Once Upon a Mail Order Bride

by Linda Broday

  Also by Linda Broday

  Bachelors of Battle Creek

  Texas Mail Order Bride

  Twice a Texas Bride

  Forever His Texas Bride

  Men of Legend

  To Love a Texas Ranger

  The Heart of a Texas Cowboy

  To Marry a Texas Outlaw

  Texas Heroes

  Knight on the Texas Plains

  The Cowboy Who Came Calling

  To Catch a Texas Star

  Outlaw Mail Order Brides

  The Outlaw’s Mail Order Bride

  Saving the Mail Order Bride

  The Mail Order Bride’s Secret

  Once Upon a Mail Order Bride

  Texas Redemption

  Christmas in a Cowboy’s Arms anthology

  Longing for a Cowboy Christmas anthology

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  Books. Change. Lives.

  Copyright © 2020 by Linda Broday

  Cover and internal design © 2020 by Sourcebooks

  Cover art by Alan Ayers

  Sourcebooks and the colophon are registered trademarks of Sourcebooks.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems—except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews—without permission in writing from its publisher, Sourcebooks.

  The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

  All brand names and product names used in this book are trademarks, registered trademarks, or trade names of their respective holders. Sourcebooks is not associated with any product or vendor in this book.

  Published by Sourcebooks Casablanca, an imprint of Sourcebooks

  P.O. Box 4410, Naperville, Illinois 60567-4410

  (630) 961-3900

  sourcebooks.com

  Contents

  Front Cover

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Author’s Note

  One

  Two

  Three

  Four

  Five

  Six

  Seven

  Eight

  Nine

  Ten

  Eleven

  Twelve

  Thirteen

  Fourteen

  Fifteen

  Sixteen

  Seventeen

  Eighteen

  Nineteen

  Twenty

  Twenty-One

  Twenty-Two

  Twenty-Three

  Twenty-Four

  Twenty-Five

  Twenty-Six

  Twenty-Seven

  Twenty-Eight

  Twenty-Nine

  Thirty

  Thirty-One

  Thirty-Two

  Thirty-Three

  Thirty-Four

  Thirty-Five

  Thirty-Six

  Thirty-Seven

  Thirty-Eight

  Thirty-Nine

  Epilogue

  Excerpt from A Cowboy of Legend

  One

  About the Author

  Back Cover

  Author’s Note

  Dear Reader,

  We’ve come to the end of Outlaw Mail Order Brides and I’m sad to say goodbye to Hope’s Crossing. The people there are my friends and I hope they’ve become yours too. When I first began this series, I had no idea of the heart these men and women possessed. They’re the kind of folk you want beside you when trouble comes. They don’t run. They stand and fight until they defeat the threat. These are my kind of people.

  Through the books, the town has flourished and grown, and businesses have flooded in. Hope’s Crossing is a place where hope lives, memories are made, and friendships are forged. Oh man, I would love to live there.

  I hope that I’ve given you a different way to view outlaws. The good ones are just like us and want the same things—families, love, and a place where they can grow old in peace. They lived in a very interesting time, when a man could be an outlaw one day and a lawman the next, or vice versa. It depended on the circumstances and where a man happened to be. Men like Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, Wild Bill Hickok, and so many others found themselves labeled both outlaw and lawman during their lifetimes. The line often blurred. But what these men all shared, right alongside my characters in this series, is that they burned for justice and to right wrongs, no matter how they had to do it. Most of the time it wasn’t pretty.

  I’ve saved the best of the series for last. You’ll finally get to know the kind of man Ridge Steele is, and I think you’ll like his honor and courage. The strength of Adeline Jancy staggers me. She’s just the sort of woman to give him the love he yearns for. So put your feet in the stirrups and hold on tight. It’s going to be quite a ride.

  Happy Reading!

  Linda Broday

  One

  Summer 1882

  Texas Panhandle

  The sudden bang of a heavy prison door echoed like a rifle shot down a long, dimly lit hallway. Adeline Jancy flinched as though struck, her hand clenching tighter around the letters from Ridge Steele, the man she’d agreed to marry upon release. In her other hand, she gripped a pitiful burlap bag that contained all her earthly possessions.

  A nearby door opened, and she blinked at the unaccustomed light, her eyes watering from the glare.

  For three long and dismal years, she’d lived in solitary confinement below the prison, in silence so complete that she could hear the twitch of a rat’s whiskers a yard away. She’d thought of this moment, dreamed about it for so long. Freedom. A chance to start over. But now that it was here, was she truly ready? Her knees buckled.

  The squeak of shoes met her ears, and a heavyset woman appeared.

  “Jancy, it’s me—Nettie Mae.”

  Now, the door to her cell no longer between them, Addie finally saw the face of the woman who’d brought her food each day. Middle-aged and gray-haired, Nettie had kind eyes. Tears gathered in her own eyes as she hugged her sole friend.

