THE PREGNANT BRIDE’S

TROUBLE
HANDS AND HEARTS MAIL ORDER BRIDE AGENCY
INDIANA WAKE
BELLE FIFFER

FAIR HAVENS BOOKS

 CONTENTS

Introduction
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
35 Sweet Western Brides – Preview
Also by Indiana Wake
About the Author
©Copyright 2018 Indiana Wake
 INTRODUCTION

The Pregnant Bride’s Trouble

The tradition of mail order bride’s dates back to 1620 but most of us
are more familiar with the 1800s.
The first mail order bride adverts appeared following the gold rush.
Men went West and became prosperous but without the possibility of
family they soon became morose. They drank too much and so the
first matrimonial adverts began.
At first men write to their churches, in the hope of finding moral
ladies who would take on such an adventure and travel West to
become their wives.
Often the men would offer their hand in marriage in return for the
lady coming West. Offers of petticoats, shoes, and caps were also
made.
In time women began to place their own adverts hoping to attract a
prosperous man.
That is where the idea of this series began. Each of the books is a
complete tail and they can be read in any order.
In the first book a young woman is offered a man’s Heart and Hand
and from this an idea emerges in her mind.
Just like the brave pioneers she begins a new life and a hope to
bring order and civilisation to a land that needed love and family to
make it complete
I hope you will enjoy these books as much as we have writing them.
If you missed book 1: The First Bride grab it now.
Blessings.

Each of these books can be read alone but if you wish to read them
all find them here:
The First Bride
The Bride who Stole his Heart
A Bride for the Faithful Groom
The Pregnant Brides Trouble
The Bride who Ran Away
 1

B ryony hadn’t expected it to be so terribly hot. The weather

was unpredictable, although the majority of the days were
very warm. But today, was the hottest of the year so far.
She could feel the sweat pouring off her forehead and down her
back. How she wanted to take off the top layers, just so she was in
the modest dress underneath her shawl and cardigan.
But that would mean revealing her state. Bryony wasn’t about to do
that. Not just yet.
She should have stayed back in Philadelphia. At least she could give
birth there and not have to wear lots of layers to hide her swelling
belly while looking for a husband. Men would take one look at her
and decide they didn’t want to raise another man’s child. Bryony
couldn’t blame them. She didn’t ask to get pregnant at this time, but
there was nothing she could do about it.
A small part of her wanted to keep hold of this child. It was the last
memory she had of her husband. Andrew Malekou had been loving
and kind. If he hadn’t been knocked down and killed by a horse and
wagon four months before coming out to San Francisco, Bryony
wouldn’t be here now. She would be home and loved and secure,
looking forward to a future... those were foolish thoughts. That life
was gone. Quickly she wiped away a tear.
Andrea had told her it would be an exciting adventure. There wasn’t
anything left for them back home, and Bryony didn’t want to be
separated from her sister-in-law. Andrea was a close friend, all she
had left, so she had agreed.
It hadn’t been easy. Bryony had hidden the fact she was with child
from everyone, including Andrea. If they knew, they would look at her
differently. She would struggle to find a husband. As she began to
get bigger, she covered herself up more and withdrew, choosing to
focus on working with Melissa at the church.
Once the baby arrived, it should be easier. But Bryony would be
damned if anyone expected her to give up her baby, so she would be
able to marry without any baggage. Getting rid of her child was out of
the question. However, men wouldn’t think the same way. And from
the way Bryony had witnessed men leering at them from a distance,
children from another man wouldn’t go down well. What could she
do?
If only she was confident. If only she could find a sweet man like
Gareth Stanier, a decent man like Philip Anthony, a gentleman like
Steven Baltrusch. Even Melissa had fallen for Pastor Sean Foster,
although she would never admit it. Bryony was the only one who
didn’t seem to have anyone in sight.
That was a lie. There was someone. But Bryony couldn’t bring
herself to approach him. Her nerves got the better of her when he
came near, and she had to leave. They had barely spoken to each
other, but the sight of him had Bryony’s heart picking up speed, her
palms getting sweaty and her mouth going dry.
She was an absolute mess. This wasn’t good. Bryony wished she
had never come here.
“Bryony?”
Bryony jumped when someone shook her shoulder. She looked up
and saw Melissa standing beside her, her blue eyes narrowed at the
other woman. Then Bryony remembered where she was. In the
church, helping to clean before the morning service. Not the best
place to daydream and worry about her future prospects.
“Melissa.” Bryony squared her shoulders and tried to smile at her
friend. “What is it?”
“Are you all right? You were staring off into the distance. I don’t think
you moved for five minutes.”
“I’m fine,” Bryony protested even as she flushed. “I’m just a little
tired.”
“I think you’d better sit down.” Melissa shook her head and took
Bryony’s arm, steering her to a nearby pew. “You’re as white as a
sheet.”
“Really, I’m fine.” Bryony tried to pull away. “Stop fussing, Melissa.”
Then a tall, redheaded man appeared on Bryony’s other side before
she realized he was there he took Bryony’s other arm and helping
her to the pew.
“You shouldn’t argue with your friend, Bryony,” he scolded gently.
“And I think you should sit down. Pastor’s orders.”
“I thought it was doctor’s orders.”
He grinned, his dark eyes glinting.
“Mine’s the next in line and just as good. Now sit.”
Bryony couldn’t really argue with him. Sean Foster was a man who
could charm a hind leg off a donkey. Women fell at his feet and men
practically ate out of his hand. Having a handsome pastor from
Dublin, with a thick Irish accent was a temptation nobody could
resist. Certainly not Melissa, who kept hovering near him whenever
she could. It was sweet to watch. Bryony was surprised the confident
girl hadn’t said anything.
Then again, she was hardly one to talk.
She sat in the pew with Melissa standing guard next to her. Sean slid
into the pew in front and turned to face her. He gave her a gentle
smile.
“What’s going on with you, Bryony?”
Bryony huffed.
“I wish everyone would stop being so worried about my welfare.”
“Well it’s maybe because some people are more caring than others.”
Sean shrugged. “And I like to think of myself as caring.”
Melissa thought that, but Bryony didn’t say anything. She wasn’t
about to embarrass her friend. She looked down at her hands
twiddling in her lap, aware of her belly trying to push through the
many clothes she had put on that morning.
“I keep thinking about Andrew,” she said quietly. “It’s still so raw.”
That was as close as she wanted to get to the truth.
Sean nodded.
“I understand that. But there’s something else.”
Damn the man for being sharper than he made himself out to be.
Bryony gritted her teeth.
“I’m just not used to the heat, Sean. Philadelphia was never this
warm. Just let me rest for a moment. I’ll be fine.”
“Why do I not believe that?”
Bryony snorted.
“Because you’re a suspicious man, that’s why. And God has nothing
to do with it. He didn’t save my husband from death, so I don’t want
to hear about him.”
Working in a church had been vaguely ironic for Bryony, seeing as
she had lost her faith. God hadn’t been there for Andrew, and he
clearly wasn’t here for her now. Bryony didn’t know what she had
done wrong, but she had more important things to worry about. Like
an impending birth that nobody knew about. That in itself, was
terrifying.
Sean still looked like he didn’t believe her, but he nodded and patted
her hand before he stood.
“All right. Just take it easy.”
“I plan to.”
Bryony watched as Sean walked away. So did Melissa. Then she
spotted Bryony looking at her and blushed.
“What?”
“Nothing.” Bryony grinned. “I think you two would make a very good
couple.”
Melissa’s blush deepened even more.
“I very much doubt he would find me suitable.”
“You’re still holding out for the man of your dreams, then?”
“Yes. I’m beginning to think he doesn’t exist.”
“Maybe you need to ask someone who hasn’t asked for a wife.”
Bryony winked. “Maybe check with the pastor himself. I’m sure he
will give you some advice.”
Melissa scowled.
“That’s not funny, Bryony. Clearly you’re feeling better.”
“I certainly do.” That was a lie, but Bryony wasn’t about to be sent
home. “Let’s get back to work.”
She stood, and that’s when the world tilted.
 2

