A Headstrong Christmas Bride for the Lonely Father by Emma Morgan Page B

lack of experience as a father. The prospect of marrying a stranger has always seemed a bit odd to me, but I’m grateful for your help, and we will get to know each other. I’m assuming you were planning on marrying upon arrival. If you’re prepared to do so, then we can ride down to the church before we head out to the ranch. Is that alright with you?”
     
    “Yes, that will be fine,” she replied, looking up at him, relieved that this was going smoothly.
     
    “Great, let’s put your bags in the wagon, and then we can go down to the church. It isn’t far.”
     
    He helped Ella up into the wagon with Hannah, and then put her bags in the back. They rumbled down the dusty roads of Mountain Ridge. It was a small town, but it had the essentials. There was a general store, an inn, and the church, along with a couple of places to eat. The mountains provided a lovely backdrop to it all, with the pine forests coming to the edge of town. The crisp mid-October air was refreshing, and carried the scent of pine in the breeze.
     
    “It’s beautiful here,” Ella commented.
     
    “I’ve always thought so, but I’m glad that you like it. The weather here can get harsh, though. The storms cause a lot of damage, and winters are long. But with enough preparation, we will be safe and comfortable through the winter.”
     
    They stopped in front of the little church building, and Ben tied up the horses. He then came around and helped Ella out of the wagon. Inside, Ben disappeared into a side room, and came back with a man of forty years or so.
     
    “Ella, this is Jack Hastings, he’s the reverend here in Mountain Ridge. Jack, meet Ella Burns, this is the young woman I told you about.”
     
    “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Burns,” Jack said, “I understand you travelled out here as a mail order bride?”
     
    “It’s nice to meet you as well. Yes, sir, that’s right.”
     
    “Well, we’re happy to have you here, and glad to know that Ben will have help with the baby now. If you’re ready, I can go ahead and marry you, and then my wife and I would love to have you two over for lunch, if you can spare the time.”
     
    They happily accepted, and Jack officiated a nice, simple wedding. Afterwards, they went to the Hastings’ house where Ella had the chance to meet Becca Hastings, Jack’s wife. She was a kind woman, a few years younger than Ella’s mother. She had a way of making this new, foreign place feel like home for Ella. After they had enjoyed lunch and visited for a while, Ben told Ella they should get going, as the ranch was a few miles from town, and he wanted to get home before dark. So, after thanking their hosts, they set off for home.
     
    Upon leaving town, the terrain flattened out a good deal, but was still quite wooded. The rumble of the wagon lulled Hannah to sleep in Ella’s arms. Ella discreetly observed her riding partner. He was a young man, with dark hair and green eyes. His skin was tan from working outside, and his hands showed the signs of hard work. She wondered what he thought of her. Was she what he had expected? She had chosen one of her nicest dresses to meet him in, and she had done her best to put her hair up while rocking back and forth on the train. Their meeting had gone smoothly, but still, she hoped that she had made a good impression.
     
    It was lovely here, but Ella had never been anywhere so secluded. Towns were plentiful on the east coast, and even the countryside there was dotted with homes. Here, there was nothing but woods for miles. She noticed Ben had a shotgun tucked next to him on the bench of the wagon.
     
    “Do you have much trouble out here?” she asked, motioning to the gun.
     
    “Not from people, it’s to protect the horses. There are plenty of coyotes and bears in the woods, along with the occasional mountain lion. They usually steer clear of a wagon, it makes too much noise, but I keep that there just in case.”
     
    “Oh, I see,” she said,