The screech of the engine brakes and the hiss of the steam as the train settled in for a moment drown out the excited murmurs of the gathered crowd.
Dozens of bodies pressed forward, trying to get a better view. Michael was taller than most, but the wide brimmed hats on most of the men obscured his view and he had to move to the side to get a glimpse of the train doors. He wasn’t sure which car would be opening so he scanned the length of the train until one door finally opened and the train attendant hopped down and placed a stepping stool for the departing passengers.
Make that passenger. The only one who stepped out was a tallish woman in a dark blue dress with a bonnet obscuring her face.
She turned to the man who had helped her down, then reached for the trunk that was passed out. Her figure was trim, but not overly thin. Good thing, she looked strong and not fragile. She’d need to have strength to get on in Birch Creek. He tried to catch a glimpse of her face, but instead only saw a hint of dark hair and smooth skin along her neck and a bit of her jawline.
What he saw was promising, but he wished he could see all of her face. She turned around and faced the crowd that had nearly circled her in welcome.
“Oh my,” her melodious voice said, sounding amused instead of concerned. That boded well for him. If she wasn’t fearful of the townspeople, it would be much easier to develop a relationship with all of them. Something that was incredibly important in case of need.
Delicate hands reached up and found the ribbon on the bonnet and Michael found himself holding his breath.
As she removed the blasted covering from her head, Michael sucked in a lung full of air. She was a beauty. And she was his. That was if she’d actually have him. As he stared at her, he barely registered that the crowd of well-wishers had parted and there was an unfettered view of her.
“I’m looking for a Mr. Michael Clark.” She glanced at the others nearby, but seemed to realize none of them were right.
She took a step forward and studied him, a beautiful smile gracing her perfect lips. She looked up at the blue sky above and whispered softly, “Thank you, Lachele.”
Michael blinked a few times, unsure of what she meant.
“I’m Michael Clark.”
She smiled again and nodded slowly. “I’m Susan Hanson. I believe we have a few things to discuss.”
Michael couldn’t tear his eyes from her mesmerizing features, but off to the side in his peripheral vision, he was almost certain the rest of the town had gathered to see what all the commotion was about. And with the way the woman was taking charge and he’d done nothing more than say his own name, he knew he would be the talk of the town for a long time. But he didn’t care. Let them talk. They wouldn’t be the ones that got to marry this woman.
Michael pulled himself together as much as he could and offered his hand. Then realizing she had some luggage to carry he took a few steps toward it.
“I’ll take your bags, and we can move to somewhere a little more private in order to talk. My smithy is not far. Will you join me?”
Susan nodded then took a step toward where he’d pointed. “Thank you.”
Most of the crowd followed them for a bit, but Michael turned around and shooed them away. “Give us a moment, if you please. Then after we’ve had a chance to talk, you can all make your introductions.”
“All right, Michael,” his friend Colten said, giving him a look that clearly said good luck before he turned around to the crowd. “You heard him folks. Give them a chance to get acquainted before they tie the knot. Hey, maybe we can all head over to Reverend Morrison’s house and get him over here.”
Michael almost wanted to wallop his friend, but instead shook his head in exasperation and focused his attention back on Susan.
“Sorry about that,” he said. “Thanks for coming. I’m sure you have some questions.”
“I do,” Susan said. “And a couple of ground rules.”
Michael’s eyes widened in surprise. She was definitely not timid, but she wasn’t overly bossy either. He had wondered what kind of woman he’d get, but he couldn’t decide if things would be better or worse than he’d anticipated.
“Okay, so what’s the rules?”
Susan took a step inside the open space beneath the shade of his shop. “I’m here to be your wife, but I need some time to come to terms with it and make sure you aren’t going to hurt me or treat me poorly before I actually marry you.” She looked him square in the eyes, not hesitating at all or looking away like he’d seen some women do with their men.
“I give you my word, I’ll never raise a hand to you.” Michael studied her face, waiting to see if she’d accept that. She nodded then opened her mouth to speak again, but shut it fast and closed her eyes for a moment before looking up at the ceiling as if asking for help.
CHAPTER TWO
Susan couldn’t believe her luck. Michael was a hottie. And tall. She was glad that none of the townsfolk were nearby. She needed to let him know what her terms were and definitely didn’t need an audience. And to tell a man that she’d marry him but didn’t want to join him in his bed right away would take a little bit of finesse.
She took a deep breath and decided to just blurt it out. Like ripping off a band aide.
“The next thing I need to tell you is that I need time before I agree to… to share your bed.” She closed her eyes briefly, wishing she knew how to say it in a way that had seemed to make sense in all those novels she’d read. But here she was, living the real thing and hoping her would-be husband would agree.
And maybe, before things really got serious, she’d wake up from this experience that Lachele had put her in. Though the longer she lived it, the more she truly felt she actually was in the past in the early 1880s.
Daring a quick look back at him she was relieved to see he wasn’t upset.