I t had been a quiet day. Doctor Lee Lambert liked these

days. It meant he could catch up on the paperwork that
kept building up and up. There was never a day off for
him, not with the people from the mines constantly getting into
accidents. It was hard work, but Lee liked it that way.
If he had a family, it would be a different matter. But when it was just
him, there wasn’t much point going home when there was nobody
waiting there. Lee had debated about getting a dog, but he wasn’t
around enough to look after it. It was easier just to stay at the office.
He sighed... there wasn’t anything, or anyone, enticing enough to
pull him away from his lonely office.
Only, that was a lie. There was someone, but Lee had a feeling she
wouldn’t appreciate his affections. Whenever they were in the same
room, she would blush to the roots of her raven hair and hurry away.
She was frightened as a mouse. Lee didn’t know what he had done
or how to go about fixing it.
It was probably best to leave it alone. A mousey, scared wife
wouldn’t be suitable for a doctor no matter how he felt.
Lee was startled out of his thoughts, his pen jerking across the page,
when the door burst open and Melissa Clarke ran in, red-faced and
out of breath. She almost collapsed against the desk.
“Whoa, Melissa!” Lee jumped up and hurried around to hold her
upright. “Where’s the fire?”
“It’s Bryony,” Melissa gasped. “She collapsed at the church.”
Lee felt his heart stumble. Bryony had collapsed? He swallowed.
“Where is she now?”
“Pastor Foster’s bringing her over.”
Then Lee saw Sean coming into the outer office, carrying Bryony in
his arms. The man wasn’t even breaking a sweat. A quick glance
showed Bryony pale and wrapped in so many layers. It was no
wonder she had collapsed, wearing that much in this heat.
“Get her in here, Sean,” he instructed, hurrying toward them he
pointed to an examination couch in the corner.
“Yes, Doctor.”
“I’m fine,” Bryony protested as Sean approached. “I can walk. Put
me down, Sean!” She punched his shoulder. “Now!”
Sean winced, and his grip loosened. Bryony slid down and put her
feet on the floor. Pushing away from the pastor, she suddenly
swayed and tipped forward.
Lee grabbed at her, catching her before she landed flat on her face.
She was pressed against him, in his arms for the first time. Lee could
almost feel her through the many clothes and she felt so good, right,
in his arms.
God himself wouldn’t have been able to get him to let go. He half-
smiled at her.
“You shouldn’t argue with a man of God and a doctor, Bryony.”
Bryony glared up at him.
“I’m not an invalid, Doctor Lambert,” she snapped.
“I beg to differ.” Still holding onto her, Lee moved her gently. “Come
on in.”
Bryony grumbled, but she went with him. Lee guided her to the
couch and sat her down.
Melissa hovered nearby, looking nervous.
“Do you want me to stay, Doctor?”
Lee glanced at Bryony, whose face was now red and angry... and
scared. What did she have to be scared of? He shook his head.
“I think we’ll be fine, Melissa. I can defend myself.” Where had the
shy mousey Bryony gone?
“That’s not funny,” Bryony grumbled.
Melissa grinned and touched her friend’s shoulder.
“I’ll be outside. If you need someone, just scream.”
Bryony rolled her eyes.
“I’ll be fine, Melissa. Doctor Lambert’s not going to hurt me.”
Lee’s chest tightened. Those gray eyes of hers when they lifted to
his…they just snared him to the spot. He cleared his throat and
nodded.
“Sure. Stay close by, if you wish, but I’ll look after her.”
Still looking dubious, Melissa nodded and headed through the door
with Sean. As the door closed behind her, Lee fetched his bag from
behind his desk.
“What happened to you?”
“Nothing, really.” Bryony looked very flustered. “I just got overcome
by the heat, that’s all.”
Lee snorted.
“I’m not surprised you got overcome. You’re wearing far too many
layers for this weather.”
“I feel the cold.”
That didn’t make any sense. Bryony looked like she was going to
pass out again from the sudden heatwave San Francisco had been
hit with. Even if she felt the cold, she wouldn’t need this many layers
on. Then Lee remembered when he was holding Bryony. There was
something very different about her, and he had an idea about what it
was.
Putting his bag down, he knelt before her. Lee wanted to touch her,
offer her some comfort, but she looked like she was ready to bolt out
the room if he tried. Keeping his hands to himself, however, wasn’t
easy.
“What are you hiding, Bryony?”
“I’m not hiding anything,” she protested.
That was too fast an answer. She was hiding something. And Lee
was getting more and more sure of the answer. Was that why she
had been so elusive? The other women had come to him with their
ailments in the past few months. The only one who hadn’t had been
Bryony, even when she ended up with an obvious chest infection.
Lee had thought she was fearful of him... of doctors. She was, but
not in the way he expected.
“I’m your doctor now, Bryony. You can trust me.” He gave her a
smile. “If there’s anything wrong, you can tell me.”
“I can’t.”
“Why not?”
Bryony looked down at her hands. She looked like she wanted to
sink into the floor. Her voice was quiet, almost so quiet Lee couldn’t
quite hear her.
“You’ll keep your distance as well.”
Lee snorted.
“Don’t be ridiculous. I didn’t keep my distance during the smallpox
outbreak three years ago.”
“I don’t have the pox or anything catching.”
“But you do have a baby growing inside you.”
Bryony jerked away from him like he had slapped her. Her gray eyes
widened in horror, staring at him as her face paled even more.
Lee thought she was going to faint.
Bryony swallowed hard.
“What…what makes you say I’m carrying a baby?”
“Why else would you be putting extra layers on, even in this heat? I
don’t believe the cold bit for a minute.” Lee reached out and brushed
his fingers across her jaw. “Besides, with the paleness of your skin
and the fact that others have mentioned you’ve been feeling
nauseous... it suggests that something has happened to your body
and it’s not a regular illness.”
Bryony’s face went from pale to red.
“Have you been sick?”
Bryony chewed at her lip. She nodded.
“Yes. Mostly when I get up.”
“Exactly. And parts of your body are looking…” Lee cleared his
throat. “Bigger and firmer. Like your breasts and your belly. It’s not
noticeable unless you get up close, but it’s there. That’s due to the
baby in your belly.”
Bryony’s eyes widened.
“Did you just suggest my breasts were bigger?” Bryony’s eyes were
full on indignation.
Lee had been speaking as a doctor. The words had just tumbled out.
Then he realized where he was staring and turned away, reaching
for his bag.
“I’m a doctor. That is a medical statement, nothing personal. I’m
sorry but sometimes I have to be blunt.” He fished out his
stethoscope. “How far along are you, do you think?”
“I don’t know,” Bryony said shyly. “I found out I was pregnant while I
was on the train. Nobody else knows.”
“Nobody?”
“No.”
Lee could understand why. The world was a hard place and to
survive, especially with a child, she would need a husband. The
problem was that no man wanted a pregnant woman as a wife.
Bryony was stuck. But that wasn’t what he was worried about right
now, even if the thought of Bryony being married to one of the
roguish miners turned his stomach.
“When did your husband die?”
“Andrew passed about four months before I came out here.” Bryony
hesitated. “That was about six months ago.”
Lee blinked.
“Andrew? He was Andrea Baltrusch’s brother, wasn’t he?”
“Yes. They were twins.”
Lee grunted.
“Andrew and Andrea. How original.”
“Their parents were simple people. Lovely, but simple.”
Bryony didn’t look six months pregnant. Then again, Lee couldn’t tell
with all the clothes on and she looked thin, too thin. He was going to
need Bryony to remove some of her layers, and he was aware of his
face going red. He coughed.
“I’m going to need to take a look. To make a definite check for you.”
“I…”
Bryony’s face was going as red as Lee’s felt.
Lee hurried on.
“If you want someone here, I’ll ask for Mrs. Parry to come here.
She’s the midwife, so she’ll be with you at the birth, anyway.”
Bryony bit her face. Then she nodded.
“I’d like her here, please. But…”
“Yes?”
“Please, don’t tell anyone else. Not even Mary.”
“Why on earth not?”
Keeping a pregnancy like this secret was practically impossible. Lee
could keep his patients’ confidentiality, but he couldn’t guarantee that
it wouldn’t get out. In fact, he knew it would get out, especially as
time went on. Bryony’s hands fluttered before her and her eyes
glanced everywhere but at him. She was getting more and more
nervous by the second, physically withdrawing from him.
“I’m here to look for a husband. I can’t get one if I’m pregnant. No
one wants to be saddled with another man’s baby.”
Lee understood that. But he wasn’t here for that. He was here to
make sure the baby and mother were going to be fine. Unable to
stop himself, Lee leaned forward and cupped Bryony’s face in his
hands. She gasped, but she didn’t pull away. Her eyes snagged hold
of Lee’s and he couldn’t look away, even if he wanted to. He smiled,
trying to ignore the fact that his pulse was fluttering in his throat as
his heart hammered on his chest.
“Let’s not worry about that for now, Bryony. Focus on your health and
your baby. If you don’t want me to say anything, I won’t. It’s up to
you.” He rubbed his thumb against her jaw. “You and your baby are a
priority now, nothing else.”
Bryony was still staring at him. It was like someone had never
suggested that to her before.
Lee had to resist the urge to kiss her. This was a professional
setting, not a seduction suite. Angry with himself, he coughed and
drew away.
“I’ll send for the midwife,” he mumbled. “Don’t go away.”
Then he stood and practically stumbled out of the room.
 3

