Florence Read online

  Florence grinned. “That will take a while. My youngest brother didn’t sleep through the night until he was eight months old. He kept us all awake.”

  “I didn’t need to hear that.” Sterling rose. “Would you like a cup of coffee?”

  “Yes, I would love one.” Florence gazed out the window and nearly jumped out of her chair when she saw a buggy coming up the drive. She stared at the man to get a quick glimpse of her groom-to-be, but all she could make out was a hat and some unruly dark hair on the sides.

  She watched him drive the buggy. He seemed to be a sure hand. As he neared, she saw a look of determination on the man’s face. Yet, a nice face if she were to describe it.

  Sterling gave her a cup and saucer and then went for the door. “Jay is here, Bridgette.”

  Bridgette put the baby down and joined her husband.

  Florence wasn’t sure what she should do. If she remained sitting, would that look to spinsterish? Yet, if she ran to join the Merritts, that might appear too eager. So, she sat at the edge of her chair and took a sip of coffee, hoping Jay would be a man worth traveling all this way for.

  Chapter 4

  A forceful knock on the door signaled Jay’s arrival.

  Florence’s heart was in her throat as she watched Bridgette open the door.

  “Come in, Jay. We’ve been waiting.”

  “I’m not late?”

  Sterling clapped a hand on his shoulder. “No, not at all. Come on in.”

  Bridgette went halfway to Florence and then turned to Jay. “This is Florence Winwood. Florence, this is Jay Selmer.”

  Jay took off his hat and smiled at her. A pleasant smile that said he was pleased.

  Florence hoped she wasn’t blushing. She stood on trembling knees and nodded to him. “Pleased to meet you.” Then she held out her hand.

  Jay stepped forward and took her hand in his. “The pleasure is all mine.”

  He was charming. Handsome with a rugged appearance. Florence was surprised at the warmth of his hand and even more surprised at the tingling his touch had set off. She liked him, and then reminded herself that she needed to like him and get him to like her. She’d never been good at reading people and really couldn’t tell what he was thinking.

  Bridgette guided them to the settee. “Why don’t you two sit down and get to know one another. I have to feed Charlotte, and oh, my, change her. Sterling, would you help me?”

  Sterling frowned. “Yes, dear.”

  Florence watched them leave the room, and her confidence went with them. What did she have to offer this man?

  “You’re a beautiful woman. How do you like Shirleyville and Solomon’s Valley?”

  Startled, she turned her attention back to Jay. “Fine.” She groaned inside. A one-word answer. She rubbed her hands, looked at her skirt, and straightened out a wrinkle. “I haven’t seen much of the town. Sterling Merritt picked me up at the depot and drove me here. They have a beautiful place.”

  He grinned. “No reason to be nervous. We have plenty of time to get to know one another. I suppose Bridgette told you about me.”

  “Just that you were running the sawmill.”

  He smiled. “Running it and part-owner. My brother, Del, and Judge Taggart also have an interest. This town is growing, and I believe the mill will do quite well.” He looked down for a moment and then gazed into her eyes. “I believe in being honest with one another. I got out of prison three weeks ago. I promise I will not go back. I’m a free man and intend to make you a good husband.”

  Prison! Florence felt as if she were falling. How could Bridgette think she would want a man who, well, was an outlaw? Florence stared at him and wondered what he had done.

  As if seeing the question in her eyes, Jay grinned. “Don’t worry. I stole some money. We replaced most of it. My brother and me. We grew up poor and fell into bad company. I’ve learned my lesson. Now, I have honest money in the bank, a job, and a huge desire to make this second chance at life work.”

  “I see.” She tried to put a little distance between them without looking too obvious.

  He sat back, a somewhat sly grin on his face. “I can see that makes you nervous.”

  “What? Oh, the prison.” Florence wondered what she was supposed to think. “Well, to be honest, wouldn’t you be a bit suspicious?”

  He nodded. “Yes, I would. That’s why I wanted to tell you straight out. I don’t want any secrets between the woman I marry and me.”

