Christmas Mail Order Angels: The complete 11 Volume Set

by Darlene Franklin

  That didn't matter, now that she was leaving. She let the cold numb her thoughts as they plodded along. This time the journey to the railroad station passed by more quickly than when they had all first traveled to Angel Vale in September. Was it a little more than two months ago? It seemed longer to her, yet it some ways if felt as though she had just arrived. Like Matt, she could see what the hardscrabble town could become day, if they all pulled together and worked together.

  She realized what day it was, that sometime this morning Matt would be sending the latest edition of the Courier to the railroad station. She didn't know if she would be there when it arrived, or when the next train to Cheyenne and then Denver would be. She hoped she would be on board the train before the wagon from Angel Vale arrived. Someone would undoubtedly also be there to pick up any shipment for the mercantile that had arrived at the station and take it back to Angel Vale.

  Her back ached and she remembered the day she and Matt had ridden to Devil's Tower. Muscles she never knew existed complained and throbbed, just as they did now. But she didn't stop, because something inside her told her if she did, she would probably not want to get back on Sam and would instead wait until the wagon came from Angel Vale. And then who knew what would happen?

  Mile after mile went by, and she saw no one. The wise ones were home, or holed up somewhere out of the cold. If she did encounter someone, her small pistol was handy if needed. She had become quite comfortable with it after practicing a bit here and there. By no means a good shot, she felt confident enough to hold and fire, and the bullet would generally go where she wanted it to. Today, she prayed she would not need it and it could sit safely where it was.

  At last she saw the railroad station in the distance. She'd made it! What to do next, she had no idea except to see what time the train would come that day. Also, she would see to Sam. She patted the horse's brown neck. He'd been a good mount and she would keep him if she were staying in Angel Vale. Except, she wasn't.

  The station looked nearly empty when she arrived. A small wisp of smoke rose from the chimney. A man wearing a thick wool overcoat stood on the platform watching as she approached.

  "It's a mighty cold day for you to be out riding,” he said.

  She merely nodded as she reined Sam to a halt. She dismounted, her legs feeling the consistency of homemade preserves.

  "What does the next train to Cheyenne arrive?” She leaned against Sam's warm side. She wasn't sure she could trust her tired legs to cooperate at the moment.

  If the man in the overcoat was surprised she was a woman men's clothing, he didn't give her a sign. "Won't be here till tomorrow morning. Runs only once a day now, with winter come on."

  Sophia's heart sank. What would she do until tomorrow? She supposed she could sit in the station all night if she had to. But she hoped to be on her way to Cheyenne before now, before anyone realized she was gone and might come to stop her.

  #

  Matt had scarcely taken two sips of his morning coffee before he heard someone come through the front door of the news office.

  "Mr. Thomas, she's gone!" He didn't miss the urgency in the female voice calling out for him. He also didn't need to ask who the woman was referring to.

  He pulled his suspenders up over his shoulders then entered the press room.

  Becky stood at the counter. She wore a shawl, her hair hanging in one long braid over her shoulder. "We must find her. She has to come back to us."

  "What? When did you notice Sophia missing?" His pulse raced and thundered in his ears.

  "Just now. I rose a little earlier than normal, and went to the table to do my Bible reading. She left a note." Becky held up a piece of paper. "Why did she leave? What happened?"

  "I've been a fool, that's why. I bet she lit out for the railroad station this morning, to go back to Maine."

  Becky nodded. "You need to go after her. Please, bring Sophia back. She belongs here, with us, Angel Vale. And with you."

  "I'll do my best, Miss Becky. Thank you for letting me know. The sooner I get there, the sooner I can talk some sense into her and get her to come back."

  "Good," Becky said. "I pray you have a safe trip.”

  Becky left and Matt sucked down his coffee for all he was worth, sending up a silent prayer. He found his overcoat and his muffler, donned his hat and grabbed the stack of newspapers intended for Cheyenne.

