Pony Express Mail-Order Bride

by Rhonda Gibson

“How come?” Mark asked, pushing until he was closer to her.

  Bella smiled. “Because love isn’t something that you can control. God is love and He made us like Him. Like Him, we can love lots of people in our lives and it’s good.”

  Caleb ducked his head. “But it hurts when they move to heaven.”

  She nodded. “Yes, it does.”

  “Will you ever move to heaven?” Mark asked, laying his head on her shoulder.

  Bella felt Philip ease away. “I will. And when I do, I want you to find another person to pour all your love into.” Missing Philip’s embrace, Bella hugged the two little boys even tighter.

  “Like Philip?” Caleb asked.

  Philip froze in place.

  “Yep, like Philip.” She tickled both little boys until they jumped up and ran away.

  Philip had scooted back. He’d pulled his legs up and sat with his arms on his knees. Caleb ran to him and jumped. Philip was quick to catch him.

  “I love you, Philip. If you still want to adopt me, you can.”

  He held the little boy tightly in his arms. “Thank you, Caleb. I love you, too.”

  Mark joined in the fun and soon all three of them were wrestling on the floor. Bella moved to get out of their way. She returned to the kitchen and wiped off the table.

  Watching them play and wrestle, Bella silently thanked the Lord for bringing Philip into their lives. She didn’t know what her future held, but she was thankful that Philip would take care of Mark and Caleb.

  Chapter Thirty

  Philip rode over to Hazel’s the next morning to tell her that they were moving to town. He dreaded it and had put it off long enough. He swung down from his horse and stomped up the stairs.

  She and her dog met him at the door. “’Bout time you came and checked on me. Come on in here and have some breakfast.”

  “Well, good morning to you, too.” He wiped his boots off and followed her inside.

  She walked to the kitchen and he followed. “I made a pot of oatmeal, but my eyes were bigger than my stomach, so there is plenty to share.” Hazel dished up two bowls and carried them to the table, where butter and sugar already sat.

  Philip sat down and waited for her to get fresh coffee for both of them. When she was finished bustling around, Hazel joined him at the table. She asked him to say grace, which he did.

  “So, what have you been up to? I thought for sure you’d have come to check on me sooner. ’Course, with a new family I suppose you’ve been busy.”

  Philip added sugar to his oatmeal. “We had a scare a few days ago with Mark. That boy went to the river again, only this time Johnny wasn’t there to save him. I thought he was a goner for sure, but thankfully the Lord heard our prayers and that boy didn’t even get a sniffle.”

  Hazel laughed. “At that age, they bounce back much quicker than, say, an old lady like me.” She waved her spoon at him. “Those boys are going to keep you busy for a long time. Then when your own young’uns start arriving, you are going to be busier than a mama bear with two cubs.”

  He nodded. “I’m sure you are right.”

  “Know I am.” She spooned in a mouthful of oatmeal and then washed it down with hot coffee.

  While she ate, Philip told her about Marlow Brooks and the trouble he’d been causing Bella. She nodded and grunted in all the right places.

  “I knew that something was bothering our girl. Just couldn’t put my finger on it. Thought maybe she was with child.” She looked at him expectantly.

  Philip laughed to cover his nervousness of talking about delicate stuff with her. “Nothing like that.”

  She took both their empty bowls to the washbasin and dipped them into the water to soak. “Would you like a refill?”

  “No, thanks. But I do have one more thing to discuss with you.”

  Hazel refilled her coffee and sat back down. “Something serious?” She eyed him over the top of her cup.

  “Well, with all that’s been going on with Brooks and the telegraph lines, Bella and I decided it was time to make some changes.” He paused and drained the last of his coffee.

  Hazel huffed. “Get on with it, boy, I ain’t getting any younger.”

  “I quit the Pony Express last week and bought a place in town so that I can open Young and Sons Furniture store.” He waited for her to explode, either with anger or happiness. With Hazel he never knew which he’d get.

