A Native Love for the Lonely Bride (Preview)

 Prologue

Kansas City, 1866

Letitia sat in the hard chair in front of Mrs. Granger’s desk. The older woman looked at her intently before she said anything.

“Are you sure about this? Kansas City has plenty of men who are looking for wives. There are a lot of jobs for someone with your sewing skills.”

Looking down at the packet of letters in front of her, Letitia nodded. “You know that most of the men who’d want me wouldn’t necessarily be good men. I’m an orphan who’s aging out. I have a Bible, a sewing kit, and two dresses to my name. I don’t have time to look for a good man to fall in love with. I’ve already stayed here a couple of months more than I should have.” She paused. “Besides, I’m tired of everything that has to do with the war. This area has been torn apart by the war between the states. People are still killing each other over it.”

Mrs. Granger studied Letitia’s face for a while. Letitia didn’t need the older woman’s blessing or permission, but she wanted it. Mrs. Granger had been the one constant in her life since she was left on the orphanage’s steps eighteen years ago.

“Wyoming Territory is such a long way away. It’s unsettled.”

Letitia unconsciously touched the letters that Bernard McPherson had written to her after she’d answered an advertisement for a mail-order bride. “I know, but Bernard has a ranch and wants to make it bigger. He’s lived out there his entire life, and I like the way it sounds. He seems like a very nice man and doesn’t care that, except for you, I’m completely alone in this world, and I have nothing to my name.” Letitia hated the hint of pleading in her voice.

Finally, Mrs. Granger smiled. “If anyone would do well, it would be you. You’re a hard worker and a fast learner. I’m sure you’ll be writing a letter to me telling me all about your chickens and milking a cow. We’ll buy the train tickets you need tomorrow.”

Letitia hugged Mrs. Granger and went back to her room. She packed her dresses, cloak, and other clothes in one canvas bag she’d found in the attic and her toiletries in another bag, along with her sewing kit. She put her Bible in a large black pocketbook that someone had donated to the orphanage.

She pulled out the first letter Bernard had written to her.

Dear Miss Letitia,

I received your kind letter in response to my advertisement. Your description of your character makes me believe that we’ll do well together.

Before you make up your mind, I want to be honest with you. As you saw, I’m in the Wyoming Territory. It’s nothing like the city. The nearest neighbor from the ranch is fifteen miles away, which is at least a four-hour ride. The same goes for the town. I usually go to town for supplies once a month. Dry Creek isn’t nearly as big as Kansas City, although it’s growing. Miners come out West looking for gold, lead, and silver. Soldiers from the war are looking to start over. Families who want to make a life for themselves are building ranches in the area.

The Wyoming Territory can be difficult. Our winters are often harsh with low temperatures and plenty of snow. In the summer, the dry heat can be unbearable for some. The work is hard, and there’s a never-ending supply of it.

It’s a pretty country, though. The mountains are beautiful. You’ll find the prairie to be different than in your area, but it has its own charm.

I own the land free and clear. I have good water and good pasture land for the cattle. My friend and foreman, Randall, lives in the bunkhouse and helps run the place.

The house is small, but it’s well-built. There are three bedrooms—one that I use for my study. There is a sitting room and a kitchen with a nice stove and basin, and lots of pantry space.

I’m a God-fearing man, and I go to services when I can. I don’t drink to excess, gamble, or keep bad company. I’m looking for a woman who shares these values, and it sounds as though you do.

If you’re of a mind to continue our correspondence in light of what I’ve told you, please write back.

Most respectfully yours,

Bernard McPherson

Letitia wasn’t a stranger to hard work. She had had calluses on her hands since she was a young girl. She had written back to Bernard, and they’d exchanged a couple more letters. This morning, the money for her fare had arrived.

Alice, a seventeen-year-old girl who’d been Letitia’s closest friend, sat next to her. The two of them had whispered their secrets to each other in the dark since Letitia could remember.

“Are you really going to go all the way to Wyoming Territory to marry a man you’ve never met?”

“Yes.” Letitia grinned at her friend. “It sounds very romantic, doesn’t it?”

“I don’t know. What if he looks like Frankenstein and smells like three-day-old rubbish?” Alice scrunched up her face and pinched her nose for effect.

“Well, I guess I’ll keep my eyes closed and buy a lot of soap. I found a book in the library that had a recipe for making soap out of pine needles and lavender.” Letitia shrugged. “Besides, Frankenstein was friendly and helpful until people started being mean to him. He seems nice in his letters, so if he is ugly like Frankenstein, he’ll still treat me right.”

