Westward Promises (Orphan Train Romance Series, Book 6)
Author: Matthews, Zoe
Date: 2015-05-22

Westward Promises

Orphan Train Romance Series, Book 6

Written by Zoe Matthews

Copyright © 2015

All rights reserved

No part of this publication may be copied or reproduced in any format, by any means, electronic or otherwise, without prior consent from the copyright owner and publisher of this book.

This is a work of fiction.    All characters, names, places and events are the product of the author's imagination and used fictitiously.

Please go to my website, zoematthews.com, to sign up for a free ebook about The Sorcerers of Xoralia and to receive information
about my other books periodically.

This is the sixth book of the Orphan Train Romance Series. Please go to www.zoematthewsromances.com for information about the rest of the series.  You can also sign up for a FREE eBOOK for her new series, Mail-Order Brides of America, and stay updated about all of Zoe Matthew’s other books!

Chapter 1

Hannah sat on the train, watching the scenery speed by her.  They had just left a small station, the last stop the train would make before she needed to get off to start her new life with another man she had never met.  She looked at the far-off mountains and watched as they slowly started to get closer.  As the train moved, she thought of her life of 21 years and started to reminisce about all that had happened to her up to this point.

She never had a real family.  She had been abandoned as a baby by her mother who took her to a nearby orphanage located in New York City.  There she spent her first nine years.  Hannah hadn’t minded living at the orphanage, although it was the only environment she had ever known up to that point.  She had become used to sharing everything with other children and she had accumulated few possessions.

She distinctly remembered the morning when Mrs. Young, the director of the orphanage, had called her into her office.  Mrs. Young informed her that Hannah would be leaving the orphanage the next day with a group of 18 other children.  They would be traveling on a train to Texas where they would be given an opportunity to be placed in a home and have a normal life.  Mrs. Young had not given her a choice whether she go or stay, but Hannah had been excited because she was going to get to ride on a train, something she had never done before.  That excitement only lasted a few days, however.  At first, she had enjoyed looking out of the train window, looking at many new sights and places, but eventually the monotonous days on the train had made it so she had been very glad when she had arrived in Maple Grove, Texas.

The group of children traveled with an older couple named Mr. and Mrs. Carver.  This couple did their best to care for all the children during the long trip.  They made sure the children had at least two meals a day, usually of bread and butter, although sometimes Mr. Carver had been able to purchase fruit and vegetables from local farmers when the train stopped every so often.  One time, they even ate some cheese.  Mr. and Mrs. Carver had their hands full with the younger children and, therefore, Hannah had been essentially ignored.  Hannah had been a quiet child and did her best not to bring attention to herself.  None of her friends from the orphanage had come with her and she had never been able to make friends easily anyway, so she just kept to herself.

The day before they had arrived at Maple Grove, Mrs. Carver had sat next to Hannah to talk to her.  She wanted to make sure Hannah understood what was happening the next day.  She told Hannah that she would be given the opportunity to go and live with one of the local families, and if she were lucky enough, she would be treated like a member of the family.   Mrs. Carver did emphasize that Hannah did not have to go with someone she didn’t feel comfortable with.  If this happened, she was to let herself or Mr. Carver know immediately.

Hannah remembered how she met Dr. Wilson, the man who invited her into his home and cared for her throughout the rest of her childhood.  Hannah had been sitting on a stage in a huge room along with all the other children who had traveled with her on the train to the Texas town.  Mr. Carver stood in front of a large group of people and gave a speech.  He explained to the large crowd that had gathered in the room how things were to proceed in the placement of all the children, but Hannah didn’t remember what he had said.   She only remembered how she kept her eyes down in her lap, only briefly raising her head every so often to look at all the people that were in the stuffy room.  Then she felt as if everyone was looking directly at her, so she lowered her head again.

Names were called and people started to come up onto the stage in order to choose a child.  Hannah was sitting on the far end of the stage and so she could easily watch the proceedings.  Some people chose a child very quickly, while others walked up to each child and talked to them.

Hannah still remembered what happened next as if it had happened yesterday.  Suddenly, she felt someone grabbing her arm and yanked her to her feet.

“Stand up, girl,” an old man ordered.  The first thing she noticed about him was that he smelled bad.  His teeth were yellow and some were missing.   He had ratty hair that needed a cut.   His clothes were dirty and unkempt.

“My misses is sickly and in her bed.  I need someone to come and clean my house and do dishes.  I think you’ll do.  Come with me,” the man had ordered again and started to drag her off the stage.

For the first few steps, Hannah had followed him out of fear, but then something clicked inside of her, and she immediately began to fight.  “I don’t want to go with you!” she yelled and tried to pull away from him.

“You ain’t got a choice, girl,” the man had growled as he grasped her arm even harder.  Suddenly, another man stood in front of them.

“Let her go, Harvey,” he said to the old man.  “You can’t take her.  You weren’t approved to take any of the children.”

“I have rights just as everyone else in this room!” Harvey yelled at the man.  “I need someone to clean my house.”  The old man looked at Hannah, sneering down at her.  “She’s so scrawny no one will want her anyway.  I’m just doing her a favor.”

“Let her go, or I’ll call the sheriff over here.”  The man refused to let Harvey intimidate him and after a few agonizing seconds, Harvey released her and stomped away, yelling obscenities as he left the building.

Hannah had stood in the spot where Harvey had let her go, frozen in fear.  She started to shiver uncontrollably.   What if that old man hadn’t been stopped?   Would she have had to go with him?   What if he came back?

The man who rescued her stooped down to look in her eyes.  “It’s okay.   No one is going to make you go with Harvey.”  Hannah’s shivering slowly stopped as she looked at him.   She immediately noticed that he had kind eyes.

“My name is Dr. Wilson,” the man introduced himself.  “I wasn’t planning on taking a child, but I want to offer you a home.  You’ll be able to go to school, church, and make friends.  I live alone, but my daughter lives nearby.  She is a nurse and helps me in my practice.   She is at my house quite a bit, so you will be around another woman.  Do you want to come live with me?”

At first as the man talked, Hannah hadn’t heard any of his words, but slowly what he was saying started to penetrate into her brain.  This man, the man who rescued her from having to live with that awful man, was offering her a home.  He was a doctor.  He had a daughter who was a nurse.  Slowly, Hannah nodded her head.  Dr. Wilson stood up with a smile and offered her his hand.  Hannah slowly placed her small one in his in acceptance.

Over the next ten years, she had lived with Dr. Wilson.  Overall, she had enjoyed her life in Maple Grove.  Dr. Wilson had kept his promise and cared for her well.  All of her needs were met.  She went to school which she loved and made a few friends.  Dr. Wilson never really became like a father to her but he was always kind.  His daughter, Nancy, helped care for Hannah until she married a man who was also a doctor and moved away from Maple Grove when Hannah was 16 years old.  At that time, Dr. Wilson offered to teach Hannah how to be a nurse, but that idea didn’t work out.  Hannah had always been squeamish around sickness and blood, and after almost fainting a few times at the sight of blood, Dr. Wilson gave up on that plan.

Then when Hannah was 19, Dr. Wilson suddenly passed away.  Hannah remembered the day very vividly.   She had been doing the dinner dishes when she heard a loud cry, then a thud in the next room.  She ran to see what happened and found Dr. Wilson on the floor clutching his chest in pain.  He was breathing very quickly and heavily.   While Hannah sat on the floor next to Dr. Wilson, trying to help him, he grasped her hand and squeezed it as if in farewell.  Then he suddenly closed his eyes and stopped breathing.

The next few days were some of the worst Hannah had ever gone through.  Nancy and her husband came home for the funeral.  The evening after Dr. Wilson had been buried, Nancy informed Hannah that she would need to find other living accommodations.  Dr. Wilson had given his practice and his home to Nancy and her husband in his will and they were going to move the family into Dr. Wilson’s house.  She gave Hannah a small amount of money to tide her over, but told her there wouldn’t be room in the small house for her.  She would need to leave within a month.

Hannah had known that Dr. Wilson was giving his practice to Nancy and her husband after his death, but it wasn’t something she had been concerned about.  Dr. Wilson had assured her that Nancy had agreed that Hannah could stay in the home as long as she wished.  However, after Dr. Wilson’s death, it was evident that Nancy was not going to honor her father’s final wish.  When Hannah asked Nancy why she wasn’t allowing her stay, Nancy explained that her husband did not want Hannah around since she really wasn’t part of the family anyway.  This answer had not surprised Hannah since she had known Nancy’s husband had resented Hannah being around since she was an orphan.

Hannah hadn’t been sure what she was going to do.  She tried looking for a job in Maple Grove, but wasn’t able to find one.  Then she remembered how Anna, one of the orphans that had traveled with her on the train, had become a mail-order bride to a man who lived on a ranch in Montana.   After searching the newspapers that were stacked on a table in the general store, she had answered an ad of her own.  That was how she met Jack, her first husband.  She had made the mistake of believing the lies Jack had written in his ad and then in his first letter, but she felt she had no choice but to accept Jack’s offer of marriage.   She knew Nancy and her husband wanted her out of the house as soon as possible.

So Hannah had traveled on a train to a small town in Ohio.  She remembered Jack had been waiting for her as she stepped off the train.   When she first looked in his eyes, she felt the familiar fear she had felt when Harvey had grabbed her arm as a child, insisting that she go with him. Jack had talked to her pleasantly enough, and had treated her to a nice meal at the hotel, so Hannah had dismissed her qualms as nerves.  After the meal, Jack had taken her to the preacher to be married.   It was after the marriage had taken place and after they had arrived at his home that his true character had shown up.  It was as if he became a different person.   He immediately insisted she clean up the rundown farmhouse and cook him a meal.   He also started drinking.   Later that night he had performed his rights as her husband. It had been an awful experience.

The next year and a half had been hell for Hannah.  But now her life with Jack was over.   It ended when Jack had been killed during a brawl at the local saloon.

****

The train conductor walked slowly through the passenger car, his blue uniform showing that he was in charge.   He kept himself in balance with the rocking of the train with ease, touching the backs of the seats, showing he was used to the bumpy ride of the train.   He smiled at each passenger as he passed until he stopped at Hannah’s side in the aisle.   She noticed tuffs of gray hair poking out under his cap which added to his charm as he smiled down at her.

“The next stop is Pine Valley,” the conductor informed her.  “Do you require help with your belongings?”

Hannah automatically shook her head.  “No thank you.  I just have this bag.  I’ll be fine.”  She indicated the small carpetbag that she had kept tucked next to her side throughout the entire weeklong trip from Ohio.

The conductor tipped his hat and moved on to offer his services to some older ladies.  Hannah sighed with relief.   She hoped she didn’t seem rude, but she was used to doing things for herself, especially since her wedding to Jack, and even more since his death.  Her marriage to Jack had taught her to never expect help from men.

The train started to slow and she turned to look out the grimy window.  She could see the great Montana mountains close by and the forested hills.  She had almost arrived to what was to be her new home, Pine Valley, Montana.  She instantly felt an intense fear beat in her chest and she did her best to push it away.  It would not be good to show her fear, something else Jack had taught her early on in their marriage.

The train whistle blew long and hard and Hannah could hear the squealing of the brakes.  It was late afternoon and she leaned forward again to catch her first glimpse of her new home.  She saw a few log homes, with wooden fences surrounding them.  As the train pulled into the station, she noticed what looked like a general store, a few other weathered buildings, and a small church with a steeple at the end of the street.  Pine Valley was a little larger than Cedarbrooke, Ohio, the town she had left a week earlier and had lived in for the last two years.

I hope I haven’t made a mistake, she thought as she put her hand in her dress pocket to make sure the letter was still there.  The letter contained a written marriage proposal from Chase Atkins.   After Jack’s death, she had placed an advertisement in an Ohio newspaper for a husband.   Chase had been the only one that had answered it.  They had exchanged a few letters, and then he offered her marriage and sent a train ticket, so she could come to this small Montana town.   She had boarded the train the day after his letter had arrived.   She was a widow with nowhere else to go and no family.   She didn’t have a choice.  The small farm where she had lived with Jack had been repossessed by the bank a few days after his funeral, although the banker had allowed her a month to find another place to live.  She had very little money and there were no jobs to be had in the Ohio town, at least jobs that were available for decent women.

As the train slowed to a stop, she grabbed the seat in front of her to steady herself.   She tried not to wonder what Chase would be like as she had worried and fretted all the way from Ohio.  What kind of man would be willing to propose to a woman he had never met?  She figured he must have been desperate.  He needed a woman to cook and clean for him.   Why else would a man go to such lengths as Chase had to answer an ad of a pregnant widow?

She stood and gathered her bag and then forced her feet to walk towards the passenger door.  The conductor had opened it and was standing on the ground to help the passengers step down to the boardwalk.

“Good luck with your new life, miss,” he told her as he guided her safely to the ground.  The way he said those words made Hannah wonder if he knew she was a mail-order bride.  She turned to look in his eyes and thank him, but he had already moved on to help the next passenger.  She shrugged and moved out of the way so others could leave the train.

Hannah looked around the train platform, but could not see a man who might be waiting for her, so she quickly walked towards the train station with the plan to stand against its walls for protection from the icy wind.   As she waited, she again tried to stuff the fear she felt away.  What if he was cruel?   What if he was lazy?   All she could think about were the terrible things Chase could be like and she knew she would have her questions answered shortly.

It started to snow lightly as she stood next to the building.  A man bumped into her as he hurried by, not offering an apology or even acknowledging her presence.  She almost dropped her bag when he bumped into her.   She leaned further against the building and clutched her bag with both hands.  Where was Chase?  Every time a man walked by, she searched his face wondering if he was who she was waiting for, but they each walked by and did not pay her any attention.  She watched as one man greeted a woman and her child as they got off the train.  Another time a short bald-headed man walked straight towards her.  She held her breath as the fear she had been trying to ignore came up in full force.  His dark eyes were not kind and one of his hands was balled into a fist as if he always kept it that way.  She breathed a sigh of relief as he walked right by her and entered the building.

“Hannah?” a smooth deep voice spoke in front of her and she looked up, way up.  This must be Chase since he was the only one who knew her name.  As she heard his voice and looked into his eyes, she tried not to feel hope that maybe her luck had changed.  One thing she had learned early in her life was that a person’s eyes were like a window to their soul.  She could always guess correctly whether a person was kind or not by looking directly at their eyes.  Eyes never lied.  He was looking down at her kindly with a small half smile on his face.

“Mr. Atkins?” Hannah tried to keep her voice steady.  It wouldn’t be good to show any type of weakness at this first meeting.  She instantly noticed that he was a large burly man, someone who used his muscles daily, which made sense since he ran his own blacksmith and livery business in Pine Valley.  She knew that if she wanted to change her mind about marrying him, it would have to be now.

“Let me take your bag,” Chase offered as he reached out to take the bulky bag in his large hand.  There was kindness in his voice and Hannah started to feel encouraged.   Chase had a cowboy hat tucked beneath his arm.  Hannah could see his jet-black hair was flat against his head as if he usually kept his hat on most of the time.  His blue-gray eyes sparked with amusement.

Chase was very handsome and Hannah was completely surprised.  She had been prepared for anything and knew that none of it would probably be good.  She had learned to expect the worst in her life since that was the way most things worked out.  Why would a good-looking man like Chase have to settle for a mail-order bride?  Was there something wrong with him that she couldn’t see?

He smelled pleasantly of hay, soap, and horse, all man.  His eyes twinkled as he looked at her and she saw green specks in his blue eyes.  "We'd better get your trunks before the train leaves.”

Hannah looked down and smoothed a hand over her patched dress and wool coat.  “I don’t have any trunks.  Just that bag.”

