The Unclaimed Mail Order Bride [Brides for the Garrison Brothers 3] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic)

by Paige Cameron

  “You’ve had a hard time and a bad shock. Still, Fletcher Garrison is one of the best men I know. He and all his family have been very kind to many people in Pleasure Valley.”

  “Everyone keeps telling me so.” She pulled up his covers across his thin shoulders. “You need to rest. I’ll be sitting right here.”

  “You’ll get bored watching me sleep.”

  “No, I have my phone and a good book on it that I’ve been reading. This will be one of the few times I’ve been able to sit and read since I arrived in town.”

  “All right, I’ll try and sleep.”

  His snore made Abby smile. It had taken all of five minutes for him to fall asleep. She studied him and watched his chest move up and down. What is it about this man? I feel a connection. I remember hearing an old saying—something about your responsibility toward the person you saved. Or, perhaps it’s because he and I are alone in this world and seek to make a bond to end the sensation of emptiness. Abby shook her head to clear the weird chain of thoughts.

  Mr. Wellington returned with the papers he and Jack had discussed. They were printed and ready to sign. “How long has he been sleeping?” he asked in a low tone.

  Abby glanced at her watch. “Close to two hours.”

  “I’ll wake him to sign these.” He held up the papers. “But first I need to go over them with him. Would you excuse us for a few minutes and ask the nurse to call someone who can sign as a witness?”

  “Can’t I help?”

  “No, it needs to be someone from the hospital office.”

  Puzzled, Abby nodded and went in search of a nurse.

  * * * *

  “Wake up, Jack. I have what you asked me to do ready to be signed.”

  Jack smiled. “Good boy, you worked fast. Let me see them.”

  “Are you certain you want to do this? I mean you are sick and may not be thinking clearly.”

  “I am of sound mind, Tom. I can’t explain why I feel the way I do. But I definitely want this done.” He sat up and shook his hand at the lawyer. “Do you understand?”

  Tom pushed him back down. “Don’t get upset. The doctor hopes to operate on you as soon as possible.”

  “Then don’t act like I’m out of my mind.”

  “What have you done to him?” The nurse rushed in and took his pulse. “Your face is flushed, and your heartbeat is racing. You must not get upset.” She frowned at Tom.

  “Give me the papers,” Jack demanded. He quietly read each page, although only a few had been changed. “You did a good job, Tom. Hand me a pen, please. Sorry I snapped at you, but I feel an urgency to get this finished.” Jack scrawled his name across the blank signature lines. “There, now I can rest. Tell the doctor he can operate whenever he wants to. I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.” When Tom and the nurse left, he added, “Tell Abigail to come back in.”

  “Ah, I see Tom gave you my message,” Jack said and smiled when Abby walked through the door. “I’ll be going to surgery soon, and I may not make it.”

  Abby protested. Jack waved his hand for her to stop. “I won’t give up, but just in case I do I want to talk to you about something. First, tell me a little bit about your dad.”

  “Why?”

  “Humor me,” Jack said and smiled.

  “My parents were really good to me. I loved them. Dad tended to be strict with me and my mother, but if he went too far, she’d tell him he was out of order.”

  “Did he listen?”

  “Yes, most of the time.”

  “Has anyone told you my last name?”

  “No, they all seem to call you Jack.”

  “When I was in my teens, I became quite rebellious. I also had a strict, demanding father and a mother almost as stern. At seventeen, they gave up on me and sent me out on my own.”

  Abby frowned. “Why would they give up on their own child? That’s so sad. How did you manage to take care of yourself?”

  “We lived in the next county over, and Mr. Garrison’s parents heard about my dilemma. They offered me a job, but if I didn’t work hard, they’d have to let me go. To tell you the truth, Abigail, I was more scared than I wanted anyone to know.”

  “Did you take the job?”

  “Oh, yes, and I worked hard. At the end of the day, I lived with the other unmarried cowboys in the bunkhouse. They taught me a lot.”

  “When did you start riding the bulls?”

