“Please do not let me stand here in the rain waiting on a man that is clearly not coming,” she hoped silently.
At that moment, the skies opened and rain poured down, soaking her hat and dress. “Darn it all!” she yelled as she yanked her trunk down onto the road and started dragging it towards the Inn she had spotted. She would stay there until the storm died down, and she could get in touch with Luke.
Chapter Three
That morning, Luke had rushed around the house trying to tidy up for his soon-to-be wife. She was to arrive that afternoon and between working the fields and raising his boys, he hadn’t had much time to prepare. He glanced around at his cabin. There were dishes piled up, laundry that needed desperately to be done and a general sense of untidiness he thought might make a lady uncomfortable. He scratched the back of his head with his hand as he looked around.
The boys, Jeremy and Evan, were eight and five years old respectively. Their mother passed when Evan was just short of a year old. Luke had done his best to raise the boys, but he knew they needed a woman’s influence. He watched as they banged their silverware on the table and yelled at each other. He was starting to feel guilty about leaving out the fact that he had children when he was writing to his mail-order bride. He hoped she would love children and be able to help tame them.
“Boys!” he yelled over the ruckus, “you need to settle down and help your old dad out with this house. We can’t have your new mom seeing the cabin like this when she gets here.”
“But dad!” they both protested.
“I won’t take no for an answer. Jeremy, take those plates down to the stream and wash them. Evan, you put all the laundry in the wash basin and get stirring. I’ll get the rest of the house handled,” he ordered.
Despite the boys’ tendency to be a little loud and a little wild at times, they were good hearted. They liked to help out around the house and they did what they were told to do. Luke smiled as he watched them dutifully follow his direction. He was proud of them and he could only hope his new wife would be too. No one could ever replace their mother, but he hoped he had found the right woman to make their house a home again.
When the boys had finished, Luke sent them off to the schoolhouse. Ever since his best friend’s wife, Laura, started teaching, the boys had a renewed interest in learning. Every day they came home with some new thing they learned about a faraway place. Laura seemed like a nice enough woman, and she made James happy, so after a lot of pestering, he finally decided to take a mail-order bride too. Apparently Laura knew this woman named Katherine; they had been best friends growing up in Boston.
Luke sat in an old wooden chair by the window with a bowl of warm water and his shaving kit on the table in front of him. He wondered if she would find him handsome as he carefully shaved his beard and mustache. His blonde, wavy hair was long and he kept it tied back with a ribbon. He was of average height, but a muscular build from working the fields all day long. He had a crooked smile that seemed to dazzle women and he wasn’t shy in using it.
The railroad station was a few hours journey by carriage so he got started around noon, with the sun high in the sky. Luke could see storm clouds moving in from the west, and he hoped that he would make it to his new wife before the storm picked up. He made sure to put on the black hat and red bandana that he promised to wear in a letter to Katherine.
Chapter Four
About an hour into his trip, Luke heard a loud cracking sound and suddenly his wagon was thrown completely off balance. He slowed his horse to a halt and jumped down to see what happened. To his disappointment, one of his wheels was broken beyond repair. Fortunately, he had a spare in his wagon, but he knew it was going to seriously set him back.
By the time Luke finally made it to the railway station, it was dark and raining. He hurried into the nearby Inn, hoping to find his bride seeking shelter inside. He spotted the innkeeper and waved for his attention.
“I'm looking for a woman named Katherine. She should have arrived recently. Is she here?” he asked hopefully.
"Yes, sir,” the innkeeper said, “she’s right inside the dining room.” He gestured toward a doorway down the hall.
Luke strode down the hall as he wiped his sweaty palms on his pants. The nerves bubbling in his stomach surprised him. He turned into the doorway and stopped as he scanned the patrons. His eyes settled on a raven-haired beauty in a purple dress. He was flabbergasted by her beauty and smitten by the fact that she was nose deep in a book. He admired her for a few moments before sauntering over, his crooked grin beaming.
