Mail Order Brides of Hope Springs Three Book Boxed Set: A Clean Historical Mail Order Bride Romance

by Trinity Bellingham

  Only one person called him by that name. His eyes came open slowly, and the deputy's face came into view, though it was hazy at first.

  "Bob...?" He tried to speak, but his throat was too dry. Doing his best to swallow a few times, he still couldn't seem to get enough moisture to do anything other than croak.

  Bobby left his sight for a moment, then returned. Something was pressed against his mouth.

  "Here. Take a sip of this."

  Warm, stinging liquid filled his mouth. He gulped it down before he realized what the younger man had given him. Whiskey. Jake wasn't a drinking man, though he enjoyed a nip of the liquor now and then, and kept a flask of it in the drawer of his desk for medicinal purposes and an occasional barrier against the coldest of winter nights when he was on duty.

  A cough erupted from his chest, forcing him to sit up. Bobby helped him to his feet, then led him to the desk to rest in the chair for a few minutes.

  The deputy gave him a confused look. "What happened, Jake? Where's that lady prisoner gone to?"

  Jake felt his head whip around to glance at the empty cells. He could think of only one thing to explain her absence. Resting his head in his hands, he relayed the details of the capture and what had come about shortly after locking the eldest Dalton brother in the cell.

  "Billy Joe and his brothers must have taken her." She was in with them after all. A sick feeling washed through his gut. Or maybe she had nothing to do with them. "We need to find them, right away Bobby. Her life could be in danger."

  He shouldn't feel such concern for Lizzie, other than she was a human being and was apparently the hostage of a ruthless group of outlaws. But he'd asked Millie to marry him, and was still waiting for her to arrive. So why couldn't he keep the former prisoner out of his mind? He should be worrying about Millie, not Lizzie.

  "Where did you find Billy Joe?" Bobby's words interrupted his thoughts.

  "He was breaking into Jack Dawson's barn again when I caught him."

  The deputy seemed to consider this information on a deeper level than usual, and Jake was sure the young man was reaching the same conclusion he had himself.

  Before either of them could speak, the door opened and a man dressed like a train conductor came in carrying a satchel bag in each hand.

  "I beg your pardon, Sheriff. I was told you were holding a young woman here." He lifted the bags to emphasize his next statement. "I'm looking for the owner of these, and wonder if she could be the same woman." The man described Lizzie, and went on to explain the mishap of how she and her luggage were separated.

  Jake was more than intrigued. If what he'd learned was true, it explained his feelings for Lizzie, why she was elusive, and also why it seemed Millie hadn't appeared. They were the same woman. But he had to know for certain he was on the right track with this. If it was true, at least her appearing in dirty clothes made sense.

  "May I see the bags, please?"

  The conductor set them upon the desk, and Jake tried to only show curiosity. He couldn't let the other two men see the excitement he felt. Somehow, though, he knew he was right.

  Opening the first satchel, he found a Bible. Beneath that was a stack of letters that looked more than familiar. The recipient was Millie E. Wyatt. These were the ones he'd sent to his mail order bride! Now he was convinced Lizzie was Millie, and she'd given him her middle name. And now, because of him, she was kidnapped by ruthless outlaws.

  "Thank you, sir. I know this woman and I'll be sure she gets these back."

  The conductor's face relaxed. "Please tell her we regret this unfortunate mistake, and she has our deepest apologies for any inconvenience we may have caused."

  Jake grinned and nodded. "I'll make it a point to let her know. Thank you for returning them." He though wryly that the man had no idea how much trouble the railways had caused.

  The man reached out his hand, and Jake shook it once, then the conductor turned and left the building.

  "What is it, Jake? Why do you look like you're glad you just met someone's ghost?"

  ~#~#~#~

  Having enlightened Bobby that he now knew Lizzie and Millie were the same woman, Jake saw his own concern reflected on the deputy's face. They needed to figure out where to look for the Dalton Brothers in order to rescue his future wife.

  "I think I know where they must be hiding." There was an ominous note in the deputy's voice.

