They opened with the Lord’s Prayer and ended with their personal thanks. Cole immediately stood and said, “I – I have a bedroll here somewhere.”
“Bedroll?”
“You take the bed,” Cole said. He marched to his cabinet and began scavenging through the pile.
Mercy took a deep breath, crossed herself, and muttered low, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.” It was a comforting passage, one that Mercy had once used when bandits passed by Edgeport.
Now she felt a different kind of fear. She cleared her throat, took a few deep breaths, and said, “The bed’s big enough for the both of us.”
Cole hit his hand on the drawer and hissed. He turned to her, frozen.
“I – I mean, it’s big enough for three people, at least.” She fiddled with her petticoat.
Cole nodded slowly. “That’s – that’s true.” He whirled around and suddenly flopped down on the floor. Mercy thought he had fainted!
Instead, he had reached under the bed for something – a pile of connected wood. He pulled it up and placed it by the cabinet. “Here, you can change behind this – into – into your nightgown or other…”
Mercy hadn’t realized she was still in her apron and petticoat! She dropped her gaze to the floor and practically ran behind the partition. “Th – thank you.”
When she was only in her chemise and undergarments, she slid immediately under the covers, grateful that Cole had his back to her. She had never been this underdressed with a man before. Granted, the man was her husband, but still! Mercy blushed so much, she was sure her toes were red.
Mercy slowly turned to her side, when lightning flashed behind the windows, and thunder rolled by. She jumped and flung a hand to Cole, who got smacked in the face. “Ow!”
“I’m so sorry,” she whispered, turning to him.
Cole faced her, and held her hand against his face. “Are you scared?”
His warm breath rolled off her face like a welcomed breeze. “A little.”
The bed creaked as Cole inched forward. Mercy shivered, although whether it was because of the cold weather or the heat of present company, she wasn’t sure. Cole pulled the blanket up to their shoulders.
Thunder boomed again, and this time, Mercy found herself just an inch from Cole. How that happened, she wasn’t sure. His gray eyes looked silver in the faint moonlight streaming from the cracks of the window. Mercy blinked, and opened her eyes to find Cole’s warm mouth on hers. It was just a peck, but she kissed back, and he pressed forward.
When the thunder cracked across the sky again, it fell on deaf ears.
Chapter 8
“So, you’re all from Arkansas?” Mercy asked at breakfast. “That’s a long way from here.”
Mercy placed a bowl of fresh fruits at the center of the table and the Indian woman, who had introduced herself as Faith, set the plates and started slicing the bread.
“We’re making our way to Oregon.”
“I hope you don’t mind me asking,” Mercy began, “but your name doesn’t sound –“
“Like an Indian’s name?” She smiled. “I was first called Frozen River, as I was born during a very cold winter’s night. But when I met Benjamin, I was baptized as Faith.”
“You’re a Christian?” Mercy asked, eyes wide in surprise.
Faith nodded. “Our children are Christian, too, but still, many people turn us away when they see that I’m Indian.”
“What’s waiting for you in Oregon?”
“A few of my Sioux family,” Faith said. “They, too, have converted to Christianity. Benjamin’s been very kind and had helped my family escape many dangers.”
“Mama!” Two children raced to Faith. The boy threw himself into her arms, while the girl looked at Mercy.
“Hello, there,” Mercy greeted the child.
The girl blushed and immediately hid behind her mother’s skirt. “Good morning,” she replied.
Cole appeared at the table, with Benjamin behind him.
“Good morning,” both men said together.
“Good morning,” Mercy replied. She met Cole’s eyes and she blushed at his gaze.
Faith ushered the children onto chairs.
“Mama, can I have this, please?” the little girl asked, pointing at the bread.
“Of course,” Mercy said, eagerly, breaking a piece off for the girl, who took it with a smile.
“What do we say, Jen?” Benjamin prodded.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” Mercy smiled at the child.
That morning, the house was filled with noise, but when Mercy looked at her husband’s face, he seemed to welcome it. And Mercy found herself watching the family interact with one another, the children pouting and smiling in the space of one minute, and Faith and Benjamin exasperated but happy. She felt a slight pang of jealousy, but just briefly.
“I have to go help with Carl Haynes’ funeral,” Cole whispered.
“Oh, let me just finish clearing the table,” Mercy said, standing.
“No.” Cole touched her hand and tilted his head to their guests, who had also stood from the table. “Stay here with them. I don’t want the neighbors to accuse them of stealing or anything. Let’s just meet at the church later.”
“Will there be a service?” Mercy asked.
Cole nodded. “Pastor Shepard said it would be a good idea to offer one for the winter.”
“And everyone will be there?” Mercy glanced at Faith, who had started to clear the table.
“Yes.” Cole’s brows furrowed. He looked at his wife who was still staring at their guests. “What is it, Mercy?”
She turned to him and smiled. “Oh, nothing. I just thought of something.” She touched his arm. “I’ll see you later then.”
He grinned and kissed her cheek. It tingled. Mercy could hardly help the noise that escaped her. She blushed and put a hand on her lips as her husband left.
