Chapter One
Mindy Sue Tanner
sat in the back of the church and listened to Preacher Norris deliver his
sermon to the congregation, wishing she could disappear through the floor. Why she believed that her mail order husband
would show up was beyond her.
Several
times she glanced to the door at the back of the church and prayed with all her
might that Brett Connors would walk through it. Of course, she wouldn’t know who he was since she’d never seen
him. All they’d done was exchange
letters, and since no other man had answered her mail order husband
advertisements, she had no choice but to choose him.
Her
cheeks burned with humiliation since she sat there in her wedding gown and
veil. Everyone knew she was to get
married today and the Wilson sisters kept glancing back at her with smirks on
their faces.
Brett
had agreed to meet her at the church and he’d know who she was since she told
him she would be the only one wearing a weddin’ dress. She was mortified and the preacher was
winding up the sermon. Pretty soon
people would walk down the aisle past her knowing she’d been jilted and she
knew she would be the talk of the town by nightfall.
She
clasped her hands in her lap and lowered her head as the preacher prayed,
sending her own prayers heavenward. So
lost in her prayers, she jumped when someone tapped her on the shoulder. She opened her eyes and looked upward into
the smiling face of a man. He held his
hat in his big hands and silver showed at his temples. It was quite noticeable when the rest of his
hair was raven black. His eyes were
silver, his nose slightly crooked, and his lips wore one of those smiles that
could knock a woman off her feet. Surely this wasn’t Brett?
“Mindy?”
She
watched his smile disappear and a worried frown marred his face. She stood just as people started to leave
the church. “Brett?”
“I’m
sorry I’m late. Took a wrong turn a
ways back.”
“Oh,”
she said, smiling. “I’m sorry I didn’t
give you good enough directions.”
“It’s
fine. I’m here now and if you are ready
to wed, I am.”
Mindy
heard Preacher Norris demand the congregation come back to their seats and then
he walked down the aisle to Mindy.
“Is
this your intended, Mindy?”
“Yes,”
she said, wishing she could stop the fluttering of her heart.
Preacher
Norris chuckled. “We’re going to have a
weddin’! Come up front you two. I already have the certificate of marriage
filled out. All I have to do is perform
the ceremony and get it signed.”
Mindy
stepped out of the pew and felt Brett take her hand. She glanced at him again and couldn’t believe he was really
here. She raised her chin and
straightened her back walking up the aisle to stand before the preacher.
The
ceremony only took a few minutes and she was surprised when Brett placed a gold
band around her finger. It fit
perfectly and she wondered how he knew what size she would wear. She placed her Pa’s wedding band on his hand
with a little effort, but once she got it over his knuckle, it fit fine.
“I
now pronounce you husband and wife. You
may kiss your bride.”
Mindy
about swooned when his lips captured hers and he kissed her soundly. She blushed and was thankful when the
congregation applauded. They quickly
signed the certificate of marriage and she put it in her reticule. “You ready to go home? I have a chicken roasting in the oven.”
“That’s
fine with me.”
She
took his offered arm and they walked out of the
Mindy Sue Tanner
sat in the back of the church and listened to Preacher Norris deliver his
sermon to the congregation, wishing she could disappear through the floor. Why she believed that her mail order husband
would show up was beyond her.
Several
times she glanced to the door at the back of the church and prayed with all her
might that Brett Connors would walk through it. Of course, she wouldn’t know who he was since she’d never seen
him. All they’d done was exchange
letters, and since no other man had answered her mail order husband
advertisements, she had no choice but to choose him.
Her
cheeks burned with humiliation since she sat there in her wedding gown and
veil. Everyone knew she was to get
married today and the Wilson sisters kept glancing back at her with smirks on
their faces.
Brett
had agreed to meet her at the church and he’d know who she was since she told
him she would be the only one wearing a weddin’ dress. She was mortified and the preacher was
winding up the sermon. Pretty soon
people would walk down the aisle past her knowing she’d been jilted and she
knew she would be the talk of the town by nightfall.
She
clasped her hands in her lap and lowered her head as the preacher prayed,
sending her own prayers heavenward. So
lost in her prayers, she jumped when someone tapped her on the shoulder. She opened her eyes and looked upward into
the smiling face of a man. He held his
hat in his big hands and silver showed at his temples. It was quite noticeable when the rest of his
hair was raven black. His eyes were
silver, his nose slightly crooked, and his lips wore one of those smiles that
could knock a woman off her feet. Surely this wasn’t Brett?
“Mindy?”
She
watched his smile disappear and a worried frown marred his face. She stood just as people started to leave
the church. “Brett?”
“I’m
sorry I’m late. Took a wrong turn a
ways back.”
“Oh,”
she said, smiling. “I’m sorry I didn’t
give you good enough directions.”
“It’s
fine. I’m here now and if you are ready
to wed, I am.”
Mindy
heard Preacher Norris demand the congregation come back to their seats and then
he walked down the aisle to Mindy.
“Is
this your intended, Mindy?”
“Yes,”
she said, wishing she could stop the fluttering of her heart.
Preacher
Norris chuckled. “We’re going to have a
weddin’! Come up front you two. I already have the certificate of marriage
filled out. All I have to do is perform
the ceremony and get it signed.”
Mindy
stepped out of the pew and felt Brett take her hand. She glanced at him again and couldn’t believe he was really
here. She raised her chin and
straightened her back walking up the aisle to stand before the preacher.
The
ceremony only took a few minutes and she was surprised when Brett placed a gold
band around her finger. It fit
perfectly and she wondered how he knew what size she would wear. She placed her Pa’s wedding band on his hand
with a little effort, but once she got it over his knuckle, it fit fine.
“I
now pronounce you husband and wife. You
may kiss your bride.”
Mindy
about swooned when his lips captured hers and he kissed her soundly. She blushed and was thankful when the
congregation applauded. They quickly
signed the certificate of marriage and she put it in her reticule. “You ready to go home? I have a chicken roasting in the oven.”
“That’s
fine with me.”
She
took his offered arm and they walked out of the
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