  “About four years later. I practiced and found out I was good. So, I went to Mr. Garrison and told him about my dream of being a bull rider in the rodeo. He financed me, at first. Later, I paid him back all the money he’d invested. I did very well. But, we’ve gotten away from what I wanted to tell you. My full name is Jackson Alexander Strahan. I dropped the Strahan when I started bull riding.”

  Jack watched her expressions, first puzzled and then she said, “Once when my father mentioned his one sister, he briefly mumbled something about a brother. When I started to ask a question, my mother shook her head no to me. Being young, I never thought about it again except when my parents died, and after that not until now. Are you saying you’re my uncle?”

  “Would it bother you if I was your father’s brother?”

  “I’d love to have you for an uncle. I contacted your sister, once. She let me know I was not her concern and hung up.”

  “At twelve, she was showing signs of being just like our father in temperament.”

  Tears came into Abby’s eyes. She hugged Jack’s neck. “I’m so glad I saved you.” She grinned through her tears.

  “I am, too.” Jack hugged her back. They both jumped when the door opened suddenly and slammed against the wall.

  “Sorry.” A young man, who looked about sixteen, pushed the stretcher into the room. “This is my first time steering one of these things without help.”

  “No problem,” Jack reassured him.

  “I’ll help you,” Abby said.

  The nurse rushed into the room. “They’re ready for you, Jack. Let me check your wristband. Jack Alexander Strahan, seventy-one years old, and you have no allergies,” the nurse recited.

  “None except for an allergy to hospitals,” Jack teased the nurse.

  Abby kissed him on the cheek. When he noticed her tears were coming faster, Jack said, “Don’t worry, Abigail. I’ve waited all these years to see a member of my family. I’m not going anywhere yet.”

  * * * *

  Fletcher walked in just as they rolled Jack out of the room. He hugged him and walked over to Abby. “You’ve been crying.”

  “I have a family.”

  “What? I don’t understand.”

  “Jack is my uncle. One of the reasons I didn’t feel so afraid to come to Pleasure Valley is I’d heard my father mention the town. He was from a nearby county. But, he never talked much about his family other than his mother had died of a heart attack in her sixties and his dad didn’t last many years after her. I knew he had a sister, but they weren’t close. He mentioned a brother once when I was about seven. I forgot about the brother. Dad and his sister would exchange calls over Christmas, so I remembered her and called her when my parents died. She didn’t want a closer relationship than the phone.”

  Abby glanced up at Fletcher’s face. She didn’t want to move out of his arms. “Isn’t it wonderful that after all these years I’ve found I have more family than my aunt.”

  “I’m happy for you. We all need roots.” His large hand held her head close to his heart. “Jack’s a good man. He started off wild.” Fletch grinned down at her. “Did he tell you?”

  “Yes, and he mentioned how your grandparents and your family had been so good to him, just like you are to me.”

  He pushed her out away from him and studied her face. “Now that I know about the family connection, I see a resemblance in your faces. Only his eyes are hazel and always smiling, except when his wife died. Your green eyes tend to be solemn or sad, but I plan to help you change them into smiling eyes like your uncle.”


  “Jack has to live. I can’t find him and lose him so soon.”

  “He’s a fighter, and knowing you’re his niece will give him a better chance of surviving.” Fletch put his arm around her and walked her to her chair. He knelt down in front of her and took hold of her hand. “You must know, though, Jack hasn’t been well for a year or more. I made him retire, and since he couldn’t stand to live in his house without his wife, I gave him a cabin to live in. The doctor checks him each week. Even if he lives through this surgery, he’s not going to be well.”

  “I understand. But, if I only have a short time with Jack, at least I found him. Those days will mean so much to me.”

  “It’s getting late. What about your job? Shall I call Mrs. Lowell?”

  “No, I spoke with her. I’ll go in a little late. She understands.”

  Fletch sat on a sofa against the wall. “Then come here and lay in my arms. It’ll be more comfortable than that straight chair.”

