Pleasance's First Love: A Six Brides for Six Gideons Novella (Book 3) (Grandma's Wedding Quilts 6)

by Kristin Holt

  Pleasance’s cheeks flushed hot as Jacob tipped her over his arm and kissed her like he had that night Zeb had caught them kissing.

  Oh, how she wished Zebulon and Monica—her brother and sister—had been here. Fifteen minutes hadn’t been adequate notice whatsoever. But two weeks’ notice, or two months, wouldn’t have been enough for either of those two. She’d write to them, let them know of the happy news. Neither would be surprised. Everyone had known that one day, when the time was right, they’d join their lives as husband and wife.

  Not long after the cake had been cut, and well-wishes received, the neighbors and friends had begun to leave, Mrs. Wilson approached, her camera-toting husband close behind. “It’s time for your wedding photograph. It’s our gift to you. Everyone needs a wedding photograph.”

  “Thank you, Mrs. Wilson. Thank you.”

  While Mr. Wilson set up his camera, lighting was discussed, along with the backdrop. Move the sofa, so the parlor’s wallpaper would serve as backdrop?

  “Let’s stand before Grandma’s wedding quilt,” Pleasance suggested. “I’d love nothing more than to have Flying Geese and Grandma Mary’s gift in this special portrait.”

  And so they posed as husband and wife, for their very first photograph together, before a half-finished quilt of plain reddish-brown, sedate blue, cream, and dark red. Pleasance allowed Mrs. Wilson to turn her just so, her borrowed veil spilling over her shoulder, her hands resting upon one another at Jacob’s shoulder. Jacob, so much taller than her to begin with, sat upon one of her parents’ ladder-back chairs. The groom wore denims, a sturdy work shirt, and a smile two sizes too big.

  “Ready now,” Mr. Wilson said. “Solemn faces. Look right here.” He indicated the lens.

  Jacob chuckled, glanced at Pleasance. “This is the happiest day of my life. You’re my wife—how can I not smile?”

  “Mr. Wilson, we can’t be solemn at an occasion like this.”

  “Save your smiles,” he argued. “We have good reason not to smile in photographs.”

  “We have all our teeth.” Jacob grinned. “See?”

  “Yes, yes, I can see that.”

  “And we can hold still.”

  “Actually, the time needed to capture your image is a fraction of what it once was—”

  “Oh, Hans Wilson, let the children smile. Don’t you remember what it was like the day we married?”

  The photographer paused, smiled at his wife in a way that implied he did, indeed, remember what it was like to be a newlywed. “Ready now,” he repeated. “Give me your winning smiles. Look right here.” He indicated the lens. “Be still now.”

  The picture was taken, and in that moment, Pleasance knew that when she paused to reflect upon her wedding day, when she told her children and grandchildren the story of Grandma Mary’s wedding quilt, the matching sugan their papa had taken with him on roundups and spring branding, she’d tell them they’d married in haste—after a courtship of ten years, two continents, thirty or more letters, and two separations.

  Once the photographing was complete, Pleasance removed her borrowed veil, returned it to its owner, and embraced her mother. “My stationery is in the bottom of one of my trunks. May I borrow a sheet of yours?”

  “Of course, Pleasance. Who will you write to first, to share the happy news?”

  “I must notify Grandma Mary. She deserves to know that her choice of Flying Geese did indeed remind me, and Jacob, to find our way home. She brought us together, and I owe her a debt of gratitude.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  On September first, Jacob accompanied his wife to Leadville for the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the Tabor Opera House.

  She looked too good to touch—in a gown she’d worn in Paris but hadn’t bothered to bring to the Running G ranch. Instead, she’d brought it home with her, after their wedding, from her parents’ home.

  At the called-for time, Pleasance cut the red ribbon, and a crowd of hundreds cheered.

  Former Mayor Tabor, the wealthy man who had everything he could possibly want—including a pretty redhead half his age in Baby Doe—bowed over Mrs. Jacob Gideon’s gloved hand and kissed her knuckles.

