Mail Order Love (Sweet Mail Order Bride Historical Romance Novel) (Oregon Mail Order Brides) (21 page)

They rode up the track to the house and stopped in front of Grammy. She regarded Ellie with a look of parental caring, as if Ellie were a child who had run away but she loved her too much to scold her.

“You are back, my dear. You are never to leave again without asking me first, do you hear?” Grammy was trying to be stern, but she could not hold back her happiness.

“I found our housekeeper, Grammy.” Jared’s dusty face broke into a smile.

“You did it, my boy. Now come inside the pair of you, I have a stew on the stove and hot cornbread and butter.”

As the three of them ate they did not speak of how things were going to work out. Jared had not even explained to Grammy that he had asked Ellie to be their housekeeper. There was no talk yet of how long the contract would be. After the drama of the day, it felt good to forget things and relax for a while.

Then Grammy piped up with her usual directness. “So, Jared, would you have married that blonde woman if Ellie hadn’t come along?”

Somehow, Grammy managed to get away with saying things that no one else would dare to. It was a good question if a little embarrassing for Ellie. Jared had come to get Ellie, but he hadn’t said much about how he felt. Ellie didn’t even know if Jared was interested in her romantically.

Jared smiled at Grammy benevolently through his satisfied munching. He paused and placed a forefinger to his cheek as he put on an air of deep thought. “Let’s see, ahm … yes, definitely, no, Grams.”

“Even though she’s such a frilly concoction of blonde curls and ruffles?”

Jared snorted. “Even then. Definitely. No. My dear Grammy.”

“Good, good. You know she sped out of here faster than a badger in heat after you left. And that Harriet, too.”

Grammy helped herself to another square of cornbread. “Of course, that was rubbish what you told me Harriet said about your Ma, Jared. Your Ma didn’t care about position and money in a wife. She only ever wanted you to have a woman to love your heart.”

“Is that what Ma said, Grammy?” Jared’s voice was serene as he carried on eating.

“It was my dear, and your Ma hardly ever spoke to Harriet’s Ma in any case. They didn’t get on too well. Your Ma was only cordial because of her brother having married Harriet’s Ma.”

Grammy served out second helpings of steaming hot stew for them all. “But I knew you needed to work things out for yourself in your own good time. And you did. Took you a while, but you did.”

Ellie quietly ate her evening meal. She was relieved to be back, but she wondered what her role was now. Unless anyone said anything different, she would throw herself back into the household tasks just as before.

She knew how she felt about Jared. Maybe he was feeling things too, but she could not ask him to lay out the contents of his heart for her. Perhaps he didn’t even know himself what he felt. Ellie trusted he would tell her where she stood when the time was right.

Grammy continued to talk, warming to her theme. “Of course, I always had faith it would all work out. You must remember I had a hand in this from the start. From the moment a bird swooped in the sky and my eye alighted on our Ellie’s advert. Isn’t that right, Ellie?”

Ellie looked up from her meal and smiled at Grammy. “Yes, I will be forever grateful for your poor eyes and lack of hesitation.”

All three of them roared with laughter as they finished up their meal. Grammy and Ellie started to clear up. Jared brought his dishes to Grammy at the sink and turned to Ellie.

“Ellie, would you mind going out to the porch? I have something I would like to say.” It was evidently a little uncomfortable for Jared to speak his feelings like this, but he stood calmly and spoke clearly to her.

Grammy clattered in the sink with the dishes. “Go, go, my loves! I am nearly finished here then I will be making my way upstairs.”

Chapter 41

Ellie stepped out onto the wide wooden porch with its view over the darkening prairies. She lifted the rug from one of the two rocking chairs that sat on the porch. She wrapped herself up snugly and sat back in the chair, rocking as she soaked up the atmosphere.

It was early evening, with the sun recently set and the stars just starting to come out. A bright star glittered low down in the sky. She could see the undulating low hills of the prairies in the distance, smoothing out as they neared the house like waves coming in to shore. A gentle warm wind blew and she could hear the sound of crickets and the occasional hoot of an owl.

Swallows flitted through the sky, swooping in toward the house to build their nests under the eaves. The beautiful evening view relaxed her a little, but butterflies were still fluttering in her stomach.

After about five minutes she heard the sound of Jared opening the door to come and join her and the padding of four paws of a dog coming with him. Eric flopped at her feet and looked up at her adoringly. Jared relaxed back into the rocker next to her.

“He’s glad you are back, you know. Worried him sick when you left.”

Ellie stretched down her hand and scuffed Eric’s neck. She wondered if Jared was expressing his own feelings as well as the dog’s. “I missed him.”

