Once breakfast was done and she was heading up to check on Myrakle there came a knock on the door. Violet quickly changed direction and opened it to see an anxious looking Rafe Adams standing there. “Mister Adams, are you here to see Bert?”
“N-n-no m-m-m-maam. I ne-ne-need to see Ch-ch-chance.”
“Of course he’s in the office.”
Violet followed him in and Chance looked up as they entered the room. “Rafe, what can I do for you?”
“I ne-ne-ne-need to fi-fi-find another ma-ma-match. Bert sc-sc-scares me. She wa-wa-wants to bu-bu-build a ba-ba-ba-baloon to fly in. She also wa-wa-wants pa-pa-part of my sh-sh-shop.”
Chance sighed. “Rafe she’s your second match.”
Violet walked over and placed her hand on Chances shoulder. “Chance if Mister Adams isn’t connecting with Bert then we need to find him another match.”
“But everyone else is matched except Jasmine and they just won’t suit each other.”
Violet didn’t agree, but knew that she could only push Chance so far at once. “Then we’ll get the women together and see who else might not be connecting with their suitors.”
Chance nodded and looked at the furniture maker. “I’ll find you another match Rafe. I’ll get you the right woman that’s a promise Redburn Matchmaking has never had a failure and you won’t be the first. I guarantee it.”
Violet smiled knowing that Chance would do what he could, but in the end she figured he’d have to listen to her and give the match of Jasmine and Rafe a try. They really would be perfect together. The girl so nervous she had an accident every time she turned around and the man who was so nervous he couldn’t speak without a stutter. Together they’d settle each other and be perfect. But today she’d concentrate on her own new match.
Ten
V iolet stood at the back of the church. The courtship with Chance had been fast. Once that cowboy made up his mind he didn’t wait around. Just two short months after she’d arrived in Bent and found out that Miss Viola was gone, Violet was about to become Mrs. Redburn. In just a few short minutes she would walk down the aisle and become Chance’s wife.
She hoped that where ever Viola was she was looking down on them today smiling that her final match had also happened. Mrs. Winslow smiled as she helped Violet get into her wedding dress. The Ladies Auxiliary had worked tirelessly to pull off this wedding complete with sewing a wedding dress for Violet. “Don’t you fret now Violet. I remember the day that I married Mister Winslow. I was scared to death. I know Viola is thrilled to death that you’re about to marry Chance. Just remember the things we told you last night and the marriage will be off to a good start. None of us can wait to see little Redburns running around town.”
Violet blushed both at the things the widows had informed her of last night when they’d all come to see her and taken over the matchmaking office. It had been their duty, they told her, to inform her of what to expect on her wedding night and in the marriage bed.
While her own mother had told her before she left Greenbough what to expect the widows put a whole different spin on things making her nervous and yet excited for what was to come. The only thing she knew for certain was unlike her own mother these women seemed to think more should be involved than just planning the next days meals or chores. She blushed just thinking of some of the things they’d told her.
“Miss Winslow, again thank everyone for me. I appreciated their candor and openness last night.”
The older widow laughed. “Oh balderdash! We embarrassed you and shocked you. You don’t have to lie to me dear.”
“Maybe it did embarrass me a little, but it was also informative. I will convince Chance that we will need to have a meeting like that with each bride to match on the night before their wedding.”
“It will be your responsibility to have that talk with the next brides my dear. It was part of what Viola had us do only because she herself had never married. As a married woman you can help them prepare for the wedding night yourself.”
Violet thought about it and decided to leave the topic alone. Just then the Widow Long entered the room. “You’d better get out here and take that old goat’s arm before he drives me out of my mind Violet.”
Violet smiled, she was pretty sure the two older people had a connection between them. They argued and fought too much to actually dislike each other. She’d love to see a match between Beans and the feisty widow.
“It’s time anyway.”
As Violet met Beans in the entrance to the sanctuary he smiled at her. “Chance sure is one lucky cowpoke darlin’”
Violet placed a kiss on the cheek of the grizzled old cowboy cook. “Thank you Mister McGruder. Perhaps you’ll get lucky yourself before too long.”
The old man took her arm and laughed. “Don’t ya be trying to match me up with any of them old biddies in the Ladies Auxiliary now you hear. You and Chance keep yer matchmaking fer the paying customers.”
She smiled she thought the cook did protest too much, but she’d just wait her time. Then the doors opened, and she could see all the brides to match except for one waiting on her in the front row on the “brides side”. The other seats were full of the people in town to see if it was true and the Bride Herder had roped himself a wife. However the only person that mattered to Violet was standing in the front of the church in a clean and pressed suit. Her perfect match, the reason for her being in Bent to begin with, her husband, almost, Chance Redburn.
She floated down the aisle, her eyes locked on his and when Beans placed her hand in Chance’s she forgot everything but the handsome matchmaker standing beside her. Before she even realized it the service was over and Chance was kissing her before God and the whole town. She was a spinster school teacher no more, now she was the wife of the local matchmaker and the woman behind the man. The older matchmaker who had started it all had finished her final match. Her nephew was done hogtied.
Violet smiled as they walked down the aisle heading for the hotel and their single night of a honeymoon. Tomorrow they’d return to their home and continue to work on the single men of the town, finding them the perfect matches.
