She shook her head. “Jonathan pulled me away in time. And several layers of petticoats helped.”
The doctor nodded. “My wife often complains about petticoats, but when I get home, I’ll have to tell her that they might have saved someone’s life today.” He stood up. “Speaking of home, I’m on my way there now after my trip up north. You timed this little incident just perfectly too. A day earlier, and I wouldn’t have been here.”
After he left, Elaine slid her hand into Jonathan’s right, and he squeezed it. She grinned and kissed him. “I like holding hands with you,” she said, snuggling into his shoulder.
“I like it too. And do you know what else I like?”
“Hmm?”
“I like being able to ride a horse and shoot a pistol. And the first thing tomorrow, we’re riding down to Moose Lick, and I’m going to show Wesley that I’m ready to get back to work.”
She laughed. “I really should have known, shouldn’t I?”
“Yes, Mrs. Mountie, you really should have.”
***
Jonathan brought his pistol up and fired, knocking the tin can off the stump where Wesley had placed it. Then he turned and fired again, this time hitting the bull’s-eye that hung from a tree a hundred yards away.
“I don’t doubt your marksmanship—you’re one of the best I’ve seen,” Wesley said. “It was your hand strength I was concerned about, but you seem to be doing well.”
“The doctor gave me some additional exercises, and I should be back to full strength shortly,” Jonathan replied. “Elaine also has me doing more and more things with my left hand. I don’t know if that includes shooting because I trained with my right, but I think I’ll give it a try, see how things go.”
Wesley nodded. “Just stick to your right until you can pass a full inspection on the left, okay?”
“You’ve got it.”
“And you’ve got your duty roster back.” Wesley clapped Jonathan on the shoulder. “Glad to have you on board, Murray.”
“Thank you, sir.” Jonathan came to attention and gave his commander a salute. “Glad to be back.”
***
The four Mountie wives gathered together in Lisa’s cabin, reminiscing about everything that had happened over the last few weeks. It had seemed like a lifetime to each of them—it was hard to believe that so many things had changed in such a short amount of time.
“We’ve each fallen in love, made new homes for ourselves, held a releasing ceremony for a cougar . . .” All the girls laughed at this, making Elaine pause. “And in the end, we’ve come out stronger and wiser for it.”
“Are we all glad we came?” Maryanne asked.
“I never thought anyone could love me the way I am, but Wesley appreciates every bit of me, my weaknesses and my strengths,” Lisa said. “This is exactly where I was supposed to be.” Each of the girls nodded, sharing that they, too, felt as though they’d been guided to that very spot.
“So, do you remember that blue hat I gave you?” Isabelle asked Elaine a moment later.
“Of course. It’s lovely,” Elaine replied.
“Well, I was thinking—what good is a blue hat without a blue dress to go with it? And rumor has it that your blue dress ended up becoming bandages, so we have a little something for you.”
“More presents?” Elaine felt her cheeks turning warm as Isabelle placed a large paper-wrapped bundle in her arms.
“We all pitched in,” Maryanne said. “Just open it.”
Elaine pulled back the wrapping to reveal yards and yards of warm fabric in blue, pink, green, and brown. “Four dresses?” She couldn’t believe it. How could they be so generous? They were all on restricted incomes too.
“We know you brought very little with you, and then you set one of your few dresses on fire,” Isabelle said, and the other girls laughed. “We figured at this rate, you’d be down to your nightgown in a matter of weeks, and we’d better step in.”
“And we’re going to help you sew them, too,” Maryanne said.
“Thank you, everyone,” Elaine said, her eyes spilling over with tears. She wiped them carefully, not wanting to get spots on the new fabric. “I couldn’t have asked for better friends.”
“Not friends,” Lisa said. “Sisters.”
“Sisters,” they all echoed.
***
“I’d say it’s been a pretty successful day,” Jonathan said as they rode back to their cabin. “I was reinstated, you got a very nice gift from your friends, and the weather is cooperating long enough to let us get back home.”
“It has been a very nice day,” Elaine agreed.
“In fact, I’d say there’s only one thing that could possibly make it better,” Jonathan went on.
“Oh? What’s that?”
“I have a surprise for you.” He brought Horse to a stop and turned. “I’ve asked for a little bit of time off.”
“But you just had some time off,” she said, confused.
“That was medical leave. This is different. This is, impressing my wife.”
“Okay,” she said slowly. “Just how do you intend to impress me?”
“I’m taking you on a train tour of the Yukon, and we’re going to look for the snow-capped mountain you saw in that painting you loved so much.”
“What?” She couldn’t believe her ears. “How . . . but we’re saving up to build on a bedroom . . .”
“I think we’ll be able to afford both,” Jonathan said. “Leave the finances to me, and I’ll leave the dreaming to you.”
“I’m more than happy to leave the finances to you, but I hope you’ll join me in a little bit of the dreaming.”
He seemed to consider that for a moment. “All right. I will. I can’t just let you have all the fun, Mrs. Mountie.”
