Taming the Rancher: Mail Order Bride (Brides and Twins Book 2)

by Natalie Dean

  But, Barbara knew she was innocent, and though she didn’t like the idea of the sheriff coming into her home to go through her things, she knew that he would never find anything that would convince a jury she would have done such a thing.

  Mark and Barbara had a wonderful marriage. She’d agreed to marry him when she was just eighteen years old, and he had promised to take her to London when they had been married for ten years. It was a trip she had very much been looking forward to. In addition, Mark had been a wealthy man all his life, and Barbara herself had come from money, so there was no reason to believe that she would have murdered him for financial gain.

  Especially since it was well-known around town that Mark was always doting on his bride, and there wasn’t a thing she could possibly want that he wouldn’t give her.

  As Barbara walked through her house one final time, she couldn’t help but feel a wave of sadness wash over her. Just weeks before, she never would have imagined herself in the position she was in right now. She never would have thought that she would become a widow so young, nor that her husband would pass on in such a terrible way. She wanted nothing more than justice for him, but she knew the longer she stayed, the more likely it was she was going to end up in the ground next to him.

  Barbara had already taken most of the money out of the house and deposited it into the bank, telling the banker that she wanted to ensure that it was secure without her husband around to protect her anymore. She knew that she ought to do that as soon as she wrote the letter to Mr. Cowell, knowing that if she deposited a lot of money shortly before she left, the sheriff would be on her trail faster than she would be able to reach Wyoming.

  Barbara closed the door behind her and slid her key into the heavy lock. No doubt it wouldn’t be long before the sheriff – or whoever murdered her husband – broke into the house, but she felt better knowing she had left it locked. She stopped by Melissa’s house to tell her friend goodbye and left the key in her keeping.

  “I don’t know if he’s going to come to you for information or not. I wouldn’t doubt it,” Barbara said as the two women embraced. Melissa had tears in her eyes, while Barbara had tears running down her cheeks.

  “I don’t care if he does. Let him come – all I care about is that you get out of here and that you are safe. There’s something not right about this situation, and the longer you stay, the more likely it is something bad is going to happen to you.” Mellissa lightly kissed her friend on the cheek, giving her a final pat before Barbara gathered her carpet bag and left.

  It was early in the morning – the sun was just barely starting to come up over the horizon, and she knew she had to hurry. Barbara had intentionally chosen the earliest train leaving the station, knowing that few people would be around to see her board. She had no knowledge of the sheriff actively watching her, but she didn’t want to take any chances.

  As she hurried through the dark, bare streets, she couldn’t help but glance over her shoulder from time to time, expecting to see him following her, asking her where she was going, asking her why she had the carpet bag. Another part of her worried that when she turned, she would see a different dark figure – one that she didn’t recognize. The night Mark died flashed through her mind for a brief second, and she quickly shook her head, trying to rid herself of the moment once and for all.

  When she finally arrived at the train station platform, she nervously paced back and forth. The hard heels of her shoes left a deep thud with each step she took, but she didn’t care. There were dozens of men and women bustling about, all trying to get off the train and find their way to where they were going.

  It was more common for people to be arriving on the early train than it was for them to be leaving, so as Barbara glanced around, she was surprised to find that there was a small group of people waiting to board along with her.

  At long last, the conductor stood outside the train and motioned for the people to start boarding. One by one the men and women began pushing their way toward the door of the train car, and Barbara immediately felt lost. She suddenly felt the absence of her husband’s hand on her lower back quite strongly, and she realized she had never done anything like this before without him.

  She always deferred to him whenever they planned anything like this, and he always led her through it. She’d never been frightened to do anything when he was right there with her, and now that she stood on the train platform alone, she couldn’t help but feel exposed and vulnerable.

  With shaking hands, she handed the conductor the ticket. He looked first at the ticket then back at her and gave her a kind smile.

  “Is this your first time traveling by train, Miss?” he asked, and she nodded, her face as white as a sheet.

  “Well, don’t you worry, just go inside and find a seat you feel comfortable in. I recommend the back rather than the front, there’s less smoke back there.” She thanked him as she took her ticket back, and all at once she found herself inside the train car.

  As the conductor suggested, she hurried to the back of the coach and took her seat in the very last row. Setting her carpet bag on the seat beside her, she sighed. There were tears in her eyes, but she quickly brushed them away.

  “I’m going to be okay now. I’m going West,” she whispered as the train whistle blew.

  Chapter 6 – Mr. Jake Cowell

  Barbara had to admit that she had no idea what to expect at any point in her journey. Throughout each of the stops they made, each of the hotels she had to stay at, and each time she boarded a new train in the morning, she felt the absence of her husband strongly. She missed not only having him there to guide her through all the difficulties, but she missed his companionship.

  She missed hearing the sound of his voice first thing in the morning and having his strong arms around her when she went to bed at night. She had never met a man she found more attractive, and she wondered what life was going to be like married to someone else.

