Mail Order Brides of Wichita Falls Boxed Set (Historical Western Romance)

by Cyndi Raye

  She had thought about marching across the street to the saloon to confront him but then decided against doing so. No lady would enter a saloon, although secretly she wanted to see the inside of one. Did that make her a bad person? Grace had a knack for curiosity, sometimes it got her in trouble and she bet she wasn’t the only lady in town who wondered what it looked like in there. Not even sure why she wanted to know, she stifled a grin, picking up the menu on the table.

  Time was going by at a snail’s pace. Grace didn’t know how long she could wait. It was dark outside now, the moon shining through the front window of the restaurant. Other townsfolk were having dinner, gazing over to her table to see her sitting alone in the back, waiting on a husband she wasn’t sure would show.

  Jenna placed a small bowl of soup on the table. “I think this should hold you over for some time,” she told Grace, patting her hand. “It’s on the house.”

  “Thanks.” Grace was hungry. She was mad, too. She had left Dawson a note to say she would meet him here as planned. But, he either hadn’t seen it yet or he chose to ignore her request.

  Another hour went by. Disappointed, Grace stood up to leave. He wasn’t coming. She may as well face reality. “I’m leaving now,” she told Jenna. “If he would happen to come by, please tell him I went home.”

  Jenna walked her to the door. “I will. I’m sorry, I’ll smooth things over here, offer some excuse why you were alone. I know how the townsfolk talk.”

  She turned to leave. “Thank you.”

  Grace didn’t feel like going home. She stood on the boarded walk staring at the darkened office. There was no light from the back, so she knew he had never made it home. She began to wander down the street, past the church and parish. Perhaps she’d check on the staged house, make sure everything was ready for Saturday night.

  A feeling of doom arose inside of Grace as she placed one step in front of the other. Her shawl kept her shoulders warm but she pulled it tighter. Where was Dawson? Would he do this to her on a nightly basis? She didn’t know what to do. Inside of the staged home, she struck a match and lit the lantern hanging on the wall right inside the door.

  The darkness evaporated as she walked through the house with the portable oil lantern, not knowing why she was there because everything was fine, the house was staged perfectly. Whatever amount of money this sale would bring was one hundred percent profit. Grace loved the thought of making a tidy sum from one sale. The one good thing from today was after depositing the money from Mr. Fisher in the bank earlier, they were now making a profit. Dawson’s brother would be happy and wouldn’t try to take the business away.

  Wandering to the window at the back of the house, Grace peeked out towards the Fisher cabin. She hoped and prayed they made things right and the family could begin to heal. A dim light shone through the window as several silhouettes crossed the large framed opening. Grace pressed her nose to the cold glass, trying to make out a face. She wanted to see what Mrs. Fisher looked like but the shadows weren’t clear enough. She promised herself to call upon them in the near future.

  Grace placed the lamp back, bending slightly as she blew out the flame, working her way outside to the porch. She looked around, realizing too late how dark it seemed. Modern street lamps like in New York City would be so helpful here. Perhaps she should suggest it at a town meeting, if they had any.

  Beside her, soft music flowed from Miss Addie’s boarding house. She heard a variety of voices singing along, the sound flowing through the open window. Grace sat on the front porch step listening, humming along, not wanting to disturb Miss Addie and her guests. She’d sit for awhile and let the music sooth her soul before returning to an empty house.

  Grace heard the footsteps before seeing who they belonged to. They were slow and steady, so she turned towards the corner of the house as someone’s boots hit the dirt coming from the direction of the cabin. Should she be alarmed? Grace had never been out alone at night. She tucked herself in to the corner of the step, hoping whoever passed by wouldn’t notice her since there was no time to go inside.

  The boots hesitated before stopping in front of the porch. Grace was nervous and curious at the same time, thinking it may be one of the Fishers. She peeked her head out from the steps to find her husband standing there, staring at the house. She didn’t think he noticed her sitting alone in the dark. The soft music stopped for a brief moment to be replaced by some bouncy piano tune. The voices inside became louder. Grace tried to stay still but her foot began to tap against the wooden step.

