“Sure,” he smiled. Helping her down the stairs, he waited while she hugged her brother and sister. On the way home Paul listened as Elena gushed excitedly about her family.
“I don’t know how to thank you for this,” she said, her voice choked by unshed tears. Paul pulled the buggy to a stop. Fixing the reins so the horses wouldn’t move, Paul turned toward her in the seat.
“You don’t need to thank me for this Elena,” Paul said, finding himself more emotional than he’d have thought. “God brought us together so that you could find a vital part of your past. He brought you here so that together we could forge ahead with hopefully returning your ancestral land back to its rightful heirs. And I hope I don’t sound too forward in saying that I hope you’ll stay, as your leaving would turn my world back to the dull existence I took for living before I met you.”
***
Elena was speechless as she took in what Paul was saying. Was is possible that God had brought her here for more than just finding her siblings? Was it possible that Paul could come to mean more to each other than friends? Examining her own heart, she realized that honesty required her to say exactly what she felt. “When I first started this journey by writing to you, I hoped I’d find my past. I hoped I’d have some ties to people who were a part of me. I have found a passion for returning my people to the land that was theirs and I’m ever grateful for all of that. The one thing I found on this journey that I wasn’t expecting, was you. I never imagined finding a man who could understand me in ways my family doesn’t, not for their lack of trying. God has blessed me with a best friend and a man I hope to get to know on a much deeper level.”
“Then I am in good company, because God has blessed me in abundance with your presence in my life,” Paul said, smiling. “Let’s get you home.”
The next morning, when Paul came to collect her Elena could tell something was off. “You’re quiet today,” she said, her brown eyes imploring him to open up to her. It would be the first real test for them, to see if he could share his heart with her.
“I had a dream last night that’s left me a little shaken.”
“Oh?” Elena asked. She knew that her people put a lot of stock behind dreams, finding meanings in even the most commonplace of dreamscapes. “Is it a dream you can share with me?”
“I dreamt about you I think, only you were a tiny little girl. I dreamt of the night you were taken from your parents. Whoever took you was related to me somehow. My parents have passed on so I can’t ask them, but I can feel it in here.” Paul touched his chest where his heart lay underneath. They had sat down on the blanket they’d spread out and Elena waited while Paul set out the food Cecelia had packed for them.
“And you thought that because you’re related to someone who took me from my parents that I’d hold that against you?”
“It was a thought, yes.”
Elena grinned, knowing full well what it was like to have doubts, doubts that loomed so large in the mind that a person could easily be convinced of the worst outcome before anything had ever transpired. Reaching over, Elena touched his hand and waited for those beautiful blue eyes to meet hers. “How could I blame you for something you had no control over? Whether or not someone related to you took me from my parents, God has watched over both of us to bring us here for such a time as this. I have sent word to my parents to let them know of my decision to stay here at least until the hearing with the Supreme Court. I want to see that chapter of our journey finished before I make any further decisions.”
“I suppose I should tell you now that I also sent word to your parents. I inquired whether or not they would be agreeable to me courting you. If you’re agreeable to it that is.”
Elena could barely breathe as a smile and a blush spread across her face. “You want to court me?”
“Yes,” Paul chuckled. “I could never figure out as I was growing well into my thirties, why God hadn’t brought a woman along in my life. Then you stepped off a train in my town and I realized that God in his infinite wisdom was just waiting for the right time. I suspect, Miss Elena Elroy that God was saving you for me and preserving me for you as well. Why didn’t the men in your town turn their heads your way? Because you weren’t meant for them. I fully believe that God will move us steadily toward a deeper relationship with each other as we seek Him.”
Epilogue
Oklahoma 1861
Elena beamed as she walked the isle toward the man that she loved. God had worked a miracle in her life by bringing Paul into her existence. The Supreme Court had refused to hear the case that Paul presented and after two more tries, they’d laid the issue to rest, having been assured by the Choctaw Nation that for them it had been settled during the Trail of Tears.
Elena had stayed on in Oklahoma after that as well, feeling in her heart that it was where she belonged. Now she was bringing the two parts of her life together as she stepped into the lovely and bright future God had placed in front of her and Paul. Eight months after she’d arrived, Paul had invited her parents out and asked them in person for their permission to marry Elena. She’d happily and brilliantly given her acceptance.
Now the day was here and she was beyond excited. Looking up as the piano player started the Wedding March, Elena found Paul’s face and she never looked anywhere else. She held those blue eyes in her sight the whole time until the preacher asked, “Who give this woman to this man?”
“Her mother and I do,” Richard Elroy said, kissing Elena on the cheek. “I love you peanut.”
“I love you too daddy.” Elena took Paul’s arm and they stepped closer to the preacher. As he started the ceremony in earnest, both Paul and Elena thought back on all God had brought them through. Elena had gone from a next to starving infant, into the arms of Richard and Clarissa Elroy. She was raised in a home with a loving family and eventually found her past with Paul’s help. Now she had a brother and sister who would always be in her life. She and Paul planned to settle permanently in Oklahoma and continue working for the rights of the Choctaw and other Indian Nations who suffered under the Indian Removal Act.