  Then, per schedule, with a double string quartet for accompaniment, there on a temporary stage nearly five feet high, Ann Robbins debuted in Leadville. She sang and awed the crowd.

  Everyone—Mr. Tabor, Baby Doe, five newspaper reporters, and Jacob Gideon himself—expected the European-trained Ann Robbins to entertain in the new theater. Tabor’s manager, Mr. Needham, did everything but promise Pleasance the moon.

  “No, thank you.” Her amazing voice—that voice that called to Jacob’s heart and moved him to feel—held absolute certainty. “I am grateful for the invitation you issued to sing here, today, but that chapter of my life is complete. I no longer perform in public.”

  “But Mrs. Gideon—”

  Jacob’s heart swelled. Again. Tears burned behind his eyes and he wondered if he’d ever be the same. Love for this amazing, talented woman gave him a reason to get up in the morning, a reason to build their ranch, safeguard their assets, ensure that silver vein on their property was protected.

  While he’d always loved her, she’d become the center of his universe.

  She shook her head, effectively ending Mr. Needham’s argument. “Thank you, but my answer is no.”

  “Very well.” The man’s disappointment showed in the way he held himself, his expression, and ultimately, his acceptance. “Perhaps you’ll accept our gift to you and your husband—a wedding gift. A complimentary private box. For the entire first year.”

  Pleasance’s smile dazzled, but Jacob had no trouble seeing her disinterest. She’d rather be home with him, and he loved her even more for that.

  “We’ll treat you like royalty, Mrs. Gideon. We’d love to have Ann Robbins in the house.”

  “Your offer sounds most tempting,” she allowed, “but please understand, my husband’s ranch requires many long hours and hard work. We live miles from the city.”

  “Mr. Tabor’s hotel, here in Leadville—we’ll ensure you have the finest of accommodations on opening nights. All year.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Needham.”

  “We’re honored, Mrs. Gideon. So honored.”

  As he’d known she would, he watched as his wife, with the poise of a queen and the voice of an angel, held the manager’s eye. “You misunderstand. Our answer must be no.” She looked at him then, so focused on him, Jacob felt her touch. “My husband and I must decline.”

  Epilogue

  October 1879

  On the first day snowfall graced the Running G, Jacob returned from his turn in Leadville, bearing a gift for his wife. A carton had arrived on the train, and he had a sneaking suspicion it contained their wedding quilt.

  “Pleasance?” he called, the moment he made it inside the back door. He stomped the snow off his boots.

  “Up here.”

  He took the stairs two at a time, and found her scrubbing the floor in one of the spare bedrooms.

  He helped her to her feet, the wooden crate beneath his arm. “Open it.”

  He beamed at her, happiness too rich and too wonderful to contain. He set the crate on the floor and pulled a hammer out of his back pocket. He’d grabbed it in the shed on his way in. He pulled off the lid, leaving her to move the layers of tissue paper.

  There it lay, the finished wedding quilt, so many tiny stitches holding together the layers, every single one part of the whole. Like kisses. Or moments in their lives. Or each hour. Any one, by itself, wasn’t much, but the finished bundle was quite a masterpiece.

  Together, they unfolded the quilt, examining the familiar Flying Geese. The binding brought it all together. That final touch—their wedding vows.

  Jacob sought his wife’s gaze over the wedding quilt. “It’s beautiful.”

  “It is.” She smiled at him, and he fell in love, all over again. “Turn it over. I want to see.”

  “The back?” If sh
e wanted…did she intend to check for knots of thread? To make sure the workmanship was perfect? What did she want to see?

  She rotated the quilt, and he helped.

  And sucked in a breath. “What is this?”

  What seemed to be millions of tiny sections, all different sizes and shapes, fit together in an impossible puzzle. Bright colors, embroidered, inked, and embellished with colored thread.

  Their courtship lay before him. Every tiny section of the greater whole a reminder of an experience, a treasured memory, a hope for the future.

