed her around the surgery and explained what kinds of ailments he’d addressed in the past year. His now professional attitude set her at ease, and she found herself quite liking the man, perhaps more than she should. It was a wonder that he wasn’t married, but that was not her concern. She was here to work.

“It’s a wonder that Mrs. Lewis allowed you to do the operation,” she remarked when he told her about the case.

“Yes, and that’s what got me to thinking that having a woman here would be a great benefit. I hadn’t thought of hiring a nurse because of the restrictions on my finances, but I couldn’t be more delighted about the situation.”

“Even if I’m not here to marry you?” The words were out of her mouth before she even quite knew what she was saying. What had possessed her to say that? Now he would think that she was fishing for compliments or worse!

To her relief, he merely smiled. “It’s very clear to me now that you are a nurse. As I look back on our interactions yesterday, I feel embarrassed about how I spoke to you. You must have thought me very crude at best.”

She returned the smile, glad he hadn’t reacted to her previous remark. “Well, it’s all very understandable now.”

“So, you have no wish to marry at all then?” When she shot him a look of alarm, he rushed on to complete his thought. “I’m only asking because there are many young men in the area who may pester you. There is a great shortage of marriageable women in Bozeman. You will be highly sought after.”

This comment was met with a small, yet decidedly unladylike snort of derision. “I don’t think so, Dr. Wilson. I have no interest in marriage, not now or ever. And besides, I’m not really the type of woman that men are interested in.”

“You’re breathing and standing upright, Nurse Buchanan. That satisfies the requirements for about ninety percent of the single men here.” He delivered these words soberly, but a hint of amusement lurked in his eyes.

She looked at him in shock. “Not overly choosy, then you’re saying?” she managed to say.

“Now you’re getting it. Anyway, if it’s not your desire to marry, I will do my best to protect you from those men.” He moved around to a large cabinet by the back of the surgery. “So, you wanted to see my charts, you said?”

They resumed working for a few minutes when the front door chimed, announcing a patient. It was a frantic mother with her young son. It seemed that a certain tree refused to be climbed and had ejected the youth with some vigor. The result was a broken limb.

“We can set that right, can’t we Nurse Buchanan? Let me introduce Becky Campbell and young Philip here. I think he would like a lemon drop or two, wouldn’t you?”

The boy nodded through his tears and Kate quickly brought him a small handful. His eyes lit up, and he momentarily forgot about his pain.

When the procedure was finished, Dr. Wilson explained how he wrote up each case. Kate watched as he wrote it out, her brows furrowed with incredulity.

“What’s the matter?” he finally asked.

“Well, I hate to insult my employer on my very first day, but it’s now clear to me why the clerks at the New York Daily Tribune misprinted your ad. Your handwriting is practically illegible.”

He regarded his notes with mild surprise. “Really?”

“Yes. It’s so bad that I fear I won’t be able to get your money back even if things don’t work out. The workers at the newspaper likely did the best they could. I’m afraid the fault lies with you, or rather with your handwriting.” She looked over his writing with all the disapproval of a schoolmarm.

Her comment was met with silence, and for a moment, she worried that she’d offended him. However, the now familiar grin soon emerged.

“Well, it seems that I’ve found another task for you then, Nurse Buchanan. You will be the official record keeper if you have no objections.”

“None at all,” she replied happily. “Not to brag, but my penmanship was considered quite acceptable by my teachers at nursing school.”

He watched as she meticulously filled in the details. “Hmm, not bad at all,” he remarked, quirking his eyebrows playfully. “A bit of an improvement indeed.”

It took a moment for her to realize that he was teasing. When she did understand, she rewarded him with a humorous scowl. “Yes, well, now whoever takes over this practice when you’re old and gray will be able to make sense of your methods.” She realized too late that she was implying she would stay here for the foreseeable future, but she let the comment lie. From the pleased look on his face, she found that prospect very bearable indeed.

