His Unexpected Mail-Order Bride (Historical Sapphire Springs Book 1)

by Angie Campbell

  “I don’t care how angry you are with me, or why you feel you need to leave. Stay off my horse, and any other horse my brother hasn’t given you permission to ride,” he continued, landing several more smacks to her bottom. “You have no business on a horse that large. It is dangerous.”

  By the time he came to a stop, he had given her several more smacks, the pale skin of her bottom was fiery red, and she had long since stopped screaming. She was now crying, tears pouring down her cheeks fast enough she was soaking his pant leg.

  He sat there, still holding her across his lap, staring down at his handy work. This time when he let her off his lap, he gently stood her to her feet, making sure she didn’t land on her abused rear end. He stood to his own feet looking down at her. “Do you understand me?” he asked in a much gentler tone than before.

  She looked up at him, tears in her eyes. “Why don’t you even like me? What did I do that was so wrong, you won’t even give me a chance to show you I could be a good wife?”

  He snorted, shaking his head, thinking about just how much he did like her. What she had done, was make him fall in love with her. “Stay off my horse,” he growled, storming off toward the door.

  “I want children,” she pleaded, bringing him to a stop.

  After a few seconds, he shook his head, snarling out, “No.”

  When he reached for the door knob, she stopped him once again. “Then I want an annulment. I need something in my life to give me purpose.”

  “You have purpose,” he snapped. “You take care of us.” And having you here keeps me from losing my mind.

  “That’s not much purpose. Taking care of a bunch of men who were doing just fine taking care of themselves before I showed up,” she huffed, slamming her hands on her hips, her tears finally drying up, at least temporarily.

  He shook his head, turning back to look at her. “Things are better since you got here.”

  “You couldn’t prove that by the way you act,” she retorted. “Besides, I want a husband who at least likes me. I want an annulment,” she shouted, just before she burst into tears once again.

  “No,” he growled. “And if you don’t let the matter drop, I’ll fix it to where you can’t get one.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” she sniffled. “It’s not as if you really want to touch me.”

  “You have no idea what I want,” he grumbled, turning away from her again.

  “You’re right, I don’t,” she huffed. “Because you won’t even talk to me, never mind actually tell me what you want.”

  You. “No more talk of an annulment. And stay off my horse,” he growled, before finally leaving the room.

  *******

  Tobias stepped out in the hall to find Cade standing there. “What do you want?” he snarled.

  His younger brother shook his head at him. “This is becoming a bad habit of yours.”

  “She took off on Gray Wind,” he growled, nearly giving into the temptation to punch another hole in the wall were his brother, Josiah, had just fixed the last one.

  “I understand, she scared you, but you need to tell her why you don’t want her on a horse bigger than Rosie,” he said, crossing his arms over his wide chest.

  “Scared me?” he shook his head. “She terrified me. I can’t go through that again. And she asked me for an annulment again,” he snarled, yanking on a handful of his hair. He couldn’t even take the thought of losing her. Either to death, or an annulment. He wouldn’t survive it, either way.

  “Why won’t you give her children?” Cade sighed. “It would make both of you happier. I know you always wanted children before.”

  “I didn’t even want to be married,” he snapped. “I wouldn’t even have a wife if it hadn’t been for Thaddeus sending for her. So, stop interfering in my decisions.” That said, he turned and stormed off.

  “I’ll stop interfering with your decisions, when you start making the right ones,” he whispered to himself, slowly following his pigheaded brother down the hall.

  Inside the room, Sadie dropped to the bed with a thump when her legs buckled under her. “Oh, God. He never wanted me. That’s why he avoids me like he does.” She dropped her head to the beautiful, patchwork quilt and burst into tears once again.

  *******

  Cade stepped out on the porch with a shake of his head. “If he doesn’t let go of the past soon, he’s going to run her off.”

