《A Bride For Seven Brothers (Sample)》 Go West Child It was late fall when she first saw the advertisement: SEVEN BROTHERS SEEK BRIDE, followed by the address to write for more information. She had carried the clipping for a week before she had sat down with her nicest stationery and wrote to inquire. This wasn''t the first ad she''s answered, she hopes, as she does every time, it will be the last. The market for Brides to move west was huge, but so were the dangers. Traveling west as a woman alone came with more danger than just crossing Indian lands, once you got there you were alone, and if your husband wasn''t a good man you had nowhere to turn. There was also finding the whole thing just a scam, and you''re now the property of a frontier whore house. She had every reason to doubt they were legitimate but something about Carter had felt genuine. In the letters exchanged over the next year, he painted a picture of the west that she had only ever dreamed of in storybooks. Rolling green hills and tall beautiful trees, snow that came down overnight and left the world painted a brilliant white. He promised she would have land for a garden and there was even a Ladies Association in town where Beau, the oldest, was Sheriff. His sister Mabel lived in town with her husband, who owned the General Store so she would have plenty of reason to head to town, even if she''s just gotten cross and needed her own space. He wanted to take her riding and dancing. He told her about his family, his sister Mabel, and all his brothers, Beau, Daniel, Markus, Silas, Luke, Adam, and Will. There was a real, deep, love for his family in those letters. Even so, when the offer comes she hesitates. She carries the letter in her pocket while she works, and sleeps with it tucked beneath her pillow. She wants to accept, but there''s so much unknown still, and so many dangers persist. It isn''t until the next letter comes, in a gentler hand than the last, that she finally makes up her mind. Dearest Sarah Jane, I know it may seem odd to receive a letter from a woman you don''t know, but I feel as if we must be the dearest of friends, as I have heard nothing but your name at every family dinner since your first letter arrived. The boys have become well acquainted with precisely how long it takes once the post leaves to reach Boston and for your answer to return. Please do not feel any pressure to respond if you are not ready, but in all of my twenty-one years, I have never known all of my brothers to sit so quietly at a meal as they have this Sunday past. The two prevailing theories are that you have been scared completely away and they should have waited before declaring love undying, the other theory is that you¡¯ve written back and it''s been lost somewhere between the general scum and smog of Boston and the great wide open of the territories. If it is the former or you¡¯re simply unsure how to answer I ask that you write me back so I may at least end the misery of uncertainty. If it is the latter, as I hope, I would like to be the first to tell you the Ladies Auxiliary is very much looking forward to having a new member. We¡¯ve been collecting feathers and hope to have enough for a feather bed before the wedding. We are also looking forward to planning the wedding. Josephina just came in and asked me if you would be so kind as to include a description of what Ladies back east are wearing this fall. She misses the fashion of Virginia and the men do not find it of importance. All my love, Mrs. Mabel Jennings. Within the hour she wrote three letters by the light of her last candle, one to Carter accepting his proposal, one to Mabel outlining her plan to travel east and one to her boss Miss Jameson at the dress shop. She posts the first two on the way to work the next day, the third she is holding when she walks in the door. Something must have shown on her face because Miss Jameson heaves a deep sigh before she ever makes it as far as the counter. ¡°You¡¯re going to end up murdered or worse you know.¡± ¡°I could get murdered right here in Boston too.¡± ¡°What about that nice knocker boy? He had such a shine for you.¡± ¡°He was sixteen and now he''s in love with Claire Daniels.¡± ¡°Being an old maid isn''t as bad as everyone makes it out to be.¡± ¡°I''ll write. His sister Mabel needs a fashion expert to make sure all the ladies of Last Leg keep up with the fashion.¡± ¡°I told you that''s a stupid name for a city.¡± Miss Jameson takes the letter with a pinched frown. ¡°Well go on then. You ain''t free of me, you still owe me a bit of work yet.¡± That night when she goes to leave there''s a bundle sitting beneath her jacket. She unwraps it carefully and finds a note on top of Miss Jameson¡¯s purse pistol that she keeps in the bank bag. Shoot first. Ask questions later. She tucks it away in her handbag with a smile. ***** Six weeks later Sarah Jane Miller is stepping off the train onto a platform that doesn''t even have a station connected. Just a small stone building that the man on the mail train drops a canvas sack into by way of a chute ¡°Excuse me, I thought there was a town here.¡± She calls up to the conductor. ¡°There is, after a fashion, it''s still bout three miles north. Town didn''t wanna move and train couldn''t reach it so¡­ stations here. You might catch a ride up with the mail coach. Should be by soon enough or you can walk the ways." She had thought they would meet her and the idea of having to walk three miles into town was daunting. "Train goin back comes past in three days iffin you change your minds." He tips his hat as he steps back on the train. "It might be an option. Well, thank you anyway." "Still time to get back on the train Miss." A wagon turns the corner coming down the road and she breathes a sigh of relief. "No thank you, I''m just fine where I am." "Very well Miss. ALL ABOARD!" He cries and the train sets off once more. The wagon comes to a stop some minutes after the train clears, and the two men sitting in the front just stare at her like she''s got three heads. "I don''t suppose you''re Carter are you?" "Holy fuck. Are you Sarah Miller?" The younger man declares in open-mouthed amazement. The older man hits him hard enough across the chest to topple him backward into the cart.