BRIANNA: A Sweet Western Historical Romance (Mail-Order Brides Club Book 4)

by Ashley Merrick

  "Thank you. It's very nice to meet you as well."

  "Would you like to join us?" Julia asked.

  "No, we'll go on to the bar. Thank you, though. You ladies weren't expecting us and I'm sure you have plenty to catch up on."

  "We'll see you at home later, then," Colleen said, and then added, "and Paul, we'll see you on Sunday at church."

  "I look forward to it." He smiled as they turned to walk toward the bar.

  "So, that's Paul. What do you think?" Colleen asked.

  "He seems very nice."

  "I think he resembles Liam, so that means he's quite handsome, wouldn't you agree?" Julia said with a sly smile.

  Brianna chuckled. "Yes, he does look somewhat like Liam, similar coloring with the blond hair. And they are all quite handsome. I will agree with that."

  * * *

  Paul stopped breathing for a moment when he laid eyes on Brianna. It was unexplainable, the strong feeling that swept over him. She was a very pretty girl, to be sure, with her fine, blonde hair, lighter even than his own, and her clear blue eyes. There was something else, though. She was tiny. He couldn't really tell her height because she was sitting, but he'd guess she couldn't be taller than five one at the most. Something drew him to her. He knew it was crazy because they'd only just met, but he had a strong urge to protect her, but he didn't know from what.

  He knew she was expecting. David had filled him in on her situation. He'd been curious to meet her, so when David suggested going in to town, he didn’t hesitate. He'd known he would be meeting her on Sunday and they could have waited until the weekend to get the part they needed, but he sensed that David wanted him to meet her sooner. He'd said he'd enjoyed meeting her the night before and that she could carry a tune as well, which was high praise coming from David. So, it sounded like he approved of Brianna as a possible wife for him. He didn't expect to agree so soon, though. Sunday couldn't come soon enough as far as he was concerned.

  Chapter Five

  The next few days were restful ones for Brianna. Colleen went back to work at the restaurant the following day and while she was gone, Brianna enjoyed the peace and quiet. She went for long walks in the fields, milked the cows, collected the eggs and took over some of the baking and cooking. She made fresh bread and a big pot of chicken stew that they ate for several days. Before she knew it, Sunday had arrived and it was time to head to church and then on to dinner with the entire family.

  She met Jed and Naomi and most of the rest of the Donovan family at church. A very pretty young blonde girl was sitting between them and Brianna guessed before she was introduced that it must be Elizabeth.

  "I think it's so exciting that you traveled out here. Do you miss Boston much? I think I would like it there." Elizabeth's words came out in a rush.

  Naomi smiled and said, " I think my daughter is a city girl at heart."

  "I do miss Boston a little," Brianna admitted. "It's a beautiful city and it's the only place I've ever lived. But, I was excited to travel out here as well. I've heard such wonderful things about Montana."

  "We lived in Boston for a time," Naomi said. "When we first came to the States, we landed there, but moved to New York a month later. We had other family and friends that were already in New York and it made sense. But then we had the opportunity to come west with Jed's brother, and jumped at the chance."

  "New York and Boston are too crowded," Jed stated. He'd been silent until then and Brianna hadn't thought he'd even been paying attention. "The land here is the most beautiful place on God's earth, if I do say so myself."

  "He likes it here," Naomi said with a smile as she squeezed her husband's arm.

  Brianna noticed Paul was already seated behind his parents and was sitting with two slightly younger-looking men who she assumed must be more Donovan brothers. The service started and Brianna soon lost herself in the familiar prayers and hymns. She enjoyed going to church and always found it both soothing and inspiring. Today was no exception. She let her voice soar along with the choir as they sang one of her favorite hymns. When the service ended and they all made their way slowly out of the church, she shook the hand of the pastor, a younger man who introduced himself as Pastor Ben.

  "It's lovely to meet you, and I am sorry to hear of your husband's passing," he said warmly.

  "Thank you, that's very kind of you."

