Mail Order Bride- Twenty-Two Brides Mega Boxed Set

by Emily Woods

  The horse in question was the one Jacob had been attending all night and he felt a connection to the animal. Even if it would put him in debt, he was willing to take the loss. His own horse was getting on in age and showing signs of wanting to be put out to pasture. He'd gotten a good ten years out of the horse, but suspected he was closer to twenty-five now.

  “Are you sure, Jacob?” Cole asked. “He might not fully recover.”

  Jacob gave him a confident smile. “He's going to be fine. I can feel it.”

  And he was right.

  It didn't happen in a moment or strike him like a bolt of lightning, but Jacob began to feel surer of God's presence as morning approached. It started from the moment his friends had begun praying, and the assurance continued. Now, as the sun rose and the horses stood peacefully in the stalls, a huge feeling overwhelmed his heart.

  “I don't know what it is,” he confessed to John. “It's not like anything I know.”

  John grinned and slapped him on the back. “I'd wager that's the Spirit working on your heart. Might be taking a little longer since it's so hard.”

  A smile began pulling the corners of his mouth as he considered the assessment. “Might be,” he agreed good-naturedly. “If this is just the start, I can't wait to see what the end will be.”

  “Ah, there's no such thing. We're never finished. God keeps working on us until we're ready for glory.”

  The others had left with the horse that had made a full recovery while John and Jacob stayed with the other two, both men willing to wait until it was certain that they were well enough to make the two-hour journey back to the ranch.

  “I wonder if I'm far along enough to...” He let the sentence trail off as he remembered who he was talking to. It might be distasteful to talk to John about his sister-in-law.

  “To what? Court Rosa?”

  Jacob pulled back in surprise and then laughed. “Is it that obvious?”

  “Yep, I'm afraid it is, for both of you. She came home the other day after talking to you, looking so down in the mouth that I couldn't help but ask what happened. She told us the whole story, and the three of us started praying for you from that moment.”

  An odd tingling sensation traveled down his arms and legs. “You've been...praying for me? Even after all I said?”

  John nodded. “God's used to people resisting Him. They've been doing it since the beginning of time, you know. Now, what I can't wait to see is the look on Rosa's face when she finds out that God answered our prayers so quick.”

  It was Jacob's great hope that Rosa would believe his heart had changed, not for her, but because God was revealing Himself.

  “Maybe we don't tell her right away,” he murmured, stroking the muzzle of the recovering horse. When he tried to think of a name for him, one popped into his head like the flash of a lightning bolt. He decided to name him Miracle. He remembered thinking that it would take a miracle to make him change his mind, and that was exactly what this horse was, but he still didn’t feel ready to see Rosa. “I need some time to figure things out without...thinking about that side of things.”

  John nodded thoughtfully. “That's wise. Any time you want to talk, let me know, but you've got two good guys on that ranch with you. They might be young, but their hearts are right with God.”

  By midday, it seemed like both Miracle and the other horse were fit to make the trip to Falls Creek Ranch, but first John and Jacob stopped by Mr. Graham’s office to explain what had happened. He, in turn, went to the post office to send a telegram to the supplier, informing him that they expected a discount on another stallion and would wait forty-eight hours for a reply.

  The two-hour ride ended up being three because Jacob didn't want to tire Miracle. They stopped numerous times and allowed the horses to graze and get water.

  “How did you know Elise was the woman you wanted to marry?” Jacob asked suddenly. Even though he'd never had a close relationship with John, he felt that perhaps that might be about to change.

  “Ah, well, that's a story. You see, I didn't look at her as a woman when she first arrived. I mean, she seemed more like a distraction, a threat to the harmony that the men on the ranch enjoyed. Then I was suspicious of her, thinking that she wasn't who she claimed to be. But then, well, let's just say God worked things out between the two of us and leave it at that.”

  “But it wasn't love at first sight, then?” Jacob was surprised to hear that. They were such a devoted couple, he thought they must have always been destined for one another.

