by Linda Bridey
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LINDA BRIDEY
Mail Order Bride: Westward Heartbeat
Montana Mail Order Brides: Book Fifteen
Dedication
To YOU, The reader.
Thank you for your support.
Thank you for your emails.
Thank you for your reviews.
Thank you for reading and joining me on this road.
Chapter One
February in Green Bay, Wisconsin was usually very dry and frigid, which was perfect weather for freezing the lakes and streams. This delighted Zoe Fontaine, who was an avid ice skater, and spent as much time on the ice as possible. It was the one place where she felt graceful and competent.
Off the ice, she tended to be klutzy and awkward. The fact that she had poor eyesight and hated wearing her glasses contributed to this. Her father had bought her the most attractive glasses available at the time, but she still detested them. Not only did they bother her ears after a while, but they detracted from her appearance. She felt the reason she hadn’t found a husband was because men didn’t like women who wore glasses.
As she circled the lake in the back of her home, Zoe wondered if she had enough daring to do what her friend Camille kept pushing her to do. Camille had gotten married to a man from Nebraska the previous year who told her that there was still a shortage of women in the West and there were many good men to be had. He had moved to Green Bay in the hopes of finding a wife to take back to Nebraska with him.
Camille and Mort planned to leave for Nebraska in April. Camille insisted that Zoe should find a man in the same town in which she and Mort would be living so they could be near each other. Zoe wasn’t at all sure about doing this, but she agreed to at least look at some mail-order-bride classifieds.
Zipping across the ice, Zoe stopped in the center of the lake and executed a very nice spin. Coming out of it, she heard clapping. Standing on the shore, Camille smiled at her.
Zoe laughed and curtsied to her.
“Come inside, Zoe. You’ve been out here long enough,” Camille said.
“How long have I been skating?”
“Over an hour. Your mother wants you to come in and warm up,” Camille told her.
Zoe groaned. “The two of you just want me to look at more ads for brides.”
“Well, while we’re having some tea and cookies, you can look. What’s the harm in that?”
“Why do you want me to do this so badly?” Zoe said skating over to her.
Camille laughed, her blue eyes shining. “You want to get married and you know it.”
“Yes, but I just don’t feel comfortable about marrying someone I’ve never met,” Zoe said as she came off the ice and promptly tripped.
Her friend reached out to catch her, keeping her from falling. It was something Camille was used to doing and she didn’t really think about it much anymore.
“Thanks,” Zoe said. “What man is going to want a woman who wears glasses and is as tall as I am? And who is incredibly clumsy?”
“You have to wear your glasses. When you do, you’re not nearly as clumsy. And there’s nothing wrong with you being tall,” Camille said as they entered the house through the kitchen.
Dana Fontaine overheard Camille’s remark and said, “Listen to Camille, dear. She’s right. Now come have some tea and cookies.” Dana took a tray of cookies into their dining room. A tea service already sat on the dining room table, along with a newspaper.
Zoe took off her coat and skates and put them in a closet in the hallway. She came into the dining room and spotted the paper. Frowning she flounced down in a chair and picked it up.
“Don’t act so churlish, dear,” Dana admonished her.
“Mother, any man I go to marry will take one look at me and put me back on the stagecoach,” she said. “I don’t see any point in looking. I’m going to wind up an old maid with no children and nothing to do all day except knit and crochet.”
Camille laughed. “My, but you paint such a dreadful picture.”
“It’s easy for you to laugh. You’re petite and pretty and you have a handsome husband,” Zoe said.
Camille couldn’t deny any of those things. She wasn’t vain, but she knew that her blonde hair and blue eyes were very appealing. Mort was tall, dark, and handsome; the epitome of a desirable man. “Well, you have many good qualities. You have lovely auburn hair and dove gray eyes. Look at those graceful hands of yours that play piano so well and banjo, too. That’s not something many women can play.”
“It’s not an instrument that many women want to play,” Zoe said. “Father insisted I learn and I love it. I don’t know why he had to leave us. I hate him sometimes.”
Dana frowned at her daughter. “Zoe, that is no way to talk about your father, no matter that he ran off with someone half his age and—oh, who am I trying to convince. You’re not the only one who feels that way,” she said and sniffed. She took a handkerchief from her pocket and dabbed at her gray eyes.
Zoe was contrite. “I’m sorry, Mother. I shouldn’t have mentioned it.”
“It’s all right, dear. I just never thought I would ever become divorced, but I just couldn’t stay married to a man who’d run away from his family. I can’t believe how fast he signed the papers. I know it just isn’t done, but I didn’t want to be tied to him any longer.”
“Mother, I don’t blame you at all. Maybe you should look for a husband,” Zoe said with an impish smile.
Dana chuckled. “I don’t think so. I doubt I’ll ever want to marry again. Now, enough of that. Start looking, daughter. I don’t know how long we’ll be able to hold on to the house and I want you to be taken care of. So, find someone suitable quickly.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Zoe said and began perusing the selections. There were a couple of ads that seemed a little interesting. Then one really popped out at her.
