The Accidental Mail Order Bride Read online

  “You don’t scare us,” the oldest said. “Aunt Ida said you’re like Ginger.” She patted the dog’s head. “Big and friendly.”

  “But you aren’t hairy,” the youngest added.

  “Aunt Ida didn’t say he was hairy,” the oldest told the younger one.

  With a chuckle, Eric gestured to the oldest. “That one is Lilly. The younger one is Janice.”

  Travis ran his fingers over the edge of his hat for a moment then asked the girls, “My scars don’t scare you?”

  “I got a scar,” Janice said and pulled the sleeve up her arm. “I fell off a chair when I was five.”

  Allie could tell that wasn’t the response Travis expected, so she squeezed his shoulder. He glanced up at her, and she winked at him. Children, it seemed, were far more accepting of a person’s imperfections than adults were.

  “Well, as long as I don’t scare you, we’ll be more than happy to have you here,” Travis said, turning back to the girls.

  The girls nodded, and Eric clapped his hands. “Good. I was hoping this would work out. I think this will be something that will benefit everyone.” He turned and shook Travis’ hand. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome,” Travis replied.

  Allie’s gaze went to the girls. “Why don’t we get some lemonade for you two and some water for Ginger? I bet you’re all thirsty.”

  Lilly looked at her sister, who indicated her agreement. “Thank you, Mrs. Martin.”

  With a smile, she led them to the cottage while Eric and Travis continued talking.

  ***

  A week later, Travis decided to take Allie and the girls to visit Abe and Phoebe. As he promised Lilly, he brought Ginger along, too. After losing their father and saying good-bye to their mother, they needed all the consolation they could get. The poor things were so young. There was no way they could understand the full scope of everything that had happened.

  Janice moved over to him halfway during the trip and rested against him, as if to imply he made her feel safe. He glanced over at Allie, who smiled encouragingly at him. Still feeling awkward around children, he brought his arm around the girl’s shoulders and gingerly patted her arm. The girl, in turn, sniffled and buried her face into his shirt.

  Well, even if they didn’t understand everything, they knew enough to know they’d lost their parents. Allie was holding Lilly, who was quiet. So maybe that was why Janice went over to him. Maybe she wanted someone to hold her, and Allie was comforting Lilly. Even if that was the case, he didn’t mind doing his part to offer whatever he could to help the little girl. Loss was something he was familiar with. It was something he understood. It was something they had in common. And he could deal with that.

  “I think you’ll like Abe and Phoebe,” Travis told the girls. “They’re good people.”

  “We know. Papa liked Abe,” Lilly said.

  Travis’ gaze met Allie’s, and he caught the flicker of sorrow in her eyes. They were poor imitations of the girls’ parents. But he reasoned they weren’t supposed to replace their parents. Their job was to protect them and keep them safe until their mother could return. As for their father… He sighed and patted Janice’s arm again. Well, there was no bringing him back. He and Allie would just do their best.

  The horses led the wagon through the town, and once again, Travis noted the way the people stopped to turn and stare at them. Their attention didn’t seem to be on him this time. No. This time, their interest seemed to be on the girls.

  He pulled Janice closer and whispered, “You have nothing to be ashamed of. You understand?”

  The girl nodded but sniffled, and he knew that as much as she wanted to believe him, a part of him couldn’t help but think their stares were going to make her think she had some role to play in the death of Lydia, even though it wasn’t true.

  Irritated, he pulled the wagon to a stop, tilted his hat up, and gave them all a good look. “Don’t you have anything better to do than stare at these innocent little girls?” he snapped.

  Really, it was one thing for them to do it to him. He was an adult. He could take it. But he wouldn’t tolerate them doing it to Lilly and Janice. If they were going to make life difficult for the girls, they would have to deal with him, and he wasn’t going to back down like he had in the past.

  The people must have seen the determination in his eyes since they lowered their gazes then and hurried on by. Assured they understood he wouldn’t tolerate them treating the girls like they treated him, he snapped the reins, and the horses moved forward. Allie reached over and rubbed his arm in a way that indicated she was proud of him. He relaxed and focused his attention back to the road that would take them out of town and up to Abe’s property.

  The rest of the ride was spent in silence, except for the few times Ginger barked at a rabbit or squirrel along the tree-lined path that wound up to Abe’s land. There was also the jingling of metal scraps, but Travis knew that was the alarm Abe had set up a while back to let him know when anyone was coming onto his property. He waited for the dog to bark this time, but Ginger only panted and studied her surroundings.

  By the time they reached Abe’s barn, Phoebe and her mother were coming out of the cabin to welcome them.

  As soon as Travis pulled the wagon to a stop, the dog barked in excitement and jumped to the ground. She ran over to the two women and sniffed them.

  Laughing, Phoebe petted the dog. “You sure are a playful thing,” she said then scratched it behind the ears. Her gaze went to Travis and Allie. “I heard you’re taking care of the Conner children.”

  “Yes,” Travis replied as he set the brake. “They’re Lilly and Janice.” He gestured to each girl as he named her. “We thought it might be nice to bring them over.”

