Annie's Chance (Mail-Order Brides Of Prairie Meadow 3) Read online

  In the meantime, Annie thought about what Mrs. Gregson had told her. She had to admit that the news about the fire and the death of Jed’s parents made her uneasy.

  Sighing she thought, ‘Well, there’s nothing I can do about any of this right now.’ Taking out her mama’s Bible, she opened it up and began reading. Just holding it in her hands, made her feel better, closer to her Mama.

  Chapter 4

  Bright and early the next morning, Johnny set off for the Nickels’ farm. The pile of rubble that had once been the farmhouse stood untouched in the center of the yard. A couple of horses were in a fenced area just off one end of the barn and big double doors stood open at the other end.

  Johnny got off his horse and tied it to the rail under a nearby tree, then headed for the barn. He could hear someone talking quietly inside the far stall.

  “Hello Jed. You in here?” called Johnny.

  Jed called out, “Down here.”

  Letting himself out of the stall where he’d been brushing down Rusty, Jed walked towards the door. He couldn’t tell who was there with the glare from the open doors.

  “Hey Jed, how’s things going?” asked Johnny as Jed got closer.

  “Johnny, what brings you out here?” asked Jed surprised.

  “I got news for ya. Can we go and set for a spell?”

  “Sure, I got some coffee brewing on the stove. Come on in,” said Jed opening the door leading to the tack room.

  There wasn’t much in there except a stove, which had been in the farmhouse, a table and a couple of chairs, and a bedroll in the corner.

  After pouring the coffee, Jed joined Johnny at the table.

  Johnny made small talk for a few minutes, but Jed could see that he was uncomfortable.

  “I know you didn’t ride all the way out here to ask me about my crops or my horses. So why don’t you just tell me why you are here?” said Jed.

  Johnny fidgeted with his coffee cup and then said, “I didn’t know you was fixing to get married, Jed.”

  Jed choked on a mouthful of coffee. “How did you hear about that? I sure didn’t tell anyone.”

  Jed looked at Johnny who was squirming on his chair uneasily. “You haven’t answered my question, Johnny,” he said.

  “All right, all right. This wasn’t my idea, mind you,” said Johnny struggling with what to tell Jed.

  “The reason I know you’re getting married is that your bride showed up on the train yesterday. She’s staying with Mrs. Gregson.”

  Jed’s face turned a sickly white under his tan. “What did you say?”

  “You heard me,” said Johnny. “Mrs. Gregson asked me to come and let you know. Your bride showed up a couple of weeks early because of some problems she was having at home.”

  Jed put his head down.

  “I don’t get it. I wrote and told her not to come. What’s she doing here?” muttered Jed.

  Neither said anything else. The silence stretched until Johnny couldn’t stand it any longer.

  “Look,” said Johnny. “It ain’t none of my business and I ain’t trying to poke my nose in where it don’t belong. I just need to know what I should tell Mrs. Gregson, so she can let your bride know when you plan on coming into town.”

  Startled, Jed looked up at Johnny as if he had forgotten he was there. Then he got up and walked over to the only window in the tack room. Johnny just sat and watched Jed wrestle with the news.

  Finally, Jed came back to the table and sat down.

  “Tell Mrs. Gregson I’ll be around in three or four days. I need some time to sort things out first. Thanks for riding out and letting me know Johnny.”

  Once he returned to town, Johnny wasted no time in relaying the message to Mrs. Gregson, including the fact that he’d heard Jed say that he’d written to his bride and told her not to come out.

  “I’m not sure that he intended for me to hear that though,” said Johnny.

  “Thank you Johnny. That is troubling news. But I think it’s best if we forget all about it and let Mr. Nickels sort things out with Miss Sampson,” replied Mrs. Gregson.

  After Johnny left, Mrs. Gregson went up to Annie’s room and tapped on her door.

  “Please come in Mrs. Gregson,” said Annie holding the door open for her. “Do you have news for me?”

