The Convenient Mail Order Bride

by Ruth Ann Nordin

  He burst through the front door, holding the gun in front of him and trying to adjust to the darkness inside the main living area. His foot hit someone, and he kicked at the person before thinking it might be Phoebe or her mother. But then, he heard someone shift from behind the couch and aimed his gun toward the sound.

  “Who is it?” he ordered, keeping his focus on the couch. All he could see was the shape of a gun and the top of someone’s head.

  “Phoebe,” the person whispered and peered around the edge of the couch. “Is there anyone out there?” She pointed the gun toward the front door.

  “Yes, but Benny’s unconscious,” he whispered in return and took a better look at the person lying at his feet.

  It was a man. Enoch? Were he and Benny in this together? He nudged the man with his foot, but the man didn’t move. He grabbed the gun from the man and went over to her so he had a good view of the open doorway.

  He settled next to her, crouching behind the other side of the couch. “Are you hurt?” he asked, keeping his voice low.

  “No, I’m fine,” she replied.

  He detected a trace of fear in her voice, but he decided not to comment on it. They had more pressing things to worry about at the moment.

  “Where’s your mother?” he asked.

  “In the attic.”

  Good. As long as she stayed there, he had one less person to worry about. His gaze went to the open doorways of both bedrooms. From what he could see, no one was in any of them, but it was hard to tell for sure.

  “Is there anyone else here?” he whispered.

  “No. That man came in through our bedroom window, but I was already dressed and in Ma’s room by then. I took my gun with me.”

  Keeping his gaze on the area around them, he asked, “How did you know he came in through the bedroom window if you were with your mother?”

  “I had her go to the attic, and I came out to this room.” He was ready to criticize her for taking such a risk, but she added, “I could hear him coming in because he tripped on the boots I left under the window in our bedroom. I knew he hadn’t had time to see me. I know how to shoot a gun. I might as well do my part to protect our home.”

  Despite the tense situation, he found himself chuckling under his breath. Yes, she definitely had a fiery spirit in her. “You did good,” he finally whispered. “Benny’s in the barn. I left him unconscious, but he’ll be waking up at any moment. I don’t know if there’s anyone else. I didn’t even know about the one who came in this cabin.”

  That’s what he got for turning his back on the cabin and assuming Benny was alone. He wouldn’t make that mistake again.

  “I told you I’m here to help you,” she whispered. “You take care of one vermin, and I’ll take care of another. Then we’ll handle whoever else comes.”

  Well, she managed to get one of them, so he wasn’t going to argue with her. He wouldn’t have thought it possible when they first met, but she could definitely hold her own. He was both impressed and in awe of her. If he wasn’t already married to her, he’d be proposing right about now.

  Turning his attention back to the side of the cabin she wasn’t watching, he waited for whoever else might pop up. He fully expected it to be Benny. He had only knocked Benny out after all, and given Benny’s intense hatred of him, Benny would likely be seeking his revenge.

  The minutes ticked by, agonizingly slow as he waited for something to happen. He heard the metal clinking again and held his breath. Either Benny decided to leave or someone else had joined them. Whatever the case, he felt much better knowing Phoebe was with him while her mother was safely out of the way.

  When he heard a series of gunshots, he jerked. His first reaction was to see if Phoebe caught anyone, but then he realized the gunfire was outside. He bolted up from the couch, Phoebe close behind.

  By the time they made it to the porch, they saw Benny fall to the ground, his smoking gun falling from his hand. Surprised, he looked across the clearing in the moonlight to two men. He couldn’t make out the one who was huddled behind a horse, but he could make out Eric who was holding his own smoking gun, still pointed at Benny.

  “Don’t let your guard down,” Abe told Phoebe as he led her over to Eric.

  “I knew Benny was coming,” Enoch was telling Eric, venturing from behind his horse. “I told you.”

  “I know, Enoch,” Eric replied. “You did a good thing in warning me. You said there are two men, but I only see one.”

  “I don’t know where Gene is,” Enoch said.

  “Gene?” Abe asked, interrupting them. “Gene Carter?”

