RNWMP: Kendall (Mail Order Mounties Book 1), Page 2

  JoAnn smiled. “And I picture my Mountie as a man with a guitar on his lap, singing to me while he plays.”

  “Do you know if that’s true?”

  “Yes, my Mountie does play the guitar and sing. Jess says he’s wonderful, but she thinks frogs make beautiful music. The girl can’t tell the difference between a instrument played in tune or out of tune. I think that’s one of the things I love most about her.”

  “I bet you’re really excited to get to see her.”

  “I am.” JoAnn shook her head. “I don’t think the two of us have spent this much time apart since we met the first day of school. I don’t know what Lisa will do without us.”

  “Lisa? Is she the brunette girl you and Jess are always around? Is there something wrong with her arm?”

  “Yes. She has cerebral palsy. Her arm works well somedays and not others. She walks with a limp but considers herself fortunate to not be in a wheelchair.”

  Evelyn frowned. “I guess that’s why she doesn’t get to go out to marry a Mountie like we do.”

  JoAnn shook her head. “I don’t think that’s it at all. I think she could be a better wife than I could. Miss Hazel is just trying to match the personalities up.”

  “I guess.” Evelyn finished drying the dishes without another word. Her mind was obviously lost on something, and JoAnn wasn’t sure if it was her friend, Lisa, or on her future.

  2

  Finally, the long train ride was over, and they arrived in Squirrel Ridge Junction, an odd name for a town if you asked JoAnn. She was with the other three brides who would be marrying Mounties and the indomitable Miss Hazel.

  JoAnn was exhausted. Miss Hazel had provided all their tickets, and they were in the main car, instead of in the sleeping car, which was the only way JoAnn had ever traveled. The conditions in the main car were deplorable to her way of thinking, but she hadn’t dared complain. Miss Hazel had told her that she couldn’t get her own ticket and travel in the Pullman car as she’d wanted, because that would be separating herself from her friends, which was unacceptable.

  Each of them had brought a trunk, which was in the baggage car, and each of them had a small bag for their essentials. JoAnn had almost cried when she was told she had to put her beautiful wedding dress into a small bag, allowing it to become wrinkled. They would want to marry immediately and not take the time to get their trunks situated, and find what they needed in them, before the wedding. Hopefully Jess would be able to help her with her dress before the ceremony. How else could she send her wedding picture home and show her parents how beautiful she’d looked?

  When she stepped off the train, JoAnn was staggered by the difference. She’d always lived in Ottawa. This was definitely the wild west. Why, there were so few buildings, she almost got right back on the train.

  But no—if Jess could live in this godforsaken place, so could she. She was desperate to see her friend.

  Gripping her bag in one hand and her violin case in the other, she stepped onto the platform. The first person she saw brought tears to her eyes. “Jess!”

  Jess stopped for a moment in front of JoAnn, her eyes wide. Then Jess was crying too, and the two friends sobbed into each other’s shoulders. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?” Jess finally asked, swiping her hand across her face to rid herself of the tears.

  “I thought it would be a nice surprise. I’m here to marry Kendall.”

  Jess tilted her head to one side, seeming to consider the match for a moment, before nodding. “I think you two will suit nicely. Please tell me you’ve learned to cook!”

  JoAnn shrugged. “I can make pancakes, bread, and a couple of other things. I have lots of recipes written down.”

  “I’ll help if you need me!”

  “I was sure hoping you’d say that.” JoAnn looked behind her at the other women who had come with her. “I think you know my friends here. Well, at least two of them. I don’t know if you know Tilly. Tilly used to work as a chef, but she wanted a change, so she’s here to marry Nolan. She can cook even better than you can!”

  A man stepped up onto the platform, shaking his head. “I don’t think that could possibly be true.” His arm went around Jess’s waist and he pulled her close. “My wife is the best cook in all of Canada.”

  “Hi, Theodore. You’re looking well. I think married life agrees with you.” JoAnn wasn’t surprised that he’d inserted his opinion into their conversation. “And Tilly’s pies are the best in all of Canada! Sorry to disappoint you, Jess.”

