Montana Christmas Bride

  ©2019 by Stella Clark

All rights reserved. No part of this may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are a product of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, events or locales is completely coincidental.

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Epilogue

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Chapter 1

Dust formed a giant halo behind the ten cowboys as they galloped their way home. Adam urged his mare into a faster sprint as he came within sight of the ranch. They had been gone for two weeks, but it felt like a year, and his heart pounded with the anticipation of being back home.

As the ranch house got closer, Adam made out the figures of his parents and his twin sister, Tina. He slowed down his horse as the rest of the cowboys rode on to the back of the ranch house where the outbuildings were situated.

“Adam!” his sister shouted and ran down the porch steps, his parents following closely behind.

He brought his horse to a stop and dismounted. He embraced his sister, his mother, and shook hands with his father.

“Everything went well. The steers are safely on the train and we lost none,” Adam said, pride warming his chest. It was the first time he had been solely in charge of the cattle drive to the railway station in Montana central. From there, the cattle were shipped to the markets in the east.

“Good job, son,” his father said.

They chatted a little more before his mother urged him to see to his horse and enter the house for a bite to eat.

“I’ll walk with you,” Tina said and linked her arm through his as they descended the porch steps.

Adam grabbed the reins of his horse and led him along the wagon path that went to the back of the ranch house.

“Adam, I need to tell you something,” Tina hissed when they were out of earshot of the porch.

He smiled. Everything with Tina was always rushed. “What is it this time?”

“Father and Mother are planning to have you and Joan Vinton get married by Christmas!”

All the air left his lungs. The news should not have caught him by surprise but it did. The fact that they wanted him to marry Joan did not surprise him. They had been implying it for the last couple of months. He had thought that if he did not show any enthusiasm, they would know that he was against the idea.

“It’s because of the two ranches,” Tina said. “If you and Joan marry, Father says the two families will own the largest outfit in all of Montana.”

“I’m not going to marry Joan Vinton,” Adam said quietly. He had nothing against her. She was a good enough girl and would make some man a good wife. He just was not that man.

“But Adam, you can’t go against our parents’ wishes,” Tina said as they neared the horses’ barn. “You never have.”

Tina was right. All his life, his singular wish had been to be a son that his parents could be proud of. He had gone along with their plans for his life, and he agreed with them. Except when it came to marriage. He had long ago decided that his parents would not get to decide the woman he was going to marry.

That had to be his personal decision.

“I have a plan,” he said to Tina. “But I need your help.”

The barn was empty as the other cowboys had already seen to the needs of their horses and left. He and Tina worked as they spoke, filling the feeding trough with hay and another with water.

“Of course I’ll help you. I know you don’t want to marry Joan. She’s like a sister to us.”

Adam turned to his sister in surprise. She had expressed his feelings in a way he hadn’t been able to. They were twins, but so different in temperament. Tina was gifted with words and she entertained the family on many winter evenings by reciting her poems.

“I can’t imagine being married to Joan. I don’t have strong feelings for her, and I know she feels the same.”

Their parents had come West at about the same time as Mr. and Mrs. Vinton. The two families had become fast friends. It felt wrong for Adam to even contemplate a romantic relationship with Joan.

It was the one time Adam was not going to obey his parents, and as much as it distressed him, he wouldn’t budge from his decision. He turned his mind to the favor he wanted from Tina.

“I want to advertise for a mail order bride,” Adam said, patting his mare with one hand.

Tina’s eyes widened.

“You know what that is?” Adam asked her, and she nodded. “I’m no good at writing, and I need you to pretend to be me. Write the advert for me and if I get any letters, answer it for me with your poetry. Girls like that, don’t they?”

“Well yes, especially if it comes from the gentleman himself,” Tina said.

Adam had prepared himself for Tina’s refusal. They had both been raised to be honest in all their dealings, but this was for a good cause. “You know how terrible I am with things to do with books. I just want to make sure I attract the right sort of girl. One whom our parents will accept.”

Tina stared out of the barn. Adam could see that she was deep in thought. He continued brushing down his mare to give her time to think.

“What will happen if you do get a mail order bride and she comes here? What will happen then? Surely, she’ll know it’s not you who wrote the letters?”

“I’ll tell her the truth then. That I enlisted the help of my sister,” Adam said.

Tina nodded. “That’s all right then. As long as you tell her.” A crease formed on her forehead. “What about Father and Mother? Will you tell them your plan?”

Adam shook his head. “No need to. They’ll only know about it when she agrees to come. Can you keep a secret?” It was an unnecessary question. Being the only children in the family, they had formed a friendship that ensured their loyalty to each other first.

“They won’t hear it from me,” Tina said.

Chapter 2

“Thank you, Dora,” Nora said to the uniformed maid as she carried away their dirty dessert dishes from the table. “Tell Cook the cherry pie was delicious,” she added.

The maid glided out of the dining room, leaving the family alone. Nora was the last of four sisters and the only one still at home. Her older sisters were all married and living around Boston.

“Shall we move to the drawing room for coffee?” her mother said, as she had every evening for as long as Nora could remember. Feelings of love and warmth for her parents came over her.

Her father had worked hard to ensure that she and her sisters had a good life, and their mother had provided a warm, happy home. The only blight to their happiness was that there was no son to take over her father’s paper mill business when he retired.

Still, her sisters’ husbands were good men and one of them would probably take over. Her father stood up and helped his wife out of her chair. Nora followed behind, noting the slower gait of her parents. They were growing older, and the thought saddened her.

She pushed away the despondent thoughts and tried to inject cheer into her mind.

“Nora, your mother and I have something we need to speak to you about,” her father said once they had all settled into the comfortable drawing room chairs.

“Yes, Father,” Nora said, her blood growing cold at the formality of her father’s voice.

He smiled. “You’ve grown into a wonderful young woman and as much as your mother and I enjoy having you here with us, we must accept that it’s time for you to have your own home.”

Nora shifted her gaze to her mother. She wore a shaky smile, and she twisted her hands on her lap. Nora shifted her attention back to her father, suspecting what he was about to say next. She wasn’t a fool and had long read the signs. She hadn’t missed the constant praise of Gus Hatch, her father’s associate and a widower who had lost his wife almost five years ago.

“After careful consideration, your mother and I have found the perfect husband for you. A man who will look after you as we would. Someone we’ll be sure can take care of our daughter.”

Nora bit her lower lip to stop herself from asking if she had become an invalid.

“The gentleman is Gus Hatch,” her father said and beamed. “We shall start making arrangements immediately.”

“Wait, Father,” Nora said. “You haven’t asked me what I think about marrying Gus Hatch.”

Having older parents had taught her many things, one of which was to control her emotions, regardless of her firm feelings on the matter.

“Well?” her father said, his eyes narrowed.

“I need time to get used to the idea,” she said carefully.

It was the right thing to say. Her father’s features eased and the frown left his mouth.

“Think about it all you like, but I know you’ll see sense in this. Think how well our business will continue to grow with Gus Hatch as part of the family.”

Bile rose in her throat but she kept her smile in place. Past lessons had taught her not to confront her father outright. If she opposed him, he became firm and left no space for discussion. By almost agreeing to marry Gus, she had given herself time and space to think.

Her father would not rush her into the marriage, but he also expected her to be reasonable. The maid brought in their coffee and as she sipped hers, Nora’s mind was busy at work, thinking up plans of saving herself from marrying an old repulsive man.

He was almost her father’s age! He had grown-up children from his former marriage, but worse than that was the way he looked at her. As if she was a freshly cooked steak that he couldn’t wait to gobble up.

She gulped down her coffee, the hot liquid burning her throat as she swallowed. As soon as it was decent enough to excuse herself, she did so and hurried up to her chambers on the second story. She shut the door and crossed the room to the chest of drawers.

She had hidden the cuttings of the Matrimonial Times newspaper in a drawer that held her underclothes. Nobody entered that drawer apart from herself and Helena, her maid. Helena couldn’t read, so even if she had looked at the newspaper cuttings, they would have made no sense to her.

Nora had cut out several adverts that appealed to her, and now she sifted through them until she found her favorite one. It was from a rancher in Montana who lived with his parents and sister. He sounded perfect.

A flower that is tended well woos everyone who comes within sight of it. I am a rancher in Montana searching for a wife who will be like a flower to me. I shall treat her with the utmost respect, and she will never lack for anything. In return, I expect her to be well bred and able to conduct herself in cultured company.

Her hands trembled as she contemplated her next move. She had never done anything without her parents’ permission, and the thought of writing the letter filled her with fear. She dropped the letter and reached for her well-worn Bible that sat on the side table of the bed.

She flicked through the pages to her favorite verse. The one that strengthened her when she felt her own strength failing.

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, and the mountains quake with their surging.

Nora closed her eyes and let the words wash over her. Then she whispered a prayer. Please help me find a good gentleman to marry. Please choose a husband for me, Lord.

