Romance: Mail Order Bride "The Ideal Bride" Clean Christian Western Historical Romance (Western Mail Order Bride Short Shorties Series) (166 page)

Chapter 7

That was the beginning of something wonderful. We were finally accepting each other, and not only that, but accepting who we were and what we needed. I blossomed after that, not only as a wife but as a woman as well. Everything was perfect in my world.

I stayed quiet about the success of our relationship for a long time, but I was having a hard time keeping myself contained. I knew I had to tell someone, and Penny seemed like the perfect person. We were working in her garden, digging into the soft dirt and planting seeds into the cool, wet earth. I was about to explode with excitement and Penny noticed almost immediately.

She smiled and raised a brow in my direction. “Are you alright?”

“I’m so amazing!” I gasped, a wide grin on her face.

She blinked for a moment before letting out a soft chuckle. “Well, I guess that answers that question.”

“I kissed Adam! He told me he loved me.”

Her eyes widened but she grinned and threw her arms around me. “Congratulations! I’m so happy he came around. You deserve someone who cares about you.”

I blushed and pulled away, holding onto her arms and laughing breathlessly. “He took me out to this beautiful field of wild flowers and he told me everything. He told me why he didn’t want to get married and then he told me how much I changed his life!”

Penny smiled and took my hand. “That’s wonderful, darling,” she said, patting the back of my hand. “I’m so happy for you.”

“I hope he’ll marry me some day.”

“I’m sure he will. You just have to be patient with him. He’s lost a lot.” She hesitated a moment. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about his wife before, but it felt like an intrusion. He needed to tell you in his own time.”

There had been a brief moment when I was angry at the other women for not telling me about his wife, but the longer I thought on it, the more I realized it was for the best. Penny was exactly right. It was an intimate thing that Adam had to tell me himself. Hearing it from someone else in a different situation would have just put more strain on our already delicate relationship.

“I’m not mad. I understand why you didn’t say anything.”

Penny smiled and kissed my cheek for a moment before pressing a seed into the dirt.

“So I heard you were going on a trip with him.”

“Yeah. I don’t really like the idea of him going out there on his own,” I said softly.

Penny chuckled. “Don’t let him hear you say that. Men don’t like it when you don’t have faith in them.”

I gave her a look but smiled. “It’s not that I don’t have faith in him. I believe in him wholeheartedly. He’s such a strong man and I know he can do anything he puts his mind to. It’s just-” I stopped short.

“It’s just what?”

“Don’t you ever get scared out here?”

Penny sighed and leaned back, wiping her hands on her skirt. “I think everyone gets scared out here. It’s a terrifying place, but you can’t let that fear eat you alive,” she warned. “You have to be strong in a land like this. You have to be ready to stand up to your fears and fight for what you believe in.”

The words cut me deep. I knew she was right. Everything she said was so right. Especially for women. Our plight in this land was not an easy one. So many of us had been taught that ladies don’t play in the dirt and ladies don’t do men’s work. Here in the west, there was no such thing as men’s work. There was still women’s work, of course, but women were expected to care for children and till the land. This was a new world where a woman couldn’t be shy and without confidence. Living here had given me the confidence I needed to survive in Madison.

“I see,” I said, pondering Penny’s words. “All the more reason for me to go, then. I came here to start a new life, Penny. I came here to expand my horizons. In Virginia I was scared of my own shadow. I didn’t have any faith in myself and I would have turned tail and run at even the slightest threat of danger.” I frowned. “I don’t want to be that woman anymore.”

Penny smiled and put a hand on my shoulder. “You aren’t,” she promised. “You’re a strong, brave, and amazing woman. You stood your ground and you got your man.”

A grin spread across my features and I threw my arms around her. She laughed and hugged me back, patting my side gently. “Alright, alright,” she hummed. “It’s getting dark. You’d better head home. Good luck on your trip to the trading post!”

I turned and waved at her excitedly before I ran out her garden gate and started down the road that would lead me to my house. It wasn’t just a house; it was a symbol of my fortitude and of the risks I’d taken to get here. The risks that I was so proud of now. The wind blew through my hair and I breathed in deeply.

