Mail Order Bride- Twenty-Two Brides Mega Boxed Set

by Emily Woods

  Anna gave Julia a sympathetic look.

  “Jed told me about what happened to you in Charleston,” Anna said gently. “I hope you feel safe and welcomed here. This is a far simpler place than your days in the city, but I promise you, Jackson will make a loving husband and a good father! He’s already spoken so highly of you, or so Jed has told me!”

  Julia flashed back to her arrival in Pinecone the previous afternoon. She and the boys had been filthy and exhausted as they waited on the platform in the Pinecone Train Station, but despite their fatigue, they were in good spirits.

  “Look cheerful, boys! He should be here at any time to fetch us. I sent word to him from the previous train station, and he knows that we are arriving today!” The boys grinned at Julia as she bent down to address them. They had adored their long journey on the train, and Julia was thankful that they had all arrived in California safely and without issue.

  “Julia? Are you Julia?”

  Julia rose from where she had been kneeling and looked up into the gorgeous smile of a brown-haired man.

  “Mister Creek?” Julia asked.

  The man grinned. He was barely taller than Julia, and his appearance was rather plain, but his smile was warm and inviting. He had deep dimples cut into both sides of his cheeks, and he beamed at Julia as she offered a soft smile in return.

  “Yes! You are here! Julia, I am real happy to meet you! Please call me Jackson!”

  Julia nodded politely at Jackson, and then grabbed the sides of her gown to lower herself into a curtsey. She was embarrassed at her appearance. After over a month on the train, her long hair was tangled, and she knew her forehead shone with grease. She was wearing a plain navy dress with round black buttons that ran from the hemline to the high neckline, and she desperately ached for her finery and fashion of her previous life as she stood in front of the man who would become her husband in less than a day.

  “These must be the boys!” Jackson exclaimed as he leaned down to look into the boys’ eyes. “Hello! My name is Jackson, boys. I am real happy you are here, and I am real pleased to meet you!”

  The boys grinned at Jackson. He was easy to like, and they took to him instantly. Both boys shameless vied for his attention and began to chatter at a pace Julia had never seen.

  “Jackson Creek! Hello, Jackson Creek!”

  “We came all the way here from South Carolina!”

  “Have you ever been to South Carolina?”

  “Are you a cowboy?”

  “Where are your cows? Don’t cowboys have cows?”

  “You’re going to marry Auntie Julia!”

  “Auntie Julia is going to kiss you during her wedding!”

  “Ewww! Kissing!”

  “Ewwww!”

  Jackson cackled at the boys’ outburst.

  “I would be so lucky to kiss your beautiful aunt,” Jackson said to the boys, sneaking a glance at Julia as he spoke to the children. “She is a fine, God-fearing lady, and I am real happy to take her as my wife tomorrow!”

  Julia blushed. She had never had a man speak to her so directly before. In South Carolina, her beaux addressed her in strict, unwavering formalities, and she had not imagined that western men would be so open.

  “Now, boys,” Jackson continued, kneeling down to the boys’ eye level. “Your auntie will be my wife tomorrow! You boys can call me pa, or Jackson, or uncle! It’s up to you. I reckon it ain’t gonna make a difference. We’ll all be a family together!”

  Julia’s heart warmed as she watched Jackson interact with the boys. They were even dirtier than she; their hair was untamed, there were streaks of snot and dirt on their little faces, and their clothes were threadbare after the arduous journey. Jackson, however, seemed to pay no mind to the boys’ unsightly presentation, and he was talking with them as if he had known them forever.

  “Thank you, Lord,” Julia prayed silently as Jackson teased the boys. “He is good with the children, and that is a good sign!”

  Jackson noticed Julia watching him. He stood up and offered his arm to Julia.

  “You look near dead with tired! Please, pretty lady, let me take you and the boys to the Pinecone Inn!”

  “The Pinecone Inn?” Julia asked.

  Jackson nodded.

  “We are not gettin’ married until tomorrow, and it ain’t proper for you to stay with me until we are wed! My best friend, Jed, and his wife, Anna, own and operate the Pinecone Inn. It’s a real nice place, and you and the boys can stay there tonight. You can get washed up, and tomorrow, Anna will help you get ready for our wedding!”

