Shotgun Marriage (Leadville, Co. Book 3)

by Danica Favorite

  Mother Jackson’s eyes softened. “And I do hope that we can have one. Jasper tells me that you knit. Perhaps when you’re feeling up to it, we could make some things for my grandson.”

  A twinkle filled her eyes. “And perhaps any others who might come along?”

  “I would like that,” Emma Jane whispered, looking over at Jasper. He’d suggested that their shared love of knitting would bring them together, just as Olivia had said that a grandchild would change their relationship.

  Jasper winked at Emma Jane, then turned to his mother. “Now that we’ve settled that matter, I do believe my wife has requested time alone with me.”

  He didn’t wait for Mother Jackson to leave before bending down and kissing Emma Jane. For the first time, their kiss felt absolutely complete. He loved her, and she loved him. Which was all that mattered in the world.

  Epilogue

  Spring had brought a flurry of activity to Leadville Community Church. And not for tragic reasons. Emma Jane had no idea where so many flowers had come from, but as she gazed around the entrance to the church, she couldn’t imagine it looking any more beautiful.

  Though her silk dress was brand-new, it was already starting to feel tight. She rubbed the small of her back where it was starting to ache after spending all day helping her friends ready the church for today’s ceremony.

  “Tired already?” Jasper asked, putting an arm around her, then placing his hand over the tiny bump that was starting to form at her waist. They hadn’t told anyone of the new addition soon to be joining their family, but tonight, at the celebration at the Jackson mansion, they would share their news.

  “We don’t have to go through this,” he said, grinning. “After all, we’ve already been married once.”

  If she didn’t know the twinkle in his eye so well, she’d have thought that he was concerned about her well-being. She pulled his head down for a kiss.

  “Absolutely not,” she chided when they were finished. “Guests are arriving, and your mother has been looking forward to this event for so long.”

  Mother Jackson approached, laughing as Moses reached for her diamond necklace and tried putting it in his mouth. “Jasper, do try to behave for at least one day. I know how you hate these things, but I am determined to show off your lovely wife and son.”

  She pulled the diamond out of Moses’s hand. “As for you, young man, I think your father needs to teach you about the proper treatment of a lady’s jewelry.” In a swift motion, she handed the baby to Jasper.

  Then she looked Emma Jane up and down. “Although I see he has neglected his own wife’s collection, and that simply won’t do.”

  Emma Jane tried not to groan. She’d made it clear that diamonds were not what she wanted from Jasper, and they’d both agreed their money would be better spent on their projects with the church.

  Mother Jackson reached at the back of her neck, then took off her necklace. “Turn around, Emma Jane. This was a gift from Henry when we were married, and now I am giving it to you.”

  The diamond was heavy on her neck as she looked at Jasper, questioning. He merely shrugged.

  “There.” Mother Jackson turned around and examined her handiwork. “Absolutely breathtaking. Just watch your son’s sticky little fingers on it.”

  She smiled as she turned to greet the guests who were arriving, but before she could take more than a step, an older matron with an oversize hat approached her.

  “Whatever kind of celebration is this?”

  “My son and his wife wanted to renew their wedding vows. Apparently, people have been saying it’s not a love match. Which, as you can see, is simply not true. We are absolutely delighted to have Emma Jane as part of our family.”

  Mother Jackson turned and gestured toward Emma Jane and Jasper. “Aren’t they the most beautiful couple?”

  “Yes,” the woman murmured. “But the baby looks nothing like them. So dark. And...”

  “I do hope you’re not disparaging my grandson.” Mother Jackson looked down her regal nose at the woman. “I take insults to my family very seriously, and I would so hate for you to be left off all the good invitations, like the poor Montgomery family has.”

  Emma Jane felt a pang of regret at her mother-in-law’s threat. The Jacksons had sat down with the Montgomerys and told them that Flora’s behavior toward Emma Jane was unacceptable. Unfortunately, it had strained relations between the two families, and most people in Leadville had sided with the Jacksons. Apparently, Emma Jane wasn’t the only person Flora’s tongue had alienated.

  The woman shrank back. “Not at all. I think they’re a lovely family.”

  Mother Jackson snapped her fan open, and the woman scurried off. With the same impish look Emma Jane had learned to love about Jasper, Mother Jackson smiled at Emma Jane, then continued on her way.

  Jasper leaned in and gave Emma Jane another kiss as voices swirled around them. It wasn’t until she felt Moses tugging at her necklace that she pulled away.

  “Moses James Jackson, that is enough! You mustn’t touch Mama’s pretty things.”

  His dark eyes filled with tears as he stuck out his lower lip. Jasper smiled and ruffled his hair. “I know, son. Sometimes she’s a hard one, but you’ll find, just as I have, that she’s almost always right.”

  “Almost?” Emma Jane gave him a look of mock indignation.