  Miss Hazel was the last off the train, having gotten into a discussion with the porter about helping her with her bag. As soon as she saw Jess and Theodore, she flew at them, hugging them both at the same time. “I missed you both! Am I going to be a grandmother yet?”

  Jess blushed and shook her head. “Not yet, Miss Hazel. I promise, you’ll be the third to know.”

  “Where are the other men? Didn’t they know we were coming today?” Miss Hazel asked, a frown on her face.

  Theodore nodded. “Of course, they knew. Joel is in the office. The other men are on overnight assignment. They’ll be here in the morning. I’m to show the women their new homes, and they can get settled this evening before the men get back.”

  “But that’s not what I asked for. The men were supposed to be here to meet the train!”

  Theodore frowned. “Mom, there’s an outlaw on the loose, and they had to chase him. I’m only here because Joel decided two of us should stay in town in case the outlaw came back.”

  “But…what if they’re not back tomorrow?” JoAnn asked. “I couldn’t live out here in the wilderness all alone.”

  Jess shook her head at her friend. “You’ll be fine. There will be lots of nights that the men are out on assignment, and we’ll be here by ourselves. You’re always welcome to come over to see me, or I might visit you. With five women here, we’ll be able to support each other in hard times.”

  JoAnn nodded. “So no weddings today?”

  “No idea. The pastor’s in town, so if Joel wants to marry, he can. Who is Joel marrying, by the way?”

  “Evelyn.” JoAnn nodded toward the girl they’d both known casually for years. “She’s really sweet, but she seems to think she’s coming out here to be a Mountie, not marry one. I worry about her.” JoAnn kept her voice down so Evelyn wouldn’t hear her.

  Jess covered her mouth with her hand. “I have a feeling Joel isn’t going to like that much.”

  “Tell me about Kendall. You said he’s musical?”

  “Very musical. He sings and plays guitar. He keeps us all entertained.”

  JoAnn smiled. “I hope he won’t mind some violin accompaniment. I brought some new sheet music as well. I can’t wait to play with him.”

  Jess grinned. “I think Miss Hazel definitely found the right man for you. Do you want to come and help me make supper? I have a feeling everyone will come to my place to eat tonight.”

  “I’m happy to come over. But can you show me where my place is first? I could use a nice hot bath!” JoAnn was ready to sink in a hot tub. Her muscles ached from the long days on the train. Some of the girls had gone right to sleep, but she and Rose had both been unaccustomed to the traveling conditions, and she knew the other girl was just as tired as she was.

  Jess grinned, as if she knew a secret. “Let’s head over to Kendall’s place now. I know you’re not married yet, but he’s given you permission to start on…I mean to move into his home.”

  JoAnn looked at Jess skeptically for a moment, but didn’t say anything. She followed her friend toward a group of small cabins set off a bit from town. Some poor men must live there, unable to provide decent livings for their families. She couldn’t help wondering what they did to make so little money.

  When Jess stopped in front of one of the cabins, JoAnn gasped. “You can’t mean…”

  Jess laughed. “I do mean. You don’t think Mounties live in mansions like you had back home, do you?”

  “I—I gue
ss I never thought on the kind of house they’d live in. They protect our country, so I would expect they’d be paid well and have good homes.” JoAnn closed her eyes for a moment and gathered herself. She was marrying a musical man who loved his country enough to put his life on the line every day. Surely that meant something.

  When she pushed the door open, the first thing she saw was his guitar leaning up against the far wall. Her eyes latched onto it, and she walked across the room to touch it gently. “It’s a beautiful guitar.” She picked it up and plucked the strings, tuning them automatically. She quickly played a song that had been popular back in Ottawa, smiling to herself. “I can’t wait to meet him.” Her words were soft and dreamy.

  Jess smiled, touching her friend’s arm. “The bathtub is out back.”