* * *
“Everything ready?” Mercy asked.
“Ready,” Faith said. She grinned at Mercy. “This is enough to feed a village, Mrs. Beckett.”
Mercy winked. “That’s the idea.”
Faith laughed.
“Stop that, Benny,” Benjamin said, shooting his little boy a soft glare.
Benny immediately retrieved his hand from the basket. “Sorry.”
Benjamin looked up from his son to give Mercy a confused look. “I know you mean well, Mrs. Beckett, but what if –?”
“It’ll be all right,” Mercy said, as they trudged down the road. “Have faith.”
The man smiled and placed a hand around his wife’s shoulder. “I already do.”
After a few minutes of walking, they stopped outside cracked open, large brown doors of the church. The late afternoon sun cast a dim glow on the town. Some of the townspeople gave them curious looks as they passed by the strangers.
Mercy looked at her companions, whose pinched faces expressed their anxiety. “Let’s get inside before the service starts.”
They went inside the church, and found their seats, all while bearing the heated looks on their backs.
“What are they doing here? This is a house of God!” As always Edith complained first.
“I knew taking in outsiders was a bad omen.”
“Cole Beckett should’ve warned his wife…”
Mercy turned to Faith, who fidgeted with her basket. “Don’t mind them. Everything will soon be all right.”
After a few minutes, the gossip hadn’t died down. Mercy prayed fervently for Pastor Shepard to arrive.
The door near the altar burst open and Mercy craned her neck to see the pastor. But it was Claire who came in instead.
“I’m sorry everyone,” she said, “but Pastor Shepard will be late. He had to preside over the funeral at the edge of town, and the weather had delayed his return.”
Faith turned to Mercy. “Is this part of God’s plan?”
/>
Mercy shrugged. “I hope so.” The people started muttering again, throwing them odd looks. “I really hope so.”
Chapter 9
The wind had gotten stronger and colder. It was so bad that the church doors had to be closed. Claire had lighted the candles again, after they had been blown out by the wind for the third time.
“The Lord is displeased,” Mrs. Jenkins said, shooting Mercy an angry look. “This is supposed to be a time for the children of God to pray to him.”
“That’s true,” her daughter, Maria, piped up. “This is punishment.”
“Punishment for what?” Claire suddenly said to them, while approaching Maria. “For helping strangers?”
“Strangers not of the faith,” Helena, from the shop, said.
“But weren’t we taught, ‘What you do the least of my brothers, you do unto me’?” Bridgett Haynes suddenly said. She had just come in from the cold, followed by a couple of people. “Cole and Mercy offered their help for my cousin’s funeral, without reward. Why would the Lord punish their kindness?”
The townspeople murmured among themselves.
“Is Nathan with you?” Claire asked.
Bridgett shook her head. “We went ahead when the storm ceased, but it picked up again.”
Lightning and thunder raced each other, and the candles blew out again. The women gasped, some children shrieked, and the men closed the doors and fastened the windows once more.
“Everyone, please be calm!” Claire said.
“We’re being punished, I tell you!” Mrs. Jenkins persisted. She turned to her neighbors, who nodded their heads.
“Oh, hush,” Bridgett exclaimed at the older woman.
Mercy approached Claire at the dais, and said, “Faith and I brought some bread and a few candles for the service. We can hand them to everyone.”
Claire nodded.
Mercy looked at Faith, and together, they handed out some bread and candles to the families inside the church. Claire struck a match and gave light to the church goers.
“How is this going to help us?” a man asked. “This won’t stop the storm!”
“No, but it’ll keep the cold and darkness at bay,” Mercy said.
“That’s it.” Faith showed Mercy her empty basket.
Mercy nodded and raised her voice. “Everyone, I think it would be a good idea for all of us to huddle together near the altar and pray for the storm to pass.”
Claire ushered the people nearer the altar. Mercy turned to Faith. “Could you lead us in prayer, Faith?”
“Me?”
“Her?” a few surprised whispers echoed in the back.
Mercy nodded and smiled.
Faith looked at the people, who stared back at her, confused. She crossed herself, and Mrs. Jenkins gasped.
“The Lord is my shepherd,” Faith began, and whispers rippled across the churchgoers, “I shall not want.”
Benjamin’s voice joined his wife’s as they recited Psalm 23. Mercy and Claire joined in too, and soon, everyone spoke the prayer in unison. Even Mrs. Jenkins.
The minute they ended the prayer, there was a loud banging at the door.
“Open up! Anyone!”
“Cole.” Mercy lifted her skirt and ran to open the doors.
A couple of men, including Cole and Pastor Shepard stumbled inside, panting but alive.
Mercy hugged her husband. “Are you all right?”
He nodded. “And you?”
“Never better.”
“It’s a sign!” Claire said, hugging her brother. She led him to the altar, while talking rapidly about Faith and Mercy.
Cole glanced at Mercy. “Anything happened while we were away?”
Mercy just smiled as Pastor Shepard called everyone to be seated for the service.