  What was she thinking, going out on a day like today? Why did she feel the need to leave without a real explanation? Of course, he didn't need an explanation. Matt changed his mind about riding in the wagon and stopped at the mercantile long enough to tell Jake so. He'd ride his horse to the station instead, which would make it a much faster trip.

  He lost no time getting Bud from the livery, and they covered the miles to the railroad station. Matt resisted the urge to let Bud canter most of the way. He wouldn't have a horse to ride back on if he let him run too far, for too so long. Bud must have sensed Matt's urgency because at times the horse would take the bit and run, so Matt let him run until he decided a slower pace would be better.

  It was midday when he saw the rail station ahead of him. A bay gelding stood tied beside the building, giving shelter from the wind.

  Matt lost no time tying his horse beside the gelding. He scaled the steps of the platform at the station and went inside. A solitary figure in pants sat on the side of the bench, closest to the potbelly stove. Sophia.

  Sophia looked up at him, an expression of disbelief crossing her face. He crossed the room in four strides.

  "Sophia Webster, what are you thinking? Why are you doing this?"

  "I have to leave. Please, don't make me explain. I only ask one thing, take Sam back to Angel Vale with you. Give him to Becky as a wedding present from me. He's a good horse, and a preacher's wife needs a good horse when she goes out visiting."

  Matt sank onto the bench beside her. “Sophia, the only way I will take Sam back to Angel Vale is if you are riding him beside me."

  "Matthew Thomas, I can't marry you. It's a mistake. This whole thing was a mistake. I realize that now, and I think the best thing for me is to go back to Maine."

  "The letter was a mistake. My cold feet were a mistake. Maybe the kiss was, too. I had no right to do that."

  "You've apologized for both. But I think deep down, the letter holds a measure of truth.”

  “What more do you mean? I don't understand.”

  “I'm afraid, too. Marriage is 'until death do us part.' I don't want either one of us to enter into a union we would regret. If you do marry, I want you to marry wholeheartedly.”

  “But I have decided once and for all, that I do need a wife, someone by my side as we build our town. I'm not merely in want of a wife. I need you. Angel Vale needs you.”

  “You don't want just a typesetter, someone to do your hard work for you?” She cast her gaze at the wooden plank floor.

  Matt tried not to flinch at her words. Yes, he'd done a poor job of showing how he appreciated everything she did for him, for the newspaper. If it weren't for her, he wouldn't be nearly as far along as he was now. No wonder the letter caused such turmoil. He cast a glance at Gus, who sat at a stool behind the counter. If the man had heard any of their discussion, he didn't let on.

  “No.” He reached for her hands. Gently. She didn't pull away. “If I had wanted merely an employee, I could have hired someone here. But you fit right in. You are smart and strong. You have a way with people that I don't.”

  She studied their hands then looked up at him. Her eyes pooled with tears. She pulled one of her hands away and dabbed at the corners of her eyes.

  “In Maine, I knew my place. I was always being shown my place if I tried to step out of it.” She shrugged, continuing to hold his hand. “Here, I didn't know where that was. But I do—did—know I don't want to be merely a partner. I don't want to be patronized as if I am a child, either. I realize I have a lot to learn about life here in the west, but I'm willing to learn.”


  He nodded. “I figure a man or a woman can always learn something new. I also realized something, too. I'm not very good at knowing how to treat a lady. My ma—she was difficult, at best. Which is why I stayed away from ladies a good many years, never let anyone get close.

  So I was scared, like you. But I do know one thing. With God's help, I want to know how to treat a lady. If you can learn, I can too.”

  He didn't say anything more. A clock chimed somewhere, a small wall clock, signaling the noon hour. If they headed out soon, only the last miles of the trip would be after sunset, and the evening promised to be clear with plenty of moonlight. They'd be spent, and so would the horses, but they'd be home.

  Chapter 9

  Sophia let Matt's words wash over her. They had indeed both discussed their reluctance, not long after she'd stepped off the wagon, with their first shaky encounter in front of Angel Vale's mercantile.

  But he wanted her, not just her help. He wanted her by his side. She wasn't a commodity, merely a boon to his business. They had learned to work well together, so far. He had many qualities of a good man that she'd seen firsthand during her months in Angel Vale.