Calling all ladies! A handsome 26 year old assistant feed mill manager is searching for a bride. He’s blond, with green eyes, a muscular build, and a keen intelligence. Standing 5’ 11” and weighing 170lbs., he’s fit and strong. Desires a lady who wants children and enjoys homemaking. She must be kind, honest, and have a good disposition. Send those letters now because he won’t be available long!
Zoe smiled as she reread the ad. It was stylish and to the point. The gentleman sounded very nice and she was skilled at cooking and the like. “I’ll write to this one,” she said suddenly and circled the ad with a pencil.
Camille snatched the paper from her and read the ad. “I like it. Look, Dana.” She passed the paper over the table to Dana.
Zoe’s mother read it and smiled. “Well, I think you may be onto something, darling. Don’t waste any time. An assistant manager is sure to make a decent living. Make sure to be interesting and get his attention right away.”
Zoe became very excited and took the paper back from her mother. “I’ll go write to him right away!” She trotted from the room, bumped a table along the way, and ran up the stairs to her room.
Dana sighed. “I wish she would wear her glasses. I hope whoever she marries doesn’t mind her clumsiness.”
Camille giggled and began reading a different section of the paper.
*****
Will Foster stretched his aching back and sat down at his desk in the office of Thomp
son’s Feed Mill. He’d just finished loading up a pallet of sweet feed into Joe Dwyer’s wagon. The mayor of Dawson ordered a large quantity of feed from them every month since he had almost sixty head of horses to feed.
As he started to write up the bill for Joe, Will’s brother, Tucker came into the office.
“Hey, Will,” Tucker said. “Did you get that loaded for Joe?”
“Yeah. Just finished. I’m writing the invoice now. Why?” Will asked.
When John Samuels had retired the previous year, Tucker had been moved into the manager position and he had chosen his brother as his assistant manager. It was not a case of nepotism. Will was capable and reliable, as well as smart. Will liked working for his brother for the most part, but sometimes he felt Tucker checked up on him too much.
“I was just checkin’. I just want to make sure I know what’s going on,” Tucker said.
Will tried not to be irritated. “Ok. I’ll get this done. Smitty’s workin’ on the order for your father-in-law right now.”
Tucker smiled. He liked Dean Samuels very much as well as his mother-in-law, Tessa Samuels. “Oh, good. Is Dean here?”
Will shrugged. “I don’t know. I didn’t go out that way. He might be.”
Tucker said, “I’ll go see.”
“Ok.” Will went back to working on the invoice since Charlie Malone, one of Joe’s ranch hands was waiting to pay him. Finishing it, he went back out to where Charlie stood petting one of Joe’s prized Clydesdales.
“Here you go, Charlie.”
Charlie smiled at him, his brown eyes crinkling at the corners. “Great. Thanks. I appreciate it.”
“Thanks for helping me load it. How’s Minx feeling?”
Charlie had married Minx, a Lakota girl, last Thanksgiving. She was due to have a baby in March.
Charlie laughed. “I’ve never seen a pregnant woman like her. She hasn’t slowed down a bit. She and Joe keep fighting about what she’s allowed to do and what she’s not. I’ve tried to get her to stop doing so much, but she ignores me, too. Some days Joe is ready to pull out his hair, I think.”
“Yeah, she’s stubborn, all right,” Will agreed. “I think all Lakota must be that way.”
Charlie said, “Could be. Well, I’d better get going. I don’t want Eddie to be missing me for too long.”
“Right. Don’t make your foreman mad at you. I hear he’s tough on the employees sometimes,” Will said.
Charlie shrugged. “Some days he is, but as long as you’re doing what’s expected, he’s fine. He runs a tight ship.” He climbed into the wagon seat and said, “See you later, Will.”
“Take care, Charlie,” Will said. He watched Charlie drive off, admiring the Clydesdale team. Then he went back inside to work on some more invoices.
At lunch time, Will went to the post office to check his mail. Several letters had come for him. He went over to the Grady House, a local restaurant, and started opening them as he ate lunch. A couple of them were boring. The women seemed nice enough, but there was nothing that really appealed to him. One did stand out, however.
Dear Mr. Foster,
My name is Zoe and I am writing in response to your advertisement. You sound like a good man and someone I would like to get to know. I seem to fit what you’re looking for. I am experienced in homemaking and cooking and would like to have children.
I like to ice skate. Are there any places in Dawson to skate? I also play piano and banjo. I know banjo is not an instrument that most women play, but my father is an exceptional player and he taught me when I was young because I had a natural talent for it. The same is true for the piano.
I work part-time taking care of the three children next door because both of their parents work during the day. Their mother works part-time so I am not needed every day. I enjoy them and their parents are very good to me. At 5’ 10” I’m rather tall for a woman. I’ve been told that I have a nice figure, so I suppose it’s true. My hair is auburn and my eyes are gray. I am twenty-two-years-old.
Do you enjoy your job? Do you play any instruments? What do you like to do with your free time? Outside of playing piano and banjo, I enjoy reading, and I like writing short stories. I’ve had a couple published in our newspaper and they received a few nice reviews.
