“To a town called Reindeer Rock. There are four cabins waiting for us there. We won’t have much space, because the cabins are government issue, but we’ll make do. I may even be able to build onto the cabin come spring. Because then we’ll have four people living in a cabin meant for one or two.”
“You may need to. I grew up on a farm, and I had very little space, so I’m sure it won’t bother me too much.”
“Good. I’m willing to do all I can to help you along the way, but you’ll find you need to help yourself, too.”
Minnie liked that. She liked that he understood that women were strong and they could help themselves. David had never understood that at all. Maybe God really had listened to her prayers and sent her a man who would be good to her. She hoped so.
2
When they got to the church, the new pastor, James Billings, was ready for them. “You must be the first couple from Miss Hazel today. She told me there would be four total.”
Minnie nodded. “Yes, this is Robert…” She stared at him with wide eyes, feeling a helpless giggle escape. “I’m about to marry you, and I don’t even know your last name!”
He grinned. “It’s Barret.”
She took a deep breath and smiled at the pastor, whom she’d only known for a short while and really didn’t feel like she knew at all. “This is Robert Barret.”
Pastor Billings obviously had a sense of humor that she hadn’t seen, because he laughed. “Are you sure you still want to marry him? Minnie Barret…that’s who you’ll be for the rest of your life!”
She nodded emphatically. No one else would take on her and her children, and that was the most important thing in the world to her. “Yes, I’m sure.”
Olivia stood between Robert and her mother, obviously wanting to be part of the wedding. “I help,” she said, taking one of their hands in each of hers.
Pastor Billings smiled. “You’re a good helper. Thank you for being a part of the wedding.”
“I get new daddy.”
“I see that. I bet he’s going to be the best daddy in the whole wide world, too.” The pastor grinned at them. “I usually ask a couple to join hands at this point, but I don’t think you can.”
The ceremony was brief, and Pastor Billings made sure Olivia knew she was an important part of it.
“I now pronounce you man, wife, and daughter. You may kiss both of the new ladies in your life.”
Olivia held her arms up to Robert to be picked up, and she pressed her lips to his, causing him to feel so much more than he’d ever dreamed he would. How could the sweet kiss of an innocent child mean so much to him? “I’m going to be the best daddy I know how.”
Olivia rested her head on his shoulder for just a moment before pointing to her mother. “Now kiss Mama. Not just me!”
Robert was a little more nervous about kissing Minnie than he had been about kissing Olivia. His new daughter made her affection for him as plain as day, but his new wife…she was a different story. He knew she was marrying him only to escape an impossible situation, but did that mean he was allowed to kiss her? He knew he’d be allowed all sorts of affections eventually, but now?
He shifted Olivia to one arm and took a step closer to Minnie, one hand going to her waist. They’d briefly touched for just a moment at Miss Hazel’s house, and so much feeling had run through him. He leaned down and brushed his lips against hers—barely a whisper of a touch—before raising his head.
Minnie smiled at him uncertainly, unsure what her role in his life was going to be. Was he looking for someone he could eventually love? Or just someone who would prepare his meals and keep his house spotless? Either way, she would be there for him, because she’d made a promise to herself that this marriage would be better than the last.
Robert nodded to the pastor. “Thank you.” He shook hands with him and slipped him a bit of money, not having a lot more to share with the other man. Mounties were paid very little, and though he loved what he did, he worried a bit about taking on a wife and two other mouths to feed.
The pastor handed the money back. “Thank you for your service.”
“But…I’d planned to pay you.”
“There’s no need at all. Thank you. We need more men like you in this country.”
Robert smiled, offering his arm to his new wife and still carrying Olivia. “Thank you for your kindness, Pastor.” As they left the church, he asked, “Were you planning to spend another night at Miss Hazel’s? Because I have a hotel room here in town.”
