The Christmas Gift (A Wyoming Mail Order Bride Holiday 1)

by Annie Boone

The train platform wasn’t crowded, and so it made finding Jackson very easy. He had told her where he would be waiting and he was standing beneath the big clock as he had promised. Their first encounter was painfully formal. He tipped his hat, nodded his head, and took her bags.

  “Do you have trunks?” he asked politely.

  “Yes, two,” she responded. She didn’t know whether to try to make more conversation, but decided it was best to let him take the lead for now.

  “How was the trip? Good, I hope.”

  “Yes, it was fine. I’m glad to be on solid ground, though.”

  Again, he nodded. There was no spark as she had hoped for. It was almost like they had never even corresponded at all. She felt like they were anything but strangers as they had shared much in their letters. It seemed as if he didn’t feel that way. At least not yet. She was nervous around him, although he was very polite and well-mannered, he was quiet.

  He made sure her bags and her trunks were securely stowed and they started their trek to his home. Her new home. At least she hoped that’s how this would work.

  On the ride to the ranch they barely spoke and it wasn’t until he helped her off of the wagon that he finally smiled, and just as Naomi had imagined, it made him very handsome.

  “I’m sorry, Naomi, I know I’ve been quiet. It’s just that, well, I never expected you.”

  “Never expected me? What do you mean?” Had he lost his mind? He wrote her letters, she wrote him letters. He bought her ticket and met her at the station as planned. How could he have not have expected her?

  He stood silently looking at her with almost a scowl on his face. He didn’t respond.

  “I don’t understand. Please enlighten me.” There was a quiver to her voice, a fear she could not hide. Perhaps he hadn’t written any of those letters. Maybe his sister or cousin decided it would be fun to play matchmaker. A thousand scenarios bounced about in her head, and none of them were any good.

  “I expected you,” he quickly corrected. “But I never expected you to be so beautiful.” Hot blush raced to her cheeks. She had never been complimented like that from a man who wasn’t a member of her family. Hope fluttered inside her. Was she dreaming or was this real? Had her faith that this marriage be one of love actually come to fruition by Jackson as well?

  She didn’t know how to respond so she tipped her chin and looked at him with a small smile. “Thank you. I am very flattered.”

  “Flattery is not my strong suit. I told you I believe in sincerity, and it would be a great injustice if I did not acknowledge your beauty.”

  Her blush deepened as tingles traveled all over her skin. The love she had hoped for was possible. The compliment he gave her was awkward and clumsy, but everything would be okay. She was certain.

  They walked around the ranch and Naomi immediately noticed that there were no decorations to make the ranch alive with the spirit of Christmas. Christmas Eve was only a few days away and she was disappointed at the lack of Christmas spirit she felt here.

  Despite the lack of festive decor, the land he owned was beautiful and his horses and livestock were very impressive. Naomi missed her horses and it felt good to be around his. She walked right over to one of them and began giving him long strokes down the length of his nose. The horse nuzzled against her wanting more affection.

  “You are a beauty, aren’t you? I’m very sorry I didn’t bring any carrots with me today, but next time, I promise.” She kissed the horse lightly on his nose and Jackson’s eyes widened.

  “I’ve never seen a woman so comfortable around the stallions. Not even my mother.”

  “Oh, they need love too.” She turned around and pet the horse again. “He’s very sweet.”

  “Do you ride?” Jackson asked skeptically as if the very notion that his soon to be bride could truly handle this life.

  “Oh yes, I used to all the time before the, um, well. You know.” She didn’t want to say before the fire. But Jackson nodded in understanding. He cleared his throat.

  “So, beautiful and loves horses. What else did you leave out in your letters?” He smiled again and Naomi felt that now familiar flutter.

  “You didn’t decorate the ranch for Christmas?”

  Jackson looked around as if this was the first time the concept had entered his mind. “Uh, no, I really didn’t see the point. This is a business after all not a grand banquet hall.” She knew he was being practical, but his words stung. The curt response made her feel like she had asked a really silly question.

  She shoved her embarrassment aside and asked if he would show her more of his property.

  “All that’s really left to show you is the house, I suppose. The land stretches for many acres. You’ll see it all at some point, but not today. Come with me to the house.”

  The house was gray with blue shutters. It was larger than she imagined. When they approached the door, she noted that there wasn’t a wreath on the door. Maybe they don’t do this is Wyoming, she thought. She had only lived in Massachusetts. Perhaps their traditions were vastly different.

  The inside of the house was elegant, even by Massachusetts standards. Sturdy furniture, and ornate rugs made the main room feel warm and inviting. Although there were many places to decorate, there was not a drop of Christmas cheer to be found. Not even a tree. This was startling to Naomi, especially since she had planned on hanging the angel she made on his tree. She would feel remarkably silly giving him a tree ornament when he didn’t even have a tree.

  Christmas Eve was tomorrow, but one would never know it from Jackson Pierce’s house. Not even so much as a stocking hung by the elaborate fireplace. The house was very pretty without the holiday decor, but just a little holly and a tree would do wonders to make this house a home at this time of year.

