The Outlaw Takes A Bride: A Historical Western Romance (Bernstein Sisters Historical Cowboy Romance Series Book 5)

by Amy Field

  “I do have a set of dresses that will fit you just nicely,” she replied, earning a perplexed look from Mary. “They were your mother’s,” she explained. “And I think I have enough prayer kapps to give you a few to wear.”

  After meal that evening, Sarah announced to her husband that Mary would be staying with them indefinitely. Surprisingly, he did not fuss or seemed displeased, but approved immediately. In fact he seemed to be just as eager as her aunt to have her living with them.

  The following morning, Mary replaced her skinny jeans with a straight plain blue tunic and apron that did nothing to accentuate or highlight her curves. After placing her hair in a neat bun at the nape of her neck, she secured the prayer kapp over it. She didn’t bother to put on make-up as her aunt had explained that make-up would be a distraction that was to be avoided.

  When she made it downstairs, her aunt was already up and in the kitchen, stocking wood in the oven of the stove.

  “Is there anything you would like me to help you with, Aunt Sarah?” she asked, ready to do something to earn her keep.

  “I need you to go the chicken coop located in the barn and bring back the eggs they laid,” she told Mary.

  Mary stood with a perplexed look on her face.

  “I see you’ve never done that before,” Sarah observed, amused.

  Mary gave her an apologetic look.

  “Don’t worry. In no time you will get used to all the things we do here,” she reassured Mary.

  Proving that she was useful turned out to be futile as nothing her aunt suggested she do was something she could actually do. Each time her aunt encouraged her that she would get used to it. She was grateful that Sarah was so understanding and willing to help her.

  On the third day after she decided to stay, she saw Abel again. He came through the gate just as she was heading for the barn to attempt to get the eggs from the chickens before they squished them.

  As soon as he spotted her heading down the porch steps a huge smile graced his lips and he quickly made his way to her.

  “Hello, Mary,” he said cheerfully.

  “Hello, Abel,” she replied, equally cheerful.

  “It’s nice to see you again and you look great,” he complimented her.

  This brought warmth up the sides of her neck and she felt it rising further to lodge in her cheeks. She ducked her head as another pleased smile broke across her face.

  “Thank you,” she replied, still looking at the ground.

  She heard him chuckle and raised her head to look at him quizzically.

  “It seemed you were thanking the ground for the compliment,” he spoke in a light tone.

  She began to laugh as well when she realized that his statement displayed her attitude.

  “I’m sorry for that,” she apologized, “And thank you,” she finished.

  He smiled a perfect smile that heralded the butterflies who skittered across each other.

  “Why are you here?” she asked to distract herself from the way he was making her feel with his proximity.

  “Oh yeah,” he returned as if just realizing he was actually there for a purpose. “My father sent me to tell Sarah that her order will be ready within a week.”

  Again she looked at him questioningly.

  “She ordered a desk from him two days ago,” he explained.

  “Your father makes furniture?” she asked.

  “Yeah. He owns the furniture store in town,” he explained.

  It explained why he was at the store that day and it brought back the request he had made of the girl at the table that day.

  “And the girl, Abby,” she recalled, “Is she related to you?”

  “Yeah, she’s my younger sister. It’s a family business and we all work there,” he replied.

  “She seems a bit young to be working,” Mary mused. “Shouldn’t she in school?” she further asked.

  “No, our education stops at fifteen for the boys and fourteen for the girls. So she works at the store when she is not needed at home, but we all chip in and do our part.”

  “Oh,” she replied. “I didn’t know that,” she confessed.

  “Stick around and I’ll make sure you become very accustomed to our practices,” he offered, flashing her a smile that sent a jolt of electricity through her.

  “And what would you teach me?” she asked, her voice going noticeably lower than usual with a breathy intonation.

  She was flirting with him.

  His mesmerizing blue eyes went wide before they lowered in a way that she could only describe as sexy. He peered at her through his lashes as he responded.

  “I would teach you everything that a good Amish girl should know,” he replied, his voice also going lower than usual.

  The husky sound of his voice caused a shiver to run up her spine and she couldn’t help the involuntary intake of air that came through her mouth and caused his eyes to now focus on her parted lips and remain there. The air became charged. She knew if he chose to reach out and touch her at that moment it would all be over. She didn’t know why she was this receptive to him, as she usually didn’t succumb to the advances of a male with just one attempt. Yet she wanted him to reach down and capture her lips. She wanted to know if his cherry colored lips tasted as juicy as they looked. Before her thoughts could go further south, the front door opened and the two jumped in surprise as if they had been caught in a compromising position.

  “Oh! Hi Abel. How are you?” her aunt asked.

  “I am good Sarah. Thanks for asking,” he replied, flashing her smile that looked completely different from the one that had been directed her way.

  Mary moved to the side so that the two could converse properly.

  “Dad said to tell you that your order will be ready by a week’s time,” he said, repeating the statement he had made earlier to Mary.

