The idea of a successful mail-order bride marriage gave Jericho hope. It could work out for her. It would. She would see to it.
Sitting down at the desk, Bridgette pointed to the chair in front of her. “Have a seat.” Bridgette pulled out some papers. “I have your letter here. Let’s see. Twenty-three, healthy. Blond hair and blue eyes.” She smiled at her. “You are a lovely young woman. Any man would be happy to marry you.”
Jericho’s stomach turned. Was it the Bible she’d read that was bothering her conscious? She thought there must be a shalt not lie verse. Whatever the reason, she didn’t feel right. At all. Her head pounded along with her heart. And each pound sounded if it were saying, “Just wait until she finds out.”
“Do you have any questions for me?”
With a gulp, Jericho nodded. “What does he look like? Is he here?”
“As a matter of fact, he is in town and met with me yesterday. I’d like to do some groundwork before I introduce you to each other.” Bridgette looked at her excitedly. “You’re my first mail-order bride. I hope you don’t mind.”
Jericho shook her head. “Not at all.”
Bridgette grinned. “I see you went shopping at Francesca’s. Do you need more money to get you started?”
“I think I’m fine.” Jericho really didn’t want to take advantage of her. Of course, that was a shocking thought as it wasn’t at all the way the old Jericho would have answered.
“If you run short, I can advance you more money. Just let me know.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Merritt.”
With a shake of her head, Bridgette corrected her. “Just Bridgette. Please.”
“Only if I’m just Jericho.” She did like Bridgette. The woman was full of life.
“Great. Let’s meet again in a couple of days so I can set up a meeting between the two of you.” She paused. “Is there anything you need to tell me?”
Jericho’s smile faded. Her heart pounded like a drum, and she feared it was giving her away, but she shook her head.
“Well, I’ll see you in a couple of days.”
Wanting more than anything to come clean and tell Bridgette about her past, Jericho instead, found herself nodding and then walking out the door. She’d kept her secret but now felt as if she were shackled to her past.
That had been her chance, and she’d lost it. With the heaviness of her past resting on her shoulders, Jericho walked back to the hotel.
Chapter 5
Del cleaned out his building and moved things around. He went to the general store and ordered a few tools that he needed, thankful that he had money. But he was aware he’d have to watch his funds. The banker had given him a book where he could mark down purchases and keep track of his money, but Del wasn’t that great with numbers.
All the while he was working, he was thinking of her. Jericho Winters. He could only hope that Bridgette had a woman as fine as that one picked out for him. But he would give the mail-order bride a chance. He owed Bridgette that much.
Wiping some dirt from his face, he glanced out the window and figured it must be getting close to five. He rushed out the door and to the boarding house to clean up. Del figured it couldn’t hurt to entertain Jericho while he was waiting on his bride.
It did make him feel better that he would have an option in case the bride that Bridgette had ordered was less than he would want. He grinned to himself as he changed his shirt. She was probably older, skinny, or maybe plump and possibly missing a few teeth.
He hoped she wasn’t ignorant. Now that he’d educated himself some, he didn’t want a woman who couldn’t read or write. Not that he pictured they’d sit on a dark night and read, but still, he had requirements now.
Cleaned up, hair brushed, and ready to eat dinner, Del left the boarding house and the pleasant aroma of the food for the promise of meeting Jericho. Halfway to the diner, he wondered if he was wasting his time.
Bridgette was sure to demand he take the woman that she’d ordered for him. Then again, the mail-order bride would be a woman with feelings and not a sack of potatoes. She just better be as easy to look at and talk to as Jericho.
A quiet niggle in the back of his mind did have him wondering about Jericho’s explanation for her short hair, but he decided he should believe her. Then again, he knew that there were those who cut the hair of soiled doves to make them less attractive.
Well, it didn’t matter. She was probably a temporary friend. If Jericho turned out to be less than wholesome, he’d ignore her once his bride arrived.
He strode up the steps to the hotel and glanced at the big clock behind the clerk. Del grinned, he was ten minutes early. Good. He’d scout out the right table and wait for her. Then he frowned and looked around at the number of men in the foyer.
Perhaps, he should wait for her here by the stairs. He wasn’t ready to relinquish his hold on her just yet. For now, she was excellent company, and she didn’t know of his past.
Del sat on the fancy velvet divan and waited for her to come down. He grabbed a newspaper and looked at it, although he kept his attention on the stairs. He didn’t want to appear desperate, but he missed his brother and needed someone to talk to.
The town was friendly enough, but they knew what he’d been. Even the sheriff, while Levi was friendly, there was that edge to their meeting that Del hadn’t liked. As if the sheriff was waiting for him to fail or make a misstep.
Then Jericho came down the stairs. Like an angel, she practically floated with grace. He noticed she was looking around, and that warmed his heart. He stood and waited for her.
Her eyes met his. “Sorry, I’m a few minutes late. I guess the traveling tired me out more than I thought, and I fell asleep this afternoon.”
Del took her hand and led her to the diner. “I was early. I had a good day today, working in my shop. I even got a couple of orders.”
“That’s wonderful.”
