Pony Express Christmas Bride

by Rhonda Gibson

  “No, thanks, Jo. I want to get back to Mama. You know she gets nervous if I leave her alone for too long.” Hazel was already turning her horse around.

  Philip grinned. “I think I’ll ride back with you. This fresh air is just what I need to clear my head.”

  “Of what? Cobwebs?” Josephine teased.

  He glared at her. “Woman, if you were my wife, I’d...” Philip let the threat hang in the air between them.

  Josephine laughed. “Yep, that’s about all you’d do. Blow hot air and glare.”

  “Children, don’t fight.” Hazel laughed. “Phil, she’s teasing you.”

  Josephine looked at her brother-in-law. Surely he hadn’t thought she was serious. Had she been too hard on him lately? “I’m sorry, Philip. Hazel’s right, I was only teasing.”

  He nodded. “Yeah, I know. We’d best get back to Mama, Hazel.” Philip turned his horse toward Hazel’s farm.

  “Thanks for the sewing lesson, Hazel.”

  Hazel winked at her. “You’re welcome. If you want help with that dress tomorrow, you know where I live.” She followed Philip into the darkness. Then called over her shoulder, “’Night.”

  Josephine watched them go. Maybe she had been too hard on Philip. She headed her horse toward the barn. Would she and Philip ever get over the fact that he was to blame for her being here? Thomas hadn’t complained about being married to her, but he’d also not shown her that he’d like to make their marriage a real marriage. Not that she wanted him to, but still it might be nice to feel wanted.

  She unsaddled the horse and sighed. This was her life now. Living with a husband who didn’t love her and a brother-in-law she didn’t trust.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Josephine woke with a headache the next morning. She’d worked on her dress until the wee hours of the morning and it finally looked right. Her gaze moved to where she’d hung it the night before. The pale blue shimmered in the morning sunlight.

  Sunlight? She’d overslept. Josephine jumped from her bed and quickly dressed. The men would be starving. She glanced in the mirror and saw that her red curls were wild. In the past month her hair had grown and now touched her shoulders.

  Grabbing a black ribbon, she pulled the messy mass into a ponytail and then practically ran from her bedroom. As soon as she opened the door, the smell of bacon and eggs filled her senses.

  “Good morning, sunshine.” Thomas stood at the stove dishing up eggs.

  “Oh, Thomas, I’m so sorry. I overslept.” Josephine looked around for Philip. “Where’s that ornery brother of yours?”

  Thomas laughed. “He’s checking the henhouse for more eggs. They aren’t laying as much as they used to. But, then again, I guess chickens don’t in the wintertime.” He set the plate on the sideboard.

  Her eyes widened. “He’s doing my chores now?”

  “Yep.” Thomas carried a plate of bacon in one hand and a jar of jam in the other to the table.

  Josephine groaned. “Oh, Thomas. I wish he wasn’t doing that.”

  “Why not?” He placed a plate of eggs beside the bacon.

  “I’m afraid I’ve been too hard on, Philip. He hates me.” She sat down and dropped her head into her hands.

  “What? I don’t hate you,” Philip said.

  Thomas turned. “When did you come back in? And why did you come in the front door?”

  Josephine ignored Thomas’s questions. She looked at Philip. “Yes, you do.”

  “No, I don’t. If anything, I love you.”

  This time it was Thomas who squeaked. “What?”

  “Not love her, love her.” He gave his brother an Are you crazy? look.

  Both Thomas and Josephine frowned and said, “What?”

  Philip laughed. He came into the room and sat down at the table. “I love her like a sister. Josephine, I need to apologize. I’ve been acting like a child. Thanks to you and Thomas, I now know what I want to do after the Pony Express.”

  Thomas set the coffeepot on the table with three cups. “And what’s that?” He crossed his arms over his broad chest.

  “Last night you mentioned I might enjoy making furniture and you were absolutely right. Even though I fussed at Josephine, the truth is I enjoy making things out of wood.” He grinned at Josephine. “And to be honest, I think I can do an even better job than what I’ve done.”

