Faith (Goldwater Creek Mail-Order Brides 1)

by Leighann Dobbs

  Jax felt an unwanted stirring inside him at the mention of Faith’s waist and bust. She did have a tiny waist and a generous bust line. “I think Maisie can make the alterations.”

  Beulah nodded. “Sure, Maisie can handle it.” She subtly lifted up the price tag hanging from the elbow and tilted it toward Jax. “And the price is agreeable?”

  Jax barely glanced down. He didn’t care what the price was. The dress was perfect for Faith.

  “Yes, it is. Can you wrap it up and have Billy take it out to the ranch?” Billy Sullivan was an industrious fourteen-year-old who ran errands around town. Jax knew he would love to make a few coins for simply riding his donkey, Bella, out to the ranch.

  “Certainly.” Beulah's black eyes sharpened. "There's matching slippers also. You have to have the right shoes for this dress."

  Jax hesitated. "I don't know her shoe size…"

  Beulah waved her hand. "You can return them if they don't fit. Maisie might be able to work something."

  "Okay. Throw them in." Jax paid for the dress and shoes and gave Beulah extra money to pay for Billy’s delivery, then he got out of the dress shop as fast as he could, wondering what had possessed him to go in there in the first place. It had been a stroke of luck, though, seeing the dress in the window. The dress would help his cause. It was important that Faith had a good dress to show that he was a loving husband.

  He kept walking down the sidewalk towards the edge of town and the empty building that sat almost at the very end. The building he’d come to check on. It had been an old mercantile, but the owners had built something bigger closer to the center of town. Now it stood empty, the windows boarded up so no one could look in. He noted with satisfaction that no one had messed with it. No broken windows, no loose boards.

  He started back down toward the center of town. At the other end, he could see Cleb’s saloon. Josiah Turner was sitting out front on a chair. Two horses were tied to the posts. It was early yet for many customers to be in there.

  Glancing back, he looked at the empty building. It was on the opposite end of town from the saloon, which was a good thing. For what he had planned it was best if he was as far from Cleb Masters as possible.

  He swung up on Indigo and headed back toward the end of town. Glancing over his shoulder to make sure no one was watching, he slipped between the assayer’s building and the apothecary. Behind the buildings was a trail that only a few knew about. It led to the hills, and eventually to his ranch. On the way was a destination he intended to keep secret.

  The vacant building was only one of Jax’s secrets and, if things went his way and he could get the various permits and licenses, the whole town would soon know what he had planned. The other secret would have to remain so for much longer.

  As he rode towards the mountains, a strange feeling of satisfaction flooded through Jax. He’d worked for this for a long time and it was now within his grasp. He was almost happy. The one thing he didn’t notice was that the whole time he’d been in town buying the dress and checking on his building, he had not once thought about Mary.

  Chapter 9

  Faith stared in amazement at the silky gown laying wrapped in blue tissue inside the box. She'd never owned a dress so beautiful. Had Jax really bought this and sent it here for her? Her heart was touched by his thoughtfulness.

  The nice gesture almost made her feel bad about her frantic search for the book. Almost. She’d scoured the whole house only stopping short of going in his room. She didn’t dare do that while Maisie and Robertson were around. She wondered if she should asked Maisie, who was standing beside her staring open-mouthed at the dress, about the book but decided against it.

  “Well, I’ll be.” Maisie looked from the dress in the box to the one she’d been working on. She’d altered Faith’s plain dress quite a bit, adding lace and embroidery, but it was nothing compared to the one in the box. “Let’s get this thing on you and see if it needs a fittin’.”

  Maisie lifted the dress out, revealing matching slippers underneath. She eyed the dress and shoes skeptically.

  “I dunno how Mr. Jax would know what size you are, but let’s get these on.”

  She helped Faith into the dress. The fabric was soft against her skin, like the whisper of a summer breeze. She’d never owned anything as soft, silky and beautiful and when she twirled around and caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror, she almost gasped. She looked, and felt, like a princess. And amazingly enough, the dress almost fit.

  Maisie was already fluttering around her, a row of pins in her mouth. Tucking here and raising there. Faith stood still while Maisie did her work, not wanting to get jabbed with a pin. Thoughts of the book vanished as she listened to Maisie mutter to herself.