Chapter 3

Adam mopped up the remaining stew on his plate with a fried potato and ate it, relishing the delicious taste before swallowing it. He patted his stomach in satisfaction. “Thank you, Mother. That was a fine lunch.”

“You’re welcome,” his mother said.

His father echoed his words, and Adam noticed the pleasure that arose in his mother’s eyes. He hoped that someday, he and Nora Baxter would have such a marriage. A partnership full of warmth and love.

“Are you going back to the pastures?” his mother asked, directing the question to her husband.

“Yes, we’re moving the herd to the winter pastures. Adam’s going to town so if you need anything, be sure to let him know.”

“I will. Give me a few minutes to jot down a list for you,” his mother said.

“No rush, Ma. I want to take a look at the house before I go,” Adam said.

His parents exchanged a smile. Guilt flooded him. His father had suggested building a house for him on the west side of the main ranch house and the work had already begun. They all worked on it during their free time, and it was about ready to be roofed.

“I can’t believe you’re going to move out of the ranch house,” Tina said. “It will be odd not to have you here.”

“Adam will soon be married. He and Miss Vinton will need their own privacy.”

They had had a similar conversation, and Adam had pointed out to his parents that he did not want to marry Joan Vinton. Now, he knew any protests he uttered would be useless. They would only believe he meant it when his mail order bride arrived.

He stood up and carried his plate to the sink and then stared pointedly at his sister.

“I’ll come with you. Mother, I’ll clean up when I come back from seeing Adam’s house.”

Adam slipped on his coat and waited for Tina in the backyard. Winter was coming upon them and the cotton trees that surrounded the ranch homestead had shed all their leaves.

The kitchen door opened and Tina stepped out. “It’s windy,” she said and bowed her head, preparing herself for the five-minute walk to the house. They chatted easily, steering clear of the reason they had both left the house. The small cozy house came into view, and Adam’s heart skipped a beat.

He could not wait until Nora Baxter became his wife. He hoped that she would like the design he had chosen for their home. He helped Tina up the steps that led to the wide front porch and into the house.

It was Tina’s first time in the house, and he gave her a quick tour. “This is the parlor. Not as large as the main house but I think it will do.”

“It’s perfect,” she said, looking at the square room.

The kitchen was off the parlor, a large room that would fit in a long table. He hoped that like him, Nora Baxter wished for many children. It had been somewhat lonely growing up with only Tina for company. It didn’t help that she did not share a lot of his interests so he was often alone.

He hoped that the Lord would bless him and Nora with many children to fill the house. The house had three bedrooms. Large rooms that could be fitted with several beds.

“She’ll like it,” Tina said as they returned to the parlor. She dipped her hand into her coat and fished out a folded sheet of paper. “Here it is. I hope you’ll like it.”

“I will,” Adam said and took the sheet of paper. All the letters that Tina had written had wooed Nora, and she had declared in her own letters how much she had enjoyed reading them.

It did make him uncomfortable to know that he was deceiving her, but he kept telling himself that he was a good and honest person. She would see that for herself when she arrived.

It was the third and most important letter that he and Tina were writing to Nora Baxter. It was a proposal letter. If she said yes, the next letter he sent would contain a train ticket and some money to tide her over on the journey.

His hands were damp as he unfolded the letter to read it.

My dear Nora,

How does one begin when writing a most important letter to the one who has stolen your heart? So many sweet words I would love to say, but alas, at this moment I find myself at a loss for words. I feel so much for you and yet, we have never laid eyes on each other. We’re strangers to each other and yet my heart tells me different. It tells me that we’re meant for each other. That we will be happy together.

Your words and letters have given me a peek into the gentle person that you are. I wait in anticipation until I can see you with my very own eyes. You are a beautiful soul and nothing would make me happier than inviting you here to Montana where we can continue with our courtship.

I feel blessed and lucky that you, Nora Baxter, answered my ad that day. But I’ll be even luckier if you agree to come to Montana as my fiancée. Will you marry me, Nora Baxter, and make me the happiest rancher in all of Montana?

With love and respect,

Adam Larson.

Chapter 4

Nora could not keep a smile from her face as the train came to a stop in Caster Station. She peered out the window and could not help the anxiety that came over her when she saw the size of the station house. It was small and wooden and nothing like the stations back east.

She had seen similar stations along the five-day journey but had hoped that Adam lived in a fairly large town. She shrugged off the thought. All she needed was Adam and his love and devotion. Nora grew warm at the memory of the sweet words he had written to her.

She couldn’t wait to hear them from his mouth and to experience the love she knew would blossom between them. She compared Adam and Gus Hatch, the man her parents had wanted her to marry, and shuddered. The Lord had answered her prayers and found her a good husband. A gentleman she could love and who would love her in return.

All through the journey, she had refused to think about her parents and their reactions to the letter she had left on her bed. In it, she had told them all her plans with the hope that they would understand and give her and Adam their blessing.

She was their last child and now understood their need to ensure that she was well taken care of. The trouble was that they had gone about it the wrong way.

“Miss, this is your stop,” the conductor said, coming into her car.

“Yes of course,” Nora said and jumped to her feet.

“I’ll get your luggage,” he said and left the car.

Nora adjusted her dress and buttoned her coat. She grabbed her valise from the seat and squared her shoulders. She was about to meet her fiancé, Adam Larson. Soon she would be Mrs. Larson, a respectable married woman. It felt good to be an adult and to make her own decisions.

The last thought spurred her on, and she gathered the courage to step out of the car onto the platform. A gust of wind threatened to blow off her hat, and she grabbed it with one hand.

“I’ve got you,” a deep voice said and took her hand.

He led her to the shelter of the platform and took the valise from her hand. Finally, Nora dropped her hand and looked up into deep-set, chocolate-brown eyes staring intently at her. Eyes that made her heart stutter.

“Nora Baxter?” he asked solemnly.

She nodded, unable to speak. He was a whole lot more handsome than she had expected. He was tall, with muscular shoulders that filled out the brown coat he wore.

He stuck out his hand. “I’m Adam Larson. Welcome to Montana.” He smiled warmly.

Nora smiled then. She had made the right decision. His large hand enveloped hers, and he covered it with his other hand.

“You’re cold. Let’s get you in the wagon and to the ranch house. Winter is upon us now and our winters get quite harsh.”

Nora slipped her hand into the arm he offered, and they made their way out of the station. He helped her up into the box seat next to the driver’s and handed her a warm blanket to drape over herself.

“I’ll get your luggage,” Adam said and returned to the station.

The station was at the very end of a rather small main street. Nora saw three people on the street and could not help but compare it to the bustle of the city back home. It took Adam several trips to get all her trunks and when he brought the last two, his breath came out fast.

“Are all those your clothes?” he asked after stowing the trunks at the back of the wagon.

Nora nodded. “Yes. I didn’t bring all my personal possessions.” She refrained from mentioning that she had stolen out of her own home.

In his letters, Adam had mentioned that he hoped that her parents would visit them soon. She had not made a comment but had instinctively known that if she told him that her parents did not approve, his interest in her would cease. She had enlisted the help of Dora, the maid, who in turn had gotten the carriage driver to help them.

They had carried her trunks out in the middle of the night and before dawn, Nora had crept out of the house and had been driven to the train station. She hoped that Dora and the chauffeur would not get in trouble and had not mentioned them in the letter to her parents.

She had never ridden in a wagon before and enjoyed the view it offered her. As soon as they left town, Nora felt as if it was just the two of them in the world. The landscape was desolate, with bare trees and brown hills. Every so often, she saw smoke rising from farmhouses far out in the distance.

“It’s very quiet here,” she said.

“You’ll get used to it. Though it is busy at the ranch. We have ten ranch hands and their families, and my own family. There’s also a neighboring ranch, the Vintons, with whom we socialize especially during winter when there’s not a lot of work.”

Nora nodded and swallowed hard. It was all so different from what she was used to. She glanced at Adam’s profile and immediately became at ease. The Lord had led her to him. She had to keep remembering that and not pay mind to their surroundings.

The road was almost impassable in some places but Adam had a solution for everything. Her admiration went up another notch as she saw how ably he solved any problems that arose.

Finally, after being tossed about on her box seat, they got off the main road and in the distance, she made out a homestead with a sprawling ranch house and other buildings.

“Welcome home,” Adam said and flashed her a smile that increased the pace of her heart.

Chapter 5

He had known Nora Baxter was a mistake as soon as she stepped out of the train car. She was every inch a lady. She wore a large expensive hat that covered a mass of strawberry-blonde hair so pretty, he itched to twirl it between his fingers.

She was petite, with a slim body and hands that were soft and had never done any work. She had not needed to tell him how different her life was back in the east. As he guided the wagon to the back of the house, his belly knotted. What had he done? She was too fragile for the lifestyle he was bringing her into.