A ndrea Baltrusch was practically squealing as she jumped up

and down in her seat, nearly knocking over the cups on the
table.
“Oh, my God! Bryony!” She grasped Bryony’s hand. “I can’t believe
you’re pregnant! Congratulations!”
Bryony smiled. She had made Lee promise not to say anything
beyond Mrs. Parry, but she knew she needed to tell her former
sister-in-law. Andrea wouldn’t judge her for hiding it for so long. She
was like a sister to Bryony.
This should have been done a long time ago.
“Thank you. I’m glad someone’s happy about it.”
“You’re not happy about it?”
“I am.” Bryony rubbed at her belly, now clearly visible through one
dress instead of four. “But I wish Andrew was here.”
The moment was bittersweet. Andrew had wanted to become a
father, and Bryony was more than happy to be a mother if he was at
her side. But he wasn’t. She was alone, her and her baby’s future
unsure, and she didn’t like it.
Andrea gave her a smile and squeezed her hand.
“I know. But think of it this way: you’ve got a part of my brother with
you.”
“I suppose so.” Bryony looked down at her body. “But I’m not going
to be able to find a husband when I’m this far along. I won’t do
Mary’s success rate any good.”
“Don’t worry about that right now. And Mary will be delighted that
you’re going to have a child.” Andrea winked. “It will be someone
else to talk to about what she’s going through. How far along are
you?”
Bryony winced. She had got her dates wrong. Badly. Lee and Mrs.
Parry had been surprised themselves when they did the calculations.
“I thought I was about six months along. I’m actually eight months
along.”
The look on Andrea’s face was almost laughable. Bryony was sure
her face had reacted the same. Lee’s face had certainly been one of
complete surprise. Mrs. Parry, when they had checked her over and
done the dates, had been the only one who didn’t look shocked with
it. She had been the only one who could sit down with Bryony and
talk to her about what she was to expect in the next few weeks. Lee
had simply wandered off and sat at his desk in a dream.
Bryony couldn’t blame him. How she had managed to go through
almost all of her pregnancy without anyone noticing or any help was
astonishing. It was a miracle she hadn’t been showing earlier than
this, but she knew she was underweight and Mrs. Parry had
admonished her about that.
“What…what?” Andrea looked like she had been hit over the head.
“How have you managed to keep that secret for so long?”
“I didn’t start showing until after we got here.” Bryony found herself
rubbing at her belly again. Now she was being more relaxed about
her pregnancy and opening up slowly, she ended up touching her
stomach in wonder. “And I wasn’t feeling sick until we got on the
train. I thought it was just travel sickness until a week after I got
here.”
Andrea whistled.
“I never would have thought it. Mary started feeling the change
almost immediately. You managed to go through almost the whole
pregnancy without knowing.”
“I sort of knew, but I didn’t. If you know what I mean. And now I’m
due to give birth in a month.” Bryony gulped. “And I’m scared.”
Bryony didn’t mind admitting that, not to Andrea. She wouldn’t judge
her for it.
Andrea sat forward, reaching for her friend’s hand.
“Do you want me to be there?”
Bryony nodded.
“Please. That’s why I’m telling you now.”
Andrea’s smile widened.
“Of course I will. You’re my brother’s wife. You made him happy, and
I love you like my own sister.”
That made Bryony feel better. She squeezed Andrea’s fingers.
“Thank you.”
“And you’ll have Mrs. Parry there. She’s a lovely lady and she knows
her stuff.” Andrea winked. “And, of course, there’s Doctor Lambert.”
Doctor Lambert. Lee Lambert. Bryony felt heat pooling in her belly,
and she withdrew her hand, sure that Andrea could feel her palms
getting sweaty. Just the mere mention of the man had Bryony
coming out in a sweat. The handsome, dark-haired man should
come with a warning, she was sure of it. Six feet, broad and stocky,
the doctor had some youthful looks and a twinkle in his eye that was
hard to miss. He was a big man and Bryony felt safe, secure, and at
the same time excited when he was there. Often she wanted to go
into his arms and have him hold her, to tell her all would be all right.
Among other things. She also got the urge to kiss him.
It was that sudden attraction to him that had Bryony keeping her
distance. She didn’t want to look a complete fool. And having him
know that she was pregnant had her feeling mortified. Of course,
Lee hadn’t batted an eyelid. He took it in his stride, and Bryony
couldn’t stop herself from falling even more for his strength. He didn’t
care.
It was just a shame he was a renowned bachelor and wasn’t
interested in a wife at all. That was another reason to keep away
from him; Bryony didn’t want to get her hopes up.
Andrea raised her eyebrows at Bryony’s silence.
“You don’t like the thought of him being there?”
“I don’t know. He’s been very kind to me, but…”
“But what?”
Bryony didn’t want to discuss her infatuation for the doctor, not even
with her sister-in-law. She was confused raw with grief one moment,
desperate for any husband to keep her and the baby the next... and
then she dreamed of a life with Lee, a good life. It was too raw, even
for her to understand. She averted her eyes as Andrea looked at her
curiously.
“I can’t find a husband when I’m like this. And I can’t go around
looking for one when I have a new-born baby. Who’s going to look at
me as wife material? How will we survive?”
“You will we will all help you. Anyway this will be proof that you can
have children. A lot of men would be looking for that.”
“Thanks but I’m not sure that helps.”
Andrea sat back, a frown creasing her forehead.
“Why are you so concerned about Doctor Lambert seeing you like
that? You’ve got feelings for him, haven’t you?”
The woman was infuriating. When she wanted to be, she was very
astute. Bryony groaned, and Andrea’s eyes lit up.
“I was right. You do have feelings for him.”
“Shush!”
Bryony waved her hands to quieten her, looking around hurriedly. It
was busy in the café, but she didn’t want people overhearing. She
was getting enough curious looks about her current state, as it was.
“Keep your voice down, Andrea,” Bryony hissed. “And I shouldn’t be
feeling like this. I should still be in mourning for Andrew. What's
wrong with me?”
Andrea sighed.
“I know. I miss him, too. And I lived with him since birth. But we can’t
help out feelings. And I can’t think of anyone better for you, if I’m
honest.”
“I’m not worried about your opinion on who I should and shouldn’t be
with,” Bryony muttered. But it did help. “But he’s not written in for a
wife.”
“So what? Neither had Steven and we still got married.”
“I know, and you’re still carrying the afterglow.” Bryony giggled as
Andrea threw back her head and laughed. She sighed and stared at
her teacup. “I feel like a fool, though, pining after him.”
“Don’t be.” Andrea nudged her with her foot. “It’s perfectly natural.
And don’t focus on men right now. Focus on you and your baby. It’s
going to be a few weeks before you’re a mother for real. Prepare
yourself for that.”
That sounded more like something Bryony should do. But the
thought of becoming a mother when the father wasn’t around was
terrifying.
 4

L ee checked Mary’s heart, which was beating nicely, and sat

back, taking the stethoscope out of his ears.
“That sounds fine. Mind if I check your belly, Mary?”
“Of course.”
Mary eased back onto the bed and Lee pressed his hands gently
around her slowly swelling bump. He could feel a few places
tightening against his fingers, which told him the baby was kicking.
Even that brought a smile to his face. It reminded him of when he
helped Emily Parry check over Bryony’s baby the day before and the
joy he had feeling it kick against his hand.
He had to stop thinking about Bryony. Now was not the time. Lee
concentrated on the woman before him.
“How are things going now?”
“I’m still feeling nauseous, but that seems to be easing.” Mary
grimaced. “It’s going to get worse if you keep prodding me, though.”
“Sorry.” Lee withdrew his hands. “But things are good right now. The
baby is moving around nicely. And the sickness easing off is natural
as well now you’re in what we call the second trimester.”
“I’m glad about that.” Mary rose up onto her elbows. “And what about
Bryony’s baby?”
Lee started. He hadn’t said a thing about Bryony’s pregnancy, and
he didn’t think Bryony would say anything to Mary just yet. He tried
to play dumb.
“What are you talking about?”
“I figured it out as soon as she came here.” Mary winked. “A woman
knows these things.”
Lee didn’t doubt that. He cleared his throat and put his things into his
bag.
“She… she’s getting all you’ve been having. But much later on. She
didn’t even think she was pregnant until after she got here.”
“How far along is she?”
“She’ll be due in a few weeks.”
Mary sat up, her mouth dropping open. She whistled.
“Whoa. That is impressive to go that long without knowing.”
“She did. Just nobody else did.”
“Why on earth would she do that?”
Lee felt like he was betraying Bryony’s confidences. But he was too
deep in now.
“She didn’t want it to ruin her chances of finding a husband.”
Mary snorted.
“It won’t. She can have children, which is a plus. And she needs to
look after herself.” She grinned. “With your help, of course.”
“I’ll do whatever I can.”
“I’m sure you will.”
Mary’s knowing look was making Lee uncomfortable. He could feel
his face going red and he didn’t like being on the back foot. He
glared back at Mary, who was giving him a smug grin.
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing.”
Mary tried to look innocent, but Lee wasn’t falling for it. Over the
years, he had got used to picking out when a patient was hiding
something. They often had ailments they were too embarrassed to
talk about, even to their doctor. Lee knew that Mary was planning
something.
“What are you up to?”
“Nothing, really,” Mary protested when Lee snorted. “You’ve got an
impending birth to think about.”
“And I never thought you’d be cagey.” Lee shook his head. “Come
on, Mrs. Stanier, what’s going on in that head of yours?”
“I told you, nothing.”
But Lee could tell Mary was waiting for him to say something. And it
had something to do with Bryony. She was the matchmaker, after all.
Perhaps she was trying to match the two of them up.
Lee knew that would never happen. No matter what he thought,
Bryony wouldn’t consider him a suitor for her. She was nervous
around him, withdrawing whenever Lee thought he was getting
through to her. He couldn’t have a wife who was scared of him, even
though Lee would have jumped at the chance to have Bryony as his
wife.
She was, very quickly, eroding away his determination to remain a
bachelor.
Lee narrowed his eyes at Mary.
“You want me to confess something, don’t you?”
“Do you have something to confess?”
“No.”
Mary shrugged.
“Suit yourself. Although…”
“I thought you weren’t up to something.”
“I have wondered why you haven’t asked for a bride yourself.” Mary
carried on as if Lee hadn’t interrupted. “Especially when you keep
hanging around Bryony.”
Lee could feel his face going red.
“She’s a patient. Of course I would be hanging around her.”
“You were hanging around her before then.”
Lee gritted his teeth.
“I’m not getting pulled into your matchmaking schemes, Mary. I’m a
bachelor, through and through. I intend to remain that way.”
Why did that not sound as convincing as it had done before? From
the look on Mary’s face, she could hear it, too.
“All right.” She folded her arms. “If you say so.”
“I do say so. I admire and respect Bryony, yes, but that’s not
changing anything.”
Mary laughed.
“I’m sure you’ll be changing your mind in the near future.”
They were going around in circles. Lee glared at Mary.
“You’re a lot more confident now you’re pregnant. I think I preferred it
when you first arrived.”
Mary giggled.
“I don’t.”
Lee grunted.
“I figured.”
 5

