BRIANNA: A Sweet Western Historical Romance (Mail-Order Brides Club Book 4) (3 page)

T
he next few
days were restful ones for Brianna. Colleen went back to work at the restaurant the following day and while she was gone, Brianna enjoyed the peace and quiet. She went for long walks in the fields, milked the cows, collected the eggs and took over some of the baking and cooking. She made fresh bread and a big pot of chicken stew that they ate for several days. Before she knew it, Sunday had arrived and it was time to head to church and then on to dinner with the entire family.

She met Jed and Naomi and most of the rest of the Donovan family at church. A very pretty young blonde girl was sitting between them and Brianna guessed before she was introduced that it must be Elizabeth.

"I think it's so exciting that you traveled out here. Do you miss Boston much? I think I would like it there." Elizabeth's words came out in a rush.

Naomi smiled and said, " I think my daughter is a city girl at heart."

"I do miss Boston a little," Brianna admitted. "It's a beautiful city and it's the only place I've ever lived. But, I was excited to travel out here as well. I've heard such wonderful things about Montana."

"We lived in Boston for a time," Naomi said. "When we first came to the States, we landed there, but moved to New York a month later. We had other family and friends that were already in New York and it made sense. But then we had the opportunity to come west with Jed's brother, and jumped at the chance."

"New York and Boston are too crowded," Jed stated. He'd been silent until then and Brianna hadn't thought he'd even been paying attention. "The land here is the most beautiful place on God's earth, if I do say so myself."

"He likes it here," Naomi said with a smile as she squeezed her husband's arm.

Brianna noticed Paul was already seated behind his parents and was sitting with two slightly younger-looking men who she assumed must be more Donovan brothers. The service started and Brianna soon lost herself in the familiar prayers and hymns. She enjoyed going to church and always found it both soothing and inspiring. Today was no exception. She let her voice soar along with the choir as they sang one of her favorite hymns. When the service ended and they all made their way slowly out of the church, she shook the hand of the pastor, a younger man who introduced himself as Pastor Ben.

"It's lovely to meet you, and I am sorry to hear of your husband's passing," he said warmly.

"Thank you, that's very kind of you."

The pastor hesitated for a moment as if he was about to say something and then finally came out with it. "I couldn't help noticing that you have a lovely voice. It rose above the others and was a pleasure to hear. If you're interested, we'd love to have you join our choir. We practice every Thursday evening and we could use your soprano. It might be a nice way for you to meet some of the people here in town as well."

Brianna loved his suggestion. "I think I'd enjoy that. I'll just have to see about getting here, but I hope it will be possible."

"Of course it is," Colleen said from behind her. "I'm home most evenings before five so could easily bring you in on a Thursday."

"Wonderful. That's settled, then. See you in a few days." Pastor Ben smiled and then turned to greet the next parishioner.

"I think that's a great idea for you," Colleen said as they walked out of the church.

"I'm happy that he suggested it. Would you want to join me?"

Colleen laughed at the thought of it. "You'll note that he invited you, not me, to join. There's a reason for that. I can't hit a note on tune if I try. I'm happy to listen to those who can, though, and enjoy it immensely."

Brianna smiled. "Okay, you do have a point there. Plus, my being out will give you and David some private time together." She did worry a bit about being in their way.

"Don't be silly. I'm just so happy that you're here." Colleen pulled her in for a hug and Brianna relaxed. She was happy to be there, too.

D
inner
at the Donovans’ was exactly as the girls had described it in their letters. It was a large, lively group and Brianna enjoyed meeting all of them, even though she knew she would get some of their names mixed up. She'd always been terrible at remembering people's names and there were so many of them.

"It can be a little overwhelming. A cup of tea might help?" Naomi was by her side holding out a cup of hot tea, which Brianna gratefully accepted.

Brianna smiled. "Thank you. It is a little over-whelming, but in a good way. You're all so welcoming. I really appreciate it."

"Well, I know it can't be easy, moving clear across the country. But, it's worked out very well for the other girls." She smiled and then added, "I heard that you met Paul the other day?"

"Yes, he and David came into the pub while we were there having lunch. That was a nice surprise."