By her conversation, he had deduced that she was a woman who was used to having her needs catered to by servants. Their way of life was different. Even if they were quite well off, they did their own work. They had no servants and everyone pitched in.

She wouldn’t last in the West, and he felt bad for wasting both of their time. But when he glanced at her, all those feelings of regret dissipated and all he felt was a burning need to kiss her. Nora Baxter was easily the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

Which led him to another puzzle. Why had her parents allowed her to travel across the country to marry a stranger? Everything she wore was expensive from her heavy coat to the pretty dress he caught glimpses of underneath and the sturdy leather shoes. Then there was her luggage.

There were probably more clothes than Tina, his mother, and the ranch hands’ wives owned combined. There was so much of Nora Baxter he did not understand. He brought the wagon to a stop at the back of the house. It was lunchtime, and he knew that his parents and sister were at the kitchen table having their midday meal.

“This is the ranch house. Let’s go in so I can introduce you to my family,” he said, noting the pallor of her face and the forced smile.

She was probably regretting her decision to come. He didn’t blame her, though he felt a little sad for her. She had been reared in high society and had believed that she was coming to get married to a man of the same social class. With a sigh, he jumped down from the wagon and gave her his hand to help her down.

Her gloved hand gripped his and pinpricks of awareness lit up his skin. He told himself it was a normal reaction. She was beautiful, and any man would be attracted to her. To his surprise, she merely held his hand but used her own strength and agility to jump down.

She was not as fragile as she looked. He glanced at the back door and inhaled deeply. The moment had come. He took Nora’s hand and guided her into the house. As soon as he pushed the door open, delicious smells hit them. They stepped into the warmth of the kitchen and three pairs of eyes looked up at them.

“Adam. We didn’t know you had a visitor,” his mother said, her eyes wide open.

“Miss,” his father said and stood up.

Tina’s smile was wide enough to split her face in two.

“Everyone, meet Miss Nora Baxter from Boston. She arrived an hour ago, and she’s here to be my bride,” he said.

The silence in the kitchen was deafening. His father was the first to recover. He stepped forward and shot Adam a puzzled look as he shook Nora’s hand.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m afraid Adam did not warn us of your arrival but you’re welcome nonetheless.”

Adam could feel Nora’s gaze burn the side of his face. He dared not look at her. His mother slowly came forward, a tightness in her eyes. She had wanted the marriage with Joan Vinton the most, and he expected her negative reaction. He hoped that Nora being here would soften her heart and she would welcome her into the family.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Baxter. Please join us for lunch; there’s plenty. Tina, would you show our guest to the bathroom to wash up for lunch?”

“Yes of course,” Tina said and immediately went to Nora and introduced herself. She linked her hand to Nora’s and led her out of the kitchen.

“Have you lost your mind?” his father roared as soon as Tina and Nora’s footsteps faded.

Adam faced his parents. “I’ve told you countless times but you chose to ignore my opinion. I’m not going to marry Joan Vinton.”

“But her?” his mother hissed, pointing at the door Tina and Nora had gone through moments earlier. “She’s unsuitable for our kind of life! Did you see her hands? She’s never worked a day of her life! Who is going to clean up after her?”

He could not refute any of the things his mother was saying but he also couldn’t admit that he had made a mistake. He should have thought harder about the kind of wife he wanted.

“What about her parents? Do they agree with this? Sending their daughter from Boston to Montana to marry a stranger?” his mother continued.

“Doris,” his father said and turned to his wife. “Maybe we should not be too hasty. She has come all this way. It’s not right to send her back, and we can’t force Adam to marry Miss Vinton.”

“We are looking out for the future of the ranch. What has this girl got to offer you apart from heartache? You’re a fool, Adam Larson!”

His mother’s words angered him and propelled him to make a decision. He was not going to send Nora Baxter back. If she agreed to stay and marry him, she was welcome. His parents, especially his mother, needed to understand that he was a man now and could make his own decisions.

Chapter 6

“There, it’s done!” Nora said and held up the Christmas stocking to admire it. It wasn’t perfect; nothing like Tina’s stockings. And it had taken her six days to cut out and sew. But she had done it, despite undoing the seams and repeating several times.

“Well done!” Tina said with a huge smile.

“Thank you. Now I can do the next one. But first, let me check if there’s anything I can help your mother with in the kitchen.”

Tina’s smile wavered. Nora stood up and made for the kitchen. She had been trying all week, hoping that Mrs. Larson would warm up to her, but nothing seemed to help. She had not given up and vowed to continue to try her very best.

It wasn’t easy to try and impress her future mother-in-law. For starters, Nora had no housekeeping skills. There were no servants here and everyone pitched in and contributed to the running of the household while Adam and his father worked in the pastures looking after the ranch cattle.

Tina and her mother ran the household, cleaning and cooking all the meals. At first, this had horrified Nora but after a few days, she had grown used to it and could even see the merits. Working together made them closer as a family, and they never seemed to run out of conversation at the dinner table.

It was such a different life from what she was used to. Her parents’ conversation had revolved around who was doing what in their circle of friends. Who had a dinner party and who attended and who didn’t.

The Larsons spoke about their cattle, the land, and plans for days and weeks to come. They also laughed more, and no topic of conversation was too delicate for them. Just the other night, Mr. Larson had entertained them with a tale of a calf that had refused to leave its mother’s belly during childbirth before emerging at last looking decidedly irate at the whole affair.

Nora had almost choked on her food, but soon she had been entertained and laughed along with everyone. The food was another thing. They ate heartily and cleared their plates, including the women. Where she came from, women did not fill their plates with food. She had started to eat like Tina and her mother, and her body had begun to fill out.

Mrs. Larson had her back to the kitchen and when she heard footsteps, she turned around with a smile. It faded when she saw that it was Nora. Despite the cold reception, Nora smiled brightly. “I’ve finished my very first Christmas stocking,” she said.

The only response she got was a curt nod before Mrs. Larson returned to stirring the contents of a pot on the woodstove.

“Anyway, I came to give you a hand,” Nora continued bravely. “Perhaps I can help set the table.”

Mrs. Larson outright ignored her. To her disappointment, tears gathered in Nora’s eyes. She busied herself removing plates from the cupboard, while fighting to keep the tears from falling. She grabbed a plate from the top shelf and as she brought it down, her hand lost its grip and the plate slid to the floor.

As soon as it touched the hard cement floor, the ceramic plate splintered into countless pieces. Mrs. Larson whirled around. She gasped at the sight of the plate pieces scattered all over the floor. Nora clamped her mouth.

“I’m sorry …”

“What have you done? It was part of a set!” Mrs. Larson cried out. “It was a gift from my parents on our wedding day.”

“I just wanted to help, I’m sorry,” Nora cried.

Mrs. Larson glared at her. “I never asked for your help. What do you know about cooking and housekeeping? Nothing!”

The words wounded her like a dagger aimed at her heart. With a cry, Nora turned and fled from the kitchen through the back door. She paid no mind to the light snow and sprinted across the backyard and made for their house, which now had a roof.

She ran through the doorway and stopped in the first room. The tears came out in a gush and sobs wracked her body.

“Nora?”

She let out a cry and dropped her hands. Relief flowed through her when she saw that it was Adam.

“You’re crying. What happened? Are you hurt?” he asked and came to her side.

Nora shook her head. “I think your mother doesn’t like me,” she said amid sniffs.

Adam did not immediately reply. “She will, once she gets to know what a wonderful person you are.”

It did not escape Nora’s notice that Adam had not denied it. It wasn’t just his mother who was a problem. Adam himself behaved as if she was a regular guest. She had waited for their courtship to continue from where they had left off in the letters, but nothing had happened so far.

Adam spoke to her as he would to a guest visiting. He was polite and did the absolute necessary not to appear rude, but no more than that. What had happened to the gentleman who had written those romantic poetic letters? Was it her looks? Had he expected a prettier girl?

She didn’t know what to make of him and now she could not gather the courage to ask him outright what the problem was. She was too frightened of the answer he would give her. What if he said that he had changed his mind? What would she do then? She could not fathom going back home to marry Gus Hatch.

No, she would give Adam time. Perhaps, he would grow to like her or even have feelings for her. Or maybe he was shy and was not ready to be romantic in person. Whatever it was, she had to practice patience. In the meantime, she had Tina. If it weren’t for Adam’s twin sister, her stay at the ranch would have been unbearable.

Chapter 7

Nora smiled at him shakily after she had wiped her face. Even with her eyes red and swollen, she still looked beautiful. Protective feelings came over him, followed closely by anger. This was all his doing. Nora did not belong in Montana. Her place was back home in the East where her parents’ wealth would ensure she lived a life free of toil.

His gaze dropped to the dress she wore that could not hide the curves underneath. His mouth went dry. He had never been as strongly attracted to a woman as he was to his fiancée. He had lain awake most nights visualizing Nora in ways that he had no business doing. Not until she became his wife anyway.

