Mail Order Bride - Westward Secrets: A Clean Cowboy Romance Novel (Montana Mail Order Brides Book 13) Read online

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  ****

  LINDA BRIDEY

  Mail Order Bride: Westward Secrets

  Montana Mail Order Brides: Book Thirteen

  Dedication

  To YOU, The reader.

  Thank you for your support.

  Thank you for your emails.

  Thank you for your reviews.

  Thank you for reading and joining me on this road.

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Epilogue

  Connect With Linda

  Linda’s other books

  Copyright

  Chapter One

  “Ryan, put that down and come with me, please,” Gina said to her four-year-old son.

  “Mommy, can I have a train?” he asked as he showed her the little toy train.

  Gina’s heart sank as she said, “Not today, honey. We have to go pick up your sister from Judy’s. I don’t want to be late.”

  “Ok,” Ryan said as he put the train back.

  Gina could have cried when she saw the disappointment on his sweet little face. His brown eyes, which he had inherited from her, were sad as they left the store.

  The truth was that she just didn’t have the money for toys. Every penny she had at the moment went on food, clothing, and shelter for her children and her. There was very little left over, if any, and toys just didn’t fit into the budget. It made her angry because she was sick of having to deny her children the simple joys in life like a little toy train.

  Gina took Ryan’s hand and walked with him down past other stores. She looked in the windows as they passed by and she saw a blue velvet gown with silver trim. Just once she would like to be able to wear something like that.

  She looked down at the faded blue calico dress she wore under her equally faded gray sweater and sighed. Gina completely understood how Ryan felt. There were things that she would like to have but would never be able to buy. They turned left at the next corner and walked for another ten minutes.

  Ryan got over his disappointment and started talking nonstop, as was his habit. He talked about the things they saw and what he would do once they got home. The little boy talked about how annoying his sister was and asked what they would have for supper. He sang and kicked rocks and was entertaining in general. Gina could always count on Ryan to cheer her up with his humorous observations about people and places.

  “Mommy, that lady’s hair looks like the bird’s nest me an’ Judy found yesterday,” he said in a loud voice.

  “Shh! Ryan, that is not a nice thing to say,” Gina admonished him but silently she agreed with her son.

  “But it does,” Ryan insisted. “I like it. Lady, I like your hair!” he called across the street to the woman.

  “Ryan! Stop that! I’m so sorry,” she said to the woman. “You know how kids are.”

  The woman gave her a cross look and continued on her way. Gina hid her smile from Ryan, she didn’t want to encourage his bad behavior.

  “Ryan, I don’t want you talking to strangers, remember? And it’s not polite to say things like that about people. You keep things like that to yourself,” she said.

  “Ok. But didn’t it look like a bird’s nest?” Ryan asked.

  Gina laughed now that they were out of earshot. “Yes, Ryan, it did, but you don’t say things like that aloud.”

  They arrived at the home of Judy Burke, Gina’s close friend who watched the kids for her sometimes.

  Judy answered the door and smiled. “Hi. C’mon in. Chloe is watering my plants for me. She said they needed a drink.”

  Gina chuckled and said, “She loves anything that grows.”

  “Chloe, your mother is here!” Judy called out. “She sure does.”

  Rapid footsteps sounded on the stairs and her ten-year-old daughter came into the parlor. Her curly blonde hair bounced as she ran over to her mother. Lively green eyes looked up at her. “Hi, Mommy. I was helping Judy with her plants.”

  Gina stroked her silky hair. “That was very nice of you, honey. Get your sweater. We need to go. We have to pack so we can leave tomorrow.”

  Judy sighed. “I know this is the best thing for you and the children, but I’m going to miss you.”

  Gina smiled and hugged Judy as she blinked back tears. “We’ll miss you, too.”

  Chloe was also sad to leave Ohio. The girl was not happy about moving to Montana, but Gina knew that there was no future in Martins Ferry. After two years as a single woman after the death of her husband, Gina had come to the hard conclusion that she could not continue on her own. She needed a husband.

  If she’d only had to take care of herself, she wouldn’t have considered remarrying. However, she had two children to support and her finances were getting worse instead of better. They had to come first.

  One of her other friends, Tina, had convinced her to become a mail-order-bride since it was a good bet she’d find someone who wouldn’t mind that she had two children. Backed into a corner, Gina had given it a try and had written to four different men. After the first two had turned out to be overbearing men, who expected a woman to be subservient, she had dismissed them. The other two men seemed very pleasant, but one changed his mind about taking on the children. So she was left with Steven Johnson from Dawson, Montana.

  Steve, as he preferred to be called, was a witty man in his early forties who hadn’t been ready to settle down until now. He would have liked to have had children and he was very accepting of Ryan and Chloe. Since he made good money as a bank manager, Steve had been willing to send her the money to cover the trip for the three of them.

