Historical Cowboy Romance Two Book Box Set - Mail Order Brides (4 page)

“What the hell?” he said. Then it came back
to him. “Marcus!” His younger brother, Marcus, had told him he
should get married again. Dean had said that he didn’t know any
single women, at least any reputable ones. That’s when Marcus had
told him about mail-order brides and said that would be the perfect
way to go.

Dean had been joking when he said it sounded
like a great idea and why didn’t Marcus place an ad. “That
jackass!” Dean swore. “I can’t believe he did this.”

Curious despite his anger, Dean read on.

Allow me to tell you about myself. I am five
feet, nine inches tall and have dark brown hair, the color of a
dark bay horse. My eyes are deep blue and I have a slender figure.
I like to think I am kind and have good manners, although sometimes
my parents are a little put out with me because I do not always
follow the conventions of society.

I have an excellent sense of humor and enjoy
the outdoors. I sit a horse well and can write, read, and do some
mathematics. Perhaps I shouldn’t tell you this, as I am informed
that many men are intimidated by educated women, but I somehow
think you are perhaps more forward thinking than that. I would ask
that you keep an open mind.

I have never been married and have no
children, so I come unencumbered. I should like to have children so
I hope you aren’t opposed to having more. Although it’s been a few
years, I’m sure that you still deeply feel the loss of your wife
and I am sorry you have had to endure such a thing. I would never
presume to take her place, either in your heart, or in the hearts
of your children. Rather, I would like to make my own place in all
your lives and hope that we could be happy together.

I am looking forward to corresponding with
you and becoming better acquainted.

Yours truly,

Theresa M. O’Connor

Dean read the letter several times and he was
surprised to find that he was moved by this woman’s words. She was
honest and sensitive and had added a little humor. He had to admit,
his interest was piqued. Although tempted to write back, he had no
idea how to respond. He decided to sleep on it and see how he felt
in the morning.

“What the hell were you thinking?” Dean said
as soon as he saw Marcus the next day.

Marcus had come to help Dean geld a couple of
colts. Seth was out moving part of the herd to a new pasture. Lydia
was on a walk with the kids. They’d gone to pick some early spring
berries they’d located on one of the trails.

Marcus frowned. “What are you talking
about?”

Dean snatched the letter from Theresa
O’Connor from a drawer in the kitchen and thrust it at his best
friend. “Read it.”

Marcus unfolded the paper and began scanning
the page. His mouth curved in a smile that grew the more he read.
He finished and handed the letter back to Dean.

“I’ll be damned. She sounds like a keeper,”
he said.

“Why did you put that ad in the paper?”

“Because you said I should, that you thought
it was a good idea,” Marcus answered.

Dean let out an exasperated sigh. “I was
being sarcastic.”

“I know,” Marcus said with a nod, “but you
need a wife. You need help with those kids. It’s not going to be
long before Sadie is a young woman. Are you gonna talk to her about
womanly matters?”

“Lydia will do that,” Dean said.

Marcus harrumphed. “Lydia and Charles have
their own kids to raise. You could certainly use a woman around
here and one in your bed. You might be nicer to be around.”

Dean whipped his head around, ready to berate
Marcus but his brother held up a hand.

“I know, Sarah was the love of your life, but
the fact is she wouldn’t want you stay single the rest of your life
and she’d want someone helping to take care of those kids. If you
don’t know, there’s a shortage of women in these parts so the
pickings are slim,” Marcus said. His gray eyes, so much like their
mother’s, were serious. “If you’re not after love, at least be
practical. Maybe you won’t fall head over heels for someone, but
you could be somewhat happy and have a good life.”

Dean stayed silent for a few moments and saw
the wisdom in Marcus’ words. His grief over Sarah’s death had
colored his life for so long and he just couldn’t shake the
feelings that he would be replacing her if another woman came
along. Marcus may have been wiser than he about the subject and
Dean knew he had to take his children’s welfare into
consideration.

He gave Marcus an unsure glance and said,
“What the heck would I say to her if I did write? I can’t compete
with that letter.”

