Ella Wood Novellas: Boxed Set

by Michelle Isenhoff

  Sarah, Jovie realized, had made all the difference. It was her gentle acceptance, her unconditional love, her selfless devotion that gave Jeremiah the will to conqueror his hardships. And it was Sarah who finally brought Jovie to his knees. She forced him to come to terms with the kind of love that would make a woman travel halfway across the country in search of a broken man.

  Hadn’t Emily done the same?

  Could he find the same healing in a woman’s heart?

  Spring began to show itself the same day he asked the questions.

  ***

  The ride to Detroit was long and chilly. The farther north the train traveled, the less effect the woodstove seemed to have. But far worse than the physical discomfort was the anxiety he carried. A trunk full of it. What if Emily changed her mind? What if his rejection had hurt her too badly? What if he’d missed his one and only chance? The questions left his gut in a state of constant turmoil.

  When the last train finally deposited him in Detroit, he asked directions to the hotel, leaving his knapsack at the station to claim later. If Emily did send him packing, what was the point of lugging it around town? He caught a ride with a gentleman who took pity on him, and only had to walk the last two blocks, navigating his crutches carefully through the snow.

  He saw Emily before she saw him. She was outside in the hotel’s front yard building snowmen with a woman and three small children. He paused a building away and watched. She seemed happy. Bright-eyed, pink-cheeked from the cold, and smiling at their play. Maybe Jeremiah was mistaken. Maybe Jovie had never meant as much to her as she had to him. When the last snow creation was finished, he stumped closer, hesitantly, pausing on the sidewalk a few strides away.

  Emily caught sight of him from the corner of her eye and startled, shoving the nearest child behind her back. Then her eyes took in the crutches and dropped to his missing leg. Her eyes bulged. Both hands rose to her mouth.

  “Hello, Emily.”

  The woman seemed to understand the situation immediately. She gathered the children and ushered them inside with a bribe of cookies and hot cocoa. Jovie watched them go with his heart in his throat. Apart from surprise, Emily had given no indication of her thoughts.

  “Why have you come?” she asked, still wide-eyed with disbelief.

  He poured every sorrow, every regret of the last twenty months into his answer. “Because I’m a poor, foolish man who’s loved you every moment since I was nine years old.”

  “You sent me away.” The words hitched in her throat.

  “It was the biggest mistake of my life.”

  Her eyes glistened with tears, but she stood resolute. “I need to know why you did it.”

  He looked down self-consciously and knocked the snow off one of his crutches. “Guilt. Shame. The misguided belief that you’d be better off without me.”

  She shook her head. “Never.”

  His throat cinched closed. It was a moment before he could speak. “Emily, your brother was a much better man than me—brilliant, charismatic, athletic. His men followed him to hell and back. He would have thrived at West Point or at Oxford, but he stayed in Charleston so we could attend school together. When he died, I lost a brother.” He swallowed the lump rising in his throat. “A year later, I received the same injury. The exact same wound in the exact same place, but I didn’t die. I wanted to.” He looked up to heaven. “Oh, God, I wanted to. But I didn’t. Do you know how much guilt I’ve lived with?”

  She stepped nearer, her eyes filled with compassion. “Jovie, you had no control over that.”

  “I know that now. I think I knew it then, but I didn’t feel it. I was overcome with exhaustion, anger, and the certainty that the woman I adored would never want a cripple.”

  She closed the distance between them and reached out a hand to touch his hair, so hesitantly he thought she might jerk it back. “I searched a year for you.”

  “I know. Jeremiah told me.”

  “Jeremiah?”

  Jovie remembered the encounter with a wry smile. “He gave me a lecture I won’t soon forget. But in the end, it was Sarah who convinced me.”

  “Sarah visited you, too?”

  “No. But Jeremiah told me how you brought her to Port Royal, and how she moved heaven and earth to get to Baltimore, even when she thought he’d lost his sight. I thought about that for weeks, astonished that she could still love a blind man. It was some time before I finally realized what a fool I’d been.” This was the moment of truth. His gaze intensified. He looked straight into her soul. “I came north to see if there’s a chance you could still love a cripple.”

  “Oh, Jovie,” she whispered. “You know I do.”

  Light poured into his heart, chasing out the loneliness that had resided there. He opened his arms wide and lost one of his crutches as she stepped inside his embrace. A sense of wholeness filled him, completing the connection he’d been lacking for so long. “Say it again, please,” he whispered into her hair. “I’ve waited a lifetime to hear it.”

  Her voice grew certain, filling him with pleasure. “Jovie Cutler, I love you!”

  He crushed her against him, relishing the feel of her beneath his hands. How many years had he dreamed of this moment? How long had he lived without hope that it would ever come to be? He was a foolish man but a lucky one. The luckiest man on earth.

  “Marry me, Emily. Marry me tomorrow.” He slid his hands down to her waist and pulled back just far enough to look her in the eye. “You’ve brought me back to life again. If you don’t agree, you’ll send one more poor soldier to his grave.”

  She radiated pure joy as she laughed. “Yes, Jovie. I’ll marry you.”

  “Tomorrow?”

