Pony Express Christmas Bride

by Rhonda Gibson

  He stopped stretching and looked at her. “What are you going to do?” Worry filled his voice.

  What did he think she was going to do? “Oh, just make some tea and maybe work on a dress for Joy’s doll. I thought that might make a good Christmas present for her.”

  He tilted his head to the side. “You aren’t going outside, are you?”

  “Why would I go outside?” she snapped. Josephine couldn’t stop the irritation that his questions were evoking. “I’m not stupid, Thomas.”

  Thomas looked as if she’d just slapped him. “I didn’t say you were. I... Oh, forget it. I’m going to go do my chores and then head to Hazel’s. If you need anything, wake Philip.” He slammed his hat on his head, grabbed his coat and left.

  Josephine sighed. She’d let her nervousness about going to town make her quick-tempered with Thomas. He didn’t deserve that. As much as she hated apologizing, she knew that was exactly what she’d do when he came back inside.

  While the hot water was heating for her tea, Josephine went to her room and found the doll dress she’d been working on. If Mr. Grossman hadn’t attacked her, she would have made Joy a matching dress, but as it was, Josephine was behind on her Christmas gifts. She made her tea and then walked to the sitting room to work on the dress.

  She’d just gotten settled when Hazel came through the front door. Cold air entered ahead of her, but thankfully it wasn’t snowing. She hoped it would hold off until they returned from town tomorrow. “Hello, Hazel.”

  “Oh, good, you’re up.” The older woman took off her many layers of warm clothing and hung them up by the door. She carried her sewing basket with her to the other rocker. “I was hoping you’d feel up to visiting today.”

  “The doctor was here a little while ago and said I could move around a bit more.”

  “That’s what Tom said. Although he seemed a little out of sorts when he said it.”

  “I’m sure he did. We had a little spat.” Josephine focused on the light blue fabric with little white flowers that was in her lap.

  “What did he do?” Hazel asked, setting the rocker into motion.

  Josephine laughed. “What makes you think it was Thomas that started the argument?”

  Hazel dug in her bag. “It is always the man’s fault.”

  Josephine sobered. “Not this time. It was mine. I snapped at him for no good reason.” She wished she could take back what she’d said but feared the damage had already been done.

  “Aw, Thomas doesn’t stay angry long. Just ask that brother of his.” Hazel pulled out a sampler and began stitching on it.

  They worked in comfortable silence for a few moments. Josephine spoke first. “He wants me to go into town tomorrow and face Mr. Grossman.” Her voice sounded small.

  Hazel grunted. “I suppose you have to, if you want him to pay for all he’s done.”

  “Yes, but I’m not looking forward to the trip. My ribs hurt just moving and I haven’t tried putting my dress on by myself, either. You’ve had to help me change my nightgown.” She licked her still-sore lip. “I just don’t know if I can do it.”

  Hazel looked up. “Put on a dress? Or face that villain?”

  Josephine waited several moments before answering. “Both.”

  “I’ll be happy to help you dress in the morning and I could ride along to town with you, if that would help.” Hazel set the rocker back in motion.

  Josephine twisted on the hard seat. Why hadn’t she asked Philip to make her a settee? The hard wooden chairs were not comfortable when you were already battered and bruised. “I’ll take the help with the dress, but you don’t have to go into town.”

  “I know I don’t have to go, but if you want me to, I’ll be happy to do so.” Hazel pushed the needle through the cloth.

  Josephine took a sip of her tea. “Hazel, would you like a cup of tea or coffee?” Where were her manners? That should have been the first thing she’d offered.

  “Not right now. I’m just happy to sit here and rest my bones.”

  They continued working.

  Hazel broke the silence. “Have you given any more thought to what you are going to do about your marriage?”

  “Oh, I’ve thought about it but have no idea what to do. Thomas and I were married and I have the paper to prove it.” Josephine laid her needlework down. “I just don’t know if that paper is worth anything now.”