  Jake glanced sideways at Bobby. "Yep. Me, too. I'm sure they're south of Jack's place." He did his best to keep his expression neutral, though wasn't convinced he succeeded. He was more than a little worried and didn't want to pass it on to Bobby.

  "It's the only place that would make sense for someone running from the law." The younger man paused. "Nobody wants to go near there. Too many folks have died trying climbing up that hill. It's too dangerous for normal people."

  Jake nodded. Bobby was right, of course, but he couldn't let his deputy take on the gang by himself. He wouldn't. It was too risky for only one lawman.

  "We should go to see Doc Collins first, to get me bandaged. Then we'll head out to find Billy Joe and his brothers."

  Deputy Matthews indicated Jake's 's left shoulder. "You can't go after them like that, Jake. You're not in any shape to be chasing down outlaws."

  "I have to go with you, Bobby. There's four of them. It took three of them to do this to me. With both of us to take them on, we stand a better chance of bringing them in." He sounded determined and confident it could be done, and hoped his doubts about his gunshot wound hindering his performance, didn't come through.

  "I have to tell you, Sheriff, I don't like this. Not at all." He paused. "But I suppose you're right."

  "To be honest, I'm not looking forward to this either. We'll just have to hope for the best tonight and do the best we can." He shrugged his uninjured shoulder. "I don't know what else to do, but I know we have to try to save Millie from them."

  With a little help from his deputy, Jake stood and headed toward the door. He'd spoken the truth about not having a desire to embark on this mission, however, he knew there was no other choice. There was no way he could leave Millie in the hands of the Dalton Brothers. What they would do to her didn't bear thinking about.

  Stopping a brutal gang of cattle rustlers would be difficult enough, but what he feared most was what they might already be doing to the young woman he'd grown to love over the previous year while they had been corresponding. This was something he had to do. He needed to get to Kill Devil Hill, and the sooner, the better. He would do whatever he needed to do to save her and let his body recover later.

  ~#~#~#~

  Chapter Ten

  The place was aptly named for the narrow rocky path winding up the steep side of the small mountain. More than a few people had accidentally fallen over the edge during Jake's tenure as Sheriff, although it was mostly outlaws that did so. There was a sheer forty-foot cliff on the right hand side while thick vegetation and innumerable trees made forging any other path impossible. A small clearing near the top was the only place the rustlers could be and that's where they were headed.

  Riding a stallion with one arm in a sling wasn't easy, and doing it over the dangerous terrain of Kill Devil Hill was much harder. However, Jake persevered, not only because it was his duty as Sheriff to arrest the thieves, but the woman he loved was in danger. He had to get to her as quickly as possible and in the scheme of things, he wasn't going to let riding horse with one hand hold him back.

  Many times he found himself pleading silently that she would be unharmed and that he would reach her in time. It seemed as if timed had slowed and he was sure the slow pace at which they had to move would cause him to go insane long before they arrived. His silent prayer was the only thing helping him to maintain control.

  "Dear God, let us get there safely." The deputy's words were barely audible. Jake thought the young man must not have realized he spoke aloud and agreed with the sentiment.

  "Amen, Bobby. Amen." He whispe
red under his breath.

  It seemed as though they'd been on this trail for hours, though he knew by the position of the sun only half an hour had passed. Ten more minutes and they'd reach the spot they were heading for up ahead. That was a good thing. The sun was on the decline, and he didn't want to encounter these men in the dark.

  Bobby slowed his mare, and Jake barely succeeded in not bumping into him. The deputy turned to face him.

  "Should we get a little closer, or do you think we should dismount here?" His voice was just above a whisper.

  Not wanting to reveal their presence, the Sheriff replied in the same low voice. "There's a wide spot up ahead on the left. We can tether the horses, then walk the rest of the way."

  Bobby nodded, and coaxed the mare into moving again. Within minutes, their horses were secured and they strode to the edge of the clearing.

