The Perfect Wife Read online

As Mark’s father saw Ben out, Mark’s mother turned to her and Mark. “Maybe we should wait for a while before having everyone in the family over for dinner.”

  “I was about to suggest the same thing,” Mark said.

  His mother’s gaze went to Natalie. “How is Annabelle doing?”

  “Good, all things considered,” Natalie replied. “The loud thud we heard was her punching bag falling to the floor.”

  His mother nodded. “I should go upstairs and talk to her. Maybe it’ll help.”

  Once she headed up the stairs, Mark turned to Natalie. “Well, there’s nothing we can do right now. Let’s go home and wait for things to settle down before coming back. If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years, it’s how important it is to give people their space when something unexpected happens.”

  “Which is why you ran me out of the church on our wedding day,” Natalie mused.

  “Exactly,” he said as he took her by the hand and led her out of the parlor. “All people need is some time to adjust to the new situation, and then they’ll be happy. Ben and Annabelle will be good together.”

  “I hope so.”

  “I’m shocked, Natalie. After all this time, you still doubt me? My instincts are never wrong.”

  While she wanted to believe him, she’d been up there to see how upset Annabelle was. She doubted Annabelle was going to embrace her marriage as quickly as Velma did. Something told her poor Ben had a long road ahead of him. But, she decided to keep her thoughts to herself. Instead, she let Mark lead her home.

  ***

  The next day, Natalie went to pay Margie a visit. Though Margie had set out tea and cookies for the two of them, she was too busy crying into her handkerchief to eat or drink anything.

  “I had no idea Kenneth had gotten mixed up with a criminal element in Chicago,” Margie told her from the couch as she wiped more tears from her eyes. “He never once said anything about it. I’m heartbroken. He was like the son I never had.”

  “I’m so sorry, Margie,” Natalie replied. “I can’t even begin to imagine what pain you’re going through.”

  “You’re a very kind young lady.” She patted her hand in a motherly fashion. “It’s nice of you to come by to comfort me.”

  “You did nothing wrong. Neither did your husband. You two couldn’t have known he showed up in Massachusetts because he was on the run.”

  “I tell myself that, but deep down, I keep thinking I should have known something was wrong. Sometimes when we want something, we’ll ignore those little pieces of doubt that nibble at us. I knew it was strange that he showed up out of the blue the way he did, and I knew it was also strange that he wouldn’t mention much about his past, except for his childhood. The warning signs were there. I chose to ignore them.”

  “I probably would have done the same thing in your position. No one can blame you for taking him in.”

  “Oh, I don’t know about that,” Margie said with a sniffle. “Those ladies in your group have asked me not to attend any more social engagements. They don’t want to be connected with a criminal organization.”

  “Fran and Katherine told you not to come to any more social engagements?” Natalie asked, not hiding her shock.

  “Janet and Rosalyn did, too. But who can blame them? Kenneth is in jail right now, and I hear he might have actually killed someone in Chicago. That was on top of trying to marry Annabelle for her money. Those men involved in Annabelle’s kidnapping weren’t any better. All of them have done terrible things. Sheriff Russell was explaining it all to me after he caught them all, but I fainted toward the end of it. I don’t want to know anything else.” She put her hand over her heart. “I can’t handle it.”

  Natalie’s eyes filled with tears. The poor woman. She didn’t deserve the way Fran and her friends had treated her. Just as she hadn’t deserved it. “Well, who needs them?” Natalie asked, a new determination coming over her. “They’re just four women in Omaha. They don’t speak for everyone else.”

  “But the Gordon name is now attached to scandal.”

  “It was a scandal you and your husband had nothing to do with. You can’t be blamed for what Kenneth did. The right people will understand that.”

  “I’m not so sure. Already, two of the men my husband was hoping to hire at his restaurant said they couldn’t work for him.”

  “Then that’s their loss. Your husband can hire better men. A person’s actions should stand on their own merit. We shouldn’t be judged for someone else’s sins.”

  “I understand what you’re saying, and I agree, but people don’t see things that way.”

  “Some people don’t see things that way. Those are the ones you should ignore.” Just as she would ignore Fran and her horrible friends. “As it so happens, I was thinking of creating my own social group.”

  “You were?”

  Natalie nodded. “I never got along with Fran and those other women anyway. I had decided to quit going to their social engagements. I figured I’d create a new group and only invite those I think are worth being in it. You should join me, Margie.”

  “But then you’d be seen in public with me.”

  “And you’d be seen in public with me. Some people look at me and think I’m not sophisticated enough for Mark.”

  “Oh, that’s silly. You’ve always handled yourself with grace.”

  “While I appreciate you saying that, the truth is, I don’t dance well, I don’t always eat and drink the right way, and I’m not nearly as educated as other wealthy people.”

  “Those things don’t truly matter. What matters is what’s in a person’s heart.”

  “Exactly. And Margie, you have one of the biggest hearts of anyone I’ve come across in Omaha. I would be honored if you would be in my group. We’ll only invite others who are like us. I’m tired of dealing with superficial people. I want to have real friendships.”