  Hazel stared into the fire. “I’ve never heard of anything like this ever happening before.” She made a tsking sound. “Maybe you and Tom can ask the sheriff about that, too.” Her eyes met Josephine’s.

  “Hazel, would you like to stay the night? I think I would like for you to go to town with us tomorrow.” Josephine felt as if she needed her friend. The thought of going without Hazel didn’t appeal at all. Thomas would be with her, but she didn’t know how he felt about any of it and, if the truth be told, she was afraid to ask him.

  * * *

  Thomas entered the house. What kind of mood would Josephine be in? He understood that she’d been through a lot and that her waspish attitude earlier was a result of the events unfolding in her life. His anger at her words had already evaporated like water off a duck’s back.

  Hazel stood in the kitchen. From the smell, she was cooking up venison steaks. Josephine stood by the fireplace. His gaze ran over her face, searching for clues to her temper.

  She tried to smile but winced instead. “It’s safe. I promise not to bite your head off.”

  He pulled off his coat and gloves and moved to stand by the fireplace with her. Thomas lowered his voice. “I’m sorry for whatever it was that I said earlier.” Maybe if he apologized, she’d forget that he’d left the house in a huff.

  “Oh, Thomas, it was my fault. I shouldn’t have snapped at you. I’m the one who is sorry.” She reached out and touched his arm.

  He laid his hand over hers. “Are you feeling better now?”

  “A little. I’ve asked Hazel to spend the night and to go with us tomorrow.” She removed her hand from his arm and returned to staring into the crackling fire.

  Why had she invited Hazel to spend the night and to go with them? Thomas wished he could read women’s minds. It would make his life a lot easier.

  “I hope you don’t mind my intrusion,” Hazel said as she dished up the meat. “Josephine needs a little help getting dressed in the morning and I wanted to do a little last-minute Christmas shopping.” She set a plate of biscuits on the table with the meat.

  Why hadn’t he realized Josephine would need help getting dressed? Her ribs had to be smarting from simple movements. Getting into a dress and buttoning up shoes would be almost impossible for her. “Hazel, I don’t know how to thank you for all your help.”

  Philip stuck his head out of the bedroom door. “Are those steaks I smell?” His blond hair stood on end.

  Hazel laughed. “Yep. Leave it to your stomach to rouse you.”

  He yawned. “Well, all this loud talk of going to town tomorrow didn’t help, either.”

  Josephine covered her mouth. Her eyes danced with merriment. Even with a black eye, split lip and swollen face, she had to be the most beautiful woman in the world.

  Thomas smiled. “You coming to town, too?” he asked Philip.

  “Do we have a rider coming in tomorrow?”

  “Nope.”

  Philip headed to the table. “Then I’ll stay home and catch up on sleep.”

  Josephine lowered her hand from her cracked lip. “But if there was a rider coming, you’d have to stay here. Why did you ask, if you were planning to stay either way?” she asked, following him.

  Thomas stepped around her and pulled the chair out for her. It was a good question. He waited to see what his brother would say.

  “I just woke up.”

 
Hazel laughed. “Yeah, he’s always a little addled when he first wakes.”

  “Thank you for fixing dinner, Hazel. It looks and smells wonderful,” Josephine complimented her.

  Thomas said a quick prayer and they all dug in. To show their appreciation for Hazel’s cooking, Thomas and Philip tore into the deer steaks as if it were their last meal. Josephine nibbled at the bread and picked at her vegetables.

  Thomas wiped his mouth off. “You know, Josephine, if you aren’t feeling well, we can put off our trip to town for a couple of days.”

  Hazel nodded her agreement.

  Josephine shook her head. “I might as well get it over with.”

  “In that case,” Hazel said, pushing her chair back. “Phil, would you mind riding back to my place with me? I’ve got a small chore for you to do, if you don’t mind.”

  Philip shoved bread into his mouth and wiped his mouth. He stood, swallowed and said, “I’ll be ready to go in about ten minutes.”

