by Sky Winters
“To Mrs. and Mr. Daniels!” everyone shouted, drinking.
Jasper ordered two glasses of water for himself and Annabel. He was serious about becoming a better, cleaner man for her. She was his priceless prize and he was not going to risk losing her ever again.
The din of the saloon was almost too much for him, and he realized what it must have seemed like when she arrived there in search of him. He had never noticed before how loud it got, or how smoky the air became when bachelors gathered around to drink, gamble and be merry.
“When Clayton gives me the check in a month,” he told her, clinking water glasses with her. “I promise to send it along to your parents. My days of betting are over.”
“And your days of bedding will soon begin,” she said with a smile and a wink.
She knew full well what she did to him, and he could not get enough of it.
THE END
THE PREGNANT BRIDE
Chapter 1
As Anna placed the last item in her travel trunk, she could not help but take a moment to look around the empty room. All that was left in the bedroom that she had once shared with her husband Robert was the bare bed and a small dresser in the corner. The room had once been her favorite place, full of love and laughter. Now, it was just a sad reminder that Robert was gone and she was alone in the world again. At the age of 23, she had been through more heartache than most people see in a lifetime. She had grown up in an orphanage with no family to call her own. Robert had been the only bright spot in her young life. They had grown up together, taking care of each other and married as soon as they were legally able to do so.
For a few years, she knew true happiness as his wife on the little farm they worked so hard for. Then, in one afternoon everything changed. When Robert fell from a horse, his wounds were too severe to survive. After his death, there was no joy left for her in the home they had shared and she did not have any way to keep the farm going. She had been desperate and lost and suddenly, she had realized just what she needed to do. She needed to start over and becoming a mail order bride seemed just the way to do it.
Still, as she stared around her empty home, her heart sank at the thought of leaving it all behind. It had been the only real home she had ever had and it physically hurt her to think of leaving it. She was near tears when she heard her neighbor pull up in his wagon. He had taken pity on her and offered to take her and her belongings to the train station. As he loaded her trunks, she walked around and tried to memorize every detail of what she was leaving behind so that she could carry it with her always.
The train ride was a long one, with many rainy days of endless countryside flying by her window. When she finally arrived at the train station in Wyoming, she was relieved for the journey to reach an end. She had accepted Liam McNeil's letter of intent primarily because he had been the furthest away from her life with Robert in West Virginia. A ranch in Wyoming was a long way from their little farm and all of the painful memories that she was trying to leave behind her. She left the train to see a man in his forties with sandy hair and kind eyes watching her. He was not at all what she had imagined Liam McNeil looked like, but she did not much care. She was not looking for love or even attraction. She just wanted security and a fresh start. He would do just fine.
"Ms. Plamer," the man asked as he approached her.
"Yes. Mr. McNeil, I assume," she answered, doing her best to look confident. She had nothing in the way of fine cloths, but she had worked hard to mend the dress that she had chosen for the journey so that she would appear like a proper wife for a rancher.
"No, I am afraid I am not," he said, clearly uncomfortable as he took his hat from his head and held it in his hands, realizing it was the proper thing to do.
"I am a bit confused," she said, trying to keep her fears concealed. She was officially worried that she had been lured to Wyoming under false pretenses and it was plain to her that she had no other place to go.
"He had business at the ranch that he could not step away from. I am his foreman, Hank Dillon," the man explained, putting her mind at ease.
"Pleasure to meeting you Mr. Dillon," she said, taking an immediate liking to him as he reached out a warm hand to shake hers.
"You can just call me Hank," he said with a warm smile that made her feel like things might just be alright after all. "If you will just point out which trunks are yours, I will get them loaded up and we will get you out to Vista Roja," he added as he began to walk towards the baggage that was being unloaded.
"Thank you," she sighed, relaxing for the first time in days.
"Don't fret. You'll like it there. It's the best place I've ever worked. The land is beautiful and wild and Liam is a good man," he said knowingly as he lifted a trunk and began to load it on his wagon.
As they road toward the ranch, Hank told her all about the land they were crossing. It was beautiful and she knew that she could be happy in such a place. When they finally arrived and Vista Roja, she was even more impressed. The ranch was sprawling, with cattle and horses everywhere. Hank pointed out to her the bunk houses where the ranch hands lived and the river that bordered the property. He even drove her by the impressive coral that had just been finished. All she really wants to see, though, was he man that would be her husband.
Soon though, they arrived at the main house. She was surprised at how large it was and how fine the details were. It was a lovely home and much finer than she had expected. Why would a man with so much land and such a fine house need to choose a bride through a mail order service. It was not until they entered the front door that she realized the entirety of the situation. Though the exterior of the home was lovely, the inside was right and unfinished and clearly in need on a woman's touch. To build such a fine home and then not care for it seemed so odd. It made her even more curious about the man who called the place home.