  Silence filled the room. She pursed her lips for several long seconds, then said, “That’s good for you and Bella.”

  “Rumor has it that the Pony Express won’t be able to compete with the telegraph lines. Even Thomas and Josephine will be moving onto their ranch in a little while.”

  She swallowed hard and nodded. “Yep, I figured that would happen sooner or later.”

  “Hazel, Bella and I have discussed it and we’d like for you to move with us. The house is only two bedrooms, but we’re going to expand it and the first extra room we build will be yours.” He watched her face, still not sure what to expect.

  Hazel rocked the cup in between her palms. “That’s really sweet of you both, but my home is here.”

  “But you’re all alone here,” Philip protested. “In town, life will be so much better.”

  She pushed her chair back and walked to the washbasin. “Aw, Philip. I’m not all alone. Johnny visits from time to time. I can’t leave my home.” Hazel washed a bowl before turning to look at him. “I hope you’ll come out for visits.”

  He stood and walked over to her. She’d taken such good care of him and Thomas when they’d first moved to the relay station. Hazel felt like a mother to him. He pulled her into his embrace and simply hugged her.

  Bella was right. God did want him to love. Without even realizing it, he’d been loving. He loved Hazel, Josephine, the boys and Bella.

  Only, his love for Bella ran deep. The thought and realization struck deep in his heart. Philip released Hazel. “Thank you for breakfast. I’d best be getting back.” He started walking toward the door.

  “Tell Bella if she needs help packing to let me know.”

  He opened the door. “I will, and thanks again.” Philip hurriedly shut the door. He had to get away someplace alone.

  The river babbled a greeting as he jumped from his horse. When had Bella worked her way so deeply into his heart? Lord, how did You let this happen? I told You I couldn’t love like this. Look what this kind of love did to my pa. If anything should happen to her, will I be weak and leave the boys the way he did? Philip sat on a fallen log and continued to pray silently. Please, help me to push her away.

  Even as the prayer formed, Philip knew it was too late. He’d never be able to push Bella away. He loved her.

  Taking several calming breaths, Philip decided to be still and listen for the Lord’s still, small voice. After thirty minutes of listening, Philip realized that he wasn’t his father. As strange as it seemed, he’d always believed that he could be weak and kill himself if he loved deeply and lost the one he loved the most.

  Then it dawned on him. The one he loved the most was God, and God would never leave him. If Bella was to be called home first, God would still be with him.

  Philip climbed back onto his horse. It was time to go home, time to tell Bella that he loved her and wanted a real marriage. The question was, did she love him, too? Or would she reject his love and still demand that they just remain friends?

  * * *

  Bella looked about. They really didn’t have a lot for her to pack up. She’d thought to maybe start the packing but had now realized there was no rush. Her gaze kept moving to the door.

  Philip had been gone for a long time. Had Hazel taken their news hard? Would she want to come live with them? Bella wished that he’d hurry home so that she’d have some answers.

&
nbsp; She tucked the letter into its envelope and sighed. If only her future was more secure, Bella could look forward to her new life in town. But right now all she felt was fear of the unknown.

  Watching Philip with the boys the night before reassured her that the boys would be safe and cared for, no matter what happened to her. Her gaze moved to the kitchen window. Sun filtered through it, promising a beautiful day.

  Bella walked to the front door and opened it. She heard sounds of laughter and shouting that told her that the boys were downstairs playing in their room and she grinned. If she wanted a few minutes of silence, she’d have to go outside. Pulling her coat off the nail, Bella quickly put it on and closed the door behind her.

  She heard the sound of horses long before she saw either of them. Philip rode in hard on her left just as Thomas slid to a stop in front of the porch.

  Thomas jumped from his horse with a wide smile on his face. He waved an envelope as he climbed the porch stairs. “Special delivery for one Bella Young. Well, it says ‘Bella Wilson,’ but we all know it’s you.” He laughed.