  “Not at all, but God can bring together even the most unlikely of people.”

  The ranch was in sight now, and Jacob felt his heart race in excitement. Things may not be exactly how he'd planned them, but his future still shone brightly, now more than ever.

  Rosa couldn't believe the story that Thomas was telling her.

  “And I tell you, I've never seen a man so thoroughly convicted. Overnight, his mind was transformed.”

  “Praise the Lord!” Elise exclaimed. “How wonderful!”

  But Rosa couldn't speak. Had it really only been a few days before that she'd told him they could never be? Her heart was still aching from the encounter, but now it swelled with sweet hope and she found her voice.

  “Is true? Really true? You believe this?”

  “I sure do, Miss Rosa. You will too. I'm sure he'll be on his way over just as soon as he gets those horses settled.”

  Nerves competed with joy, but Rosa didn't care. God had heard her desperate plea for happiness and was going to grant her the desires of her heart. Already she could see several children playing at the hearth while she chopped vegetables and smiled down at them.

  Thomas left to return to his own home after telling them the remarkable tale of the horses and Jacob's conversion, leaving the sisters to marvel at God's goodness.

  “Do you think he'll come today?” Rosa asked, her voice fraught with excitement. “Oh, Elise, what will I say to him?”

  Her sister pulled her into a hug and patted her back. “God will give you the words, sister. Don't you worry.”

  She really didn't need to worry because the day drew to a close with no sign of Jacob. And then the next day passed and he still didn't come. Finally, four days later, Rosa couldn't wait any longer.

  “I'm going over there,” she declared the following Monday morning. “It's been a week since I’ve set eyes on him and three days that I've been waiting for him to show up. I don't know why he's avoiding me, but I'll find out before the day is done!”

  Elise couldn't persuade her to wait any longer, and after packing a basket filled with baked goods, Rosa marched the five miles between their house and the barn that sat on Falls Creek Ranch. As she expected, the men were in the paddock with one of the horses, training.

  “I think we can try a saddle on him,” she heard Jacob say. “He's taking that blanket real well.”

  Alex spotted her first, raised his eyebrows, and shot Jacob a warning look. Rosa straightened her shoulders and strode over.

  “Good morning,” she greeted them. “Elise and I baked yesterday, and I think maybe you do not have much food. Unless one of you is good in the kitchen?”

  The other men laughed, but Jacob lowered his gaze to the ground. “Thank you,” he murmured. “It's much appreciated.”

  “I'll bring it to the house and return the basket,” Cole said, taking her load off her arms. “Uh, Alex?”

  “Yeah, I'll help.”

  Then they were alone. Rosa cleared her throat and put out her hand to the horse.

  “Here,” Jacob said, thrusting an apple at her. “Feed him this and you'll have a friend for life.”

  She obliged and the horse lingered near, allowing her to stroke him. “He is a good horse, yes?”

  Jacob nodded. “His name is Miracle. I've decided he'll be my horse. We, uh, went through a lot together.”

  “Yes,” she said with a slight nod. “I heard about your first night in town. It was a shock that yo
ur horses arrived sick, but things are well now?”

  “Yeah, they are.” He had yet to look at her, so she tried another tactic.

  “God is good, yes?”

  That comment made him look up with a start. She kept her eyes on him, alert and careful.

  “Uh, yeah, He is.”

  Her heart leaped in her chest.

  “Oh, Jacob. I have waited for you for three days now. Why you did not come to the house to see me? I have prayed for you, asking God to bless you and help you understand His great love.”

  He dropped his eyes again and scuffed the tips of his boots against the dirt.

  “Thank you. I, uh, guess God answered your prayer. I don't know why I couldn't see the truth for so long, but I do now. God is good.”

  She didn't want to push the issue, but he seemed so shy suddenly.

  “When were you going to tell me?” she asked softly, taking a step towards him.

  “Tell you?”

