The Accidental Mail Order Bride

by Ruth Ann Nordin

  Allie let go of his hand and shut the door. “Which side do you want to sleep on?”

  Since he’d made it a habit of sleeping in the middle of the bed, he had to think over this one. He supposed the safest place was by the window. That way, if he happened to sweat in the middle of the night, the breeze might ward off any unpleasant odors.

  “By the window,” he finally said.

  Yes, he’d washed up with soap, but that didn’t mean he was safe from smelling bad later that night.

  Even now, he was aware of the beads of sweat lining his brow. This was ridiculous. What made him think he could survive an entire night in this room with her? This was going to be a horrifying ordeal.

  She went to the bed and pulled down the blanket and sheet on his side. “I need to help Ida to her bed. After that, I’ll be in.”

  Though his heart seemed to have stopped, he nodded. Soon, very soon, they’d be in this bed together. He wanted to keep his thoughts on just sleeping. Really, he did. He willed his mind to pretend he was in the building. If he could just pretend he was out there, then he could let his mind drift off to sleep.

  But no matter how much he wanted it, all he kept thinking of was that he’d be spending the night with Allie. He glanced at her, afraid she might know this, but she only gave him another smile as she slipped out of the room and shut the door behind her.

  He closed his eyes and tried to calm his racing heart. If she had any idea what he was thinking, she’d be horrified. Any woman would be horrified at the thought of being with him. But just because he was thinking it, it didn’t mean he was going to do it.

  No. He’d keep his hands to himself. And to prove it, the only things he took off were his hat and his boots. The rest of his clothes would stay on for the entire night. Then, at least, Allie would know she was safe. Decision made, he went to bed, dreading the moment when she’d come in to join him.

  Chapter Twelve

  An hour passed before Allie went to the bedroom. She softly opened the door, just in case Travis was already asleep. In the moonlight streaming in through the parted curtains, she saw that his eyes were closed. She slipped into the room and closed the door, quiet as she did so.

  To her surprise, he was still dressed. Maybe she should have offered to bring in his nightclothes from the building. She’d do so now if he wasn’t already asleep. Sleeping in one’s clothes wasn’t all that comfortable, but she wasn’t going to wake him so he could change. He was probably exhausted from the day’s events. He had, after all, brought Ida back here and made her things to help her heal. If she’d done all that, she might have fallen asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow, too.

  She’d been apprehensive about getting undressed in front of him, but since he was already asleep, she didn’t hesitate to remove her clothes. Yes, she supposed it was silly to be worried about slipping into her nightshirt with her husband in the room. If theirs was a normal marriage, she might not even think twice before doing it. But they didn’t have a normal marriage. And as much as she was trying to get to know him, he remained every bit a mystery to her.

  Once she had her nightshirt on, she brushed her hair and then braided it to keep it from tangling through the night. The familiar routine did much to calm the butterflies in her stomach. While it was her idea for them to spend the night together in this room, that didn’t mean she hadn’t been anxious about what would happen.

  With a glance over her shoulder, she noted his eyes were still closed. Maybe it was just as well he was sleeping. She’d wanted to talk to him again, but it was hard to have a conversation with someone who was too shy to reply to her questions.

  Which brought something else to mind. What if they spent the rest of their lives this way? What if he stayed out in the building and rarely talked to her?

  Up to now, she had assumed it was a temporary arrangement. But what if it wasn’t? What if this was going to be permanent? Could she be happy with that? She glanced over at him again. Did she have a choice? If he didn’t want to spend time with her, then what could she do about it?

  Not sure how she felt about this unexpected possibility, she made her way over to the bed. He had left plenty of room on her side, something that surprised her since she had expected him to take up more room.

  Shrugging, she slipped into the bed, trying to be careful so she wouldn’t wake him. If he was hesitant to hold her hand, she wasn’t sure what he’d do if he woke up with her right next to him in bed. Fortunately, he didn’t stir from his slumber.

  After a moment’s debate on how she should go to sleep, she decided to roll onto her side, her back to him. That might be the safest position to choose. If he happened to wake up, he shouldn’t be startled if she wasn’t facing him.

  She took a deep breath and released it. This arrangement was awkward. There was no denying that. But it was doable. Relaxing, she closed her eyes, and surprisingly, she soon drifted off to sleep.

  ***

  No matter how hard Travis tried, he couldn’t fall asleep. He thought if he imagined himself on the makeshift bed in the workshop, he would manage to do it, but he was very much aware of the fact that he was in his bedroom—and he wasn’t alone.

  The gentle rise and fall of Allie’s chest notified him that she’d fallen asleep. How he envied her the ability to fall into blissful contentment so easily. But then, why should it be any other way? She was beautiful and sweet. She had no trouble attracting people.

  First, Phoebe and Caroline had come out to visit her a couple of times. Then, Lois came by to talk to her, and from the way Lois had been smiling on her way to her buggy, Travis could tell they’d had a good time. And today, Allie met Ida, and the two had been laughing and enjoying each other’s company. He suspected no matter who Allie came across, she never had trouble getting along with anyone.