  “Oh, that’s perfect timing,” Sarah exclaimed, clapping her hands gleefully. “Please tell Josef thank you for his speed,” she told Abel. “In fact I may just come tell him myself and introduce my niece to the family,” she continued.

  When Mary turned to look at her she explained, “The Grabers are our neighbors." Mary did not know this. Why hadn’t Abel mentioned that to her?

  “That is a good idea, Sarah,” Abel chipped in.

  Soon they were all walking towards the Grabers’ property, which was to the east of Sarah’s.

  “Sarah, what a pleasant surprise,” the woman who answered the door exclaimed.

  “I just came to thank your husband for his speed on my work and to introduce the newest member of my family,” Sarah replied.

  “Please come in,” the woman who Mary guessed was Abel’s mother replied, ushering them inside.

  She brought them to a sitting room that had some uniquely designed furniture pieces. After seating them, she went and got her husband. When he walked into the room, Mary could see that he probably commanded great respect wherever he went. She also realized where Abel got his looks from. His father was a handsome man, even with grey hairs at his temple and a few making an appearance in his beard. Mary realized their beards identified the married men from the unmarried ones.

  “Sarah, it is so nice to see you,” he said in a hearty voice as he brought his large frame further into the room and took a seat in an armchair.

  “Likewise, Josef,” she replied with a smile.

  “I wanted to thank you for the work and introduce you all to my niece Mary, Elizabeth’s daughter,” she finished.

  “Ah yes, Elizabeth’s…” he paused before continuing, “indiscretion.”

  Mary felt as if she had been sucker-punched in the gut. The whiplash of his words caused her eyes to burn and she held down her head, not willing to cry before these people.

  “Forgive me, Mary, if I offended you it was not intentional. It is just that there is no delicate way to put it,” he tried to placate her after the harshness of the statement.

  She did her best to offer a smile that did not look bitter
or forced.

  “Well, we should be on our way now,” her aunt replied, sensing her niece’s discomfort.

  “Well, do come again. Mary, truly it was a pleasure meeting you,” Abel’s father replied, giving her a genuine smile.

  Maybe she could let his statement slide as he didn’t seem to mean her any harm.

  “You too,” she replied, genuinely meaning it this time.

  The mother hugged Sarah and then her putting any lingering doubts out of her mind.

  Abel saw them to the door.

  “So will I see you at our Sunday service, Mary?” he asked.

  “She will be there,” Sarah said quickly.

  After saying their goodbyes to him they walked back to their home.

  “They seem nice,” Mary spoke, making reference to Abel’s parents.

  “Yes, they are, but no matter how nice people seem you have to be careful as it can turn out to just be a façade,” she warned.

  “I see that Abel seems to be quite taken with you, but out of concern I want you to be careful.”

  Sarah left it at that and Mary wondered why she was warning her.

  “I’m going to go get the eggs,” she said as soon as they stepped through the gate.

  Sarah gave her a cursory nod and she headed for the barn.

  For the remainder of the week, Mary continued to do her chores and tried to mimic her aunt’s routine as she wanted to do a good enough job to be promoted to learn something new.

  Soon Sunday was upon them. Mary wore another plain colored dress, but this time she wore a colored prayer kapp that matched the outfit – navy blue. Her aunt wore a black dress and her kapp was white. Hans wore a suit jacket over his suspenders and a straw hat. She was informed by her aunt that the service would be held at the home of a member of the church in their barn.

  When they got there, service had not yet begun. Sarah used it as an opportunity to introduce her to some of the members that were milling around on the outside. Some of them offered her gracious smiles but the others looked down at her through condescending eyes, making her feel small and inadequate.

  When the service began, she chose to sit in the back of the barn away from the main congregation. Her aunt understood that she wanted to be as far away from the attention as she could get, and so she left her alone.

  She saw Abel when he came in. He went up to the front with his father to sit with the men on the other side of the room. He kept looking around as if searching for someone and she wondered if he was looking for her.

  After service, she quickly slipped through the door. The others were currently inside greeting and hugging each other. A short while after she left a teenaged girl came through the door. She looked oddly familiar and yet she had never met her before.

  The girl looked at her with equal curiosity as if she was trying to place her.

  Mary noted that she had the same jewel colored eyes as her and if she was not mistaken she could also see fine auburn curls peeking from under her prayer kapp.

  “Hi,” the girl spoke, coming up to her.

  “Hi,” Mary returned.

  “My name is Anna,” she said, testing whether or not it would ring a bell in Mary’s mind and cause her to remember her. Mary did the same.

  “I’m Mary,” she replied.

  “Where are you from, Mary?” the girl asked.

  Before she could reply, a tall man came through the door and when he spotted the two he trotted over to them and angrily snatched Anna’s hand into his.

  “Let’s go,” he commanded in a stern voice.

  Mary looked at their retreating backs in confusion.

  “That was your sister,” came a voice from behind her.

  She turned to see Abel standing there.

  “My sister?” she asked confused. “As in my mother had other children?”

  “Yes,” he confirmed. “But just her.”

  “But why didn’t my aunt tell me all of this?” she said, almost to herself.

