ROMANCE: Mail Order Bride: A Sheriff's Bride (A Clean Christian Inspirational Historical Western Romance) (New Adult Short Stories) (85 page)

Chapter Eight

After Hannah told Aaron about the baby, life was perfect. The snow began to melt, and things went back to normal quickly. Hannah and Esther continued about their day to day life, and word traveled fast in their little town about Hannah’s pregnancy. No one seemed to be surprised, and everyone assumed it was Aaron’s, which seemed appropriate because Hannah considered it to be Aaron’s child. Her baby would never know any other father aside from Aaron, and that was enough for both of them.

Esther was just happy that everything seemed to be settling and there was no risk of them being sent back to North Carolina. At first everything seemed to be too good to be true, but Esther was quickly realizing that this was happiness. It was something that was foreign to her at first, but she got used to it fairly quickly. Being happy and being in love was much more pleasant than their lonely existence back home.

No, this was their home now. There was no “back home.” Wyoming was everything to them now, and they couldn’t be happier about it. The rolling hills and mountains became the backdrop of the rest of their lives.

Hannah’s baby came in the early summer. It was born on a blustering stormy day. Lightening cracked in the sky as the small woman gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, who managed to look like Aaron somehow. She was born with an unruly tuft of black hair and big green eyes just like her mother.

They named her Gabriell,e and judging by the conditions of her birth, she was going to grow up to be a firecracker. She was just one more blessing in their household, and she brightened everyone’s lives up. Having a baby around was like seeing God’s wonder every day.

Only a short while after Gabrielle’s birth, Esther discovered that she was going to have a baby as well. It felt like a dream come true, and every day she got bigger she felt more and more blessed. This was heaven on earth.

The entire family was out on a picnic, enjoying the last of the warm sunshine before fall and winter crept up on them. Being stuck in the house during the winter months was always a little rough, but at least they would have the babies to keep the company.

Aaron was napping under a tree while his daughter lay on his chest, her breathing synced up to his. Aaron took to fatherhood with a gusto few expected. He was such a reserved man that few expected him to be so warm and affectionate with his child. He truly was meant to be Gabrielle’s papa.

Esther smiled and glanced back at the sleeping father and daughter, rubbing her own belly. Caleb put his hand over hers and sighed, leaning up to kiss her gently. There were no words to express how excited they were to become parents. It was everything they never knew they wanted. Esther never really considered having children before now because she’d never met a man she wanted to marry. But now that she was madly in love, it was the thing she wanted most.

Hannah smiled at them, cocking her head to the side and watching them closely. “Are you two excited?”

“We can hardly bare it, Hannah,” Esther sighed, looking over at her husband. “I want to meet him so badly.”

“Him? Do you think you are going to have a boy?” she asked with a cocked brow.

“I know I’m going to have a boy,” Esther corrected.

Hannah snorted and smiled. “How can you know you are going to have a boy?” she asked.

“God showed me in a dream.” She hummed, still rubbing her growing belly. She had the tinniest little bump, but she was so proud of it.

“Well, He certainly hasn’t steered us wrong so far, has He?”

Esther shook her head and leaned against her husband. “I’m so thankful that He led us out here. We would never have met Aaron and Caleb without His guidance.”

Hannah smiled and nodded, looking over at her sleeping beloved. “We wouldn’t have,” she agreed. “I’m thankful for him every day,” she said, referring to Aaron.

Esther reached out and took her sister’s hand. “And this is just the beginning, Hannah. We have so many more blessings to come.”

Hannah nodded her head and looked up at the sky, sighing as the sun kissed her pale skin. “I can’t wait to see what else He has in store for us.”

Esther nodded and stole a kiss from Caleb, grinning. “Neither can I.”

THE END

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Clean Western Mail Order Bride Romance

By: Samuel Grace

“Oh, believe me when I say, sweet friend, that there is nothing I would rather do than stay here with you for the holidays, but I have promised Momma and Papa to be home for Christmas.”

Angelica Hurst was saying goodbye to her dear friend Miriam Watkins, who was seeing her off after they had spent the week together at Miriam’s home.

“It was such a pleasure to have you; you have made our week a most pleasant one.” Miriam hugged her friend tightly. “Are you certain you shall be all right traveling home alone?”

“Not to worry, sweet Miriam. The good Lord shall watch over me on my journey.” Angelica smiled, as she reached for a necklace and pulled it out of her buttoned up dress, giving the silver cross that was hanging on it a reverent kiss.

“And He will,” Miriam added. “I just worry. It’s quite a long journey for a woman to undertake by herself.”

“All will be well, rest assured. Papa has arranged everything, and you know him!” She gave a rich, throaty laugh, one that always warmed the hearts of those around her. “I think his original plan was to come and get me himself, but business affairs have interfered and he was forced, most probably against his wishes, to send a carriage, with Johnson as the coachman.”

The two young women hugged one last time before Angelica at last mounted the elaborately decorated carriage and closed the door securely. Peering through the window, she waved a merry goodbye and instructed the coachman to be on his way.

