Aaron cocked his head. He wasn't used to praise, but he had to admit it felt good to use his skills for a family member. That was what Ethan was. He was family and he would be for as long as the three men and their wonderful wives were together.
"It was the least I could do, Ethan. None of this would have happened if it hadn't have been for you. I would never have married Rachel. And that is just...well...unthinkable," Aaron said, feeling the emotion rising in him.
"Cassie must be awful worried," Ethan said, grabbing his jacket. "I have to get back home."
"She's at our house," Aaron said. "With Martha and Rachel. We best be getting over there as fast as we can."
"Sheriff. I know you had a job to do. I want you to know I don't hold any of this against you," Ethan said, looking Ryan firmly in the eye.
"That's okay, Ethan. Everything's worked out fine. You get on back to your wife. You too Aaron. In fact I'm feeling just a bit jealous of you two guys," Ryan said.
"Why?" asked Aaron.
"The more I hear about these brides the more I think that maybe I might do well to find one for myself," Ryan said with a grin.
Aaron punched Ryan on the arm. "You old dog. You know you're not the marrying kind."
"Maybe I wasn't before. But those women of yours. Well, they're setting my mind to thinking. That's all I mean," Ryan said.
Aaron took Ethan by the arm. "Let's get out of here, Ethan. Before I come over all emotional," he said with a smile. "I'm beginning to think I might still be in my bed, dreaming."
Ethan nodded and Aaron led him out.
As they stepped out of the jailhouse found Martha's husband Logan pulling up a buckboard to a halt. He leapt down and raced up to Aaron and Ethan. "What's happened. They called me in from the herd. They said you got locked up, Ethan. What in tarnation is going on?"
Ethan smiled reassuringly. "Some fool said I'd abducted the woman who became your wife."
Logan frowned and flashed a look at Aaron. "What! Your pulling my leg."
Aaron shook his head. "We need to get back to the house. The sisters are all there and I don't think Cassie can wait a minute longer before she knows that Ethan is safe. Can you give us a ride there?"
Logan nodded. "Sure. Jump on. But you gotta tell me what all this nonsense about Ethan has been about."
The three men got up on the buckboard. As they made their way to his parent's house Aaron did his best to explain to Logan what had happened.
Logan's jaw dropped as he realized that Ethan had even spent some time in the cells.
The three husbands rode the buckboard home. There were three wives waiting for them and it was going to be a mighty fine reunion.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Cassie was crying and there was nothing that Martha or Rachel could do to stop her. She hadn't shifted from the sofa since Aaron had left.
"It's all my fault," Cassie moaned. "I never should have stayed in this darned town in the first place."
"Nonsense. We're all married now and that's all that matters," said Rachel holding Cassie's hand.
"If I'd gone back East none of this would have happened."
"None of us would be married, is what you mean. Our prospects back East were limited, to say the least," said Martha. "Rachel's right. All three of us have wonderful husbands who we love dearly. We've all got so much to look forward to."
"But only if Ethan doesn't get shipped out and charged with abduction," said Cassie anxiously.
Rachel patted her sister's hand. "That's not going to happen. Aaron will sort things out."
Martha looked at Rachel. "What is it with Aaron? You told me he wasn't sure he wanted to stay in Sweetheart Falls. I was worried we'd all be separated if you moved away with him."
Rachel shook her head. "Things have changed. He's changed. I think he's learned that Sweetheart Falls is the place for him. And us."
Cassie's red eyes met Rachel's. "Really? I was so worried. He's a fine young man. But he seemed so restless. Like he didn't want to settle."
Rachel nodded. "I worried about that too. But I think he's learned that things are different here now. And, his father isn't getting any younger."
Rachel hoped that her words sounded convincing. She really needed to believe that Aaron wanted to stay in Sweetheart Falls. She'd done everything she could to convince him that his place was here. After the intimacy of the night before she was sure that things were different. So much of the uncertainty had disappeared after the closeness of their union.
"There's nowhere else I'd rather be than Sweetheart Falls," said Rachel. "And no-one else I'd rather be with than Aaron."
Martha and Cassie looked at each other and smiled.
"Who'd have thought that things would turn out like this for us all," Martha said.
Cassie and Rachel both nodded in silent agreement.
Rachel suddenly heard a distant rumble of wheels. She ran to the window and pulled aside the curtains.
"It's them. They're here!" she screamed.
Martha and Cassie leapt up from the sofa.
Rachel turned to her sisters. "And Ethan is with them."
Cassie covered her mouth with her hand and came to the window. When she saw her husband on the buckboard sitting between Aaron and Logan she screamed like a young child. Tears started to course down her cheeks.
Martha wrapped her arms around Cassie's shoulders. "It's true. Aaron freed Ethan."
