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

by Faye Sonja

  "Nonsense. That's not possible." He looked back at the photograph, of the young man in uniform.

  "I know what it takes to fight in a war, as well, Mollie. What it can do to a person. The toll it can take on our souls, and our bodies. I know that better than anyone, even if if doesn't always show on the outside. And I never want to disrespect what he went through. Or erase what you went through before you came to me. It all makes you who you are."

  Below them, Charlotte made a gurgling noise. She reached out and grabbed Thomas's hand, gripping it tightly, staring up at him with her big green eyes. Mollie watched the two of them together, wondering, for a few moments, at the way God's plans could take a person in a direction they never would have picked for themselves.

  "You're a great father to her," she said. "And she is going to grow up so happy, and proud of you."

  "She is going to be so proud to have you as her mother," Thomas said, leaning over to kiss her on the forehead.

  Then they both turned towards baby Charlotte, sleeping soundly in her crib. "I can't believe how lucky I am, after everything..." Mollie said. "Maybe I didn't get what I wanted, or what I planned. But I got exactly what I needed. From now on I will always trust God's plan for me."

  "And no more worrying?" Thomas asked.

  She looked down at her sleeping baby. "Maybe a bit," she said, gazing at the fragile little face. "With a child, I can never stop completely. But trust, and love - my love for both you and Charlotte - will outweigh that."

  "I love you too, Mollie. It's just the three of us now. Safe and sound, here together."

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  YEARNING OF THE RELUCTANT BRIDE

  BRIDES OF HAINES PRESS

  BOOK 1

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  b o o k 1

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  Eve Haines, an ABANDONED single mother of twin boys, has never wanted to do anything but run her father’s publishing company, Haines Press.

  But, upon the death of his father, everything changed . . .

  The board of trustees threatens to take the company away from her unless she is willing to marry a man of high education.

  Haines Press is EVERYTHING to Eve!

  Retaining the company in remembrance of her father is the MOST IMPORTANT thing in her life.

  In order to do so, she will face with the WORST OPTION she is ever given– MARRYING a man AGAIN . . . Robert Manning.

  Will Eve ever learn to trust again?

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  Prologue

  Haines, North Dakota

  Eve Haines’ hands felt cool against the gleaming slick surface of her father’s maple wood desk. She ran her hands over the light beige surface; the desk was supposed to have been hers. All too soon, the surface became warm; baking under the heat of her hands. Eve’s blood was pumping quickly, rushing rapidly through her veins. She felt the first warning signs of the major headache that was to come. She fought the urge to place pressure against her temples; fought and won. In front of her very much unwelcomed guest, it would be a sign of weakness. Eve needed to look strong at the moment. “Is that your final decision?”

  Mr. Gregory Lowe found an invisible piece of lint on the brown jacket of his suit to distract him. His silver hair-covered hand shook as he began to make brushing movements across the collar. With a sigh, he finally brought his pale blue eyes back to Eve. “It is not my decision alone, Ms. Haines. But, we, the investors, would simply feel better if Haines Press was run by a man.”

  A hard thud made them both jump. Eve looked down at her hands. They were twin fists; red with fury. She’d hit the table. She didn’t remember balling her hands into fists. It had just happened. She brought her eyes up to meet Mr. Lowe. His bushy white brows were wide; the whites of his eyes showing too much. His body was tense and sat as still as a man who’d caught death. Mr. Lowe was a lawyer and was usually very good at hiding his true emotions. Any true reaction out of him was a thing to see.

  Eve licked her suddenly dry lips. “I owe you an apology.”

  Mr. Lowe’s face relaxed first. The rest of him followed in degrees; shoulders, legs, and then he released the air that he’d been holding in his lungs. His lips quivered as he laughed. “Quite alright, Ms. Haines.” Mr. Lowe had a way of making each word sound like he were dragging his feet. “No harm done.” He tried a smile on that didn’t quite fit his demeanor.

