The First Bride Read online

  9

  “Morning.”

  Mary looked up as she finished hooking the bucket onto the rope.

  Gareth was walking across the courtyard, his eyes glinting as he looked her over. Mary grinned and allowed her husband to kiss her, plucking the rope out of her hands.

  “Morning.”

  “Busy?”

  “I was last time I checked.” Mary indicated the bucket. “Lucy wanted me to get some more water.”

  Gareth grinned.

  “That can wait. I wanted to see my wife.”

  Mary liked this side of Gareth. He was completely different to when they first met. There was a confident side to him she had no idea existed. Ever since declaring their love for each other two months before, they had gone from strength to strength. It was only last week when his parents and brother stopped looking at him strangely, trying to figure out what had happened to the old Gareth Stanier.

  Mary was certainly not complaining.

  “Well, your ma won’t be too impressed if she finds us kissing instead of working.”

  “You mean like I wasn’t impressed when I woke up this morning and realized you weren’t there.” Gareth raised an eyebrow. “Where did you go?”

  “I went into San Francisco for some supplies. Then I thought I’d have a look around.”

  Gareth frowned.

  “Mary…”

  “What?”

  “You shouldn’t have gone out on your own.”

  Mary sighed and slapped his chest, taking the rope back and lowering the bucket into the well.

  “And you need to stop worrying about me all the time, Gareth. I’m fine.”

  “It’s a strange city.”

  “And you’re talking to the person who escaped her old life and traveled across the country with strangers...” Mary flashed him a grin. “I managed it fine.”

  Gareth was still grumbling. He leaned against the wall, folding his arms sulkily.

  “Well, next time, I’m coming with you.”

  Mary laughed.

  “Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere. But I might have a problem fending the men off in the future, though.”

  “What do you mean?” A scowl came over his face and she could see he was clenching his fists.

  Mary let out a slight chuckle. This was her man and he would protect her from anything. “There are barely any women here. The ones who are here are either far too old or already married. And even then women are far and few between.” Mary gestured in the general direction of the town. “Men outnumber the women here by probably twenty to one.”

  Gareth growled.

  “You really should have woken me up. After hearing that, I don’t want you going down there alone.”

  “Oh, stop worrying. I’m fine. Nothing bad happened.” Mary started pulling the bucket up. “But it did give me an idea.”

  “I don’t like the sound of this.”

  “Well, I think you’ll like it. It’s a good idea.”

  Gareth’s expression said he didn’t think so. But he sighed and rubbed his hands over his face.

  “All right, then. Tell me. What have you got scheming in that brain of yours?”

  Mary unhooked the bucket and placed it on the ground.

  “We should set up a matchmaking business.”

  “I beg your pardon?” Mary had never seen anyone double-take before. Gareth was staring at her like she had gone mad. “A what business?”

  “It makes sense. We get to know everyone here and we can find the young women for them to marry. Most of them don't know how to read or write so we can be their go-between.”

  Gareth frowned and that expression took a long while to change into a fake smile.

  “That sounds like a very good idea, Mary,” he drawled. “But no one would marry these men.”

  “Don’t be sarcastic. I know a couple of people back home who are looking for a husband. This place is perfect.”

  This plan had been festering away in her mind for the past few weeks. Mary enjoyed her missionary work but she felt like she needed to do more for San Francisco. For a few nights she had even prayed on it and this was the idea that came to her mind. It was perfect. In her eyes, this would make her feel like she was actually doing something.

  Gareth still didn’t look convinced.

  “I hope you know what you’re getting yourself into. Because you’re going to have a riot on your hands if you don’t provide the women.”

  “I’ll be able to do that. No problem at all.”

  “Mary, the only thing you knew before coming here was... being a servant.”

  Mary rolled her eyes.

  “The thing I know is taking care of people. That I can do. And I’m taking care of people like this.” She spread her hands. “What do you think?”

  “I have a feeling you’re going to bite off more than you can chew.” Gareth tugged her into his arms and kissed her nose.

  “Look, I did this alone. I found you and I found love... but it was exciting, but also terrifying. I was the first bride but I can help other women leave terrible lives. I can help them have a future and I can help the men out here have families. That will calm them and help build this into a town, a community, the perfect place for us to live and raise a family. It seems like the best thing I can do with my time. Will you help me?”

  “A family... You’re not...”

  “No, not yet.” She blushed.

