Pioneer Love: Damaged Hearts Head West: Mail Order Bride 5 Bundle (12 page)

Chapter 10

Two days after Anna had pulled Ryan aside to give him "the talk,” they were all sitting in the private living room. It was raining outside and had been the entire day. A storm like this hadn't been seen for over a year and as a result everyone was cooped up inside until the rain let up.

Ryan, Jolene, and Ian were playing a game and Anna was sitting in the corner engrossed in a book. Ian was laughing as Ryan tried to explain how to play cards to Jolene. She was making faces behind Ryan's back much to Ian's amusement. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

A servant came in. "Sorry to interrupt,” he said, “but there is a visitor here for Miss Tisdale."

At the announcement, Anna sank low into her sofa and hid behind her book, even though no one was paying any attention to her. Ryan and Jolene looked at each other, surprise on their faces.

Still looking at her, Ryan said, "Send them in."

The door opened and a tall, handsome man, with golden hair and deep blue eyes walked in. There was an air of arrogance about him as he glanced around the room until his eyes found Jolene. A smirk raised his lip and he stepped towards her. Jolene shrank into her seat, fear engraved on her face.

Ryan took one look at her and stood up, placing himself in front of her. Anger poured off of him and he growled at the man, "Who are you?"

The man looked at Ryan's stance and his set jaw. "I'm Jonathan and I'm Jolene's fiancé,” he spat out. “Who are you and what gives you the right to be so close to MY Jolene?"

Ryan tensed ready to leap forward and tear the man limb from limb. Many a night he had imagined this meeting. Had imagined how he would make him pay for what he had done to that sweet girl. He took a menacing step towards Jonathan but was stopped by a gentle hand on his arm. He looked down to see Jolene’s sweet face staring up at him and it calmed his heart.

“Leave this to me,” she said.

Jonathan looked from Jolene to Ryan with suspicious eyes but before he could say anything, Jolene marched towards him.

"I am not your fiancé,” she said. “You lost that right after what you did. Understand I'll go to hell and back before I would ever agree to marry you.”

Jonathan cowered back as if her very words were like body blows, but Jolene wasn’t finished,

“How could you show your face after what you did to me? How could you and how did you know where to find?” she demanded.

Jonathan looked at Anna with surprise and then turned back to her."Why Anna wrote to me, told me where you were and how much you missed me. The minute I read her letter, I was on the next train here."

Jolene turned to Anna with a look of utter betrayal on her face.

"I can explain,” Anna said her face red and flushed with guilt. “Please let me explain."

"I told you it was over,” Jolene yelled, “and that I wasn't going to get back with him. How could you do this to me and behind my back on top of it? You have no idea how much I despise this man. Anna you were supposed to be my friend and yet you brought this monster here where I thought I was safe!" Jolene turned in a flurry of taffeta and ran out of the door, tears streaming down her face.

Ryan looked at Anna with disgust and turned to head after Jolene. He was almost out the door when Jonathan grabbed him by the arm and stopped him.

"That is my future wife out there,” Jonathan said icily, “and I should be the one chasing after her, not you. So, back off, pretty boy."

Ryan saw red. Without saying a word, he pulled back his arm and punched the monster so hard in the face that Jonathan landed in a sprawling heap ten feet away from where he stood.

Anna shrieked, “What did you do that for, Ryan?"

Ryan turned angrily on Anna and took a step towards her.

Ian stood in front of her, eye to eye, toe to toe with his brother. "Calm down, brother,” he said. “She didn't mean any harm."

"You want me to calm down? Do you have any idea what this sick monster did to Jolene? He…” Ryan had made a promise he would not say it, would not. But it was so hard that the words just came from him. “A month before their wedding and he beat her and then used her. He'll be lucky if I let him leave here alive!"

Anna's face had gone white as ash and she dropped to the floor clinging to Ian's arm, a look of sheer despair on her face. Ian himself looked sick to his stomach.

Ryan needed to go find Jo but he had to do one thing first. Slowly he walked over to where Jonathan lay on the floor. As he got closer the man raised his arms as if afraid. Ryan wanted to beat him, to kick him and even to fetch the rifle from above the fire and put a bullet between his eyes. But that would be wrong and he prayed that what he was about to do was right. Not for him or Jonathan but for Jolene. "When I get back, you'd best be gone,” he snarled. Raising a fist he watched the man cower. He punched out but stopped just before his knuckles kissed the already broken nose. “If I find you still here, you'll have a lot more broken than your nose." And with that he ran out of the door and after Jolene.

Chapter 11

Ryan searched all the rooms and asked the maids and servants. Finally, when he couldn't find her anywhere, he went to the main door. It was hanging open and rain was pouring in the lodge. With a sinking feeling, Ryan ran out the door, calling out for her as loud as he could. Was history repeating itself? Would she have run away just like Anna once did?

Rain was pouring down in rivulets and Ryan couldn't see very far. The lantern would be no use to him in this weather. Trusting his instincts, he set out calling for her, praying and hoping she hadn't gone far.