“That’s fine,” Chase’s face continued to look down at her, but now it was with compassion on his face.  Did he feel sorry for her that she had so few belongings?   On the other hand, maybe he was trying to hide disappointment of her poverty and looks.

You are worth nothing, Hannah, a voice whispered from her past.  She always tried to ignore her late husband’s voice.   She lifted her chin and looked straight in Chase’s eyes.  “I was honest in my letters.  I have nothing to bring to this marriage.”

“You are bringing yourself.”

Hannah felt the burning of tears in her eyes at his kind words and looked away to hide them.  Did he really mean what he said?  She heard a whistle and watched as the train slowly left the station.  There were very few people on the platform now as the families that were reunited had gone home.  She saw one woman wipe a tear away as she watched the train leave, obviously with someone she loved inside.  The snow started to come down harder, the wind blowing it around on the ground.

“A storm is coming.   We had better head over to the church before it gets worse.” Chase settled his cowboy hat firmly on his head and then held out his hand.  Hannah knew that if she took his offered hand, she was letting him know she was agreeing to marry him.  Part of her wanted to turn away.  What if this turned out to be a mistake, just like she had made when she agreed to marry Jack?  But if she didn’t marry Chase, where would she go?  No one would be willing to hire a pregnant woman.  She would not be able to provide for the baby once it was born.

She knew that she really didn’t have a choice.  She carefully placed her hand into his and he gently squeezed it in reassurance.  She was amazed how much larger his hand was compared to her own.  His fingers engulfed her hand, but she felt the gentleness in his squeeze.

“The reverend is waiting.  We should head over there.”  He led her down the street.  He towered over her as he protected her from the ice wind.

Chase stopped next to a covered buggy.  Hannah heard the black colored horse blow out his breath.  Chase helped her into the buggy and then untied the horse from the hitching post.  He grasped the reins and climbed in beside her.  “I just want to make sure you haven’t changed your mind.”

“No, I haven’t,” Hannah responded with a small smile.  “I guess I should ask you the same question.”

Twilight was approaching and he looked like a shadow to her in the coming darkness with white flakes of snow on his coat.

“Nope.”  It was a single word, but there was a smile in his voice that calmed her nerves.

Chase made a clicking noise and the horse started walking down the street.  She knew when they arrived at the church, he would be able to get a good look at her, and she hoped he wouldn’t change his mind.

“Tell me about your town,” Hannah invited after a few moments of silence.

“Pine Valley is a small town but the people who live here are about the friendliest people I have ever met.”  Chase held the reins lightly in his large hands.  “I hope you aren’t too disappointed in its size.”

“No, I’m not.  I like small towns.  It’s actually larger than the one I came from.”

“What was this other town like?” he asked with interest.

“I lived on a small farm with my husband which was located just outside of Cedarbrooke, Ohio.  There was a general store, a tavern and train stop, along with a few homes.   There wasn’t even a church.”

Talking about Jack brought her past unhappiness to the surface and she tried to push those bad memories away.  She knew she needed to find the strength to endure marriage again.  She would do her best to be positive.  “Is your house far from town?”

“It's just on the edge.  I only own about ten acres.  I never wanted to farm or ranch, but I like the solitude.  I built the cabin myself.”

“I am excited to see it.”  She sighed and tried to look in the distance, but all she saw was the coming darkness and snow flurries.  “I enjoyed the views of the mountains from the train.  This is beautiful country.”

“Montana is heaven on earth, in my opinion.”  Chase pulled the reins to stop the horse.  “Here is the church.”

Hannah saw the steeple faintly in the snow.  The door to the church flew open and a man in a dark coat waved his hand.

“Come out of the storm and warm yourselves, Chase,” the man yelled out.

“Sure thing, Reverend,” Chase called back as he jumped onto the ground.  “Let me cover my horse real quick.”

Hannah felt her stomach quiver.  She knew part of the reason was because she was hungry.  Her last meal had been that morning and it was only a hard piece of bread and a shriveled apple.  She had been dealing with nausea every morning because of the pregnancy and sometimes she had it in the evenings.  She wished she had something to eat to make the nausea go away.  To keep her mind off her stomach, she started to jump from the buggy.

“What are you doing?”  Chase left the horse’s side.  Hannah’s heart had jumped at his words, afraid she had angered him in some way, but it calmed at his smile.   “You should wait for me to help you down.”

“Oh.” Hannah couldn’t think of a thing to say.  He wanted to help her?   She couldn’t remember a time when someone had ever helped her from a wagon or buggy.  Even Dr. Wilson had expected her to get down on her own.  Chase took her hand as she stepped onto the running board and landed on the ground.  She ended up standing very close to him and he towered over her.  She stepped back quickly and tried to thank Chase, but the words stuck in her throat.

“Be careful, it’s icy.”  He kept her hand in his own and led her down a snow-covered path and into the small church.  As they stepped into the well-lit building, she tried not to gasp when she looked at him.  He was even more handsome than she had been able to see at the train station.  His wide smile and broad shoulders made her heart jump and she did her best to ignore it.

Why would Chase need a mail-order bride?  The unspoken question cut into the confidence in herself.  Now he could see her clearly.  What if he regretted his decision?   Was he trying to hide his disappointment?

“I’ll be right back,” Chase promised her after he led her to a nearby bench.  “I need to take care of the horse.”

“I’ll be fine,” she assured him and watched him leave.  It impressed her that he cared for his horse so well.  Jack could have cared less about the animals that he owned and had barely taken care of them.

The reverend approached her after Chase left. “Chase tells me you’re a widow, but you aren’t wearing black.  Does this mean the mourning period is over?”  The reverend’s words appeared to be genuine and not accusing as he was smiling at her with sympathy.

“My husband died two months ago.” Hannah looked down at the floor as she felt his intense scrutiny.  She would not allow him to make her feel guilty for wanting, for needing to move on with her life.  She wouldn’t admit she didn’t own a black dress and she couldn’t afford to purchase fabric to make one.   However, she admitted to herself deep inside, she hadn’t wanted to wear black.  She was not sad that Jack’s life ended so quickly and didn’t miss him.

“I’m sorry for your loss.”

Hannah heard the compassion in the reverend’s voice and glanced up.   She was amazed that where others might have judged her, he showed understanding.  Then she saw the reverend glance at her waistline.

She flushed and tightened her arms around herself as if protecting what she was carrying.  She didn’t feel like she could speak of her pregnancy to someone she didn’t know, even if he was a reverend, although she knew she wouldn’t be able to hide her condition forever.

The door swung open and Chase came in along with a heavyset woman and a young woman who looked to be close to her age.  Chase quickly slammed the door shut to keep out the icy wind.

“This is the reverend’s wife, Mrs. Doris Brown, and their daughter, Helen.” Chase introduced the new arrivals.  “They are going to witness our marriage.  “

Helen smiled at Hannah. “Welcome to Pine Valley.  I hope you will be happy here.”

Mrs. Brown was a large woman who smiled widely at Hannah and threw an arm around her shoulders.  “That storm is getting worse.   We'd better speed things up so you can be on your way.”  She walked as quickly as her body allowed to the front of the chapel and scooted onto an organ bench.  She immediately started to play vigorously “Amazing Grace," a hymn that normally was meant to be played quite a bit slower.  Helen took her place close to her father with a smile.

Chase came up, stood beside her, and took her hands in his own.  “Are you ready to get married?”

Hannah nodded her head in agreement.  They both faced the reverend.

Mrs. Brown kept playing as if she wasn’t aware the short ceremony was ready to start.   Finally, the reverend cleared his throat, and the organ music stopped abruptly.  Hannah heard a slight giggle.   She turned towards the sound and saw that Helen was trying not to laugh.  She smiled at Hannah with a twinkle in her eyes.   Hannah smiled back.

Chapter 2

“You may now kiss the bride,” Reverend Brown announced in a booming voice.    A gust of wind from outside shook the windows and Chase could almost feel the cold air on his face.  The reverend had not started a fire in the wood stove and the chapel was quite chilly.

Chase hadn’t pictured the marriage ceremony to be like this, but the train had been late, and he had promised Hannah in his last letter to her that he would marry her as soon as she arrived.  He had hoped to allow her to clean up and give her a meal when she arrived, but because of the late hour and the coming storm, the marriage needed to happen quickly.

He still held Hannah’s hands in his own and he could feel that she was shaking.   He wasn’t sure if she was trembling because of the cold chapel or because she was nervous.   He concluded that it probably was a combination of both.   He looked down at her, noticing her cinnamon-colored hair that curled about her face.  She had high cheekbones and a dainty nose.  He had not expected a woman who was so beautiful, or, he had to admit, one so young.  She couldn’t have been any older than twenty.  For some reason, age wasn’t something he had asked about in his letters to her.

At the reverend’s ending words of the wedding ceremony, he wondered if she would allow a kiss.  He bent down and quickly placed a soft kiss on her forehead.  He heard her sigh as if in relief and he frowned slightly as he recognized the look in her eyes.  He had seen that look many times as he worked with horses and other animals that had been subject to man’s whims and thoughtlessness as he did his work as a blacksmith.

He wanted to say something to her, to help her relax around him, but he couldn’t think of the right words.  He hoped he would be able to show her that she had no need to fear him through his actions.  Maybe in time she would understand that some men keep their promises.

Chase kept her hand in his as he turned towards Reverend Brown.  “Thank you for performing our ceremony.”  He reached out and shook the reverend’s hand.  He nodded at Mrs. Brown and Helen in a show of respect.  “We should all head home before the worst of that snow storm hits us.”

Goodbyes were said as the reverend quickly put out the lamps and the small group stepped into the wind.  The reverend and his family headed in the direction of their house and Chase led Hannah to their buggy and quickly helped her inside.  He uncovered his horse and soon they were heading towards his home.

“We should be home in about ten minutes and then you can get warm,” Chase had to shout above the wind to be heard.  “I can give you my coat if you need it.”

Hannah shook her head. “No thank you.  I’m used to the cold.”

“Here.  At least put these on.”  He tossed her a pair of mittens.  She held them as if she wasn’t sure what she should do, but then slid them over her hands.  Chase inwardly sighed with relief.  He knew that she was colder than she admitted.

****

Hannah felt uncomfortable when she had just sat in the buggy while Chase uncovered his horse and folded the blanket.   She was used to helping when a man worked, helping her husband work.   When Chase had sat down next to her and asked about her comfort, she had tried to keep the panic from rising through her chest.

When she put the mittens he had given her on, she felt the smooth gold band he had slid onto her finger.  It felt cold against her skin.  Jack had not provided a ring when she married him.  His excuse had been that he didn’t have the money, but he always seemed to have enough coins to keep himself supplied in whiskey.

The marriage to Jack and this new marriage to Chase started out remarkably similar.  She remembered how Jack had been on his best behavior until they had arrived at his farm.  She wondered if the same thing would happen when she was alone with Chase in his home that he had built.

The two years she had been married to Jack had gone by slowly and she had been very unhappy.  The only time she had felt contentment was when he would take off with his buddies.  Sometimes he would be gone for days at a time.  Hannah had learned to enjoy the time by herself even though she had to do all the farm chores.

She glanced at her new husband and promised herself she would handle this marriage differently.  At least she knew that fairytales weren’t real.   She no longer believed in the fiction part of romantic love.

Chase seemed kind and pleasant.  So far, he treated her well, and he definitely treated his horse with care.  She shook her head slightly.  She had to be realistic.  She had to prepare herself for silent evenings with her husband’s anger and displeasure, along with long days of hard physical work.

Night had fallen, making the nearby trees that lined the dirt road look almost frightening in the strong wind and snow.  She heard a wolf howl in the distance, reminding her she was now in mountain country.  Every mile they passed reminded her how quickly her life had changed.  The wind was starting to blow even harder, making conversation impossible.

They finally arrived on Chase’s land and he guided the horse right up to the barn.  Chase jumped down and reached for Hannah.  “I will help you into the house and then I need to take care of Apache and the chores.”

Hannah shook her head. “Let me help.”

Chase seemed to hesitate and then nodded his head in agreement.  He opened the barn door and gestured that she should go inside.  He turned to quickly unhitch the horse.

“Apache seems glad to be home for the night,” Chase commented as he led the horse into his stall. “I’ve spoiled him.”

“Really?  How can you spoil a horse?” Hannah asked with curiosity.

“Apache isn’t used to standing in the snow,” Chase explained with a grin.  “He’s also always in the barn before dark.  This is the latest he has ever been out since last summer.”

Hannah heard humor in his voice but tried not to smile.  “Have you owned him for a long time?”

“I don’t own him.  He has been in my life since the day he was born.  I raised him from a colt.  He is like a brother to me.”

“What do you mean, a brother?”

“Well, a horse brother.” Chase chuckled and the sound tried to reach her heart, but she again ignored it.

“When you meet someone, sometimes you just know.”  Chase continued the conversation as he handed her a horse brush and then started to scoop feed into Apache's trough.  “Has that ever happened to you?”

Hannah started to brush Apache, hoping she would be able to show him she knew how to care for a horse.   She thought of her years with Dr. Wilson.  The doctor had been kind to her and had treated her well, but she had not been close to him.  “No.  I really haven’t been close to anyone or to any animal.”

“What about your family?”

Hannah really didn’t want to have this conversation, but she might as well tell him her history.

“I don’t have a family.  I was abandoned by my mother as a baby and was raised in an orphanage.  When I was nine, I traveled to Texas on an orphan train and was taken in by a doctor and his unmarried daughter.”

Hannah paused as she kept brushing Apache.   Would he really care about her past?   Did he really want to hear about it?   Jack had never asked.

“Are they still in Texas then?” Chase asked as he spread some hay on the ground of the stall.

“Dr. Wilson died two years ago.  Nancy and her family are still there, but I have not had any contact with them since the doctor died.”

“I’m sorry.”  Chase seemed not to know what to say.

“I lost my mother a few years ago,” Chase commented as he leaned on the pitchfork and looked at her.

“Dr. Wilson was not like a father,” she stated the fact in a flat voice.  She had no idea what it would be like to lose someone close to her, but she knew it wouldn’t be like what she felt when Dr. Wilson had died and definitely not the relief she felt when Jack passed on.  She didn’t know how to explain about her life with Dr. Wilson.  Her physical needs were provided for, but she never received caring or love.

Hannah laid a hand on her stomach.  She promised herself that she would never allow her child to feel unwanted like she had felt her entire life.

She handed the brush to Chase.  “I can milk the cow.”  He nodded his agreement and she quickly performed the chore.  After the chores were done, Chase carried the bucket of milk and grasped Hannah’s elbow as he led her to his cabin a short distance away.  He opened the door and soon they were both inside the small home.  He stomped his feet to remove the snow from his boots and Hannah did the same.

Hannah looked around and was pleasantly surprised.  They were in a large kitchen.  She saw a strong wood table with four chairs surrounding it.   There was a wood stove and Chase immediately started to feed cut logs into it.  She could see a well-stocked pantry and a sink with a water pump nearby. The wood floor had been sanded smooth and there were a few braided rugs on the floor, one in front of the sink, and one near the wood stove.  There was a door that opened up to a room that Hannah guessed was a living room since she could see a sofa through the doorway.

“It’s not much,” Chase sounded apologetic as he brushed his hands together after he shut the door to the stove.  “I have an account at the general store and Mrs. Clements knows you have my permission to purchase anything you need, for the house and for yourself.  I remember how my ma and my sister were always stitching something to decorate their homes.”

Hannah looked at him with interest.  “You have a sister?”

“Yep, a sister and two brothers, along with four nephews."

“Do they live nearby?”

Chase stood and watched as his new bride looked carefully around the kitchen.  He was glad that she was curious enough about his family to ask questions. “Yep.”

“Are they older than you?”

