The Mistaken Mail Order Bride

by Ruth Ann Nordin

  Eric nodded to indicate his agreement. The doctor was right, of course. He’d come here to make a difference, and this would be one way of doing it. He returned to Caroline and Caleb.

  “How is he?” Caroline asked, her gaze going from Eric to the doctor.

  “He’s in good health,” the doctor told her. He picked up a jar full of candy and showed it to Caleb. “Since you’ve been good, you can have some candy.”

  When Caleb didn’t make a move to take any, Eric said, “He might still be full from breakfast. I’ll take a couple and then give them to him later.”

  “Alright.” The doctor turned to him, and Eric selected a piece of licorice and a piece of peppermint, figuring one should be something Caleb might like.

  “The important thing is you’re well,” Caroline told Caleb as she helped him to his feet. “We want you to grow up and live a full life.”

  Eric caught the way she choked up on the last part of her comment. Considering she’d probably seen more than her fair share of death during the war, he had no doubt she’d learned not to take the prospect of a long and healthy life for granted. In this life, there were no guarantees.

  Eric paid the doctor and then led his new family out of the small building. The dusty road was pretty quiet, though he caught a glimpse of a couple of people who peeked out of their windows as they walked home. Even after answering some questions yesterday, they were still dying to find out more about Caroline and the boy she’d brought with her.

  “Do you have to go to work, or are you free the rest of the day?” Caroline asked.

  He brought his attention to his wife, doing his best to ignore their audience. He’d had no idea just how small this town really was until now. It was starting to seem like Abe and Travis had the right idea by living further out so they didn’t have to deal with all of this

  “No one’s in the jail,” Eric began, “and I think after all the excitement last night, I’m due for a day off.” Though maybe he should check up on Abe and Phoebe to see how they were doing. But if he did that, he’d want to bring Caroline and Caleb so they could meet them. So he should probably wait. “Everything can wait until tomorrow,” he decided. “We should take this as a chance to get to know each other better.” Glancing at Caleb, who was staring at the ground, he added, “I probably know more about you two than you know about me.”

  Caroline smiled. “Yes, but everyone is more curious about us because we’re new. It’s no wonder you didn’t have much of a chance to tell us about yourself.”

  Eric turned his gaze back to her. So she’d noticed their silent audience as well. He returned her smile with an apologetic one. In a low voice, he replied, “I suppose it’s human nature to be curious.”

  “Oh, I don’t mind. When I grew up, my parents had a lot of people over for dinners and balls. My father was a prominent businessman, and I was often the center of attention because of it. I got used to people looking at me. I hardly even notice it. I just worry it’ll make Caleb uncomfortable.”

  He couldn’t blame her for that. After everything the boy had been through, the last thing he needed was to be the focus of the town’s gossip, but Eric didn’t see how that could be prevented. Whether it was fair or not, he was different, and that was going to make him stick out from the others. No one knew what that was like better than Abe Thomas.

  “Tomorrow, I’d like to introduce you and Caleb to some friends of mine,” Eric said. “But for today, I think we should take time to be together as a family.”

  “That’d be lovely,” Caroline replied.

  He caught the pleased expression on her face and was reminded, once again, of how sweet she was. Yes, her coming to this town had been a mistake, but he was beginning to suspect it was the best mistake that had ever happened to him.

  On impulse, he picked Caleb up and showed him the two pieces of candy he still had in his hand. “Are you sure you don’t want to eat one?”

  Caleb didn’t respond for a moment, but then he took the licorice and ate it.

  “A boy after my own heart,” Eric said. “I like licorice more than peppermint, too.”

  Caroline chuckled. “I prefer peppermint.”

  “You do?” Eric asked.

  She nodded. “I like the minty taste. I used to slip a peppermint into tea. It’ll melt when the tea is hot enough.”

  “I’ve never thought to do something like that, but then, it’s been a long time since I’ve had tea. I only have coffee in the house.”

