The Convenient Mail Order Bride

by Ruth Ann Nordin

  “You have so much, and you don’t even know it. Why can’t you be content with what you already have? Why can’t you focus on your wife? Anyone can see how much she loves you.”

  “I owe it to my wife to give her a stream she can wash clothes in instead of having to pull water from the well all the time.”

  “That’s enough!” the judge barked.

  Both men stopped and watched as the judge slowly rose to his feet.

  “I understand this is a difficult situation,” the judge began, “but the past doesn’t change anything. The will is legally binding. Abe, you will not be taking that stream unless it goes to you in the manner the will stipulates. Until then, you two will do no good to argue about it.”

  “I’m getting that child,” Carl told Abe after a long moment of silence passed between them. “That stream and land are the only good things our father left me, and I’m going to do whatever it takes to keep them.”

  “Carl Richie, what did I say?” the judge asked, turning his cold gaze to him.

  With a huff, Carl stormed out of the small courthouse.

  Abe took a deep breath to settle his nerves. It wasn’t worth it. He could chase Carl down and challenge him to a showdown. The last man standing with the gun still in his hand would get the stream and land. It would be quick and painless. It would finally settle the ongoing dispute. He was better with a gun than Carl.

  But he couldn’t do it. Not knowing Phoebe and her mother would be disappointed in him. Of all the things Abe could say about Carl, he couldn’t say Carl was dumb. Carl knew what he was doing when he posted that mail-order bride ad. He’d selected a young, pretty, and kind woman. He figured all Abe needed was enough time with her, and he’d fall in love and want her to stay with him. Carl knew Phoebe would ultimately be his weakness.

  Phoebe wouldn’t understand it if he demanded a showdown with Carl. She was from a gentler place where men didn’t have a duel over land and streams. Phoebe was a good woman, and more than that, she loved him. She’d been willing to do everything he’d asked of her, but a woman could only be expected to do so much. There was no way Abe was going to risk losing the one good thing in his life.

  Forcing back the frustrated tears that sprang up in his eyes, Abe told the judge good-bye and slowly made his way out of the building, squinting at the bright sunlight that bore down on him. He supposed a hat was practical, but there was no way he’d ever wear one.

  He was half Cherokee and proud of it. Someday, he might even have children, and he’d tell them the stories his uncle had passed on to him. More importantly, he was going to tell them they should never be ashamed of their heritage. No one was going to make them think less of themselves. He’d have to give up the land and stream, but he wasn’t going to give up instilling the right values to his children. And really, that was more important anyway.

  Releasing his breath, he turned and headed for Lois’ house where Phoebe and her mother waited for him. On this day, however, he didn’t look away from other people when they stared. This time, he decided to meet their gazes head on, and to his surprise, a couple of the men offered a friendly nod. He hadn’t seen that before. It took him a moment to return the greeting, realizing it was the polite thing to do.

  And he couldn’t be sure, but he thought the women didn’t edge so far away from him as he passed by. But maybe it was all in his mind. Or maybe, just maybe, there had been the few people who had always been willing to give him a chance, but he hadn’t noticed it until now. It was hard to tell for sure.

  He was just two blocks shy of Lois’ house when Carl’s wife called out to him. Surprised since she rarely made it a habit of talking to him, he stopped and looked over his shoulder. She was following him down the dusty road. He couldn’t be sure, but he thought she’d been drinking by the slight wobble in her steps.

  When she reached him, she said, “I just found out about the will.” She covered her mouth and giggled.

  “I don’t see what’s so funny about it,” he said, wondering where Carl was. Certainly, he’d brought her to town, and Abe couldn’t imagine he’d want her talking to him. “Shouldn’t you be with your husband?”

  “That’s what’s so funny,” she whispered. “Carl’s determined we’ll have a child together, but between you and me, he’ll never get into my bed. So you have nothing to worry about. That property you two have been fighting over since your pa died will be yours in two short years.”

  Letting out another chuckle, she wished him a good day and went back toward the heart of town.

  Abe didn’t know where she was going, nor did he care. She was Carl’s problem. As he continued his walk to Lois’, the reality of it all sunk in. She was Carl’s problem. He’d seen the way she and Carl argued, but it hadn’t occurred to him just how miserable Carl must be until that moment.

  Unlike Phoebe, Carl’s wife wasn’t easy to fall in love with. She was probably downright impossible. Imagine a wife intentionally sabotaging her husband’s chances of inheriting something his father left him. Phoebe wouldn’t do that. The fact that it was important to him would have compelled her to do everything possible to help him.