“
A
nd she’s
agreeable to look at?” Theo asked of Geoff when they were in the library with Jackson and Wes after another friendly gathering. Geoff had been explaining the extraordinary circumstances that had brought him a nurse, not a wife.

“She doesn’t seem to think so, but I certainly do. It doesn’t really matter. Katherine Buchanan is determined to be a spinster her whole life. I got the impression she didn’t have a very happy childhood and thinks that all marriages are doomed.”

Wes looked over at him. “One dinner here should change her mind, don’t you think?” The young deputy was still glowing with the happiness that he was enjoying in his first year of marriage and with the prospect of a child in less than three months.

“That’s true,” Jackson put in. “You should invite her over here. You wouldn’t mind that, would you Theo?”

“You’d have to check with Margie, but I can’t see her objecting. Yes, bring her over the day after tomorrow and we’ll see if we can’t change her mind. That is, if you want us to?” He sent a knowing look in Geoff’s direction.

“It’s a little early to say, but if I was willing to marry the day she arrived when she was so cold and indifferent, I would still do the same now after getting to know her over the past week. She’s got a sense of humor under all that propriety, and we work together very well.” Geoff contemplated their interactions. Although there was no flirting, he felt an attraction to Katherine that wouldn’t be denied. “Yes, I think I would like her to reconsider the idea.”

“And do you think she feels the same way?” asked Wes curiously.

“Hard to say at this point, but I think that time will tell,” Geoff replied with a grin. In fact, he had received no indication from his nurse that she was interested in anything more than a job, but he continued to hope in silence. “All the other letters I’ve gotten have been for nurses anyway, so it’s not as though I have a wife coming along at any moment.”

They laughed a little, but the general atmosphere was more one of astonishment.

“Well, Geoff, God certainly does work in mysterious ways. I, for one, see this as divine intervention. I suspect that you and Nurse Buchanan are possibly meant for each other.” Theo’s face was one of studied concentration, as though he were trying to work out the plans of the Creator. “Stranger things have happened.”

“You mean like a woman coming to town to escape criminals and being mistaken for a mail-order bride?” Jackson asked mischievously, poking Wes in the ribs as he did so. The reference to that man’s story had them all grinning and shaking their heads.

“Yes, God does work in mysterious ways,” Geoff agreed easily. “But I would appreciate your prayers as I try to determine if this is one of them.”

The four men had taken to meeting once a week or so to pray for each other, so this request was quickly met with nods and murmurs of agreement.

Since he’d left his childhood home in Minnesota, Geoff had wondered if he’d done the right thing in moving so far away, but in this circle of friends, he felt more at home than he ever had anywhere else. God had truly blessed him. If He should continue to do so with Katherine had yet to be seen.

K
ate sat
on her bed brushing her long hair and looked around the small room of her boarding house with little pleasure. Although she’d never been one for extravagances, the drab room was cheerless, and she wondered if she should continue to stay here or seek out a better arrangement somewhere else, perhaps with a family in town. There was little to choose from, but she could certainly enquire tomorrow at the surgery.

After the initial confusion was cleared away, she found Dr. Wilson a most pleasant man to work for. He was thoroughly professional, but he managed to be friendly at the same time. Every so often, she felt his eyes on her, but she dismissed it as an admiration for her skills or an appreciation for the growth in his surgery that her presence had brought.

In the week she’d been there, she’d reorganized his office and medicine cabinets so that everything was easier to find. She hadn’t officially been trained as a secretary, but had picked up enough from her friends who had chosen that path to know that things were better when they were alphabetized. Dr. Wilson had been greatly impressed with her.

And, as he’d predicted, as word got out of her presence in the surgery, women began to trickle in slowly but steadily. There were easily twice as many women patients yesterday as the first day she’d started, and Dr. Wilson had attributed that to her. She called to mind the warm words he’d lavished on her.

