A Ready Made Family (Mail-Order Brides 6)

by Annie Boone

  “He’s funny, but he kept trying to get me to ask you if I could live at the ranch. I want to live with you and Vivian, so I never asked you,” said Oliver.

  “He did? Oh Oliver. You should have told me. I would never have let it go on this long if I’d known that.”

  “Well, it’s alright now, I suppose. We just have to start looking for another husband for you,” he said.

  “Are you alright about this, Vivian?”

  She nodded. “He was nice to me, but I could tell he didn’t make you happy. You never laughed with him like you do with us.”

  “It looks like things have worked out for the best for now,” I said. “Let’s go to sleep and we’ll worry about the future later.”

  Oliver yawned and nodded. That was proof enough for me that the Henry subject wasn’t going to be a problem for the twins.

  After I’d tucked the children into bed, I thought about Henry and his parents. He wasn’t a very nice man. I wondered how that had happened when his parents were such wonderful people.

  They don’t deserve him. Hadn’t her cousin, Vance Gifford, used the same words but regarding us? I went to bed that night giving more thought to Mr. Vance Gifford than I had when I first encountered him.

  I realized I felt much more than admiration for his business acumen. Over the time I had worked for him, I had seen his quiet steadiness. The loss of his family had changed him for sure, but from time to time I had seen a spark of mischief that was trying to resurface.

  His handsome face was rarely far away from my thoughts after I started working in his office. I had fallen in love with him because of his strong character, his sense of fairness, and his handsome good looks. The thought of looking into his amazing blue eyes for the rest of my life sent chills through me. Good chills.

  That night I dreamed of walking hand in hand with him beside a lake. I dreamed that we kissed like young lovers in the moonlight. Oddly, the children were not a part of this dream. I woke up and felt flushed when I remembered the intimate embraces we had shared in my dreams.

  Would these dreams have a chance to come true? Certainly not if I continued to pretend to be someone I wasn’t.

  ***

  On Monday, I was at work bright and early as promised and eager to tell Mr. Gifford the truth. I couldn’t live this lie any longer and I wanted him to be the first to know the real me. Whether or not he would be accepting was another matter.

  I had no idea if he would fire me for my duplicity. If he did, I worried about what I would do. Something told me that this wouldn’t be the result of my honesty. I hoped my hunch was right.

  He was quiet as usual, and with the other employees around I didn’t have any chance to speak to him privately, but then he surprised me.

  “I’m going to lunch Mrs. Graves.”

  “All right.” I looked up at him and smiled. “Enjoy.”

  “I was wondering if you would like to join me?” I dropped the stack of papers I was holding. He instinctually bent down and picked them up for me.

  “You want to have lunch with me? But you always eat alone.”

  “Well, I was hoping you might remedy that. I’m ready for a change.”

  “Sure. Let me get my bonnet,” I said stunned. I had found my opportunity to be alone with him, but would I find the words to tell him the truth?

  The walk to the restaurant seemed to take forever. I was aware of every step, and how he hadn’t offered his arm, and more importantly the worry of what would I do if he had? I folded and unfolded my hands, and felt like a general fool as I walked beside this handsome man who everyone knows preferred to be alone. When he spoke, I was relieved.

  “Maggie told me that you ended it with Mr. Sawyer,” he said.

  “I did.” I swallowed hard, not sure how much he wanted to know.

  “I’m glad. As I told you on Friday, you deserve better.”

  I stopped walking, frozen by the moment. “And you deserve the truth.”

  Mr. Gifford stopped walking as well, stuck his hands in his pockets and looked at me rather concerned. “The truth? I wasn’t aware I didn't know the truth.”

  And then the entire story came pouring out of me. Everything from the news I received at the doctor’s office, to my husband’s reaction, to the advertisement, to the kidnapping of the twins, and the fake names.

  “You’re the only other person I’ve told. The children and I are the only ones who know our story. Except of course for you now.” I felt silly for spilling my whole story in the middle of the street. I’m sure I could have told it in a more compelling manner if I hadn’t had people walking around me as I spoke.

  I couldn’t look at him and I was horrified at the reaction he had to what I’d told him. He stood frozen in front of me, those marvelous blue eyes locked on me in absolute shock.

  “I’ve told you everything. There’s nothing left to tell. Can you say something? Anything?”

  “Ava.” He said using my real name. He seemed to allow it to soak in. “I, um. I think I need to be alone for lunch after all.” He stormed off in the opposite direction from the restaurant. Away from me.

  ***

  That night, while the children slept, I wept. I had messed everything up. But I couldn’t live a lie forever. In the morning I would prepare to take the children back to New York. Back to Miss Lily.

  I had failed, and I didn’t deserve them. I hoped by turning myself in she wouldn’t press charges. It was the right thing to do. I was done with deceit, it hadn’t gotten me anywhere. The children would hate me and I didn’t blame them. My selfishness and short-sightedness had hurt them.

  Morning came quicker than I would have liked, and with it came an unexpected visitor. Mr. Vance Gifford knocked on our door before I had a chance to get dressed. I pulled my robe tightly around me and met him in the hallway.

