“Tramp, I thought it would just be the preacher with Cinders and Shannon. I thought Cookie might come but who are all these people?”
“It looks like the whole town showed up to help us celebrate.”
She frowned. “They came to watch. They came to make sure we are properly wed, they came out of curiosity. They didn’t come to wish us happy.”
“Shane and Cecily are here, and Keegan’s brood is here as well. You like them.”
“I don’t think I can do this, Tramp. There are too many people. I don’t do well in crowds.” Her own voice sounded odd to her.
Tramp turned her so she was facing him. “It’s just about you and me. These other people don’t matter. We want to be wed and if need be we’ll ride off after the ceremony. Cinders will watch Gold Dust. We can do this, together. Honey, we can do anything as long as we have each other.”
Tears formed in her eyes. He was such a good man, a generous man, a loving man. “As long as I have you I can do it.”
He smiled at her and she thought she saw love in his eyes. “That’s my girl. Now smile, we have company.”
Smile, she did. She smiled as they all drove up and got out of their wagons. She smiled when a few of them actually talked to them. She smiled throughout the ceremony, and she smiled when Tramp kissed her. After that, the smiles were easy to give.
It was uplifting to be on the receiving end of smiles too. Edith only smiled at Cookie but Ilene didn’t care.
One last wagon headed their way. It was Poor Boy all cleaned up. My he was handsome. She elbowed Tramp who looked up, saw Poor Boy and nodded. “Right on time.”
Before she even had a chance to ask Tramp what he meant Poor Boy drove the horses to them and as soon as he set the break and tied the lines, he hopped down. “The food is here. Eats sends his best to you, Tramp, and you too, Miss Ilene.”
Tramp shook the boy’s hand and patted him on the back. “Thanks, Poor Boy. I knew I could count on you.”
Poor boy blushed and gazed at the ground. “Eats did most of the work.” He shuffled his feet back. “I will get the food unloaded.” He started to run but turned back. He took a small bag out of his pocket and handed it to Ilene. “Ava gave me this to give to you. She said to say she was sorry.”
Ilene gasped. “My money. Thank you, Poor Boy.”
Poor Boy gave her a quick nod and rushed off again.
Tramp reached out and gave her hand a squeeze. “You didn’t have to marry me after all. You have your money back.” He let go of her hand and stared at her.
“You aren’t trying to be rid of me so quickly are you?” She tilted her head as she watched him.
He gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Never.”
Ilene peered up at Tramp. “You knew that all these people were coming didn’t you?”
Tramp winked at her. “I just figured as much. Well, Mrs. Hart, shall we?” He grabbed her hand and pulled her into the midst of the crowd.
A moment of panic jolted through her. None of these people liked her. Almost all had talked about her at one point or another. But she was polite and greeted each and every guest. Glancing up, she was surprised to see Ava standing alone by a tree. She had a tragic look on her face, and Ilene wondered about her sanity. Ilene touched Tramp’s arm and motioned with a nod of her head where Ava was. “I thought they were gone.”
His brow furrowed. “I thought so too. Well as long as she doesn’t cause any trouble, I guess she can watch. I don’t want to make a scene by asking her to leave. At least you have your money back. Let’s just forget about her.”
“Perhaps she needed to know you were really married so she could move on.”
“That makes sense. Let’s go eat. I’m starved. Then I’m going to check on Gold Dust again. I’m not sure she’s appreciating the crowd.”
“I know how she feels,” she murmured.
“What?”
Ilene smiled. “Nothing. Let’s enjoy our day.” She held her head up high as Tramp escorted her to the food table. Imagine a wedding in the middle of nowhere. She’d get through being in a crowd with Tramp by her side. He made her feel brave.
Tramp’s heart was full. He was proud to have Ilene as his wife. Best of all, her smile was real. He’d seen plenty of fake smiles to know the difference and it gave him a jolt inside. He did observe her appearing pensive a time or two. Could she be thinking about the wedding night?