  Eve hadn’t meant to scare that man. She’d just allowed her anger to get carried away once again. She shook her head, remembering that at one point in time, Mr. Lowe, one of the richest men in Kansas, had been a friend; or rather, her father’s friend, but still. “Since my father’s death three months ago, I’ve been running the company all on my own.” When Mr. Lowe’s pain-filled face started to blur, Eve shut her eyes; forbidding the moisture from becoming more. “Haines Press is still the most popular paper in all of The Great Plains. It’s my father’s ideas that drove it. It’s my grandfather, Adam Haines Sr., for which this town is named after. It’s my father’s paper that’s made this town the famed art centric community that it is. The company should stay in the Haines family.”

  Mr. Lowe sighed. “I agree.”

  Eve felt the pressure in her chest lift as if a great weight had left on the wings of Mr. Lowe’s words. “You do?” Eve smiled, but then felt it begin to slip from her face once she realized that Mr. Lowe wasn’t going to share in her joy.

  Mr. Lowe’s face still held pain. “And there is a way you can keep the publishing company...”

  Eve didn’t like the look on Mr. Lowe’s face. Whatever he wanted to say could not be good. Eve wrapped her hands around the edge of the wooden desk, bracing herself. “I’ll do anything,” she whispered.

  Mr. Lowe’s hands folded in his lap. He kept his eyes on his fingers, watching them as he twiddled them together. “Your family may keep the paper if you marry.”

  Eve felt numb. She waited for Mr. Lowe to continue. She waited for Mr. Lowe’s words to make sense, though his words only further confused her, so she decided to help him along. “Mr. Lowe, I don’t follow. You’re going to have to speak to me plain English.”

  Mr. Lowe sighed. “If you marry, the investors will allow your husband to run the paper.”

  Eve shook her head. “That’s the silliest thing I’ve ever heard.”

  “And you couldn’t marry just anyone. The investors will only accept a man with a fancy education from somewhere out east.”

  “I’m not marrying, Mr. Lowe.”

  “Ms. Haines, this is only way to…”

  “No, no, no. I’m not marrying, Mr. Lowe. Not again. I won’t do it.”

  Eve’s eyes flew to the hand that touched her shoulder. She followed that trail of brown cotton all the way up to Mr. Lowe’s face. She looked into his eyes and let him see all the pain and fear that now gripped her. “Please, Mr. Lowe. Not this. Anything but this.”

  He squeezed her shoulder. “I’m sorry, Eve,” he whispered, using her given name for the first time. Mr. Lowe had been around Eve’s family since before Eve could remember. Mr. Lowe knew all about Eve’s two-timing ex-husband, Harry King. Mr. Lowe knew how Harry had skipped town after Eve had given birth to their twin boys. He also knew about the painful years that had followed. If Eve’s father, Adam, had not been around to help, Eve would have lost her mind. It had been years since her first marriage; eight long years, but not long enough for Eve to ever want to walk down the aisle again. The first tear that rolled down her cheek seemed to open the floodgates. “Mr. Lowe, I can’t.”

  Mr. Lowe tried giving Eve a smile again. It was another failed attempt. “It’s alright, Ms. Haines. I told the board of trustees that you wouldn’t do it, and I admit that I don’t believe you should. But, I thought you should know that it is your only hope if you ever plan on keeping the company to pass down to your boys.”

  Eve sighed; shutting her eyes tight. Her
boys, Lewis and Clark. True to their names, the seven-year-olds were true to the two men they were named after; turning everything into an adventure and trying Eve’s patience. A smile touched Eve’s lips. Haines Press was their legacy. She wanted her boys to have it. She’d give them the world if she could. Her eyes rolled back up to Mr. Lowe. “How long do I have to make a decision?”

  “Three more months.”

  Eve’s eyes widen. “Three months?”

  Mr. Lowe nodded. Eve looked away. “I’ll think about it.”