  Margie wiped the last of her tears away. “That sounds nice.”

  Natalie gave her a hopeful smile. “So you’ll join me?”

  For the first time since Natalie entered Margie’s home, Margie smiled. “I’d love to.”

  “Wonderful.” Natalie picked up her cup and handed Margie’s hers. “I know this won’t solve all of your problems, but at least it solves one of them. And, whatever happens, you and I will have each other to talk to.”

  Maybe, just maybe, in time, there would be more members added to the group. For now, they had one another, which meant that neither Natalie nor Margie would have to feel so alone. And for now, that was more than enough.

  Epilogue

  Two years later

  “Heaven help us. There are two more Marks in this world,” Tony said as he entered Mark’s parlor.

  Velma was with him, and she was carrying their one-year-old son, Ned.

  “Ha, ha,” Mark replied as he shifted one of his newborn twin sons in his arm. “You’re just upset because I had two children on my first try while you only had one.”

  Tony snorted. “It took you twice as long to make a child. Velma and I had ours practically right away, and I bet we’ll be having another one in a year.”

  Velma shook her head as she sat next to Tony in a chair. “This isn’t a contest. It’s not about one of us having more children than the other.” She brought Ned onto her lap and handed him a cookie to nibble on. “The important thing is that everyone is healthy.”

  “Hear hear,” Mark agreed. He tucked the blanket more securely around Earl’s head so that he was more comfortable. “Natalie did a wonderful job of giving me two terrific sons.” He sat next to Natalie on the couch. “God willing, they’ll have more sense than to go into farming.”

  Tony shot Mark a pointed look. “Next time you eat your dinner, remember that if it weren’t for us farmers, you wouldn’t have any food.”

  “Why do you two argue every time you get together?” Natalie asked, finally looking up from Raymond who was sleeping in her arms.

  “We’re not argui
ng,” Mark said. “We’re joking.”

  “Well, it sounds like you’re arguing to me,” Natalie said. She glanced at Velma. “Don’t you think they sound like they’re arguing?”

  Velma snickered. “Imagine what your house is going to be like once those two get old enough to talk.”

  “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” Natalie asked.

  Velma shrugged. “I might be enjoying it a little bit.”

  “Just wait until you have the second child,” Natalie said. “You won’t be so smug then.”

  “Twins are the worst,” Velma replied. “They fight over everything.”

  “You’d think that, but you’re wrong,” Mark’s father called out from the entryway of the parlor.

  Mark glanced over and saw his parents. His mother came over and greeted each child with a kiss to their foreheads.

  “Growing up in my house,” Mark’s father continued, “no one argued more than Tom and Joel, and they had eight years between them. Even you two,” he pointed to Mark and Tony, “didn’t argue as much as they did.”

  “Thank goodness for that,” Mark’s mother said. “I wouldn’t have kept my sanity if they had. I don’t know how your mother put up with Tom and Joel picking at each other all the time. And they still do it.” Natalie handed Raymond to her, so she took him in her arms and smiled. “I don’t think those two will ever grow up.”

  “They don’t want to, so why would they?” Mark’s father peered down at Earl and said, “Don’t let Mark tell you what to do. It’s your life. You have to do the job you want. If you live someone else’s way, you’ll never be satisfied.”

  Mark leaned to Natalie and whispered, “And that’s how Tony ended up deciding to run a farm instead of being a part of the family business.” He’d never understand it, but then, his dream had been to design businesses like his father did, not run after animals all day.

  Mark’s mother sat next to Natalie and said, “Ben and Annabelle are still in St. Louis setting up the new orphanage. They hope to be back next week. They’re eager to meet their new nephews.”

  “Who knew Annabelle would have such a gift for children?” Mark’s father asked as he picked up a cup of tea. “She loves taking care of them. She and Ben even adopted a two-year-old boy named Chris.”

  “Which brings up a good point,” Tony began as he put his arm around Velma’s shoulders. “This family needs a girl. There are too many boys. Fortunately, the missus and I are working on that.”

  “Tony,” Velma warned.

  “What?” Tony squeezed her shoulders. “We’re going to have a lot of children. Some are bound to be girls.”

  Mark’s mother laughed. “I hope you do have more children because I love holding my grandchildren. Now I know why your grandmother got so excited every time the family came over for holidays. I’m looking forward to spending lots of time with Ned, Raymond, Earl, and Chris.”

  Natalie grinned. “Well, I’m glad Ben and Annabelle are helping with orphanages. Mrs. Gordon is thrilled with the three children she and Mr. Gordon adopted. Those children were exactly what they needed.”

  “I’m glad to hear that,” Mark’s mother said. “That poor couple went through a painful time after they found out their nephew was involved with a criminal family.”

  “Well, they’re doing fine now,” Mark’s father replied. “Not only do they have children, but their restaurant is one of the best in Omaha. Everything worked out well for everyone.”

  “Yes, it did,” Velma agreed, giving Tony a warm smile.

  Tony returned her smile and squeezed her shoulders again.

