Katie's Mail Order Husband (Montana Prairie Brides, Book 1)

Chapter 1

Katie Corning sat down on the edge of the water trough and burst into tears. She buried her face in her hands and gave vent to loud sobs.

She sobbed so loudly she didn't notice anyone approach her. She jumped with surprise when a soft voice spoke to her. What's the matter, darlin'?

Katie's head shot up, and her hand flew to her breast. Oh, Hannah! I didn't hear you. You startled me.

The woman standing over Katie looked down at her with soft, light brown eyes. Her plain, open countenance expressed everything Katie knew about her neighbor and friend, Hannah Dempsey.

Solidly built with rusty red hair, Hannah's kindly, simple ways endeared her to everyone. No one cared how uneducated or ungainly she might be. At the age of thirty-five, she'd become something like a mother to the young wives on neighboring ranches.

Hannah sat down next to Katie on the edge of the trough. She sat so close that the side of her leg touched Katie's. That was just like Hannah. She never thought about keeping her distance. The idea never occurred to her that she might encroach on someone's personal space. She moved right in next to you like she belonged there and would live there forever.

Hannah rested her foot on Flash, Katie's dog, who lounged on the ground at their feet. He rolled onto his back in response and waved his feet in the air. Hannah smiled down at him and rubbed his bare stomach with her foot.

Katie succumbed to another flood of weeping. I just don't know what I'm going to do. I can't run the ranch since Henry died. There are fifty pregnant cows out there right now, and in a few weeks, they'll all have newborn calves. Then what am I gonna do?

Hannah sighed. Last winter was a bad one, that's for sure. That run of influenza hit the whole county hard. My ranch is suffering, too, since Leonard died. I just don't know why some people fall to it and some people sail right through.

Katie glanced across the prairie toward her house, but the sight only overwhelmed her with grief all over again. Her own ranch stretched away before her eyes into endless sweeping prairie, with her own little house not far away.

On her right side, the Dempsey Ranch stretched away in the other direction, and on the left lay the Campbell Ranch. All three ranches looked exactly alike, with the three houses not a hundred yards away from each other with easy access to their common water pump.

The three ranches converged at a corner of the fence by the pump. Katie decided it was just a little closer to the Campbell ranch house, and that's why everyone called it Campbell's Corner.

Hannah must have read her thoughts. You and me, we've got it hard enough, losing our husbands to that influenza. But just look at Josie, losing her husband that other way. Imagine how hard that would be. Oh, quick, hush! Here she comes.

Another young girl came toward them from the Campbell house, her long dress brushing through the grass and her water pail swinging in her hand. Her blonde hair blew back from her face in the wind, and she greeted the two women with a sparkle in her light grey eyes.

As soon as she saw Katie in tears, though, her face went serious.

Katie couldn't bear to look at her. It's not that so much. It's this. She waved her hand over the scene in front of her, and immediately covered her eyes again. The last thing in the world she wanted to see right now was that endless prairie.

I never minded the prairie before, she sobbed. The isolation and the quiet never bothered me as long as Henry was alive. Even when he left for weeks at a time on the cattle drives, I loved the prairie. I thought it was the most beautiful sight in the world. Now I can't stand the sight of it. Just looking at it makes me cry.

Josie stared at her. Then she stole a glance at Hannah. At last, she sighed and sat down on the other side of Katie on the edge of the trough. She rested her hand on Katie's knee.

I feel the same way, she murmured. But I don't cry. I don't know why, but I just can't cry. Ever since John died, I just walk around looking at everything. I can't believe what I'm seeing. The quiet does something to my mind. I just can't believe he's gone and he isn't coming back. I have to force myself to do anything. Otherwise, I'd just sit there, not doing anything at all.

The three women lapsed into silence, with only the constant whispering of the wind through the grass to answer Katie's sobs. After a long time, Hannah jumped up. Her bucket tumbled to the ground and startled Flash. Hannah leapt in front of the two younger women and peered into their faces.

In spite of being only two years apart in age and the same height, Josie Campbell and Katie Corning couldn't have been more different. Katie's light, strong build belied her hard-working, practical nature. No wonder she shocked Hannah and Josie by showing her grief. She never experienced very strong emotions, let alone expressed them.