Naomi looked at her closely. "A mother is not supposed to have favorites, but if I did, Paul would be at the top of the list. He's a good boy. He's smart, loyal, funny, and very sweet and thoughtful. It's time for him to settle down, and I really hope that he meets the right girl soon. I'd like to see you get to know each other better."

"I'd like that, too," Brianna said. She thought it was cute that Naomi was quite obviously trying to play matchmaker and was flattered that she seemed to think that she might be worthy of her favorite son’s attention. She really wasn't ready to think about any man that way, not yet, but it wouldn't hurt to get to know Paul better and it might be nice to enjoy a little male attention. That she could do.

"Okay, everyone, dinner is served." Naomi gathered them all into the large room and indicated that Brianna sit next to her. Paul was sitting immediately on her left and Naomi was on her right. Brianna couldn't help but smile. Naomi was being a bit obvious but still it was sweet. Paul didn't seem to mind his mother's meddling. Once they were seated, he turned his attention to Brianna. "How are you settling in? What do you think of Bozeman so far?"

"I really like it. Everyone has been so friendly and from what I've seen of the town so far, Bozeman is lovely. It's actually a bit easier being here than I thought it would be."

"It is a growing town," Paul agreed. "There has been an influx of building and people moving to the area. The land is great for farming."

"Colleen said that's what you and David do, and that you work together, pooling your resources?"

"That's right. We keep busy."

"It sounds like you enjoy the work?"

Paul smiled. "I love it. Both David and I do. We grew up farming and it was always understood that we would take on our own farms. We learned everything from my father and we continue to try and improve."

"It is beautiful here. It's very different from Boston."

Paul frowned. "Do you miss it much? Boston, that is."

"I do miss some things about it. I miss my friends that are still there and I miss being able to walk all around the city. I loved to meet my friends at the bank of the Charles River, and watch the boats go by."

"That's definitely something you won't see here," Paul said. And then he added, "I've never seen a sailboat. It sounds lovely."

"It is. But it's beautiful here, too.” Then she added, “I'd never seen a farm before. Or milked cows."

"That's hard to imagine," Paul chuckled. "My farm isn't far from here. I'd be happy to give you a ride and show you around. Is that something you might be interested in?"

"I’d like that," Brianna said politely.

"We'll go after dessert, then, when everyone else is sitting around feeling full and lazy. A nice ride will wake us both up," Paul said as he reached to put some potatoes on his plate and then passed the platter to Brianna. Naomi had cooked a roast beef for dinner along with potatoes and green beans. They chatted easily for the rest of the dinner. Brianna was pleased to discover that Paul was an easy person to talk to. He was friendly and outgoing and she remembered that Julia had once said that Paul reminded her of her husband Liam, not only in looks but also because they were both friendly, outgoing people. Paul was fun to talk to, and Brianna looked forward to taking a ride with him and seeing his farm. It felt like a fun, friendly thing to do. So she was a bit surprised when Colleen raised her eyebrows when she told her that she was going to be taking a ride with Paul.

"Really? That's wonderful."

"It's just a ride across the fields to his farm. It's something to do." Brianna didn't want Colleen to read any more into it than that, because for her it was just a nice friendly outing.

"All right. Have fun and we’ll see you when you get back," Colleen said with a smile.

Paul walked over to her then, and asked, "Are you ready to go?"

"I'm ready." She followed him outside and he helped her into his buggy. They rode across the fields and over the meadow. Brianna exclaimed at how beautiful everything was-there were small flowers of all different colors everywhere. She had never seen anything like it before.

"It is pretty, isn't it? I couldn't imagine living anywhere else." Paul pointed out various spots of interest along the way—the shallow pond where he and his brothers had learned to swim and then to fish, the tree that was always their favorite one to climb, the one next to it where they built a wooden fort and played for hours and then finally, when they came over the hill, there was his house. Brianna liked the look of it immediately. It reminded her of Colleen and David's. Both were bigger than the average home, but Paul's house had more windows than David's and had a warmer overall look to it.

"It looks similar to David's house," she commented as Paul brought the buggy to a stop. He got out, tied up the horses and came around to help her out.

"It is somewhat similar, about the same size. But I like to let more of the light in and have higher ceilings that give the illusion of more space."

