Montana Christmas Bride (Mail-Order Bride Book 12)

by Stella Clark

  Montana Christmas Bride

  ©2019 by Stella Clark

  All rights reserved. No part of this may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are a product of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, events or locales is completely coincidental.

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Epilogue

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  Chapter 1

  Dust formed a giant halo behind the ten cowboys as they galloped their way home. Adam urged his mare into a faster sprint as he came within sight of the ranch. They had been gone for two weeks, but it felt like a year, and his heart pounded with the anticipation of being back home.

  As the ranch house got closer, Adam made out the figures of his parents and his twin sister, Tina. He slowed down his horse as the rest of the cowboys rode on to the back of the ranch house where the outbuildings were situated.

  “Adam!” his sister shouted and ran down the porch steps, his parents following closely behind.

  He brought his horse to a stop and dismounted. He embraced his sister, his mother, and shook hands with his father.

  “Everything went well. The steers are safely on the train and we lost none,” Adam said, pride warming his chest. It was the first time he had been solely in charge of the cattle drive to the railway station in Montana central. From there, the cattle were shipped to the markets in the east.

  “Good job, son,” his father said.

  They chatted a little more before his mother urged him to see to his horse and enter the house for a bite to eat.

  “I’ll walk with you,” Tina said and linked her arm through his as they descended the porch steps.

  Adam grabbed the reins of his horse and led him along the wagon path that went to the back of the ranch house.

  “Adam, I need to tell you something,” Tina hissed when they were out of earshot of the porch.

  He smiled. Everything with Tina was always rushed. “What is it this time?”

  “Father and Mother are planning to have you and Joan Vinton get married by Christmas!”

  All the air left his lungs. The news should not have caught him by surprise but it did. The fact that they wanted him to marry Joan did not surprise him. They had been implying it for the last couple of months. He had thought that if he did not show any enthusiasm, they would know that he was against the idea.

  “It’s because of the two ranches,” Tina said. “If you and Joan marry, Father says the two families will own the largest outfit in all of Montana.”

  “I’m not going to marry Joan Vinton,” Adam said quietly. He had nothing against her. She was a good enough girl and would make some man a good wife. He just was not that man.

  “But Adam, you can’t go against our parents’ wishes,” Tina said as they neared the horses’ barn. “You never have.”

  Tina was right. All his life, his singular wish had been to be a son that his parents could be proud of. He had gone along with their plans for his life, and he agreed with them. Except when it came to marriage. He had long ago decided that his parents would not get to decide the woman he was going to marry.

  That had to be his personal decision.

  “I have a plan,” he said to Tina. “But I need your help.”

  The barn was empty as the other cowboys had already seen to the needs of their horses and left. He and Tina worked as they spoke, filling the feeding trough with hay and another with water.

  “Of course I’ll help you. I know you don’t want to marry Joan. She’s like a sister to us.”

  Adam turned to his sister in surprise. She had expressed his feelings in a way he hadn’t been able to. They were twins, but so different in temperament. Tina was gifted with words and she entertained the family on many winter evenings by reciting her poems.

  “I can’t imagine being married to Joan. I don’t have strong feelings for her, and I know she feels the same.”

  Their parents had come West at about the same time as Mr. and Mrs. Vinton. The two families had become fast friends. It felt wrong for Adam to even contemplate a romantic relationship with Joan.

  It was the one time Adam was not going to obey his parents, and as much as it distressed him, he wouldn’t budge from his decision. He turned his mind to the favor he wanted from Tina.

  “I want to advertise for a mail order bride,” Adam said, patting his mare with one hand.

  Tina’s eyes widened.

  “You know what that is?” Adam asked her, and she nodded. “I’m no good at writing, and I need you to pretend to be me. Write the advert for me and if I get any letters, answer it for me with your poetry. Girls like that, don’t they?”

  “Well yes, especially if it comes from the gentleman himself,” Tina said.

  Adam had prepared himself for Tina’s refusal. They had both been raised to be honest in all their dealings, but this was for a good cause. “You know how terrible I am with things to do with books. I just want to make sure I attract the right sort of girl. One whom our parents will accept.”

  Tina stared out of the barn. Adam could see that she was deep in thought. He continued brushing down his mare to give her time to think.

  “What will happen if you do get a mail order bride and she comes here? What will happen then? Surely, she’ll know it’s not you who wrote the letters?”

  “I’ll tell her the truth then. That I enlisted the help of my sister,” Adam said.

  Tina nodded. “That’s all right then. As long as you tell her.” A crease formed on her forehead. “What about Father and Mother? Will you tell them your plan?”

  Adam shook his head. “No need to. They’ll only know about it when she agrees to come. Can you keep a secret?” It was an unnecessary question. Being the only children in the family, they had formed a friendship that ensured their loyalty to each other first.