  “That’s wonderful, Philip.” Josephine pushed the curls back that had escaped her sloppily pulled-up ponytail.

  Thomas slapped his brother on the back. “Best news I’ve had all day. But are you planning on quitting the Pony Express?”

  Philip shook his head. “Not for a while. I hope to make several pieces of nice furniture and then shop them around to see if they will sell.” A sheepish grin crossed his face. “This could turn out to be like my idea of becoming a doctor. Short-lived. I might not be as good as I think.”

  Josephine took the plate Thomas handed her. “That’s nonsense. I love the pieces you’ve made for us.”

  After the blessing was said, the conversation continued. Josephine listened to Philip and Thomas as they planned out Philip’s future. She nibbled on a slice of extra-crispy bacon.

  Not for the first time, the thought came to her that men had it much easier than women. If they wanted to do something, they just did it.

  “Have you given any thought to how long it will take to actually get a business going?” Thomas asked.

  Philip chuckled. “Surely not as long as it will a cattle ranch.” He turned his attention to his breakfast.

  What was this about a cattle ranch? Josephine’s gaze met Thomas’s across the table. He looked guilty of something, but what?

  Philip glanced up. Mild shock filled his voice and he said, “You haven’t told her yet?”

  The sharp look from Thomas caused Philip to look away again. He muttered, “Sorry. I just thought...”

  “It’s obvious what you thought.” Thomas clenched his teeth.

  Josephine sat back and crossed her arms. Something was afoot here. Her husband looked both angry and guilty now. Philip also looked guilty. What could it be that Thomas had been hiding and Philip had been covering up for him? And why had she allowed herself to consider trusting Thomas?

  * * *

  Thomas felt her angry gaze upon him. All he’d asked of his brother was that he not tell Josephine his plans, to let him do it, and Philip couldn’t even do that. He could understand her feelings of being left out and wanted to punch his brother like he had when they were kids.

  Philip pushed his chair back, stuffed the rest of his bacon in his mouth and headed toward the door. “I’ll go take care of the horses.”

  Thomas waited until the front door shut before looking back to Josephine. “Um, I was going to tell you this morning before my big-mouthed brother beat me to it.”

  “Tell me what?”

  Was that anger or hurt in her voice? Thomas sighed. “I am no longer a Pony Express rider.”

  “All right.” She crossed her arms over her chest and waited.

  From the looks of things, she wasn’t going to make this easy for him. He’d hoped to tell her his plans and hoped she’d be as excited as he was, but instead she looked across at him with speculation and mistrust.

  “As Philip said, I’d like to start my own cattle ranch.”

  Josephine reached for her necklace. He’d not seen her do that in quite a while. Now he understood that when she was distressed, the action seemed to offer some kind of comfort. “So we are moving?”

  “Not for a while. I quit riding for the Pony Express, but I’m still the acting manager here at the relay station.”

  She took her plate to the hog bucket and raked her scraps inside. “I see.”

  Thomas pushed his chair back and fol
lowed her. He placed his hands on her shoulders. “Look, Josephine, I planned on telling you, but you slept in...”

  She jerked away from him. “Oh, so now it’s my fault you’ve been hiding things from me. You can’t blame me, Thomas Young! This isn’t a decision you just came up with this morning, is it?” She pushed the curls from her face and glared at him. Her brown eyes misted and her lashes moistened, but no tears fell from those beautiful eyes.

  He reached for her and she stepped back.

  “Thomas, I’m angry right now. So angry I’d appreciate it if you didn’t touch me.” With that Josephine spun on her heel and with a straight back marched to her room.

  He flinched at the sound of wood banging into wood. Thomas felt rather than saw the new wall Josephine had just erected between them. His own anger began to simmer as he gathered the rest of the dishes and proceeded to pile them into the sink.