He opened the front door and gestured for Brianna to walk in. She stepped inside and immediately liked the feel of his home. It was hard to explain, but the energy and the light streaming in seemed to warm her soul. The carved wood beams above them caught her eye as the wood was so polished and pretty.

"What do you think?" Paul asked as he looked around the room proudly.

"It's a beautiful home. You must love living here."

"I do, even though I know it is more space than I need. But eventually, I hope to fill those other rooms with a wife and hopefully children."

Brianna smiled. "You have plenty of room for that."

"Do you like to cook?" Paul asked as he led her into the kitchen.

"I do, actually. I find that it relaxes me." She looked around the kitchen and liked what she saw. It was a beautiful kitchen with plenty of room, but it didn't look like it had been used very often.

"Do you cook much?"

He laughed. "As little as possible, I'm afraid. I'm not very good at it, and since I live so close to my parents, I have to confess I eat there often."

"I don't really blame you. Your mother's an excellent cook."

"That she is, and I think she enjoys having us over for dinner. Thank goodness." He smiled at that, and Brianna noticed a dimple pop out that gave his face a mischievous look.

"I suppose we should probably head back before they start to wonder where we disappeared to," Paul said.

They chatted easily on the ride back, and when Paul pulled the buggy up to the front door he paused for a moment before getting out and turned to Brianna and said, "I'd like to show you around the town some more. Would you be interested in going for dinner this Thursday?"

Brianna was surprised by the invitation. "I would like that, but I'm afraid Thursday night is the one night that I actually have plans. Pastor Ben invited me to join the choir and we have practice on Thursday night."

"You can sing? That is not one of my talents." He chuckled a bit and then said, "How about Friday night, then?"

"I suppose that would be all right."

Paul must've sensed her hesitation, because he quickly said, "It will be fun, I promise. I just want to welcome you to this town properly." His friendly smile put her at ease.

"All right, then. I look forward to it."

B
rianna didn't say
anything to Colleen until they got home, and then she pulled her aside and told her about Paul's invitation. Colleen looked a bit surprised as well, but then said, "I think it will be fun for you. Paul is a perfect gentleman and I'm sure he'll show you a good time. And it's always a treat to have a nice dinner out."

"I suppose so. I just don't know if I'll ever really be ready to think of another man that way again."

"I can't even imagine. How do you ever truly get over something like that?" Colleen looked thoughtful. "But, you do need to move on and live your life. Just take things one day at a time and try to have fun. Just think of Paul as a new friend."

"That's good advice, because that is how I think of him. I enjoy his company. He's easy to talk to."

Colleen grinned, and added, "You do have to admit, he is easy on the eyes as well.

Brianna blushed a little at that and simply nodded in agreement.

T
he next two
days passed quietly, but Tuesday evening, Colleen came home from work with some interesting news. “You may have an opportunity sooner than we expected,” she said excitedly. “Callie Brickman delivered her baby last night, several weeks ahead of schedule.”

Brianna’s stomach clenched with fear. It was every new mother’s worry. “Are they okay-the mother and the baby?”

“They are both fine,” Colleen said. “But, the school is short a teacher right now. The town manager was in the pub today at lunch, and was chatting at the bar with Liam. I happened to be delivering a sandwich there, and heard them talking. They need someone to fill in, and I reminded them that we told them about you a few weeks back. I think the he had completely forgotten. Once I reminded him, he wanted me to find out from you how quickly you’d be able to start. I hope you don’t mind, but I told him you could probably start tomorrow.”

“Of course I can start tomorrow.” Brianna was thrilled. As much as she enjoyed relaxing, she was getting a little bored and was eager to do something else. To be able to teach already was a dream come true.

“How many students are there? Where do I go?” she asked.

“I think there’s around twenty to twenty-five students in the lower grades. There’s another teacher for the higher grades. She can certainly cover the younger children for a short time, but if you’re able to start right away it sounds like that would be a huge help.”

“I am thrilled to start tomorrow.” Brianna couldn’t believe how things seem to be falling into place for her here. She really felt as though she’d made the right decision by moving to Bozeman.

T
he school was located just
off Main Street, just a few blocks from Donovan’s pub. Brianna rode in with Colleen, who was going in earlier these days as Julia was starting to cut back her hours. Liam didn’t want her on her feet as much, because of the baby. Brianna stepped inside and was greeted by the other teacher, who introduced herself as Ellie Silverman.