  He didn’t want to envy people. He knew it only led to discontentment. Your job is to be the best Travis Martin you can be, his father had told him. Travis had an easier time focusing on that when he was alone. But as soon as he was near people and saw how easily they got along, that sneaky feeling of envy would slip in and remind him that he was inferior, that he would always be an outcast.

  If only he could be content with things as they were.

  Allie rolled onto her back, and to his horror, she turned over to face him then snuggled up against him. Should he wake her up and urge her to roll back over? He’d been fighting his erection ever since he watched her change into her nightshirt.

  He shouldn’t have looked. He had scolded himself for peeking through his eyelashes at her, but he’d never seen a naked woman, and his curiosity had gotten the best of him. He might never fit in with the world, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t still human, despite what the gossiping people in town said about him. He’d have to be truly abnormal not to want to see a woman naked, especially when she was married to him.

  The memory of how she looked only made things that much more difficult when she was snuggled up to him. If he wanted to get any sleep tonight, he was going to have to wake her so she’d roll back over.

  “Allie?” he whispered. When she didn’t respond, he shifted so that he could tap her shoulder. “Allie?”

  But instead of waking up, she let out a contented sigh and put one of her legs over one of his. He inwardly groaned. This was even worse than what she’d been doing before.

  What was he supposed to do? He couldn’t give into the desire to touch and kiss her the way his body was urging him to do. For one, he didn’t have her permission. And two… Well, two… He’d probably be lacking in that area just as he was lacking in social graces and good looks.

  After a long debate over whether or not he should roll her over, he finally decided to wrap his arm around her shoulders and let her continue sleeping. Even if it was for this one night, it would be nice to hold her. The experience was a pleasant one, after all.

  Yes, he likely wouldn’t sleep. Yes, it was uncomfortable to lie still when he was fully erect. But
what other time would he get to do this? Ida would be returning home tomorrow, and there would be no excuse to be in this bedroom. He’d take tonight for what it was and enjoy it. For once, he could pretend he was a normal husband in a normal marriage. And for once, he wouldn’t have to feel so lonely.

  ***

  When Allie woke the next morning, she was alone in the bed. She sat up and rubbed her eyes. She’d slept better last night than she had since she arrived here. Last night, she hadn’t woken up a couple of times. She’d felt safe and protected, much like she’d been when she was a little girl and would sleep with her parents when the shadows scared her.

  She got out of bed and checked the pocket watch one of her brothers had given her before she left Tennessee. It was after nine. She blinked and looked at it again. How was it possible she’d slept so late? She hurried to get into her dress and brushed her hair. She should have made breakfast by now. Travis and Ida would be hungry.

  After she pinned her hair back into a bun, she quickly made the bed and then left the room. An apology was on her tongue when she saw the sandwiches waiting for her and Ida on the kitchen table. Next to them was a pot of freshly brewed coffee and two cups.

  Her gaze went to the building. If she guessed right, Travis was already there. She turned back to the table. Since there were only enough for her and Ida, she surmised he’d taken his sandwich and coffee out with him. She sighed in disappointment. She shouldn’t have expected him to stay for breakfast. She should have known he would sneak out first thing in the morning.

  As tempted as she was to check on him, she thought better of it and went to Ida’s room. She knocked on the door.

  “Come in,” Ida called out.

  She opened the door and saw that Ida was struggling to fasten the buttons on her boot. Her injured foot, however, was bare. Ida glanced over at her and smiled. “I should never have taken the ability to bend down for granted.”

  Returning her smile, Allie went over to her and knelt by the boot. “I’ll help you. Give me the hook.”

  Ida handed it to her, and Allie proceeded to fasten the buttons. “I really wish I’d been sensible when I bought these boots. The buttons are downright impossible.”

  Allie chuckled. “They are pretty boots. I can see why you wanted them.”

  “I couldn’t resist them when I saw them in the catalogue. I asked Mike to get them for me for my birthday. So really, they’re a gift.”

  “I bet he was relieved he didn’t have to guess what you wanted.”

  “He was. Usually, I don’t splurge on something so expensive, but he happened to find a bit of gold and wanted to buy me something nice. The only catch was, I had to be the one to pick it out.”

  “That was nice of him.”

  “It was. That was three years ago. The boots are such good quality. They’ve stood the test of time.”

  Noting the wistful tone in Ida’s voice, Allie glanced up at her.

  Ida wiped a tear from her eye. “I had a lot of time to think last night. Even as mad as Mike made me, one thing I know for sure is that he’d never take another woman to bed. I feel so awful for Violet. Violet is Jerry’s wife. She’s a nice woman. She doesn’t deserve what he’s doing to her, and what’s worse is that they have two children. I honestly don’t know what I’d do if I was her.”

  Allie fastened the last button then stood up. “Are you sure Jerry’s having an affair?”

  Ida nodded. “This isn’t like the thing I did to Caroline Johnson. I’m not assuming there’s more to things than there really is.” After a moment, she cleared her throat. “It might not even matter. I don’t know if Violet believes me. Jerry might keep getting away with it.”

  Ida reached for the crutch, and Allie helped her to her feet. “How is your ankle this morning?” Allie asked.

  “Still sore, but that’s to be expected.”

