Mail-Order Bride Ink: Dear Mr. Diamond

by Kit Morgan

  Jace brought his horse to a stop and stared at the slash pile of debris from the remains of the boarding house. “Who was in charge of unloading?” he asked Fletcher.

  “I’m afraid I have no idea. Mr. Olsen picked them. This was their post. Their job was to put anything burnable on the pile.”

  “Looks like they did a fine job,” Ephraim commented.

  “Yes – too fine.” Jace nudged his horse closer. He saw the chopped and sawed beams, including one with part of it hollowed out. He dismounted to get a closer look. “Doc, Fletcher, come here.”

  They joined him. “Well, I’ll be,” Fletcher said.

  “That’s how he hid them.” Jace kicked the piece of beam away and stood. “Under the house in the support beams.” He took off his hat and hit his leg with it. “But where are they headed now?”

  “They found what they wanted,” Doc said. “If it were me, I’d make tracks as fast as I could.”

  “And the fastest way to do that is by train,” Jace added. He pulled out his watch and flipped it open. “The one that leaves town in ten minutes.”

  Chance urged his horse forward. “I can make it, Sheriff. Miss Beezee’s the fastest horse around.”

  “You’re not the law, son,” Jace said as he remounted. The grey mare was fast, but her rider couldn’t make an arrest.

  “Sheriff, look!” Alex shouted as he pointed.

  They did. Smoke rose from the woods almost a half-mile away. Something was on fire, something big. “Katie,” Jace whispered. “Oh Lord, Katie.” He couldn’t take a chance. He had to check it out. “Fletcher, you’ve been deputized – take Chance and Alex and stop that train! If Olsen’s on it, arrest him and anyone with him. Ephraim, you’re with me. Go!” He spurred his horse and was off like a shot across the Edmondsons’ open fields.

  There was an old cabin in the far woods that had belonged to Mr. Edmondson’s grandfather – the original homestead, Jace recalled. But that didn’t matter – Katie did. He had a sinking feeling that’s exactly where he’d find her. Chester was fast – not as fast as Miss Beezee, but they were closer to the Edmondsons’ old cabin than Fletcher and the others were to the train station.

  When they reached the woods, he could see the flames and clearing through the trees and began to pray like a madman. “Please, dear Lord, please!” He didn’t mince words; the Almighty knew what was going on.

  He reached the cabin and got as close as he could with his horse. Half the structure was in flames already, with most of the roof consumed. He dismounted and headed for the door. Ephraim’s horse was slower, so the doctor was somewhere behind him, but Jace wasn’t about to wait. He kicked the door open to a blast of heat and flame followed by billowing smoke. It singed his face and stung his eyes, blinding him for a moment, but he didn’t care. He just hoped he’d be able to see Katie if she was inside.

  She was.

  “Katie!” They’d tied her to a chair on the other side of the cabin. Thank Heaven the fire hadn’t reached her yet, but the roof was about to go. Her head lolled to one side, and she didn’t answer his cries.

  Jace tried the ropes, but realized he’d never get her untied in time. He grabbed the entire chair and began to drag it toward the door. He stumbled, fell to one knee, got to his feet and continued, coughing and wheezing.

  Ephraim was suddenly at his side to help. They got her out and carried her as far from the cabin as they could until the smoke they’d inhaled forced them to set her down. Both men were felled by racking coughs as they tried to catch their breath and deal with the ropes binding her. Ephraim said something but now dizzy, Jace didn’t understand what.

  Then the dizziness overtook him, and he stopped understanding anything.

  “Jace?”

  He opened his eyes slowly. It hurt. “Katie?” he rasped, and tried to swallow. That hurt too. “Katie …”

  “Oh, Jace!” She wrapped her arms around him.

  That made him cough. “Ow …”

  “I’m sorry.” She pulled away. “How does it feel? Does it hurt?”

  “Wha?”

  “Everything hurts, would be my guess,” Ephraim said from the other side of the bed.

  So he was on a bed now? When did that happen? Jace slowly turned his head toward his friend’s voice. If he was at Ephraim’s place, the man was probably right. “How bad?”

  Ephraim smiled. “Well, you look rather interesting without eyebrows.”

  “Huh!?” He needed to stop making sounds – it felt like he was swallowing glass.

  Katie giggled.

  Jace looked at her. “You’re alive.”

  She nodded. “Thanks to you and Doc Stone.” She looked away as tears streamed down her face. “I almost wasn’t.” She wiped them away. “It’s a miracle.”

  Jace reached out to her and glanced at Ephraim who nodded but said nothing.

  She took his hand. “I thought I was going to die, Jace, I really did.”

  He wanted to say, I’m sorry, honey, I should have gotten there sooner, but couldn’t manage it. He squeezed her hand … egads, that hurt too. Only then did he notice the bandages on his hand.

  “It’s a miracle we got there at all,” Ephraim said. “But we saw the smoke.” He too looked at Jace’s hands. “You incurred a few injuries …”

  Jace wanted to roll his eyes but worried that might hurt, so he didn’t.

  There was a knock on the door. “Come in,” Ephraim called.

