Mail Order Bride 22 Book Boxed set: 22 Brides Ride West :CLEAN Western Historical Romance Series Bundle

by Faye Sonja

  3

  “You Deaf?”

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  “ No one had ever touched her

  so sweetly before. No man

  had ever kissed her before. ”

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  A loud cry came from the surrounding crowd. There were mixed emotions around her. There was a combination of glee and disappointment from almost every other seat. Hannah sat on a bench next to Katherine.

  “Faith is up to bat,” Katherine told her, just before she was on her feet. “Hit a home run, Faith!”

  “Women don’t know nothing about no baseball!” A man, who sounded young to Hannah’s ears, shouted.

  Katherine shouted back to him, having to lean around Hannah. “Let’s see how you talk when we win!” Hannah ducked, trying to block out the shouting from her ears.

  Once they’d got to the game, Katherine had let her in on what the baseball game was really all about. As she’d said at the house, it all started out as a kids game, and once Hannah arrived to the field that had been designated for the game, she learned that not only had the adults taken over the game, the kids weren’t even allowed to play.

  It all started when one father, Mr. Miller, had told Mr. Green that his daughter couldn’t play with the boys. Mr. Miller felt that the girls should have their own game, saying, “Let the girls have their own game.” And so, the war was on. The coaches of the game were Mr. Miller and Mr. Green. On Mr. Miller’s team was everyone who believed that girls should play. There were even women on his team. Faith and Daniel both backed him. On Mr. Green’s team, was nothing but men. Mark was on that team. When Hannah was informed that Mark was on that team, she’d shaken her head. How could anyone in this day in age truly believe that women couldn’t do everything that a man could do?

  “You enjoying the game, Hannah?” A voice asked from a few feet away. The high pitched, nasally sounding voice shouted over the noise of the crowd, but the people around Hannah had gotten quiet once the voice was heard and the presence was felt.

  Hannah felt Katherine’s arm grab hers. “Ignore her.” Katherine hissed. Hannah didn’t know what was going on, but she felt compelled to take the advice. Whomever the woman was who’d asked the question, was only trying to upset her. No need to fan the fire.

  “You deaf?” The voice asked.

  Hannah gasped. How rude! But apparently, Hannah wasn’t the only one who thought so. She heard snickering coming from some of the people around. Hannah’s heart began to beat furiously. Growing up at the School for the Blind, Hannah didn’t have much experience with bullies. The people she’d grown up around had been much more sensitive towards Hannah’s feelings.

  “If only we all could be so blessed and highly favored, Nancy. Then we wouldn’t have to hear that screeching thing you call a voice!” Katherine shouted back. Some people around laughed. Hannah hid her smile. She could finally put a name to the voice. Nancy. She was sure not to forget the woman anytime soon, for indeed, her voice was horrid.

  Nancy didn’t say anything more. Hannah heard a smack and the crowd around her seemed to stand and shout. Some in happiness, and some in anger.

  “Go, Faith, go!” Katherine shouted. Hannah could feel the brush of Katherine’s skirt as she jumped up and down. Hannah was sure that little Paula, who was tightly secured to Katherine’s hip, was taken along for the ride.

  The noise around Hannah only grew louder, stronger. The energy around was consuming. Anticipation was thick in the air. If Faith made it to home base, it would be the end of the game.

  “Daniel hit the plate! Come on home, Faith!”

  Five long seconds later, the crowd’s voice ripped through the atmosphere, their shouts of joy and angry crashed over Hannah’s body. It was over. Mr. Miller had won.

  “Ha!” Katherine shouted in Hannah’s direction, but she was sure Katherine was talking to the man who’d shouted earlier. “Hope you learned your lesson, Sheriff Graves!”

  “A fluke, I tell you. It was a fluke!” Sheriff Graves shouted back.

  Hannah laughed. The sheriff? He sounded too young to be a sheriff. Again, all Hannah could do was shake her head. The words had been harsh, but in good humor. The game had been one of friendly competition. She could hear the smile in both Katherine and Sheriff Graves’ voices.

  “I’ll be right back,” Katherine told Hannah. Then Hannah could tell she was gone.