  “Yes, almost.” Jasper placed a fleeting kiss on the tip of her nose. “And it’s always worth it to work through the times when she’s not.”

  “I can live with that.”

  She’d been right about many things and wrong about others, but Jasper’s words about it being worth it to work through them were correct. In the end, none of those things had mattered, except the time and effort they’d both put into their relationship.

  Her first wedding day had been one of the most miserable of her life, and while a person should never be forced to marry someone she didn’t want to marry, she would never stop being grateful for her marriage to Jasper. It was just as Pastor Lassiter had said—by trusting in the Lord and allowing Him to work in their lives, they had found far greater happiness than Emma Jane could have ever imagined.

  * * * * *

  Keep reading for an excerpt from WANT AD WEDDING by Cheryl St.John.

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  Dear Reader,

  Emma Jane Logan was never supposed to have a story. Who would want to read a book about a woman described as a “sourpuss”? But as I wrote The Lawman’s Redemption and saw how Mary’s friendship with Emma Jane helped Will see a softer side to Mary, I fell in love with Emma Jane, a girl who only needed a little kindness to transform into a character who deserved a happy ending of her own. But isn’t marrying Jasper, the man who will solve all her problems, a happy ending? And that, my friends, is exactly where I began Emma Jane’s story. Sometimes the thing that you think will fix everything wrong in your life only makes your life worse.

  Like Emma Jane, I faced a time of darkness in my life when I thought I’d lost all hope. But I had a couple of amazing friends who stepped up and loved me, even in moments when I was probably pretty unlovable. More importantly, like Emma Jane, I found strength in God’s Word, and between that and the love I’d been shown, I was able to grow and rise above my circumstances.

  I hope in whatever darkness you face, you know that God’s love is for you. I pray you will find the transformational love that not only impacted me, but Emma Jane and, ultimately, Jasper.

  I love connecting with my readers, so please stop by www.danicafavorite.com and say hello.

  Blessings to you and yours,

  Danica Favorite

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  Want Ad Wedding

  by Cheryl St.John

  Chapter One

  Kansas, April 1868

  A plaintive train whistle shrieked in the distance, scattering dozens of heath hens that pecked along the tracks. Daniel Gardner experienced a sharp pang of anxiety. A murmur of excitement passed through the crowd on the station platform and among those waiting along Railroad Street, the road separating the tracks from the town. Indicative of the population of Cowboy Creek, only a few females stood among the motley gathering of drovers, cattlemen and shop owners who eagerly awaited the arrival of the first bride train.

  Daniel and his friend Will had convinced the other town leaders that brides were the answer to the growth and survival of this boomtown they’d overseen from the ground up, but four women were a paltry drop in the bucket. His gaze moved from D.B. Burrows, owner and editor of The Herald, his angular face rapt with serious intent as he scribbled notes, over dozens of other bystanders, before finally landing on a sunburned young drover who sported a stiff new pair of dungarees, a red shirt and a silly crooked-toothed grin. Right about now Daniel was imagining the reactions of those much-anticipated prospective brides when they stepped off the train and got their first look at this throng of menfolk starved for the sight of a woman.

  “Well, this is it.” Beside him, Will Canfield squinted from beneath the brim of his brown felt bowler and leaned a little more heavily than usual on his expensive Italian-made walking stick. He wore a tailored suit coat and starched white shirt. Tall and lean, his goatee neatly trimmed as always, he was the picture of a gentleman with his sights set on a public office. Only Daniel noticed his friend was favoring his left leg, because only Daniel knew the walking stick was not purely for show. He was also relatively sure it did not conceal a derringer or a knife as was rumored about Cowboy Creek. They’d both had enough of killing during the war to last them a lifetime. Their town was populated with peace-loving citizens, eager for a new slice of life and the profits the Union Pacific Railroad and a steady stream of Texas longhorns were bringing. Women would heighten their plans to a whole new level.

  “This is it,” Daniel echoed. He wanted the past behind him. The town needed order, and these females would help bring it. Cowboy Creek was providing a new life and a fresh start for a good many people. The whistle screamed again. He checked his pocket watch and tucked it back inside his suit coat. “Right on time.” He looked to each side and held out both arms. “Step back! Step back and give the passengers room to get off the train!”

  His voice held enough authority that the eager men shuffled to the rear of the platform.

  The great black locomotive hissed as the brakes were applied, and it slowed on its approach, trundling past the railroad office east of the station and coming to a halt with the passenger cars only feet from the wooden platform. Clouds of steam expressed vapor into the air. From the exit closest to them, a uniformed conductor jumped down, lowered the stairs with a squeak of metal and stood waiting.