  “I knew Mr. Jax would do the right thing,” Maisie mumbled around the pins. “Why, you’ll be the most beautiful woman in Goldwater Creek!”

  Faith blushed. “You’re kind to say so.”

  Maisie leveled her with a look. “Now don’t tell me you don’t believe it. Why, Mr. Jax could have his pick of women and he married you. That ought to tell you somethin’.”

  Faith wondered why Jax hadn’t just married one of those other women. Then she remembered how he’d asked for a plain-looking, unassuming bride of mediocre intelligence. Why would any man want that? There was only one reason—he didn’t want her getting in the way of his plans, nor did he want her to be a proper wife.

  She blushed again at the thought of being a ‘proper wife’ to Jax. Her marriage to Charles had not been a pleasant experience in that area. But Jax … well, she felt different about him. And that kiss at their wedding … oh, well, no sense in thinking about that. It was not to be.

  “Well, you could hardly say he married me for my looks. He had never even seen me before I arrived here,” Faith pointed out.

  “Yes, but he didn’t have to marry you once he laid eyes on you. He could have backed out. Suck in your breath.” Maisie snugged the waist of the dress tight and jabbed a row of pins into it.

  “But why did he send away for a bride? If he could have the pick of women here?” Faith asked.

  Maisie jabbed another pin in.

  “Ouch!” Faith frowned at the older woman.

  “Sorry. I guess Mr. Jax didn’t fancy any of the women here. And, well, he wasn’t always an upstanding member of the community. He’s tryin’ to rectify that.”

  Faith frowned. “What do you mean he wasn’t always an upstanding member of the community?”

  Maisie shrugged. “Drinkin’. Carowsin’. Him and that Ryder Devlin. ‘Course they were younger then. And that was before—”

  Maisie stopped abruptly, then backed away, taking in the dress from a few feet away. “I think that will do it. Take it off and I’ll fix it up to fit you like a glove. Now try on the shoes, though there's not much I can do if those don't fit.”

  But Faith was curious about what Maisie had been about to say. Was it something about the gold mine?

  “Before what?” she asked as she lifted the silky shoes out of the box. She noticed they were embroidered with the same gold thread—not very practical but good enough to wear to a party. She slipped them on. Perfect fit.

  “Oh, nothing.” Maisie waved her hands in the air. “Before he straightened up and became the man of the ranch. Before his daddy died and left him in charge. Now, up with your arms and I’ll help you get this off.”

  Faith raised her arms. Maisie’s explanation made sense, but she still felt that there was more to it. Whatever it was, she wasn’t going to get that out of Maisie today. If she’d learned anything about the old woman, it was that she was stubborn.

  “I have to say Mr. Jax surprised me with this one. You know I been tending to him since he was a little boy. His momma, God rest her soul, died when he was only ten.”

  Faith’s heart pinched and she made a murmur of sympathy.

  “Anyway, ain’t never seen him buy a dress for a woman before, but I guess he’s got good taste. This is a rig
ht pretty dress and it looks beautiful on you.”

  “Thanks.” Faith leaned over to pick her gray dress off the bed and the key, still hanging from her neck on its brown velvet ribbon, glimmered in a ray of sunlight as it swung away from her body.

  Maisie nodded at it. “I see you’re guarding that key. After Mr. Jax sees you in this dress, you gonna have to guard it even closer.”

  Maisie bustled off, laughing as Faith grabbed the swinging key, turning it over in her palm. Jax had never once indicated he wanted to get into her room. She was sure seeing her in the dress wouldn’t change that. At least she hoped not, didn’t she?

  Her stomach fluttered as she slipped her plain old dress over her head. She hadn’t spent much time with her new husband and now she would have to attend a party with him. What would he expect of her?

  She had no idea, but the fact that he’d bought the dress just for her and heeded Maisie’s advice made her realize he wasn’t the ruffian that she’d thought he was. Sure, he’d been wild in his youth, but he’d settled down, according to Maisie. And the way he treated the old woman, with respect and caring, said a lot about him.

