Luke’s Mail Order Bride: Montana Mail Order Brides, #5

By Lily Wilspur

No one got off the train in the tiny Western town except Kathy Sullivan, and the conductor doesn’t bother to call “All aboard!” when the train departs again. The station master disappears and Kathy finds herself alone. But the next moment, she stares in amazement as the whole town turns out in procession to escort her to the church. Kathy’s groom, Luke Ferguson, and his brother, Max, lead the crowd. Max’s wife, Annabel, takes charge of Kathy and all the wedding arrangements, and Kathy finds herself in the middle of a kind and close-knit family, who eagerly welcome her into the fold. Among them, Max and Annabel’s daughter, Adelaide, attaches herself to Kathy and insists on helping prepare her for the altar.
After the service, Katy and her new family and all the townspeople repair to the house next door to the church for a reception celebration. But the fairy-tale ending Kathy dreamed of doesn’t turn out the way she planned. She and Luke must rise to the occasion to keep their family intact and discover the depth of their new love. In the sphere of beauty, intimacy, and home, Kathy finds a new family and a new calling to fill the void left by unspeakable tragedy.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Wilspur Publishing
• Release date: Nov 7, 2017
• ISBN: 9781386148883

Book preview

LILY WILSPUR

Luke’s Mail Order Bride

Contents

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

Copyright

Chapter 1

No one got off the train except Kathy Sullivan. The stationmaster opened his mouth to speak to her, but stopped and shrugged his shoulders instead. Kathy watched the conductor unload her trunks. The shriek of the whistle announcing the departure of the train echoed through the empty station. The conductor didn’t bother to call All aboard. There was no one waiting to board the train.

There was no one in the entire station besides the stationmaster. Kathy could almost believe there was no one in the whole town. Opposite the platform, wild woods stretched as far as the eye could see. And she couldn’t see any other buildings on the other side of the station. She couldn’t hear the usual sounds of horses or voices shouting or wagons rattling that usually accompanied train stations.

The stationmaster disappeared into the station to be seen no more. The conductor swung up into the car, and the train plowed out of the station. The whistle shouted one more time from the curve at the top of the hill. Then the train slithered around the corner of the woods and its chugging voice faded into nothing.

Kathy watched it out of sight. Silence reigned through the station, through the woods, and through the whole world. Was this the end of the line for her? The man she arranged to marry told her he’d meet her at the station, but not a living soul moved.

She stared across the tracks at the woods for another brief moment. Then she turned on her heel and strode off the platform. There was nothing else to do.

But she didn’t make it more than ten steps before she stopped with her mouth gaping open. From the other end of the platform, a crowd of people approached her, laughing and chatting in gay merriment. Children capered around the periphery of the crowd, darting up to adults and engaging them in snatches of conversation before flitting away again.

Two men led the procession with their arms locked around each other’s shoulders. They looked exactly alike in every respect, from their curly brown top knots to their laughing blue eyes. One of them was bigger than the other. Kathy couldn’t see any other difference between them.

The closer they came, the more people flooded onto the platform behind them until the crowd filled the whole platform with living voices and movement. Kathy stared at them. Was this a vision out of her imagination? They couldn’t be here to welcome her. The whole town must be in this train station.

But here was the larger of the two men laughing to the smaller one and smiling at her. You must be Katherine Sullivan. He pretended to look around the platform. You’re the only one who got off the train. He laughed again and clapped the other man on the shoulder. No one gets off the train here. For some reason, he found that fact unbearably funny.

You must be Luke Ferguson, she replied.

The larger man clapped the smaller one on the shoulder again. This is Luke. I’m his brother, Max. He laughed more uproariously than ever. I don’t blame him for not telling you about me.

Kathy exchanged a quick look with Luke. He blushed and suppressed a shy smirk. He told me he had a brother. I just didn’t know you’d be so....

So similar? Max offered. That’s what everyone says.

Are you twins? she asked.

I’m three years older, Max replied. And much better looking, too. He roared with laughter. Luke chuckled and lowered his eyes. Well, Katherine, here you are.

Please, call me Kathy, she told him. Everyone does.

All right, Kathy, Max corrected himself. Here you are. And here we are. We’re here to escort you to the church. That is, he jostled his brother’s shoulders. If you’re absolutely certain you want to marry this guy.

Kathy stiffened. Do you know of any reason why I shouldn’t?

Don’t listen to him, Kathy, Luke interjected. His voice sounded soft and gentle, but the tone resembled his brother’s in every other way.

I’m only joking, Kathy, Max added. You’ll learn not to pay attention to anything I say. Nobody else does, especially Luke. He slapped his brother on the back. "Now, are you ready to