She crossed her arms across her chest, and he noticed the shiver then and the goose pimples on her skin.

“You’re cold,” he said and slipped out of his sheepskin coat.

He stood behind her and helped her into the garment. He lifted her mass of hair and arranged the collar of her coat. The skin under her hair looked so soft. He inhaled a sweet perfume scent, one that had become as familiar as his own. Being so close to her made Adam forget everything except how sweet she smelled and how he longed to kiss her.

“That’s much better, thank you,” Nora said and turned to face him.

He should have left then but he felt loath to part company with her just yet, even though he knew it was foolhardy. Every day, he expected Nora to tell him that she was going back home. When night came and she didn’t, hope rose in his chest. Every day was the same, waiting for Nora to announce her departure.

“Would you like a tour of our house?” he asked her.

A smile lit up her face and for a few seconds he stared, reveling in her beauty and wondering how when the time came, he would be able to say goodbye.

“Yes, please,” she said.

“Shall we start here?” he said. “This is the parlor. It’s not as big as you’re used to.”

Her eyes bored into his. “And what am I used to?”

He stammered as he searched for an explanation but came up with none. He opted for the truth. “It’s my thinking that you come from a wealthy family, and I imagine your home back east was very large.”

She cocked her head to the side and contemplated him. “Wealth is not just the size of your house or the amount of money you have in the bank. Wealth is also the love between you and your family and friends.”

Nora left him standing there with his mouth open as she sauntered down the hallway. He roused himself shortly after and followed her.

“I like the kitchen. We can place the stove there, near the window. Will we have work counters?”

“Anything you want, you shall have,” Adam said, feeling conflicted over his feelings for Nora. When he was near her, he lost all his sense of reasoning and even saw the possibility of her becoming his wife. She confused him when she said things that implied a future between them.

And yet, he could not forget the chasm between their social standing and her first shocked look when she had first come to the ranch.

“The sleeping chambers are quite large,” she commented, peering into one of the rooms.

“I’d like many children,” Adam blurted out and immediately regretted it. That was a personal thought, not something to be shared.

She smiled at him. “I’ve always wanted many children, too. My sister closest to me in age is ten years older. I grew up almost as an only child with no one to play with.”

He knew so little about her. Tina had filled his letters with poetry and neither of them had remembered to ask any questions. “How many children are in your family?”

A faraway look came over her eyes. “I have three older sisters, all married, in Boston. My parents and I were the only ones left at home.”

“They must miss you,” he said.

She shrugged. “They have an active social life. That keeps them plenty busy and Father works a lot at the paper mill.” She went to the window and looked out. “I’d love to go out to the pastures one day.”

He chuckled. “In the snow?”

She nodded. She didn’t care as long as she was with Adam. “Let’s see the rest of it, shall we?”

He had a feeling she did not wish to be questioned further about her home life, and he was left intrigued at why she would be so secretive. She was easy to chat to and she liked to ask a lot of questions.

 Later, they returned to the house, hand in hand.

“Your mother will be upset that we’re late for lunch,” Nora commented.

“I don’t care,” Adam said flippantly, and Nora halted.

“Adam Larson, how can you say that when she’s been working hard to have a meal ready for everyone?”

“That’s not what I meant,” he said and searched his mind for the words to explain. Where was Tina when he needed her? “It was so nice to be with you for a few minutes that my hunger doesn’t matter. I’m grateful for Mother cooking for us, but I also enjoyed talking with you.”

Her face lit up. “Thank you. I enjoyed it, too.”

His hand shot out to caress her cheek. He forgot that they were standing in the middle of the backyard where anyone could see them. His gaze went to her lush mouth, and he wondered how it would feel to kiss her. Were her lips warm or cold?

He swallowed hard. God help him, but he was developing feelings for his fiancée.

Chapter 8

Nora had hoped for a change after their time in their house but Adam had returned to his normal detached character. She did not know what to make of him. She had been so sure that the ice had been broken. Sometimes, she wanted to cry from frustration.

Did he or did he not like her? She had hoped that Adam would make an effort to spend some time with her. It didn’t help that the holidays were quickly approaching. She felt so alone sometimes and found her mind wandering back to Boston.

Christmas had been a special time for the three of them and when she thought of her parents spending the day without her, tears jumped to her eyes. She hoped that by now they had received the letter she had sent when she arrived. She missed them so much.

Nora had hoped that the Larsons would embrace her into their family and she would become one of them. But the only person who made her feel like a part of the family was Tina. Mr. Larson was all right, too, though he avoided speaking directly to her.

Adam avoided her and kept himself busy all day even though he once let out that winter was a slow period for the ranch. He hadn’t even taken her on that tour of the ranch he had promised. Perhaps, she ought to be more forthright and ask him about it.

Mrs. Larson had not thawed, either, and treated Nora with the same cold disdain.

“I can’t wait for the end of winter,” Tina said, looking out the kitchen window. “I love to be outside.”

“Don’t you ever go outside in winter?” Nora asked. It was in the afternoon and they had just finished cleaning up the kitchen. Mrs. Larson was in her room sorting out some clothes and folding laundry. It would be hours until Adam and his father returned home.

“We used to go out for walks in the snow, but these days Adam is too busy,” Tina said.

An idea came to Nora then. She had unpacked just one trunk. Perhaps, Tina could help her unpack the rest. She looked at her sister-in-law-to-be and gauged them to be about the same size. “Do you want to go to my room and help me unpack? I have too many clothes for one person and would love to give you some.”

Her chocolate-brown eyes, so similar to Adam’s, widened. “Really? Are you sure?”

“Of course I’m sure. When am I ever going to wear them?” Nora said.

Minutes later, they were knee deep in dresses as they went through one of Nora’s trunks.

“I can’t believe one person owns all these dresses,” Tina said, her tone filled with awe.

Nora laughed at the other girl’s pleasure. She had never given much thought to her wardrobe as all the people she knew had the same or even more.

“Look at this one,” Tina said, holding up a blue taffeta dress. She twirled around and around, pretending to be on a dance floor.

Nora laughed. “You can have it.”

Tina stopped dancing and stared at Nora and then back at the dress. “It’s too pretty. Are you sure you want to part from it?”

“It’s yours,” Nora said. She hadn’t known how much pleasure there was in giving gifts. She had always been on the receiving end.

“I want to try it on right now,” Tina said and proceeded to strip down to her underclothes.

Nora helped her with the tiny buttons at the front of the gown. It fitted her to perfection. Tina picked up the mirror on top of the chest of drawers and peered at her reflection. She turned to Nora. “Thank you. I’ve never owned anything so beautiful.”

“You’re welcome. There’s more I want to give you.”

“I have to show Mother,” Tina said.

In total, Nora gave Tina five dresses, two blouses, and three skirts. She was beside herself with joy. Nora put two silk materials on the side as they were unpacking. One was a shimmery green and the other a sky-blue color. She held them up to Tina.

“Do you think your mother would like these? She could have some lovely dresses made from them.”

Tina nodded, her eyes shining with fresh tears. “You’re a very generous person, Nora Baxter.”

“Soon to be Nora Larson,” Nora said, and they both giggled.

Her stomach churned as she followed Tina to look for her mother. They found her in the parlor, busy sewing a Christmas stocking. She looked up, and her eyes widened at the sight of Tina in her dress. Tina dropped the rest on a chair and twirled around so her mother could see the rest of it.

“Nora gave it to me, Mother. Isn’t it lovely?”

“That it is. But Nora, you shouldn’t give away your clothes. You’ll need them yourself when you go back home. You don’t want your parents to scold you,” she said.

Nora ignored the part about going home. “It’s fine, Mrs. Larson. I have too many clothes to wear. I want to give you this.” She placed the materials on Mrs. Larson’s lap.”

Mrs. Larson put her sewing to the side and touched the silk material tentatively. She caressed them and then held one up and let out a sigh. Nora smiled. Silk was irresistible.

“They are beautiful, but I couldn’t. Thank you, but no thank you,” she said, her voice lacking conviction.

“Sure you can,” Nora said. “I have a few more, don’t I, Tina?”

Tina nodded. “She does, Ma.”

Mrs. Larson glanced at the materials and then at Nora. “All right then. I will. Thank you so much. I know just who will sew the dresses for me. Thank you again.”

Nora beamed and let out a breath she hadn’t known she had been holding.

Chapter 9

Thankfully, the snow had let up in the afternoon, but it was still deep enough to ride the sled. It was bitterly cold as Adam made his way back to the house and he wondered at the wisdom of inviting the girls to go feed the cattle in the winter pastures with him.

How would Nora manage being out in the cold and wind? What if she got sick? Still, excitement coursed through his veins at the thought of being with Nora for a few hours. He had done his utmost to avoid her in the last week and then last night, he’d blurted out his offer and the girls had jumped at the chance to get out of the house.