  “I’ve had coffee, too. It’s cheaper than tea. And, yes, I have put peppermint in coffee to add some flavor to it, too.”

  Peppermint in coffee? Now he was intrigued. He’d have to try it.

  They continued the rest of the way to their home in a comfortable silence.

  ***

  “Are you sure this is a good idea?” Caroline asked as Eric added another cut up carrot to the soup he was making. “Being the lady, isn’t it my job to do the cooking?”

  “If memory serves, you said you have to learn how to make meals,” Eric replied as he turned to the celery on the chopping board. When she frowned, he offered her a reassuring smile. “Soup is easy. All you do is put broth, water, and whatever you want to eat into a pot. Then you boil it for a while and eat. You can add salt and pepper for extra flavor. Really, there’s nothing else to it.”

  “Yes, that’s the way you make it sound.”

  Little did he know soup was one of her most miserable failures.

  As she watched him add celery to the soup, she ventured, “Does Phoebe Thomas know how to cook things other than soup?”

  “Probably. I’m assuming so.” He gave her a reassuring smile. “She grew up in an apartment in Cincinnati, Ohio, so she had to learn how to cook.”

  Good. Because if she had to cook soup again, she would panic.

  Eric added salt and pepper to the soup and stirred it.

  “That smells good.” Already, her stomach was rumbling in anticipation. If this was half as good as the meal she’d had yesterday evening, she was in for a treat. “You make cooking look so easy.”

  “I think soup is easy. Don’t ask me how to make something more complicated like fried chicken or pot roast. I can only handle the basics.”

  She wasn’t sure she could even handle that, but she didn’t have the heart to tell him that. He had more confidence in her ability to cook than she did. She was certainly willing to learn everything Phoebe could teach her, though there was no guarantee the lessons would do any good.

  She glanced at Caleb’s bedroom. On impulse, Eric had gone to the general store after they returned home from the doctor’s, and he’d come back with two toys for Caleb. Caleb had taken them to his room, but he hadn’t come back out in a half hour.

  “I think I’ll check on Caleb and see how he’s doing,” she told Eric.

  “I wouldn’t be surprised if he ended up falling asleep,” he replied. “I know he had a nap yesterday and got a full night’s sleep last night, but it’ll probably take a couple days for him to rest up. Speaking of which,” he turned to her, “you can lie down and rest if you want. The soup will take about an hour to be ready, and there’s nothing to do.”

  She debated whether or not she should then decided she might as well. Now that she knew Caleb was healthy, she could better relax. “Alright, but I’m going to check on him first.”

  He nodded and stirred the soup.

  She, in turn, went to the boy’s bedroom and knocked on the door, which was slightly ajar. When no one answered, she opened it further and peered into the room. To her surprise, Caleb wasn’t playing with his new toys, nor was he sleeping. He was lying on the blankets, which were on the floor. He was also staring at the ceiling, a tear trickling down his face.

  She hurried into the room and sat beside him. “Caleb, are you in pain?”

  He opened his mouth, and for a moment, she thought he was going to finally tell her something about his past, but then he sat up and went into her arms. At this
point, he started crying in earnest. And she let him.

  Chapter Eight

  Once again, Caroline was putting on her nightgown. She wished she knew what to expect about the marital bed, but she’d never had that particular conversation with her mother. The war came at a time when she was ready to get married, and because of the war, the possibility of marrying had been delayed. After things settled down, her friends all found their husbands by answering mail-order bride ads, and none of them told her what to expect.

  To be fair, she hadn’t thought to ask. At the time, her main concern had been finding something to eat and a blanket to keep warm. When confronted with life or death situations, consummating a marriage never crossed her mind. Which was to be expected, really. How could anyone think of such things when they worried about getting their next meal?

  But things were different now. She had security she hadn’t experienced since the war. She knew where her next meal was coming from, she was in a cabin with a roof that didn’t leak and windows that didn’t need repairs, and Eric had plenty of blankets to keep her warm.

