“Yes, you could die.” She folded her arms across her chest. “So could I. None of us knows what tomorrow brings, but I know right here and now that I love you, Wyatt Reed, and I will never stop loving you. If you leave us, do it for yourself and not because you think you’re protecting me from anything.”
Sasha’s brow crumpled. “Papa leave?”
For the first time since Charlotte had known Wyatt, he looked like he couldn’t piece together his thoughts. He gulped. He looked to Sasha and then to Charlotte as if he didn’t know what to say.
When at last he spoke, it was with disbelief. “Do you mean it?”
She nodded, hoping her smile convinced him. “I do.”
Wyatt had never thought it possible that she could not only forgive his terrible past but also accept an uncertain future.
He touched a finger to her soft cheek, and she curled toward his hand, kissing his rough fingers. The simple gesture shattered his plans and his doubts.
He made a last feeble attempt. “Are you sure? I might not make it back.”
She lifted her eyes. “Each of us has only this moment. Charles died suddenly. The flood came upon us without warning and left families without children or parents. There will always be heartache, but we must also hold on to joy. I know what gives me joy. You. Sasha. Us.”
His heart swelled until he thought it would burst. She loved him. This beautiful, God-fearing woman loved him with all her heart. He almost couldn’t take it in. Everything he’d ever wanted was right here.
He lifted his gaze to the now-familiar buildings of Evans Grove. Charlotte’s house—their house—was just up the street. The sheriff’s office. The town hall. The church. Praise God for that church where he’d married this wonderful woman.
“For better and for worse, in sickness and in health,” she said, her eyes glistening again. “As long as we both shall live.” The words she’d been unable to say that day now spilled out with confidence.
Wyatt had always been decisive. This decision took no thought. He dropped to one knee, right there in the middle of the street, and took Charlotte’s hand.
“Charlotte Reed, will you stay married to this ornery, stubborn fool of a man?”
She dropped right down beside him. It must be the angle of the sun, because he could swear her face glowed.
“I will, Wyatt Reed.”
“I don’t have a ring, but I promise I’ll get one.”
Her pretty little chin jutted out. “Who needs a ring when she has a man’s word?”
No pronouncing was necessary. Wyatt pulled her into his arms and kissed her like a man ought to kiss his wife.
“Oh, my,” Charlotte gasped as she came up for air. If she’d had any doubts before, they were gone now. He loved her. He’d committed to a lifetime together. She could have jumped and skipped like a little girl.
“Papa stay?” Sasha tugged on Wyatt’s sleeve.
He grinned and swept her into his arms. “Yes, Papa will stay. I love you, Sasha. I will always love you.”
Charlotte could hardly keep back the tears. They were a real family now, Sasha’s forever mama and papa.
* * * * *
Keep reading for an excerpt from The Cowboy's Surprise Bride by Linda Ford.
Dear Reader,
The 19th-century concept of sending orphans from city slums to Midwestern farm families has fascinated me for some time. Those of you who’ve read my other books know that I touched on what came to be called Orphan Trains in The Matrimony Plan. That story took place toward the end of the orphan train experience while this one is much closer to the beginning, when the idea was fresh and the outcome hopeful. Some children (not all were orphans) did end up in wonderful families while others became little more than unpaid laborers.
I am greatly blessed with two loving parents and thank God for that every day. Like many children, I went through a rebellious phase and threatened to run away. I packed a few belongings into a blanket, like a hobo, and set off. Before I reached the end of the street I realized how much I’d miss my family and came crawling back full of regret. My mother welcomed me without a single word of reproach. Her grace imprinted in my mind forever the way Our Heavenly Father accepts us time and again when we turn away from Him and try to set out on our own. Charlotte and Wyatt both try to take matters into their own hands, yet God welcomes them back, as He welcomes all His children. I hope you enjoyed their story. I’d love to hear from you, either by mail sent to Love Inspired or through my website at www.christineelizabethjohnson.com.
Blessings,
Christine Johnson
Questions for Discussion
Wyatt states he won’t get emotionally involved, yet Sasha’s tears draw out a tender side. How does he attempt to hold on to his emotional distance while helping the little girl?
Why do you think Charlotte struggles to grieve the sudden loss of her husband? Have you ever experienced sudden loss? What was your initial reaction? How did you cope over time?
Why does Charlotte put her entire focus on Sasha? Is that healthy? Why or why not?
Wyatt insists on taking the orphans to Greenville even after he learns Sasha is one of them. Why does he stick to this plan? What repercussions do you think he’ll endure based on his subsequent decision to let some stay?
Why are the citizens of Evans Grove so desperate to keep the orphans there, even though all of them haven’t been placed in homes yet?
When Charlotte learns she must remarry at once in order to keep Sasha, she hasn’t yet mourned her husband’s loss. How does this complicate matters? If you faced such a decision, could you marry someone you didn’t know?
Why would Wyatt agree to marry a woman he just met?
Do you think it’s wrong to marry outside of love? Why or why not?