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! "So you''ve heard of me. I assume then, that this hasn''t been an elaborate scam then." "You''re going to have to excuse the boy Miss Miller. It''s just, a bit of a surprise is all. I suppose a letter or two got lost then. Ronnie, help Miss Miller with her bags." The boy crawls out of the back of the wagon and hoists her trunks up like they weighed nothing. "You sure are about the prettiest thing I ever seen. And that''s saying something cuz Jack Raymond took me down to the whore house in Doddlin, and they weren''t half so pretty as you. And they pretty by way of a livin!" She''s unsure how to respond to that. "You better be damn fuckin thankful your mama dead. She''d of whipped the skin off your ass for that one." The man unlocks the padlock on the mail shed and takes up the sack. "What? It''s true. She''s prettier than anything!" "You don''t talk to ladies like that! Especially if you want to get deputized next time we gotta ride out." "Maybe leave off the bit about the whores next time Mister Ronnie," Sarah says, trying to be polite. "Then you''re gonna think the prettiest girl I ever seen was Missus Jacobs and she ain''t nothing much to look at these days." "Mister Ronnie, sometimes it''s better to say nothing at all. So maybe the three of us can just pretend you didn''t say it at all." "That sounds about the best idea I heard all day. You''re in the back, you fool boy. Make sure don''t nothing slides out." The older man barks. They set off back up the trail and Sarah can''t help but stare at the green all around them. Carter didn''t embellish if anything he didn''t nearly do it justice. The driver begins to ramble as they go. "Beau said the whole year long you weren''t never gonna actually come out. Said woman needa be half daft ta want the Carter Boys such as it were. But the day they got to waiting on that last letter what never come, he turnt a kinda sour I had forgotten he could get up to." "So you must be John Moorely. The blacksmith and sometimes deputy. Carter said you were the closest thing Beau could really call a friend." "Seems as you ain''t the only one that''s been heard of. Don''t believe nothin they said. They''re liars to the last." "I was told you were an honest, good, and dear friend, and that the town would be quite a mess without you." She watches John blush bright red. "Well, I suppose there''s some things they ain''t lied about at least." It still takes the better part of an hour to reach the town. There is a city hall and the Mayor''s house that sit at either end of the main street. In between, there''s a saloon, the smithy, the general goods store, a gambling house that looks closed, the sheriff''s office, a stable, and a barber. They pull up right outside the Sheriff''s office and Ronnie comes around to help her step down. No sooner has she hit the walk then the front doors of the Saloon burst open and a man falls backward out of them. He''s followed closely by a tall man in a brown vest badly in need of a shave. "Now I told you. If I had to come get you one more time this week, I was gonna beat the ever lovin shit out of you. So stand up and take it like a man." The man in the street staggers to his feet. "You''re just a two-bit son of a whore you yellow-" The taller man cuts him off with a right cross that throws him back into the dirt. "You dirty sumbitch-" The drunk grumbles and pushes to his feet. He dives at the tall man again, who hits him several times in the stomach before knocking him out cold in the street. The whole exchange happens faster than John can get the horses tied off and hustle around the wagon. "Let''s get you on inside. No one should have to see that in their man." He hustles her inside and back into an office. She assumes it belongs to Beau. She pulls her bonnet off as she looks around. There''s an unmade cot in the corner and a washbasin whose water needs to be refilled. The percolator on the stove is nearly dry and she takes it off to keep it from burning. There''s a single framed photo on the wall. An old man surrounded by children. Seven boys and a single girl. It must be his brothers and sister. She hears the front door open. "Get the cell for me will ya John." "Beau, there''s something you should know." "Did you get a lead on those boys what hit the train two weeks ago?" "Well no but-" "Did something happen with the mail run?" "Not exactly but-" "Then you can stow it until-" The tall man from the bar opens the office door and catches Sarah standing behind his desk looking at the photo of his family. Up close he''s a bit older than she is and already dusting grey at his temples. His sheriff''s star is pinned neatly to his chest, and the knuckles on his right hand are bloodied from the fight. Without a word, he slams the door again. "Miss Sarah Jane Miller came in with the train. It looks like they did lose two letters in a row after all." "I am going to kill you, John. Can you just- yeah. Thank you. Jesus fuck. Well, ain''t nothin for it now." "Already knocked a man out in a fight where she could see and slammed a door in her face. You''re not doin'' real good there. I sent Ronnie up to fetch your brothers. In the good news, she''s got a set of tits that look handcrafted