  “Tomorrow!”

  He cupped her face in both hands, his one remaining crutch wedged snug beneath his arm. She was the most stunning, most radiant thing he’d ever seen. His memory of her face hadn’t even come close to the reality. “I love you, Emily Preston. With every broken piece of me.”

  And then he kissed her the way he’d always wanted to kiss her. Not like the first one he’d stolen in a moment of jealousy and anger. Not like the hesitant one he’d sprung on her in Baltimore. A real kiss, compelled by the longing of years, intensified by the realization of hopes lost and found again, and sweetened with the joy of a damaged soul finding wholeness. His heart swelled to bursting when she returned his passion with equal fervor.

  “Tomorrow,” she murmured after they drew apart.

  He was shot clean through with happiness. How wise God had been not to listen when he begged to die in that hospital bed. When he thought back to that dark day, he couldn’t help but lift up a brief prayer of gratitude. And as he gazed on the beautiful woman who would soon become his wife, he promised not to squander another minute of the life he’d been granted.

  He tucked her tight against his chest and kissed the top of her head. “Forever.”

  Thanks for reading!

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  Historical Notes

  Even a historical novella takes a surprising amount of research. Pinterest has proven invaluable for recording information I uncover and for tracking some of the source materials I draw from. As usual, I’ve made Jovie’s Pinterest page available for interested readers. In addition, I’d like to share some of my findings here.

  The Battle of Gettysburg was one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War. Fought in Pennsylvania on July 1–3, 1863, the combined dead and missing topped 46,000. While researching the areas where the 2nd South Carolina fought, I learned that the weather actually played a deadly role in some parts of the battlefield. O
n July 4, the day after the battle ended (and two days after Jovie was shot), rain fell for most of the day, bogging down Lee’s retreat and flooding Plum Run Creek, the small stream Jovie crossed just before he received his injury. The wounded Confederates who hadn’t yet been removed from the low-lying areas all drowned when the creek overflowed its banks. It is likely that some of the real soldiers from the 2nd South Carolina died in that valley.

  Major Gaillard, officer of the 2nd South Carolina regiment, is a historical figure. I have faithfully portrayed the fight he helped to lead through parts of the peach orchard, wheat field, and Plum Creek Valley.

  Ezra Wilcox, Washington businessman and host of the dinner party Jovie and Johanna crashed, was fictional.

  Female Confederate spies were generally unmarried, pretty, charming, and well-to-do. They were above suspicion at the beginning of the war, because such women were believed to be incapable of clandestine behavior. As the war progressed, however, and women’s roles in espionage came to light, it became much harder to gather information. And in a day when societal roles were clearly defined, female spies were often caught because of the “unladylike” behavior required of them, such as meeting with strange men or riding unaccompanied. Those who were caught were often branded as prostitutes due to such behaviors, though the label was usually unfounded.

  According to the US Sanitary Commission Bulletin (3:1279), the US Sanitary Commission operated eighteen “soldiers’ homes,” eleven “lodges,” and one “rest” for the “Temporary aid and protection,—food, lodging, care, etc.,—for soldiers in transitn [sic], chiefly the discharged, disabled, and furloughed.” Most were closed at war’s end. Baltimore operated a home located at 62 Conway and run by A. E. Hastings, Superintendent. This the home in which I placed Jovie. The city also had a lodge.

  Tetanus (lockjaw) killed 89 percent of the soldiers who became infected with it. Surgeons believed it was caused by exposure to cold, damp, or heat or by pressure on the nerves. It causes severe spasms, and death occurs when the trachea contracts and cuts off airflow. We take our vaccine for granted.

  Ella Wood Trilogy

  You didn’t miss the original series, did you?

  Will Emily forego love for a chance at independence?

  Ella Wood

  As the nation teeters on the brink of civil war, Emily Preston must wage a personal battle against the restrictive ideology of her father. Several schools in the North have opened their doors to women. How can she make her father see just how much it means to her to study under a master? Neither does her father doesn't appreciate her criticisms of his management of Ella Wood, the Preston family plantation. Then there's the problem of Thaddeus Black, the handsome, charming young man who simply won't take no for an answer. It could be that the real fight lies within her heart, which stubbornly refuses to accept that a choice for independence must be a choice against love.

  Blood Moon

  Nominated for a 2016 Cybils Award.

  Charleston lies in ruins and so, it seems, does Emily’s future. Now that her father has banished her from Ella Wood over her vocal disapproval of slavery, independence looks far more terrifying. And without her father’s pocketbook, her ability to fund her education is in question. Then, when Emily makes it clear that she intends to pursue the university anyway, Thad’s hidden sentiments come to light. She’s forced to a decision. Will she choose the man she’s come to love or the art she’s always loved?

  Ebb Tide

  When the Union navy fires on Charleston, Emily must flee to Ella Wood—and to a father who has never forgiven her for attending the Maryland Institute against his will. There, she grapples with Jack’s secret plans for the plantation and his final admonition that she carry them to fruition. But as a woman back under the authority of her father, evoking even the slightest change may prove too much to hope for. In the meantime, old jealousies place Emily’s life in danger, and her desperate hopes for Jovie’s safe return begin to fade. As the war rumbles to its conclusion, she must draw upon every ounce of courage in a final bid for love and freedom.

