A Mail Order Bride for Thanksgiving (Love by Mail #5)(2)

Betty leaned forward, and spent the next few minutes listening to his tales of happily married couples who have found their soulmates through the ads.

*

Oregon, October 1872



John hefted the axe and split the wood in two. Before grabbing the next block he straightened up and wiped the sweat from his brow. It’s been a long day. He scratched the back of his neck, which had been growing hotter and itchier since the noonday sun hit his back.

He positioned the next piece of lumber in the center of the huge stump and lifted the ax with a grunt. But before he could swing it, a voice called from the house behind him, “That’s enough to last us a year, John.”

He turned to his cousin’s husband out on the porch.

“Didn’t think you’d be home this early, Ben.”

“Well, it’s your first day with us, and the man of the house has to be around when a guest arrives.” Benjamin extended a thin hand to grasp John’s sinewy one. “C’mon, Faith’s already cooking. Best not keep the missus waiting.”

They trudged inside the house resembling a hunting cabin. John liked visiting his cousin. Benjamin always said he wanted his and Faith’s home to exhibit both their Christian faith and his wife’s Indian heritage. As always John found himself admiring the trinkets, symbols of both religions, placed on shelves and hanging on the walls.

“Sit here, Uncle John!” A little girl grabbed his hand and led him to the table, patting the chair beside her. “Sit with me!”

“No, sit with me, Uncle John!” A small boy, just a head shorter than his older sister, whined and pulled at John’s pants.

He chuckled and ruffled his hair.

“There’s no need to fight,” John said, “I’ll be here for a few more days. How ‘bout I sit with Jen tonight, then I’ll sit with you tomorrow. How’s that, Benny?”

The boy pouted, but released his pants and his sister quickly dragged John to sit beside her.

“They really missed you,” Faith said, putting down the roast beef. He noted she wore her hair in a braided bun instead of the two loose braids she once favored. She’d gained weight, too…

John looked into her bright eyes and couldn’t help but notice the rosy cheeks and a healthy glow. “Wait, are you… Are you expecting?”

The blush on his cousin’s face was enough answer. She sat beside her husband and they held hands.

“It’s been two months since we found out,” Faith said, with a wink. “Our family’s growing.”

“I want a baby brother,” Benny said, shoveling bean sprouts in his mouth. “Do you have kids, Uncle John?”

“Uncle John can’t have kids. He doesn’t have a wife.” Jen grinned knowingly at her brother, then turned to John. “Isn’t that right, Uncle John?”

John locked eyes with Faith, who raised a brow and gave him a teasing smile. She looked at her son. “Your Uncle John doesn’t have a wife yet, Benny.”

“Can’t you find one, Uncle John?” Jen asked, eyes wide. “I’ll help you!”

Benjamin chuckled and passed around a bowl of greens. “But really, John, when are you planning to have a family of your own?”

Suddenly, the roast beef seemed more interesting than the dinner conversation. He rubbed the back of his neck and shrugged. “Well, you know… It’s kinda hard to find someone…”

“But you’re a young, hardworking, and handsome man,” Benjamin said, winking at him. “You’ve probably got plenty pretty ladies waiting for you back in Fernville.”

John shook his head. “It’s not that easy.”

Benjamin sliced off slabs of meat for his kids, and looked at Faith. She patted his hand and said, “Not everyone’s as accepting as you, Ben. John being part Indian – it’s difficult.”

“But what if it’s not from Fernville?” Ben muttered.

“It’ll still be difficult to find someone,” John said, between bites. He reached for a cup of water. He sighed. “She’ll run the first time she sees me and my brown skin.”

“What if she gets to know you first,” Ben said, throwing a significant look at Faith, “before she gets to see you?”

“What?” This time it was John who raised a brow.

Faith looked at Ben, then at John, and then she smiled. “Oh, of course! We have the perfect plan for you.”

John wasn’t sure if he liked where this was going. “I don’t want to pretend to be someone I’m not…”

“You’re not going to pretend,” Faith said, placing a hand on her stomach. “In fact, you’re going to show who you really are – and you will find a woman who will love you for your kindness and gentle soul.”

“How?” He frowned at them.

Faith leaned back in her chair. “Have you ever heard of mail order brides?”





Chapter 2


The dust blew through the carriage window, and Betty pressed a handkerchief against her nose.

“Are we there yet?” The little girl sat opposite Betty scrunched her nose and looked up to her mother.

“Yes we are,” the woman said, bending down to wipe her daughter’s face with a piece of cloth. “We’re home now.”