  Boldly, she put her hand next to his on the fence. “Yes, when?”

  Thankfully, he didn't pretend to not understand. “Uh, I don't know. I guess I was waiting for the right time.”

  “Well, I was waiting too, and I say now is the right time.”

  A grin began to spread across his face. “Is it? I didn't realize.”

  “I know. That is why I came to tell you.”

  He moved his hand over a few inches so that it brushed against hers. When she didn't move away, he took it into his own and brought it to his lips.

  “I didn't want to rush into anything,” he murmured. “And I needed time to understand what is happening to me.”

  “I forgive you,” she declared, a smile curving her lips. “But do not do like this again.”

  Laughing, he nodded. “Yes, Miss Rosa. I mean, no, I won't. I promise. From now on, I will tell you everything that is in my heart, okay?”

  “Yes,” she agreed, her smile broadening. “You will.”

  Epilogue

  George understood when Rosa canceled their outing. He wasn't happy about it, but it was clear that Jacob and Rosa only had eyes for each other.

  Over the next few months, they courted in earnest. She explained the Bible to him, and he taught her how to speak English even better. They spent every spare moment together.

  The new stallion arrived and proved to be a fruitful addition to the ranch. Before long, all four mares were pregnant.

  “He looks happy,” Rosa decided when she saw the horse they'd named Red prancing around the paddock.

  “Yes, well, he's got four wives, so to speak, and he's king of the ranch. Miracle knows that too and is submissive to him.”

  “Four wives is all it takes to make a man happy?” Rosa teased. “Is this what you would wish?”

  Jacob's face lost its merriment, and his eyes filled with warmth as he looked at her. Taking her hand, he drew her close. “I only need one. I hope that it's not too early to ask.”

  “Ask what?” She feigned ignorance, wanting him to do it properly.

  “Okay. I see where this is heading.” He got down on one knee while keeping hold of her hand. “Miss Rosa Romano, will you please marry me and make me the happiest man on Earth?”

  She raised her chin a little and pretended to consider. “Well, I suppose I could do that, but...”

  She didn't get a chance to finish. He was on his feet so fast and whirling her around in circles that all she could do was laugh.

  “Stop!” she cried out. “Stop!”

  He obliged, but didn't set her down. “But?” he asked, mischief lighting his eyes.

  “I was going to say…but you must do one thing first.”

  Without hesitation, he replied, “Anything.”

  “You must kiss me,” she said boldly, pleased to see a smile stretch across his face.

  “I can do that,” he murmured, pulling her close and lowering his head. “I can do that for the rest of my life.”

  Katie May Finds Love

  Civil War Brides, Book 1

  1

  Katherine Marie Brooks, known to her close family and friends as Katie May, grimaced as she ran a hand through her long, stringy hair. It had been weeks since she had taken a proper bath. The servants had long abandoned the Brooks family, and Katie and her mother were too weak to haul water from the stream all the way to Hallow Hill, the family’s plantation.

  “It’s a good thing my hand mirror was broken ages ago,” Katie May murmured in her southern drawl. “If I could see my reflection now, I’m sure I would faint. No Brooks woman has ever looked this terrible!”

  Katie May pursed her bow-shaped and scowled as she looked around her bedchamber. The room had been ransacked by bandits during her absence, and her remaining possessions were strewn carelessly on the wooden floor. Katie May felt a knot in her stomach as she remembered the fine things that had once filled this room. Her fine dresses from Paris were now ripped and torn, her jewelry box was unsurprisingly missing, and animal droppings littered the floor.

  “They should have just burned Hallow Hill down,” Katie May growled as she picked up a broken ivory comb. “That would have been easier on us than seeing the place in ruins! This is just ghastly.”

  Katie May and her mother, Lydia, had returned to Hallow Hill only hours before. They had been staying with relatives in the bayous of Louisiana for the last year, hiding away from the horrors of the war that had been tearing through the valleys and forests of Alabama. While the war had made its mark on Louisiana, Lydia insisted that it would be safer.