He looked all around but couldn't find her. Finally, soaked to the skin he thought that maybe she had sought solace with the horses. He moved toward the stables, calling out for her. Finally, he walked in, soaking wet from head to toe. He peered into the darkness and at the end he could make out a figure huddled on the ground. Slowly, he approached her and when he was sufficiently close, he called out softly, "Jo, Jolene, is that you?"

The sniffling stopped and she stood up, backing away from him. There was another exit near her and Ryan was afraid she might run out. Taking small steps, he approached her, hands in front of him as one would try to get near a spooked horse.

"Jo, Jolene, I won't hurt you, you are safe here,” he whispered softly. “Trust me, I would never hurt you. I won't touch you if you don't want me to. I just need you to listen to me that is all. Can you do that, please?"

Jolene nodded her head and Ryan took another small step towards her, "Jonathan is gone. He can't hurt you anymore. You don't have to hide or run, he's gone."

Jolene looked at him with desperation in her eyes. “For how long, Ryan?” she sobbed. “Eventually I will have to go back and he will be there. I can't escape him forever."

Ryan now stood right in front of her. Hesitantly, asking permission with his gaze, he lifted his hands and gently placed them on her shoulder. He looked at her with his green eyes filled with concern. "You don't ever have to go if you don't want to,” he said. “You can live here, at the lodge. No one would mind and Anna would be very happy to have you."

Jolene looked up at him, as he watched she seemed to calm. It was as if she saw the truth in his face. He willed that she did and willed that she could see so much more than his words could say.

Jolene blushed at the unspoken things his eyes were communicating. "Why would you do that for me?” she asked. “It would be inappropriate for me to stay. Why would you want to do that to your reputation?"

Ryan felt heat creep up his neck and flood his cheeks with color. "I would do anything for you," he said.

"But, why?"

"Because I love you, Jo. I am in love with you and I would do anything for you, even give my own life if needed. I don't expect anything in return and I am perfectly all right being your friend if that is what you want. I just want you to know you can always trust me and that I will always look out for you. You will have a place in our home for as long as you chose."

Jolene's heart soared at his words and the sincerity that she saw in his eyes. She had grown close to him over the weeks and she trusted him, explicitly. She had begun to feel something for him since the first time he heard her play, but she had been too afraid to admit it, even to herself. Her experience with Jonathan had made her wary of all men.

As she looked into his eyes, she saw the love for her that she now realized she had never seen in Jonathan's. Ryan was a kind, loving, caring man, who looked after the well-being of every single life he came across. She thought of a life in which she didn't have Ryan to share her day with or debate with or have long races with and her heart broke a little at such an empty picture.

Somewhere along the way, Ryan had crossed her defenses and made her trust in life and in love again. She hadn't realized it until just that minute. How very much she too had fallen in love with him and now that he had said he loved her too, she felt all her walls come crashing down.

She looked up at him, a blush caressing her cheeks. "Ryan, I love you too,” she said. “Somehow I fell for you without even realizing it but the truth is that I love you."

Ryan stared back at her in total shock. It was as if he had died and woken up in a heaven. He had never expected that she would ever love him back. He closed his open mouth."I'm sorry, I think I misheard you. Did you just say you love me?"

Despite the situation, Jolene laughed and said, "Yes, Mr. Ryan Gellman. I love you, I love you, I love you."

Ryan smiled the brightest smile he had ever smiled and picked her up in his arms and twirled her around. She giggled at this turn of events. Slowly, he put her down and looked at her with a love so profound that she felt herself melting on the spot.

With his heart on his sleeve, he looked into her eyes. "You have made me the happiest man alive, Jo. I promise that I will always look after you, take care of you, and protect you. No harm will ever come to you, you will never want for anything. I promise to keep you happy from this day forward until the day I die."

"If I have you, I don't think I will ever want for anything else,” Jolene said her eyes misty and a smile etched on her face.

Ryan got down on one knee and taking her hand he asked, "Miss Jolene Tisdale, will you make me the luckiest alive man by agreeing to marry me?"

Had he really said those words? It made her heart soar everything was right with the world, but then she had doubts. “But I am spoiled, defiled do you really want me as your bride?” Jolene asked praying that the answer would be yes.

“More than I want to draw breath,” he said. “More than the power that makes the sun rise in the morning and more than I have ever wanted anything in my entire life. I love you and I want to marry you and have children with you. I want us to be as happy as Ian and Anna and I know we can be. Make me the happiest man alive and agree to be my wife.”

Jolene knelt down in front of him. "I will Mr. Gellman, I will,” she said. “For I love you and you have made me feel safe and whole again. Thank you."

Pulling her into his arms, he whispered into her ear, "It's Ryan."

Then he bent his lips to place them on hers. He placed a soft, gentle kiss on her and that was all it took to have her heart galloping, her knees feeling weak and her stomach turning summersaults. She was safe and had made the right decision and she was where she was always meant to be. Somehow she knew she would be friends with Anna again. After all they were soon to be sisters.