  “Mark,” Nancy had walked past Hannah. “I’m so sorry your team lost.” There was a mock pout in her voice, right before happiness returned. “I was cheering for you the whole time.”

  “And it carried me through,” Mark replied.

  A lot of good it did you, Hannah though. Jealousy spread down Hannah’s arms, causing her palms to fist close. The nerve of that woman.

  “Oh, Mark. You’re so funny.” Nancy and Mark’s voice sounded like they were standing close together. Too close for Hannah’s comfort. Hannah stood up and began to make her way in their direction.

  “Hannah, watch out…”

  Mark’s warning came too late. Hannah’s foot hit something in her path. She slipped, landing on her butt. Nancy gasped, right before a giggle left her lips. Some other small laughs could be heard from the people that surrounded them. They weren’t loud. They knew better than to openly laugh at the injured, but Hannah could hear them, she had more than a keen sense of hearing. And for once, she wished she were deaf. Her heart started to beat wildly. She felt embarrassed and sad. Embarrassed only because Nancy had seen it. Sad, because Mark had been no doubt by the woman’s side when it had happened.

  “Let me help you up,” Mark’s hand touched her arm.

  Hannah jerked away, as if his touch had stung her. “Don’t touch me.” Hannah wanted to cry, but she was holding it together. If anyone touched her now, she wasn’t sure she’d be strong enough to keep her tears at bay. This had been a mistake. It had all been a mistake. Hannah suddenly felt she didn’t belong here in the outside world. She should go back to the school. It would be best for everyone.

  “I’m sorry, Hannah.” Mark whispered to her.

  Hannah didn’t move. She was trying to control her breathing, trying to calm her anger. She was angry with herself. What had she been thinking? This was what she deserved for lying. She felt as though she may have had it coming. She didn’t know Mark. She didn’t know anyone here. She only knew the people at the school. She had people she considered her friends at the school. This place, this foreign land, she wanted no part of. She was sure she would leave.

  Hannah stood.

  “Hannah, are you alright?” Katherine was back. A warm and soft hand touched her arm. Hannah immediately clung to it. “Get me out of her,” Hannah whispered.

  “Okay,” Katherine whispered back.

  The women then began to move. Hannah didn’t breathe normally again, until she could no longer hear the voices of the crowd. The noise of all the activity was faint and far behind her when Hannah felt the first tear begin to fall.

  * * *

  “She won’t talk to me,” Mark told Daniel a week later. He was at Daniel’s home. Katherine had taken Paula and Hannah over to Faith’s shop for the day. It was just the two men.

  “I’m surprised I’m still talking to you,” Daniel responded.

  Mark sighed. The comment was deserved, he supposed. Staring into Daniel’s eyes, he could see the man’s slight anger. Mark averted his eyes, deciding to look around the home. Daniel had built a home against Perry Lake’s wooded area. The trees were so tall that they completely shaded the entire ranch home.

  Perry Lake was such a nice place that you almost forgot you were in Kansas. The fresh water lake was surrounded by miles of tall trees, wildflowers, and the greenest grass Mark had ever seen. Perry Lake was like a little piece of paradise plotted perfectly in the middle of the hot desert. The town, only a decade old, was still so young, but more and more people were movi
ng into and around the town with each passing year. Soon, the town would be a metropolis, some city just as big and flashy as Kansas City. Mark could feel it. He’d watched the town come to life right before his eyes.

  Their town was made up of settlers from all around the world. Everyone seemed to be trying to stake a claim there in Kansas’ little heaven. Mark had even bought some land. His home wasn’t too far from Daniel’s. He’d bought it once he’d finally decided that he’d soon settle down get married. Before, Mark had been living in a room in the local inn. No proper woman would have lived there with him. So, he’d bought a home. A home for Hannah. The same Hannah who’d all but dismissed him from her life.

  Daniel got Mark’s attention again. “I thought I told you to stay away from Nancy. She’s nothing but a headache. She’ll just ruin you, that woman.”

  Mark sighed. “I know.”

  “Obviously not.” Daniel interjected.

