Blessings of Love (The Belles of Wyoming Book 7) Read online

  Blessings of Love

  The Belles of Wyoming

  Ginny Sterling

  Contents

  Introduction

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Afterword

  Hopefully Matched

  Wanted: Hired Gun

  Lawfully Challenged

  About the Author

  Introduction

  Carrie Cornell Madison had been blessed to marry the boy next door that she’d always admired. He was everything she could ever dream of in a husband: happy, loving, tender, and a pillar to look up to. But when he leaves for the Wyoming Territory to settle their new land- he disappears… and she is faced with not only finding her husband, but doing so before their child arrives.

  Alex Madison couldn’t believe that the pregnant woman that walked in his shop was claiming to be his wife. He’d been injured months ago, leaving him with amnesia and having to relearn who exactly he was. Her blind faith and belief that he was the right man terrified him.

  Was he ready to take on a wife and child simply because she claimed she was married to him? Was he prepared to lose the only link to his past if he refused to make an effort in getting to know her? Could finding each other once again teach them both that there were many blessings in falling in love?

  1

  February 1881

  It had been four long months of silence for Carrie and she was beyond fed up. It wasn’t like she hadn’t enjoyed her freedom or missed her husband. She simply hadn’t really been able to bond with him much since they’d married. It was an arranged marriage her parents had strongly encouraged her to accept.

  Alex was the youngest son of a past friend of her father’s. When they’d received word that there had been a tragedy, her father had immediately stepped forward to offer up help. Unfortunately, that help was in the form of marrying off his children quickly and consolidating their debts. It turns out that her father’s friend had been a gambler. Their disaster had been that his wife had passed away, leaving him penniless and with three grown adults that hadn’t settled down as of yet.

  George, Christopher and Alex.

  The eldest son, George, was apparently fond of alcohol and struggling on his own. He was terribly handsome with a quick, witty smile that could charm the fleas off a cat… but that was due to the relaxed atmosphere that came with the swill he drank while no one was looking. When he wasn’t in his cups, he was a brooding man that came off as intimidating.

  Christopher did not inherit the good looks that George had; instead he was scarred from a burn to his cheek as a child. He had a thin frame that only made the mottled skin more noticeable. He looked no more pleased to be passed off and auctioned to the first hand that reached out to help the failing homestead. Her sister, Kate, had the unfortunate luck to be immediately married off to Christopher. In return for her compliance, she was given a promissory note for any profit from the sale of Christopher’s childhood home -in which they could start anew on their own.

  And then there was Alex.

  Her Alex.

  The boy she’d admired from afar the first time she’d laid eyes upon him. Carrie remembered that day so long ago like a vivid dream. She’d wandered off from the kitchens to go pick flowers for her mama. Humming along, she was standing in knee high grasses and making a mess of herself. The primroses she picked had dusted her nose with yellow pollen and left streaks on the material of her dress. The wind picked up slightly and she felt a slight tug on her blonde braid that dangled down her back.

  Alex.

  The dark-haired boy with bright blue eyes and a brilliant, wide smile that struck her speechless. She didn’t even mind that he was still pulling on her braid and making mischief, it was the intensity and vivaciousness of his soul that caught her by surprise. Alex made George look like a paltry, older, pale version of him. Where George was good-looking, Alex was stunning. When George smiled, she felt herself smile… but with Alex, something moved in her chest that she didn’t recognize as a young girl. She recognized it now, for certain!

  She yearned for him.

  It wasn’t love (yet!) but there was no denying the relief when her father announced she’d dutifully marry Alex. She had been such a starry-eyed fool and readily agreed to marry a perfect stranger, someone she’d met once before and dreamt of since. A child’s fantasy stood before her, now fully grown, and with a welcome smile on his face. Neither one had been expecting to marry, much less each other, but as part of the consolidation and their marital contract they were given a future together.

  Land of their own.

  Adventure!

  A new start, in a new part of the world – away from everything they knew here in Pennsylvania. She felt like as a couple, they could take on the world and conquer it – together. They’d been married that evening in a small ceremony, just the two families and a neighbor to witness it. She’d worn a pale-yellow gown that complimented her dark hair and eyes. Alex had been wearing a suit that made him look even more dashing to her naïve eyes. Carrie’s hand shook as she wrote her name in the register next to Alex’s that warm September afternoon.

  Carrie Elizabeth Cornell… Madison.

  The next few days were painfully awkward and mortifying. Her mother told her in hushed whispers what to expect in the marital bed but nothing prepared her for the keen disappointment that she tried to keep hidden. They were both so very young and neither knew what they were doing. What began as ardent kisses, ended up with the two of them bumping into each other’s noses painfully. Ungainly movements in the darkness, followed by a flurry of apologies and a shock to her system… but this was her Alex. She could forgive him anything and she was pledged to her new husband.