“B ryony?”
Bryony jumped and looked up. Across the table from
her, Dean Penrose gave her a strange look. It was then that Bryony
realized she had been staring at her food and hadn’t listened to a
word that Dean had said.
“Hmm?”
“Are you with me? You were staying off into the abyss there.”
Bryony blushed and looked away.
“Sorry, Dean. I was thinking about something else.”
This wasn’t how it was meant to be. Bryony hadn’t expected to be
taken out to dinner by one of the miners. Dean had been hanging
around her for a while, but he hadn’t really approached her. Not until
word got around that Bryony was due to give birth. Then he started
coming over, asking her out to dinner. Bryony turned him down each
time until the last one, when she decided one evening wouldn’t do
any harm. She hadn’t been out and treated to a dinner for a long
time. And Dean had promised to be on his best behavior.
Now she was beginning to think this was a bad idea. Dean took over
the conversation and barely let Bryony get a word in. He talked
about himself and his future where he wanted to raise lots and lots of
children while his wife popped them out as fast as she could, staying
at home to look after them. Bryony wanted children but not that type
of life, it sounded like she would be a simple broodmare. Bred until
she was too tired to do anything else. She pitied the poor woman
who eventually married Dean. Even though she was desperate... it
certainly wouldn’t be her.
“You’re worried about the impending birth, aren’t you?”
Bryony shrugged.
“A little bit.”
She was two weeks away from the estimated due date and her
stomach had been tightening up. Everything was incredibly
uncomfortable, and she couldn’t settle on anything. Though she had
put some weight on now she didn’t want to eat much. She couldn’t
wait to give birth and be able to sleep on her stomach again. And
whenever the women in San Francisco were talking to her and their
birth stories came up, it was all horror stories. Bryony had to admit
she was scared.
She was alone apart from Andrea. This wasn’t something that she
should be going through when her husband wasn’t there for her. She
could feel the loss strongly now, more than ever.
Dean smiled and pressed his hand over hers.
“Don’t worry about it. It’s an easy thing to do. You will be doing lots of
it and lots of work soon.”
“You’ve never forced a human being out of your body, have you?”
Bryony shot back.
“No, I haven’t. But my ma did,” Dean said proudly. “She had ten of
us.”
Bryony whistled.
“I bet all of you were walking before she was.”
Dean chuckled.
“That we were.”
He began to shovel more food into his mouth. Bryony picked at hers.
She needed to eat, but her appetite had left her. Now all she could
think of was finding a good moment to pretend that she had a
headache, just so she could go home. Dean was overbearing and a
bore, and Bryony had a feeling he was asking her for something she
wasn’t prepared to give.
All through the meal, Bryony had been aware of someone watching
them. Most of the people in the restaurant had watched her when
she entered. In the two weeks since she had revealed to Lee that
she was pregnant, Bryony had got used to the idea that she was
about to become a mother. Had become relaxed enough to tell
others beyond Andrea, and the news had circulated quickly. She
didn’t need to wear so many layers, which was refreshing. Lee had
told her it wouldn’t be good for the baby to swaddle it up like that or
to squeeze her bump into a corset. Bryony had given up on a corset
a long time ago, but now was wishing for it back. Her back was in
pain.
It was going to be a relief once she stopped carrying what felt like a
sack of potatoes under her dress.
But while everyone else had gone back to their meals, one pair of
eyes had stayed with her. Bryony could feel them boring into her,
almost like a physical imprint. Out of the corner of her eye, she could
see Lee sitting at a table by the window, watching the two of them.
His expression was blank, but Bryony could see the dark look in his
eyes. He was angry.
Angry about what? He couldn’t be angry that she was accepting a
dinner invitation from someone, could he? There was no claim at all
over her from anyone, least of all Lee. But in the last couple of
weeks, Bryony had wished that there was.
In spite of the loss she could feel where Andrew had been, it had
surprised her when Lee seemed to fill in that void. They had started
talking properly, Bryony opening up more. Lee was more than she
expected.
Her infatuation for him had suddenly deepened. She knew it was
wrong, when Andrew was not yet gone a year, but she couldn’t help
herself. Lee had snuck into her affections and he wasn’t leaving.
From the look in his eyes as he watched her with Dean, Lee was
certainly not leaving right now, even though his food had long been
eaten.
“That doc is giving me the creeps,” Dean grumbled.
Bryony jumped.
Dean was glowering at Lee, whose expression didn’t change.
She swallowed and folded her hands in her lap.
“How so?”
“He keeps staring at you.” Dean scowled. “We’re just having dinner.
It’s like he’s imposed himself as a chaperone.”
Bryony had no objection to that. She had wanted a chaperone in the
beginning, but Dean had told her it wasn’t necessary. So, she had
managed to persuade him to have dinner in a public place. Then
there was no worry about having Dean trying anything. Whether she
was pregnant or not, Bryony wasn’t going beyond a dinner. Although
she wished she had different company, wished she had never
accepted the offer but what others had she?
“We don’t need a chaperone,” Dean went on. “We’re grown adults,
aren’t we?”
“That doesn’t mean I don’t need someone to keep an eye on me,”
Bryony pointed out. “Doctor Lambert is my doctor and he’s just
making sure that I’m all right, for proprieties sake.”
Dean snorted.
“He doesn’t need to fret over you so much.” He reached over and
took Bryony’s hand off the table, kissing her knuckles with a glint in
his eyes. “I’ve got you now.”
“You haven’t got me, Dean. This is just a dinner.”
“You think that’s all I want from you?” His eyes flared and his jaw
clenched.
This had taken a bit of a nasty turn. Bryony tried to tug her hand
away, but Dean’s grip tightened.
“I don’t like the way this is going, Dean.”
“You can clearly have children, and I want lots of them.” Dean spoke
on as if Bryony hadn’t said anything. “And you look really beautiful
when you’re pregnant. If I have anything to do with it, I’ll make sure
this is a permanent state.”
A permanent state? Bryony was beginning to panic now. She tugged
harder and pulled her hand away. She needed to get out of there. If
only she could run. Bryony put her napkin aside and stood.
“I think I’m going to go home now, Dean.” She said loudly and
clearly. While she didn’t want people knowing their business, Bryony
did want witnesses.
Most of all, she wanted Lee to step in and to her aid. It was a foolish
fancy, but that’s what her mind was saying. Bryony felt like a
complete fool. She shouldn’t have accepted this dinner date. Clearly,
Dean was thinking there was going to be more going on.
She tried to move away, but Dean grabbed her wrist, pulling her hard
enough so she collided with the table. Cutlery and crockery clinked
loudly, causing the whole place to fall silent. Bryony wanted to sink to
the floor.
“You’re not going anywhere, Bryony,” Dean said with gritted teeth.
Bryony was scared. And Dean’s fingers dug into her skin. She could
feel his sharp nails scraping at her.
“Will you let me go, Dean?”
“No.” Dean stood up, towering over her. He brushed his sandy hair
out of his eyes and leered at her. He didn’t seem to notice, or care,
that he was making a scene. “I know what I want and she’s standing
right in front of me. You’d be a perfect mother for my children,
Bryony.”
Bryony heard a few gasps. This was bordering on a scandalous
conversation, and Bryony wished she wasn’t part of it. She tugged at
her wrist.
“Just because I can have children doesn’t mean I’m going to give
lots of children to anyone,” she snapped. “Not even to you.”
“Yes, it does.” Dean pulled her toward him, but Bryony resisted. His
eyes narrowed. “You don’t get a say in this.”
“She does get a say.”
Bryony almost burst into tears when she heard Lee’s voice behind
her. She saw him striding toward them, his face as dark as thunder.
There was something in his eyes that had Bryony’s heart stumbling.
She tried to go to him, but Dean pulled her back against him.
“Get lost, Lambert,” he snarled. “My woman and I are having some
private time.”
Lee snorted.
“I’d hardly call it private when everyone can hear what you’re saying.
Now let Miss Dinsdale go.”
Dean chuckled. Bryony cringed at the sound.
“Want her for yourself, do you? Tough she’s taken, she’s mine.”
Bryony barely saw Lee move. One minute, he was standing in front
of them, bristling angrily. The next, Bryony was standing on her own
and Dean was on the floor, on top of a broken table, unconscious.
Lee stood over him, massaging his knuckles.
The whole restaurant was staring at him and so quiet you could have
heard a pin drop.
Bryony couldn’t believe what had just happened. Surely, they could
have handled this without violence. And she had never seen Lee act
like this. What was going on with him? She looked up at him, hands
on her belly as her baby started kicking and rolling around, causing
her to bite her lip.
“Did you have to do that?”
Lee turned, his eyes darkening as he glared at her. He shook his
head.
“It was either that or let him keep his hands on you. But if that’s what
you want, I’ll leave you to it.” To Bryony’s horror, he turned and
strode toward the door. “Goodnight, Miss Dinsdale.”
This evening had taken a very bad turn. And an embarrassing one.
Bryony hadn’t wanted to become a spectacle. And she didn’t want to
deal with Dean anymore. Ignoring the whispers around her, she
hurried out after Lee.
 6

