Finding Warmth In His Arms

By Vanessa Carvo

Beautiful Clara & Her Short Cowboy - A woman decides that a husband in the Old West would be a match for her quirky personality, but finds that the short yet muscular cowboy she accepts for her husband does not appreciate her sense of humor.

Three Brothers & The Fighting Brides - A group of women head out west on the train to meet their mail ordered husbands but when a fight erupts that spills out onto the train platform, all that the three waiting brothers can see is a mass of swirling skirts and bonnets and differently colored hair, and a group of apparently very angry women.

Walking To the Six Gun Samurai - A cowboy with a ranch in Arizona sends for a mail order bride who arrives early and not realizing that his ranch is many miles away from the railway station, she sets out walking.

High Society Twin Sisters & The Two Cowboy Brothers In Colorado - Two upper class twin sisters, used to high society life in North Carolina, take a chance for love and an adventure and travel to Colorado

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Nov 28, 2016
• ISBN: 9781365568091

Book preview

Finding Warmth In His Arms

Finding Warmth In His Arms

By

Vanessa Carvo

Copyright 2016 Quietly Blessed & Loved Press

Beautiful Clara & Her Short Cowboy

Synopsis:  Beautiful Clara & Her Short Cowboy - A woman decides that a husband in the Old West would be a match for her quirky personality, but finds that the short yet muscular cowboy she accepts for her husband does not appreciate her sense of humor. A major event later lets her have her personality back, but things are still far from easy even several years down the road. 

I’ll show them, Clara thought to herself as she stormed to the bedroom she shared with her two sisters. It was her sisters that were causing her anger. Arabella and Victoria had been teasing her yet again after Clara’s suitor had broken off their courtship. It was a joke between them, because despite Clara’s beauty she could not find a desirable man for marriage. Her sister’s often called her weird and improper and other names, because they knew it was her personality that drove men away.

Clara was a stunning young woman. She stood 5’5" tall and had a petite frame and very pale skin. Her skin radiated beautifully against her straight, dark brown hair, big, brown eyes, and full, dark pink lips. It was Clara’s looks that had won over so many suitors before, but it was her quirky personality that quickly ended every courtship.

Clara’s new plan was to seek a relationship with a man out west in America. She had heard about mail-order brides from her best friend, Anna. Anna was severely lacking in the looks department, which is why she sought a man out west. When Clara told Anna of her troubles, she had given Clara a newspaper full of ads for men looking for mail-order brides. It was called Bachelors of the West. Anna had told her to think it over, and if she found a man interesting enough, to seek correspondence.

This was exactly what Clara planned to do. Surely she could keep her humorous attitude and boisterous personality hidden until the wedding. Clara knew that most women were married within a week of arriving in their new home, because it was improper to sleep in the same house as a man you were not married to. She also knew that it would be too late for divorce once her husband signed the marriage certificate. Divorces were costly, and he would probably put up with her personality until one of them died.

As Clara perused Bachelor’s of the West, one ad in particular caught her eye.

Short, 26 year old cowboy seeks younger woman to make his wife. Must be able to handle cooking, cleaning, and ranching tasks, and bear children.

The ad did not catch Clara’s eye because it was charming or anything spectacular. The ad caught Clara’s eye because it included the word short. How short? Clara snickered to herself. I can’t imagine dating a midget cowboy. By the end of the listings, Clara was not satisfied with any man listed. She decided to leave her decision up to fate.

Clara cut each advertisement out and tossed them all together in a box. She decided the one she drew would be the man she would write. After all, Clara could always stop writing the man if she was no longer interested and nobody would know.

Clara shook the names around and drew a slip of paper. She nearly dropped it in disgust when she realized it was the ad for the midget cowboy. Still, she thought to herself, a deal is a deal. The midget cowboy it was. Clara just prayed she could keep her sisters from ever finding out if it went well. She could only imagine what they would say about their improper sister dating a midget.

Watch what you’re doing! Jasper angrily yelled at the postman. The man had rode up to the herd very quickly and his cloud of dust had spooked some of the cattle. Jasper did not want to have a stampede on their hands. His ranch could not afford it.

I’m sorry to come up so quickly, sir, the postman gasped. I wanted to catch you before you left town. A letter has come for you.

No harm done, Jasper said. You just spooked some of the cattle. I would have hated for them to stampede. Now, on your way, he said sharply. Many people said Jasper’s temper was as short as his height.

Good day, the postman said.

Jasper tucked the letter in his saddlebag and continued on his way with his men. They still had a few hours of the morning to ride before they would break so they could eat and the cattle could graze.

Jasper was a shorter man, standing around 4’8" and being rather stocky for his height. Fortunately, his body was the perfect build for a cowboy. Men of lighter weights were less tiring for the horses to carry. Jasper’s looks also matched his personality. He had quite a temper. This could often be seen in his steel gray eyes that turned darker when he was angry. He had dark, curly hair that he kept very short.

It wasn’t until a little later that day that Jasper finally remembered the letter. He was digging around in his satchel bag for a knife to cut a piece of wood when his hand touched the thick paper. Jasper took the letter out and placed it in his pocket. He would read it after dinner, as he relaxed underneath one of the few trees. The men would rest here until it was cool enough for the cattle to continue walking. After eating, Jasper laid his head back against the tree and opened the letter.

Hello,

I am writing in response to your advertisement in Bachelors of the West. I am seeking a man who is interested in marriage to a beautiful young woman with a bright personality. I do have skill in cooking and cleaning, though frontier tasks are beyond me. I do not know of raising cattle or rising horses, but I sure would be excited to learn!