  She noticed how he didn’t say you and instead exchanged it for the woman he would marry. “I’m sorry if I seem prejudiced.”

  “No, think nothing of it. If I was looking at a horse to buy, I’d want to know if it had anything that might cause me trouble. If the mare had a bad habit of breaking fences, I’d want to know. That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t take the horse. Just that I’d have to make allowances for its bad habit until I broke the animal of it.”

  Florence knew he was trying to put her at ease, but really, comparing her to a horse was not helping. “So, your bad habit, it’s been broken?”

  Jay chuckled. “You might say that. A year in prison should break anyone from their outlaw past. I am fortunate that Bridgette took my brother and me in with her Bounty Brigade and promised to save half of our bounty money for us. And then she added her mail-order bride idea. She said a man would be less inclined to return to crime if he had a good wife.”

  “That sounds like a clever enterprise.”

  Jay sipped the coffee Margaret had brought him. “So, as for you, I guess you will make a good wife? My brother’s wife had been a soiled dove. It took Del a little getting over and a lot of forgiveness to marry her.”

  Florence shook her head. “I have all the qualities of a good wife. I can cook, sew, keep house, and I’ve taken care of children.” She sipped her coffee and blushed at her next question. “I do want children. I hope you do, too.”

  “Good. I do. Want children. I’ll be honest, I hadn’t really thought about it for most of my life.” He grinned at her. “When you’re on the run, you only worry about getting caught, but I did have time to think in prison. Too much time. Yet when the walls closed in the most and came near to suffocating me, I would dream of a house with children and a woman who would love me.” Jay looked at her with honest eyes. “To tell you the truth, that dream is what kept me alive that year.”

  Florence was caught in his stare and the heartfelt honesty of his words. “I will make some man a good wife.”

  Jay’s gaze softened. “Where are you from?”

  “Minnesota. A small town that’s not even on the map. As to why I am a mail-order bride, I was the oldest in a family of ten. My mother took sick, and I, as the oldest daughter, became the caretaker of the family. Finally, the youngest brother married, and my oldest brother had plans to move me into his house as the spinster aunt.” She looked at Jay. “I didn’t want that. I wanted the family of my own that I’d dreamed about it since I was a little girl.”

  Jay took her hand. “I’d say we had the same dreams. Florence, I’d like to court you. I’ll be good to you, and I promise you will be proud of me. I won’t go back to my old ways.”

  Florence stared at him but was thinking of her past. She knew the future she had back in Minnesota. This is why she’d come. Ex-outlaw or not, he was the one Bridgette had matched her with. “I agree with the courting. I came to marry a man and start a family. My mind is made up, if you agree to have me, I will marry you.”

  Jay cocked his head and stared into her eyes. Then he smiled. “I will show you how it feels to be wanted. For all my faults, the one thing I’ve been good at is appreciating people that I’ve met. I may not have ever loved a woman, but I’m determined to make a family with you. And love you.”

  She knew she was blushing. Any talk about a man and woman together caused her cheeks to burn. Not so much from embarrassment as from the shame of never having a man care for her and not knowing how to respond.

  Taking time to sip her
coffee, she wondered what it was he wanted to hear. All her life, she’d pleased everyone else. This man, she wasn’t sure what to say. What did he want from her?

  He took her coffee from her and set the cup down. “I’ll be gentle. I can see you’re shy around men. I won’t embarrass you. I promise. Despite my past, I’m a good man. I know it deep inside where it counts. I’ll wait as long as you ask. When you’re ready, we’ll get married.”

  Her heart was racing, her palms perspiring. This was why she’d traveled to Montana. The very reason she was sitting here. She stared into his eyes. “I agree to marry now. I have nowhere else to go.” She would have added, and no one else to consider, but thought that was obvious.

  Jay gazed at her with almost sadness in his eyes. “All right. We’ll go and talk to the preacher. I have a house I’ve been looking at, but only one room is livable.”

  “It has a kitchen?”