He leaned over and kissed her cheek. “I need to talk to Cinders for a minute. I’ll be right back.” As he made his way to Cinders, Tramp shook a lot of hands. The townspeople seemed sincere, and he was glad for Ilene’s sake.
Cinders slapped him on the back. “So, how does it feel to be a married man?”
“That’s why I’m here. How did you make Shannon comfortable enough?”
Cinders’ brow furrowed. “Comfortable?” A look of understanding crossed his face. “Are we talking about the wedding night?”
Tramp put his weight on one leg then the other. “Yes. She’s scared out of her mind. I’m not sure if I’d know the right words to reassure her. I guess there was a lot of screaming in the tenements she grew up in.”
“I’ll have Shannon talk to her. Maybe once she knows how good it is she won’t be frightened.”
“I’d appreciate it.” Tramp shook Cinders’ hand and wove his way back through the crowd to Ilene. She was surrounded by Shannon, Cecily and Addy and they were talking in hushed tones. From the deep blush on Ilene’s face, he knew what they were talking about. He only hoped it helped. Guess he hadn’t needed to ask Cinders after all.
He walked to the circle of women and nodded. “Mind if I whisk my beautiful wife away?” He didn’t wait for an answer, but grasped Ilene’s hand, and someone started playing the fiddle. He immediately took her into his arms and danced with her. It felt so right to have her in his embrace. Upon pulling her closer, he could feel the fast tattoo of her heart. It matched his.
Soon enough, the party wound down. He was finally alone with his bride, and he didn’t have a clue what to do next. “We might as well check on Gold Dust.” He waited for her nod, and they strolled hand in hand toward the horse.
This time Gold Dust easily allowed Tramp to pick up her foot and examine it. “She’s healing.”
“She does look better.” Ilene kept smoothing out her dress. She was nervous all right.
“Would you like to talk for a while?” At her nod, Tramp led her to a fallen tree, and they both sat on it.
Tramp cleared his throat. “You really don’t know much about me. I grew up in a whore house. My mother was a whore. From the time I could first remember I swept the floors and kept the tables gleaming.” He paused and ran his hand down his face. “I left when I heard them scheming to sell me to a man for the night. I hightailed it out of there. I was seven. I traveled around some; mostly I hid in wagons and hitched a ride. The last wagon was Cinders’ father’s. He knew I was there the whole time. It was just him and Cinders. They never talked about what happened to Mrs. Cinders. They just said she was gone.” Aware of her rapt attention he continued. “Mr. Cinders took me in and Cinders and I were raised together. It was a fine time. I learned how to ride, rope and drive cattle. I learned a lot about horses. They never lie. All the women I knew were liars and cheats, just like my own mother.”
He glanced at the horizon swallowing hard. “Then came Charlotte. She lived on the ranch next to ours. I was so smitten with her that I’d do just about anything she asked. I was bitter when she married Cinders instead of me. There was a darkness to me that I didn’t even know existed. The one woman I knew who I believed didn’t lie turned out to be the biggest liar and cheat.”
“Oh, Tramp, I’m so sorry.”
“There’s more, and I hope you won’t think you made a mistake marrying me. Charlotte asked me to drive her to the banker’s house one Saturday. I obliged, but when she asked me to wait in the wagon, I knew. I knew she was cheating on Cinders. All the while when I drove her back and forth, s
he kept telling me it was me she really loved. I was so stupid and blind I believed her.”
Touching his knee she gave it a gently squeeze. “It sounds like she had a lot of people fooled.”
“I betrayed my best friend, and when Shannon came along, I assumed her to be like all the other women I knew. I called her a whore and treated her badly. I’ll forever be ashamed by my actions.”
“I’m sorry all that happened, Tramp. You have to admit you’ve changed. You made amends with both Cinders and Shannon. I know you were a bit suspicious of me, but you never treated me horribly.”
“I could have been nicer.”
“I agree, but we muddled through, and here we are, married. Are you sorry we were pushed into this marriage?”