  “Well, we’re happy to meet them,” Phoebe’s mother said, coming over to the wagon and giving them a warm smile. “Do you like peach tea? It’s sweeter than regular tea.”

  “We haven’t had peach tea before,” Lilly replied.

  “I think you’ll like it,” Allie told her.

  Lilly and Janice glanced at each other and nodded. “Alright,” Lilly said for both of them. “We’ll try it.”

  Travis got down from the wagon and helped Janice, Lilly, and Allie down. “Where’s Abe?” he asked Phoebe’s mother.

  “In the garden collecting some vegetables.” Phoebe’s mother glanced at the two girls. “You must miss your parents,” she told them, her tone tender.

  Lilly nodded and clasped Janice’s hand.

  “I know peach tea and cookies won’t take the pain away,” Phoebe’s mother began, “but why don’t we go into the cabin so you can have them?”

  “That’s a good idea,” Travis said. “I’d like to talk to Abe.” And it would be better if he could do it in private. The girls didn’t need to hear what he had to tell him. He turned to Allie. “Do you mind staying with them while I do that?”

  Allie smiled. “No, I don’t mind.” She squeezed his hand. “We’ll be in the cabin.”

  He squeezed her hand in return before she and the other women led the girls into the cabin. This whole thing of Allie smiling and touching him in front of others was nice. It only affirmed that she wasn’t ashamed of being with him. And that made them seem like even more of a normal couple. It was even better, though, since she wore his mother’s ring. It hadn’t taken long to get it resized so it fit her, and he was happy to note that she never took it off.

  Heart light, he left the wagon and went to find Abe. As promised, Abe was in the garden. He had a basket by his feet with some food in it, but at the moment, Abe was pulling weeds away from one of the plants.

  Travis also noticed the rifle next to him. “Are you expecting to shoot a gopher or rabbit?”

  Abe tossed the weeds aside and glanced at him. “No. I carry the gun with me whenever I leave the cabin.” He faced him and wiped the sweat from his brow. “I saw it was you as you came up, so I didn’t bother leaving the garden.”

  “You saw
me?”

  Abe nodded and gestured behind Travis. “I got a good view of the path from here. I saw you before I heard the wagon trigger the metal pieces I bought from you.”

  Travis looked over his shoulder and saw a gap in the trees that did, indeed, give a good view of the path.

  “What brings you out here?” Abe asked. “I didn’t think you ever left your property.”

  “I thought I’d bring Allie and the girls out.” He paused. “Since Phoebe’s mother told the girls they must miss their parents, I’m assuming Eric came out here to tell you about Jerry and Violet Conner.”

  “Actually, Phoebe found out when she was visiting Caroline while we were in town the other day. I heard you were there when Jerry went after Carl.”

  “I was. I happened to notice him as I was leaving Carl’s cabin. Eric happened to be coming up the hill, so we snuck up behind Jerry together. It was a close one. We almost didn’t make it in time.”

  After a long moment passed between them, Abe asked, “Is it true that Carl is getting a mail-order bride?”

  “Yes. He gave me the missive for the stagecoach driver when he came to get the mail.” When Abe let out a sigh, Travis asked, “Is something wrong?”

  Abe shook his head. “When isn’t something wrong when it comes to Carl?” He turned to the basket and picked it up. Then he retrieved the rifle. “I think I have enough for today. Let’s get your horses in the barn so they can have some hay to eat.”

  It was on the tip of Travis’ tongue to ask Abe if he was glad Carl was still alive, but in the end, he decided to keep his mouth shut. He knew there were bad feelings between Abe and Carl, and he knew it had to do with the stream that bordered their properties. But he also knew it was best if he kept neutral on the matter. Their problems were better off between them. He had enough to deal with without taking sides, especially when he liked both men. They had, after all, always treated him like he was an ordinary person instead of the monster the townsfolk had claimed him to be.

  “So,” Abe began as they headed to the barn, “I hear you have a full house now between Allie and Jerry’s girls.”

  Travis chuckled. “Yeah, I suppose you could say that. The cottage seemed a lot bigger before they all came to live with me.”

  “I bet it doesn’t seem so empty, though.”

  “No, it doesn’t. It’s better this way.”

  “How are the girls taking it?”

  “As well as can be expected,” Travis replied. “They cry from time to time, but I think it’ll help that they have each other and their dog.”

  “I really wish it hadn’t been Jerry who killed Lydia,” Abe said. “He was one of the few good men in town.”

  “I think we all have a weakness. I don’t think either of us really knows how bad Lydia was.”

  “No, I don’t think we do.”

  Carl was probably the only one who knew the extent of Lydia’s wickedness, but he kept it to himself. Maybe there were some things too hard to discuss.

  “They say you don’t really know someone until you live with them,” Abe said. “Maybe it’s a sign that we should be glad we ended up with the women we did. Even if we don’t have a lot, we have wives that aren’t anything like Lydia.”

  “Thankfully, they aren’t.”

  And that made Travis love Allie all the more. The next time he saw Eric, he would have to thank him for making him marry the most wonderful woman in the world.

  Epilogue

  One month later

  “Your mother sent a letter,” Travis called out to the girls who were playing in the yard with the dog.