Alice pursed her lips and tilted her head to one side. “There is that. Besides, anything is better than Mr. Wickham in Pride and Prejudice or some of those other men who wait for the girls to age out.” She shuddered exaggeratedly and grimaced. “He always smells like old onions and whiskey and makes my stomach turn every time I look at him. He’s asked Mrs. Granger for girls to come to work for him at his house, but she refused to send anyone.”

Letitia felt a little ill at the thought of one of her babies going to a man like that. “That’s the good thing about Mrs. Granger. She always makes sure all of the kids get apprenticed to good families or companies. We just got lucky because I’m good at teaching the kids how to read, write, and do math, and you’re a master in the kitchen.”

She carefully put Bernard’s letters back in her pocketbook. “I’d rather take my chances with a stranger who seems to be very nice than any of the men looking for wives around here.” She smoothed her worn brown dress. “Besides, if he’s mean to me, I’ll do what Mrs. Johnson down the street did. I’ll wait until he goes to sleep and clobber him in the head with a cast-iron skillet. That’ll teach him.”

Alice laughed. “Aren’t you a little scared?”

“Of course I am. I’m going nine hundred miles to marry a man who seems nice but might just be a talented liar. Wyoming will be different than anything I’ve ever experienced, and it’ll be hard.” She bobbed her head from one shoulder to the other and raised her eyebrows. “It could be the chance of a lifetime. I’ll get to travel on the train and the stagecoach, and I’ll have the chance to experience something new and exciting. I’m used to working hard and can cook a fair meal. So as long as the cow doesn’t bite me when I’m milking her, everything will be fine.”

“You could just bite her back.”

Alice and Letitia collapsed in a fit of laughter.

Alice hugged her tightly. “I’ll miss you.”

“I’ll miss you, too,” Letitia said. “I’ll write when I get settled so you know whether Bernard is Prince Charming or Frankenstein.”

“Or a charming Frankenstein. Or a monstrous prince,” Alice teased.

Letitia playfully smacked her arm. “Don’t you have chores to do? I need to write a letter to Bernard.”

The next morning, she and Mrs. Granger went to the train station. They were able to make arrangements immediately. Letitia hastily wrote a letter to Bernard letting him know when to expect her, put it in the envelope, and gave it to Mrs. Granger to mail.

She hugged the older woman tightly, fighting back tears.

“You’ll do just fine, child. Well, you aren’t a child anymore, but I did raise you, and I did a good job if I must say so myself. Write to me when you can.” Mrs. Granger kissed both of her cheeks, and Letitia was surprised to see the tears in the older woman’s eyes. “Go with God.”

The conductor called for everyone to board the train from Kansas City to Omaha in the Nebraska Territory. With one last look at Mrs. Granger, she rushed into the second-class car of the train, grateful to get a window seat.

The train lurched forward, and Letitia’s stomach nodded. She had to fight the urge to jump up, scream at the conductor to stop, that it had all been a huge mistake, and she had to get off. She clenched her fists tightly, her fingernails digging into the palms of her hands as she watched Mrs. Granger get smaller and smaller until she couldn’t see her anymore.

Soon, the bustling city gave way to open prairie. She tried to focus on the bright yellow, purple, and burgundy wildflowers that grew among the golden, waving prairie grasses. As they traveled, she marveled at the herds of deer and bison that grazed in the grasslands.

Gradually, she relaxed. The tension from her shoulders eased, and she slipped her hand into her pocketbook to feel the bundle of letters from Bernard. In a couple of weeks, she would be Mrs. Bernard McPherson, wife of a ranch owner, and ready to start a new life.

Chapter 1

Dry Creek, Wyoming Territory, 1866

Letitia wrung her hands together, her fingers trembling. The closer Dry Creek got, the more nervous she became. Her stomach twisted, and a few times, she caught herself forgetting to breathe. She still couldn’t believe that she was planning on marrying a man she’d never met, although she’d reread his letters a million times. He almost sounded too good to be true.

She pulled her shawl tighter around her and then wiped the grit from her face. Although Bernard had sent enough money for her to get a seat inside the stagecoach, the dust seemed to relentlessly pour in, covering her face, hands, and even her hair, in spite of the worn bonnet covering it.

Letitia peered doubtfully out of the stagecoach windows as they got closer to Dry Creek. She hoped that the bleak, desolate land that spread out before her wasn’t an indication of her future. The pretty landscape of wavy prairie grasses and wildflowers with herds of deer and bison grazing in Kansas City and Nebraska had given way to this bleak land.

