Mail Order Bride: JUMBO Mail Order Bride 20 Book Box Set

by Hope Sinclair

  When their marriage ended two years ago, after Joshua walked in on Lucy keeping private company with another man, Joshua vowed to never fall in love again. Lucy had been his long-term sweetheart, and seeing her in the arms of another man absolutely destroyed him.

  But, as time went on, Joshua grew lonesome and overworked. He started to crave companionship, and wanted a helping hand to help out with chores around the ranch. Several months ago, he decided that he was ready to marry again, and he placed an ad in the Matrimonial Gazette seeking a partner—and, his ad was very specific.

  Since Joshua did not want to fall in love again, and was seeking someone mostly for companionship and labor, he didn’t care very much about the type of woman he found, so long as she was pleasant, of good character, and had a strong work ethic. Indeed, in his ad, he’d written, Looks, size, and shape are not important.

  After including such a phrase in his ad, Joshua believed that his responses would come from homely women who had no other options, which was exactly what he wanted.

  Joshua believed that Lucy had to have been seduced into her infidelity because of the other man’s attraction to her good looks. So, to ensure that his next wife was not tempted to be unfaithful, he actually wanted to marry someone homely, so that no other man would want her.

  When Joshua received Amy’s initial letter he assumed the worst based on her description. She’d described herself as having red hair, green eyes, pale skin, and freckles, which really didn’t impress Joshua’s male senses. He’d grown up in the south, in a region populated mostly by people with darker hair, eyes, and skin, and he had a preference for what he knew. He couldn’t imagine someone so different being beautiful or appealing—which meant that she was perfect for him.

  If Amy wasn’t beautiful or appealing, no other man would want to have her, and, perhaps, Joshua wouldn’t want to have her. He could grow to love her as a person, companion, and helper without being in love with her, and, in turn, he could avoid the other bad thing that happened with Lucy. He could avoid…

  “Here she comes, Joshua!” Robert shouted, running over toward his friend.

  Joshua looked up and saw the train nearing the station. It had already begun to slow down, and, no sooner than he looked at it, it started whistling. Joshua took a deep breath, swallowed hard, and closed his eyes, readying himself to meet the stranger who would become his wife.

  As the train came to a halt, Joshua walked closer to it, with the Millers right behind him. A moment later, the attendant pulled the door open, and about a dozen passengers slowly exited.

  Joshua scanned each of the faces and forms, looking for some poor, red-headed, pale-skinned, unappealing woman. But, he saw no such thing.

  The small crowd of passengers began to separate, disperse, and travel off in different directions—and, Joshua again, eyed each person, looking for Amy. He was starting to give up hope and think that, maybe, she’d chickened out and didn’t come after all.

  But, just then, another passenger stepped off of the train, dragging a small trunk behind her. Joshua gazed at her long mane of warm copper hair, bright eyes, and milky complexion, and he felt both excitement and disappointment. The woman he was looking at had to be Amy—and, she wasn’t unattractive or unappealing at all. In fact, she was quite beautiful… even more so than Lucy.

  FOUR

  “Welcome to Arizona!” Portia exclaimed as soon as she, too, identified Amy.

  Amy had been expecting her chaperones to meet her, along with Joshua, at the train station, but she hadn’t expected that it’d be one of her chaperones, not Joshua, to formally greet her.

  “Thank you,” Amy replied with a smile, just as Portia came over and embraced her. As Amy hugged back, out of the corner of her eye, she saw Joshua and Robert and wondered which of the two cowboys was to be her husband.

  “Simmer down there, wife,” Robert called out, inadvertently answering Amy’s unasked question. “You don’t want to scare off our guest before she’s even had the chance to properly meet us.”

  As Portia pulled back from the hug, Amy smiled and regarded Robert, then glanced over at Joshua. He’d already been looking at her, and, as soon as their eyes met, he smiled, then bowed his head, which made Amy extremely self-conscious.

  He must have noticed my scars, she said to herself as she reached her free hand up and brushed part of her hair over her shoulders. It was her custom to wear it this way, so as to prevent anyone from seeing the scars on the back of her neck when her head turned.

