“So what have you seen?” Carson asked. “Anything?”
“Nah, just rumors,” he said, spitting off to the side of his horse and being careful not to hit Carson. “Supposedly a few stage robbers have been through here, but I ain't seen none of 'em.”
The remainder of the ride passed uneventfully, and soon they pulled up into what had been First View. The devastation from the fire was undeniable; most of the buildings had been burned clear to the ground, although there were a few structures that had been left standing.
“So what's left?” Carson said as they rode onto the Main Street.
“I'm not rightly sure,” Jasper said. “We were just checking for survivors when we came through, so we only did a house-by-house search. We didn't really check any of the structures to see if they could still be lived in.”
“First order of business, then, I'd say,” Jake replied. “Perhaps some of them are livable, and I can see a couple of others that might be safely rebuilt.”
“So where should we start?” Sally asked.
“Right up ahead there,” Jasper said, pointing down Main Street. “I do know that the town hall was left standing.”
“Then we'll begin there,” Carson said, bowing his back in determination.
The town hall had indeed been left standing, and it was in remarkably good condition to boot. They dismounted and tied their horses to a hitching post that had been partially destroyed by the fire, but it looked as if the blaze had stopped a few feet short of town hall.
“This don't look bad at all,” Jake said as they approached the front door. “I'm not seeing any char marks on the front of the building at all.”
“We should probably check all around the building before we go inside,” Carson said, having had parts of his district in Denver burned to the ground by ruffians. “You never know.”
“I was just about to suggest that,” Jasper said, smiling. “Always the first thing we do in any kind of operation after a fire.”
They walked around the town hall, completing an entire circle, but they could find no noticeable damage.
“Perhaps we've gotten a lucky break,” Sally said hopefully.
“It looks like it,” Jasper noted. “But I'm going to leave it to my brother to do the rest of the honors here. He's the builder in the family.”
Jake smiled, then carefully opened the front door. Once inside, he weaved his way left and right, looking for some sign of damage that only an experienced builder would be able to see.
“Looks fine to me,” he said after they'd checked out all the offices. “This here's your starting point, I'd say. I'd make this my base of operations if I was you.”
“What do you say, Mr. Mayor?” Sally asked Carson, nudging him gently in the ribs.
“I'd have to say we're off to a right fine start,” he replied, grinning at his bride-to-be.
From there they went from house to house, examining each structure to assess its condition. Most had hidden damage, but there were several that had escaped the fire unscathed, and others that looked as if they could be quickly and easily repaired.
“So what's the count?” Carson asked when they'd made their way up and down Main Street and Jake had finished his work.
“I'd say you've got about ten that are inhabitable, maybe a couple more with a little luck,” Jake said. “I wouldn't push things much further than that, though. Wouldn't be safe.”
“I agree completely,” Carson said. He looked up at the sun, which was beginning its downward journey.
“Looks like we're just about done here,” he added.
“Not just yet,” Jasper said, speaking again now that his brother was done with his business.
“There is one more house I'd like to show you.”
They rode out to the edge of town, where they came to one last house that was still standing.
“We must have missed this on the way in,” Carson said. “I don't remember seeing it.”
“That was deliberate,” Jasper replied. “This house is very special to me.”
“How so?” Sally asked.
“When I married Willa, my mail order bride, we rescued a baby from this house that had been abandoned,” he explained. “And we adopted the boy. He's now my son, his name is Jason.”
“How wonderful of you!” Sally exclaimed. “Will we get to meet him?”
“Oh, without a doubt,” Jasper replied, grinning. “He crawls around like the dickens, and I suspect he'll find his way into this little project you folks have going on, one way or another.”
“Well, we'd welcome any contributions he might make,” Carson said, smiling.
Jasper rolled his eyes. “At the moment, just keeping him out of harm's way is pretty near a full time job,” he said. “You can ask Willa about that.”
“I suspect you play a role in that as well,” Sally commented, seeing his obvious joy at having a son.
“I do my best,” Jasper replied. “But I do have a favor to ask regarding this particular house.”
“Anything!” Carson exclaimed. “Just name it!”
“Well, I'd like for you two to have it,” he said. “Jake has already agreed to rebuild it, and we just feel that since you're starting a new town, it would be appropriate for it to be your house.
I know it's small and not very close to town, but it would mean the world to me,” Jasper concluded.
“Absolutely!” Sally exclaimed, knowing that Carson would be just as enthusiastic about adopting the house. “We'll make it into a wonderful home, with your help.”
Carson nodded and offered his hand to Jasper, and then to Jake. “And we'll have you over frequently as guests, to help us celebrate the joy our home will help bring to all of us.”
The building started immediately after Jake's assessment, with crews working full time and virtually around the clock. Many residents of Last Chance made the trip to help out, and the houses were completed in record time.
