“It’s later than you think.”
Just to make sure she wasn’t teasing him, he checked his pocket watch.
She let out a gasp and placed a hand on her hip. “You didn’t believe me?”
“I didn’t think it could really be that late,” he admitted. Noting the shake of her head, he hurried over to her and kissed her cheek. “I’m sorry.”
“Well, let that be a lesson to you. You should listen to your wife. She knows what she’s talking about.”
“I won’t doubt you in the future,” he promised then gave her another kiss before he started to get dressed. “Though to be fair,” he said, “I thought you were joking.”
“I would never joke about something as serious as the time.” She winked at him and smiled.
Once he finished dressing, he went out to the barn. In the past whenever he did his morning chores, he’d experienced the feeling of restlessness that told him he had to get as far from this town as possible. But this morning, he felt at peace with the knowledge that he was going to spend the rest of his life here.
He had Juliet. She was safe with him. No one was going to come and take her away, nor did she have to run from the law. Together, they would continue to build a home here. His smile widening, he took a good look at his property. Maybe it wasn’t such a bad place after all.
The sound of the horses neighing for him prompted him to feed them. He hurried into the barn and poked his rake into the pile of hay.
“I’ll feed you sooner tomorrow,” he told them as he put hay into their troughs.
“You actually talk to your animals?”
Carl paused and turned to the doorway, surprised to see Abe. “I didn’t hear you coming.” He paused. “Now that I think about it, I didn’t even see you coming, and I took a good look around the area before I came in here.”
Mirth in his eyes, Abe shrugged. “A good hunter knows how to be invisible.”
Carl’s eyebrows rose in amusement. “Are you hunting me?”
“No, but I was hoping to startle you.”
Carl put more hay on his rake. “I suppose you could say you succeeded. You didn’t scream at me or try to punch me out.” He grinned at him to show him he was joking.
Abe chuckled. “Well, we’re brothers, and brothers are supposed to fight, right?”
He laughed as he threw the rest of the hay into the troughs. “I heard people say that, but I think we did more than our fair share of fighting.”
“Yeah, we probably did.” Abe glanced over his shoulder in the direction of the stream. “Phoebe and I were talking, and we’d be willing to share the stream with you and Juliet. When I thought about it, I realized the only way you were able to survive out here was because you panned for gold. Even if you weren’t getting a lot, it was enough to get you by.”
“I’m done panning for gold.” Carl set his rake on the hook by the doorway. “I’m going to start trapping, and I’m going to set up a garden. I might even get a couple of hens and other animals.”
“Well, the stream is a good water source. You could use the water for your garden or animals. Juliet might even want to use it for laundry.”
“When you put it that way, I’d be a fool to say no.” He cleared his throat and added, “Thank you, Abe. I appreciate it.”
“There’s plenty of stream for both of our families. It’d be a shame not to put it to good use.” He shifted from one foot to another then added, “Anyway, that’s all I came to say. I’ll see you around.”
As Abe turned to leave, Carl called out, “Abe?”
He stopped and turned back to him. “Yeah?”
“Would you like to have a cup of coffee? Juliet is about done with breakfast. We’re eating late this morning,” he quickly added. “If you like pancakes, you’re welcome to have some.”
“I already had a full breakfast, but a cup of coffee would be nice.”
“Great.”
Together, the brothers made their way to the cabin as Carl asked Abe if he had any tips on how to get a garden started.
***
Five Years Later
June
Juliet picked up her two-month-old son from where he’d taken a nap in Allie’s cottage. After Allie found out she was expecting her second child, Travis had added another bedroom to the place, and this was where Allie had let Juliet’s son sleep.
Juliet patted her child’s back, and he immediately settled down. He was a miracle baby. Neither she nor Carl had expected to have a child since she hadn’t conceived in the first four years of their marriage, but last year, she’d missed her monthly flow and nine months later, Darren had been born. And there was no denying the resemblance between him and Carl. Or the fact that Carl had been excited when she told him she’d been expecting him.
Phoebe’s two daughters, Nadie and Woya, came running into the room. “My doll,” three-year-old Woya cried as she ran after her older sister.
“It’s mine,” Nadie argued and held the doll up so Woya couldn’t reach it. “Grandma made it for me. You have your own doll.”
“Want that one,” Woya said as she jumped for it. “Play with my doll.”
“My doll doesn’t want to play with yours.”
Phoebe, carrying her one-year-old son, Atohi, ran into the room. “You’re going to wake up your cousin,” she whispered. Then, glancing over at Juliet, she stopped. “I’m sorry.”
Juliet smiled. “Don’t be. Darren was already awake.”
“I bet it’s a lot quieter at your house than it is here,” Phoebe replied as she shooed the girls out of the room.
“I don’t mind all the noise,” Juliet assured her. “It’s nice to hear the children.”