  Barbara spent most of her trip thinking about Mark and Jake. She missed Mark terribly, and it was difficult for any time to go by without her thinking about him once more. At the same time, she was intrigued by the idea of Mr. Cowell. He hadn’t described himself to her at all, though he had stated in the ad that he was attractive.

  Mark had been shorter than most men, and he had a very stocky build. Though he was taller than her, he wasn’t much taller, making her feel as though the two of them belonged together perfectly. Mark had blonde hair and blue eyes, and his smile was very kind. Mark was always so proper. He never dressed in anything but a suit, regardless of what they were going to be doing that day. Of course, as a businessman, he was able to do that without too much trouble. But, she couldn’t help but wonder if Jake was going to be the same way.

  She knew she was soon to find out when the conductor walked through the train car, announcing her stop next.

  “South Pass City! Everyone getting off at South Pass City get ready! South Pass City!” Barbara marveled at how the man was able to walk through the train cars with his hands behind his back, so steady against the hustle and bustle of the car. She feared if she even shifted in her seat too much she would be knocked off balance, and she now grabbed her carpet bag with both of her hands.

  The train slowed to a gradual stop, and at once Barbara was struck by how small the town was. Compared to Boston, it looked like something she had read about in a book. There was a small main street that stretched away from the train platform, and businesses dotted both ends. The walkways were made of wood rather than cobblestone, and it appeared as though the men and women merely walked where they felt they wanted to, rather than staying on the directed walkways.

  There weren’t nearly the carriages as had been in Boston, and most of the men appeared to prefer riding on the backs of their horses directly, rather than be drawn around in a coach of some kind. Barbara was also struck by the people. There were far fewer than she expected there to be, but at the same time, all the people milling about made her n
ervous.

  She had no idea how she was going to identify Mr. Cowell, or if he was going to be able to find her in the sea of faces. Once the train came to a halt, however, she had no choice but to get off and figure the problem out herself.

  “Lord, please guide me – and help me find Mr. Cowell quickly!” she breathed.

  Though she felt she would be better able to see from standing on the stairs leading down to the station platform, Barbara was nervous and wanted to reach the ground as soon as possible. She kept her head down as she grasped the rail, trying to mind her footing as she stepped down to the platform.

  When her feet were finally safely on the wood, she sighed a huge sigh of relief. She wondered how she was going to find Jake, but at the same time, she felt far more secure standing on her own two feet than she did sitting in the rickety train coach. Suddenly, she saw a man waving to her. Looking around to make sure it was really her that he wanted, she then grabbed her bag and hurried over.

  “Hello? Mr. Cowell?” she asked breathlessly. He nodded, looking down at her with a pleased expression on his face.

  “My dear, you did not do yourself justice, it is a real pleasure to meet you. Please, call me Jake,” he said, offering her his hand. When she took it, he lifted her fingers to his lips and kissed them, impressing Barbara.

  “Barbara Hill, but just Barbara is fine. I tried to be honest without going too much into myself,” she said with a nervous laugh. She had to admit, he was far different than she thought he was going to be, but she still found him quite attractive. He was tall – much taller than she. He was a thin build, not too much muscle, and he had very dark hair. His eyes were blue, but they were a different shade of blue than Mark’s.

  “Well, you must be exhausted. Would you like to go get something to eat? Or might I take you to your room at the hotel? We could get married straight away if that is what you would rather, I figured if you wanted to move in with me right away you could take the bedroom and I would take the guest room until you were good and settled. The preacher is going to be in town until tomorrow, so if you would rather spend the night at the hotel, I completely understand,” he gave her a flashy smile, and Barbara felt herself blush.

  “I suppose we may as well get the legal part out of the way first. You never know what could come up with the preacher, and I would rather settle in and get comfortable than I would spend another night in a hotel,” Barbara laughed as she spoke, and she could see that he was pleased with her decision.

  “Excellent. I did tell him that it was possible that I would be stopping by with you this afternoon, so if you are ready, then he ought to be expecting us,” Jake took her carpet bag then placed his hand on the lower part of her back. It was the exact same place Mark had so often put his hand, and the pressure was the same. For a moment, she almost closed her eyes and imagined that it was Mark.

  But, she knew she couldn’t be doing things like that – not if she wanted to be happy here with Jake.

  “Good, I am eager to get on with things,” she said. Jake looked down at her and smiled.

  Chapter 7 – The Western World

  Barbara wasn’t at all sure what to expect for their ceremony, and she was glad when it was short and down to the point. It felt so strange to be saying her vows to a man she had only just met, especially knowing that her husband had passed just a short time before. She was glad she was able to get through her part without breaking down and crying in front of everyone, as she had no idea how she would explain that to Jake – or the preacher.

  She merely repeated what she was told to repeat, then listened as Jake said his part. They were both handed pens and directed to sign the marriage license, and that was the end of things. She was now a married woman once again, and her name was no longer Hill.