  “They won’t hear it from me,” Tina said.

  Chapter 2

  “Thank you, Dora,” Nora said to the uniformed maid as she carried away their dirty dessert dishes from the table. “Tell Cook the cherry pie was delicious,” she added.

  The maid glided out of the dining room, leaving the family alone. Nora was the last of four sisters and the only one still at home. Her older sisters were all married and living around Boston.

  “Shall we move to the drawing room for coffee?” her mother said, as she had every evening for as long as Nora could remember. Feelings of love and warmth for her parents came over her.

  Her father had worked hard to ensure that she and her sisters had a good life, and their mother had provided a warm, happy home. The only blight to their happiness was that there was no son to take over her father’s paper mill business when he retired.

  Still, her sisters’ husbands were good men and one of them would probably take over. Her father stood up and helped his wife out of her chair. Nora followed behind, noting the slower gait of her parents. They were growing older, and the thought saddened her.

  She pushed away the despondent thoughts and tried to inject cheer into her mind.

  “Nora, your mother and I have something we need
to speak to you about,” her father said once they had all settled into the comfortable drawing room chairs.

  “Yes, Father,” Nora said, her blood growing cold at the formality of her father’s voice.

  He smiled. “You’ve grown into a wonderful young woman and as much as your mother and I enjoy having you here with us, we must accept that it’s time for you to have your own home.”

  Nora shifted her gaze to her mother. She wore a shaky smile, and she twisted her hands on her lap. Nora shifted her attention back to her father, suspecting what he was about to say next. She wasn’t a fool and had long read the signs. She hadn’t missed the constant praise of Gus Hatch, her father’s associate and a widower who had lost his wife almost five years ago.

  “After careful consideration, your mother and I have found the perfect husband for you. A man who will look after you as we would. Someone we’ll be sure can take care of our daughter.”

  Nora bit her lower lip to stop herself from asking if she had become an invalid.

  “The gentleman is Gus Hatch,” her father said and beamed. “We shall start making arrangements immediately.”

  “Wait, Father,” Nora said. “You haven’t asked me what I think about marrying Gus Hatch.”

  Having older parents had taught her many things, one of which was to control her emotions, regardless of her firm feelings on the matter.

  “Well?” her father said, his eyes narrowed.

  “I need time to get used to the idea,” she said carefully.

  It was the right thing to say. Her father’s features eased and the frown left his mouth.

  “Think about it all you like, but I know you’ll see sense in this. Think how well our business will continue to grow with Gus Hatch as part of the family.”

  Bile rose in her throat but she kept her smile in place. Past lessons had taught her not to confront her father outright. If she opposed him, he became firm and left no space for discussion. By almost agreeing to marry Gus, she had given herself time and space to think.

  Her father would not rush her into the marriage, but he also expected her to be reasonable. The maid brought in their coffee and as she sipped hers, Nora’s mind was busy at work, thinking up plans of saving herself from marrying an old repulsive man.

  He was almost her father’s age! He had grown-up children from his former marriage, but worse than that was the way he looked at her. As if she was a freshly cooked steak that he couldn’t wait to gobble up.

  She gulped down her coffee, the hot liquid burning her throat as she swallowed. As soon as it was decent enough to excuse herself, she did so and hurried up to her chambers on the second story. She shut the door and crossed the room to the chest of drawers.

  She had hidden the cuttings of the Matrimonial Times newspaper in a drawer that held her underclothes. Nobody entered that drawer apart from herself and Helena, her maid. Helena couldn’t read, so even if she had looked at the newspaper cuttings, they would have made no sense to her.

  Nora had cut out several adverts that appealed to her, and now she sifted through them until she found her favorite one. It was from a rancher in Montana who lived with his parents and sister. He sounded perfect.

  A flower that is tended well woos everyone who comes within sight of it. I am a rancher in Montana searching for a wife who will be like a flower to me. I shall treat her with the utmost respect, and she will never lack for anything. In return, I expect her to be well bred and able to conduct herself in cultured company.

  Her hands trembled as she contemplated her next move. She had never done anything without her parents’ permission, and the thought of writing the letter filled her with fear. She dropped the letter and reached for her well-worn Bible that sat on the side table of the bed.

  She flicked through the pages to her favorite verse. The one that strengthened her when she felt her own strength failing.

  God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, and the mountains quake with their surging.

  Nora closed her eyes and let the words wash over her. Then she whispered a prayer. Please help me find a good gentleman to marry. Please choose a husband for me, Lord.

  Chapter 3

  Adam mopped up the remaining stew on his plate with a fried potato and ate it, relishing the delicious taste before swallowing it. He patted his stomach in satisfaction. “Thank you, Mother. That was a fine lunch.”