“All of them are younger than me.  I am the oldest.”  He wondered if she had expected a younger man than himself and for the first time since she had arrived, he started to question his decision.  He had hoped she would instantly like him the moment he met her, that there would be some spark or recognition between them, that there would be a sign he had made the right decision.

He had made the decision to marry her impulsively and he didn’t want either of them to regret it.  He looked around his plain cabin and wished that he had taken his sister up on her offer to sew a few curtains and other frills for him.   He wished he had been able to build a bigger home for Hannah.

He decided to voice his thoughts.  “I know you will want to decorate the place to your liking.  My sister offered to help with that, but I figured you have your own way of doing things.  I want you to make this your home, too.”

“I think I’d like that,” Hannah admitted as she walked to the doorway that divided the kitchen and living room.  He watched her as she gazed at the comfortable flowered sofa he had ordered from a nearby city.  He hoped she would enjoy sitting on it while she sewed.  The rest of the furniture in both the kitchen and living area were things he and his pa had made years ago; the sturdy kitchen table and chairs, the rocking chair in the corner that his Ma had used with each of her children, and the window seat in the living room that opened up and held quite a few books.  Chase was an avid reader and liked to collect good books that he would read over and over again during the long cold winters.

“There are two other rooms which are the bedrooms,” Chase gestured towards his left.  “We have enough room to grow and we can add on if needed.”

Hannah blushed and looked down at her worn coat.  Noticing her embarrassment, he remembered the advice his sister had given him and those words moved him to approach her.  He needed to treat her well so she wouldn't regret marrying him.  “Why don’t you sit by the stove and warm up.” He held his hand out to her but waited for her to come to him.  “You have had a long journey and you need to rest.”

“Rest?   I can’t rest.  I need to make dinner.”  Hannah started to walk towards the pantry to see what food there was available as she took off her coat.

“You should warm up first.”  Chase took the coat from her to hang it on a peg near the front door.  He noticed many patches on her dress that had been sewn on carefully.  She had not exaggerated that she was in great need of a husband and home.

“I’m not the best cook,” Hannah felt the need to confess.  “Although we won’t starve.”

“I am sure whatever you can cook will be fine.  It will be nice to not have to eat my own cooking for a change.”  He bent down to add one more piece of wood to the stove.  “But you won’t need to worry about dinner tonight.   My sister brought over a meal.  It just needs to be warmed up.”

“That was nice of her,” Hannah commented.   Chase again encouraged her to sit at the table.  “You have a nice home.”

Chase grinned at her. “It’s yours now, too.  Why don’t you see what the rest of the house looks like?  You might as well start planning on any changes you might want to make.”

Hannah didn’t say anything.  Chase walked towards the door.  “I have a few more things to get done. I will be back soon. Make yourself at home.”

Chapter 3

Hannah watched Chase open the door and quickly leave the house, doing his best to keep the snow outside.  Chase’s house was much nicer than she had expected.  She walked towards the sofa and ran her hand along the fine upholstery.  It was a nice navy blue color with colorful yellow flowers.  She wouldn’t have any trouble finding shades to match.   She would be able to make pillows and curtains.  Chase had said he added her name to his account at the general store.  Jack had refused to let her shop on her own.  She was only able to purchase things they absolutely needed and even then he sometimes would refuse to pay for certain items.

Hannah was tempted to pinch herself to see if this was all a dream, a dream that could not be real.  She could feel the heat radiating from the stove and hear the cheerful crackle of the wood.  She saw a pair of Chase’s boots near the door, a reminder that this wasn’t a dream.  Since it was real, how long would it last?   What would happen after the dinner dishes were done and the fire in the stove banked?  Her mouth went dry.   She still had the wedding night to endure.  Her heart started to beat like a trapped bird in her chest.  She decided to not focus on what was to come and think of positive things.

Maybe tomorrow she could make a trip to the general store and select some fabric for curtains.  She would find something cheerful and bright, something that would give her hope for the future.

****

The dinner Chase’s sister had prepared was very good.  She had prepared fried chicken and mashed potatoes and green beans. However, the food seemed to sink in her stomach like rocks.

“It is good to have you here,” Chase commented as he shoveled the food into his mouth.

Hannah looked at him and only saw sincerity in his eyes.  “I thought of what it would be like many times on the train ride here.”  She spooned some potatoes into her mouth.

“I’m sure it is hard to wonder what you might be getting into.  To be honest, I was also nervous about meeting you.”

“You were nervous?” Hannah questioned as she looked him in the eyes for the first time since she arrived.

“Yes.  I had no idea what to expect.”

Relief showed on Hannah’s face as she started to relax in his presence.  “Why did you answer my ad?"

“I liked what you wrote in your ad.” Chase took a bite of chicken.  “There aren’t very many marriageable women around here.  Pine Valley is rugged and remote, even though the railroad has come to our town.  Every woman I know either married someone else or left the town to live in a bigger city.

“I have a hard time believing that no one wanted to marry you,” Hannah confessed and then found herself blushing as she realized she had voiced her thoughts out loud.

“I’m not the dashing type, in case you haven’t noticed.” Chase shrugged as he pushed away his empty plate.  “I own the blacksmith shop and it is successful.   I work hard and I’ll be able to provide for you.”

“I can tell you are doing well in your business.”

“One of my good friends, Alex Bridger, married his own mail-order bride.  He and his brothers own a large cattle ranch a few hours away from Pine Valley.  They all married mail-order brides.  I thought since they were so successful, then I should give it a shot.  And here you are.”

Hannah nodded.  “I actually know Anna, Serena and Katrina, their wives.  They lived in the same orphanage I did and we all traveled on a train to Texas where we all were placed in different homes.”

Chase looked surprised at her words.  “I guess it’s a small world, right?   Are you close to them?  I will have to take you out there sometime to visit.”

Hannah shook her head.  “They were all a few years older than me and very close to each other, like sisters.  I wasn’t close to them.  But I was aware of their success in finding good husbands.  I was really glad when I found out from your first letter that you were from Pine Valley.”

Chase sat back in his chair in contentment.  His days of being a bachelor were gone.  He now had a wife who looked more beautiful every time he looked at her.

“Did you write other men?”

“You were the only one who answered," she admitted.  "I suppose admitting I was a widow and pregnant hurt my chances, but I felt I needed to be honest.”

Chase tried not to feel disappointed at her words.  He had hoped there was a spark, a connection, something special that had helped her make the decision to come here from his letter.  She was admitting she was here by necessity only.  He did his best to hold back his emotions and focused on her.

“You must have been disappointed when I was the only one who answered.”

“Not disappointed. Grateful.  The bank had taken Jack’s farm.  I had no place to live.   No one would hire me.”

“It’s been two months since Jack died.  How did you get by until you came here?”  He jumped up and carried his empty plate to the sink.  He tried not to feel anger, but it wasn’t right that she had had no one to turn to.  No one to protect her.  He started to fill the basin with hot water from the stove’s reservoir.

“I was able to stay at the farm for a few weeks after Jack’s funeral.  Then the bank took the farm.  The banker told me I had 30 days to find another home.  After the 30 days went by, I pretended that I left, but I lived in the barn.   The bank locked up the house, but they didn’t do anything to the barn but take the animals.  I lived there until the morning I boarded the train to come here.”

Hannah hung her head as heat spread over her face, then she jumped up rapidly, scraping the chair on the floor.  “I want to thank you for helping me.  I am very grateful to you.”

Chase smiled slightly at her as he lifted the heavy basin onto the counter.  He didn’t know how to tell her he didn’t want her gratitude.   He glanced out the window that was over the sink.  It was now pitch dark.  He pictured her huddling in a corner of a rundown barn, with only her patched up coat for warmth.  He clutched his hands into fists at the image.

Hannah saw Chase’s action and moved quickly away from the counter.   She looked at him with fear in her eyes but she also tilted her chin up, almost in defiance.  Hannah’s action confirmed what he had suspected about her late husband and he felt sick inside as he quickly relaxed his hands and then started to shave soap into the hot steaming water.

When Hannah saw that he had relaxed, she moved closer to him in an attempt to push him aside.  “I should be washing the dishes.  That is my job.” She hoped if she let him know she knew what her jobs were, he wouldn’t be angry with her.  She didn’t want him to regret rescuing her.

“I can take care of the dishes tonight.  Why don’t you sit down?  I am sure you are exhausted.”

“I am fine.  I want you to know I am not lazy.”

“That thought hasn’t even crossed my mind.  I am more concerned about your condition.”

Hannah looked confused for a moment and then her faced cleared.  “Oh, you mean the baby.  I’m fine.  I’m a good worker, just like I said in my letters.”

Chase stepped back and handed her the dishcloth.  He decided to let her do this job.  As she reached to take the cloth, her fingers touched his, and he felt a shock go through him that flew throughout his entire body.  He could see her dark hair frame her face and again thought about how beautiful she was.  He felt too big and too awkward standing next to her.   But the last ten years of loneliness would be erased.  Tonight he would not have to sleep alone.

“I will leave you to it, then.” He settled himself down on his fancy sofa in the living room and watched Hannah through the doorway.  She made little splashing sounds as she washed the dishes.  As he watched the swish of her skirts, his emotions for her felt tangled up in knots.

Tonight he would not have to sleep alone. She would lie beside him, his bride to have and to hold.  He now had a chance to belong, to matter, to a woman.  He hoped he would find the enduring love with her that his parents had shared.

****

When Hannah had finished washing the last dish, Chase was immediately at her side.  He picked up the basin and opened the door, throwing out the dirty water into the snow.

“I will have to thank your sister for dinner,” Hannah commented as she wiped the last dish dry and set it in the cupboard

“I have already done so,” Chase put the basin back in its place.  “But you will meet her soon and you can tell her if you wish.”

The room was now toasty warm from the stove.  It had chased away the cold in her bones, but not the fear in her heart.  She would not have remarried if it hadn’t been for her pregnancy.  She never wanted to be manipulated by a man again.  Nevertheless, she had committed to this new marriage, and she would do her best to be a good wife and make the best of it.

“Could you show me to my room?” she tried to ask the question nonchalantly.

“Don’t you mean our room?” Chase questioned with a raised eyebrow.   “It’s the first one on the left.  It’s the largest.  I thought the smaller one would be good for the baby.”

She felt self-conscious as she went to open the door of the room that would be the baby’s.

“My sister gave us a crib.”

Hannah’s throat closed at the sight of the wooden crib standing against a wall.  She could see the carved panels and polished oak.

“This crib is actually the one Ma used with us.  Pa built it.  I think you will like Pa.  I took over the blacksmith shop when he retired.  He is looking forward to meeting you.”

“I assume your entire family is aware of the baby.”  Hannah hadn’t even considered that many people would know why she married Chase.

“Only my sister.   I swore her to keep it a secret until we are ready to tell everyone else.  She found out yesterday when she came over to help me clean up the house.  She saw the ad you had placed by my bed.”

Hannah smiled as she stepped closer to the crib and ran her hand over the smooth worn wood.  “She is very thoughtful.”

“It’s her way to let you know that she cares about you already,” Chase chuckled.  “I hope meeting my family won’t be overwhelming to you since you aren’t used to a large family.”

“No, I am actually looking forward to meeting them.”  She smiled, although she felt awkward with the subject of her pregnancy.  “I think we need to make sure everyone knows the truth about the baby.  I don’t want to hurt your reputation with gossip.  I know how small towns can be.   People will easily jump to conclusions that aren’t true.”

“You were a widow.  There is no shame in your situation,” Chase told her firmly.  “I meant what I wrote in my letters.  I will treat your child as my own, just like the others that we will have.”

“Others.”  Of course he will want to have more children.  It was something she didn’t want to think about at the moment.

“But let’s focus on getting this baby safely here first.”

Hannah nodded her agreement.  Chase placed his hand on her shoulder.  She allowed him to lead her into the next room, the room she would be sharing with him.  There was a large poster bed against one wall with a patchwork quilt in bright spring colors draped over it.  There were two plump pillows.  It was a beautiful room.  There was another window seat and a matching bureau with a real mirror that hung above it.

“I am sure you will want to change all this,” Chase was saying.  “My sister told me the curtains need to be replaced.  My mother made the quilt, but you might want something else, and that is fine with me.”

“I like the quilt,” Hannah assured him.  She saw that her bag had been set on the bureau as if waiting to be emptied.

Chase followed her gaze.  “I will give you some privacy.”

Hannah watched as Chase left the room, shutting the door behind him.   She started to feel dizzy until she realized she was holding her breath, and she quickly released it.  She sank onto the bed and started to shake so hard, she felt sick.  She could hear Chase’s boots as he walked away from the room.  She heard the door of the wood stove open and then close as he banked the fire for the night.  She knew she wouldn’t have much time to change out of her patched dress, and so she quickly removed the gray dress and put on her nightgown, which had just as many patches.  She washed her face at the basin on the bureau and then let her dark hair down from the pins and started to brush it.  She could see her face in the mirror and noticed that she looked thin and pale.  Suddenly, she heard a knock on the door.

“Come in,” she called, hoping she was able to keep the tremor out of her voice.  She quickly pulled the quilt back on the bed and jumped in, making sure she was covered up to her chin.  She tried not to think of what was about to come.

Chase opened the door, came into the bedroom, he turned down the lamp that sat on a small table near the bed.  Hannah could hear him pull off a boot.   He dropped it on the floor and then the other one followed.   Soon she felt the bed dip and he joined her under the covers.  She thought of the cold nights when she had been so hungry, she couldn’t sleep.  At least she was warm and had eaten a good meal.

“Morning comes early,” Chase said softly in the darkness.  “I need to leave at six.”

“I will make sure breakfast is ready before you leave,” Hannah hurried to assure him.

“Hannah, you are shaking the entire bed,” Chase said with a gentle voice.   “I don’t think it is good for the baby or for you to be this upset.”

She felt him gently brush a lock of her hair from her face.  “I am going to make a lucky guess that your first husband wasn’t gentle with you.”

“No.”  It was all Hannah could say.  She turned her face to look at him and could see the line of his jaw faintly in the darkness.

“Can you tell me what the first night of marriage to him was like?”

“He was a stranger, too.”  Suddenly, she wanted to tell him about her first marriage.  Maybe he would understand why she was so nervous.  “I answered an ad from him.”

“You were a mail-order bride to him?  This isn’t the first time?”

“No.”  She felt ashamed as she remembered the girl she used to be.  The girl who still had dreams of happily-ever-after.  “Jack wrote a charming letter and I was immediately smitten.  He seemed funny.  He told me he had a successful farm.  I knew when he drove me to his farm for the first time that all he had told me was a lie.”

“What happened?”

“He ordered me to get down from the wagon, take care of the horses and fix his dinner.  When I didn’t move fast enough, he….” She hesitated.  Did she really want to admit that he hit her regularly when she didn’t do what he wanted fast enough?

But Chase guessed.  “He hit you, didn’t he?”

“He took a bottle of booze from the wagon and drank the entire bottle before I even had dinner on the table.”

“He was a drunk.”

“A mean drunk, and he drank almost daily.”  She remembered that she had cleaned up the dishes after the meal, still hoping that things weren’t going to be as it was starting to look.  Maybe he would sleep off the whiskey and be his charming self by the next day.

“He was abusive.”  Chase’s voice was devoid of any emotion.

“After a while, I became numb to it.  It was the only way to survive.  He wasn’t like that all the time.  I learned to be grateful for the good days.”

Hannah laid next to Chase in the dark.   He hadn’t said a word since she told him about her first marriage.   He hadn’t moved closer to her either.  She continued to shake, even though she tried to stop the tremors.   She started to feel nauseous.