Katherine looked up and felt a shot of adrenaline when she saw the broad shouldered man in his red bandana making his way toward her. He took his hat off his head and held it against his chest as he bowed in front of her. She stared at him, not feeling charmed by his entrance.
“Howdy there ma’am. You must be Katherine,” he said, still smiling.
“Yes,” she said coldly, pinning him in place with her icy blue eyes. “Do you have any idea how long I’ve been waiting for you?”
“I’m hoping you’ve been waiting for me your whole life,” he said teasingly.
“No, hours. It’s rude to keep a lady waiting. Do you have any manners at all?” she asked.
Luke was taken aback by her chastisement. He wasn’t used to women being so out spoken. “I apologize for keeping you waiting, but as you’ll soon find out, things don’t always go as planned in the West. If you’re ready, I’d love to take you home to Barnestown. It’s just a two hour ride,” he said.
Katherine scoffed. “Just two hours? How far from civilization is your house?” she asked as she stood up and charged past him.
Luke brushed off her comments. He could tell already that she was going to be a firecracker, but it intrigued him. Her brazen independence lit a fire inside him that had gone out long ago. He followed her into the Inn’s foyer where her trunk was waiting.
“Let me take that for you,” Luke said, reaching for the handle.
“No, thank you. I'm perfectly capable of getting my own luggage,” she grumbled as she dragged it outside.
Luke laughed as he watched her struggle through the mud. “Well at least you're feisty. You'll do well around here,” he said.
His laughter only proved to further agitate Katherine. She couldn't believe she would be marrying such an imbecile. She sat silently the whole ride back to his house. It was an uncomfortable ride, and the ragged unevenness of the road made it worse. A few times she feared she would actually be tossed from the wagon.
Chapter Five
When they finally made it to his cabin she was relieved and a little excited to see her future home. However, she noticed two little boys standing outside which struck her as odd. She wondered if they were a neighbor’s children.
“Who are those children?” she asked gesturing towards them.
“The older one is Jeremy, and the younger one is Evan,” Luke said, hesitating for a moment before continuing, “They’re my sons.”
Katherine's mouth dropped open. “You have sons? Why didn't you tell me that?” she snapped.
“I'm sorry, but I thought you wouldn't want to come out here if you knew,” said Luke sheepishly.
“So you decided to trick me?” she cried, feeling completely betrayed.
"It wasn't my intention to trick you. I just thought you might grow to care for them. My boys need a mother so badly. Their mother died when they were very young,” pleaded Luke. He had feared she would react like this, and he knew it was wrong of him not to have specifically told her before she came all the way out west.
Katherine was shocked and offended that he would lie like that. She immediately insisted on being taken to her friend Laura's home where she was expected to stay until their wedding. She needed to clear her head and rethink this decision with everything that had happened since she left Boston.
Katherine ran up the steps and knocked on the heavy wooden door. It had been almost a year since she had last s
een Laura, and she couldn’t wait to spend time with her best friend again. She needed to be able to talk to someone she trusted and hearing from someone who had experience being a mail-order bride was a plus too.
“Katherine! I’m so happy you’re finally here! How was your trip? What do you think of Luke?” squealed Laura, bombarding her with questions.
Katherine tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and laughed. She missed Laura’s exuberance. She opened her mouth to speak, but Laura cut her off again.
“Oh, I’m terribly sorry. Come inside! I’ll make us tea and we can talk,” insisted Laura.
They walked inside and sat down by the fire. Katherine was grateful for the warmth after spending much of the day out in the rain.
“Laura,” she started, “I think I’ve made a horrible mistake coming out here. Luke has two children, and I didn’t sign up to be a mother. I feel like he tricked me, and that’s no way to start a relationship.”
“I understand. Giving up your entire life in Boston to start over in an unfamiliar place and marry a man you’ve never met comes with endless uncertainties,” Laura said, trying to comfort her. She felt like Katherine and Luke would make a good match, but she didn’t want her friend to feel trapped or forced.