The Wyoming prairie was full of something the other passengers called greasewood. They were tall bushes with thorns and thin, narrow leaves that almost looked like pine needles. The bark was gray-green. Sharp brambles caught her skirts when she stepped out of the stagecoach at Point of Rock, where the passengers, drivers, and horses stayed overnight. Mosquitoes loved the plant, and she’d been bitten a couple of times between the stagecoach and the waystation.

All that was forgotten as the stagecoach pulled up next to a small, weathered shack and the driver announced they’d arrived in Dry Creek. Her heart thundered in her chest, and her breath caught in her throat. Her knees almost gave out on her when she stepped onto the road.

Breathe. Just breathe. You’re here.

She looked around at what she could see of the small town and sighed as the stagecoach driver lifted down her canvas bags. Letitia gave him one of her last dimes and smiled wearily at him.

“Is someone supposed to meet you here, miss?” he asked.

“Yes, thank you.” She smiled shyly at him as he nodded and turned toward the other passengers.

She walked toward the rain barrel and used the dipper to get a drink. Letitia wasn’t sure if she had more dirt on her or in her throat. She hastily cleaned her face and hands with the questionable water from the nearby washbasin.

I probably just smeared it all over my face and look more like a child playing in a mud puddle than a grown woman.

Biting her bottom lip, she stood and looked around for anyone who might fit Bernard’s description. However, the only man in the area walked quickly up to the blonde mother who’d traveled with Letitia from Point of Rock today.

I told him that I’d arrive today. I wonder if he got busy.

She sighed and closed her eyes for a second. She was tired. Her legs hurt, and her body ached. She was sure that her brain had been rattled in her skull, especially for the last hour between Lander and Dry Creek.

After waiting for a few more minutes, she decided to ask someone at the general store that was across the red, clay-packed road from the station.

An older man with salt and pepper hair looked up and smiled when she walked in. “Hi, miss. What can I do for you today?”

Heat rose up the back of her neck and into her face. Taking a deep breath, she slowly walked to the counter and gave the man a shy smile. “I’m looking for Bernard McPherson.”

The smile faded from the man’s face, and he frowned. “Why are you looking for him?”

“I’m … well … I’m supposed to marry him.” Letitia’s voice was barely above a whisper, and she looked down at the counter.

“You are?” he asked, astonished.

She nodded and pulled out the bundle of letters from her pocketbook. “We’ve been writing letters for a while now. He sent money for me to come out. I told him what day I’d be here, but I guess he got busy.” All her words came out in a rush.

The man’s jaw dropped, and his eyes opened wide. He stared at her for a minute before he spoke.

“Well, miss, I’m sorry to tell you this, but Bernard … well … he had an accident two days ago. He was on a ladder in the barn, and the rung broke. Bernard fell and hit his head on the side of a stall and then on the trough.”

All the color drained from her face, and she had to hold onto the counter to keep from falling. Her heart stopped, and for a moment, she couldn’t breathe. The world swam in front of her eyes, and she was certain that she was going to be sick.

“Miss, are you alright?” The man hurried around the other side of the counter with a stool and held her elbow so she could sit down.

“He’s gone? He’s dead?” she asked in disbelief.

“Yes, ma’am. The funeral was this morning,” he said sympathetically.

Tears burned the back of her eyes, and she hung her head. The icy hand of fear gripped her heart and ripped at her insides. She had come to a town where no one knew her. Letitia had no idea whether Bernard had told anyone about her arrival or even that he planned to be married. The only person who knew she’d be in town was now dead.

“Can I get you a glass of water?” he asked, obviously feeling awkward and needing something to do.

“Yes, please,” she whispered.

He brought her a glass, which she drank quickly, her throat still full of grit from the stagecoach ride.

With shaking hands, she looked at the address on the envelopes and took a deep breath.

Hopefully, Martha, his sister, will help me until I can figure out what to do next.

“Thank you for your kindness, sir.”

“You’re welcome, and I’m so sorry for your loss.”

She nodded and headed to Number Three, Willow Creek Lane. Bernard said that his sister lived with him at their home in town and kept house for him, although Bernard spent the majority of his time at his place on the ranch.

The house was close by. It was a white clapboard, two-story building. Marigolds and hollyhocks lined the porch. A white picket fence surrounded the yard.

Letitia put her hand on the gate, hesitating for a moment, trying to figure out what she was going to say to Martha, who would be grieving her brother.

