The Convenient Mail Order Bride Read online

  “No, it’s not that,” she replied, choosing her words carefully. “It’s…well…I’m not sure he’s convinced it’s safe for us to be here. You know, after what happened yesterday.”

  “No one can blame him for worrying. I can tell he feels like it was partly his fault since he left you in the general store alone.”

  “It shouldn’t have made any difference if he’d been there or not. That should never have happened. It wasn’t like I went into the saloon.”

  “I know.” Her mother patted her hand in the familiar, comforting gesture she’d used when Phoebe was little. “Neither one of you did anything wrong.”

  The door to the building opened, and though Phoebe caught a glimpse of Travis, she couldn’t get a good look at him. He was taller and wider than Abe. He looked like a tower of a man. Not fat, but definitely husky. As for his face, she couldn’t tell what he looked like since he wore a hat and looked down at Abe.

  She saw him shift to the side, further hiding himself from her view. Abe glanced back at her and her mother before turning back to him. She wasn’t sure, but she suspected Travis intentionally shifted away so she and her mother couldn’t see him.

  “The preacher’s due out soon,” Phoebe said, turning her attention back to her mother. “What if Abe’s still worried? I don’t have much time to reassure him everything will be alright if he marries me.” And she couldn’t guarantee it to herself, either. It was only by faith she was willing to make the leap.

  “What is your alternative?” her mother asked.

  “The stagecoach comes again in three weeks.” She couldn’t bring herself to voice the rest.

  “Is that what you want to do? Because, Phoebe,” her mother patted her hand again, “if you want to go back to Ohio, you know I’ll agree to it. I don’t want you to be unhappy.”

  “I like him. I admit, at first, he scared me somewhat. I thought there was no way I could ever be comfortable with him.”

  Her mother’s eyes grew wide. “When did this happen?”

  “While I was helping him with the roof.” Before her mother could ask for details, she said, “He’s half-Indian and half-white. He’s got a lot of bitterness about the wrongs done to him. I can’t blame him. Not after what happened in town. People don’t think too well of me because I’m with him. Their opinion of him seems to have become their opinion of me.”

  “That can be a difficult thing to overcome.” After a long pause, her mother said, “Phoebe, don’t stay here because of me. I’m willing to go back to Ohio.”

  She had no doubt her mother would be willing to make the trip, but she didn’t know if her mother was strong enough to handle it. It had taken a lot out of both of them. She glanced at Abe again. He was a strong man. He was a good man. He was the kind of man who would defend those he loved to the point of sacrifice. She’d be hard pressed to find anyone better. And more than that, she did have a growing attraction for him.

  “I want to marry him,” Phoebe said. “I think I could love him.”

  “Then treat him as you would treat a white man. Let him know you consider him to be your equal.”

  “I already do. When I look at him, I don’t see someone who’s a half-breed. I see Abe Thomas.”

  “Then I expect the rest will fall into place as you two get to know each other better.”

  Phoebe nodded, hoping her mother was right.

  ***

  “You don’t need to pay me for the metal scraps,” Travis told Abe. “They’re worthless junk. I can’t do anything with them.”

  “I want to,” Abe said. “It’s important I pay for what I get.”

  “I understand. Well, let me think.”

  As Travis thought over a fair amount, he lifted his hat and ran his hand through his dark blonde hair, something that must have been an unconscious habit since he immediately put the hat back on his head. His face turned red, and he hurried over to the pile of discarded metal pieces in the corner of the building.

  It was on the tip of Abe’s tongue to tell him he wasn’t as ugly as he believed himself to be, but he kept his mouth closed. He didn’t need to tell a grown man what to think. People in town talked way too much, and they’d made Travis seem more like a monster than an actual man.

  So what if he had some scars on his face and body from a childhood bout of varicella? He couldn’t help that any more than he could help the fact that he was six-foot-five with a heavy build. Some things were out of his control, just as Abe had had no choice in who his father was. But both were still cast aside. Of all the white men Abe had dealt with, he figured only Travis could really understand him.

  “How many scraps do you need?” Travis called out.

  “You got thirty?” Abe asked.

  “I do.”

  “How much for them?”

  Travis set his hands on his hips. “How does twenty cents sound?”

  Abe shook his head. “You’ve got to be the only white man who sells things at a price lower than they’re worth. Fifty cents.”

  “They’re junk, Abe.”

  “Not for what I need them for.”

  “Fine. Fifty cents. Want to come over? You can pick the sizes you want, and we’ll load them up in the wheelbarrow.”

  Abe went over to help him, careful not to nick himself as he placed the scraps in a pile. He picked the larger pieces, thinking the lower the pitch they’d produce when struck together, the easier it’d be to hear them.

  When the wheelbarrow was full, Travis said, “Take them out to your wagon. I’ll continue gathering the largest pieces I can find while you’re gone.”

  “Alright.”

  Abe took the wheelbarrow out to the wagon, not the least bit surprised when Phoebe asked, “Where’s Travis?”

  “Gathering more pieces for me,” he replied as he started putting the metal into the back of the wagon. Before she could ask anything else, he added, “I told you he doesn’t want to show himself to ladies, especially pretty ones. If you were covered in warts and had three arms instead of two, he might venture out here. But since that’s not the case, he’s staying put.”