  Of course, there was the way he’d practically ignored her since the moment she’d gotten there. And he’d run straight from their wedding to the saloon and then acted so strange in the library. But she didn’t think he had been drunk. Then again, maybe he just handled his booze better than Charles.

  On the other hand, he was thoughtful. He could have let her wear her old dress to the party, but he hadn’t. Faith knew the dress he’d picked was expensive. He hadn’t just pulled the first thing off the rack. She’d have to remember to thank him for it.

  There was more to her handsome husband than first met the eye and Faith had to admit, if the circumstances were different and she didn’t know the disastrous effects of falling in love, she could fall for a man like Jax Blackburn. Lucky thing that had no chance of happening, because it would make her task all that more difficult.

  Chapter 10

  Faith didn’t get a chance to thank Jax that day. He came home after she was in bed. She heard him come in, then shortly after, she heard something outside. Peeking out her window, the moonlight highlighted Jax’s figure walking off toward the woods. Was he going to the mine?

  The gift of the beautiful dress did not stop her from searching for a clue about the mine entrance or the book he'd snatched from her in the library, but her search had come up empty.

  She couldn’t do a lot of in-depth searching, though. Maisie and Robertson were always underfoot and she didn’t want them to get suspicious. So, she'd broken the search up into little tasks—searching desk drawers, nooks and crannies in the house in between letting Maisie feed her in the kitchen. The woman was an extraordinary cook, but any attempts on Faith’s part to get information out of her about Jax or the gold mine came up short. Especially when she hinted about Jax sneaking off in the middle of the night, which she'd seen him do almost every night since she'd been there.

  In the end, she satisfied herself with writing a letter to her sister, Mercy. She’d jotted off one on her first day at the ranch, but it was too soon to expect a reply. Still, she couldn’t help it. She was desperate to know that her sisters were doing okay. Lefty Brewster was not a patient man and, even though he had not given her a deadline on when she must pass on the information, she feared he might harm her sisters in order to get her to move faster.

  Maisie had been kind enough to fill the old copper tub with warm water and Faith had scrubbed with the lavender soap she'd brought from home. Then, once clean, she'd pinned her hair up in back, letting a few loose tendrils escape down the side of her face. Charles had always said her hair looked best that way and Faith wanted to make a good impression during her first meeting with the people of Goldwater Creek. It had nothing to do with looking attractive for her new husband.

  Faith only wanted a light supper before the party. She was too nervous to eat. Maisie had the perfect solution—her old standby, flapjacks.

  Sitting at the long pine kitchen table, Faith was amazed at how quickly she’d come to think of the kitchen as ‘home’. It was a comforting place, the smells of Maisie’s cooking brought back memories of her grandmother. But it was more than the cooking. Maisie’s easy style and friendly chatter soothed Faith and made her feel as if she wasn’t alone.

  “Now you try this syrup. This is a new recipe. Strawberry.” Maisie poured a thick puddle of deep red liquid on top of the stack of flapjacks on Faith’s plate. Faith carved off a slice of flapjack with her fork. Creamy butter oozed down the side as she dipped it into the syrup, pushing it around to let it soak in.

  Faith put the fork to her lips, the sweet strawberry flavor exploding on her tongue. She closed her eyes. “Yum. This is your best yet.”

  Maisie smiled proudly. “Why, I do like having you here, child. You’re like my own taste testing panel. And good company, too. Better hurry up now. We gotta get you changed into that dress before Mr. Jax comes home to take you to the party.

  Faith’s heart warmed at Maisie’s words. Since her arrival, she’d tested three flavors for her and had come to cherish her taste testing sessions as well as her other time spend in the kitchen with Maisie. She was flattered the other woman seemed to feel the same way. She had to admit, she was getting a bit lonely since she didn’t know anyone in town to talk to. Not yet, anyway. She’d probably meet plenty of them at the party. The thought made her stomach roil and she pushed the plate of food away.

  “You’re right, I better get going.”

  “I’ll just clean up a bit and be right there,” Maisie yelled after her.

