Sweet Bride Read online

  Copyright © 2022 by Eliza Ester

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, without prior written permission.

  * * *

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.

  Created with Vellum

  Contents

  1. Russ

  2. Dory

  3. Russ

  4. Dory

  5. Russ

  6. Dory

  7. Russ

  8. Dory

  9. Russ

  10. Dory

  About the Author

  One

  Russ

  Russ Burke stood in his new office, hands on his hips, turning to look at the place. It wasn’t much but it was his and that was all that mattered. The townsfolk of Carson Valley had rebuilt a barn for the new sheriff, transforming it into a sheriff’s office complete with jail cells and a desk that Cole Davison had made.

  It was good to be respected.

  Russ had been a nomad for most of his life; a rootless man without a plan of where he was headed and only the knowledge of where he’d been to guide him.

  Carson Valley had been on his route and he had decided to stay. A man couldn’t wander his life away. It was time to put down roots, settle, and start a family.

  At first, he’d been nothing more than a citizen of Carson Valley, someone looking to make a living. When the town realized it had a need for law enforcement, Russ had applied for the position as town sheriff.

  Russ had been one of the men riding to retrieve Miss Caroline Dupree when she was kidnapped by bandits. They had been successful and she was Mrs. Travis Davison now, but the taste of danger and doing good had tickled him in a way he hadn’t expected. Taking on the job as sheriff had been the right thing to do.

  Three months in and he loved his job. Being a part of a place like Carson Valley—with its friendly folk and rolling hills and valleys—had been enough already. Overseeing it was fulfilling on a whole new level.

  Taking up a new post and living a life of stability was all well and good. But now he was ready for the next step. He was in want of a wife. The folk in Carson Valley were wonderful, sure, but there were more men than women and he had a mind to balance that out. Reverend Shreve had started a mail order bride business and Russ had decided he would sign up for a bride of his own.

  Reverend Shreve had chosen a Miss Eudora Gilchrist and Russ had made contact with her. They’d only exchanged a few letters but he already saw her as his Dory and she referred to him as her hero.

  So far, it was a match made in heaven, but only time would tell. A handful of hours, to be exact.

  Russ stepped out of his office and looked up at the sun. The coach could arrive at any moment. His stomach was a knot of nerves. In her letters, Dory sounded like a dream. Russ still didn’t know her, though, and settling down with a stranger was nerve-wracking. What if she didn’t like him or the home he had chosen for himself? What if Carson Valley was the one place she wouldn’t be able to stand? New York was a big place filled with eccentric people and a lifestyle Russ had left behind a long time ago.

  Carson Valley was nothing more than a pioneer town that had become home to a few families who made the place their own. What if the change was too drastic for Miss Eudora Gilchrist? What if it was too quiet here; too wild? What if she wanted to turn around and go right back home?

  If that happened, Russ would be no worse off than before. But he found himself heartily wishing that his potential bride-to-be would decide to stay.

  “Morning, Russ,” Reverend Shreve called, walking toward the sheriff’s office. “Big day, eh?”

  Russ nodded as the two men shook hands. Reverend Shreve was an older man, his hair thinning on top of his head and graying at the temples. He wore a wide-brimmed hat to keep the sun off of his balding head and black clothes that indicated he was a man of God.

  Russ liked the man. Not only was Reverend Shreve the one who had arranged a job, an office, and now a wife for Russ, he was also a good man with the blessing of compassion running in his veins.

  “I am nervous, I won’t lie,” Russ said.

  “Travis Davison is mighty happy with his Caroline,” Reverend Shreve said. “There is nothing to be nervous about. Holy matrimony is a beautiful thing.”

  Russ nodded. It was. He and Dory, in their letters, had agreed that if they hit it off they would get married as soon as possible. Why wait when there could be an eternity ahead together?

  “I spoke to Travis,” Russ said. “It’s why I agreed to do this in the first place. It’s still a big deal, though. I’m a nervous mess.”

  Russ laughed, feeling like an idiot. He was a big, strong man with the town depending on him for its safety. Russ was ready to take on the responsibility of taking care of a town, but a woman was something else.

  The faint rumble of horses’ hooves silenced both men and they turned toward the road that led into town. The coach was visible on the horizon, the horses kicking up a cloud of dust as they headed toward them.

  Russ swallowed hard. Reverend Shreve clapped him on the shoulder.

  The coach stopped when it reached town, the horses breathing hard, hides gleaming with sweat after the day’s travel. The door opened and the passengers stepped down into the sun.

  Three women had traveled to Carson Valley. All three of them were young and beautiful, but the third one that stepped out was on another level. It was Eudora Gilchrist. Dory. His Dory. She didn’t have to introduce herself for Russ to know that this was the woman he was waiting for.

  She wore a cornflower-blue dress that accentuated her tiny waist. It flared out from the hips and swished around her feet when she walked. Her face was what drew his attention, though. Delicate features with big doe eyes. Her brown hair matched her eyes, pinned up underneath her bonnet with a few stray curls falling to her shoulders.