“You have a good way with them,” he had commented after one particularly difficult woman had left. That woman had been reluctant to let Dr. Wilson examine her, but Kate had explained kindly, but forcefully, that the woman’s life depended on it. What would her four children do without their mother?

She smiled at the recollection. He’d smiled at her so appreciatively that her insides had turned to liquid. Of course she’d noticed how handsome the doctor was, but she pushed aside any such thoughts as quickly as they arose. Even if he had been interested in her in that way, she had long ago promised herself that she would never entertain the thought. Married life was more of a burden than a blessing as she’d seen firsthand.

However, her mind would not submit and her thoughts ran to his warm, kind eyes and easy smile. His features were pleasing, but it was his eyes that caused her sleepless nights and stirred her heart. If only she didn’t feel this way about marriage, and if only she weren’t so plain, she could allow herself to entertain romantic notions. How perfect would it be to marry a doctor?

These thoughts lulled her into a restless night of sleep.

“
W
ell
, I think that’s it for today, Nurse Buchanan.” Kate nodded at Geoff as he made this announcement. “No more appointments, I think?”

“No, that was the last one. Mr. James will keep his hand thanks to you,” she added and then flushed slightly. It wasn’t necessary for her to compliment him. He well knew what he’d done.

“I hope so. It’s nice to have someone appreciate my work. I don’t know if Mr. James realized how serious his injury was.”

So, he
was
glad she’d mentioned it. “Well, maybe we should tell him next time,” she quipped. “Then he might be a little more prompt with his payment.”

He grinned at her as they both looked at the slip of paper left behind. Mr. James had left without paying again, but they knew he would be along in a few days with some excuse.

The doctor’s expression changed a little. “Say, Nurse Buchanan…I was wondering if we might address each other less formally after hours. I know that where you’re from people are very professional all the time, but I would really like you to use my first name and address you by yours with your permission.”

She felt her back stiffen. “What would be the purpose of that?” She hated how her voice sounded so cold, but she couldn’t imagine what he was thinking. They worked side by side to clean up the instruments he’d used for Mr. James’ surgery, and she caught a glimpse of his features which had tightened a little.

“I just thought it would be nice. I wouldn’t respect you any less of course, but here in the West, people are less formal. It makes things a little friendlier and whatnot.” He leaned over to retrieve a scalpel.

“And why should we be friendlier?” she asked carefully, well aware of their close proximity.

His reply was slow in coming. “Well, I guess it’s partly in my nature, but to be very honest, I was hoping that we could have more than a professional relationship.”

Her head whipped around to face him. “Dr. Wilson! I know you wanted a wife, but I made it very clear that I came out here to work and you agreed!”

“Yes, I know,” he replied calmly as he turned to look in her face. “But it’s still on my mind, and I can’t help but think that God sent you to me for a specific reason. If you are completely uninterested in me that way, then please say so and I will never mention the subject again.”

How could he discuss this matter so calmly? Her throat closed up and truly she didn’t know what to say. So, he was interested in her, but was it only for what she could do for him or was he actually attracted to her? But no, it didn’t matter and she had to make that clear.

“Dr. Wilson, I have no intention of marrying anyone. I don’t wish to insult you, so I will reveal a little of my reasoning to you.” Now she refocused her attention on the task at hand so that she wouldn’t have to watch his face as she relayed her story. “I will never marry because marriage makes people wretched. My parents are miserable together. They once loved each other, but a tragedy befell our family and since then, they have become bitter and angry. My mother blames my father for the problem, and so he drinks himself into oblivion each night. They argue constantly and that’s how I grew up. I know all marriages aren’t like that, but I’m not willing to take the chance.”

Her explanation was met with silence. She wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing, but when he finally spoke, she felt herself become more defensive.

“I see. Well, what you say is true. Many marriages become unhappy over a course in time, but I know firsthand that when God is an integral part of the union, it can become a beautiful thing.” He laid down the instruments and took her hand. “I’m sorry for the sadness that you’ve suffered, but don’t you think that you would be more likely to make a good marriage because of it?”