  “Good.” She took her apron off. “Josephine, leave these dishes be. I’ll do them when I get back.” She hung her apron on the hook by the stove and then returned to the table with the coffeepot. Filling Thomas’s cup, she grinned. “As for you, young man, be nice to our Jo, she’s had a tough time of it.”

  Thomas chuckled. “Yes, ma’am.” He pushed his chair back, picked up his plate and dumped the scraps into the bucket, then turned back around. “Josephine, how would you like to take a walk out to the barn with me?”

  She looked up from her plate. A pink tinge filled her cheeks. “Why?”

  “I just thought you’d like a little fresh air. You haven’t been out of the house for a few days.” He wiped his hands on the tea towel.

  Josephine looked down at her dressing gown. “I don’t know. I’d have to get dressed.”

  “Nonsense. Just throw your coat on and borrow a pair of old boots from Thomas. Girl, you need the air,” Hazel said, replacing the coffeepot. She glanced at Philip’s bedroom door, and as if she’d made a decision, Hazel began clearing the table.

  Thomas waited to see what Josephine would say about going out. She’d dropped her gaze once more to the table. If only he could get her out of the house, it might make her feel better.

  Her pretty brown eyes looked up at him. “Do you have another pair of boots?”

  He nodded. “I use them in the summer when we have a pig. I’ll go get them.” Thomas realized she might think he was calling her a pig and turned back around.

  Hazel and Josephine were looking at each other. Josephine was trying to cover the cut on her lip. But her shoulders shook with merriment.

  “I wasn’t saying you are a pig,” he gasped.

  Philip chose that moment to come out of the bedroom. “Who are you calling a pig?” He grinned, aware of his brother’s discomfort.

  “No one.” Thomas pushed past him. The sound of laughter filled the house. He glanced out the bedroom door and saw that Josephine was laughing, too.

  Good. He was thankful to see that she could still laugh, regardless of what had happened to her over the past week. He found his mud boots and carried them back into the living room.

  With her hair in disarray and her brown eyes shining with laughter, Josephine was the prettiest woman he’d ever seen. Could he give her up now? Now that she knew about her gold and the fact that the men who had threatened her were gone, would she no longer need him in her life? His heart ached at the thought that she might leave him. What would he do then?

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  The trip to town had been more excruciating than Josephine anticipated. She should have known it would be too much for her. The night before she’d not even been able to walk the complete distance to the barn before she’d worn herself out.

  And even though Hazel had tightly bound her ribs, they felt as if they were coming through her skin. She’d not let on for fear that Thomas would turn the wagon around. The sooner she faced her attacker, the sooner she and Thomas could get on with their lives.

  He stopped the wagon in front of the sheriff’s office. Josephine sighed with relief. The jolting had stopped and the pain began to subside, slightly. She watched as Hazel climbed down from the wagon with ease. Oh, to feel that good again.

  “I’m going to go visit Mrs. Ring’s shop.” Hazel turned and looked up at Josephine. “Will you be all right?”

  The desire to beg to go with Hazel pulled strongly. Josephine would rather do anything than go inside the sheriff’s office. Instead she answered, “I’ll be fine. Thomas will be with me.”

  He piped up. “The whole time.”

  Josephine braced herself as she climbed from the wagon. Clammy sweat broke out all over her body. She bit her lip to keep from crying out. When her feet touched the ground, she leaned heavily against Thomas.

  He rubbed her arms. “I’m sorry, Josephine. We should have waited.”

  “No, I wanted to get it over with and we are.” She forced herself to stand upright again. “I’m ready.”

  Thomas tucked her hand into the crook of his arm. “Lean on me. If nothing else, it will do the sheriff good to see your pain.”

  Josephine tried to ignore the people who walked around them. She could feel their curious gazes upon her face. Now she understood how Thomas felt about the scar that marred his face. Only, in her case the bruises were still fresh and colorful.

  When Thomas opened the door to the jailhouse, she gratefully stepped inside. It took all she could do to remain standing.

