Nelly's Mail Order Husband Read online

  He thought over his father’s last letter. Val’s sister was still too young to look for a husband, but it sounded like there were some promising prospects for when she was ready. His father seemed to have made a little money, but it sounded like Val had fared better over the past two years. He didn’t know if he’d ever get to see his family again or not. Travel all the way across the ocean wasn’t all that easy, not with all of the responsibilities that operating a farm entailed. So, he’d done the next best thing: he’d paid a photographer to take a picture of him, Nelly, and Ethan and sent it with his last letter. Val had chosen to name his son after his great-grandfather, and he thought his father might appreciate the fact that he was keeping his family legacy alive.

  Val turned to the cookstove and poured the eggs into the skillet to make the omelets. After they ate, he got the buggy ready, and once the farmhand was ready with his horse, they all went to Nelly’s parents.

  To say the dogs were a little excited to see them would be an understatement. The three were hovering around the buggy before Val even had time to pull it up to the yard next to the other wagons and buggies.

  Ethan started to cry when the youngest dog, Barney, came up to him and started licking his face.

  “Barney, don’t scare my grandson!” Nelly’s pa came up to the buggy and urged the excited dog down. He grinned at Ethan. “Did that big furry dog scare you? Come to Papa. I’ll make it all better.”

  Nelly laughed and handed Ethan to him. “Why do I get the feeling that you were watching for us?”

  “Because he was,” Val replied. “He’s been looking forward to seeing Ethan again ever since he left our place yesterday to remind us to bring him when we came.”

  Like he and Nelly would forget to bring their baby. Val hid his amusement and set the brake. He then turned and helped her out of the buggy.

  Nelly’s pa reached into his back pocket and showed Ethan a small ball. “When you get older, we’re going to play with this. I’ve been saving this from my childhood.”

  “Pa always wanted a son but never had one,” Nelly whispered to Val then giggled.

  Val glanced over at her pa, but he was too wrapped up in talking to Ethan to notice them. “In that case, it’s good we had a boy,” he replied.

  Val barely had time to finish his comment when three very excited sisters rushed past them to see Ethan. They hovered around their father.

  “Babies are so adorable, aren’t they?” one asked.

  “I can’t wait to have one of my own,” another said.

  “When can we hold our nephew?” another asked.

  They were all so close together that Val couldn’t even make out which sister was saying what.

  “I doubt I’ll get to be with Ethan very much during the harvest,” Nelly said with a pretty frown. “If only I’d had him a couple of months sooner. Then I could be out in the fields today instead of stuck inside all day cooking or sewing.”

  “There’s always next year,” Val replied, putting an arm around her shoulders to comfort her. “That is, unless Ethan has a little brother or sister by then.”

  “We shouldn’t have another one until winter. That’s the best time for a baby,” Nelly decided. “So, that’s what you’re going to do. Make sure the next one is born from December to February.”

  Val’s eyes grew wide. How was he supposed to make sure their next child was born during those months?

  He caught the sparkle in her eye and realized she’d been joking. He gave her a kiss. “If you really want to ensure that happens, then you need to be as unpleasant as Seth’s wife is so I won’t touch you while we’re in bed.”

  “Is she really as bad as people say?” Nelly asked.

  Val nodded. He had thought she couldn’t possibly be, but he’d seen Seth and his wife in town a couple of times, and he was very glad he hadn’t ended up with her. Though a part of him almost sympathized with Seth, in the end, he had to admit that Seth had gotten what he’d deserved.

  “Oh good, you’re here!” Nelly’s ma came over to them and looked between them. “Where’s Ethan?”

  “Over there.” Nelly gestured to the spot where her pa and sisters had taken the baby. “You’ll have to fight for his attention.”

  Her ma frowned in disappointment. “It’s a shame your sisters won’t be in the field today with your pa. They’ll be fussing over Ethan all day.”

  “I’m sure they’ll have children at some point,” Nelly said.

  “I hope they do it soon,” her ma replied. “Go on into the house and sit down. You still need some time to recover from giving birth to my precious grandson. Your sisters and I will join you and the other women shortly.”

  Nelly nodded and joined Val in going to the pink house.

  Val kissed her. “I’m sure most husbands don’t say this to their wives, but I’ll be very glad when the harvest is over.”

  “You did much better last year than you did two years ago.”

  He grimaced. He never wanted to think of the mishaps he’d had that first year. He was just glad that the crops had been tall enough to hide most of them.

  “You’ll do even better this year,” Nelly assured him. “I know it.” She gave him another kiss. “I’ll miss you.”

  “I think you meant to say, ‘I’ll miss you and the fields’, but I’m happy to be included in that sentiment.”

  She giggled and released him. “I love you more than the fields. Though, I admit, I love them a lot, too.”

  “I know.” He winked at her. “I’ll see you at lunch.”

  She gave him a quick wave then went into the house. He, in turn, went to the barn and got the scythe her pa saved for him each year.

  Don’t Miss Other Larson Books!

  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 December 2019.