Sasha takes to Wyatt immediately in a way she never did with Charlotte’s late husband. Why do you think Wyatt feels “safer” to her?
Though Charlotte married only to keep Sasha, she soon expects Wyatt to behave like a “real husband” and resents his riding off without telling her where he’s going and when he’ll be back. Do you think Wyatt should keep her informed or is she asking too much of him? Why does he not tell her what he’s doing?
War has a terrible effect on those who fight and must take the life of another human being. Wyatt struggles with his role in the Civil War. How can he put those memories behind him? Do you know a returning soldier who struggles with memories of war? In what ways could those of us back home reach out to them?
Why does Wyatt think he needs to leave Charlotte and Sasha?
What could Charlotte have done to change his mind?
The schoolhouse fire triggers Wyatt’s deepest fears, but it also spurs him to act rather than run. Have you ever faced a life-changing moment? How did it alter your course?
Forgiving yourself can be terribly difficult. Before Wyatt can become a husband to Charlotte and a father to Sasha, he must forgive himself for what he did during the war. How can faith help overcome this hurdle?
We hope you enjoyed this Harlequin Love Inspired Historical title.
You find illumination in days gone by. Love Inspired Historical stories lift the spirit as heroines tackle the challenges of life in another era with hope, faith and a focus on family.
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Chapter One
Northwest Territories, Canada
October 1881
For the first time she was about to meet Eddie Gardiner. The man she intended to marry. The answer to her prayers.
<
br /> Linette Edwards parted the curtains on the stagecoach—meant to keep out the dust and cold. The first few days of their trip, dust had filtered through them, and now cold with the bite of a wild beast filled every inch of the tiny coach. Four adults and a child huddled against the elements.
“You’re letting in the cold,” her traveling companion complained.
“I fear we are in for an early snowstorm,” one of the male passengers said.
Linette murmured an apology but she managed to see the rolling hills and the majestic mountains before she dropped the curtain back in place. Since they’d left Fort Benton, headed for the ranch lands of the Northwest Territories of Canada, she’d peered out as much as she could. The mountains, jagged and bold, grew larger and larger. A song filled her heart and soul each time she saw them. This was a new country. She could start over. Be a different person than she’d been forced to be in England. Here she would be allowed to prove she had value as a person. She ignored the ache at how her parents viewed her—as a commodity to be traded for business favors.
She shifted her thoughts to the letter of invitation hidden safely in the cavernous pocket of the coat she’d acquired in Fort Benton. She longed to pull it out and read it again though she had memorized every word. Come before winter.
“I expect more than a shack,” her friend Margaret had fumed when she’d read an earlier letter from the same writer. “After all, he comes from a very respectable family.” With bitterness edging each word, Margaret read the letters describing the cabin Eddie assured her was only temporary quarters. “Temporary? I’m sure he doesn’t know the meaning of the word. A year and a half he’s been there and he still lives in this hovel.”
“It sounds like an adventure.” Linette could imagine a woman working side by side with her man, being a necessary asset to establishing a home in the new world. It sounded a lot more appealing to her than sitting and smiling vacantly as a female spectator. She’d been raised to be the lady of the manor but she wanted more. So much more.
Margaret had sniffed with such disdain that Linette giggled.
“I have made up my mind,” Margaret said. “I cannot marry him and join him in the wilds of the Canadian West. I expected far more when he asked for my hand before he left to start a Gardiner ranch out in that—” she fluttered her hand weakly “—in that savage land.” Her shudder was delicate and likely deliberate.
“Oh, Margaret, surely you don’t mean it.”
“Indeed I do. I’ve written this letter.”
Seated in the overstuffed parlor of Margaret’s family home in London, Linette had read each word kindly but firmly informing Eddie that Margaret had changed her mind and would not be joining him now or anytime in the future. I expect it makes me sound small and selfish, but I can’t imagine living in a tiny house, nor being a woman of the West.
“But what about your feelings for him? His for you?”
Margaret had given her a smile smacking of pity. “I enjoyed his company. He was a suitable candidate for marriage. There are plenty other suitable men.”
How often she’d envied Margaret the opportunity to head to a new world with so much possibility simply for the eager taking of it. “But he’s counting on you. Why would you want to stay here when the whole world beckons?” Wouldn’t he be dreadfully hurt by Margaret’s rejection?
“You should marry him. You’re the one who thinks it would be a lark.” Margaret was clearly annoyed with Linette’s enthusiasm. “In fact, write him and I’ll enclose your letter with mine.”
“Write him? And say what?”
“That you’re willing to be his wife.”
“I don’t know him.” A trickle of something that felt suspiciously like excitement hurried up her limbs to her heart. But it couldn’t be. It wasn’t possible. “My father would never allow it.”
Margaret laughed. “I think the Gardiner name would make even your father consider it a good idea. And would it not provide an escape from the marriage your father has planned?”
Linette shuddered. “I will not marry that old—” Her father had chosen a man in his fifties with a jangling purse of money and a drooling leer. His look made Linette feel soiled. She would do anything to avoid such a fate. She’d been praying for a reprieve. Perhaps this was an answer to her heartfelt petition.
