Rhonda Gibson - Pony Express Christmas Bride

“Why don’t you boys go wait for us at the general store? I’d like a little time with Josephine before you two take off for your parents’. We’ll meet you there in an hour.” Hazel wasn’t really asking them to leave; her tone told them to go.

Thomas heard his brother’s snort of laughter again. This was all Philip’s fault. If his brother had just minded his own business and not written an advertisement for a mail-order bride, neither he nor Josephine would be in this situation now.

Hazel turned the wagon down Elm Street and left the men staring after them.

“Looks like we have an hour to kill. What do you want to do now?” Philip asked. He rested his arms on the saddle horn and looked across at Thomas.

“I’d love to strangle you. But since that’s against the law and I’d have to answer to Ma if I did, I suppose we can go to the bakery and get a slice or two of sweetbread while we wait.” He turned his horse toward the small store.

Thomas hoped a hot cup of coffee and sweetbread would calm the troubled waters of his stomach. He felt as if he’d just fought a mighty battle and lost. Josephine was angry at him and they hadn’t been married even a half hour. Would they forever be at odds? Or was this about to become normal life for him?

Chapter Six

Josephine sat beside Thomas on the wagon seat. She wanted to smile knowing she had two beautiful new dresses, undergarments, a nightgown and a new pair of shoes in the basket at her feet. Much more than what she’d need for an overnight stay at the Young farm, but they all fit.

Mrs. Ring’s goods were as wonderful as Hazel had described. The dresses fit perfectly on her small frame. The widow woman had a real talent with needle and thread. Something that Josephine hoped to accomplish someday, as well. Her fingers were still sore from working on the quilt blocks with Hazel.

The shoes were a soft tan and had come from the general store. Unlike her boots, they hugged her feet and made her feel like a woman again, instead of a Pony Express rider.

She cut her eyes and looked at Thomas under her lashes. The question that burned in her mind, but she’d never ask, was—had he felt that little spark when he’d kissed her? Josephine had tried to push that thought, that memory of their lips touching for the first time away all morning. But now, secretly admiring her husband, she couldn’t keep it at bay any longer. Still, she tried by thinking of other things.

Hazel had said that Josephine needed to learn to trust her new husband. That was easy for the older woman to say. Hazel had never been abandoned by her father, almost sold by her uncle or lied to by her new brother-in-law. Hazel had confessed to having a wonderful marriage that had lasted almost forty years.

Thomas stared straight ahead. He hadn’t said much since leaving town. Josephine wondered about the faint welt on his face and had to stop herself from reaching up and tracing it with her finger. How had he gotten the scar? He seemed very aware of it, and even now his jaw clenched under her observation.

She felt more than saw him guide the horse to the side of the road. Josephine waited as they came to a complete stop.

He set the brake on the wagon, then Thomas turned to face her. A deep sigh released from his chest as he said, “Well, we did it.”

Josephine nodded. She tried to add a teasing note to her voice as she answered, “We sure did.”

His face remained serious. Thomas wasn’t in a bantering mood. Her new husband had something important to tell her. His jaw clenched, and then Thomas said, “Look, I’m not sure what you are expecting from this marriage.” He took his hat off his head and wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. “But it isn’t going to be a real marriage.”

“We said vows, Thomas. Vows that I have been raised to keep.” Now that they were alone, was this his way of saying he’d changed his mind? How could he do such a thing? Bitter bile rose in her throat.

His gaze met and held hers. “I agree, but this isn’t a real marriage, Josephine. The only reason I agreed to it was because I wanted you to be safe from your uncle and his evil plans. I have no intention of falling in love.”

All Josephine could think to say was “All right.” Inside she told herself she was happy that he harbored no desire to fall in love and live happily ever after.

Tension eased from her body. If he felt that way, then he couldn’t expect her to love him, either. How could anyone love another when they weren’t even sure they could trust them?

Still, a twinge of worry etched its way through her mind. “Does this mean you want to get out of the marriage?” She didn’t want to not be married to him; she needed the protection of his name.

“No, I married you before God. I just want you to know that there will be no children and no romance. We are married and you have the protection of the Young name, but that is all.” His Adam’s apple jumped in his throat as he swallowed.

Josephine lowered her eyes. Would her uncle be content with this sort of arrangement? Could he take her away if he knew they were sharing a name and nothing more? She hadn’t thought of this before because she hadn’t wanted a real marriage any more than Thomas did. Josephine still didn’t want a real marriage and prayed that her uncle would be none the wiser.

The warmth of his hand enveloped her shoulder. “Look, no one else has to know our personal business. Ma knows why I married you, but none of my family knows.” He grew silent for a moment, then continued, “Well, that may not be entirely true. I’m sure by now she’s expressed her concerns to Seth.”

So his adoptive parents knew. “I see.” She raised her head and looked at him. “Are we keeping it a secret from everyone?”

Thomas sighed. “No, tonight we’ll tell my family and make sure that they know how important it is to keep our secret. That this isn’t something we want shared with the world. My family will understand.”

The warmth of his hand seeped through the fabric of her dress. The comfort it offered wasn’t enough to keep the cold fingers of fear away. “I know you trust them, Thomas, but I don’t.” She placed her hand on top of his. “Trust isn’t something I offer easily and I’m scared. What if one of them lets it slip to my uncle or Mr. Grossman that we’re married in name only? Could he have the marriage annulled if he knew?”

“I don’t think so, and even if he wanted to use that as an excuse, it could easily be rectified.” His hand moved to touch one of the many curls that surrounded her face. “Would it make you feel better if we didn’t tell the others?”

Hadn’t she just said that? Josephine sighed. “It would.”

He jerked his hand from her hair and turned back toward the front. “All right. I’ll talk to Ma and Seth when we get there.” Thomas flicked the reins over the horse’s back and then set them on the road and headed to his family farm. “Philip knows, also. I told him to move his things into my room before we get back. You’ll be staying in his room.”

So he’d already made arrangements to move her into another room before he’d spoken to her about it. Josephine wondered how Philip had taken the news that he no longer had his own bedroom. “Was Philip all right with the move?”

Thomas shrugged. “He’s fine with it. He’ll have the room to himself two days a week.”

“What about the rest of the week?” Josephine asked out of curiosity.

“He’ll be on the Express trail two days a week and the other three we’ll share the room.” Thomas glanced over at her. “Don’t feel sorry for him. He brought this on himself.” His gaze returned to the road.

Josephine hated that Philip had invited her to marry Thomas, and she hated that she’d had to come, but most of all she hated that both men had to change their way of life for her. It hadn’t been fair to either of the men and yet there was nothing she could do about it now.