Marcus smiled. “It’s not a competition, Dean.
You just say what you feel.”

“I don’t know how I feel. No woman is gonna
make the trip out here if I say that,” Dean said.

“I’ll tell you what. You give me a general
idea what you wanna say and I’ll write the letter.”

Dean mulled over Marcus’ offer. Marcus had
the most education out of the three brothers and certainly wrote
better than he did. “Okay. Um, just tell her what we’re like and
that I’m a hard worker and she sounds real nice. Oh, and tell her
about the ranch.”

“Done,” Marcus said. “Now let’s get to those
colts.”

All through the day, Dean kept thinking about
that letter and wondering about the woman who’d written it. Why was
she contemplating moving to an unknown land that was barely
settled? She seemed smart and nice. Why couldn’t she find a man in
Pittsburgh? He assumed there was a good reason and decided to give
her the benefit of the doubt.

By the time Dean’s day was through, he was
exhausted. That was nothing new, though. He welcomed the work and
the fatigue because they kept thoughts away that he didn’t want to
deal with. That night, however, he had something new to think about
and it kept him awake for a while.

He lay in the bed in which he and Sarah had
made love in so many times and wondered how he could ever share it
with someone else. Dean reached over and ran his hand over the side
of the bed where Sarah had slept. What would it feel like to have a
womanly figure lying next to him again?

“Sarah, I don’t know about all this. Marcus
tells me I need to find someone to marry, to be a mother to our
children, but I don’t know if that’s the right thing to do. I still
miss you so much and I don’t think I can love someone like that
again.” Dean fought the tears that threatened. “You always said
you’d be with me no matter what. I hope you’re with me now. There’s
times when I think I hear you laugh or feel you next to me. If you
are around, can you give me some sort of a sign?”

He waited but nothing happened. Dean laughed
at himself, thinking he was incredibly foolish to expect some sort
of otherworldly sign. He rolled over away from Sarah’s side of the
bed and eventually nodded off.

After visiting the Brooks Agency, Tessa was
on pins and needles as she waited for a response to the letter
she’d written. Would the man she’d sent the letter to be
interested? Should she have written something more or had she
written too much? Doubts bombarded her but she did her best to hide
her feelings.

She couldn’t afford for any of her family to
suspect anything, so she went to her classes and worked hard at her
writing and other studies. She also took home some books about
Montana, where Mr. Samuels lived. It was wise to research the place
where she might end up living.

Tessa hid the books away during the day and
only brought them out late at night. She studied them closely and
took notes. The more she read, the more excited she became. It was
as far removed from the current life she led as could be. It would
certainly be an adventure. She longed to hear a wolf howl and feel
the cold winter winds and watch the cattle being driven.

The books also helped her understand the type
of clothing she would need. She was sensible enough to know that
high heels and ball gowns would have no place in somewhere like
Montana. Now the problem would be to figure out how to start buying
these things and where to store them.

Making the purchases wouldn’t be so hard, but
there was no way to bring them home without being noticed. All
three sisters liked to show each other new clothing and such that
they bought. For Tessa to abruptly stop doing that would cause
everyone to become curious about why she would suddenly be
secretive about her shopping. That would put her plan in
jeopardy.

She thought about places to stash her things
until she needed them, but came up with only one place to do so.
Her cousin, Edwina, was always pushing the envelope when it came to
societal rules and Tess knew she would help her.

Edwina Bradbury was known for being a bit of
a wild woman, but because she was the sole heir of her family’s
vast fortune, everyone seemed to look the other way. With no
parents left and no husband to whom to answer, Edwina enjoyed a
freedom that few women of her social standing did. She had always
been a sounding board for Tessa’s frustrations. Tessa loved her
family but she felt like she was drowning.

Edwina understood how smothered Tessa felt in
a world that was filled with the same thing day after day. She’d
felt that way her whole life and so she was only too happy to help
Tessa prepare for her journey, should it ever happen. Tessa left
her fiery cousin a happy woman. Now if only a positive response
came.

