Christmas Mail Order Angels: The complete 11 Volume Set

by Darlene Franklin

  Four startled ranchmen stared at her.

  “Mrs. Johnston,” said the small-framed cowboy called Bronc.

  A man in good quality trousers, a woolen jacket, and a new-looking felt hat came over to her and held up a hand. She had never met him, but she was sure he was Mr. Leman. “May I help you down, ma’am?”

  Isabella snatched a breath. “Edwin,” was all she could get out.

  The cowpokes looked at each other, and Bronc walked over to stand beside her mount.

  “We was just talkin’ about him, ma’am.”

  “Where is he?” she gasped.

  “We …” Bronc shot a glance at the boss. “We don’t know.”

  The other two men slouched over to stand next to Bronc, like two dusty bookends.

  “We thought he’d gone in town early at first,” said a lanky, blond man.

  “For the weddin’,” said the other.

  Bronc nodded. “It was kinda odd, I thought, because Ed had asked me to stand up with him, but I figured I’d just go in at church time and we’d be all right.”

  “You didn’t come to church,” Isabella said.

  Bronc shook his head. “I wondered if Ed slept over to the foreman’s cabin last night, or even in town, but I was just going to go out and saddle up, when I noticed the things he was saving special for the weddin’—his clean shirt and his tie, you know—were on his bunk. I poked around a little, and it struck me something was wrong. He never came in at all last night.”

  Isabella stared at him and then at Mr. Leman.

  “Came in from where?” she managed.

  “Please get down and come into the house,” Mr. Leman said. “My wife can get you a cup of tea. My men and I will look for Edwin.”

  Slowly, Isabella disengaged her foot from the stirrup and pulled her right leg over the saddle as modestly as she could. She slid down, and Mr. Leman grasped her arms, setting her solidly on the ground.

  “Church was over an hour ago,” Isabella said, gazing at him with some accusation. What had these men done in the time since Bronc had discovered that Edwin was missing?

  “Roddy came and told me a short while ago,” Mr. Leman said.

  The young blond man nodded. “Me and the boys had been looking around for him. The horse he uses most—the paint—he wasn’t in the corral.”

  “But if he went out yesterday,” Isabella began.

  “I wondered if he’d had some trouble with the stock, but it was my evening off, so I rode into town and didn’t think much of it,” Bronc said.

  “He wasn’t home for supper,” Roddy admitted.

  The third man shrugged. “I figured he’d gone to see you, ma’am. Or went with Bronc for a last hurrah.”

  Isabella stared at him. Edwin was not a man who would hit the saloon the night before his wedding.

  “He warn’t with me,” Bronc said quickly. “When I got back here, it was dark, and I turned in without putting a lantern on. Never noticed his bunk was empty.”

  “We looked all around the usual places this mornin’,” Roddy said.

  At the sound of hoofbeats, they all turned toward the trail that led toward the ranch’s western pastures. A lone rider trotted toward them on a bay horse, leading a brown-and-white pinto.

  Isabella’s heart contracted.

  The cowboy was an older man, in his forties, she guessed. His expression dour, he rode up to them and handed the pinto’s reins to one of the cowboys.

  “Here, Hab. Take his saddle off and turn him out. He’s limping on the near hind.” He glanced at Mr. Leman and Isabella in turn and touched his hat brim. “Boss. Ma’am.”

  “Where did you find him, George?” Mr. Leman asked.

  “Over to the creek.”

  “Mount up, boys,” the rancher said. “I’ll get Jim and tell my wife we’re going to search farther out. Mrs. Johnston, just come up to the house with me and—”

  “I’m going with you,” she said firmly.

  ###

  Edwin fought the blackness and clawed his way to consciousness. He wasn’t going to die without some effort to make it home.

  With a moan he rolled onto his stomach. His knee. Cautiously, he felt it and pulled his hand away. It was terribly swollen, and even that small movement lanced his side with pain. Ribs, he figured. He’d busted some ribs. He sucked in a deep breath and wondered if his pony had made it home.

  “Hey, Ed!”