“Do you know how long it took me to answer an ad in the papers?”  Chase finally broke the silence.  “Over a year.  I even thought about placing my own ad.  I would go to the general store and look at the other ads men and women had placed, wondering who placed them and what type of people answered them.  But I just couldn’t bring myself to answer them.  Until I read yours.”

“Why did you write to me?”  She tried to shake away the past and focus on her future.

“There was just something about your ad that touched me.  I knew I needed to write you and at least try to see what would happen.”

“Because I was desperate.”

“No, actually I didn’t see that.  Over the next few days, I couldn’t get your ad out of my mind.  I’d think about you, widowed and pregnant.  You didn’t make promises.  You didn’t seem too good to be true.  I could see your honesty.”

“You could have chosen a more beautiful wife.”

“I don’t think so.  You are beautiful to me.  In fact, if I had known you were alone, hiding in a barn, I would have answered your ad sooner.  “

She could see him lean closer and she braced herself for what she was sure would happen next.  She closed her eyes tightly and waited for him to grab her   Instead, she felt his lips brush against her forehead.

“Good night, Hannah,” he whispered.  Then he moved away and settled under the covers to sleep.

She laid on her back staring in the darkness for quite some time, trying to figure out what had just happened.  It seemed he was giving her some time.   She soon heard Chase’s breath even out in sleep and she gradually relaxed.

She knew that love didn’t exist.  Love was a story told to young girls so they would want to get married.  It was a trick.  However, she learned one major thing in the last few hours   Her new life here was not going to be as hard as she had expected.  Tears of relief rolled down her face and she finally was able to drift off to sleep.

Chapter 4

Chase could hear retching in the bedroom as he filled the kettle full of water and placed it on the stove.   It sounded like she didn’t do well in the mornings.   He remembered his sister had given him advice on this subject.

“Make sure she has a bucket beside the bed,” Lucy had told him.  “She won’t be feeling well in the mornings, at least until her fourth month.  She will need some help.  A man just can’t understand what it’s like.  The sickness will drain her.  Make sure she rests when she needs it.  Fix some of the meals.  Do some of the housework.  You don’t want her to regret she married you.”  Lucy had said the last comment with a teasing grin and laughter in her eyes.

He cracked some eggs into a bowl and started to stir them.  He figured Hannah might like some scrambled eggs and toast.  Eating might settle her stomach.  He heard the bedroom door open and felt her presence behind him.

“Good morning,” Chase turned around to look at her.  She looked pale and thin, too thin.  He couldn’t even tell she was carrying a child.  “You don’t look very well.  Maybe you should go back to bed.”

“I’m fine.”  She had braided her dark hair and the thick rope fell down behind her back.

“You don’t look fine, honey.” He poured the egg mixture into a frying pan and started to cook them.

“I just need a bite to eat, maybe some toast or tea.”  She refused to look at him, but sat down on a kitchen chair.

“My sister gave me quite a lecture about pregnant women.”  He saw her shiver and he resisted the urge to grab a blanket to cover her shoulders.   “I have the kettle on and I am toasting some bread in the oven.  The eggs should be done soon.”

The kettle whistled and Hannah jumped up from the chair.

“I can finish breakfast.”  She reached to grab the kettle and proceeded to pour the water into the teapot.  Chase pulled the frying pan off the stove and watched her as she prepared the tea.  He could see her soft skin and long lashes   His gaze lingered on her mouth.  A mouth that was made for kissing.

He wanted to insist that she sit back down, that he finish the breakfast preparations, but he remembered her determination the night before when she insisted that she be the one to wash the dishes.  It was as if doing the dishes would prove her worth.

He quickly pulled the bread out of the oven and was glad to see the slices only had a few dark spots on them.  He buttered the toast, and then helped Hannah set the eggs and cups of tea on the table.  “You should have milk, Hannah,” Chase told her.  “We have all the milk you need.”

Hannah shook her head.  “Milk doesn’t taste very good right now.”  She sat down and waited as Chase said the prayer.

“Dear Lord, thanks for the food we are about to eat.   Please bless Hannah that she will feel better and have a good day.  I thank thee for Hannah and that we are now together.  Amen.”

Chase started to eat, but stopped when he noticed Hannah staring at him as if she was trying to figure something out.  “Aren’t you hungry?   I can fix something else if eggs and toast doesn’t look good.”

She blinked her eyes and shook her head.  “The food is fine.”  She took a sip of tea and then a small bite of toast.

Chase watched her for a moment.  Her presence in his life was changing everything.  There would no longer be quiet mornings spent alone.   When he returned home after his work in the evenings, she would be here to greet him.   His many years of loneliness had come to an end.

****

Chase left for the day as soon as breakfast was over.  He had dropped a kiss on her forehead in farewell, and for the first time, Hannah didn’t mind the kiss.  She knew he was willing to give her time to get used to being married to him.

She quickly washed the breakfast dishes.  She took time to appreciate the new dishes Chase had obviously purchased for her arrivals.  She made sure the wooden counters and table were wiped clean.  She wanted to take care of Chase’s house and belongings and show him that she was a good wife.

After the kitchen was cleaned, she sat down at the table with another cup of tea, but it didn’t taste very good because it was no longer hot.  Suddenly, she heard a knock at the door.  When she opened it, there was a small woman standing on the porch.  She had blond, almost white, hair that hung in curls down her back.  When she smiled, Hannah saw Chase’s grin on the woman’s face, and immediately knew this woman was Chase’s sister.

Hannah invited the woman in, but immediately felt embarrassed.  She hadn’t had a chance to wipe up the snow that had melted when Chase came in to tell her goodbye after he had done the barn chores.  She hadn’t swept the floor either or dusted.

“Hannah,” the woman burst into the room and surprised Hannah by giving her a hug.  As she took off her coat, Hannah immediately noticed a small bump of a growing child.  “It is good to meet you   I'm Lucy, Chase's sister.  You aren’t all what I expected, but you are breathtaking.   How old are you?”

“I just turned 21.”  Hannah watched the friendly woman look her up and down.  She tried not to feel even more embarrassment as she was sure Lucy noticed the worn shoes and patched and faded calico dress.

“I am only a few years younger than Chase, so think of me as your older sister.   I am so happy that we’re both pregnant.  Did Chase tell you I snooped and discovered your secret?”  Lucy hung her coat on a peg next to Hannah’s. Hannah could tell Lucy felt quite at home in her brother’s house.

“I know it is early, but I knew you were here alone.  There is so much to be done to fix up this house.  I thought I would come over and offer my services.   Are you feeling okay, dear?  You look a little pale.”

Hannah smiled at Lucy's enthusiasm.  She never had a sister before and Lucy seemed very easy to like.  “I’m okay.  I was just going to make another pot of tea.  Would you like some?”

“Heavens, no.  Don’t fuss over me.  I’ll just keep you company while you have yours.”  She walked around the kitchen table and took a seat, not even noticing the unswept floor.  “After your tea, do you feel like a trip to town?”

Hannah hesitated. “I was planning on cleaning the house.”  It was so engrained in her that she had to keep a clean house; it didn’t occur to her that she could plan something else.

Lucy waved her hand.  “That can wait.  Actually, Chase asked me to take you.   Pine Valley might be small, but we have a nice selection of fabric and other goods.”

Hannah thought of the curtains she wanted to make.  She began to feel excited as she remembered Chase had put her name on his account.  “I would love to go shopping.”

“Chase stopped by my house on the way to the livery and asked me to make sure you were okay.  He was worried because you were so sick this morning.”

“I’m feeling better at the moment," Hannah told her.  “I am usually sick until mid-morning and then I only feel twinges a few times throughout the rest of the day.”

“Lucky you.  My sickness tends to plague me constantly until my fourth month.  Even now I sometimes feel sick in the evenings, even though I am almost six months along.”  Lucy placed a hand on her bulging stomach.  “How far along are you?”

“I think about three months.”  She felt encouraged and she forced herself to put away her shyness.  “I haven’t had anyone to talk to about this.”

“Well, you have me now, along with Ruth and Nellie, my brothers’ wives.   I would have asked them to join us but Ruth has a child with a cold and Nellie has a teething baby, so it will just be us.  That’s probably best anyway.  There is no reason to expose you to the entire family on your first day.”

Lucy continued to chatter about Chase’s family as the kettle whistled and Hannah made herself another cup of tea.  After this second one, she started to feel better and was able to keep it down, along with another slice of toast.

“One thing you need to know about me right off is that I’m bossy.  I have always been this way, but I’m sure you’ll get used to it.  Everyone else in the family has.”

"Even your husband?”  Hannah couldn’t imagine that a man would be willing to put up with a bossy wife.

"Donald puts up with it most of all.  He knew what he was getting into when he married me.  If he doesn’t like it, it’s his own fault for asking me to marry him.”

Hannah looked at Lucy closely, trying to imagine a marriage like she was describing.  She saw something deep in Lucy's eyes, a happiness that Hannah had never imagined for herself.

"How did you meet your husband?” asked Hannah.

"We’ve known each other ever since we were young.  Donald and I walked to school together every day.  He was sweet on me, even before I started to like him.”

"You must have known him well before you married him then,” Hannah commented.  She tried to picture what Lucy was describing, a small boy and girl who attended school together, laughed and played together, and developed a strong bond of friendship which turned into more.

"My brothers and his sisters were there too, but most of the time we were able to ignore them.  Even when we were young, I always wanted to be around Donald.”  Lucy noticed that Hannah was done with her tea and toast and stood up to put on her fine beautiful coat.

So it was a love match?  Hannah really didn’t believe it, but Lucy seemed very happy.  Did she actually like being married?  Hannah slid her arms into her own worn coat.  Maybe Lucy was just one of those optimistic sort of people, always doing her best in whatever situation she was in, no matter whether it was good or bad.

Then Hannah realized that in a way she was doing the same thing.  She had married Chase hoping to make the best in whatever situation she ended up in.  She saw Lucy look at her carefully, this time with compassion on her face.

You don’t know how glad I am that Chase found you.  I think you will be good for him.”

"Chase has been very kind to me.”  She suddenly realized that she no longer felt alone.  When her baby was born, it would have cousins to play with.   It would have friends to walk to school with.  It would have a normal childhood.  Her baby would have the kind of life she had always dreamed of.

Hannah allowed Lucy to grab her hand and pull her outside.  She noticed that the snow had stopped falling sometime during the night.  The sun was out and the snow that had fallen the day before was already starting to melt.  Since it was the end of April, maybe spring was on its way.  She smiled, lifting her face to feel the sun’s warmth, and vowed to herself to enjoy this new friendship with Chase’s sister.

****

"So, how does it feel to be a married man?” his brother, Brent, asked Chase as he gave his big black stallion a pat.  They were standing in the open doors of the livery barn.  His brother pulled out his pocket watch to check the time.  Chase knew Brent wanted to leave as soon as possible so his deliveries would be on time.  He ran a business which delivered food, goods, and other items back and forth between Pine Valley and many of the surrounding towns.

Chase quickly buckled the last harness and the horses were ready to go.   "It doesn’t feel much different," he admitted.  "But she just arrived yesterday.  It will be a nice change to have dinner waiting for me when I get home.”

"Yep, there’s nothing better than a woman’s cooking that’s for sure.”  His brother winked at him.  "I remember what it was like to be a newlywed.”

Chase handed the reins to Brent as he felt heat spreading across his face.  He thought of Hannah and how pale she looked that morning.  He remembered how tempted he was to give her a kiss that only a man could give a woman, letting her know how much he desired her.  But he also couldn’t forget how much she trembled the night before in their bed, afraid in the one place that she should have felt safe.

"Brace yourself," Brent slapped his hand on Chase’s back.  "Lucy is coming this way and she does not look happy.”

Chase looked at his sister who was coming towards them, walking as fast as she could in her condition with a frown on her face.  What could be wrong?   Did something happen to Hannah?

Lucy got right to the point when she reached Chase's side.  "Hannah will not cooperate," she announced with her hands on her hips.  "I don’t know how to get her to purchase the things she needs.  She’s being very stubborn.”

Chase’s concern turned into amusement.  He glanced down the street towards the general store.  "Don't worry.  I'll take care of it," he told his sister.

He started walking toward the store with his sister walking beside him.  "What is she refusing to buy?” he asked.

"She will not pick out a single dress or even fabric to make one.  I know she doesn’t have a pair of gloves, but she won’t pick some out.  She says she doesn’t want to spend your money.”

"I see.  She’s trying to be frugal.”  Even though Chase was trying to make light of the situation, he could understand why Lucy was so upset.  Anyone who gave Hannah a good look would see that she needed new clothes years ago.  From what he could tell, he doubted that her first husband had bought her anything.

He entered the store, a bell tinkling as the door opened announcing his presence.   His boots clomped on the wood floor as he approached Hannah’s side.  She looked up at him, anxiety showing all over her face as she bit her lower lip.

"I like that fabric.  It’s pretty.”  Chase pointed to some yellow fabric with small blue flowers.   "It would make a nice dress for you.”

Hannah shook her head.  "I thought it would make nice curtains for the kitchen.”

Chase nodded.  "You’re right.  I hope you purchase plenty of fabric so you can make it the way you want.  Is there anything else you would like?”

"No.  Is there something you need?”

Chase made an instant decision. "Yes I need you to follow me.”  He took her hand and led her to a rack full of ready-made dresses of various sizes.  "I would like you to choose three of these dresses.”

"Three?”   Hannah did not think she heard him correctly.  Startled, she looked into his eyes and she could tell he meant what he said.  "I don’t need three dresses.  I don’t need anything.”

Chase ignored her and turned to the shop's owner who was standing nearby.  "Mrs. Clements, get my wife a new coat and some warm gloves.  She would like this fabric to make some curtains."

Mrs. Clements nodded her head with a sparkle in her eyes.  "I’ll get those things for her.  You might want to get her a new pair shoes, too.”

Chase nodded his head in agreement.  "Yes.  In fact, I would like her to have two pairs, one for every day and one for Sunday.”

****

Chase kept Hannah's hand in his, although she tried to pull away.  Was he embarrassed of how she was dressed?  She looked down at her faded dress.  There were many patches all over it, but they were neat.  This dress was one of the last dresses Dr. Wilson had purchased for her before he died.   It used to be a bright blue in color, but it had faded to an almost gray.  It was worn, but it was still serviceable.

Chase lifted her chin with his finger to look in his eyes.  "I want you to get what you need, Hannah.'

"I don’t need anything," she wanted to argue, but when Chase had touched her chin and it left a warm feeling on her skin.  For the first time, she shivered from his touch.  He was making it impossible for her to think.

Chase reached for her hand again, touching his fingers to her wedding band.  "I’m asking you to get what you need for me.  I want you to have what you need.  No more dresses with patches or worn-out shoes.  You deserve more.”

She started to nod her head in agreement.  She did not want him to be ashamed of her.  She knew he was a prominent businessman in this town and most likely she would need to dress in finer clothing than she was used to.  She remembered that Dr. Wilson had also insisted that she have nice clothing.

"It’s still too expensive," Hannah tried to argue, aware that Mrs. Clements and Lucy were listening to every word.  "A good wife does not spend all of her husband’s money.  How about if I just purchase one dress?”

"I have waited a long time to find you," Chase told her firmly as he smiled down at her with his gentle blue-gray eyes.  "Three dresses.”  He pulled out a flowery pink dress.   "This one is pretty and the flowers match your eyes.”

Hannah glanced at the dress he was holding and then looked at him.  She had been too afraid to spend his money, but suddenly she understood what he was trying to tell her.  She understood the silent question he asked.   She understood what loneliness was.  She had been lonely for much of her childhood and then as a wife.  She knew that loneliness left you longing for a place to belong with one special person.

She still couldn’t see how her loneliness could be totally erased, but she hoped for it, and she could see Chase hoped for it also as he held the dress up to her.  The dress was much too fine for her, but she did not want to embarrass him, so she took it in her hands and accepted the gift.