  Abby hesitated only a moment. She lay down and cuddled in Fletch’s arms. He leaned down and kissed her forehead. “Go to sleep.”

  Chapter Six

  Fletcher watched her sweet face as she relaxed. He knew when her breathing slowed she’d gone to sleep. What a surprise she turned out to be. First, a mail order bride, and now a long-lost niece of Jack’s, and where does that leave me. She won’t need me anymore for support. How do I work my way into her heart?

  I mean, I’m happy for her, but I liked her leaning on me. I want her to be my wife. Still, maybe that’s not what she wants. It’ll be my job to convince her I care more than just feeling a responsibility for her. Why her? Mom’s right, I’ve been spoiled and never had to work hard for what I wanted.

  His hand brushed the side of her face. She moaned and kissed the inside of his palm. His heart jumped for joy. She likes me a little, but being stubborn she doesn’t plan on telling me.

  When the orthopedic surgeon came in the room, Fletcher saw Abby open her eyes. He helped her stand and put his arm around her waist.

  “The surgery is finished. Although Mr. Strahan is frail and his heart is weak, he did well in surgery. We repaired his femur, and when he gets home, he’ll have nurses and rehab to help him recover his strength and hopefully his ability to walk without difficulty. I’ve ordered home care, too.” The orthopedic surgeon glanced at Fletch. “I know he has insurance, but it may not cover the cost.”

  “Don’t worry, if Jack has a problem, I’ll help. He’s got quite a lot of resources to cover his needs. I moved him to the family property to keep an eye on him, not because he needed a home, he needed a family.”

  “Just checking, Fletch. You know how some of the services want to know about payment. I asked, so I can tell the nurses he’s covered.”

  “I understand. When will Jack be back in his room?”

  “I’ve asked them to keep him in critical care for the first twenty-four hours. They aren’t busy, and I’d like to know someone’s keeping a close check on him. You can see him now, but you might as well go on home afterward.”

  “We will, but first, his niece wants to see him before she goes.”

  The doctor glanced over at Abby and looked puzzled. “I’d heard he didn’t have any family since his wife died.”

  “They just discovered each other. This is Abigail Strahan, Doctor.”

  “That’s good news,” the doctor said and smiled at Abby. “Having family often helps a patient improve. His old heart might even get stronger, for a while.”

  When the surgeon left, Fletch looked down at Abby. “Are you all right?”

  “I will be when I see Jack. Can we go to ICU now?”

  “Sure. It’s on the third floor. We’ll get the elevator and be right there.”

  The elevator doors slid shut and moved upward. Abby glanced at Fletch. “I didn’t mean to sleep the whole time.”

  “It was best. You’d have just worried and paced the floor if you woke.”

  “True.”

  “I don’t think you realize how much has happened to you in a few days. The man who had said he’d marry you wed someone else. My family stepped in, but we were strangers to you. You didn’t think you had any family, but you save a man’s life, and he’s your uncle.” Fletch shook his head. “Honey, you’re already as strong as my mom, and that’s saying a lot.”

  Abby blushed. “Thanks, you mom is a wonderful woman. I’d like to learn to be more like her.”

  “No, be yourself. You are a surprising woman, strong, gentle, smart. What more do you want to be?”

  “Successful, independent, more confident.”

  “You can be whatever you want, but realize being independent doesn’t mean you can’t lean on someone occasionally and him on you. I want a relationship with you, I want to care for you, and I have to learn not to grasp too tight.”

  “Everything has happened so fast. Give me time.”

  “All right, if you promise to see me and get to know me better.”

  Abby leaned against his hard frame. He wrapped his arms around her loosely. “I’m afraid to reach out for happiness. The last three years have been lonely and difficult. I have to learn to trust happiness and find my joy,” she said in a low voice.

  Fletcher tilted her head upward. Her green eyes glistened with tears. “Let me help you find those things.”

  The elevator door opened. Fletcher stepped out first. They stood as the doors closed and stared at each other.

  “All right, but don’t get pushy. If you do, I’ll send you away.”

