Western Kisses – Old West Christmas Romances (Boxed Set)

by Carré White

  Heloise gave her a tight smile, and said, "It's too late to stop now, all the papers are signed. Besides, if I'm here when Lavinia and Albert find out..." Heloise let her sentence trail off, and Anna finally unbent enough to laugh.

  "Then we haven't much time. Once Mark sees them into the church, he'll be right back. You've all your things packed?"

  "The trunk is loaded and I have my tickets."

  Anna swept Heloise into a hug, and said "I'll miss you so very much. Promise you'll write often? And you'll tell me how you really are doing?"

  "I promise! Maybe I'll even find a husband worthy of you."

  Anna snorted, laughed and said, "A likely thing! Still, a mail order bride?"

  Heloise felt tears rise in her eyes. Anna had been her friend since they were in short skirts. The hardest part of leaving would be missing her. She nodded firmly and looked Anna deep in her eyes.

  "I can not stay here, and this is my chance to be free. Besides, I've always wanted to see the west."

  Chapter Two

  Early Fall

  Heloise sighed with relief when the stagecoach finally pulled in to the much anticipated small town. She almost cried in relief when she was finally able to unwedge herself from between the two plushy women who had been dispensing advice the entire trip. Heloise was so exhausted and filthy that she no longer cared if she was marrying a toothless old man or a dashing young one. In fact, she wouldn't mind if she had to plow the fields herself. She stepped off the coach after saying her goodbyes. As the stagecoach rattled off, she heard one last bit of advice float out, "Don't forget dearie, soak the beans! Always soak the beans!"

  She took a good look at the town around her. It wasn't the very small, very dusty town she expected. It was a somewhat established town. There was a nice looking set of stores and had a general air of prosperity. She pasted a pleasant smile on her face as a man approached her.

  "Miss Adams? I'm Elijah Cushings." Heloise's heart sunk, as she appraised the white haired man. She thought she wouldn't care who she married as long as he was kind, but she thought of Albert's handsome features and cringed internally. Still, Albert hadn't loved her, and Elijah had been kind in his letters.

  "I'm Miss Adams, I've enjoyed your letters." She wasn't sure if she should offer him her hand. She had never felt more awkward.

  "Is this your trunk?"

  "Yes." He gestured to a man, standing by the hotel where the coach discharged her.

  "He'll load it onto my cart, so we'll be ready after the wedding. I'm not as spry as I used to be." He gestured at himself and Heloise smiled at him. His eyes seemed kind and Heloise resigned herself.

  "Of course, and you should call me Heloise. It seems a bit silly to be so formal."

  He smiled at her, offered her his arm, and said, "We should head to the church directly, the preacher will be waiting." She took his arm and they headed down the street and into the church, not speaking.

  They stepped into the cool church. Elijah turned to her, with kindly eyes and patted her hand. Out of the shadows, a tall man stomped towards them. She watched him with widened eyes. She'd never seen such a good looking man, dusty blond hair falling into his eyes, and unlike Elijah's Sunday best, denim clad legs into rough boots. He frowned at both of them, and Heloise quailed under his piercing blue eyes. She thought he must be a witness, but he looked none too pleased.

  "Well, Elijah, is this her?" Elijah frowned at the man.

  "You could be more polite, Jonathan," Elijah said, and the man barked out a tight little laugh.

  "Yes, I could. But blackmail makes me an impolite man." Heloise frowned at him. Blackmailed? Into being a witness? She looked at Elijah, who blushed and wouldn't meet her eyes.

  "My apologies, Miss Adams, I'm afraid I wasn't entirely truthful in my letters to you." He took her hand and stretched it out to the other man, "It's not me you are here to marry, but my nephew, Jonathan." Heloise was stunned into stillness, and let herself be passed to the other man. She looked up into his sky blue eyes, and gaped.

  "But, I don't understand," she stammered.

  Jonathan walked her up to the pulpit where the preacher waited patiently, and said, "Does it matter? you are here to marry a man you know very little about. The only thing different is the name." He paused and looked into her eyes. She felt heat flush up her body and for the first time since catching Albert with her sister, she felt passion stirring in her. She nodded slowly at him and they turned to the preacher.