  “Wait…I have to carry the tub in?” JoAnn closed her eyes. She didn’t know why it hadn’t occurred to her that she’d be heating up the water for her own bath. Somehow, she’d imagined the servants doing that. She took a deep breath. “I guess I’m going to see to my bath. May I come by when I’m finished?”

  Jess nodded. “Do you need some help? The coal caddy is next to the stove. You have lit a coal fire before, right?”

  JoAnn bit her lip and shook her head. “No. But I’m sure I can figure it out.” She looked down at her silk traveling dress. She’d wanted to look good when she met Kendall, and the dress was ruined from the days of travel. She rolled up her sleeves and knelt on the floor in front of the stove, carefully sticking coal into it. “Am I doing it right?”

  “Let me show you this first time. You don’t need to get coal dust on your pretty pink dress.” Jess knelt down and efficiently started a fire. “Now you need to heat up pots of water and add them to the bath. Add some cold too!”

  JoAnn knew then she’d made a mistake. As soon as she met Kendall, she was going to explain to him why she couldn’t possibly be a Mountie’s wife and live in these rustic conditions. She was used to having a lady’s maid, as well as all the comforts of living in a big city. Surely, he’d understand.

  Kendall lay on the ground, hoping that it didn’t rain. They’d been in a hurry when they’d left town—chasing the man who’d robbed the mercantile at gunpoint—and they hadn’t bothered to bring a tent. In British Columbia, that was never a good thing. When it was too late to follow the trail, they’d stopped for the night, and Nolan had insisted on taking the first watch. Kendall suspected he was going to sneak some of the food out of their saddles bags, but it didn’t matter. They always brought three times as much as they thought they’d need for him.

  He stared up at the sky, unable to sleep as he thought about the new bride waiting for him back in Squirrel Ridge Junction. He didn’t know her name yet, but he knew something without a doubt in his mind—he would give her the best life he possibly could. He imagined her to be a soft-spoken woman who could cook as well as Jess. His uniform would always be neat, because she’d keep his buttons sewn on nicely, and his clothes laundered. And she’d love to listen to him sing.

  He sighed happily. His wife was going to be the envy of the other men, and he was proud of her already. Whatever her name was. She’d be Mrs. Kendall Jameson. Her looks didn’t matter to him too much, because she would be perfect for him. Miss Hazel had already proven herself as a matchmaker, and he trusted her implicitly.

  As soon as she was finished eating breakfast at Jess’s house, JoAnn headed back to the hovel that Kendall called his home. His house wasn’t neatly decorated or nearly as clean as Jess and Theodore’s house was. She knew it was her job to start cleaning it, but if she wasn’t going to stay, was it fair of them to ask her to work hard?

  She shook her head. Of course it was fair. She was about to tell a man who had been looking forward to married life that she was going back home to Ottawa because she didn’t want to live in squalor. She needed to do everything she could to improve his living conditions before he returned.

  She put on the apron that Miss Hazel had insisted she sew before leaving Ottawa, and she rolled her sleeves up. Cleaning this place would take months…maybe even years. It might be better if God struck it with lightning so she could start over. She hadn’t noticed the filth when she first arrived, because she’d been mesmerized by his beautiful guitar. Now that she did notice it, she was more than a little disgusted.

  The thing she’d learned best from Miss Hazel was how to clean. She swept and scrubbed the floors and washed the laundry, hanging his sheets on the line. She wasn’t going to bother with the dirty clothes on the floor at first, but she took pity on him and cleaned those as well.

  While she was hanging the clean clothes on the line, she sang a tune, her voice lifting and falling with the notes. The other women stepped outside and listened, smiles on their faces. Jess came over and gave her a hand, helping her hang each item that she’d washed.

  When JoAnn had finished, she smiled, happy to be done with the chore. She hated nothing as much as doing laundry, except maybe baking bread. That was a chore she hoped to never have to do again.

  Jess followed her into the house, automatically helping her scrub down the walls. While they worked, JoAnn sang another song. She could get through any kind of work as long as she had her music.