by God Almighty himself, so he must be looking out for you." "She can hear you, John. She''s in my office." Beau says flatly. Sarah stifles a laugh at that. "Oh, right. Cuz the¡­ welp, I''m goin home. Good luck." The front door opens and closes again. A moment later the office door opens. This time Beau is wearing a coat and his hand has been quickly wrapped in a kerchief. "I''m so sorry about that Miss Sarah Jane. I wish that you hadn''t seen none of that. It''s just, we ain''t had a letter since Will decided to ask you to marry us and well, we just assumed you didn''t want nothing more to do with the lot of us. Then after you didn''t answer Mabel neither. Well, I suppose we knew from the beginning it was a lot to ask of a girl, to marry all seven of us." He steps toward her but her mind stays caught on what he just said. Will asked you to marry us. All seven of us. Things fall into place quickly after that. A woman would need to be half daft to want the Carter Boys. There are only seven boys in the photo, not eight. There is no Carter Carter. Seven Brothers seek Bride. The man she thought was Carter never talked about himself, there were a thousand stories of his family but that was just the lot of them trying to let her get to know each of them. "Miss Sarah? Are you alright? You''re looking a bit pale." He steps around the desk and pulls out the chair which she gladly sinks into. "I think, I think I''ve been mistaken about something. Um, who have I been writing to?" "Well, Will''s got the best hand so he''s been doing most of the actual writing but, all of us. We worked out what to say together. Well, there was one letter this winter. I wrote back on my own because they all got snowed in for a few weeks and if I waited we were gonna miss the post running past." "Oh no." She covers her mouth horrified at her own mistake. Beau backs up until his knees hit the back of his cot. He gives it a quick glance and tosses the blanket up over it. "I am such an idiot." She whispers. "I don''t think-" He tries to interject. "I have been in love with a man who doesn''t exist." It comes out on a hysterical laugh. "Ms. Jameson said that there was something odd about it, but I was just so head over heels¡­" she trails off staring at the old photo. "I''m not sure I follow." She barks out a laugh, perhaps a bit too harshly. "I thought I was coming west to marry a man, one man, named Carter Carter. God, I am such a fool. You''re just looking for something cheap and easy to pass around. Son''ova''whore." She curses her own fool''s luck. She can see the steel run down his spine as he sits up straighter and Sheriff Beau Carter clenches and unclenches his hands a few times staring at the floor. "I see. Well, it''s going to be a few days before the train runs back east again. I can go arrange for you a room in the meantime and I''ll pay for your ticket back. Also, you might want to put on a shawl or the like. Only girls round here wear a neckline like that are trying to sell you a tumble. Excuse me, I think I''m gonna go see about that room now." He walks out slamming the door so hard behind him it fails to latch and starts to swing open again. It feels like her dreams are shattering around her. Her own home with her own garden, long rides out through the woods, being a respected member of the Ladies Auxiliary, it all vanishes into so many smoke and mirrors, because it never existed at all. Instead, they were just looking for a glorified whore. She picks her bonnet back up. Ms. Jameson would still be holding her job because she always counts on people falling flat on their face. This time it will work in her favor. She''ll have to listen to quite a bit of ''I told you so'' and find a new room to rent. The one she had in the boarding house is likely long gone by now. A good friend and a stiff drink. A knock comes at the outer door, and a young woman enters wearing too much lipstick and too much rouge, but a smile as wide as anything. "You must be Sarah Jane. I''m Josephina. Beau said you needed a room for a few days." "Yes, thank you." Sarah stands and picks up her bonnet pulling it back on. She''s surprised to find she''s struggling to hold back tears. "Oh don''t you cry. You really should not cry over Beau Carter. He''s just a grumpy goat who done forgot all his good manners. You say the word, and we''ll water down all his drinks, seeing how refusing him service won''t do no good as he ain''t never come asking anyway." Sarah forces a smile. "No, it''s not that. It''s my fault. I thought¡­ Well, I didn''t think that''s really the problem. Oh, you''re Josephina! I have some patterns for you! Mabel asked me to bring them, but apparently, we dress like whores back east. Or at least that''s what Sheriff Carter said anyway." The sudden look of delight on Josephina''s face makes everything better. "Did you really now!? Oh, I just can''t wait to be in fashion again. I miss the shops, and all the pretty clothes, and everything but it''s worth it in the end you know. Bein free from everything, makin'' your own money, and decisions, and never answering to a man who thinks you should just sit still, look pretty." She takes Sarah''s arm and sweeps her out of the Sheriff''s office. "I don''t suppose you would let me look at your bonnet. It''s so beautiful." "I decorated it myself. I can help you do one just like it." Josephina squeals with delight. "I knew from the moment you said you remembered my dress patterns that we would just be the very best of friends." They continue down the street arm in arm, as they pass a man going the other way he tips his hat. "Well hello, Ladies. I don''t suppose you''re working tonight Josie?" "It''s Tuesday, you know I take Tuesday off. But, if you come by after nine, and