This was perfect. This was where I was meant to be and no one would ever make me doubt that.

Chapter 8

The days passed and soon it was time to head out on the trail. I was settled on the horse as Adam strapped the last of the gear to the horse and the wagon. The wagon was small but it was big enough to carry all of the food and camping gear we would need to make it through the trip.

I hadn’t been sure as to where we were going until the other day when Adam told me we were going to a local trading post. I was still unsure as to why we were going, so I decided to clear it up.

“Why are we traveling to the trading post? Doesn’t the market have everything we need?”

He hesitated and tugged at the straps, a knowing smile coming to his lips. “Not everything,” he said softly.
I got the feeling that he was talking circles around me but I didn’t bring it up. I trusted Adam with my life. I had to. We stopped in the market to pick up some last-minute perishables and then we were on our way.

Wisconsin was a beautiful state. It was green like Virginia but it stayed rather cool all year round and the air wasn’t as muggy. Adam told me about the Southwestern deserts and I was more than a little thankful I hadn’t ended up in a place like that. I liked plants and flowers and anything green. Adam told me I could expand my garden and add flowers. When I first moved he told me it was a waste of space but had since come around.

We moved through the plains and hills, riding until the sun began to set. Adam stopped the horse for the night and tied it to a nearby tree before pulling out the tent. It was simple but it would give us enough shelter from the elements for the night. After all, it was a clear, cloudless night.

I sat on a nearby log, watching him work, his muscles flexing and relaxing as he moved. He was the picture of perfection and watching him work brought a blush to my cheeks. We’d begun sleeping in the same bed, though I’d insisted that only sleep happen until we were married. He never pushed that decision and I was thankful for his understanding.

Once the tent was pitched he waved me over and I jumped up from the log, smiling. “Do you need any help?”

“Not at all. It’s time to go to sleep.  I want to be up by sunrise tomorrow so we can get their before it gets dark.”

“Will we head back as soon as you get what you need?”

He shook his head and pulled me close as we settled down on top of blankets. “No, no. There’s an inn and we’re going to stay there for the night. I thought it might be romantic.”

I blushed a little and buried my face in his chest. “Really?”

“Yes Really. Now go to sleep, darling.”

I smiled and closed my eyes, doing just as he said. I was completely oblivious to the danger we were in.

Chapter 9

A shooting pain in my scalp jolted me awake and as my eyes flew open, I found myself screaming at the top of my lungs, squirming against whoever had their hand wrapped in my hair. I was being dragged out of the tent by my curls, the rough ground digging through my slip and leaving me with huge red welts.

I struggled against the hand, reaching up and digging my nails into the soft flesh, but it didn’t seem to do much. The person dragging me had a hold on me and they weren’t letting go. Finally, a voice spoke up and I realized the person who had me was a man.

“I got her, Ricky!” he sang, his voice low and a little slow sounding.

“Don’t use our names, BORIS!” another voice snapped.

“Why can’t we use our names?”

“If they get away they’ll know who we are!”

“They won’t get away. No worries, Ricky.”

“That’s what you said about the last ones and look what happened.”

Boris dragged me over to the tree line and fastened me to one of the trees. As he began to tie me up I got a glimpse of the man as he worked to tie me to the tree. He was large and brutish, though his middle was soft. He had a receding hair line and cloudy eyes that made it evident not all the lights were on upstairs.

“What are you doing?!” Adam barked, struggling against his own restraints.

For the first time since I was awakened, I realized that Adam was beside me, already tied to the tree next to mine. I looked at him, his words turning to echoes in my mind. Everything seemed so blurry and so surreal, I could hardly keep up.

The one named Ricky turned to look at us, scratching at his temple. “What do you think we’re here for?” he grunted. “We’re here to rob you.”

Adam was struggling with his restraints behind the tree, but doing his best to not show it. “Then take what you want and leave! There’s gold in the wagon!” he yelled, though I knew he was lying.