L ee knew he shouldn’t have done that. This would get him

into trouble. But he had spent his meal watching Bryony
practically get pawed by Dean, who seemed to have no
shame. That wasn’t what Bryony deserved. She had to have been
mad to accept a dinner from him... or desperate!
Lee knew about Dean. He was someone who hadn’t made it a secret
about what he wanted in a wife. He wanted someone who could give
him children, as many as she was able and who would do all his
work. There would be no concern for her health and her sanity. Lee
had seen several women give birth multiple times, when they were
worked to the bone, it often didn’t work out for them. They didn’t
need to go through such a traumatic time so much just to satisfy their
husband. Dean only wanted a chattel, nothing more.
Bryony deserved so much more than that. From the sound of it when
she attempted to leave, Bryony had figured it out. But Dean was
determined to keep hold of her.
Lee would be damned if Dean made himself the father of Bryony’s
baby through marriage.
“Lee! Wait for me!”
Lee was halfway across the now deserted street. He turned and saw
Bryony running after him. His natural reaction was to go to her, just
to stop her running in her state. He grabbed at her and held her up
as Bryony half-leaned into him.
Holding her but not able to do anything else killed him.
“Go back inside, Bryony,” he said gruffly. “You shouldn’t be out here,
running. Not in your state.”
Bryony snorted.
“I don’t care right now.”
“But I do.”
Bryony straightened up and glared up at him. She looked beautiful
when she was angry.
“Do you?” she demanded. “Do you really care? Because you
wouldn’t have done what you did if you did care.”
“You would prefer to be pawed by that miner, would you?” Lee
sneered. “He’s been wanting to get his hands on you all through the
meal. I’m just surprised he lasted that long.”
Bryony flushed.
“I could have handled it,” she stuttered.
“You want to be married to that fool?” Lee’s heart sank. “I thought
better of you, Bryony.”
“I’m not getting married to him!” Bryony pushed him in the chest. “I’d
already decided that. He just asked me for dinner, and I thought it
would be a nice evening out, that he was being polite. I had to take
it... clearly, it was a mistake, but I wanted to feel like someone
wanted me for the first time since I declared I was with child.”
Lee listened to this with growing surprise. Was that how Bryony
thought of herself? She really didn’t think she was any worth? She
really had no idea.
“You think you’re not wanted?”
Bryony snorted and gestured at herself.
“Men don’t find this attractive except men like Dean. I just wanted to
feel wanted, for once.”
This time, Lee couldn’t help himself. He reached for her, cupping her
face in his hands. Then he pressed a kiss to her forehead.
“If you don’t think you’re wanted, you’ve been looking in the wrong
place.”
Bryony’s breathing quickened. She was staring up at him with wide
eyes. Her pupils seemed to be getting bigger. Then Bryony grabbed
his head and tugged him down. Her kiss was slightly frenzied, but
Lee didn’t care. Wrapping his arms around her, he took control of the
kiss, doing what he had wanted to do many times in the past weeks
since she had arrived.
He shouldn’t be doing this. Not in the middle of the street. But if it
was the only time he got the chance, Lee didn’t care.
It was hard to pull away, but Lee managed. Bryony’s eyes were half-
open, her mouth swollen, and her cheeks flushed. She swayed
toward him, but Lee stepped back, dropping his hands and clearing
his throat. Then he saw a savior just behind her, in the shadows.
“Pastor Foster.” He coughed and tried to speak normally. “Would you
mind escorting Miss Dinsdale home?”
“Of course.”
Sean appeared out of the darkness and moved up beside Bryony.
Bryony blinked, coming out of her trance.
“Lee?”
Lee wanted to go back to her. But he shouldn’t. He backed away,
before turning and hurrying off. It took a great amount of effort not to
run.
 7

“I ’m glad you decided to come back out to me, Bryony,”

Dean said as he and Bryony walked through the tents
in the mining camp.
Bryony side-stepped a group of men going the other way. She hadn’t
planned on coming down to the mines, but the pains in her belly and
back had been getting worse. Walks normally eased the pain, and
she had found herself by the camp. Seeing Dean and knowing she
couldn’t get away as he approached her, she decided that setting
things straight between them would be best. She knew a lot of the
miners and the majority of them were decent blokes. The married
ones were oddly protective of her, so Bryony knew she would be
relatively safe.
“I can’t stay long, Dean.” Bryony kept her distance from Dean as he
tried to touch her shoulder. “I just wanted to apologize for how the
evening ended last night.”
Dean snorted.
“There’s nothing for you to apologize about. I don’t know what that
doctor was thinking. He was acting like he had a claim on you.”
Bryony gulped. She hadn’t forgotten the kiss Lee had given her, one
she had managed to steal off him. It had been wonderful, sending
her pulses flying. Watching him walk away had been incredibly
difficult, sending her into tears against Sean’s shoulder. The pastor
had taken her home and sat with her until Bryony calmed down, but
Bryony couldn’t stop thinking about that kiss. About what he had
said... and then about how he had run away from her.
“No man has a claim on me.” She said evenly. “I told you, I’m not
considering anyone for marriage until after I’ve got used to having a
baby around.”
“Aren’t you concerned about the baby being considered a bastard?”
Bryony gritted her teeth. She hated that word.
“This child was conceived in marriage, so they won’t be considered
anything but legitimate. Understand?” she practically growled the last
word out.
Dean took half a step back, looking a little bewildered. But then he
recovered quickly and gestured at Bryony’s belly. It was feeling
incredibly heavy and Bryony wished she could give birth now;
everything would feel a lot lighter.
“What will you do with the baby once it’s born?” he asked.
Bryony blinked. What a stupid question.
“Keep it and raise it, of course. What else?”
“Give it to an orphanage.”
“What? I wouldn’t do that to my child.” Bryony shook her head. “That
is not up for negotiation with anyone.”
Dean sighed. He sounded like he was talking to a child who wasn’t
understanding the situation.
“You do realize, Bryony, that when we marry, I will want children of
our own. I don’t want someone else’s brat hanging around. It
certainly won’t be wanted in my life.”
Bryony was horrified. Last night’s protests and refusal to have
anything more to do with Dean had gone completely over his head.
He was still under the impression that he and Bryony were meant to
be together. This was meant to be telling him to back off, but Dean
was still firm in the belief Bryony had come back to him.
This had been a very bad idea. Now Bryony wished she could run.
“Who said we were going to marry, Dean?” she demanded.
“Because I never said I would.”
“But I did.” Dean smirked. “We’re compatible. Nobody else will want
you. And you can have children, which is what I wanted in a wife.
Compatible.”
Bryony gasped.
“We are not compatible in any way. And I would never throw my child
away for a man. Never.” She shook her head and backed away. “I
think you were sorely misinformed. I came here to tell you to leave
me alone. Nothing more is happening between us.”
She cried out when Dean grabbed at her and pulled her back,
spinning her around. He tried to kiss her, but Bryony pulled her head
away, Dean kissing her cheek instead. It was a fierce kiss, one that
hurt.
“I think you’re staying with me,” he growled, grabbing her chin and
making her look at him. “You can have children, and I want you to
have my children. There is no argument about it.”
Bryony slapped him, using his surprise to push him back. The pains
in her belly were getting worse.
“I told you that I wasn’t looking for a husband just yet. And I wouldn’t
marry you, anyway.”
“You wouldn’t?” Dean’s lip curled in a sneer. “You’d prefer the
doctor?”
“At least he knows when to back off.” Bryony wasn’t discussing Lee,
not when she had no idea what was going on. She backed away as
Dean advanced on her. “Leave me alone, Dean.”
Dean chuckled.
“I don’t think so, Bryony. I think you need to realize how serious I
am.” He grabbed at her, but Bryony jumped away. “You and I are
going to the church. Pastor Foster will have you as my wife before
the end of the day.”
“No!”
Bryony could hardly breathe with the pains in her stomach. She
pushed Dean away as hard as she could as he reached for her
again. Then she ran, ran toward the mines. They had been on the
fringes of the camp. If she had gone toward the town, she wouldn’t
have made it. Her only chance was to find someone who would
protect her from Dean and take her to Lee. These twinges were
getting worse, almost to the point that Bryony could hardly walk. The
pain had her in tears.
She could hear Dean shouting after her, but Bryony kept moving.
She didn’t hear the warning shouts as she got near the mines. Men
were running out and toward the camp as the sound of falling rock
came to her ears. Bryony looked up. Rocks were tumbling down the
side of the hill.
A rockslide. And it was coming straight for her.
Bryony tried to run, but the pain was crippling. She could barely
hobble. The last bout of pain dropped her to her knees and she
screamed.
Then something hit her in the back, and Bryony’s world went black.
 8