Rachel looked at Martha and felt the tears moisten her eyes.
The three sisters ran out of the parlor and burst out the front door. Logan drew up the buckboard and the three men jumped down.
Cassie went to Ethan and threw herself into his arms. "Ethan. Oh. Ethan. You're safe."
Cassie started to sob into Ethan's chest. He held her close and gently stroked her hair. "I'm fine Cassie. Everything's fine. Aaron did a fine job."
Rachel went to Aaron and let her husband wrap his arms around her. "Thank you Aaron. Thank you."
Aaron looked into her eyes. "You don't have to thank me for anything, Rachel. We're all family. We look after each other."
Logan slid an arm around Martha's waist. They stood together, both with huge smiles on their faces, wordlessly watching the others.
The reunion carried on for what seemed like an eternity with all three couples in each other's arms.
Finally Logan spoke up. "I think you should all come back to our place. I think a celebration is in order. It's not every day that we save a family member."
They all smiled and agreed with that statement.
Rachel ran her fingers through Aaron's hair. "I'm so proud of you, Aaron."
He lowered his eyes. "It was nothing. Like you said. I'm the town lawyer. I better get used to fixing things." Aaron ran his fingers down Rachel's cheek. "In any case. With someone like you by my side, how can I fail?"
Rachel smiled at him. "So you don't want us to leave Sweetheart Falls?"
Aaron frowned. "Never. We'll be here forever. There's nowhere else for us. This is where I want to spend the rest of my life. With you and our children."
"Did someone say children?" Martha asked. "It's been quite a morning. I could do with putting my feet up. And I'm sure you're thinking the same, Cassie."
Cassie nodded in agreement. She looked like she never wanted to let Ethan go ever again.
"Let's be going," Logan said. "I think Mrs. Proudie will enjoy making lunch for six," he said, helping Martha up on the buckboard.
Martha touched her belly. "More than six, Logan."
"As if I could forget," Logan said with a broad smile.
Logan steered the buckboard away from the house, taking Ethan, Cassie and Martha with him. Aaron and Rachel started to follow in their own buckboard.
Rachel looked ahead as they made their way through town. Logan's ranch was located on the far side of town high up on the plain. The mountains in the far distance looked sharp and clear in the bright sunshine.
"So. Have you thought about where we're
going to live, if we're settling down here?" Aaron asked.
Rachel gave him a look. "Well. It's funny you should say that. Martha said that there is an abandoned property on the ranch that Logan's been hankering to fix up. Seems like it would be a good place for us to start with."
Aaron nodded. "That sounds interesting. Of course I'll need the help of my brothers in law."
Rachel hooked her arm into Aaron's and leaned her head against his shoulder. "Now that you've shown everyone what a hotshot lawyer you are, I don't think that should be too much of a problem."
Aaron laughed and gazed at Rachel. He leaned in close and kissed her lips. Rachel sank into the wonderful sensation of her husband's kiss.
There was a loud whistle from up ahead. Rachel pulled away from Aaron and saw that Ethan and Logan were watching them and waving their hats in the air.
Aaron laughed. "You've just gone red," he teased.
"Just drive," Rachel said with a wave of her hand.
"Yes ma'am," Aaron answered with a smile and flicked the horse's reins, leading them on toward the ranch.
THE END
Thank you!
Thank you for reading Mail Order Blessing. I hope you enjoyed it.
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Continue to read the bestselling series.
The Brides of Sweetheart Falls is a bestselling series of novels about three sisters who marry and find happiness in the beautiful Wyoming town of Sweetheart Falls.
The Brides of Sweetheart Falls books in reading order
Book 1 Mail Order Vows (Cassie's story)
Book 2 Mail Order Beau (Martha's story)
Book 3 Mail Order Blessing (Rachel's story)
Book 2 Mail Order Beau (Martha's story)
Brides of Sweetheart Falls series: Book Two. A sweet, full length, complete mail order bride romance novel with a happy ever after.
Wyoming 1878
Martha's story.
After waiting months for the Sweetheart Falls Matrimonial Society to find a husband for herself and her sister, Cassie Macleod's sister, Martha is beginning to wonder if she and Rachel will ever get married. Meanwhile, there's a baby on the way at the Macleod farmstead, and Martha and Rachel need to move out so that their sister and her wonderful husband, Ethan can start their new life as a family, without relatives getting in the way.
However, when town matchmaker Hettie finally provides a selection of suitable husbands, only one of them holds any promise.
Who is the mysterious ranch owner who wants to wed one of the unmarried sisters? Why is he going to such lengths to keep his identity secret? And just what will Martha have to do to secure a future for herself and Rachel?
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
Mail Order Blessing: © 2014 Maya Stirling
Mail Order Blessing Page 18