  Passengers were visible inside the car, making their way to the exit and out onto the small metal platform. Anticipation hummed around him. The first to appear was a fellow in a brown pinstripe suit and a derby, followed by a white-haired gentleman with a huge mustache. A man and his young son emerged next. Passengers disembarked from the rear of the car, and a second passenger car spilled its riders, as well. The impatient townsmen crowded around the people exiting the train until the platform became a blur of shoulders and hats. Hoots and appreciative calls blended with laughter and good-natured competition.

  Daniel and Will exchanged a tense glance. Had they thought of everything?

  “We started with only four brides, Dan,” Will said. “Next time we’ll be better prepared for the rush of bachelors.”

  “Or not announce the brides’ arrival,” Daniel replied in a grim tone. He scanned the area until he spotted a stack of crates, then pushed his way through the milling crowd and climbed to the top. With two fingers held strategically between his lips, he let out an ear-piercing whistle. He whistled again. “May I have your attention?” he shouted.

  The crowd quieted and heads turned.

  “Gentlemen, please make a path and escort our brides forward!”

  A smattering of applause followed his request, and from the outer edge of the platform the crowd parted unevenly, allowing three figures in ruffles and flower-bedecked hats to make their way through the gathering to the stack of crates. Daniel jumped down beside Will and they stood on either side of the group of ladies.

  Daniel removed his hat and every cowboy doffed his own. “Welcome to Cowboy Creek.” He glanced aside. “We’re still missing someone.”

  “Mrs. Swann was with us a moment ago,” the petite young woman beside him said. “She must have become lost in the crowd somewhere.”

  Will took the next initiative. “Welcome. I’m Will Canfield. And this is my friend Daniel Gardner.”

  Daniel noted Will deliberately wasn’t leaning on his walking stick while attention focused on him.

  “Cowboy Creek is pleased you’re here,” Daniel told the new arrivals. “We have a special welcome planned for you once we have everyone accounted for and can move away from the station.”

  “I’m Pippa Neely.” The flamboyant little gal with ginger-gold hair had enormous hazel eyes and a pert smile. She wore a voluminous lavender skirt with gold braid designs down the front and fringe around the hem of the jacket. Atop her head bobbed a brown satin bow with a lavender paper rose. “I thought we’d never arrive! What a grueling journey!”

  “Pleased to meet you, Miss Neely,” Daniel greeted her. In her letter to the town council, Pippa had described herself as an actress. Then he turned politely to the lady standing next to her.

  “I’m Hannah Taggart,” the young woman explained. She wore her fawn-colored hair severely pulled away from her face. Her gray eyes moved uneasily from Daniel to the crowd of men and back. She wore a wine-colored dress with puffy fabric at the elbows and over the bustle, ruffles everywhere, but with no ornamentation save the row of buttons at her neck. She was a tall girl, not slender, and Daniel imagined her choice in clothing added to her size.

  “Miss Taggart,” he said. “You’re the Reverend Taggart’s daughter.”

  She smiled easily. “He was right behind us a moment ago.” She glanced into the crowd. “Disembarking was a challenge, but no doubt we all feel welcome.”

  “The men
are a bit overzealous,” Daniel said by way of apology. “I’m sure you’ll forgive their excitement.”

  “Prudence Haywood, Mr. Gardner.” The short curvy woman introduced herself with a curt nod. She had auburn hair, hazel eyes and wore a cameo brooch on her collar.

  Daniel and Will acknowledged her introduction.

  “Here’s my father!” Hannah announced.

  The beaming fellow approached and removed his hat to shake the hands of both men. “Reverend Taggart,” Daniel said. “We’re so pleased you’re here.”

  “It’s Virgil,” the reverend said, his friendly manner a welcome answer for the unspoken question of what sort of preacher might be coming their way. He sported a narrow mustache and a wide smile that creased the corners of his eyes. “Hannah and I are excited to be here right when your town is on the verge of a population explosion.”

  “Can’t bring women to this county without preachers and doctors and schools,” Daniel pointed out. “We’ve been planning this for some time. We have a lot to show you.”

  “I look forward to hearing all about it.”

  “Papa, where is Mrs. Swann?”

  “She was by my side only a few minutes ago. These Kansas fellows seem quite friendly and eager to meet the ladies.” He stood on tiptoe to survey the way he’d come, but the crowd had closed back around the temporary opening. “There she is. I see her hat.”

  “Let the lady through!” Daniel called, standing as tall as he could manage and peering above the crowd. He was thinking that perhaps he would need to get back on the stack of crates when he spotted a blue feathered hat on a pale gold head of hair. “There she is. Mrs. Swann! Let her through.”

  The poor woman steadied her wisp of a hat atop her head with one white-gloved hand, and turned this way and that, speaking to men as she choreographed her way through the crowd. When she finally neared the open clearing where Daniel and Will stood with the other newcomers, she turned, disengaging herself from the attentions of an overeager cowboy, and nearly stumbled forward.