In anticipation of Sally and Carson's Christmas wedding, each house was given a special holiday touch. For some it was decorations placed in front of the house; with others, it was a special feature that would remind the future occupants of the holiday.
Several houses had ornate carvings of angels added to the facing, while others received special crosses. Still others were decorated with the Star of David, and when they were all finished the effect was both religious and festive.
Jake took special delight in adding these touches, knowing they would become part of the lore of both Last Chance and Fresh Start.
He also added one extra special touch for the wedding, which took place on Christmas day. Jake decided to build a manger for the nuptials, and the presence of the nativity scene instantly became one of the highlights of the wedding.
The Reverend Robertson officiated for the ceremony, which was attended by virtually every resident of Last Chance as well as the new denizens of Fresh Start.
As for Sally and Carson, they celebrated their joining by throwing an epic Christmas party, one that combined the joint resources of both towns. That party quickly became a tradition that remained in place for years to come, becoming a part of prairie lore and western life in that part of the Colorado territory.
Book 3 - The Mail Order Bride Marries the Mayor on Christmas Day - Part 2
Part 2
Lucille Chisum
Part 2 - The Mail Order Bride Marries the Mayor on Christmas Day
“To close,” James Devlin said, looking up from the podium at his fellow legislators, “I believe this bill is one of the most important pieces of legislation to come to a vote in years.
It deserves our support because it guarantees fair land usage for all. And with that will come further economic growth and prosperity for all the citizens of the great state of Maryland, not just a privileged few.
And that's why I hope you'll cast your vote for Bill 435 when it comes up for a vote tomorrow.”
The applause was surprisingly robust for a late-day stump spee
ch, and Lisa Freeman smiled from her place in row #20, which was their spot in the legislative pecking order. The words she'd written were powerful, because they were based on the truth. She knew how to write speeches, and she'd been with James Devlin long enough to know how to capitalize on his charisma as an orator.
Devlin remained at the podium for a moment, taking in the applause, clearly not wanting to leave. He basked in the wave of approval that washed over him, and Lisa smiled even more when she saw this small display of vanity, knowing how much he appreciated and valued the speech she'd written.
Finally, he left the stage, striding confidently toward row #20, where Lisa sat waiting for him. His smile was broad and engaging, and in spite of herself she once again found herself swept away by his dashing bearing and demeanor, which she found nearly irresistible.
“Well, that went well, don't you think?” James said as he made his way past the last chairs, setting his notes on the small desk in front of her.
“It did,” Lisa agreed. “Thanks to your usual eloquence.”
She grinned. “You basically had them eating out of your hand.”
“And your words,” he quickly pointed out. “Its amazing how quickly they draw in the audience.”
He paused and gave her a more subtle version of his killer smile.
“Those first few sentences were absolutely resounding,” he added.
“Thank you,” Lisa replied, blushing as she stroked an unruly blond curl back in place.
“We make a great team,” James observed. “I know I've said that before, but I'm more convinced of it with each passing day.”
“I'm so glad you think so,” she said modestly, thinking about how often she'd said those very same words to herself, alone in bed at night, dreaming about having someone to snuggle up to and keep her warm.
“You know how much I value what you do, Lisa,” he added, and she knew how genuinely sincere he was—at least to some extent.
“Of course,” Lisa replied, nodding. “Very few legislators would have given someone like me this kind of opportunity.”
“Someone like you?” James said, giving her a sly smile. “You mean someone talented, attractive and hard working?”
This time Lisa's blush was downright furious. “You know what I mean,” she said, shaking her head. “I started out as your secretary, James. And I was lucky to get that position, given my background.”
“No, no,” James replied. “It was I who was lucky to find you.”
Lisa thought of all it had taken for her to get here. The years of reading, teaching herself to write, and the hopelessness she'd often felt during that time.
It had taken months of scrimping and saving to get the money to come to Annapolis and apply for the job. Taking in laundry, sewing, patching clothes, working late into the night until her hands were raw and sore. And then finding a way to keep reading, and to mimic the stories and sentence structure she found in the books and magazines Lisa loved so much.
She'd managed to pass the dictation test, even though speed wasn't her strong suit. Learning to type had been nearly as arduous, but once she mastered the basic skill things became easier, and that was when she began to feel like she had gained a foothold in James Devlin's world.
Still, it had taken months before James noticed her. His secretarial pool wasn't small, and all the girls in it were more or less anonymous when they started out.
And then there was the work it had taken to learn to write speeches. The opportunity itself was beyond unusual; Lisa happened to be manning the office desk when James had shown up late in the day, furious at some small mix-up that had undermined the speech he was about to give.
It was rare to see him so angry, but he'd been grateful beyond belief when the speech Lisa had cobbled together actually passed muster on the legislative floor.
Now that the speech was done, the floor returned to normal, legislators and aids hustling about. It was politics as usual, basically, focusing on legal details, ongoing deals and bills that were in various stages of the legislative process.