All of the gold was strapped to the underside of the wagon in a small, hidden box. Ricky smirked and came to stand in front of us, swinging the pistol around his finger. “That so?” He looked over his shoulder. “Boris! Empty the wagon!”

My heart began to race at the order. I knew they weren’t going to find anything, and I was terrified as to what they would do when they came up empty handed. Ricky stared me down, never once looking at Adam, which was a huge mistake. The look in Ricky’s eyes was easy to understand and it made me shudder in fear. He licked his lips and stepped forward, reaching down to touch my hair.

I screamed and snapped my teeth at him, desperately trying to sink my teeth into his arm as he reached for me. He just laughed and reared back, slapping me hard across the face. My eyes widened as blood began to pour down my nose and stain my dress.

Adam screamed, the sound coming from him sounding like an animal who’d been cornered. “DON’T TOUCH HER! I’LL KILL YOU!”

Ricky laughed and turned to face him. “Tied up to that tree? You can’t do a thing. You keep screaming like that and I’ll put a bullet in your head,” he said, waving the gun at Adam.

After a moment he turned back to me and I pressed my back against the trunk of the tree as hard as I could, tears streaming down my face. I was absolutely terrified. He chuckled and touched my cheek.

“I think I could figure out a use for you.” He murmured, reaching around the tree to untie me.

My eyes widened when I realized he was planning on untying me and taking me to the woods. My heartbeat pounded in my chest so hard I couldn’t hear anything else until Boris let out a scream. I don’t know why he screamed, but the sound was loud enough and jarring enough to get Ricky’s attention.

Just as he’d loosened the rope around my wrists, the scream ran out and he turned on the balls of his feet, gun raised and ready to fire. I managed to wriggle out of my restraints, and without thinking, I launched myself at Ricky.

He screamed and tried to shake me off, but my nails were dug into his shoulders and I made it clear to him I wasn’t going anywhere any time soon. He waved the gun around, flailing wildly in the air. As we struggled, Adam managed to get free and tackled us both to the ground. I rolled across the hard, dirt floor, scraping my knees and elbows but it didn’t matter.

When I finally lifted my head, I saw that Adam was on top of Ricky and now had the pistol trained on the other man. His hands shook and his eyes were narrowed with rage. I opened my mouth to beg him not to do it, but Adam lowered the gun of his own accord. I watched him closely and I knew exactly what was going through his head. He knew that if he pulled that trigger, he’d be just as bad as them.

I looked away as Adam raised the gun and brought it down, knocking Ricky out cold. Once Ricky was tied up he went to check on Boris before running over to me, cupping my cheeks.

“Darling. Elizabeth! Are you okay?” he asked, his eyes wide.

I was staring at Boris’s still figure, my eyes wide with fear. “What about him?” I’d noticed Adam hadn’t tied him up.

“He’s dead. He’s not breathing,” he said quickly. “What about you? Are you okay?”

I turned to look at him, my eyes wide and wet. “Yes, I’m okay.”

I was alive. I’d survived the attack, and not only that, but I’d even managed to fend off my attackers and help take them down. Adam pulled me so close and held me so tight that it became difficult to breathe, but I didn’t pull away. I let him hold me, enjoying the feeling of safety his embrace brought.

He pulled away and cupped my cheeks. “We have to go. We have to go now. We need to find the authorities.”

I nodded quickly. “Right. Right.”

We both stood and I rolled up the tent haphazardly as Adam dragged the two bodies into the wagon. We had to leave some things behind, but Adam thought ahead and buried them in a bag so that we could retrieve them on the way home.

Once everything was packed up, we rode all night and well into the day, though we didn’t stop until we reached the trading post. When we delivered the two men to the sheriff, the man seemed rather impressed.

Apparently the two men that we had in the back of our wagon had escaped from the local jail and were wanted for robbery and murder. We also learned that Boris had been bitten by a snake that had somehow managed to get into our wagon and the poison had killed him almost instantly. When we heard the news, neither of us said anything but we looked at each other, thinking the same thing.

God had been watching over us that day.