Bobbins and Boots (Baker City Brides Book 4) Read online

  Baker City Brides, Book 4

  A Sweet Historical Western Romance

  by

  USA TODAY Bestselling Author

  SHANNA HATFIELD

  Bobbins and Boots

  Copyright © 2017 by Shanna Hatfield

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. Please purchase only authorized editions.

  For permission requests, please contact the author, with a subject line of "permission request” at the email address below or through her website.

  Shanna Hatfield

  [email protected]

  shannahatfield.com

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Cover Design Copyright © 2017 by Shanna Hatfield

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Blackberry Bars

  Books by Shanna Hatfield

  How does an attempt at being neighborly turn into… marriage?

  Born dirt-poor into a life of hardship, Allie Tillman seizes the opportunity to better her situation by answering an advertisement for a mail-order bride in a bustling western town. Upon her arrival in Baker City, Oregon, she discovers her intended is a low-down, lying thief. Determined not to marry him, she grasps at the one thing that will keep him from forcing her to be his wife — marrying another man.

  Good-natured cowboy Ben Amick had no idea a simple trip into town would completely change his life. When he happens upon a mail-order bride desperate to avoid marrying her fiancé, Ben does the first thing that pops into his head and marries her. Willingly, he gives her the protection of his name and his arms, never expecting her to capture his heart.

  Humorous, heartfelt, and awash in sweet romance, Bobbins and Boots captures the tender and tumultuous emotions of falling in love.

  Special thanks to

  Jessie F.

  and

  Trystan M.

  for modeling for the cover.

  Thank you!

  To those who own

  such unselfish hearts…

  Chapter One

  Baker City, Oregon

  September 1891

  Fear churned in Allie Tillman’s nervous stomach like a butter paddle in a jar of thick cream. Since it was far too late to change the plans already set in motion, she stepped across the platform at the train depot and glanced around.

  Questions about her future husband’s appearance pecked at her thoughts from the moment she received Joe Lambery’s letter. The missive confirmed his acceptance of her as his mail-order bride and included a train ticket to Baker City, but didn’t contain a photograph. Would he be tall and handsome or short and balding? Was he still in possession of all of his teeth? Although he sounded nice enough in the one letter they’d exchanged, what if he was cruel and spiteful.

  A flicker of adventure nudged away a little of her anxiety as she glanced around the Eastern Oregon town she’d never heard of until she happened upon Joe Lambery’s advertisement for a bride. The sagebrush covered hills to the south and east, and the thick forest to the west and north was unlike anything she’d ever seen growing up on the flat prairie of Nebraska.

  A deep breath filled her nose with fresh, clean air. Redolent with a hint of pine and a sprinkling of sage, she also detected the delicious smell of roasting meat. If she hadn’t teetered on the edge of full-fledged panic at what she was about to do, she might have paid more attention to her gnawing hunger.

  In all her life, she’d never traveled more than ten miles from the sod house where she’d been born. Now, she was more than a thousand miles away from everyone and everything she’d ever known.

  A quick scan of the faces of those still waiting to board the train revealed none of them seemed to be the rancher she’d come to wed. Not one of them wore a hat like the cowboys she’d seen on the train. Like she imagined Mr. Lambery would wear.

  She pictured him as tall and broad-shouldered, with a friendly smile and a warm light in his eyes. Another glimpse around the depot confirmed no one appeared to be the right age for her intended. Two crusty old miners and a gentleman in a fine suit were the only people left outside, and they all busily gathered supplies into wagons parked next to the platform.

  Concerned, Allie hurried into the ticket office and stepped up to the counter.

  “May I help you miss?” The man barely glanced up at her as he shuffled papers from a stack on his left to one on his right.

  “Yes, sir, I’m looking for a man named Joe Lambery. Have you by chance seen him today?” she asked.

  The papers stilled in the ticket agent’s hands and he slowly raised his gaze. One eyebrow traveled upward and he gave her a long, studying glance. “What in the world do you want with Joe Lambery?”

  Startled by the disapproving tone of his voice and the disparaging look on his face, Allie took a step back from the counter. “He sent for me. We’re to marry and live on his ranch.”

  “On his ranch?” The man’s second eyebrow joined the first, stretching close to his hairline.

  Much to Allie’s dismay, the man guffawed loudly and slapped the counter with one hand. Tears leaked from his eyes and he bent over, holding his stomach as laughter rolled out of him in great, uncontrollable waves.

  Suddenly realizing she was quite serious, he curtailed his humor and straightened, giving her an apologetic glance.

  “I’m sorry, miss, but I haven’t seen Joe Lambery for weeks.” His eyes held a hint of sympathy. “To my knowledge, there is no way to get a message to him, so you’ll have to find somewhere to wait until he wanders back into town. If I see him, I’ll mention your arrival.”

  “Oh, I…” Stunned by Mr. Lambery’s failure to meet the train and the ticket agent’s odd behavior, Allie nodded her head. “Thank you, sir.”

  She shifted the worn carpetbag in her hand and returned to the platform. The few coins in her bag wouldn’t secure a decent place to stay for the night let alone purchase enough food to fill all the empty spaces in her belly.