  Humbled, he searched the writing—his penmanship and hers—their expressions of love, ideas he’d shared, words he’d written in letters. Whispered endearments.

  Their lives, so entwined, for so long. “Oh, Pleasance—did you?”

  “I did.”

  “When?”

  “While I was in France. And New York. I missed you. I thought first to make a quilt that reminded me of the beautiful times we’d shared. Then we began writing, and I had more content to add to the quilt. I finished this quilt top while living in the corner bedroom.”

  “It’s amazing.” Tears threatened, but he’d learned, especially when alone with his beautiful wife, tears of happiness weren’t a thing to be avoided. “Let’s put this on the bed. I want to see it better.”

  He followed his wife and together, they laid it courtship-side up on their bed.

  Tears streamed down Jacob’s face. “I had no idea this was here. At our wedding, this quilt…”

  “I didn’t hide it from you,” she assured, “I only thought to photograph Grandma’s wedding quilt.”

  “I like it this way.” He touched the appliquéd lawn swing, surrounded by trees in hues of summer. She’d embroidered the path through the garden, the path they’d walked hand in hand or side by side. “This side tells our story.”

  “Yes.”

  “It’s on the underside, next to our hearts.”

  Her joy seemed to double. “My thoughts exactly. I didn’t hide this pieced quilt top, using it for the back of Grandma’s. It’s conjoined to Grandma Mary’s gift of the Flying Geese, because it’s the rest of the story.”

  “I see that.”

  “I remember writing you this letter.” His long finger had paused on the segment where she’d traced his bold handwriting, telling her he’d purchased the ranch and named it the Running G.

  “I remember too.”

  “Did you embroider twice as many expressions of affection as we actually wrote?” He scanned the bed-sized quilt, counting the quantity within one of the squares, then multiplying to achieve an approximation.

  “No. Every last one was written in our letters.”

  “During that last year before you came home.”

  “Yes. When I was Ann Robbins, in love with you, and couldn’t admit who I was.”

  “And I pretended I didn’t know.” He chuckled. “You realize, if I’d been man enough to call you home without subterfuge, consider how many more words of love, how much more truth would have been documented in those letters.”

  “I don’t mind.” Pleasance rounded their bed, approached with contentment and happiness glowing in her eyes. She hugged him close, her arms about his waist. “The path might have been long, circuitous, and challenging, but it eventually brought me home to you. I wouldn’t change a thing.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Thank you.” She smiled, the kind of smile that reminded him she loved him, just as he was. “I wouldn’t understand, or love, or appreciate you as much if we’d taken the easy route.”

  “Thank you for this beautiful reminder,” he told her, “of our lifetime of love.” Whenever he doubted, wondered, or let the dark memories nag at him, he had this visual reminder of the richness, the uncommon blessings in his life.

  “I wouldn’t have missed you for the world.” She kissed him. “Mr. Gideon, I think I’ll begin another set of quilt squares,” she said, “as our life has just begun.”

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  Thank you for reading!

  Enjoy the romances of Grandma Mary’s grandchildren.

  Every title in Grandma’s Wedding Quilts Series is a Clean, Sweet Western Historical Romance.

  All 12 titles released in January, 2017.

  Find them all on Amazon.

  GRANDMA’S WEDDING QUILTS Series:

  #1: Grandma's Wedding Quilts: The Prequel, by Kate Cambridge: January 1

  #2: Kizzie's Kisses, by Zina Abbott, January 9

  #3: Jessie's Bargain, by Kay P. Dawson, January 10

  #4: Meredith's Mistake, by Amelia C. Adams, January 11

  #5: Monica's Mystery, by Kate Cambridge, January 12

  #6: Pleasance's First Love, by Kristin Holt, January 13

  #7: Zebulon's Bride, by Patricia PacJac Carroll, January 14

  #8: Ione's Dilemma, by Linda Carroll-Bradd, January 16

  #9: Josie's Dream, by Angela Raines, January 17

  #10: Chase's Story, by P.A. Estelle, January 18

  #11: Gloria's Song, by Kathryn Albright, January 19

  #12: Tad's Treasure, by Shanna Hatfield, January 20

  Collect Them All!