Cabin fever was how Tina explained it. He opened the back door and found both of them ready and bundled in warm coats. Adam was struck anew by how green her eyes were. He stared for a moment, time suspended. Tina giggled, bringing him back to the present.

“Ready?” he said quickly to cover up his embarrassment at having been caught staring.

“Yes. We’ve also packed hot coffee,” Tina said.

Nora had not spoken.

“Are you all right?” he asked her, his tone gentle.

“Yes, I’m too excited to speak. I’ve never been on a sled,” she said.

 They went out and hurried across to the barn. The first task was to load the sled with cattle feed.

“You girls can wait while I load the sled,” Adam said and grabbed a fork.

“We’re not going to stand around doing nothing while you do all the work,” Nora said and took a fork.

“Here, this is how you hold it,” Adam said and showed her. Together, they forked hay and piled it onto the sled.

He kept glancing at Nora, expecting her to tire after a few minutes, but to his surprise, she worked with them up to the end. When they were done, her face was pink and glowing and all he could think about was cupping her cheeks and kissing her.

They hitched the sled to the workhorses and got on to the sled. Adam drove the team while Nora and Tina stood on the sled. As the team picked up speed, snow blew and landed on all of them and from where he stood, Adam could hear Nora’s laugh.

Another sweet sound rent the air, puzzling Adam until he realized that Tina and Nora were singing “Joy to the World.” He added his voice and soon, the three of them were singing at the top of their voices as the sled cut through the snow at high speed.

The winter pastures were fenced in, and Adam stopped the sled by the wooden gate. He jumped off and opened the gate and then guided the sled into the shed that stood on one side. He was about to sprint back to close the gate when he spied Nora rushing to do it.

“Thank you!” he said when she returned.

“You’re welcome,” she said, her pearly white teeth sparkling. “I must say, this is much better than being in the house.”

“Do it a few more times and the novelty will wear off,” Adam said. “You girls can sit there on the bench and have coffee to warm yourselves.”

“That sounds good,” Tina said and carried the mugs and coffee to the bench.

Nora laughed at her retreating back. “I’d like to help.”

They spread out the feed for the cows as they came in a few at a time. Adam kept glancing at Nora as they worked, worrying that it was too much for someone not used to hard work. When they were done, they joined Tina at the shed to drink coffee.

Nora slipped off her gloves and as she did so, he noticed that her hands were blue and black.

“You’re hurt!” he said and took her hands into his.

“It’s nothing,” Nora said and grabbed her hands back.

“It’s not nothing,” Adam said and left the shed. He returned with a clump of ice, took Nora’s hands and rubbed it on her hands.

He tried to ignore the heat whipping through him.

“She got them yesterday when we were doing the laundry,” Tina offered.

Nora stuck out her tongue at her and Tina giggled. “My hands will get used to it.”

Adam recalled his mother’s words. Nora was not used to their kind of life. Was he wrong not to tell her to go back home to the life she knew? He didn’t know what to make of it. Initially, he had wanted her to stay to prove a point to his mother but now, he wasn’t so sure.

He worried about her and yet he didn’t want her to go. He handed her a mug and took his, deep in thought. He didn’t know what to do.

“Look at them,” Nora said, breaking the silence.

Two calves were frolicking on the ice, chasing each other and hiding behind their mothers.

“They’re just like children,” Nora said.

He watched the calves and their mothers and laughed along with Nora. He and Tina had grown up on the ranch and had become used to the animals. But now, looking at everything through Nora’s fresh eyes, it struck him how lucky they were to live on the ranch.

Was the ranch growing on Nora? He glanced at her now, her attention solely on the cows, and hoped that it was. He shook his head. It had become a habit now. He would be thinking about something and somehow, thoughts of Nora would sneak into his mind.

He even found himself visualizing the two of them married and living in the new house. He had not spoken about their future since she arrived, and she hadn’t asked him about it, either. He knew as little of her as he had known when she arrived.

He had so many questions to ask her and yet he was afraid. What if he allowed himself to really want her in his life and she decided to go back home? Where would that leave him?

Chapter 10

 Sweat poured down Nora’s brow from working in the kitchen, dicing, stirring, and cleaning. Still, she couldn’t remember a happier afternoon. Mrs. Larson had been friendlier than usual, telling her and Tina stories of her own childhood in Missouri.

She had almost felt like a real daughter-in-law. They were almost done with preparations for dinner and would soon need to go and get ready for the dinner party. It would be the first time that Nora met other people apart from the Larsons and the ranch hands and their families.

Back home, she had enjoyed socializing during dinner parties and found that she had missed it.

“Nora, do you think you can roast chicken and potatoes by yourself now?” Tina asked her.

Nora grinned. “Unlikely. I need more practice.”

Mrs. Larson smiled at her. “The flapjacks you made this morning were quite tasty.”

“Thank you,” Nora squealed.

It was the first time that Adam’s mother complimented her. Joy exploded in her chest and she grinned, not caring about how foolish she looked. Mrs. Larson quickly looked away as did Tina. She had made them uncomfortable, Nora chided herself. She wiped the grin from her face.

“Tell me more about the guests who are coming,” Nora said, hoping a change in topic would bring back the relaxed atmosphere that was there before.

Tina shot her an odd smile. “They’re the family that borders the ranch.”

“How exciting!” Nora said. “Do you play games after dinner or what is the custom here?”

Tina shrugged. “I recite my poems and sometimes Joan sings.”

“Just the same as what we did back home,” Nora said. “My mother liked to play the piano. She tried to teach me, but I’m afraid my fingers turned out to be too stiff.” She expected Tina and Mrs. Larson to laugh along with her but they didn’t.

They finished the last of the preparations in silence.

“That’s done. Shall we go and get ready?” she said.

Tina left quickly, and Nora did not have an opportunity to suggest that they dress up together and do each other’s hair. Tina had not been herself all afternoon, but then, neither had Mrs. Larson. Since the midday meal, Nora had not seen Adam or Mr. Larson.

She felt lost and alone.

Nora’s throat tightened with unshed tears as she trudged to her room. One minute she felt right at home with the family and the next, she felt cast off and rejected. She couldn’t understand what had happened in the kitchen. Surely overreacting when Mrs. Larson complimented her was not enough reason for Tina and her mother to change moods.

She felt like a fish out of water and for the first time, she questioned her plans to marry Adam. In her room, she cleaned herself up and changed into the dress she had picked for the evening. It was the first time she was wearing a formal evening gown in Montana.

She had been excited for Adam to see it but the episode in the kitchen with Tina and Mrs. Larson had left a bad taste in her mouth. After putting on her dress, she looked at her reflection in the small mirror. Doing her hair up in a knot brought out the prettiness of the pearly necklace against her pale skin.

After draping a shawl around her shoulders, Nora padded out of her room and made her way to the kitchen. Near the door, angry voices reached her. She stepped into the kitchen and silence descended in the room. Her gaze sought Adam.

“Is everything all right?” she said.

Before Adam could answer, Mrs. Larson stalked out of the room, closely followed by Tina. Something was going on in the household that she didn’t know about.

“It’s nothing that you should worry about,” Adam said. He smiled at her in a way that made her forget everything. “Dinner is in the dining room tonight.”

A sharp knock came on the front door and Mr. Larson’s booming voice sounded and other voices joined in.

“It looks like our guests are here already,” Nora said, excited to meet the neighboring family. She pulled Adam’s hand. “Let’s go, I want to meet them.”

 Everyone had converged in the parlor and the chatter of conversation died down as soon as Nora and Adam entered. Mr. Larson filled the silence and took charge of the introductions.

“Everyone, meet Miss Nora Baxter. She’s visiting from the East and has been with us for a couple of weeks,” he said.

He hurriedly moved on to introduce the other family. There was Mr. Vinton, a short, stocky man with a friendly face, and his wife, who seemed puzzled by Nora’s presence. Their daughter was a pretty dark-haired girl and there was a younger brown-haired boy.

It did not escape Nora’s notice that there was no mention that she was Adam’s fiancée. Almost as if they did not want the Vinton family to know that. She shrugged it off. As usual, she was probably reading too much into it. Mrs. Larson invited everyone to the dining room and she and Nora helped her to serve dinner.

The gentlemen talked about their ranches until Mrs. Larson expertly steered the conversation to a topic which included everyone except her. Her skill at the table reminded Nora of her own mother, and she had a sudden feeling of homesickness. She missed that feeling of belonging.

The two families talked about people they knew in common, leaving Nora to her own thoughts. At one point, Adam caught her eye and winked and that cheered her up to no end. It was nice to know that she had not been entirely forgotten.

Chapter 11

“That is a lovely dress, Joan,” his mother said to Joan Vinton.

