Zack’s Christmas Bride (Mail-Order Bride Book 14)

by Stella Clark

  The house. It needed attention. He should clean and take care of the house. While Zack understood this fact, he couldn’t seem to embrace it. His thoughts were a mess, and he could hardly think about the messy state that his house was also in. He spent the evening thinking about Della Prescott.

  It was too early to see if he had made the right choice.

  Zack let three days pass everyone by as he mustered up the courage and willpower to return to his sister’s house. Or rather, it was Henry stopping by to let them know they were being specifically invited to supper that drove him forward. After they bundled up and headed down the lane, he glanced over at Ross and managed to finally tell him what was going on.

  He didn’t want to. But he had to grow up sometime and play the adult.

  “Your Aunt Leah,” he cleared his throat, “has a guest over right now. Her name is Miss Della Prescott.”

  Ross glanced up from the bundle of bread they had made that day. “Miss Della? Where did she come from?”

  “New York City. It’s on the east coast. A - a big, popular city.”

  The boy nodded. “Why is she here and not in the city?”

  Though he didn’t want to lie, Zack wasn’t certain he was ready to give his son the complete answer. They had written letters to each other about making a life together. But now that she was here, everything felt different. His stomach was constantly in knots, and he grew anxious. Zack wondered what Ella would have thought and wondered what Della was thinking. He was asking himself so many questions that he no longer knew exactly what he thought himself.

  “She’s just here.” Zack’s mouth turned dry as he tried to smile.

  Ross accepted that answer. He didn’t really have any other questions. And as they quickly arrived at his brother-in-law’s farm, Zack brought the wagon around. “All right, let’s get inside. It’s going to be a cold evening.”

  The two of them hurried up and stepped inside.

  “We’re here!” Ross chorused. Boots were pulled off, along with jackets, before heading into the kitchen.

  Zack stopped in the doorway when he saw Leah and Della talking together near the sink. Both women turned around. Leah beamed as Ross came over to hug her. Della studied Zack, though he couldn’t read the look on her face.

  “Look at you,” Leah chuckled. “It’s about time you came back to see us, Ross. Zack, we were wondering where you two were. And what is that you’ve brought?”

  Ross pulled up the towel to show the bread. “Our favorite bread. We even melted butter on it. Are you the lady from the city?”

  Della’s eyes widened before they softened into a smile. Zack felt his shoulders tense as he watched the two interact. When Leah grabbed the bread, Della guided him off to find the children who were adding the last of the berries to their Christmas tree. They could be heard in the next room with the others, preparing for the holiday.

  It wasn’t until they were all seated around the supper table that the tension in his body began to loosen. Della and Ross were seated together, and he watched his son ask her question after question. Though he cut in to stop the boy, she said she didn’t mind. His heart pattered as he watched them talk.

  Ross liked her. He was actually talking to her. The boy had a tendency to shy away from strangers. But soon, they were nudging each other and giggling. His son grinned big with happiness shining through his eyes.

  Only then did Zack contemplate that perhaps he had done the right thing by sending for Della Prescott.

  Chapter 7

  Della was terribly confused.

  Not only did Zack leave her with these strangers, as kind and generous as they were, for several days, but then he showed up at the house with an eight-year-old son. Though their hair and eyes were different colors, the nose was too obvious to ignore.

  Ross Heston was a precocious boy with a wonderful sense of humor and curiosity. He had interesting questions to ask and wanted to know about the strangest things.

  But she didn’t know where it came from. Della racked her brain for anything in the missives that had mentioned Zack with a son. It had never been mentioned and while the boy was sweet, she didn’t like the idea that he had purposely not told her.

  She had been honest about everything in her letters. Why had he chosen otherwise?

  Perhaps, she had been too hasty. They had only been writing for a couple of months.