She laughed. “I thought so, too, until they started getting old enough to fight over everything. It was so much easier when it was just the one.” She glanced down at Atohi and added, “Though I wouldn’t trade any of them. They each carve out a special place in a mother’s heart.”
“They do that to their aunt as well,” Juliet teased.
“When Darren gets old enough, maybe he can throw stones into the stream with his cousins.”
“That would be nice.”
“I’m sure Atohi will like having another boy around.” Phoebe giggled. “Poor Abe. He was surrounded by nothing but girls until Atohi was born. I know he loves his daughters, but I’m sure having another male in the house was a big relief to him, especially since Nadie and Woya like a lot of frilly things.”
“Well, I did see him squirm when Nadie put a bow in his hair during lunch.”
“Like I said, poor Abe.”
The two women left the room and headed out of the cottage in time to see Caleb, Lilly, and Janice racing around the yard. Though Allie’s five-year-old son, Noah, followed behind them, he was too young to keep up with them. He was no match for the older children, Lilly being the oldest at fourteen, Caleb being thirteen, and Janice being twelve.
Juliet’s gaze went to Lilly and Janice’s mother who’d been invited to the lunch. Unlike Juliet, the girls’ mother hadn’t been able to avoid serving time in prison, and she couldn’t help but feel sorry for the woman who’d missed out on five years of her daughters’ lives. But Violet Conner didn’t look sad at the years she’d missed. Rather, she seemed grateful that she was able to come back and take over raising them, and by the happy expressions on her daughters’ faces, they were equally grateful she had returned.
Juliet’s gaze went to the four men who were sitting under the nearby tree. On the grass in front of them, Bethany, who was Travis’ two-year-old daughter, and Rhoda, Eric’s two-year-old daughter, were playing with—or rather tearing up—the flowers they had collected in the grass. Martin, Eric’s four-year-old son, was sitting on Eric’s lap, fast asleep.
Caleb let out a cheer, and Juliet saw he’d won the race.
“Pay up,” Carl told Eric.
Curious, Juliet went over to the men as Eric handed Carl a coin. “Were you two betting on the race?” she as
ked Carl and Eric.
“You bet,” Carl replied. “Last year, Lilly beat him, but I knew it was only a matter of time before he was faster. This year I won my coin back.”
Eric shrugged. “To be fair, I’ve won the last couple of years.” He glanced up at Juliet. “He should have bet me more money if he really wanted to make up for everything he’s lost.”
“I’ll just win those back next year when they race,” Carl said.
Eric snorted. “I’m not betting you that Caleb’s going to lose next year. He’s only going to get faster.”
“I’m afraid to say it, but Eric makes a good point,” Juliet said.
“There’s always another bet we can make,” Carl replied. “It’s only a matter of time before I get that ten cents back.”
“You bet him ten cents?” Juliet asked.
“Two cents each time.” He took the two pennies out of his pocket and showed them to her. “See?”
She took them from him. “Thank you.”
“Hey!”
Travis chuckled. “Don’t fight it. Once you’re a married man, everything you have goes to the wife.”
“Oh?” Allie asked.
Unaware Allie, Violet, Phoebe, and Caroline had been paying attention to them from where they stood a few feet away, Juliet and the men looked over at them.
“Before you came along, that building over there,” Travis pointed to his workshop, “used to be all mine. Now there’s an entire section dedicated to toys just for the kids, and most of the projects I work on are for things you want.”
Though Allie frowned at him, Juliet caught the sparkle in her eyes. “The only thing I did was organize your junk. Can I help it if there was a lot of space left over?”
He gasped in mock indignation. “Junk? You think all those things in there were junk?”
“To be fair,” Abe interrupted, “I did get a lot of metal scraps from you at one time, and even after I hauled a wagon full of them away, you had plenty to spare.”
“I thought men were supposed to stick together,” Travis told him.
“Don’t you two start fighting,” Caroline called out. “You need to set an example for the children.”
“You want an example?” Travis asked. “Noah, come here, son.”
Noah did as he wished, and Travis told the boy, “When you get married, tell your wife that your workshop is all yours. Once you let her in, it’s over. You got to do everything you can to keep her out. You hear?”
“Yes, Pa,” Noah said.
Travis chuckled. “There you go. The lesson is sealed in his mind forever.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if Allie’s going to make you sleep out there tonight,” Abe commented.
“You’re lucky you’re working on a new rocking chair for me,” Allie told Travis good-naturedly. “Otherwise, I would have you sleep out there tonight.”
Travis looked at Noah. “That’s another thing you should know. If you make yourself useful, your wife can’t kick you out of the house.”
“I take what I said back,” Caroline said. “There’s no need to be an example to the children.”
The group chuckled.
Carl patted his lap and looked at Juliet. “Want to sit down and relax for a while? You did a lot of work in helping the women clean up after us men and the children.”
“No,” Juliet replied. “I don’t want to interrupt you four. I think I’ll go join the women. Would you like to hold Darren?”