  Thaddeus shook his head. “Maybe that’s what he wants. Like he said, she wouldn’t even be here if I hadn’t sent for her,” he sighed forlornly, dropping his head.

  “No,” Cade shook his head. “If she leaves him now, we won’t be able to put his pieces back together. We’ll lose him completely.”

  “I’m afraid we’ve pushed him too hard, already,” Ezekiel added, looking sad.

  “Maybe so, but unfortunately, we are going to have to see this through to the end,” Cade nodded. “It’s the only way to make sure it works out. If we quit now, things could just go one like they are until she leaves. Or if we’re lucky, she’ll stay, but they’ll grow old and never enjoy a real life together.”

  Thaddeus shook his head. “I’m afraid to push anymore. Earlier, if she had fallen off Gray Wind and broken her neck, it would have been enough to send him to the grave with her.”

  Ezekiel chuckled sardonically. “I wonder if he even realizes he’s already in love with her.”

  “Who knows. But either way, he’s not going to admit it anytime soon.”

  “How much of that argument did Jeremiah hear, before he left?” Cade asked, looking concerned.

  “Nothing, really. He was leaving by the time I came in,” Thad answered with a shrug. “I don’t see why it would matter. He would never say anything.”

  “It wouldn’t really,” Cade agreed. “But you know Tobias wouldn’t want him to know any of this.”

  Chapter 7

  Friday, April 30

  The following morning, Sadie got up and started preparing breakfast as usual. She had been in there on her own for about half an hour when Thaddeus walked in with his head down. He plopped down in a chair, staring at the table. “You shouldn’t have told Tobias you wanted an annulment.”

  She turned then to face him, unsure at first how to respond. After just a few seconds she answered, “You shouldn’t have sent for a mail-order bride for him.”

  “How... Who told...,” he stammered, the guilt staining his cheek. “We had all agreed you shouldn’t hear about that.”

  “No one told me. I overheard Tobias and Cade talking about it after my fight with him, that you obviously overheard.”

  “He was married once before,” he said, looking very sad. “I don’t really remember her that well. She left him without really giving him a chance. She asked him for an annulment, just like you did.”

  She gasped, doing her best not to cry. “Is this the commitment Ezekiel was talking about”

  He nodded his head in answer, not really knowing what else to tell her. He was sure Tobias didn’t want her to know about Rachel and how she had died.

  “How am I supposed to know any of this?” she asked, throwing her hands in the air. “He won’t talk to me. He avoids me like the plague. I’d be willing to try and make this marriage work, if he acted like he even half cared.”

  “He does care,” Thaddeus said with a grin, thinking all would be well now.

  “How can you know that?” she asked, crossing her arms in front of her. “You’re the one that sent for me, not him.”

  “Oh, come on. We’ve all seen the way he looks at you,” Ezekiel snorted from the door, causing her to jump nearly out of her own skin.

  She clasped her hands over her heart, glaring at him. “When did you come in?”

  He grinned ignoring her question. “He’s just afraid you’re going to leave him, like she did. And yesterday you gave him good enough reason to fear.”

  “Did all of you hear our fight yesterday?” she asked, feeling very vulnerable, no
t to mention embarrassed.

  “Probably,” he said with a grin. “I think you scared off every wild critter for miles around.”

  “It’s hardly funny,” she said, her cheeks firing up from the embarrassment.

  “Maybe not,” he said, trying not to laugh, “but it’s obvious my brother cares for you very deeply.”

  “I doubt it. My bottom still... Anyway, it still stings,” she said, blushing even more.

  “Exactly. If he didn’t care, he wouldn’t have bothered. You put yourself in danger, riding his horse. That horse is too large for an experienced rider your size. And the only experience you’ve had is riding old Rosie. An old mare a three-year-old could handle without much trouble. You had no business even thinking about riding Gray Wind. Much less even doing it.”

  “Well, you should have heard what he accused me of,” she huffed. “He embarrassed me in front of the whole town.”