  Perhaps he’d been foolish to quit riding for the Pony Express. He’d only done it so that he could spend more time with Josephine and make everyone’s life more bearable. No, that wasn’t entirely true. He’d also done it because he hated being away from home and with her arrival he’d been dreaming more and more about owning his own ranch.

  Riding for the Pony Express was hard on a man’s bones. He couldn’t do that forever, but ranching, well, that was another thing altogether. It would be hard work, too, but it would be something that would establish him and Josephine. Who knew how long the Pony Express would run? Already the talk was that something called the telegraph would soon replace what they were working so hard to establish.

  Thomas looked about. Josephine had turned the falling-down shack into a real home. He loved the simple womanly changes she’d made: curtains on the windows, pretty lace doilies that rested on various surfaces about the sitting room, even the fireplace bricks had been scrubbed clean of black soot and dirt from many years of use. He could only imagine what she could do in a real house.

  His gaze moved to her bedroom door. Something shimmered in front of it. Thomas walked over and picked up the chain and locket. He started to knock on the door to return them to her, when he noticed the chain was broken. Thomas tucked it into his pocket to fix later. Right now, she was so angry, he didn’t want to disturb her.

  He returned to the job of cleaning the kitchen. Thomas poured fresh water into a pan and set it on the back of the stove to warm up so that he could do the breakfast dishes. Then he walked out to the well and pulled up fresh water, pouring it into the kitchen bucket that served as their drinking water.

  “I’m sorry, Thomas.”

  Thomas turned at his brother’s voice. He wanted to blame Philip for his argument with Josephine but knew it was really his own fault. “It’s not entirely your fault. I should have told her my dreams and plans long before now.” He leaned against the well. “This being a husband is all new to me and I didn’t think to tell her. I’m not used to sharing such stuff.”

  Philip nodded. “Yep, that’s why I’m not the marrying kind. I have no desire to have to explain my every action to a woman.”

  Was that why Josephine was so angry? She expected him to tell her every little decision he made? Could he do such a thing? Did he even want to? Thomas was pretty sure he didn’t.

  “What are you doing out here, anyway? Shouldn’t you be in there trying to make up to her?” Philip eyed the water bucket with interest.

  “Nope, she’s pretty angry. I think I’ll let her stew for a bit before I try to reason with her again.” Thomas picked up the freshly filled bucket and headed back to the kitchen door.

  Philip frowned. “See, I’m not ready to have a wife. I’d go in there, tell her what’s what, and then she’d just have to live with it.”

  Thomas laughed. “Yeah, and she’d shred you to bits with that sharp tongue of hers.” He opened the door and stepped back inside the warm kitchen.

  “No, she wouldn’t. A woman needs to know her place,” Philip said as he followed him back inside.

  Thomas shook his head. “Philip, God never meant for us to tell a woman where her place is. He took the rib from our sides as a representation of where she belongs. Beside us, not behind and not under our feet.”

  The rude noise coming from Philip had Thomas turning to face his brother. Thomas shook his head and told him, “You are right. You’re nowhere near ready to get married. I suggest you read the Good Book before you ever propose to a woman. Because, brother, you need the help.”

  “You’re just soft,” Philip answered. He spun and headed out the back door. It, too, slammed on its hinges. At the rate his brother and wife were going, he’d be replacing the doors in no time.

  Was he soft? No, Thomas didn’t think so. He respected women and wished Philip felt the same way. The female race may not have treated either of them right, but God wouldn’t want them to judge every woman by the actions of others. His hand moved to the scar on his face and Thomas frowned.

  He sat down at the table and waited for the water to heat so that he could do the dishes. He dug into his pocket and pulled out Josephine’s locket. Carefully he laid it down and studied the chain. The clasp had simply come lose from one of the links, a simple enough fix. He picked up the locket.

  It was heavier than he expected. Thomas turned it over in his hand, admiring the delicate etching of leaves and flowers on its face. The clasp was different than others he’d seen, as well. It was fastened tight. He doubted Josephine had ever opened it.