  “Benny went to Gene,” Enoch replied, putting his hat in his hand and squeezing it. “Benny was so mad. I tried telling him it wasn’t worth it. He was better off leaving things alone, but he just couldn’t. He paid Gene to help him.”

  “I don’t know if Gene’s the one in the cabin, but Phoebe might have got him.” Abe nodded toward the cabin.

  “Before we get too excited,” Eric began, “I need to check out the rest of the place to make sure no one else is here.”

  “We haven’t heard or seen anyone else,” Abe said then looked at Phoebe to make sure she hadn’t.

  “No, we haven’t,” she replied.

  “Even so, stay here.” Eric took a step toward the cabin then faced Phoebe. “Where’s your mother?”

  “In a safe place,” Phoebe answered.

  When she didn’t elaborate, Eric settled for a nod and left them.

  Abe smiled at Phoebe. She didn’t want anyone to know about the attic, which was a smart move in case they ever needed to use it again. “Good with a gun and quick with an answer. You can’t beat that combination.”

  She beamed at his compliment.

  Abe’s gaze went to Enoch, who was shifting from one foot to another. “You didn’t have anything to do with this, did you?”

  Enoch shook his head. “No. Benny asked me to, but I said no. I feel awful about what I did to your wife.”

  Abe wasn’t sure if he was telling the truth or not. It was hard to believe whatever white men said, especially those who hadn’t shown themselves to be decent in the past. “Yeah, well, if I find out you did, I won’t be as forgiving as I was in the general store.”

  “I think he’s telling the truth, Abe,” Phoebe spoke up. “He’s scared. It took a lot for him to tell Eric what Benny was planning.”

  “I know it’s not enough to make up for what I did,” Enoch told Abe. “I don’t blame you for not believing me. I wouldn’t either if I was you.” He lowered his gaze and brushed aside a strand of hair that fell into his eyes. “I am sorry, and I’ll never do anything to hurt her or anyone else again. I stopped drinking and am going to live life straight.”

  Abe wanted to believe Enoch had made a change for the better, but he couldn’t. Not until enough time passed for Enoch to prove it.

  Deciding the best thing he could do was ignore Enoch, he turned his attention back to Eric. Eric left the cabin and headed for the barn. The three waited in silence for Eric to come out, and when he did, he slipped his gun into the holster. Abe finally let himself relax.

  Eric went over to them. “All clear. Abe, I’m sorry. I should have told you I released Benny and Enoch from jail earlier today. My mail-order bride came in, and it wasn’t at all like I expected. Anyway, I was planning to come out tomorrow morning to tell you. I didn’t think a day would make this much of a difference.” He gestured to Benny’s dead body and the cabin where the other man lay dead. After a long sigh, he added, “I’ll need to take the bodies back to town. Abe, you mind if I borrow your wagon?”

  Abe nodded then asked, “Is that really Gene Carter in my cabin?”

  “I don’t know what Gene Carter looks like,” Eric replied. “I only know him by name, and from what I heard, he should be on a Wanted poster.”

  “I’m going to see if it’s him.”

  Without waiting for Eric to answer, he strode back to the cabin, hoping it really was Ge
ne. Maybe Phoebe and her mother wouldn’t be wanting him to be glad someone was dead, but he’d certainly sleep a lot better at night if he knew Gene was no longer alive. Benny was bad enough. Gene was much worse. Gene didn’t need a reason to hurt someone. He seemed to make a sport of it.

  Once Abe was in the cabin, he lit a kerosene lamp and went to the dead man. He rolled the body over and, sure enough, it was Gene. Phoebe got him in the chest and stomach. With a glance at the couch, he saw Gene had nicked the edge of it. Phoebe was lucky. She almost got it. But since she’d managed to keep a cool head, she won the battle. No doubt, she could handle anything life out here would throw at her, and that made him feel a lot better about not forcing her onto the stagecoach for her own good.

  “Who is it?” Phoebe asked, bringing his attention to the doorway where she stood.