I live with my mother. It’s embarrassing, but my father ran off with another woman and my mother divorced him. I know this is rather unusual, but I think she made the right decision. Why stay married to a man who betrayed you? I’ll warn you now; I will not put up with any such foolishness either. I’m looking for a man who is honest, faithful, caring, and strong.
I hope none of this scares you off. I hope to hear from you soon.
Sincerely,
Zoe Fontaine
Will grinned as he read her letter. She sounded fun and intelligent. He also liked that she was direct and honest. That she was almost his height didn’t bother him and her hair coloring sounded pretty. He still had some time left on his break so he ran back to the mill and sat down to write her.
Dear Zoe,
I hope that you don’t mind my being a little informal. I have to say that you sound very interesting. I’ve never met a woman who played banjo, but I’d like to hear you play. I don’t mind tall women, and you sound very pretty. I’m sorry to hear about your father abandoning you and your mother. I would never do such a thing, and I think she did the right thing, too.
I’d also like to read your stories. What do you write about? We have a writer here in Dawson, Tessa Samuels. Maybe you’ve heard of her. She has four books published now. My brother is married to her daughter.
I fit all of the qualifications you are looking for in a man. I will never cheat, I try to be considerate, and I like to think that I’m strong. I’m looking for someone with the same qualities. Loading feed and such all day long tends to build muscle.
My ma and pa live close by, and they’re nice people. We get along very well. I don’t play any instruments, and I can’t carry a tune in a bucket. I like to read, but my favorite pastime is wood working. I have a little place in town with a woodshop out back and that’s where I spend most of my time when I’m not at work.
There are some places around here that are good places to skate. We have a few people around here who like to skate, too. I tried it once. I ended up spraining my ankle, so I haven’t done it since. Did your father also teach you to skate? Do you ride horses? If you don’t, you’ll need to learn. Some things are far from town, and you’ll need one to get around.
I’ll close for now, but I look forward to your next letter.
Yours truly,
Will
As she read Will’s letter, Zoe’s excitement grew. Maybe I really have found a good man to marry. He certainly sounds nice. Once again, Zoe began to answer him immediately.
*****
The first week of April found Zoe on a westbound train towards Dawson, Montana. She would take the rail as far as she could and then go on stagecoach from there. Zoe felt guilty about leaving her mother, but Dana had insisted she go. She wanted her daughter to be happy, and it seemed as though she and Will were very suited for one another.
Camille was happy for her, but also disappointed that she hadn’t found someone in Nebraska, so they could be closer to each other. Zoe told her that coming for a visit from Montana wasn’t impossible. Camille had just frowned at her.
Zoe enjoyed her trip, taking in all the different sights and meeting interesting people. When she reached the Montana boarder, the stagecoach that picked her up was driven by a woman by the name of Beth. Zoe thought this was wonderful and a couple times even rode up on the driving seat with her.
Beth told her that Dawson was a good place to live and that the townspeople were interesting. She told her about Joe Dwyer, the unconventional mayor, and that there were some Lakota living in and around town. By the time she arrived in Dawson, Zoe felt less nervous about things since she knew so much about the place where she would now be living.
C
hapter Two
Pricilla Samuels was excited because she would have a large crowd for dinner that night. Sunday nights were her favorite times because her family gathered together for the meal. The house felt empty most of the time with just her and her husband, John, rattling around in it. Their son, Luke, had tried to get them to sell it and move into something smaller, but neither of them wanted to do that.
She hummed and sang as she cooked. She couldn’t wait to see her grandchildren. Rosie had just turned nine and had her mother Jamie’s red hair and Luke’s big brown eyes. She was a sweet, shy child. She’d inherited her disposition from her father. Their little boy, Buddy, was six now and as outgoing as his mother. He got his dark hair and eyes from Luke, though.
Pricilla hadn’t liked Jamie when Luke had first introduced Jamie to her and John, but over the years, she’d come to be fond of the vivacious redhead, and she had to admit that she was a good wife and mother. Jamie had won John over long ago and the two of them told off-color jokes when the children weren’t around.
She’d invited her grandniece, Sadie Foster and her husband, Tucker to dinner. She adored their children as much as her grandchildren. Ethan was quite the little gentleman who had his mother’s light brown hair and brown eyes. Their second born, Christopher, was more boisterous and Sadie swore that he took after her Uncle Marcus. Will Foster had also been invited to eat with them. Pricilla liked Will and was always happy when he could attend her Sunday dinners.
As she put a pie in the oven for dessert, another guest of whom she was very enamored entered the kitchen door. She looked up and smiled at Raven, a Lakota brave who worked as a deputy in town. At six foot four, he matched his father’s height and Pricilla had to look up quite a bit at him from her five foot three inches.
“Auntie!” he said in greeting. Somehow she and the brave had adopted one another and this is what he settled on calling her. “Something smells very good.” He bent and kissed her cheek and then hugged her.
She chuckled and said, “Chicken casserole, dear. And I just put another custard pie in the oven. I know how much you like it, so I thought it best to make a second one.”