Mail Order Bride- Twenty-Two Brides Mega Boxed Set

by Emily Woods

  Julia furrowed her brow. She knew that Anna was incorrect, at least on one count. The boys did remember their lives before moving to Pinecone. While they did not speak of Charleston or their father during the day, at night, Julia often overheard them crying out in their sleep.

  “Daddy! Daddy! Come back!”

  Julia’s heart sank with each evening spent hearing her little nephews call out to Mark as they tossed and turned in their shared bed. She could hardly bear the thought of Danny and Timmy being distraught, and she hoped that their memories of their grand life in South Carolina would fade over time. The boys seemed to be enjoying life in Pinecone—they were well-liked by their classmates at the little one-room schoolhouse in town, and they could hardly stand to be out of Jackson’s sight. They yearned for his attention, and he gave it to them, which made Julia love her husband even more.

  “They remember a bit,” Julia said softly to Anna as they resumed their sewing. “They remember their father, at least. He was hardly around when the boys were young. They were practically raised by their nannies! I don’t understand how they could be so attached to his memory with such little time spent with him.”

  Anna shrugged.

  “You are right. A lot has happened to them in the last few years. I’m sure it will all be fine, Julia. Jackson and I will pray for the boys, as well as for your growing little blessing in your belly!”

  Julia grinned. Her hands returned to her stomach, and she slouched in her chair.

  “Can you tell, Anna?”

  Anna raised an eyebrow. “Tell what?”

  Julia leaned further down. “Can you tell by looking at me?”

  Anna shook her head. “You are still as thin as a fawn, Julia,” Anna replied. “No one will know you are pregnant unless you tell them yourself.”

  That evening, Anna and Julia hugged good-bye as the sun set over the town. Julia waved to her friend as she descended the steps of the Pinecone Inn. She noticed the deep, dark red color of the sky as the evening crept in. It reminded Julia of blood. She shuddered, trying to rid herself of such macabre thoughts as she walked home to her husband and nephews.

  As Julia approached the modest, two-story home she and Jackson shared, she noticed that the front door was wide open. She wondered if the boys had gotten out, and she quickened her steps.

  “Boys? Jackson?” Julia called out as she walked toward the house. Jackson had volunteered to mind the boys while Julia called on Anna. He had walked her to the front door and kissed her on the mouth before she left, telling her how much he loved her.

  “Share our special news with Anna. I know you are excited!” Jackson had told Julia, leaning down to kiss her stomach. Julia playfully brushed her husband away, but she had placed her own hands on her still-flat belly and beckoned Jackson do the same.

  “This child is a child of God, and a child of our love,” Julia said to her husband, a dreamy look in her dark eyes. “Later, when I return home, make sure the boys are asleep. We can reminisce on the night that our little miracle was made.”

  Julia had winked at her husband, taking a cue from her sassy friend, Anna. Jackson gave his wife a jolly pat on the bottom, and she left the house with a smile on her face.

  Now, as Julia surveyed the open door to her home, she felt concern. Where were her husband and nephews? Why was the front door open?

  “Jackson?” Julia called out as she stepped across the threshold of her home. “Boys?”

  “Hello, Julia,” a deep voice answered from the kitchen. Julia immediately recognized the voice, and her blood grew cold with fear. She ran into the kitchen, and before her eyes, sitting at her kitchen table, was Mark, her brother-in-law.

  “Mark,” Julia said incredulously. “Is it you?”

  Mark sat at the head of the table with his hands folded in front of him. His face was pale, and his brown hair was greasy. Mark was a tall man, and he had always been thin, but now, as he smiled menacingly at Julia, he resembled the sinister-looking branches of a dead tree.

  “Sit down, Julia,” Mark said calmly. “Aren’t you going to wish me a fond hello?”

  Julia did not obey Mark. She folded her arms across her chest.

  “Where is my husband? Where are the boys? How did you find me here?” Julia demanded. Mark laughed.

  “I had to disappear for a while. Surely the police informed you of my...situation back home,” Mark began, his lip curled in a sneer. “I’m sorry I left you alone with the boys. My situation did not permit me to take them along when I left, but now, I’m here to take them off of your hands.”