Adam shifted in his seat. His mother had been showering Joan with compliments throughout dinner and ignoring Nora whenever she tried to speak. Nora was not letting it affect her and was her usual cheerful self. Adam ground his teeth as his mother placed a hand on Joan’s, something she had never done before.

Nora noticed it, too, and he saw her face grow crimson as his mother’s affectionate gestures hit home.

“Miss Baxter,” Mr. Vinton said to Nora. “How long are you going to be here with us? I’ll bet it’s very different from your life back east.”

Nora smiled. “It is different, but in a good way. Families here work together which is something that we don’t have back home.”

“I’m sure Nora misses home,” his mother said.

Adam clenched his fists and willed himself to control his temper. Why couldn’t his mother see that she couldn’t force Nora out of Adam’s life?

Nora smiled bravely but he noticed the slight tremor of her lower lip. “You’re right, Mrs. Larson, I do miss home, but I like it here as well. Everyone has made me feel like part of the family.”

His mother had the grace to look embarrassed. She was the one person who had gone out of her way to make Nora feel unwelcome.

“Will you be with us for the summer?” Mrs. Vinton asked.

Nora turned to him.

Adam smiled at everyone. “I hope Miss Baxter will be with us for a long time. You see, she came here as my bride. We’re planning to get married on Christmas Eve.”

A gasp rang out. Nora’s eyes widened and then she smiled, and his heart swelled with happiness. He had done that to stop his mother from making Nora uncomfortable, but seeing Nora’s reaction pleased him.

“Congratulations, Adam, and you, too, Miss Baxter,” Mr. Vinton boomed, and the others echoed his words.

Joan squeezed his hand and whispered to him, “I’m happy for you, Adam. She looks like a nice girl and she’s very pretty. Don’t mind our mothers. They’ll get over their disappointment.”

“You’re not upset?” Adam said, surprised at her words.

“Of course not! We’re not romantically interested in each other. Our mothers may wish for that but we both know the truth,” Joan said. “You’re like my brother.”

Relief flooded him. He would have hated to hurt Joan Vinton.

“How long have you known each other?” Mrs. Vinton asked. She still looked unhappy about the announcement.

“A couple of months now,” Adam said. “We got to know each other through letters before I invited Nora to come West as my mail order bride.”

That surprised the Vintons and after that, they all wanted to know how their relationship had come about. They were all intrigued at the idea of a mail order bride.

“I never expected that of you, Adam,” Joan said with a chuckle.

Later, the men converged in the parlor while the women went into the kitchen to help with the cleaning up. When the ladies joined them later, Adam immediately went to stand by Nora’s side and took her hand.

“You look beautiful tonight,” he said to her, and she smiled and murmured her thanks.

Tina recited a few of her poems and Joan sang for them in her sweet voice. They all clapped enthusiastically when she was done and called for another number.

***

The evening came to an end at almost midnight, when the Vintons left and everyone went to bed amid happy yawns.

In the privacy of his room, restlessness came over Adam and instead of changing into his nightclothes, he decided to go outside for some air. To his surprise, the front door was unlocked, meaning there was someone with the same idea. He stepped onto the porch and saw her leaning on the rail, framed by the moonlight.

“Nora?”

She looked so beautiful with her hair cascading down her shoulders.

“I couldn’t sleep,” she whispered. “And I like it here. It’s nice to look at the moon and the prairie at night.”

He nodded and closed the distance between them. “I like it, too. Nighttime is peaceful. You can hear yourself think.”

She giggled, a sweet sound that made him smile. A lot of things about Nora made him smile. Her flowery scent engulfed him as soon as he got close to her. Her nearness dominated his mind. His gaze lowered to her mouth, and he stepped closer to her and slipped his hands around her waist.

He sought her eyes and saw passion blazing from them. Adam did not need another invitation. He lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her, tentatively at first, and then passion overtook them and they clung to one another.

Sensation after sensation poured through him, shaking him with the intensity. All he was aware of was the heat surging through him and how glorious it felt to be kissing Nora. Her hands raked through his hair, and he pulled her tighter to him. Warning bells rang in the rational side of his brain at last, and he broke the kiss.

Both their breaths came out in gasps. Nora laid her head on his chest and he caressed her hair, marveling at its silky softness. He had kissed girls before, but he had never experienced the passion he had with Nora.

They stayed holding each other and swaying in the darkness as if dancing to music only they could hear. He kissed her head and inhaled the sweet scent of her hair. He had set a wedding date to stop his mother from making Nora uncomfortable but now, it felt right.

He wanted to get married to Nora and from her reaction to his announcement and now their kiss, he was almost sure that she wanted it, too. He hoped she wouldn’t change her mind. Not when he was beginning to open his heart to her.

Chapter 12

Nora spent the next few days helping Tina with the Christmas decorations. Unlike back home where they got all their Christmas decorations from stores, here in Montana they made all their decorations themselves. There were the decorations strung with popcorn and cut-out colored paper.

Red and white ribbons would be used to decorate the tree when Adam and his father got around to cutting one down. Preparations had also begun for Christmas day itself and Mrs. Larson was constantly in the kitchen. Nora did her very best to stay out of her way, preferring to help by cleaning the house and washing up after meals.

Today, however, they would be spending the morning together because of the visit to the poorhouse in town. Nora slipped into her warmest coat just as a knock came on the door.

“Ready?” Tina called.

Nora joined her and Tina greeted her with a wide smile, the last couple of days having restored their closeness. Nora had no idea what had caused it; she was just glad to have her friend back.

“This is my favorite day out of all the days of the year,” Tina said, slipping her hand through Nora’s. “I know you’ll like it, too. Seeing the children happy and excited to get gifts is really touching.”

They chatted as they met the rest of the family in front of the house. Adam smiled warmly at her, and her heart skipped a beat. They all piled in the closed wagon, while Adam and his father sat in the two box seats in front. Stockings filled with little gifts peeked out from a sack, and Nora couldn’t wait to be in the orphanage.

It bothered Nora that Mrs. Larson did not say one word to her. It hurt to be disliked for no apparent reason. She was glad when they reached the orphanage. Nora smiled at the sight of children pressing their noses against the windows.

The men carried the sacks into the two-story building that housed the orphanage. They were let in at the door by two nuns clad in black and white habits and were led into a large parlor.

“Father Orwell,” Mr. Larson said as a gentle-looking man in a white collar entered the room.

Introductions were made all around, and Mr. Larson introduced Nora as Adam’s fiancée, which filled her with pleasure.

“The children have been talking of nothing else for days,” one of the nuns said, clasping her hands together.

“Not just the children,” Father Orwell said, and they all laughed.

“Shall I get the children?” one of the nuns asked the Father, and he nodded.

Moments later, they filed into the parlor in a neat line, their faces barely containing the excitement they felt.

“Hello, children,” Mr. and Mrs. Larson said, and they chorused back their greetings.

They sat on the rugs, and the stockings were removed from the sacks and distributed. Nora watched a small brown-haired girl remove candy from her stocking and her sweet little face lit up. This repeated itself as the children dove into the stockings and removed various small gifts.

Later, they all drank mugs of hot chocolate and listened to Tina recite a poem.

Christmas, ’tis a time to love and to be together

To show tenderness and care

A time to remember what we all mean to each other

And to receive gifts from loved ones

’Tis a time to thank our heavenly Father

For gifts we cannot touch or see

Gifts of friendship and companionship

Nora’s eyes filled with tears at the words, and Tina’s beautiful voice that pierced straight at her heart. She and Adam were so blessed to be gifted with the ability to create beautiful words. Nora had given up on hearing Adam recite his own poetry to her and had come to the conclusion that he was very shy.

He stood across the room and when she turned her gaze to him, she found him looking at her. He wore an expression she could not read, but that did not come as a surprise. He was a difficult man to read. Tina had commented on the same, so it was not just her.

They stared at each other, and Nora remembered the passionate kiss they had shared on the porch that night. Was he remembering it, too, or was he regretting the proposal? Apart from a wedding date, nothing had changed between them. Adam was still secretive, and his mother was as cold as ever.

He was the first to break the stare after flashing her a smile.

Tina wound up her poem, and they all clapped enthusiastically. The children had also prepared a few songs, and these they listened to and clapped wildly when they were done. Then they helped the children decorate their Christmas tree with decorations they had made over the years.

When they left the orphanage just before lunchtime, Nora felt rather maudlin.

“You’re very quiet,” Tina whispered to her when they reached the house.

Nora contemplated confiding in her friend but then changed her mind. It was not fair to involve Tina. It would be pitting her against her own family. Besides, she was not sure she could explain it. All Nora knew was that things should have been better than they were.

She should not have been feeling so lonely all the time. She did not feel like part of the family and was beginning to think that perhaps marriage to Adam would be a mistake. Christmas was a couple of weeks away, and she had to make a decision soon.