  He finished unloading the wheelbarrow and went back to the building.

  As promised, Travis had collected the rest of the scraps. “I have twenty more pieces if you want to take more with you. No extra charge,” he added.

  “I think thirty will be enough, but if I need more, I’ll be back.”

  It wasn’t until they were halfway into filling up the wheelbarrow that Abe noticed Travis’ gaze going to the window where there was a good view of the wagon.

  With a chuckle, Abe asked, “Didn’t you hear about Carl posting that mail-order bride ad on my behalf?”

  Travis almost dropped the scrap he was holding. “Carl did what?”

  “I thought everyone knew.”

  “Well, no one told me about it.” He shrugged. “Not that I would have believed it if they had. I would have thought even someone like Carl would have better sense than to mess with you. You can be a force to be reckoned with. Word is you came within an inch of setting his no good behind on fire when he tried to get your cabin.”

  Despite the grim reminder that Carl had tried to kick him off his property, Abe chuckled. “I barely missed with that flaming arrow. All people like him know how to do is take.”

  Abe thought back to the dispute over the stream lining his property. Carl only wanted it because he thought there might be gold there. He had no concern over the value of the water in itself, nor did he care Abe had to either dig a new well or dig his current one deeper when he ran out of water. All the while, Carl had a good well that never went dry.

  With a sigh, Abe let his gaze go to Phoebe, who was talking to her mother. Did Carl honestly believe if he had a wife, he’d give up on the stream? Didn’t it ever occur to him that having a wife was an even greater reason to have a reliable water source?

  “I know your uncle had set up lodging for you and your mother by that stream before your father came alo
ng and found it,” Travis said.

  Abe thought he detected a hint of compassion in Travis’ voice, but when he looked back at Travis, Travis was putting more scraps in the wheelbarrow, so it was hard to know if he’d been imagining it.

  Abe picked up the rest of the large pieces and said, “I’ll get it back. It’s just a matter of how I’m going to do it.”

  Travis nodded. Whether he was nodding to indicate he wished Abe luck or if he believed Abe would do it, it didn’t matter. At least he was showing support, something most people wouldn’t do. And for that, Abe appreciated having Travis in the town. He and Eric were probably the only two redeeming qualities of the place.

  Once the wheelbarrow was full, Abe took it out to the wagon. After he loaded it with the rest of the metal pieces, he returned to Travis and paid him.

  The ride back to his place was as quiet as it’d been on the way to Travis’. He tried not to dwell too much on the fact that Phoebe struggled with keeping her gaze forward. Despite his suggestion, he noticed she’d glance around them from time to time. Worse, she stiffened a couple of times, which made him also look at the townsfolk, though he kept willing himself not to give into that temptation. It was bad enough to know the people either warned their children to stay away from them or shook their heads in disapproval. He didn’t need to see it.

  What made Phoebe think she could be content living here for the rest of her life? This would be her experience every time she went to town if she persisted in giving them power over her. Did she really want to deal with this all the time?

  His mother had been too soft for the kind of life she’d been given. And now he had another soft female to contend with. At least Phoebe’s mother wasn’t disturbed by any of it. Or, if she was, she was doing a good job of hiding it.

  Abe relaxed as he guided his horses up the path that would take him home. One way or another, he was going to see to it that Phoebe and her mother went on the stagecoach when it came into town. She deserved better than this, and he’d make sure she got it.

  Chapter Twelve

  For the next few days, Phoebe decided to pretty up the cabin. If she was going to make a home for her and her mother here, it was time she added her special touch to the place. And in all honesty, it was fun to think of how she could transform the cabin from a bachelor’s home to that of a married man.

  Since she’d already taken the time to sweep the floors, clean the windows, and dust the furniture, she could devote her attention to helping her mother with the curtains. The two spent considerable time on the porch, enjoying the warm weather and sunlight while they worked. From time to time, they talked about Phillip and his family, and in doing so, they took a break from their work to write them a missive to let them know everything that had happened.

  “Next time we’re in town, we’ll send it off,” her mother said after Phoebe finished writing her portion of it.

  From there, they returned to their work and made guesses on whether Phillip’s next child would be a girl or a boy, each knowing they probably wouldn’t find out for a few months, given how long it took to send or receive anything all the way out here.

  When they finished with the curtains, they placed them throughout the cabin, and as they finished with Abe’s room, Phoebe took a moment to give the room a good inspection. Up to now, she hadn’t given serious consideration to the fact that this would also be her room once they married.

  Butterflies fluttered around in her stomach. Just how would things change between them once the preacher joined them as husband and wife? At the moment, they had settled into a quiet routine, and they seemed to be getting along fine. Most of her time was still spent with her mother, but she suspected that would change once she started sleeping in here.

  “You don’t like the way the room looks?” her mother asked, breaking her out of her thoughts.

  “No, it’s not that,” Phoebe replied.