  Did he dream it?” He raised his head, held his breath, and listened. Maybe it was just a hawk’s distant cry.

  “Edwin!” This time, his name came in Isabella’s sweet tones. Either he was dreaming, or they were up there looking for him.

  “Here,” he croaked. He’d have to do better than that.

  “Hey, Edwin.” That was George Cramer, he was sure.

  Edwin closed his lips and tried to work up enough saliva to moisten his mouth.

  “Isabella,” he yelled, his voice cracking. “Down here!”

  A moment later, George’s voice came, hesitantly. “Ed? That you?”

  “It’s me.” Edwin tried to wave, but only succeeded in lifting his hand a few inches. “Over the edge.”

  “Edwin,” Isabella called. “Are you hurt?”

  He thought about that. “Some.”

  “We’ll get you,” George yelled. “Have to find a way down first.”

  Edwin sighed and closed his eyes. He should have known Isabella would come. This was their wedding day. Thank you, Lord.

  ###

  Isabella hated to leave the spot on the trail from which she had heard Edwin’s voice, but Bronc insisted there was another trail down below that would take them closer to the spot where he lay.

  “Easier to climb up to him than to go down this cliff,” he said.

  Mr. Leman nodded. “All right, let’s go. We’d be hard pressed to haul him up here anyway. George, you stay up here so we have someone who can hear him and communicate.”

  George seemed about to protest, but Bronc said, “We should be able to see you when we get out on the lower trail,” Bronc said. “You can be a marker for us. Guide us in.”

  Isabella pulled her red scarf off and held it out to George. “Wave this when you see us. We’ll know he’s right below you.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” George took the scarf and looped it around his neck. He gave Isabella a boost into the saddle. “We’ll get him, ma’am.”

  She smiled down at him. “Thank you, George.”

  She followed Bronc and the others down the trail. It took them twenty minutes to get off the mountain and find the new path that led to the base of the sheer face. As they rode toward it, she saw George’s tiny form high above them, waving her red banner.

  They rode in as close as they could.

  “I reckon he’s up yonder,” said the one called Hab, pointing to a dark spot about a third of the way up the cliff.

  “That’s an awful fall, if you’re right,” Mr. Leman said.

  “I can get up there.” Young Roddy was already out of the saddle, and he ran toward the rock-strewn slope.

  “You’d best stay here, ma’am,” Mr. Leman said. “If we need anything, you can ride back to the ranch to get it.”

  Isabella nodded, though she longed to be the first to Edwin’s side. Her skirts weren’t made for climbing, and she would only slow the men down. They ground tied their mounts in the dry grass and followed Roddy.

  Quite a wedding day, she thought as she sat her horse watching them. She prayed relentlessly as the men scrambled upward. This part of the slope was steep but not sheer. In fifteen minutes, Roddy had reached the ledge Hab indicated. He stood and faced her and waved his arms like semaphores.

  “Got him,” came the echoing shout.

  “Woo!” George’s approval from above was accompanied by wild waving of the red scarf.

  ###

  “I don’t do many weddings in doctor’s offices.” Reverend Reed’s declaration brought a few smiles.

  The mining company’s doctor
stepped back from the bed where Edwin lay and nodded at the preacher.

  “He seems well enough to take part in the ceremony, sir. But I warn you, he wouldn’t let me give him any laudanum this morning. As soon as they’ve taken the vows, I’ll dose him again, and we’ll let him rest, eh?” The doctor’s gaze included Isabella too.

  “Of course,” she said softly. She sat in a chair next to Edwin’s bed. It was Monday, and Bronc had brought the groom’s clean shirt and tie into town at Edwin’s insistence. She suspected dressing for the nuptials had been painful, but the deed was accomplished.

  The doctor stepped back near the door. “Carry on then.”

  Mr. Reed smiled and beckoned the witnesses forward. Bronc grinned from ear to ear, showing the space in his teeth. Mr. and Mrs. Leman and Jim were also in attendance. Isabella was gratified to have a woman present, and also that the boss and his family showed their support of Edwin in this way.