“Were you sure about your marriage to James when you met him?” Katherine asked quietly as she warmed her hands over the fire.
“No. How can you be when you’ve only just met the person? But I was sure in my faith in God. I trusted him to put me on the right path,” Laura answered.
Katherine sighed. “I was so rude to him, Laura,” she said, looking down at the floor.
Laura smiled. Her friend had always been a little abrasive. “Luke’s tough. It will take a lot more than that to scare him away. And he’s a good man. He works hard, he’s a wonderful father, and he’s always there to lend a hand if you need it. I have no doubt that he will make a good husband for you,” she replied.
During the night, Katherine tossed and turned. She was having nightmares recollecting her childhood and the hell she endured from her mother. She awoke in a cold sweat at dawn, but after thinking for a while, she felt a sense of calmness wash over her. The fact that Luke had children didn’t change who he was. Katherine had begun to fall in love with the man who wrote those sweet and romantic letters back and forth with her.
Chapter Six
Wedding bells tolled as Laura helped to lace the corset on Katherine’s dress. “Are you excited?” asked Laura happily.
“I am, although I’m still upset with Luke for not being open with me. I haven’t even spoken to him since yesterday,” Katherine said.
“It’s no matter. You’ll work it out, and if you need help with anything, you know who to come to,” said Laura.
“Thank you for everything,” she replied as she turned around and smiled at her friend before curtsying in front of her. “What do you think of the dress?” she asked.
“It’s beautiful! Only the finest dress for my fashionable friend,” she said as they both laughed together.
Katherine felt a warm feeling when she saw Luke standing at the alter smiling at her. He was incredibly handsome, she thought to herself. When they said their “I do’s”, he kissed her hand tenderly as he looked deep into her eyes. Katherine’s heart skipped a beat, and she felt her face flush in response.
When they arrived home later that day, Katherine was jolted back to reality as a toad leapt onto her wedding gown. Evan squealed as he lunged to grab it, smearing mud all across her. Jeremy snickered across the room when Katherine gasped as she looked down and saw the state of her gown. It had taken her and her uncle months to finish this dress, and now it was ruined. All of a sudden the stress of the entire situation came crashing down on her. She burst into tears and ran into Luke’s bedroom, slamming the door behind her.
“Take that outside!” barked Luke at the boys as they ran toward the door, toad in hand. He walked across the room and took a deep breath before gently tapping on the door. “Katherine? I’m so sorry. I know they could use a little etiquette training,” he said, stifling a laugh.
Katherine ripped the door open. “Etiquette training?” she hissed as her tear-filled eyes widened, “You honestly think all they need is a little etiquette training? They’re running around like little savages and you think it’s funny!” She was so frustrated that her hands were shaking.
Luke expected a period of adjustment when Katherine arrived, but he had no idea she would be this upset. “I shouldn’t have laughed. If it means anything to you, I think that you will be a wonderful mother. It’s just going to take everyone some time to get used to each other,” he said gently, watching the way her face looked pained.
“How could you possibly know that I would be a good mother? I’ve had no experience with what a good mother even is. I wasn’t a child who was loved,” she said angrily.
“What do you mean? I’m sure your mother loved you,” said Luke even though he sensed a deep wound in Katherine. His voice wavered.
Katherine’s shoulders sank as she sighed. “My mother was a cruel and bitter woman. She would lock me in the cellar for days while she entertained men and pretended she had no children. If I cried or asked for water, she would leave me there even longer. I have no idea how a mother should love a child, but I know how she shouldn’t. There’s no possible way that I could be that different than my mother. Some women aren’t meant to have children, and I don’t want to damage those boys,” she said. Her eyes pleaded with him.
Luke stepped forward and hugged Katherine. She was taken aback and protested momentarily before melting into his arms. Quiet, muffled sobs escaped her as they embraced, and Luke felt an overwhelming urge to protect her and show her how different she was from a woman like that. No one deserved to live with such painful memories so close to the surface.