  “Yes, it has a kitchen and a stove. Just no walls. There’s a ceiling. It’s a two-story Victorian or would have been if it had been finished. On my way back to town, I’ll see about buying it.” He grinned. “Oh, and it has plenty of room for children.”

  Her cheeks grew hot. “Good. As a woman, my time is limited for child-bearing.”

  “Don’t you worry, Florence Winwood. I have a feeling everything is going to work out just fine. I promise to make you a good husband.”

  She sure hoped so. She’d done it now and sealed her fate with this man. Would she have come if she’d known of his prison time? She wasn’t sure. Then again, she’d received no other offers as a mail-order bride. She would do her best to please Jay.

  After all, that is what she’d done her entire life. How hard could it be to please a man that had pledged to love her?

  ***

  Jay left the Merritt’s house with the promise of returning to get her and take her to the preachers this weekend. He had a lot of work to do. Number one would be to buy and fix up the house. At least the bedroom room.

  He needed to buy a bed. Clean the room. And then work on the kitchen. The house did have a wall on the north and east side, but the other two were wide open, and the wood floor was damaged by the weather and animals. He hoped the place didn’t stink too much.

  Jay planned on asking Jericho to help him. At least with the bedroom. The one room that was weatherproofed and had four walls. It was early summer and wouldn’t have to be winter proofed for a few months.

  He also needed to get Curt and Fred working. He still had to practically sit on the pair to get them to do what he wanted. Jay refrained from anger because he knew they could just as easily have been him and Del a few years ago.

  Thanks to Bridgette, he now had something. Jay intended to give Curt and Fred something to work towards. Who knows, if they became good workers and trustworthy, Bridgette might find them wives.

  Anyway, the first thing on his list was the Victorian house. Florence’s house. That’s what he’d call it. Not that he loved her, yet. But he knew he could. He saw glimpses of gentleness and strength in her, and she was a pretty woman.

  Florence was also cold. One of those women bound for duty with no thought of pleasure or fun. He’d change that in her and show her there was more to life than hard work. Yet, he believed she knew that. She could have stayed and lived the spinster life.

  She chose not to, and he was going to do everything he could to make her life a good one. She wanted children, and so did he. Del and Jericho seemed very happy. His brother was the wise one. Jay would ask Del on how best to go about showing Florence he loved her.

  After a few pleasant words with Sterling and Bridgette, Jay told them he needed to get back to work and make a place for Florence. He waved at his future wife and climbed in the buggy. Soon, he was on his way back to town.

  He’d need to buy a horse and later a wagon. When Jay saw Florence again, he’d ask her for a list of things she wanted. He wanted the bedroom and kitchen to have everything she would want or need.

  Thinking of his bride-to-be, Jay wondered why she was so cold and stiff. What had taken the fun out of her? And how could he put it back? Though life was full of struggles, Jay had always had a sense of humor and joy about him.

  He wasn’t sure, but he figured Florence to be the shy type. Probably didn’t think well of herself. Not being married would have secured that notion. With a grin, Jay enjoyed thinking of ways to make her laugh.

  Life was too hard to endure without joy. Del struggled with the hardness of life and often succumbed to the darkness of despair. Jay was happy to see that being married to Jericho had changed his brother.

  After another hour, he reached the town and rode to his first stop. The sign above read, Land Agent Doug Godfrey. Jay left the buggy and patted his coat pocket to make sure he had the bank book in his pocket. He hoped the house and land wouldn’t cost much.

  He entered the office and looked around the cluttered room.

  A man came out of the back and pointed to a desk full of papers. “I’m Doug Godfrey, how can I help you?”

  Jay liked that Doug was a man quick to the point. “I’m interested in an abandoned house close to the river and not far from the sawmill. A big Victorian house. It’s unfinished and just a shell.”

  “I know the place well. Sad story. Mr. Sanders started building the house and then got word that his family back in Chicago had died in a fire. He left it and went home. He never paid his taxes. Never even answered the letters that I sent to enquire if he intended to return. That house and land are considered abandoned.”