bring me some fresh wildflowers for my room, I think I can make an exception for you Mister Mayor." She smiles and leans toward him a bit, still hanging on Sarah''s arm. "Well, I will see you just past nine then Miss Josie. You ladies have a good day now, you hear." He heads on and Josie rolls her eyes. "Nosy old bastard had to be the first person to be seen properly talkin to ya. Bet he don''t even come by tonight." Josephina tosses her hair back and they continue on. The makeup, the comment about her own money, the late appointment; Sarah is starting to feel like she''s one step behind everything today. "Are¡­ are you a whore?" "Oh don''t sound so scandalized. Two-thirds of the ladies in town are whores, or used to be and sometimes still do. Far as not whores there''s Mabel, that''s the Carter girl. She''s Tom Jennings''s wife, he runs the general store. Then there''s Charlotte Murphy and her wife Angela Murphy. Charlotte is a lady doctor and she''s real good. Then there''s Mrs. Keller. She''s Mister Keller''s widow. Her boys run the Keller ranch now. She spends all her time being in everyone''s business, but she''s too old to keep even a bit of it straight in her head, so don''t trust nothing she says. It''s all fuddled. The Ladies Auxiliary meets at her house every Wednesday and Saturday and we have tea and biscuits and talk shit about the men. We were all quite sure you weren''t coming at all. After you didn''t answer when they proposed and then you didn''t answer Mabel neither. Miss Margaret, that''s my boss, she runs the Saloon, Florie and I work for her there. Well Miss Margaret said you were right not to marry them, it''s one thing to flirt with seven boys and even to give ''em all a bit of a taste on the now and again but she wouldn''t want to get married to one man and put up with his whining and his moods and have to listen to him every day in and out. But Miss Mary, she runs the gambling hall, where Ida and Lizzie work. Anyways, Miss Mary said, she thought it was romantic that they put it all out like that. You''ve never been able to give a Carter nothing but he shared it with the other six and if any men could love all one woman then they were the boys to do it. She said they done lost almost sixty dollars at poker between them, cuz'' they was all so upset about you droppin'' ''em. But you''re here now! And that means true love does exist even if Beau is a sour goat. But anyway that''s all ten of us girls. And you''re here now too! It will be nice not to have an even number when we need to vote. We got in a good number of fights when the vote split on things." Sarah stands in front of the Saloon in absolute amazement. How one girl got that many words out in the hundred feet they traveled down the street she''s not sure. "I uh¡­ I''m¡­ did you breathe?" "Oh! Through my nose." She bobs into a little curtsy and taps the side of her nose to make her point. "It''s real good for, well, other things, but you''ll figure that out after the wedding! Come on let me show you your room! It''s so sweet you don''t want to live with them before the wedding. Mabel got married up there and it is such a big beautiful house you know. I just don''t see me settling down anytime soon. I like bein'' free too much." They step into the saloon where an old piano sits at one end of the room, a card game is played by a handful of old men at another table, and the woman behind the bar is well past her best years, but her eyes are sharp and she reminds Sarah so much of Miss Jameson. "Josie, are you done talking the poor girl''s ear off? Watch the bar for me and don''t give any free drinks out." The woman comes from behind the bar plucking a bottle as she goes and sweeps Sarah up the stairs with one hand on her back. "I''m sorry about that. Josie could talk a Wooden Indian right to death." She leads Sarah into a ladies sitting room where another woman who looks remarkably like the first sits at a table with a cigar between her teeth and her stitching in her hand. "Oh Lord." She says and sets the Cigar in an ashtray. "Sarah, this is my sister Mary. I''m Margaret. It''s very nice to meet you." Margaret pulls out a chair and fetches three glasses from the side table. "I''m sorry but I think I''d just like to lay down for a bit." "Nonsense.'' She pours a heavy-handed glass of amber liquid. "Laying down is for silly girls who want men to think they''re too fragile to know their own minds. Have a drink. Heartbreak and drinking go hand in hand. Besides the only thing, you''ve got to do in that cold room is cry." She pulls a ledger over and flips it open. "How did you--?" "Because every last one of the Carter Boys has had that look on their face for goin on two months now. Then Beau comes in looking like he lost the fight he just won and got you a room. But not till the preacher comes to town, just till the train runs. So it stands to follow you''re thinking of leaving again with a broken heart. So sit down and have a drink. It''s on me tonight. I just hate it when I''m right." Sarah sits and picks up the glass tipping it back. It burns going down and she nearly chokes. "There you go. Go on and drink ''em out of your system." Margaret smiles. Mary picks up the bottle and refills her glass. "I''m an idiot," Sarah says softly and takes a sip this time. "Oh, we all are when it comes to love. Don''t let it bother you none." "I thought¡­ I thought I was just gonna marry¡­" she chokes on a sob that turns into a hiccough, "one of them." "Which one had your fancy then?" "I don''t know! I don''t know who said what, or when, or how and what they really meant anymore. I just¡­" "How do you not know which one you thought you were writing to?" "I THOUGHT HIS NAME WAS CARTER CARTER BECAUSE THEY ALWAYS SIGN THE LETTER