It was clear that Katherine was afraid to be a mother. She spent most of her childhood with a woman who taught her to doubt her own worth, and Luke wanted to change that. He made a vow that he would do everything in his power to make their marriage work, and moreover, make Katherine comfortable.
Chapter Seven
That night, Luke cooked dinner as Katherine unpacked her trunk. The boys sat quietly at the table after a stern scolding from their father. Evan, the youngest, was eager to apologize and get to know Katherine. He longed for a mother since he never knew his own. Jeremy was more withdrawn, and Luke knew he would be the more difficult of the two. Jeremy was fiercely loyal to his mother’s memory, and he seemed to feel like Katherine threatened that.
“Jeremy, Evan, I’d like to properly introduce you to Katherine, my new wife,” he said when Katherine sat down at the table.
“We’ve been waiting for you for months!” chimed Evan cheerfully while Jeremy grumbled a hello in her direction.
“It’s nice to finally meet you both, then,” said Katherine with a small laugh. His exuberance was endearing. She glanced at Jeremy, sensing his distrust and not wanting to scare him. “I want you both to know that I don’t ever expect to replace your mother, but I will do my best to gain your trust and take the very best care of you that I can,” she said in a serious tone.
Jeremy looked up at her, surprised by her admission. However, he quickly regained his sulk and didn’t reply.
Evan was beaming. “I like you already!” he said with his small, freckled face smiling at her.
Together the four of them ate dinner with pleasant conversation. They traded stories; Luke‘s about life on the frontier and Katherine’s about life back east. It wasn’t until the candles burned low and Evan’s eyes drooped as he fought to stay awake that they finally called it a night.
“Katherine, you can stay in my room so that you’re comfortable. I’ll bunk with the boys for now,” he said in a low voice as he steered the sleepy boys off to their beds.
Katherine blushed at the mention of who would sleep where. She hadn’t thought through the fact that Luke could expect them to share a bed
now that they were man and wife. She admired his gentleman-like offer and appreciated the lack of pressure he put on her.
She smiled back at him as he whispered good night and handed her a candle to carry into the room. She closed the door gently this time and leaned against it. This might not be as bad as she initially thought. The boys were good-natured — a little rough around the edges but actually kind and even sweet. And Luke was as charming as he was handsome. She slipped into her nightgown and pulled the heavy quilt over her as she climbed into the large, wooden framed bed. The mattress was not nearly as uncomfortable as she had been warned of back east, and before she knew it, she was fast asleep.
That night she had no nightmares and she woke up refreshed and excited to start the day. The smell of coffee and the sound of bacon sizzling on the griddle wafted into her room, and she quickly dressed. Her gown was a soft gingham fabric with blue and white checks and a full bustle. The light colors contrasted beautifully with her long black hair and fair skin. She tied a matching blue ribbon around her neck and picked a white bonnet with a silk blue ribbon to sit atop her curls.
“Wow,” said Luke, “You look lovely, but I think you might be a tad overdressed.” His mouth was slightly agape. He wasn’t used to such fancy dresses in Idaho. And especially ones that did such a good job of accentuating a woman's figure. Most of the women opted for simple muslin dresses to make working outdoors easier.
Katherine smiled. “I’ll take that as a compliment. I see no reason to forgo fashion, even in these parts,” she said confidently. “Do you mind if I accompany Laura into town after breakfast? She wanted to show me around.”
“I don’t mind at all,” said Luke, taking a sip of his coffee, “I’d like you to get settled in around here.”
Chapter Eight
A week later, Katherine mused over the past few days as she helped Evan out of the wash basin and dried off his hair with a cloth. She had started to build her confidence as a woman with maternal instincts, and she was growing fond of the boys. Evan had taken to her immediately, hanging onto her skirts and helping her with her daily chores. Jeremy, on the other hand, was still warming up to her. Occasionally, she would catch him smiling at something she said, but most of the time he was quiet and kept his distance.
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