  “Your father and brothers are not coming back,” Lydia had explained to Katie May as the two women packed their things. “We received word of their deaths weeks ago, Katie May, and we should have left then! It isn’t safe for us here anymore. Our servants have left us, and there is no one here to keep us safe if the northern soldiers come bursting through the doors of Hallow Hill! I’ve already lost six sons in this war, and I am not losing my precious girl.”

  Lydia had hired a wagon to carry them to Houma, where her sister lived. “We’ll be safer there, dear,” Lydia assured Katie May. “We are like sitting ducks if we stay at Hallow Hill. From what I’ve heard, even southerners are betraying their people and vandalizing the fine homes once they hear that the men have died! It’s horrible. This is for the best.”

  It had been a difficult year in Louisiana. The journey there was arduous, and the house was packed with misplaced relatives from all over the broken South. When Lydia and Katie May arrived, they were greeted by Midge, Lydia’s younger sister. “Thank Heavens you two made it here safely!” Midge had exclaimed in her thick, slow Louisiana accent. “We have relatives in from all over the place. Those aggressive northerners have just terrorized our beautiful South, but we are happy to have you here in Houma!”

  Lydia had embraced her sister, kissing her on both cheeks. Midge reached for Katie May, studying the girl with a careful eye. “She’s a beauty,” Midge declared, stroking Katie May’s alabaster cheeks. “What a southern belle! With that blonde hair and little waist, you’ll be the talk of the South once this nasty war is finished!”

  Katie May looked down at her black leather boots as she felt tears well in her eyes. Lydia reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze. “Katie May is recovering from a broken heart,” Lydia explained softly to her sister. “Her beau, Henry, was killed in battle six months ago. Katie May is setting her heart on the Lord’s comfort and grace for now, Midge. No thoughts of young men.”

  Midge nodded sympathetically. “Of course,” she said gently. “You two have been through so much! With your father and brothers, and your Henry passing, I can only imagine the pain. This terrible war! If only the slaves had not made a stir and those northerners had stayed out of our business!”

  Katie May frowned at her aunt, but Lydia squeezed her hand again. “Let’s not talk about that now,” Lydia murmured. “We’ve had a long journey. Midge, dear, where shall we take our things?”

  Katie May leaned over to h
er mother as Midge led the women upstairs. “Mother, does Aunt Midge believe in slavery?”

  Lydia held a finger to her lips. “Not now,” Lydia hissed.

  Once the women were alone in their small, cramped room, Katie May inquired again. “Does Aunt Midge and her family—our family—believe in slavery?”

  Lydia shrugged. “All families in the South are different, my dear,” Lydia explained, her blue eyes dark. “Your father and I never agreed with slavery. We did not believe slavery was something Christ would have condoned, and we vowed to only employ paid servants who worked for us under fair conditions. You know that, dear.”

  Katie May grimaced. “I’m embarrassed that we have family who believes in slavery. It’s just terrible!”

  Lydia bent down to kiss her daughter’s forehead. “I know,” Lydia whispered. “But, dear, we all see the world differently, and we must be thankful for the shelter Midge is giving us during this difficult time. Just because we are accepting her hospitality does not mean we are condoning slavery, dear. And perhaps our presence will call her into higher thought. Perhaps the Lord brought us to Louisiana for a reason. We must think of that.”

  Before Katie May knew it, she and Lydia were arriving back home at Hallow Hill after a year with their family in Louisiana, and while Katie May hadn’t seen a profound change in Midge’s perspective on slavery, she was proud of her mother’s example. Lydia never missed an opportunity to talk with Midge about Jesus and His love, and Katie May was inspired by her mother’s strong faith during such a challenging time.

  “She’s lost six sons and her husband, but here she is, serving as a light to her sister in the middle of a war,” Katie May thought as Lydia prayed for the family on their last night in Houma. “I hope I can be a light like my mother someday.”