  He had proved to her he was more than words. Not polished, but with a winsomeness that encouraged people to listen to him. She would have never thought of Ezekiel as winsome.

  He wanted her wholeheartedly.

  She dabbed at her eyes once more, then squeezed his hands, roughened and stained with ink.

  “Well?” He sat down beside her and looked at her, his eyes expectant, hopeful.

  “Yes. Yes, I'll come back to Angel Vale with you.”

  “Home?”

  “Yes, home.”

  He pulled her to her feet and into his arms. She slid her arms around him. She had never felt this free with Ezekiel.

  “I must stop,” she said aloud.

  “Stop? What do you mean?”

  “I must stop thinking of Ezekiel.”

  “I would never ask that of you. You were married to him for more than half your life.”

  She nodded, slowly. “You are like him, in some ways. But in many ways, I prefer you much more.”

  “How much more?” A grin crept onto his face.

  Sophia surprised herself by popping onto her tiptoes and kissing Matt square on the lips. His arms tightened around her and he lifted her from her feet as he kissed her back.

  Her head spun. He'd irritated her, made her laugh, showed her his beautiful Wyoming. She did love this man, in spite of the uncertainty of what lay before them. He held her, literally and figuratively, in a way that Ezekiel never had. The knowledge made her heart sing. In spite of all she'd lost, she didn't feel poor. No, right now she felt like the wealthiest woman in Wyoming without a gold mine.

  Matt set her down and reminded himself another pair of eyes watched them. Gus's eyes, and God above. He had honorable intentions, but wanted to still retain some proper behavior.

  Sophia's eyes sparkled. “Let us go, before night falls. I don't want to be on the trail any longer than we have to be.”

  He glanced out the window of the station. “Just in time, the driver from Angel Vale. All the better, if we travel together.”

  “Yes. Traveling slowly, the horses will not be pushed as hard, either.”

  The driver, someone Sophia recognized but couldn't recall his name, waved at them. “Matt, heard you'd gone on ahead of me.”

  He nodded. “I had to deliver the papers. And now, I'm planning to deliver a special lady back to Angel Vale.”

  Sophia couldn't hide her smile. She'd never felt this giddy, even as a young woman, when first introduced to Ezekiel and throughout their courtship days.

  “I'll ride back with you,” the driver said. “It'll be safer. I brought lanterns. Nightfall will come upon us during the journey back.”

  Matt delivered the newspapers to the Gus, who promised to put them on the next train to Cheyenne. Then he and Sophia tied their horses to the back of the wagon.

  “Ma'am, if I'd known we'd be having you with us, I would have brought an extra blanket. But there's a buffalo skin in the back of the wagon. It don't smell that good, but you'll be warm enough.”

  “I appreciate that.” She didn't care how bad the skin smelled. She was going home—home with Matt.

  ~

  Upon their return to Angel Vale, Matt left Sophia at the mill house, where a bevy of women came flooding from its door to welcome her. He left them after a discreet kiss to the back of Sophia's hand and returned the horses to the livery.

  “I'll be charging you for boarding Sam, now,” Travis said as he stabled the animals, a twinkle in his eye.

  “Not a problem.” Matt didn't mind boarding an extra horse. Not if it was Sophia's.

  The next days were filled with snow. Sophia managed to get to the newspaper office one day. He found her dark blue woolen dress quite fetching. The tone made her skin have a rosy glow. Or was it the fact her face flushed whenever she looked at him?

  “Mr. Thomas, I do believe we might need a chaperone.” She cleared her throat after he kissed her at the counter. This time, he'd kissed her with her permission.

  His collar tightened. “You've got a point.”

  Preacher Reed would be in town for Christmas and at least one wedding—Becky and Jake's—would take place at the mercantile. He'd heard snippets of the ladies' celebrations from Sophia.

  Matt didn't want to steal the couple's thunder. He also didn't want to ask Sophia to marry him too soon. However, their growing affections for each other signaled he—they—needed to decide soon.