CARTER!"A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Mary sniggers into her glass and drains the rest. "Those boys are damn fucking fools. But they''re their father''s sons all through." They don''t push and each woman, in turn, goes about her own business. Mary stitches what is slowly becoming a hummingbird into the cloth in her hands. Margaret works diligently at her books and Sarah just-drinks. Every now and then one of the sisters will comment to the other that it was quite rude of those boys to string Sarah along like that. Or one would mention how she feels every last one of the Carter Boys owes Sarah an apology. They should sort out which one it is she fell quite so in love with. There''s no reason she should have to go home. After all, they''re clearly wrong and they owe her a husband. Besides, there are at least a hundred men in the farms and ranches around Last Leg that would take her as a wife if she weren''t interested in marrying a Carter after all. She''s not sure how long they sit there with the ladies exchanging the occasional remark. She does know that by the time a knock comes at the door she hasn''t managed to empty her glass again but she''s drunk so they must have been topping it off. When Margaret answers Josephina is on the other side bouncing with excitement. "There''s a few somebodies here to see Miss Sarah Jane." "She doesn''t seem to be of a mood to take visitors. She was just saying she needs to lay down." Sarah stands up full of a determination that one only finds drinking whiskey neat with two badass business women who smoke cigars, keep their own books, and make no excuses. "No, I have some things to say! And you know what? I came all this way, they''re gonna fucking listen! And I don''t care if Beau thinks I dress like a whore, I love this dress! I sewed it myself just to meet them! Besides John Moorely thinks my tits are hand fucking crafted by God so I must look good!'' "That''s a girl! You go tell them what you think." Sarah sweeps out of the room and is halfway down the stairs before she actually sees the six young men, all freshly bathed and shaven in their Sunday best each holding a small bundle of wildflowers and each just as beautiful as the last if not more. Two are blonde but the rest share the same brown hair that Beau had. She reaches the bottom of the stairs and before she can gather her thoughts the first hands her the little bundle of flowers. "Miss Sarah I''m Daniel." He smiles and steps to one side. The pair of blondes approach next. "He''s Markus," says the first, "and that''s Silas." The other finishes. They hand her the flowers then suddenly dart in and each kisses her softly on the cheek before stepping aside. The next is still rolling his eyes as he steps up. "I can offer no excuses except they''re actually not that weird after they calm down a little. I''m Luke." He hands her his bundle, careful to tuck them into her arm to keep her from dropping any of the rest. The next steps up, his bundle is just one large flower. "You said you ain''t never seen a sunflower, and they just started blooming good, and I know I promised to take you out to see the field, but I thought, maybe, you''d like to have one now too. Because you''ve never seen one. Except now you have. Because I got you one. Just now." "Thank you, Adam." She says softly before reaching out with her free hand to take it carefully from him. "Oh, but I was supposed to tell you my name and I forgot. How did you¡­" he trails off blushing. "Well, it seems you''re going in order and that would make you Adam." "Oh, right." Adam steps aside. "Where there''s a Will there''s a way. I brought you a Bucket for all those so they don''t get lost and wilt." He holds it out for her and the other five boys rush forward to help her put her flowers into it. Once they''re settled and she holds her little tin pail of flowers she remembers her rage again. "You know, I have some things to say. And you lot are going to listen." They turn to her with rapt attention and she takes a deep breath and begins to talk without thinking too much about what she''s going to say before it all comes spilling out. "I''m not a whore!" Luke begins to say something and Daniel covers his mouth stopping him. "Not only am I not a whore I came here to marry Carter Carter because I am an idiot and thought I was just talking to one of you. But also because I fucking loved him." Silas begins to say something this time and Adam elbows him. "It''s bullshit that I came all the way out here for nothing. Like I gave up everything! Like my whole everything, everywhere, with everybody. So you owe me a husband. But just one because I don''t want to have to cook seven dinners, and mend seven sets of socks, and have like seven babies. Two!" She holds up two fingers. "I''m pretty sure we talked about that and I was like I want two babies and whoever said two was super fine! But two times seven is¡­'''' she counts on her fingers nearly fumbling the bucket and someone reaches out to take it. Twice she loses count before Daniel holds his hand out, fingers spread and she can use his hand to count too before finally declaring, "Fourteen! And that good sirs is too damn high!" "And I thought there were a lot of us growing up." Markus manages to whisper and Will smacks him upside the head. "So! We need to figure out which one of you I fell in love with and then I will marry the one I fell in love with. But just him and if it''s nobody, then apparently there''s like no ladies here. So I can just pick out a husband like I''m going to the Sunday Markets. Alright?" "You thought, someone really got named Carter Carter?" Daniel asks. "Shut your cakehole you¡­ good lord, why did God make you so pretty? You are a very pretty