"It’s the perfect size for her," Lucy commented as she stepped closer to help now that Chase had taken care of the problem.  "The man has put his foot down, kindly mind you, but he did it all the same.  You’re right, Chase.  The flowers do match her eyes.  If you want me to, I can take over now.   You can go back to your livery.”

Chase smiled his approval.  "You brought so little with you, Hannah.   Please allow Lucy to help you get what you need.  You can also get a few things that you want.  Yarn for knitting.  Thread for embroidery.  Anything that will make you happy."

Hannah’s heart jumped at Chase’s words.  She had always wanted to learn embroidery, but it was considered fancy stitching and not worth the extra expense.   Maybe she would purchase some of the colorful thread and learn how to add decorative stitches to her clothing and the pillows that she wanted to make for Chase’s home.

"Thank you, Chase," Hannah told him with a smile.

"You need to promise me that you will have fun.”  Chase reached out to brush a lock of hair out of her eyes and again Hannah felt the tingle when his fingers touched her skin.

"I promise," Hannah said because she knew it would make him happy.   But also because she now knew that her duty to be a good wife was to look nice.  Chase left the store, his boots again clicking against the wood floor, and Hannah turned and watched as Lucy took another dress from the rack.

Chapter 5

Many men came by the livery that afternoon, mostly to tease Chase about his new wife.  Reverend Brown stopped by to make sure Hannah was doing all right, and Mrs. Clements came by when it was closing time with some packages of purchases that Hannah had made, with Lucy's help.   He was glad he asked Lucy to help Hannah out, for he suspected that she would not have purchased as much as she had.  When he had returned to the livery, he had kept glancing out of the large double doors, hoping to see Hannah and Lucy as they made their way back to his house, but he never saw them, and he knew they must have passed when he had to go into the livery barn and saddle a horse that a man had rented.

It was snowing again, and Apache stomped a hoof as he snorted his frustration of being out in the cold.

"I know, buddy," Chase told his horse.  "It’s the end of April and it’s still snowing.   Let’s hurry home.”  He placed the packages Mrs.  Clements had given him in a saddlebag and swung his leg over Apache's back.

He got the horse moving and then huddled in his warm coat as they headed towards home.  "It seems as if spring is never going to come,” he muttered to himself.  "But just think, tonight when I step into the house, Hannah is going to be there."

The horse tilted his ears as if trying to hear what Chase was saying.  He stopped talking out loud, but as he thought of Hannah, he could picture her standing in the doorway as she welcomed him home.  For the first night since he’d been on his own, there would be someone to welcome him home.   He could picture it, Hannah standing at the stove in one of her new dresses cooking a delicious dinner.  The house would be warm because she was there.

Suddenly, Apache veered off to the left, and he soon realized why the horse had stopped.  Off to the side of the road was a thin brown mare.   Chase jumped from Apache and approached the mare with caution, but soon realized there was no need.  He could tell that the horse had not been cared for, for quite some time.   She was thin and coated with dirt, but she was gentle and allowed Chase to come near, even though she was a bit skittish.

"It’s okay girl," Chase told her as he reached for a rope that hung from his saddle.  "You can come home with us.  Let's get you out of the storm.   He quickly tied the rope into a bridle and draped it over the mare’s head and face.  He then swung back on Apache and led the mare towards his home.

When he had reached his yard, he immediately led both horses into the barn.  He tied the mare to a post and quickly took care of Apache's needs.  Then he turned to the mare.  He spent some time brushing and drying her, then he led her into a stall and fed her.

"It’s all right, girl.  You are safe here.”  The mare looked at him with sad eyes.   She was still skittish, her skin trembling in fear.

"It looks like you’ve had a little rough life," he said to the mare.  "That’s Apache over there.  He’ll be your companion for a while."

He decided to milk the cow before he went into the house, but he could not find the bucket.  He wondered if Hannah had taken care of that chore and then noticed that Betsy had been milked.   He considered milking his job and he wasn’t sure how he felt about Hannah doing his work.  He remembered how determined she was the night before over washing the dishes.  He knew that she needed to feel like she was contributing.  He grabbed Hannah’s packages, secured the barn door, and headed towards the house.

It was only a short distance from the barn to the house, but by the time he bumped into the corner of the porch, he was numb and almost frozen.  He stumbled up the steps and tried to open the door but his hand slipped, and then miraculously it opened. There was Hannah holding the door open so he could come in.

"I was getting really worried," she told him after she closed the door.  "I wondered if you would stay in town where it was safe."

"It wasn't snowing like this when I left," he told her with his teeth chattering.  "Besides Apache knows every step to the barn by heart.”  It touched him that she was concerned.  At that moment, he knew there was hope for something special between them.

He dropped the packages onto the sofa and started to remove his gloves and coat.

"Let me help you.”  Hannah unwrapped the scarf from his neck. "Your face is nearly white.  You got too cold, Chase.”

"I’m fine," he retorted almost gruffly.

"No you're not.  You feel like ice.  Come and sit next to the stove and get warm.”  As he followed her, he noticed that she was still wearing her patched faded dress instead of one of the new ones he had bought her.  She also had not replaced her old shoes.  He knew that Lucy would have sent one of the dresses and a pair of shoes home with her.

He knew he needed to address this issue, but decided to bide his time.  Right now, she was here and that was all that mattered.

"I’ve made coffee.  I’ll pour you a cup.”  She searched his face to make sure he was all right before reaching for the pot.

It’s definitely better coming home to a wife, Chase thought to himself.  Before, he would have had to start the fire and the coffee and thaw out on his own.

"Here.”  Hannah handed him a mug.  "This should warm you up.  Is there anything else you need?”

He shook his head. "No, Hannah.  This is fine, thank you.”  He wanted to reach out and touch her face, but he knew his hands were still ice cold, so he would have to wait.  He could see the anxiety in her eyes again, as if wondering if she was doing the right thing.

Hannah turned away.  "I’ll have dinner on the table in a few minutes.  I enjoyed shopping with Lucy today.  She gave me a lot of helpful hints."

"What did she tell you?” Chase asked in curiosity.

"She told me you love roast beef and gravy.  You also enjoy baked potatoes, but you like them even more mashed."

"So I’m guessing you mashed the potatoes tonight.”  Chase knew that there was roast beef cooking in the oven because he could smell it.

"I didn’t mind.”  Hannah busied herself taking out the roast from the oven and slicing it.  He was making her nervous as she could feel him watching her as she finished the dinner preparations.   She quickly stirred the mashed potatoes and added a bit more salt.

"If your warm enough, we can eat now," she informed him.

****

"Everything smells really good," Chase told her as he sat down at the kitchen table.  He still had the cup of coffee in his hand and Hannah noticed that it was almost gone.  Was it to his liking?   She remembered the many times she hadn’t prepared the coffee to Jack’s liking, mostly because she hadn’t sweetened it enough, which was hard to do when there was little sugar in the house.  He would go into a rage and throw the mug down on the floor and sometimes at her.  Then he would start drinking.

"Are you okay?” Hannah faintly heard the question in the back of her mind and shook her head as if to clear it.  She noticed Chase looking at her with concern and quickly shoved her memories to the back of her mind.

I need to concentrate on serving this meal, she said to herself.  She hurried and placed the roast beef, mashed potatoes, biscuits and vegetables on the table.  She had set the table with the new dishes.

Chase bowed his head and said a brief prayer over the food.  In his prayer, he also thanked God that she was in his life, just as he had done that morning.  After the prayer, when Hannah tried to serve him, he insisted that she fill her plate first, and then his.

They both were quiet for a few minutes while they started to eat, but Hannah started to think about the fact that Chase had said a prayer before each meal since she arrived.  Did this mean that he was a God-fearing man?   Did he go to church regularly?   In her experience, she knew that most men who went to church did not drink, although she knew that there were exceptions.  Dr. Wilson had never gone to church with her, but he also never drank like Jack had.  Did this mean that Chase didn’t drink whiskey?   She had only been married to him for a little over 24 hours, and she knew that she would not be able to tell whether he drank regularly or not in that short amount of time.  However, she had spent the afternoon cleaning the small cabin and had not seen one bottle of whiskey.  At the time she wondered if he stored his whiskey in the barn, but now she was hoping that this would not be something she would need to worry about with Chase.

"So what did you do this afternoon?” Chase asked her.

"I cleaned the kitchen and living area.  I know that Lucy cleaned before I came, but I wanted to make sure everything had been done.”  She placed another biscuit on her plate.  “I made a promise to you and I intend to keep that promise.  I will be such a good wife, you will not regret that you married me."

"I made some promises to you too and I will also keep them," Chase told her as he sat his fork down beside his plate.  He looked at her very intently as if trying to communicate something to her without words. He started to lean towards her and his eyes darkened with an emotion that she did not recognize.  He was so close she could feel his breath on her cheek.  He tilted her chin with one finger and placed a soft kiss on her lips.   Hannah jerked back in surprise and he dropped his hand.  The tingling that she felt in the store that morning spread throughout her whole body and she wondered at the sensation of it.

"I promise that as long as I’m alive you will have a home with me, as well as your baby and any other children that might come along.  And even if something did happen to me, you will still be provided for by my family.   You are safe here.  I don’t want you to work so hard.  You don’t need to prove anything to me.”

Hannah felt very confused.  "Why are you being so nice to me?  You hardly know me."

"True," Chase nodded his agreement at her words.  "But for some reason, I feel like I’ve always known you."

Chase stood up with his mug in his hand to refill it with coffee.  Seeing this, Hannah jumped up to take his cup and refill it herself, but Chase refused to let her have it.

"I can do this myself.  It is not your job to be at my beck and call.”

He pushed her down gently back in her chair and then brought the coffee pot over to the table refilling his and hers.  Hannah was stunned at what just happened.  Again, he was showing her that this marriage was not going to be like her first one.

Chase sat down and continued talking.  "When I read your ad, your words grabbed me and wouldn’t let go.  It was as if I knew there could be something special between us.”

"I don’t know what you mean.  How could a simple ad show so much?   They were just words.”

"Yes, they were just words, but they were your words and words can be powerful."

"I had to pay by the word," she told him.  "I only had a few coins and so the ad had to be brief.”

"Maybe so, but it felt like God was guiding me.”  He took her hand gently in his and held it as if it was something precious.  "When my mother died, the grief my father felt nearly took him with her.  They had a very strong bond, a bond I have rarely seen in other marriages.  They lived for each other.   Pa is not whole without her and he has never stopped grieving for her.

"It’s a nice story, but love is a fairytale.  It’s not real."

"The story of my parents’ marriage is not make-believe.  In fact, happy marriages run in my family.  My two brothers and Lucy all have happy marriages."

Hannah remembered what Lucy had told her about her husband, Donald, that morning, but she was having a hard time believing that an entire family had love in their marriages.

She didn’t say anything else, just quickly finished her meal and immediately started on the dishes.  Chase didn’t say anything, either.   He just watched her as he had done the evening before, although she did hear him walk into their bedroom for a moment.  After she wiped the last dish and put it away, Chase held out his hand and pulled her down on a chair.

“One of the traditions my Pa always did after dinner was over was to read out of the Bible.  I think it would be a good idea if we start that tradition in our own marriage.”

Hannah nodded her head, not really sure what he meant.  She saw a large leather Bible opened in front of him.   He must have gotten it on his trip to the bedroom.  She remembered seeing it on the bureau the night before, but she assumed it was there only for decoration.  It never occurred to her that people actually read out of the Bible for enjoyment.  Hannah wanted to refuse and leave the room, but she was afraid of his reaction, so she stayed put.

Chase looked down at the large book in front of him and started to read.

“Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh.”

As she listened to him read the Bible verse, her heart sank.  She finally realized what Chase was trying to tell her.  He wanted her love.  Didn’t he know he picked the wrong woman for that?  She did not know how to love someone.

How could she tell him?  Should she let him continue to hope for the impossible to happen?  Or should she tell him now so he could get out of the marriage and find the bride who would give him what he wanted?

“I am thinking that our marriage is of convenience,” Hannah finally said because Chase was looking at her as if he expected her to say something.  She quickly stood, went to the counter and removed a cake from its hiding place.

“Cake!” Chase said with appreciation and a big smile.  “I haven’t had that treat for a long time.”

Hannah smiled, but didn’t say anything.  She quickly served him a large piece and a smaller one for herself.

“My mother was a mail-order bride,” Chase told her after eating a few bites of the cake.

Hannah was surprised at Chase’s words, and curious.  “How did that happen?”

“Well, Pa tells the story much better than I can.”  He took a few more bites and then continued.

“Pa was living in the wilds of North Dakota working to save for his own land.  There weren’t any eligible women around so he decided to place an advertisement.  He said he was looking for a wife who could tolerate a man’s humor.  Ma’s was the first letter to arrive.  Pa had to travel 50 miles to pick it up from the nearest trading post.

“Ma rode a stagecoach all the way from Pennsylvania.  Her parents had died.  Her older brother had recently married and she didn’t get along with his wife, so she really didn’t have anywhere to go.”

“Your mom had to travel on the stagecoach?  I am grateful there are now trains for traveling,” Hannah commented.

Yes.  I only had to wait a few days for your arrival.  Pa had to wait many weeks.”

“Your mother was very brave to travel all that way alone.”

“When Ma told her side of the story, she would say how she hadn’t even put her foot on the ground before a dozen bachelors swarmed around her asking for her hand in marriage.  She could’ve chosen any of those men.”

“But she kept her promise to your pa.”

Chase nodded.  “Ma wasn’t about to break her word to him.  She told me one time that she had fallen in love with him from his letters, long before she even met him.  They were married for almost 35 years.  What had started as a convenience marriage turned into one with love.”

And that is what you’re hoping for?” Hannah asked as she set her fork down after she ate her last bite of cake.  She heard the distress in her voice and wished she could hide it.

“It’s a nice goal to have don’t you think?”

“Do you want to know how my parents met?” Hannah asked.

“I thought you grew up in an orphanage.”

“I did, but I know what my history is.”

Chase leaned towards her with his arms on the table, as if encouraging her to tell him, to open up to him.

“My father was a rich man who owned a large hotel in New York City.  He was married and had a family.  My mother was hired on as a new maid in his hotel.  One night my mother stayed late and my father attacked her, forcing himself upon her.  She became pregnant with me.  She was only 16.

“There was a terrible scandal, and after I was born my mother dropped me off at the orphanage, relinquishing all rights to me.  As far as I know, she never came back to see how I was doing or what happened to me.”

“This was all in your history at the orphanage?”

“Yes.  Each child has a folder that is given to the family who wants to adopt them.  Most of the time, an orphan’s folder is small, but mine had many pages.  There were newspaper articles and a letter written by my mother explaining what happened.  I often got the idea that the director of the orphanage didn’t believe her, that she flirted with my father, and got what she asked for.  Because of this negative history, I was never adopted.  No one wanted a bastard child.”

“I’m sorry, Hannah.  But you were adopted in Texas, weren’t you?”

"Dr. Wilson only took me in.  He never officially adopted me.  He was good to me.  Most of my needs were met.  He never loved me, like a father loves a daughter.  I already told you what happened after he died.  I had nowhere to go.  That is why I became a mail-order bride to Jack.  I felt like I had no other choice.”

“Your history makes no difference to me.”

“Chase, I’m afraid you want too much from me.  You never mentioned that you wanted love in your letter.”

“If I had, would you still have agreed to come?”

“I don’t know.  Probably.  I had nowhere to go.”

“Don’t you want to have love in our marriage someday?  After we get to know each other, when we are no longer strangers to each other?  Everyone wants a family and a place to belong.  Everyone wants someone to love them.  That’s the message I got from your letters.  It’s why I chose you.”