  Got kids?

  Let them try Michelle’s children’s titles.

  Divided Decade Collection

  (The Candle Star is the prequel to Ella Wood.)

  Series librarian-nominated for the 2012 Great Michigan Read.

  The Candle Star FREE!

  Detroit, 1858

  After a tantrum, Emily Preston is shipped from her plantation home to her inn-keeping uncle in Detroit. There Emily meets Malachi, son of freed slaves, who challenges many ideas she grew up believing. But when Emily stumbles upon two runaways hidden in her uncle's barn, she finds that old ways die hard. And Mr. Burrows, the charming Southern slave catcher, is only yards away, lodged in the hotel.

  Blood of Pioneers

  Wayland, Michigan, 1862

  Hannah craves excitement, but all local adventures dried up long ago, when her parents unpacked their wagon on the Michigan frontier. Then war breaks out and her father and brother leave to fight the Confederacy. Hannah is left at home chafing under the boredom of never-ending chores--until the farm is threatened. The one place she longs to leave suddenly becomes the one place she'll do anything to save.

  Beneath the Slashings

  Michigan Wilderness, 1865

  Grace Nickerson's life has been shattered by four years of war. She's desperate to return to a sense of normalcy, but soon after her father returns, he sells the farm and drags the family to a lumber camp in Michigan's northern wilderness. Living among the rough loggers is frightening enough, but then a series of accidents prove intentional. Who is sabotaging the camp, and why? Will the winter in the woods bring the healing Grace's family needs? Or will it drive a wedge between Grace and her father?

  Awarded a Reader’s Choice 5 Star Seal.

  Get it FREE when you sign up for Michelle’s new release email list!

  The Quill Pen

  If you owned a pen that wrote the future, would you use it? What if the consequences spread like ripples in a pond? What if they raged out of control? What if the pen demanded tribute...in blood? Micah Randall has found such a pen. One that’s ensnared him in a curse dating back generations. One that’s devastated two families and now threatens his whole New England village. But how can Micah destroy the pen when it offers him his only chance at the future he dreams of?

  The Mountain Trilogy

  Nominated for the 2013 Cybils Award.

  Semi-finalist in the Kindle Book Review 2013 Book Awards.

  Song of the Mountain FREE!

  Song has grown up listening to his grandfather recite legends of the distant past. But it is his own history he seeks to uncover, particularly the events surrounding his parents’ deaths. But that is a secret closely guarded by his grandfather. Then Song discovers a puzzle box that links him to an ancient prophecy. His destiny lies within the old tales he has scorned. Song must follow the path that killed his father.

  Fire on the Mountain

  What really happened on the mountain twelve years ago?

  Though his apprenticeship hangs on him like an ill-fitting garment, Quon is unprepared for the twist his life takes when his parents are killed and he is forced to flee the city. Adrift in the wilderness with no purpose and no protection, Quon is approached by an old man who hints that his destiny may be more than he imagined. Ancient tales fill Quon’s head with expectations of glory, but he soon learns that being a hero is far different than dreaming of becoming one.

  Follow Song as he uncovers his family history.

  Taylor Davis Series

  Finalist in the kid-judged Wishing Shelf Awards.

  Read the first episode FREE.

  Taylor Davis and the Flame of Findul

  Finalist in the 2015 Wishing Shelf Independent Book Awards.

  Sometimes life gooses you when you’re not looking. Your family moves overseas and…bam!...suddenly you’re hacking at water demons with a four-foot blade. Yeah, that move landed me in the middle of a
supernatural assignment. Angels and all that. Relighting the Flame of Findul–the sword that guards the Tree of Life–wasn’t high on my bucket list. Especially when I found out who else was looking for it. But since the alternative was perishing in a fiery worldwide disaster… Well, let’s just say my priorities changed. I was told I’d have help. I was told I’d be in capable hands. Then I met my guardian angel. I am so doomed.

  Watch the trailer.

  Taylor Davis and the Clash of Kingdoms

  Taylor just can’t catch a break. Most of his friends only concern themselves with girls and grades, but he has to worry about retaliation from hellish warlords. When three of his classmates succumb to a strange malady, Taylor becomes the target of irrational violence. Is it a coincidence, as Elena so firmly believes? Or could there be a more dangerous explanation? The epidemic soon spreads to national leaders. Taylor and his team are called on to uncover the root of the problem before violence breaks out on a worldwide stage. Their quest leads them to the heart of Africa, to the underworld, and to a second encounter with an enemy who just won’t stay dead.

  Reader-nominated for the 2012 Maine Student Book Award.

  The Color of Freedom

  Meadow MacKenna hates the British. Turned off her Irish farm and forced to book passage to America as an indentured servant, she understands the rebel desire to throw off the yoke of King George's rule. But is freedom worth the cost? When her new master turns abusive, Meadow disguises herself as a boy and flees, but she cannot outrun the political conflict. Neither can she prevent the war from claiming the souls of her father and her dearest friend.