man." She loses her train of thought looking at his eyelashes. "Maybe, because he didn''t want you getting mad at me?" Daniel grins and steps closer, taking her arm and guiding her across the room, to a chair around a large table where the others slowly take their own seats. "Hey! This table seats exactly seven people! That''s like super convenient!" She declares happily. Will waves Josephina over. "Can we get a pot of coffee please." "Your brother said I dressed like a whore!" She says directly to Will, who looks about the table before responding incredulously with, "Beau said you dressed like a whore?" "I absolutely did not fall in love with him. He''s an asshole and he tried to break a man''s face in the middle of the street." Daniel presses a mug of coffee into her hand. "How much did you have to drink honey?" "I don''t know. There just kept being whiskey in my glass. So I kept right on with it because I know my mind! I am not fragile! I came all the way to Wyoming Tear Tory all on my own, and I had to take three trains, and two carriages, and then I got off the train to a great big nothin! Then I got up here on my own, and the first thing I see is Beau, ''I don''t shave or make my bed,'' Carter knocking a man clean out in the middle of the street! They arrest you for that in Boston you know!" Daniel pushes the cup in her hand up to her mouth. "He is an asshole like that. Have some more coffee, honey." "It needs milk." One of the boys gets up from the table, and a moment later a cup of milk is set on the table beside her. "Thank you, which one are you?" She tries to tilt her head back to look, but it makes the room spin. He just pushes her head gently back forward. "I''m Luke." He says softly. "Thank you, Luke, I like you. You''re at the top of my list right now. It''s you and then Daniel because Danny boy is so very pretty." She drinks her coffee, and as soon as the first cup is down, another is poured and topped off with milk. "I was looking forward to the garden." She grumbles. "We were looking forward to helping you plant it." One of the blonde boys says that''s Markus and Silas. "You''re the twins!" "What gave that away?" The other teases. "Maybe the fact that you look like you wipe the others ass when you shit." They both laugh at that, and she''s glad they thought it was funny because to her own ear it only sounded mean. She scowls down at her coffee. She''s not usually so mean. "How the hell did you think all of you could marry just one girl? People would talk." "I think your brain is still in Boston. You don''t come out to live in a place like Last Leg to judge how other people want to live. Hell, our Doctor is a lady married to another lady. It''s why Pops settled here. You know he was married three times and all of them were sisters." Adam smiles. "All at once?" She sips her coffee amazed. She heard that Mormons do that sort of thing but they said they were proper Christians. "Nah, see he married Daniel''s mom. Then she divorced him, and he married her little sister. She had the twins, and right after Mabel, but it was a lot and she didn''t make it through the birth. So Daniel''s mom come back to take care of Beau, Daniel, and Markus, Silas, and Mabel. Then she got knocked up with Luke. So they got married so Luke wouldn''t be a bastard. Are you still with me?" Adam smiles warmly, she likes listening to him talk, he has a nice voice. "I think so?" Three wives mean that they likely all share a mother with at least one or two others but they all have the same Dad. The fact they were all sisters explains why all the boys look so much alike. "Right so it''s Daniel, divorce, twins, ten months later Mabel, widowed, remarried the first wife and then Luke. The problem was, that the problems they already had didn''t go away just because there were more kids. Pops ended up cheating with her other sister. Now she got pregnant and so he got married to the last sister so the baby wouldn''t be a bastard and they ended up having me. Well, Dad said seven was quite enough and refused to touch her. But she come down pregnant anyway¡­" "Mom always said where there''s a Will there''s a way." Will fills in. "Are you serious?" She may be drunk but it sounds like a ridiculous way to name a baby. "The man had eight kids, seven of ''em boys. They were out of relations to name us after." Adam takes up for his brother''s unconventional naming. "But, they never got over the fight where he accused her of cheatin'' when really he just got good and drunk and crawled into her bed. So they got divorced too. "Wait so¡­" a fresh cup of coffee is pressed into her hand again this time by Will. She drinks it before she continues. "So it''s Beau, Daniel, and Luke share a mom. Then Markus, Silas, and Mabel do too. And Adam and Will, being the last two." The whole table goes silent. "Beau''s mama wasn''t one of the sisters." Daniel starts. "He''s the reason it''s so important we weren''t none of us bastards." Luke picks up. "When Pops came out west it was just him and Beau." One of the twins starts and the other finishes. "He was the reason Pops went lookin for a wife, to help with rasin'' him." "Beau has got a big red bastard stamp on his birth certificate," Will says as he tops off her cup. "He''s still a bit sore about it," Adam says softly. "The thing is Miss Sarah Jane, we don''t want seven wives. It''s hard enough to get a marriage to work, and more wives ain''t the answer." Daniel takes up again. "We all fell in love with your letters." Will pulls one out of his breast pocket, and then down the line, each of the others follows. She begins to wonder if the six of them had ever done anything independent of the others in all their lives. To Bed With You A swell of voices comes from outside, and the men