A Sweet Mail-Order Bride for the Distant Rancher: A Western Historical Romance Book

by Lydia Olson

  What kind of life did you lead at home? Milton wondered. Jane had not hinted at any sort of mistreatment, but she had confided that she’d joined the marriage agency without her father’s blessing. He wondered what would drive Jane, who seemed to be soft spoken and mild-mannered, to do such a thing.

  “Are you alright?” she asked him.

  He nodded. “Just thinking about work,” he lied.

  Jane had taken a seat next to him on the bale of hay. “I promise not to ask any more questions so you can eat in peace.”

  Milton frowned. He might not be a romantic man, but he wanted Jane to feel comfortable in his presence. “Ask all the questions you want,” he told her. “You’re my wife now, and you should feel comfortable to do as you please.” Milton didn’t add within reason. He didn’t feel as though he needed to.

  Jane blushed. “Thank you,” she told him, but she didn’t say another word. For the next few minutes, they ate in silence that seemed to stretch out between them.

  What happened to make you so scared? Milton wondered. He’d seen the way Jane lit up when he showed her his horse, and how she’d come alive when the ranch came into view. He was determined to right whatever wrong had been done to her and show her that she had nothing to worry about from him.

  Milton had never cared for another person’s happiness before, but he would care for his wife’s. This might not be romantic, but I’ll do everything in my power to keep you safe, he vowed. He didn’t need to say the words aloud. He’d make sure that Jane knew them.

  Chapter Seven

  Jane had been on the ranch for a week now. For the most part, things were quiet. Milton would get up before dawn and go to meet his men. Jane and Milton would often meet to share a quick lunch together, and in the evenings, they would take supper. Sara had given up cooking. She joked that she hated it, and that she was glad to give up that chore. So, most nights, she and her husband Hank joined Milton and Jane. Tonight, was one of those nights, and while Jane didn’t mind making the meal, she still found it a bit stressful finding her way around Milton’s kitchen.

  “Are you burning something?” Sara asked, as she walked into the kitchen.

  She’d been preparing the table for the men. They always split the chores. It was a nice change of pace from her time at home where she was expected to take care of everything.

  “Just the blasted cornbread,” Jane said with a grumble. “This oven gets hotter than the one at home, and I never know when to take the bread out.”

  Sara laughed. Jane pulled out the cast iron pan, pleased to see that the bread wasn’t completely ruined.

  “You can just cut the edge off of that and no one will know the difference” Sara said.

  Jane knew that she was right, and she also knew that she didn’t have time to whip up another batch of bread. The men would be in at dusk.

  “I swear I’m a better cook than this,” Jane said. She had been cooking for her family since her mother died, and even before that, she spent a great deal of time underfoot watching her mother. The recipe she used tonight was one of the first that her mother had been able to teach her.

  “Those two have been eating my food for years,” Sara said. “I’m sure that your worst will be better than my best.”

  Jane laughed. She liked Sara, and she was glad to have her companionship. It made the long days feel a bit less boring. In truth, Jane felt a little off balance on the ranch. She was used to taking care of a household, a very needy one. Milton hadn’t asked much of her. Since that first day, when they enjoyed time together in the barn, they hadn’t truly been alone with one another.

  After supper, Milton and Jane retired to their separate rooms. Jane was sure that Milton went straight to bed given his early schedule. Jane wasn’t so fortunate. She struggled to sleep, given that her days were filled with such little activity, so she often stayed up reading the books she’d brought with her.

  “Jane?” Sara asked. Her voice broke through Jane’s lonely thoughts. “Is everything alright?”

  “Everything is fine,” Jane said. “Just thinking about what I need to change with this cornbread so that it doesn’t burn. Our oven at home doesn’t get nearly as hot. It took ages to cook things through. This one heats so much faster …”

  “Try baking it for a little less time, and then test it for doneness,” Sara suggested as she continued gathering the things that she needed for dinner.

  “You know Milton is happy you’re here,” Sara continued. “He might not always show it in a traditional manner, though.”

  “Milton has been nothing but kind to me,” Jane said. It was true. Milton had made sure that all her wants were met. He never asked too much of her, and she had plenty of time to herself. It had been wonderful for about two days, but then, loneliness and boredom started to settle in, and even with Sara as a companion, Jane felt the familiar tug of loneliness.

  “Milton is always kind,” Sara said. “Just gruff.”

  Jane couldn’t help but laugh. Milton was indeed a bit blunter than most, but Jane appreciated that. At least, she did for the most part. Milton hadn’t lied to her. He had told her that he was someone who worked quite a lot. It wasn’t the worst thing. Jane had worried that Milton might be cruel or beat her, and he did neither of those things.

  “Have you worked for Milton for a long time?” Jane asked. She’d been dying to find out more information about Milton. She did not want to pry, but it bothered her that she knew so little about her husband.

