Adored By The Rancher: Mail Order Brides Box Set

by Dreams, Brittany

  “Well it will be kind of hard to get married if you don’t. Shall I bring the preacher here?” he teased.

  “I can’t face your mother,” she nearly wept.

  “Oh she’ll be fine,” said Brett. “Once I tell her what our plans are and remind her about the fact that this means grandchildren for her. She will come around.” He held out his hand.

  Ella turned her nose up sulking.

  “Oh now, I said come,” he said softly. “Got to obey your husband in these things.”

  “You aren’t my husband,” she reminded him.

  “I was last night,” he said in a smoky tone.

  Ella shivered. She regarded him and he winked. He had the sultriest look on his face she knew possible. She threw back the covers and dressed.

  “I would like to stay and watch you but that will make my mother mad. I am going downstairs to smooth things over.”

  Ella mustered the courage to take the stairs down to the breakfast table. Brett met her at the foot of the stairs and took her hand into his mother. Ella peeked through the bottom of her lashes to see if the stone face had melted any. Brett’s mother’s mouth bent at the ends but Ella knew a fake smile when she saw one.

  “Ella, this is my mother Mrs. Lillian Sullivan. We around here call her Miss Lillian,” said Brett.

  “Pleased to meet you ma’am,” said Ella. She curtsied.

  “Miss Lillian, this is Miss Ella Hutchins from Washington, D.C.,” said Brett with a smile in his voice.

  Miss Lillian stepped forward and stiffly kissed Ella on the cheek.

  “Welcome to our family, child,” she said. “Let’s eat and then go hunt down that preacher, shall we?”

  “Yes ma’am,” said Ella.

  As she took her place at the table, Ella wondered how such a cold woman could produce such a warm, loving son. But one taste of the food and she set that thought aside. She was eating the best eggs she had ever tasted in her life. Then she realized she had not eaten since before supper time the day before. She was famished.

  “Very delicious food, ma’am,” said Ella.

  “She is the best cook in Dodge,” remarked Brett.

  “We will have to eat up,” said Miss Lillian. “Put on our finest, I suppose.”

  Miss Lillian’s face contorted as though she were about to cry. Brett covered her hand.

  “It will be alright, now,” he said softly.

  Miss Lillian put her napkin to her nose trying to fight back the tears.

  “I’ll suppose you will be wanting a wedding dress,” she said.

  “Why ma’am I will just wear my church clothes. Don’t you fret none,” said Ella.

  The cold woman’s emotion managed to breach Ella’s heart and she actually felt something for her.

  “We have a wedding dress you can wear actually,” explained Brett. “Would that be alright with you, mama?”

  The woman nodded emotionally. “I would be pleased if you would wear it. You are about the same size.”

  “I will explain later. Mama, please settle down now,” Brett soothed. “You need to eat and keep up your strength the way you work circles around everyone.”

  Brett filled everyone’s cups part the way up with coffee. He braced his mother’s shoulders and consoled her. She patted his hand, half crying, and half laughing.

  “Don’t mind me. This is a blessed day,” she said.

  They finished their morning meal. Ella and Miss Lillian went to another bedroom. Miss Lillian unpacked a carefully folded wedding dress from an armoire. It was exquisite.

  “Miss Lillian, this is the most beautiful dress I have ever seen,” remarked Ella.

  “It took me near a year to make,” she said proudly.

  “Yes ma’am,” said Ella.

  “I want you to have it,” she said. “It belonged to my daughter.”

  Well that explained a lot thought Ella.

  “I would be so honored to wear it,” replied Ella.

  It was lovely having Miss Lillian help her ready for the ceremony. Ella’s own mother died before she was school age. Her father passed when she was ten. After Ella stepped into the dress. Completely styled, she went to meet her husband-to-be.

  For the second time that morning, Brett waited for her at the base of the stairs. He was in his Sunday’s best. Miss Lillian changed her clothes quickly while Brett and Ella gawked at one another. Shadowy recollections of their moments together played through her mind and she felt herself color. Heat rose up her neck and face and made her stammer. He winked at her.

