Mail Order Bride: Love Shines Bright

By Mary L. Briggs

Widowed with a small son, Jenny Timmons heads west on The Mail Order Bride Express. But her hopes for a new life are soon crushed when tragedy strikes again. All but giving up on happiness, she makes plans to head back east to live with her sister and teach school. Until Wes Cooper walks into her life.

Wes Cooper is a man of the west, tall and handsome, with a great love of the mountains and ranch life. But what he loves most is his son, Joseph, a boy injured from birth. Unable to send Joseph to school, Wes asks Jenny to come and teach his son. But will she bring more to their life than reading, writing, and arithmetic?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mary L. Briggs
• Release date: Jun 13, 2018
• ISBN: 9780463554326

Mary L. Briggs

Mary L. Briggs is a wife, mother, and registered nurse. She enjoys writing inspirational fiction and is also a free-lance writer. She has had two romance stories and one mini-mystery published in Woman's World Magazine. She enjoys reading, writing, studying American history, cooking, quilting, herb gardening, and crafting. Mary lives in a cordwood home in the Ouachita Mountains with her husband and two daughters. She also enjoys the company of five cats, a German Shepherd/Border Collie dog, and a flock of chickens.

Book preview

Love Shines Bright

By Mary L. Briggs

Smashwords Edition

COPYRIGHT © 2018 Mary L. Briggs

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. It may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com to purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Cover Image: Snow for Christmas. Original art, Young woman reading book by Chaoss. Used with permission. http://www.dreamstime.com/

Table of 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

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 1

You look beautiful, Jenny! Olivia said.

Jenny Timmons stared into the large oval mirror. Olivia’s shining face behind her told her that the words were true. Jenny sighed. I never thought it would look like this, she said, her hands gently smoothing the skirt. The soft material was barely pink, with tiny white sprigs embroidered over it. The high collar had an embroidered border of the same. The fitted waist showed off her lovely shape, and the sleeves were full with embroidered cuffs and pearl buttons that matched the ones running down the bodice. You’ve made this dress more beautiful than I ever imagined.

Olivia laughed and spun her around to face her. I do my best to make all the brides a special dress.

Jenny nodded. Maybe it wasn’t fair that Olivia had spent so much time on her dress. After all, she wasn’t a young, first time bride. Widowed four years now, with a young son still back east, her trip to Silver Ridge had been part of the hope for a new life for her and Kurt.

She offered a big smile to Olivia. It will be your turn soon, I’m sure.

It was too bad that Olivia hadn’t found a husband, yet. Maybe the fact that she was a successful business woman was part of the trouble. Were they intimidated by her accomplishments? She was pretty, smart, and fun to talk to. Some man out there was missing the perfect wife!

Olivia shrugged. I’m content to wait until the right man comes along.

Jenny laughed and turned back to the mirror. If only you were an expert with hair, I might look presentable, she grinned. Her fly-away auburn hair had been a thorn in her side since she was a small girl. Why couldn’t she have straight hair, like so many of the other girls?

Olivia pinned a section of the collar, then began unbuttoning the bodice. No need to worry about your hair. Inez will take care of it.

Jenny nodded. It was Inez’s gift to each bride to do their hair before their wedding. As if the woman hadn’t all ready done enough for each of them. She had paid their way out to Silver Ridge, then housed and fed them in the Mail Order Bride Express Boarding House. And she was always there for each of them with wisdom and sound advice when they needed a mother’s insight in their lives. The woman truly had a heart of gold. None of them could ever begin to repay her.

I know she will make it look nice, Jenny answered, reaching for her everyday blue calico dress that she had worn in to the fitting. Today was the last time she would try on the dress before her wedding. Only two days from today.

That will be all, Olivia grinned. It’s almost wedding time!

Jenny’s heart gave a small skip. It was hard to believe that in only forty-eight hours, she would be Mrs. Isaac Warden. Inez had promised all of the mail order brides the chance to find a husband. Love had not been specified, however. A twinge passed through her and she ignored it. She had loved Michael so much. But he was gone. That part of her life was over. She must be content with friendship and companionship. And maybe, in time, love would grow.

Dressed, she stepped into the front room of the store. The little cottage Isaac had rented for them was sitting empty up on the hill above the town. She could see it now, as she glanced out the window. Isaac had spent all of his spare time last week giving a coat of new paint to the five small rooms. It was fresh and ready for them to move inside. And once they were married, they would send for Kurt. She blinked back a tear at the thought of her child. It had been over six months since she had seen him.

Yesterday, she had finished the last of the curtains for the windows. Blue checks in the kitchen and living room, green paisley for the bedroom, and a soft brown plaid for Kurt’s room, and yellow calico for the smallest room. A room that they both prayed would someday serve as a nursery, and hold a crib for the child they hoped to have.

Only last evening, Isaac had stopped by the boarding house with a wagon full of furniture, some given to them as gifts; a few other pieces had been purchased second hand from a mining family leaving town. She closed her eyes for a moment. Thank you, Lord, for giving me another chance at happiness. And for making Isaac’s dreams come true.

Chapter 2

Jenny took a deep breath as she stopped outside the door of Olivia’s Dress Shop. It had been two weeks since she had last stepped through that door. Two weeks since the mine had exploded on the eve of her wedding. Twenty miners, including Isaac had been killed. Though the accident was fresh in her mind and heart, there were things to be taken care of. Like the dress she had inside the paper tote. Her friend, Olivia, would be loathe to accept the return, but it had to be done. Putting her hand on the handle, she pushed the door open and stepped inside.

Stopping in the doorway, she listened to the chatter of women, busy cutting fabric, some sewing with the new machines that Olivia had purchased. Mrs. Granger, wife of Markus Granger of The Granger Mine, was standing in front of the mirror near the front windows, busy trying on hats, fussing whenever she felt one didn’t suit her.

Jenny smiled. Despite the subdued atmosphere in Silver Ridge, it was nice to hear happy conversation. But most of the time, her presence had seemed to dampen any signs of uplifting conversations these last two weeks. People were trying to be considerate, she knew, but it made it hard to find any joy when she was excluded.

Jenny took another few steps inside. She had worked for Olivia before accepting the teaching job last term at the Silver Ridge school. She had given up the position when the term was over. By now, she should be keeping house for Isaac in the little cottage he had found for them to rent. She took a deep breath and pushed away the disappointment in her heart. There was no need to dwell on what might have been. At least her son had arrived a few days ago from Kansas City. He was the one bright spot in her life.

Jenny!

She could see the surprise on Olivia’s pretty face as she hurried toward her, pin cushion tied on her wrist, a cloth tape measure draped behind her neck and dangling in front of her.

What can I do for you? she asked, her eyes anxious.

Jenny held the paper tote toward her. I’m returning this, Olivia.

Olivia shook her head and used her hands to push the item back toward her. It is yours to keep, Jenny. It can be worn for many different occasions. I made it especially for you.

Jenny sighed. I know that it is not strictly a wedding dress, but I would always think of the event that it is meant for. Please, take it back.

Olivia sighed and reached for the bag. "Jenny, I’m so sorry that things worked out this way. But, I’m

Reviews for Mail Order Bride

[benn9314 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A sweet story about two people having a second chance at life