Children’s Aid Society authorities don’t exactly know
Polly Friday Bird and Merry Murphy Bird are single and neither woman is going to
volunteer the information. Polly hated the life she and her sister led after they were
adopted by a surly Nebraska farm couple who really wanted free drudges.
She would never treat the two children she’s adopted so harshly. In fact, she
believes the large boarding house she and Merry purchased is an ideal place to
raise children, with a large yard, numerous rooms, and a good school nearby.
Still, Polly needs a husband so she convinces Ford (Manford) Daily to marry her
and be on his way. The problem is, he won’t go.
EXCERPT:
After Polly left to make arrangements to be
married, Ford munched on the saltwater taffy and wondered what on earth
he’d gotten himself into. Miss Bird was a comely lass—blond hair and
shapely figure that made him ache to put his hands around her small
waist. But what man in his right mind would marry a woman he’d never
even seen before?
He’d come to
Mockingbird Flats to marry Bea. She’d always been game for whatever he
suggested, with few exceptions—not because he’d suggested them, but on
account of she was the most daring gal he’d ever met.
In
fact, he had a hard time picturing her being happy while stuck in a
confectionery all day. Even so, she did look happy and seemed quite
taken with her new husband. He hoped that continued for he wished her
all the best.
But Miss Polly Friday
Bird...that woman intrigued him in more ways the one. In more ways
than she should. He’d been drawn to her right off the bat as she sat at
the candy counter stirring her tea with a peppermint stick. She’d
looked so alone and dejected. And beautiful. He’d wanted to give her a
big hug and make everything right for her.
Maybe he was doing exactly that—all except for the big hug, which he still wouldn’t mind.
Bea came back and tapped her knuckles on the counter to get his attention. “So what do you think of Polly?”
He
wasn’t about to tell Bea what he’d been thinking. “She seems like a
nice lady who wants to do right by the orphans she adopted.”
“She’s
the genuine article—sweet as they come and not bad looking, either.
Several of the gents around here have tried to court her, but she wasn’t
interested in any of them.”
“Even to keep her children?”
“My
guess is she was considering marrying one of them, but she wouldn’t do
that except as a last resort because they’d consider it a real
marriage. With you, it satisfies her need for a husband and your need
for a wife. You’ll go away and she won’t have to worry about being
married to a man she doesn’t love.”
“Love? So Miss Bird’s a romantic.” She was sounding better all the time.
“Very much so,” Bea said. “And picky when it comes to men.”
“What if I don’t leave?”
“Of course you’ll go. You’ve spent your whole life planning how you’ll improve the ranch once it’s yours.”
“I could set up a veterinarian office here in Mockingbird Flats.”
“That
would cheer up your grandpa, all right. He’s never made it a secret
that your main job is producing little Dailys, and he wants them born on
his ranch.”
“I know—the dirt is in your blood. Well, it’s in mine but he’s making other occupations look good.”
“Are you taking Polly to the ranch?”
Ford
leaned on his elbows and finger-combed the hair on the back of his
head. “She doesn’t seem like she wants to go anywhere. And I don’t
even know her.”
“Well, I know her, and she’s a fine lady. So don’t you go taking advantage.”
“Blast
it all, Bea—pardon my French—you know I wouldn’t do that.” But he’d
thought of it right off, and this was one of those times he wished he
weren’t so damnedably honorable.
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