  Brett had the wagon hitched. Ella saw bags in the back and was seized with worry.

  “It’s a surprise,” he said.

  He helped the women up into it before he pulled out towards town. Ella felt grand in her wedding dress. The weather was perfect and the trip was not long. She was a pleased with this moment as she had been disappointed when first getting off of the train. She expected that inside of a couple of hours, she would be a married woman with home and a family.

  Every so often as the wagon rolled, Brett stole a touch. He let his body gently brush hers as the wagon jostled. Brett’s very touch made her breath catch. All was going well when out of nowhere – ‘nowhere’ being the flat Kansas plains -- came two riders. There would be no reason for them to be approaching the wagon. Ella’s stomach wrenched with fear. She didn’t like the look on Brett’s face. Miss Lillian didn’t seem to have a clue. It was Hank and the other cowboy from the poker game. Brett was cool.

  “Morning Hank,” he said.

  “Morning Brett, Miss Lillian, ma’am,” Hank nodded. “I figured this would be the way you’d be going this morning. Ma’am, you look right pretty in that dress. I’ll do my best not to get it soiled. But you is coming with me.”

  Brett smiled a slow sly smile. “Is that a fact, now?”

  “That is. You know and I know there ain’t no marrying women out here in Dodge and I figured I won her fair and square,” said Hank.

  “We already went over that. I cashed her out before you all took her late intended’s pot. Technically, you didn’t win nothing and technically, she was entitled to that cash,” said Brett.

  And without knowing where it came from, Brett drew down on the two men. The sight of Brett with a gun made the men visibly tremble.

  “You getting the message, Hank? Dan?” Brett asked them. “You remember what my missus-to-be here, said about her and a gun.”

  Brett handed Ella the reins while he turned around and sat on the wagon backwards. The wedding party rode into town, to Union Church. The moment was tainted for sure for Ella. She didn’t dare give in to emotion but she felt like weeping. Surely Miss Lillian wasn’t going to cry, so she didn’t either.

  From the point she took the reins, she could see the way. They were not far outside of town and it was in sight. She could see the church’s steeple. Without a word, she led the wagon to the front of Union Church.

  Brett dismounted and tethered the team. He helped Miss Lillian off first. Ella didn’t mind that so much. She was concerned for her mother-in-law-to-be since the men tried to hold them up.

  The preacher peered out a front window of the church before stepping out to greet them.

  “Reverend,” said Brett. “We were wondering if you have some time to spare right about now.”

  “I do indeed,” replied the reverent boisterously.

  He dutifully assisted Miss Lillian while Brett helped Ella off the wagon. They had a private moment.

  “Don’t you fret none about those men,” he said. “I’ll take care of them sure. Unlike your daddy, I will teach you to shoot. But right now, we have a wedding to attend.”

  Ella looked up at him. Every time she laid eyes on him, she felt lazy and ticklish and wanted nothing more than to just kiss him. She took a step and realized her dress dragged in the dirt of the street. Brett bent down and picked up her train and together they entered the church.

  The reverend awaited them at the entrance. Brett walked ahe
ad and stood beside his mother and looked on as the preacher walked Ella down the aisle. The preacher latched her arm to Brett’s before taking his place behind the pulpit.

  The ceremony was sweet. She and Brett said their vows with Miss Lillian and the preacher as their witnesses. The preacher pronounced them man and wife, Brett anticipated that he could kiss Ella. She saw in broad day light the look on his face that she had only seen in the shadows of the barn. His look was pure animal. Hungry. Sensual. She lifted her chin to be taken by him.

  Despite their audience, his tongue penetrated her mouth and tasted her. She struggled to keep her wits so as not to moan. She remembered making a lot of noises with him the night before. Her belly ached with need for him as soon as his lips met hers. He pulled apart from her and, as though they were alone, smiled suggestively at her with a promise for later.

  Brett turned to face the exit of the church and offered an arm to each of the women. The three walked arm in arm back the way they came. They traveled a little further to the Dodge House. Brett booked two rooms. One for Ella and him and one for Miss Lillian. They would stay overnight at the hotel.