Chapter 2
Hank led her through the main room to a library that was like nothing she had ever seen. While the rest of the inside of the home was in disarray, the library was immaculate. He shelves were lined with leather bound books. She was so distracted by the amazing room she found herself in that it took her a moment to notice the man sitting at the desk, pouring over ledgers. She had never in her life been in a room so elegant. He did not look up when she entered the room. In fact, Hank had to clear his throat to her his employer's attention.
Once Liam McNeil looked up, he was shocked to see the lovely woman before him. He had expected the widow he had chosen from the local mail order agency's book to be older and more worn by the life she had led as a farmer's wife in West Virginia. There was a sadness to her that he could not deny, but there was something pure and bittersweet about her presence in his library. Her dark brown hair was swept up atop her head but no amount of pins could hide the natural curl of it. Her skin was darker than most ladies allowed their complexion to get because of her time working outside, but her dark complexion made her bright blue eyes all the more lovely. She wore a plane brown dress, smart and sensible. She was not what he had expected at all and it unsettled him.
Anna was also quite surprised at the man before her. He was young and strong. He was also very attractive. His dark black hair and green eyes were not at all like Robert's blond hair and pale features so it shocked her to find him so appealing. His hair was mussed and his sleeves were rolled up. He had clearly been in the middle of work and he the stern expression on his face made her think that he did not appreciate the interruption.
“Ms. Plamer,” he said as he rose from the desk and crossed the room to shake her hand.
“Mr. McNeil,” she said, suddenly feeling very unsure of exactly how one should act around a man who you had never met before but would soon be your husband.
“I trust Hank gave you the lay of the land as you drove in together,” he said stiffly as he looked her over with no effort to hide is appraisal.
“Yes, he was a fine guide,” she said with an awkward nod.
“Then you
know what Vista Roja has to offer. I'm will not beat around the bush. I have no time for or need of love in my life. What I need to a partner who will manage the household here and who can help with minor tasks when called upon. I will not waste funds that could improve the ranch on a maid or a cook. When I read your advertisement, it said that you were recently widowed. I thought perhaps that would make you agreeable to my offer. It will be a marriage in name alone, for the sake of propriety at having you live here. You will have your own room at the back of the house and we will not share any of the other aspects of a traditional marriage. If his is not agreeable to you, I will have hank take you back to the train station and purchase you a ticket home,” he explained in such a matter of fact way that it put her at ease. His frankness at least told her where she stood and she was glad to know that he did not expect her to love him or be his true wife. He wanted only someone willing to work by his side and hard work had never scared her.
“That is ideal to me. I will keep your home in top shape and I will keep to myself otherwise,” she said, relieved at the role she would be playing at the ranch.
“I knew when you walked in here that you were a woman of sense. Hank will take your things to your new room. I have the preacher waiting for us in the parlor. He will marry us now and then you can settle in. I will not expect anything of you for the rest of the day. That will give you time to get settled in and explore the place a bit. Starting tomorrow, you will be responsible for making breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the men and getting this place in order. You'll also do laundry and keep the kitchen garden,” he added, walking towards the door without another glance at her.
“Yes sir,” she said as she turned to leave as well.
“Follow me,” he said over his shoulder as he led her down the hall and in to her new life.
Chapter 3
They were married in a quiet ceremony with only Hank as the witness. After it was done, her husband dispatched Hank to show her to her room. She did as he suggests and got settled before exploring the ranch house. It was just as large as she had thought, but in even greater disarray. Still, she had never encountered a difficult circumstance in her life that could not be made better with hard work. Though her husband had given her a reprieve from her duties for the rest of the day, she soon found herself in the kitchen, taking stock of what she might make for supper. Hard work had always comforted her. The cupboards were full enough but the place was a mess. It was clear to her that the men had been cooking for themselves and cared very little for cleanliness. Once she got a kettle clean enough that she would even consider cooking in it, she started a stew and then moved on to biscuits and roasted beef to go with it. She wants to make a good impression on her new husband and his men.
After she got the food started, she turns her efforts to cleaning the kitchen. Dirty plates and pot pots were stacked as high as could be. She was surprised that rodents had not taken over the entire palace before her arrival. However, by the time they all came in for dinner she had cleaned at least enough to be able to set a proper table for them in the dining room. Liam looked surprised to see all the work that she had accomplished, but Hank shot her a quick wink of approval as the men all piled in, grinning at the thought of a proper meal. The dinner arrangements at the ranch were odd compared to other places she had known. All the workers and Liam took all their meals together in the large dining room. Most places she had experience with had different meals for the owners and the staff. It did not bother her though. Indeed, it made things easier. With the arrangement as it was, she only had to make one meal.
“Mrs. McNeil, this is the best looking meal we have had in all my years here,” Hank said as he settled in to his seat.
“Thank you Hank,” she said as she spooned an extra helping on to his plate.