  The best times with Alex were when they simply hugged each other and talked about traveling out to their new property, their new home together. They shared their dreams and became the best of friends in no time at all. It was a blessing to be married to a man she admired and adored with all her heart.

  They had been married a little over a month when Alex announced that he would head out to the Wyoming Territory in order to make sure she had a roof over her head. Carrie had argued with him but Alex wouldn’t hear it. He was headstrong and knew-it-all regarding how they would behave as a couple. He gave her that sweet smile that had first captured her heart, and she gave in.

  The agreement was that Carrie would stay here, pack up their things and take their meager savings to use for a train ticket when she was able. Alex would head out on train as well – however he insisted she spend the money on a better seat for herself. He was going to ride in a car with his horse and his pack. It was a much cheaper way to travel for him to get there safely and she could only imagine the conditions he was settling for, but it was better than hundreds of miles on horseback alone.

  Carrie had bravely walked her husband to the train station, desperately holding back tears. She wasn’t ready to say goodbye for an unknown span of time. She couldn’t help but be frightened that she was sending him alone out into the wilds to settle them in a place she’d only heard people talk about.

  The Wyoming territory – where the land was cheap, the skies were breathtaking and rumor of gold in the hills drew even the most peculiar of people out of their shell in the hopes to strike it rich. Her father had applied for the homestead but they hadn’t made the move as of yet. Now the sixty-five acres of land belonged to her and her husband… and their child.

  Alex had been gone so long that
he didn’t even know that she was pregnant. Carrie waited and waited for word from him- but it never arrived. He’d promised that he would send word once he’d arrived and then again when their home was ready for her. They both had dreamed of a fresh start and raising a family together. Friends and her family consoled her that Alex was simply busy. They repeatedly reminded her that the Timber Culture Act had encouraged landowners to plant trees on their property. Problem was, they were the owners and that didn’t apply to their land as of yet. They hadn’t moved onto it in order to plant the trees.

  “It might be overgrown, Carrie,” they told her. “Alex might be clearing the land for you both in order to build a home.”

  “He might have been delayed due to weather.”

  She was comforted that this might actually be true. It was almost spring now and he’d left just before winter really hit them fully. Looking back now and worrying so much, she realized how foolish it was of him to leave so late in the year! They were young and didn’t know any better but learning first-hand how different life could be from what their childhoods growing up had entailed. They were now adults. She was pregnant and he was… missing. Despite everything they said, she knew somehow deep inside that something had happened and she was terrified that if she waited any longer, she might not be able to travel for some time due to the baby.

  Carrie wasn’t one to sit still either. When Alex had left, she had taken up a position at a nearby business to earn money. She wanted them to be able to have a good start to their lives together. She wanted a large barn with horses, a coop with fat little chickens, and maybe a couple of goats to supply them with her favorite tangy cheese.

  She could picture the house in her mind and it always made her smile, prompting her to work that much harder. Her hands were cracked from the abrasive lye soap that was used to wash the clothing that was brought in but each time she stuck her hands in the hot, soapy water – she thought of her new home. Pine walls white-washed until they gleamed in the sunlight. A large stone fireplace to warm the home in the cool winters. Maybe she’d splurge and get a potbelly stove like she’d seen in a catalogue recently. She didn’t have enough money for it yet- but she was getting there! Every little thing she did was with love for their newly growing family and the home they would build together… eventually.

  That was when she made her decision to head out soon to meet Alex. Her nerves and curiosity couldn’t take much more and she just had to see if he was alright. She’d been patient. She had waited and prayed each day that she walked to work through the snowy streets. She wondered if Alex was stuck somewhere and struggling to keep warm. It ate at her constantly, and last night was the worse night ever since he’d left.

  Her dreams last night were so murky; so real but so far away. She was standing in a field and Alex was there. His beloved sweet smile was gone and the laughter in his eyes was missing. It was like a stranger had his face. She tried to run after him, but her feet were stuck in the mud. She tried to call out to him, begging him to help her, and that is when he turned away. The cold man with Alex’s face turned his back on her.

  Carrie had awoken and thrown up violently in the pan underneath her bed. She was shaken at the idea of losing her childhood crush just when they were at the precipice of becoming so much more. She could feel it in her bones and deep in her soul – they were meant for each other and she knew he loved her.

  Or at least Alex did… before he left for the Wyoming Territory.

  2

  “I’m leaving on Thursday,” Carrie announced quietly at the dinner table. When Alex had left, she had resumed living in her childhood bedroom with her parents. Her mind was made up and her bags were packed. She had stopped at the train station yesterday on the way home from the laundry in order to purchase her ticket. She’d been shocked at the cost of the ticket. It was almost as expensive as the dress she wore. It would all be worth it in the end though, once they were reunited and she knew he was safe.