  The sound of Mr. Lowe’s heels clapped across the wooden floor as he made it to the door. He turned back to Eve with his hand on the knob. “Take your time and think about it all you want, but mark my works, Eve.” His face was very serious. “If you are not married by this day in three months, the investors will be taking over Haines Press.” He then turned his back and left.

  Eve’s body deflated under the news that she’d received. Three months. Three months to not only find a man, but to also marry him? And it was definitely not enough time to be sure he could run a publishing company. She had no illusions that there weren’t men out there that would jump at the opportunity. Haines Press was a big deal all over America. It specialized in books and papers about the west. Most of the books were fictitious tales about legions of desperados and cowboys which the world ate up like hotcakes and couldn’t get enough of. No, there would be no issues in finding a man who’d want to take over. It was just everything else that bothered her. Like the marriage part of the agreement. Eve kept telling herself to just pick up her things, take her loyal readers, and start from scratch somewhere else. But to do so would mean giving up her father’s company’s name. What’s in a name? Anyone who’s seen a Shakespearian play knew the answer to that. A great deal!

  Eve sighed. If she went through with this, the only thing that would be between Eve and another man would be a piece of paper. Nothing more. Eve wasn’t having any more kids, and she wouldn’t dream of letting another man touch her; not after Harry. No, she’d try and save the company, but only with the right man. Eve smiled. She could do this. All she had to do was find the perfect candidate. How hard would that be? With her nerves settled, Eve pulled a blank sheet of paper out of her desk, plucked the fountain pen from its holder, and began to write.

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  1

  Chapter ONE

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  “ Whether I am or have ever been married

  is no longer any of your concern.”

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  Once Upon a time, there was a young prince who’d found himself a princess. The princess was far away from home and her name was Evelyn.

  Two Months, Three Weeks, and Four Days Later

  Robert Manning strolled through the doors of Haines Press, and was greeted by the easily recognizable sound of the intertype. The click of the keyboard and the clap of metal on metal was a symphony of music that only modern engineering could make. Robert breathed in the fresh sweet, but also salty aroma of paper and ink. This was a real publishing house, and soon to be his own.

  He opened his eyes and looked around. People moved in their own worlds and circles. A woman brushed past him, her nose stuck in a book. She didn’t look up as she made her way towards the back of the room. Robert followed a few feet behind. They were heading in the same direction. While he walked, he took in his surroundings. Robert nodded his head towards the few people that dared to notice him, but no one said a word as he passed. A few women did more than just glance his way. Their eyes followed him, and he knew they would follow behind him once he passed them by. Robert never let his eyes stray onto anyone. Instead, he unintentionally followed the woman in front of him, but when she made a turn and stopped at a desk, Robert kept walking, not stopping until he reached his goal. He lifted his hand and knocked on the door. Its frosted glass window had ‘ADAM HAINES’ printed in big white letters. Underneath it read: ‘EDITOR IN CHARGE’. “One minute.” The muffled female voice faintly carried through the wall.

  A small sadness crept over Robert. The door said Adam Haines, but it would not be Adam Haines who answered it. It would not be the man who, throughout endless pages of legends and tales, was actually the person who’d first put Robert on his own literary road.

  Robert checked his pocket watch for the time, more out of habit than impatience. He looked around the large office space once more, but then the door opened. He looked down at the petite woman that stood there and gave her his best smile. “Hello, I’m Robert Manning.”

  The woman’s eyes, which only a minute ago had been full of impatience, turned to one of confusion. “Can I help you, Mr. Manning?” One of her dark brunette brows lifted, touching the top of her chestnut bangs. Eyes of intense hazel stared up at him with a look that was not so friendly. She was wearing a navy blue sports suit that stopped just below her knee. The sleeves were ¾ length that had white cuffs on the ends. A matching navy blue cloche sat on her head.

  Robert’s smile wavered. He’d never had a woman look at him like this; with annoyance. Not before they’d truly gotten to know him. For a moment, Robert was flustered and had to think hard to find his words. When he spoke again he made sure the charm was back in place. “I’m looking for a Mrs. Eve Haines?”