L ee had had a sleepless night. All he could think about was

Bryony and their kiss. She had made a move on him, which
had surprised him. He hadn’t thought her as forward. And he
couldn’t bring himself to push away after that.
It had been very hard to walk away when he had. But Lee knew it
was the right move. He had already created a scandal around
Bryony, something she didn’t need right now. She needed to focus
on herself and her baby. And keep her marriage options open.
One of those options wouldn’t be him, Lee was sure. He was a
confirmed bachelor. He didn’t need a wife.
The problem was, the more he thought about Bryony, the more Lee
didn’t want to be without her. She had well and truly sneaked past
his defenses. It was frightening how easily she had managed to do
that.
Lee knew he was late for surgery, but it was a quiet day. Nobody had
been banging at his door, demanding to be let in for any ridiculous
ailment they could think of. Hopefully, he could have a quiet morning
trying to get himself into a state that was good enough to see
patients in. It wasn’t fair on them to be in a bad mood, although Lee
was almost past the point of caring.
“Doctor Lambert!”
Lee stopped halfway across the foyer and groaned as the door
crashed open. Then he turned, and his heart stopped. Colin, one of
the supervisors at the mines, was coming in with Bryony in his arms.
Bryony was crying out and clutching at her belly. She was covered in
dust, her face white.
Lee remembered how to use his feet and ran over.
“Dear God! Bryony!” He stared at Colin. “What happened?”
“There was a rockslide at the mines,” Colin said grimly. “Bryony got
caught in it.”
“What was she doing out there?”
“I think she was telling one of my men to back off. He was running
after her when the rockslide happened.”
Dean. It had to be Dean. Lee wanted to go after the brute, but
Bryony’s moans brought him back to the present. She was his
priority now.
Taking her from Colin’s arms, Lee headed toward the stairs. His
surgery wasn’t the best place for this. She needed somewhere a bit
more comfortable, more private.
“Get Mrs. Parry.” He shouted as he went up the stairs. “Quickly! And
then make sure nobody comes in, especially Dean. If I see him in
here, I won’t be responsible for my actions.”
“Yes, Doctor.”
The big man ran off, the door banging behind him.
Lee got to the next floor, his private rooms, and into the guest room.
Bryony was practically crying and writhing in his arms as Lee laid her
on the bed. He sat beside her, brushing her hair off her sweating
forehead.
“Bryony? Bryony, it’s Lee. Look at me.”
“Lee?” Bryony’s eyes fluttered open. She reached for him, and then
she flinched. “Ouch! My stomach hurts.”
This wasn’t good. Lee didn’t need to guess what was happening, it
was obvious that Bryony was in labor. He gripped her hand tightly.
“Breathe through it,” he said, stroking her head. “Grip my hand and
breathe through it.”
He needed the midwife here. Lee had been at a few births, but he
had never conducted one on his own. And he wasn’t about to mess it
up for Bryony. Her grip tightened, almost making his fingers go
numb, and then she sagged onto the coverlet, breathing heavily.
“How long have these been going on for?”
“A while, but they’ve been pretty regular since this morning.” Bryony
was shivering. “They’re getting worse.”
She was in labor. And from the look in her eyes, she knew exactly
what that meant. She was terrified. Lee leaned over and kissed her
gently, stroking her cheek.
“Don’t panic, my love,” he whispered the words without realizing.
“Mrs. Parry is on her way now. You just need to keep yourself calm
and breathe through it all.”
“Stay calm?” Bryony gasped. “How can I…”
She stopped abruptly as another contraction hit her.
Lee waited as she rode it out, gripping his fingers hard enough for
him to wince. Bryony whimpered and reached for him, tears
streaking her cheeks.
“Don’t leave me. Please.”
“I won’t.” Lee kissed her hand. “I’m not going anywhere.”
 9

M rs. Parry arrived quickly, but Lee felt like he had been
alone with Bryony for hours, his ears ringing from her
screams. It was painful to hear. He didn’t like seeing
her in such pain and he felt useless. Lee couldn’t begin to imagine
how she felt right now.
Mrs. Parry took control over everything. She got Lee to run around
after her, fetching several towels that they put on the bed and draped
over Bryony. Then he boiled water and then she had him sitting near
Bryony’s head, holding her upright and rubbing her back. Bryony’s
body was as taut as a bowstring. Lee was surprised she didn’t snap.
The contractions went on for a long time, but eventually, Bryony was
pushing. Mrs. Parry didn’t bat an eyelid, and was clearly the calmest
one in the room. She coaxed Bryony through it all while Lee held
onto Bryony as she clutched onto his arm Once her nails dug in so
deep they drew blood. Lee yelped at that, but his protests were
drowned out by Bryony’s screams.
Finally, Bryony’s baby was born. A screaming little boy. Lee
remembered his role and helped Mrs. Parry to cut the cord, allowing
the midwife to gently wrap the baby into some towels. Then she
placed the baby in Bryony’s arms, propping the mother up on
pillows.
Seeing Bryony there, holding her son, had Lee’s heart melting. It
was such a beautiful sight. Even red-faced, sweating, and clearly
worn out, Bryony still looked lovely. And there was so much wonder
and love in her eyes as she stared down at her son, stroking his
cheek and eventually soothing him.
That was when Mrs. Parry shooed Lee out of the room. She needed
to carry out some more checks on Bryony, and she was not about to
have the doctor there. Lee didn’t protest. He needed to get himself a
drink, just to calm himself down.
He had seen several births before – it was part of the job to help the
midwife, the one who really knew what to do – but nothing had
compared to Bryony’s. It was beautiful.
Lee stumbled downstairs and into his office. His drinks cabinet
looked very inviting and Lee went straight over to it. His hands were
still shaking as he found a brandy glass and the decanter, filling the
glass almost to the top. The brandy burned his throat as it went
down, but Lee didn’t care. He needed that drink.
If he was like this over a birth where he wasn’t the father, Lee didn’t
want to think how he would be when it was the birth of his own child.
He was refilling the glass when he heard the outer door slam open.
Moments later, Dean barged into his office, the door bouncing off the
wall. He was covered in dust, and one of his sleeves was ripped. He
had some blood on his lip and his knuckles were bloodied. It looked
like whoever had been confining him had come off worse.
“Where is she?” he demanded.
“I beg your pardon?”
“Where’s Bryony? I want to see her.”
He really didn’t give up. Lee sighed and put his glass down. He
wasn’t wasting good brandy by having it scattered across the floor.
“I thought I gave strict instructions that you weren’t allowed to come
in here.” Lee approached the other man, who was practically
seething. “You would have put too much stress on Bryony.”
Dean snorted rudely.
“Like I’m going to listen to you.” He jabbed a finger at Lee’s chest.
“You’re keeping my bride from me, Doctor Lambert, and I want to
see her.”
“From what I’ve heard, Bryony doesn’t want to be your bride.”
“Bryony doesn’t know what she wants.” Dean waved his hands.
“Women never do.”
Lee felt his own anger building. He hadn’t realized how much of a
misogynist Dean was. He was worse than Lee thought.
“This woman does know what she wants,” he growled. “And it hasn’t
got you anywhere in her life at all.”
“You think?” Dean puffed out his chest. “I can make her change her
mind. I’m good at that.”
“No, you won’t.” Lee squared up to him. “You’re going to leave her
alone. I won’t have you hurting her.”
“Really?” Dean stepped closer, bumping his chest against Lee’s.
“You caught me off-guard last night. I’m not going to let that happen
again. I can take you on.”
This was almost laughable. Lee wasn’t much of a fighter, but he
could easily hold his own. Taking Dean down would be like flicking a
fly off his sleeve. Dean thought he was a big man and could use his
muscle to intimidate people. But Lee had dealt with bigger men as
patients. None of this scared him.
“Really.” Lee stepped around him and headed out into the foyer.
“Now, get out of here before I call for the sheriff. Let Bryony and her
baby rest.”
“What?” Dean stopped dead. His face paled. “She’s had the baby? I
thought she wasn’t due for another few weeks.”
“Well, she’s had her child.” Lee glowered at him. “No thanks to you.
You caused her enough stress to go into labor. You’re lucky Bryony
didn’t die.”
Dean swallowed. At that moment, Lee saw Philip Anthony enter the
surgery. He looked from Lee to Dean, who looked like he had frozen
to the spot.
“Everything all right, Doctor Lambert?” he asked mildly.
“Perfectly fine, Sheriff.” Lee replied. “But I have a patient who is in no
condition to have visitors, and she needs to rest.” He indicated Dean.
“Get this man out of here, will you?”
“With pleasure.” Philip approached Dean. “Come on, Dean.”
Dean shook off Philip’s hand and glowered.
“Fine. I’m going. But I’ll be back later to see Bryony. I haven’t given
up on her.”
Lee and Philip exchanged looks. Dean wouldn’t know a rejection if it
hit him in the face, although that might go down better Bryony didn’t
need that right now.
But Lee did still need another strong drink.
 10