  “I see you, Grace. What are you doing out alone?”

  She stood. “I didn’t want to go home to an empty house.”

  “I am ashamed, Grace. I haven’t been home, trying to figure things out. I went to see the Fishers.”

  “We had a date.”

  She heard the intake of his breath, the surprise in his voice. “I’m so sorry, Grace. I forgot.”

  Grace went to him. “Will you always forget me whenever you have something going on?”

  He swung towards her. “Never, Grace. When I left today, I was so mad that I had to get away. I didn’t want you to see me so angry and hurt at what I thought you did.”

  “Why were you mad? What did you think I did?” Confused, Grace pulled on her shawl, instantly tightening it around her. She hadn’t done a thing to him.

  Hesitating at first, he turned towards the street. “Grace, I am ashamed to admit I thought you betrayed me.”

  “What! I’d never do so! Dawson, how could you!”

  “I know, I was wrong. When I went to the livery this morning, I saw you in Fisher’s arms. It crushed me, Grace. I thought you cared and when I saw him holding you, it killed me.”

  Anger flashed in her eyes. “I gave the man a hug. He’s been through so much and he agreed to talk to you about what happened. If you came upon us, you should have stayed to find out the real reason I was there.”

  “I know, Grace. I am weak about anything to do with the Fishers. Afterwards, I went to the saloon and sat there for hours, contemplating a drink. In the end, it wasn’t worth taking a swallow. I left there and walked and walked, winding up at the Fishers. I just left there. I’m so sorry I missed our dinner together. Forgive me, Grace.”

  She stared at him, knowing he was truly sorry and yet anguished at what to do. He couldn’t be allowed to treat her so lightly, no matter what he was going through. “I do forgive you, Dawson and I’m glad you made things right with the Fishers. With me, however, it may take some time to get over things. I’m not happy at all at being stood up by my husband. I’ll be the talk of the town come morning.” With that, she mustered up all the energy she could, turned and marched down the street, holding her skirts out of the dirt.

  He followed behind, catching up within a few seconds. “Grace, what can I do to make this up to you?” He caught her elbow and swung her around. She all but fell in to his arms. Looking up at his handsome face, she almost gave in. What she wanted to do was plant a kiss on him but she didn’t. He couldn’t get away with treating her so. Even though a wife must accept any of her husband’s discretions, she always thought that was nonsense and she was having non of it, no way. She was a modern woman and wouldn’t put up with any shenanigans.

  She pulled away. “Dawson Sloan, it make take lots of flowers and sweet talk to convince me you are truly sorry. The chocolate at the mercantile, you know, those imported from Belgium would help also. Goodnight, it’s going to be a long day tomorrow.”

  Grace hurried inside so he didn’t follow. She wanted him to suffer some to learn his lesson but wound up being the one to suffer alone in bed. She opened her eyes during the night to find him by the fire, rocking back and forth. When she stirred in bed, moving over to make room, she called out to him to come to bed, he turned to her and grinned, a content look on his face.

  “Go back to sleep, Grace. We have a busy day tomorrow.”

  “I forgive you, Dawson. Come to bed.”

  “No Grace,
shh, go to sleep.”

  Grace tossed and turned for some time, realizing he turned the tables on her. A slight smile covered her face as she drifted off.

  <><>

  Something tickled her nose. She looked down on the blanket to find a set of brown eyes staring at her. They were round and scared and attached to a brown puppy so cute she cried out. Sitting up in bed, Grace gathered the little thing in her arms. It was so tiny and soft. She looked around for her husband but he was gone. Disappeared.

  He brought her a puppy.

  Score one point for the husband.

  Grace played with the puppy, giggling as it became curious and chased her hand all over the quilt. When she heard the noise at the door, she looked up to find Dawson holding a tray in his hands.

  “How did I do?”

  She laughed out loud. “Beautiful, so far. A puppy is much better than flowers or chocolates, although I love them, too.”