Before she knew it Paul was kissing her soundly and everyone was cheering as she became Mrs. Paul Andrew Broche. The reception lasted well into the night as family and friends of Elena and Paul mingled, congratulating them on their marriage. “Shall we go home, sweetheart?”
“I’d love to,” Elena smiled.
`***
Paul took Elena home and showed her the land he owned. He introduced her to the staff that helped him. He showed her the horses and cattle and told her the story of his parents and how the ranch had passed to him when they died.
“I’ve added some of my own touches since then, but truth be told it’s in desperate need of a woman’s touch.”
“Lucky for you, I love decorating,” Elena smiled. “I promise not to go crazy though. Simple is much better, especially when our family starts growing.”
“Then let’s go inside and you can tell me your ideas of turning my bachelor pad into a home,” Paul said, taking Elena’s hand.
They enjoyed a lifetime of happiness, saw each other through sickness, stuck by each other in both the good and hard times, and raised four beautiful girls into adulthood. When asked on his death bed what his favorite part of life was, Paul had smiled and said without hesitation, “Elena of course.”
Elena had passed on in 1921 and Paul followed behind her the following spring. Elena’s brother and sister both married and raised children who proudly embraced their Choctaw heritage. Elena and Paul’s girls were fiercely proud of their Choctaw mother and often visited their cousins on the Choctaw reservation. Together, along with others from their generation, they built the first Casino in Oklahoma. Through this innovative solution, the Broche daughters and their cousins were elected to the Choctaw Tribal Council and helped to improve the lives of many of the Indians who lived under the Choctaw, Chickasaw, Cherokee, and Seminole Indian Tribes. Thanks to God’s mysterious ways, a o
nce burdened people rose up to overcome their circumstances and to leave an indelible imprint on American culture.
The End.
Included with this purchase is a collection of Christian Michael Mail Order Bride short stories. I do hope you take the time to read them! Enjoy!
Winning Her Heart
Christian Romance
CHRISTIAN MICHAEL
Prologue
Becca Stanley kept her head down as she left third period English and headed towards her last class of the day, Algebra II, with Mr. Rathburn. They had an exam that day and math was her worst subject by far. An otherwise straight-A student, Algebra was her Achilles heel; without fail she always managed to get a low C. I don’t know how I even manage to get that much! Dang it what’s the last part of Distance? Square root of umm… x two and one squared…was it plus or minus next – plus, that’s it. Plus y two and one squared. OK good. I know that one. What’s next? Oh crap I’m here. Oh Lord, help me now. The bell rang as she took her seat in her usual spot, the corner seat in the back row.
Just as Mr. Rathburn got up from his desk to lock the door for the exam – late students weren’t allowed to take the exam and there were no make-up tests – Greg Fields, the school’s star quarterback, literally skidded into class.
“Close call, Mr. Fields,” Mr. Rathburn said dryly as he locked the door, “I trust you actually studied for this test seeing your playing privileges hinge on the results?”
“No sweat, Mr. Rathburn, “Greg said as he headed towards the only empty seat, “I’ve got this one in the bag.”
Mr. Rathburn made a choking sound in the back of his throat, something like a cross between a cough and a disbelieving snort, while he passed out the tests.
“Hey Becks”, Greg said as he sat next to her, “how you doing?”
Becca blushed but greeted him steadily before writing her name on her copy of the test.
“Okay class, you know the rules.” Mr. Rathburn’s voice punctuated clearly, “Head’s down, only pencils are allowed on your desk. Put away the calculators, you won’t need them this time. You have until the bell to finish. I suggest you make wise use of your time, you’re going to need every minute.”
Becca tried to keep her attention on the test but her mind kept straying to Greg Fields. Why did he have to sit next to me?! On today of all days! She had known Greg all her life, they were neighbors when they were kids. Ever since then, Becca had had a crush on Greg – and he knew it too! But as high school boys were wont to be, he was inconsiderate of her feelings and teased her mercilessly.
The other kids at school took their cue from him and they had no problem poking at her because they all knew Greg was out of her league. Short and chubby with glasses and a bush for hair, no one would ever say Becca was attractive, or even cute. If they were nice, they would say she was adorable and had a nice personality. Which, as everyone knows, is just code for no-boy-in-his-right-mind-would-date-her. If people weren’t nice – say, for example, most high school girls – they called her the Ugly Duckling.
Becca rushed through her exam as fast as she could while still trying to solve all the problems correctly. She was the first to finish. She turned in her paper, gathered her stuff and left the school in record time and headed to the ice-rink where she knew she wouldn’t need to even worry about Greg or the fact that Prom was coming up and she would be home because, really, who was going to ask her out? High school was a popularity contest and seeing as how she was the dead bottom of the pack, no one would commit social suicide and risk being associated with her.
Truly, though, she really didn’t mind. Becca was an only child and her parents weren’t what one would call involved. They were usually travelling – both her parents were in the airline industry as captains of commercial liners. Both made more than enough for the three of them to live comfortably.