  Mark, in turn, rubbed Natalie’s back. He was with Natalie, Tony was with Velma, and Annabelle was with Ben. Things worked out exactly the way they were supposed to. He couldn’t think of anything else to add to their happy family.

  Author’s Note

  In case anyone wonders how Mark and Tony overcame their differences, I will cover that in the next book in this series, The Imperfect Husband (which is Annabelle and Ben’s romance). I originally thought Mark and Tony would resolve things in this book, but I think the two will need to rally around their little sister in order to work things out.

  I also realize this book is a cliffhanger as far as Ben and Annabelle’s story is concerned, but I couldn’t settled on any other way to prevent Annabelle from marrying Kenneth while getting her married to Ben. I am already working on The Imperfect Husband. I expect to have it out early 2019. It’s going to be a romantic comedy. After that, I’m going to start a series about Tom and Jessica Larson’s four daughters. So stay tuned because more Larson stories are on the way!

  Happy reading!

  Ruth Ann Nordin

  Coming Soon in this Series!

  The Imperfect Husband (Book 4)

  From the time they were children, Annabelle Larson hasn't liked Ben Martin. Ben and her brother used to get into all kinds of trouble, and though her brother led the schemes, Ben's never done anything to put a stop to them. And since she's been subjected to some of their ridiculous games, Ben's been nothing but an annoying nuisance. So when Ben forces her hand in marriage, she's furious. How could he do something that has just changed her entire life without any thought to whether or not she even wanted it?

  Though Annabelle refuses to believe it, Ben's motives were good. If he hadn't stepped in to marry her when he did, she would have ended up with a man who engages in unscrupulous behavior. The trouble is, she refuses to believe him, and worse, she won't even give him a chance to prove he can be a good husband. So in a desperate move to figure out how he can make her fall in love with him, he disguises himself as a woman and joins her lady's group.

  The Imperfect Husband is a romantic comedy of one man's attempt to woo the woman he's been secretly in love with ever since they were children.

  Already Available in this Series!

  The Bride Price (Book 1)

  A mail order bride. A scarred settler. Will love stake its claim or send them packing?

  Angela Frank is tired of teaching other people’s children. Her job is a constant reminder that she has no family of her own and no prospects for a hometown husband. When she spies a mail order bride advertisement, she dreams of a life where her deformities are overlooked by a strapping Omaha frontiersman. She decides to risk everything for her last chance at a family…

  Sep Wilson carries scars from a troubled past. And while he’s not the marrying type, when he hears that an unscrupulous local is running a shady mail order bride scheme, he can’t help but intervene. But he never expected his good deed to end with him married to the mysterious Angela…

  The two outcasts may have finally found someone who can help them heal their past. But in uncharted territory, the chance for love may not be enough to keep them safe…

  The Bride Price is the first book in a series of high-spirited mail order bride Western romances. If you like fiery chemistry with a tender touch, gritty frontier settings, and unconventional heroes, then you’ll love Ruth Ann Nordin’s tale of love.

  ***

  The Rejected Groom (Book 2)

  Anthony (Tony) Larson and his twin brother, Mark, have been asked to marry one of the two unfortunate women who are in need of a husband. One woman is Velma Murdoch and the other is Natalie Harper.

  Tony falls in love with Velma as soon as he meets her, and he’s excited when Mark tells him she’s chosen him to marry. What he doesn’t realize until he marries Velma is that she thought she was marrying Mark. But Mark tricked both of them into marrying each other so he could be with Natalie. While he’s upset with Mark for deceiving him, he’s even more upset to find out Velma had wanted to marry Mark instead of him.

  Velma is just as upset with Mark as Tony is. A marriage to Tony isn’t going to work out well at all. He’s a farmer who lives in a sod house, and she doesn’t know the first thing about housework or cooking. She was much more suited for Mark who owned a business. Just how are two people who are a bad match going to find commo
n ground? She can’t cook anything right, she's scared of bugs and snakes, and there’s no way she can make clothes. She was brought up to help her future husband entertain guests at dinner parties, not help out on a farm.

  Can a man who feels rejected and a woman who doesn’t feel competent on a farm find something as wonderful as love?

  If you love the Larson family and would like to know what books feature a Larson in it, here is a quick reference so you can find other Larson romances in my book catalogue. (I am doing this in chronological order.)

  This list is current as of August 2018.

  Wagon Trail Bride – this features Richard Larson

  Her Heart’s Desire – this features Sally Larson

  A Bride For Tom – this features Tom Larson

  Eye of the Beholder – this features Dave Larson

  The Wrong Husband – this features Jenny Larson

  Shotgun Groom – this features Joel Larson

  To Have And To Hold – this is a second Dave Larson book (includes the same heroine)

  The Rejected Groom – this features Tony Larson (Richard’s son)

  The Perfect Wife – this features Mark Larson (Richard’s son)

  The Imperfect Husband – this features Annabelle Larson (Richard’s daughter); coming soon

  Isaac’s Decision – this features Isaac Larson (Dave’s son)