  Philip leaped from his horse. He thundered up the steps much like Thomas had done moments earlier. “Give it to her.” He shoved his brother.

  Thomas handed the letter to Bella. She flipped it over and read the address aloud. “‘From the law office of Jeremiah Jenkins.’”

  She looked up at Philip. “What do you think it says?”

  He grinned. “You won’t know, honey, until you open it.”

  Honey. He’d called her “honey” again. Her heart soared every time he used the endearment. She stared into his eyes until Thomas cleared his throat.

  “Oh!” Bella flipped it over and tore into the envelope. She pulled out the paper inside and read aloud.

  “‘Dear Miss Wilson, it is our pleasure to inform you that a substantial amount of money has been discovered in trust funds for Caleb Rhodes and Mark Rhodes. According to the Rhodes’ will, the funds are to be put in your care and used to help raise the children. Please contact us soon so that we may transfer the funds to a bank of your choice.

  Sincerely,

  Jeremiah Jenkins’”

  Thomas whistled low when she finished reading. “Substantial. That means a lot. Right?” He looked to Bella and then to Philip.

  “Yes. It would seem that my sister and her husband took care of the boys financially before their deaths,” Bella answered. She looked to Philip. “I need to get a letter back to them as soon as possible. Can we have them put the money in your account at the bank?”

  “Yes, or we could open an account in the boys’ names and make it so that you can handle that money,” he offered.

  Bella smiled. “No, we’ll put it in your bank. After all, you did tell the boys you were going to adopt them. So you might as well take care of their money, too.”

  Philip nodded. “We’ll make sure that you can sign for their money, as well.”

  “Well, I guess I should get back to Josephine,” Thomas said. “She wasn’t feeling too good this morning and will want to know what the letter said.” He climbed back on his horse.

  “What’s wrong with Josephine?” Bella asked.

  Thomas grinned. “Just an upset stomach this morning. She’s had it for several mornings now, but it usually passes pretty fast.”

  “Oh, all right.” Bella grinned back at him, pretty sure that she knew what ailed her friend. “Thomas, when does the next rider come through?”

  He leaned on the saddle horn. “I’m expecting one tomorrow morning. Why?”

  “Can you wait just a second and I’ll answer Mr. Jenkins’s letter? I already have an envelope addressed,” Bella said.

  “Sure. But you know, it won’t go in the manila but inside the rider’s pocket, that envelope is locked and will remain so until it reaches its next destination.” He climbed down from his horse and rejoined them on the porch.

  “I know.” She hurried inside to write a quick note back to the lawyers with information on where to send the money. Through the door she could hear Philip and Thomas talking.

  “Well, that explains why Marlow wanted to marry Bella so fast. He must have talked to the lawyers before coming out here,” Philip said. He leaned against the porch post by the door.

  “Yep, makes sense. Get rid of you, marry her and have control over the boys’ inheritance,” Thomas agreed. “But what about his claim that she murdered her boss?”

  “I really think it was just a form of blackmail to get her to go with him. You know, scare her into thinking he was her only rescuer,” Philip growled.

  Bella sealed the envelope and carried the letter outside to Thomas. “Thanks for bringing me their letter and for taking care of this.”

  He smiled. “We’ll get it to them as quick as possible.” Thomas tucked the letter into his front shirt pocket and then got back on his horse.

  Philip waved as his brother rode away. He turned to her. “Well, now we know why Marlow was in such a hurry to marry you.”

  She nodded. “He just wanted the boys’ money.” Bella watched Philip’s face go from happy to thoughtful. “Is something wrong?”

  He shook his head. “No, I’d best follow Thomas and see if I can help with the chores.” Philip climbed back onto his horse and rode off.

  What was that about? She watched him go and sighed, then turned back to the house. When he’d first ridden up, she’d thought he was happy. Since he’d seemed pleased, Bella could only assume that he’d told Hazel about the move and she’d agreed to go with them.