If truth be told, although Angelica had enjoyed her time with the Watkins family, she was eager to return to her own family and to spend the Christmas holidays with them. As luck would have it, she had left early enough, hopefully arriving before the festivities commenced. She should be able to help her mother and sisters in the kitchen as they prepared cookies and other holiday treats that the whole family could enjoy.

Angelica didn’t really find it very appealing to travel on her own, especially on such a long journey. On the other hand, her father wouldn’t hear of her traveling by stage coach, where she would be at the mercy of strangers, and perhaps, even vagabonds. She could hear her father’s voice even now.

“No daughter of mine shall travel with the likes of them! You shall do as I instruct, otherwise your mother and I won’t be able to have a good night’s sleep!” he would command gently, while her mother would nod in agreement.

The carriage was more than comfortable, and she thought she might even sleep for half of the journey, while using the rest of the time to catch up on some reading. This, without a doubt, seemed the perfect plan. Reaching into her reticule, she pulled out a volume of Christian stories for children that she had purchased especially for her younger sister. She knew Abigail would revel in it, but in the meantime, she herself would be reminded of a few edifying tales that teach proper Christian conduct and keeping to one’s faith, even in the face of numerous impediments and complications.

Having read a few stories, Angelica became drowsy. She closed the book and made herself more comfortable in an effort to have an afternoon nap. As she dozed off, the carriage came to a sudden sharp turn, causing the carriage to jolt. Suddenly wide awake, she looked out the window, and noticed a snow storm was approaching. The startled horses had left the trail, causing the carriage to jostle and bounce after them.

The coachman tried to soothe the animals in vain, the overhead thunder seeming to fuel their fear. A sharp turn to the left, as the fear-stricken animals tried to swerve around a large oak in their path, had the carriage crash into a tree, sending it and the animals tumbling down the side of the hill

                     Upon regaining consciousness, the first thing Angela noticed when opening her eyes was a bright light above her.

              “Have I died and gone to our sweet Lord in Heaven?” she managed to whisper.

“Shh, child, all will be well,” a comforting female voice answered by her side.

“Are you an angel?” Angelica tried to look in the direction of the voice but only managed to see a whiteness that hurt her eyes. She squeezed them closed tightly, hoping that, when next she opened them, she would be able to see who was next to her.

“Well, aren’t you a dear!” The laugh in the female voice made Angelica feel better. “No, I most certainly am not!”

“If it wasn’t for your goodness, Nurse Mary, we wouldn’t survive in here!” The second female voice came from slightly further away, yet reminded Angela of her own, a soft murmur.

“Come on now. I am just doing what I was put on this earth to do.” Nurse Mary turned her attention back to Angelica. “Do you know where you are, child?”

Angelica shook her head, her eyes still shut.

“Could you please pull the curtains?” she whispered courteously. Nurse Mary obeyed.

“Is this better?”

She opened her eyes slightly and noticed that the light had grown dimmer, allowing her to see where she was. She tried to make sense of what had happened. “Much better, thank you. Where am I?”

“You are at the Southwestern Hospital in Oklahoma City, sweetheart.”

“How?” Angelica was confused. Wasn’t she supposed to be somewhere else? But where? Where was it that she was supposed to be?

She realized that trying to remember what had happened to her over the past few days was futile. Everything was a haze. She had no recollection of where she was, what she had been doing prior to waking up at this hospital, and worst of all, she had no idea who she was!

“What is your name, child?” Nurse Mary continued gently. “We need to notify your next of kin to come for you. Is there anyone you know in town? Were you visiting someone?”

All these questions made Angelica’s head hurt. No matter how hard she tried to remember, she simply could not recall.

“Your name, honey?” Nurse Mary had a pen and paper at the ready to jot down any information forthcoming.

“I can’t remember,” she whispered desperately, “I simply can’t remember.”

“Well, it says here,” Nurse Mary riffled through some papers, “that you were in an accident. There was a storm last night, and apparently, Mr. Crosby, who was returning home from a business trip, saw your carriage down the side of the hill. He brought you here immediately. There was no coachman, which is strange, but we are all assuming that he had seen you were hurt and went in search of help on foot. You were unconscious the entire time, so Mr. Crosby was unable to find out anything about your identity, and we were hoping you would be able to shed some light about that.”

Nothing sounded familiar to Angelica. It was as if the entire ordeal had happened to someone else

“I don’t remember any of that.”

“Maybe.” Nurse Mary left the room, only to return after a few minutes with a small pocket mirror. “Perhaps if you see your own face, you will remember. We have had some patients with amnesia, just like you, who took one look at themselves in a mirror and it all came back to them. With a bit of luck, you will too! Here,” she offered Angelica the mirror.

Angelica lifted the mirror and peered into it warily. The face staring back at her was totally unfamiliar, a complete stranger.

The bright eyes looking back at her had a fiery spark to them, while the plump cheeks had a faint blush. The small cut she noticed on her forehead did not cause too much discomfort.

Angelica Hurst was a lovely young woman, one whose appearance demanded attention, although her disposition and upbringing meant she paid no heed to the admiring glances she had often received from men. She was saving herself for her husband, and her kindness and inherent warmth seemed to shine out of her.