  “I do, Miss Sampson. Johnny just returned. Apparently Mr. Nickels has a few things to attend to, so it will be several days before he can get into town.”

  “Thank you Mrs. Gregson. Did, did he have anything else to say, do you know?” Annie asked hesitantly.

  “Oh you know how men are. They aren’t much for a conversation like that. And with Mr. Nickels being such a private person, it’s unlikely that he would have said anything to Johnny. Why, no one even knew that he was planning to get married.”

  Seeing Annie’s face fall when she heard that, Mrs. Gregson hurriedly added.

  “Now don’t make too much of that, Miss Sampson. As I said, Mr. Nickels has always kept his personal matters to himself. It’s not surprising that townsfolk weren’t aware that he planned to wed.”

  Mrs. Gregson patted Annie’s hand. “Try not to worry, Miss Sampson. It will only be a few days until Mr. Nickels gets here.”

  They chatted for a few more minutes until Mrs. Gregson left to do some errands.

  Once Mrs. Gregson left, Annie did what she always did when she was feeling troubled. She turned her troubles over to God.

  ‘Lord, I’m worried. You know what’s best and I ask that you look out for me and guide me in the days ahead. I know that I am never alone with You by my side. And please comfort and support my future husband in the loss of his parents. Amen.’ Then she opened up her mama’s Bible and read until she heard the bell announcing lunch.

  Chapter 5

  Jed hadn’t slept well since Johnny’s visit. At first he’d been angry with Annie for coming to Prairie Meadow even though he’d written to ask her not to. Then he berated himself that he hadn’t even been able to do a simple thing like contacting her in time to cancel their arrangement. If he’d acted right away, none of this would be happening. But he’d been so upset when his parents were killed that he’d let everything go for a time. Now he was paying the price.

  Even though he’d made up his mind that Annie would have to go back to Pittsburg, he couldn’t stop thinking about her. His conscience kind of prickled him because it was his fault that she’d made the trip in the first place. If only he hadn’t put off writing that letter.

  As he worked around the farm he couldn’t help wondering what it would be like to stay on here and get married. But then he’d spot the ruins of the old farmhouse and shake his head for even considering that. No, he needed a fresh start and the only way to do that was to sell up and move on, and forget about getting married.

  Early the next morning Jed decided it was time to go to town and explain the situation to Annie. He owed her that much at least, along with enough money for her train ticket back home. Sighing, he jammed his hat on his head, saddled up Rusty and headed to Prairie Siding.

  Every morning Annie had dressed up in her best dress and sat looking out the window in her room at Mrs. Gregson’s boarding house, watching for Jed. She wasn’t quite sure what he looked like, but she wanted to be ready when he came.

  When she saw a man ride up and stop in front of the boarding house, she paid close attention so she could get a good look at the man who was going to be her husband. He was tall with dark hair and broad shoulders, but she couldn’t get a good look at his face from that distance.

  Certain that it had to be Jed, Annie straightened her hair, took a quick peek in the tiny mirror in her room, then pinched some color into her cheeks, before opening the door and hurrying down the stairs and out onto the porch of the boardinghouse. Jed was just walking up onto the porch when the door burst open and he suddenly came face to face with Annie.

  Cautiously the two sized one other up until finally Annie walked up to Jed and extended her hand to introduce he
rself.

  “Hello, would you be Mr. Jed Nickels?” asked Annie.

  Jed wiped his hand on the side of his trousers before taking Annie’s hand.

  “Yes, ma’am. And you must be Miss Annie Sampson.”

  Annie nodded. “I’m sorry for arriving sooner than we had arranged,” said Annie nervously. “I hope I didn’t disrupt things too much for you, Mr. Nickels.”

  When Jed didn’t say anything, she continued talking. “I unexpectedly had to get on an earlier train. But I’ve enjoyed my stay with Mrs. Gregson. She has made me feel most welcome here in Prairie Siding.”

  Before Jed could respond, the door opened and Mrs. Gregson stood in the doorway.