“I came because of my baby and because you promised to provide for us.  That is why I’m here,” Hannah stated firmly.

Chase opened his mouth as if to argue, but then closed it.  He looked hurt.  Hannah felt bad, but she also felt that she needed to be honest with him.

“I promise I will work hard.  I promise I will be a good wife.  But I cannot promise love.”

****

The story Hannah told about her parents saddened Chase.  He understood more about why she felt the way she did about love.  In her mind, love could not happen.  She was protecting herself from hurt and anguish.  They both sat around the table in silence for quite a while, each thinking their own thoughts.

Chase finally spoke.  “I think it’s important that you know what I am hoping for in this marriage.  It is also important that I know what you are expecting.  I don’t expect you to love me all at once, Hannah.  We hardly know each other.  But I think life will get better for both of us.  I am still glad you came and agreed to be my wife.”

Hannah looked down at the table.  “I don’t even know if I can love my unborn child,” she confessed.

Chase felt sad at her words, but he didn’t really believe them.  He felt disappointed that she didn’t believe in love and that she didn’t even want to try to see if love could develop between them.  However, he also knew that it could happen, and he was going to keep trying.  He decided to drop the subject for now.

“I found a little mare on the side of the road on my way home this evening.  If no one claims her, she will be yours.  You need to have a way to get to town and it will be easier with the buggy.” Chase remembered seeing marks on the horse, showing that she had been trained to pull a buggy or wagon.  “Have you ever driven a buggy before?”

Hannah shook her head.  “There was never a need in Texas, and Jack wouldn’t let me learn.”

“Well, I am going to insist on you learning.  I don’t want you isolated out here, and you need to be able to get to town to buy food and other things we might need.”

I suspect the mare has been abused.  Every little thing scares her and she has a lot of scars.  I doubt anyone will claim her.  Hopefully with love and attention she’ll do well for you.  She is gentle.”

“How will I learn?  Will Lucy teach me to drive a buggy?”

Chase felt a deep disappointment that it didn’t even occur to her that he would be the one to teach her.

“No, I will.  It’s easy to learn.” He looked straight at her.  He felt disappointed and hurt, although he was careful not to let it show in his voice.  He knew she got the message when she looked at him and then looked away, tears filling her eyes, which she blinked back quickly.

Chapter 6

The harsh wind woke Hannah.  It blew like a hurricane against the house as if trying to get in.  She poked her head out of the covers and felt the icy air against her face.  She wondered what time it was.  In the living room a clock chimed faintly, four dongs.  It was 4:00 in the morning.  She started to feel her usual morning queasiness and carefully rolled to her side.  She stared at the sleeping man beside her.

She did not understand Chase.  He was unlike any man she’d ever known.  She could make out his high forehead and tousled dark hair.  He had a power that clung to him even in sleep.

Why hadn’t some woman claimed him?  She had a hard time believing that no woman that had lived around here wanted him, unless there was something he was hiding, a part of him she hadn’t seen yet.

Last night at the kitchen table, she had a glimpse of his anger, but he kept it under control.  After their conversation, he had not started drinking whiskey or forced himself on her.  He simply opened the window seat in the living room, picked out a book that looked well used, and started to read.  He hadn’t said anything when she picked up some mending and sat on the far end of the cushion knowing he was disappointed in her.  She ended up going to bed early.

She knew that Chase would be getting up soon, so she tossed back the covers and sat up slowly, hoping her stomach would settle.  Very carefully, so she wouldn’t wake up Chase, she pulled on her old robe and a pair of thin slippers and left the dark room.

She shivered all the way to the kitchen.  She quickly unearthed the ashes that had been banked the night before and began to add handfuls of kindling to start the fire.

“What in the world are you doing?”  A loud voiced startled her and she dropped some wood onto the floor.  She glanced up at the man towering above with anger on his face.

“I’m going to fix coffee,” she stuttered.

“But it’s freezing in here.  What are you thinking?”

“I’m sure you would like a cup of coffee before you go out and do the barn chores.  If you don’t want coffee I can make tea.”

“Hannah, lighting the wood stove is my job.  I don’t want you doing my work.  Go back to bed until it’s warm.”

“I just thought it would help you make your morning go easier.” She felt foolish.  She needed to do all that she could for him to make up for the fact that she could never love him.  If he wouldn’t accept her help, what could she do?

Chase quickly pushed her aside and took over the chore of starting the fire.  As soon as it was flaming brightly, he closed the wood door and turned to her.  "From now on, you stay in bed until the house is warm.” His tone told her he would not accept any argument.

Hannah started to nod her head reluctantly when suddenly she felt her stomach cramp and she covered her mouth.  She raced into the bedroom and slumped over the bucket.

****

I don’t know what to do about her,” Chase confessed to Betsy as he milked her.  “Can you give me any advice?  You’re a female.”

If the cow had any hints to share, she was keeping quiet.  She only flicked her tail and chewed her cud.

“Well, I figured you would stay silent on the subject,” Chase joked as he stripped her udder.

Chase quickly finished his barn chores, making sure Apache and the mare had clean straw and the food that they needed.  The mare seemed a little calmer and she followed all of his movements with her brown eyes.

“I can’t believe Hannah felt she needed to get up so early just to make me coffee,” he confessed to the mare.

He patted Apache on his neck.  “Enjoying your morning grain?  I think you are set for the morning.  Food, comfortable stall, water.  I’ll come by later to hitch you up for church.”

Chase glanced at the mare and saw that she had backed herself into the corner of her stall, as if she wanted to be as far from him as she could.

The mare reminded him of Hannah.

He closed the barn door and carried the full bucket of milk to the house.  He could see Hannah’s outline through the faded kitchen curtains.  He would almost bet money that she was making breakfast, even though when he had left her earlier, she felt very ill.

He just didn’t know how to fix things.  For the moment, he decided to let it go.  He reached the door and stomped the snow off his boots.  The warmth of the kitchen welcomed him as he hung up his coat and removed his boots.

He glanced at Hannah who still looked very pale.  She was at the stove stirring something.  When she noticed him, she gave him a small smile.  He remembered the words that she had said the night before.  “I will work hard.  I will keep my promise to be a good wife.” It mattered to her that she fulfilled her promise, the best she knew how.

He was starting to understand her a little better.  He had been alone too long, living as a bachelor too long.  He was starting to see that it wasn’t easy to learn another’s point of view of life.

He looked at the table, noticing all she had done to please him.  The dishes were placed neatly before each chair.  She had carefully folded the napkins at each plate.  A cup of steaming coffee had been set at his place.  There was a platter of pancakes, eggs, and bacon in the middle of the table, along with some biscuits.

He choked back the words that he wanted to say, that he didn’t require her to work too hard.  He knew he needed to say something else.  He set the pail of milk on the counter and then looked at her.

“You have set a very fine table.  I am excited to eat what you have prepared.”

He knew he had said the right thing when her face lit up, as if he had given her the sun, moon and stars.

“Go ahead and eat while the food is hot.”

They both took their places and Chase again offered a short blessing.

“You look like you feel better than you did yesterday,” Chase commented as he started to fill his plate.

“Lucy gave me some tea that I tried this morning and it made a great difference.  My stomach is much calmer this morning.”

“You don’t need to worry about cooking for lunch or dinner.” He broke apart a steamy buttery biscuit and added some jam.  He took a large bite and nearly groaned.  One thing he could give her, she sure could cook.  Neither of them were ever going to starve.

“Why not?” Hannah asked as she took a sip of her tea.

“It’s Sunday.  I am closed for business.  We will go to church, and then we have been invited over to my Pa’s house for dinner.  Lucy has been singing your praises and the entire family wants to meet you.”

“I guess it is good I was planning on wearing my new green dress today.”

****

Hannah had mixed feelings about the plans for the day.  It wasn’t that she disliked going to church.  She just hadn’t had much experience with it and it seemed like a useless activity to her.  She felt that most people who went to church, did it out of duty or obligation to society.  She wasn’t even sure she believed in a God.  If there was one, He hadn’t helped her much in her life so far, in her opinion.

And then there was the dinner with Chase’s family.  She knew that if all of Chase’s family showed up, there would be a large group of them.  She had never felt comfortable being around a lot of people.  That was when the judging and gossiping began.  Were they really anxious to meet her, or was Chase just saying that in order to get her to want to come?

Of course, she would go to church and to his Pa’s for dinner.  She had promised she would do her best to be a good wife.  If going to these types of events pleased him, maybe he wouldn’t keep expecting love from her.

Hannah finished the final touches to her hair as she stood in front of the mirror in their bedroom.  She set her brush down as Chase leaned against the doorway.

“You look very nice, Hannah.”

“Thank you,” Hannah told him with a small smile.  Of course, he would want her to look her best.  She was glad she decided to go ahead and accept the new clothes he had bought her.  Without him knowing, she stored her faded dress, shoes and coat in the bag she had brought with her and shoved it under the bed.  If something happened and she needed to leave, she still would have her old clothes, and she wouldn’t need to take what Chase had given her.

Hannah turned away from the mirror and took a good look at her husband as he leaned against the doorway, watching her.  Her heart skipped a beat as he looked at her intently, a sensation that was foreign to her.  He had combed his hair and it was brushed back away from his face.  He had on a red plaid shirt and what looked like new pants.  He had polished his cowboy boots and a blue scarf was tied around his neck.

“I’m ready,” Hannah told him, trying to keep her voice steady.  “We can go if you want to leave now.”

“I have Apache hitched to the buggy.  I want to make sure we have enough blankets.  I don’t want you to get cold in your condition.”

Chase quickly banked the fire while Hannah gathered a covered basket in her arms.

As they stepped out doors, Hannah commented, “I can see the sun and very few clouds.  It looks like the storm finally blew over.  I should be warm enough.”

“Except for the wind,” Chase grinned as he helped her into the buggy.  He tucked a blanket around her legs and then picked up the reins and hopped in the other side.

He noticed the covered basket at Hannah’s feet.  “What’s in there?”

"Left-over biscuits from breakfast.”

“You didn’t need to bring anything.”

“I wanted to.  I want to contribute something to the dinner.”

When they arrived at the small church, Chase guided the buggy next to a few others along a fence.  He helped her out and led her towards the church.

“Hello, Chase,” Hannah heard someone call and Chase waved his arm in welcome.  She noticed a familiar figure and as they walked closer, she saw Anna standing next to a large man.

“Hannah,” Anna said in welcome.  “I had heard you had come and had married Chase.  It is good to see you.” Anna gave Hannah a hug, which surprised her.  She had not been good friends with Anna and her friends, but they had always been nice to her, and it was good to see a familiar face.

Very quickly, the rest of Anna’s family had gathered around Hannah and Chase.  She learned that Anna and her husband, Alex, had two children, and it looked as though she was expecting her third.  Serena and Katrina greeted and welcomed her as Anna had and introduced their husbands.  Serena and Paul had one child.   Katrina and Luke had three children standing next to them.  One of them was an older girl, along with a toddler, and Katrina was holding a baby in her arms.

“You will have to come out and visit out at our ranch when it gets warmer,” Serena invited her.  “Or maybe we can stop by the next time we come to town during the week.”

“We rarely come to town during the winter because of the snow.  We just had to come today for church even though there is still some snow on the ground,” Katrina explained.  “And I am glad we did or we would have missed seeing you.”

“I can tell you have made Chase very happy,” Anna commented with a smile.  “You will have to tell us how you met.”

Chase slipped an arm around Hannah.  “We’d better go inside for the service.  I will bring her out to your ranch as soon as it has dried out a bit.”

The group moved as one towards the church and Hannah was glad Chase had interrupted them.  As pleased as she was to see familiar faces, and she could see how happy Anna, Serena, and Katrina were with their husbands and children, she felt depressed that she wasn’t able to love Chase and make him happy.

Chapter 7

Chase used the reins to encourage Apache into a trot.  “Are you ready to meet the rest of my family?  My family can be a lot to take in.”

“What do you mean?  I have met Lucy.  She was very nice.”

“Well, you’ll soon find out.”

Apache pulled up in front of a large two-story home.  Hannah was amazed at the size of it, especially for a small western town like Pine Valley.  It was located on the other side of town from Chase’s business and was surrounded by pine and aspen trees.  It was painted white with brown trim and had a wrap-around porch.  As Chase started to help her down, the door opened and a man burst through.

“Hello, Chase,” the man called as he ran down the steps.  “I wanted to be the first to meet your bride.”

As the man shook her hand, she glanced behind him and in the doorway clustered together were a number of people, including Lucy.

“Brent, meet Hannah.  Hannah, this is my brother, Brent.” Chase quickly made the introductions.  “Let’s get inside and you can meet the rest of my family where it is warm.” Chase ushered her into the home while Brent took hold of Apache’s reins and led the horse and buggy towards the barn.

Hannah’s cheeks heated as Chase swept her past the group of people.  She noticed that everyone was smiling at her in welcome.  She wasn’t used to so much attention.

“We’ve been waiting a long time for Chase to marry,” an older man boomed in a loud but pleasant voice.  “We never thought a woman would have him.”

“We are so happy for you both.” A woman stepped forward.  She had brown hair and green eyes and she greeted Hannah with a friendly smile.  “We are so excited to meet you.”

“Yes, we are pleased to meet you.”  Another woman pushed her way forward and reached to draw Hannah towards the parlor.  There were so many people.  The men were tall and broad-shouldered like Chase and the two women who stood beside them were likely their wives.  She could hear children playing in the background.

Hannah forced herself to speak.  She didn’t want to disappoint Chase on this first meeting, even though she felt very overwhelmed.  “Thank you for your kind welcome.  I am happy to be here, too.  I brought something for the dinner.” She thrust the basket at the nearest woman who took it with delight.

“It smells good.” She pulled the towel away to see what was underneath.  “Biscuits!  They look delicious and will be a great addition to the roast beef we made.” She took Hannah’s arm.  “Why don’t you come into the kitchen with us?”

“Yes, come join us,” Lucy seconded the invitation.  “We still have a few things to do and you can tell us all about yourself.”

“I’m Ruth.  I’m married to Brent,” the woman who had grasped her arm told her.  “And that is Nellie.  She is married to Anthony.”

“Let me have your coat, Hannah, and then you can go with the ladies if you choose.” Chase helped her remove her coat and hung it next to his in a closet.  Hannah knew he was letting her know he would stay next to her if she wished, like he had promised.

Suddenly, Chase’s father reached her and gave her a big bear hug.  This was totally unexpected and at first Hannah didn’t know what to think of it, but as he leaned away, Hannah could see the same twinkle in his eyes that she had seen before in Chase’s.  “Welcome to my home, Hannah.” She could tell that he was sincere and she immediately started to relax.  “I can see that Chase chose well.”

“I am fortunate that Hannah chose to marry me,” Chase announced to his family.

“I think I was the lucky one,” Hannah was able to quip as the women led her away.  She glanced over her shoulder with a smile, letting him know she would be fine.

****

“Where did she come from?” Brent asked as he shook his head.  “I didn’t know mail-order brides came like she did.”

“What I would like to know is why she’s with you,” teased Anthony.  “She agreed to marry you?  I’m in shock.”

“I know what you mean.” Chase meant his words even though he knew his brothers were teasing him.  He still remembered his first glance of Hannah standing against the train station wall, trying to keep herself out of the weather, anxiety showing on her face.  “I sure hope I can do all I need to, to deserve her.”

“I thought she’d be older since she’s a widow.  She looks very young,” Pa commented as he lit a cigar and started to puff.

Chase stood in front of the roaring fire to warm his hands.  How could he let his family know the expectations Hannah had inadvertently placed on their marriage?  He had always hoped for a good strong marriage, like his Ma and Pa had had.