Angelica, unfortunately, was not familiar with any of this. She had no recollection of her past, her friends, or her life. All she felt while staring at her unfamiliar face was a deep, empty void and a horrid feeling of dejection.

“It’s quite alright, lamb. We can try tomorrow. Perhaps you will remember then. You’ve been through quite an ordeal, and I think you should rest now. If you need me for anything, I’ll be near.”

Angelica was deeply thankful that there was someone as sweet as Nurse Mary around. The woman was a great comfort.

Angelica’s time in hospital sped by. She was well taken care of, but her memory refused to return, no matter how hard she tried.

“I’m afraid that we have to release you,” Nurse Mary told her after a few days, her expression sad.

“Release me?” Angelica was confused.

“Well, yes.” The nurse seemed uncomfortable in her role as the barer of bad news. “You seem to have recovered fully, and you aren’t ill, so we cannot keep you here any longer. We need the space for other patients. I’m sorry.”

“Where am I supposed to go?” Angelica rose from her bed. “What am I supposed to do? How will I take care of myself?” She burst into tears, and Nurse Mary rushed to comfort her.

“There, there, sweet child. We’ll find a way out. I promise you that. The good Lord never closes a door without opening a window, you know,” her voice was a whisper in Angelica’s ear. “There, there.” Angelica snuggled into the comforting arms.

“You know, there is a very nice lady in town I know. She could offer you room and board, as a personal favor to me.”

Angelica looked up at her savior. “I don’t know how to thank you.” The tears of relief streamed down her face.

“So, the first week will be free, but then we must find a manner of payment, if you wish to remain there indefinitely. Are you good at sewing, embroidering, knitting, anything of the sort?”

Angelica smiled and shrugged her shoulders.

“Oh, yes!” Nurse Mary laughed out loud. “I’m being silly! Of course you wouldn’t have any knowledge of that. But we do need to check. I need to get back to my duties, so I’ll have to leave you for a while, but don’t worry your little self. God always finds a way to help those in need.” She smiled at Angelica and left the room.

The next day Angelica was dressed in her old attire, which had been properly washed and cleaned. Looking like her old self again, in her beautiful purple dress and hat with a delicate little pink flower, she could rejoin society, albeit as someone totally unknown.

As they walked, Nurse Mary remembered something essential. “My dear girl! How shall we call you upon your introduction to Mrs. Merriweather?”

Angelica stopped. She hadn’t given this any thought, but Nurse Mary was completely right. What would she be called now that she had no name of her own? She didn’t belong to any family, and she had no father or mother who could claim her. She belonged only to God, who was the only One she could rely on for protection.

“What do you propose?” Angelica asked.

“When I was a little girl, I remember my father telling me a story about a little girl who got lost and remained so for many years. After numerous hardships, she found her way back home and rejoined her family. Her name was Perdita. Do you like it?”

Angelica thought about it for a moment. She felt no particular connection to that name, but then, no other name came to mind. She was, just like that little girl, lost without any hope of being found again.

“Yes,” she agreed, “Perdita.” She tasted the name on her tongue, wondering whether it suited her.

Nurse Mary finally stopped in front of a large house. It was old but not unkempt. The shrubs were trimmed and the roses added to the charm.

She knocked on the door, which was soon opened by an elderly woman who, upon seeing Nurse Mary, gave a welcoming smile.

The three women were soon seated in the parlor, with a pot of tea and a plate of biscuits at hand, discussing Angelica’s room and board.

“And she owes her obedience to Christ?” Mrs. Merriweather asked, as she took a sip from her cup.

“She is a sweet child, Perdita,” Nurse Mary replied, “the sweetest there is. But, it seems our good Lord has decided to tempt her faith by erasing her memory, and what is left for us Christians to do but to help?” She took a bite from a biscuit.

“True, dear Mary. That is most true. And you, child,” she turned her attention to Angelica, “you have no recollection of how you landed up in hospital?

‘No, ma’am,” Angelica replied obediently, “and I rely on your kindness and generosity, but I do know I cannot take advantage of it. Is there any way in which I can return your goodness.”

“Are you any good at handiwork?”

Angelica looked at her long, slender fingers.

“I can sew pretty well?” she glanced at Nurse Mary, waiting for her nod of affirmation. “We tried at the hospital, and I did not disappoint.”

“Wonderful!” Mrs. Merriweather nodded. “I myself do some work as a seamstress and can take you on as my help. Would that be agreeable to you?”

“That would be wonderful!” Angelica’s eyes widened in delight at this stroke of good luck. “I am more than indebted to both of you. I don’t know how I could ever repay you!”

“Hush now, child.” Nurse Mary’s smile showed she was pleased. “There is no need to thank us. Just praise His name each day and when the chance presents itself, give a helping hand to another Christian.”

Angelica moved in with Mrs. Merriweather that same day, working on whatever came to hand. Her sweetness of character shone through in her daily dealings with others, and Mrs. Merriweather found her company pleasurable.