  ~*~

  Heloise sat at the front of the cart, nestled next to Jonathan. Elijah sat behind them, keeping up a steady stream of small talk, pointing out various landmarks. Every time the wheel hit a divot, she would be bounced into Jonathan's rigid body. She could feel the anger radiate off of him, and shrunk into herself, flipping her thoughts over and over again in her head.

  She was married to a man that did not want to be married to her, and despair flooded into her. She could have stayed home to marry someone who just wanted her land or money.

  When they finally pulled up to a house, she almost wept with relief. She was so exhausted from the journey, combined with the mental shocks, she just wanted to collapse into a corner. Was he going to expect an immediate wedding night?

  She started to let herself out of the seat, when Jonathan reached up and swept her into his arms. She squeaked in surprise and tried to hold herself away from his broad, warm chest.

  "I believe it's traditional to carry my bride into our home."

  He adjusted her in his arms, strode up the steps, kicked open the door and walked across the threshold. He deposited her just inside, and she swayed as her exhaustion caught up with her. He caught her as her knees buckled and carried her once more, but this time into the kitchen to set her on a chair.

  "I am so sorry, I'm not usually so delicate." She tried to hold herself ramrod straight, while he opened the pantry and pulled out some bread, jam, and a knife and set it before her.

  It was the closest thing to softening she'd seen from him, and he said, "I wasn't thinking. You likely haven't eaten since morning. You've been traveling for a while."

  She nodded, broke off a piece of bread and spread some jam on it. She tried not to wolf it down, but the hunger wouldn't let her be very dainty.

  "I'll bring your trunk in. Just wait here." He grabbed a mug and pitcher and put them in front of her, and said, "Our well water is pretty good."

  She managed to wait until he was out of the kitchen before she gobbled the bread down and drained the glass of water. She still felt weak, and didn't know if it was hunger and exhaustion or her fear. She took off her bonnet, folded her arms in front of her and rested her head on the table and let a few tears leak out. She didn't notice when sleep claimed her.

  ~*~

  Jonathan glared at Elijah.

  "Oh stop! She's everything we thought. She's attractive, from a good family. Besides, it's your own fault." Jonathan eased the trunk off the cart and set it on the porch. "I've moved my things to the rooms in the stable. You need a little privacy with your new bride."

  Elijah leapt back into the cart, and drove the horses around toward the stable, while Jonathan stared after him in frustration. He tamped his growing anger down, remembering the dark eyes and pale face of his sweet little bride. He had no idea how much she knew, if his father had chosen her. He was trapped, by his family, by his own actions and now by a woman he knew nothing about.

  He hefted the trunk up and muscled it into the house, walking back to the bedroom. When he got back to the kitchen, he saw her resting her head on the table. Her head had rolled to the side, and he saw tear tracks on the dust on her face. He wondered if she might be faking, when her mouth drooped and a not at all delicate snore slipped out.

  He grinned. No woman would try to cozen someone with that raucous snore. He looked at the shadows and gauntness of her face, remembering with a start how exhausting the train and coach ride must have been. He frowned, worrying about how slight she was. It was e
ffortless to lift her in his arms when he brought her in.

  He slipped around and managed to pick her up without waking her. He took her to the bedroom and laid her on the bed. Jonathan frowned at her clothes. Even though they were married, he did not want her waking up with him disrobing her. That would terrify even the staunchest of women. He managed to unhook her boots and settled for covering her with a blanket. He watched her sleep for a moment, then walked outside. He cursed Elijah for participating in his father's stupid scheme. Bringing a frail woman to a working farm, right before harvest. There was so much work to do, and how could she do any of it, especially if she was a society girl his father convinced to play at farm wife?

  ~*~

  Heloise was warm and cozy, and burrowed sleepily into the blanket around her. She awoke with a start when she realized she wasn't moving, so wasn't on the train. She looked around the darkened room in a panic, not recognizing where she was. When her memories caught up with her, she realized she must be in her new home. She sat up, wondering if her new husband had been the one to move her.