  Brett took the team to the stables while Ella changed. After all was said and done, it was time for dinner. Miss Lillian and Ella headed over to Delmonico’s for their midday meal. Brett said he would be right along. They had a table with a front window view. Miss Lillian knew the fellow seating them.

  “Ray, I want you to meet my new daughter-in-law, Mrs. Ella Sullivan,” Miss Lillian introduced proudly. “She and Brett were just married.”

  Before the smile faded from her face, Hank and the other dirty cowboy Brett called Dan burst into the restaurant guns drawn and snatched up Ella.

  “You are mine! I don’t care what he says!” said Hank and he dragged Ella out of the restaurant kicking and screaming.

  Hank took a swing at her and Ella faded into blackness.

  Chapter Six

  Ella stirred. Her jaw hurt something fierce. It was night time out, or so she thought. The air was cool though it was mid-August in Kanas. A fire crackled nearby. She peeked through a lowered lid at her surroundings. She could swear she was in a cave of some kind, it was cool and dark but as her eyes focused, she saw she was in a house. Hank sat in a rocker adjacent to her with a rifle across his lap.

  “You aim to keep watch on me like that forever?” she asked.

  Her voice was raggedly. She could hardly talk with her mouth hurting so.

  “You a pretty woman,” replied Hank. “But I liked you fine when you was quiet. I can fix that mouth of yours for good you know.”

  Ella thought fast. She propped up on her elbow and bluffed him. “I was just asking you what your plan was so I could help you.”

  Hank arched an eyebrow. While he was looking at her, she was trying to sense whether he had molested her yet or not. Her sense was that he had not. Her only hope she could see was to gain his trust and turn on him.

  “I was hoping you were able to spring me last night. I don’t know who he thought he was to just take me like he did,” continued Ella.

  “Is that a fact?” asked Hank.

  “Just one question,” said Ella setting up right. “We aren’t going to have trouble with, what’s his name, Dan?”

  “Now,” laughed Hank. “I can handle him.”

  “No offense,” said Ella. “That’s what my husband said about you.”

  “Husband,” he shook his head like that irked him.

  Ella spied that on top of the rifle, he was wearing his guns. What she needed was for him to put the rifle down and to take off the guns. There was probably only one way to get him to do that. The problem was if she was too successful at enticing him and it went too far, she couldn’t face Brett again. If she lived.

  “Is that going to get in your way?” asked Ella. “I mean we were just married. You and I could ride off to another town and get ourselves hitched. No one would be the wiser.”

  Hank looked her like he didn’t know what to make of her. Ella wasn’t quite sure what her next move was but it had to result in his setting the rifle aside.

  “Is this place yours?” she asked. “Do you have anything to drink?”

  He got up but did not relinquish the rifle. He produced a bottle that was nearly full. He offered it to her without a glass. She took the cork out and swigged. It actually wasn’t that bad and she was able to keep from choking. She passed it to him.

  He drank, taking his focus but not his hold off the rifle. She would take another drink and kiss him. If she could get him to a certain stage of undress then she would make her move. She reached for the bottle to ask for another swallow but curiosity bothered her. She could see a lone horse tied out front.

  “Where is Dan anyway?” she asked.

  “Why do you ask?” Hank asked suspiciously.

  “Well,” she said reaching for his knee. “I want to know if we have our privacy.”

  “Never you mind,” he said. “We have our privacy.”

  Ella stood. If he stood with her without ditching the guns maybe she could reach for them. She gripped the whisky and took another drink. He did stand and crowd her. He set the rifle aside but wore his guns. She might not best him reaching for the guns after all. She figured surprise though was still her best weapon. She fed him a drink of whisky and kissed him hard. She swung the bottle from behind and crowned him with it. The bottle did not break. She swung again and shattered the bottle. Alcohol blinded him.