Minnie bit her lip, wishing desperately she could stay at Miss Hazel’s for one more night. She was not looking forward to her wedding night at all. “We’ll join you. I can ask Miss Hazel to keep Olivia for tonight, if you’d like. They get on very well, and Miss Hazel is practicing to be a grandmother.”
He grinned. “If you want to do that, I think it would be nice. We’d have a little while to get to know one another before we leave to go to Reindeer Rock.”
Minnie smiled, her heart sinking into her stomach. “I’d like that.” She couldn’t tell him how she really felt, because he’d just agreed to take care of her, her daughter, and the child she carried for the rest of their lives, and there was no way she could act ungrateful for that.
Robert hid a grin. She looked like she’d swallowed castor oil when she said that she would like to spend a night alone with him. Little did she know that he really did just want a few hours to get to know her better. Nothing would happen between them until she was ready for it.
When they arrived back at Miss Hazel’s, he saw that the three Mounties traveling with him had all found ladies they were talking to and getting to know. He nodded at the man he was meant to train, Calvin, who was with a pretty young girl. She looked to be no more than eighteen, and he felt a wave of relief wash over him. There was no way he could marry a young lady like her. No, his Minnie was just right for him.
Minnie immediately went to Miss Hazel. “Would you mind keeping Olivia tonight? I know it’s a lot to ask, but Robert has a hotel room, and it would be really nice if we could get to know one another privately.”
Miss Hazel nodded emphatically. “I’d be delighted to keep Olivia. What time are you leaving in the morning?”
Minnie looked over her shoulder at Robert for the answer. “Our train leaves at seven, so I think we should be here to get her by six at the very latest,” he said, still holding Olivia in his arms as if it was something he did every day. He was obviously very comfortable with children.
“I’ll get all of her things packed up and ready to go, except what the two of you will need tonight.” Minnie smiled at Miss Hazel. “Thank you for all you’ve done for us. You’ll never be forgotten.”
Miss Hazel hugged Minnie close. “Thank you for making this Christmas the best one I’ve had since my Teddy moved out. It was wonderful to have a family again.”
Minnie felt tears sting her eyes, and she hated that Robert was getting to know her with the pregnancy emotions so strong. “We were truly blessed by you.” She turned to go up to the room she and Olivia had shared to pick out clothes for her daughter to wear the following morning. She set those to one side, along with a nightgown, and then she packed everything else up, making sure to leave Olivia’s winter coat, hat, scarf, and mittens out, so she could be dressed for the weather the following morning.
She quickly packed a small overnight bag for herself, and then she put all of her things into a larger bag, ready to go. When she’d left her house, she’d had to leave behind everything but her and her daughter’s clothing, so there wasn’t a great deal to pack.
When she went back downstairs, she carried her overnight bag and nothing else. She had never spent a night away from her daughter, but there was no way to have a wedding night with a small child there.
Minnie arrived downstairs to see Miss Hazel coaxing Olivia from her new daddy with a cookie. “We just get one more night together, Olivia, and after that, we won’t see each other for a very long time. It w
ill be fun for us tonight, won’t it?”
Olivia looked over at Minnie with wide eyes. Minnie walked to her daughter and hugged her close. “We leave for our new home tomorrow, and we get to ride on the train. Remember what your daddy said we were going to do?”
Olivia nodded. “Yes.”
“Well, you need to stay with Miss Hazel tonight, so we can do those things tomorrow.”
The little girl seemed hesitant, but she finally nodded. “I like Miss Hazel.”
“I know you do.” Minnie smiled at her friend—and the woman who had saved her. “I left her nightgown and the clothes she’ll wear tomorrow on the small table in the room we’ve used. We’ll be back early.”
“Don’t worry about a thing,” Miss Hazel told her. “I’ve got this little beauty, and we’re going to have fun tonight. Do you want to build a snowman, Olivia?”
Minnie frowned. Miss Hazel was too old to be playing in the snow like a child, but she couldn’t say that to her friend. Instead she walked to Robert, giving him the bag she carried. “I’m ready.”