  Jackson gestured at his outstretched arm. Julia threaded her own arm through Jackson’s, and as soon as the touched, Julia could feel the heat rising through her body. Jackson proudly escorted Julia and the boys out of the train station and to the steps of the Pinecone Inn.

  “Boys, see that red door?” Jackson asked the boys as they stood outside of a white picket fence surrounding the inn’s property. “That’s the inn! Go on, go knock on the door! Jed and Anna are expecting us!”

  The boys raced to the red door and began pounding on it.

  “Boys!” Julia yelled in horror. Jackson shyly wrapped an arm around Julia’s shoulder and gave her a squeeze.

  “It’s fine. It ain’t a problem! Jed and Anna have children of their own. They know how children are!”

  The door opened, and a beautiful, lithe blonde woman stepped outside. She looked down at the boys and smiled, then she gestured to Jackson and Julia.

  “Jackson! And you must be Julia! Come! Come in!”

  Anna welcomed Julia and the boys into the inn, and within the hour, a large meal was served. Jackson and Anna sat at the two heads of the table. Evana and Gracie, their two daughters, sat on one side of the table, along with the boys, and Julia was seated directly next to Jackson on their own side of the table.

  “Let’s pray,” Jed declared solemnly as everyone settled around the table. “Lord, thank you…”

  Jed’s prayer was lengthy and heartfelt, but as she spoke, Julia’s mind wandered. She thought of the boys, and she was pleased that they had quickly taken to Jackson. She thought of her parents and sister, and she wondered what they would think of her now, dressed in a plain dress sitting next to her husband-to-be. Julia thought about Jackson. He exuded kindness and joy, and while he was not tall or conventionally handsome, his dazzling smile and warm spirit made Julia feel at home, even in the middle of California.

  As Julia thought of her husband-to-be, she felt something warm slip onto her lower left thigh. Peeking through her closed eyes, she stifled a gasp. It was Jackson’s hand! It was shaking; Jackson must have been nervous, but he did not remove his warm, large hand from Julia’s leg as they sat at the table. Julia remembered the intense sensation of heat she had felt the first time Jackson had touched her in the train station, and the heat resurrected itself as her husband-to-be began lightly stroking her leg.

  “Amen,” Jed said, finishing the prayer and signaling the beginning of dinner. Jackson turned to Julia and smiled, his hand still on her leg.

  “I hope you have had a good first few hours here in Pinecone,” Jackson said softly. “I am so pleased that you are here.”

  Julia smiled back. She lowered her hand beneath the table and rested it atop Jackson’s. She felt naughty as she touched her husband-to-be’s hand under the table. It was a quiet little secret that they were sharing despite presence of the others. Julia had never known such a prolonged touch of a man. Her suitors back in South Carolina would only offer polite hands to help her in and out of their carriages, and as she reveled in the immense feelings of desire swelling in her body, Julia felt herself finally relax.

  “Everything will be fine,” Julia thought as Jackson continued to stroke her leg. “Everything will be fine, and the Lord is taking care of me, even here in California!”

  “Jackson will be beside himself when he sees you, Julia! This is your special day, and you are simply radiant,” Anna cooed.

&nb
sp; Julia tucked a loose dark hair behind her ears. She felt radiant. Standing before the mirror in her satin, long-sleeved wedding dress that she had hastily purchased back in South Carolina, Julia had never felt more stunning. The dress flattered her tiny waist and perfect figure. It featured a modest neckline dotted with milky white pearls, and voluminous bell sleeves that were in style back in the South. The gown hugged her body, but a long train the trailed behind the dress made Julia look like an angel. Her hair had been washed and woven into a simple knot atop her head, and a long, pearl-studded veil cascaded down her back.

  Julia threw her arms around Anna. Such displays of affection between friends were uncommon, at least in Julia’s former life, but now, as she stood in California wearing a wedding gown, Julia could not contain her multitude of emotions.

  “Thank you,” Julia whispered to Anna as the women embraced. “You have been so lovely to the boys and me, and I cannot thank you enough for your kindness.”

