A Convenient Christmas Bride. Rhonda Gibson

but was so exhausted she’d fallen into a deep sleep. Hopefully, she’d be able to change back into her own dress right after breakfast.

      Josiah pushed away from the table, taking his and the twins’ plates with him. The little girls were covered in egg and wet crumbs. “Maybe, if the sun comes out full force, we’ll be able to get to town in a couple of days.” He raked the scraps into the slop bucket and carried it to the back porch to be thrown out later.

      Anna Mae offered, “I can help you with that.” She pushed away from the table and immediately felt the weakness in her limbs.

      “Nope, you are just recovering.” He walked over to her and placed a hand under her arm. “I’ll help you to the couch and you can rest there until you need to return to bed. I don’t want you to come down with another fever.”

      Tears filled her eyes as he walked beside her into the sitting room. Josiah had been so nice to her. He’d saved her life and then tried to make her comfortable during the worst of her sickness. Anna Mae vowed that during the time she had to stay here, she’d offer her help and make herself useful.

      “Why don’t you bring the girls in here and I’ll read to them,” she said, hoping he’d at least let her help out in that way.

      “Now that’s a right nice idea. Give me a minute to get them cleaned up and I’ll put them in the corral.” He waited until she seated herself on the sofa, then handed her a small quilt before he returned to the kitchen.

      Anna Mae stared into the fire, disturbing thoughts troubling her. Would she have a job when this was all over? If not, where would she go? Would this town be as hard on her as her hometown had been? Fears and past hurts ran deep within her. How she hated this feeling of uncertainty. She’d just lately felt secure enough to put down roots. As if she finally belonged. Now her very livelihood could be decided by others known for judging harshly.

      Without warning, Anna Mae remembered the shame she’d felt when her ex-fiancé, Mark Peters, had left her standing at the altar. She’d given up her teaching job to marry him. She’d thought he loved her, but he’d left the night before their wedding and had a note delivered at the hour of the marriage ceremony. Fresh tears filled her eyes, for just thinking of it shattered her. Not because she’d loved Mark to the point of distraction, but because he’d made a laughingstock of her. The whole town had shaken their heads and secretly called her a fool. With her teaching job no longer available, Anna Mae had done the only thing she felt she could do. She’d answered Levi Westland’s ad for a mail-order bride.

      But thankfully, God knew that Levi wasn’t the man for her, and had sent Millie Hamilton to be his new bride. Anna Mae had breathed a sigh of relief the day Levi announced his intention to marry Millie, confirming in Anna Mae’s heart that she was meant to be a schoolteacher and a spinster.

      “I wish you’d stop worrying about the school board. Whatever comes, we’ll face it together and I’ll make sure that they understand.” Josiah placed the girls into what he’d called the corral, made of boards and fabric, and stood to smile at her.

      Lost in thoughts of the past, Anna Mae needed a moment to reorient herself. She longed to trust in Josiah’s assurances, but she was reluctant to place her faith with a man again.

       Chapter Two

      Josiah stood in the kitchen and listened to Anna Mae’s soft voice as she read to the girls from the book of Genesis. He knew the girls didn’t understand the story of Adam and Eve, but they looked up at Anna Mae with sincere interest. He dried the last dish and laid the towel to the side.

      His boots made a soft clomping sound as he walked across the floor. He knelt down beside her chair and touched her hand. It felt soft under his rough fingers. She turned her big brown eyes upon him. “Would you mind terribly if I go check on Roy and the mule?”

      A soft smile graced her chapped lips, reminding him that she needed to drink more water. “Not at all. I’m sure they would enjoy breakfast and a little attention.”

      He nodded and stood. Josiah reached for Ruby and touched the soft black curls on her head. He glanced between her and Rose. “You girls be good for Annie, ya hear?”

      “Go,” Ruby said as she worked to stand up.

      “Not this time, little one. It’s too cold out there for little girls.” He leaned over and kissed her soft cheek.

      Rose scrambled for him. She smacked her lips, wanting her kisses, too. “Tisses!” she demanded.

      He laughed and scooped both girls up into his arms. Kissing them both all over their faces sent them into squeals of delight. Josiah’s love for the girls grew stronger every day. They were changing so much as they got older.

      Anna Mae’s soft laughter joined in. He looked over at her and saw that her face looked a little pale. Had she overdone it this morning? Possibly. Maybe now wasn’t a good time to leave her alone with the twins. He stood to his full height and looked down on her.

      As if she could read his mind, Anna Mae said, “You better hurry and take care of the animals. We’ll be fine until you return.”

      Josiah nodded and quickly set the girls back into the corral. He pulled on his coat and scarf. Cold air blasted into the house as he hurried out the door.

      Snow glistened on the ground and the early morning sun rays added to the brightness. He shielded his eyes and exhaled, his breath forming a cloudy vapor. Thankfully, the snow had stopped falling. He followed the trail to the barn, the cold air stinging his face.

      When he opened the door, warmth greeted him along with the scent of hay and dust. Roy snorted from his corner of the barn and the little mule hailed him with a loud bray. “I hear ya, you ornery beasts.”

      Josiah hurried to give the animals water, grain and hay. As quickly as he could, he mucked out their stalls and laid fresh hay. A glance at his pocket watch told him he’d been out of the house for close to two hours. Giving the horse and mule a final pat, Josiah started the trek back to the house. He glanced up at the sky. In another hour or so the sun would sit directly over the house. That would help heat the place up a bit.

      Lord willing, in the spring he could add another fireplace; or maybe he’d just buy one of those new-fangled stoves he’d seen advertised down at the dry goods store. He figured Anna Mae would like that. He reined in his thoughts immediately. What in the world was he thinking? She wouldn’t be here in the spring. A woman like Anna Mae was looking for a love relationship, and he wasn’t. He didn’t want love. It hurt too much when the one you loved died.

      For all he knew, he might not be here, either. He’d thought about getting a house in town but didn’t want to seem ungrateful to William, his brother-in-law. After all, he’d been the one to buy the orchard. William might not like the idea of him moving to town and leaving it vacant. When he got to the front porch, Josiah stomped as much snow from his boots as possible before entering the house.

      His gaze roved around the room and he saw the twins napping in their corral and Anna Mae asleep on the couch. He walked over and gently, so as not to wake her, covered her with a quilt.

      Josiah reached out and touched Anna Mae’s forehead. Cool. He stared down into her lovely face. Dark lashes rested against her pale cheeks. Her dark hair feathered about the pillow. Anna Mae Leland truly was beautiful.

      He grinned as he remembered the first time he’d called her Annie. She’d flared up like a hissing cat. That little bit of spitfire seemed to rouse her to get stronger. Truth be told, he preferred Annie over Anna Mae. The name seemed softer. It suited her better, so he’d continued to tease her with the name. Now it just felt natural.

      Josiah made a mental note not to call her Annie once their lives returned to normal. It was a little too informal for the schoolteacher position that she held. Would the school board fire her? He took a deep breath. He’d only wanted to help her, keep her safe, and he may have ruined this sweet woman’s