Our Fugitive Bride (Treasure Falls Brides 1)

The man pulled his horses along the street to the boarding house. It was summer and the stages ran about every two weeks till November when they shut the line down until spring.

There was no crossing those roads in the winter. So the women had two weeks to decide if they wanted to stay or if they wanted to return to Charleston.

“How many women do you think have already taken a good look at our little town and said, oh no, not for me?” Andrew asked.

“I hope none, but we’ll have to wait and see. The stagecoach won’t be back for a couple weeks after it leaves.”

They started toward his uncle’s house. They were in charge of setting up the chairs outside and then he wanted to go home and put on his best clothes. Tonight there would be some courting done.

“Did you talk to Henry and Sam?”

Andrew sighed. “I did. They have been warned. First sign of trouble and they are fired and will be run out of town.”

“Good, hopefully, that has been solved.”

“If there is liquor, you know what will happen,” Andrew said with a sigh.

“I do,” Jesse said, remembering a time when he let liquor control him. Not anymore. Never again. He still bore a scar from getting too drunk one night. From the fight they created and he took a bullet over.

“Let’s go get our chores done and then go home and get ready. Tonight is going to be very special,” Andrew said with a smile. “There’s a woman I want to pursue.”

They quickened their steps as they moved down the wooden sidewalk that was barely a block long. If families didn’t stay here and more businesses didn’t come into town, their little place of paradise would soon dry up. Already, they were needing more shops and ranches around the area. Anything that would keep Treasure Falls growing.

“I can’t believe the matchmaker was able to find us eight women who are willing to let us take care of them together. I thought it would take months. Most women would run from the idea of two husbands.”

Since the beginning, the town had a shortage of women and an overabundance of men. With the dangers of the area and the mine, the women were the ones who decided if they had two husbands, then their odds of being a widow with children would be less. It had been a practical suggestion that even his parents had followed until they all died together in the mine.

When they arrived at his uncle’s house, he glanced up at the open windows. You could see the women settling in, laughing and talking with his aunt. How many of these women would stay on and help this community? Time would tell.

“I’m so very pleased with what the matchmaker has done. No matter what, I want our wife to be happy with the two of us,” Andrew said, glancing up at the windows.

“Agreed,” Jesse said. As the oldest of his brothers, it was time for him to settle down. Their parents had given their lives to this community and it was up to them to keep it going. Now with women settling in the small town, they had a chance of Treasure Falls continuing to prosper.

“And I hope that sweet Mary becomes our wife,” Andrew said.