Mail-Order Bride (11 page)

“Oh love, I've been going crazy without you. Nothing's good anymore unless you're there to share it with me.” Although it was awkward in the front seat of the car, Paul gathered her in his arms and kissed her with the hunger of long absence. His mouth moved over hers slowly, sensuously, as though he couldn't believe she was in his arms and he was half afraid she'd disappear.

Caroline wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back with all the passion of the lonely weeks. Tears dampened her face and she buried her nose in his throat, heaving a sigh. “There's something you should know.”

“What's that, love?”

“I…I didn't write the letter.”

He went still. “What letter?”

“The one that told you I was pregnant.”

Caroline could feel the air crack with electricity. The calm before the storm, the peace before the fury, the stillness before the outrage. She squeezed her eyes shut, waiting.

“You're not pregnant?”

“I swear I didn't know my aunts had written to you. I can only apologize. If you want, I—”

“Love.” His index finger under her chin raised her eyes to his. “I didn't receive any letter.”

“You…What? No letter?”

“None.”

“You mean…Oh Paul, Paul.” She spread kisses over his face. She kissed his eyes, his nose, his forehead, his chin, and his mouth…Again and again, until they were both winded and exhilarated.

“I didn't ever think I'd be thanking the postal service for their biweekly delivery,” Paul said and chuckled.

“You love me more than Diane.” She said it with wonder, as though even now she wasn't sure it could possibly be true.

“Of course. You're my wife.”

“But…”

“Diane was a long time ago.”

“But you saved things to remember her by.”

“Only her letter. She decided she wasn't the type to live in the wilds of Alaska. She said if I loved her, I'd be willing to give up this craziness and come to her.”

“But why keep the letter?”

“To remind me that it takes a special kind of person to appreciate the challenge of Alaska. It's not right for every woman, but it's right for you, Caroline.”

“Because
you're
right for me.” Her face shone with her love. She was so happy. So very happy…

“I can't promise you there won't be fevers or accidents or that things won't go wrong, but I vow I'll never leave you to face them alone and I'll never doubt you again.”

“I promise you the same thing.” She felt like singing and dancing and loving this man for the rest of her days. She placed her head on his shoulder and sighed. “Can we go home soon? I miss Gold River. I want to spend Christmas there! With you.”

“Yes, love. When would you like to go?”

“Is today too soon? Oh Paul, I had the most marvelous idea about getting some additional medical training so we could open a permanent clinic.”

He chuckled. “I sent for a mail-order bride, not a doctor.”

“But I could've done so much more when the fever broke out if I'd had the proper supplies.”

Paul's hand slipped under her sweater to caress her skin. “I have a feeling you're going to be too preoccupied for a while to be doing much studying.”

“But it's a good idea, isn't it?”

“Yes, love. It is.”

“Oh Paul, thank you for loving me, thank you for coming for me, and thank you for playing Scrabble with me.”

“No, love,” he said seriously. “Thank
you.
”

With a happy, excited laugh, she hungrily brought her mouth to his.

“Merry Christmas, Caroline,” he whispered, a long moment later.

“Merry Christmas, Paul. This is the best Christmas gift I ever got.”

“Me, too, love. Me, too.”

To Merrily Boone

Friend

Title Finder

Speller of Impossible Words

Discoverer of Great Restaurants

In memory of Ron Cowden

and for his son, Max,

beloved New Zealand friends

Silver Linings

Love Letters

Rose Harbor in Bloom

The Inn at Rose Harbor

Blossom Street Brides

Starting Now

Dashing Through the Snow

Mr. Miracle

Starry Night

Angels at the Table

A Girl's Guide to Moving On

Last One Home

D
EBBIE
M
ACOMBER
, the author of
A Girl's Guide to Moving On, Last One Home, Silver Linings, Love Letters, Mr. Miracle, Blossom Street Brides,
and
Rose Harbor in Bloom,
is a leading voice in women's fiction. Ten of her novels have reached #1 on the
New York Times
bestseller lists, and five of her beloved Christmas novels have been hit movies on the Hallmark Channel, including
Mrs. Miracle
and
Mr. Miracle.
Hallmark Channel also produced the original series
Debbie Macomber's Cedar Cove,
based on Macomber's Cedar Cove books. She has more than 200 million copies of her books in print worldwide.

debbiemacomber.com

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@debbiemacomber

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