Hesitantly, her heart thundering, she walked up the steps and onto the porch. She noticed that the wooden boards didn’t have a single speck of dust on them. Bernard had mentioned that Martha was a meticulous housekeeper. Taking a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves, she knocked.

After a minute, the door opened.

A tall woman with dark brown hair pulled tightly back into a bun and sad blue eyes stared at Letitia. “Can I help you?”

“My name is Letitia Simmons. You must be Martha.” She held up the bundle of letters she’d been clutching since she left the general store. “I’m … well, I was … Bernard’s fiancée.”

Martha looked at Letitia with disbelief and shook her head. She pinched her mouth together, and her face turned bright red. “That’s not possible. Bernard didn’t say anything to me about that.”

Letitia’s heart lurched, and her stomach twisted into a knot. “I have his letters here. He placed an advertisement in the papers for a mail-order bride. I answered and we’ve been–”

Martha held up her hand and cut her off. “I don’t want to hear anymore. I don’t know what game you’re playing, but this is not the time.”

She started to close the door, but Letitia cried, “Wait. I came all the way from Kansas City to marry Bernard. I have no place to stay, and I don’t know anyone here. Please, help me.”

Martha shook her head. “That’s not my problem. Go sleep on the porch of the stagecoach station.”

She quickly shut the door, and the sound seemed like an explosion to Letitia’s ears. The lock clicked so loudly that Letitia was sure that everyone in town must have heard it.

In shock, she slowly turned around and walked back out to the street. Her head hung low, the weight of her canvas bags pulling down on her. The sun dipped low behind the mountains, and Letitia felt as though an anvil was sitting on her chest.

A boy passed by her, carrying a bucket. He looked at her strangely but didn’t say anything. He kept walking. Letitia figured that since the town was so small, everyone knew everyone, and he was curious about her since she was a stranger.

“Excuse me, but can you tell me where the cemetery is?”

The boy pointed. Letitia could barely make out the white fence on a hill and crooked rows of crosses and headstones.

“Thank you.”

Letitia sighed and concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other toward the cemetery, her bags getting heavier and heavier as she walked. Although she didn’t doubt the man’s word at the general store or mistake Martha’s reaction to her, she had to see for herself.

In the second row of the cemetery was a fresh mound of dirt. The cross was leaning a little to the left. Only Bernard’s name was crudely carved into the cross.

She briefly wondered if Martha and Eli, Bernard’s brother, had ordered him a headstone.

Kneeling beside the grave, she traced his name with her fingers. “Well, here I am, and there you are. Your sister was surprised to see me and slammed the door in my face. I’m not sure what I’m going to do with myself now.” She took a deep breath and willed herself not to cry. “I know we’d have gotten along just fine. You seemed like a good man, and I’d have worked hard to make you happy.”

The wind picked up, and some of the dirt from his grave stung her eyes. She sat back on her heels and cried. She cried for the man she was supposed to have married. She cried for herself because she was scared and lost. And she cried because her eyes hurt.

“Dear Lord. I never got a chance to meet Bernard in person. I never had the opportunity to get to know him face-to-face, but from his letters, I know he was a good man. I don’t know why You let me come out here just to lose him, but I pray that he’s in Your hands, free of pain and worry. Please watch over me and help me. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.”

She gathered her skirts and stood, feeling decades older than her eighteen years. Biting her bottom lip, she picked up her canvas bags and walked back down the slope, trying not to let the wind blow her over.

The livery stable was the first building on the right. She had no money and no one to vouch for her, so she was pretty sure the small hotel wouldn’t let her stay the night. Looking around to see if anyone was looking, she slipped inside the door. The fresh smell of horses, worn leather, manure, and hay rushed at her, almost knocking her down, but at least she was out of the wind. It was warm from all the horses that neighed softly as she entered.

Letitia inhaled deeply, trying to steady herself, as she crept down the long row between the stalls. A small stall at the very end of one row was empty except for an old saddle blanket and a burlap bag. It looked as though it wasn’t used very often.

Looking around to make sure no one was watching, she slipped inside the stall and groaned as she stepped into an old pile of manure.

She didn’t have the energy to cry in frustration. Letitia was tired, and every muscle in her body ached. She wasn’t sure that her legs could have carried her much further.

Dropping her bags in a corner of the stall, she grabbed the blanket and bag, and pulled them to the corner.

Her stomach rumbled loudly, and she dug through her pocketbook to find a piece of jerky and a hoecake. After eating them, her throat burned. She pushed herself off the floor and made her way to the large wooden barrel near the tack room. She looked at the water dubiously, but she was so thirsty.