He cupped her cheek in his palm. “No, I’m not sorry. You’ve opened my eyes and my heart. I love you with all my heart.”
A tear rolled down her face onto his hand. “I love you too. I think I have for a long time. If it hadn’t annoyed me so much I would have thought your matchmaking ploys to be funny.”
His face heated. “That was a disaster. I can be hard headed at times.”
She laughed. “No. Really? You?”
Tramp stood. “I’m going to grab some wood for tonight. It’s almost time for the sun to set.” Bending down he gave her a heart-searing kiss. Then he went into the woods, hoping to give her time alone to prepare for the night to come.
Her hands shook as she tried to take in the whole day. It certainly had turned out much different from what she’d thought. People seemed to accept her, but the best part besides Tramp was having friends. Shannon, Addy, and Cecily all came to make sure she wasn’t frightened about her wedding night. They each agreed it was one of the best parts of marriage. When she asked about the screams and pleading she was used to, they told her some men don’t make sure a woman is ready. They were all sure Tramp would take his time.
Standing, she stretched her back. She trusted him, and that was all she could do, trust in him. She hoped she didn’t have reason to cry. Even with the reassurances she was nervous. If she could keep the sun high in the sky she would. But alas, it sunk lower and lower. Dusk was upon her. There was leftover food but she didn’t feel like eating. Her stomach was in knots.
She walked over to Gold Dust and patted her neck. “You trust him, don’t you? He’s a good man. He’s kind to me and he seems to know my fears before I do. I love him with my whole heart. I really don’t know how it happened. It just snuck up on me.” She gave the horse one final pat. “You’re right, it’ll be fine.”
“Talking to the horse again?” The humor in Tramp’s eyes calmed her and she laughed.
“I was asking if she liked you.”
“Well?” Tramp walked toward her until they stood toe to toe.
“She said yes.” She sounded breathless.
“Smart horse.” Tramp pulled her closer until they were touching. “Come, let’s make a fire and go to bed.”
By the huskiness of his voice she didn’t think sleeping was what he had planned. Reluctantly she moved out of the circle of his arms and walked to the fire pit. Tramp joined her and had a fire going in no time. The firelight playing off his hair made him look even more handsome.
She placed both bedrolls side by side. “Will you hold up the blanket so I can change?”
“No, honey, I want to see all of you.” His eyes were full of desire.
“Will I get to see you too?”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way.” He knelt on the bedroll and waited for her to do the same.
He wrapped his arms around her and he smelled of the outdoors and everything good. His shoulders seemed bigger than ever. He loosened his hold and stared into her eyes. Her heart raced as they stared at each other. He began to unbutton his shirt and she was a goner.
She woke the next morning feeling loved and so safe in Tramps arms. Her friends had been right, it had been a very moving experience. He stirred, opened his eyes and smiled.
“Well hello, Mrs. Hart. How do you feel? Are you sore?”
Her face heated but she held his gaze. “I feel so loved. My heart is so full, and I’ve never been happier. I love you!”
He rolled them until she was flat on her back. “We don’t have to get up just yet.” His smile made her stomach flip.
Epilogue
One Month Later
“Do I look all right?” Ilene asked Tramp as she smoothed out her skirt.
“You’re fine. You’ll just be sewing.”
“No, it’s the first time I’m hosting the bee.”
“They were here before.” Tramp poured himself a cup of coffee.
“That wasn’t hosting, it was just here because I couldn’t leave the house. But now it’s really my house I want to make a good impression.”
Tramp put his cup down and rounded the table until he reached her. “I don’t know if I’m the one you should ask.”
She frowned. “What does that mean?”
“I can’t be objective about you. You are my sunshine during the day and my stars at night. You’ve brightened my life, and somehow you’ve made me feel whole. You could be covered in mud and I’d still think you beautiful. I love everything you’ve done to the house right down to those prissy doilies you made.”
“Prissy?” She cocked her head as she stared at her handsome husband.