  “I’m so proud of you,” he said. “I know you can do this, you can do anything you set your mind to... I guess I just want you all to myself.”

  Mary raised her eyebrows. “I’ll still be here for you.”

  “Then of course, I’ll help you. I can talk to men better than women mind you.”

  “I should hope so.” Mary prodded him in the chest. “I don’t want to pry women off you... you are all mine.”

  Gareth chuckled.

  “I only have eyes for you, my love. Just for you.”

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  “It just feels so hard today getting back to work without Father here.” Estelle, the youngest of the three Crabtree sisters, was close to tears again.

  “I know it’s hard, Estelle, but the farm has been untended for so many days already,” Belle Crabtree said and placed a comforting hand on her sister’s shoulder. “Alright, one more cup of coffee, and then we get to it, girls, okay?”

  “Yes, alright,” Joanna said as she reached across the large round wooden table to take Estelle’s hand. “I’m sorry, Estelle, but Belle is right. We have to keep going, just as Father said we should. And you’ve done real well so far. You’ve helped to milk the cows every day since he passed and he would have been so proud of you.”

  As Belle, the eldest of the sisters, set about making them another cup of coffee, she blinked hard to hide the tears, which seemed to be only just below the surface recently.

  It hadn’t yet been two weeks since their father, Jack Crabtree, died, and only two days since they buried him. In all that time, the only thing that the girls had kept on top of at Crabtree farm was the feeding of the animals and the milking of their small herd of eight cows. After all, it wasn’t exactly something that could be left for another day.

  In many ways, Belle had welcomed the daily routine of having to care for the little group of cows. After so much pain and anguish, looking after the herd had seemed to provide a much-needed normality in her life. She had clearly seen how the occupation had kept Estelle, the most sensitive of the three, from crumbling altogether. It had held her attention and kept her in the here and now, if only for a little while.

  As much as the farm needed to be tended, Belle was more determined that the other girls get back to work fully and find some sort of peace. They needed life to have that certain flow again, a
nd for all three of them to settle into it.

  “I know Father would have wanted us to keep going, I know he said as much, but I can’t help thinking that we’re just carrying on as if he was never here,” Estelle said tearfully.

  “But don’t you see? Keeping Father’s farm going is keeping his memory alive,” Belle said with passion. “He started Crabtree Farm up from nothing and we have to make it work.”

  “You always have such a firm way of looking at things, Belle, and it really is a comfort to me.” Estelle sniffed loudly, and Joanna searched the pocket of her long skirt for a handkerchief to give to her sister.

  “Here, drink this down.” Belle settled the three mugs of coffee down on the table and relaxed into her seat.

  She looked at her beautiful sisters, at just nineteen and twenty-years-old, and felt the sudden weight of responsibility. Belle was the head of the household now, whether she liked it or not, and she had promised her father faithfully that she would do everything in her power to keep the farm going and her sisters safe.

  Crabtree Farm had been a success for as long as Belle could remember. Her first recollections of the place as a little girl was of a thriving little farm doing a good trade in grain and wheat, seasonal vegetables, and milk. Jack Crabtree had set it up that way, not choosing to be a farmer of any particular kind, but rather choosing to do a little bit of everything. He had told Belle more than once over the years that he’d always seen diversity as the best means of providing safety. Sure, he wasn’t going to be the most successful crop farmer or dairy farmer in town, but if the wheat ever failed for some reason or other, he would have his vegetables and milk to fall back on. It was his way of making sure that his family would always be well provided for.

  “I do worry about some of the heavier stuff, girls,” Estelle went on, but Belle didn’t mind.

  It was as if Estelle had to voice each and every one of her fears before she could keep going, and if that was what was going to help her, it was just fine by Belle.

  “I know it might take all three of us to attach a plow, but we can do it. We’ve been doing it, haven’t we?” Belle said gently.

  “Yes, just as Father taught us, the three of us working together,” Joanna said, and Belle was pleased to have some help in trying to keep Estelle’s spirits up.

  “I know, I know,” Estelle said miserably. “I guess I’m just scared altogether and I don’t really know which thing is scaring me the most. Maybe it’s just everything.”

  “That’s understandable, Estelle. We, none of us, expected Father to take ill so suddenly and die so soon, and it really is hard to take it all in, let alone keep moving forward, keep putting one foot in front of the other.” Belle sipped the scalding hot coffee and winced at its intentional bitterness.