  “You’re welcome,” his mother said.

  His father echoed his words, and Adam noticed the pleasure that arose in his mother’s eyes. He hoped that someday, he and Nora Baxter would have such a marriage. A partnership full of warmth and love.

  “Are you going back to the pastures?” his mother asked, directing the question to her husband.

  “Yes, we’re moving the herd to the winter pastures. Adam’s going to town so if you need anything, be sure to let him know.”

  “I will. Give me a few minutes to jot down a list for you,” his mother said.

  “No rush, Ma. I want to take a look at the house before I go,” Adam said.

  His parents exchanged a smile. Guilt flooded him. His father had suggested building a house for him on the west side of the main ranch house and the work had already begun. They all worked on it during their free time, and it was about ready to be roofed.

  “I can’t believe you’re going to move out of the ranch house,” Tina said. “It will be odd not to have you here.”

  “Adam will soon be married. He and Miss Vinton will need their own privacy.”

  They had had a similar conversation, and Adam had pointed out to his parents that he did not want to marry Joan Vinton. Now, he knew any protests he uttered would be useless. They would only believe he meant it when his mail order bride arrived.

  He stood up and carried his plate to the sink and then stared pointedly at his sister.

  “I’ll come with you. Mother, I’ll clean up when I come back from seeing Adam’s house.”

  Adam slipped on his coat and waited for Tina in the backyard. Winter was coming upon them and the cotton trees that surrounded the ranch homestead had shed all their leaves.

  The kitchen door opened and Tina stepped out. “It’s windy,” she said and bowed her head, preparing herself for the five-minute walk to the house. They chatted easily, steering clear of the reason they had both left the house. The small cozy house came into view, and Adam’s heart skipped a beat.

  He could not wait until Nora Baxter became his wife. He hoped that she would like the design he had chosen for their home. He helped Tina up the steps that led to the wide front porch and into the house.

  It was Tina’s first time in the house, and he gave her a quick tour. “This is the parlor. Not as large as the main house but I think it will do.”

  “It’s perfect,” she said, looking at the square room.

  The kitchen was off the parlor, a large room that would fit in a long table. He hoped that like him, Nora Baxter wished for many children. It had been somewhat lonely growing up with only Tina for company. It didn’t help that she did not share a lot of his interests so he was often alone.

  He hoped that the Lord would bless him and Nora with many children to fill the house. The house had three bedrooms. Large rooms that could be fitted with several beds.

  “She’ll like it,” Tina said as they returned to the parlor. She dipped her hand into her coat and fished out a folded sheet of paper. “Here it is. I hope you’ll like it.”

  “I will,” Adam said and took the sheet of paper. All the letters that Tina had written had wooed Nora, and she had declared in her own letters how much she had enjoyed reading them.

  It did make him uncomfortable to know that he was deceiving her, but he kept telling himself that he was a good and honest person. She would see that for herself when she arrived.

  It was the third and most important letter tha
t he and Tina were writing to Nora Baxter. It was a proposal letter. If she said yes, the next letter he sent would contain a train ticket and some money to tide her over on the journey.

  His hands were damp as he unfolded the letter to read it.

  My dear Nora,

  How does one begin when writing a most important letter to the one who has stolen your heart? So many sweet words I would love to say, but alas, at this moment I find myself at a loss for words. I feel so much for you and yet, we have never laid eyes on each other. We’re strangers to each other and yet my heart tells me different. It tells me that we’re meant for each other. That we will be happy together.

  Your words and letters have given me a peek into the gentle person that you are. I wait in anticipation until I can see you with my very own eyes. You are a beautiful soul and nothing would make me happier than inviting you here to Montana where we can continue with our courtship.

  I feel blessed and lucky that you, Nora Baxter, answered my ad that day. But I’ll be even luckier if you agree to come to Montana as my fiancée. Will you marry me, Nora Baxter, and make me the happiest rancher in all of Montana?

  With love and respect,

  Adam Larson.

  Chapter 4

  Nora could not keep a smile from her face as the train came to a stop in Caster Station. She peered out the window and could not help the anxiety that came over her when she saw the size of the station house. It was small and wooden and nothing like the stations back east.

  She had seen similar stations along the five-day journey but had hoped that Adam lived in a fairly large town. She shrugged off the thought. All she needed was Adam and his love and devotion. Nora grew warm at the memory of the sweet words he had written to her.

  She couldn’t wait to hear them from his mouth and to experience the love she knew would blossom between them. She compared Adam and Gus Hatch, the man her parents had wanted her to marry, and shuddered. The Lord had answered her prayers and found her a good husband. A gentleman she could love and who would love her in return.