  “I’ve known Milton since we were children,” Sara said. “My brother Matthew is Milton’s closest friend.”

  “Oh!” Jane said, surprised. Suddenly, Sara’s familiarity made sense. Milton was more than an employer to her; he was an old, dear friend. “I wasn’t aware that you have a brother.”

  Sara hadn’t mentioned anything. She’d been very much focused on getting Jane settled into the house. Now, Jane felt terrible that she hadn’t asked more questions about her companion.

  “Matthew lives in New Mexico. He’s a lawyer and was offered a post there. He was home a few months ago four our sister Anna’s wedding, but he rarely returns.”

  “What a shame,” Jane said. She could tell that Sara missed her brother, and she could understand that. Despite her anger toward her own family, she still missed them.

  “Do you have any siblings?” Sara asked. Sara had stayed away from asking her too many personal questions. Jane had wondered if that was because of Milton. She hadn’t told him much, but she had been honest about her intentions in joining the marriage agency, which had been to get away from home.

  “I have one step-sister, but we grew up together, so I’ve always considered us sisters,” Jane said. Kate hadn’t felt the same way. It was something that hurt Jane more than all of Kate’s harsh words.

  “Are you close?”

  Jane shrugged. She didn’t want to disparage Kate, but she didn’t want to lie to Sara either. “Kate has always been worried that my mother and I would replace her. She grew to love my mother a great deal, but we’ve never been able to bond.”

  It was the truth. Kate wasn’t all bad. Jane knew that because she’d seen Kate with her mother during her mother’s last days. She’d grieved when her mother died, maybe even twice as hard as Jane, because she was losing a mother for the second time.

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” Sara said. “I’ve always been so close to my siblings.”

  Jane smiled. She was envious of that. When she was a girl, she would have done anything Kate asked if only she would have been sisterlike to her. “Does Milton have any siblings he hasn’t mentioned?” Jane asked. She was starting to feel uncomfortable with all the attention on her.

  Sara snorted. “I think Milton was more than enough for his parents.”

  “Was he wild?” Jane asked. She couldn’t imagine Milton as a child. He was so serious that she struggled to picture him as anything other than a grown man.

  Sara shook her head. “He wasn’t wild, but he was
always curious. He had to know everything that was going on, and he was just as serious as he is now. My brother Matthew was the wild one, but he turned out okay.”

  Sara spoke of both Milton and Matthew with such affection that it made Jane slightly jealous. She wasn’t sure that anyone had ever spoken of her in such a way since her mother died.

  “What are you two ladies doing in here?” Hank asked. He was a tall, jolly man who always made her smile. He was broad shouldered, and Jane could see why Sara had married him. Jane didn’t think that he was as handsome as Milton, but she appreciated the allure of him.

  “We are finishing up your dinner,” Sara said.

  “Well, Milton and I have been waiting around for hours,” Hank said. He pretended to swoon, and Sara snapped him playfully with a tea towel. Jane laughed. She enjoyed watching them together. They had the type of marriage that she had always hoped for.

  Be grateful that you aren’t married to someone terrible, she thought as she watched Hank and Sara tease one another.

  “Let’s get the meal served,” Jane said. She grabbed the cast iron skillet, using both hands to support its weight.

  “Let me get that for you,” Milton’s deep voice boomed out from the other side of the kitchen. He came striding toward her, and she felt her heart thump a little bit louder in her chest. Even covered in sweat and the dirt of the day, Milton was an incredibly handsome man.

  “Thank you,” Jane said, her voice soft. Milton’s hands brushed against hers as she handed off the bowl to him. She tried not to shiver at the feeling of his skin against her own.

  “Jane here has cooked quite a feast tonight,” Sara said. She grabbed the cornbread, which still had the burnt edges.

  “It’s not too much,” Jane said, as she followed the group to the dining room. This was their nightly tradition. They would gather the food together. No one was expected to completely serve the other, and Jane loved it.

  Suppertime was the only time that Jane didn’t feel any sort of loneliness. It was almost like they were a family—the type of family that she had always wanted.

  “How much would you like?” Hank asked, as he began serving the meal. That was his role. Hank always made the portions completely to a person’s liking. Sara joked that it was a specific talent of his.

  “What did y’all get up to today?” Sara asked, as she began to start digging into her meal.

  “Yes,” Jane chimed in. “Did you manage to finish the fence?”

  Milton nodded. “We did.” A small smile crept over his face. Jane noticed that Milton was always his happiest when he was discussing work. She didn’t mind it though, because she enjoyed learning more and more about the ranch.

  If she had her way, she’d spend more time on the land than in the house.

  “We are three days ahead of schedule,” Hank said, beaming.

  “Three days is quite impressive!” Jane wasn’t surprised. Milton and his men worked harder than any she’d ever met before. At first, she wondered if the men resented Milton for such backbreaking work, but the few times that she had been around them, she noticed that they had a deep, overarching respect for Milton.