  Anna grinned mischievously.

  “I was standing in your shoes a while ago, Julia! I remember how it feels to be nervous about your wedding day. Let me assure you though, your wedding day will be a sacred, beautiful union between yourself, Jackson, and God. Let me also assure you that your wedding night will be another sort of beautiful, sacred union….”

  Anna winked at Julia, and Julia felt her face grow hot. She had never thought about her own wedding night until Addilyn had married Mark. During the celebratory brunch with several hundred of the Hendricks family’s friends and family members the morning after Addilyn’s nuptials, Addilyn had dragged Julia away from the gathering to discuss the events of the previous night. The girls huddled together in Addilyn’s new bedchamber, and Addilyn described her wedding night in great detail.

  Julia had been shocked. She had been just shy of sixteen when Addilyn married Mark, and she had listened to her sister’s lengthy description of her wedding night with her hands clasped to her mouth.

  “Why are you making that dreadful face, Julia?” Addilyn had hissed to her younger sister. “This cannot possibly be news to you! Didn’t you know what happens between a husband and a wife on their wedding night?”

  Before their conversation, Julia had not known, but as she obediently replaced her shocked expression with a neutral look, she could feel a warmth in her belly that she had never known before. She hung on her sister’s every word, and Julia felt the warmth in her belly creep up and down through her body.

  “It was perfect,” Addilyn said. “It was so intimate, and special. I never imagined it would be that wonderful. I do hope that your wedding night is as lovely someday, Julia!”

  Gazing at her reflection in the mirror, Julia remembered the conversation with her sister. She wished her sister could see her in her wedding dress, and she wished that she could giggle with Addilyn about the events that would follow the wedding ceremony.

  “Don’t be nervous for that, either,” Anna said slyly, referring to the wedding night. “You will know what to do. It’s the most natural experience in the world to share such a special, close bond with your husband. You will know what to do, and knowing Jackson, I can only imagine he will be eager to please!”

  Jackson was eager to please. From the moment he took his vows in front of the Pinecone Christian Church congregation, Jackson was at Julia’s beck and call.

  “Can you bring you anything? Are you too hot? It ain’t real hot today, but you never know!”

  Julia laughed as her new husband stuttered.

  “It’s alright, Jackson,” she said kindly as Jackson grinned at her. “I am well.”

  After the ceremony, Jed and Anna opened the Pinecone Inn for a small reception in honor of the newlyweds. Still dressed in her wedding gown, Julia was introduced to nearly everyone in Pinecone.

  “She’s beautiful, Jackson,” the town butcher whispered to Jackson as Julia greeted guests. “She is a real looker! How did an ugly old rancher like you end up with such a pretty little Southern Belle?”

  Jackson shrugged. “The Lord has favored me! There ain’t nothing else to it!”

  The townspeople shuffled in and out of the Pinecone Inn all evening. They were delighted by Julia. With her good looks and charming southern accent, the people of Pinecone agreed that God had done a miracle in bringing such a woman to marry Jackson Creek.

  “She’s a real lady! Whoever woulda imagined that two country boys like you and Jed would end up with refined ladies from the East? Who would imagine? I didn't’,” laughed the town lawyer as Jackson rolled his eyes, feigning irritation.

  When the party was over, Anna ushered the boys upstairs, but not before giving Julia some words of wifely wisdom. Anna leaned over, pulling Julia close to her so no one could hear.

  “Just remember, Julia,” Anna said. “The Lord is smiling upon you and your marriage, and He will be pleased if you are pleased tonight! Don’t forget that!”

  With a wink, Anna ascended the stairs of the Pinecone Inn, and Jackson and Julia were left alone for the first time since meeting each other.

  “It’s a beautiful night to be married to beautiful lady,” Jackson said, breaking the silence. Julia blushed. She could feel the heat rising to her face, and Jackson slowly stepped toward her. Their first kiss at the altar had been a brief peck, but now, as Jackson took Julia’s face into his hands, she could sense that he was yearning for more.