  He shook his head. “Embarrassment is not a good enough reason to risk your neck that way.”

  “Ask Thad what he said to me,” she said, pointing at the younger man.

  Thaddeus shrugged. “It was bad, but not bad enough for you, someone who barely knows how to ride a much smaller, slower horse, to climb up on Gray Wind.”

  “Well, you’re a lot of help,” she huffed, eyeing her brother-in-law like a tiny, little bug she was thinking about squishing with the toe of her shoe.

  “Besides, he only said it out of fear you’re going to run off with someone else. He’s terrified he’s going to lose you.”

  She shook her head, still glaring at him. “I’m finding that hard to believe.”

  Ezekiel sighed. “This is the second time you have put yourself in danger.”

  “What are you talking about now?” she asked, pursing her lips.”

  “Your trip to the saloon,” the two brothers said in unison.

  “Well, I never did get to have the talk with him I wanted to have,” she huffed.

  “What did you want to talk with him about?” Ezekiel asked.

  “Nothing. I don’t want to talk about it with either of you two.”

  “Well, maybe you should talk to my hardheaded brother about it, then.”

  “That’s what I was trying to do,” she snapped, her anger rising. “Why else would I have walked all the way to town?”

  “Okay.” He took a step back, throwing his hands up in surrender, admiring her spirit. “If I can assure you that he will be here, in the house, tonight, do you think you can keep yourself out of trouble for the whole day?” he asked, trying not to laugh. She was a fiery one. If Tobias didn’t straighten up soon, she just might skin him alive, and use his hide to make a rug. He only hoped when he decided to marry, he was lucky enough to find a wife with so much passion.

  “How do you propose to keep him from running off, like he has done every night since or wedding day?” she asked, trying not to snap at him again. She knew he was trying to help, but she truly was at her wits end with her pigheaded husband.

  “Let me worry about that,” he grinned.

  “Fine. I’ll behave for the day,” she said, pursing her lips.

  “Good. No more talk of an annulment either.”

  “Fine,” she snapped, glaring at him.

  *******

  Tobias glared at his brother, then turned back to repairing the fence line. “What do you want?”

  “Just to talk,” Ezekiel said with a smirk.

  “I don’t feel like talking.”

  “Fine, if you don’t want to know about Jeremiah Miller coveting your wife, I won’t bother to tell you then,” he said, turning his back on him.

  Tobias spun around, a look of almost terror on his face. “What does it matter? She’s my wife,” he growled, grabbing his brother’s arm. “No one touches her but me.”

  “It’s not like you’ve actually touched her,” Ezekiel pointed out.

  “It doesn’t matter,” he snarled. “Jeremiah Miller better stay away from her. She’s my wife.”

  “Yeah, well, I’ve been into town already today. He heard about her little trip to town the other night, and her visit to the saloon,” he said with a grin, not bothering to add, he was the one that told him. “I wonder if he heard about her asking you for an annulment,” Ezekiel pondered out loud with a smirk.

  “She’s not getting that annulment,” he snarled, working to get his emotions under control. He really wanted to punch his brother in the mouth right now.

  “Do you really plan on stopping her if she wants it that bad?” he asked, doing his best not to let his humor show. Sometimes it was just too easy to push Tobias’ buttons.

  “She’s my wife.”

  “Then maybe you should treat her like a wife, instead of a maid.” With that final bit said, Ezekiel turned, walking back toward the house. He knew Tobias would hang around after supper this time. The trap had been successfully set.

  *******

  Sadie had just put the last bite of stew in her mouth when Tobias stood to walk around the table. “I need to speak with you,” he said. She didn’t even have time to panic, thinking he was leaving again, before he was pulling her chair out. He had startled her so bad, her last bite nearly went down the wrong way.

  She looked up at him, swallowing before she spoke. “Uh, okay. I needed to speak to you as well.” She stood, feeling no less uncertain than she had for the last few weeks, and followed him down the hall to the parlor.