  He wasn’t used to feeling sympathy when it came to Carl Richie, but in this one instance, he couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. Carl had to live with her every day. There was no escaping it.

  Having Phoebe in his life made Abe aware of how important a good wife was in a man’s life. And, that being the case, his life was actually much better than he’d realized.

  His heart lighter, he finished the path to Lois’ house and knocked on the door.

  Phoebe opened it, and, with concern in her eyes, she stepped onto the porch and shut the door. “What did the judge say?”

  “He said Carl has the rights to the property,” he told her. “My uncle sold it to my father, and if Carl has a child in the next two years, he gets to keep it.”

  “I’m sorry, Abe. I know that’s not what you were hoping for.”

  He glanced back at the town and saw an unhappy Carl helping his equally unhappy wife get into the wagon. Turning back to Phoebe, he said, “You know, I had time to think, and in all honesty, it’s alright. I have you, and that’s more than I’ll ever need.” He cupped her face in his hands and smiled. “I’m the luckiest man in the world.”

  Then, without waiting for her to reply, he lowered his head and kissed her, looking forward to their future and the children they would one day have.

  The End

  Coming Next in the Chance at Love Series

  The Mistaken Mail Order Bride: Book 2

  Eric Johnson has been writing to his mail order bride for months, and at long last, the day she’s due to arrive has come. Only, the young lady who comes off the stagecoach isn’t at all what he expected. From her description, he was expecting someone beautiful with the charms found in her southern upbringing, something important since he’s the sheriff in a town in need of reputable leadership.

  However, he was a man of his word, and he was going to marry her despite her homely appearance. He had enjoyed their correspondence over the past year, after all, and he reminded himself initial impressions weren’t everything. But then, when the preacher pronounces them husband and wife, he finds out she’s the wrong lady.

  Worse, Caroline Benton’s just as shocked as he is, not realizing she’d taken the wrong stagecoach and followed the wrong man to his home. Why, oh why, didn’t she think to ask him his name? She doesn’t know how it happened, but her penchant for bad luck has, once again, worked against her.

  Now she’s stuck in a strange town with a man who’d been waiting for someone else, and she can’t imagine he’s at all happy to be paired up with her for the rest of his life. Just what is she supposed to do to convince him it’s not the end of the world that he married the wrong mail-order bride?

  Coming June 5, 2016

  You can reserve your copy today by clicking here!

  ***

  The Accidental Mail Order Bride:
Book 3

  Eric Johnson’s real mail order bride shows up later than expected, and she quickly learns he is already married. Now Allie Jones is stuck in a small Colorado town with no way to leave. She must either marry the only remaining bachelor or risk being sold to the saloon’s owner to be one of the soiled doves. Seeing she has no real choice, she agrees to marry the bachelor.

  Not being much to look at and hefty, Travis Martin is content to live alone, sheltered in the wooded area of the mountainside, free from the town’s endless gossip. So that’s why the last thing he expects is a preacher when there’s a knock on the door. With great hesitation, he agrees to the marriage. He can’t confine her to the saloon, but he knows the marriage won’t be a happy one for her, not when she could have had someone so much better.

  Coming September 4, 2016

  You can reserve your copy today!

  ***

  The Bargain Mail Order Bride: Book 4

  COVER COMING SOON

  Carl Richie’s wife took delight in making him miserable, often reminding him how much of a disappointment he was and how she wished she’d married someone much more deserving. So when she dies, he’s relieved. His problems, however, are far from over.

  His father left him twenty acres and a stream that most likely has gold in it, but in order for him to keep the property, he must have a child. The last thing Carl wants to do is marry again, but he has no choice. So, with reluctance, he posts a mail-order bride ad.

  Francine Gilbert needs to marry someone—and fast. On a whim, she answers the mail-order bride ad that will take her to a place where her past won’t catch up with her. From the beginning, Carl makes it clear he’s not interested in love. He only wants a child, and then he’ll give her a portion of any gold he finds on his land and leave her alone to do as she wishes.

  Since love is the least of her concerns, she agrees as long as he never asks about her past. The two strike the bargain, and she comes out to marry him. What neither factor on, however, is that bargains are far easier to make than to keep.

  Coming January 7, 2017

  You can reserve your copy today!

  *~*~*~*~*

  For more Mail Order Bride Romances by Ruth Ann Nordin, check out these books!

  Available at all retailers.