  Russ swallowed and stepped forward. Somehow, he wasn’t nervous anymore. The woman he’d been dreaming about for months was in front of him now, almost surreal, a vision of beauty and grace.

  “Russ?” she asked, stepping toward him. Russ nodded, grinning like a fool. Her voice was sweet and smooth and when she smiled at him two beautiful dimples appeared in her cheeks.

  “I’ve been dreaming of what this day would be like,” she said, holding out her hand. Russ took it. Her skin was softer than the petals of a rose, her eyes mesmerizing.

  “No amount of dreaming can do it justice,” Russ said. He kissed her knuckles and she blushed. Her cheeks turned rosy and her dimples deepened.

  Russ held out his arm and she looped her hand through the crook of his elbow.

  “How was your trip?” he asked.

  “Long. Tiresome.” She smiled again. “Worth it, so far.”

  “Were there more brides on your coach?” he asked.

  She nodded. “One.” She glanced over her shoulder. “She seems nervous. I was, too.”

  Russ put his hand over hers. “Understandable. You’re not the first in this town. Caroline Davison was the first and she settled in wonderfully. If you feel unsure, Reverend Shreve suggested you speak to her. She agreed to talk to new brides if need be.”

  Russ was rambling. He said anything that came to mind just to have Dory’s attention on him. To command the attention of a woman like Dory was a treat. She smiled as he spoke. He wanted her to keep smiling.

  She was beautiful.

  Two

  Dory

  Russ Burke was everything Dory had thought he would be. Tall, dark, and handsome, he was any woman’s dream. His jet-black hair glinted in the sunlight and his eyes were deep enough to drown in. When he flashed a smile at her, his teeth were a brilliant white. He was more than a head taller than she was and she felt delicate next to him.

  Dory had grown up in New York City with six brothers in a town that was all about the future. Her parents had worked hard but money had never been easy to come by. When her oldest brother had married her parents had moved in with him, leaving Dory to live her life without being told what to do.

  Carson Valley was different from any place she’d ever seen. She’d traveled over a thousand miles to reach it by coach and the terrain had continuously changed. Before this trip, she had never been further than sixty miles west of New York. Leaving home behind had been hard and exciting, all at the same time.

  Dory looked around as Russ led her away from the coach. Carson Valley had one main road with wooden buildings on both sides and folks walking by, going about their everyday errands. It was a small town but so far it seemed like a nice place to live.

  “Where are we going?” she asked.

  Russ turned to her and she looked up at him, unable to read the expression on his face. She still had to get to know this man, even though the connection between them was undeniable. She knew very little about him other than that he was the sheriff now and that he had traveled quite a bit. Still, she knew he was the person she was supposed to be with.

  The moment she had climbed down from the coach and his eyes had met hers, she had known.

  “I know we just officially met,” Russ said. “But we did say if we hit it off we would get married as soon as possible. Truth be told, I want you to be my wife. As soon as possible.”
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  Dory smiled. As strong and confident as Russ was, he seemed a little shy around her, as if he wanted to impress her but was unsure of how to do so. This was a man who struck her as someone who knew what he wanted and it was a thrill that he wanted her.

  “I don’t know how you feel about it,” he said. “I don’t want to push you into something you don’t want to do…”

  Dory shook her head and Russ’s sentence tapered off.

  “I want to,” she said. She looked around. “As soon as possible.”

  Russ smiled and lifted his hand, brushing the back of it against her cheek. A thrill rushed through her.

  “Reverend Shreve is around here somewhere,” Russ said, looking up. He waved when he spotted a man in black clothes. “Reverend!” he called out and rushed toward the man, dragging Dory with him.

  “This is Dory Gilchrist,” he said when they caught up to the reverend. “She just arrived by coach.”

  Reverend Shreve flashed Dory a grandfatherly smile and nodded.

  “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Miss Gilchrist.”

  “Dory, please,” she said.

  Russ cleared his throat. “If you’re not busy, we’d like to get married.”

  Reverend Shreve blinked. “Now?”

  Russ nodded. Dory nodded, too. They were both smiling. Reverend Shreve chuckled and looked around him as if he was trying to find a reason to contradict the happy couple.

  “I can’t see why not,” he said. “Come along, my wife is at home. We only need one more witness.”

  Russ looked around.

  “Gideon!” he called and waved. A young man with red hair turned toward them. “I’m getting married! Be my best man.”

  Gideon laughed. “Are you being serious?”

  Russ laughed and nodded. Dory looked at Russ and couldn’t help but smile. He was so excited to marry her. She couldn’t help but feel like she had done a good thing, like coming to marry Russ Burke was a good choice.