  Pastor Luke entered the patient room. “Doc, Sheriff, Miss Haverdash.” He looked at Jace again and did a double-take. “My my.”

  Jace glared at Ephraim.

  “It’s not my fault – you ran into the cabin first and were in there longer.”

  Pastor Luke smiled. “They’ll grow back. How are you feeling?”

  Jace tried speaking. “You dooo …” You don’t want to know, but I’m glad you’re here wouldn’t come out.

  Pastor Luke smiled. “Well, it’s good to see you alive. All of you.”

  Katie still held Jace’s hand. “Speaking of which, there’s something Jace and I might need to discuss with you, Pastor.”

  “Oh, what’s that?”

  Katie glanced at Jace.

  He thought furiously – how could he tell her or the pastor anything with his voice on leave? He pulled her closer, pointed to himself with his free hand, then rapped on top of his head with his knuckles. I’m a thickheaded fool.

  She smiled. “You read my mind.”

  He smiled back. Oddly, that didn’t hurt. He pointed at her, then down at the ground, while raising his eyebrows – or lack of them – in question. “Stay …” he managed.

  Her lower lip trembled. “But why do you want me to stay, Jace Diamond?”

  He let go of her right hand, took her left, kissed it, then mimed putting a ring on her finger. Will you marry me?

  Her free hand flew to her mouth as she nodded. “Yes, oh yes …”

  He motioned her closer, cupped her cheek, brought her face to his and kissed her. It hurt, but it still felt better than any healing salve Doc Stone could slather him with.

  “Well, I guess this means a wedding is in order,” Pastor Luke said. “I can’t wait to tell Winnie it’s official. She, like every other woman around here, loves weddings.”

  Jace looked at Pastor Luke questioningly – official?

  Katie exchanged a quick look with Ephraim. “Gran Mercy has already been inviting people. And the mayor announced it when we brought you back to town.”

  Now he rolled his eyes.

  They laughed as Katie drew closer. “I love you, Jace Diamond. Thank you for saving me. I still can’t believe I got out of there without a scratch or a burn.”

  “Amen to that,” Pastor Luke said. “Now, if you don’t mind, I need to check on the wedding preparations.”

  “What?” Jace said in surprise. Out loud – ouch.

  “Oh, you don’t think Mercy Vander and her friends haven’t been working on this? They have. In fact, your
wedding is scheduled for Saturday.”

  “But … that’s three days from now!” Katie stammered. Jace knew how she felt.

  “Like I said, they’ve been busy.” Pastor Luke turned to the door. “Better rest up, Jace. And besides that, you have a jail full of outlaws to contend with.”

  Jace looked wide-eyed at Ephraim, who nodded. “Fletcher and the boys got them all. With … some help.”

  Katie nodded. “When Fletcher and the others got to the station, they found Mr. Olsen and his men all tied together on the platform.”

  “I patched them up,” Ephraim said. “But each of them has something broken.”

  Jace’s shoulders rose. What happened?

  “We don’t know and none of them are talking yet,” Ephraim said. “Well … they’re talking, but they’re only babbling nonsense.”

  “Fletcher tried to question them, but the only word anyone can make out is ‘knight’,” Katie said.

  Jace smiled and closed his eyes. So Mr. Markhel had returned – probably for his answer. Well, he knew what his answer would be – he’d give Markhel an invitation to his wedding. He had no idea how Katie had survived the fire as well as she did. A true miracle. And not the only one – he’d been given a second chance with her and he wasn’t about to mess it up again. “Marry me, Katie,” he rasped. “Tomorrow.”

  She smiled. “I can wait until Saturday …” She touched his cheek. “Don’t worry, I won’t leave you.”

  Jace took her hand and kissed it again. I love you, he mouthed.

  Katie smiled. “I know.”

  Epilogue

  Three days later …

  “And do you, Jason Everett Diamond, take Katherine Florence Haverdash to be your lawfully wedded wife?”

  Jace smiled at Katie. “I do.”

  She smiled back as their vows continued. He’d inhaled too much smoke, suffered burns here and there and looked ridiculous without his eyebrows, but she didn’t care. She was hopelessly in love with him. He’d come for her, as she knew he would when the fire began. She didn’t know how she knew, but she did. And though the smoke had been too much and she’d lost consciousness, when she awoke he lay next to her, the cabin engulfed in flames behind them.

  Doc Stone was there and, she thought, a huge warrior angel with long white hair, speaking words of comfort. But perhaps she’d dreamed that – when she thought to look around, the angel was gone.

  Doc had been silent as he got them back to town, put Jace in the patient room and tended his burns. She’d helped, and had hardly left Jace’s side since. Now here they were, becoming husband and wife, and she couldn’t be happier.

  “Katie?” Pastor Luke whispered.

  She started. “Oh, I’m sorry. I do!”

  The pastor chuckled. “I’m glad.”

  “So’m I,” Jace rasped. At least he could talk without pain now.

  Pastor Luke gave them a big smile. “By the power vested in me by Almighty God and the state of Oregon, I now pronounce you man and wife. Jace, you may kiss the bride.”