  Dear Gina,

  Don’t argue with me about this. I know the reason you keep delaying the trip here is because you don’t have the money. I’m very anxious to meet you and the kids, so please take this and come as soon as you can. Let me know when you leave so I know when you’ll get here.

  I also know you’re not going to have the money for a hotel room and I know your pride isn’t going to allow you to accept money for the trip and for lodging, so you can stay at my place. It won’t be improper because, as you will recall, my sister Elise lives with me and we have a housekeeper. Therefore, there will be chaperones present.

  Please don’t make me get down on my knees and beg you to accept my offer because it’s very uncomfortable writing from that position. Plus, Elise will think I’ve gone insane if she finds me doing that. She’ll want to put me away somewhere and then you won’t be able to come here. So take the check and cash it and buy your tickets.


  Yours,

  Steve

  Gina had positive feelings about Steve but was nervous about leaving Martins Ferry. She’d grown up there and moving so far away was a major change. It was scary going to meet a man she’d only had contact with through letters, even though they’d corresponded since June.

  As they finished packing that day, Ryan asked, “Mommy, what’s Montana like?”

  Gina smiled. Ryan had asked this question repeatedly, even though she’d already told him several times.

  “Steve says Dawson is very pretty and the people there are very nice. There are real cowboys and ranchers there. They have a good school and there are a lot of other kids you’ll be able to make friends with.”

  Ryan smiled. “I wanna see the cowboys and you said they got Indians, too.”

  “That’s right,” Gina said. “You’ll have plenty to do there.”

  Chloe hated that her mother was remarrying. Her expression was mutinous as she said, “I don’t wanna meet nobody. I’m going to hate them.”

  Gina responded, “Chloe, you have to give it a chance. You have to give Steve and everyone else a chance, too. I’m sure you’ll find a lot to like in Dawson.”

  “I won’t. I don’t want you to marry someone else. I want Daddy,” Chloe said as she crossed her arms over her chest. Her eyes brightened with tears.

  Gina hugged her and said, “Me, too, honey, but Daddy isn’t coming back. He would want us to be happy, so that’s what we’re going to do. Ok?”

  “Ok.” Chloe’s tone said that it was anything but all right.

  Gina sighed and set about cooking supper, their last meal in their little apartment. After supper, Gina played a couple of games with her kids and then put them to bed. She sat down in a chair and was glad of the quiet. She and the kids had said their goodbyes to her parents the previous evening, because she didn’t want them upset on the eve of their trip. She wanted them to get a good night’s sleep.

  Saying farewell to her parents was very hard for her since they were close, but her parents were struggling with finances themselves and weren’t able to help Gina and the children. As they’d left her parents, Gina had had a difficult time not crying like the children had. They loved their grandparents and Ryan in particular was close with her father.

  Gina was tired and tried not to think about all of this as she lay down to sleep. They were leaving on the first train in the morning, so she needed to get some rest. As she fell asleep she prayed that they would have a good trip and that Steve would be everything he claimed to be.

  Chapter Two

  Gina and the children arrived in Dawson frazzled and exhausted. Ryan had been bored and occupied himself by chattering to everyone they met. Gina had constantly had to correct him and apologize to people on the trains and the stage coaches. Chloe had sulked the whole way and complained about everything from the food to how hard the seats were. Nothing suited her and Gina had seriously contemplated spanking both of them a couple of times. She had refrained, however, and she was relieved to have finally arrived at their destination.

  They waited at the depot for Steve. And waited. And waited some more. Gina wondered where on Earth Steve was since he had assured her that he would meet them. He didn’t seem like the kind of man who would send her money for the trip and then not show up.

  Gina noticed a pregnant woman, who looked ready to give birth at any moment, walking past the depot and thought maybe she knew Steve.

  “Excuse me,” she said to the woman.

  “Hi,” the woman said.

  “I was wondering if you know Steve Johnson? We’re supposed to meet him here, but he hasn’t shown up yet,” Gina said.

  The blonde woman said, “I’m Sammi Taylor.”

  “Gina Silvetti.”

  “Nice to meet you, Gina.”

  “You, too,” Gina said. “Do you by chance know Steve Johnson, the bank manager?”

  A funny look crossed Sammi’s face. She looked at the children and then back at Gina. Gina had a sinking feeling inside. It was obvious that Sammi didn’t want to talk in front of Ryan and Chloe.”

  “Chloe, please take Ryan and go inside for a few minutes,” Gina directed.

  Chloe did as she was asked and led her brother inside.

  Sammi came over and sat on the bench with Gina. “Are you here to marry Steve?” Sammi asked.

  Gina’s face registered surprise. “Yes. How did you know?”

  Sammi chuckled. “I was a mail-order-bride. There’s a lot of us here. One of our town doctors runs a part-time bride service. He mentioned to a few people that you’d be comin’, but he didn’t say the exact day.” She sighed. “Anyway, I hate to have to tell you this, but Steve passed away a few days ago.”