She dipped the ladle into the water and noted a few specks of dirt floating around on top. Grimacing, she smelled it. It didn’t stink, so she was fairly certain it was safe to drink.

“I don’t have much choice unless I go into one of the stalls and ask the horses to share their water.” Sighing, she closed her eyes and sipped the water. It was warm and stale, but it was wet and soothed the ache in her throat.

Cautioning herself not to drink too fast, because she didn’t want to get sick, she drank her fill of the welcome liquid before returning to the stall.

She’d been certain that she’d fall asleep as soon as she lay her head on the canvas bag that held her clothes, but try as she might, she couldn’t still her brain enough to rest.

Even though she knew it wasn’t smart to hold onto something that could never be, she carefully unwrapped the bundle of letters and took out the latest one that Bernard had sent her, reading it in the fading light.

September 6, 1866

Dearest Letitia,

I hope this letter finds you well. Winter is quickly approaching, and I hope the lean-tos, pastures, and barn are sturdy enough to get us through. I bought enough hay to feed the herd twice over in case we get a lot of snow.

I’ve spoken to the preacher and he said he’d marry us straight away after you arrive. There won’t be any fuss.

The spare room is ready for you, although I hope you won’t be using it long. The house isn’t fancy, but it’s warm and keeps the wind out. Like I said in my last letter, it’s easier to count the few days when the wind isn’t blowing.

I’m sure you’ll love it out here. We’ve got chickens, and you mentioned you wanted to make a vegetable and herb garden. Learning to milk a cow isn’t as hard as you think.

I, too, am looking forward to building a life together. I’ve always wanted a large family. I know that you’ll be a good mother. We’ll have family picnics and a lot of fun.

I hope the train and stage ride isn’t too hard. I’ve sent enough money for second-class train tickets and an inside seat on the stagecoach plus meals. Have a safe trip, and I’ll be waiting for you at the station when you arrive. Send me a letter to let me know when to expect you.

Yours in hope and faith,

Bernard

Sadness overwhelmed her, and she felt as though all of her energy, all of her willpower, and every bit of her strength had drained out of her.

Swallowing a sob, she carefully tucked the letter back into the envelope, tied the envelopes together with a string, and slipped them back into her pocketbook.

Forcing herself to close her eyes, she wrapped her shawl around her and pulled the saddle blanket and burlap bag up to her shoulders. She played the A-B-C game in her mind that always helped her sleep, trying to think of all the words that started with the letters AB, and then AC.

No matter how much she tried to calm her mind so she could get a little bit of rest, she couldn’t stop thinking about all the promises Bernard had made to her about the life they’d build together and how she’d never have that. The words from his letters mocked her, stabbing her in the heart cruelly. She was entirely alone in the world and had no idea how she was going to survive.

Chapter 2

Letitia didn’t remember falling asleep. One minute she was trying to figure out what her next step would be, and the next the faintest light streamed through the slits between the boards. It took her a full minute to figure out where she was. Then, everything came back to her, hitting her like a ton of bricks—the endless trip west, Bernard’s death, Martha slamming the door in her face, and her sneaking into the livery stables to try to find the safest place she could spend the night.

She sat up and was certain that all of her joints were creaking, like Mrs. Granger’s used to at the orphanage. Letitia touched her face and felt the pattern from her canvas bag imprinted on her skin. Her head hurt, her eyes burned, and her mouth felt like it was full of cotton. To add insult to injury, her stomach was screaming for something to eat.

The soft snorts of the horses and the rustle of straw reminded her that she needed to hurry. The longer she stayed in the stall, the more likely she was to get caught.

In the dim light of the stable, she dug through her pocketbook in search of her wooden comb. Grimacing, she could only imagine what her hair must look like. Pulling her long, light brown hair out of what had been a bun, she worked the teeth through the tangles, amazed at the amount of dust that rose in a cloud. She wanted to get out of the stable as quickly as possible, so she impatiently pulled her hair back into a bun and tied on her bonnet.

Letitia listened intently for any sign of stable boys or liverymen coming in for their morning chores; she hastily straightened her clothes. Praying that she looked at least a little presentable, she inhaled deeply and picked up her canvas bags.

Bernard had mentioned that his brother, Eli, was the sheriff. Letitia hoped he would be kinder than Martha. He might know of a family who could use a cook, nanny, or governess, and a place she could stay.