  Perhaps he needed encouragement. After her suitcase was put away in the master bedroom upstairs, she got out the ornament she had made on the train. It had turned out beautifully. The angel’s wings took the longest amount of time for they held the most detailed embroidery. Many passengers had commented on her artistry and she was excited to present it to Jackson. She had intended to present him with the angel on Christmas morning, perhaps at breakfast. But she felt now was the best time.

  “A small thank you, for, well. For what you’ve done for me,” she stammered. He gave her a quizzical expression and took the angel in his hands. She didn’t know what she expected when she gave him the gift. But it wasn’t this.

  Jackson looked puzzled by the gift, and Naomi felt perhaps her simple gesture was too simple for a successful businessman such as Mr. Pierce. He turned the angel over in his hands, running his fingers over the details of her craftsmanship, and then looked up at her, “Did you make this?”

  “Y-yes,” she stammered. She felt foolish and even a little childish for giving him a hand-made ornament. He didn’t even have a tree to hang it on. Rather than make him a craft, she should have just bought him something practical at one of the stores back home. Or maybe she should have picked up something at one of the stops on the trip out to Wyoming. Possibly, bringing no gift at all would have been a better option.

  Jackson cleared his throat again and nodded. “Thank you. It was very nice of you to think of me like this.”

  His words felt forced and Naomi felt crushed. She had given him the only gift she had for him and now what would she do on Christmas? There was no time to make anything else. After how he reacted to her gift, she had no desire to make anything else for him. She started to feel very small in his large world, and feared she might never quite fit in.

  Then she remembered the beautiful horses in the stables. Maybe, perhaps she would fit in with the horses. They seemed to have given her a comfort she hadn’t felt in months.

  “I don’t really celebrate Christmas,” he admitted.

  “Really? You don’t celebrate Christmas?” She had never heard of such a thing. Even with all the sadness that had befallen her, the desire
to sing carols and rejoice in Jesus’ birth had rekindled in her heart. She was thinking warmly of happy memories with her family by their tree. There was too much reason for joy and for her to pretend it had never existed was a crime. Her memories were all she had left, her most precious possessions.

  “No, not since my mother died and my father turned the ranch over to me. I just take care of the business, and well, it just didn’t seem practical. I mean, what’s the purpose?”

  Practical. That was how he had described this views on marriage. He certainly did love that word. He didn’t believe in love, romance, or Christmas cheer. But Naomi was convinced that he was still a good man. All he needed was a little revelation to what the joy of Christmas could bring.

  She thought about decorating the house for him, baking cookies, and bringing some of the Stafford traditions into the Pierce home. It would make her feel less lonely and she hoped she could soften his opinions if he had someone showing him the beauty of a happy Christmas season. But then, he gave a blow to her heart.

  “Would you like to freshen up before we go?” He pulled out his pocket watch to check the time, putting it to his ear to listen to it tick. Then he wound it unconsciously.

  “Go? I just arrived, where do we need to go?” She laughed nervously. She was tired and really wanted to rest and get settled in. She tried to recall the details of his letters. Had he wanted to take her somewhere and she had forgotten? It would make a bad first impression if she appeared to not pay attention to him.

  “To the county clerk’s office. I have an appointment for us with the justice of the peace.” He spoke as easily as if he had said that he had a business meeting to attend to.

  Naomi knew he was serious about marriage, but this was not what she wanted. She needed time to get know her future husband and that meant more than a few hours, or even an afternoon. She had hoped to court for a few weeks, perhaps a few months. Now she saw that waiting wouldn’t be seen as practical to Mr. Pierce.

  “Wait! You expected me to marry you today?” she exclaimed. The alarm she felt should have been quite evident in her tone of voice.

  “Well, yes, of course.” He let out a condescending little chuckle, making Naomi feel inferior. She remembered what her Aunt Beth had made her promise, and she meant what she said. She would not be bullied by a man she hardly knew no matter what they had agreed to in passing letters.

  “Naomi,” he said her name with an authority, and she snapped to attention. “I can’t have you under my roof with no chaperones if we are not wed. It would not be proper. I know you don’t want that, either. I have always conducted myself as a gentleman. I have a reputation to uphold. I told you in my letters that I am respected in this town. How would it look if I had a woman sleeping in my home, under the same roof as me, without us being wed? The whole town knows I live alone. People will talk and turn our sincerity into scandal in a heartbeat.”

  Naomi clasped her hands together and nervously fidgeted. Everything he said made perfect sense. But it still felt wrong. “I never thought of it that way. You make an excellent point, Jackson, you truly do.”

  “And yet, you still don’t seem too keen on the idea.”

  “That’s most likely because I do still have reservations.” She took a breath and searched for another solution, and then like the whisper of a prayer, it came to her. “Does anyone know I’m here?”

  “No, just the clerk’s office.”

  “Do you think we could just take a few days, just to get to know each other? You could go to the clerk’s office and say I missed my train.” Her heart was beating faster and her palms were sweaty.

  Jackson looked stoic and that didn’t help her nerves. He simply raised an eyebrow instead of responding.

  She took a deep breath trying to choose the proper words that would help him understand. “You see, Jackson, I just don’t want to rush into this. I made a promise back home to my family. I told them I would be sure before I went through with a wedding.”