  The room was quaint in its appearance. Though it belonged to a bachelor, Abe had chosen to leave a couple of things his mother must have made for him. There was a quilt best suited for a child neatly folded on the chair in the corner of the room. A set of blocks and a wooden horse were neatly set on top of it. Other than that, the simple dresser and bed were about all the furnishings in the room.

  Phoebe thought the brown curtains gave the room a more rustic feel. They were a little frilly on the ends, which made them more feminine, but she thought Abe would prefer the darker color. So really, they were a blend of her and Abe, something she hoped he wouldn’t mind. She hadn’t thought to seek his advice before starting the project, and honestly, it wasn’t until this moment she regretted this error in judgment. She shouldn’t have assumed he’d be happy with the changes she was making.

  She turned to her mother. “Do you think he’ll like what we’re doing with this cabin?”

  “I don’t know if men concern themselves with how a home looks,” her mother replied. “Your pa never seemed to notice anything I did, and Phillip didn’t seem to care when Beatrice put up pink, lacy curtains. I think men expect women to decorate the home however they see fit, but if you’re worried, you should ask Abe. Then you can set your mind at ease.”

  Phoebe knew her mother was right, but she wasn’t looking forward to that particular conversation. He’d been pretty determined to see her and her mother on the next stagecoach the last time they’d been in town. She didn’t know if the past few days had changed his mind or not.

  “You’re right,” Phoebe said, scanning the room again. “I should talk to him.” Taking a deep breath, she faced her mother. “Wish me luck?”

  Her mother gave her an understanding smile then hugged her. “You’ve always been so hesitant, but in the end, you get things done. I have no doubt you’ll find a way to convince him the cabin is much better with your personal touch.”

  “You helped.”

  “Yes, but this is your home. No matter what people say, the wife is the one the house truly belongs to.”

  “Is that why Pa always said the best thing he could do for you was to stay out of your way?” Phoebe asked, unable to resist teasing her mother.

  Her mother chuckled. “That’s exactly why he said that. He was a smart man, and Abe is smart, too. I’m sure all your fears are for nothing. You’ll feel better after you talk to him.”

  She hoped her mother was right. So far, nothing had turned out like she’d hoped when she answered the mail-order bride ad. But Abe had been good. He hadn’t once taken advantage of her, and he had the perfect opportunity the night she’d accidently fallen asleep in the barn loft with him. He’d set up the metal scraps around the property and helped them wash the pots and pans when he’d brought them back to the kitchen. He’d brought her and her mother food from the garden. He’d hunted and skinned three small animals so she and her mother were spared having to cut up the meat. She honestly didn’t know how he managed to stomach it. The sight alone had made her queasy when she stumbled upon him skinning the rabbits he’d caught.

  Life was drastically different out here than it’d been in Ohio, but it was lovely in the evenings. One of her favorite pastimes was sitting on the porch and listening to the birds sing. From time to time, she’d venture up on the barn roof to get a good look at the mountains.

  There was a beauty to being surrounded by a lot of trees, and in many ways, the rest of the world seemed to fade away. The hustle and bustle of the city was long gone, and surprisingly, she didn’t miss all the places she’d gone shopping. How quickly she’d gotten used to a new environment.

  With one last glance at her mother, she smiled then headed outside. She didn’t find Abe right away. He wasn’t in the barn or in the garden. When she did find him, she saw him bending over one of his traps. Upon closer inspection, she saw he was prying the trap open, so he could release the dead coyote from it. A bloody knife was beside Abe, and the ground beneath the body was red.

  Abe glanced over his shoulder, and when his eyes met hers, he shook his head.
“I think I destroyed the fur. I try to be careful if I have to kill an animal I trap.”

  “You keep the fur when you skin animals?”

  He nodded and gathered the coyote in his arms. “I look for things to make with it. Usually, I make blankets or rugs, but from time to time, I line clothes to make them warmer. The rug in front of the fireplace came from three animals. I try not to let anything from the animal go to waste. It’s something my uncle taught me.”

  “That’s a good idea.” She stepped aside so he could get around her. As she followed him, she asked, “My mother and I thought it might be nice to pretty up the cabin. You noticed us sewing on the porch the last few days, didn’t you?”

  “I thought you were working on a dress.”

  “No, we were working on curtains.”

  “Curtains? Why were you doing those?”

  She shrugged. “I thought the windows looked bare.” She followed him into the barn. “Do you want me to help you with anything?”

  “Would you get a blanket out from that trunk over there,” he gestured to the corner of the barn, “and roll it out on that table?” He nodded toward the small table under a window.

  She hurried to obey and watched as he set the dead animal gently on the blanket.

  “I don’t usually catch an animal this big,” he told her. “He has such a beautiful coat.” He shook his head. “I shouldn’t have been so careless when I cut his throat.”

  “You didn’t mean to be careless.”

  “It doesn’t matter whether I meant to be careless or not. The fact is, I was.” He lifted the lid from the trunk and picked up an empty pail. “I’ll see how bad the damage is after I clean it. Maybe something can be saved.”

  She stepped in front of him before he could leave the barn. “Abe, I wish you wouldn’t be so hard on yourself.”

  “I’ve been trapping coyotes and other animals since I was seven. There’s no excuse for such carelessness.”

  “But these things happen. We all have our moments.”