  “My name is Portia Miller,” Portia explained. “And, that silly oaf over there is my husband, Robert. Set your trunk down, and let him carry it.”

  Amy’s trunk wasn’t very heavy, but she was very tired from her travels, and she welcomed the opportunity to have Robert carry it.

  “Thank you,” she replied, setting it down on the ground. “I’m pleased to meet you.”

  “As we are to meet you,” Portia retorted, pulling Amy’s hand as she began walking. “But enough about us—let’s go meet your fiancé!”

  “Miss,” Joshua said by way of greeting as the women approached him. He nodded and tipped his hat, then bowed his head again. Amy could barely see his eyes underneath the rim of his cowboy hat, but she saw enough of them to ascertain that they were a rich, warm, and brown, just like the short locks of hair that curled out from under his hat.

  “Joshua Fuller,” Portia said sternly, sounding like a strict school marm, “lift your head up and give your bride-to-be a proper greeting!”

  Joshua looked up and shook his head playfully at Portia, who couldn’t have been more than three or four years older than him, then looked directly at Amy, revealing his full face, which Amy found quite pleasing.

  “Hello, Amy,” he said, obviously forcing the words out of his mouth, and just as obviously mocking Portia, and himself, for her instructions. “I am Joshua, and I’m very happy to meet you.”

  “Now, introduce yourself, girl,” Portia prodded.

  Amy giggled ever so slightly, then did as she’d been told. “And, I’m happy to meet you, too, Joshua,” she said, forgetting who—and what—she was for a moment.

  Joshua smiled back at her, and, just then, the train whistled and slowly started moving. Reflexively, Amy turned and looked in the direction of the commotion, and, as she did, her hair swept off her shoulder.

  A split-second later, Amy realized that she’d exposed herself, and she quickly turned back to face Joshua. But, it was already too late. His head was bowed again, and the smile was completely gone from his face. He surely saw my scars this time, she figured.

  “Now that we’re done with introductions,” Robert said, joining the women by Joshua, “ya’ think that we can get going? I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’d like to go home and put some food in my belly.”

  “He has a point,” Portia said, taking reign of the conversation. “It’s already well after lunchtime, and there’s not much to eat here other than tumbleweed and rocks.”

  Joshua looked up and nodded. “Let’s get going then,” he said. He looked at Amy again, then, just as quickly, looked away and went over to take her trunk from Robert.

  Robert ushered the women toward Joshua’s carriage, and Joshua followed behind with Amy’s trunk. All the while, as he carried it, he breathed deeply and tried to calm his wracking thoughts and emotions. He was still stunned by the fact that Amy was so good-looking, and was worried about what that meant for their future. Plus, he was awfully embarrassed. A few moments earlier, when she turned to look at the train as it began moving, he caught himself unknowingly staring at her picture-perfect profile. And, she must have caught him too, he thought, given the way she so abruptly turned back toward him just as he looked away.

  On top of all that, Joshua also felt curious. When he was staring at Amy, just before she turned and he looked away, he thought he saw something on the back of her neck—a mark of some sort, perhaps a birthmark, bruise, or scar—but the moment was interrupted befor
e he could fully assess it.

  Now, Joshua wondered what that mark was and where it came from, and he felt both guilty and frustrated over his interest. Being concerned with a mark like that was very superficial, and, regardless of what the mark was, it didn’t matter. It would make Amy no less a suitable wife… nor would it make her any less beautiful.

  “Hurry up, boy!” Robert shouted at Joshua, joshing. “We don’t have all day to wait for you.” Robert and the women were already seated on the carriage, and Joshua was still several yards away, burdened by his thoughts as much as by Amy’s luggage.

  Joshua picked up his pace, got to the carriage as quickly as he could, and loaded Amy’s trunk onto it. Then, he loaded himself and took his seat behind the reins.

  As the foursome traveled away from the train station, Portia explained that they were headed for the settlements outside of Parks, in the town of Golden Gorge—and, as they approached Golden Gorge, Portia went on to explain some of the town’s history before going on to highlight its current events.