  The last days had drained her utterly, and she felt exhausted to the point that she hardly recognized herself. But Belle did not want her sisters to see it, she needed to keep going. If strong coffee was what was needed, then strong coffee it was.

  “Well, maybe we should think about hiring someone,” Joanna said tentatively. “We have the money to do it, after all.”

  “Let’s give it a while and see how we get along with it,” Belle said quietly and nodded. “There’s still three of us and the farm isn’t unmanageable, is it?”

  “I know Father didn’t have to hire anybody, but he had the three of us. Please promise me you will think about it if we start to struggle,” Joanna went on and Estelle seemed to have drifted off altogether.

  It was as if the youngest Crabtree sister could not focus on anything but her own fears. Belle and Joanna would simply have to contemplate the practicalities without her.

  “I just think that we should be mindful of what Father said before he died,” Belle said and took another sip of the coffee to stave off the wave of exhaustion.

  “Do you really think the men of Turners Ridge will be circling us now that Father isn’t here?” Joanna spoke in a near whisper, as if she did not want to upset Estelle any further.

  “I don’t think there’ll be so many, but this is a thriving farm and I would be surprised if at least one or two of the men of Turners Ridge isn’t thinking about getting his feet under the table here. Father just said to be on the lookout for protectors and romancers.”

  Find out what happens to Belle, Joanna, and Estelle and read 35 complete sweet historical romances for just 0.99 or FREE on KU for a limited time. 35 Sweet Western Brides

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  A Race Against Time

  Book 1 The Misjudged Bride

  Book 2 To Save her Daughter

  Book 3 The Courageous Bride

  Book 4 The Surprised Bride

  Book 5 The Beginning in the End

  Santa Fe Brides and the Rescued Animals Books 1 to 3

  Santa Fe Brides and the Rescued Animals Books 4 to 6

  Santa Fe Brides and the Rescued Animals Books 7-10

  Inspirational Western Brides Series – Longer Books.

  An Impossible Love

  The Broken Hearted Bride

  The No Good Cowboy and the Unwanted Baby

  Let Love In

  The Rancher’s Son 2 Book Special

  The Pioneer Brides of the Oregon Trail Series: Longer Books

  Trinity’s Loss

  Carrie’s Trust

  Josie’s Dream

  Polly’s Choice

  Charlotte’s Wedding

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  About the Author

  About the Authors

  Indiana Wake was born in Denver Colorado where she learned to love the outdoors and horses. At the age of eleven, her parents moved to the United Kingdom to follow her father’s career.

  It was a strange and foreign new world and it took a while for her to settle down. Her mom raised horses and Indiana soon learned to ride. She would often escape on horseback imagining she was back in the Wild West. As well as horses, Indiana escaped into fiction and dreamed of all the friends she had left behind.

  From an early age, she loved stories. They were always sweet and clean and more often than not, included horses, cowboys and most importantly of all a happy ever after. As she got older, she would often be found making up her own stories and would tell them to anyone who would listen.

  As she grew up, she continued to write but marriage and a job stole some of her dreams. Then one day she was discussing with a friend at church, how hard it was to get sweet and clean fiction. Though very shy about her writing Indiana agreed to share one of her stories. That friend loved the story and suggested she publish it on kindle. Together they worked really hard and the rest, as they say, is history.

  Indiana has had multiple number one bestsellers and now makes her living from her writing. She believes she was truly blessed to be given this opportunity and thanks each and every one of her readers for making her dream come true.

  Belle Fiffer is not your ordinary girl. She grew up in the west where she loved to ride horse
s and walk in the wilds. At fifteen, she moved to England when her father’s job took him across the pond. Leaving behind all her friends she lost herself in books and if she is honest she fell in love with food. She is not ashamed of her curves and loves stories about good, honest men that love their women on the large side.

  As a committed Christian, her books are clean, sweet and inspirational. Belle hopes you enjoy the books and would love to hear from you.

  To hear about new releases or bonus content from Belle and other authors of clean, sweet, romance join her newsletter at Fair Havens Publishing http://eepurl.com/dn60gf

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  Thank you so much for reading this book. We both love to write and to share our stories with you and hear your wonderful comments gives us great pleasure. Until our next adventure keep well my friend xx

  ©Copyright 2018 Indiana Wake

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  Indiana Wake

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