  The reading of the vows took only a few minutes. Isabella tried not to grasp Edwin’s right hand too tightly, as every part of him seemed bruised in some way. His left arm was encased in a plaster cast from his hand beyond the elbow. His right leg was propped up with pillows under the knee and a hot water bottle full of cold well water on top. The doctor said he had to wait for the swelling to go down before he could tell how much damage Edwin’s adventures had caused there. She had also learned last night, after the doctor finished his considerable work, that Edwin’s chest bore deep claw marks from where the bear had swiped him. His ribcage was tightly bound, as at least two ribs were broken and more were probably cracked.

  When Reverend Reed pronounced them man and wife, Isabella leaned down and kissed Edwin’s lips softly. His eyes gleamed, and he squeezed her hand. The fire in his eyes told her that once he had recovered sufficiently, he would kiss her good and proper.

  Blushing a little, Isabella stood to accept felicitations from the witnesses. Mrs. Leman kissed her cheek and said, “Best wishes, my dear. I know you want to stay in town for a few days, but you’re welcome at the ranch anytime.”

  “Thank you,” Isabella said. “The doctor says that if all goes well, we can move Edwin out there next week, though it will be at least a month before he can resume his duties, perhaps longer.”

  Bronc seized the patient’s hand eagerly, and Edwin winced.

  “Easy now,” Edwin said between clenched teeth.

  “Oh, sorry.” Bronc dropped his hand. “We’ll miss you at the bunkhouse, boss.”

  “Sure you will,” Edwin said, shaking his head. “I’ll bet Roddy’s already claimed my bunk.”

  Bronc did not deny it. “Well, whenever you and the missus want stuff moved, just tell us. Me and the boys’ll be there for you.”

  “Thanks.”

  Mr. Leman shook Edwin’s hand more gently.

  “Hurry up and get well, Ed. We need you.”

  Edwin eyed him uncertainly. “I wasn’t sure you’d want to keep me as foreman, after I got stove up like this.”

  “Of course we do. The timing could have been worse, you know. Not much to do once the snow sets in heavy.”

  Jim congratulated them both, giving the bride a chaste kiss on the cheek.

  “Glad I got to meet you, Mrs. Gray.”

  She smiled broadly. “Thank you, Jim. How long are you staying?”

  “Thought I’d head home on Wednesday. I don’t want to wait too long, or I won’t be able to get to the railroad. My folks want me home for Christmas, you know.”

  “Of course,” Isabella said.

  Mrs. Leman spoke to Bronc in low tones, and the cowboy slouched out the door. A few minutes later, he returned with Henrietta, who carried a cake. Bronc brought a large pot of coffee and a basket of cups. They’d forgotten a knife, but Doc brought them one from his private quarters, assuring them it was not one used in his medical practice.

  The wedding guests enjoyed their refreshments and conversation for another twenty minutes. By that time, Edwin’s face was rather drawn, and the doctor shooed them all out but Isabella.

  “Time this poor man had some rest,” he growled, but Isabella had learned over the past twenty-four hours that Doc was really kind at heart despite his crusty demeanor.

  He gave the patient his laudanum, and Isabella adjusted the pillows, so that Edwin could lie back and sleep.

  “Before you go,” her husband said groggily.

  Isabella smiled. “I’m not going anywhere. You rest, but I’m staying right here beside you.”

  “All right then, before I go,” Edwin managed, and she laughed. “I didn’t tell you how sorry I am that I missed the wedding. The first one, I mean.”

  She managed not to laugh again and stroked his dark hair back off his pale brow. “It’s no matter, dearest. I know you would have been there if you could, and that is what really matters. That and … that you love me.”

  “Oh, I do love you. And I would never disappoint you on purpose.”

  “I know.” She bent to kiss his forehead. “You, Mr. Gray, with the exception of bears, are reliable in all things.”

  Epilogue

  December 25. 1877

  “I’m ready.” Edwin came through the doorway of the little cabin right on time.

  Isabella reached for her woolen coat. “Are you sure you’re up to this? It may be a long day.”

  “I’m fine. Much better than a week ago.”