Two weeks later, Edwina contacted Tessa by
note that a letter had come. Tessa left the house as quickly as
possible, saying that she needed to go to the library. A short time
later, she sat in Edwina’s ornate parlor. Tessa took the letter
from Edwina. She was jittery as she opened it so she took a breath
before beginning to read it.

Dear Theresa,

I was really surprised to get your letter. I
didn’t think anyone would write to me because I have two children.
It’s only a very special woman who would be willing to take on
that. I’ll tell you about them. Sadie is just like her ma. She has
golden brown hair and bright brown eyes. She turned eleven last
fall. Jack is all boy and full of energy.

They’re both good children and I want the
best for them. Our house is pretty big.

There’s a kitchen, parlor, four bedrooms,
and a washroom upstairs. I keep it in shape along with the rest of
the place. I’m not the richest man, but I keep our heads above
water. My kids and my cattle are my life, but I’d sure like to
share it with someone again.

Your letter was something else. I can tell
that you’re a real lady and smart, too.

I’m wondering where you went to school and
why a fine lady like you would want to come here. It’s pretty here,
don’t get me wrong, but it’s a lot different than what you’re used
to. The sky is so blue and on clear days, you can see across the
valley. The sound of the cattle lowing and the horses nickering to
each other is comforting.

You said you like to ride and we have plenty
of good horses so that wouldn’t be a problem. Your schooling would
be welcome because we don’t have a school close by here and the
kids need to learn. Both are real bright and like learning new
things.

I guess because you told me what you look
like, and you sound very pretty, I should tell you about myself.
I’ve been told I’m handsome. I have blond hair and blue eyes. Last
I knew I stood six feet, two inches tall. I don’t know what I
weigh, but I’m not fat at all. I work off most of what I eat. I
have strong arms and a strong back and I provide well for my
family.

That’s about it for now, but I hope I hear
from you again soon. Let me know if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Dean Samuels

Tessa finished reading the letter and leaned
back in her seat. The letter hung from her fingers and Edwina
snatched it away and read it.

“Oh, my,” she said. “Tessa, you have a live
one here. He sounds dreamy. A real man, not like some of the fops
around here. Just think of how manly he must be from all that work.
And blond hair and blue eyes? Cousin, if you don’t take him, I just
might.”

Tessa looked into her cousin’s lively green
eyes and laughed. “Hands off. Go get your own Montana man.” She
took the letter back and stood. “He does sound wonderful, doesn’t
he? And just imagine the trip. Why, I would have enough to write
about for a lifetime with that alone!”

“See what the next few letters bring, but I
wouldn’t wait too long to meet if all is satisfactory. You said
other women write these men? Some other woman might beat you to
it,” Edwina said. “Like me!”

“Stop your teasing, Eddie. You’re awful and
wonderful. So you’ll help me?” Tessa asked.

“Oh, yes. And more than that, I’ll lend you
the money for the trip. You’re going to need more than your
allowance and there’s no way to access your dowry, of course.
There’s no telling what you’ll come up against and it’s best to be
prepared,” Edwina said.

Tessa was shocked. “You can’t do that! I
won’t take your money.”

“You’re not taking, you’re borrowing, dear.
Besides, I have money to burn and watching you live out your dream
is a real pleasure for me. I’ll live vicariously through you.
Accept the money or I won’t help you,” Edwina said. Her expression
was serious.

“Blackmailer,” Tessa accused. “Very well. I
accept.”

Edwina clapped her hands. “Wonderful! Now go
home and write to your cowboy immediately so it reaches him as soon
as possible.”

The letters began coming on a regular basis
over the next two and a half months and Tessa was hooked. Dean’s
description of Montana and their lives made Tessa want to go there
all the more.

Marcus was having a blast playing matchmaker
and enjoyed writing the letters. He felt that Dean would be a lucky
man to get a woman like Tessa and was a little jealous. Dean didn’t
say so, but he liked Tessa’s letters, especially the way she wrote
about her sisters. They sounded like a lively bunch and Tessa’s
vivid writing made him feel like he could almost see them.