Yes, the Gardiners were an old family, well respected, with a great estate and vaults of money, as her father so often said with utmost reverence in his voice.
“Of course,” Margaret started, considering her with a mocking smile, “if you’re dreaming of love and romance—”
Linette jerked back. “All I’m thinking of is escape.” Love did not enter into a suitable marriage, which was fine with her. She fully intended to keep her feelings out of the picture. A trembling in the depths of her heart warned her that love would make her weak, vulnerable, ready to give up her personal goals. Not something she intended to let happen. She grabbed a piece of paper. “I’m going to do it. Anything is better than what my parents have in mind.” Being a rancher’s wife in the new world suited her fine. She was weary of the social restrictions her parents insisted on and not at all loath to living the kind of life she’d heard existed in the new world. There, women marched side by side with their men. They were even allowed to own land! Doubtlessly they’d be allowed to get their hands dirty and be involved.
Before she could change her mind, she’d penned a short letter. A marriage of convenience if it suits you. Please reply to Margaret’s address. She knew her father would read any letter that came to the house. Much better to know she had a positive answer from Mr. Gardiner before confronting her father. If she had to be part of a business deal, it would be on her terms. She’d say who and where.
She clasped her fingers on the answering letter that had carried two tickets—one for herself and one for a traveling companion. The missive was brief. Not much more than an invitation to come. Her heart had danced for joy. Margaret was right; her father had glowed at an invitation from a Gardiner.
The stagecoach swayed to a stop. “Hello, the house.” The driver’s call shivered up and down Linette’s spine. They’d arrived at Eden Valley Ranch.
It wasn’t as if Eddie were a total stranger. She’d read his letters to Margaret. He sounded like a strong man, an independent thinker. She had no trouble imagining herself sharing his life. Yet her insides clenched in trepidation.
She squeezed right back in protest. She would not let nerves weaken her resolve. She’d prayed for such an escape and God had generously provided. Hitherto hath the Lord helped me. Renewed faith filled her, driving away any doubts and fears.
One of the two men who also rode in the coach flicked aside a curtain. “Looks like a fine establishment.”
Linette parted the curtains again and peeked outside. The coach had drawn up before a log cabin with only a narrow door and small window in the wall facing them. This must be where the man lived. She pressed her tongue to the roof of her mouth and refused to think how small it looked. Hardly big enough for all of them. Never mind. Nothing could deter her now. She’d prayed her way from London, over the Atlantic Ocean, and across most of the North American continent. The rooms she’d had on the trip had left barely enough space for stretching. Although vastly different from the spacious home she’d grown up in, she’d gotten used to it readily enough. This cabin would be no different.
The door of the cabin opened and Linette took a deep breath. A man stepped forth, ducking as he crossed the threshold. This had to be Eddie Gardiner. She’d seen his likeness in pictures, but they failed to do the man justice. Despite the chill in the air, he hadn’t bothered to grab a coat or hat and in the bright sunshine his brown hair shone. He dressed like a range hand—dark denim trousers, a blue shirt that had faded almost colorless on the sleeves with dark remnants of the color in the seams, and a leather vest that looked worn and friendly.
Her heart jumped to her throat. She hadn’t expected to feel anything for him. Sure
ly it was only excitement, combined with a touch of nerves. After all, despite the letters, he was a stranger. She wanted nothing more or less from him than a marriage of convenience.
His gaze sought the parted curtains and his dark eyes narrowed as he tried to make out the face in the dim interior.
She flicked the curtain closed and turned to her traveling companion. “You keep the child while I meet him.” The boy would remain a secret for now. Seeing her intention, one of the gentlemen stepped down and held out a hand to assist her. She murmured her thanks as Eddie strode forward.
He slid his gaze over her as if she were invisible and looked toward the stagecoach. “Is Margaret inside?”
Linette shook her head trying to make sense of his question. Surely he’d mistakenly spoken her name out of habit.
“Is she at Fort Benton? If so I’ll go for her immediately.” He glanced at the sky as if already trying to outrace the weather.
Her mouth felt like yesterday’s dust as she realized what he meant. “You’re expecting Margaret?” It took every ounce of her stubborn nature not to stammer.
“Any day. I sent tickets for her and a chaperone to come before winter.”
Come before winter. She remembered the words well. They’d bubbled through her heart. But she thought they were meant for her. “Did you not get the letter?”
At that the driver jumped down. “’Spect any letters you’d be wanting are in here.” He waved a small bundle. “Seems you haven’t picked up your mail for some time, so I brought it.”
Cold trickled across Linette’s neck, dug bony fingers into her spine and sent a faint sense of nausea up her throat. She swallowed it back with determination. If he hadn’t received her letter, then the tickets he’d sent hadn’t been meant for her. He didn’t know she was coming. He wasn’t prepared to welcome her and accept her as a suitable helpmate on the frontier. Now what?
Christine Johnson Page 25