  He decided to shop for a special gift for Sophia, one he would give her on Christmas Day. He closed the office early and strode to Alex's jewelry shop. The man was an artist with some of the local gold and had already begun having gems shipped in from back East.

  The bell jangled over the door as he entered. Alex and his young bride, Phoebe, looked up from the workbench.

  “Afternoon, Matt. I haven't seen you here before, that I can recollect.” Alex had a twinkle in his eye, and Phoebe glowed with a knowing smile.

  “No, can't say as I've been in the market for jewelry. Till now.” He cleared his throat. “I'm, ah, looking for a ring. A special one. Nothing too flashy, but something pretty but sturdy.”

  “I believe I have just the thing.” Alex gestured to the workbench. “I've been showing Phoebe a technique I've been perfecting. Maybe this will be to your liking.”

  “Does Sophia know?” Phoebe asked.

  “No, she doesn't. I, ah, already gave her the scarf I knitted. So, figure this would be better.”

  Phoebe laughed. “Oh, Mr. Thomas. This will be much, much better than a knitted scarf.”

  Epilogue

  Sophia hurried Becky away from the newspaper office and off to wed her Jake on Christmas Day. Sophia's eyes stung. All the ladies, save the two of them, had made it to the altar.

  She didn't want to say, “Matthew, we must marry today,” but the thought crossed her mind more than once. And, he could go back on what he'd told her that day, a little more than a week ago at the railroad stop at the spur. But she didn't think he'd do that.

  She'd scarcely seen Matt during the whirlwind of activities before Christmas. The newspaper had slowed its news, too, except for a big advertisement from the mercantile about items in for Christmas gifts. She'd written a brief Christmas tale, while Matt had typeset the Christmas story from the Bible and included it in the last paper before Christmas.

  She followed Becky to the mercantile. The color of the woman's wedding dress, Christmas plaid, wasn't the typical gown a woman would be married in, but it flattered her and was most befitting for the day. A day of joy.

  A familiar figure waited for her outside the mercantile. Her Matt.

  He held a tiny package wrapped in brown paper. “I've been waiting for the right time, for this.”

  “What is it?” He'd given her a gift early—the lovely scarf he'd made himself. She still couldn't warp her
mind around the fact the man with such strong hands could hold the knitting needles and create a lovely scarf of many colors. She'd already given him her gift that morning, a leather bound journal and pens.

  “I saw it in a shop and I knew right away it was for you.” He handed her the package.

  She pulled open the wrapper and found a tiny square wooden box with a cleverly hinged lid. The box alone was a lovely thing, but what lay inside took her breath away, more so than the cold Christmas air.

  A ring, a simple band that looked like a braid, woven of gold, three different colors. Two strands of a yellow gold, with a strand of pink gold braided with them. An exquisite creation by Alex, or her friend Phoebe, who was swiftly learning the jewelry trade from her husband, had crafted.

  “Well? Do you like it?”

  “Yes, yes. I do. I love it.”

  “I hope it fits. Phoebe and Becky both helped come up with a good guess at the size.”

  So the two ladies had known about this? Her heart warmed that her friends had had a hand in Matt's gift.

  “I'm sure it will fit just fine.” She couldn't wait to see how it looked on her bare finger. But she wanted Matt to be the one to put it there.

  While she gazed at the ring in the box, Matt sank onto one knee. Someone whooped out on the street, but they ignored him.

  “My dearest, dearest Sophia. As you know, it's Christmas Day. The preacher is here—”

  At this her heart gave a happy skip.

  “—and I am sure he will marry us as well.”

  Sophia nodded, unable to get any words out. She hadn't tried her wedding dress or had it fitted since arriving in Angel Vale. There was no time to do that today, either. But it didn't matter. She'd marry him in what she wore right now, her favorite blue woolen dress, and him wearing his favorite shirt, also of blue that brought out the color of his eyes and looked so nice with his brand-new suit.

  “Yes,” she managed at last. “I'll marry you, today, right now.”