S he was a mother. Bryony was still trying to let that to sink in.
Even after she had given birth, Mrs. Parry had sorted out
the afterbirth and cleaned her up, Bryony still couldn’t
believe she could now be called a mother. Her son was gorgeous,
even when he was screaming his head off. But once he was fed, he
fell right to sleep.
Mrs. Parry was an angel. She washed and dressed the baby in
clothes she had brought with her, settling him into Bryony’s arms.
Then she took her leave, promising to come back the next day and
see how they were doing.
Bryony was exhausted. But she didn’t know if she would be able to
sleep; she would be staring far too often at her son.
Baby Liam was a wonder.
There came a gentle tap at the door. Bryony looked up to see Lee
put his head around the door. She smiled. The man had been a
saint, doing everything asked of him.
“Hey.”
“Hey. May I come in?”
“Of course.” Bryony gestured with her head at her sleeping son.
“Would you like to hold him? He’s sleeping so he won’t be wriggling
too much.”
“All right.”
Lee sat on the bed beside her, and Bryony carefully passed Liam
across. Lee stared at the baby in his arms, his eyes lighting up.
Bryony loved the look on his face. He was enamored of Liam as
much as she was.
He would be a brilliant father.
“He’s gorgeous,” Lee murmured, stroking the baby’s head.
“He is.” Bryony looked at Lee’s arm, noticing the bandages. “How’s
your arm?”
“You did draw some blood.”
“Sorry.”
Lee grinned.
“Don’t be. I’m glad I could be useful.”
Bryony giggled. Wincing at the uncomfortable movement, she sat
forward and kissed Lee’s cheek.
“Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For being there.” Bryony laid a hand on his shoulder. “I don’t know
what I would have done without you.”
She really didn’t. Lee had shown Bryony that he was someone she
could rely upon. He was dependable. And the look on his face he
showed that he loved Liam. That was important to Bryony.
She could only hope he would allow her to stay. Bryony didn’t want
to go anywhere.
Lee smiled at her.
“You would have been fine. But I’m glad I could help.”
“You helped a lot.” Bryony found an ounce of courage and tugged
him closer. “I still need to thank you.”
“There’s no need…”
Lee’s protest was cut off as Bryony kissed him. He sighed and
kissed her back, pulling away to shift closer.
“Steady. I don’t want to drop him.”
“Do you want to give him back?”
“Not just yet. Do you mind if I stay for a while? I’ll sit quietly beside
you.”
“All right.”
Lee moved to the chair next to the bed, baby Liam nestled in his
arms. He adjusted his arms and put one around Bryony’s shoulders.
Bryony allowed him to pull her against his side, resting her head on
his shoulder.
“You scared me,” he whispered.
“I scared me.” Bryony snuggled into his side. “I was not expecting
that at all. I wasn’t expecting it to be so… painful.”
“Think you’ll do it again?”
“Once my mind isn’t traumatized.” Bryony joked. She looked up at
Lee. “Where’s Dean now?”
“He came back just now.”
“I thought I heard him shouting.”
Lee sighed.
“He still thinks you’re going to be his wife. But Philip took him away.
I’ve told him that Dean is not to come anywhere near you at all. I
don’t want him harming you or your son.”
Bryony smiled and kissed his neck.
“I love you,” she said. Then she started. Where had that come from?
Bryony hadn’t expected to blurt it out like that. But it had. Now the
words hung in the air and Lee stared at her, his expression just as
startled.
“What did you say?”
Blushing to the roots of her hair, Bryony looked away and gnawed at
her lip.
“I love you. I… I thought you were going to leave.”
“And you thought that would make me stay?” Lee chuckled and
hugged her closer to his side. “You didn’t need to say it. All you had
to do was ask me to stay.”
“For now or permanently?”
Where was this courage coming from? Becoming a mother seemed
to have brought out a strain of confidence Bryony had never
possessed. Liam was good for her more than she realized.
Lee raised an eyebrow at her.
“Which one would you prefer?”
“Both.” Bryony swallowed and hurried on. “But only if… I mean, if
you don’t… I won’t hold it against…”
Lee cut her protests off, kissing her silent. Bryony sighed and melted
against him, careful not to knock her son. Liam squeaked, wriggled a
little, and then settled back down. Lee drew back, pressing a kiss to
Bryony’s forehead.
“Do you want to take him back?”
“All right.”
Bryony took her son Lees sat on the edge of the bed and she settled
back against his chest. Lee put his arms around her, kissing her
head.
“Of course I’ll stay.” He stroked her hair. “I’m not about to walk away
from the woman I’ve fallen in love with if she didn’t want me to.”
He loved her. Bryony almost squealed in delight. Instead, she smiled
up at him.
“I want you to stay. If you don’t mind Liam coming with me.”
“Liam?”
“I named him partially after you.”
Lee chuckled.
“It suits him. And he’s your son. I wouldn’t ask you to abandon him.”
He kissed her. “There’s not a chance of that, besides I was there and
it was wonderful.”
 11

“Y ou’re not going to leave him alone, are you?” Gareth

asked, nodding at the baby in his wife’s arms.
Mary laughed.
“What’s wrong with it? I need the practice.”
Gareth rolled his eyes.
“You’re going to be practicing plenty with our own child soon enough.
But you might want to give Liam back before he starts getting
hungry.”
“He’s not hungry yet.” Liam was fast asleep, snuggled against Mary’s
shoulder. She rubbed his back. “He’s fine. Let Bryony have her arms
free for her husband.”
The mother and stepfather were across the field, talking to Andrea
and her husband Steven. It was four weeks after Bryony had given
birth, and she looked stunning. She practically glowed in her dress,
holding Lee’s hand while looking up at him with an adoring smile.
Mary’s heart almost melted at the sight, especially when she saw
Lee’s beaming grin. He looked like he had won a competition to get
his wife.
Mary couldn’t be more proud of them. All it had taken was a bit of
courage, and Bryony and the two had realized they were made for
each other. Now Liam had a father who would love him like his own.
Lee clearly adored Liam. There was no fear of him putting his
stepson aside.
Gareth snorted and sipped at his wine.
“I’m not sure if you can count this as a successful matchmaking,
Mary.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, Lee wasn’t one of the matches, and he married Bryony,
someone you got to come over here. Then again, all the men in
question weren’t classed as matches. They hadn’t even signed up.”
Mary giggled.
“They didn’t know what they wanted.”
Gareth stared at his wife. Then he shook his head.
“You’re going to get a swelled head, honey,” he warned. “If you’re not
careful, you won’t be able to stand up without falling over.”
“I’m going to fall over with this belly, anyway.” Mary laughed. Then
she looked up as a shadow fell over the table. “Sean, hello. Come,
sit down.”
“Thank you.” Sean Foster sat, stretching out his long legs. “That was
a lovely ceremony.”
Gareth grinned and passed Sean a glass.
“You did well, Sean,” he said warmly as he filled the glass. “Better
than Amy and Philip’s, certainly. I still remember you fluffing up the
words and getting things in the wrong order.”
Sean cringed.
“Don’t remind me of that. That was the first time I had ever married
anyone.”
That had Mary staring. She hadn’t realized.
“Are you serious?” she squeaked.
“I’m afraid I am.” Sean sighed. “All the couples here when I arrived
were either married before coming to San Francisco or by my
predecessor. Sheriff Anthony’s wedding was the first I’d ever done.”
“I wouldn’t have guessed,” Gareth drawled.
Sean rolled his eyes.
“Thank you for lying.”
Then Mary spied Melissa. She was standing with Mary’s brother-in-
law and his wife, talking to Mary’s niece. She looked exceptionally
lovely in her pale yellow dress, her hair piled up on her head. Just
the picture of elegance. Mary had been aware of Sean staring at
Melissa a few times in the past few months when he thought no one
was watching. She didn’t have to be a matchmaker to know they
were made for each other. It was just a surprise that neither of them
had made a move.
“Speaking of marriages, Sean,” she said brightly, “When are you
going to ask Melissa to marry you?”
Sean’s smile started to fade. Gareth shifted in his seat, shooting a
look at his wife.
“Mary, not now,” he warned.
“What? Gareth, we’re at a wedding. What better time to ask?”
“I…” Sean cleared his throat. “I think Gareth’s right, Mary. Now’s not
the best time.”
Mary snorted.
“Come off it, Sean. Melissa has been hanging around you since she
arrived here. Why haven’t you said anything? She would jump at the
chance to be Mrs. Foster.”
Mary had never seen Sean look as serious as he did right then. His
eyes narrowed, his mouth hardened into a thin line. He wasn’t happy
at all. Had she overstepped herself?
“I have my reasons, Mrs. Stanier,” Sean said in a low voice.
Gareth winced.
“Careful, Mary. If he’s addressing you formally, you’re in trouble.”
Mary didn’t need her husband to tell her that. Now she was
beginning to wish she hadn’t said anything. Sean sat forward, an
eyebrow twitching a little.
“Now I see what the other men mean about you, Mary. Sweet as pie,
but very persistent.”
Mary took a deep breath, cuddling Liam closer.
“I asked for these women, my friends, to come out here to become
wives. To give them a better life,” she said. “And I said I would match
all of them. Melissa is the only one left.”
Sean grunted.
“Don’t expect anything to happen soon. Putting two people in the
same room is one thing but getting them to say anything is
something else.” He sighed and stood. “Sometimes, it’s best just to
leave things alone.”
Mary stared after him as the pastor walked away. That was strange,
very strange.
Gareth looked just as confused as they watched Sean approach
Bryony and Lee, shaking Lee by the hand before kissing Bryony’s
cheek. He didn’t look like he had been angry a moment ago.
“What was all that about?” Gareth asked.
“I don’t know. But that didn’t sound good.” Mary felt Liam start to
wriggle and make noises. “I’d better get Liam back to Bryony.”
“Here, let me take him.” Gareth finished his drink and stood, holding
out his arms. “I don’t think Sean wants to be anywhere near you right
now.”
That sounded like a better idea. Mary passed Liam across, trying not
to melt with the sight of Gareth holding the month-old baby in his
arms like he had been doing it all his life. She touched his arm.
“I’m sorry.”
Gareth looked at his wife and smiled.
“You’re impossible, Mary. But I love you anyway.”

