“What time is it?”
“It’s suppertime, Elise,” Millie answered. “I have to go tell Papa you’re awake. He’s been very worried about you.”
“Why? I was just asleep.”
Millie paused on her way out of the bedroom. “He was afraid he'd given you too much medicine.”
Millie wasn’t gone five minutes before Harlan came rushing in. “Are you all right?”
“No, I’m starving. Can you help me to the chair so I can eat properly?”
He handed her the cotton robe that lay across the bottom of her bed and helped her slip her arms into the robe. “Are you sure you’re able to get up and walk to the chair?”
“I’m fine,” she answered, sliding her feet to the side of the bed and carefully covering them with the robe. “My headache is nearly gone, but I’m starving.”
Harlan took her arm and walked her to the chair. He pulled the nightstand in front of her so she could eat from the plate on top of it.
After taking several large forkfuls, she smiled. “Martha made my favorite dish.”
“I’ll leave you to your meal, but I’ll be back in fifteen minutes to walk you back to the bed,” Harlan warned.
Millie was thrilled that not only were Elise and her Papa speaking, but they were actually being friendly. What could she do to make her prayers come true?
In school, she’d learned that Ben Franklin had said, “The Lord helps those who help themselves,” and hadn’t Martha said that sometimes we have to do our part to help God answer our prayers? She wasn’t sure if God worked with love or not, but she had to think of a way to make sure Elise became her mama.
She’d been doing a lot of spying and listening at the door. Her papa was actually overly kind and helpful to Elise. Was that enough, though? Elise had said that for a marriage to take place, the couple had to be in love—how might she make that happen? She had to try. Her papa had said he would be back to help Elise get into bed. She knew what she had to do, and her tool to do it was hanging on the kitchen wall. When Martha caught her taking the tool and asked what she was doing, Millie answered, “I’m helping God.”
True to his word, Harlan returned to help Elise back into bed.
“Thank you, Harlan, but I think tomorrow I’d like to get back to normal. I still have two horses to train, and I feel fine, now.”
“I’ll tell you what—I’ll get the doctor here in the morning, and if he agrees, I’ll let you get back to work,” he said easing her onto the bed. As he was adjusting her pillows, the door to the room slammed shut, and they heard a key turn in the lock.
Harlan went to the door and tried to open it. “Millie? Open this door!”
“Is it locked?” Elise asked.
“Yes, and I know who did it because I heard her little feet scamper down the hall.”
“Why would she—oh, no,” Elise said with a sigh.
Harlan returned to her bedside. “You know why Millie locked us up?”
Elise felt herself flush, which she knew meant she was blushing. “I’m afraid I do.”
“Please, let me in on the secret.”
“It’s not a secret... well, not exactly. I don’t know the whole story, but from what little I could get from Martha and Millie, it seems my coming here wasn’t totally an accident.”
“What do you mean?”
Elise didn’t like seeing Harlan frown again, but she had to tell him. “Millie wants me to… um... be her… um... mama.”
“What?”
Now, Harlan sounded angry. It didn’t matter. He’d find out sooner or later.
“It seems Millie confessed to Martha that she wanted a mother. Martha didn’t have an answer for her until you mentioned you needed a horse trainer. That’s when Martha remembered me. She sincerely sent for me to train your horses, but they had hoped... at least, Millie did, that we’d...” Too embarrassed to finish her sentence, she simply shrugged.
“I get the idea.” Harlan turned around to face the door so Elise had no idea if he was laughing, smiling, or frowning. He then turned and sat in the chair with his head in his hands.
Elise was silent and unsure of what to say or do.
Finally, he spoke, and he sounded apologetic. “Millie wanted a mother. She never told me. I never planned on marrying—I had no idea how that would affect her. I love her so much, and I’d give her anything she wanted if I could, but this? This is something I can’t easily give her.”
“Why not? The ranch is already successful, and I’m sure you could find a woman to marry.”
“Here in Russell? There are very few single women.”
“Oh,” was all Elise thought to say.
“However,” Harlan said slowly, “there is someone I am terribly fond of, but I’m not sure if she feels the same. I wasn’t sure about her, but she gradually stole my heart.”
Elise felt so disappointed by his answer that she had to look away to blink back tears. Finally, she said, “My mother once told me that, when she met my father, she didn’t care for him at all. Of course, they grew to love each other and slowly, too. If you really are in love with the woman, you need to tell her and propose. Not just for Millie, but for yourself.”
“Hm... I think you’re right, Elise. I guess sometimes men are afraid to confess they love someone, fearing it won’t be mutual, and that he’d feel like a fool.”
“Being a woman, I’d say that if she didn’t reciprocate that love, she’d still be honored, and if she’s a decent, well-bred woman, she’d let
