Mail Order Miscreant Read online

  Just thinking his name made her sigh. She wanted him to take her home as his wife, just like he’d said the night before, but she couldn’t leave Merry without help. Not when she was so close to her time. Perhaps there was a young woman in town who could help until one of her younger sisters arrived.

  As she thought about the problem, she mixed the pancake batter and fried up the bacon while Addie set the table and poured milk into three glasses. “What a great job you did, Addie!”

  “Thank you. I think I should put the butter on the table. Don’t you?”

  “I think you could do that easily.” Charlie said, refusing to think more about Abel until breakfast was on the table. Addie considered this time where the two of them cooked every morning special, and Charlie wasn’t going to detract from it.

  “So what do you think I should make for supper?” Charlie asked Addie.

  “Oh, I want chicken and dumplings. It’s cold, and they warm you up all through you, and we could have bread with it. And you should make your apple cake. You make the best apple cake in all of the world!”

  Charlie laughed. Merry had taught her to make chicken and dumplings shortly after they’d arrived in Montana, and she agreed with Addie that it was the best thing to eat while you were cold during a storm. “I’ll do that, then!”

  Once breakfast was finished, Charlie sent Addie upstairs to wake her aunt and uncle, who didn’t usually sleep as late as six thirty, but with the storm, schedules were thrown out the window.

  Charlie headed into the parlor to wake Abel, standing for a moment watching him sleep, his legs curled up so he would fit on the sofa. She walked to his side and placed her hand on his shoulder. “Abel. It’s breakfast time.”

  He woke with a start, sitting up on the sofa, gripping her waist as he pulled her down onto his lap, and kissing her passionately. “I never dreamed an angel would wake me this morning.”

  Charlie giggled, squirming away from him, even though she wanted to sit there with him forever. “I don’t want anyone to see us, and everyone will be downstairs in a minute or two.”

  “I’m telling them this morning.”

  When she started to ask what he was telling, the others arrived downstairs, and they all gathered around the table, filling their plates. Abel said the prayer for them, and after everyone had chorused amen, he began fixing his pancakes the way he liked them. “I just wanted to let everyone know that I’m not leaving here empty handed. I plan on taking Charlie away with me as my wife.”

  Merry smiled. “I’m so glad! It seemed to be going in that direction, but I couldn’t be sure.”

  Clyde sighed. “When Charlie first arrived, I didn’t want her here. I actually resented her, because I felt like she was taking Merry’s time away from me. Now that I know Charlie so much better and I’m aware of everything she does to help us out, I’m thrilled that she’s here. We’re really going to miss you in this house, Charlie.”

  Charlie smiled. “I’ll miss you as well. I’m planning to write to my sister, Elizabeth, hoping that she will send one of our non-demon horde younger sisters. And I think I can help you find someone in town to take my place until my sister arrives. Annabelle Borchard isn’t planning to marry for another few months, and I know she and her fiancé are trying to save money until then.”

  Merry nodded, looking relieved. “I think Annabelle will be perfect in the meantime. She can practice her housekeeping skills as she earns money. And I doubt it will take Elizabeth long to send one of your sisters. There are certainly enough to choose from.”

  “Make sure to tell her I want someone who will be a good influence on the children, just as you have been,” Clyde said.

  Charlie felt tears well up in her eyes. She knew that when they’d first arrived in Montana, Clyde hadn’t approved of her as a role model for the children, and now he was asking for someone like her. It was an abrupt change but one that she felt complimented by. “Well, we do need to marry before we can leave. I hope the storm is almost over.” Charlie wanted to marry immediately. She didn’t want to have to spend another night alone.

  Abel must have understood what she was saying, because he reached over and gripped her hand in his. “I’m glad there’s a plan in place, so you won’t be left high and dry,” he said, nodding politely to Merry.

  “Oh, I wouldn’t be able to leave without a plan in place. I’ve learned so much about being a housewife and a mother from Merry, but it’s not only that. Merry is my dearest friend in the entire world. I couldn’t leave her with everything she needs to do.”

  “That’s not a worry, though,” Clyde said. “Because there’s a plan in place. When we all go into town so the two of you can marry, we will make sure to talk to Annabelle and her parents. She’s eighteen and more than responsible enough to take your place here, Charlie.”

  Charlie was thrilled her plan was going over so well with the Bellmans. She had worried a little about leaving them, but now she didn’t need to anymore. “Addie told me she wants to have chicken and dumplings for supper along with bread and some apple cake. Does that work for you, Merry?” she asked. They always made their plans for supper while they ate their breakfast. That way Merry could disappear and do her carving as soon as she wanted to.

  Merry nodded. “I’m going to take advantage of the storm and work all day, so I can send Abel home with some carvings. Clyde can help with the children, and you’ll be on kitchen duty all day.”

  Charlie nodded. She was always on kitchen duty, but usually she and Merry shared the responsibility of the children until after lunchtime. “I think that makes a lot of sense. I’m happy to do whatever I need to do.” She thought longingly about having a beautiful dress to wear for the wedding, but she knew that wasn’t going to happen. There was no time.