  The pastor hesitated for a moment as if he was about to say something and then finally came out with it. "I couldn't help noticing that you have a lovely voice. It rose above the others and was a pleasure to hear. If you're interested, we'd love to have you join our choir. We practice every Thursday evening and we could use your soprano. It might be a nice way for you to meet some of the people here in town as well."

  Brianna loved his suggestion. "I think I'd enjoy that. I'll just have to see about getting here, but I hope it will be possible."

  "Of course it is," Colleen said from behind her. "I'm home most evenings before five so could easily bring you in on a Thursday."

  "Wonderful. That's settled, then. See you in a few days." Pastor Ben smiled and then turned to greet the next parishioner.

  "I think that's a great idea for you," Colleen said as they walked out of the church.

  "I'm happy that he suggested it. Would you want to join me?"

  Colleen laughed at the thought of it. "You'll note that he invited you, not me, to join. There's a reason for that. I can't hit a note on tune if I try. I'm happy to listen to those who can, though, and enjoy it immensely."

  Brianna smiled. "Okay, you do have a point there. Plus, my being out will give you and David some private time together." She did worry a bit about being in their way.

  "Don't be silly. I'm just so happy that you're here." Colleen pulled her in for a hug and Brianna relaxed. She was happy to be there, too.

  * * *

  Dinner at the Donovans’ was exactly as the girls had described it in their letters. It was a large, lively group and Brianna enjoyed meeting all of them, even though she knew she would get some of their names mixed up. She'd always been terrible at remembering people's names and there were so many of them.

  "It can be a little overwhelming. A cup of tea might help?" Naomi was by her side holding out a cup of hot tea, which Brianna gratefully accepted.

  Brianna smiled. "Thank you. It is a little over-whelming, but in a good way. You're all so welcoming. I really appreciate it."

  "Well, I know it can't be easy, moving clear across the country. But, it's worked out very well for the other girls." She smiled and then added, "I heard that you met Paul the other day?"

  "Yes, he and David came into the pub while we were there having lunch. That was a nice surprise."

  Naomi looked at her closely. "A mother is not supposed to have favorites, but if I did, Paul would be at the top of the list. He's a good boy. He's smart, loyal, funny, and very sweet and thoughtful. It's time for him to settle down, and I really hope that he meets the right girl soon. I'd like to see you get to know each other better."

  "I'd like that, too," Brianna said. She thought it was cute that Naomi was quite obviously trying to play matchmaker and was flattered that she seemed to think that she might be worthy of her favorite son’s attention. She really wasn't ready to think about any man that way, not yet, but it wouldn't hurt to get to know Paul better and it might be nice to enjoy a little male attention. That she could do.

  "Okay, everyone, dinner is served." Naomi gathered them all into the large room and indicated that Brianna sit next to her. Paul was sitting immediately on her left and Naomi was on her right. Brianna couldn't help but smile. Naomi was being a bit obvious but still it was sweet. Paul didn't seem to mind his mother's meddling. Once they were seated, he turned his attention to Brianna. "How are you settling in? What do you think of Bozeman so far?"

  "I really like it. Everyone has been so friendly and from what I've seen of the town so far, Bozeman is lovely. It's actually a bit easier being here than I thought it would be."


  "It is a growing town," Paul agreed. "There has been an influx of building and people moving to the area. The land is great for farming."

  "Colleen said that's what you and David do, and that you work together, pooling your resources?"

  "That's right. We keep busy."

  "It sounds like you enjoy the work?"

  Paul smiled. "I love it. Both David and I do. We grew up farming and it was always understood that we would take on our own farms. We learned everything from my father and we continue to try and improve."

  "It is beautiful here. It's very different from Boston."

  Paul frowned. "Do you miss it much? Boston, that is."

  "I do miss some things about it. I miss my friends that are still there and I miss being able to walk all around the city. I loved to meet my friends at the bank of the Charles River, and watch the boats go by."

  "That's definitely something you won't see here," Paul said. And then he added, "I've never seen a sailboat. It sounds lovely."

