Mail Order Bride- Twenty-Two Brides Mega Boxed Set

by Emily Woods

  “Thank you,” he said softly, an undercurrent of something unidentifiable in his voice. When she dared to look at him, she saw pain in his eyes. Had she caused that?

  Instead of responding to his comment, she leaned over and looked at him seriously. “One more week.”

  And then she left the room.

  Cole blew out the breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. What in the world had happened over the past hour? He'd gone from minding his own business, completely determined to reach his goal within the year, to a man bowled over by a young woman who, only three weeks ago, held no appeal to him whatsoever.

  The fact that she currently despised him should have helped his situation, but like most men, he was attracted to what he thought he couldn't have.

  “I'm such a child,” he muttered under his breath as he inspected Maddie's work.

  “Aw, don't be so hard on yourself,” came a voice from behind him. He turned to see Marge giving him a bit of a grin. “Ranch work comes with accidents. Hopefully, you've gotten yours out of the way now.”

  For a moment, he just looked at her, but in his mind, he was wondering who she was exactly and how she fit into all this.

  “How long have you been on the ranch, ma'am?” he asked respectfully.

  “Oh, I don't rightly know anymore. I guess it's about twenty-five years. My Walter and I came out here with big dreams, and I guess his dream has come true, but he never got a chance to see it.” She sat across from him, a mug of coffee in her hands. “I was never so keen on coming, but my husband was desperate. He felt he couldn't stand the city another minute, so one day, he asked me if I'd be willing to move, and I loved him so much that I said yes.”

  This was a better story than he might have expected. “And did you ever regret it?” He thought she would say never, that living out in the West was better than anything else.

  However, she gave a great, big laugh instead. “Almost every day for the first five years! Poor Walter. He was a good man, but no rancher. He made one bad decision after another until we were nearly bankrupt. The worst thing is, he died before he could see his dream come true. It took another ten years and the hard work of Luke and John to bring this ranch to what it is today. Without men who have practical knowledge of the business, a ranch is pretty much doomed to fail.”

  That comment struck a chord with him and his stomach suddenly felt full of rocks.

  “But can't a man learn the business and then make a go of it?”

  She took a sip of coffee and then gave a little shrug. “I suppose a man gets lucky once in a while. If you look at Wesley Crawford, you might see such a thing, but even he wasn't savvy enough to keep his ranch out of trouble.”

  He knew the man a few miles down the road had a large spread and a beautiful house. Had his ranch been in danger?

  “What happened to him?”

  A troubled look crossed her features. “Ah, well, I shouldn't be gossiping. All I'll say is that without experience, you can't expect too much. It takes more than money to make a business thrive.” She finished her coffee and rose. “Take care to keep that clean, young man.” She nodded toward his hand. “Worse thing you can do now is get an infection. Then it'll have to come off.”

  Startled, Cole nearly fell out of his seat. “What will?”

  A teasing look came into her eyes, but Cole didn't see it. “Why, the arm of course. And then what good would you be around here?”

  If he'd been panicking before, he was practically having a full-on fit now. “No, ma'am. I mean, yes, ma'am. I'll take care of it.”

  He held his arm aloft and stood up. “Just keep it clean.” There went the rest of his day. He'd been planning on helping Austin muck out the stalls and then taking a ride over to the south end to see if he could help with the fence there. Now it seemed he'd be stuck doing next to nothing for who knew how long.

  Later on in the bunkhouse, Mark seemed to be bitter at him for something. He glared at him every so often, but kept silent.

  “I guess that's what you get for messing about with women's work,” Charlie ribbed. “Keep to the fields, boy, and get out from behind a woman's skirt.”

  “Thanks a lot,” he grumbled. “Where were you and your advice this morning?”

  They all laughed, except for Mark. Cole suspected that the man's disgruntled attitude had something to do with Maddie, but he didn't know what to do to soothe him.

  “Tell me again how it happened,” Austin urged with a concerned expression.

  “What? No. I'm tired of explaining my stupidity.”

  “But what made her run off? You never said.”

  Cole noticed that Mark suddenly seemed to be paying special attention to their conversation.

  “Aw, you know how women are. They get offended at the slightest thing. And then I tried to go after her but didn't see the basket at my feet and I fell. That's all.”

  Mark's Adam's apple bobbed up and down and his mouth tightened into a thin line. “Did you say something improper? You better not have done that.”

  “What? No, nothing like that. I just...” How could he explain? “I just told her something about myself, something kind of personal, and she didn't like it. That's all.”

  Boone and Charlie seemed content with that, but Mark didn't look appeased in the least, and Austin continued to hound him for details.

  “Is it something you want to talk about? I can pray for you if you want.”

  Although harsh words rose to his mind, Cole refrained from speaking them. When he looked into Austin's earnest face, he knew that the man only wanted to help. He probably didn't even realize how preachy he sounded.

  “Nah, that's okay. God's got bigger things to worry about than me.”

  Austin shook his head. “You're wrong there. God is always thinking about you.”