  Tears pricked the back of her eyes but she held them in check as she stared down the train tracks, watching the train chug on its way to the next stop along the line. So much for her dreams of her future husband being a gallant, romantic sort. In fact, from the way the ticket agent acted, she couldn’t help but think Joe Lambery might be rather disreputable.

  A pleasant, masculine voice spoke from beside her. “Pardon me, miss. I couldn’t help but notice you seem to be waiting for someone. May I be of assistance?”

  Allie turned and smiled at th
e man in a suit she’d seen loading his wagon with supplies. He appeared to be in his fifties, with gray touching his temples. It gave him a distinguished appearance while his British accent made him seem like royalty. If she’d known how to curtsey properly, she would have.

  “I came to town as a mail-order bride, but the gentleman who sent for me isn’t here. The ticket agent said he had no idea how to get word to him I’ve arrived. It seems I’ll have to wait for him to come to town.” Allie looked into the man’s friendly face and kind eyes, hoping he would be more helpful than the chortling ticket agent had been.

  The man doffed his hat and grinned. “Edwin Greenfield at your service. You must come home with me. My wife and I run a boardinghouse and we’d love to have you stay until your intended arrives in town.”

  “Oh, Mr. Greenfield, that’s a lovely offer, but I’ll tell it to you straight. I don’t have any money for a room. I don’t think I have enough to even buy a decent meal.” Allie hated to admit it, but her mother had taught her to tell the truth, no matter how painful it might be.

  Greenfield settled his hat on his head and rocked back on his heels. “Would you be interested in a job while you wait for your fiancé?”

  “Would I?” Allie’s blue eyes lit with hope. “You bet your britches I would. I’m a hard worker. If I don’t know how to do something, Ma says I learn real fast.”

  “Splendid. Come along then, and we’ll get you settled.” Edwin took her elbow in his hand. She started to jerk away, but realized he was only being kind and helpful. He guided her down the steps and offered his hand as she climbed up to the seat of his wagon. “Do you have any trunks?”

  “Nope. This is it.” Allie set her carpetbag at her feet.

  As he drove through town, Edwin pointed out Mr. Miller’s Mercantile, Maggie MacGregor’s dress shop, and Mr. Palmer’s saddle shop. He waved at the sheriff as he strolled down the boardwalk with his arm around the waist of a beautiful woman while a little girl skipped along beside them.

  Edwin stopped the wagon outside a large two-story residence with a lush yard and wrap-around porch. The fancy trim dripping from the house caused Allie to wonder if her shoes were clean enough to step foot inside such a grand house.

  “Welcome to our home,” Edwin said. He wrapped the reins around the brake and climbed down. When he offered her a hand, Allie’s fingers barely grazed his as she jumped down then followed him up the steps and inside the front door.

  “Hattie, my love, we have a special guest.” Edwin smiled at Allie and motioned her to precede him into a parlor. A woman his age sat on a tufted velvet sofa cuddling a curly-haired child. Across from the duo, on a matching sofa, a lovely auburn-haired woman smiled as she held a cup of tea in her elegant hands.

  “Hello!” The older woman set the child on the cushion beside her and rose to her feet. “Welcome, welcome. I’m Hattie Greenfield. This is Lady Jemma Jordan and her daughter, Lily.”

  “It’s right nice to meet you, Mrs. Greenfield, Mrs. Jordan. I’m Allie Tillman.” Allie tipped her head toward Edwin. “Mr. Greenfield said you’d hire me for a few days until the man I came to marry makes it into town.”

  “Did you just arrive on the train?” Hattie asked, gently pushing Allie down into a side chair and pouring her a cup of tea.

  Without any past opportunity to drink tea out of a china cup, Allie tentatively took it, puzzled by what she should do with the saucer. Covertly, she watched Mrs. Jordan as she held the saucer in one hand and daintily took a sip from the delicate cup.

  Emulating the woman’s posture, Allie took a drink of the sweet, rich brew then returned the cup to the saucer. “Thank you. I did just arrive. The man who sent for me wasn’t around to meet the train. The ticket agent didn’t seem to know when he’d show up in town, although he seemed to find the notion of my husband-to-be getting married quite funny.”

  Eager to participate in the conversation, Lily skipped over to Allie and leaned against her chair. She tilted her head one way then the other before grinning at her. “You’re tall,” she said.

  Strawberry-blond curls sprung up around the girl’s head like a downy halo while copper-colored eyes snapped with mischief and excitement. Allie thought Lily looked like a little autumn fairy in her coral and cream striped frock.

  “I suppose I am tall for a girl,” Allie said, grinning at the charming child. “Do you think I’ll grow into a giant?”

  “No!” Lily giggled and shook her head, making her curls dance. “You’ll be a princess and live with a handsome prince and eat cake twice a day.”

  “Twice a day? My, goodness! Wouldn’t that be something?” Allie asked, accepting the plate of food Hattie handed to her. Tiny sandwiches, fruit-filled tarts, and buttery cookies made her mouth water. She took a bite and forced herself not to eat like a mannerless heathen. Already feeling out of place in the Greenfield’s immaculate home in her simple calico dress, she didn’t want to draw any more attention to herself.

