Emma Read online

  Emma

  Angel Creek Christmas Brides Book Nine

  Peggy McKenzie

  Copyright © 2019 by Peggy McKenzie

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  More Books In This Series

  MORE BOOKS BY PEGGY McKENZIE

  Want to Read More?

  The End

  Prologue

  Charleston, South Carolina

  Spring 1866

  Emma Bowen looked over her friend’s shoulder. “Can it really be true, Caroline? Read the letter again, just to be sure,” she urged.

  Caroline smoothed the letter on her lap and began to read it again so everyone present could hear. “Dear Caroline, I hope this letter finds you well—”

  Emma tried to control her impatience. “I do apologize for my ill-manners, but if you don’t mind, can you skip to the part about the husbands?” She grinned at the other ladies present to soften her demands. After all, the letter was addressed to Caroline, and her friend was being kind in sharing its contents with the rest of them.

  “Of course.” Caroline scanned the letter until she reached the part Emma was dying to hear again. “Here we are. Speaking of husbands, I overheard a conversation in the mercantile . . .” Caroline skipped forward a bit again “asked if they shouldn’t send away for brides themselves . . . and here is where Julia reports that she is certain there will be enough men for us all to marry.”

  “Read it,” Emma demanded. “Please,” she added, remembering her manners.

  Caroline found the correct position in the letter and read. “I’m sure we could line up more than enough men who are willing to marry—”

  “That’s all I need to hear.” Emma’s excitement vibrated through her body making it hard to sit still. “I’m leaving as soon as I can get my affairs in order. It’s gonna take me a few months, but as soon as I’m able, I’m leaving Charleston to start a new life in this place called Angel Creek. Who’s willing to join me?”

  Chapter 1

  Angel Creek, Montana Territory

  November 1866

  Emma Bowen stepped down from the stagecoach and looked around. The temperature was a lot colder here in Montana than in Charleston. She pulled her cloak tighter around her and searched for her sponsor, Sarah Cassidy.

  “Emma?”

  She turned to see a woman and a young girl of about seven standing near the stagecoach station.

  “Yes, I’m Emma. Are you Sarah Cassidy?”

  “That’s right. Welcome to Angel Creek.” The woman stepped closer and reached out to hug her. Emma hugged her back. She was grateful to Sarah and her family for taking her in until she could find a place of her own.

  “This is my daughter, Rebecca.”

  Emma nodded and extended her gloved hand to the little girl. “Rebecca, it is so very nice to meet you.”

  The young girl curtsied and smiled. “It’s very nice to meet you too, Miss Bowen. My friends call me Becca.”

  Emma smiled. “Then I will call you Becca, for I know we shall be great friends.”

  Sarah smiled and wrapped her arm lovingly around her daughter’s shoulders. “Let’s get out of this cold, shall we? I left my son at home with a friend and I’m sure she’s ready to be relieved of her duties.”

  Emma turned toward the coach. “What about my things?”

  Sarah waved to the stagecoach driver then turned back to Emma. “I’ve asked the driver to deliver your traveling trunks to the house before he unhitches his team. Since our house is right down the street, I thought it would be easier to unload it just the once rather than unload it here, find someone to move it, and then unload it again at our house. Haskell said he wouldn’t mind at all.”

  Emma turned to the driver and gave him a thank you wave of her own then turned back to her companion. “Thank you so much for your kindness, Mrs. Cassidy, and I can’t express my appreciation enough at your generous offer to take me in. After all, I’m a total stranger, and—”

  “First, I insist that you call me Sarah. I think if we are to live together, we should at least be on a first-name basis. And second, we may be strangers in the most basic sense of the word, but I believe we are sisters of sorts—you and I and the other women from Charleston.”

  Emma smiled at her newfound friend. “Yes, I feel you are right. There is a closeness among us. It’s as if we share each other’s burdens. Somehow, knowing there is someone close who understands, makes the pain a little easier to bear.”

  “Agreed. Now, let’s get out of this cold, shall we?” Sarah hooked her arm through Emma’s and guided her daughter in front of her down the street careful to keep them on the boardwalk and out of the muddy streets.

  Emma observed the storefronts as they passed. She was delighted to see the preparations for the Christmas season. Tinsel and pine boughs hung in their windows giving some of the gray unpainted storefronts a festive look. It was nice to see commerce thriving in such a remote town such as this. It was a very big contrast to Charleston’s struggling businesses.

  Melancholy at being so far from home threatened to dampen her enthusiasm. She refused to allow it to overshadow what promised to be a bright new future here in Angel Creek. She just needed to focus on the here and now and to forget the past. If only it were that easy.

  “We’re almost there,” Sarah informed her, as they stepped off the boardwalk and picked their way across the mud-encrusted street. Emma pulled her attention back to the present and followed Sarah and her daughter.

