Mother Jackson turned and gestured toward Emma Jane and Jasper. “Aren’t they the most beautiful couple?”
“Yes,” the woman murmured. “But the baby looks nothing like them. So dark. And...”
“I do hope you’re not disparaging my grandson.” Mother Jackson looked down her regal nose at the woman. “I take insults to my family very seriously, and I would so hate for you to be left off all the good invitations, like the poor Montgomery family has.”
Emma Jane felt a pang of regret at her mother-in-law’s threat. The Jacksons had sat down with the Montgomerys and told them that Flora’s behavior toward Emma Jane was unacceptable. Unfortunately, it had strained relations between the two families, and most people in Leadville had sided with the Jacksons. Apparently, Emma Jane wasn’t the only person Flora’s tongue had alienated.
The woman shrank back. “Not at all. I think they’re a lovely family.”
Mother Jackson snapped her fan open, and the woman scurried off. With the same impish look Emma Jane had learned to love about Jasper, Mother Jackson smiled at Emma Jane, then continued on her way.
Jasper leaned in and gave Emma Jane another kiss as voices swirled around them. It wasn’t until she felt Moses tugging at her necklace that she pulled away.
“Moses James Jackson, that is enough! You mustn’t touch Mama’s pretty things.”
His dark eyes filled with tears as he stuck out his lower lip. Jasper smiled and ruffled his hair. “I know, son. Sometimes she’s a hard one, but you’ll find, just as I have, that she’s almost always right.”
“Almost?” Emma Jane gave him a look of mock indignation.
“Yes, almost.” Jasper placed a fleeting kiss on the tip of her nose. “And it’s always worth it to work through the times when she’s not.”
“I can live with that.”
She’d been right about many things and wrong about others, but Jasper’s words about it being worth it to work through them were correct. In the end, none of those things had mattered, except the time and effort they’d both put into their relationship.
Her first wedding day had been one of the most miserable of her life, and while a person should never be forced to marry someone she didn’t want to marry, she would never stop being grateful for her marriage to Jasper. It was just as Pastor Lassiter had said—by trusting in the Lord and allowing Him to work in their lives, they had found far greater happiness than Emma Jane could have ever imagined.
* * * * *
Keep reading for an excerpt from WANT AD WEDDING by Cheryl St.John.
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Dear Reader,
Emma Jane Logan was never supposed to have a story. Who would want to read a book about a woman described as a “sourpuss”? But as I wrote The Lawman’s Redemption and saw how Mary’s friendship with Emma Jane helped Will see a softer side to Mary, I fell in love with Emma Jane, a girl who only needed a little kindness to transform into a character who deserved a happy ending of her own. But isn’t marrying Jasper, the man who will solve all her problems, a happy ending? And that, my friends, is exactly where I began Emma Jane’s story. Sometimes the thing that you think will fix everything wrong in your life only makes your life worse.
Like Emma Jane, I faced a time of darkness in my life when I thought I’d lost all hope. But I had a couple of amazing friends who stepped up and loved me, even in moments when I was probably pretty unlovable. More importantly, like Emma Jane, I found strength in God’s Word, and between that and the love I’d been shown, I was able to grow and rise above my circumstances.
I hope in whatever darkness you face, you know that God’s love is for you. I pray you will find the transformational love that not only impacted me, but Emma Jane and, ultimately, Jasper.
I love connecting with my readers, so please stop by www.danicafavorite.com and say hello.
Blessings to you and yours,
Danica Favorite
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We hope you enjoyed this Harlequin Love Inspired Historical title.
You find illumination in days gone by. Love Inspired Historical stories lift the spirit as heroines tackle the challenges of life in another era with hope, faith and a focus on family.
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Want Ad Wedding
by Cheryl St.John
Chapter One
Kansas, April 1868
A plaintive train whistle shrieked in the distance, scattering dozens of heath hens that pecked along the tracks. Daniel Gardner experienced a sharp pang of anxiety. A murmur of excitement passed through the crowd on the station platform and among those waiting along Railroad Street, the road separating the tracks from the town. Indicative of the population of Cowboy Creek, only a few females stood among the motley gathering of drovers, cattlemen and shop owners who eagerly awaited the arrival of the first bride train.
Daniel and his friend Will had convinced the other town leaders that brides were the answer
