A Bride for Harper

by P. Creeden

  Without meeting eyes with any of them, Harper stepped toward his wife and knelt down. Then without a word, he cleaned her feet with his handkerchief and placed the new shoes that he’d bought upon them. Mabel steadied herself by placing a delicate hand on his shoulder. The comforting feeling of her touch did little to douse the agitated fire that had built in him from watching the soldier question and handle his wife. His wife. He truly felt that way about her now. She was the woman he loved—yes, he loved her. And he didn’t want to let her go. He swallowed hard as he finished buckling the second shoe and then took a deep breath before looking up into Mabel’s beautiful green eyes. She blinked down at him, a smile spreading across her lips as she blinked back tears. “How did you... When did you...”

  His heart swelled in his chest, the fire in him finally quenched as she grew flustered. He smiled up at her. “As your husband, it’s my duty to provide for you.”

  She swallowed, her smile growing wider as he took her hand from his shoulder and kissed her palm gently. A small gasp escaped her lips and then her cheeks reddened.

  Then slowly, he released her hand, stood and turned toward the soldiers, an indignant frown tugging his lips while he leveled a glare at the men. “And as her husband, it’s my duty to protect her. So, now, I ask you. What’s this about?”

  The blond soldier blinked several times and took a step back. He was several inches shorter than Harper and had to look up in order to meet eyes with him. He swallowed and then finally stammered, “I was just... just making sure Miss Br—I mean Mrs. Jones wasn’t in need of any help. It seems that things are just fine, so I’ll take my leave.”

  The second soldier’s eyes remained wide as he stumbled backward with his friend. Then the two of them turned about and made themselves scarce. Even though Harper was glad to see them go, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he’d really like to chase them each and give them a swift kick in the rear. His hands fisted at his sides as he held himself back from doing anything of the sort. Then he felt a gentle hand on his forearm and his gaze pulled away from the men to meet with Mabel’s emerald one.

  She smiled at him. “Thank you for the shoes. I love them.”

  With his heart racing hard in his chest, he blurted, “I love you.”

  Her eyes widened as her lips parted.

  It wasn’t a happy look in her eyes, and fear automatically gripped Harper’s heart. What if she didn’t feel the same about him? What if the soldiers had made her doubt her marriage? What if she’d been considering the annulment that he’d offered her. He suddenly wanted to take the words back. It had been too soon. His timing was terribly wrong.

  Then she smiled and shook her head. “I must be crazy, Harper, because everything in me says that it’s too fast. But I’ve never been any more patient than I’ve been delicate. I love you, too, Harper. I think I might have fallen in love with you that day I saw you at the general store—before we’d ever met.”

  It was Harper’s turn to gasp. “You remember that day?”

  She huffed a laugh. “Do you?”

  He nodded. “It had just started snowing and you had bits of white in your hair as you stepped onto the boardwalk.”

  “You held the door open for me,” she said.

  “You looked up at me as if you couldn’t see the color of my skin or the fact that I was half-native,” he whispered.

  “You went outside and pet Jack in such a gentle way that I knew you were a man with a big heart.”

  A lump formed in his throat and suddenly he couldn’t speak. He just shook his head. How was it possible that she remembered him? How was it possible that she’d even noticed him? She moved her hand so that she took his in both hers and then squeezed it gently.

  “Believe it or not, I love you even more now than I did a moment ago,” she whispered, her eyes fixed on their hands.

  Without a thought, he took his other hand and pressed it under her chin and lifted it so that her eyes met his. “I believe it.”

  And then he leaned toward her and kissed her gently on the lips. Her eyes closed, and her warm, soft lips parted slightly as she accepted him. He turned his head and deepened the kiss, moving his hand to her waist and drawing her into him. Her form fit into his as the rest of the world fell away and it became just the two of them.

  Epilogue

  Mabel sat on the front porch of the summer cabin, her feet tired and exhausted in her new shoes. They’d made it through three days of wilderness and succeeded in getting to the secluded lodge. It had been rough, but Mabel had never been one to complain, and she’d done her best to show her husband that she was tougher than she looked and far from delicate. A satisfied smile spread across her lips as she watched the sun begin to set. The late May air still had the slightest chill in it and raised the hairs on her arms, producing goose flesh.

  She rubbed her arms gently and thought about getting a shawl, but just as she had the thought, Harper came out of the house and wrapped her in a woven blanket. She eyed the texture. “This is beautiful. Where did you get it?”

  “My mother wove it with her mother when she was young. My mother often said that it would be the perfect gift for my wife and my children later, when I found the right woman,” he said, his eyes staring off in the distance.

  That smile on Mabel’s lips grew a bit as she pulled the blanket tighter around her shoulders.

  “My mother always said that a good wife was the best blessing a man could get. That he was lucky to find a woman who would tolerate all of his flaws and agree to spend her life with him, helping him feel complete. I never thought I would ever find such a woman, that I’d ever be that lucky.” His voice grew smaller so that by the end of his statement, he whispered.

  Mabel leaned toward him so that her shoulder rested against his. “My father always said that a good, godly man was worth more than all the riches of Solomon. I’m so glad that he found you.”

  Harper moved his hand so that he wrapped it around her shoulders and pulled her into him. They had been living as a fully-fledged married couple for a week and it had been blissful, even through the hard trek through the mountains to the summer cabin. But it had been worth it all. The views were tremendous, and this blanket felt like a gift from Harper’s mother herself to Mabel. She could feel the love of the woman that had passed on long before they’d ever met.

  “My mother was much like you. Strong, loving, and always in good humor. She made the trek back and forth from our summer cabin to our winter cabin each season. I’m sorry I ever doubted that you would want to do this with me.”

  “I would follow you anywhere,” she whispered breathlessly.

  He squeezed her tighter, wrapping her into both of his arms. When she peered up at him, she found his eyes still fixed in the distance, but a touch of red coloring his cheeks. She snuggled into him, relishing the warmth, comfort, and protection that he offered.

  What if her father had never been caught in that snowstorm? What if she and Harper had never met? How much of life would she be missing out on? Mabel was certain that she couldn’t possibly have been this happy with any other man. God’s blessing was on her life, and she knew it and appreciated it. She was thankful for it. Thankful for Harper, her gentlemanly mountain man.

  About the Author

  P. Creeden is the sweet romance and mystery pen name for USA Today Bestselling Author, Pauline Creeden. Her stories feature down-to-earth characters who often feel like they are undeserving of love for one reason or another and are surprised when love finds them.

  Animals are the supporting characters of many of her stories, because they occupy her daily life on the farm, too. From dogs, cats, and goldfish to horses, chickens, and geckos -- she believes life around pets is so much better, even if they are fictional. P. Creeden married her college sweetheart, who she also met at a horse farm. Together they raise a menagerie of animals and their one son, an avid reader, himself.

  If you enjoyed this story, look forward to more books by P. Creeden.
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  In 2018, she plans to release more than twelve new books!

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  More Books by P. Creeden

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