  “Maybe she didn’t find the right time to bring it up,” he offered.

  Before they could continue with the conversation more people filed through the door. She noticed she was receiving some fleeting glances from some of the congregation. Some of the younger girls seemed to be shooting daggers at her, so she hastily separated herself from Abel. After excusing herself to go look for her aunt, she left him standing looking at her retreating back.

  “Would you like to stay for the afternoon meal?” she asked Mary.

  “No, Aunt Sarah. I think I have come to my limit of how many persons I can stand glaring at me or looking down their perfect noses at me. " she sounded disappointed, and Sarah nodded in understanding.

  As soon as they got home, Mary excused herself and went upstairs to calm her frayed nerves. She felt as if she was suffocating. She wanted to rip off the thick shapeless dress and draw for a pair of leggings. At least if she was in the clothes they considered 'of the world' she would understand their hostility towards her. Then she would have been able to steel herself against their glares. Like this she felt vulnerable, and disappointed that some didn't appreciate her efforts to fit in. She fought the urge to change into a pair of leggings, not wanting to offend her aunt, who had been nothing but nice to her. Instead, she chose to take a long, hot bath and she descended the stairs to put on some water to heat so that she could take that soak.

  “Are you okay, Mary?” came her aunt’s concerned voice as she stood in the kitchen preparing the dough for one of her tasty pies.

  “Yes, Aunt Sarah. I just wanted to take a hot bath,” she replied.

  Her aunt made as if to make a comment but thought better of it and closed her mouth as she nodded her head in understanding.

  “Okay,” she replied instead. “Go and have a seat in the living room. I will let you know when it is ready,” she told her.

  “Thank you,” she answered, taking up her aunt’s offer.

  Instead of sitting, she went to the bookshelf at the far corner of the room and perused the volumes of books stacked there. Some seemed pretty old and Mary wondered how they could have such a collection if they only required basic education to function in their community. The books ranged from child stories to philosophical journals. When she had time she would go through the collections and see if there was anything that would inspire her creativity. She was an aspiring writer, but since her mother’s illness she hadn’t been able to put pen to paper. Hopefully there was enough inspiration here to help her to get those juices flowing again.

  After her bath, she put on a thin cotton dress that was just as plain as the others but much cooler. She then brushed the tangles from her towel-dried hair and secured it in a bun before adding the prayer kapp. She went downstairs and informed her aunt she would be on the front porch if she needed her.

  She sat out there for half an hour uninterrupted as she pondered her next move. She saw a movement from the corner of her eyes and looked up just in time to see Abel coming through the gate. Her heart began to race and she felt ticklish butterflies in her stomach as she anticipated his arrival at the porch.

  “I missed you after service,” he declared as soon as he was at the bottom of the three steps leading up to the porch.

  Mary gave him a timid smile.

  “I thought you would have stayed for the after service singing,” he continued.

  As he spoke, all Mary could think about was how handsome he looked with his curly brown hair slightly ruffled by the wind and his cerulean blue eyes that stared up at her from under long lashes. His pink lips and straight white teeth were even more alluring at this time.

  “I wasn’t comfortable,” she answered truthfully when she fully registered what he had said.

  “Why not?” he asked, pulling on his suspender straps.

  The action brought her eyes to his hands. The corded muscles rippled with strength as he pulled the two strips back and forth.

  She simply shrugged her shoulders in answer.

 
“Can I?” he asked, indicating that he wanted to come up onto the porch.

  She shook her head yes and he was up the steps in three long strides. Ha sat beside her on the porch swing. He used the soles of his feet to bring the swing into motion in a slow back and forth motion.

  “Was it something someone said or did?” he pressed.

  She really didn’t want to get into it, but then she looked into his iridescent eyes that were only inches away from hers and she found herself baring her soul.

  “I saw the way the people looked at me back there. It was like they were judging me and it made me feel small, inadequate even,” she explained. She then proceeded to cup her knees and place her head in her lap in a defeated motion. “I noticed how the girls looked at me when we were talking and I couldn’t take it anymore so I decided to come home,” she finished.

  Abel continued to propel the swing but he didn’t say anything for a while. The silence wasn’t awkward and she found that she started to relax even though he hadn’t uttered on word. It was like his presence was enough to grant her assurance that everything would be ok. It scared her.

  “They only look at you that way because they’re jealous,” he finally responded.

  This caused Mary to raise her head to look at him.

  “Jealous?” she asked, confused.

  “Because you’re the most beautiful female in town,” he confessed with conviction. “You might not have seen it but all the boys were giving you googly eyes.”

  At this Mary laughed.

  “That is so not true,” she replied.

  “It is,” he replied. “You are beautiful, Mary,” he affirmed, staring down at her with his intense blue eyes reflecting the words he had just spoken.

  “Any man would be blind not to see that.”

  Suddenly the air became thick like it had on the day he came to deliver a message to her aunt. Mary averted her eyes in fear of what might happen if she continued to stare into his eyes that beckoned to her from the depths of his soul.