  Julia gasped. “No!”

  Mark shook his head. “Julia,” Mark said quietly. “Sweet, pretty little Julia. Who would have imagined that you would end up here, in California?”

  Julia glared at her brother-in-law. “Tell me where they are, Mark!” Julia shouted, hoping that one of the neighbors would hear the racket and come to investigate.

  Mark rolled his eyes.

  “You Hendricks women and your tempers! Your sister was a loud one, and I always liked you. You were the quiet, sensible, sweet one, Julia. I see that life in the wild west has changed you.”

  Julia placed her hands on her hips. She drew herself up to her whole height and tried to look as fierce as she could.

  “You tell me where they are right now!”

  Mark closed his eyes and sighed.

  “Julia,” he said. “The police must have told you about my crimes back east. I am capable of more than you know, and if I were you, I would not cross me, especially with a baby in that belly of yours.”

  Julia’s jaw dropped.

  “How did you know that? How do you know about the baby?” Julia whispered, her hands reflexively moving to her stomach.

  Mark laughed. “Your husband told me! Right before I took care of him, he begged me not to hurt you.”

  Julia’s hands moved from her stomach to her mouth.

  “What do you mean?” Julia asked quietly, terrified at the fate of her husband.

  Mark gestured at the seat adjacent to him. “Sit down, Julia,” he said.

  Julia obeyed. She pulled the chair out from beneath the table and sank into the seat.

  “I’m here for the boys, Julia. They will be my legacy. I had to leave them behind, but I won’t do it again. I’m here for the boys, and if you are a good little girl, no harm will come to you, or the boys, or your husband.”

  Julia glowered at Mark. “Those are your children! How dare you threaten them!”

  Mark leaned back in the chair.

  “You and I both know that I am not the gentleman I pretended to be, Julia,” Mark said, his voice calm, but his face growing dark. “The boys are mine. They are my children. I will threaten them, or take them, or do whatever I would like with them. That is my right as their father.”

  Julia shook her head, her dark eyes filling with hot, angry tears.

  “You are no father! They have a father here. My husband cares for him! He loves them, Mark! He spends time with them, and he reads to them, and he is more of a father to them than you have ever been. Please, Mark! Let them stay with me. Just leave! I’ll tell no one that you were here. Please!”

  Mark rose from the table.

  “Don’t you ever speak to me that way again, or I’ll take you with us!” Mark roared. Julia thought of the night when she had caught Mark pinning her sister against the bedroom wall. Mark was dangerous, and Julia could feel the heavy tug of dread in her stomach as he walked toward her, his hand raised.

  “Am I understood?”

  Julia nodded weakly, and Mark grinned as he lowered his hand.

  “Good. Now, let’s talk about what we will need to do. The boys are mine, and I haven’t decided if you will be coming with me or not, Julia. I always thought you were a pretty one. From the moment you flitted into our household after the death of your parents, I had my eyes on you. You are prettier than your sister ever was, and now, as you are with child, your figure has become even more woman
ly. I like it, and I am of half a mind to just steal you up and make you mine.”

  Julia gagged. She edged away from Mark, but he followed her, moving to stand directly behind her.

  “What do you think of that, Julia? What do you think about me stealing you away?”

  Julia shuddered as Mark placed his hands on her narrow shoulders. His touch made her skin crawl.

  “Stop,” Julia whimpered. Mark left his hands on her shoulders.

  “What’s wrong, Julia? What’s the matter? Why can’t you just be sweet and quiet like you were back in Charleston?”

  Julia wiggled out of Mark’s firm grasp, one shoulder at a time. She mustered her strength and threw her body to one side of the chair, finally breaking free of his hold on her. Julia quickly stood from her seat and ran to the other side of the room.

  “Where is my husband? Where are the boys?” Julia cried.

  “Look in your bedroom,” Mark replied. Julia sprinted to her small bedroom. The door was ajar, and as she walked closer to the entrance, she could see the outline of her husband’s unmoving body on the bed.