  He entered the room, setting the tray on her lap. A single flower in a makeshift cup graced the meal. “How about breakfast? Would that give me points?”

  “Maybe.” The curious puppy sniffed at the plate, his tongue slaking out to capture the eggs on the plate. Grace pulled a little piece off, feeding the puppy the soft food.

  “Thank you.”

  “I love you, Grace. I don’t want to lose you and I’ll do anything to make things better.”

  She turned to him. “You love me, Dawson? Truly?”

  “Yes. I am in love with my beautiful wife.” He knelt down at the side of the bed, taking her hand in his.

  The puppy ignored, she placed a hand over his cheek. “I love you too, Dawson. Please, don’t ever go in to the saloon like you did, promise me you will talk to me first before getting upset.”

  He sat on the bed, by her side, taking her in his arms. “I promise, my love, I will never do something as foolish as to think you want another man. When I talked to Fisher and he explained everything, I realized right away what a fool I was. I can’t promise you a perfect marriage, but I’ll do my best to make you happy, to care for you as you deserve and to provide you with a home like no one else can. You have my word.”

  Grace knew it was the beginning of a whole new life. Her husband had finally come around, forgiving his past and able to move forward. “I promise, Mr. Sloan, to stick by your side, no matter the cost, whatever it is or what challenges lie ahead, I am always here, your wife and true love.”

  She kissed him then, full on his mouth and with every ounce of love inside her heart. When the wet tongue slid across her cheek she jumped back in shock. The puppy jumped on her while he continued to lick her and yelp.

  Dawson and Grace rolled across the bed, laughter rising from deep in their souls. The puppy ran over them both, bouncing and yelping, drawing the laughter from deeper inside. It was a great day to be alive.

  <><>

  “Ben.” Dawson watched him walk in to the staged house. Bigger than life, he had an air about him like no other in this small town of Wichita Falls. The man was well dressed, a gentleman and his big brother. People stopped to stare at the man who came through the door. Dawson excused himself.

  “Dawson,” his brother said, his deep voice reverberating through the room. The brothers shook hands and hugged, patting each other on the back.

  “It’s great to see you, Ben.”

  “Likewise. I see you have the business back to normal.” He turned to look around the room, nodding at several townsfolk.

  “Come meet my wife.” Ben followed him to the small crowd surrounding his beautiful wife. “This is Ben Sloan, Grace. My brother.”

  Grace, graceful as always, held out her hand. He watched in amusement as Ben took her hand, kissed it and then pulled her to him for a hug. “Welcome to the family, sister. I hear you tamed my little brother.”

  She laughed out loud. “It didn’t take a whole lot,” she swore, staring at Ben. “You have a fine brother. I’m proud to be his wife.”

  Ben nodded. “Thank you.” As if there were an unspoken language between the two, Grace turned and smiled at him. I love you, she mouth before returning to the others.

  He stood beside his brother, watching the crowd. “This whole thing is Grace’s idea, Ben. She staged the furniture and invited everyone within twenty miles of Wichita Falls to come see the house for sale.”

  “Brilliant idea. I can see she compliments you.” Ben turned to him. “I’m sorry for what you had to deal with, Dawson. I wasn’t trying to shut you down, honest. I just needed you to grow up and stop blaming yourself for the murders. It was never your fault.”

  “I see that now. Grace helped me. I’ve got a good life here, Ben. Why don’t you stay. Forget Fort Worth. Make this your home.”

  A distant look came in to his brother’s eyes. Dawson knew he was thinking of Lily. The two had loved each other for a long time but something happened. Neither one would tell him. He knew the moment Lily stepped in to the room. Ben’s eyes glazed over. The need and want he saw there was the same Dawson felt for his wife.

  Then Ben announced his plans, loud enough Lily could hear from the other side of the room. “I am back, Dawson. I bought the hotel next to Jenna’s Fine Dining.”

  “That’s great, brother.” He slapped him on the back.