at the card table begin to pack up their game. "You''re still pretty drunk, so why don''t you sleep on it and we''ll talk again tomorrow after the Ladies Auxiliary meeting. Why don''t you go have a laydown." "I know my own mind and I don''t want-" a flood of half washed rowdy cattle hands push into the saloon. "FLORIE! FLORIE! YOU PROMISED ME FIRST ROLL WHERE''S MY GIRL AT?" Florie and another woman come out of the back. Florie wears little more than a silk dressing gown and the other woman is in a full Cotillion dress. "Well alright, come on. You showed up early and everything." The man hustles to the back as the woman in the ball gown sweeps over to them. No, not a woman, that''s the Mayor! "Gentleman." He gives them a nod. "Mayor." They say in unison back. "I don''t suppose you know where Sherriff Beau ran off to?" "Can''t say as we do Mayor. He ain''t in the office?" "Last time I saw him he was riding down the mountain, just after arranging to get your lovely bride a room. To which none of you fine young things have bothered to introduce me to yet." Daniel stands up and with a grin announces, "May I present Miss Sarah Jane Miller. Sarah Jane, this is the Mayor of Last Leg, Frank Durrett." Unsure of what to do she dumbly holds out her hand to shake as she would a lady. He takes it, turns it, and drops a kiss across the back of her knuckles like a man. "I am quite pleased to make your acquaintance Miss Sarah Jane. I hear you''ve brought in all the latest fashion from Boston. I am quite looking forward to adding a few gowns to my formal collection." He twists in the way women learn to do that makes the dress he wears swirl around his legs. She wonders if he''s got ladies'' shoes or men''s boots on under that thing. "Ye¡­ yeah¡­ you know¡­ I think I have one that would look nice with your uh, figure?" With each passing moment, she is learning that there might be no place in the world quite like Last Leg Wyoming. "Well, I do look forward to it. Now if you don''t mind, I am really afraid I am going to have to borrow your fianc¨¦s for the evening. As our dear Sheriff is not to be found and the Garber boys are back from a cattle run early." "I was just going for a lay down anyway." She says changing her mind all on her own. The sheriff pulls a small bag from his pocket and sets it on the table with a metallic jangle. "If you will excuse me, boys, it appears I have dance partners all lined up this evening. So on behalf of the power vested in me by the Great City of Last Leg, I hereby deputize the lot of you. Don''t let them burn nothing or kill nobody or anything of the sort." No sooner does the Mayor walk away then one of the hands sweeps him into a reel. The bag is opened and Deputy stars are passed around. "Thank you for a lovely evening, Miss Sarah Jane." One at a time beginning with Daniel they slip around the table and kiss her gently on the cheek, save for the twins who do so in unison. They wait at the bottom of the steps as she heads up, she makes it three whole steps before she misses one and falls flat on her face. She''s never been a drinker and as the boys swarm around her helping her up, she wants to die from embarrassment. They pull her to her feet carefully. "You alright Miss Sarah?" Luke asks. "Maybe we can get Josie¡­" he glances over his shoulder back out at the room, "nevermind." A fight breaks out across the bar and Daniel and Will peel off to go break it up. "Someone''s got to go down to Mary''s and keep an eye on things." The world''s fastest game of roshambo passes between them and the twins rush down the stairs and out the door, leaving Luke and Adam to each take an arm and help her up the stairs. "You really got that down huh. I don''t know anybody who would have done that without a fight breakin out or orders being given." "We''re a team, Miss Sarah. We''re just used to doin together. We all look out for each other and such. There ain''t no use in fighting. It don¡¯t get nothin done. We all got jobs and when we all work together it''s easy." "So you just got lucky tonight?" They open the door and help her into her room and onto the bed. "No, see you took Beau''s seat at the usual table, so Daniel and Will got to sit next to you. So they''re out of the running. That''s why they went off to break up the fight."Stolen novel; please report. Adam lights the lamp on her bedside table. "Then we just threw for who had to go do the thing we don''t want to. Which means next time it will be Markus and Silas turn to take care of you." She struggles to pull her foot into her lap to get her boots off. "I got it." Luke sinks to the floor and pulls her foot into his lap, then sets to work carefully popping the long line of buttons on her traveling boots. "Thank you. You''re being very nice about this whole thing." She says softly, trying to stop the way her heart flutters at the warmth of his hands on her ankle. "Don''t mention it. Everybody''s entitled to have a bit of a fit now and then. Hell, Beau had a fit that went and got him elected Sheriff four years ago. He''s damn good at it too." Luke pulls the first of her boots free. His thumbs make contact with the underside of her soles, and push in, rubbing her feet. They''ve ached for so long, she had forgotten that they hurt, and she groans in delight. "Hey now, save something for the wedding night!" Adam laughs. "I haven''t decided who I want to marry yet." "Well, you don''t have to choose." Luke finishes unbuttoning her other boot and pulling it free. "We''re all crazy in love with you and we think that if you give us a chance, we can show you that it can work. Adam, can you get me the washbasin before you get her corset?" Her heart trips a little faster as Adam does as he''s told, putting the washbasin on the floor