Twice Promised (The Blue Willow Brides Book #2): A Novel
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Authors: Maggie Brendan
Tags: #FIC042030, #Mail order brides—Fiction, #FIC042040, #FIC027050
© 2012 by Maggie Brendan
Published by Revell
a division of Baker Publishing Group
P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
Ebook edition created 2012
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
ISBN 978-1-4412-3898-6
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
Most Scripture, whether quoted or paraphrased by the characters, is taken from the King James Version of the Bible.
Scripture quotations marked NASB are from the New American Standard Bible®, copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
The internet addresses, email addresses, and phone numbers in this book are accurate at the time of publication. They are provided as a resource. Baker Publishing Group does not endorse them or vouch for their content or permanence.
“Memorable characters and solid storytelling abound in Maggie Brendan’s delightful tale of two mail-order brides vying for the same man. The two romances will double your reading pleasure, and the twists and turns will keep you guessing until the end. I loved it!”
—
Margaret Brownley
,
New York Times
bestselling author of the Brides of Last Chance Ranch series
“What a delight! Maggie Brendan has outdone herself with the second of the Blue Willow Brides series, giving readers not one but two romances. For a heartwarming story of love in the Old West, don’t miss
Twice Promised
.”
—
Amanda Cabot
, author of
Summer of Promise
and
Christmas Roses
“
Twice Promised
is another great love story by Maggie Brendan . . . with fast-paced plot twists as the characters find their way to true love.”
—
Mary Connealy
, author of
Over the Edge
,
In Too Deep
, and
Out of Control
Praise for Maggie Brendan’s Books
“Maggie Brendan is adept at weaving a sweet love story . . . Within these pages indeed lies a jewel.”
—
Tamera Alexander
, bestselling author of
From a Distance
,
Beyond This Moment
, and
The Inheritance
“Maggie Brendan has done it again . . . A tender and haunting tale that stirs heart and soul deeply—well beyond the last page.”
—
Julie Lessman
, author of the Daughters of Boston and Winds of Change series
For my niece Kathy Hardison Wells, who stays focused on the Lord.
“All this,” said David, “the L
ORD
made me understand in writing by His hand upon me, all the details of this pattern.”
1 Chronicles 28:19 NASB
Contents
Prologue
August 1887
Outskirts of Fort Bridger, Wyoming
Keeping his eye along the steep ridge above him, Sergeant Bryan Gifford clutched his Sharps carbine next to his hip. He hunkered among the thickets of scraggly sagebrush, which wouldn’t allow much protection from the renegade band of Sioux who bore down on his unit in a surprise attack. The sagebrush’s pungent smell tickled his nose, and its yellow flowers were bright against the brown earth, but he had no time for enjoyment of the surrounding kinnikinnick, the evening star, or the wintergreen that crept over the warm rocks. For just a moment, he thought of when he’d played soldiers with his two brothers, but this was no game. This was the real thing, and if he made it out alive, he’d run, not walk, to the nearest train headed to Cheyenne, into the waiting arms of his true love.
Bryan thought about the recent unrest among the different tribes. After the government passed the Dawes Act in February, they had taken away the land of the tribal communities.
Maybe they have a right to be angry
, Bryan thought
.
Their land was going to be divided up into parcels of 160 acres for families and eighty acres for individuals. But it was up to him to follow the orders of his superior, not disobey them, and right now he didn’t care who was right or wrong. He just wanted to win this attack and save his men . . . and his life.
Bullets whizzed past him from Private Charlie Foster shooting in the direction of the jagged rocks above him. Charlie signaled to Bryan from another group of rocks, indicating that he’d cover him. Crouching low, Bryan made a beeline for the safety of the rocks, his boots stirring up the dry dust.
When he was only a foot away from Charlie, he felt an arrow pierce his heart. He knew he was mortally wounded. For a moment he wavered sickeningly, feeling the sharp pain, then he lunged for the shelter of the outcropping of rocks.
“Sarge!” Charlie yelled, dragging Bryan next to him. Charlie cradled his upper body, and Bryan heard the ripping of his shirt as Charlie quickly yanked the fabric free, exposing the embedded arrow. His voice seemed distant now, but Bryan saw Charlie’s frantic eyes look around for help when his hand came in contact with blood. “I need to get this out.”