Relieved that she hadn’t bumped into anyone coming into the barn, she inhaled deeply when she stepped outside. The wind wasn’t as fierce as it had been the night before, and the early morning sun promised a relatively warm day.

“I can do this,” she whispered to herself. “I’ve been through hard times before, and I can survive this.”

A woman walking by looked at her sharply as though she thought Letitia had lost her mind. She pulled up her skirt and started walking faster.

“I guess I’m making an impression on someone.” She laughed softly because it was better than crying.

She looked down the road and saw a shingle hanging down from the porch roof, swinging in the light wind. The word “Sheriff” was crudely painted in white.

“Here goes nothing. The worst he can do is treat me like their sister did.”

Letitia was so focused on walking that she almost literally ran into the man himself.

“Excuse me,” she muttered before she registered the tan shirt, dark brown vest, tan slacks, and the shiny silver star pinned to his vest.

He towered over her and was very muscular. The man had the same dark hair and icy blue eyes that Martha did. They could have been twins.

“No, excuse me, miss. Are you by any chance Letitia Simmons?”

Nodding, Letitia answered so softly that the sheriff had to lean close to her to hear. “I am.”

He smiled. “I’m Sheriff Eli McPherson. My sister, Martha, told me about you last night, but I couldn’t find you.”

“I … I … well, I spent the night in the livery stable. I know I shouldn’t have, but I didn’t know where else to go.”

“You’re fine. Old George would have probably let you sleep on one of the cots he keeps in the back room if he’d known you were there. He’s a very friendly man.” He took off his hat, ran his fingers through his hair, and put it back on. “You’ll have to excuse my sister. She and Bernard were very close, and you took her by surprise when you showed up with the letters, telling her that you and Bernard were supposed to get married.”

“Do you want to see them?” she asked.

A sudden gust of wind threatened to knock his hat off. He put his hand on his hat to keep it in place. “I bet you’re hungry. Miss Maudie’s restaurant serves the best omelets you’ve ever had. Please, let me buy you breakfast. We can talk there.”

Letitia knew her face turned bright red from the heat that crept up the back of her neck into her face. Her eyes widened, and she looked down at her dress. “I’m afraid I’m a bit of a mess. Miss Maudie might not cotton to me coming into her establishment looking like this.”

“She’ll understand. We have the stagecoach come in all the time with travelers, not to mention people coming in on wagon trains, especially since the war ended. There are a lot of men coming through searching for gold in the South Pass and Wind River Range. There are also men and even a few families coming out this way to buy land for horse, cattle, and sheep ranching.” He chuckled. “Trust me, you look pristine compared to some of them.”

They walked in silence to the restaurant, heads turning as townsfolk cast curious glances their way. Whispers flickered between the people passing by, but no one dared step forward or speak. The sheriff’s presence alone was enough to keep questions at bay.

The restaurant was busy, and the noise immediately quieted as Sheriff McPherson and Letitia walked in, and all heads turned toward them. No one masked their curiosity about the stranger walking in with the sheriff.

“They’re nosy and I don’t usually take newcomers to breakfast,” he said quietly. “Don’t worry about them.”

Letitia smiled and nodded. She was very relieved when the sheriff led her to a corner table and not the open one in the center of the room.

A young woman walked by and smiled. “Good morning, Sheriff. I brought your coffee.” She looked at Letitia. “I’m Sarah, Miss Maudie’s daughter. Would you like coffee, too?”

Nodding, Letitia could almost taste the warm, bitter liquid. “Yes, please.”

The sheriff took a sip of his coffee. “Are you serving your famous omelets today?”

“Yes, sir, with toast and two slices of bacon. Mama even has some raspberry jam she made from the berries my friends and I gathered this summer.” Sarah looked at Letitia. “We also have pancakes and regular fried eggs if you prefer.”

“Omelets sound terrific,” Letitia said shyly.

Sarah nodded, and with a lingering, curious glance, she walked back toward the kitchen. She came back a moment later with a cup of coffee for Letitia.

“Thank you, Sheriff McPherson. I have to admit that I am a bit hungry and have very little money left over.”

“Please, call me Eli. From what I hear, we’re practically family.” He tilted his head to one side and raised his eyebrows. “Tell me how you happened to be engaged to my brother.”

“Do you want the long story or the short one?”

Eli laughed. “We’ve got time. Let’s hear the long story.”

“I grew up in an orphanage. Mrs. Granger found me on the doorstep one night, right after I was born. I just had a note pinned to my blanket that said, ‘Please take care of my baby girl, Letitia Simmons.’”