  “Yep! I’d eat cake twice a day if Mama would let me,” Lily said. She scampered over to her mother and plopped down beside her then took a bite of a cookie Jemma gave her.

  Jemma turned to Allie with a pleasant smile. “Miss Tillman, if you don’t mind my asking, whom did you come to wed?”

  “Joe Lambery. Do you know him?” Allie asked. Surely, someone would be able to locate her missing fiancé.

  Jemma shook her head. “I don’t, although his name seems familiar for some reason. When my husband arrives, we’ll ask him. He knows most people in the area.”

  Allie nodded and focused on eating the food on her plate and sipping her tea. “Are you all related?”

  Hattie Greenfield shot Jemma a motherly look then turned her attention back to her guest. “No, dear. Mr. Greenfield and I used to work for Jemma’s family, when we all lived in England. Jemma’s sister wed a man named Henry Jordan and they blessed us with two delightful children. Sadly, Jane passed away, and then Henry. Jemma took over raising both children. Henry’s brother, Thane, came to settle his estate, only to discover the existence of Jemma and the children. They wed and moved to America, but we missed Jemma and the children so terribly, we decided to come to Baker City to be near them.”

  “Oh, that’s wonderful.” Abruptly realizing what she’d said, she darted a glance at Jemma. “I don’t mean about your sister and her husband dying. I just meant it’s wonderful you all are so close and can be together.”

  She wondered what it would be like to be loved so much someone would follow you across an ocean and the country. She’d traveled across half of America to wed a stranger but he hadn’t even possessed the courtesy to show up to meet her. Her experience with men was limited to her pa and brothers. What she knew from dealing with them left her rather wary of the male species.

  The door opened and the jangle of spurs rang into the parlor before a brawny, handsome man stepped into the parlor, holding a cowboy hat in one hand. He looked so much like the vision Allie held of her rancher, she stared at him in fascination, taking him in from the top of his head to the tips of his dusty boots.

  Lily ran to him with her arms outstretched. “Daddy!”

  “Hi, honey. Are you being a good girl?” he asked, moving farther into the room.

  Allie watched as his eyes softened when they landed on Jemma and he shot her a tender smile. There was nothing she wanted more in the world than to be loved like that, but her lot in life was to make do with what she could get. Apparently, she couldn’t even get the groom who’d sent for her.

  Jemma stood and tipped up her cheek as Thane pressed a kiss to it. He offered a greeting to Hattie and Edwin Greenfield then noticed Allie.

  “Thane, this is Miss Allie Tillman. She just arrived on this afternoon’s train,” Jemma said, making introductions. “Miss Tillman, this is my husband, Thane Jordan.”

  Thane politely tipped his head and offered her an amiable grin. “Nice to meet you, Miss Tillman. Welcome to Baker City. What brings you to town?”

&nbsp
; Allie rose to her feet, noting Thane’s surprised look when she stood only a few inches shorter than his tall height. “Please, call me Allie. To answer your question, Mr. Jordan, I came as a mail-order bride, but the man I’m to wed didn’t meet the train. The ticket agent wasn’t sure when he’d be in town.”

  Thane shifted Lily in his arms to free a hand and accepted a cookie from the platter of sweets Hattie held out to him. He gave her an appreciative nod, but turned back to Allie. “What’s the name of the fellow who sent for you?”

  “Joe Lambery.” Allie’s eyes widened in shock when Thane choked on the cookie he’d popped into his mouth. He handed Lily to Jemma while Edwin whacked him on the back and Hattie poured him a cup of tea.

  Thane swallowed the contents of the teacup in a gulp. He coughed one more time before pinning Allie with a penetrating glare. “Joe Lambery? Are you sure that’s the name?”

  “Yes. That’s what the letter said.” Allie opened the carpetbag she’d left by the chair and pulled out the newspaper advertisement and the letter Joe had sent to her.

  Thane read the newspaper advertisement aloud:

  Handsome, wealthy rancher, 27 years of age, seeks a bride to share home in Eastern Oregon. Lady between 18 and 30, of gentle disposition with love of outdoors preferred. To correspond…

  He scanned the letter then handed it and the advertisement back to her with his jaw clenched in irritation.

  “Thane? What is it?” Jemma asked, placing a hand on his arm. “What’s wrong?”

  “Not what. Who.” Thane motioned for Allie to take a seat. Once she did, he and Jemma sat on the sofa. “Look, Miss Tillman, you seem like a sensible girl, a nice girl. That’s why you can’t marry Joe. I don’t know what inspired him to send for a bride, but the only thing in that advertisement that might be remotely close to the truth is that he’s twenty-seven. He’s not wealthy, doesn’t own anything beyond his horse and saddle, and the handsome part is farfetched considering he’s missing a few teeth and has never had more than a passing acquaintance with soap and water. Joe is a lazy, mean, worthless cuss. I have to assume the only reason he wants a bride is because your train ticket was cheaper than continuing to spend what little money he has at the Rusty Nugget on har…” Thane grunted as Jemma’s elbow connected with his ribs. The disapproving glower from his wife caused him to alter his statement. “Female companionship of a disreputable nature.”