“Yes, but I love them because you made them. Don’t worry about the other women. You’re all friends anyway.” He grimaced. ”Well, maybe not Edith. Last I heard she was trying to get Poor Boy to go to school.”
“Oh no. Poor Boy is old enough to decide for himself. Besides He’s filled out and doesn’t have that haunted look in his eyes anymore. A change for the better. He’ll make something of his life.”
“Always the optimist except for when it comes to yourself. You are the kindest, smartest, and loveliest woman I know and don’t you forget it. Don’t forget, tomorrow we find that black stallion.”
Ilene wrapped her arms around his waist. “I was thinking about that stallion. He’s outfoxed us so many times and I think we should let him stay free. I did pick up tracks of another herd. I’d sure love to try my luck at finding them.”
He kissed the top of her head. “You’ve turned my world upside down, and I’ve loved every minute of it. A different herd it is. I really thought it’d be a hardship to work the horses with you but you’ve got what it takes. You make me proud to be your husband. I hear a wagon.” He gave her a lingering kiss and then lit out.
Ilene touched her tingling lips with her fingers. That man sure could kiss her senseless. Looking around she felt grateful for all she had. Especially for a man who liked doilies just because she made them. She’d found her happily ever after.
The End
I'm so pleased you chose to read Tramp’s Bride, and it's my sincere hope that you enjoyed the story. I would appreciate if you'd consider posting a review. This can help an author tremendously in obtaining a readership. My many thanks. ~ Kathleen
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Mail Order Brides of Texas Book Five
Poor Boy’s Christmas
Gunshots blasted from outside the stagecoach. Adrenaline filled Poor Boy Hastings as he drew his gun and lifted the window covering. The glare of the Texas sun poured through the window into the dimly lit coach, momentarily blinding Poor Boy. He squinted against the glare and waited for his eyes to adjust. By the time he saw what was going on, he realized he didn’t have a shot. Two men were on horseback kicking up a good bit of dust while the Sheriff of Asherville, Shane O’Conner, was in pursuit.
The stagecoach jolted to a stop, and Poor Boy pushed the door open and jumped out. Quickly, he looked around and saw a saddled horse from his
friend, Cinders’ ranch. He raced to it and mounted in one smooth move. Then he turned the horse and rode hell bent in the direction he’d seen Shane go.
Cinders had been right, they needed a deputy. Spurring the horse on, Poor Boy gained on Shane. The sheriff didn’t seem surprised to see him. He just nodded and urged his horse to run faster. It was no time at all before they had gained on the two bandits. Ragged and filthy bandanas covered the lower half of the outlaws’ faces. One of them lifted his gun and pointed it at Poor Boy and the sheriff.
Poor Boy ducked a few times to avoid getting hit. One of the sheriff’s bullets rang true and the larger of the outlaws fell to the ground. The smaller one instantly halted and dropped his gun.
He raised his hands. “Don’t shoot!” The bandit jumped off his horse and sprinted to the downed man.
Shane vaulted off his horse and gathered the outlaws’ guns. The smaller outlaw’s hat slid back and fell off. A mass of pecan-colored curls tumbled down and settled about a set of slim shoulders. She pulled her bandana from her face and laid her head on the bigger outlaw’s chest.
Shane exchanged astonished glances with Poor Boy, whose heart stuttered in his chest. The outlaw was a girl?
“Oh, Pa! I knew this would come to a bad end!” She looked up and glared at both Shane and Poor Boy. “You killed him! You murdered him in cold blood!”
Shane took a step forward. “Miss, listen. Shooting back at someone shooting at you is not murder. Maybe your decision to rob the bank is what led to his demise.”
She gave Shane a hard stare before she lifted her pa’s head and laid it on her lap. Tears rolled down her face as she stroked the dead man’s hair.
Shane approached her with his gun still drawn. “You’re under arrest. Poor Boy, grab the rope from my saddlebag and tie her hands.”
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