He admired her. She wore a pretty green dress and of course a hat to go with it. She was determined to hide her short hair. Del figured as long as the wind didn’t blow the hat from her head, her secret was safe.
Del’s chest warmed at the good day he’d had and even more that he had a pretty woman to talk to. “Yes, I’m pleased. I ordered a few items, but I think I can build the table and chairs that were ordered. Once the wood arrives, that is.” He walked her to the diner and a table.
Jericho sat down in the chair he’d pulled out for her. “I thought you’d just go chop down a tree.”
He laughed. “If all else fails, that is what I’ll have to do. Once we get a sawmill here, I can get the lumber from that, but until then, I order it. They ship it on the train. I should have my first load this week.”
She smiled. A friendly smile that said she was happy for him. Del warned himself that he was getting in over his head, and soon, he’d have a real problem when his mail-order bride showed up.
He looked at the menu. “Today’s special is chicken-pot-pie. That’s what I’m having.”
Jericho held the menu and nodded. “That sounds wonderful, but I think I’ll have the steak dinner.”
“Good choice.” Del gave the waiter their orders. He was glad that Jericho could read and wasn’t afraid to make a decision for herself. He’d seen some women so afraid to make a sound that he believed they were more mouse than a woman.
Then again, some of the husbands he’d seen were more animal than a man, so that might explain their timidity. Still, it proved Jericho was an interesting woman.
“How did you get the name of Jericho?”
She ran her finger around the rim of her glass as if she was thinking about the answer. Then she looked at him and shook her head. “My father liked the Bible, and for some reason, he liked that name. Mother tried to talk him out of it, but he was adamant about it. So, here I am, Jericho.”
Del laughed. “I can’t say my parents did any better. I have a twin brother. They named us Delmer and Elmer, and our last name is Selmer.” He shook his
head. “I can’t tell you the number of fights that brought on while growing up.”
“You have a twin brother? Is he in town?”
“He’s coming in six months. There were things he had to finish before he could get away. Anyway, I go by Del, and he goes by his middle name, Jay. So, our names aren’t too much of an issue now.”
Jericho grinned. “Your middle name, you don’t like it?”
Shaking his head, Del laughed. “I’m afraid that I got the raw end of the first and middle name lottery. Delmer Montfort Selmer. Guess I could be Monty, but I like Del.”
“That’s a wonderful story.”
Del chuckled and sat back. “I can guarantee you that when I have children, they will have normal names.”
She laughed. “And my daughters will, too. Parents should think twice before naming their children.”
Del nodded. “I agree. I knew a man named Charles Charles Charles, and then there was a mean old cuss whose name was Bluebonnet.”
She laughed, clearly enjoying herself. “Oh, no. Do you think that was why he was mean?”
“I think it’s a good possibility.”
She held up her water glass. “To Jane and Bob, Matthew, Mark, and Luke.”
Del tapped her glass with his. “Mary, Emma, Sarah, and James, and John.”
They both laughed.
Dinner was excellent, and the company even better. Del couldn’t take his eyes from her. A warning in the back of his mind had him wondering how a nice woman could have that effect on him. In the past, it was the saloon gals that attracted his gaze. Maybe he was changing.
“Tomorrow—”
She stopped him. “I have a meeting with someone tomorrow. If I get out early enough, perhaps I’ll stop at your shop for dinner.”
She was a forceful woman, and Jericho reminded him of Bridgette in that aspect. Del wasn’t all that sure he liked that part of her, but then again, he would be guaranteed that Jericho wasn’t one of those mousy women.
“That would be fine. I have a lot to do. I plan to live upstairs, so tomorrow, that’s what I’m working on. It’s a fairly large living space.” Del looked at her and hoped that she’d be the one to live with him.
Her cheeks pinked. “I have many things to do also. Perhaps we can meet the following day.”
“That would be nice. When I know my schedule, I can leave a note for you here at the hotel.”
She looked as if she were genuinely pleased. “That would be wonderful. It is hard being in a new town where you don’t know anyone.”
He nodded. She didn’t know the half of it. He didn’t know all the people, but the ones he did knew of his past. Del would have to prove them all wrong and live a good life. The warden had warned him that being on the outside would be a struggle.
After another hour of small talk, Jericho sighed. “I’m sorry I am going to have to turn in. I have a busy day tomorrow.”
“Me too. Jericho, I really enjoyed our time together.”
She nodded. “I have, too.”
He rushed to hold her chair for her. “I’ll walk you to your room. Some of the men in this town are rough.”
She started to say something but stopped. Then she nodded. “Thank you. I’d appreciate that.”
Soon they were in front of her door, and she was handing him the key. Del opened it for her and gave her the key back. “Have a nice evening. I’ll look forward to seeing you tomorrow or the following day.”
Jericho smiled. “Me, too. Good night, Del.”
After her door shut, Del stood for a moment and basked in the companionship they’d shared. After a moment, he walked down the stairs. He was going to have to talk to Bridgette. He didn’t want to disappoint her, but he couldn’t imagine any woman other than Jericho who could make him so happy.
***
Jericho leaned against the door and listened for Del’s footsteps. If she had one wish, she would want him to be the man who ordered her as a bride. Never had she felt so wanted and appreciated by a man.