Jared was silent at first, looking like he wanted to speak but didn’t know how. He shifted in his seat, weighing up the words within him. After a while, he spoke.

“Ellie, I have something I need to say. I am a simple man so excuse my plain speech, I am not one for flowery phrases.” He looked to Ellie for encouragement and she nodded.

“Truth is, I never wanted a mail order bride. I didn’t then, when you came four weeks ago, and I still don’t now.”

Jared rubbed his chin, trying to map his thoughts out into words.

“I’m not after some kind of servant-wife to look after my house and bring up my children. I’m just doing what I can around the ranch. I know I spoke of a fancy blonde woman, but I was imping around. I mean, that wasn’t what I wanted in my heart.

“I didn’t even know what I wanted, Ellie, until you came along.”

Ellie’s heart leapt into her throat and hammered away.

“All I know is I want you around, and I don’t want no other woman. So I’ll say it plain. I know we don’t know each other yet. I don’t wish to impose anything sudden on you, so I’d like to request to start courting you. Would you be willing, Ellie, to let me do that? ”

Ellie couldn’t speak for a moment.

“I don’t want you to accept because you are worried of losing your job. You can still be housekeeper here, whatever you decide. I’ll promise to forget thoughts of you if you want. Or even if you want to go to a different job, I’ll help you, or if you need to go back to Boston, I’ll help you.”

Jared shifted in his seat again. “I just can’t continue on living with you unless I tell you my honest feelings, Ellie. It wouldn’t be right. Now I’ve told you how I feel. So tell me - will you accept to let me court you? Or do you need time to think? I should give you time -”

Ellie broke into his speech. “Goodness no! I don’t need time, Jared. I mean, yes. The answer is yes.” She looked into his deep green eyes through the darkening night air and flushed.

Jared had been holding his breath, and he let it out in one big puff. “That makes me mighty happy Ellie, it sure does.”

He reached down and patted Eric. “I roped in Fairy to help me with this. I was hoping you’d agree, so I set something up before I came out to see you. Fairy!” Jared yelled for the other dog. As if he’d been waiting for the cue, Fairy burst through the door.

“Go on, Fairy, go to Ellie!”

Fairy trotted up to Ellie and sat facing her, gently panting. Ellie moved forward in her chair and petted the wiry gray whiskers on his cheeks. Fairy raised his paw to her, and she shook it.

“Oh, he’s saying how d’you do! Good dog, Fairy. That’s darling Jared, thank you.”

Jared put his head to one side. “Well, that’s a good trick all right, but that wasn’t what he came for. Look a bit closer. See anything different there?”

It was then that Ellie spotted a small box wrapped in brown paper hanging from Fairy’s collar.

“Go on, Ellie, that’s for you.”

Ellie reached to untie the box from Fairy’s collar and the dog obligingly stretched its neck up to give Ellie room. Finally Ellie retrieved the box, and as she opened the paper packaging, Jared explained. “I got it in Northcote today. It’s a ring from me to say let me be the one to court you. And don’t let Michael near you either. I would be honored if you would accept it to show the start of my chasing you.”

Ellie opened the box and laughed as she looked at the ring, a delicate silver band engraved with flowers. She looked up at him. “You’ve made me very happy, Jared. Thank you.”

Jared stifled a smile and continued. “I’m still your employer though, miss. So I have a request.”

“What’s that?”

“That you relax and stop working so hard. You must start having fun too. Have some interests outside work. Become a dog hairdresser or something.”

Ellie giggled. “I’m sure I can think of something to occupy me. Not sure the boys want their fur trimmed though.”

Jared glowed with happiness in the half light. “Oh, and something else, Miss Ellie.”

“There’s more?”

Jared paused a beat before he spoke in a low voice. “That I may start by kissing your cheek?

Ellie kept looking ahead and Jared could see her softly smile and dip her head in a yes. Then slowly, finally, he came closer. He gazed at her face as he touched her cheek with his warm thumb, and leaning in, closed his eyes to plant the sweetest, most angelic kiss on earth.

Author's Note

An Old Irish Blessing

May the road rise up to meet you

May the wind always be at your back

May the sun shine warm upon your face

And the rain fall soft upon your fields

And until we meet again

May God hold you in the palm of His hand

This book is dedicated to each and every one of my readers.

Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed the story of how Ellie and Jared met and fell in love.

If you would like to leave a review, here is the link to the book on Amazon and Goodreads:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GZANY52

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19384155-mail-order-love

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Mail Order Love is the first in the Mail Order Brides of Oregon series. I’d be delighted to put you on my email list so I can let you know when I release new books. Go to this address to add yourself to the list:

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Kindest regards,

Amy Blakelear