  Two blocks later, they stopped in front of a beautiful two-story home surrounded by a white picket fence. It was a lot like the house she used to live in with her family—before the war.

  Becca opened the gate and ran up the graveled path leading up to the large covered front porch. Emma followed Sarah, and soon everyone was crowded inside the foyer, including a four-legged monster of massive proportions that rushed to greet them.

  “Welcome to our home. And this great beast is called Willie.” Sarah smiled and reached down to pet the massive dog’s wide head.

  “Willie, huh?” Emma reached out and offered a tentative hand to the beast. She hoped he didn’t decide to take the arm from the stranger invading his home. She needn’t have worried. Instead of eating her arm, he planted a giant tongue across her palm.

  Sarah laughed and pushed him out of the way. “He was named after the owner of the livery stable. It was his dog that gave birth to this behemoth, although I have no idea how the poor dog did it. Quinn gave him to Becca for Christmas last year. I don’t think either one of us had any idea how large he would grow.”

  Sarah pushed at the massive dog again. “Becca, please go check on your brother for me. And take Willie with you.”

  Emma grinned at the little girl and the giant dog as they raced up the staircase, disappearing around the second story landing. They were quite a pair. And how nice to receive that much joy from a Christmas gift given to you by your f
ather. She remembered those days, even as painful as it was to know memories were all that was left from her childhood.

  She shook off the sadness and surveyed the large main room. It was decorated in soft blue and green hues. Masculine touches of soft leather with the occasional feminine touch of tatted lace gave the home a warm, welcoming feel about it. The fire glowed and crackled in the grate of the rock fireplace chasing the chill of the November afternoon away.

  “What a beautiful and inviting home you have, Sarah,” Emma exclaimed as she took in her surroundings.

  “Thank you. It was another unexpected Christmas surprise from Quinn. It seems he fell in love with the house and thought it would make a great place to grow our family. Baby Quinn was born in September, so I think he might have been right.” Sarah grinned and cast a loving glance around the room. “Let me find Mary and tell her I’m back, then I’ll show you your new home.”

  For the next half hour, Emma followed Sarah around the first floor of the grand old house. It was a delightful home and once again Emma counted her blessings to have found such a wonderful place to start over. When they rounded the corner to the main room again, Sarah pointed up the staircase.

  “Now, let’s take a look at the upstairs, shall we?” Sarah lifted her skirts and climbed the staircase to the second story.

  Emma was quite impressed at the size of the house. “Your home is stunning. What a wonderful Christmas surprise this must have been. I can’t wait to meet this charming husband of yours.” Emma teased.

  “I can’t wait for you to meet him either. He’s such a wonderful man. I don’t deserve him and yet I thank the Good Lord every day for the blessing of Quinn’s love and kind heart. I hope and pray you will find someone like him to love one day very soon.”

  “I hope so too. That would be quite wonderful.” Emma kept up with Sarah as she guided her through the second story bedrooms and bath. Finally, they ended up at the top of the stairs on the opposite side of the hall from where they started.

  Emma couldn’t believe her good fortune at finding such a lovely family to take her in. “Again, you have a beautiful home and I can’t wait to meet your husband. He sounds like a wonderful husband and father. Will he be home later this afternoon?”

  Emma was looking forward to meeting this living legend of father, husband, and lawman all rolled into one. Sarah’s letters to her were always full of stories about his kindness and thoughtfulness.

  “His letter said he would be back sometime next week if all went well.” It was obvious by the wistful look on Sarah’s face she missed her husband terribly. Emma did so hope she would find a love like that someday.

  “Oh, I didn’t know he was out of town. Has he taken one of his prisoners somewhere to stand trial or something?” Emma asked.

  “No, he had another, more personal, reason for leaving town. He left two weeks ago to find his younger brother, Colin, and bring him back to Angel Creek for Christmas.”

  Emma frowned. “Bring his brother home? You mean his brother’s body? That’s quite an undertaking considering all the unmarked graves—”

  “No, it seems his brother isn’t dead after all,” Sarah interrupted

  “But . . . I thought you had written me that your husband’s family were all dead. His two brothers were killed in the war and his parents died too.”

  A broad smile lit up Sarah’s beautiful face. “That was true . . . then. But then Quinn received a letter from a friend of his . . . a Major Windham, I believe. Anyway, he wrote Quinn that the reports of his brother’s death were mistaken. And although Colin had been badly injured, just as my husband had been, he was not dead and could be found in a very bad way down south in western Tennessee.”

  “Tennessee? But . . . I thought you said your husband’s family were from the north. Why would he still be down in Tennessee this long after the war ended?” Emma frowned in confusion.

  “That is the question Quinn hopes to find the answers to. And very soon. He was stunned to learn that his brother was still alive. After all, it’s been more than a year since he received word that Colin had been killed in battle and until he received his friend’s letter a few weeks ago, Quinn still mourned Colin’s loss.”