Chance picked up his wife of just a few hours and carried her across the threshold of the hotel room that Beans had insisted on providing them with for the night. Chance had done it. He’d married Violet and completed the match that his aunt had known he needed. Already in the two months before their wedding Violet had proved to be invaluable to the matchmaking business. She had shown him the letters his aunt had sent her and it held innumerable details about the business that he’d found no where else.
Violet had helped him get in touch with the matchmakers back east that his aunt had used in the past and inform them all of her passing and that he and Violet were continuing her work. Several of them had already responded that they would start looking for brides to match with their clients here in Bent.
Now they were alone. The wedding supper over and their friends and neighbors all gone home. It was just him and his wife in the honeymoon room at the hotel. Kane Jameson had teased him when they checked in that Chance had gotten to use the room before Kane had even though he was one of Viola’s last clients. Right now Chance could care less about any of his clients, new or inherited or the brides to match. All he cared about was the woman in his arms. He kissed Violet with all his passion that had been dying to be released in the last couple months.
When he’d seen her coming down the aisle to him it was all he could do not to run to her and hurry everything along. Now finally he was going to show her how much he loved her. Finally after all his worry, all his trying to avoid becoming a husband, he was right where he needed to be about to take his wife into their marriage bed for the first time. He said a quick prayer of thanks asking God to let his Aunt Viola know he was grateful to her one last time for her meddling in his affairs. If nothing else she had left him one last gift, Violet as his wife and partner not just in the matchmaking business but life.
; He pulled back and looked into his wife’s eyes. “I love you, Violet Redburn.”
A single tear ran down his love’s face, and he frowned. “What’s wrong?”
“That’s the first time you’ve ever told me that you love me.”
“What?? That can’t be true can it? Surely in the last two months I’ve told you that I love you.”
Violet shook her head. “You’ve shown me that you love me, but you’ve never said those actual words to me before.”
“Well then from now on I’ll tell you the words everyday. Heck I’ll tell ya the words ten times a day if you want me to.” He kissed her again then when they both finally came apart to breath he smiled. “I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you… how many times is that?”
Violet laughed and then kissed him before turning around. “Can you help me out of this dress Mister Redburn? I’d rather right now you show me that you love me.”
Chance reached out with shaking hands and began to undo what looked like a million tiny shell buttons down the back of Violet’s dress. Once the last one was undone and she let the dress fall to the floor, Chance picked his wife up and carried her to bed where he spent the rest of the night showing her just how much he loved her.
Later as he lay watching her sleep he knew that at last he had what he needed. A reason to succeed. Thanks to this woman he would be the best matchmaker Bent had ever seen. Even better he’d be the one and only Bride Herder.
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A Note from the Author
I sure hope you all enjoyed this first book in the Bride Herder Series. I wanted to take a moment and tell you how this unique project came to be. As my readers know I put together a little project called Silverpines. During the set up for that series I had the privilege to work with nine wonder ladies all of whom were strong authors in their own right. It was a challenge to coral nine such strong personalities at first until we all learned to work together. Someone said to me “Nine female authors working together it must be like herding cats.”
In my mind popped a picture of a cowboy trying to rope a bunch of brides and getting them to all work together. Before the night was up I’d come up with the funny little idea of a Bride Herder. A failed Rancher turned matchmaker who had no clue how to make matches. From there it was just a matter of time before I found nine other ladies and asked them to help me create this fun little summer project. I hope y’all enjoy reading it as much as we enjoy writing it. If so let us know either by review or email. For more fun with the authors of this series join our facebook group.
Anyway I hope you enjoyed getting to know Chance and Violet and Beans as well as being introduced to some of the other ‘brides to match’. Stay tuned for more books coming every other week until you’ve met all ten women and the men they are matched to.
Finally I want to thank all of you who have been so patient as I’ve recovered from the stroke that I had first of the year. I hope this book is a good first return story. Let me know what you think of it.
George. H. McVey
About the Author
George McVey always wanted to be a superhero; sadly, no radioactive storms or animals have been a part of his life. One day while spinning a tall tale for his family, some suggested once again that with all his experiences in ministry, and his imagination, he should be writing books. This time it was like lightning struck him and he decided, why not.
Since then, George has been hard at work using his creative imagination and writing several books. He's still adding to his bibliography to this day. You can find them all on his Amazon.com page. George lives in the wonderful state of Almost Heaven, West Virginia. In a lovely basement apartment with his wife of 31 years, Sheri, and a service dog named Daisy Mae.
If you ever come to visit him, you will probably find him sitting in his recliner or at his desk in the office working on some writing project. If he isn't working on a novel, then he will be working on a short story or blog post. If he isn't doing either of those then he is either asleep or eating, his other two favorite past times.
You can reach him by email at [email protected]. You can also find out more about his books, get a free book, or join his beta readers team to help make the books he sells better at his website http://georgemcvey.weebly.com. You can also connect with George on Facebook at his Readers Group. To join just click: George’s Gorgeous Readers.
Also don’t forget to join The Bride Herders Readers group to find out more about this series.
George’s Books
You can find all of George’s books on his Amazon author page. Just click the link below.
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A Bride To Herd Page 7