“At least your parents didn’t let the folks at the orphanage name you. You could have ended up with a tag like Hexabah Hilda Hobblesnitch.”

Letitia laughed. “That’s true. Like all the girls who were left at the orphanage, I used to imagine that my parents were the duke and duchess of some foreign country and would come back to get me. Likely, though, they were probably just too poor to feed another mouth.”

She shrugged and drank the rest of her coffee. “Instead of being apprenticed when I was ten or so, I helped take care of the babies. I also taught some of the other kids to read and write. Then, when I turned eighteen, I had to figure out what to do with myself.”

“So, you decided to answer an ad for a mail-order bride?”

“It was my friend, Alice’s idea. She knew that I hated the noise and conflicts still erupting in Kansas City. She thought it would be a good adventure for me to move to Wyoming and marry a rancher.”

She paused as Sarah brought their plates to them. “I’ll be back with more coffee.”

“I’d love some water if you have it,” Letitia said. “My throat’s still a little scratchy from the journey.”

“Of course. I’ll be right back.”

They watched Sarah walk away, and Eli sighed. “I still can’t believe Bernard put an advertisement in the paper for a wife.” He shook his head. “There are a lot of women around here who would have jumped at the chance to marry him.”

Letitia pulled the bundle of letters out of her bag. “I cut the advertisement out and put it in an envelope. I thought it would be a cute keepsake.”

She handed the advertisement to Eli and then pushed the letters toward him. “The one on top was his latest.”

“This is his handwriting, alright.” He took a bite of his omelet and chewed thoughtfully. “Neither Martha nor I had any idea that he did this. I wonder when he was planning on telling us.”

Letitia took a bite of her food and didn’t say anything. She had no idea what to say.

He wiped a crumb from his lip with the back of his hand. “Well, I’ll be hornswoggled. My big brother always did keep his thoughts and feelings to himself.”

Eli pushed the letters back to Letitia. “I know that you must be worried. You came all this way to find out that your fiancé was gone.” He paused. “How’d you find out about that, anyway?”

“I was expecting Bernard to greet me at the stagecoach station, but he never came. I figured that he must have gotten busy, so I walked to the general store to ask where I might find him.” She paused as the tears in the back of her eyes burned. “The owner told me that Bernard had an accident.”

For a heartbeat, Eli’s eyes twitched, and then he dropped his gaze to the letters. Letitia’s heart broke for him because while she had lost her fiancé, she hadn’t really known him. But Eli had lost his brother.

“I was hoping that there’d been some mistake, but I went to his grave,” she said softly. “I’m so sorry for your loss.”

“Thank you. It hit Martha and me hard. Our parents died a long time ago. It’s just been the three of us ever since.” Eli kept his eyes glued to the letters sitting in front of Letitia.

Then, he looked up suddenly, and a smile flickered across his lips, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “As I was saying, since you were my brother’s intended, we can’t have you sneaking into the livery barn every night.”

Letitia grinned at that.

He patted her hand. “We’ll make sure you’re taken care of.”

Letitia finished her meal, delicately dabbed her mouth with the red and white checked napkin, swallowed the rest of her water, and waited for Eli to explain how he was going to help her.

“There’s an old cabin just outside of town that used to belong to an old miner. He just up and disappeared one day. The town keeps it up, and we use it for guests. You can stay there until you get back on your feet.”

Relief flooded through her, and her muscles loosened. She breathed in a huge breath of air, and for the first time since she’d stepped off the stagecoach, the pain in her head eased a little.

“That’s more than I hoped for. Thank you, Eli.”

“You’re welcome.” He cocked his head to one side and shrugged. “I’ll warn you that it isn’t much. It’s got one room. But it’s got a stove, a small table, a couple of chairs, and a bed. There are pots, pans, a coffee pot, and dishes in the cupboards. I’m sure Fred will be glad to give you some sheets and blankets on credit since I’ll be backing you up.”

“You don’t have to do that for me. I don’t have any way of paying for all of that.”

“I’m sure we can find work for you. People need their laundry done, clothes mended, and such. Miss Cora, who owns the boarding house, might be able to use your help.” He tucked his red and white checked napkin under his plate. “Besides, like I said, we’re family and family helps each other.”

The thought of sleeping on a bed with sheets, in a warm cabin, sounded like heaven to Letitia. She could take her boots off, wash with warm water, and take a moment to just think. “Thank you. I don’t know what I would have done without you.”

“My pleasure.” He pulled three quarters from his pocket and laid them on the table. “Let’s go to the general store, then we’ll head to your new home.”