  “Julia,” Jackson murmured. He guided his mouth to hers. Jackson kissed Julia hard, and she felt her knees nearly give out. She burned with desire for her new husband, and as Jackson leaned into the kiss, Julia knew that he was eager to discover her as well.

  “My wife,” Jackson whispered, gently pulling his mouth from Julia’s. “I reckon it’s time I take my wife home and make her mine,” Jackson whispered. “What do you think?”

  Without a word, Julia met her husband’s eyes. She paused, and then, feeling both deep peace and deep desire, she nodded.

  “I knew it! I knew this was what you were going to tell me!” Anna screeched excitedly.

  It was three months after Julia’s wedding day, and she and Anna were seated in the parlor of the Pinecone Inn. Both women had sewing on their laps. Anna was mending a pair of socks for her daughter Evana, and Julia was stitching a plain pink square of cloth.

  “I knew you were with child! From the looks of you at dinner when you and Jackson joined us two nights ago, I just knew it! You could hardly keep your dinner down, and I saw your husband stroking your belly! He was trying to be discreet, but I saw you two, Julia Creek!”

  Julia beamed at her friend. She placed her hand on her stomach, gently rubbing in a circular pattern around her navel. Julia had only found out last week that she was pregnant. She had spent nearly every morning over the last month feeling nauseated and weak, and Jackson had sent for the doctor last Monday after finding Julia in a heap on the floor beside their bed.

  “I think it’s a little girl,” Julia said, looking down at the pink square she was working on. “Jackson swears it will be a boy, or even twins, but I can feel it in my heart that it is just one little girl.”

  Anna shook her head.

  “I don’t understand,” Anna said in disbelief. “You have only been married three months! How can you possibly be pregnant already? I don’t understand!”

  Julia understood. From the first time she had shared herself, her body and her heart, with Jackson as they joined together on their wedding night, Julia felt an immense connection to the man she had married. Jackson was tender, patient, and gentle with Julia, and after their first night of special, intimate moments, Julia craved Jackson’s touch. The couple spent hours together behind the closed doors of their bedroom, getting to know each other in ways that no one else on Earth had ever known them. After so many lazy afternoons spent tangled up together in their own little world, Julia was not the slightest bit surprised that she was with child.

  Julia enjoyed Jackson for more than their physical connection. He was clever and funny, and h
e knew just how to make her laugh. Julia had always been sensible and restrained, and Jackson brought out a silly, jovial side in her. The couple was happy. Julia had written to the reverend to express her joy and gratitude for his counsel, and he had written back almost immediately.

  Dear Mrs. Creek,

  Julia, my wife and I are so pleased to hear of your happiness! Marriage is truly a gift from the Lord, and we are delighted to learn of your marriage to a Godly, kind-hearted man. From your letter, it appears that Danny and Timmy are adjusting well to the west, and we are glad to hear that your husband has taken such a liking to them!

  Julia, we are keeping you in our thoughts and prayers. Thank you for taking the time to write us and to let us know of how the Lord has worked in your life in California. We knew it was not an easy decision for you to make, but we hope you are now fully affirmed in your choice to leave Charleston and travel to Pinecone for your marriage to Mr. Creek.

  With our affection,

  The Reverend and Mrs. Alsip

  Julia could not wait to respond to the reverend and his wife with news of her pregnancy. They had been so supportive of her during her tribulations, and Julia knew that they would be overjoyed to hear more of the Lord’s blessings in her life.

  “Does Jed know? Oh, Julia! I will be heartbroken if you let Jackson tell Jed first!”

  Julia shook her head at Anna.

  “You are the first to find out,” Julia said. “We haven’t even told the boys yet! We have been so busy with helping them ease into life as a family of four, and now, we will have more changes!”

  Anna rolled her eyes.

  “They are children, Julia,” Anna said haughtily, dropping her sewing to flip her long blonde hair behind her narrow shoulders. “Children are resilient. Jed was nervous about introducing me to Evana and Gracie, and we are thick as thieves! Rumor is that the girls were little tyrants before I arrived, but now, they are just darlings. Your boys will be fine, Julia. Don’t fret too much. They’re young. I’m sure they barely even remember life before California.”