  So she had the luxury of worrying over things like becoming Eric’s wife in more than name only. Her situation had definitely improved for the better. That didn’t mean, however, she didn’t experience some anxiety over this night. Truth be told, it’d been on her mind ever since last evening. Delaying it had been a bit of relief at the time, but now she wished she’d gotten it over with, just so she’d know what to expect.

  She took a deep breath, counted to five, then released it. The only way she was going to know what to expect was to go through it. She’d been through a terrible war. She could certainly go through this.

  Deciding she wouldn’t wait for Eric to come to her, she opened the door and went to the kitchen where he was making apple cider, once more.

  “Do you make this drink every night?” she asked, hoping that by starting a conversation it would help ease her nerves.

  “I do on most nights,” he replied. “It relaxes me.”

  Well, she could use some relaxing, but there was no way she’d voice that thought aloud.

  He grabbed a cup from the hook over the cookstove. “I made enough for two. Would you like some?”

  “Yes, that would be nice.” As he grabbed a second cup, she asked, “Will you teach me how to make apple cider? Then I can make it for both of us each night.”

  He grinned as he set the cups down. “I know wives are expected to do everything around the house, but I don’t mind doing some of the work around here. You don’t have to feel guilty. Besides, once we have more children running through here, you’ll be glad I’m not making you do all the household chores by yourself.”

  Her face warmed as he filled up the cups with cider. He’d said children, implying he expected them to be together intimately many times. It would really help if she knew exactly what it was they’d be doing to get those children. What if she didn’t enjoy it? She supposed if that was the case, she’d do it anyway. Nothing could be worse than what she’d gone through back in South Carolina.

  He handed her a cup. “I thought maybe we should drink these in the bedroom. Last night, we drank these on the couch, and I got called away. I know the likelihood that it would happen again is slim, but the superstitious part of me doesn’t want to take the chance.”

  She couldn’t help but laugh at his joke. “I think everyone has things that make them feel more comfortable. I wore my best boots all the way here, even though they were impractical. I got blisters because of it. I have a pair of comfortable boots. I’m wearing them today. But…I was wearing them when my parents announced they were going to host a ball on my birthday.” Just the memory of that day brought a smile to her face. “It was the best day of my life. They went out of their way to show me they loved me. Anyway,” she shrugged, “I wore those boots in hopes it would lead me to a good marriage.” Suddenly feeling embarrassed by the confession, she let out a nervous giggle. “I know it was silly. A pair of boots has nothing to do with something like that.”

  “I don’t know,” Eric began with a smile, “I think we’re off to a good start. Don’t you?”

  Despite the way her heartbeat picked up by having to further open herself up to him, she nodded. “When you forget the fact that I came to the wrong town and mistook you for the man I was supposed to marry, I’d say everything’s been going along perfectly.”

  He chuckled. “Well, maybe it wasn’t really a mistake. Maybe this was the way things were supposed to be. Maybe those boots brought you to the right town and to the right man.”

  “That’s one of the nicest things anyone ever said to me.”

  “You’ve got a good heart. I can’t think of many people who’d take on the role of parenting an abandoned child, especially knowing life isn’t going to be easy for him.”

  “I don’t know if life is easy for anyone. We all have problems we have to deal with.”

  “Yes, but some have more problems than others. I just want you to know I’m going to do everything I can to make sure Caleb has a fair chance in this town.”

  “I know you will. You’re every bit a gentleman.” And it was because of that, she was assured that whatever happened between them this night, she would enjoy it. “I don’t mind drinking this cider in the bedroom.”

  Then, in a move that made her feel braver than she really was, she turned and went to the room, figuring he’d follow her. And she was right. She heard his footsteps on the hardwood floor. Well, as far as she was concerned, she had invited him to go through whatever they’d be doing tonight, and he had accepted the invitation.