Robert waved goodbye to Olivia and offered his arm to Minnie. “Please have her ready in the morning by six.”
Miss Hazel nodded. “I will.”
As they left, Minnie felt her stomach twisting itself in knots. “We should have at least stayed for supper. I could have prepared something, and you wouldn’t have to pay for anything.” She hated being more of an expense to him than she and her children already would be.
He shook his head. “No bride should have to cook on her wedding day. There’s a small restaurant in the hotel, and we’ll eat there.”
“All right.” Minnie felt like it was her first wedding night all over again, she was so nervous. She was expecting, and her waist wasn’t as slim as usual. What if he was disgusted when he saw her?
The more they walked, the more she was filled with dread. She wasn’t sure she could go through with a wedding night tonight, but she wasn’t sure how she could put him off either. He was her husband, after all.
“I can almost hear the wheels turning in your mind,” Robert finally said. “We’ll talk when we reach the room, and I think I’ll be able to set your mind at ease.”
Minnie looked at him with surprise. He already understood her moods and emotions better than David had. There was just something special about this man who acted as if she was important to him.
When they got to the hotel, he led her up the stairs to the second floor. It was one of the newer hotels in town, and she was afraid he’d been set back a pretty penny by providing such a nice place for their wedding night.
He unlocked their door and then stepped aside for her to precede him. “Have a seat for a moment, and we’ll talk.”
Minnie nodded uncertainly, but she sat on the edge of the bed, surprised when he took the only chair in the room. “What would you like to talk about?”
“How nervous you are for one. I know you expect me to insist on a wedding night tonight, but I won’t do that to you. I really did want some time alone just to get to know you better. I’m not going to do anything you don’t want me to do. Ever. When you’re ready to have a wedding night, you’ll have to just let me know.” He hoped that would end her nervousness. He hated how uptight she’d been since they left the church, deciding they’d spend the night alone.
She frowned. “How will I let you know? It’s not exactly something I talk about…” It wasn’t anything a lady should discuss.
He shrugged. “I’m sure you’ll find a way. If nothing else, tell me it’s time to check the temperature in Wisconsin. That could be our code phrase.”
She laughed, surprising herself. There had been very little laughter in her life for the past few years, and she was happy to hear it, even though it startled her a bit. She’d almost forgotten what it sounded like when she laughed. “I’m not sure that will work…”
“Why not? Do you plan on actually having me check the temperature in Wisconsin on a regular basis? Because I think it’s perfect.”
“I supposed that would work, but it would seem a bit odd to anyone listening.” She liked what she knew of Robert, but this idea of his seemed very strange to her.
“If you are choosing a moment when someone else is around to invite me to be intimate with you, then I think it might be odd. Maybe you should choose a moment when we’re alone.” He shrugged. “I expect it to be a while. You’re expecting, and the women I’ve known who were expecting didn’t exactly seem to think they were beautiful.” He didn’t want her to think he had unrealistic expectations, because he didn’t. If it was after the baby was born, then so be it.
“Have you known a lot of expecting women?” Most men she’d known knew nothing about women, especially pregnant women. It seemed odd to her that he’d have any kind of knowledge.
He shrugged. “I’m the youngest child in my family. I have six older sisters, and we all lived close. It seemed that there was always someone pregnant, crying to my mother about how ugly she was.”
She tilted her head to one side. “Is that where you got so much experience with children?” She’d been impressed with the way he dealt with Olivia since the moment they met.
“Fourteen nieces, six nephews, and two more currently on the way. If I didn’t know how to deal with children at this point in my life, there would be something seriously wrong with me.” He stood up. “Now that we’ve gotten that discussion out of the way, I’m very hungry. Would you do me the honor of accompanying me to supper?”
She couldn’t help but smile at the formality of his tone. “I would be delighted.” And he was right, she was a great deal more relaxed after his promise to wait.