  Peering around a tree, Jake saw the four men sitting together at the far end. He couldn't be sure, but it appeared they were drawing lots. Why would they be doing that? The answer came in a flash. To see which of them would be first to have their way with the woman. This was not a good thing but he was relieved they had not set upon her yet. With a bit of luck, they'd arrived in time.

  He glanced at the deputy, and from the look on his face it seemed he'd surmised the same.

  "We can't let them do this, Bobby. We have to go in now. Get your guns in hand. We'll need to use them."

  Bobby nodded, and the two lawmen readied themselves for a showdown. Jake was never as thankful as right now that he could handle a gun equally well with both hands. Stepping into the clearing with weapons drawn, they marched with purpose toward the outlaws.

  ~#~#~#~

  "Billy Joe Dalton!" Jake used his most authoritative voice.

  The four outlaws raised their heads in unison, an expression of shock and confusion on each face. They'd thought they would be undisturbed up here.

  "Give yourselves up now, or we'll be forced to shoot every one of you."

  Something off to the right caught his eye, and he glanced in that direction without moving his head. Millie appeared to be asleep at the base of a tree, ropes securing her to it, and a dirty handkerchief was stuffed into her mouth. His heart felt as though it was plummeting to his knees, but he couldn't let the rustlers see his discomfort at what they'd done to her.

  "Never!" Billy Joe stood, shouting back at him, his brothers scrambling to their feet. "You'll have to kill us all, if you think you can." They thought they were safe, seeing the Sheriff's shooting arm was in a sling.

  Without hesitation, Deputy Matthews strode forward shooting, catching two of the younger ones in their shoulders, knocking them backward onto the ground.

  Jake followed, not wasting a second, aiming for the eldest. He missed on the first shot, but hit him in the upper part of each thigh on the next two rounds. The fourth one hit him in the left shoulder.

  Billy Joe couldn't seem to aim well, and his shots flew well above the heads of the lawmen. The one untouched brother was able to knock the six-shooter from Bobby's left hand, but the deputy hit him in the leg and lower part of his left side.

  With two of their brothers lying on the ground bleeding, the ones who'd been hit first regained their feet and attempted to end the battle, but Bobby was too fast for them. Each one received a bullet in the previously untouched shoulder.

  The shootout was over in a matter of minutes, though it seemed to have gone on longer. Jake was thankful he hadn't been hit again, and glanced at his deputy to see if he'd been injured.

  "Are you okay, Bobby? I saw your gun fly from your hand."

  "Yep. I'm fine, Jake. The bullet hit the barrel, but I think it's okay. Didn't touch my hand at all."

  "Good." He motioned toward the Dalton boys "You get them tied up and I'll check on Millie."

  With a nod, the deputy headed off to round up the lawbreakers.

  ~#~#~#~

  She was unaware of how many times she'd regained and lost consciousness, but Millie woke for the final time when she heard Jake's voice booming across the small patch of grass. Relief washed over her when she realized he hadn't died earlier, and she sent up a quick prayer of thanks. She knew she would be safe now.

  Hearing the words exchanged between Jake and the vile men, she didn't dare lift her head, certain a gun battle was about to start at any moment. Why would these wicked men think they were above the law and could get away with murdering a Sheriff and his deputy? It made no sense to her. But there was no time to ponder this. A showdown was imminent.

  Flooding her mind with prayers that no one would be killed - including her captors - she attempted to drown out the booming with moderate success. The bang of gunshots seemed to come from much further away, but still rang clearly in her ears.

  Unmistakable cries of pain were jumbled in with the dull roar, but she couldn't tell which direction they came from. Redoubling her prayerful efforts, she did her best to ignore the noises.

  She wasn't sure when it happened, but silence fell around her. Cautiously, she opened her eyes to see if it was over and the calmness around her lingered. Footsteps were heading her way. Not having seen the shootout, she couldn't tell if it was Jake coming toward her, though she prayed it was. Then someone was standing in front of her, and the gag was removed from her mouth. The relief was immense and she could breath properly again without gagging.

  "Millie? Are you okay?" The soft, soothing quality of Jake 's voice brought immeasurable joy to her heart. But wait. How did he know her real name?