Josie, on the other hand, fell prey to anxiety all the time, especially after losing her husband. Her small, curvy figure twitched and fidgeted at any thought of the future. Her innocent mind couldn't form any concrete strategy for coping with the situation.

Hannah looked from one fresh, young face to the other. Then she broke into a wild grin. Girls, I've got it! I've got the solution.

Chapter 2

Hannah took a crumpled sheaf of newspaper from somewhere under her apron and held it up. Look at this. She pointed to a smudged entry in the advertisement section.

What is it? Josie asked.

Josie couldn't read very well, but even Katie couldn't make out the entry on the faded yellow paper.

Hannah brought the paper back up and squinted at it. It's a notice for the mail-order matrimony service. Men and women are writing in from all over the country and getting mail-order husbands and wives.

Mail-order matrimony? Katie repeated. What does that mean?

It means exactly what it says, Hannah shot back. Ever since the war, there aren't enough men to go around Back East. All those single women have to go somewhere, so they're marrying single men out West. There are single men all over the place on the Frontier and not enough women. So they write in, and the service matches them up with the women who wrote in. See?

Josie frowned, and Katie gasped. What are you suggesting?

Isn't it obvious? Hannah cried. We're widows—all three of us. We couldn't find men to marry without traveling hundreds, maybe even thousands, of miles away. But we don't have to. All we have to do is write in, and they'll send men out here for us to marry.

Marry? Katie exclaimed. You're not seriously suggesting we get married again, are you? Our husbands have been dead less than six months. It's scandalous.

Hannah's exultant smile fell away from her face, and her expression went hard. So what? We've got three cattle ranches here that are all going to collapse into ruin if we don't get some men out here to run them—and I mean fast. We'll be lucky if our stock last long enough for the men to get here. None of us has a penny to our names to travel, and even if we could, finding men to come out here would take too long. We need them here now, without any of us leaving.

Josie stared at the ground.

Even if you're right, Katie replied, I don't think I could ever get married again after Henry. I just couldn't. He built this ranch up from nothing with his own two hands. I couldn't just get some stranger to walk in and take over. It would be disrespectful to his memory, don't you think?

Katie, Hannah breathed. Don't you realize that I'm in the same situation as you? I loved Leonard just as much as you loved Henry. No one would ever take his place in my heart. But think about it. Would you rather have all Henry's work go to waste? Would you rather his stock die in the field and the house fall into ruin? Would you rather starve to death out here, rather than marry someone else?

Of course not, Katie snapped back.

Well, Hannah declared, that's exactly what's going to happen if you don't marry someone else before the end of the summer. Do you hear me?

Katie dropped her eyes. Flash thumped his tail on the ground.

Josie looked up at Hannah. I don't like the idea of marrying someone else, either, but I'll do it. I don't think I can go on any longer by myself. I'll die of loneliness long before I go hungry.

Hannah smiled at her. That's the spirit. I've been thinking about this ever since Leonard died. I can't run the ranch by myself, and this is the fastest, easiest way to get another man. The men writing into the service are all out West already, and they're mostly cowboys and ranchers. That's exactly what I need. What do you say, Katie? If we all do it together, none of us will have to face it alone. Come on. Say you'll do it, too.

Katie crossed her arms over her chest and looked away. But the only thing there was to see was that horrible prairie with its three houses and three runs of fence disappearing into the horizon. I can't. I just can't. I don't think I can ever marry again. I gave my heart to Henry, and that's where it's going to stay.

Hannah shook her head and gasped in annoyance. You're twenty-four years old. You've got your whole life ahead of you. You've got children to bear and a life to live. You can't just throw your whole life away, just because Henry died. You loved him, but he's gone now. You've got to pull yourself together and move on.

Katie jumped up off the trough. Flash jumped up, too, and circled around the three women.

Katie waved her arms. Didn't you just hear me say I'll never marry again? I don't care if the ranch falls apart. I could never betray Henry's memory by marrying someone else. You should be ashamed of yourself, Hannah. Leonard is probably rolling over in his grave right now.

Hannah regarded her from a cool