  Towards the end of the supper, all six children in the house cleaned up and went off to play around the Christmas tree. This left the adults to talk, where the two men began to discuss their plans for their cattle in the next couple of months. Della used the time to think, wondering if everything she was experiencing was normal. The adjustment to seeing everything different and new in Montana felt difficult, and she worried she had been foolish. Perhaps, she was too naïve. She hadn’t had enough life experiences with people and society to know how to act and behave.

  “Della?”

  She glanced up and forced a smile. “Sorry, Leah. I was lost in my thoughts. Yes?”

  Leah held a bowl in her hands as she gestured to Zack with her elbow. “It sounds like they are leaving, so you should see them out.”

  Her legs obeyed, helping her to stand. “Yes, of course.” She caught Zack’s eye as she stepped over to him. He nodded and whistled to Ross. Soon, the three of them were crowded in the hallway.

  “You should come see my horse sometime,” Ross announced to Della. “Then you could ride him!”

  She smiled. “That sounds lovely, Ross. But I’m afraid I don’t know how to ride a horse. Thank you, though. That’s very kind of you.”

  The little boy’s bright eyes widened in disbelief. “You don’t know how to ride! That’s silly.” She chuckled. “Papa can teach you! He taught me and now I’m really good. Right? You could teach her. Then we could all go riding. You can ride my horse, and I’ll ride our pack horse. His name is Billy.”

  “That’s a good name for a horse,” Della said with a serious expression. “I look forward to that day.” Her eyes flickered over to Zack, and she wondered what he thought. For a second, a dark look passed over his face. But it disappeared so quickly that she wasn’t certain if she had imagined it.

  Ross put on his shoes and glanced at his father. “Can we? Can we all go riding?”

  Settling a hat on his head, Zack offered a hesitant nod before turning to face Della straight on. “I think that sounds like a good idea. It would be nice to show Miss Della around the property.”

  “Yeah!” Ross cheered.

  The man studied her with a slight cock of his head. His look was so intense that Della could feel the heat climbing her cheeks. She bit her lip, hoping he wasn’t thinking about her birthmark. Anything but that. There was something about the way he looked at her, though, that made her feel certain that he didn’t even see it. That all he saw was her.

  Della felt her heart skip a beat.

  She wanted to say something but couldn’t find her voice. Zack said nothing as he considered her. The more he looked at her, the more she found it impossible to look away. Tension built up between them, and it only made the thumping of her heart grow louder and louder until it was deafening.

  “We should go.”

  Della gasped lightly for breath when Zack dropped his gaze. The man turned to open the front door in one motion. Soon, he and his son were out on the porch, leaving for the evening. They left Della in the hallway, confused over what had just happened.

  That evening, she prayed for the best. But the following morning, her uncertainties and fear crept back into her mind.

  Montana was beautiful. Leah and her family were polite and kind. But that wasn’t why she had traveled all that way to enjoy the scenery and another’s family.

  ***

  Over the next two weeks, Zack came to two more suppers and stopped by on a few other occasions. But they were only brief visits and she rarely had a moment alone with him. It made her wonder what she had done wrong, if he had decided her bi
rthmark was much too cumbersome to deal with. That she was too much.

  The idea of returning to New York City kept her awake at night.

  She shuddered and wrapped herself tight in the blankets, squeezing her eyes shut as she attempted to convince herself that she had never been a prisoner and would never be one again. But just thinking about her drab rooms and the quiet days alone bothered her.

  “Della? Is everything all right?”

  Blinking, she glanced around and then turned to Leah. “I’m sorry?”

  The other woman leaned forward as the rest of her family ate. “You haven’t touched your food. And you didn’t eat earlier today, did you? You’re not falling ill, are you?”

  A full plate of food sat untouched before her. As everyone glanced at her, Della felt the heat climb up her cheeks. She thought fast. “Ah. Yes, I see. I mean no. No, I’m not ill. I’m just… I was thinking about the Christmas baking you were discussing yesterday.”

  The younger girls beamed. “Chocolates!”