  She lifted her head to see him gazing at her with a tenderness she'd never before seen from anyone.

  "Yes, but how did you find out?" It was the only thing she could think to say.

  He busied himself with untying the ropes as best he could. "The train conductor brought your bags. I recognized his description of you, but when I saw all my letters under your Bible, I knew for sure."

  "You opened my bags?" She couldn't keep the embarrassment from coming through.

  "All I saw was the Bible and the letters." He hesitated. "And the poor condition of your clothing, but we'll get you some new dresses later. There's a more important one we must get first."

  Free of the ropes, she stood to face him. "And what one would that be?" She was sure she knew the answer.

  "We need to find you a suitable wedding dress, my dear Millie." His smile filled her heart with a bliss she'd not experienced until now. Then his lips were upon hers, but only for a tender moment. "I love you, Millie Elizabeth Wyatt, and I want to make you my wife."

  "I love you too, Sheriff Jake Benson, and it would be my pleasure to be wed to you for the rest of my life."

  He pulled her tight against his chest. "I'll do all I can to make sure you'll feel nothing less than all my love until time no longer exists."

  And you don't mind about my scars?

  "No, of course not. But you must tell me what happened. It looks like a fresh wound and I need to get you taken care of. I guess the two of us will be keeping the Doc busy for a while."

  Then he kissed her again, with a gentle passion that took her to a place she'd never been and didn't want to leave. A place that felt like Heaven. She was home.

  The End

  Chapter One

  Ingrid Swenson had always been lucky, meaning she had survived the voyage in steerage from Europe, the typhus that had left her an orphan at six years of age and the move back East to an orphanage located in Charleston. She figured she'd done a lot of leaving in her short life and each time everything had worked out. Now it was time for her to leave the orphanage which had been home since she was seven and there was no reason her life should turn out badly. True, she'd been unhappy for a while after being left by the Sorenson family but it hadn't been as bad as when her parents died, leaving her alone.

  In any case, she'd soon made friends with another girl, Millie, and the two girls had been close as peas in a pod. It was a fortuitous friendship because Ingrid couldn't spe
ak English, a situation Millie soon remedied. Until Ingrid arrived in Charleston there had been no need for her to speak English as her parents and then the Sorenson family, all spoke in their native Norwegian tongue. Now, all that remained was an accent that wasn't overly thick and she did all her reading and writing in English.

  At night though, before falling asleep, she silently mouthed the Norwegian words that had helped make her who she was, wanting to maintain a link to her heritage. There wasn't much of her heritage left now. The Sorenson family who had taken her in after her parents died, maintained the old ways and she'd enjoyed the familiarity up until a plague of locusts and ongoing drought forced them to leave the Plains. It seemed as though each mile back towards the East had claimed a little of her heritage, until her arrival at the orphanage in Charleston signaled its death knell.

  At first, Ingrid missed the Sorensonfamily who had been kind to her. The poverty which had overtaken them was merciless though and they'd believed Ingrid would at least receive regular meals and basic clothing, which was far more than they were able to offer. So the orphanage became home and the Sorenson family disappeared, forever it seemed at the time. Millie rescued Ingrid from a life of loneliness in the orphanage and the two girls had been inseparable up until the time when Millie turned eighteen and left.

  Millie was married now, to the Sheriff in Hope Springs, Texas and for the six months Millie had been gone, Ingrid had been lonely, not becoming close to any of the other girls. This was partly due to the fact that Ingrid was due to leave the orphanage herself, six months after Millie's departure. Following Millie's advice, Ingrid had answered some advertisements for Mail Order Brides, but hadn't been lucky enough to secure an arrangement as yet. She assumed it was because she was Norwegian.

  The girls had corresponded regularly during that time and with no prospects on the horizon for Ingrid, Millie invited her to Hope Springs. At least there were prospects by way of employment and there was also a shortage of women available for the menfolk to take as wives. There was no way Millie was going to abandon her friend and after sending Ingrid money for the fare, waited anxiously for her arrival.