  “Are you ready to go back to town, or would you like to stay here for another night?”

  “I think I’m ready to go back. I can’t stay mad at Mike for long. Even if he has a tendency to think everything I do around the home isn’t as draining as his job, he’s a good man. It’s funny,” she mused. “I thought I was going to teach him to appreciate me more, but it turns out, I’m the one who learned the lesson. It’s a wonderful feeling to know your husband will always be faithful to you. Well, you know how that is. Travis wouldn’t have an affair, either.”

  Surprised, Allie said, “I thought you didn’t know Travis all that well.”

  “I don’t need to know him to tell that. I saw the way he looked at you. He looks at you the same way Mike looks at me. Well,” she amended, “when I’m not embarrassing him by spreading needless rumors.”

  Allie wasn’t sure how to respond. To her, Travis was such a mystery. Yes, he’d been kind and thoughtful to her. But she had no idea what he was thinking. Was Ida seeing things as they really were, or was she seeing things as she wanted to—just like she had with Caroline?

  “Travis made us sandwiches,” Allie said, following Ida to the kitchen. “It’s nothing fancy, but I think it was sweet he did that before he started working in the building.”

  “I have ten children and a limited amount of money to feed them with. Soup and sandwiches are pretty much what I live on.” Ida smiled at her. “I’m not hard to please when it comes to food. As long as it’s not burnt, I’ll eat anything.” She shrugged. “Well, sometimes I have eaten burnt things, too.”

  Amused, Allie hurried to pull out a chair for her and helped her into it. She put the crutch aside and poured her a cup of coffee. “I suppose with all those children, it’s hard not to burn something once in a while.”

  “Isn’t that the truth. You’d be surprised how many emergencies happen in the course of one day. And,” she shot Allie a pointed look, “when I say emergency, I mean one kid had the nerve to stare at another one, or both kids want to play with the same toy at the same time.”

  Even as Ida spoke, Allie noted the love she had for her children. Yes, Ida wasn’t perfect. Allie still couldn’t blame Caroline for not liking her. But it seemed to Allie that Ida had some redeeming qualities. If she was sincere about no longer gossiping, then maybe Caroline and others might see those redeeming qualities, too.

  Chapter Thirteen

  “You want me to take Ida into town?” Travis blurted out.

  “I don’t know the way,” Allie replied as she stood by the kitchen table he was in the process of sanding. “There are so many twists and turns along the way that I wouldn’t even begin to know how to get back.”

  As much as he hated to admit it, she was right. This wasn’t an easy place to get to, which was why he bought it. It was a nice buffer between him and the people in town.

  “I know you don’t like being in town,” she continued, “but you won’t be going alone. I’ll be with you.”

  He let out a shaky breath. “The people won’t make fun of you. At the most, they’ll feel sorry for you because you’re stuck with me.”

  “Oh Travis,” she said as she walked around the table so she could stand by him, “I think what those people say about you is wrong. Caroline’s right. You’re nothing like they claim. You have some scars, but that doesn’t make you ugly.”

  Without meaning to, he snorted.

  “It’s true,” she insisted. “When I look at you, I don’t see anything wrong with you. You don’t scare me.”

  Scare her? People were scared of him?

  “Maybe that didn’t come out right,” she said.

  But it’s what she meant so why not just come out and say it?

  “Travis,” she began, “I know you can’t change their opinion. It’s not even worth a try. But,” she took his hand and squeezed it, “what they think doesn’t matter. It’s what we think that’s important.”

  Despite the heat rising up his face, he forced out, “That’s easy for you to say. You never had to bear the brunt of their gossip.”

  “You’re right. I haven’t. I don’t kn
ow what it’s like to be you. All I know is what it’s like to be me. And from my experience, you’ve done everything you can to make me comfortable here. When I look at you, I see a man who’ll do whatever he can to help others. I think you’re a good person. If your wife thinks that about you, then does it really matter what the others think?”

  As much as he enjoyed her touch, he pulled his hand out of hers and stepped around the table, needing to put some distance between them so he could think clearly. Something about her was having a strange effect on him, and try as he might, he couldn’t put his finger on what it was.

  “All we’ll do is go to Ida’s house,” Allie said. “Afterwards, we’ll come right back here.”

  He tapped the edge of the table, staring at the wall in front of him. Ida, if he recalled, lived on the outskirts of town, which meant he didn’t have to go through it. That would mean he didn’t have to expose himself to that many people.

  He sighed. Ida had to get home somehow. Carl was too much of a target to do it. He had the killer stalking him. Ida’s husband didn’t know where she was, nor would anyone else in the town. And as Allie had pointed out, she didn’t know the way. Ida wouldn’t either since she hadn’t been here before. Logically, there was no other option. He had to do it.

  “Alright,” he finally consented. “I’ll take her.” Glancing at Allie, he asked, “You said you’ll come, too?”

  She smiled, her face lighting up in a way that made him almost glad he had agreed to this. “Of course. I’ll help Ida get ready.”

  She went halfway to the door, paused, and then came back to him. He took a step back. Yes, she was still smiling, but that didn’t mean he knew what to expect.