  Nettie kept talking, the first time Addie’d heard her speak louder than a whisper. “You gotta listen and listen good. Two men are waitin’ at the front gate to grab you when you leave the prison. I ’spect you know what they want.”

  Yes, she knew.

  Addie’d expected her release to be difficult and Nettie confirmed it. During the night, she’d played the scenarios over in her mind countless times. She might get shot, she might die. She might meet a fate even worse than death. But if so, she would face it with her head held high. Not cowering in fear.

  Gas lamps held in brackets lining the walls every few yards emitted loud sizzles that sounded like thousands of flying insects. An unpleasant odor permeated the air.

  “Mr. Luke overheard those men. He’s going to catch you before you reach the door and take you out the back way. You’re gonna
be fine. I can tell Mr. Luke’s a right good man.”

  Addie’s heart pounded. Gonna be fine—if the warden didn’t stop Luke on his way in. If the ones waiting for her didn’t get wind of a change in procedure. If she and Luke weren’t spotted and followed. Her release involved too many ifs.

  She braced herself, determined. Now was not the time to panic. After all these years, she had to finally take control of her life. Sweat lined her palms. Her welcoming committee wanted what she knew—and she’d take that to her grave first. Ezekiel Jancy be damned! She’d defied him before and paid dearly. Everything she’d suffered was worth it if it meant that a small innocent stayed safe from Ezekiel’s iron will.

  Her pulse throbbed in her neck and she wet her lips. She took Nettie’s hands and wished with all her might to find words to express her gratitude. She forced air up to make herself speak, but not a peep emerged. Prison, trauma, and solitude combined with her rusty, weak throat stole her ability to speak. Before her stood the one person in the world she longed to thank, and she couldn’t utter a sound. She blinked hard and stuffed the letters into her burlap.

  “I know, child.” Nettie patted her shoulder awkwardly with one misshapen hand. “Save your strength. I’m glad I could help.” Nettie turned to walk away, and Addie reached for her.

  “You go on now and marry that handsome outlaw. Leave your memories at the door and have a good life far away from this hell.” Nettie sniffled. “I’ll die in here, but you’re getting out. Make every second you have left count for something good.” She gave Addie a little push. “Go. Mr. Luke’s waitin’.”

  Her heart bursting with conflicting emotion, Addie took a deep breath. She walked down the hallway toward freedom—or death, if this didn’t go right.

  At every noise, she jumped, her nerves like fine glass ready to shatter. A few feet from the door, a tall man appeared quietly from a side room. Dressed as a cowboy, he had the coloring of a Spaniard and wore a soft, dove-gray hat. Long dark hair hung to his shoulders.

  “Miss Jancy, I’m Luke Legend. Trust me to get you out of here. I won’t let anyone harm you.” He relieved her of the pitiful burlap bag.

  Without waiting for her to nod, he took her arm and led her a different way, down a maze of corridors. Doubts jumped into her head like circus fleas on a dog—where was he taking her? But instinct and Nettie’s soft assurance urged her to trust him, and she really had little choice.

  Finally, they reached a door and emerged into blinding sunlight. She threw her hands over her eyes to block the bright pain.

  “Un momento. I prepared for something like this.”

  She heard a rustling sound, and a second later he draped a soft, clean cloth around her head. Ahhh, blessed relief. She could’ve wept at the kindness of this man who’d thought of everything.

  “There. You can open your eyes now.”

  She peered through her fingers and saw she wore a black veil. Again, she tried to speak, to thank him, but nothing came.

  “Hurry. When you don’t show up at the front door, those men will be onto us. They look desperate.” Though Luke’s voice held an urgent tone, the comforting hand on her back imparted trust that he knew the safest way out of this.

  She had to trot to keep up with his long strides and was out of breath by the time they reached a horse and buggy waiting in the shade of a tree. He helped her in and went around to his side, strapping on a gun belt and holster.

  Moments later, as they careened from the prison, shots rang out behind them.

  “Get down as low as you can.” Luke drew his revolver, leaned out, and returned fire.

  Hoofbeats pounded on the hard-packed road, and she could scarcely tell the sound apart from her frantic heartbeat. Each time they made a curve, the buggy came near to overturning. Addie hung on for her very life, praying to see the town of Austin coming up ahead. They should be close. If memory served, the prison had only been a mile or so out of town. But it had been so long since she’d been brought to the prison, and the years could have blurred the details in her mind.

  Though she didn’t rise to look, the pursuers mounts sounded upon them, and a flurry of shots kept her head lowered. One round barely missed her, splintering the wood just above. Luke yelled for his poor horse to go faster. The ground sped past until finally the sound of the men behind began to fade.

  They pulled into Austin at long last, but Luke slowed little. He wove their buggy in and around the other wagons and horses before pulling to a head-jerking stop.

  “Come on.” Luke lifted her from the overworked buggy and set her down. Taking her hand, he pulled her into a mercantile. They raced through the store and went out the back.