  As soon as breakfast was over, Merry went upstairs while Charlie cleared the table and started the dishes. She was surprised to see Abel pick up a towel and stand beside her.

  “You’re going to dry the dishes?” she asked.

  He nodded. “You’re obviously doing extra today, so I’m going to do the same. It won’t kill me to dry them.”

  She grinned. “Who does your dishes at home?”

  “There’s a little diner down the street from my store. I eat most of my meals there. I hire a girl to come in once a week and clean and do my laundry, but for the most part, I do things myself.”

  “I would never have pictured you as a man capable of dealing with domestic chores. I can’t say that I’m disappointed.”

  He chuckled. “I’m not only capable, I’m willing. Are you willing to work in the store on occasion?”

  “Of course. I’m happiest when I’m busy.”

  “Or reading,” he added with a grin.

  “I do all my work as quickly as I can so I can read sooner. I hope you’re all right with that, because it’s the only way I know how to be.”

  “Definitely.” He looked behind them and kissed the tip of her nose. “I want you to read as often as possible. But your responsibilities will be a little different when we get to my home.”

  “Unless you have three children, they will be very different.”

  He grinned. “No kids for me. My brother’s wife may ask you to help out on occasion, but I doubt it.”

  “Does your brother live near you?”

  He nodded. “Yeah, he owns a ranch on the outskirts of town, and his wife is a little . . . we’ll call her spoiled and leave it at that. She thinks she married a man who is required to provide everything for her, so if there are times you don’t want to help out, you don’t need to.”

  “Do they have children?”

  “She’s expecting now. I’m sure she’s going to think you need to clean her house and cook their meals because you’re not expecting, but trust me . . . it’s all up to you. You have no responsibility to take care of them.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind.” Charlie wasn’t sure what she thought of Kane’s wife after Abel’s

  description, but she wasn’t looking forward to meeting her. Not at all.

  “Don’t be afraid. I’m going to make it clear that you are there for me and not to be their maid. Veronica is the daughter of a banker, and she is certain the world revolves around her, but truly the world will revolve around you.” He winked at her, and she laughed.

  “What you’ve said about her makes me a little nervous, but at least I know you don’t expect me to bend over backward trying to please her. That will make things a whole lot easier on me.” She couldn’t believe how much she was looking forward to leaving everything she knew and marrying the man standing beside her. She was glad she hadn’t written to Elizabeth for a husband, because she had everything she needed right there.

  The storm broke around noon on Friday, and Charlie packed up all of her things. They’d decided to ride into Mistletoe on Saturday morning to get married and see if Annabelle was willing to take her place for a while. She wrote her letter to Elizabeth, explaining everything but adding what wonderful employers Merry and Clyde had been and how she was sure whichever of her sisters went to help them would be welcomed with open arms. They would mail that while they were in town.

  Addie was sad to see Charlie go, and she hugged her often on Friday, knowing she only had another day with her. “You’ll like Annabelle, though. She’s so nice, and she likes you a lot.”

  Addie sighed. “I know. I just don’t want you to go.”

  “You’re going to be at my wedding, though, aren’t you? I need you there. We don’t have flowers for you to carry, but I want you to watch me marry Abel.”

  “I’ll be there, but I won’t like it.” The little girl ran off then, and her aunt came down the stairs with a grin.

  “I made something for you. Not to sell.” Merry
held out a beautifully carved bride, and as Charlie looked closer at it, she realized that the bride was actually her. She had been immortalized in Merry’s favorite wood.

  “It’s beautiful. Oh, thank you, Merry! I’ll treasure it always!”

  Merry grinned. “I also have something else if you’d like to use it. I have the dress you and I made for my wedding on the way here. Remember how we sat on that train, taking turns sewing and taking care of the children? I would love you to wear that dress.”

  Charlie smiled. “I had no idea what I was going to wear to be married in, and that’s perfect. I will be thrilled to wear your wedding dress.” She reached out and hugged her friend. “I am sorry to abandon you right now, though,” she said when she pulled back, looking down at her friend’s huge belly.

  “I’ll live. This was never meant to be a permanent arrangement, and we both knew that. I’m so happy you found the man that you want to spend the rest of your life with.”

  “Me too.”

  Charlie spent a great deal more time than usual on her appearance while getting ready for her wedding on Saturday morning. The entire family piled into Clyde’s wagon, and they drove into town, going to the pastor’s house. The wedding went by much too quickly for Charlie, and when they’d said “I do” and the kiss was shared, she smiled up at the man she’d spend her life with. Abel. He would be hers forever. Charlie had been sure she’d be able to keep each moment of the day as if it was a photograph in her memory, but it all flitted by so quickly, she wasn’t sure she would remember a thing.

  As soon as the wedding was over, Charlie and Merry went to talk to Annabelle and her parents, while the men waited in the wagon with the children.

  Annabelle came to the door, looking surprised to see them. “Mrs. Bellman. Miss Miller. What can I help you with?”

  “Could we come in for a moment?” Charlie asked. “We have a proposition for you.”

  Annabelle nodded, looking curious, and lead the two ladies into the family’s main area. It served as parlor, dining room, and kitchen. There was a small bedroom off the main room and a loft above, where Annabelle surely slept with her three younger sisters.