Of course, with her past, that was understandable, yet, there was something about Del that drew her in. As if they’d been made for one another. If only she didn’t have such a horrid past. That was going to be more than most men could endure.
She collapsed on the settee. “What have I gotten myself into? Once I tell Bridgette what I was, she’ll throw me out.”
Tears flowed down her cheeks. A shock since she had long ago thought she’d lost the ability to cry. She should have told him. And Bridgette. Now, there was nothing left to do but wait until her past found her out.
Her heart ached for Del. They got along so well. So much that they could build a life together. She closed her eyes. “Why didn’t I tell them?”
She had some money left. Perhaps the best thing would be to get on that train and start a new life in another town.
Yet, she couldn’t see how it would be any different. Sooner or later, some man who knew her in one of the saloons of her past, would come by and ruin her life.
Jericho stared into the mirror. Was it hopeless to think she could change and be decent? She looked the part, except for her hair. She’d put away the face paints and the lowcut dresses. Stopped the crude talk and alluring looks that she’d used to entice men.
But her heart still felt tainted. Like a black stain, it prevented her joy. Maybe even the ability to love. How could she even dream of having a family and a man that would love her?
Stiffening her back, she sat up straight. “I am not a quitter. I’d be dead by now if I was.” She stared back at her reflection in the mirror. “I will go forward. I won’t run. I won’t.”
Her courage flowed back, and she held her head high. She’d just have to see what the next day brought her. Either Bridgette wouldn’t be able to see Jericho’s past, or if she did, she’d throw her out of her office. Either way, Jericho wasn’t running.
Chapter 6
Jericho spent the morning going over her mother’s Bible. She figured if she could speak some of the verses, it might help alleviate the shock of her past. Then again, she didn’t have to tell anyone about it. Bridgette hadn’t pressed her. Del seemed to like her and didn’t suspect anything.
Jericho left her room determined not to say a thing about who she’d been. As far as she was concerned, she had been born on April fifth. The day she’d stepped off the train in Shirleyville.
That was it. She was starting a new life, and no one was going to shove her backward into the past. With a new burst of courage, Jericho went down the stairs and was almost to the bottom when she heard loud shouting.
A young Chinese woman was yelling at an older one in Chinese.
The older one shook a finger at the younger one and changed to English. “I am sorry things didn’t work as you thought they would, but it is not right to go out of your people and seek another. Young James doesn’t know what he is getting into. I tell you. Stop this.”
The young woman turned to her. “It is not fair. You get your match. I have no one. There are no other Chinese that I would consider. Besides, James loves me.” Her face changed as she closed her eyes and smiled for the briefest of times before opening them to glare back at the older woman. “I love him. We belong together.”
Jericho watched, not wanting to come down the stairs into the midst of their argument.
With a huff, the young one ran up the stairs and brushed past her.
The older woman shook her head and muttered in Chinese as she passed Jericho.
With a smile, Jericho walked into the foyer of the hotel and then out the front door. Bridgette had told her to check-in. So, perhaps this was the day she’d meet her intended.
She recalled the angry Chinese girl’s loud argument. She apparently loved someone that the older woman was forbidding her to marry. Life was difficult for many, it would seem.
But then it was springtime when love blossomed.
A young man rushed toward the hotel and nearly knocked her down. “Sorry.” He continued
into the hotel.
If Jericho had to guess, that was James going after the young woman. She smiled and whispered after him. “I hope you get what you want young man.”
She thought about going to Del’s business but decided against it. No sense in raising his hopes only to find out she was promised to another man. The morning was lovely, and Jericho decided to explore a little.
She passed the dress shop, waved to Francesca, and then turned down a side street. She saw a doctor’s office and at the end of the road, a park with a small pond. Jericho found a bench and sat where she could breathe in the fresh air and look at the serene view.
She needed this before things became difficult. As she relaxed and let the peace settle inside her, she remembered a Psalm about how the Lord was her shepherd. An odd thought. Jericho had never thought of herself as a sheep or lamb.
But the idea of having someone watch over her was comforting. To have someone who would love her and look after her was too amazing of an idea for her. She had no reference of mind to feel that way. Perhaps when she was little before her mother died.
Since then, she’d practically been on her own. Even before her father died, Jericho had felt like the adult watching over her father. Yes, it was an enticing thought to give herself over to being taken care of.
She wondered if the man who ordered her would be that way. Thinking of how Bridgette and her husband looked at one another gave her comfort. Surely, Bridgette wouldn’t pick a hard man for her.
Then again, why didn’t the man have a wife already? She tried to put the thoughts out of her mind, but once she entertained them, they danced in her mind in a cruel mocking way. He was old. Extremely fat or skinny. Incapable of working. Mean. Sadistic. Hated children.
“Stop.” Jericho shook her head. “I did read the Lord had good plans and not bad. So, stop.”
She laughed at herself. Her imagination did have a habit of running away with her. She really didn’t have to see Bridgette anytime soon, so she decided to continue to sit and enjoy the peace.
Jericho (Bridgette's Bridal Registry Book 1) Page 4