  “I’m sorry about yesterday, you just gave me a lot of information to take in. But I reckon it wasn’t easy to come clean with me, now was it?”

  “It wasn’t easy at all, but you needed to know the truth. It was the right thing to do.”

  There’s just one thing I don’t understand. You were telling your story so fast, and you mentioned an ad for a wife. You said you saw my picture, is that right?”

  I nodded. “I still have it if you want to see it.”

  “I do,” he answered.

  I went inside and fumbled through my bag until I found the crumpled piece of paper in the bottom. I opened the door stepped back into the hallway and handed it to him.

  He ran his fingers through his dark hair. Clearly this was the first time he had seen this advertisement.

  “You didn’t enter this ad, did you?”

  He rubbed at the scruff on his chin. “No. No, I did not.”

  “Well then… who?”

  The corners of his moved lifted up into a soft smile. I had rarely seen him smile. It had the same effect on me now that it had had the times I had seen it before. I felt like a silly school girl. His smile made him even more handsome.

  “Maggie. It had to have been her. God bless her.”

  “So I guess now you understand why I came here looking specifically for you?”

  There was a faint blush that rose in his cheeks, and I smiled realizing this was the big gruff man who had been so intimidating to me just a few months ago. “Ava,” he said softly, and I realized I loved how my real name sounded on his lips. “I am beyond flattered.”

  “You’re not mad?”

  “I was yesterday, but now knowing everything, I wasn’t exactly the kindest man when you first encountered me. Perhaps if I had given you an opportunity to talk, you wouldn’t have felt a need to lie.”

  “I wanted to tell you the truth.”

  “I’m glad you did, the truth is important if this marriage is to work.”

  “Marriage?” I looked at him stunned.

  He waved the newspaper ad, teasing me. “Well darling, isn’t that why you came here? I do think a long engagement would b
e ideal. We need a chance for a proper courtship. Ava, I started falling for you the day Maggie brought you to meet me. You were independent and determined. And you are lovely. I’m captivated by your beauty.” Then he dropped down to one knee. “Ava, will you marry me?”

  “But… you know I’m barren. I can’t have children.” I stammered. In the back of my mind I was thinking that I couldn’t believe this was happening. I couldn’t believe he was saying these beautifully romantic things to me and I was wearing my tatty house robe.

  “I do know that. But I don’t care. I intend to write a letter to that orphanage in New York so that we can legally adopt the twins as our own.” My head was spinning as I stared into his beautiful blue eyes. Was this really my life?

  “Ava?”

  “What?”

  He took my hands in his. “You haven’t answered my question, darling.”

  I felt the tears fall. This man was always making me cry, but this time they were happy tear that fell. “Yes! Yes, Vance Gifford, I will be your wife!”

  ***

  We were married three months later. Pastor Brown presided over the ceremony and Maggie was my maid of honor. I had told the few friends I had in Sacramento the truth the afternoon that Vance proposed. Everyone was very accepting.

  The children were beaming as we exchanged our vows and I felt like I owed Jonathan Sanders a special prayer for planting this seed in Daniel’s head. Without his playground story, the three of us wouldn’t be here right now.

  “By the power vested in me by the great state of California, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Vance, you may kiss your bride.”

  “Thank you, pastor.” Vance grinned conspiratorially and kissed me soundly like a groom should. As his lips met mine, my heart skipped a beat just as it did every time he kissed me. Our friends and Vance’s family applauded and cheered. It was the perfect wedding.

  We had a small gathering at the restaurant where Maggie presented us with a gift. She handed the package to me and grinned as I opened the brown paper. There in my hands was the newspaper ad for Vance seeking his mail order bride. It was protected in a beautiful wooden frame.

  Vance leaned over my shoulder to get a better look. “Is that what I think it is?”

  “Yes. It’s the beginning of our love story.”

  Epilogue

  We were approaching our first anniversary when Vance came running through the door of our small house that he and his company had built. “Ava! Ava!”

  “What?” I jumped up from the rocking chair in alarm.

  “They’re ours! Ours! Finally!”

  “Stop shouting and explain to me what you’re hollering about.”

  “Oliver! Vivian! Get in here!”

  The kids scrambled down from the attic where they were playing. They looked just as alarmed as I was. “I just came from the post office.” He panted, he was out of breath. He must have run home the whole way.

  Vivian fetched him a glass of water and he glugged it down quickly. His face was beet red and he was making me very nervous. He finally was breathing a little more normally and his face was starting to lose some of the red color.

  He started his story again. “I just got a letter. From Miss Lily in New York.”

  I placed a protective hand over my stomach. “What did she say?” I was terrified to know.

  “I’m holding in my hands your legal adoption papers! We’re a real family! You’re officially ours!” The kids started screaming and jumping for joy. I started crying and threw my arms around them. Finally we were a true family.

  “I can’t believe it.” I said shaking my head at how perfect our lives had turned out.