  She was still completely dressed, except for her shoes. She stood up and shook her dress out. She felt so grimy from the train, and wanted nothing more than a hot bath. She took a deep breath and steeled her spine. It was unlikely she would have a bath to luxuriate in, but if there were horses, then there was a trough. Cold water or not, she'd be clean. She winced as she touched her grimy hair, but smoothed it back into chignon.

  Heloise stepped into the hallway. The house was much bigger than she'd expected. It seemed odd that such a young man would have such a fine homestead. She followed the sounds to the kitchen, where she stood in the doorway for a moment, watching Jonathan pull a pan out of the oven. She was surprised to see a pot of something burbling away on the cook top, then laughed at herself. It's not like they didn't have to eat before she got there. Elijah noticed her first, and hastily stood up from the table.

  "Heloise! I hope you had a good rest." Jonathan turned around and nodded briefly at her before turning back to the food. Elijah continued, "Please, sit. Dinner is just about ready. We were wondering if we should wake you, or let you sleep til morning."

  She smiled shyly at the friendly older man, and sat next to him. This was her family now, she had to figure out how to make this work. No matter how grim her new husband seemed to be.

  "I'm so sorry, I must have fallen asleep."

  Jonathan brought her a plate piled high with a savory stew and golden corn bread. He also gave her a large glass filled to the brim with milk and settled to his own plate. The bread and jam had long since worn thin, and her stomach gave a loud rumble.

  Jonathan looked up at her, and she felt herself flush red to her roots. He quirked a small grin at her, gestured with his fork, and said, "Eat up, you're too thin."

  If she hadn't been so hungry, she would have been insulted, but she just didn't care and followed the men's lead, tucking into her meal with gusto. She looked up to the men staring at her as she mopped the last juices from her plate with the crust of the still warm corn bread. She arched her eyebrow at her new husband and popped the piece into her mouth. She kept her eyes locked on his as she reached out to her glass and drained the last of the milk, then daintily dabbed at her lips with a napkin. Elijah burst out laughing, and they broke eye contact at the same time.

  "Yer a real corker, girl. You'll do fine. We all work hard here, you'll need that appetite and strength to keep up."

  She felt her face break into her first real smile in a very long time and said, "Don't worry, Elijah, I'm not afraid of work." Jonathan stood abruptly and walked out of the room. Elijah followed his path with sad eyes, then looked back at Heloise, who couldn't hide her worry in time.

  "Don't worry, girl, he's a good man. He just needs some seasoning and the delicate touch of a good woman." She stood up and gathered the dishes. "There is a set of rooms in the stable, that's where I live, so I won't be in your hair while you settle." He looked around the room with a hint of sadness. "It's a good house, just needs some laughter, maybe some littles."

  She blushed again, realizing that as a married woman, she'd be expected to have children. Lots of them. She said, "I'm sure you won't be in my hair. Do you have any favorite foods?" She avoided the topic of children and her expected marital duties. She walked over to the sink and was happy to see they had a pump for water. She filled the basin and started doing the dishes.

  "Oh, I would just love to have a nice apple pie. I haven't had one since my wife died."

  "Is there a root cellar? If you still have apples, I make a devastatingly good pie." She could figure out the crust, after all, she'd watched Anna do it for years. How hard could it be?

  "There is! I'm sure you'll get a look around tomorrow, in the morning."

  She dried the plates and stacked them on the table. Jonathan came back into the room, and seemed surprised that the dishes were done. Elijah stood up hastily.

  "Well, I'm going to go check on the animals. I'll see you in the morning." He gave Jonathan a stern look before walking out of the house.

  Heloise heard Jonathan mutter something under his breath, but decided it was better not to ask after he turned his eyes to her. She wilted a little under the hardness of his gaze, yet still managed to put her pleasant, bland mask on. She had a lot of practice keeping her emotions to herself when Momma and Pappa died and she had to keep the family together, and perfected it after everything Albert and Lavinia put her through.