  The sheriff came around his desk and quickly turned a chair for her to drop down into. “You must be Mrs. Young,” he said, looking to Thomas for confirmation.

  “Yes, sir, I am.” Josephine also looked to Thomas, who simply nodded.

  The sheriff moved back to his chair behind the desk. Josephine took a moment to glance around. They were in a small room with the desk on one side and a woodstove on the other. A door led out of the room on her left. She assumed that was where Mr. Grossman was being held.

  “Mrs. Young, can you tell me what happened out at your place the other night?”

  She nodded. “I was having tea when Mr. Grossman came through my kitchen and into the sitting room. He told me he’d come to take me back to St. Joseph. When I told him I wasn’t going, he insisted.” Josephine ducked her head to hide her bruised face.

  Thomas laid his hand on her shoulder. The gentle contact was what Josephine needed to raise her head. She looked to the sheriff.

  He leaned forward. “Did he say or do anything else?”

  “Yes, he said two things that greatly disturbed me. He told me he murdered my father and dumped his body in the St. Joe River in St. Joseph.” Her voice caught in her throat. Tears burned the backs of her eyes and her breathing quickened. So far Josephine had fought that grief; she told herself to fight just a little longer.

  He finished writing down what Josephine assumed was what she’d just said. “I know this is hard for you, Mrs. Young...”

  “Please, call me Josephine.” She took the handkerchief that Thomas handed to her and wiped the moisture from her eyelashes. Don’t cry, don’t cry, she silently ordered herself.

  “And the other thing?”

  Josephine looked up at Thomas. He gently squeezed her shoulder again and nodded his encouragement. She took a deep breath and turned her attention back to the sheriff. “He said that he and I were married by proxy back in September.”

  The sheriff sat back in his chair. “Were you?” His eyes studied her face intently.

  “If we were, it was not with my consent. I signed on with the Pony Express as a rider in September to keep from having to marry him. He said that my uncle stood in for me.” How she hated that. Had her uncle feared the man so badly that he would sell her like that? And why hadn’t he told her?

 
* * *

  Thomas held his breath as he watched the sheriff’s face. What was he thinking? His eyes and face gave away nothing of his thoughts.

  “Well, I can help you in both of those cases. I’ll send word to St. Joseph to search the river for your father’s remains and hang on to Grossman until I hear one way or the other. As far as your marriage to Grossman is concerned, all you have to do is have a judge annul the marriage, and then you can legally marry Thomas here.” He folded his hands behind his head and smiled as if he’d solved all their problems.

  “Is that all?” Thomas asked, not bothering to keep the annoyance from his question.

  “Afraid so.” The sheriff stood. “Thank you for coming in, Josephine. I’ll let you know what I hear from the authorities in St. Joseph as soon as I hear.”

  Josephine stood. “I don’t have to see him?”

  “Not unless you want to.”

  She shook her head. Relief filled her voice. “No. I hope to never see him again.”

  Thomas shook the sheriff’s hand. “Thank you.” He meant it.

  He put his hat back on and opened the door for Josephine to exit. Once outside, Thomas wasn’t sure what to do. The sheriff hadn’t come right out and said it, but he and Josephine weren’t married. She couldn’t be married to two men at once, and since her marriage to him came after her marriage to Grossman... He let the thought hang in his mind.

  “Do you think we could go to the general store?”

  Thomas met her gaze. “Sure.”

  A sad little smile pulled at the corner of her lips. “Good.”

  He fell into step with her as she took small steps down the boardwalk. Thomas wanted to talk about their visit to the jail, but he was afraid to. What were they going to do about their marriage?

  “Thomas?”

  “Hmm?”

  She inhaled and then winced. “Do you think I should move to Hazel’s? I mean, we aren’t married.”

  Thomas didn’t want her to move out. She’d turned their run-down house into a comfortable home. He would miss her sweet smiles and teasing ways. But, for the sake of appearances, she should move out. “Probably, but people are going to talk now, anyway.”