Scruffy and the Bride

By Mary L. Briggs

The first book in a heartwarming new series that proves every bride needs a best friend.

It’s love at first sight when Megan sees the scruffy little dog at the train station. But will she feel the same when she meets J. Tatum, her potential future groom? After only two brief letters, Megan is hopeful but unsure what to expect.

Joshua thinks it’s just like his Aunt Polly to matchmake him with her best friend’s niece. So, when the pretty, sweet Megan shows up on their doorstep with a bedraggled dog, will it turn his world upside down?

Can Scruffy keep Joshua and Megan together? Or will an unexpected discovery tear them apart forever?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mary L. Briggs
• Release date: Jun 15, 2022
• ISBN: 9781005947798

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

Scruffy and the Bride

By Mary L. Briggs

Smashwords Edition

COPYRIGHT © 2022 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: Scruffy. Original art, Woman and dog by Branislav Ostojic, ‘Summer blossoming apple orchard at sunrise. Bright warm sunlight in green garden in early morning. Trees in green garden,’ by Siarhei Dzmitryienka, and ‘Black and white buffalo plaid Christmas gift bow and ribbon long border isolated on white’ by Jenifoto404. Used with permission. http://www.dreamstime.com/

Megan Grimes stared at the scenery as the train slowed. She pressed her feet against the floor to stop the terrible vibration the brakes sent through the entire car. It had been a long journey of bumps and break squeals, not to mention all of the horn blowing that the engineer had done at every stop or town. Moments of sleep had been few and far between. Her eyes felt heavy and her bones ached from sitting for so long.

She grabbed her bag and made her way to the door and waited for the train to finally stop. The conductor opened the door and stepped aside. Be careful, miss.

She blinked her eyes in the bright sunlight and took in her surroundings. Rolling hills in the distance were bright green with the beginning of new spring growth. A breeze rippled through the tree tops as the train slowed to a crawl and she held tight to the handrail just inside the door. She hoped it was warm out there.

Stepping down from the train, careful not to step on her plain brown skirt, she stood on the station platform. Dust swirled in the breeze, as a small crowd pushed toward the train. A man bumped into her and didn’t even stop to apologize. Carrying her small valise, she made her way to the area where they were unloading more of the baggage. Her large, brown leather case would be among those being stacked on the boarded platform.

After a moment, she spotted the dark object. She made her way through a pile of burlap bags and grabbed onto the handle of her case. Once she was free of the other bags, she stared around her. Surely J. was coming to meet her today. She wished she knew what J. stood for in Mr. Tatum’s name. It was a lazy way to sign a letter and she had expressed that opinion to her aunt who had only laughed.

I told you, the boy needs a woman to settle him down, make him do things proper. You’ll do the job, Megan, she had guaranteed. Besides, I can’t remember his name, either. I’m sure his aunt will find it funny, she had giggled.

Megan grimaced at the memory. She wasn’t sure she even wanted to ‘make a gentleman’ out of the nephew of her aunt’s friend. Their letters had been few, with little information, before the last one, asking her to come on out to Peach Grove so that they could meet. After a few weeks of getting acquainted, they would be married, if both were satisfied with the other.

Megan suspected that this time of getting acquainted before the marriage was his aunt’s idea. No doubt she wanted to make sure that Megan was suitable for her nephew.

She stood for almost half an hour, her tired legs aching, and watched as the station began to clear of the crowd. A shaggy, medium-sized dog ran past and nipped the heels of an elderly man with a cane. The gentleman turned and shook the stick at the dog, which hurriedly scampered away. Megan laughed and wondered who the little dog belonged to. He was thin and his hair looked stiff and grungy.

With only a few people left on the platform, most getting back on the train, no one seemed interested in the rather small, dark-haired young woman standing alone on the platform, skirt and coat wrinkled from her long trip. Three days on a train had not been kind to her appearance, she feared.

She watched as the last passenger boarded and the engineer blew his whistle. The train began to slowly roll past her. She stood, watching the faces in the windows. A few people waved at her and she waved back, wondering where they were going and hoping their reception at their destination was happier than her own. When the caboose was finally out of sight, she turned and stared around her. The station was nothing more than a large boarded platform with a small roofed shelter for protection from the elements.

She picked up her heavy case and made her way to one of the rough benches under the cover. No need to stand out in the windy weather while she waited for J. She started to pull the few letters from her reticule and re-read them, so that maybe she could think of something to say when he arrived. But she changed her mind. She had all but memorized the few lines he had written, most concerning his horse. She assumed their first real conversation would be about the animal.

The wind picked up and blew a cloud of dust across the platform. She covered her face with her handkerchief with one hand, and held her hat with the other. She waited for it to pass. When it was over, she checked her watch pin and saw that she had been sitting on the bench for almost two hours. She was beginning to suspect that J. had somehow forgotten that today was the day she was to arrive.

Stuck in the middle of nowhere, her only hope was that the next train might let off a passenger that was local to the area. Perhaps they could give her a ride to the Tatum home. She realized that she wasn’t even sure if it was a ranch or farm. She shook her head. How had she ever agreed to this situation? Her fingers moved to the packet of money inside the pocket of her skirt. There was enough for a ticket back home. She had made sure of that before starting on this adventure.

Something wet and cold touched her hand and she jumped. Her dark eyes met the sad, dark eyes of the little dog that the man with a cane had chased away, earlier.

She felt the smile on her lips before she knew it was coming. Well, hello there, you scruffy little thing.

The dog, his fur matted and muddy, sat and wagged his tail. After a moment, he offered a friendly ‘woof!’

Megan laughed and rubbed the top of his dirty head. I think maybe you are hungry. As she said the words, she felt her own stomach growl. It just so happens I have a sandwich left from the train. I would be glad to share some of it with you, boy.

After making her way to the water pump at the end of the platform, she returned and rummaged inside her small bag. After a moment, she pulled out a packet, wrapped in paper. Opening the wrapping, she tore off a third of the bread and meat and dropped it down to the dog. She watched as he all but inhaled his part of the sandwich. Despite her own hunger, she felt a pang of sympathy and offered him another bite.

He took it gladly eyes hopeful for more.

She took the last two bites as he watched. She wished she had saved the other sandwich and not eaten it on the train. There was no way to know how long she was going to be stuck here on the platform before J. arrived to take her to his home.

Swallowing the last bit, she folded the paper and put it back in her bag. How about a drink of water, boy? She reached back in her bag and pulled out the cup that Aunt Agatha had packed for her train ride. She was glad she wouldn’t be forced to use the public cup that hung by the pump.

***

After another hour of no company, other than the dog and the whistling wind, she was getting bored. There must be something to do. She let her eyes fall on the dog, now lying at her feet. He was such a sweet little dog. It was a shame there seemed no one to care for him. She smiled. Hey Scruffy, how about a bath?

He sat up and wagged his tail.

Come on, Scruffy!

The little dog stood still as she pumped water into the cup on a chain and poured it over him watching the muddy stream of water that washed off of his head and neck. She smiled. It was as if he was used to having an afternoon bath, as he stood, barely moving. But from the looks of him, this was the first clean water his fur