  The dress shimmered on Faith’s bed. The gold embroidery gave just the right amount of attention to the ivory gown. The lace bodice added a feminine touch. Faith inspected the gown—Maisie’s stitches were small and tight. Faith was a good seamstress herself and recognized superior work. The dress would hold up fine for the party tonight and many more.

  She slipped it over her head. She’d need help with the twenty-five buttons that ran down the back, but even unbuttoned, the dress felt like a dream.

  “Now, let’s get you fixed up.” Maisie started on the buttons, Faith could feel the dress was more snug around the waist than before the alterations, but as Maisie finished the job, she saw it was perfect, accentuating her slim waist and then flaring out in a shimmery cascade over her not-so-slim hips.

  “Let me see.” Maisie turned Faith around, a smile cracking her lips. “I knew it. You look perfect. Mr. Jax is gonna bust a gut. Oh, and I made something special for you.”

  Maisie pulled a piece of lace out of her apron pocket. “I salvaged this from the alterations I did on the waist.” She held the length of lace flat in her palm. An oval black and white cameo had been pinned in the exact middle. “It’s a choker necklace. It will match the dress perfectly.”

  Faith took the necklace in her hands. “It’s beautiful. I don’t how to thank you.” Tears burned the backs of Faith’s eyes. No one had been this kind to her since she moved away from her mother after marrying Charles. “I couldn’t take one of your cameos, though. This must be a family heirloom.”

  Maisie waved her hands “Oh, hush now. You can take it, it belongs to you. It’s one of the Blackburn cameos. Mr. Jax’s grandmother’s.”

  A feeling of trepidation tingled in her belly. “I don’t know if he would want me to wear this.”

  But Maisie was already behind her, fastening the necklace to her neck. She came back around to the front, adjusting it so the cameo was in the middle, then stepped back and smiled. “There, now. It looks perfect, see?” She spun Faith around to look in the mirror.

  Faith had to admit, the necklace did add a finishing touch to the outfit. She could barely even recognize herself in the mirror. With her hair pulled up in the back and more lace adorning it, even her own mother might not know it was her.

  “Thank you, Maisie. For everything.” In a moment of spontaneity, Faith reached over
and hugged the other woman.

  “Oh, it’s nothing.” Maisie’s eyes turned misty. “It’s just nice to have a woman in the house again to do things for.”

  Again?

  But she didn’t get a chance to ask the question because just then Buttercup trotted past the window, pulling the buggy which had been washed and shined.

  Maisie flew to the window. “Oh, Lordy! Mr. Jax is here already. He’s gonna have Robertson drive and he’ll sit in the buggy with you. Why, he hasn’t ridden in the buggy since…” Maisie’s voice trailed off and her face constricted. “Well, never mind that. We better get you out to the foyer.”

  “Wait, since what?” Faith asked, but Maisie didn’t answer. It was maddening, all these things the woman kept blurting out. Secrets. Did any of them have anything to do with the gold mine? But how could having a woman in the house again and Jax’s aversion to riding in the buggy have anything to do with a gold mine?

  Faith didn’t have time to think about it. As Maisie propelled her down the hallway, a squadron of butterflies started to flap in her stomach. She didn’t know if it was nervousness over attending a party where she knew no one, her own fear of riding in the buggy, or the prospect of Jax seeing her in the dress.

  “Here’s your beautiful wife. I knew a new gown would be just the thing.” Maisie pushed her into the foyer.

  Jax was standing with his back to her, looking out the window at the buggy. He was wearing a nicely tailored charcoal black suit and starched white shirt. He hadn’t been home all day, and Faith wondered where he had changed. At the saloon? Maybe he frequented the rooms upstairs where some of the saloon girls worked. For all she knew he had a whole wardrobe stashed there. Was that where he snuck off to in the middle of the night?

  As he turned around, she couldn’t help but notice how the suit made his shoulders look broader than ever. Even though it was made from good cloth, she could still see his muscles bulging underneath it. Her eyes drifted up to his face. And in the slanted afternoon light coming in from the door she was struck by how handsome he was. He had taken a half inch off his dark hair, so that it curled now not at his collar but just below his ears, accentuating his chiseled jaw. In the light from the window, his eyes took on a golden hue, like the maple syrup Maisie had had her taste test just yesterday.