  Della swallowed and then smiled. “Not quite, I… My mother would host these parties and have the most incredible food. Plum pudding, roasted nuts, and even Victoria cakes.”

  Nodding, Leah beamed. “Wonderful. We shall make those this weekend. I wasn’t thinking of cakes, but we must have them. They’re one of Zack’s favorites. Thank you, Della.”

  She nodded after picking up her fork. She had to eat something. So, she dove into the food. Then she dove into Christmas preparations with Leah. Della needed something to distract her from Zack’s strange behavior. And as Ross began to visit for a few more days, she found herself developing an attachment with the boy.

  It wasn’t on purpose and soon, Della worried if that was a bad idea. If things didn’t work out well, then it could end in heartbreak. She didn’t understand Zack and spent most nights worrying about everything going on. What was she doing there, if he had changed his mind about marrying her?

  Chapter 8

  “And after that,” Ross explained, “Della showed me how to draw my horse. Look!”

  Zack gripped the reins tightly before glancing over at the piece of paper his son pulled out. It took him two turns of the head to get a good look. There were scribbles around the page, but there was indeed a sketch of a horse on one corner of the page.

  Nodding, he gave his son a grin. “That’s really good, Ross. You have some talent there. Well done.”

  The boy beamed. “Thanks! Is she ever going to come over and visit at our house? I don’t think Della goes anywhere like I do. Maybe she would want to come to school with me and Henry. Could she come with me, Papa?”

  He hesitated only a second before shaking his head. “No, Ross. She’s too old for that. I think she has been to school enough.”

  “Oh.” The boy shrugged and then hopped down once they came to a stop at their barn. “I still think she should come over. She hasn’t seen my horse yet. I told her I would.”

  Unhitching the horses, Zack tried to imagine bringing Della over to the house. He had meant to do it at one occasion. Maybe her first week there. But she looked so comfortable at his sister’s house that he didn’t want to be a bother. Besides, it was easier to visit her there instead of bringing her to his house and then taking her back. That didn’t make any sense to him.

  So, he told Ross. “I don’t know when she’s coming over, Ross. Don’t plan on it. Not yet, anyways.”

  “Then when?” the boy asked hopefully.

  “I don’t know,” Zack repeated. He gripped the reins tightly on Billy, wishing Ross could talk about something else.

  But the boy was persistent. “What about tomorrow?”

  “No, Ross.”

  “Then Christmas?”

  Zack gritted his teeth. “I don’t know!” The words came out louder and harsher than he had intended. After he winced, he opened his eyes and turned to see Ross’s face. His son was frozen in his tracks, eyes to the ground with a tight-lipped look like he was trying not to cry.

  That was a mistake. Zack hadn’t meant any of it. His heart tightened as he attempted to backtrack. But as Zack opened his mouth, he couldn’t find any words. “Ross, I… that wasn’t what I meant.”

  “I know.” The words were so small in little Ross’s mouth. “I’m sorry.”

  There was a tense silent as Zack forced himself to pull his thoughts together. “Go back to the house. You can… you can put your picture up somewhere. Any place you like. I’ll take care of the horses and - and then we’ll eat.”

  Ross turned away. “I’m not hungry.” And then he hurried back to the house.

  It wouldn’t do him any good to follow. He had already apologized. Shaking his head, Zack went to work with the horses. Keeping his hands busy helped him to think. His thoughts wandered over to his son. He wasn’t doing enough to be a good father. But he didn’t know how to do any better.

  That reminded him of how he wanted to get the boy a mother for the holidays. But Della was quiet, and he didn’t know what to say to her. He didn’t know what to do. Every time they ran into each other, he felt confused and lost. It had been a long time since he had courted someone, after all.

  He was still thinking on that as he returned inside for the evening. It wasn’t until he was guiding Ross to bed that the child started coughing.