  They walked with Reverend Shreve to his home. Mrs. Shreve was knitting on the porch. Her blond hair was streaked with gray and smile wrinkles fanned out around her eyes when she looked up. The good reverend explained what they were going to do and she nodded.

  “Of course I’ll be a witness,” she said to Russ and Dory. “This is a happy day.”

  The ceremony was short and sweet. The reverend read a piece from the Bible explaining that they had to keep their eyes on the Lord, especially when storms raged around them. Dory listened intently. Russ’s eyes were glued to her face and he stared at her through the entire message.

  The vows followed and a moment later, Dory was officially Mrs. Russell Burke. It had all happened so fast she was still reeling.

  “Thank you, Reverend,” Russ said, shaking the man’s hand. “Thank you very much.” He put an arm around Dory and pulled her close to him. The display of possession was careful but it made her feel special.

  “Are you ready to see your new home?” Russ asked as they turned and left the reverend’s house. She nodded eagerly. She had been excited to find out where in the picturesque town she would be living.

  “Russ, can I talk to you for a moment?” Reverend Shreve asked when he followed them back to the main road. “It’s sheriff business,” he added.

  Russ nodded, squeezing Dory’s hand. She stood next to him and listened to the conversation.

  “I’m concerned about the church money,” he said. “It doesn’t always add up and I’m worried something is wrong.”

  Russ frowned. “You think there’s a thief?”

  Reverend Shreve shook his head. “I don’t know what to think.”

  Russ looked at Dory.

  “My new wife and I will be in church on Sunday. I’ll keep an eye out.”

  Reverend Shreve nodded and smiled.

  “Thank you,” he said. “I’ll see you around. Congratulations again.”

  Russ turned and Dory followed. If Reverend Shreve felt he could speak to Russ about issues like that, he trusted Russ. That was always good to know.

  They walked down the main road. On the way to their home they were stopped by two more people. They congratulated the happy couple before telling Russ about their issues. Russ promised he would try to help. It was evident to Dory that Russ took his job as a sheriff seriously.

  That was good to know, too. Dory realized that Russ was a very busy man.

  Finally, they arrived at a wooden house with steps leading up to a porch. It was beautiful.

  “This is it?” Dory asked.

  Russ smiled and nodded. “Welcome home, sweetheart.”

  He picked her up and she laughed. It was as if she weighed no more than a feather. Without any struggle Russ walked to the house and carried her up the steps and over the threshold.

  Three

  Russ

  Carson Valley was a quiet town and, for the most part, taking care of the townsfolk’s safety wasn’t a hard job. Russ was busy but he had time to relish the difference he was making.

  Two weeks had passed since he’d married Dory and she was everything he could have wanted in a woman. She was kind and caring and compassionate, but she didn’t fear hard work despite not being used to it. She turned Russ’s house into a home. All it had needed was a woman’s touch and Russ was grateful that Dory was his woman.

  The more time passed, the more he learned about her character. She was tenacious and stubborn but kindhearted and gentle at the same time. She seemed to understand what his needs were, knew when he needed to be somewhere for his work as the law enforcer, and never complained when he had to leave.

  It was as if they were made for each other and Russ couldn’t have been happier.

  That morning, someone knocked on the door before Russ left for work. When he opened the door, Reverend Shreve stood before him.

  “I’m sorry to bother you this early, Russ,” he said.

  “Not a problem at all, Reverend, please come in.”

  Reverend Shreve walked in, following Russ to the living room. He didn’t sit down.

  “I have urgent news,” he said. “I am sure that money is disappearing now. Before, I had hoped it wouldn’t be true, but I have made a point of counting the money myself before having Tom write it up and there’s definitely something going on.”

  Russ frowned. “It sounds like someone is digging into your money,” he said.

  Reverend Shreve shook his head. “It is a church,” he added as if that alone would make it impossible to steal money.

  Russ shook his head. “It’s the house of the Lord but there are still thieves around these parts,” he said.

  Reverend Shreve looked shocked that something like that would be possible. He believed the best of people—it was a good trait but unfortunately not always true.

  “I will find out what I can, Reverend,” Russ said. “It’s a small town and there are only so many people that attend your church. Whoever it is can’t get away with it forever.”

  Reverend Shreve nodded.

  “I believe you are the right choice as sheriff in this town, Russ,” he said. “You always keep a level head.”

  Russ thanked the reverend, who got up and walked to the door.

  “I’ll keep you up to date, Reverend,” Russ said. When the reverend left, Russ turned to Dory, who had been busy in the kitchen.

  He wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and she smiled, turning her head for him to kiss her.

  “I’m on my way to work,” he said.

  “Good luck,” she said. “Be a hero.”

  Russ smiled. Dory made him feel like a hero every day, even when nothing dangerous happened. With a woman like that in his life, how could he feel any different?

  There were always people out and about. On the way to the office, Russ always greeted any townsfolk he passed, catching up on gossip. Just as he approached his office, Tom Whitney passed him, headed toward the school building.