  Jess and JoAnn were standing side by side, kneading bread when the door opened. JoAnn didn’t notice at first, because she was still singing, her voice filling the house as it had the church many Sunday mornings. She was too shy to actually talk to people, but singing had always been a pleasure for her, and she didn’t care who listened.

  Kendall stood and stared at the beautiful woman inexpertly kneading the bread, and he sighed contentedly, leaning against the wall of his home. Her voice was like that of an angel. Immediately he thought about singing with her and playing his guitar to accompany her.

  He didn’t know the song, so when he opened his mouth to sing with her, he sang a harmony accompaniment that consisted of just notes and no actual words.

  JoAnn heard the male voice and looked up, her eyes wide. For once in her life, Jess had been right. Kendall could sing. She stared at the man in front of her, dropping the dough onto the table and walking across the small living area toward him.

  Kendall stood up straight, gazing into his future wife’s eyes, knowing that he’d met his soul mate just by her voice. She was exactly what he needed. It didn’t matter if she could cook or clean. She could be the very person who had robbed the mercantile for all he cared. Her voice—her perfect voice—it was all he needed. It would feed his soul in a way food never could.

  When she finished her song, JoAnn smiled tentatively at the man in front of her. “I liked that.”

  He smiled, taking her hand in his. “I did too.” His thumb rubbed across her palm, and he felt as if he was seeing a woman for the first time in his life. This must be how Adam felt when God created Eve from his rib. Perfection was before him, and he didn’t know what to say. “I’m Kendall,” he said unnecessarily.

  “I’m JoAnn.” She blushed prettily, feeling tingles rush from her hand where he touched it up through her body. “I stayed in your house last night. I hope that’s all right.” She felt stupid. Like some foreign being had stolen her ability to communicate.

  “I’m glad you’re here. I’ve been waiting a lifetime for you.” He knew the words were silly, and the other men would laugh if they heard him, but it was true. He’d lain in bed as a boy and imagined a woman who could sing like she did. He’d never once imagined her half as beautiful as she really was, though.

  JoAnn wanted to tell him that she was going right back to Ottawa, and she couldn’t be expected to live in such primitive conditions, but all she could do was smile at him. This man wanted to marry her.

  “Do you want to go see the preacher?” he asked softly. He wanted to tie her to him before she could change her mind. Being the wife of a Mountie wouldn’t be easy, but he knew she was the wife for him. How could she not be? She was perfect.

  JoAnn nodded, forgetting a
ll about home and the maids waiting for her there. How could she leave this man? “I have a wedding dress.”

  He smiled. “I think you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen wearing just what you have on.”

  JoAnn looked down at the pink cotton day dress she was wearing, and she couldn’t think of a single reason she would need to change into the dress she’d had made for her wedding. She could wear it for something else. Anything else. “Thank you.”

  He was still holding her hand, so he led her out of his house, and toward the church. He knew the pastor was waiting there to marry them, because he’d seen him as they’d ridden into town.

  When they reached the church, he called out to Pastor Wilson. “I’m here to marry JoAnn.” He looked at her, embarrassed for a moment that he didn’t know her last name. “I need to know your full name,” he whispered.

  “Becker. JoAnn Becker.”

  “I’m here to marry JoAnn Becker. She came from Ottawa to marry me, and she has a voice like a nightingale.”

  Pastor Wilson smiled, nodding once. “I see you brought your witnesses.”

  JoAnn turned to see Jess and Miss Hazel at the back of the church. She didn’t smile. She felt like she was compelled to do everything. Each action was perfectly orchestrated and foreordained.

  “Dearly beloved. We are gathered here today…”

  JoAnn had no idea how much time passed, but she must have done the right thing and repeated after the pastor. When he said, “I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride,” JoAnn remembered she was going back to Ottawa. But she was married. But she was going back to Ottawa.

  Kendall turned to her, taking her into his arms and brushing his lips across hers for the very first time. She felt the kiss all the way down into her toes, and she knew she had to stay. She’d learn to cook and clean if that’s what it took to be married to this wonderful man.