“This is our good luck, that you were available to fill in so quickly. We certainly didn’t expect Callie to have the baby so early.”

“I feel like I’m the lucky one,” Brianna said. “I came out here not knowing if I would ever have the chance to teach again.”

Ellie smiled. “You have a good class, even though a few of them can be difficult.”

“That sounds like most classes,” Brianna said.

“True enough,” Callie agreed. It’s mostly just Millie and Peter that you have to keep a close eye on.”

“Are they related?” Brianna had found that difficult children often ran in families.

Ellie nodded. “Yes, brother and sister. Millie is the oldest at nine years and Peter is seven.”

“I’d like to meet them, all of them.”

“Right this way, then. They should about all be here by now.” Ellie led the way down the hall to a large room. Brianna peeked inside and quickly counted twenty-one children. As they walked through the class, two latecomers arrived-a young girl with long, blonde hair almost the same shade as Brianna’s and a slightly younger boy with equally blond hair. They settled into the only two open seats, in the front row. Once they were seated, Ellie made the introductions.

“Children, this is Mrs. Sullivan. She’s going to be your teacher for the next few months. Pay close attention to her, and be nice.” One by one, she introduced Brianna to all of the children. As Brianna had suspected, the two late students sitting in the front row were Millie and Peter Thomas. They smiled angelically at her and she smiled in return, fighting back a chuckle because she could read the looks in their eyes, and it was anything but angelic. Ellie spent a few moments letting Brianna know what the children were working on and then she left her to it. The rest of the day went fairly smoothly, and the children were all well behaved. Brianna guessed that they were busy sizing her up and curious to see what the new teacher would be like. She knew that once they felt comfortable, their true personalities would emerge.

By three o’clock, the school day was over and Brianna was exhausted. It wasn’t that the work itself was tiring. It was more the mental energy spent trying to learn her way around the new students. As she walked from the school to Donovan’s pub, she caught a second wind, though. It was a nice, ten-minute walk and the air was slightly cool but the sun was still shining. It was a beautiful day. Tentatively, she walked through the front door of Donovan’s pub. Colleen had told her to meet her there, but she still felt a little bit like she was interrupting. However, once she stepped foot inside and took a look around, that worry went away. The restaurant was practically empty. As Colleen had said, the late afternoon was a quiet transition time. It was too late for lunch, and too early for dinner. So it was when they tidied up and got ready for the next shift. Colleen was coming out of the kitchen and saw her as she walked towards the bar.

“Perfect timing,” she said. “We finished up a bit early, so I can leave now.”

As they walked outside, instead of heading towards the buggy, Colleen turned in the opposite direction. “I thought we might stop into the mercantile,” she said. “We can say hello to Hannah, who you met on Sunday, and maybe we can pick up some fabric. I’m slow on sewing projects this week, and I’d love to make you a new dress that you could wear out to dinner with Paul on Friday if you like.” Colleen looked excited at the idea and Brianna was stunned.

“You don’t have to make me a dress. You’ve done so much already by letting me stay with you.”

“I know I don’t have to, but I want to. Sewing is fun for me, and relaxing.”

Brianna could tell that Colleen’s mind was made up.

“Okay, but at least let me pay you for the dress.”

“Absolutely not.” Colleen made it clear it was not up for discussion. But still, Brianna persisted.

“I won’t pick out any fabric unless I can pay for it.”

Colleen nodded and reluctantly agreed. “All right, you can pay for your material.”

With that settled, Brianna followed Colleen into the mercantile, said a quick hello to Hannah, who was married to Joshua, the oldest Donovan brother, and then they started looking through the many beautiful fabrics in the back room. She was having a hard time choosing, when Colleen drew her attention to one that she was looking at. “What do you think of this?”

Colleen held up a length of the most gorgeous soft, blue material that Brianna had ever seen. The shade of blue reminded her of the ocean and she had a fleeting moment of homesickness, thinking of Boston. She reached out and touched the fabric. It was smooth and silky under her fingers and she knew that it would feel wonderful on.

“I love it.”

“This is the one, then?” Colleen asked.