Fred looked from Letitia and then at Eli when they walked in. “Good morning, Sheriff, Miss. What can I do for you?”

“Letitia is going to be staying at the cabin for a while. She’ll need sheets, blankets, and some food. Please put it on my credit.”

She looked sharply at him. “But you said…”

He smiled benignly at her. “I know you’ll pay me back when you find work. I’ll help you with that, too.”

Letitia hated accepting anything from him. She didn’t like being indebted to other people, and she was very proud. However, she didn’t see any other way about it. She couldn’t freeze in the cabin, nor would she starve to death.

“Thank you,” she said.

They quickly gathered the supplies they needed, and Fred said he’d have his son deliver everything that afternoon.

Letitia thanked him, and Eli picked up her bags without asking, and they left the shop. The sky was pale blue with just a few white fluffy clouds floating lazily in the sky. Although it was likely to be warm in the afternoon, the morning air was still nippy, and she pulled her shawl tightly around her.

“Bernard always had big dreams. Even when we were kids, he talked about expanding the ranch and buying at least a couple hundred more acres. He wanted to grow the herd from the three hundred head we have now to at least a thousand.” Eli chuckled. “I know he would’ve done it, too.”

Letitia forced a polite smile and nodded, not sure what to say. Bernard had seemed ambitious and determined, but she’d only gotten to know him through his letters.

Eli glanced at her. “Did he tell you about the homestead?”

“A little. He said it was peaceful and needed a woman’s touch.”

“It does need that. Martha went out a couple of times a week to clean and make sure everything was kept up. It’s not the same as having a woman living there, though.” Eli sighed. “I always figured that once he married, he’d make something out of it. Once he put his mind to something, nothing could stop him. If he wanted to make a large, successful ranch, then by golly, he was going to do that.”

They passed by a dry goods store where two men in dusty hats stared at them as they walked by. Letitia looked straight ahead, ignoring them, feeling as though she was wearing a huge sign proclaiming her situation.

Her thumb traced the handle on her pocketbook, feeling as though the letters inside were pulsing like they had a heartbeat.

Bernard would have done everything he wanted. I could tell that much from his words, which were so full of hope.

Her heart broke a little more. It wasn’t just from her loss of not getting to know the good man she was to marry, but also for the loss of life and the loss of dreams.

“I know Martha can be a little … prickly. She and Bernard were very close. She was the oldest of the family, but it was really Bernard who took care of the family after Ma and Pa died in the wagon accident. He kept everyone fed and made sure there was a roof over our heads. She’s hurting and feeling lost without him.”

Letitia pictured Martha’s face when she’d slammed the door on her. Her mouth had tightened into a straight line, and her face wrinkled with a frown. There had been a hint of tears behind her icy eyes. It must have been a huge shock to see a strange woman on her doorstep, claiming to be her recently dead brother’s fiancée. Still, the sting of how Martha treated her lingered inside.

They passed the feed store, and once again, people stared as though Letitia was covered in smallpox, and they were afraid she was contagious. She could hear them talking, and although she couldn’t make out the words, she was certain she was the topic of the conversation.

As though he read her thoughts, Eli said, “Don’t worry about them. People around here are nice enough, but they’re slow to trust. There’s been too many strangers coming through here, especially since the war ended. Wyoming is an unforgiving land, and it’s hard to eke a living out of it. People don’t want to lose what they’ve got.”

“I understand.”

They walked toward the edge of town and passed the blacksmith’s shop. The clanging of iron striking iron echoed through the morning air, and the smoke billowed out of the shop, making Letitia cough. A man with broad shoulders and reddish-blond hair stopped beating on the horseshoe and watched them walk by.

“That’s Sam O’Connell.” Eli barely nodded at the man and didn’t stop to introduce them.

Letitia was so tired that she barely noticed the exchange. She was very relieved and pleasantly surprised when they reached the cabin. It was clean and had a small hearth and a sturdy roof. A small dresser was against one wall with a wash basin and pitcher next to it. It was a lot more than she’d hoped for.

Eli set her bags down just inside the door. “This is home sweet home, for now at least. There’s a well out back. It’s deep and has clean water.” He shifted from one foot to the other. “I’ll let you get settled.”

“Thank you for everything.”

“You’re welcome.”

She watched him leave and closed the door behind him. “At least I’m safe and have a roof over my head. Now, I just have to figure out what to do next.”

Sitting down on the bare mattress, she put her head in her hands and cried with a mixture of disappointment, sadness, and relief.