“Yes Anna,” Liam said from the end of the table. His happiness at seeing her set herself to work so quickly only grew as he saw how happy his men looked at the delicious feast in front of them.
“Thank you. I will leave you all to it then,” she answered as she filled the plate of the last man at the table.
“You are not eating dinner with us?” Hank asked her, looking a little disappointed. While his employer openly admitted that he did not desire her to be his wife in anything more than name, his right hand man seemed to be intent on trying to see that something more had the opportunity to develop.
“No, I have more work to do in the kitchen to get things tidied up. When you finish I will be back to gather your plates,” she answered, as she gathered the empty serving vessels to prepare to leave the room. Hank looked at Liam, expecting him to intervene. He did exactly the opposite.
“Get to it then,” Liam said as he dismissed her with a quick gesture of his hand. He seemed as eager for her to go as she was to leave the room. After all, she had much work to do and it would not do for her to waste time at the table. The men had worked all day. Her work had just begun.
With that, she excused herself to the kitchen. She ate her own bit of stew and beef quickly, saving a biscuit to eat later after her work was done. She then hauled more water from the well and continued her scrubbing. It was well past dark when she finally concluded for the day, knowing that there was still much to do the next day, including making breakfast bright and early for the men.
Chapter 4
After that, they all fell in to an easy rhythm. She cooked for the men and worked to get the once great home back in top shape. The men respected her and treated her as one of them while Liam was kind enough, complimenting her work when he was pleased and providing direction when he was not. He never treats her much like a wife, but she did not mind. She much preferred her role as housekeeper.
The real joy of her work at the ranch was her garden. She worked hard to grow as many vegetables and herbs as she could so that she could keep making the men new and differs meals. She had always enjoyed feeding people and bringing them happiness and nourishment with her food. Since her arrival, the garden had been thriving and she intended to keep it that way so that she could put up quite a few canned things for the men to eat over winter.
It was in her garden one afternoon that Liam found her. He had come to deeply respect her work ethic but had been trying very hard to keep his distance from his lovely wife. It was clear to him that any man who spent more than a moment with her was at risk of falling in love with the woman. She was obviously the kind of woman that a man could trick himself in to thinking was different from all the rest.
He had no desire to develop feelings for her beyond those he had for any of his other workers. However, none of his other workers had eyes that danced when they laughed or a smile that warmed his heart. Her easy smile and calm presence had already made a difference at the ranch house. He knew he was in danger of allowing the comfort and convenience that she brought in to his life to convince him that he felt more than he did and that was not something he was willing to allow. He had made a promise to himself that no woman would ever touch his heart again and he had no intention of breaking that promise. However, his intentions and his desires seemed to be at odds with each other. On that day, he caught site of her in the garden singing to herself and could not keep himself away. Against his better judgment, he road towards her instead of the stable.
She had been so lost in her work that she did not realize who it was that had ridden towards her. She looked up to see Liam staring down at her; she nearly dropped the rake in her hand. He had worked so ahead to limit their time alone together that she was still not entirely comfortable in his presence. He cut a handsome figure on the back of his horse, so handsome that he nearly took her breath away.
“The garden looks to be thriving,” he said as he dismounted his horse in one fluid motion. He looped the reigns around his hand and leaned against the fence as he took in the sight of all the hard work she had put in to making the sad little garden the men had begun in to a bountiful resource.
“Yes, I am quite happy with it. I will be able
to cook a more varied menu for you and the men as soon as more of the vegetables ripen,” she answered, unable to hide her pride at what she had been able to accomplish with her little patch of earth.
“They will appreciate it. They were feeding themselves nothing but potatoes before you got here,” he said with a laugh. He had warned them again and again to try and cook something, anything, different but they had refused.
“Well, at least they were eating,” she smirked, though by the state of the kitchen when she had arrived she thought that it was a miracle they had even managed to cook potatoes for themselves without coming down with food poisoning.
“Yes, I suppose so. Still, you are very good at feeding so many. I thought that it might take you some time to adjust,” he admitted, watching her closely for any kind of reaction to his words. He had thought about it often while watching her manage his boisterous ranch hands with such skill and ease.
“I grew up in an orphanage. When I got older, I took over the gardening and cooking to make sure that the younger children ate good food and went to sleep with full bellies,” she said, smiling fondly at the thoughts of the smiles on those tiny faces when she had cooked for them each night and cared for them. Even the most unruly of boys had come to love her deeply as she cared for all of them. She had been happy to be a maternal figure to all of them. The old woman who ran the orphanage had always been well meaning, but she was too elderly to do the cooking and cleaning that she had done in her early days there but she could find no help willing to work for the meager wages that she could offer. Instead, Anna had stepped up to the role and it had bonded them all closely.
“Admirable,” he said with a nod. He was not sure what else to say after her admission. He knew that it was his own fault for not making an effort to know her better before that day, but it still surprised him to learn how she had grown up.