  Thankfully her parents understood and helped her load up a large chest to take with her. All of her possessions and things to start their home were in that single trunk her mother had given her. Her father gave her a small pistol to keep hidden on her person for emergencies and her mother coached her to hide some money in her corset. They were both worried, but understood her desire to be with her new husband… especially with her child on the way. They were beyond happy for her and promised to visit when they were settled.

  Two days later, Carrie was on board the massive steam locomotive and on her way. Thankfully the other passengers took pity on her and noticed her abdomen was starting to swell with the baby. She had her corset still on, but it was as loose as possible, causing the seams of her dress to stretch. They shared their meals with her, reminisced of when their own children were born, and tried to make her comfortable during the trip. Her feet swelled something awful from sitting so much, but the swaying of the lumbering car made her so ungainly it was almost comical. Carrie was grateful that the rocking motion didn’t make her ill.

  Travel was horribly slow.

  The train had to stop for water every ten miles or so. The car she was in had the windows down in order to let in a breeze. Carrie was so grateful that she was traveling at the end of February instead being forced to travel in the heat of summer. The train would puff out these massive plumes that carried back over the cars and dissipated into the sky, making the passenger car awfully humid at times if the wind was just right. She spent the days cradling her stomach and marveling at the movements her baby was making. Sometimes it was a faint, flopping sensation and other times it was a gentle nudge or kick. It was nearing a week of travel since she’d left Pennsylvania, and she overheard that they would be pulling into Fort Laramie tomorrow.

  That was her final stop.

  From there, she would need to get a small cart or wagon and head out towards Belle. It was a cute name and she knew it meant pretty in French. She had thought that was why the town was named it… perhaps it was lovely. She was a little surprised to hear it was due to a story of some bells that got lost. The other train riders waved her off saying there was more to the story, but they wanted to freshen up before disembarking.

  Carrie easily accepted their brush off simply because she was beyond tired and smelled herself. This wasn’t the way she wanted to meet her Alex at all. She wanted to be clean, glowing in a new dress, and slender like when they got married. Instead she felt fat, filthy, and everything on her pregnant body ached or was puffy. Even her fingers were swollen and her toes were decidedly pinched in her boots. She’d fallen into a fitful sleep until the train whistle alerted her that they had stopped. Jerking away, she remembered where she was and why.

  Disembarking, Carrie was relieved to see a large man standing near a stagecoach. He gave her a sympathetic look as she hobbled off the passenger car. Her equilibrium was completely off-keel and she kept expecting the ground to sway underneath her. She could get through all of this. It was a temporary setback until she found Alex and regained her balance.

  “Are you okay missus?”

  “I’m fine. Just happy to be off the train finally. You aren’t perchance heading out towards Belle, are you?”

  “Ma’am- this stage goes straight there. Which one is your bag? My name is Jeremy, ma’am. I’m Jeremy Bryant and I travel this route often to Belle. It’s a mighty pretty town.”

  Carrie liked the coach driver instantly. He was a fairly large man that looked to be a little older than her. He had a gun strapped to his thigh and a smile that seemed eager to please. His smile reminded her of Alex’s and she couldn’t wait to see him. It had been her mantra each day … find Alex. Be with Alex. Love Alex.

  “It’s actually the big storage trunk they are unloading now. It’s nice to meet you Mr. Bryant, and I am very glad to hear that Belle is your destination.”

  “How’s a little thing like you going to move that?”

  “I’m hoping that my husband can help me move it,” she admitted
with a smile. In her dreams, Alex was waiting for her in town to arrive. She knew it was silly because she hadn’t sent word that she was on the way. Her fanciful notions kept her sane throughout the entire journey… and she had plenty of them!

  “Oh? Is he in Belle waiting for you?”

  “Yes – My name is Carrie Madison – my husband is Alex Madison.”

  “There’s only one Alex I know up there- wasn’t aware he had a pretty little wife on the way.”

  “A baby too,” she said with a soft smile, resting her hand on her abdomen.

  “Oh ho! He is in for a double surprise then-isn’t he?”

  “I should say so,” she agreed readily. “He was supposed to send word and then I would come out here. He’s not expecting me, but I couldn’t stay away from him any longer- not with the baby on the way. Do you mind if I sit down? I know I just got off the train but I am plumb worn out.”

  “No ma’am- you have a seat and we’ll be on our way shortly.”

  A few hours later, several others had accompanied her on the ride into town. Some had ridden into Fort Laramie for supplies and others were like her – arriving to their new home. The legend of the bells had spread, drawing curious people to the newly flourishing town. Even the coach had a tiny bell attached to one of the horse’s straps as a nod to the story. Its faint tinkling was a welcome sound.

  Carrie wasn’t sure what to expect but the sprawling small town was downright lovely. A flurry of activity on the main street that bisected the growth of buildings showed several families were walking about. It was fascinating to see the smiling, welcoming faces as they waved to the coach arriving. A bout of anxiety was swiftly heightened as she felt a kick to her abdomen. Resting her hand on her stomach, she smiled softly.