  When Barbara leaned down to sign the license, she nearly signed her name Hill, it was only at the last second that she remembered to sign Cowell instead, and she was grateful that no one seemed to notice. After Jake signed his name, he paid the preacher for his services, and once again placed his hand on the lower part of Barbara’s back. She felt a shiver run down her spine as she did so, and quickly reminded herself she was going to have to get used to the feeling again.

  After they left the little church, they went straight to Jake’s home.

  Barbara did her best to think of something to say along the way, but her mind kept going blank. She was relieved when Jake started speaking, though her heart sank when he began asking her questions about Boston.

  “What’s one thing that you miss about being back home, or at least, that you think you are going to miss?” He was clearly only making conversation, but Barbara knew she had to be careful. She didn’t want to tell him anything that would indicate her history.

  “I would say it would be the theater. I spent so much time at the there when I was in Boston, it’s going to be an adjustment here,” she didn’t want to sound negative, and she was relieved when he didn’t appear to take it that way. At least, he started asking her about the kinds of plays she enjoyed seeing, and what her favorite of all was. Barbara told him everything about the theater. As soon as she started talking about it, it was as though she couldn’t stop, and she was surprised when he suddenly told her that they had arrived at his house.

  It was far less fancy than the house she had left behind in Boston, but Barbara couldn’t help but see the charm in it. It was clear that a bachelor had been living there for years, as there was mending to be done, washing to be done, and no decorations to be found. She thought of Jake living alone, seeing that he had a tear in his jacket, and knowing that unless he fixed it himself, it wasn’t going to get fixed.

  Of course, back home it would have been rare for her to do any of the mending, either, as she would sometimes leave such things to the maid. However, she did know how to mend, and she had often done it herself if she had the time.

  “I don’t know what kind of a life you were coming from, but I hope this is enough to make you happy. There are always things we can do in the future if you would like to put your own mark on things, I’m not at all picky.” He smiled at her as she continued to walk through the house. It was smaller than her house back home – a lot smaller. Part of her wondered where the guest room would be.

  “So, is this my room then?” she asked, stopping at what looked to be a bedroom. Back home, it would have been more of a mudroom, but she didn’t want to say so.

  “Yes, and my room is down the hall there, you can go look at it if you’d like.” He moved gently past her down the hall and opened the door to a room further down. She was amazed at how small that room was, which once again made her wonder how houses were so small in the West. She complimented it as best as she could, and he was quick to explain.

  “This was one of the first houses that was built in town, at least that’s what they told me when I moved in here,” he looked around the room, sensing her criticism though she didn’t intend to be negative.

  “Are you from around here?” she asked, suddenly turning to him. He shook his head.

  “I came up this way from California. I wanted to see if I could establish a good practice here, and surprisingly, I have. With all the gold that’s in the area, people are bound to get under each other’s skin every now and then, that’s where I come in.” He put his hands on either side of his jacket, clearly proud of his business.

  “Have you ever handled a murder case?” she asked suddenly, speaking without thinking.

  “Unfortunately, there have been a couple of those. It’s difficult to represent people though because you never do know which ones are truly guilty. Don’t be thinking about such things though, you are much too pretty to concern yourself with things like that!” He winked at her, then pulled out his pocket watch.

  “I really should be getting over to the office. It’s not much of a law firm, and it’s right up against the sheriff’s office, but I suppose it’s a good start. You should settle in, don’t worry about cleaning or anythi
ng, that stuff will still be there later. Why not take a look around the house, or around town? Get yourself familiar with some of the things in the area.” Jake smiled at her and Barbara nodded.

  “I think I might stick to being inside most of today, I have to admit, I am rather tired after the journey. Will you be home in time for supper?” she asked, and Jake nodded his head yes.

  “I thought I might surprise you with something from the diner on my way home, so don’t cook anything.” He gave her another wink, and with that, he turned and walked out the door. Barbara hurried over to the window and watched the direction he went, hoping to see where she could go if she suddenly needed to find him.

  Part of her felt better being alone, and another part of her wished that he would stay with her until she was comfortable getting around. However, she knew that there was no way for anyone back home to know where she was. As a special precaution, she had even kept the location a secret from Melissa, who asked her more than once where she was headed.

  Once alone with her thoughts, Barbara turned her attention to the house. She knew that he had told her not to bother with cleaning or anything, but she didn’t like seeing the messy house. Though she didn’t want to dive into the washing or getting through the mending, she did want to see the dishes put in the cupboards and the clothing all gathered in one place.

  In addition to cleaning the house, she figured out where many of the items were kept – something she knew was going to save time later when she was trying to get through the rest of the chores. As Barbara continued to straighten up the house and clean, she began humming to herself.

  There was something about the house that left her with an uneasy feeling, though she knew she was entirely safe there. She couldn’t get her mind off of the fact that he had told her it was difficult to do murder cases as there was no way to tell for sure who was telling the truth – suppose she was to tell him the suspicion that was surrounding her? What would he say to that?