“So do you think this bill has a chance?” Lisa asked, searching his expression for a hint of the truth as they filed papers and got ready to leave. “I mean, a realistic chance?”
James shook his head slightly, then grimaced. “Truly?” he said, as if surprised to be asked for an honest opinion. “Hardly.”
“Why?” Lisa asked, already knowing part of the answer but wanting to hear it from him.
“Harlan,” he said simply. “Harlan Galvin has the backing from the mill owners to kill it.
She felt her blood begin to boil. “I was thinking we might be able to overcome that,” Lisa said, searching for a sign of hope. “That the speech might turn things.”
James finished putting the speech back in order as Lisa continued with the rest of the filing, and when he was done he turned to her and addressed her question.
“I think it will have an impact, yes, without a doubt,” he said, choosing his words carefully. “But I'm equally sure it will be impossible to overcome the backing of the mill owners. They'll defeat the bill, sure as I'm sitting here.”
Lisa sighed. “So what was it for?” she asked, her optimism fading by the minute. “The speech...what purpose did it serve?”
James smiled, giving her the beaming grin he normally saved for his constituents.
“Its politics, Lisa, you know that,” he explained. “Its all about planting seeds for the next bill, the one we can get through.
And for the upcoming election, as well,” James added. “That's first and foremost at the end of the day.”
So that was what it was all about, Lisa thought to herself. Getting in office, then staying there. Then running for a higher office. Then staying there. And on and on, until it all ended who knows where.
That was the end product of all her speeches and all the different parts of herself she poured into them—her belief in fairness, her compassion for the less fortunate and her desire to make a difference. All of it.
Just to win another election.
Lisa continued her rumination as she walked up the stairs to the balcony. There had to be more to it—there just had to be. Every time it felt like she was making progress, writing better speeches and believing in what she wrote, Lisa was brought to earth by the reality of the political system that was grinding her up like horse meat.
And in a few years, she'd be an old nag, she thought, unmarried and ready for the glue factory. Lisa smiled wryly at the drama of the image, knowing how maudlin her imagination could be at times.
When she'd started working as a secretary, Lisa had fixated on James Devlin. He was her bright hope and shining star, and she'd put everything she had into advancing his political career.
And it had worked for a while. All the little details she threw herself into, working late into the night, running errands and doing him favors. Finally, after months and months of that, he'd begun to notice her in a way that made Lisa think she might be special to him.
But there was just one small problem.
James Devlin already had a wife.
“You didn't know?” Katie Simmons had asked her when she found out.
Lisa remembered that conversation distinctly. Katie was one of the other girls in the secretarial pool, and unlike many of the other girls, she was bright and friendly, and always willing to empathize with a colleague in distress.
“No,” Lisa had replied. “I'd heard rumors of the arranged marriage, the one to that horrid judge's daughter. You know, the one who shows up here from time to time.
But I thought that's all they were, just rumors.”
“Well, they're more than that,” Katie explained. “The ceremony was down in the District. That's why we didn't find out right away.”
“So that's what was that all about?” Lisa asked. “The marriage. It was just about getting to Washington, eventually?”
Katie nodded. “Without a doubt,” she replied. “But you're not the
first girl he's charmed.”
“What do you mean?”
She smiled and shook her head. “James likes to create the illusion that he's available,” Katie said. “He's done it to half the secretaries working for him here.”
“That's awful!” Lisa exclaimed, feeling betrayed beyond measure. “Is there more to it than that?''
She shrugged. “Not that I'm aware of. He's faithful, but compulsively charming,” she added. “I don't think he can help it.”
“Well, I certainly fell for it,” Lisa had said at the time. “In a big way.”
Katie shrugged again. “Its all right,” she said matter of factly. Then she sighed.
“You'll get over it. . .we all do.”
Katie was right, but it had taken time. The hurt passed slowly, and Lisa was sure James noticed. He saw it in her expression whenever he gave her that smile, the one that lit Lisa up like a Christmas tree. Slowly, though, she began looking away when he flashed it at her, and James began to get the message—Lisa was onto him.
Then she changed what she was doing. Lisa stopped working for James in the strictest sense, at least when it came to advancing his political career. That meant doing fewer extra favors, sudden errands and such, and with more focus on just doing the duties of her job.
Once she cut back on what was extraneous, Lisa began to realize the potential she had. The one skill Lisa had that differentiated her from all the other girls in the secretarial pool was her writing—specifically, her speech writing.
So she threw herself into that instead. Within months, Lisa became James Devlin's main speechwriter, the one he turned to constantly. Last minute requests for speeches became a staple of her life, and Lisa learned to work the long, hard hours, burning the midnight oil to make her words shimmer and shine.
After a while, James began to back off from his romantic tendencies and simply respect her. It was a welcome change, and slowly the nature of their relationship began to shift.
Christmas Miracles: Mega Mail Order Bride 20-Book Box Set: Multi-Author Box Set Page 72