As much as she liked Adam, the last thing she wanted was to force herself onto a family that did not want her. It would have helped if Adam spoke to her but he didn’t. He explained nothing and had never once spoken about their future. The house was ready, but no one spoke about it.

Chapter 13

Tears flowed down Nora’s cheeks as she read her parents’ letter. She clutched it tight, knowing her parents had touched the same sheet of paper. The letter had come that morning, and she had waited until everyone had left for the day before opening it.

In the privacy of her room, she read her parents’ words over and over again.

To our dear daughter,

They say that you don’t know how precious something you have is until it is taken away from you. Where to begin? At the beginning, I suppose. Your father and I were shocked and angry when we realized what you had done. We read your letter and could not believe that you would make such a plan behind your parents’ backs and then leave.

As the days went on, our anger abated, and we missed you so much. All we wanted was to have our daughter back. Gus Hatch was understandably quite upset, and he even wanted to come to Montana and get you himself. Thankfully your father and I did not give him your address and that has proved to be a very wise decision.

You see, just a few days ago, it came to light that Gus Hatch had been carrying on with a married woman for years. Needless to say, your father fired him from the mill and warned him not to come around to the house again. I can’t tell you how relieved we were that he is not your husband, dear daughter.

Your father and I are now in complete agreement that you did the right thing. We were wrong, Nora, and we are very apologetic. We would like to tell you this in person, so your father and I will purchase tickets to come to Montana sometime before Christmas.

Nothing would please us more than to spend Christmas with our daughter and her new family.

We can’t wait to see you, our darling daughter.

With love,

Mother and Father.

The walls were closing in and the need to be outside was too strong to resist. Still clutching the letter, Nora left her room and hurried out to her favorite spot on the porch. She collapsed on one of the rocking chairs and stared out, seeing nothing. Her mind was in another place and time.

How she had taken for granted what she had had back home; love, acceptance and, more importantly, a sense of belonging. She had people who loved and cared for her. Fresh sobs broke out, and she quickly wiped her face, afraid that someone would find her crying.

Memories came over her, and she tried to smile through her tears. She wanted to go home so badly. To be among people who wanted her. Her parents. The creak of the front door jolted her back to the present.

Mrs. Larson. Nora sat up straighter and gazed straight ahead. To her surprise, Mrs. Larson came and sat next to her.

“Is that a letter from your parents?” she asked.

“Yes,” Nora said.

“They must miss you,” she continued.

“They do.”

“You ought to go back home to them, Nora. You don’t belong here,” Mrs. Larson said, her tone cold.

Nora flinched as if she had been punched in the stomach. It took a moment to recover from the harsh words. “Why do you hate me so much?”

Mrs. Larson turned to her in surprise. “This is not about me and how I feel about you. If anything, I think you’re quite a lovely young lady, only you don’t belong here. It’s clear that you’re used to a different way of life. You were pampered in your other life.”

“I’m a different person now,” Nora said.

“So you say. My son needs a wife who is used to our way of life. A person like Joan Vinton. ”

It all made sense now. Nora now understood why Mrs. Larson had been complimenting Joan Vinton throughout dinner and why she had been so cold to her. She had been trying to send her a message and to frustrate her, hoping that Nora would decide to go home of her own accord.

When that hadn’t worked, she had decided to confront Nora directly. The only problem was that it was not Mrs. Larson’s decision to make.

“Adam doesn’t think so,” Nora said. “He wants to marry me. You heard him yourself.”

Mrs. Larson let out a deep sigh. “I would have thought with all your worldliness, you would have understood what Adam is doing.”

“And what is that?” Nora said.

“He wants to show us that he can make his own decisions. He doesn’t want to marry you, Nora, he just wants to prove a point. I’m sorry to tell you this, but Adam is using you.”

She might as well have taken a knife and stabbed Nora. Her words rang true. It all fell into place—Adam’s reluctance to spend time with her or even discuss their future. Oh God, what had she done? She was a complete fool!

“Does he court you as a normal, eager young man would? Does he behave like a normal young man in love?”

The answer to Mrs. Larson’s questions was a resounding no. Nora had been so blind, so sure of herself, that she had not considered that Adam was not interested in her. Her chest expanded to painful proportions. She held onto her dignity, determined that Mrs. Larson would not see her tears.

She could not think. What was she to do now?

“How can you marry a man who is not interested in you? What kind of union will that be? An unhappy one, that’s for sure.”

Nora wrapped her arms across her stomach and rocked herself. She could not listen to Mrs. Larson’s words anymore. The pain in her heart was almost unbearable. Humiliation covered her like a cloak. Had they all been laughing at her? Thinking what a fool she was to think that someone as different as her could fit in a ranch as Adam’s wife?

***

“What is it, Nora? What happened?” Tina cried as Nora ran past her.

Nora did not stop to answer. She was in too much pain. She ran all the way to her room and was about to bang the door shut when a body wedged itself in between.

“Please, Nora, tell me what happened. I saw Mother come in. Did she say something upsetting to you?”

Nora sat on the bed and covered her face. Tears made their way through her fingers and dropped to her dress. Tina’s arm went around her shoulders and pulled her close. She waited until Nora’s sobs subsided.

“What did Mother say that upset you so much?” Tina asked.

“She told me the truth. That she doesn’t want me here and neither does Adam.”

“That’s not true, Nora, and you know it!” Tina said, aghast.

Nora faced her. “He has never once spoken to me about our future. He avoids me and never wants us to be alone together. All your mother did was to make me see things as they really are.”

“Oh, Nora, I’m sure that Adam had a good explanation. Why don’t you ask him?”

Nora shook her head. She had endured enough humiliation. She couldn’t bear to hear it from Adam’s mouth. “I can’t do that, Tina. I already have my answers. I want to go back home.” She had not made up her mind but now, speaking to Tina, it became clear.

She would not spend another night at the ranch. There was something that had been nagging at her ever since they went to the orphanage. It would be the final evidence that Adam had only sent for her to make a point to his parents.

“There’s something I want to ask you, Tina, and I beg you to be completely honest with me.”

Tina’s eyes widened and a shadow of fear came over them.

“Does Adam write poetry?”

Tina inhaled loudly. She fisted her hands and lowered her gaze. “He never told you, did he?”

“Told me what?” Nora said.

Tina raised her head. “It’s not Adam who wrote the letters to you. It was me.”

Nora had suspected it, but hearing her suspicions confirmed broke any hope she might have harbored about Adam. She nodded and stood up, her movements slow and labored. She pulled her things from under the bed and started packing her clothes.

“Surely, you’re not planning on leaving today?” Tina said. “You can’t just go, Nora. Give him a chance to explain. I know he loves you. I’ve never seen him as content as he has been since you came. Pay no mind to Mother.”

Nora shook her head. “I miss my family, Tina. I want to go home to people who love me. Nobody here has been truly welcoming since I arrived apart from you.”

Tina dropped her head. Even she could not deny the truth of Nora’s statement.

“It’s only because they haven’t taken the time to know you.”

“Maybe so, but I’m not going to wait around for them to know me. I thought Adam and I had something special between us. All along, he was just using me to show his parents that he can make his own decisions.”

Tina begged and cajoled but nothing she said could change Nora’s mind. When she was done, she implored Tina to ask one of the ranch hands to take her to the train station. If not, she threatened to walk and leave all her luggage behind. Tina did as she asked and soon, she was walking through the front door for the last time.

Tina, herself, and the ranch hand carried three of her trunks to the wagon. Tina clung to her, and they wept together before Nora extricated herself.

“Take care of yourself, Tina,” Nora said.

“Will you write?” she said, tears streaking down her face.

Nora nodded. Tina had been a wonderful friend and if it weren’t for her, she would have returned home a long time ago.

In the wagon, she saw Mrs. Larson peering out through the parlor window. The wagon lurched forward and with a final wave at Tina, Nora left the ranch. She should have been pleased the further they got away from the ranch; instead, it felt as if her heart was breaking into a million pieces.

She had left her heart behind and where it used to be was a gaping hole. Pain dulled her senses but not her brain. Would he miss her even a little? It would take her a long, long time to get over him or to forget his smile and laugh. Would she ever meet another man who aroused her passion as easily as Adam did?

Even the thought of seeing her parents in four days’ time did not excite her. All she felt was a terrible loneliness. The snow began to fall in earnest and soon she could barely see ahead.

The wagon wheels slid on the icy ground and at one point, it came to a stop. The driver jumped out and after heaving and pushing, he dislodged whatever it was that had stuck to the wheels, and they continued on their journey. All the while, Nora sat bundled up, images of Adam playing over and over in her mind until she thought she would go insane.

She alternated between sadness and red-hot anger at herself and at Adam. How painful to fall in love with a person who did not reciprocate her feelings. Why had he made her waste so much time by coming to Montana if he did not want a future with her?

Why had he lied to her and pretended to be someone he was not by getting his sister to write sweet words to her? What would she tell her parents who believed she was already married or about to be married? The shame!