  It was true. The cast had come off his arm on their last visit to the town, and the doctor had proclaimed him well on the way to recovery. She could tell from his slight limp that his knee was back to its pre-bear condition, and he no longer winced when he picked up a stick of firewood.

  “Well, you still need to take it easy,” she said.

  “Ah, such a mother hen.” He came to her side and took her coat from her. He leaned in and kissed her. “I wouldn’t want you to miss your friends’ weddings.”

  Isabella smiled. “It seems such a long time since we arrived in those wagons, and Becky and Jake will finally be wed.”

  “On Christmas Day.” Edwin held up her coat. “Come on, we don’t want to be late.”

  “I don’t think you’ve been late for anything since our wedding day,” Isabella teased.

  “Well, not anything I was allowed to go to. But the doc says I can go back on regular chores in another month. Then we’ll see.”

  “I refuse to worry about you,” she said, winding her scarf about her neck.

  He eyed her with an air of disapproval. “Not sure I like that. If someone hadn’t worried about me, I might still be lying out there on the mountain.”

  “All right, then. But you must always tell me when to start. If you aren’t home when you say you will be, I’ll allow just a little sliver of worry. And if it turns into a big lateness, not just a little tardiness, why then I’ll turn out the bunkhouse again.”

  He nodded. “That’s better. Come on, the sleigh is waiting.” They stepped out into the crisp, cold air. Snow was piled waist-high on each side of the path, where Bronc and Hab had stacked it when they shoveled them out. They couldn’t leave the foreman snowed in for long. Isabella wouldn’t have minded, but she was certain her husband wanted to get out and into the thick of the ranch’s winter operations, though he was strictly forbidden to shovel or lift anything else heavy for a while.

  “Think it will snow again tonight?” she asked, eyeing the sky critically. She didn’t want to get stranded in town.

  “No, it’ll be fine.” Edwin smiled down at her. “Merry Christmas, Mrs. Gray.”

  “Thank you. Merry Christmas to you, husband. But … I believe I left Becky’s wedding present on the kitchen table. Give me just a minute while I fetch it.”

  “All right,” Edwin said. “But hurry! You don’t want to make us late.”

  The End

  About the Author

  Susan Page Davis is a Maine native now living in western Kentucky. She is the author of more than sixty traditionally published novels. She's a winner of the Car
ol Award, Will Rogers Medallion for Western Fiction, and has twice won the Inspirational Readers' Choice Contest. She has also been a finalist in the More than Magic and the WILLA Literary Awards. Visit her website at www.susanpagedavis.com.

  Other Books by Susan Page Davis

  The Outlaw Takes a Bride

  The Cowboy Poet (novella in the Cowboy’s Bride collection)

  Breaking News

  The Charm Bracelet

  Trail to Justice

  Hearts in the Crosshairs

  Just Cause

  Witness

  On a Killer’s Trail

  What a Picture’s Worth

  Love Comes to the Castle (novella in Christmas at Barncastle Inn anthology)

  Revolution at Barncastle Inn (novella in Celebrate Any Time series)

  The Crimson Cipher

  Almost Arizona

  Love Finds You in Prince Edward Island

  Weaving a Future (also found in Virginia Brides collection)

  Feather (fantasy for children of all ages)

  Sarah’s Long Ride (for middle-graders)

  The Christmas Tree Bride (novella in The 12 Brides of Christmas and White Christmas Brides)

  Blue Moon Bride (novella in The 12 Brides of Summer and Old West Christmas Brides)

  Another Christmas Story (novella in Westward Christmas Brides collection)

  Prairie Dreams Series: The Lady’s Maid; Lady Anne’s Quest; A Lady in the Making

  The Ladies’ Shooting Club Series: The Sheriff’s Surrender; The Gunsmith’s Gallantry;

  The Blacksmith’s Bravery; Collected in The Bride’s Prerogative

  Texas Trails Series: Captive Trail; Cowgirl Trail

  Frasier Island Series: Frasier Island; Finding Marie; Inside Story

  Maine Brides (3 novels set in historic Maine)

  Wyoming Brides (3 novels set in historic Wyoming)

  White Mountain Brides (3 novels set in historic New Hampshire)