Read Online Grace: Bride of Montana (American Mail-Order Bride 41) by Debra Holland - Free Book Online
Authors: Debra Holland
Tags: Fiction, Romance, Historical, Saga, Montana, Western, Short-Story, Religious, Christian, Inspirational, disaster, Bachelor, Marriage of Convenience, Faith, victorian era, Forever Love, Single Woman, Fifty-Books, Forty-Five Authors, Newspaper Ad, American Mail-Order Bride, Factory Burned, Pioneer, Forty-One In Series, Practical, Life Planned, Perfect Husband, No Choice, Imperfect Man
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who married someone else. I didn’t know that, and when I found out….” Trudy shook her head. “I up and left.”
Grace gasped. “But….”
Trudy laughed and hugged her. “It’s a very dramatic story, and someday, when we have more time, I’ll tell you. But now, we must prepare you for your wedding.”
Somehow, Trudy’s words gave Grace’s spirits a lift. The thought hadn’t occurred to her that she could love again—indeed, discover a deeper love with another man, and for a moment she had hope. But what if Frey Foster’s not that man? What if I marry him and fall in love with another? I’ll be trapped.
* * *
If anything, after meeting his bride, Frey was even more nervous about his wedding. He found himself liking her—not just experiencing the attraction he’d hoped to feel, although there was plenty of that. Grace seemed to understand his sense of humor and jumped right in with teasing him back—unusual for a woman, at least one who wasn’t a sister or a friend who’d been around him since tadpole days.
As he and Seth, each carrying a child, walked around to the church entrance and inside the building, he mused about his wife-to-be. Frey could see the two of them becoming friends. Before today, he’d never considered friendship to be important in a marriage. But now he realized the Flanigans and other happily married couples also possessed that quality in abundance.
I could love her.
Somehow, he felt Grace had upped the marriage stakes. Now, I have so much more to lose if she’s not happy and leaves me.
The two men sauntered up the aisle. Earlier, they’d all stopped by the church so Trudy could set her flower arrangement of marigolds and such on the altar, which was covered with a white brocade cloth and adorned with a simple cross.
“Your bride…” Seth was the first to break the silence. “I like her.” He crouched, and Anna slid from his arms.
Once free, the girl waved her rag doll and ran to the altar, where she lifted the edge of the cloth and crawled underneath.
Seth stood and reached to take baby George from Frey. “Lately, Anna’s favorite place to play is under the table. The first time she did so, she fell asleep, and Trudy couldn’t find her. She was frantic, about to run into the fields for me when her screaming Anna’s name woke the child, and she emerged from her hiding place.”
Frey chuckled.
Seth patted George’s back. “Let’s not forget my daughter is under there, and then have her pop out in the middle of the ceremony.”
“If we don’t remember—” Frey said dryly “—her mother probably will notice a missing daughter.”
“Children sure do keep you running.” Seth rubbed the baby’s head. “A year from now—” he said, his tone more serious “—you might have one yourself.”
Frey gulped and held up a hand. “One change at a time. I have enough to handle with marrying a woman I’ve just met.”
“Right. When I think back to my wedding day…” Seth shook his head. “I’d never been so scared in my life.”
“That’s hardly comforting,” Frey grumbled.
“Don’t worry—”
“I know, I know. It will get better and better.”
Seth’s grin taunted. “Nope. Gets worse.”
“Worse!” Feeling as if he’d lost his stuffing, Frey dropped into the front pew and sprawled out. “You trying to make me run for the hills? Better not because Grace will end up livin’ with you .”
Seth crossed the open space in front of Frey to settle in the pew next to him.
Looking heavy-eyed, George laid his head on his father’s chest.
Seth rubbed the baby’s back. “ Worse because you care . If you think you know love because of your feelings for your parents and sisters and brothers, wait until you have a wife and family. Wait until she’s in danger.” He shuddered, and his gaze became unfocused obviously remembering. “Wait until she’s laboring to bring your child into this world, and you don’t know if she and the baby will
Grace gasped. “But….”
Trudy laughed and hugged her. “It’s a very dramatic story, and someday, when we have more time, I’ll tell you. But now, we must prepare you for your wedding.”
Somehow, Trudy’s words gave Grace’s spirits a lift. The thought hadn’t occurred to her that she could love again—indeed, discover a deeper love with another man, and for a moment she had hope. But what if Frey Foster’s not that man? What if I marry him and fall in love with another? I’ll be trapped.
* * *
If anything, after meeting his bride, Frey was even more nervous about his wedding. He found himself liking her—not just experiencing the attraction he’d hoped to feel, although there was plenty of that. Grace seemed to understand his sense of humor and jumped right in with teasing him back—unusual for a woman, at least one who wasn’t a sister or a friend who’d been around him since tadpole days.
As he and Seth, each carrying a child, walked around to the church entrance and inside the building, he mused about his wife-to-be. Frey could see the two of them becoming friends. Before today, he’d never considered friendship to be important in a marriage. But now he realized the Flanigans and other happily married couples also possessed that quality in abundance.
I could love her.
Somehow, he felt Grace had upped the marriage stakes. Now, I have so much more to lose if she’s not happy and leaves me.
The two men sauntered up the aisle. Earlier, they’d all stopped by the church so Trudy could set her flower arrangement of marigolds and such on the altar, which was covered with a white brocade cloth and adorned with a simple cross.
“Your bride…” Seth was the first to break the silence. “I like her.” He crouched, and Anna slid from his arms.
Once free, the girl waved her rag doll and ran to the altar, where she lifted the edge of the cloth and crawled underneath.
Seth stood and reached to take baby George from Frey. “Lately, Anna’s favorite place to play is under the table. The first time she did so, she fell asleep, and Trudy couldn’t find her. She was frantic, about to run into the fields for me when her screaming Anna’s name woke the child, and she emerged from her hiding place.”
Frey chuckled.
Seth patted George’s back. “Let’s not forget my daughter is under there, and then have her pop out in the middle of the ceremony.”
“If we don’t remember—” Frey said dryly “—her mother probably will notice a missing daughter.”
“Children sure do keep you running.” Seth rubbed the baby’s head. “A year from now—” he said, his tone more serious “—you might have one yourself.”
Frey gulped and held up a hand. “One change at a time. I have enough to handle with marrying a woman I’ve just met.”
“Right. When I think back to my wedding day…” Seth shook his head. “I’d never been so scared in my life.”
“That’s hardly comforting,” Frey grumbled.
“Don’t worry—”
“I know, I know. It will get better and better.”
Seth’s grin taunted. “Nope. Gets worse.”
“Worse!” Feeling as if he’d lost his stuffing, Frey dropped into the front pew and sprawled out. “You trying to make me run for the hills? Better not because Grace will end up livin’ with you .”
Seth crossed the open space in front of Frey to settle in the pew next to him.
Looking heavy-eyed, George laid his head on his father’s chest.
Seth rubbed the baby’s back. “ Worse because you care . If you think you know love because of your feelings for your parents and sisters and brothers, wait until you have a wife and family. Wait until she’s in danger.” He shuddered, and his gaze became unfocused obviously remembering. “Wait until she’s laboring to bring your child into this world, and you don’t know if she and the baby will
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