  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 (with Mary)

  The Wrong Husband – this features Jenny Larson

  Shotgun Groom – this features Joel Larson

  To Have And To Hold – this is a second Dave & Mary Larson book

  Forever Yours – this is the third (and last) Dave & Mary Larson book (Due out November 2019)

  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)

  Nelly’s Mail-Order Husband – this features Nelly Larson (Tom and Jessica’s oldest daughter)

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

  Boaz’s Wager – Rachel Larson (Dave’s daughter) is a secondary character in this one

  Catching Kent – this features Rose Larson (Dave’s daughter)

  His Convenient Wife – this features Harriett Larson (Dave’s daughter)

  I also mentioned Eva early on in this book. I did write Eva Connealy’s romance, and that takes place years after this one ends. (This book features Rachel Larson as a secondary character.)

  It’s called Boaz’s Wager.

  It’s Book 2 in the Montana Collection.

  Here’s the description:

  What Boaz Grady wants more than anything else is to have his children living with him. But in order to get them back, he needs to marry a woman who’ll be their mother.

  Eva Connealy left Omaha, Nebraska to be a school teacher. While in Montana, her stagecoach is attacked, and the men decide to sell her. While the men in Lewistown post bids for her, Boaz makes a wager of his own and wins the right to marry her.

  Despite the shaky beginning, Boaz is sure she�
�ll adjust to her new life as his children’s mother. But she wants to be more than a mother. She also wants to be a wife and vows to figure out how to take their marriage of convenience into something much, much more.

  All Books by Ruth Ann Nordin

  (Chronological Order)

  Regencies

  Marriage by Scandal Series

  The Earl’s Inconvenient Wife

  A Most Unsuitable Earl

  His Reluctant Lady

  The Earl’s Scandalous Wife

  Standalone Regency

  Her Counterfeit Husband (happens during A Most Unsuitable Earl)

  Marriage by Deceit Series

  The Earl’s Secret Bargain

  Love Lessons With the Duke

  Ruined by the Earl

  The Earl’s Stolen Bride

  Marriage by Arrangement Series

  His Wicked Lady

  Her Devilish Marquess

  The Earl’s Wallflower Bride

  Marriage by Bargain Series

  The Viscount’s Runaway Bride

  The Rake’s Vow

  Taming The Viscountess

  If It Takes A Scandal

  Marriage by Fate Series

  The Reclusive Earl

  Married In Haste

  Make Believe Bride

  The Perfect Duke

  Kidnapping the Viscount

  Marriage by Fairytale Series

  The Marriage Contract

  One Enchanted Evening

  The Wedding Pact

  Fairest of Them All

  Historical Western Romances

  Pioneer Series

  Wagon Trail Bride

  The Marriage Agreement

  Groom For Hire

  Forced Into Marriage

  Nebraska Series

  Her Heart’s Desire

  A Bride for Tom

  A Husband for Margaret

  Eye of the Beholder

  The Wrong Husband

  Shotgun Groom

  To Have and To Hold

  His Redeeming Bride

  Forever Yours (out November, 2 2019)

  Isaac’s Decision

  Misled Mail Order Brides Series

  The Bride Price

  The Rejected Groom

  The Perfect Wife

  The Imperfect Husband

  Chance at Love Series

  The Convenient Mail Order Bride

  The Mistaken Mail Order Bride

  The Accidental Mail Order Bride

  The Bargain Mail Order Bride

  South Dakota Series

  Loving Eliza

  Bid for a Bride

  Bride of Second Chances

  Montana Collection

  Mitch’s Win

  Boaz’s Wager

  Patty’s Gamble

  Shane’s Deal

  Native American Romance Series

  Restoring Hope

  A Chance In Time

  Brave Beginnings

  Bound by Honor, Bound by Love

  Virginia Series

  An Unlikely Place for Love

  The Cold Wife

  An Inconvenient Marriage

  Romancing Adrienne

  Standalone Historical Western Romances

  Falling In Love With Her Husband

  Kent Ashton’s Backstory

  Catching Kent

  His Convenient Wife

  Meant To Be

  The Mail Order Bride’s Deception

  Contemporary Romances

  Omaha Series

  With This Ring, I Thee Dread

  What Nathan Wants

  Just Good Friends

  Across the Stars Series

  Suddenly a Bride

  Runaway Bride

  His Abducted Bride

  Standalone Contemporaries

  Substitute Bride

  Co-Authored Romances

  Historical Romance Anthologies (with Janet Syas Nitsick)

  Bride by Arrangement

  A Groom’s Promise

  Thrillers

  Return of the Aliens (Christian End-Times Novel)

  Late One Night (flash fiction)

  The Very True Legends of Ol’ Man Wickleberry and his Demise - Ink Slingers’ Anthology

  Fantasies

  Enchanted Galaxy Series

  A Royal Engagement

  Royal Hearts

  The Royal Pursuit

  Royal Heiress

  Nonfiction

  Writing Tips Series

  11 Tips for New Writers

  The Emotionally Engaging Character

  Where to Find Ruth

  Monthly Newsletter Blog: https://ruthannnordinnewsletter.com

  Regular Author Blog: https://ruthannnordinauthorblog.com

  Website: http://www.ruthannnordin.com

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