  Mark looked at Daniel then. “The comment just slipped. You know me. I would have said it to any woman who’d said what Nancy said.”

  Daniel shook his head. “I know that, Mark, but Hannah doesn’t. How do you think she feels hearing you flirt with the enemy?”

  Mark sighed again. It seemed to be the only thing he could do. “I didn’t know she was the enemy until everyone told me what had happened during the game.” And when Mark said every, he meant everyone. The entire church seemed to back Hannah. It had gotten so bad that Mark’s sermon the next weekend had been on forgiveness and love. That had gotten them to settle down. Yet, even still. If it weren’t for the congregation’s kindness towards Hannah, Mark was almost sure Hannah would have left. The thought made Mark panic inside, but he wasn’t sure why. He knew he didn’t love Hannah, but there was something about her.

  Hannah was a quiet presence in his life. So silent, yet so very powerful. She was beautiful, and smelled like flowers, and her voice... Even though none of her most recent words had been directed towards him, Mark loved her voice. It was so sweet. Every time she parted her small pale lips, it was like cinnamon and sugar poured from her mouth. Mark could still remember the feel of her kiss. There’d been no hesitation, just the faintest pressure and Mark was lost. Hannah was a gem and she was his, but Mark wasn’t sure for how long. “What should I do, Daniel?”

  Daniel picked up his coffee. “Make it right.”

  “How?”

  “I don’t know, Mark.” Daniel’s eyes were narrowed. “She’s your wife. What do you know about her?”

  Mark thought on it for a moment. “I thought I knew quite a bit, but Hannah doesn’t seem anything like the young woman I’d been corresponding with before she got here. The letters had seemed to come from the voice of a woman who was long winded, yet Hannah is so quiet. Even before she started to ignore me, she barely spoke.”

  “She’s in a new place where she doesn’t know anyone, Mark.”

  “I know.”

  “And,” Daniel continued, driving home his point. “The man who’s supposedly her husband is flirting with another woman.”

  “I know!” Mark all but cried. “I have to make this right.”

  Daniel nodded his head, sipping his coffee.

  “Tell me what I should do.”

  Daniel shook his head. “Nope. You’re on your own, buddy. Your wife, your issue. I got a wife of my own to deal with.”

  Mark rolled his eyes. “Like you don’t enjoy every minute of it.”

  Daniel smiled. “You know I do.”

  Mark rolled his ocean blue eyes again, but a smile came across his face. He watched that pleasant look take over Daniel’s face. He wanted that. He wanted peace even through the roughest of storms. He wanted peace with his wife. He had to make things right with Hannah.

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  4

  “How Many Are There?”

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  “ No one had ever touched her

  so sweetly before. No man

  had ever kissed her before. ”

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  Hannah felt a small hand touch the skirt on her knee. She reached out and Paula crawled into her lap, resting with the back of her little head on Hannah’s chest. Hannah smiled. She couldn’t see the little girl, but felt such joy in holding her. She knew Paula was only in Hannah’s lap because both Katherine and Faith were unavailable at the moment, but it was nice to know that the little girl was comfortable enough to be in her arms.

  Katherine and Faith were stitching a dress. It was the spring harvest, so most of the children were helping their parents on their farms. That left Katherine with no children to teach and Faith with an extra pair of hands at her shop.

  Faith’s shop carried the prettiest things in town, or so Hannah had been told. Faith was the town’s go-to girl for everything fashion related. Faith even specialized in decor and did most of the decorating for the local events. Hannah thought she’d never need the woman’s aid, since Hannah didn’t really have the eyes for fashion, but Faith insisted. The dress the women were currently working on was one especially tailored for Hannah.

  “You are going to steal the show at the dance, Hannah.” Faith said with a smile in her voice. Hannah liked her. Faith had described herself before, telling Hannah that she had long red hair and green eyes. Faith had also told Hannah that she couldn’t have children. Apparently, that fact was widely known around the little town. Faith had been in an accident years ago, which would prevent her from ever becoming pregnant. The news had saddened Hannah’s heart. For a while, Hannah had wondered if she would trade places with Faith, and give up her womb for the chance to see. But Hannah knew she wouldn’t. Not today at least. Two months ago, Hannah would have leaped at the chance, but now, because of Mark, the possibility of having children wasn’t fiction anymore. Hannah was now a married woman and the possibility for children was real.