“Sounds reasonable to me. How long you thinking?”
“I think at least a week, maybe more?”
Michael tilted his head to the side as if considering her request. He nodded once then spoke. “Anything else?”
Susan allowed herself to relax a little. “I know we sent a couple quick telegrams, but I don’t know much about you. Do you have any family? I see you’ve got your blacksmith shop, but do you have a house, or are there living quarters behind that wall?”
“No family. They’ve all passed on. And the house is a quarter mile away. It’s small and I’m sure nothing you’re used to back east, but it has what’s needed.”
Susan smiled. “Thanks. Though I’m sorry about your family.”
“What about you?” Michael asked. “What about your family?”
“Gone too,” she said. “I’ve been on my own for five years now.”
“How old are you, if you don’t mind my asking.”
Susan couldn’t help smiling at him. He was pretty sweet in his own way and didn’t seem overly concerned with marrying a stranger. “Twenty-five.”
He nodded again as if he preferred not to do much talking. “Twenty-four.”
They stood there for a few minutes, neither one speaking while Susan contemplated what she was truly doing. Why she had ever agreed to this hair-brained idea just to experience it for real life instead of in a novel was beyond her. Their interactions were almost as casual as the conversations she’d had on the subway back home, yet by the end of the day, she’d most likely be married to him.
Oh Lachele, what have I gotten myself into? Can you hear me? What if I can’t do this?
“Maybe we should go find the preacher.” Michael looked back toward where the train station was as if looking for the townspeople. “That is, if you’re agreeable.”
Susan met Michael’s eyes, and the peace and hope she saw in them gave her the courage to move forward.
“I am,” she said taking a step back out into the street then pausing for him.
“Oh, wait.” Michael said and turned back to his shop and moved toward where he had some shelves. He sorted through a few
small wooden boxes then after finding whatever he was looking for, he returned to her and held something in his hand.
Susan leaned forward to see what he offered her and then raised her hand to her chest. “That is so sweet, Michael. Thank you.”
“I hope it fits. If not, I can do some fixing later.”
She held her hand up and allowed him to place a small ring on her finger. It was only a little bit too large, and would likely color her finger green if she wore it long, but he had made her a wedding ring.
***
Though Michael had always felt a deep gratitude for all the people of Birch Creek, right now, he wished they would all just disappear. He hadn’t even thought about how involved the whole town would want to be in this wedding. He had really only considered the fact that he’d need to have the preacher and a witness to make the marriage official, but instead, it seemed as if every single person who wasn’t out on their homesteads in the valley was packed inside their small church building.
He’d just intended to go say his vows in front of the preacher and then be on his way. Even back to his shop after showing Susan the house so she could unpack her trunk and make herself comfortable in what would be her new home.
Instead, all the women had whisked her away to do some kind of preparation while the men took him to the local store. Each of them pitched in a few coins to help him get the needed commodities to stock his larder with the things his new wife would need to cook him up some proper meals.
While Mrs. Howard, the store owner’s wife tallied up the goods and wrapped a few things in some paper, her son returned in the front door after bringing the wagon around.
Colten grinned at Michael then shook his head. “Never figured you’d end up like this.”
“Like what?” Michael asked.
“Preparing for a wife. Why didn’t you tell me what you were doing?”
Michael shrugged. “Wasn’t sure it would actually work.” He picked up one of the sacks of flour that had been so generously purchased and took a step to the door.
“She’s pretty,” Colten said.
Michael stopped mid-step and Colten hurried to continue. “Not that I’m looking at your wife. Or bride. Just wanted to let you know I thought you did good for yourself.”
Michael couldn’t agree more, but there was more to a woman than the way she looked on the outside. He hoped she would be just as beautiful on the inside. He’d seen a few of the men in town who seemed browbeaten by a nagging wife and some had even mentioned a time or two they envied his bachelor existence. Though he doubted they really felt that way. No one in their right mind would want to live alone for the rest of their lives.
Michael thought of Susan and the little he really knew of her. Their few minutes of talking had left him a little unsure of what to think. She didn’t seem like the kind of woman he was familiar with. Not that he knew a lot of women. Most were married and a lot older than him, or way too young to even consider.
She was confident and obviously intelligent, but there was something different about her he just couldn’t put his finger on. Good thing he would have time to get to know her. His entire life actually. He just hoped they could become familiar and comfortable with each other quickly. He wanted the stability of a family.
The town was his, and he really did love and appreciate them, but a man needed a woman. Someone to pledge his life to and protect and care for. Someone to make life worth living.
“I’m going to take this load to your house. How about you come with me and get changed for your wedding. Momma told me I’d better make sure you get presentable, because she said there ain’t no way she’ll let you marry someone as refined as Miss Susan in your work clothes.”
Michael looked down at the soot stained clothes he wore and realized Mrs. Howard had a point. He climbed up onto the buckboard next to Colten and looked at the Howard’s home that was built right next to their store front. Somewhere inside, Susan was being cared for, or pestered, by the women of the town in preparation of the wedding.
