Page 15 of May I Kiss the Bride
Elsie biting her lip was never a good sign though. Usually, it was the precursor to tears. He had to think of something fast.
Leaning down, he said, “Tell you what, darlin’. On Monday we’ll head into Cheyenne, and you can pick out a new dress or two.”
Elsie’s blue eyes lit up. “Ready-made?”
“Ready-made.” Buying fabric and having Barb sew something up would be less money, but indulging his daughter wouldn’t harm anything if done once in a while.
Elsie grinned, and Rey knew it would all be worth it because she pranced away. “I need to find ribbons to match this dress. Can you help tie them, Papa?”
“Of course.” He followed after her as she crossed the room and opened a small drawer at the top of her bureau. It had been his wife’s bureau, and although he’d packed many things away, Barb had helped him select items that Elsie could use now.
One of those was a box of various colored ribbons. Now Elsie opened the box and pulled out two green ribbons. She handed them over to Rey, and with a bit of fumbling at first, he managed to tie bows at the ends of her braids.
When Elsie next looked in the mirror, there was no pouting, only smiles.
As they headed out into the early evening light, Rey breathed in the fresh air. Much better than that of San Francisco. He understood why his mother wanted to live in a city with so much convenience, but for Rey, he planned on living out the rest of his life in Mayfair. He knew that the day might come when his daughter might make another choice, but for now, he’d be grateful for their time together.
“Are you going to dance with the ladies?” Elsie asked as she perched next to him in the driver’s seat of the wagon.
“Hi-yah,” Rey called to his trusty horse as he snapped the reins. The horse plodded forward. “I’m going to dance with you, Elsie. And you’re a lady.”
Elsie wrinkled her freckled nose at this. “I’m just a little girl, Papa. And you’re too tall for me to dance with.”
Rey chuckled. “How about you stand on my boots like we’ve done at home?”
“Maybe.” Elsie lifted one of her small shoulders. “Barb says that a man gets lonely when he doesn’t have a wife.”
Rey’s laughter died at that, and he peered at his daughter. “Barb said that, huh? Maybe Barb should mind her manners.”
“One of my friends in San Francisco has a new mama.” Elsie linked her arm through his. “Her mama died too, and her papa married another woman. She’s very nice and let us try on makeup.”
Rey didn’t know what to focus on. The fact that his eight-year-old daughter had put on makeup or that she had a friend he didn’t know about. His mother hadn’t mentioned anything about new friends with new mothers. He’d definitely be writing a letter when he returned home tonight.
“I’m happy for your friend, and her, uh, step-mother sounds like a nice woman.”
“She’s very nice,” Elsie said in a wistful tone.
Rey supposed he should have known this day would come sooner than later. Elsie didn’t remember her mother, since she’d been only three when she died, but she still missed having a mother all the same.
It was just that … well, Rey didn’t know if his heart could take another loss. Either for him or for his daughter. Besides, if he was set on staying in Mayfair, that narrowed any marrying options significantly. Women from Cheyenne might not want to move to such a tiny spot. Certainly no woman from San Francisco would ever consider moving into the wilds.
Now, why had he gone and connected that city of all places to himself? Surely it was because he’d just returned there to pick up Elsie. No other reason.
“I’ll tell you what, darlin’,” Rey said. “If there’s a woman you think I should ask to dance with tonight, then I will. Otherwise, I’m happy with just the two of us, all right?”
Her head bobbed in a brisk nod. “All right, Papa. I’ll keep my eyes open.”
Rey chuckled. “Don’t make it too obvious though. I don’t want anyone matchmaking for me.”
“What does matchmaking mean?”
“Ah.” Maybe he’d put his foot in his mouth. “Sometimes people think they know who a fella should marry, so they make introductions and so on.”
“Like Barb?”
“What about Barb?”
“I heard her telling you about Miss Cannon’s niece and how she’s a pretty lady. Smart too.”