  “Gene Carter.” Abe wanted to spit on him as he said the name. Since Phoebe was watching him, he forced himself to rise to his feet instead. “He killed my uncle and raped my mother. God only knows how many others he’s hurt. You don’t need to feel sorry for getting rid of him. You did the world a favor.” He walked over to her and hugged her, glad she’d been spared the same fate his mother had to endure. “You keep on getting better with that gun, you promise?”

  “Yes, I promise,” she told him.

  “Good.” He glanced back at Gene. “You go on and tell your mother it’s safe to come out. I’m glad you didn’t tell anyone where she’s at. You never know if you’ll ever need her to hide there again.”

  “I told her not to come out unless you or I came to get her.”

  “Good girl.” He kissed her. “Alright, I’ll tell Eric to drag Gene’s worthless hide to town.”

  He left the cabin in time to see Eric and Enoch loading Benny’s body onto the wagon.

  Abe stopped in front of Eric and lowered his voice. “Look, I have a favor to ask of you.”

  “What is it?”

  “As you said, Gene Carter is a bad man. He’s done a lot of harm to a lot of people. He killed my uncle, and he hurt my mother. I know the way you white people handle deaths. You give the person a funeral and bury him. It’s how you show your respect. I don’t like Benny, but he has a brother who’s been nice enough to me. I don’t mind you giving Benny the funeral and burial out of respect to his brother. But I wonder if you’d deny Gene a funeral and burn his body instead of bury it.”

  Eric indicated his agreement. “I’ll do that, Abe.”

  “Thank you.”

  Eric waved to Enoch. “Help me with Gene’s body.”

  Enoch hurried to obey.

  Abe followed them to the cabin, his steps slow so they could have time to carry the body out before he reached the porch. When they reached him, he took one last look at Gene’s dead body. His mind flashed back to that night he’d shot his uncle and the sneer he’d had on his face while he said, “Let that be a lesson to you, half-breed. You don’t give us what we want, and you’ll pay for it.”

  Since Phoebe wasn’t watching, he stopped Eric and Enoch so he could spit on Gene’s face. “I hope you rot in hell.”

  Taking a deep breath, he indicated he was done, and Eric nodded for Enoch to keep carrying the body to the wagon.

  Abe took a moment to regain his composure then went into the cabin. Phoebe and her mother were washing the blood out of the hardwood floor.

  The two looked up at him, and realizing they were waiting for him to say something, probably to reassure them that everything was alright now, he said, “Eric and Enoch will be taking the bodies to town. They’re just about done loading the wagon. We won’t have to worry about Benny or Gene anymore.” Since he couldn’t promise them something like this would never happen again, he added, “I think it’s best if we set out more traps along the property. Maybe lay down some nets and dig some holes. Get you,” he looked at Phoebe’s mother, “shooting better with a gun. You do alright, but you should be as sharp as your daughter.”

  “We were just talking about that,” Phoebe told him. “Ma and I will continue her lessons tomorrow after breakfast.”

  “We sure will,” her mother agreed. “I don’t want to be hiding if I can be part of the action.”

  Abe shouldn’t be surprised at the old woman’s spunk. Her daughter, after all, had that spark in her. It made sense Phoebe got it from somewhere. But he laughed in surprise all the same.

  The women joined him in laughing, and for the moment, the mood lightened considerably, helping to ease the stress from the tense and long night.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  A week later, after Phoebe helped Abe set out nets, she helped him dig holes and cover them along key points along the property. As Abe covered the last trap, he said, “That’s all I can think of to do to protect us.” He turned to her. “None of these may even keep an intruder at bay.”

  “Abe, you’ve done all you could. Ma has gotten better at her shooting, and you know I can handle a stranger who comes into our home uninvited. We’ve all discussed where we’ll go and what we’ll do next time someone threatens us.” She slipped her arms around his waist and looked up at him. “There’s nothing worse than sitting back and not doing anything. We’ve planned out as much as we could, and that makes me feel a lot better.”

  He drew her closer to him. “I don’t want to lose you. You mean everything to me.”

  She smiled. “You mean everything to me, too. We’re in this together.”