  Sammi’s statement was so shocking that Gina couldn’t make sense of it at first.

  “What?” she asked dumbly.

  Sammi looked into her dark eyes and felt a wave of sympathy for Gina. “He passed away about four days ago and was buried yesterday. I’m so sorry, Gina. Ben, our other doctor, said his ticker gave out.”

  Gina suddenly felt dizzy as she listened to Sammi. Sammi saw Gina’s face drain of color and her hand grasp the arm of the bench.

  “Don’t pass out on me, Gina,” she said. “I can’t pick you up if you fall over. Breathe, Gina, breathe.”

  Gina did as Sammi directed and tried to ward off the panic that threatened to claim her. “What am I going to do? We can’t go back home. We don’t know anyone here. I don’t have much money so I can’t afford a hotel. Where will we go? Maybe Steve’s sister will let us stay with her until I can find a job and be able to afford a place.”

  Sammi nodded. “She might let you do that. For now, get your kids and we’ll go to the sheriff’s office. We can sort of come up with a plan and get you and the kids something to eat.”

  Gina considered her offer. “The sheriff wouldn’t mind?”

  “Nope. He’s my husband, so I oughta know,” Sammi said as she got up slowly.

  “Ok,” Gina said. “What other choice do I have?”

  When she collected the children, they were full of questions. As gently as possible, Gina explained what had happened.

  “I knew it wasn’t a good idea to come here,” Chloe said with a scowl.

  Ryan was quiet as he tried to figure out what it meant. His four-year-old mind didn’t fully grasp the concept of death. They followed Sammi’s slow progress up the street and then they turned right at the next corner. Upon reaching the sheriff’s office Sammi introduced her to her husband, Mitch Taylor.

  The tall, blond man looked at her with kind brown eyes. “I’m sorry it’s under these circumstances, but it’s nice to meet you,” he said after Sammi explained the situation to him.

  “Thank you,” Gina said. She felt as if she were trapped in a nightmare.

  “Ma’am, why don’t you have a seat?”

  Gina looked to her right at a younger man wearing a deputy’s badge. He was appealing with his blond good looks and blue eyes. He indicated a table with several chairs sitting around it.

  “Thank you,” Gina said again. “Come sit down,” she said to Chloe and Ryan.

  They followed their mother. Ryan climbed onto a chair while he stared at the sheriff. He’d never met a sheriff and he was fascinated. “Do you shoot your gun?” he asked.

  “Ryan, the sheriff is busy. Don’t bother him,” Gina said.

  Mitch grinned and sat down opposite the boy. “It’s ok. Only if I really have to.”

  “Can I see it?” Ryan asked.

  “Oh, I don’t think that’s a good idea, buddy. It’s a real gun and not for fellas your age,” Mitch said.

  “Ok. Do you got any bad guys here?” Ryan asked.

  “Not right now, but sometimes we do,” Mitch answered. Then he looked at Sammi and said, “Restless again, huh?”

  “Yeah, I can’t sit my big self still,” Sammi said, looking at the deputy who was trying not to laugh. “Shut up, Jack. I swear if you don�
�t stop that, I’ll—”

  “—Sammi,” Mitch warned with a glance at the kids.

  Sammi scowled at Jack whose shoulders shook with silent laughter. “I’ll get you, Jack. Just you wait. I better get goin’ or you’ll have to lock me up in one of those cells.”

  “I thought Owl was meeting you for lunch?” Mitch said.

  Sammi smacked her forehead. “Oh Lord, you’re right. He’s gonna think I forgot him. I better get going because it’s gonna take me a year to get to the Grady House.”

  “What’s the Grady House?” Ryan asked.

  Jack said, “It’s a restaurant here in town. You want me to carry you over, Sammi?” he teased her.

  Sammi seriously considered it for a moment. “No. I’ll break your back. Gina, it’ll be ok. These fellas will take good care of you.”

  Mitch got up and kissed his wife and gave her a smile. “You be careful. I wish you’d just stay home, but I know that ain’t gonna happen.”

  Sammi patted his cheek. “You’re such a smart man. No wonder you’re the sheriff.”

  Mitch grinned and said, “Get going before your lunch date comes lookin’ for you.”

  Sammi laughed and went out the door.

  Ryan said, “She’s gonna have a baby, huh?”

  Mitch said, “Yep. She sure is. Not too long from now.”

  Gina smiled. “That’s nice. I’m happy for you.”

  “How come she’s having lunch with an owl?” Ryan asked.

  Jack laughed and said, “Owl is my uncle. That’s his Lakota name. Well, it’s just his name in either culture.”

  “What’s Lakota?” Ryan said, pronouncing it carefully.

  Jack sat lemonade in front of Ryan and Chloe. “It’s an Indian tribe. My Uncle Owl is a Lakota brave.”