Bryan’s hand stayed Charlie when he reached for the arrow. He lay helplessly, knowing that his life’s blood pumped from him, soaking his chest. The yelling of victory from the Indians seemed distant, as did the silence of his men around him. He reached for Charlie’s hand, and the private paused, fear etched in his young face. Charlie was barely old enough to be in the Army, and this was the first scrimmage of any kind he had encountered. Up until now it had all been drills and make-believe.
“Charlie, listen to me,” Bryan said, his voice barely above a whisper. “You must leave right now or you won’t make it!” Bryan gasped for breath, his sight becoming fuzzy. “I’m not going to make it . . . but I’ll fire into the air until you can scamper out of sight . . . They’ll think you’re dead.” He winced, forcing down his pain, then stared at Charlie, seeing the fear reflected in his hazel eyes.
Charlie shook his head. “No, I can’t leave you like this.”
Bryan mustered all his strength to grab the private by the collar of his uniform and pull him closer. “You have . . . no choice. All the others are dead . . . You have to obey my orders while there’s still time!”
“Yes, sir.” Charlie’s eyes filled with tears, and he was shaking.
“One other thing . . . I need you to do.” He released Charlie’s collar. He was becoming light-headed now. He must try to concentrate. “Go to Cheyenne and find Greta Olsen. Tell . . . tell her . . . I love her and we’ll meet . . . in heaven.” He gasped, trying to clear his throat, and tasted blood on his tongue. He had to say this before he died. “And tell her for me . . . that there’s only one other man worth her love . . . my brother—”
Suddenly Bryan stopped and looked heavenward as the midmorning clouds scattered, revealing the brightest of skies and the most glorious of gardens . . .
1
August 1888
Central City, Colorado
Greta Olsen perched primly on her seat, clutching her Bible as the train headed to Central City, Colorado. She stared out a smudged window at the moving landscape of canyons and mountain ridges, where snow capped the distant purple peaks. The ride was somewhat thrilling, as well as frightening. The Colorado Central chugged up its winding tracks around the Rocky Mountains and the sparkling Clear Creek. Greta held her breath at their incredible beauty, wincing as her ears popped with the change in altitude. The further up the mountains they traveled, the chillier and drier the air became. Greta pulled her woolen cape tighter about her shoulders, thankful that she hadn’t packed it in her case.
She contemplated the new venture she’d thrust herself into. The advertisement for a mail-order bride was tucked safely into her reticule. Greta had hated leaving the crowded farmhouse outside of Cheyenne where she’d lived since coming to America. After saying goodbye to her only family, she’d watched as the wheat fields, already ripe with promise, were soon gone from her sight. Her eyes had flooded with hot tears, and an ache planted inside her chest.
But that was yesterday, and today there would be no tears. In fact, she was excited about living this deep in the mountains, even after hearing the rumors of the cold and snow and the rugged life where miners were as thick as fleas on a dog’s back, as she was informed by Peter, her brother-in-law. But that hadn’t deterred her. Greta wanted adventure and had closed the door to her heart on love once and for all. She had no illusions when it came to love. It may have finally worked for her sister and Peter, but just look what had happened to Clara, Peter’s mother! Greta decided that when she wed, her marriage would be one of mutual love and respect.
Greta caught the gaze of a young lady with big brown eyes sitting across the aisle, so she smiled back at her with a nod, thinking maybe the lady might be a new friend here in the Rockies. The lady’s lips lifted slightly at the corners, then she turned to look out the train’s window, keeping her hands clasped together in her lap. Greta guessed her to be about the same age as herself and wondered where the young woman might be headed. She glanced down at the lady’s left hand, noticing it was devoid of a wedding band.
Through the entire trip, the young woman had not moved from her stiff sitting position, nor had she spoken to anyone. She simply handed the conductor her ticket when asked. Her hourglass figure was smartly dressed in a dark navy traveling suit with black velvet trimming, and the matching hat sported a long-plumed black feather at the band. Apparently she was well-bred—Greta noted her poise and secretly admired her fashionable attire. The few dresses Greta owned now were beginning to show wear. She looked down at the frayed cuffs of her traveling dress and crossed her arms at the wrists, hoping to hide them.