  “Well, hello Mr. Nickels. I understand congratulations are in order. Your bride is a lovely young woman,” Mrs. Gregson said, looking intently at Jed. “I’m sure that the two of you would like to get acquainted. Please come and sit in the parlor. I’ll get some refreshments for you.”

  Jed stammered a hello and followed the two women inside.

  After they were seated, Annie said, “I was very sorry to hear about your parents. It must be very difficult to have lost both of them at the same time and in such a horrible way.”

  When Jed just nodded, Annie said softly. “I lost my mother a few years ago and I still miss her every single day. Were you close to your parents, Mr. Nickels?”

  “Yes Ma’am, we were as close as could be.”

  The two sat in silence, both thinking about the loved ones they had lost.

  Just then, Mrs. Gregson returned with a pot of coffee and a plate of cookies.

  “Please take all the time you’d like. I’ll be upstairs putting up some curtains in the far bedroom if you need anything.”

  After Mrs. Gregson left, Annie got up to pour Jed a cup of coffee and then she walked over to the window.

  “Prairie Siding is such a lovely little town. I think I will really like it here,” she said turning toward Jed. “How far away is the farm?”

  Jed mumbled something that Annie didn’t understand. ‘The man is certainly much less talkative than his letters suggested,’ Annie thought.

  She decided to take another crack at starting up a conversation.

  “Mr. Nickels, I just want you to know that I will do my best to be the finest wife you could wish for. I don’t know a lot about a farmer’s life, but I am a fast learner and...”

  Before Annie could go any further, Jed put up his hand and said, “Miss Sampson, please stop.”

  “I am sorry, Mr. Nickels. I didn’t mean to go on and on like that.”

  Jed set his coffee cup down and put his head in his hands. He stayed that way for what seemed like a very long time to Annie.

  When she couldn’t stand it for even another second, she hesitantly asked, “Is everything all right Mr. Nickels?”

  Finally he looked up at her bleakly and said, “ No everything is not all right. Look, I’m sorry you’ve come all the way out here, but I guess you didn’t get my letter.”

  “What letter?” Annie asked, bewildered.

  “The one I wrote after my parents died in that fire.”

  Jed got up and walked from one end of the room to the other, finally sitting back down and staring at his boots.

  When he finally looked up, he said, “I’m sure you’re a fine woman, but after what’s happened I can't marry you. That’s what I was trying to tell you in that letter you never got. I was writing to tell you to stay where you were.”

  He paused and then added, “I don't plan on sticking around Prairie Siding past springtime. There are too many bad memories here. And even if I was gonna stay, there's no house left. It burned down and what’s left is no place for a wife. So you see, you made a wasted trip. It’s my fault so I’ll buy you a ticket back to Pittsburg.”

  Annie was stunned. Never in her wildest imaginings would she have ever thought that this could happen.

  “But I can’t go back to Pittsburg,” Annie said, as the tears slowly rolled down her cheeks.

  “Well, think on somewhere else you’d like to go then and I’ll pay for your ticket. I’ll be back in a few days to make the arrangements. I’m truly sorry Miss Sampson.”

  With that, Jed was on his feet and out the door as quick as he could. The image of Annie with tears overflowing followed him all the way back out to the farm. He berated himself for causing of those tears.

  Jed had always prided himself on being a man of his word and he knew his pa valued that trait above all others. A person who doesn’t keep his promises wasn’t worth much in his pa’s eyes. Somehow he felt like he’d let both Annie and his pa down and he didn’t know how he was going to live with that.

  Mrs. Gregson found Annie in tears when she came back downstairs a short time later. She rushed over, gathered Annie into her arms and asked, “My dear, whatever is the matter?”

  Annie sobbed out the story of what Jed had told her.

  Mrs. Gregson said, “I am so sorry to hear that but if that’s how he feels, perhaps it’s for the best that you found out now. At least you can return home and start again.”

  “But, that’s just it,” said Annie sobbing all the more. “I can’t go home.” And she proceeded to explain her situation to Mrs. Gregson.