  Allie glanced up from the flowerbed she’d been tending to and joined the girls and dog as they rushed over to him. He got down from his wagon and handed the missive to the oldest since she could read better than the younger one.

  “We’ll work on writing a reply after supper,” Allie told the girls as she removed her gloves. “I’m sure your mother’s anxious to hear from you.”

  “We miss her,” Lilly said, holding the letter to her chest as if it might disappear if she wasn’t careful.

  “She misses you, too,” Allie replied.

  While Lilly and Janice sat on the lawn to read the letter, Travis gestured to the wagon full of grocery items. “I got everything you asked for.”

  “Are you sure you’re comfortable going into town?” Allie asked, lowering her voice so the girls wouldn’t overhear.

  “No, I’m not,” he admitted. There was no point in lying. A lifetime of being the object of ridicule wasn’t going to go away overnight. But… “It wasn’t as bad as I thought it’d be. Ida even came up to talk to me. She asked how the girls are doing, and I told her they’re doing well, all things considered. Then I thought since she’s the girls’ aunt that it’d be good for them if she came out here with Mike and their children.”

  Allie’s eyes grew wide. “You invited all of them over here?”

  “Do you mind?” Now that he thought about it, that would make for a lot of food for poor Allie to make.

  “No, I don’t mind. I’m just surprised you’d do that.”

  “Well, I am nervous, but it’ll be good for Lilly and Janice. And Ida was nice to me. She did go out of her way to approach me in town right where everyone could see her.”

  “I think Ida’s got a good heart.”

  He nodded. “She does. And she’s brave, too.”

  Allie chuckled. “Brave?”

  “It takes a lot of courage to approach someone with my reputation in broad daylight where everyone else can see you.”

  “I’d approach you if you were in town,” she told him, her eyes twinkling.

  He put his arm around her shoulders and kissed her. “Yes, I know you would. You have a lot more courage than anyone else.”

  “Courage has nothing to do with it. I’m proud of you, Travis, and I’m glad you’re my husband.”

  “There’s nothing like a good woman to make a man the best he can be.” He smiled then turned to the groceries in the wagon. “I’ll bring these in, and you can put them where they belong.”

  “Alright. And after you finish with that, you can get started on a bassinet.”

  He was in the middle of grabbing one of the wooden crates full of staple items when her meaning registered in his mind. “A bassinet?”

  She shot him a wide grin. “Well, you don’t need to get started on it right away if you don’t want to. The baby won’t be here for another eight months.”

  “Baby? Really?”

  “Well, sure. What did you think we were working on when we’re in bed?”

  He chuckled at her joke. “I’ll get started on it today. It’ll be fun to make things for a baby.”

  She gave him a kiss and hugged him. “I love you, Travis.”

  “I love you, too.” Excited by the prospect of making things for a baby, he hurried to unload the wagon.

  Coming Next in the Chance at Love Series:

  The Bargain Mail Order Bride: Book 4

  Due out January 7, 2017!

  Carl Richie’s wife took delight in making him miserable, often reminding him she wished she’d married someone much more deserving. So when she dies, it’s no great loss. His problems, however, are far from over.

  His father left him twenty acres and a stream that most likely has gold in it, but in order for him to keep the property, he must have a child. The last thing Carl wants to do is marry again, but he has no choice. So, with reluctance, he posts a mail-order bride ad.

  Juliet Gilbert needs to marry someone—and fast. On a whim, she answers the first mail-order bride ad that will take her to a place where her past won’t catch up with her. From the beginning, Carl makes it clear he’s not interested in love. He only wants a child, and then he’ll give her a portion of any gold he finds on his land and leave her alone to do as she wishes.

  Since love is the least of her concerns, she agrees as long as he never asks about her past. The two strike the bargain, and she comes out
to marry him. What neither expects, however, is that bargains are far easier to make than they are to keep.

  You can reserve your copy today by clicking here!

  Don’t miss the other books in the Chance at Love Series!

  The Convenient Mail Order Bride: Book 1

  When Phoebe Durbin answers a mail-order bride ad, she doesn't realize the groom-to-be didn't post it. Worse, the day she arrives at her destination, she learns he doesn't even want to get married. Having nowhere else to go, she convinces him to give her a chance to prove having a woman cook and clean for him will be the best thing that ever happened to him.

  Abe Thomas reluctantly agrees to take Phoebe in, though he doubts they will make a good match. They're much too different. While she sees the best in things, he knows the world is much darker than she can ever imagine. No woman in her right mind would be his convenient wife. He's sure when the stagecoach comes back to town, she'll be the first one on it. After all, two people so completely different can't make a good match, can they?

  The Mistaken Mail Order Bride: Book 2

  Eric Johnson has been writing to his mail-order bride for months, and at long last, the day she’s due to arrive has come. Only, the young lady who comes off the stagecoach isn’t at all what he expected. She's homely in appearance, and she has an orphan child with her.

  However, he is a man of his word, so he's going to marry her. He had enjoyed their correspondence over the past year, after all, and really, initial impressions aren’t everything. But when the preacher pronounces them husband and wife, he finds out she’s the wrong lady.