  “That is a curious turn of events, don’t you think? Why wouldn’t a man go home if he could?” Emma couldn’t imagine why anyone would stay away from home when so many of her friends and relatives could never go home again. It was . . . unimaginable.

  Visions of the people she cared about surfaced and she relished those precious memories of their carefree days before they had marched off to that dreadful war. Now, she would never see them again except perhaps in her dreams. Her pain at losing so many loved ones clawed at her calm. She found herself asking the same question she always did when she felt the sting of their losses: Why was she still alive and they were not? What had she done to deserve these blessings and they were denied—

  “I can tell by the look on your face that you still feel the pain of loss in your own life. Truth be told, so do I. But please don’t feel like you don’t deserve a chance at life. It wasn’t your fault things happened as they did. And as hard as it is to readjust your thinking, you will one day find a new purpose. One that is even more fulfilling than before.”

  Emma nodded in agreement, but she wasn’t as certain as Sarah. Sometimes she wondered if she had done something awful to bring this horrible fate down upon her head. But for the life of her, she couldn’t imagine what it had been. She had gone to church. Said her prayers. Treated people with kindness and respect. Whatever it was she had done, given the opportunity, she would undo it at once.

  Sarah patted her on the arm and then gave it a reassuring squeeze. “Emma, I felt the same way as you do when I arrived. I was angry and I was frightened, and I held certain beliefs I didn’t want to let go of. It was all I had to hang on to at that time. But you will find if you let go of the past and give the present a chance to show its true self, the future will look so much brighter than it does now. Look at me. And Julia. And Charity. And all the other women who took a chance at finding happiness. We are all shining examples that life is full of second chances…if you are brave enough to take them.”

  “Do you really think so, Sarah?”

  “I’m convinced of it. The Good Lord has brought you to this place because that’s where you’re supposed to be. It is now up to you to find out just what that purpose is and make the most out of the opportunity God has given you. Now, get settled and get some rest after your long trip. Come downstairs when you are ready. There’s so much I want to tell you about this lovely little town and its kind and generous people.”

  A baby’s cry drifted down the hallway. “Ah, Colin is awake. I’ll go check on him. Now, settle in. I’ll call you when supper is ready, around six or so.” Sarah left the room and gently closed the door behind her leaving Emma alone to ponder the woman’s words.

  Emma glanced around the room. The bed looked comfortable and warm. There was plenty of space to put away her clothes when her trunks arrived and there was a large armoire in the corner for her dresses…what few she had managed to keep. Most of her wardrobe had been threadbare, so she had donated them to those less fortunate than she so they could repurpose the material for making quilts and to use as patches to mend ragged clothing.

  After a good look around the room, she sat on the bed and unlaced her boots. The trip to Angel Creek had been a long, difficult one and she was tired. A nap sure would feel good right about now. Though she would assure Sarah that she didn’t make a habit of sleeping in the afternoon. She didn’t want her host to think her lazy.

  Emma set her boots next to the bed and lay back against the soft pillows. It had been a long time since she had felt this safe. And…hopeful. The tin square-tiled ceiling above her head drew her attention to its stamped patterns. She studied the dots and flourishes while she pondered her next step. Would she get a job? Could she get a job? Her talents were limited to washing dishes, scrubbing floors
, cooking, and sewing. All domestic talents for sure, but without a husband or family, the best she could hope for was a job at a boardinghouse or a restaurant or possibly a hotel. Not a thought she relished, but she would do whatever it took to earn her keep.

  Until then, she would do as Sarah suggested and look for opportunities to find her purpose. Maybe she could help with the children at the school. Teachers always needed help. Or maybe she could give haircuts to the daughters and sons of the less fortunate parents in town. She had done that in Charleston. Perhaps she could do that here.

  Feeling a bit better about her situation, she allowed her tired bones to relax and melt into the bed’s soft mattress. It was so wonderful to have a place to call home even if this was only a temporary solution.

  Sarah’s words echoed through her tired thoughts. The Good Lord has brought you to this place because that’s where you’re supposed to be. It is now up to you to find out just what that purpose is and make the most out of the opportunity God has given you.

  Emma snuggled deep into the mattress and pulled the blanket over her to keep the room’s chill at bay. Sarah was right. It was up to her to find God’s purpose in bringing her to Angel Creek. Convictions took root as she drifted off to sleep. She would not stop looking until she knew exactly what she was supposed to do.

  Chapter 2

  Colin Cassidy tried to push his misery back into his subconscious, but his whiskey-soaked brain worked harder to try and clear the fog surrounding it. Luckily, the longer he held out, the harder it was for his brain to hang on to its self-preservation instincts. Good. He didn’t want it to survive. He wanted to slip into blessed oblivion and never wake up. Unfortunately, that hadn’t happened over the last year. His body kept fighting to live, but he hoped one day he would sufficiently drowned it until it had no choice but to give up the ghost.