Chapter 14

“How can you just stand there knowing Nora has gone?” Tina demanded, her hands on her hips.

“What do you want me to do, Tina?”

He had just come from an argument with his mother and he was still angry that she had once more meddled in his life and made Nora leave. He would have gone after her except that he couldn’t do that to her anymore. She deserved a better man than him.

A man who would be honest with her and treat her with the respect she deserved. Their union had begun with lies, and he didn’t think they could recover from everything that had happened. He could only imagine Nora’s anger and bitterness at knowing that another woman had already been picked for him.

He hadn’t protected her from his mother, but worse than that, he had not lived up to the many promises he had made to her in his letters. He had not courted her as he had promised and when he’d set the wedding date, it had been in defiance of his parents.

All along, he had wanted to show his parents that he was an adult, but he had done the opposite. He had behaved like an immature man.

“Go for her! Bring her back here, where she belongs,” Tina said.

He continued rubbing down his horse.

“What is wrong with you?” Tina shouted.

He whirled around to face her. “Don’t you see that she can never forgive me? I was horrible to her. I love her and yet I never showed her. Mother treated her unkindly, but I never rose to her defense. She can’t forgive that. And besides, I think she deserves someone better.”

“She deserves someone who loves her and that is you,” Tina said.

His breath bottled up in his chest as Tina’s words penetrated his brain. What if she was right and there was a way to convince Nora? Surely it was worth a try. She was so special to him and the thought that their relationship was over before it had properly begun …

He didn’t deserve her but if she agreed to come back home and marry him, he would make it up to her. Be the kind of man who deserved to marry her.

“Do you really think she’ll listen?” he asked Tina.

She nodded emphatically. “I know Nora well and she’s got a forgiving heart. Go to town and speak with her before she gets on that train.”

He only thought for a second longer and then he went into a frenzy of activity re-saddling his horse. A few minutes later, he was galloping out of the ranch in a mad dash. His only hope was that the train to the East had been delayed due to the snow.

If she had already gone, he didn’t know what he would do. He had never ridden into town that fast. It took him less than two hours despite the terrible conditions of the road. He went straight to the train station and was relieved to find a group of people waiting.

He tethered his horse and rushed in. He found Nora in the waiting room, huddled in a corner. She was so lost in thought she did not see him until he sat down next to her.

“Adam,” she said. “What are you doing here?”

Her eyes were red and swollen. His heart squeezed painfully. He was responsible for causing her so much hurt. He took her soft hand and held it between his.

“I came to apologize to you, Nora.”

Her lower lip trembled, and her eyes filled up with tears.

“Please, don’t cry. I’ve been a fool, and I’ve done so many wrong things.” Adam closed his eyes and when he opened them again, he was ready. “I’m going to tell you everything and if you decide to get on the train after that, I won’t fault you. I have no one to blame but myself.”

She sniffed and looked at him with fearful eyes.

“My parents have always wanted me to marry Joan Vinton. She’s a nice person, but we’re like siblings. There’s no attraction between us, and we both knew we would not marry each other. To show them that they could not choose a wife for me, I decided to advertise for a mail order bride. Only I was terrible at words and so I enlisted Tina’s help. When you replied, I couldn’t write to you myself as I was frightened that you would lose interest, so I got Tina to write the letters as well.”

“I suspected so, and I asked her. She told me today,” Nora said and did not sound as angry as he had expected. It gave him the courage to continue.

“When you came, Father accepted it and stopped pushing for Joan and I to marry, but Mother was another case.” He dropped his gaze. “I should have done more to protect you and for that I shall always be ashamed of myself.”

“So you only wanted to marry me to prove something to your parents?” Nora asked.

He nodded. “Yes, but then you came and you’re such a breath of fresh air that I couldn’t help but fall in love with you.”

Her head snapped up and she stared at him. “What did you say?”

“I love you, Nora Baxter. I was such an idiot for not seeing what was in front of me. Please tell me you have feelings for me. I’m willing to wait and to court you as I should have done when you came. ”

“Oh, Adam, how I’ve longed to hear you say those words.”

There was something else he needed to ask. “I know you don’t like it at the ranch. It’s different from what you’re used to.”

She held his gaze. “It’s true that when I first arrived it was a bit of a shock but it’s grown on me and I love it as much as you all do. Why, I can’t think of anywhere else I’d want to live.”

He could tell by her tone of voice that she meant every word.

“But what about your parents? Your mother? She hates me! I can’t live like that no matter how much I love you.”

His breath stopped. She loved him. He wanted to stand up and jump for joy, except he still had to convince her that his mother did not hate her. “She doesn’t hate you. How can anyone hate you, Nora? You’re so sweet and kind and hardworking.”

“Even if I can’t cook?” she asked softly.

“You make the tastiest flapjacks in all of Montana!”

That got a laugh out of her and his heart lightened. “I know what I need to do, which is to sit down with Mother and Father and tell them that you are the woman that I love. All they want is for me to marry the right woman and that woman is you, Nora.”

***

Nora had to pinch herself to believe that Adam was with her at the station waiting room and that he loved her. She wanted him to say it over and over again.

“What do you say, my beautiful fiancée? Shall we go back home?” Adam asked.

It would be so easy to say yes and to let Adam believe that it had all been his fault. But the truth of the matter was that she had also come to Montana under false pretenses.

“I need to tell you something, too,” she said. “I was not completely honest.”

She faltered.

“You can tell me. Remember what we said,” Adam said. “From now onwards, we are going to be completely honest with each other. Whatever it is cannot be worse than what I’ve done.”

Nora let out a nervous giggle. Then she told him from the beginning. How her parents had wanted her to marry her father’s associate, Gus Hatch, so that the family business could continue seamlessly. How she had left Boston without their knowledge, leaving only a letter to explain where she had gone.

“They must have been so worried,” Adam said, concern in his voice.

She would forever feel guilty about that, but the upside was that leaving had saved her from marrying Gus Hatch.

He looked relieved when she told him about the letter she had received from her parents and their plans to come to Montana. His face lit up.

“I can’t wait to meet them,” Adam said. “We must send them a telegram immediately to welcome them. Mother will be so excited and Father, too.”

She laughed at his joy. “Does that mean you still want to marry me?” she said.

“Now more than ever. I love you, Nora Baxter, soon-to-be Nora Larson.”

Her world righted. The loneliness which had besieged her when she left the ranch completely disappeared. As they left the station hand in hand, Nora felt as though she was walking on air. The only anxiety she felt was caused by the idea of facing Mrs. Larson. She really wanted to get along with her future mother-in-law.

EPILOGUE

Nora held her father’s hand and waited for the cue to enter the parlor where she and Adam were to be joined as husband and wife.

“I’m so proud of you,” her father whispered into her ear. She leaned towards him and their heads touched.

“I’m glad you’re here, Father,” Nora said.

They had arrived the previous day with the whole of the Larson family waiting at the station. They had received a warm, thunderous welcome, which had made Nora so proud to introduce her parents to her new family. Her mother had confided later that evening that when they returned to Boston, they would not worry about knowing she was in safe hands.

Her prayers had been answered, and Mrs. Larson had softened her heart towards her. As Adam had promised at the station, he had spoken with his parents and they had come around to his way of thinking. Mrs. Larson had even admitted that Nora would make a wonderful wife for Adam. She now treated Nora almost like a daughter.

And now the most important day had arrived. Their wedding ceremony. Her mother had brought the dress she had worn for her own wedding, and Mrs. Larson had stayed up late sewing some alterations. Nora couldn’t wait for Adam to see it.

Tina’s sweet voice broke into her thoughts as she sang her heart out. It was the cue for Nora and her father to walk in. They had invited the families nearest to the ranch as well as all the ranch hands and their families. The parlor furniture had been moved and upright chairs arranged in rows, leaving an aisle in the middle.

Nora’s eyes took in the smartly clad guests, her mother, and the Larsons at the front, and then she locked gazes with Adam. He looked so handsome in a gray suit and starched white shirt.

Joy crashed her heart. She was getting married to the love of her life. He took her hand and together, they faced the preacher. Nora floated throughout the service, wrapped in a bubble of happiness. Adam had to nudge her to say her vows.

Later, after the ceremony and the breakfast meal, the two of them found themselves alone in a corner of the dining room.

“Have I told you how beautiful you look and how much I love you?” Adam said, staring at her intently.

Once she had believed that she could not read Adam’s thoughts. How wrong she had been. He wore his heart on his sleeve and every moment they were together, he showed her in words and in actions how much he loved her. She was going to enjoy being a married woman.

“You have, but you have my permission to tell me again,” she said with a laugh.

“I love you, dear wife,” he said and leaned in to kiss her.

“And I you, my dearest husband,” Nora said, sighing with contentment.

It was a Christmas they would always remember.

THE END