  Pulling his gaze away from where Mark looked like he was about to quietly bust open, Cole stared at Austin, slightly baffled. “What do you mean by that? Aren't wars being fought somewhere in the world? Crimes being committed? People starving and such? All His time's got to be used up with looking after that. My little problems are nothing in comparison.”

  Swinging his legs over the side of the bunk, Austin reached for his Bible. Cole wanted to groan, but he kept quiet. He'd encouraged the man, after all.

  “Listen to this: 'Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? And one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore. Ye are of more value than many sparrows.' Do you know who said that? Jesus.”

  Cole stared at him for a moment. He knew if he said one thing, Austin would probably go on for hours about God. He'd experienced overly zealous religious people before and knew how to handle them.

  “That's good for you, but I'm fine the way I am.”

  That usually shut people up. What could they say after that? He expected that Austin would be the same, but what he didn't expect was the tremendous look of pity that crossed his face.

  “Who hurt you?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

  Stunned, Cole blinked several times and opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

  “How do I know? Well, it's been my experience that people who don't want help or unconditional love feel that way because they don't think they deserve it. When a person insists on standing on his or her own two feet, it's because they've never been given a choice to do otherwise, but I'll tell you this, Cole Reynolds: you do have a choice. You can accept the unconditional love of your Heavenly Father, a love so big that He gave up His own Son to take your punishment, or you can keep going on the way you have, but don't let the evil one fool you. There is another way.”

  With that, he picked up his Bible and opened it up, leaving Cole to sit and ponder his words.

  Were they true?

  13

  Cole had a hard time settling down to sleep that night as Austin’s words kept repeating in his mind. Did he reject God because he felt rejected b
y his uncle? That didn't make a lot of sense to him. He didn't want to put his faith into something or Someone that he couldn't see or prove was real. There had been too many times in his life when he'd been let down by hoping and wishing for something that never came true. Believing in God seemed to be another one of those things.

  “Austin,” he whispered. “You sleeping?”

  “Mmmmm, not really. What's up?”

  Cole didn't know if he wanted to talk about this, but it was sitting so heavy on his mind that he knew he wouldn't sleep if he didn't.

  “Uh, what makes you so sure that God is real? Why do you believe?”

  There was a long pause and Cole wondered if he'd heard him, or maybe he’d fallen asleep, but then a quiet answer came.

  “That's a hard one to answer. I mean, I can give you a list of reasons, but they won't mean anything to you or convince you unless God's already put His Spirit in your heart.”

  Cole was confused. “Uh, isn't it your job to try to convince me? What are you doing, Austin? I'm giving you a chance. Preach away.”

  A low chuckle reached his ears. “I don't know if I can tell you anything you don't already know, but I'll try. I believe that God created the world and that Jesus is His Son sent to pay for our sins partly because it just makes sense. The world didn't just appear. You can't get something from nothing. Also, the world works so perfectly. Everything in nature is so...organized, you know? And amazing. It's kind of like a painting. Someone had to plan it and then make it.”

  Cole considered his words for a moment. “I guess that part makes sense, but...what about Jesus?”

  “He was a part of the plan from the beginning. God knew that people were going to mess up. Our sin separates us from Him, but Jesus brings us back.”

  Shaking his head in the dark, Cole sighed. “That part doesn't really make sense to me. How does one man's death give me eternal life?”

  “Well, think about it this way. What if you're guilty of something that deserves a hanging and some other guy comes along and takes your punishment for you? You get to go free. We all do stuff wrong and don't deserve to go to Heaven, but God loves us and wants us there with Him, so Jesus took our place by dying on the cross.”

  He'd heard the story many times before in the church his uncle and aunt had forced him to attend. A thin preacher with a condescending attitude and a harsh voice had chastised the congregation for all the wrong they'd done in their lives and threatened them with eternal punishment if they didn't turn from their ways. He'd spoken of Jesus too, but heaped shame on their heads for 'putting Him on the cross.'

  But then, somewhere in the back of his mind, he remembered sitting in a small church with his parents where he'd heard the big man at the front talk about Jesus. That man's face had been covered with tears as he explained how much Jesus loved them, and how He'd come all the way to Earth to save them.

  So, which man was right? According to Austin, it was the second, and as he tried to recall more about that church, about sitting between his parents when he was only eight or nine years old, a fierce warmth ignited in his heart.

  “It seems like a fairy tale,” he murmured. “You know, the brave knight coming to save the princess from the dragon.”

  “Well, maybe that's where the authors got their ideas from. Makes sense in a way.”

  “Some of us are trying to sleep here,” came a grumpy voice from across the room.

  “Sorry,” Cole mumbled back. As Austin's words rolled around in his mind, Cole was both confused and comforted at the same time. “Thanks for talking,” he said in a low voice. “I, uh, will think about it.”

  “No problem. And, Cole?”

  “Hmm?”

  “I'll be praying for you.”

  A giant hand squeezed his chest and the backs of his eyes tingled. “Thanks.”

  The next morning, Cole didn't feel enlightened exactly, but there was a pressing feeling in his heart, a pull toward the things Austin had said. Before breakfast, Austin had offered to show him part of the Bible where he could read about the things they'd talked about. Cole had replied that he'd think about it, but he knew he wanted to. However, something in him resisted.