  "It is. But it's beautiful here, too.” Then she added, “I'd never seen a farm before. Or milked cows."

  "That's hard to imagine," Paul chuckled. "My farm isn't far from here. I'd be happy to give you a ride and show you around. Is that something you might be interested in?"

  "I’d like that," Brianna said politely.

  "We'll go after dessert, then, when everyone else is sitting around feeling full and lazy. A nice ride will wake us both up," Paul said as he reached to put some potatoes on his plate and then passed the platter to Brianna. Naomi had cooked a roast beef for dinner along with potatoes and green beans. They chatted easily for the rest of the dinner. Brianna was pleased to discover that Paul was an easy person to talk to. He was friendly and outgoing and she remembered that Julia had once said that Paul reminded her of her husband Liam, not only in looks but also because they were both friendly, outgoing people. Paul was fun to talk to, and Brianna looked forward to taking a ride with him and seeing his farm. It felt like a fun, friendly thing to do. So she was a bit surprised when Colleen raised her eyebrows when she told her that she was going to be taking a ride with Paul.

  "Really? That's wonderful."

  "It's just a ride across the fields to his farm. It's something to do." Brianna didn't want Colleen to read any more into it than that, because for her it was just a nice friendly outing.

  "All right. Have fun and we’ll see you when you get back," Colleen said with a smile.

  Paul walked over to her then, and asked, "Are you ready to go?"

  "I'm ready." She followed him outside and he helped her into his buggy. They rode across the fields and over the meadow. Brianna exclaimed at how beautiful everything was-there were small flowers of all different colors everywhere. She had never seen anything like it before.

  "It is pretty, isn't it? I couldn't imagine living anywhere else." Paul pointed out various spots of interest along the way—the shallow pond where he and his brothers had learned to swim and then to fish, the tree that was always their favorite one to climb, the one next to it where they built a wooden fort and played for hours and then finally, when they came over the hill, there was his house. Brianna liked the look of it immediately. It reminded her of Colleen and David's. Both were bigger than the average home, but Paul's house had more windows than David's and had a warmer overall look to it.

  "It looks similar to David's house," she commented as Paul brought the buggy to a stop. He got out, tied up the horses and came around to help her out.

  "It is somewhat similar, about the same size. But I like to let more of the light in and have higher ceilings that give the illusion of more space."

  He opened the front door and gestured for Brianna to walk in. She stepped inside and immediately liked the feel of his home. It was hard to explain, but the energy and the light streaming in seemed to warm her soul. The carved wood beams above them caught her eye as the wood was so polished and pretty.

  "What do you think?" Paul asked as he looked around the room proudly.

  "It's a beautiful home. You must love living here."

  "I do, even though I know it is more space than I need. But eventually, I hope to fill those other rooms with a wife and hopefully children."

  Brianna smiled. "You have plenty of room for that."

  "Do you like to cook?" Paul asked as he led her into the kitchen.

  "I do, actually. I find that it relaxes me." She looked around the kitchen and liked what she saw. It was a beautiful kitchen with plenty of room, but it didn't look like it had been used very often.

  "Do you cook much?"

  He laughed. "As little as possible, I'm afraid. I'm not very good at it, and since I live so close to my parents, I have to confess I eat there often."

  "I don't really blame you. Your mother's an excellent cook."

  "That she is, and I think she enjoys having us over for dinner. Thank goodness." He smiled at that, and Brianna noticed a dimple pop out that gave his face a mischievous look.

  "I suppose we should probably head back before they start to wonder where we disappeared to," Paul said.

  They chatted easily on the ride back, and when Paul pulled the buggy up to the front door he paused for a moment before getting out and turned to Brianna and said, "I'd like to show you around the town some more. Would you be interested in going for dinner this Thursday?"

  Brianna was surprised by the invitation. "I would like that, but I'm afraid Thursday night is the one night that I actually have plans. Pastor Ben invited me to join the choir and we have practice on Thursday night."