  As soon as they were seated, it was Charlie who began speaking. “Now, we know you’re marrying in a couple of months, so this is a short-term offer. I just married, and I’m moving away. Merry is going to need someone to help her until my younger sister arrives from back east. Would you be willing to move out to the Bellman ranch and help out until she gets here? It should be less than two months.”

  Annabelle looked startled by the offer, but a smile spread across her face. “We’re not planning to marry until June, so I have some time.”

  Merry leaned forward then. “The pay will be the same as we’ve been paying Charlie all this time. It includes room, board, and a wage. I know it would help you get started out on a better foot in your marriage.”

  She named a wage, and Annabelle nodded eagerly. “I need to let my parents know and write a note for John, but that will take just a few minutes. Will you wait?”

  Charlie nodded emphatically. “I’ll feel a lot better about leaving today if I know you’re there. I’ve already cleaned my room for you, and I changed the sheets.”

  “I’ll have my own room?” Annabelle asked. “I’ve never had my own room!”

  Merry smiled. “Then you should take advantage of this offer and enjoy having your own room at least for a little while. Once you marry, you won’t get to sleep alone again.”

  “John will be so excited that I’m making some money. Will it be a problem for me to go on Sunday rides with him? It’s the only time all week we get to be together.”

  “I think that would be just fine,” Merry said.

  “I’ll be right back.” Annabelle hurried away to talk to her parents and write her note. She was obviously as excited about the job offer as they were to have her.

  “I guess I’m not needed at all anymore,” Charlie said with a frown. “I thought I’d be harder to replace.”

  “Well, since you did all the work of finding your replacement, I think you did great. You are going to be sorely missed, Charlie Miller.”

  “I believe that’s Charlie Burton now!”

  Charlie and Abel accompanied the family and their new helper home, helping her to get settled before they headed off to Missoula. Charlie was thankful that Abel had brought a wagon, because she wasn’t sure how they would have gotten everything onto a horse.

  With a last hug for Merry and the children, Charlie climbed onto the wagon seat beside her new husband. It was so hard to leave, and she felt tears streaming down her face as Abel drove onto the road. At the last moment she knew she could see the house, Charlie turned and waved, cementing the look of the whole family out front waving at them into her mind as they drove away from Mistletoe, Montana.

  Four

  They made it to Abel’s home just before nightfall, and Charlie climbed down from the wagon, stiffer than she would have imagined she’d be. They’d used Merry’s trick of baked potatoes at their feet, eating them as they drove to save time and keep them warm.

  She went into the house while Abel was seeing to his horses. Charlie felt a little uncomfortable looking around the house. The house wasn’t as grand as Elizabeth’s was, but it was close.

  Charlie hadn’t imagined how wealthy her new husband was, but now she could see that she was definitely marrying a man of means. Truly, she was glad she didn’t know, because it was better that way. He would never worry that she had married him for his wealth.

  After Abel finished unhitching the horses, he walked into the house to find his new wife wandering around and looking at everything. “There’s really no food in the house,” he told her, “so we’ll go to the diner tonight, and then we’ll go to the mercantile on Monday. I can’t imagine you cooking on your wedding night anyway. No woman should have to do that.”

  Charlie laughed softly. “I can’t imagine not cooking on my wedding night. Don’t spoil me and turn me into Veronica now.”

  Abel laughed. “You’re too wonderful to ever be anything like Veronica.” He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her. “As much as I would like to do other things now, we need to get to the diner before they close if we want to eat tonight.”

  Charlie nodded, resting her head on his shoulder for a moment. She too was eager for the wedding night, but she knew she needed to eat. “Let’s eat, and then we’ll do other things.”

  He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and walked out of the house with her. They were in the middle of town, but she noted that even when he’d left for a few days, he hadn’t bothered to lock the door. That pleased her. They’d been the same back in Beckham where she’d grown up.

  They walked a short way and turned a corner. He pointed out his shop. “That’s where I sell my art.” The sign read, “Abel’s Art.”

  “I probably could have even guessed that,” she said, tongue in cheek.

  “Well, well, well.” He shook his head. “You’ve got an irrepressible tongue, there, don’t you?”

  Charlie laughed. “What do you expect from one of the demon horde?”

  He grinned at her. “I still can’t believe anyone called you that. You’re so angelic.”

  “You just don’t know me as well as you think you do yet.” She took a deep breath as he stopped in front of the diner. She was a little worried about meeting his friends.

  “Well, let’s get in there. If the waitress acts like she knows me, I’m not sure why. We’ve never seen each other before.”

  Charlie grinned, shaking her head. “I have a feeling you know all the people who work here better than you care to admit.”

  He opened the door for her, and they went inside, sitting at a small table in the corner. When the waitress came over, she smiled at him. “Okay, we need a cup of coffee, and what do you drink, miss?”

  “What if I want something else to drink?” he asked the waitress.

  “Then someone is controlling you somehow.”

  “This is my wife, Charlie,” he said softly. “I have a feeling I won’t be around as much, because she’s an amazing cook.”

  “And she likes coffee,” Charlie said, answering the woman’s question.