  Addie struggled to keep up, while dozens of curious pairs of eyes stared, probably wondering about the woman in the black veil. They must think she was late to a funeral. Luke paused outside to glance around. Wrinkles between his eyes deepened in thought, and he muttered something in Spanish that sounded dire.

  Two men entered the other end of the alley. Even from the distance, she knew neither was her father. They must be on Ezekiel’s payroll instead.

  Or… Her throat caught. Maybe one was the dead girl’s father. He could be after Addie as well, seeking revenge and his grandson.

  Gunshots splintered the wood of the back door, and hard pieces of metal and wood landed around her as the men gave chase.

  Luke grabbed her hand again, and they ran back onto the street, dodging passersby on the boardwalk.

  She gasped for air, and her lungs burned. Her weak muscles and too-large shoes added to the struggle of keeping up. Plus, being short made for a whole lot of discomfort when the man pulling you had long legs.

  “I’m sorry,” Luke panted. “Keep going. I’ve got to get you safe.”

  The busy street helped a great deal in losing the two men. They wove over, around, and through tight places, running until Luke finally spied the Houston & Texas Central Railroad depot ahead with a train sitting on the tracks.

  “There! We’ve got to make that train. With any luck, it’s going to Fort Worth.”

  Hope sprang up inside her, and her heart leaped. Maybe this would be their escape.

  White smoke billowed up around the steam engine, and the monstrous hunk of metal began to inch down the tracks, picking up speed. Oh no!

  “We can make it if we run,” Luke shouted.

  She gathered some breath and put wings to her feet. She sprinted along beside him, her very life depending on her ability to keep running. They arrived as the last four cars were pulling past the platform.

  Gunshots sounded somewhere close, and Luke ducked behind a wall. “I don’t know how they found us, but here’s the plan. Both of us can’t make it, so I’m putting you on. If I’m right, this train’s going to Fort Worth. I’ll wire my wife, Josie, and she’ll meet you there. I’ll follow when I can.”

  Beads of sweat rose on her face and trickled down her back. Her hands trembled as fear set in at the thought of being on her own again. Trains terrified her, especially without Luke to help. She’d never done it before, nor been in a strange city alone.

  The caboose was about to pass them. Oh Lord, she’d have to jump!

  What if she missed and landed under those big wheels?

  Luke pressed some bills into her palm. “This’ll pay for your ticket and anything else you might need. Ask anyone if you have questions. I’ll stop those bastards from getting on.”

  Oh Lord, oh Lord, oh Lord! She couldn’t do this.

  She barely had a second before he took her hand, and they bolted alongside the train, now moving at a pretty good clip.

  Run faster!

  A bullet slammed into the wood at her feet, and others plinked against the side of the iron car.

  Please don’t let them hit me. Please don’t let them hit me.

  Her hammering heart leaped into her
throat, and her mouth—as parched as a piece of sun-dried bread—wouldn’t let her swallow.

  One second before the caboose cleared the platform, Luke yelled, “Jump!”

  As she did, he pushed from behind. The heel of one shoe caught on the edge of the metal landing of the caboose. The ground underneath passed in a blur as she used all her strength to pull herself upright.

  She raised her gaze in time to see one of their pursuers holding Luke’s arms behind him while the other thug drove a fist into his stomach. She sagged against the metal railing.

  Luke Legend had been shot at, chased across the countryside, and was taking a beating—all for a woman he’d never laid eyes on before today. Gratitude burst inside her for the gift she’d been given. But at such cost.

  They sped down the tracks. She was on a train going who knew where, with everything she owned in the world left behind in Luke Legend’s buggy, the most cherished of which were Ridge’s letters. It didn’t matter though. She’d read them so often, she could recite them. They’d found a place in her heart.

  Addie glanced around. For now, she was safe and on her way to finally meet him.

  * * *

  Ridge Steele walked down a dark street near Fort Worth’s Hell’s Half Acre long past dark. The week’s ride from Hope’s Crossing had worn him out. But he’d arrived in time to collect the books the schoolmaster, Todd Denver, had desperately needed for the school term to begin. If they didn’t arrive, Denver would have to move on and the school year would have to be canceled. No parent wanted that.

  With the freighters on strike and no end in sight, they’d had no way of getting the books there, and as the mayor, it had fallen to Ridge to make the trip after them. The telegram from Luke had said that Ridge’s bride wouldn’t arrive for another week or so, due to needing some recovery time, so he’d had nothing holding him back from making the trip.

  Ridge paused and leaned against the gaslight outside the Sundance Saloon and debated going inside. From the raucous yells, it sounded a little rougher than he liked. He gazed up at the stars and found he was grateful for the extra time Luke had given him. The idea of marrying a woman he’d never met could be daunting. Who knew what sort of disposition Adeline Jancy would have? His friends had all gotten lucky with their mail-order brides, but there could always be that one to spoil the string.