  Are the LINKS on this page not working? Try this one instead.

  Each book in this series are sweet, clean (wholesome) romances, and each complete with its own happily ever after. Books in the series are loosely connected and may be read in any order. We recommend reading The Prequel first, though not necessary. Thank you for your interest in Grandma's Wedding Quilts~ click for easy links to individual titles.

  Learn more about this series on its official webpage.

  Turn the page for a quick peek at each of the 12 books in this exciting new series.

  Are the LINKS on this page not working? Try this one instead.

  1. Grandma's Wedding Quilt Series, THE PREQUEL by Kate Cambridge, 01-01-17

  The greatest inspiration is often born of desperation.

  One year ago Hannah Quinn scored her dream job, and now the fate of the museum she loves will rise or fall on her next exhibit. But wait...there's a problem. She doesn't have a clue what her next exhibit will be!

  When a trunk with two quilts is donated to the museum, Hannah's boss thinks she's wasting her time chasing down the history of the quilts, regardless of their beauty; but Hannah persists. She knows there's something special about these quilts, and a story that demands to be told. Little does Hannah know, her friend Callum, a researcher and consultant, plays an unexpected a role in her investigation that leads to questions and discoveries that threaten the foundation of all she holds most dear.

  Will her desperation to discover the story of the quilts cause her to lose the very thing she loves the most—or will the secrets she uncover lead her to more than she ever dreamed?

  2. Kizzie's Kisses by Zina Abbott, 01-09-17

  Running from hostile Indians attacking Salina, Kansas in 1862, feisty Kizzie Atwell runs into freighter Leander Jones traveling the Smoky Hill Trail. He is as interested in her as his stallion is in her mare. The two join forces to prevent the Fort Riley Army captain from requisitioning their beloved horses for the cavalry. Will the bargain they make to save their horses lead to a more romantic bargain sealed with a kiss?

  3. Jesse's Bargain by Kay P. Dawson, 01-10-17

  Thanks to a gunfight, Cora now needs to get to Kansas, and Jesse needs a new trail cook. Left with no other choice, she joins the cattle drive headed north, with a man who isn’t happy to have her along. They have miles
of trail ahead of them—and a lot that can go wrong along the way.

  4. Meredith's Mistake by Amelia C. Adams, 01-11-17

  The summer Meredith turned eighteen was filled with romance and laughter—two young men sought her hand, and she chose the one she thought would make her the happiest. He certainly was the most handsome, and the wealthiest, and could offer her the most pleasant life. But that turned out to be a mistake…one she would regret for a very long time.

  In a strange twist of fate, now she's being given a chance to set things right. Will she be able to live down her past, or will her foolishness keep coming back to haunt her and keep her from ever being happy with the man she loves?

  5. Monica's Mystery by Kate Cambridge, 01-12-17

  Monica has to leave home, fast. Her parents are planning to marry her off and although all her friends are marrying, that is definitely not what she wants. She’s seventeen, an amateur sleuth, and sees no reason why she can’t join the ranks of the local lawman, or even become a Texas Ranger, should she choose! What will happen when she visits her best friend in Texas, only to find herself face-to-face with a handsome Texas Ranger, and knee-deep in territory she has no idea how to navigate?

  6. Pleasance's First Love by Kristin Holt, 01-13-17

  His worst mistake was letting her go.

  His second-worst mistake? Bringing her home.

  No one will ever know how badly Pleasance Benton’s abandonment threw Jacob Gideon. He landed hard, hard enough he didn’t care to find a replacement. Now that he needs a woman, he figures the safest way is to order one from a catalog.

  Pleasance is back to reclaim her rightful place at Jacob’s side. One way or another she’ll remind him theirs is a match made in heaven…once the shock wears off. The teensy-weensy problem? Jacob doesn’t know that she—his first love—is his catalog bride.