Mail-Order Shotgun Wedding

By Mildred Colvin

Mail-Order Shot-gun Wedding!

Able Logan is shocked to learn of his father’s impending death, but what’s this mail-order bride notion he’s come up with? He and his brothers have to be married by Christmas or lose their inheritance? Able wants no part of it—until he touches a delicate hand, looks into sky-blue eyes, and his heart jolts in a way he never expected.

Faith White is thrilled to be going to Texas where she and her younger sister will be close as they each marry a Logan brother. Security and family are all she’s ever wanted until Able Logan touches her hand and sends a smile to her heart. But is Able’s attentiveness a ploy to please his father or could he truly love her? The answer is torn from them both when they are accused of wrong doing and forced into a shot-gun wedding!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mildred Colvin
• Release date: May 18, 2016
• ISBN: 9781310837036

Mildred Colvin

Mildred Colvin is a wife, mother of three, and grandmother to three beautiful girls. She started writing when her children were young as they asked for stories. Not from a book. No! They were only satisfied when she made up stories. As the stories grew, she wrote some down and sent them off to magazines. Eight were published before her imagination turned toward love stories, which is what she enjoys reading.She has been writing Christian or clean and wholesome romance since 2001. Over the years several readers from pre-teens to older kids in their eighties and nineties have written expressing their interest in her books. She always loves to hear about one of her stories touching someone's heart. Her purpose in writing is to encourage, entertain, and bless someone else.She lives in the United States and sets her characters in the middle states from Texas to Nebraska and Iowa and reaching across Illinois to Colorado. She also has an Oregon Trail series, but the Great Plains states are her favorite setting.She is active in a very special critique group and has written and published over 60 books in both historical and contemporary themes, and plans to continue writing as long as God allows. He has been good in giving her many ideas for stories. Maybe more than she will be able to finish, but she enjoys each one.Please take a moment to visit her website at www.mildredcolvin.weebly.com, and sign up for her Romantic Reflections Newsletter to learn when new books are released. Also learn of promotions and free books through her newsletter.And take a look at her books. You might find something you don't want to put down.

Book preview

Mail-Order

Shotgun Wedding

Mildred Colvin

Mail-Order Shotgun Wedding

by

Mildred Colvin

Copyright © 2016 by Mildred Colvin

All rights reserved

Smashwords Edition

Cover Photo © Igor Dolgov | Dreamstime.com

Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or to events, is entirely coincidental, other than those established by history and of necessity those have been fictionalized.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means without permission in writing from its author except in the case of brief quotations used in printed reviews.

Thank you for respecting the author’s work.

DEDICATION

To my friends and crit partners: Jamie Adams, author of The Western Hearts Series who came up with the idea to write this series, Regina Tittel, author of The Ozark Durham Series, and Linda Cushman, author of Bittersweet. May God richly bless your writing!

Chapter 1

September 21, 1890, Mesquite Gulch, Texas

"I’m dying."

What? Able Logan jerked up his head as his two younger brothers echoed his shock. Surely, he hadn’t heard right. Would you repeat what you just said, Dad?

It’s my heart, but that isn’t why you’re here. Able’s father placed a hand over the middle of his chest as if covering the pain. I have until Christmas, maybe a few weeks more. I’ve come to terms with this. You can too. He looked toward his older sister, Mabel Harris, then turned to his lawyer and long-time friend, Wade Durham, as if seeking their support.

A blurry cloud of unreality closed in on Able the same as four years ago when Mom got sick. Now it was Dad, only Able didn’t want to believe it. How could this happen? Sure Dad was getting older, but he wasn’t that old. His next birthday he’d turn fifty—if he lived that long. Pain sliced through Able’s heart.

They should be here tomorrow.

Who? Someone was coming? Able shook his head, trying to free himself from the dark shadow holding him in its grip. He blinked and met the steady gaze of his younger brothers, Josh and Zack. They looked as dazed as he felt. He turned back to his dad. Have you been to a doctor?

A crease formed between Dad’s eyes. Yes, I have. Doc Brown gave me a thorough examination. I don’t want you boys to worry about me. I wouldn’t have told you except I hoped you’d understand how important it is.

What is?

Making good matches. I just told you. The ladies will arrive on tomorrow’s stage. I’ll expect you to pick them up shortly after noon.

Ladies? Nothing seemed real. This isn’t a good time for company, Dad.

I wouldn’t call the brides company. Aunt Mabel spoke up. They’ll be living here until you boys are married then they’ll move into your houses with you. I understand an escort will come with them, an older lady.