  He returned her smile and kissed her in a way that told her he loved her. Afterwards, he wrapped her in his arms and rested his chin on the top of her head. She closed her eyes and exhaled, hoping he wouldn’t continue to blame himself for Gene being able to sneak into the cabin the way he had. The important thing was she heard Gene and was able to hide in a place that allowed her to save herself and her mother from any harm.

  Yes, it’d scared her. It would have scared anyone in her position. But she’d known how to shoot a gun, thanks to Abe taking the time to teach her. If he hadn’t given her the tools she’d needed to protect herself, who knew if Gene would have found her and her mother? Knowing Gene had been a horrible man was the only comfort she received from killing him.

  Abe kissed the top of her head. “I hope we’ll never have to go through a night like that again.”

  “I do, too,” she whispered. “But if we do, we’ll be ready.”

  “Yes, we will.” After a moment, he added, “As long as we’re together, we can do anything.”

  She grinned. “Yes, we can. And we will. We should get back to the cabin before my mother wonders if we fell into one of the holes you dug.”

  He chuckled and gave her another kiss. “I suppose we have been out here long enough.” Keeping his arm around her shoulders, he led her back to the cabin.

  ***

  Two weeks later, after the judge read the will, he put it on his desk and glanced from Carl to Abe. “I’m sorry, Abe, but Carl has every right to the stream and twenty acres that go with it. That’s what your father stated in his will. There’s no changing it.” He leaned back in his chair and put his hands over his stomach. “Abe, I know you don’t like this, but your uncle did sell the stream and twenty acres to your father.”

  Carl nodded in satisfaction. “I kept telling you I had every right to it,” he said, turning to Abe. “Maybe now you’ll finally leave me alone.”

  Abe didn’t know what to say. Why would his uncle make that kind of a deal with a white man? After going through the horror of being forced from Georgia and watching his family suffer at the hands of the white men, what force on earth would compel him to sell something as precious? What had his uncle been thinking?

  “Things aren’t as simple as you’re making it out to be,” the judge told Carl, drawing Abe’s thoughts back to him. “You have to have a legitimate child before you turn thirty. If not, then the stream and land goes back to Abe and any of his children.”

  “There’s nothing in there about a child,” Carl argued.

  �
�Yes, there is,” the judge replied. “It’s toward the bottom of this page.” He held up the will and showed it to him. “It’s right here if you want to read it.”

  Carl didn’t reach for it right away. He tapped the edge of the chair arm for several seconds, his gaze on the will in front of him. Finally, he reached forward and took it.

  This was one time when Abe wished he could read. Even if he’d had a copy of the will, it wouldn’t have done him any good. But by the way Carl’s face paled, Abe knew the judge had told the truth, that despite the sale his uncle made with their father, there was a chance he could get the land and stream back. And it would be in a way no white man could dispute.

  Carl was twenty-eight. He was quickly running out of time. He didn’t have to say it. Abe knew desperation when he saw it.

  “There has to be some mistake,” Carl muttered as he flipped to the first page of the will.

  “No, there’s no mistake,” the judge replied. “I went through the will twice to make sure I understood it correctly. You can see for yourself what I’m saying is true, and that is your father’s signature.”

  Carl scanned the page in front of him and shook his head. “Why would he do this to me?”

  “To you? To you!” Abe snapped, straightening in his chair. “You think he did this to you? That was my uncle’s land and stream. My uncle was there before your family came along to upset things.”

  Carl clenched the will. “Your uncle sold it. That’s what this document says.” He waved it in front of Abe. “You and your mother took everything from me. That land and stream is all I got left. So don’t you dare act like this is against you. Right to the very end, you’re getting everything. Right to the very end!” Carl bolted to his feet, moving so fast the chair fell to the floor. He shoved his finger in Abe’s face. “I hate you! Every day of my life since you were born, I had to live in your shadow. All because our no-good father loved your mother more than mine. And mine was the one who was rightfully wedded to him!”

  Abe stood up and glared at him. “Oh, right. Things have been so easy for me. I grew up as a bastard.”