****

Hannah listened with interest as Chase and his brothers reminisced about their childhood.  They talked about climbing trees and how Brent fell out of one and broke his arm.  Anthony told a few stories of how they liked to jump out of the haymow, even though it scared their ma to death.  She watched how Chase and his family interacted with each other as if they loved to be together.  The in-laws were included in the joking and stories.  They all took turns helping the four children when they needed it.  When the last bite was taken, Lucy stood up to clear the table and Hannah immediately started to rise to help.  Chase stopped her with a hand on her arm.

“I hope my family isn’t too much for you,” Chase whispered to her.  “Are you handling this okay?”

Hannah nodded her head.  “I love hearing the stories about your childhood.” It was nice to hear that there were some children who had a normal childhood and were loved right from the day they were born.   She wanted that for her baby.

Chase’s pa stood up along with the other men.  “Let’s go to the library,” he suggested, and then looked at Lucy.  “Unless you would like us to do the dishes?

“Oh, heavens no,” Lucy retorted with a mock frown.  “The last time I took you up on that offer, there was water all over the floor.  It looked like it had been flooded and it took forever to get it to dry.  No, I believe its best you let us women tidy things up.  You go ahead and enjoy yourselves.  We will bring in the dessert in a while.”

“You could watch the boys,” Nellie suggested to her husband, Anthony, and he nodded his agreement.  Hannah watched as they both exchanged a smile.  Soon the kitchen was empty except for the women.

Lucy started to fill a basin with water and Ruth gathered up some towels for drying.  Hannah stood and started to gather up dirty dishes.  The other women continued their chatter, but Hannah started to think about the meal she had just shared with Chase and his family.  It was very different than what she had been used to.  There had never been conversation when she lived with Dr. Wilson.  Meals were always quiet.

Jack sometimes would bring home men for her to serve a meal and entertain, but she was never asked to eat with them.  She had been required to stand and serve, making sure none of them ran out of coffee or whiskey.  Jack and his friends usually made such a mess, it would take her days to clean it all up.

Chase is a better man than I hoped for, she thought to herself.  She enjoyed the stories, but she enjoyed even more hearing Chase’s booming laugh, and his obvious happiness that he was spending time with his family.

Ruth and Nellie would not allow her to lift any heavy dishes, so she finally appointed herself to dry the dishes with Lucy who couldn't do any heavy lifting either since she was also expecting.

“I sure hope I’m having a girl this time,” Lucy announced.  “We need to add a girl to this family.”

Nellie turned to Hannah.  “How about you?  What do you want, a boy or a girl?

“How did you know?”  Hannah had wanted to keep it a secret for a while longer.

“I didn’t tell them,” Lucy told her as she put away the leftover food.

“Lucy made you ginger tea for dinner.  Anyone who wants that type of tea is most likely expecting,” Ruth explained with a grin.  “How far along are you?”

“Probably about three months.”

Nellie had picked up her crying son and started to nurse him.   Hannah marveled that Nellie handled her son so naturally.  She ran a hand over her son’s head lovingly.

“I’m a widow,” Hannah wanted to make sure they knew Chase was not the father, that they hadn’t met before.

“We know, dear,” Ruth smiled gently as she washed a dish and handed it to Hannah.  “Chase did tell us that.  He just didn’t tell us much else.”

“There isn’t much else to tell.” Her past history with Jack was something she didn’t want to discuss with anyone, much less Chase’s family.

“So, do you know what you want to have?”  Nellie asked again.

“I haven’t thought about it,” Hannah admitted.

“Well, if you have a girl, you will make Pa very happy,” Lucy quipped.  “He is so funny.  When I was pregnant with Charlie, Pa told me he wanted me to have a boy, but now after getting four grandsons, I think he’s ready for a girl.”

“We are very glad you are here and that you married Chase,” Ruth told Hannah.  “He deserves a good wife.”

“I don’t understand why he hasn’t married before now,” Hannah commented.

“Living in a town this size, there aren't very many unmarried women to choose from,” Lucy explained.

“Well, there was Susan,” Ruth said with a tease.

Hannah was curious and was glad Lucy continued her story.

“Yes, Susan grew up with Chase, but all she talked about was how she wanted to get out of Pine Valley and she did leave as soon as she graduated from school.”

“She broke his heart,” Ruth showed sympathy as she picked up a basin of dirty water and threw it out the door.  “It took him a while to get over her, and by then all the other women his age had married or left.”

“There was one time a single woman did come to live here, but she hardly gave Chase a glance and married someone else,” Nellie contributed to the conversation.

“And then there are those women the Bridgers married,” Ruth commented as she put the last of the plates away in a cupboard.

“I wouldn’t really count them,” Lucy said.  “It was destined that they married the Bridger brothers, all three of them.”

“He’s been looking for a wife for almost ten years,” Ruth explained.  “He watched Lucy and his two younger brothers marry and start families.”

“Why didn’t anyone want to marry him?”  Hannah wanted to know.

“We don’t know.  He certainly is handsome and charming enough.  Maybe he was waiting for you,” Lucy said.

“My guess is there was no one who clicked with him.  You know how it is.  You take one look at a man and you instantly know he is the one you want to spend the rest of your life with.” Nellie explained.

“Yes, that is how it was with Brent,” Ruth agreed.  “Love is a powerful thing.”

Hannah wished she knew what they were talking about.  A powerful click?  That definitely hadn’t happened with Jack.  And with Chase, she had been so nervous when she met him, that was all she felt.  Maybe the click only happened with people who had time to court and get to know each other properly.

“We can tell Chase cares for you,” Lucy pulled out a cake that had been sitting on the back of the counter.  She carried it to the kitchen table and started to cut it in pieces with a knife.  Ruth brought some small plates to the table.  “We are so glad you are here.  Chase has been lonely for a long time.”

“I…I just hope I can be the wife he needs,” Hannah stammered.

“You already are.” Lucy started to cut the cake.  The women quickly put a generous slice of cake on each plate, and then Lucy and Ruth picked up a few and left the kitchen in order to take the cake to the men in the library.

Hannah picked up two other plates and followed her new sisters.  She could hear loud laughter as they reached the library and her heart inadvertently jumped.  Were the men drinking?  When Jack brought men to the home, loud laughter was the first sign the men were starting to get drunk.  She wanted to turn around and hide in the kitchen, but she knew she needed to do her duty and serve the cake along with the other women.

“I sure love to hear them laugh,” Lucy commented with a grin at Hannah.  “They work so hard, it’s good to hear that they are relaxing.”

When Hannah entered the library, she quickly scanned the room.  There weren’t any glasses or bottles of whiskey anywhere.  Chase and his Pa were drinking coffee, but other than that, none of the men had glasses in their hands that would have been full of alcohol.  The other women handed out plates of cake and Hannah quickly gave Chase one of the plates she carried.

“Are you having a good time?”  Chase asked her as he accepted the plate.  He tapped the place next to him, indicating she should sit next to him, so she did.

“Yes, I am enjoying getting to know your family.”

“Lucy, this cake is delicious,” Pa complimented her as he took a huge bite.  Hannah took a careful bite and noticed there were some berries in it.  It was very good.

“I used up the last of my dried berries,” Lucy told everyone.  It is a good thing it is almost May.  I can’t wait until summer so I can replenish them.”

“Lucy grows strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries,” Chase told Hannah.

“We usually get together and make jam,” Ruth looked at Hannah.  “You will have to join us this year.”

“I would like that,” Hannah accepted the invitation.  She had made jam many times in Texas for the doctor and would enjoy making some again.

“Are you all right?”  Chase whispered to her.  “You look a little pale.  We can go if you would like.”

Hannah shook her head.  “I am fine.  I don’t want to take you away from your family.” She was so relieved that she didn’t find Chase and his family drinking, that she almost felt faint.  She was starting to really see that Chase was very different from her first husband.  His touch no longer frightened her.  In fact, she was starting to feel a strange sensation throughout her body every time he did touch her.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, Ruth told me she would teach me a new knitting stitch that I can use for a baby blanket.” Chase leaned back against his chair, accepting her words as truth.  Hannah was starting to realize that things were changing between them and Chase was starting to become a man she wanted to get to know.

****

“Did you have a good time with your brothers?” Hannah asked on the way home.

Chase nodded as he used the reins to get Apache to go a little faster.  “How did the knitting lesson go?”

“I really like the new stitch.  I can’t wait to try it out on my own.”

“The next time you are at the general store, go ahead and purchase as much yarn as you need.”

“I might.”

“If it wasn’t Sunday, I would drive you there now, but it is closed.” He hoped she really would purchase what she needed for the baby.

“How about if I give you your first driving lesson with the mare tomorrow?”   Chase suggested, changing the subject.  “As long as it isn’t too cold.”

“I would like that.” Hannah smiled her agreement.

“I have a small buggy you can use at the livery.  It is just the right size for the mare.  I will bring it home tomorrow.  You should be able to hitch it up yourself.”

Both were quiet for a while, thinking their own thoughts.  Chase was thinking of this time next year, when there would be a little child in their home.  A son who he could teach to ride a horse, or a daughter to, well, he wasn’t sure what he could teach a daughter, but he was sure he would figure out something.

Chapter 8

When they arrived at their home, Chase jumped down to the ground, still holding the reins to keep Apache in check.  “I will help you inside and stir up the fire.  Then I will take care of the barn chores.”

Hannah shook her head.  “No, go ahead and take care of Apache.  I’d like to go with you and see the horse you found for me.”

“All right,” Chase stepped back into the buggy and snapped the reins.  Soon they were moving across the yard toward the barn.  “Have you thought of a name for the mare, yet?”

“I have something in mind, but I would like to meet her first.”

Chase stopped the buggy and helped her to the ground.  He opened the barn door and then unhitched Apache.  She watched as he performed this chore and she couldn’t help but notice how masculine he looked.  His shirt pulled over his muscles as he quickly led Apache into the barn and his warm stall.  Betsy greeted them with a loud moo.

“I know, girl,” Chase called out to the cow.  “It’s a bit later than usual, but I will get to you in a minute.”

“I can milk her,” Hannah declared and quickly found a bucket and stool.  “It was always my job at the farm and I enjoyed it.”

“It’s not your job here,” Chase told her as he reached to take the pail from her, but Hannah pulled it away.

“I really would like to do it, Chase,” Hannah told him quietly.  She looked up at him and he could see her sincerity.  Chase wanted to reach for the pail again, but suddenly wanted to be able to hold her hand instead.  It was getting harder and harder not to touch her as much as he wanted to.

“Okay, I’ll make you a deal.  You can milk Betsy in the afternoons.  But I will continue to do it in the mornings and when it is too cold for you to be out in the weather.  Does that sound good?”

Hannah nodded and smiled at him.  She turned and started to milk the cow while Chase took care of Apache.  It was quiet in the barn for a while as they each performed their chores.

Then Chase noticed that Hannah had finished milking the cow and was standing outside of the mare’s stall looking at the horse.  She reached her hand out in invitation to come closer to her, but the horse stayed well out of reach.

“I don’t think it will take long for you to get her to trust you,” Chase commented.  “She’s skittish, but she is gentle and once she knows you, I think she will come right to you.” He picked up a bucket and poured some oats into it.  “Here.  Go ahead and see if she will take this from you.”

Hannah accepted the bucket and scooped up a handful of oats.  She held her hand out to the mare who still refused to come nearer, but Chase could tell she wanted the oats.  Hannah was very patient and after a few minutes, the mare did come a few feet closer, but she still wouldn’t eat the oats from Hannah’s hand.

****

Hannah watched as the mare’s coat flickered with fear.  “Is she all right?”  she asked Chase.  She felt disappointed that the mare wouldn’t eat the oats she had in her hand.

“She just needs to get used to you.” Chase closed Apache’s stall door as the large horse helped himself to his dinner.  He walked closer to Hannah and her body tingled with awareness as he neared her.

“I think she was a beautiful horse at one time.  Once she gets some good meals into her and she fills out, she will be beautiful again.”

“I think she’s already beautiful,” Hannah told him loyally.  She tried to push the excitement of having a horse of her own down deep inside her.  Something could happen.  Chase could decide he couldn’t afford to feed her after all, or be afraid she wouldn’t be a good driving horse.  She remembered that Chase had found the horse on the side of the road.  What if her previous owner found her and wanted her back?  She knew that good things never lasted long and it was best if she didn’t count on them.

After a few more minutes, Chase opened the stall and quickly cleaned up the dirty straw and spread new straw on the floor.  He measured grain and added the small bucket of oats to her trough.

“We’d better get inside before it gets too much colder,” he told Hannah as he closed the stall door.  Hannah sighed in disappointment and turned to follow him.  She would come out again tomorrow when it was warmer and see if she could get the mare to trust her then.

When they entered the little cabin, Chase immediately got the fire going in the wood stove.  After the large dinner they had eaten with Chase’s family, they had spent the entire afternoon together.  They had eaten a small meal with Chase’s family before they left, so Hannah knew she wasn't expected to make them a meal now, but she put on a pot of water for tea.

She turned and almost ran right into Chase’s chest; he had been standing so close to her.  She placed her hands on his chest to catch herself and found herself looking into his eyes.  What she saw confused her and at the same time, thrilled her.  He was looking into her eyes, and then at her lips.  She knew he wanted to kiss her and she inadvertently leaned closer, suddenly wanting to feel his lips against her own.  He gently gathered her closer to him and carefully kissed her.  He pulled a short distance from her for a moment as if to give her time to push him away and when she didn’t, he kissed her again.

What were these feelings she was having towards Chase?  A strange sensation swept over her, emotion filled her so completely she almost couldn’t breathe.  She quickly stepped away from him.  She could see the disappointment on Chase’s face, but he allowed her to move away.

“Chase?” she asked him, wondering what just happened.

“I guess you could say I am easily distracted by a pretty face,” he cleared his throat, using humor to let her know he wasn’t upset with her.

She smiled and for a moment she thought about inviting him to kiss her again, but Chase started to leave the room.  “I have something I need to do before bedtime.” And then she was alone in the chilly kitchen.

****

Over the next few days, Hannah felt slightly uncomfortable around Chase.  She wasn’t sure what to think about the emotions she was starting to feel for him and she continually pushed them away.  She constantly felt tired and there were some days where it was all she could do to get the simple chores and meals completed.  She couldn’t believe that pregnancy could make her so drained.

When Chase was home, he made sure she rested and did not over do.  The day after the dinner with his family, he hitched the mare to the small buggy he had brought home from the livery and gave her some driving lessons.  Hannah was looking forward to when Chase felt she could handle the mare well enough to go to town on her own.  She was looking forward to the freedom she would have.

One evening, when Chase arrived home after a long work day, he handed her a package.   Inside were many skeins of yarn of green, yellow, blue, and pink.

“You can use this yarn to start the blanket you wanted to knit,” Chase told her as she fingered the soft strands.

Hannah felt very overwhelmed that Chase had done such a thing.   He had remembered that she had learned a new stitch and had provided her with the yarn to make the blanket she had talked about.

“Thank you,” Hannah told him sincerely.   This gift he had given her meant more to her than the clothes he had purchased for her.   She spent the evening working on the blanket, picturing what it would look like wrapped around a new little baby.

A few days later, she was so tired that Chase insisted she sit while he did the evening dishes.  Hannah tried to argue with him, but she felt so fatigued, she finally sat at the table and watched him do her work.  She knew his concern was valid, but she promised herself she would make sure she got enough rest that night so she would be able to get all of her work done tomorrow.

They spent a quiet evening together.  Chase read a chapter of a book out loud to her while she continued to knit the blanket.

****

“Why don’t you go to bed early?”  Chase suggested.  He felt very concerned about how tired she seemed.  He had asked Lucy about it and she had told him it was normal to be very tired on some days when a woman is pregnant.