  Bella called downstairs, “Caleb, bring Mark up. I want to talk to you boys.”

  The sound of running feet on the stairs told her they’d heard her summons. She waited for them at the top.

  Caleb came out first. “Whatcha want to talk about, Aunt Bella?”

  “I was wondering if you boys would like to help me hitch up the wagon and pack a few things to move to town.”

  Mark danced around. “I’ll hitch up the wagon for ya.”

  “Wait a second, Mark.” Caleb rubbed his chin. He looked up at her. “Aunt Bella, shouldn’t we pack first? Then load the wagon?”

  He reminded her so much of Philip when he rubbed his chin like that. She laughed. “I guess you are right.”

  “Aww.” Mark dropped his shoulder and huffed.

  Bella reached down and tickled him. “The sooner we pack, the sooner we can hitch up the wagon and head to town.”

  “I’ll get our clothes.” Mark dashed down the stairs.

  Caleb shook his head. “What do you want me to pack, Aunt Bella?”

  “Well, if you would round up the bedding, that would help.”

  He nodded, then followed his brother downstairs.

  Bella smiled as she hurried to the kitchen and pulled out several wooden boxes. She began packing dishes and using tea towels to cushion between them. Wouldn’t Philip be surprised when he got home? They’d be all packed up and ready to go.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  He was a coward. Philip knew he should have already headed home. But when Bella had said Marlow had wanted her just to get to the boys’ money, he thought she would think the same of him if he declared his love now. For the last three hours, he’d been trying to figure out how to tell her how he felt and her not think it was because of Caleb and Mark’s newly acquired wealth.

  The sound of a wagon pulled his attention from the leather bridle he was oiling. He walked out of the barn. Thomas was coming from the pigpen. Both stopped when they saw Bella and the boys pulling into the yard.

  Josephine sat on the front porch rocking. She stood and waved to Bella. “Is it moving day?” Josephine called.

  Bella laughed. “It’s a start. We had a lot more stuff than I realized.”

  Philip walked to the wagon. “
Honey? What are you doing?”

  She grinned down at him. “Well, I figured that since we have the house in town, we might as well move into it.”

  He rubbed his chin. “What about the animals?”

  Thomas stepped up beside him. “We can move those over here.”

  “Did you want to continue today? It would be really late when we get to town.” Philip couldn’t believe she was in such a hurry to get moved. He wondered if it had something to do with what the sheriff might find out.

  “No, but I figured we could maybe spend the night here at the relay station and head out first thing in the morning.” She held up a bag. “But if it’s too much trouble for us to stay here, I packed us an overnight bag. We can go back to our house and leave the wagon here with Josephine and Thomas. By doing so, we’ll get to town faster tomorrow.” Bella looked pleased with herself.

  Thomas laughed. “She’s thought of everything. I’m sure there is no problem with you spending the night here.”

  Josephine walked toward them. Her face still looked pale from her morning sickness. “Of course you can spend the night.”

  The boys had already jumped down from the wagon. “Uncle Thomas, can I go see the pigs?” Mark asked.

  “Stay out of the pen,” Thomas answered.

  Caleb chased after his brother. “I’ll watch him,” he called back.

  The adults laughed when Thomas called after him, “Yeah, but who’s going to watch you?”

  The next couple of days were spent moving to town. Mark and Caleb liked their room and were excited to help Philip set up the store.

  Over the next two weeks, Bella set up housekeeping in town. Philip couldn’t believe how quickly time passed. Every day that went by, he thought about telling Bella how much he loved her, but he couldn’t make himself do so. He never wanted her to think that he’d changed his mind about their marriage of convenience because of the boys’ money.

  Bella seemed to adapt to town life quickly. The ladies from the church had come by to welcome her and invite her to their Bible study. Another set arrived the next day to invite her to join their quilting bee.