  “Mr. Nickels has offered to buy me a train ticket to another destination, but I don’t have relatives or friends anywhere else and no real training for any kind of job.” The tears started again as Annie said despondently, “I don’t know what to do.”

  “Now, now, let’s have no more tears,” said Mrs. Gregson. “Why not stay here in Prairie Siding? I’m sure we can find something for you to do. Let me make some inquiries for you. In the meantime, you can help me out here at the boarding house.”

  “You would do that for me when you hardly know me?” asked Annie.

  “My dear, we all need a friend at times. Years ago, someone did something similar for me and it made all the difference in my life,” said Mrs. Gregson with a smile.

  “I don’t know how to thank you Mrs. Gregson. I would very much like to stay here in Prairie Siding if I could.”

  “It’s settled then,” said Mrs. Gregson. “Now dry your eyes and let’s go and have a nice cup of tea. No one knows why you came here Miss Sampson, except Mr. Nickels, Johnny and myself, and no one else needs to know. You can consider this a fresh start.”

  Chapter 6

  Over the next few days, Annie got into a routine. In the morning, she would help serve breakfast and prepare box lunches for the boarders to take with them. She went along with Mrs. Gregson as she ran errands and shopped for the boarding house. Mrs. Gregson introduced her as a young friend who had come to stay in Prairie Siding.

  Along the way Mrs. Gregson asked around about possible job opportunities for Annie. There wasn’t anything in the town itself right then, but there was the possibility of helping out on some of the local farms soon, preparing food for the extra workers who were in the area to help with the harvest. Annie enjoyed kitchen work so it seemed like that might be a good option.

  “I don’t want to impose on you any longer than I have to, Mrs. Gregson. I hope one of these works out soon,” said Annie.

  “Don’t you worry, Annie. The Good Lord will provide in His own time,” replied Mrs. Gregson.

  Then one day, Henry Parker came into town to pick up supplies. He mentioned that at long last Emily was pregnant, but they were in a bit of a pickle because the doctor was insisting on complete bed rest for Emily for at least the first few months. She had had several miscarriages in the past so they were going to be extra cautious this time. They needed someone to move into their house and take over the household duties and the cooking for Emily.

  Susanne at the general store told him about Mrs. Gregson’s friend Annie looking for a job. He immediately went over and met Annie and asked if she would be willing to come out and meet Emily, and see what the job involved. It was agreed that Johnny would bring her out first thing in the morning, and she would start t
he following day if everyone agreed.

  After Henry left, Mrs. Gregson turned to Annie and said, “I told you something would come up. It’s perfect for you. And you’re going to love Emily.”

  Later the same afternoon, Jed came back to town. This time, Annie wasn’t watching for him so he had to search her out. She was out back of the boarding house taking in some bedding from the clothesline.

  Clutching his hat in his hand, Jed stood and watched her for a minute. She was a beautiful woman with her shining hair, brown eyes and the beautiful smile she had graced him with the first time he’d met her. He sighed in regret at what could not be and stepped forward into the yard calling her name.

  “Miss Sampson, may I have a word?”

  Startled, Annie swung around.

  “Oh, hello Mr. Nickels. Of course, let’s sit here in the shade.”

  Annie waited for him to start the conversation this time. After what he’d done, she had no intention of letting him off the hook easily.

  Finally, after realizing that Annie was not going to say anything, Jed started.

  “First off, Miss Sampson, I want to tell you again how sorry I am for everything. I know I can’t expect you to understand, but I hope that someday you’ll look back and find it in your heart to forgive me.”

  Annie was biting her tongue, forcing herself to take the high road. The only way she could do that was by not saying anything at all because a good Christian woman would certainly not say what she was thinking.

  Jed had been studying the ground while he talked. Reluctantly he looked up.

  “I won’t keep you from what you’re doing. I just wanted to find out if you decided where you was planning to go from here so I could buy you a train ticket.”