Pearl of Promise (A Sweet Mail Order Bride Western) (The Brides of Carville) (8 page)

Chapter 13

Six months later.

Nora glanced out the window at the darkening sky as she sat at her desk.  Arlen would be home soon—it was his last day at the mine until spring.  Dinner was nearly done, Gwendolyn was down for a late nap
, and she had only a few minutes to herself before her husband arrived.

She pulled out the leather-bound journal and opened it, dipping a pen into the ink fountain.  She re-read the last few lines of the story she had written, then continued the tale, getting in a half-hour of writing before she saw Arlen coming up the walk to their home.

She left the journal open so the last page could dry, and put the pen aside.

“I’m so glad you’re home!” she cried as he came in the door.  She threw her arms around his neck, planting a gentle kiss on his lips.

He kissed her back, long and deep, before standing back to look at her.  “Well, don’t you look beautiful.”

“I did my hair, to celebrate your last day of work for the season,” she smiled, blushing.  “It looks like you got home just in time, too.  I think it’s going to snow.”

“First real snow of the season.” He winked.  “I can’t wait until Gwen is old enough to go sledding.”

“I know.  But we have some time yet for that—she’s barely crawling.”

“What’s that?” he said as he hung up his coat and glanced over at the desk.  “Is that the journal I gave you?”

“Yes—don’t look at it!”  She moved to block his way, putting her hands on his chest.  “I wanted it to be a surprise.  I decided that your idea was a good one—I’m going to write my own stories, so that I don’t have to buy so many.  We have to be careful now that we have this house in town to pay for.”

He took her in his arms.  “I told you I didn’t want you to deprive yourself of books.  I did that for so long, I think I owe you a good two dozen books.”

She laughed.  “I know, but the way I coast through books, I’ll put us in the poor house.  And I’m actually enjoying this.”

“So I can’t see it?”

“Not until it’s done,” she said.

He kissed her cheek.  “Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight, Mrs. Hunt?”

“Why yes, I believe you did, Mr. Hunt.”  Nora grinned. 

“I love you so much,” he whispered.  “You are the best thing that ever happened to me.  You’ve mended both my broken heart and my broken spirit—I wasn’t really letting God into my life after Sylvie left.  I suppose part of me blamed Him.”

“I was getting fairly bitter, myself, for a while.  But I know that was wrong of me.  I’m glad we both saw the truth, before it was too late.  I can’t imagine my life without you.  I love you, Arlen Hunt.”

He leaned down, taking her chin in his hand, and kissing her softly on the lips.  “Neither one of us is going anywhere.”

##

Wayward Love
, Coming June 16, 2014

About
Wayward Love

An Inspirational Mail Order Bride Historical Western

Estelle Winthrop had it all:
a nice home, a loving family, and her childhood sweetheart, Holden Parker.  Then Estelle received a letter from Holden, telling her he was leaving her to seek his fortune out west.  Devastated, Estelle swore never to love another man.

Five years later, Estelle sees an advertisement for a mail order bride by a “Reverend Holden Parker”.
  Could it be
her
Holden?  Writing under the name “Elizabeth” to find out, she is swept away as her old love for Holden resurfaces.  Then Holden asks “Elizabeth” to marry him and join him out in Colorado at his first church assignment, and Estelle can’t say no.

When his bride-to-be steps off the train, Holden Parker is none too pleased to discover that she’s really, Estelle,
the girl he heartlessly abandoned years before.  She is a reminder of his past, and the dark secrets he has kept all these years.  Despite his rejection, Estelle won’t leave, and he is terrified that his past will catch up with him, and threaten the new life he’s built as a pastor to his own church.  Now he is forced to face his demons every day…and watch as the bachelors of the town are drawn to Estelle like moths to a flame.  

Will Holden unburden himself, and
truly
accept the forgiveness of the Lord?  Or will tragedy prevent him from ever telling Estelle the truth?

From the Author:

Thank you
so much for supporting my work!  I hope you loved spending time with me and the people of Carville as much as I loved writing about them.  If you enjoyed
Pearl of Promise
, please consider leaving a review.  Reviews help an author by making their book more visible in search results, and they help readers to make a more informed buying decision.

About the Author:

Raina King is a homeschooling mom of four sweet children, dedicated to serving the Lord and trying to live Titus 2 and Proverbs 31:10 to the best of her ability.  Like her characters, she often falls short of the glory of God, but she always finds purpose and joy in her daily journey.  She has finally fulfilled her lifelong dream of becoming an author while writing about the newly matched couples in Carville, Colorado.