  “And you’re not sure?” He asked the obvious.

  “Well, no. I’m not. In fact, I’m a bit flustered. I don’t mean to be difficult, but this isn’t how I expected this to go.” Did she really have to tell him that? Was he that caught off guard by her unwillingness to get hitched the same day she had arrived in Cheyenne?

  “My apologies, Naomi. I just made an assumption based on your letters. I told you, I was a business man, not a romantic.”

  “I didn’t say I needed, or expected, romance. Just a little time. At least a few days. I don’t believe that’s asking too much.”

  He twisted his mouth and looked into space as he thought. “I suppose that does seem fair. I did expect this to be done today, but I guess it’s okay for us to wait a few days. I have quarters in the stables, sometimes the staff stays there during the winter storms. It’s easier for them and me as well. I’ll just stay out there until we are wed.”

  The thought that she had kicked him out of his own home was disheartening. “No, I’ll stay out there. I don’t mind the horses. In fact, it’ll feel like home. I don’t want to push you out of your home.”

  “No, now that is where I draw the line. No future wife of mine will ever spend a night in the stables. No, you take my room, and until our situation is resolved, I’ll stay in the stables. No arguing, I’ve already decided.”

  “Thank you, Jackson, that truly is most kind,” she murmured.

  “I’m not sure if it’s kindness, but rather respect. I do respect you Naomi and I’d never want you to think I didn’t. We’re from different worlds, but I don’t think that exempts us from common decency. Until we’re properly married this will be the way we’ll handle it. I’ll take meals with you here in the house, but my nights will not be under the same roof with you.”

  “My father would have greatly respected you.”

  “Well, I was raised to be respectful. I’m sorry that I never will be able to meet your family, but it would be a dishonor to them to treat you any other way.”

  “Let’s start over. Why don’t you go to the clerk’s office to cancel the appointment and I’ll freshen up. When you return we can spend the afternoon together and get to know each other a little bit better.”

  “All right. I assumed we were getting married, so I don’t have any business to attend to. What do you propose we do?”

  “I would love to go riding.”

  “I think that would be a nice way to spend the afternoon. I can show you how far our property stretches and you can get better acquainted with the horses.”

  “Sounds perfect.” She smiled at him as he turned and left the room.

  Chapter Six

  Jackson Pierce was quite accustomed to doing things his way. He had every moment of his day set to a schedule. And he didn’t deviate from it unless an emergency arose. It ensured that his business would thrive and nothing made him happier. Business made his heart beat.

  Marriage had always seemed like the logical next step for him. He would need a son if the Pierce ranch would live on, and the only way to make that happen was to have a wife. When Naomi Stafford responded to his ad, he had been elated. She seemed practical in her letters and having lost her family she needed him as much as he needed her. He liked that.

  What he didn’t expect was for such a blonde beauty to step off of that train and capture his attention. Actually being attracted to the woman who would be his wife was not in his plan.

  It was his intent to marry at once. It was efficient and it’s also how to ensure that this business deal would move forward. Getting the client to sign before they had a chance to change their mind was a valuable business skill. Once he saw Naomi, he wanted to make sure she didn’t change her mind. He also had to do it before he changed his.

  He had planned for a wife, but the thought of her being pretty never entered his mind. He just wanted someone to take care of the house and raise the future kids while he ran the ranch. He really only needed a
business arrangement. Now he had to rethink everything he had assumed marriage would be.

  Not wanting to send her running back to Massachusetts, Jackson agreed to postpone the wedding. He took her advice and told the clerk’s office that due to a family emergency she would be arriving in a few days. He hoped that she wouldn’t change her mind. He would hate to look foolish and have to go back a third time to tell the clerk that there would be no wedding at all. He was used to holding his head high in this town.

  That’s partly why he wasn’t interested in romance. Too many complications. It was far easier to handle selling cattle and horse trading than the heart of a woman. But asking for a few days was not too much to give, and Jackson wanted Naomi to be happy. She may leave if she wasn’t happy and he couldn’t have that.

  She had a beautiful smile, and he hoped he would be able to make her smile quite often. This was a total shift in his thoughts and he was a bit alarmed.

  The gift she had given him had thrown him for another loop. He hadn’t planned on exchanging tokens of affection on Christmas Day and certainly not before. Funny. She had only been in Cheyenne a few hours and already she was changing the way he thought about things. What was even stranger was how much he liked it.

  In a matter of a few hours a pretty face and a sweet smile had made him rethink his priorities. It was exciting to enjoy something unexpected or to cancel a plan because you changed your mind. That’s not to say that is how Jackson wanted to always operate and he was uncomfortable with the difference she was making in him already.

  To throw caution to the wind was completely out of character for him. Would he like to be spontaneous from time to time? Was Naomi bringing out a child-like glee that had been pushed aside since he’d taken over the ranch?

  So maybe taking this mail order bride wasn’t completely logically thought out since he’d intended the union to be of a business nature. Allowing her unexpected beauty to affect his intentions was a bad sign. And here he was going horseback riding instead of completing the business transaction that was on the schedule for the day. My gracious, he thought. What is happening here?