His hand was warm and strong and although she wanted to cling to it, she very deliberately pulled away. “I wish I could have your faith, Dr. Wilson, but I don’t and I never will. God, if there is one, has disappointed me. He only cares for some people, I suppose, and I’m not one of them.”

She efficiently finished the clean up and removed her apron and prepared to go. The warm weather made a coat unnecessary, but she fastened a simple bonnet on her head for the sake of propriety.

“You are wrong,” he stated firmly before she reached the door. “But I will pray for you to understand that, just like I have been for over a month now.”

Her hand froze on its way to the door handle. “You’ve been praying for me?” she asked, her voice a whisper.

“Yes. I first started when I thought that you were coming to be my wife, but even after you came, I continued. I believe that God brought you here for a reason. Maybe it’s not to marry me. Maybe it’s to bring you closer to Him, but it’s for something. Your time here is not a mistake.”

No one had ever spoken to her so personally about God before. She’d assumed that if He existed, He was too busy with more important people than to bother with her.

“Do you truly believe that?” she asked, aware of a slight tremble in her voice. “That God thinks about you…thinks about me?”

Dr. Wilson nodded. “Yes, and more. He loves you and wants good things for you.”

The words were simple, and hard to believe, but she was thirsty to hear more. “How do you know?”

His tender smile returned, and with three quick steps, he reached his desk where he pulled out a thick book. “He says so over and over again here, in the Bible. Do you have one?”

She shook her head, her eyes fastened on the heavy tome.

“Then please consider this a gift,” he stated, extending the book to her.

“I can’t take your Bible!” she protested.

“Ah, but I have another at home, and it would give me great pleasure to give you this one. Surely you can’t deny me that.”

Raising her eyes from the Bible to meet his own, she saw that he meant it. There was still a twinkle in his eyes, but it was kind and warm. Slowly, she reached out and accepted it. It felt warm and comforting to hold.

“And if you really feel indebted to me,” he went on in a light tone, “you can do me the honor of going to dinner with me at my friend’s house. I recall you owe me a dinner?”

She recalled how she’d missed dining with him on the first day she’d arrived.

“But that was when you thought I was your fiancée,” she protested quietly. “I can’t be anything like that to you. Why would you want to have dinner with me now?” In truth, she was desperate for the company. It had been lonely to eat in the boarding house and then retire to her dull room. There were no other women her age, and she felt reluctant to talk to the men there despite their obvious interest in her.

“I would like to have you as a friend,” he replied, his voice gentle. “Can you at least give me that?” His voice was almost hypnotic, and she found herself nodding without even being aware of it. “Good, then outside of this office, please call me Geoff and may I call you Katherine?”

“Kate,” she whispered. His eyes widened and he grinned widely.

“Wonderful. I will collect you tomorrow night at six o’clock for dinner. Will that be acceptable to you, Kate?”

Her reverie broke at his words. Had she really just accepted a date? Of course, it was just as friends, but she’d never been out with a man before. The shock of it somehow brought her back to her senses.

“It is,” she replied crisply. “But, Dr. Wilson, our agreement for informality will only extend to outside this office, agreed? Good night, Dr. Wilson.”

She turned and left, clutching the Bible to her chest. She knew that her parting remark was rather cheeky, playful even, but she didn’t regret it. In fact, she did something she hadn’t done in a long time, if ever.

She grinned.

G
eoff watched
in amazement as she left. Her quick wit combined with her vulnerability drew him more and more. He didn’t know how long he would be able to abide by his offer to just be her friend. As she’d told him her story, her mouth had trembled and he’d wanted to pull her in close to comfort her. The thought of holding her had stirred up other feelings, but he pushed them aside and focused on her pain. And then, not ten minutes later she was taking him to task for using her given name while still technically inside the office.

With a chuckle, he locked the door to the surgery and whistled to himself as he strode down the street to his house. He was looking forward to tomorrow night immensely.