Epilogue
“Mercy, stop worrying.” Cole rubbed Mercy’s back, but she continued to fidget.
“I know, I know,” she said, “but there’s a new girl coming to town today.”
“Faith and Hannah can handle it.” Cole titled her chin up at him and he smiled. “Bridgett’s also helping them, so everything will be fine.”
Mercy sighed. Even after six months of running an inn and her own agency for mail order brides, she still couldn’t let the others do all the work. If only she was feeling better…
“But what if they can’t handle both the inn and the agency? I know Hannah has her experience as a mail order bride, but –“
“Mama!” A little girl with braided dark locks bounded inside the room and flung herself around Mercy’s midriff.
“What is it, Amy? Did you lose your doll again?”
“No,” the little girl blushed and shook her head. “Allison said you’re sick.”
Cole rolled his eyes and placed Amy on his knees. “Allison’s just kidding, Amy. Mama’s not sick.”
“But Mama’s not been feeling well.”
“I’ll be fine.” Mercy pinched her cheeks and smiled. “You should be outside with the other kids.”
“Cole? Mercy?”
Pastor Shepard, Claire, and Mrs. Edwards, the town physician's wife, trooped in. Claire had a very big smile on her face.
“What is it, Reverend?” Cole said. He stood up and hitched Amy on his hip.
“Pastor Shepard told me your symptoms,” Mrs. Edwards said with a smile. “And I know exactly what’s happening to you, my dear. And it’s not the flu.”
“What is it–?” Mercy began, but was cut off by Claire’s huge grin and loud exclamation.
“You’re pregnant!” Claire immediately jumped on Mercy and enveloped her in a hug. “I’m going to be a godmother!”
When Claire finally released her, Mercy gasped and looked at Cole. He took her in his arms and kissed her on the lips.
Amy looked at Pastor Shepard, over her father’s shoulder. “Does this mean I’m gonna have a baby brother?”
“Or a sister,” Claire said.
Amy beamed. “I can’t wait to have a baby sister!”
“Neither can we,” Cole said, and hugged Mercy.
Thank You!
Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed following Mercy’s story. I would really appreciate it if you could take a few minutes to leave a review for the book (on Amazon, GoodReads, or even your own blog and social media). God bless You for helping spread these positive love stories!
And if you’d like to read more about Angel Creek and other Mail Order Brides please check out the other books in the series. :)
Contact
Feel free to reach out to me any time, I love hearing reader feedback!
Email: [email protected]
Facebook:
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Twitter: @AuthorCWard
Book Updates: http://eepurl.com/bwaPnf
Further Reading
Enjoyed this book? :) You should also try the stories below.
Love for Christmas
Christmas Angel (Prequel) – http://amzn.to/1Qc7agK
Julia's meant for greater things, at least according to her mother, but what good is her precious voice, if she has no say who her heart can sing for.
Widows of Virginia Series
Maude’s Trials – http://amzn.to/1JjMIZ0
Meet Maude, a widow desperate to provide for her children. But the last thing this mail order bride expected when she arrived West, was for her future husband to already be engaged to another.
Laura’s Second Chance – http://amzn.to/1nMRaG4
Meet Laura, a widow haunted by her husband's passing, who refuses to consider other suitors. Instead, she finds solace in the letters from an old friend. But when Robert shows up on her doorstep ready to sweep her away to the frontier, can she find the strength for a new beginning?
Love by Mail series
Love by Mail Boxset Bundle – http://amzn.to/1OtBKSO
Get all five Angel Creek stories in one handy bundle (you get a saving over buying the individual stories one
by one too!). Included are books 1-5: Undertaker, Miner, Fur Trader, Sheriff & Thanksgiving
~ or get the individual stories ~
A Mail Order Bride for the Miner – http://amzn.to/1R2b4ch
Meet Mercy, an orphan desperate to help those who had raised her and maybe, just maybe, find true love while she supports those in need. But is Cole, a strangely jolly undertaker in a town full of unwelcoming strangers, really what the Lord had in store for her?
A Mail Order Bride for the Fur Trader – http://amzn.to/1R2b5wO
Meet Joy, a fashion lover intent on finding her prince charming. But when forced to marry a man she despises, even the life of a mail order bride seems a better fate. But will her prayers be answered when she meets a hardy fur trader in the West?
A Mail Order Bride for the Sheriff – http://amzn.to/1R2b8ZB
Meet Mary Ann, a down to earth kind of gal, running away to the West in search of a simple, honest life. But with Warren looking for a classy lady to boost his reputation can the two find love despite their differences?
A Mail Order Bride for Thanksgiving – http://amzn.to/1R2bdfH
Meet Betty, the best cook in town. But while her mother taught her the way to a man's heart leads through his stomach, the suitors don't seem to line up for this curvy gal. To avoid being judged by her looks she becomes a mail order bride, but when she meets John, her Christian, part-Lakota husband-to-be, she might need to overcome her own prejudice first.
A Mail Order Bride for the Undertaker: Mercy & Cole (Love by Mail 1) Page 5