  "You can sing? That is not one of my talents." He chuckled a bit and then said, "How about Friday night, then?"

  "I suppose that would be all right."

  Paul must've sensed her hesitation, because he quickly said, "It will be fun, I promise. I just want to welcome you to this town properly." His friendly smile put her at ease.

  "All right, then. I look forward to it."

  Chapter Six

  Brianna didn't say anything to Colleen until they got home, and then she pulled her aside and told her about Paul's invitation. Colleen looked a bit surprised as well, but then said, "I think it will be fun for you. Paul is a perfect gentleman and I'm sure he'll show you a good time. And it's always a treat to have a nice dinner out."

  "I suppose so. I just don't know if I'll ever really be ready to think of another man that way again."

  "I can't even imagine. How do you ever truly get over something like that?" Colleen looked thoughtful. "But, you do need to move on and live your life. Just take things one day at a time and try to have fun. Just think of Paul as a new friend."

  "That's good advice, because that is how I think of him. I enjoy his company. He's easy to talk to."

  Colleen grinned, and added, "You do have to admit, he is easy on the eyes as well.

  Brianna blushed a little at that and simply nodded in agreement.

  * * *

  The next two days passed quietly, but Tuesday evening, Colleen came home from work with some interesting news. “You may have an opportunity sooner than we expected,” she said excitedly. “Callie Brickman delivered her baby last night, several weeks ahead of schedule.”

  Brianna’s stomach clenched with fear. It was every new mother’s worry. “Are they okay-the mother and the baby?”

  “They are both fine,” Colleen said. “But, the school is short a teacher right now. The town manager was in the pub today at lunch, and was chatting at the bar with Liam. I happened to be delivering a sandwich there, and heard them talking. They need someone to fill in, and I reminded them that we told them about you a few weeks back. I think the he had completely forgotten. Once I reminded him, he wanted me to find out from you how quickly you’d be able to start. I hope you don’t mind, but I told him you could probably start tomorrow.”

  “Of course I can start tomorrow.” Brianna was thrilled. As much as she enjoyed relaxing, she was getting a little bored and was eager to do something else. To
be able to teach already was a dream come true.

  “How many students are there? Where do I go?” she asked.

  “I think there’s around twenty to twenty-five students in the lower grades. There’s another teacher for the higher grades. She can certainly cover the younger children for a short time, but if you’re able to start right away it sounds like that would be a huge help.”

  “I am thrilled to start tomorrow.” Brianna couldn’t believe how things seem to be falling into place for her here. She really felt as though she’d made the right decision by moving to Bozeman.

  * * *

  The school was located just off Main Street, just a few blocks from Donovan’s pub. Brianna rode in with Colleen, who was going in earlier these days as Julia was starting to cut back her hours. Liam didn’t want her on her feet as much, because of the baby. Brianna stepped inside and was greeted by the other teacher, who introduced herself as Ellie Silverman.

  “This is our good luck, that you were available to fill in so quickly. We certainly didn’t expect Callie to have the baby so early.”

  “I feel like I’m the lucky one,” Brianna said. “I came out here not knowing if I would ever have the chance to teach again.”

  Ellie smiled. “You have a good class, even though a few of them can be difficult.”

  “That sounds like most classes,” Brianna said.

  “True enough,” Callie agreed. It’s mostly just Millie and Peter that you have to keep a close eye on.”

  “Are they related?” Brianna had found that difficult children often ran in families.

  Ellie nodded. “Yes, brother and sister. Millie is the oldest at nine years and Peter is seven.”

  “I’d like to meet them, all of them.”

  “Right this way, then. They should about all be here by now.” Ellie led the way down the hall to a large room. Brianna peeked inside and quickly counted twenty-one children. As they walked through the class, two latecomers arrived-a young girl with long, blonde hair almost the same shade as Brianna’s and a slightly younger boy with equally blond hair. They settled into the only two open seats, in the front row. Once they were seated, Ellie made the introductions.