  The bedroom only contained a dresser, a bed, and her trunk, so there was nowhere to sit except one place. She settled on the bed, her heartbeat, once more, picking up. The kerosene lamp cast a soft light across the room, which offered a bit of calm. She took a drink of cider. It was just as good as it’d been last night.

  Eric closed the door and sat next to her, offering her a reassuring smile. “You look nervous.”

  “Do I?” Was she really that apparent?

  “It’s to be expected,” he said. “We barely know each other, and we’re both coming to this room to make the marriage official.” He cleared his throat and took a drink from his cup. “If you need some time… That is, if you want to wait until you’re more comfortable with me, I’ll understand. We don’t have to consummate the marriage tonight.”

  “To be honest, if I wait, I’ll only be more nervous. It’d be better if we do it now.” Then, to be sure he wanted to do this tonight, she added, “Unless you want to wait. I don’t want you to do anything you’re not ready for, either.”

  “Oh, I’m ready. I’ve been watching the clock ever since we had supper.”

  Catching the hint of eagerness in his tone, her face flushed. “Oh.”

  “Yeah.” He let out a hesitant chuckle and took another drink of cider. “But I don’t want to do anything unless you’re ready. You did say you’re ready, right?”

  Despite feeling awkward, she smiled. “Yes. I don’t know what to do, though, so I hope you’ll take the lead.”

  “Being a sheriff and having come across some interesting situations, I learned a lot more than I wanted to.”

  “You did?”

  “Drunk men—and women, for that matter—have a way of saying, and showing, more than they should. A word to the wise, don’t go into the saloon. It’s not for the faint of heart.”

  She made a mental note to remember that. She had no idea what a saloon even was, but she decided not to ask. If it wasn’t a place for a lady, then she had no business asking about it anyway.

  She tried to take another sip of cider, but he put his cup on the dresser, signaling he was done. Which meant he was ready to make her his wife. There was no way she could drink anything now. She started to get up so she could put the cup next to his, but he took it for her and went back to the dresser.

  She took a deep breath, held it for several seconds, and releas
ed it. Her mother had recommended the technique whenever she wasn’t sure about a situation, saying it would relax her. Well, it didn’t. Not in this case. But then, being introduced to potential suitors was a lot different than being in a gentleman’s bed. All she’d had to do was dance and make conversation with the potential suitor.

  Eric returned to her side and took her hand in his. “I meant what I said earlier. I think the fact that you’re here isn’t really a mistake. I think you’re here for a reason, and I’m glad you’re my wife.”

  She was about to thank him for the kind words, but then he kissed her. The kiss was soft with a hint of a question in it. He was still seeking her permission to go through with this night, proving, once again, how much of a gentleman he was.

  Though tentative, she responded to him, allowing him to proceed with wherever this kissing was supposed to lead. A few seconds passed when he parted his lips. Surprised, she followed suit, not realizing he’d meant to brush her tongue with his. She paused for a second, but only for a second, because the spark that traveled from her head to the tips of her toes was most intriguing. She wasn’t sure what to make of it, except that it was quite pleasant. She leaned into him and accepted him more fully into her mouth. This wasn’t so bad. If this was the kind of thing they’d be doing when in bed, she could actually look forward to it.

  Eric brought his hand up to the side of her face and angled her head so that he could kiss her cheek and then her neck. As it turned out, her neck was surprisingly sensitive because more tingles raced through her. Yes, this was definitely something she could look forward to.

  With his free hand, he cupped one of her breasts. The touch made her skin warm, partly from excitement but also partly from a sudden wave of shyness that made her want to pull back. It took some effort, but she managed to remain still. Being her husband, he had every right to touch her this way.

  And so, she let him continue caressing her. His thumb brushed over her nipple, causing it to harden, which, for some strange reason, made the area between her legs ache in anticipation. In anticipation of what, she wasn’t sure, but there was no doubt it’d made her more aware of that area than she’d ever been before.