“Sure.” He held his arms out and took their son and smiled.
Abe leaned over and shook his head. “The poor kid looks just like you.”
“You’re just jealous because all of your kids take after Phoebe,” Carl replied.
With a smile, Juliet decided to leave them to their good-natured banter and returned to the women to enjoy the rest of the afternoon.
Don’t Miss the Other Books in the Chance at Love Series
Book 1: The Convenient Mail Order Bride
When Phoebe Durbin answers a mail-order bride ad, she doesn't realize the groom-to-be didn't post it. Worse, the day she arrives at her destination, she learns he doesn't even want to get married. Having nowhere else to go, she convinces him to give her a chance to prove having a woman cook and clean for him will be the best thing that ever happened to him.
Abe Thomas reluctantly agrees to take Phoebe in, though he doubts they will make a good match. They're much too different. While she sees the best in things, he knows the world is much darker than she can ever imagine. No woman in her right mind would be his convenient wife. He's sure when the stagecoach comes back to town, she'll be the first one on it. After all, two people so completely different can't make a good match, can they?
Book 2: The Mistaken Mail Order Bride
Eric Johnson has been writing to his mail-order bride for months, and at long last, the day she’s due to arrive has come. Only, the young lady who comes off the stagecoach isn’t at all what he expected. She's homely in appearance, and she has an orphan child with her.
However, he is a man of his word, so he's going to marry her. He had enjoyed their correspondence over the past year, after all, and really, initial impressions aren’t everything. But when the preacher pronounces them husband and wife, he finds out she’s the wrong lady.
Caroline Benton’s just as shocked as he is, not realizing she’d gotten off at the wrong town and followed the wrong man home. Why, oh why, didn’t she think to ask him his name? Now she and the orphan child she brought with her are stuck in a strange town with a man who’d been waiting for someone else.
She can’t imagine he’s at all happy to be paired up with her for the rest of his life. Not only is she rather unattractive, but she doesn't know the first thing about housekeeping. Just what is she supposed to do to convince him it’s not the end of the world that he married the wrong mail-order bride?
Book 3: The Accidental Mail Order Bride
Eric Johnson’s real mail order bride shows up later than expected, and she quickly learns he is already married. Now Allie Jones is stuck in a small Colorado town with no way to leave. She must either marry the only remaining bachelor or risk being sold to the saloon’s owner to be one of the soiled doves. Seeing she has no real choice, she agrees to marry the bachelor.
Not being much to look at and overweight, Travis Martin is content to live alone, sheltered in the wooded area of the mountainside, free from the town’s endless gossip. So that’s why the last thing he expects is a preacher when there’s a knock on the door. With great hesitation, he agrees to the marriage. He can’t confine her to the saloon, but he knows the marriage won’t be a happy one for her, not when she could have had someone so much better.
All Books by Ruth Ann Nordin
(Chronological Order)
Regencies
Marriage by Scandal Series
The Earl’s Inconvenient Wife
A Most Unsuitable Earl
His Reluctant Lady
The Earl’s Scandalous Wife
Marriage by Deceit Series
The Earl’s Secret Bargain
Love Lessons With the Duke
Ruined by the Earl
The Earl’s Stolen Bride
Standalone Regency
Her Counterfeit Husband
Marriage by Arrangement Series
His Wicked Lady
Her Devilish Marquess
The Earl’s Wallflower Bride
Marriage by Bargain Series
The Viscount’s Runaway Bride
The Rake’s Vow (Coming Soon)
Historical Western Romances
Pioneer Series
Wagon Trail Bride
The Marriage Agreement
Groom For Hire (Coming Soon)
Nebraska Series
Her Heart’s Desire
A Bride for Tom
A Husband for Margaret
Eye of the Beholder
The Wrong Husband
Shotgun Groom
To Have
and To Hold
His Redeeming Bride
Isaac’s Decision
Chance at Love Series
The Convenient Mail Order Bride
The Mistaken Mail Order Bride
The Accidental Mail Order Bride
The Bargain Mail Order Bride
South Dakota Series
Loving Eliza
Bid for a Bride
Bride of Second Chances
Montana Collection
Mitch’s Win
Boaz’s Wager
Patty’s Gamble
Native American Romance Series
Restoring Hope
A Chance In Time
Brave Beginnings
Bound by Honor, Bound by Love
Virginia Series
An Unlikely Place for Love
The Cold Wife
An Inconvenient Marriage
Romancing Adrienne
Standalone Historical Western Romances
Falling In Love With Her Husband
Kent Ashton’s Backstory (Prequel to Catching Kent)
Catching Kent
His Convenient Wife
Meant To Be
The Mail Order Bride’s Deception
Contemporary Romances
Omaha Series
With This Ring, I Thee Dread
What Nathan Wants
Just Good Friends
Across the Stars Series
Suddenly a Bride
The Bargain Mail Order Bride Page 21