  “Yes, Madam.” He bowed and grinned. “I’ll get you some boots, and you can give me a swift kick.” He was glad to see her smile and color come back into her sweet heart-shaped face. “Let’s go see Jack.”

  * * * *

  ICU smelled of antiseptics and sounded strange, with several life support machines making a noise as they kept the person alive. The nurse escorted them to room eight.

  “He’s doing good,” the nurse said. “Still very sleepy, so you can only stay fifteen minutes this time.” She took long strides back to the desk where rows of monitors showed the patients and their vital signs.

  Fletch open the glass door, and they quietly slipped inside. Jack appeared to be asleep. Monitors and an IV were hooked to him. His face was almost as pale as the white sheets.

  “Maybe we shouldn’t wake him,” Abby whispered.

  “I think he’d like to know we were here. The nurse said we had fifteen minutes. She’d have kept us out if it wasn’t all right.”

  “I guess so.” Abby walked closer to the bed and lightly touched his forehead. “It’s me and Fletch,” she said. Jack’s eyelashes fluttered, and then his eyes opened.

  “My pretty niece,” he said in a weakened voice. He held up his hand, and Abby took hold and held tight.

  Fletch stepped closer. “Hello, old man. How are you doing?”

  Jack’s eyes twinkled. “My number isn’t up yet. What did the doctor say?”

  “He said you’re too ornery not to recover. He repaired your leg and said your heart did well during the surgery.”

  “Good.” Jack smiled at Abby. “Finding my lovely niece has given me a new lease on life. She and I aren’t alone anymore.”

  “That’s true, but I hope you two will let me be a part of your lives.”

  Jack laughed. “So, it’s that way, is it?”

  “Yep.” Fletch took Jack’s hand. “I hope someday she’ll let me be part of your family.”

  Jack glanced at Abby. “I understand you need time. Like me, you’ve been through a lot. But at the end of the day, when you feel more comfortable in your new life, you won’t find a better man than Fletcher Garrison.”

  Abby laughed. “So I’ve been told by you and others, over and over. The nurse said we had only a few minutes. We’ll leave and let you rest. But I’ll be here right after I finish at work tomorrow. You keep being good and do as the nurses say.”

  “Yes, madam, I surely will.”

  Fletc
h whispered in her ear as they left ICU. “I plan to keep telling you what a good guy I am until you admit it.”

  “At least you don’t give up easily.”

  “I’ll take you home, but I won’t come in. I know you’re exhausted, and I admit to being a tiny bit tired.”

  Abby smiled at him as he helped her into his truck. “It takes a big man to admit to being tired.”

  “A bit tired.”

  * * * *

  Abby chuckled and leaned her head against the headrest. She was worn out, but not afraid. What was it about this man? She always felt safe and comforted. Still, she didn’t plan on jumping into anything but her work, until she was certain they were meant to be together. And that might take a long time.

  Fletcher walked her to the door and kissed her before taking long strides back to his truck. She waved and went inside. Once her door was shut, Abby heard him drive away. That’s when the tiredness hit her. In the bedroom, she threw off her clothes and fell into bed.

  Noise from outside had her jerking straight up, her heart raced a mile a minute. She looked at the time and jumped out of bed. Confused, she stumbled into the living room.

  “It’s me, Fletcher. Open the door.”

  Sunlight hit her in the eyes, and she shook her head. “What time is it?”

  “Ten-thirty. Your boss called Mom, and she rang me.”

  “Oh, my gosh. I’m going to lose my job.” Abby ran into her bedroom and threw off her gown as she headed to the shower.

  Fletcher called out. “I talked to Mrs. Lowell. She said to tell you not to rush. There aren’t any alterations needed right now. She had already heard how late we were leaving the hospital.”

  “Thanks,” Abby called out.

  Cold water woke her up fast. Weirdness still lingered, but she’d be all right after a cup of coffee. It was a quick shower. She grabbed the first pair of jeans and shirt handy. When Abby walked out of her room, she smelled the delicious odor of coffee. Fletch grinned when he handed her a cup.