  ~*~

  Jonathan could have smacked himself when a mask settled over Heloise's face. Even if she was a spy of his father's, it didn't matter, they were married. And she had been hungry, tired and filthy when he carried her into the house. It wasn't fakery the way she had devoured dinner. He wasn't really angry at her, she was nothing but another pawn. But she was the closest thing to his father here, and he couldn't help but lash out at her.

  "Good, you're figuring out the kitchen. I'll handle it tomorrow, but we usually eat out in the fields, rather than come back." She nodded at him, wariness still in her eyes. Her face was still, but she couldn't quite hide her eyes from him. He liked that. Then he said, "And, we're married now." She went still, and a flash of fear crossed her face. He didn't like that at all. He stared at the ceiling and collected himself, and spoke very deliberately. "I did not intend on frightening you. But we're married now, and I hope we can figure out how to be comfortable with each other before we..." He paused, finding himself lost for words.

  And she surprised him again when she said, "Before we perform our marital duties." She sounded so matter of fact that if he hadn't seen the flash in her eyes earlier, he would be less concerned for her air of fragility.

  "Yes, that. But we will still be sharing a bed, as there is only the one. And I know you've had a long journey." She looked confused. "I know it's a large home, but much of the furniture was sold, and so there is only the one for us." She nodded at him, and he watched the vein in her neck flutter, belying her calm face. "Also, I know that there were unlikely facilities during the journey. However, we do have a bath." Her mask finally dropped and pure joy exploded across her face.

  "I'll start boiling water!"

  "It's already ready." She looked confused again.

  "Oh, is there another stove?"

  He chuckled, gestured at her to follow him, and led her to the back of the house. "My aunt hated two things: dirt and burnt bread. The first thing she made Elijah build was this room." He opened the door and enjoyed her gasp of delight at the large tub of steaming water. "It was originally a laundry room, as my aunt couldn't justify a room that didn't also have a function." He found himself drawn to her, to the joy radiating off of her. He caught himself before he reached for her. He couldn't help but be a little gruff, and gestured to the side. "There is a nightrail and robe there. Use whatever you need." He hurried out of the room before he disgraced himself.

  ~*~

  The second the door closed behind Jonathan, Heloise w
alked over. She frowned at the lack of lock. She paused for a moment, but the thought of the bath cooling sent her to the bench. She practically ripped her dress and undergarments off and threw them to the ground. After the last few weeks, she wasn't sure if they were recoverable, or if she should plan on burning them. The room was nice and warm, and it made her feel more kindly toward Jonathan. He might run hot and cold, but he clearly was trying to be hospitable.

  She found a bucket of cool water waiting by a basin and used it to hurriedly wash the first layer of grime off. She finally settled into the water with a sigh. It was so delightful and warm. She'd never been in such a large tub before. She reached to the side and flipped open a pink box. She was delighted to find some rose-scented french-milled soap, as well as various oils and powders. Heloise smiled to herself, wondering how long it had taken his aunt to turn the laundry into a decadent bath. As she rubbed the soap into her skin, she paused. All these things were very expensive out west. How on earth did they afford these luxuries? There was nothing about the farm that indicated it was any more successful than what she'd seen back east.

  Still, if Elijah and his wife had been diligent, it could just be a lifetime of building. She counted herself lucky it was such a lovely home, as she had expected a much rougher homestead.

  As she floated and let herself relax, she decided that she would do her best to prove to Jonathan that even if his uncle had tricked him or blackmailed him in some fashion, she would be a help not a hindrance around the farm. He might never love her, but she hoped he would respect her. She could find her place here.

  She flipped through the various plans in her head. She had to assume there would be a vegetable garden, as there was no way the woman who's bathing room this was wouldn't have one. Heloise just hoped they'd kept it up. She had her own garden back home, but the ground had been broken and well-manured for years. She ruminated until the water grew cold, and she regretfully slipped out of the tub. She toweled herself off, and squeezed all the water out of her hair. She slipped into the clean nightgown and robe, reveling in the clean cotton against her skin. She found a wooden comb on the bench, and sat down to get the tangles out of her hair. The little pot belly stove kept the room toasty warm, and she found herself with mostly dry hair very quickly.