next to Luke just as he reaches up under her skirt and unclips her garter pulling her stockings down. Adam sits on the bed behind her and starts to unbutton her dress. She should stop them. This isn''t how proper young ladies behave. Especially after giving them a lecture on how she was not, in fact, a whore. Luke washes her feet, rubbing the soreness out as he goes, turning her bones to jelly. Adam works the buttons of her dress free and begins to tug at her corset strings pulling them loose. "Who was it who wanted to teach me to ride a horse?" She asks trying to sort the pieces of them apart into their individual persons. "That was Daniel," Adam says from behind her so softly, it makes the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. "He''s real good with animals." "Oh. Well, who wanted to teach me to shoot?" "That would be Beau. He wants to teach you to get in a proper fight too, but we didn''t want to put that in the letter." Luke laughs. "Why do I need to know how to fight?" Adam slips his hands under her arms. "Go on and stand up for me, so we can get this dress off ya." She stands and Luke pulls it down off her arms as Adam pushes from the back. Helping slide it down leaving her in her corset, chemise, and petticoat. "Hopefully you won''t ever need to know. But won''t it be nice to know if it ever comes up?" It''s a very hard point to argue with. Luke folds her dress carefully, and sets it on the side chair, as Adam slips her corset off standing so close behind her he brushes against her back with every movement. He passes Luke the binder, and Luke puts that carefully away as well. Adam''s hands are on her waist, and all she can think about is what it might be like to have Luke touching her as well. Adam pulls the ties of her petticoats free, and Luke slides them to the floor, urging her to step out of them. Once they''re put up neatly, Luke comes to stand in front of her just as closely as Adam is behind. He holds that distance just a breath away as Adam begins to pull the pins out of her hair, letting it tumble down around her shoulders. He runs his hands through it looking for more pins, before brushing her hair aside just enough to softly kiss the side of her neck. Luke speaks in almost a whisper, "I know we''re not what you expected Miss Sarah. But we really do love you and want to give you all the things we promised." He takes her face in his hand and tilts her head down to kiss her forehead. "You should get some sleep." Adam steps away from where he stood beside her, and pulls the blankets back on the bed, as Luke pushes her gently down into it before Adam tucks her in. "We''ll see you in the morning, Miss Sarah." They turn the lamp down and leave shutting the door behind them. Any hope she had of sleeping any time soon is gone. Her skin is electric, and her whole body wound tight enough to snap. She''s even drunk enough that the little voice that is supposed to tell her things are a bad idea, is nowhere to be found, and only the fact that she''s been two steps behind the obvious all day kept her from inviting them to bed. All it would take is for one of them to come in to check on her, and all her good intentions would be gone. Luckily for her virtue, no one checks on her, and eventually, the alcohol lulls her down into sleep. ***** In the wee hours of the morning, six of the seven Carter boys sit around Beau''s office passing around a bottle of moonshine. "You think Beau really said she looked like a whore?" Will asks quietly. "If she took a shot at him first it''s possible. Did you see the cut of that dress? I kept thinking her nipples were just gonna fall out the way she had ''em laced up to the brim." Markus laughs. "There was no danger of that. They weren''t pushed up too much. Just together a bit." Luke says with a grin pulling a groan from the other five. "You serious right now?" Daniel asks leaning forward. "If anything she was trying to keep ''em down, but the way that dress is cut they gonna push out the top either way. And she wasn''t wearing a bustle of any sort. Just the one petticoat." Adam adds. They''re the only two with any information in that regard and while they might have won the throw there are no secrets between the brothers. "How mad was she about the whole thing? I told you we should have been clearer." Will says with a pensive frown. "I think it''s all just afraid, not so much angry. She wasn''t angry when Adam was kissin'' her neck." The room erupts into hoots and Adam blushes brightly. "Shit it was just right there. Besides she made this noise that was just pure sex when Luke was rubbing her feet." "What can I say? She''s got cute feet and was too drunk to take her shoes off." "You think everyone''s got cute feet. Prob''ly have dreams about the Mayor''s size elevens." Daniel teases. They all laugh. They''re closer than any group of men has a right to be, and they cling to the hope that she''ll come around and agree to be their wife. They even secretly harbor a hope it will give Beau a reason to come home more often. They had seen more of him in the last year as he brought her letters up from town than they had in the whole of the three before it. More than anything they just want to be a real family again. Leaving RR Welp it''s been real. Royal Road is not a good fit for this book so all but the beginning has been removed. Please find the full work on Wattpad where I will continue to publish and am as of this writing at chapter 24Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. https://www.wattpad.com/user/StrawberryChampagne1 Since I am not allowed to publish less than 500 characters this is the part where I tell you silence kills ongoing works and if this was the only site I was on I never would have gotten this far.