Epilogue
Miss Hazel Hughes reached into her mailbox and pulled out not one, but two letters. She loved getting mail—except for those ridiculous advertisements from stores. Those were never any fun—they were usually trying to sell her things she didn’t want, or make her think she needed things she simply didn’t need. But these were personal letters, her very favorite kind, and if she wasn’t mistaken, one was from her daughter-in-law, Jess.
She carried the letters into her sitting room and opened the other one first. She’d save the letter from Jess until last, like the dessert after a nice meal.
She didn’t recognize the handwriting at all, and indeed, it did look a little sloppy. Her eyes moistened as she read it, though.
Dear Miss Hazel,
Elaine and I wanted to take a minute to thank you for bringing us together. We don’t know how you knew it, but we are a perfect match. She has changed my life in ways I couldn’t even imagine.
This is the first letter I’ve ever written. Please forgive any mistakes.
Jonathan Murray
Miss Hazel grabbed her handkerchief. There had to be more to this story, and she’d write back and get to the bottom of it. She’d never gotten a letter from a groom before, and she couldn’t wait to learn its significance.
Then she opened the other letter.
October 1st, 1910
Dear Mom,
I still love calling you that! Does that take anything away from my mother? I hope not. I’m starting to become pleasantly round. Theodore is fascinated with the idea of a baby. He’s talking all the time about the baby and his future. Poor man doesn’t realize this first baby will be a girl to help me around the house!
We heard from Evelyn’s brother this week. His name is Samuel, and he’s a Mountie in Cougar Springs, Alberta. He and his co-workers are looking for wives, so after hearing of your success as a matchmaker, they’ve asked me to tell you what they’re looking for.
Samuel is looking for a bride with a strong faith. Matthew is looking for someone who can help him around the house and likes being at home. Nathaniel is looking for a wife of a modest background who will enjoy her time in the West. Easton is a man who likes to have his life well
-ordered. He wants a bride who will keep herself busy and not interfere with his life. I’m not sure how that would work, but if anyone could figure it out, it’s you!
I know we’re asking for a lot by having you continually send brides for the Mounties, and I hope you enjoy doing it as much as you say.
All of the women here are doing well. JoAnn is now expecting, and I can’t wait for our children to play together.
All my love (And Teddy’s goes without saying.)
Jess
Miss Hazel chuckled. Well, of course she could arrange brides for these young men! Hmmm. One young lady immediately sprang to mind …
The End
A Message from the Authors
We hope you are enjoying the Mail Order Mounties series. All of the books are works of fiction, and the stories completely created by the authors of the series.
While we have done our best to be historically accurate, there are certain pieces of history we’ve had to take “creative license” with to help make our stories come alive. In truth, it wouldn’t have been likely for a member of the RNWMP to have a mail-order bride, and in many cases, wouldn’t have lived in such close proximity to other members.
However, for the purposes of our stories, we wanted to create a world that showcased the history of Canada during the early 1900s while also bringing you stories that would combine the talents of the authors involved.
In addition, for this novel I took certain liberties with the traditions and actions of the Kaska people. They are a very small tribe and not much can be found about their culture, so I created their involvement in the lives of the Mounties based on other tribes I’ve read about and some good old-fashioned imagination. This was done with respect for their unique ways, and I hope I’ve done them justice.
About Amelia C. Adams
Amelia C. Adams is a wife, a mother, an eater of chocolate, and a taker of naps. She spends her days thinking up stories and her nights writing them down. Her biggest hero is her husband, and you just might see bits and pieces of him as you read her novels.
You can reach her at [email protected].
Please join Amelia on her website to learn more about her, sign up for her newsletter, stay on top of news and upcoming releases, and follow her on Facebook.
And if you’ve enjoyed any of her novels, please consider leaving a review on Amazon. It’s much appreciated!
The Kansas Crossroads Series:
A New Beginning (free!)
A Free Heart
The Dark and the Dawn
A Clean Slate
A Clear Hope
The Whisper of Morning
A Careless Wind
A Narrow Road
The Bitter and the Sweet
The Calm of Night
A Begrudging Bride
A Broken Wing (A Kansas Crossroads novella)
A Twisted Fate
An Unspoken Dream
The Nurses of New York series:
Sea of Strangers (free!)
Cause of Conflict
Touch of Tenderness
Heart of Hearts
Test of Time
The American Mail-Order Brides series:
Hope: Bride of New Jersey
Tabitha: Bride of Missouri
The Hearts of Nashville series:
Whiskey and Women
Records and Rebels
As part of the Brides of Beckham series by Kirsten Osbourne:
Mail Order Molly
As part of the River’s End Ranch series:
Accidental Agent
Rugged Rockclimber
Welcome Wagon
Santa’s Shopkeeper
Delivering Destiny
As part of the Grandma’s Wedding Quilts series:
Meredith’s Mistake
As part of the Magnolias and Moonshine series:
Sweet Georgia Peach
As part of the Burnt River series:
Ashley’s Hope
As part of the Rocky Mountain Romances series:
Utah Sunrise
As part of the Mail Order Mounties series:
Bride for Joel
Bride for Jonathan Page 10