Brides! Zack jumped up. I don’t intend to get married anytime soon.

Marriage sure isn’t in my immediate plans, either. Josh folded his arms and scowled. Seems we should be more concerned about your health, Dad.

Able sucked in a breath. He’d missed something.

Calm down, boys. Wade held up a sheaf of papers clutched in his hand. Let me explain the terms of your father’s new will so you’ll understand.

Able leaned forward. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Josh take a similar position while Zack slumped back in his chair.

Because of your father’s serious health condition, coupled with concern over your shenanigans in town each weekend, Wade looked through thick glasses at each of them, which often keeps you from God’s house on Sunday morning, your father has come to the best solution possible. Marriage to a good woman will help his sons settle down and become responsible ranchers.

Zack sputtered, Able opened his mouth to protest, and Josh shook his head, but none of them managed an intelligible word.

You just hold it right there. Aunt Mabel shook a finger at each of her nephews. You’ll show respect for your father who’s done everything he can to make life easier for you. You’ve each got a house of your own, 40,000 acres of land more or less, cattle, horses, and I don’t know what all else. If you want title to that land, you’ll abide by your father’s wishes, and not cause him any concern, especially now. You’ll pick up those brides tomorrow. You’ll woo them and win their hearts too. Then you’ll stand at the altar on or before Christmas Day with the one you’ve chosen.

Three months until they were bride-tied and thrown at the altar? Huh! Able huffed. Aunt Mable never had soft soaped anything for them or anyone else.

While Josh and Zack tried one last protest, Able stood and walked from the room. He slipped out the front door and down the path toward the barn. He didn’t get far before he heard footsteps coming fast behind him.

Abe, wait. Josh reached him first. What’re we going to do? They’re serious about this.

Yeah, if we don’t stop them, they’ll have us all tied down. Zack snorted. By Christmas. And they’ve already found the girls to tighten the knots. All three of us. Man, Abe, you gotta think of something that’ll get us out of this.

There’s nothing we can do, Zack. Able wanted to hit something hard. Maybe the pain would take away this confusion and the hurting in his chest. Dad’s dying. This is his deathbed request. We have no choice but to do exactly what he wants.

He looked from one younger brother to the other. They’d always depended on him, but he was helpless this time. We’re going to town in the morning. We’ll pick up three women none of us want, and you’d better pray with me that they’re all unsuitable so Dad will send them back. That’s our only possible way out.

~*~

Ow. Faith White pulled away from the window frame and rubbed her forehead for the second time in the last hour. She’d bounced and slid all fifty miles from Ft. Worth and was ready for the ride to be over. She stole another peek out the stagecoach window, letting the wind cool her face while she tried to see civilization ahead.

How much longer will it be? Temperance, her sister sitting at the other end of the hard bench, strained to see out the opposite window.

Be patient, girls. Mrs. Florence Foster sat alone on the seat across from them. We’ll be there soon, I’m sure.

There’s a building. I think it’s Mesquite Gulch. Temperance called out then turned toward Faith. Isn’t that a strange name for a town? I wonder what it means.

Mesquite is the name of those little squat-looking trees we’ve been seeing all along the way. Mrs. Foster nodded toward the window. She looked as prim and proper as she had from the beginning of their journey in Chicago. I’m sure the town was named for them. It seems Texas is blessed with these shrub-like trees.

Faith turned toward the older woman who’d agreed to escort her and her sister to the large Texas ranch where they’d meet the men they were to marry. Although Mrs. Foster’s face was pleasant, she seldom smiled and never seemed to lose her composure. She’d been part of the orphanage as long as Faith remembered although she didn’t work there. Have you been here before?

No, dear. Mrs. Foster shook her head. This is my first trip to Texas too. It’s a shame Ida couldn’t come with us. I think she’d have loved it here.

A loud blast from the horn announcing their arrival in town drowned out anything else they might have said. Within minutes, the coach rolled to a stop.

Faith’s heart pounded as she stepped from the coach to meet her husband-to-be. Or whoever else might pick them up from town. As she and Temperance stood beside Florence and got their first look at Mesquite Gulch, a ruckus from across the dirt road caught her attention. Her sister stepped closer to her as three young men burst from a low building with a hand-painted sign Sage Brush Diner over the door. Faith patted Tempe’s hand clutching her arm. I think they’re harmless.

She giggled as the one behind slammed into the two in front, staggering them. They turned toward him and said something she couldn’t hear, but it brought a deep scowl to the man’s face.