  He staggered. She fought to stay focused because her head absorbed some of the first impact. Commandeered the rifle and had just enough time to cock it. Ella was about to blow a hole in him but he passed out. She took his guns and bound his hands and feet together like the carcass of wild game with ties of the curtains that dressed the windows. It what could not have been better timing, Brett rode up with the marshal. Ella did her best to run out to them but she was slightly drunk.

  Brett rushed her and wrapped himself around her practically. The marshal pushed past the embracing married couple to investigate the scene.

  “He is still breathing,” called the marshal.

  “He tried to -” said Ella censoring herself. “I hit him with the whisky bottle.”

  “I can see that,” said the marshal, appearing at the doorway with a smile. “We found his partner about midway out. Witnesses said you were out cold. Though by the looks of it I can see why.”

  Brett lightly touched her face where Hank struck her. It was tender after all. The whisky helped.

  The Marshall praised her. “I commend you for not killing him, Mrs. Sullivan.”

  “I may just do it for her,” grumbled Brett.

  Ella liked the sound of that. It sobered her up some. “How long have I been out?” she asked.

  “Not long. We were in quick pursuit as soon as we got word. All told, about an hour,” replied the marshal.

  “So I didn’t miss my wedding night?” asked Ella with relief.

  “Not if I can help it,” murmured Brett.

  The Marshall laughed heartily. He and Brett re-dressed Hank and put him over the back of the marshal’s horse. They walked the grounds for signs of the owners of the house. It was not a happy ending to her wedding day that she had hoped.

  Chapter Seven

  Once more for the second time that day, Brett and Ella rode into Dodge only this time as man and wife. He took her straight to the doctor to get examined. The doctor said her jaw was not broken but prescribed bed rest.

  “Alone,” he emphasized. “This woman is in no shape for honeymooning.”

  The whiskey was wearing off Ella. She was clear headed enough to see that Brett was disappointed. She touched his arm.

  “I am not going anywhere. Now that Hank is locked up, we won’t have anything to worry about,” she assured him. “We will more than make up for our honeymoon.”

  “I apologize for letting this happen to you,” he said tenderly.

  When the town heard what happened to the bride and g
room on their honeymoon, the hotel extended their rooms for the next few days, on them. Dinner at Delmonico's was on the house and everyone celebrated the marriage of Brett and Ella.

  Ella had taken a nap and was able to join some of the festivities. The doctor had been right, it was a nasty blow to the jaw but with a little whiskey -- not too much -- and a chunk of ice that the restaurant rapped in the cloth from a sack of sugar, Ella felt remarkable better.

  Finally after Miss Lillian was settled in her room for the night, the newlyweds thought they had a calm moment to themselves. But the hotel arranged for one more surprise for them. They delivered a tub and filled it with kettles of boiling water and some cool, to create a lovely bath. They also delivered a basket of toiletries. The tub was large enough for the two of them.

  Brett tenderly undressed his bride and lifted and lowered her gently into the tub. He then set about to undress himself. He stepped into the water naked, nestling behind her. Brett’s bed had been pretty comfortable, but she believed leaning up against his body was about the most comfortable she had ever been.

  “I don’t want to go against doctor’s orders,” he whispered.

  “Doctors aren’t always right,” she said. “And yes you do.”

  She could feel him tremble.

  “I want you so bad,” he declared.

  His voice was not filled with just animal passion. There was tenderness and affection for her there, she could tell. She relaxed and opened herself for him as his hands softly glided the front of her body. She not the least bit bashful in front of him. She trusted him completely.

  His strumming lit her up. At once her body tingled. Thrills hummed from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. They even buzzed through her injury and made her feel better. Brett’s fingers found her center. His long arms reached comfortably. He tantalized her.

  Immediately she was hollow and aching. He knew exactly how to work her body. He applied pressure in just the right spot, making circles and swirls. In no time her breath rose in her chest and she was writhing.

  Brett braced her with one arm while he pleasured her with his hand. Immobilizing this way seem concentrate the effects of his ministrations. A small tremor pulsed deep within her. He did not let up. Soon ripples rolled. Her belly sweetly seized. It was as though fireworks of ecstasy exploded. Ella was moaning with rapture atop him in the tub.