  The woman tilted her head, her chestnut-colored hair that was cut right under the chin followed. The style framed her heart-shaped face well. “What do you want her for?” she asked in a heavy country accent.

  Robert didn’t know how to reply to that. The business he had to discuss with Ms. Haines was personal. “I believe once I meet Ms. Haines, she will know.”

  The woman sighed in irritation. “No, she won’t.”

  Robert narrowed his eyes; his own irritation now growing. “You’re Ms. Haines.” It wasn’t a question.

  A smile that had nothing to do with joy touched her small mouth. “Well, nothing gets past you, now does it?”

  Robert blinked a few times and then shook his head. So this was Ms. Eve Haines? She was cute, but Robert could already see why the woman had had to put an ad out to find a husband. “I’m Robert Manning.”

  “Congratulations. Where do I send the card?”

  Robert sighed. This conversation was not going well. “Ms. Haines, I wrote to you about your... well, your ad.”

  Eve narrowed her eyes again, they flickered over his face. A moment later, her eyes grew wide. She gasped. Eve’s eyes darted around the room before she motioned him into the office behind her. Robert walked in and heard the door close behind him.

  The office was small, but awards lined the walls. Haines Press was truly a literary prize here in the Midwest. Robert watched Eve walk past him and take the seat behind the desk before he took one of his own in front of it. Settling himself in, Robert braced himself.

  Eve placed her hands on the desk and stared at the man sitting in the chair across from her. Robert Manning. How had he found her? She’d put an ad out for a woman who needed to marry that owned a publishing company in Kansas, but she’d never said Haines Press. That would have been like throwing meat to a pack of wolves. She’d made sure the ad had been discreet, so how had Robert known?

  Almost a hundred men had responded to Eve’s ad, but she remembered Robert’s letter. He’d been a good candidate; in her top ten. He’s had the right education, he had graduated at the top of his class from one of the best schools in the country, and he’d even studied abroad for a spell. He’d even worked as Head Editor for the best paper in New York. He was exactly what the investors would have wanted, and admittedly, she’d been impressed herself. Eve had actually been surprised that he’d wanted to come out west at all. A man with his credentials should have been easily able to have whatever job he wanted. They’d written to one another a few times and Robert seemed just too good to be true on paper. But just before Eve invited him out to Kansas, she’d dismissed the idea after reading his la
st letter.

  Eve studied the man in front of her. He looked quite comfortable in his own skin. He wore a light gray suit that had to have been tailored for his imposing form. He was wide in the shoulders; which caused the back of his chair to completely disappear behind him. His white shirt was just a few shades lighter than his pale skin. His face was a unique combination of muscle and defining bones. He had Scandinavian blood. The hair he wore was pushed back and short, matching the crimson color of the sun as it set over the horizon; an orangey-red color with faint streams of gold showing throughout. His hair was definitely like a sunset, but the promise of night came with his eyes. They were rich, yet deep pools of blue; like a dark, clear moonless sky.

  Robert’s elbows rested casually on the arms of the chair. His long fingers were laced together in front of him. Eve looked him in the eyes and found him to be watching her as well. She didn’t like that. “How’d you find me?”

  Robert shrugged. “I have sources back east. I had someone look into what I could gather from your letters. I heard about the passing of your father.”

  Eve narrowed her eyes. “Sources?”

  Robert smoothed a hand down the clean hard plain of his jaw. He looked away briefly before meeting Eve’s eyes again. “I knew who you were before I had ever wrote to you.”

  Eve frowned further. “How?”

  “You kept the ad very vague, but there aren’t that many publishing houses out here with your level of success. Plus, this is one of the only companies that is currently being run by a woman.”

  Eve sighed, trying to cool the inner heat that was building. “Is there a problem with a woman running a company?”

  Robert straightened further in his chair. “I believe such adventures are more suited for a man.”