He felt even more concern when Hannah nodded her agreement and quietly left the room.  He heard her movements in their bedroom as she readied herself for bed.  He knew she had climbed into bed when he heard the creaks of the bed as she settled herself for the night.

He tried to focus on his book, but soon set it aside, and started to think of “the kiss.” That was how he thought of it, in quotes.  He had been thrilled when she had allowed him to hold her close and even more thrilled when he could tell she wanted him to kiss her.  A woman always had a certain look on her face when she desired a man, even though she might not be aware of it.

It had started to snow again, and he could hear the wind blow against the snug cabin.  He finally decided to go to bed himself and walked into the dark room.  When his eyes had adjusted to the dark, he could see her sleeping form.  She looked cold to him since she shivered a few times under the covers, so he pulled out an extra blanket and draped it over her.

He knew the deep concern he felt for her was slowly turning into the first seeds of love, and try as he might, he couldn’t stop himself from these feelings.  He knew she didn’t want his love and she had been pretty adamant about it.

He tugged off his boots and readied himself for bed, and then slipped in beside her.  In her sleep, Hannah snuggled closer to his warmth, and he welcomed her in his arms.  As he laid there with her sleeping in his arms, he made an instant decision.  Maybe she wouldn’t let herself love him, but something had happened between them a few nights ago during “the kiss.” It made him think that there was something between them, something she wasn’t ready to recognize yet.  He would continue to show her that he cared and if that meant he was developing a love for her, then so be it.

Chapter 9

Hannah woke feeling as if something wasn’t quite right.  She laid in the dark and realized that Chase’s arms were around her.  She carefully eased herself away from him and he rolled over onto his side in his sleep.

What was wrong?  Was it time to get up already?  Then she felt a sharp cramp, a deep ache that spread across her belly.  She noticed that she felt wet around her legs.  She reached her hand down to investigate and then the sharp cramp came again, causing her to cry out in pain.

Her cry woke Chase.  “Is something wrong?” he asked groggily.

The cramp was so hard, Hannah couldn’t speak, but could only cry out again.  Chase quickly lit a lamp and pushed the blankets back.  What she saw caused tears to fill her eyes.  There was lots of blood.  She was losing the baby.

“I need to get you to the doctor.” Chase quickly pulled on some pants and his boots while Hannah shivered in the middle of their bed.

“I’m so sorry, Chase,” she sobbed, her tears falling onto her pillow.  “Something is wrong with the baby.” Then pain streaked through her again, making it hard to breathe.

“Come on, I’m taking you to the doctor.” He scooped her up, blankets and all, and started to run toward the barn.

“It’s too late,” Hannah cried, but Chase continued to the barn, doing his best to keep her out of the cold wind.  She buried her face in his shoulder as she held onto him.  Then suddenly, everything went black.

****

Chase sat next to Hannah in the doctor’s office waiting for her to wake up and he was discovering that waiting was agony.  He was grateful he had been able to get her to the doctor in time.  She had lost the baby, but the doctor had been able to stop the bleeding.  He told Chase that, while Hannah would have a long recovery since she had lost a lot of blood, there was no reason for her not to get pregnant again.

If he hadn’t made it in time, if anything had happened to her, he couldn’t bear to think of it.  He now knew he loved her like he had never loved another, and couldn’t bear to think that he might have lost her.

The doctor’s wife came into the room and checked Hannah.  “She seems to be resting quietly now,” the woman whispered.  She handed Chase a cup of hot coffee.  “You can go home now if you want.  She will be fine here.”

Chase accepted the cup of coffee as he shook his head.  He wasn’t going to go anywhere until he could take her home.  The woman accepted his decision and quietly left the room.

Was this his fault?  He had done everything he could to keep her from doing too much.  Was it because he allowed her to milk Betsy at her insistence?   He knew she had spent the entire day polishing all the wood furniture in the house a few days ago.  Was that what caused this?  He had been angry with her for the first time when he found out what she had spent her day doing.  Didn’t she understand that he was trying to take care of her?  However, she was determined to fulfill her part of the bargain, that she was a strong worker and would be a good wife to him.  He had asked the doctor what he thought, but the doctor just shook his head.

“These things happen, son,” he had told Chase in his gruff voice.  “Some women carry their babies to term and some don’t.  I don’t think anything causes miscarriages to happen.  It just does.  There is no point blaming yourself.”

As the sun slowly started to light the room with its morning glow, Hannah started to stir and a strong love for her ran through him.  He promised himself he would do everything he could to teach her that love mattered, that his love for her was real.

****

“Chase?” Hannah whispered as she turned her head to look at him.  “Where am I?  What happened?”

“We are at the doctor’s, honey,” Chase grasped her hand in his own.  He wondered if she would remember what happened and started to tell her when her face scrunched up in a sob.

“I’m so sorry I lost our baby,” her voice broke as she cried.

“You don’t have to apologize.  This wasn’t your fault.” Chase wanted to gather her into his arms, but knew all he could do was hold her hand.

“I know you wanted this child.  It was why you married me.  I let you down.”

“I can’t lie to you.  I did want this child.  I was looking forward to being a pa, but what happened was not your fault.”

However, Hannah knew she had disappointed him.  Would he still want her now that she wasn’t carrying a child?  She could feel his grief and anguish over the loss.  There was nothing she could do to make this up to him.

“All that matters right now is that you rest and get better,” Chase’s voice broke through her thoughts.  She nodded and closed her eyes as if to sleep.

Chase took her home later that day.  He carefully carried her to the waiting buggy with Apache hitched to the front.  He treated her so cautiously, as if she was made of glass, and a need for him swept through her, but she pushed the feelings away.  She couldn’t need him, reach out for him.  Not now.  Not after what she had lost, the baby he had wanted so badly that he had married her for it.

Once they arrived at the cabin and Chase had settled her in a clean bed, he left to take care of the chores.  Hannah had learned he had closed the livery for a few days so he could care for her.  He also arranged for Ruth to come and help during the day.

During the next few days, she refused to talk to anyone.   All she could think about was the loss of the baby.  Everything had been going so well and then this had happened.  She needed to remember that good things never lasted for her.  She should have remembered that and prepared herself.  She knew better.

Chase had made her believe in the good things of life.  He was kind to her and had lured her into thinking she was finally safe, that the hard times were over.  And then the worst thing happened.  She lost her baby and her husband all in one night.

After the second day, Lucy had come to spend the day and convinced Chase that it might be best that he go ahead and open the livery.  “She just needs time,” Hannah heard his sister tell him.  Hannah felt a sense of relief when she no longer heard his boots pacing on the wood floor of the cabin.  When she heard him leave on Apache, she let herself sleep.

Chapter 10

Chase opened the large double doors of his blacksmith business and got things ready for the day.  It seemed he was doing everything in slow motion.  The hardest thing he ever had to do was to leave Hannah behind in Lucy’s care, but he knew he couldn’t do anything for her.  She hadn’t talked to him since the conversation at the doctor’s.  She wouldn’t look at him and turned away whenever he entered the room.  He had spent the last two nights sleeping on the sofa because he wanted to give her space, but also because he felt she didn’t want him around.

He had put away the baby blanket that had been sitting on the window seat in the living room, right where Hannah had left it.  Maybe when she was able to get out of bed, if it wasn’t in her sight, she would accept the loss of the baby better.

He felt that their marriage was at a turning point.  The closeness that they had begun to share was no longer there.  It wasn't strong enough to endure a loss like this.  He had a terrible fear that he was going to lose her too.  In fact, he wondered if he already had.

****

Three weeks after the loss of the baby, Hannah waited in her bed until she heard Chase leave for the livery.  For the first time, she was totally alone.  Up until this morning, Lucy, Ruth, or Nellie had spent the day with her while Chase was at work.   Since she had lost so much blood, and she had been very weak, it was taking her a long time to recover.   She was grateful for the help she had received from Chase’s family, but she was glad she finally had some time to herself without someone hovering and giving her unwanted advice and help.

She carefully got out of bed and dressed for the day.  She felt weak, but she was stronger than she was the day before.  She brewed some tea and enjoyed a cup at the kitchen table, along with a piece of bread and jam.  Then she knew what she needed to do.

She went into the bedroom and bent to pull out the bag with her old clothes in it from under the bed.  She carefully changed out of the dress Chase had bought her and put on the faded patched one.  She made sure that only the clothes that she had brought with her were in the bag.

She knew that if she asked Chase if he wanted her to stay, he would tell her yes, because that was the kind of man he was.  He would never turn her out, turn her away.  However, she knew he had married her because he wanted to be a father, and now that was no longer an option.  She needed to leave.

She didn’t know where she would go.  Maybe she would be able to find a job in a city nearby.  She could take care of herself.  She didn’t need a man to take care of her.

She stepped out of the cabin and set the bag down on the porch.  She would go to the barn and hitch up the mare.  Even though she hadn’t driven the horse and buggy by herself, or hitched it up by herself for that matter, she thought she could do it since she had watched Chase very carefully.  She would drive the mare and buggy to the nearest city and then make arrangements to have them returned to Chase.  But when she got to the barn, the mare wasn’t there.  Did Chase take her away?

She left the barn, looked around, and then saw the horse in a nearby fenced field.  Hannah watched the mare for a few minutes.  The horse seemed to be enjoying the freedom of being out in the spring sunshine because she was running along the fence, nickering a few times.  When the horse saw her, she slowed to a stop.  Hannah leaned against the fence and held her hand out, not expecting the horse to come to her, yet she thought she would try anyway.  The horse stood still watching her for a while, and then something unexpected happened.  The mare’s brown eyes looked at her as if asking her a question.  She then slowly started to take one step, and then another, until she was standing just out of reach of Hannah’s outstretched hand.  The mare was poised as if ready to run away at the slightest movement, but her eyes seemed to tell Hannah that she wanted to trust her.

“I would have named you Sunbeam,” Hannah whispered to the horse.  “I think we could have been friends.”

Then the mare did something that Hannah never thought she’d see.  The horse walked right up to her and placed her nose into her hand.  She was telling Hannah that she trusted her.  Hannah raised her other hand and started to pet the side of her face.  The horse didn’t move away.  After all that Sunbeam had been through, she was allowing herself to trust again.

Something changed in Hannah’s heart.  If an abused horse could give life a chance again, shouldn’t she be able to?

“I thought the mare would enjoy some time in the sunshine and to stretch her legs.”

Hannah was startled at the words and turned around.  Chase was standing a few feet away, looking at her with a sad smile.

“Her name is Sunbeam.” They were the only words she could think to say to him.  They both stood and looked at each other for a few moments.   “I thought you had left for the day.”

“I came back.  I wanted to check on you since this was the first day on your own.  I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

Hannah watched as his eyes went to the porch where the bag was sitting with her old clothes in it, her old life.  She watched as his eyes saddened and she thought she could see a film of tears and devastation form on his face.

Suddenly, she would have given anything to be in his arms.  She knew without words what he was telling her, that he loved her, and that he desperately did not want her to leave.

“I have just one question and I would like you to think about it, deep down inside, before you answer.  Do you really want to leave?” he asked her.

“Don’t you think it will be for the best?  The baby is gone.” Hannah looked at the ground, not wanting to see the emotions that were on his face.

“It’s true that I wanted the baby and I am sad it will no longer be born, but I didn’t marry you just for the baby.  You are the wife I want.  I want you.”

She thought of his question that he asked her to think about.  Did she really want to leave?  She suddenly knew the answer.  No, she did not.  She wanted to stay and be Chase’s wife.  She wanted to live her life in this little cabin he had built with his own hands.  She wanted to enjoy the peace and quiet of this life he had provided for her.

She looked at Sunbeam.   The mare was still standing near her.  Who knew what the mare had been through in her life, but she was willing to give Hannah a chance.  Why couldn’t Hannah do the same?

“I don’t want to hurt you,” she blurted out.  “What if I lose another child?  What if I can’t carry another?”

“You will hurt me if you leave.  I still want you to be my wife even if we never have a child.”

She was startled at his words.  Did he really mean them?  For the first time, she allowed herself to look in his eyes, the windows of his soul, and what she saw touched her clear to her own soul.  He loved her.  He meant what he said.  He didn’t want her to leave.

Suddenly, she felt a rush of emotions that she had never felt before.  Did she love him too?  She cried out and flung herself at him in a big hug.  He caught her and laughed out loud.  He swung her around, both of them laughing with joy as he did so.  “Love can heal anything,” he told her.  “Your love healed Sunbeam.   My love has healed you.”

“I think I love you,” she said the words out loud with wonder.  She had never said those words before to anyone.

“I know you love me,” he chuckled and planted a kiss on her nose.  He swept her into his arms and headed towards the cabin.  She put her arms around his neck as he carried her into their home.  She knew that their marriage wouldn’t be a fairytale.  There would be good times as well as bad, but spring had come, to the beautiful mountain land of her new home, and to her heart.

The End

Thank you for reading this book and I hope you enjoyed it and it brought you enjoyment for a few hours.

Please go to Amazon and consider writing a review and tell your friends about this book.  Doing so will help make my other books even better.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Please visit Zoe Matthews on the web!

Website:  www.zoematthewsromances.com

Face book:  www.facebook.com/ZoeMatthews

OTHER BOOKS BY ZOE MATTHEWS

Orphan Train Romance Book Series

This is a multiple western romance series about a group of orphans who live in a New York orphanage.  They are given an opportunity to travel on an Orphan Train to a small town in Texas to be placed with families so they can have a new life.  Some books are about the parents that adopt them, and some are about the orphans themselves.

An Unexpected Family, Book 1

This is free on amazon

The Promise of a Family, Book 2

Big Spring Ranch:  Anna, Book 3

Big Spring Ranch:  Serena, Book 4

Big Spring Ranch:  Katrina, Book 5

Orphan Train Romance Series, Books 1 through 5

Westward Promises, Book 6

Westward Skies, Book 7

Majestic Mountain Ranch Romance Series

Introducing a six-part western romance series about six siblings who work together to turn their family cattle ranch deep in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado into a dude ranch. They are each given a job to do, and along the way, they each find love and romance.

Colorado Dreams, Book 1

Sierra and Logan’s Story

Colorado Secrets, Book 2

Stephanie and Bridger’s Story

Colorado Destiny, Book 3

Sadie and Hunter’s Story

Colorado Dawn, Book 4

Stella and Cade’s Story

Colorado Skies, Book 5

Spencer and Emma’s story

Colorado Promises, Book 6

Sheridan and Megan’s story

Colorado Christmas, Book 7

Final Book to the Series

Majestic Mountain Ranch Series:

Books 1 through 7

Mail-Order Brides of America Series

Introducing a brand new series that features an orphan girl who lives in "Mary's Home for Girls" which is located in North Carolina. As each girl becomes an adult, some choose to become a mail-order bride. Each story will be based in a different state and will be a stand-alone.

Iowa Destiny

Texas Hearts

Montana Legacy (Coming Soon)

Mail-Order Brides Time Travel Romances

By Zoe Matthews and Jade Jensen

(A mother/daughter writing team)

Four O’Conner siblings live deep in the Rocky Mountains in the 1890s.  Follow this family as they each fall in love – with someone from the future!

Touched By Time, Book 1

Secrets of Time, Book 2

River of Time, Book 3

Winds of Time, Book 4

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Zoe started writing as a young teenager and has kept that passion alive throughout her life. At any one time she can be found relaxing and devouring a good western romance novel or gathering information for one of her own future books.

She loves living in the high mountain deserts of the western United States. Her hobbies include photographing desert landscapes and her adorable grandchildren as well as dabbling in watercolors.

Her perfect summer days would be spent up at the family cabin writing, painting, hiking and associating with family.