  Ben looked at Lily before he finished. She stared at him, her dark eyes opened wide, the longing there for all to see. “I’m going to do the same thing you did, Dawson. I’m going to order me a mail order bride.”

  The crowd in the room got quiet. Everyone looked at Lily. Dawson thought it was petty and mean of Ben to make such an announcement in front of Lily. After all, the two were in love with each other.

  “That’s not right, brother.”

  “Maybe not, but perhaps the woman will come to her senses. I’ve asked her for the last three years to marry me. Sent her letters to have them sent back unopened. If she doesn’t do something soon, I will marry. I’m tired of being alone. I want a wife like you have.”

  Dawson turned to his wife. She was the best thing that ever happened to him. I love you, he mouthed back before heading outside to show his brother more of their holdings. He had a great life now, with a beautiful wife and living in a town he was proud of.

  It was a great life. A great day to be alive.

  <><> Thank you for reading Grace <><>

  Keep reading for more....

  Lily

  Chapter 1

  After his announcement of wanting to order a mail order bride, Ben Sloan stood firm, his feet planted to the wooden floor while Lily marched up to him, slapped his face and walked out the door. All in front of the guests at the premier open house. His hand automatically went to cover a burning cheek. Not because it hurt, no. He placed his hand there because Lily had touched his skin and he wanted to feel the heat from her touch.

  “Good gawd, brother! She sure let you have it!” Dawson began to laugh, followed by other snickers in the room.

  Ben turned to his little brother. “Thanks. Now you have the whole town making fun of me.”

  Dawson shook his head. “Nah, it wasn’t me, Ben. Lily herself slid right on up and gave you a whack like nobody’s business. Can’t say you don’t deserve it.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Ben rubbed his cheek first, then along his jaw before stuffing his hands deep in the pockets of his long duster. He stared at the crowd of on-lookers. When they saw Ben staring back, many turned away or left the room in a hurry.

  “It means you are a fool, brother. Lily has been head over heels in love with you for a long, long time. You’re blind as a bat if you can’t see for yourself. Everyone can tell.”

  Ben sighed. “That’s where you’re wrong, Dawson. Lily doesn’t love me. She never has. I thought she did at one time, but it was her way of entertaining herself with me while I was here. She pretended to care until one day she stopped as if what we had never existed. She’d wait for me when I’d come to town, out on the train depot, even when it was pouring
down rain like cats and dogs. Remember how I’d take the train every week from Fort Worth to spend time with her? Then I moved here for a year and we spent all our free time together until one day she up and quit meeting me at all.”

  “I’m sorry, Ben. I didn’t understand why you left here in such a hurry. Was it because of Lily?”

  “When she told me it was over, I begged her to tell me why. She didn’t have a clear answer. Told me some story of how she had become an enlightened woman and wanted to make it on her own. Next time I’d see her, she’d tell me how she wasn’t ready to settle down. It all started when she began working at the saloon right after her folks passed away. I told her we could marry and she wouldn’t have to work there ever again ‘cause I knew she didn’t like to be there. At first, I thought she’d oblige. Then she began to back away, a little every day. After awhile, she’d ignore me. That’s the reason I left. Went back to Fort Worth for good after that but I missed her like crazy every single day. So here I am. I bought the hotel so I’m here to make it prosper.”

  “Congratulations on buying the hotel. Does that mean you plan to stay and win back Lily?” Dawson raised a brow at him.

  “I sure plan to try. If she won’t have me I’ll have no choice but to hire Miss Addie to find me a mail order bride.” Ben gritted his teeth, looping a thumb through the opening of his pants pocket. He would never give up on Lily but he’d darn well try to wake her up and make her realize they were meant for each other. Something had happened to her. He planned to get to the bottom of things.

  “She helped me through a lot of hard times, Ben. I’ll do whatever I can to help the two of you.”

  Ben slung an arm across his brother’s shoulders. “I know, Dawson. You wrote me, told me everything when you weren’t drunk as a skunk. Can’t blame you though, it’s all in the past. I’m counting on you to help me with Lily.”