  “Whoa,” Zack patted the boy on his back. “Are you all right? Here, under the covers. We don’t want you falling ill. I’ll bring you some water.” When he returned, however, and touched the boy’s forehead, Zack’s heart thumped for another reason.

  Ross was warm. Too warm. The boy shivered as he drank the chilled water. Zack ended up staying the night beside his boy, neither of them hardly sleeping.

  The fever came in fast on the boy, feeding fear into Zack’s heart. He had lost his wife to illness just two years prior. He wasn’t about to lose his boy.

  By morning, he was frantic with concern as he moved around the house and tried to take care of Ross.

  When he didn’t make it out on the range, his foreman came up to the ranch house to see what the problem was. Zack quickly explained the issue to Martin and then sent the man over to the next farm to retrieve Leah.

  And then he resumed his pacing.

  An hour later, Leah and Della arrived. The women hurried to the door, carrying blankets and towels. Zack grabbed everything he could to help them hasten, growing clumsy from his haste.

  “What exactly is wrong with him?” Leah always went straight to business.

  He had been practicing the words all morning but now they were gone. “He’s hot. He – Ross - my boy. It’s a fever, but - I don’t know…” Zack didn’t want to finish the words, feeling the dread cling to his spine.

  It just couldn’t be what had taken his wife. It couldn’t be. The fear clawed at his throat as he stared at his sister desperately.

  Leah brushed back her hair. She nodded to him and then nodded to Della.

  “Let’s see how he is. I sent Robert to retrieve Doctor Crest. Perhaps he will be able to help. Has he slept at all? Come on, then.” She led the way into the house. Zack forced himself to stand back a second for Della to go before him. The young woman hesitated and then hurriedly followed after Leah, and then he brought up the rear, nearly on her heels.

  “Leah! Della!” Ross sat up in his bed only to fall into a coughing fit.

  Hurrying forward, Zack tried to fix the pillows and held one of his son’s shoulders to try and help. Anything to help his son. Even now, he could see Ella’s features in him and how the disease had taken his wife from him. He gave his sister a pained look. She had to be able to do something. The woman had her own kids and had cared for them through illnesses, hadn’t she?

  When she met his gaze, Leah nodded. “Della, get him comfortable, would you? I’m going to start a fire. We’ll want some hot water for a bath. We can have him all cozy and clean for when the doctor arrives.”

  The two women started moving about to take care of everything. Zack found h
imself only in their way, so he passed outside in the hallway. Though he wanted to say something to Della, to at least thank her for being around to help, he couldn’t find the words. The fear wouldn’t let go of him. He just needed his son to be healthy again.

  Chapter 9

  “Thank you.” Zack’s voice was hoarse after he closed the door to Ross’s room.

  His son was finally resting. After a bath and a visit from the doctor, the young boy had finally dozed off into a fitful sleep.

  When he turned around to face the ladies, his sister wrapped her arms around him. Della took a small step back and wanted to turn away so she could give them a quiet moment together. But she didn’t want to wander around a house that wasn’t hers. Especially one where she hadn’t even been invited to yet. Not formally, at least. So she stood there, stiffly, trapped.

  Leah had instructed her to come with her in the cart. Though Della had wanted to be helpful upon hearing about Ross, she worried it wasn’t her place. Zack hadn’t wanted her at his home, and she didn’t want to be in the way. His eyes had hardly seen her when they arrived, however. She could see in his face the concern and fear for his son. Her heart went out to him as she wished she could only do more. No one deserved such trouble.

  After one more squeeze, Leah stepped away. “You don’t have to do it alone. Zack, we’re here for you.”

  He nodded hesitantly. “Thank you. I - I would appreciate it.”

  “Doctor Crest said that Ross’s fever is stabilized,” Leah continued speaking. “That’s good news, understand? We just need to keep an eye on him. We must make sure the fever does not grow worse, and that he has plenty of time to heal. I’d put it at about a week, all right? Now, I have to return home to tend to the children, but I can come back later.”