  “Mark!” Julia screamed. “What did you do to him?”

  Mark came into the bedroom and held up his hands, feigning innocence.

  “I had no choice, Julia,” he said. “He started to give me trouble. I didn’t want trouble. I just wanted to slip into the house, take the boys, and run off to Canada, where we won’t be found. Your country bumpkin husband found me in the boys’ room, and he wasn’t going to let me just walk out of the house with my children. He’ll be fine, Julia. He took one of my fists to the head. I punched him before he could see it coming. Don’t worry. He’s breathing. He’s alive. For now…”

  Julia ran to her husband’s side and tried to wake him. She pushed his shoulders back and forth, and in a moment of desperation, she slapped his face. Jackson did not stir. Julia lowered her head to his chest. She could feel Jackson’s broad chest moving and up down, and she breathed a long sigh of relief.

  “I told you,” Mark said nastily. “He is alive. For now.”

  Julia left her husband’s side and ran to face Mark. She stood on the balls of her feet, doing her best to appear fearless as her brother-in-law towered over her.

  “Where are the boys? Did you hurt them?” Julia shouted.

  Mark once again held up his arms, feigning innocence.

  “I would never lay a hand on my flesh and blood. Who do you think I am?”

  Julia bared her teeth.

  “You are a criminal,” she hissed. “You are a bad man. I watched you scare my sister. I know that you are a wanted man back home. I know that you hurt my dear husband. Tell me right now, Mark. Where are the children? What have you done with them?”

  Mark turned on his heel and strutted out of the room. Julia ran after him, pawing at his clothes as he walked out of the house and into the chilly evening air.

  “Where are they? Where are you going?” Julia bellowed. Mark kept walking, and Julia saw that he was heading in the direction of a small wagon parked beside the house. A thin ox was attached to a shabby set of reins, and Julia gasped. In the back of the wagon, she could see two small lumps. The lumps were covered with a tattered quilt, and Julia knew what was underneath the dirty blanket.

  “Mark! No! What have you done to them?” Julia howled. As Mark climbed into the wagon, Julia dashed to the wagon and threw herself into the back with the two lumps. She had found her nephews.

  “It’s just a little sleeping serum. They will be fine tomorrow. Leave them be!”

  Mark looked around. There was no one in sight, and he grinned maniacally at Julia.

  “Go!” Mark yelled to the ox as he gave the reins a sharp tug. The wagon began to move, and the force of the sudden movement sent Julia flying to the hard rear wall.

  “Mark, no! You cannot do this. Stop the wagon and let the boys and me out at once!”

  Mark turned around and winked at Julia.

  “I see you have chosen to join us. Excellent. I have always wondered what it would be like to spend my nights next to my wife’s little sister…”

  Julia had had enough. She was pinned against the back of the wagon by the sheer force of Mark’s speed, but she knew she had no choice but to rescue herself and the boys. Slowly, Julia inched her way to the side of the wagon. There were thin white cords lining each interior wall, and she shakily reached for the closest cord with her left hand. As she gripped the cord, her plain gold wedding band caught her attention. Julia thought of her husband, and her heart swelled with bravery. She had to stop Mark!

  Julia held the cord tightly, shifting her body weight so that she could slowly crawl around the edges of the wagon. She was getting closer and closer to Mark, whose head was turned away from her. Julia slipped even closer to Mark. She held her breath, fearing he would sense her presence as she crouched behind him in the back of the wagon.

  “Please, Lord, please give me strength,” Julia begged God as she made the most critical decisions of her life. Julia looked down at her feet and saw a thick, heavy hammer.

  “Perfect,” she whispered aloud.

  “What did you say?” Mark asked, but before he could turn around, Julia had brought the hammer down hard on the side of Mark’s head. He cried out and immediately slumped over, blood pouring from the open wound Julia had made on his head. With the reins loosened, the wagon came to a jerky stop. Mark fell over completely, nearly falling out of the wagon. Julia climbed into the front of the wagon and studied her brother-in-law’s battered head. The blood was dark and thick, and Julia was reminded of the sunset she had seen as she walked home from the Pinecone Inn.