  “I don’t know why you’d fuss with making a dress for me,” Hannah sighed. “It’s not like I can dance.” The dance would be in celebration of the harvest. The town did it once a year in the fall. Hannah had been told everyone would be there, including Nancy. The thought didn’t much excite her.

  A noise seemed to be growing outside. A crowd. “You hear that?” Hannah asked.

  “Hear what?” Faith asked.

  They were silent. A voice could be heard shouting, but only Hannah could hear it. A minute later, the other two women heard it too.

  “What’s happening?” Katherine asked.

  Hannah heard skirts ruffle. She guessed Faith and Katherine were standing. Paula hopped down from Hannah’s lap. Hannah straightened her skirt and stood as well. Everyone moved towards the exit. No one helped Hannah. Hannah knew the way. She had a great sense of direction and had memorized Faith’s Shop. Hannah had also memorized her and Mark’s home, Katherine’s home, Faith’s home, and a few other spots around the small town.

  Once the trio was outside, the shouting became clear. The voice came from a man. The voice was unfamiliar to Hannah, and she didn’t think she’d met the man before.

  “Who among you would like to pledge your love to his children? They all long for their families in the train wreck outside of Kansas City no more than a month ago. They’ve nowhere to go.” The man’s words struck a chord in Hannah. And from the gasp from the crowd, others were moved as well. There was murmuring, perhaps couples had turned to one another, discussing their options. Hannah wanted to help, but would never make that decision without Mark. Katherine’s next words spoken, were in Hannah’s agreeance.

  “I wish Daniel were here,” she said.

  Hannah and Faith didn’t comment.

  The crowd’s murmuring seemed to be quieting. No one seemed to make a move.

  The man appealed once more. “Is there none among you who has the space in your homes and hearts for these young children? Our Lord commands we look after our widows and orphans. Are there any who are Christian among
us here today?”

  “I am,” Hannah heard someone say. The voice was close and sounded strangely like Faith’s.

  “Who of you shall take one of these children to love and care for until he or she is of the age of adulthood?”

  “No,” Faith said. “I’ll take all of them.”

  There was a gasp from the crowd and then murmuring again.

  The man asked. “All of them, you say?”

  “That’s what I said,” Faith confirmed.

  “Where is your husband, Mrs.?” He left the question in the air, waiting for Faith to respond with a name.

  “I don’t have one,” Faith informed the man. “And it’s Ms. Coleman. Faith Coleman.”

  “How many are there?” Hannah asked Katherine in a low voice.

  “Five.”

  The next time the man spoke, there was caution in his voice. “Well, Ms. Coleman, I must apologize. My journey has been a long and tiring one. I am anxious to find these children a home, but I must be cautious in my wonderment of whether you are up to the task. They range in age and gender, hurts and pains, and one of them is blind.” The man seemed to genuinely care for the children. Hannah was glad of it, but his last statement had gotten her full and undivided attention. A blind child?

  It was so quiet, Hannah was sure she could hear the clicking of the person’s watch standing next to her. Indeed, it was a small town Kansas day that the people in Perry Lake would not soon forget.

  Hannah heard heeled footsteps hit the wooden stairs right before they landed on the dirt road. “If they’ll have me, I’ll take them, sir,” Faith said.

  “And the blind boy? What will you do with him?” He asked.

  Faith hesitated. “I’m not sure.”

  “I suppose you don’t know braille.” He assumed.

  “I can find him a teacher,” Faith shot back.

  “I’ll teach him,” Hannah found herself saying. She was taking a risk, revealing too much of herself, but she couldn’t let the boy continue on his journey looking for a home when one couldn’t be guaranteed. As someone who’d been blind most of her life, Hannah knew what it was like to feel like she didn’t have a home. Sure, she’d had a father, but he’d never truly been there for her. He’d only visited a few times during her life at the school. If Faith was willing to love the child in spite of his impairment, then Hannah would help.