  “Got a minute?” Luke asked him when breakfast was over. “Let's go for a walk.”

  The other men shot him a curious look, but Austin looked a little concerned.

  “Uh, of course.”

  His heart was hammering away in his chest as he wondered if Maddie had gone back on her word and told her father about his plans. That had to be it. What else could Luke want to talk about?

  “I heard about your hand,” he started. “How's it feeling?”

  “Um, alright. Missus Winston and Miss Maddie put some egg white on it and that seemed to help some.”

  Luke nodded as they walked in the opposite direction of the barn. The older man suddenly stopped and crossed his arms, a concerned look on his face. “I don't like it too much when a man working for me is hiding something. It makes me wonder if I should trust him.”

  Now his heart felt like it was beating double-time. “I...I didn't mean any harm,” he started, his voice sounding strained. “It's just... Well, I didn't expect...” What could he say exactly? “I was going to tell you when the time was right.”

  “Hmm, and when would that be? I'm not sure how I feel about all this, Cole. To be honest, I had high hopes for you. Ever since you started here, you've proven yourself to be a hard worker, respectful and all that, but now I wonder how much has been going on behind my back. I don’t like the idea too much.”

  Luke's words confused him.

  “Going on? Nothing's really been going on.” It wasn't as though he was stealing from him or trying to take the ranch. He was just learning.

  “No? That's not what my wife seems to think. She says there were sparks flying in every direction yesterday between you and Maddie. Are you sure there isn't something you want to tell me?”

  The normally kind face had darkened like a storm cloud and Cole had no idea what to say.

  “Sparks? Maddie? Me? I...I don't... There isn't...” Perspiration broke out along his brow. “I haven't touched her, sir. I swear.”

  Luke continued to stare him down, eyes narrowed. “Then why are you sweating and stammering? Seems like you must be guilty of something. If it isn't playing with my daughter's affections, what is it?”

  Now seemed like a good time to come clean about his plan.

  “I want my own ranch.”

  The look of confusion that suddenly appeared on Luke's face was so comical, Cole nearly burst out laughing.

  “You want... What?”

  Swallowing hard, Cole worked up the nerve to tell him the real reason why he'd come out west. It took several minutes to explain, but as he did so, the bewilderment on Luke's face cleared and was replaced by a look of amusement.

  “Well now, that's no crime. Pretty much every man who becomes a hand has that ambition. That's nothing to be ashamed of.”

  “But not too many of them get a ranch, do they?”

  Luke looked torn. Clearly, he didn't want to crush Cole’s dream, but he also didn't want to lie to him.

  “Not too many. I'm only part-owner here because God brought me to Triple Range at the right time. Carl inherited some money and Wesley brought some with him.”

  “But I have money,” he replied quietly. “It's not enough to let me live like a gentleman my whole life, but I think it's enough to buy a piece of land and raise some cattle. The problem is, I don't have any idea what I'm doing, so I came here to learn. Missus Tanner told me about how she and her husband nearly lost this ranch, and I don’t want that to happen to me.”

  Luke looked at him for several moments before replying. “Well, that's a different story, isn't it? Why didn't you tell me from the beginning? Thought I'd be afraid of a little competition?” He gave him a bit of a grin. “Triple Range is pretty solid, and there's plenty of demand, so I'm not worried.”

  Cole felt a surge of relief.
“No, sir, I mean, yes, sir. Thanks for understanding.”

  “Well, now that I know, I can give you a bit more specific help, but we need to work something out. How about if I pay you half of what I give the other hands, along with room and board, and I'll take you under my wing, so to speak.”

  Now Cole felt like jumping into the air, or at least giving a great shout.

  “Do you mean it, sir? Really?”

  Luke nodded, but then looked at him closely. “But are you sure there's nothing going on between you and Maddie? My wife has a pretty good eye for this kind of thing.”

  It was on the tip of his tongue to say no, but then he remembered how he felt yesterday when she was playing nurse. His heart hammered in his chest once again, but for an entirely different reason. He didn't want to lie to this man, but nothing had happened.

  “I haven't done anything to disrespect her, sir. And I never would.”

  A muscle in Luke's jaw flexed, but Cole thought he saw a hint of a grin.

  “Hmm. That's not exactly a direct answer now, is it?”

  Again, sweat broke out, this time along his back.

  “I-I think very highly of her, Mister Winston, but there's nothing going on.”

  Luke grunted in reply, narrowing his eyes and giving him a level look. Finally, he nodded. “Alright then. Let's get started on your training and see what kind of rancher we can make out of you.”

  14

  “Well, now, I thought I'd scared you off for good,” Tallie said when Maddie rode up to the front of her house the next day. “But I guess I didn't try hard enough.”

  Although she usually enjoyed her friend's teasing, today, Maddie couldn't even fake a smile.

  “I've come with a burden, I'm afraid.”

  “Ah, well, you're welcome no matter the reason, and your timing couldn’t be better. Wesley has taken the children to town to give me a break. He said I'm going to have my hands full again quite soon, so I deserve a day off to do nothing at all.”

  Maddie looked at Tallie skeptically. “And are you doing that?”