Pioneer Love: Damaged Hearts Head West: Mail Order Bride 5 Bundle by Indiana Wake
Authors: Indiana Wake
Tags: Romance, Historical, Western, Spirituality, Religious, Christian, Anthology, Inspirational, Collections, Bachelor, Marriage of Convenience, bundle, Faith, clean, Sacrifice, Mail Order Brides, responsibility, Forever Love, Single Woman, Pioneer, Love Inspired, Matrimony, Frontier, Five Books, Head West
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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
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
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