  “Our Founders’ Day festival is this week,” Portia pointed out. “It starts on Friday and ends Sunday, which is why your wedding is scheduled for next weekend.”

  “There’s too much going on with the festival to have a wedding at the same time, and the townspeople will be too distracted to recognize your union as God intended. So, you’ll get married next Friday. But, no worries, you’ll have plenty to do in the meantime. The festival is full of fun events that always give way to great merriment.

  “We’re having a jamboree one night; a rodeo the next; then, a barbecue. And, there’ll be a corn-husking competition, and a contest to see who makes the best pie.”

  Portia went on about the Founders’ Day celebration for a bit longer, then proceeded to talk about some of the Golden Gorge’s inhabitants as they moved away from the town hub toward the outskirts of the settlement.

  “My property is just up yonder,” Joshua said as they neared the first of several privately-staked areas. He turned, looked at Amy, and smiled, and she smiled back at him, then looked off to examine his property. It was rather large and expansive, and there was a great deal of animal life on it.

  “I run a small livestock ranch,” Joshua explained. “I breed and raise cattle and horses for sale… I bring in a small fortune on each animal, but I don’t sell many during the year. So, I also work as a dairy farmer year-round. I sell my cows’ milk to the church and school.”

  “Ah, yes, you sell it,” Robert interrupted, speaking for the first time since they left the station. “But you barely make enough from it to cover your expenses—and that isn’t very profitable, now is it?”

  Joshua turned back to the road, grinned, and arched his eyebrows. He didn’t say anything in response to Robert, but the look on his face clearly communicated something to Amy. It told her that, despite whatever Robert said, Joshua did, indeed, “profit” from providing the school and church with affordable milk.

  “That’s where you will be able to help,” Joshua added, ignoring Robert’s question. “I can’t milk the cows and tend to my livestock duties at the same time. So, since birthing calves and foals and taking care of breeders requires my skilled hand and attention, I need you to take care of milking the cows.”

  “I’ve never milked a cow before,” Amy admitted bashfully.

  “Don’t worry,” Joshua laughed. “It’s not that hard. I’ll show you.”

  Amy looked over and saw Joshua’s smiling face looking back at her. She felt bashful once more, though for different reasons, and her face flushed with a warm, tingly sensation.

  “And our property is right there,” Portia interjected, tapping Amy on the knee and gesturing toward the nearest homestead. “It might not be as big as Joshua’s, but, it’s comfortable—and, for the next week and a half, until you and Joshua marry, it’ll be your home.”

  Amy couldn’t help but smile at Portia’s remarks, and she took a moment to take in the homestead before returning her gaze to Joshua. By this point, his eyes were back on the road, and he was steering the carriage onto the Millers’ property.

  “I put a stew on this morning,” Portia said as the horses slowed down and neared the fence. “It’ll make for a wonderful lunch for the four of us.”

  “Actually, Portia,” Joshua said politely, “if you don’t mind, I’d rather not join you for lunch. I have to take one of my foals to Green Bush on Wednesday, so I need to check in on it and strengthen its legs for the journey.”

  Portia paused, looking slightly surprised. “Very well,” she said. “What time would you like me to bring your fiancé round tomorrow?”

  “Not tomorrow,” Joshua said after a deep breath. “I’ll be working with the foal tomorrow too, and I’ll be preparing for the trip… Maybe on Wednesday—in the morning, just after sunrise. I can spend some time with Amy and show her around the ranch before I leave, and she can tend to the chores, and the cows, while I’m gone.”

  Portia sighed again, then she, Amy, and Robert stepped off of the carriage. As they made their way toward the house, Amy glanced back and watched as Joshua steered the horses back onto the road. She was very confused by him and didn’t know what to think of their encounter. One minute he was all smiles and was intrigued by her, and, the next, he wouldn’t even look at her. It was very disconcerting, and, despite whatever pleasantries she thought she perceived, it made Amy feel disapproved of and rejected.