  Jay’s hopes soared that he could get the land and house for little. “How much would the land and house be?”

  “Let me find the documents.” Doug went from pile to pile of papers and finally stopped at one atop a shelf. “Here it is. It looks like you can have it for back taxes. Not a bad price. A hundred dollars will clear the title and give you the start of a nice house. That is if it hasn’t rotted.”

  Jay pulled out his book. “I have it in the bank. I’d like to buy it now.”

  “Great, let me get your name, and then I’ll talk to Mr. Satchel. We’ll have the documents drawn up by supper, and tonight, you’ll own the house free and clear.”

  “I’m Jay Selmer. That would be great.”

  “Jay Selmer? I guess Del is your brother?”

  “Yes, he’s a carpenter, and I’m getting the sawmill going.”

  “Good business to be in. This is a growing town.” Doug stamped some papers. “By the way, your taxes will be due in June. Be sure to pay them or someone else can buy the house and land out from under you. It’s a tragic business, but legal. And may I add that there are a few unscrupulous businessmen wouldn’t mind doing just that.”

  “Thanks for the tip. I’ll have the money by then.” Jay wrote the amount in his bank book, and then after reading the documents, he signed them. “That’s it?”

  “It will be all yours as soon as I see Mr. Satchel at the bank. Thanks for the business.”

  Jay grinned. “I’m getting married soon, so I better get that house fixed up for my bride.”

  “Yes, you better. I know my wife would kick up a fuss if I brought her to an unfinished home.” Doug laughed. “But seeing how you’re running the sawmill, I don’t think lumber will be a problem.”

  “Nope, it sure won’t. Thanks again.” Jay left the office and stepped outside, feeling like a responsible citizen of Shirleyville. His chest swelled with pride, just thinking about having a woman and a small farm to take care of. All his life, he’d only been concerned with himself.

  Now, it was as if he’d stepped into what he’d been made to do. He was a man. Whole and complete or would be. One thing he was determined to do was to make Florence laugh and be happy. From seeing her and talking to her, he got the idea that she’d had little joy in the past. Jay was going to remedy that.

  Yes, they only had one room that was walled in, but he had time before the winter to get the house finished. At least the shell covered.
They could take their time getting the other rooms secured and insulated for the winter. The fireplace in the bedroom was solid.

  That reminded him that he needed to chop wood for the cold nights and the kitchen. Then again, maybe he could get Curt and Fred to help. Which led him to add another thing to do. First, he needed to go to the sawmill and get those two working.

  He’d hired a crew to chop down trees. They would start working when the mill was ready. Jay hoped that would be soon; otherwise, his money was going to run out. Shaking his head, Jay was suddenly getting flooded by the things he needed to do.

  The first thing on his list was to get a small notepad and pencils to keep track of his ideas. Already he was getting a bit overwhelmed. Add a wife to the mix, and he’d be buried under the burdens and probably make Florence mad. Yet, he’d promised to see the preacher.

  He needed to turn in the horse and buggy anyway. He definitely needed to check on getting a horse, or he’d spend all of his time walking here and there. Of course, that meant building a barn for the animal. By the time he got to the livery, Jay was trying to figure out how to fit eight days into a week.

  He threw the reins over the post and walked inside the barn. John was brushing a horse and turned to look.

  “I brought the horse and buggy back. How much is a horse, John?”

  “I can set you up with a good horse for seventy-five for the animal and equipment.” John Bailey owned the livery. He pointed to a sorrel in the closest stall. “He’s a good horse. Sturdy and gentle enough for a woman to ride. I got him the other day from Matt Stearns. If you don’t like him, I can get another one from him.”

  Jay studied the horse. The sorrel was strong and sturdy with intelligent eyes. “Tell you what, let me go to the bank and see where I stand. If I have the funds, I’ll come back and get him. What’s his name?”

  John patted the big sorrel. “Big Red. You won’t find a better horse. If you need a few weeks to come up with all the money, I can let you have him, and you can pay me out. I know how it is starting out.”