  Julia quickly removed the apron she had been wearing and pressed it to Mark’s bleeding head.

  “I won’t let you escape your punishment by perishing, brother-in-law,” Julia whispered as she held the apron against Mark’s wound. “You’ll face the Lord’s judgement someday, but today, you will face the authorities!”

  Julia prayed the boys would not wake to find her tending to Mark’s bloody head.

  “They’ve had enough trouble in their life,” Julia prayed silently. “We will tell the boys that this was just a bad dream. We will tell them that Mark is dead, and we will adopt them so that we will never have complications with their custody!”

  Mark stirred. Julia’s eyes widened, but she could see that he was still unconscious. Not knowing how to proceed as she worked to keep her brother-in-law alive, she began to scream for help.

  “Help!” Julia cried. “Help us! Help! Someone, please!”

  Julia yelled for what felt like an eternity. Finally, in the distance, she spotted a horse and a rider moving toward her. She squinted, trying to make out the identity of the rider as he approached.

  “Jed,” Julia said in relief as she made out the color of Jed’s auburn hair. “Thank you, Lord! It’s Jed!”

  Her husband’s best friend rode closer, and finally, Julia could see the details of his concerned countenance. Jed was frowning as he approached the wagon, and Julia could see the gun in the holster of his belt. She breathed a long sigh of relief. She was truly safe now.

  “Julia!” Jed called out. “What happened?”

  Julia sat still in the wagon, still tending to Mark’s wound. She was covered in sticky blood, and there was a large, purple bruise on her forehead from when she had been thrown to the back of the wagon.

  “Jed! I have never been happier to see you!” Julia said quietly.

  Jed jumped down from his horse and ran to the wagon.

  “Who is this man? What did he do to you? Are you alright?”

  Julia nodded.

  “I’m fine, Jed,” she said. “This man is my brother-in-law, the one you have heard about.”

  Jed’s eyes widened.

  “The criminal? How did he find you here?”

  Julia shrugged. “I don’t know,” she answered. “He found me, he punched Jackson, and he gave the boys a sleeping serum! We are all fine, though. Jackson
was breathing just a bit ago, and the boys will be fine after the serum wears off. We just have to keep Mark alive until the authorities get here. I want him to spend the rest of his years in jail!”

  Jed nodded.

  “Anna was the one who sent me out to look for you,” he explained. “She went to your house shortly after you left the inn. You left some sewing there, and she wanted to return it. She was real scared when she saw your house! She ran back to the inn to fetch me, and I reckoned it would be best if I rode out to find y’all while she gathered the authorities.”

  Julia sank back against the wagon and closed her eyes. Her body was exhausted, and she felt sick from what had transpired.

  “The sheriff and his men should be on their way soon,” Jed assured her. “You did good, Julia. You was a hero today.”

  Julia shook her head.

  “No,” she replied. “I am not a hero. I am a woman of God, and He was with me for every single step of this nightmare.”

  4

  “And that is the story of how my wife, Julia, saved the day, saved my life, and brought our boys home! The sheriff and his men arrested that scoundrel, the doctors tended to me and the boys, and we all lived happily ever after!”

  The crowd cheered as Jackson recounted his wife’s story of bravery. It was Christmas Eve, and all of Pinecone was gathered at the Pinecone Inn to celebrate the holiday. Jackson, who was the town’s best storyteller, had stolen the show as he told the tale of his wife’s heroism.

  “Jackson!” Julia said sharply, her face turning red. She loathed hearing the story of Mark’s time in Pinecone. She felt uncomfortable remembering the grip of his hands on her small shoulders, and her heart sank when she remembered seeing her two little nephews unconscious in the back of the dreadful wagon.

  Her nephews. Now, Julia’s nephews were officially her sons. Danny and Timmy had beamed with joy as the town judge declared them to be the legal children of Julia and Jackson, and despite their traumatic ordeal in the wagon, they were recovering well nearly a year after the incident.