I must ask a question. In your advertisement, you stated that you were short. How short are you? I only ask so that I do not receive a shock. Your height does not matter to me, as long as you are a kind man willing to make my acquaintance.

I do not have money to pay for my passage for North America. I live in the Northwest Territories of Canada and know that passage must be expensive. If you are still interested, please respond.

Thank you,

Clara

With a name like Clara, she must be a beauty, Jasper thought. He just imagined the sound of her name, like a bell in his head over and over. The name had a ring to it that Jasper adored. Jasper knew that he must act fast if she were truly as beautiful as she said. He responded to her letter after dinner the next day, with plans to mail it out the following morning.

Jasper did not know that he would receive a letter just two mornings later. It was also from a Canadian woman, though she had described herself as average looking at best. Jasper would never have imagined his advertisement for a short cowboy would illicit one response, let alone two.

He was a man of his word though, and Jasper had already responded to Clara. He burned the second letter he had received with the buffalo chips they used to heat their camp fire that night.

It took two months for Jasper’s letter to reach Clara. Every day, she would hang around the fence at the time the postman was due to arrive. She knew that she would be ridiculed horrendously if her sisters were to get to the letter before she did. Eventually, the letter did come.

Clara was very fortunate that day. Her sisters had noticed her strange behavior and made remarks about it just a week before. Hoping to find love with the postman, they teased her. Perhaps an older man wouldn’t mind someone as improper as you, they snickered. The remarks had continued until bed and they had more as the week passed. Fortunately, Victoria and Arabella were both out with their future husbands on the day that the letter arrived.

She was happy to see that Jasper was interested. The way he described himself in the letter portrayed him as handsome, despite his height. He also had told her he would be willing to teach her to work with the cattle and horses. Jasper informed her that it would be her job to tend to the animals on the ranch whenever he was away on cattle drives. Clara could see herself living this life. She would stay at home with the children and tend to the animals while Jasper was away on cattle drives. It was the picture of a perfect relationship for someone with Clara’s quirky personality.

Clara was very quick to respond. When she was finished, she tucked the letter inside of her bed lining where it would hide until she could give it to the postman the next day. Then, Clara ran off to find her mother. Even if she did not want her sisters knowing of her plan, Clara knew she could confide in her mother. She did not want it to come as a shock when Clara packed her trunk and left a few months later.

She lightly tapped on the study where she knew she would find her mother reading. As lady of the house, Clara’s mother had very few duties to uphold now that her daughter’s were old enough to watch themselves. Yes, Clara dear? her mother questioned. Normally, Clara would have just walked in so she knew it must be something important.

I have made a decision, Mama, Clara told her. I am going to be married and move to the west in America.

Where did you get such an idea, her mother chuckled. Clara’s mother had never heard of the mail-order bride business. She did not know how Clara possibly planned to meet a man in America but thought it surely was a joke.

Mama, Anna gave me the idea. She and I are going to be mail-order brides to men in the west. Look! She showed her mom the letter.

Clara’s mother got tears in her eyes when she read the letter. You barely know this man, she told her daughter.

Yes, but it is my only hope for finding love. You know the men out here don’t like me. I’m not good enough for them and I don’t want to live at home forever. Arabella and Victoria would never stop teasing me!

Clara was twenty years old and her mother knew there was nothing she could do to make her daughter stay. I hope you find happiness, she told her daughter. When do you plan to leave?

As soon as he wants me to come! Do not cry, Mama. I will be happy, I promise. Clara wiped her mother’s tear away. She kissed her on the cheek before scampering off to find Anna. Clara had to tell her best friend the news. She knew Anna would be excited for her. Instead of being excited though, Anna was jealous.

Anna had never told Clara that she had copied down the information for one of the advertisements. It had been for a shorter man, a man that Anna was sure would not care that her features were rather plain and she was overweight. Clara apologized profusely for her mistake.

You never told me! she protested. I just threw all of the ads into a box and picked one. It isn’t my fault! You just cannot be mad at me for this.

I am mad though. I have waited two months for a response. I could have been looking for other men, and instead I have wasted my time with this one!

Look, Clara told her, I will gladly step down if he writes to you too. If he writes you before he makes plans for me to leave I will give him to you. I promise.

Just leave me alone, Anna told her.

Clara knew that Anna was just as upset with herself as she was with Clara. She thought that she would have been angry if the same thing had happened to her. Clara decided to give her time. She meant it when she said she would stop writing Jasper if he decided to write Anna back instead. Clara knew her looks could get her any man looking for a mail-order bride.

Jasper never did respond to Anna’s letter, not even to tell her he had found another suitor. He had burned it in the buffalo chips that day and forgotten about it. When he read Clara’s next letter, he was excited to learn she was willing to embark on the journey. He sent enough money for a ticket on a ship that would travel from Canada to California. Jasper told her that she would be responsible for making her way to the Canadian port where the ship would depart, but that he would meet her in California. From there they would travel together back to his home in Arizona.

The timing of Clara’s ship’s arrival would work out perfectly for Jasper. He had planned to make at least one more cattle drive before picking up his new bride. The plan was to secure his finances so he could afford a wedding dress, lodgings, the marriage ceremony or anything else that his new bride would need right away. If she did not have money to make passage to California, he believed it was very unlikely she would have money to help pay for the wedding ceremony or lodgings.

After she received Jasper’s letter, Clara knew that he had chosen her over Anna. Anna either had not received a letter from Jasper, or she had gotten the letter and was ashamed to tell Clara. Clara told her mother that she was planning to leave as soon as she had received Jasper’s letter. She did not take the news well, and begged Clara to reconsider running off to marry a man she had