  He opened and held the door, waiting for her to enter and take a seat. When she looked up at him, he cleared his throat and growled. “Have you been talking to Jeremiah Miller?”

  “It would be a little hard for me not to. He is the butcher’s son. He’s always at the butcher shop. Why?” she asked, giving him a thoroughly confused look.

  “Stay away from him,” he snapped, glaring at her.

  “How am I supposed to do that?” she asked, feeling even more perplexed.

  “Thaddeus or Cade can take care of doing business with him,” he grumbled, making it sound so reasonable. “You just tell them what you need and send them on their way. That’s the way we did things before you got here.”

  “I thought my being here was supposed to make things easier on all of you,” she said, giving him an irritated look.

  “It still does,” he growled. “Just do as I say.”

  “What about Frank Harris at the general store? Do I need to avoid him, as well? It’s a good thing we have chickens and a milk cow. You might have someone else you want me to avoid,” she snapped, rising to her feet and ramming her fists on her hips. “Oh, wait. I forgot about Jacob Peterson at the post office. Then there’s the man at the livery stable in town. I don’t remember his name. However, that’s not really the point, is it?”

  “You can stop with the sarcasm. Stay away from Jeremiah Miller, and just for good measure, all the rest of them, as well,” stepping closer. “Young and old, a like. Married or not.”

  “The way you’re acting, I’m surprised you let me talk to your brothers,” she said, giving him an almost hurt look. “Am I not allowed to talk to anyone else?”

  “Just stay away from any man not myself or my brothers.”

  “Why?” she asked, throwing her hands in the air.

  “Because, you’re not getting that annulment, I don’t care how bad you want it,” he snarled crowding her even more.

  “You don’t know the first thing about what I want,” she snapped, tears springing to her eyes.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” he asked, remembering last night when they’d had this conversation in reverse.

  “Figure it out for yourself. I’m tired. I’m going to bed.” She turned to walk toward the door, but was stopped short.

  “You’re right, you are,” he said, yanking her back around and tossing her over his shoulder.

  She screeched, pounding on his back. “Put me down, you big brute. What are you doing?” He stormed through the door and started down the hall.

 
“Man, what are you doing?” Ezekiel asked, giving him a confounded look.

  “Taking my wife to bed. What does it look like I’m doing?” he snapped, snarling at his brother this time.

  “Digging that hole a lot deeper, that’s what,” Ezekiel said with a shake of his head. “This isn’t the way to go about this, Tobias.”

  Tobias just ignored him, continuing on to his room, slamming the door behind him. He tossed her to the bed, giving her a devilish look.

  She screeched, trying to roll out of the way, but she was too late. She squirmed and tried to push him off when she found him lying over her. “What are you doing?” she asked, feeling a little nervous swirl in her stomach.

  “Claiming my rights as your husband,” he growled just before slamming his mouth down on hers.

  The kiss may have started out hard and demanding, but it wasn’t long before it gentled and he started coaxing her to participate. The moment she felt the change in him, she moaned, and melted into him, wrapping her arms around his waist as tightly as she could, not knowing what to do, other than to hang on. It wasn’t long before her anger was completely gone, along with all their clothes.

  Chapter 8

  Saturday, May 1

  Tobias walked into the kitchen in the best frame of mind he had been in since meeting his beautiful wife over three weeks ago. His jolly mood only lasted long enough for his brother to make it to the kitchen behind him. He was frowning, and Tobias could tell he had something to say, he wasn’t going to want to hear. He did his best to ignore him, continuing with his breakfast preparations.

  He poured himself a cup of coffee and carried his plate to the table, while doing his best to disregard Ezekiel’s obvious irritation. He sat down and picked up a piece of bacon, and started to eat like he was the only one in the room.

  “Man, what were you thinking last night?” Ezekiel snarled, finally breaking the silence. He pulled out the chair directly across from his brother and dropped into it with a thump.