Over supper, they talked about things most couples knew about each other long before marriage. “What are your favorite foods?” she asked.
He shrugged. “Honestly, as long as I’m not cooking it for myself, I can eat most anything. You’ll find the cooking conditions to be rudimentary in most of the places we’ll live. Mounties aren’t exactly provided with the most current stoves.”
“I’ll adapt. My mother taught me to cook over the fireplace in our home because we had no stove. If I can do that, I’m sure I can deal with anything else thrown at me.” She took a sip of the water in front of her. “I’m a little worried about when my time comes to deliver the baby I’m carrying, but I’m sure we’ll make it work.”
“Mounties are trained in first aid. I’ve delivered more babies than I care to admit. I promise we’ll make it work.”
“I’m not sure I could let my husband deliver my baby!” She shook her head. “No, I’d definitely prefer a woman to do it.”
“Then I’ll explain to one of the other wives how to do it, and she can do it for you. Or I’m sure there’ll be an Indian midwife where we’re going.”
“You’re sure? You haven’t been yet?”
“No, I haven’t. This is a new assignment for all four of us. The four Mounties that are there are due to be switched out, so we are taking their places.”
She frowned for a moment. “How often does that happen?”
“How long are assignments, you mean? Usually no more than two or three years. They don’t want any one man becoming so familiar with the local tribe that he involves himself in things that he shouldn’t, or he starts making unfair decisions. The Mounties are the police, courts, doctors, and clergy in the North. This is just how things go.”
“Does it bother you?” Minnie couldn’t imagine being sent to a new place just as she began to make friends.
“Not really. I understand the reasoning, and I’m a proud member of the Royal Northwest Mounted Police. I will do what I’m trained to do and follow orders.” Robert looked her in the eye. “Is that going to be hard for you?”
She shrugged. “It might, but I’m sure I can keep in touch with letters. It won’t be the same as being together, but I’m strong. I’ve twice left everything I’d ever known to marry someone I didn’t really know and start anew. I’m sure I can h
andle it if I can take my family with me.”
“Hopefully you won’t be marrying again.” He winked at her, smiling when he saw a blush rise in her cheeks. “Tell me about your first husband.”
She frowned, looking down at the food in front of her. “My parents were killed in a fire when I had just turned nineteen. A man I’d never met came through and asked me to marry him. He told me that he would make sure to take care of me for the rest of my life.” She sighed. “I was desperate, so I said yes. He was in his fifties, and I had no feelings for him at all. I never developed any, either.”
“That’s sad.” He hated the idea of her spending years in a loveless marriage. He wanted their married to be very different from that.
“It is. I always felt guilty that I couldn’t love him, but after he died, I found out he’d lied to me about a great number of things.”
“How did he die?”
“Heart attack.” She shrugged. “I was the best wife I knew how to be. I regret that I never had feelings for him, because he provided for me and my daughter.”
“I notice you don’t say he was good to you.” Surely it wasn’t an oversight.
She shrugged. “He had no more feelings for me than I had for him. He never really cared to have any children, but he tolerated Olivia.”
Robert put his hand over hers. “I promise you I will do more than tolerate any children we have, whether you come into the marriage with them or we have our own. Olivia already owns a little piece of my heart.” And he was excited for the moment someone handed him a tiny new life that would always know him as its father.
Minnie felt a tear pop into her eye again, and she swiped it away angrily. She hated that pregnancy made her cry so much. “Thank you. That means the world to me.”
3
By the time Minnie and Robert went to fetch Olivia from Miss Hazel’s house the next morning, they had developed a fast friendship. She enjoyed talking with her husband and spending time with him. It was something completely new for her, and she loved it. She could see them getting along much better than she and David ever had, because Robert already seemed to respect her feelings. It made her feel like she had a little bit of control over her own life, which thrilled her.
RNWMP: Bride for Robert (Mail Order Mounties Book 13) Page 2