  Vance pulled me into a tight embrace. “Believe it!” Just then there was movement in my belly as the baby gave Vance a sharp kick. He laughed and got down on his knees to kiss my rounded stomach. “You hear that! You have a brother and sister waiting for you out here!”

  I ran my fingers lovingly through his dark hair. He looked up at me, “Did you see Dr. Watson today?”

  “Yes. He said I am the model expectant mother. Everything is going like clockwork and baby Gifford should be here next month.” Vance gave my belly another kiss then stood up.

  When I first got pregnant I thought the doctor was wrong. But then he explained to me that I wasn’t barren at all. In fact, it was probably my ex-husband who was to blame for us going so long without children. “I can’t wait to hold our child.” Vance breathed as he brushed his lips against mine. “You know I really should thank that ex-husband of yours.”

  “Phillip? Why on earth would you want to thank Phillip?” I screwed up my nose at the very thought. It seemed so absurd.

  Vance gave me his familiar smile. “If he had an ounce of sense he would’ve never let you go. So, thankfully he didn’t have any sense at all.”

  I laughed and rubbed my belly as I leaned my head on Vance’s shoulder and looked over at the twins.

  It was a beautiful life and a beautiful family. And finally it all belonged to me.

  The End

  Dear Reader,

  Thank you so much for taking the time to read A Ready Made Family. I hope it gave you an enjoyable

  interlude to slip into the past for just a while.

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  … And if you want to get a peek at the next book in the series, keep scrolling. I’ve included the first chapter of A Troubled Friendship. I’d love it if you’d check it out!

  Keep reading!

  Annie

  Chapter One

  “Come quickly, Abigail!” Fiona Dearing cried, as she pushed the door shut against the gusting wind to keep the dust and grit of the Kansas City summer out of her friend's sweet little house. “Come and see what your own darling Fiona has managed to accomplish. I believe I bought most of the ready to wear clothing Nina Taylor had in her shop!”

  “My own darling, dear Fiona, indeed,” Abigail Witherspoon said smiling. Sweeping Fiona up in a loving embrace, she rocked her friend from side to side. “You are betrothed to Trevor Booker now! Why is it that your best friend in all the world almost had to read about your engagement in The Kansas City Times? If my husband hadn’t been a newspaper man I would have been just like all those not fortunate enough to know the stunning Fiona Dearing.”

  Fiona paled. She looked as though she might be sick for a moment, a pained expression on her face.

  “What's wrong, my love? Are you feeling out of sorts suddenly?” Abby asked with true concern for her friend’s obvious change in demeanor. She pulled Fiona over to a blue damask sofa then moved the boxes she had placed there to the floor beside the couch. She then sat down beside her friend and took her hand. “Did something you eat settle poorly on your stomach? Let me fetch you a cup of tea.”

  Abigail had barely risen from the sofa when Fiona grabbed her hand.

  “Something has settled poorly alright, but it wasn’t anything I’ve eaten. Trevor Booker. He is my problem,” she responded. Fiona's beautiful creamy complexion darkened until red splotches shone high on her rounded cheeks. “The whole town is laughing at me, Abby. That awful coward didn’t even have the decency to break our match in person. Mae Whitson told me. Of course she was thrilled to be the first one to see me after the news was public. A parlor maid knew of this treachery before I did. The embarrassment.”

  “Told you what?” Abby said gently,
seeing the distress in Fiona's gray eyes.

  “Trevor has married that strumpet from the saloon. Married her! That girl with the legs taller than my whole body,” Fiona whined.

  “What? He got married?” responded Abby. She sounded surprised, but not outraged at the news that was upsetting her dear friend.

  “Tell me you remember her, Abigail,” Fiona demanded crossly. “When we first arrived here from Pennsylvania, I saw Trevor walking down the street with her. Why, she stopped walking and danced a jig right there on the street in front of Edmond's Mercantile! It was quite risqué.”

  Abigail reminisced softly, “Oh, well, I do recall that my Frank was as shocked as you were by that brash display. Certainly we had never seen anything like that in Pittsburgh.” Abby covered her generous mouth as she tried not to laugh, blue eyes sparkling. “Frank had me repeat the steps for him when we first moved into this house, though. Apparently, he was more taken by the dance than he let on to at first.”

  “Please Abby, this is not humorous,” Fiona grumped. Then she jumped up and began to pace around the room.

  “Settle down, Fi,” responded Abigail. “I don’t mean to make you angry. It will all work out just as well.”

  “I declare you find the strangest things amusing. You’re making light of my situation, Abigail! This is humiliating!” Fiona raised her voice to a shrill level.

  “I’m sorry about your situation, Fiona. I don’t mean to laugh or make light of it,” responded Abigail sincerely. “But please do calm down.”

  “I will calm down when I get ready!” she responded. “Madeline Porter is a creature of low character. Now my reputation is tarnished by Trevor's association with her!” Fiona stamped one small booted foot, “Actually, no. His marriage to such a person.” Fiona began opening packages, flinging gossamer-fine stockings and colorful dresses over her friend's tidy parlor.