Brianna nodded, and Colleen carried the bolt of fabric over to the front desk and handed it to Hannah who cut the amount that Colleen requested.

“You’re going to look gorgeous in this dress. Paul is going to fall madly in love with you, if he hasn’t already.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Brianna said. She felt herself blush and then felt guilty for it. Surely, Colleen was joking. It was far too soon for her to even think such a thing.

“Just wait,” Colleen said with a smile.

T
hursday night
, Colleen dropped Brianna off at church for choir practice. Pastor Ben welcomed her warmly and introduced her to the others in the choir. There were about a dozen total, seven women and five men. They were a mix of ages. Several of the women were about Brianna’s age or a little older and the rest were in their late 50s and early 60s. The men were mostly older as well, except for one who was about Brianna’s age.

Pastor Ben handed Brianna a copy of the book of songs that they were using and pointed out the ones that they would be singing in church that Sunday. They spent the next two hours going through all the music and Brianna enjoyed herself immensely. She loved to sing and to lose herself in the music. When they finished and she was waiting for Colleen to return to pick her up, she chatted with Gertie, one of the girls that seemed to be about her age.

“Have you always lived here?” Brianna asked her.

“No, I just moved here with my family a little over a month ago. I’m getting used to the area myself.”

Brianna was intrigued. “Where did you move from?”

“New York City. I have to admit, I still miss it.”

“Why did your family move here?”

An uncomfortable look crossed Gertie’s face. “My father lost his job. It’s a difficult economy still in New York City. Many people are struggling. My uncle moved out here about six months ago, and he wrote to my father and sent train fare for all of us. He loves it here, and he said the area is growing. I’ve never seen my father happier.”

“I still miss Boston,” Brianna admitted. “I don’t say that to many people, because I’m also very happy to be here. But it is hard to adjust overnight. Especially when you’ve lived your whole life somewhere else.”

“Well, I’m happy to meet someone my own age here. And especially someone from back east. I feel like we have a lot in common.” Gertie smiled, and then added, “See you on Sunday.”

Brianna saw Colleen waving at her, and realized that she’d pulled up in front of the church but Brianna had been so busy chatting that she had missed it.

“My friend is here to drive me home. I’ll see you soon.”

“
S
o
, how was it?” Colleen asked once they were both settled in the buggy and on their way home.

“It was fun.” Brianna then told her about Gertie and how she was excited to meet someone else that was also from back east.

Colleen wiggled her brow, trying to place Gertie.

“I don’t think I know her.”

“She said she’s new here. Her family just moved to town a little over a month ago.”

“Oh, that explains it, then. I still don’t know everyone in town, especially those who are new.”

When they pulled up to the house, Colleen said, “I have something exciting to show you.”

“What is it?” She could sense her excitement.

“What do you think? Come see.” Colleen scrambled out of the buggy, tied up the horses and then they went inside. Colleen walked toward the den, where she kept her sewing machine. A moment later, she came back holding a breathtaking blue dress and held it out to Brianna.

“Go ahead, try it on.”

“I can’t believe you finished it already!” Brianna was amazed. It hadn’t even crossed her mind that the dress might already be done.

“It doesn’t take me long. I worked on it some this morning before breakfast and finished it up while you were at choir practice. I need to check the length, though. I still might want to bring it up a little.”

Brianna took the dress into the bedroom and slid it on. She walked back into the main room and turned so that Colleen could fasten the back.

“What do you think? It feels good,” Brianna said. The smooth and silky material felt lovely against her skin.

“Paul is going to be star-struck,” David said as he strolled into the room.

Colleen smiled. “I really think he might be. The dress looks beautiful on you. There’s a mirror in my room. Go take a look.”

Brianna walked into Colleen’s bedroom and turned in front of the mirror to get a good look at the dress. It wasn’t very fancy, but the color and the cut of the fabric were very flattering. Brianna realized that Colleen had left room in the middle, and the dress had more of an Empire waist, so that it was snug around her ribs but then flowed open so that even as she gained weight over the coming months, she would still be able to wear it. It was very cleverly designed. She walked back out into the room and gave Colleen a big hug.

“Do you have any idea how talented you are? This is incredible, and I’ll be able to wear it for a long time.”

Colleen’s eyes twinkled. “Yes, you will.”