  He’s the big augur, but he’s also one of them, she thought. Milton never seemed to ask more of his men than he was willing to give of himself. It was admirable and made Jane like him even more.

  “We still have to get things done before fall sets in,” Milton said seriously.

  “Tomorrow is Saturday,” Hank reminded Milton. “I think you can give the men and yourself a day to relax.”

  “Sunday is the day of rest,” Milton commented.

  Jane placed her napkin against her lips to stifle her laugher. Hank and Milton always went back and forth like this. Milton would want to work them into the ground, and Hank would want a break. Normally, they met somewhere in the middle. But there was a lot of disagreement before they got there.

  “We could go for a ride tomorrow,” Jane blurted out. She didn’t know what possessed her to speak. She usually sat back and enjoyed the liveliness of the dining table. I’m tired of waiting in the background for someone to bring me into the conversation.

  All three people looked over at Jane, clearly shocked that she had expressed a desire. Jane always made sure to be pleasant and polite without asking too much of anyone, especially Milton.

  “A ride?” Milton asked.

  Jane nodded, eagerly. She had been dying to explore the ranch, and if Milton was done building the fence, which had been his excuse for being so busy the last few days, she was sure that he could find some time for a ride.

  “Yes,” Jane said. “The days have been lovely, and it would be so nice to see other parts of the ranch.”

  “I think you two should go!” Sara said. “Fresh air and exercise will be just the balm that you need after such a hard week.”

  Jane could tell that Milton was wavering. “You can show me how fast Smoke is,” Jane said, trying her best to incentivize him.

  “I suppose that we could all use a break,” Milton said. He was clearly reluctant, but that didn’t matter to Jane. She was sure that come tomorrow they would ride, and all would be well, and splendid, and romantic. Her first week of marriage might not have turned out as she had once dreamed, but she was determined to make it work.

  I want to be happy, Jane thought. Maybe it’s time I took my happiness into my own hands.

  Chapter Eight

  The morning was crisp and cool. Milton could practically smell the first hints of fall as they started to creep in and change the land. His property was edged with evergreens which would hold up through the cool winter, but soon snow would fall, and the grass would begin turning brown.

  “It’s probably best that we are riding today,” Milton said. “It’ll start getting brisk here sooner than you think.”

  “There’s already a bit of a chill in the air,” Jane said. She had been up bright and early ready for their ride. They had eaten a small breakfast, mostly in silence, which was what Milton preferred. He felt guilty that he wasn’t working. Running the ranch was a never-ending business, but as fall started to turn the work became more and more important.

  “Give it a few weeks,” he told her, “it’ll be snowing.”

  “Snow?” Jane asked, her gray eyes wide. Milton appreciated all of the wonderment that she expressed. Jane was open with her emotions, and every day she seemed to find something on the land that fascinated her. Though Milton hadn’t spent much time alone with Jane, Sara had filled him in on what she had discovered.

  “We get quite a lot here. In a few months, this whole place will be covered.”

  “How magical!” Jane said. “I’ve never seen snow before.”

  Milton had guessed as much, and he was excited to see her face when she saw it for the first time. Though Milton had not been able to spend much time alone with his new wife, that was only because he wanted to make sure that the ranch was prepared for the upcoming winter.

  “I’m sorry that you haven’t seen too much of me these past few days,” Milton told her. Sara had confided in him that she thought Jane might be lonely. Milton suspected that Jane might just be the quiet type. Sara, who was boisterous, probably thought that Jane’s quietness was a sign of loneliness. In case she’s not wrong ... Milton’s thought trailed off.

  He hadn’t wanted a clingy wife, but he knew that he needed to put some effort into his marriage.

  “I understand,” Jane said. “I’m glad that you and I will be able to ride together. I’m excited to see the land.”

  “Really?” Milton asked. He did not have a lot of experience with women, but the ones that he did know were more interested in buying nice, fancy dresses rather than exploring ranch land. Even Sara had little interest in any of the chores that were outside of the house.

  “Yes,” Jane said. “It’s beautiful here. I didn’t get to spend a lot of time on the ranch at home. As I got older, my chores kept me too busy. But I’ve always enjoyed being outside more than in
doors.”

  Milton could understand that. He often felt the same way. Even during the winter, he would find ways to get outdoors. It was where he felt most at ease.

  “We’ll have to spend more time outdoors together,” Milton said as they got to the barn. Jane turned to him. She smiled that bright smile of hers, and Milton felt an odd feeling in his chest.

  Milton had been hesitant to take the day off from work, but he was starting to think that it was the best idea he had all week. “I’m glad that we are going to spend some time together today,” Jane said, bringing voice to his thoughts.

  “I am too.”

  Milton started moving through the barn. Jane had only been on the ranch for a week, which hadn’t been enough time to procure a horse for Jane. She’d have to ride one of his, and he had just the one for her.