My dear Elizabeth,
You have made me the happiest of men. I have enclosed a train ticket to Juniper Junction, you simply need to fill in the dates. I am most eager to make you my bride.
With much affection,
Matt
Happy thrills ran through her body. The ticket. The ticket to her new life, to freedom and to love. Everything she’d ever wanted all wrapped up in that one slim piece of paper.
Chapter 2
Train Station
Juniper Junction, Wyoming Territory
Matthew Foreman stood nervously on the platform, gazing down the length of track as far as he could see, but no train approached.
“I’m sure the train will be here soon,” Jake, the foreman at Windy River Ranch and Matt’s soon-to-be best man said to him, no doubt trying to calm his wedding day jitters.
“Yes, I’m sure she’ll be here soon,” echoed Posey, Jake’s wife. “I’m looking forward to meeting her. How romantic to be a mail order bride!”
Jake gave his petite wife a stern look. “Don’t get any ideas, Posey. You’re already married. Aren’t I romantic enough for you?” He gave her a knowing look and a blush immediately flared over her face.
“Jake!” She swatted at him with the flowers she held in her hands, though the two of them laughed heartily at the teasing.
That. That was the sort of relationship Matt hoped to have with Elizabeth. Comfortable and playful. But also, he knew there was a deep affection between Jake and Posey. The sort of bond that enabled a couple to weather the storms of life.
He sighed. If only his parents had had such a bond.
But, he put that sad thought out of his mind. This was not the time or place for it.
In just moments, his dear Elizabeth would arrive and they would be wed right away. He’d made all the arrangements with Pastor Ellis and had even asked Posey to be a bridesmaid since Elizabeth had left all friends and family behind in St. Louis. Though, as he considered the matter he realized that she had not mentioned her family in her letters. They had been much more engaged in sharing their thoughts with each other over the course of their correspondence. He knew few of the specifics of her life, but he felt he had gotten a glimpse into her soul.
If truth be told, Matt was a bit of a romantic. Oh, he was manly and loved the life he lived working with the horses and cowboys at Windy River Ranch, but to him, it was also a life that fed his soul. Riding across the vast expanse of Wyoming or watching the sunset were spiritual experiences to him. He’d written a long paragraph to Elizabeth describing the beauty of the moon and stars in the open skies of Wyoming. When she replied with wonder at his description, he knew she was the girl for him.
But that did not mean he was not a red-blooded man who longed to feel the soft curves of his new bride and to bed her with frequency and fervency.
His cock began to stir in his pants and so he redirected his attention to the commotion on the platform. Several people had come to greet his new bride. He’d meant to keep it sort of quiet but in his excitement he’d shared more than he’d planned. As he glanced around at the folks who all seemed to be in good spirits, he was glad he did. It was a festive atmosphere and it matched his mood as well.
However none of them had to wonder if they’d made a hasty decision. Matt was generally a thoughtful and cautious man, but once he received Elizabeth’s first letter, he just knew she was the one for him. Those instincts had gotten him far in his twenty-nine years, he wasn’t going to start doubting them now.
Finally, in the distance, he heard a train whistle. Activity on the platform increased and Matt’s heart sped up.
“She’s almost here, Matt!” Jake clapped him on the shoulder with one of his massive hands and nearly sent him flying. Jake, a gentle giant of a man, didn’t always recognize how much bigger he was than most every man in Juniper Junction.
Posey bounced up and down on her toes. “Oh, I’m so excited.”
Matt appreciated their enthusiasm, though suddenly reality set in for him and he got very nervous. He was about to meet the woman who would be his bride. ’Til death do them part.
What if he’d made a huge mistake? What if his instincts were wrong? Why hadn’t he found a bride among the young ladies of Juniper Junction? People he knew or could easily find out about?
While his mind whirled with all those doubts, the train had pulled into the station.
He took a deep breath. This was it. His whole future would be stepping off that train in a matter of moments.
* * *
"Next stop, Juniper Junction."
The words cut through Elizabeth like a blast of hot air from a furnace. Inside her gloves, her hands sweated with abandon. She swallowed hard and smoothed down the skirt of her dress. Blue silk and a matching hat.
She glanced around the train. Only a few passengers remained, since most of the folks on board had gotten off in Monroe City, a much larger and more promising metropolis. They’d had a long stop in Monroe City so she’d also gotten off the train to stretch her legs and also to take care of some business.
She’d tried to sell off some of her jewelry in St. Louis, assuming she’d have little use for the baubles in Juniper Junction and also because she was desperate for some cash. However, when she’d stepped inside the jeweler had greeted her by name and congratulated her on her pending nuptials, so she simply told him she was window shopping and then made a hasty retreat.
She’d had better luck in Kansas City and sold