  Eye of the Beholder

  Mary Peters despairs that she will never marry. At nineteen, she has no prospects of finding a husband, so she takes matters into her own hands and becomes a mail-order bride. When she arrives to Omaha, Nebraska to meet the man she's due to marry, he takes one look at her homely appearance and rejects her.

  But fate has other plans for Mary. Dave Larson happens to be nearby and thinks she will make a good wife. Though she is stunned that someone as handsome and as kind as Dave would ask her to marry him, she accepts. She knows that this marriage will not bear the fruits of love. Love, after all, is for beautiful women. Isn't it?

  ~~*~~*~~

  The Mail Order Bride’s Deception

  “A hardworking gentleman of 26 years old, 6 feet, owner of a small cabin who lives off the land desires marriage. Lady must be between 18-25 years, have a loving disposition, and be willing to mother a baby boy. Though comforts will be few, would like a happy marriage.” Mail Order Bride Ad Written by Allen Grover on March 20, 1878

  It wasn’t until September that Al’s bride came to the Black Hills of the South Dakota Territory. He expected Hazel McPherson. But he got Sadie Miller.

  Before Hazel died in Omaha, she told Sadie to take her place as Al’s mail-order bride. Under ordinary circumstances, Sadie would never pretend to be another woman. But in this case, it was her only chance of escaping the prison that had become her life.

  And there was no way she could tell anyone the truth. No. Her secret would stay with her to the grave, especially from the one man she was beginning to love.

  ***

  All Books Written by Ruth Ann Nordin

  (Chronological Order)

  Regencies

  Marriage by Scandal Series

  The Earl’s Inconvenient Wife

  A Most Unsuitable Earl

  His Reluctant Lady

  The Earl’s Scandalous Wife

  Marriage by Deceit Series

  The Earl’s Secret Bargain

  Love Lessons With The Duke

  Ruined by the Earl

  The Earl’s Stolen Bride

  Marriage by Arrangement Series

  His Wicked Lady

  Standalone Regency

  Her Counterfeit Husband

  Historical Westerns

  Pioneer Series

  Wagon Trail Bride

  Nebraska Romance Series

  Her Heart’s Desire

  A Bride for Tom

  A Husband for Margaret

  Eye of the Beholder

  The Wrong Husband

  Shotgun Groom

  To Have and To Hold

  His Redeeming Bride

  Isaac’s Decision

  South Dakota Series

  Loving Eliza

  Bid for a Bride

  Bride of Second Chances

  Chance at Love Series

  The Convenient Mail Order Bride

  Montana Collection

  Mitch’s Win

  Boaz’s Wager

  Patty’s Gamble

  Native American Romance Series

  Restoring Hope

  Brave Beginnings

  Bound by Honor, Bound by Love

  A Chance In Time

  Virginia Series

  An Unlikely Place for Love

  The Cold Wife

  An Inconvenient Marriage

  Romancing Adrienne

  Historical Romance Anthologies (with Janet Syas Nitsick)

  Bride by Arrangement

  A Groom’s Promise

  Standalone Historical Western Romances

  Falling In Love With Her Husband

  Kent Ashton’s Backstory (Prequel to Catching Kent)

  Catching Kent

  His Convenient Wife

  Meant To Be

  The Mail Order Bride’s Deception

  Contemporaries

  Omaha Romance Series

  With This Ring, I Thee Dread

  What Nathan Wants

  Just Good Friends

  Across the Stars Series

  Suddenly a Bride

  Runaway Bride

  His Abducted Bride

  Standalone Contemporaries

  Substitute Bride

  Bride by Design (under pen name Barbara Joan Russell)

  Other Genres

  Thriller

  Return of the Aliens (Christian End-Times Novel)

  Late One Night (flash fiction)

  Fantasy

  Enchanted Galaxy Series

  A Royal Engagement

  Royal Hearts

  The Royal Pursuit

  Royal Heiress

  ***

  To find out more about Ruth Ann Nordin’s books and upcoming titles, you can go to the following sites:

  Her Author Blog: http://ruthannnordinauthorblog.wordpress.com

  Her Website:

  www.ruthannnordin.com

  Her Timeline on Facebook:

  https://www.facebook.com/ruth.a.nordin

  Join Ruth Ann Nordin’s Email List!

  If you would like to receive an email when Ruth has a new book out, go to this link:

  https://ruthannnordinauthorblog.wordpress.com/sign-up-for-email-list/

  As a thank you for being on her list, she sends out a special scene (usually 1000 to 2000 words long) that is a prequel or epilogue to the book she is releasing. This scene is only available to people on her email list. She will only email when a new book is out, and she won’t share your email with anyone else.

 

 

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