He just hoped they weren’t questioning her too much. He wanted a chance to get to know his wife before everyone else did.
***
By the time all the ladies of the town had finally finished everything they insisted needed done with her person, Susan was surprised to see the front yard of the church building had some make-shift tables and wagon beds with food stuffs all over them.
“What’s all this?” Susan turned to one of the ladies.
“It’s not often we get to have a wedding. So we all decided to make a celebration of it. Everyone went home and grabbed what they had, so none of it’s all that fancy.”
“Are you kidding?” Susan said, a wide grin spreading across her face. “This is wonderful. I can’t believe how kind you all are to a perfect stranger.”
“It comes with the territory,” Mrs. Howard said. “If you don’t help your neighbor when they need it, you’ll run out of neighbors, and who will help you when the time comes?”
Susan took the woman’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “I hope to be a good neighbor to all of you when you need me.”
“You just make sure you take good care of our Michael.”
“Our Michael?” she asked.
“Yes, we’ve all had a part in raising him. Poor thing. Lost his parents years ago back east, then on his way here with his uncle, he lost him too. Poor soul. Was brought to us and we’ve all made sure he’s had what he needed. And now, he works hard and takes care of us.
“I’m glad he had all of you,” Susan said.
“And we’re glad he’ll have you.” Mrs. Howard hugged her tightly. “Now let’s get you in that church and married to him. We’ve got to get back out here and eat before the kids or the dogs nick off with too much.”
Susan nodded and allowed the women to pull her to the church. She looked around the small town, taking in all the details she’d missed before. She needed to distract her mind a little from what she was about to do, because if she thought about it too much, she might just run screaming back to the train station and find out when the next train would be coming through.
When they opened the door of the church and she looked up to see Michael standing at the front and all eyes turned to meet hers, she had the strongest impression that Michael was a good man. He had the entire town here to support him, and not a single one of them had said a bad word about him. She could trust him, she was sure, and with time, Susan thought it was even possible that she might come to love him.
But would it actually be something that could last? Was this only a temporary experience because a crazy woman with purple hair happened to join her book club?
As she met Michael’s eyes once more, she hoped it wasn’t temporary.
And that thought scared her more than anything.
CHAPTER THREE
When Michael saw his bride step into the small church, it was almost as if everyone else disappeared. She met his eyes and he could have sworn that something passed between them in that moment. A feeling of peace washed over him and he knew he would never regret this.
Susan lifted her head and walked forward with purpose and incredible poise. She would be a woman to reckon with and would fit right in with everyone in Birch Creek. To live in the wilds of the Idaho territory took more than just courage. But this woman had it in spades.
The folks who’d come to watch their wedding all had smiles on their faces, but Michael doubted any of them could match his.
Susan had walked up the aisle alone, no one to give her away, but instead of that feeling wrong, Michael was certain each of the people in town would adopt her to be theirs just as they had done for him. Especially with the way they’d thrown this wedding together within hours.
Susan took the last few steps toward him, then turned to face him and offered her hand which he gladly accepted. He gave it a gentle squeeze, hoping to convey gratitude and comfort and when she squeezed back, he realized she really didn’t need it. She
’d most likely adjust to this marriage better than he would.
The two then turned to face the preacher and as the man began the short ceremony, Michael tried to focus on the words. When he said until death do you part, Michael almost wanted to protest. He thought for sure the way he felt right now, he’d cherish her even after he was gone.
“I do,” Susan said and squeezed his hand. Michael looked at her then back to the preacher when he began the second part for him.
“I do,” Michael said with conviction.
The light in Susan’s eyes captured his attention and Michael missed most of the rest of what the preacher said until the words, “you may now kiss the bride” were spoken.
Susan didn’t look nervous or fearful. Less worried than he felt right now, but he would do right by his bride. He adjusted his footing until he was standing directly in front of her. She looked up at him with expectation and Michael hoped he wouldn’t disappoint.
As he lowered his mouth to hers, he breathed in slowly, smelling the fresh scent of apple blossoms and knew he’d love that scent for evermore.
Her lips touched his before he knew it and the whoops and catcalls from the crowd were lost in the background as he realized she had been the one to close the distance. She wasn’t afraid of him. With the confidence she held, Michael knew he’d lucked out in his choice of a bride. The fact that she’d picked him and come all this way for a stranger was not lost on him. He would do all he could to make sure she never regretted her decision.
***
Susan still felt like she was in a dream, but the kiss she shared with the stranger who was now her husband was more than the stuff of dreams. He didn’t kiss like a man who knew all about such things, but it was sweet and tender and full of promise. She felt cherished and even a little bit like there could be love someday. Definitely a good way to start a marriage. Even a fictional one. Of course, she knew this was a legal marriage and if she stayed in the past instead of returning to her own time, she’d be subject to all the laws here.
The Blacksmith's Bride Page 2