  FIVE

  “You’ll want to change into something a little cooler and much more comfortable,” Portia said kindly as soon as Amy entered the kitchen.

  It was the crack of dawn the next morning, and Amy was wearing a very thick long-sleeved blouse, just like she’d done the day before, when Portia took her into town and showed her around while Joshua was busy at his ranch.

  “That fabric really isn’t good for our Arizona climate to begin with,” Portia went on, handing Amy a biscuit. “But, it’s especially not good for doing labor. You’ll work up quite a sweat under that top and might chafe yourself—or the cows—and the long, bulky sleeves will make it harder, and more time-consuming, for you to maneuver.

  “I suggest you put on something thinner, with shorter sleeves or, at least, sleeves that can be rolled up easily.”

  “I’ll be fine,” Amy replied, nibbling on the biscuit.

  “I’ve grown accustomed to wearing blouses like this,” she added, only explaining part of why she wore such garments. “I don’t own any other types.”

  “Well then,” Portia said with a broad smile, “we’ll have to go back into town and get you some, now won’t we? We have to go to the clothing merchant next Monday anyhow—to get your wedding dress.”

  Amy smiled back and Portia and nodded. She did not look forward to going to the clothing merchant, but, alas, she saw no way around it.

  “How far away is Green Bush?” Amy asking, attempting to change the subject.

  “About a half-day’s travel away,” Portia responded, taking the bait. “Though, with a young foal, it’ll take Joshua a little longer. I reckon he’ll leave for Green Bush before noon, and return tomorrow evening.

  “I’ll take you to the ranch this morning and help you get accustomed to your chores, then head back here after Joshua leaves. After you’re finished, you can come back to our house, and I’ll bring you back out tomorrow morning.”

  “Sounds splendid,” Amy replied. She didn’t so much like the idea of having a chaperone’s constant supervision, especially when that chaperone was as talkative and attention-grabbing as Portia, but she understood that such supervision was custom.

  “Let’s be on our way,” Portia said, ushering Amy toward the doorway. “We don’t want to arrive too late and delay Joshua’s travels.”

  The two women exited the Miller homestead and made their way to Joshua’s ranch. It was still early morning, and Amy was amazed by the way the sun colored the landscape and brought life to the horizon. This place—Golden Gorge, and Arizona in general—wer
e very different than what she’d known in New York and Boston.

  “He’s probably out back tending to the animals,” Portia said a short while later, once they were steadying their horses on Joshua’s property. “You go look for him over there, and I’ll look for him over here.”

  Amy agreed and walked off in the direction Portia had indicated. Like Golden Gorge, and Arizona in general, Joshua’s ranch was very different from anything that Amy had ever known, and the differentness of it put her in a state of awe and excitement.

  After searching her portion of the property for some time, to no avail, Amy noticed a small barn-like structure and decided to investigate it. She entered the building and found it occupied by approximately one dozen chickens, which clucked at her obnoxiously before she turned and went to look for Joshua elsewhere.

  As Amy stepped away from the henhouse, she heard a neigh in the distance and turned toward it—and, lo and behold, she saw Joshua and his foal. He was sitting on a log near a tree behind the henhouse, hand-feeding the foal a carrot, oblivious to Amy’s presence.

  Amy watched as the young horse ate from Joshua’s hand, and her heart was warmed by the way he stroked its mane, smiled, and softly spoke to it. She was unable to hear what he was saying, but, nonetheless, she was moved by what he was doing. There was something so tender, and loving, about the way he handled the beast. He treated it with such kindness, gentility, and patience. Amy was sure that, when the time came, he’d make a wonderful father.

  But, just as Amy had these comforting thoughts, something discomforting happened. She felt a sharp pain on her foot and looked down to see a chicken pecking at her heel. She jumped up in shock, only to discover two other chickens right beside her.

  “Get back in your house!” she shouted at the pea-brained pests. But, alas, they did not follow her instructions. They started clucking and futilely flapping their wings, which, as farm hens, were too small and weak to carry them.