  What could be in there? Curiosity got the better of him and Thomas pried it open. He gasped as the contents were revealed. He quickly shut it back up tight and fixed the chain. Then he placed the necklace on the table at Josephine’s spot.

  Did Josephine have any idea that her necklace contained a gold nugget? His wife was rich. If she knew about the gold, would she have come out here to marry him? Thomas doubted it. She’d arrived scared and worn-out from riding the Pony Express. But, then again, maybe she was using him and Philip to hide her gold from her uncle. But why continue to stay with him now? So many questions rushed through his mind. Thomas didn’t know what to think. His gaze moved to the necklace. Thomas wished with all his heart that he hadn’t pried it open.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Josephine pressed her ear tighter against the bedroom door. Now that Philip had left, she could hear Thomas moving about the kitchen. It sounded like he was doing dishes.

  He’d told Philip that women belonged at the side of a man, but he’d not allowed her into that position. She reminded herself that theirs was a marriage of convenience. In all reality, with that arrangement, she didn’t belong beside Thomas. Or did she?

  It was all so confusing. They’d never really talked about this aspect of their marriage. Oh, sure, they’d had fun and laughed a lot like friends, but not as life partners, not as husband and wife.

  Josephine walked back to the chair that now sat by her bedroom window. Her fingers itched to pick up the Bible that lay on the table. What would the book say about her circumstances now? Did the Lord approve of her and Thomas’s arrangement? Or had they muddied the waters of marriage in God’s eyes? She both wanted to know and didn’t want to know.

  If the Bible said they should have a real marriage, Josephine wasn’t sure she could do that. She didn’t trust Thomas. Couldn’t trust him. And so far, he hadn’t done anything to earn her trust.

  She pushed up out of the chair and decided it would be best to face the man in the kitchen. Even though the tears she’d shed earlier were already dry, Josephine wiped at her face. She pulled the ribbon from her hair and ran a brush through the tangled curls. Once they were tamed, Josephine opened the door to her bedroom and faced her husband.

  Thomas sat at the table, cradling a coffee mug in his hands. His green eyes met hers. His light brown hair was ruffled, as if he’d been raking his fingers through it over and over aga
in.

  She walked to the stove and found that beside the coffeepot was a pot of tea waiting for her. He’d thought about her needs once more. Why couldn’t he have just told her what his plans were? Why had he hidden them from her? Josephine poured herself a cup of tea and added a generous amount of sugar to it. Only after she’d taken a sip of the sweet brew was she able to turn back around and face him.

  “If I could go back in time, I would tell you about the Pony Express and the cattle ranch before Philip did,” Thomas said in a still, firm voice. “But I can’t. All I can do is say I’m sorry. I should have told you sooner.”

  Josephine nodded. “I know and I’m sorry, too. For a moment this morning, I forgot this wasn’t a real marriage and you don’t have to tell me all your plans.” She set her cup down. Her necklace lay on the table. Josephine picked it up with a frown.

  Her hand went to her neck. When had she lost her mother’s locket?

  “The chain broke. I found it and fixed it for you,” Thomas said. He sipped at his coffee. His green eyes studied her as she put it back on.

  “Thank you. I didn’t even know I’d lost it.” Josephine went to her dry larder and scooped out enough dry beans for several meals. She carried the bowl of beans to the table and carefully poured them out. Then she sat down and began sorting them, looking for rocks and small chunks of dirt. Josephine kept her eyes lowered on the job at hand.

  “What are your dreams, Josephine?”

  His question caught her off guard. “I guess I don’t really have one anymore.” She shrugged her shoulders.

  Thomas pulled a pile of beans in front of him and also started sorting. “What did it used to be?” he asked.

  “Well, when Ma was still alive, I wanted to learn doctoring, like her. But when she died, that dream died, too.” Josephine looked down at the beans. “Now that I think about it, I only wanted to learn doctoring stuff so that I could be with her. So I guess that was my dream, to be close to my mother.”