While she had no doubt her parents loved her, she recognized at an early age that they were too involved in themselves, each other and their careers to pay her much mind as long as she stayed out of trouble. She was used to taking care of herself and for all the fact she tried to hide among the masses in school, Becca was actually pretty self-assured. She knew who she was, she knew high school wasn’t forever, and she knew she could make something of herself if she wanted to. She just wished she wasn’t so obviously in love with Greg Fields.
At the rink, Becca wore her usual training outfit of leggings and a long sweatshirt. She knew that she should wear something more formfitting to make her spins tighter and cleaner but such outfits made her feel too exposed, even when covered from neck to toe. She was well-endowed and she didn’t like the looks that came her way from guys when she wore tighter clothes. They were always ogling her body and they didn’t care about who she was. She had learned her lesson well from the one summer fling she had when she was sixteen, two years ago.
Henry Miller was a handsome boy and Becca had been flattered by the attention he paid her. He was sweet and cajoling and captivating. One day, he had asked her to meet him at the rink for a date to watch the first of the season’s amateur skating shows. Henry was already there when Becca arrived earlier than they had planned; she saw Henry sitting with Greg and some of the other football players. She gathered her courage and made her way to them with as much of a confident smile as she could muster. She was proud that she had managed to catch the attention of a handsome guy like Henry.
She stopped in her tracks a couple rows behind them though when she heard her name spoken.
“Yo, Henry,” one of the guys, Devin, said. “Heard you’re going out with Becca Stanley. What the heck, man? Didn’t know you were interested in Ugly Ducklings!” This provoked a round of snorts and laughter from the pack.
“Oh no, dude, I’m not interested in her face,” Henry said gamely, scratching his head. “It’s the rest of her that’s got my attention – know what I mean? I’ve got her right where I want her too. She’s practically putty in my hands. I bet I can get her to give it up tonight!”
“Seriously? I thought she was after Greg,” another guy pitched in, tossing a football in the air.
“Yeah,” Greg said, laughing, “she’s been trailing me like a love sick puppy since the fourth grade! Thanks for taking her off my hands man!”
Becca, swaying on her feet, quickly and silently made her way back the same way she came in. She went to the parking lot, got in her brand new Infiniti – a sixteenth year birthday gift from her parents – and went home. She felt the tears well up but she didn’t let them fall. The conversation she overheard replayed in her head on repeat like a bad song. Numbly she got out of the car and went inside her house. She called Henry’s house and left a terse message on his private line telling him that she overheard him at the rink and to never contact her again.
Lucky for that boy, he never did contact me after that. Wish I could turn off my feelings for Greg just as easily though. I may be a love sick puppy but I’ll never pursue him again. Even so, she allowed herself to briefly entertain the thought of dancing with him in two weeks at Prom as she glided across the ice. What would it be like to feel his arms around me? Ugh! Stop it! Just one month more of high school and then I can put as many miles between Greg and myself as I want!
Present Day
Greg Fields vented a sigh of relief when he saw his cabin come into view. It was the middle of the afternoon when he pulled into the attached car porch and stepped out of his Escalade. He breathed in the cool mountain air as he opened the door to his home away from home. Situated against a backdrop of ice-capped peaks, calm blue skies and a deep blue valley filled with a natural lake, the two story cabin was far from rustic. The floors were hardwood, the counters were granite, the appliances were top of the line and the walls boasted floor to ceiling windows. He had hired an interior decorator to furnish the place before he had left the last time after purchasing it - about two years ago. The warm earth tones and the comfortable furniture would never be featured in his posh mansion but he love
d the feel of it in the cabin.
He loved the life he had in Denver; things were never dull for the twenty-eight year old star quarterback of the Broncos. Sometimes though, a man just needs to get away and hide for a while. But he was sick of the limelight and the “friends” who just wanted a piece of him, his money or their fifteen minutes of fame. He had been playing the game and living the life for five years and that was a really long time in the pro world. It was off-season anyway and the training rounds wouldn’t start for a couple more months – the perfect time to get away and breathe. In the mud room, he kicked off his shoes and stretched. He had driven all the way from Denver to Oregon by himself. It was a long and lonely trip but it had been exactly what he needed.
Two nights ago he had been wasted. He and some of the boys had gone clubbing that night at an exclusive place down-town. Getting girls to entertain him was an easy task – they were a dime a dozen. They could tell he was money from miles away and he was used to having them fawn over him. The cash was flowing out in streams and the booze was pouring in without end. Someone had bought out the cocaine and pot; they all took turns snorting a line or two (if not more) or smoking the blunt. The music was loud and heavy and he was having the time of his life dancing with gorgeous twin brunettes; in his high he couldn’t remember their names but it didn’t matter, they just wanted their bragging rights and he just wanted them. No strings attached. Come morning they would be gone, a wisp of memory from a wild night. Just the way he liked it.
Greg jerked out of slumber long before dawn, disoriented by a severe head ache. The twins were draped on his bed on either side of him and looking at them made him feel….ashamed? Why do I feel shame? I should be congratulating myself. He shook his head to clear his mind. He woke the girls up and told them to leave. After calling a cab for them and making sure they left, he went and took a hot shower.
[2015] A Love Miracle Page 3