  Jace took Katie in his arms. “Sorry you didn’t get much of a courtship,” he whispered.

  She smiled. “I’m your mail-order bride, remember? We’re supposed to get married right away.”

  “Oh yes, I forgot.” He claimed her lips in a glorious kiss and she thought she might faint. By the time he broke it she had to gasp for air.

  “Oh my,” Mahulda Brock said from the front pew.

  “Another one for the Mad Matchmaker!” someone called from the back of the church.

  “Hardly,” Jace whispered to her, “but I’m not going to tell folks just yet what really happened.”

  They turned to face their wedding guests. Everyone clapped and cheered. “Well, I suppose we should thank that horrible Mr. Olsen,” she hissed back. “If it weren’t for him, we wouldn’t be doing this right now.”

  They began their walk down the aisle to congratulations and well wishes. “Mr. Olsen and his gang are being transported to Salem within the hour,” he told her. “I’ve turned everything over to the, um … proper authorities.”

  “I’m glad. Now let’s not speak of it again – I want to enjoy my wedding day.” She smiled at him again. “And I need to tell you something.”

  “Oh?”

  “Did I mention I was an heiress?”

  He stopped, turned and kissed her to the delight of everyone around them. “I love you, Katie,” he said when he broke the kiss, “no matter what you are, heiress or otherwise. You can explain it all later.” He cupped her cheek with one hand. “I’m sorry I fought my heart for so long.”

  “But love won. It’s very powerful, you know.”

  “I know now.” He wrapped her arm through his and continued down the aisle.

  Ephraim Stone watched the couple finally leave the church and sighed. He was one of the few people left at this point, but knew he had to wait.

  “Dr. Stone.”

  Sure enough … “Mr. Markhel.” He turned to the giant. “You wanted to speak with me?”

  “I have an offer for you.”

  Ephraim sighed. “Whatever it is, I’m not interested.”

  Markhel sat in the nearest pew. “But you haven’t heard what I have to say.”

  “Look, I don’t know everything there is to know about you from your hanging around Clear Creek, but I know enough. No.”

  “You’re judging.”

  “Yes, I am. I’ve seen you … work.”

  “The proposition is the same one I offered your friend Sheriff Diamond. I’m recruiting for an organization.”

  “Yes, I got that impression. And Jace told me about your group – knights patrolling the West.”

  “And other parts of the world,” Markhel confirmed. “But my area is here.”

  “I’m still not interested. Sorry.” Ephraim turned and set off again.

  “You could save lives.”

  “I already do.”

  “Like you saved Miss Haverdash?”

  Ephraim stopped, took a deep breath and spun back to him. “Look, I don’t know what you did or how you did it. She’s alive, that’s all that matters.”

  “Of course. But I could teach you new ways, show you medicines you know not of.” He stood. “You could save more lives than you ever thought possible.”

  Ephraim fidgeted and sighed. “All right. You have my attention.”

  Mr. Markhel smiled. “Good. But we’ll discuss it later. Right now …” He popped his neck. “… I’m hungry and I have prisoners to transport.”

  Ephraim nodded. “Very well.”

  “Enjoy the wedding festivities. Tell Sheriff Diamond congratulations for me.”

  “I will.” Ephraim headed for the door again.

  “Doctor. Stone?”

  Ephraim stopped. “What now?”

  “Thank you for all you have done for this town. It’s what attracted my colleagues and I to you in the first place.”

  “And Jace?”

  “Him too. He is a good man. So are you.”

  Ephraim stared at him a moment. “Thank you.”

  “I am sure Mr. Diamond has already informed you that to become a Knight, you cannot marry. Is that understood?”

  “Too dangerous – yes, he told me.”

  “Good. I will return to Independence in a month or two. Until then, do what you do best. Save lives.”

  Ephraim nodded, then left.

  No sooner was he gone than another man joined Markhel – just as wide, though not quite as tall. “Ye lost one.”

  Markhel looked at his superior. “It’s good to see you too, Mr. MacDonald.”

  The dark-haired Scot crossed his arms and rubbed his chin. “What happened?”

  “Love intervened.”

  “Blast it. Weel, ye canna argue with the power of that.”

  “No.”

  “And that one?” the Scot asked, nodding toward the door.

  “He’d be a good recruit.”

  “Anyone around her
e he might fall in love with?”

  “Thankfully, no.”

  “Good. Bring him in, then. We need all the help we can get.”

  THE END

  About the Author

  Kit Morgan, aka Geralyn Beauchamp, has been writing for fun all her life. When writing as Geralyn Beauchamp, her books are epic, adventurous, romantic fantasy at its best. When writing as Kit Morgan they are whimsical, fun, inspirational sweet and clean stories that depict a strong sense of family and community. Raised by a homicide detective one would think she’d write suspense, but no, Kit likes fun and romance. Kit has plenty of both in her books. Books often described as Green Acres meets Gun Smoke! Kit resides in the beautiful Pacific Northwest in a little log cabin on Clear Creek, for which the fictional town from her Prairie Brides and Prairie Grooms series is named.

  If you’d like to read Kit’s other books you can check them out on Kit’s amazon page

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