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“It just feels so hard today getting back to work without Father here.”
Estelle, the youngest of the three Crabtree sisters, was close to tears
again.
“I know it’s hard, Estelle, but the farm has been untended for so
many days already,” Belle Crabtree said and placed a comforting
hand on her sister’s shoulder. “Alright, one more cup of coffee, and
then we get to it, girls, okay?”
“Yes, alright,” Joanna said as she reached across the large round
wooden table to take Estelle’s hand. “I’m sorry, Estelle, but Belle is
right. We have to keep going, just as Father said we should. And
you’ve done real well so far. You’ve helped to milk the cows every
day since he passed and he would have been so proud of you.”
As Belle, the eldest of the sisters, set about making them another
cup of coffee, she blinked hard to hide the tears, which seemed to be
only just below the surface recently.
It hadn’t yet been two weeks since their father, Jack Crabtree, died,
and only two days since they buried him. In all that time, the only
thing that the girls had kept on top of at Crabtree farm was the
feeding of the animals and the milking of their small herd of eight
cows. After all, it wasn’t exactly something that could be left for
another day.
In many ways, Belle had welcomed the daily routine of having to
care for the little group of cows. After so much pain and anguish,
looking after the herd had seemed to provide a much-needed
normality in her life. She had clearly seen how the occupation had
kept Estelle, the most sensitive of the three, from crumbling
altogether. It had held her attention and kept her in the here and
now, if only for a little while.
As much as the farm needed to be tended, Belle was more
determined that the other girls get back to work fully and find some
sort of peace. They needed life to have that certain flow again, and
for all three of them to settle into it.
“I know Father would have wanted us to keep going, I know he said
as much, but I can’t help thinking that we’re just carrying on as if he
was never here,” Estelle said tearfully.
“But don’t you see? Keeping Father’s farm going is keeping his
memory alive,” Belle said with passion. “He started Crabtree Farm
up from nothing and we have to make it work.”
“You always have such a firm way of looking at things, Belle, and it
really is a comfort to me.” Estelle sniffed loudly, and Joanna
searched the pocket of her long skirt for a handkerchief to give to her
sister.
“Here, drink this down.” Belle settled the three mugs of coffee down
on the table and relaxed into her seat.
She looked at her beautiful sisters, at just nineteen and twenty-
years-old, and felt the sudden weight of responsibility. Belle was the
head of the household now, whether she liked it or not, and she had
promised her father faithfully that she would do everything in her
power to keep the farm going and her sisters safe.
Crabtree Farm had been a success for as long as Belle could
remember. Her first recollections of the place as a little girl was of a
thriving little farm doing a good trade in grain and wheat, seasonal
vegetables, and milk. Jack Crabtree had set it up that way, not
choosing to be a farmer of any particular kind, but rather choosing to
do a little bit of everything. He had told Belle more than once over
the years that he’d always seen diversity as the best means of
providing safety. Sure, he wasn’t going to be the most successful
crop farmer or dairy farmer in town, but if the wheat ever failed for
some reason or other, he would have his vegetables and milk to fall
back on. It was his way of making sure that his family would always
be well provided for.
“I do worry about some of the heavier stuff, girls,” Estelle went on,
but Belle didn’t mind.
It was as if Estelle had to voice each and every one of her fears
before she could keep going, and if that was what was going to help
her, it was just fine by Belle.
“I know it might take all three of us to attach a plow, but we can do it.
We’ve been doing it, haven’t we?” Belle said gently.
“Yes, just as Father taught us, the three of us working together,”
Joanna said, and Belle was pleased to have some help in trying to
keep Estelle’s spirits up.
“I know, I know,” Estelle said miserably. “I guess I’m just scared
altogether and I don’t really know which thing is scaring me the most.
Maybe it’s just everything.”
“That’s understandable, Estelle. We, none of us, expected Father to
take ill so suddenly and die so soon, and it really is hard to take it all
in, let alone keep moving forward, keep putting one foot in front of
the other.” Belle sipped the scalding hot coffee and winced at its
intentional bitterness.
The last days had drained her utterly, and she felt exhausted to the
point that she hardly recognized herself. But Belle did not want her
sisters to see it, she needed to keep going. If strong coffee was what
was needed, then strong coffee it was.
“Well, maybe we should think about hiring someone,” Joanna said
tentatively. “We have the money to do it, after all.”
“Let’s give it a while and see how we get along with it,” Belle said
quietly and nodded. “There’s still three of us and the farm isn’t
unmanageable, is it?”
“I know Father didn’t have to hire anybody, but he had the three of
us. Please promise me you will think about it if we start to struggle,”
Joanna went on and Estelle seemed to have drifted off altogether.
It was as if the youngest Crabtree sister could not focus on anything
but her own fears. Belle and Joanna would simply have to
contemplate the practicalities without her.
“I just think that we should be mindful of what Father said before he
died,” Belle said and took another sip of the coffee to stave off the
wave of exhaustion.
“Do you really think the men of Turners Ridge will be circling us now
that Father isn’t here?” Joanna spoke in a near whisper, as if she did
not want to upset Estelle any further.
“I don’t think there’ll be so many, but this is a thriving farm and I
would be surprised if at least one or two of the men of Turners Ridge
isn’t thinking about getting his feet under the table here. Father just
said to be on the lookout for protectors and romancers.”
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 ABOUT THE AUTHOR

About the Authors

Indiana Wake was born in Denver Colorado where she learned to love the
outdoors and horses. At the age of eleven, her parents moved to the United
Kingdom to follow her father’s career.
It was a strange and foreign new world and it took a while for her to settle down.
Her mom raised horses and Indiana soon learned to ride. She would often escape
on horseback imagining she was back in the Wild West. As well as horses, Indiana
escaped into fiction and dreamed of all the friends she had left behind.
From an early age, she loved stories. They were always sweet and clean and
more often than not, included horses, cowboys and most importantly of all a happy
ever after. As she got older, she would often be found making up her own stories
and would tell them to anyone who would listen.
As she grew up, she continued to write but marriage and a job stole some of her
dreams. Then one day she was discussing with a friend at church, how hard it was
to get sweet and clean fiction. Though very shy about her writing Indiana agreed to
share one of her stories. That friend loved the story and suggested she publish it
on kindle. Together they worked really hard and the rest, as they say, is history.
Indiana has had multiple number one bestsellers and now makes her living from
her writing. She believes she was truly blessed to be given this opportunity and
thanks each and every one of her readers for making her dream come true.
Belle Fiffer is not your ordinary girl. She grew up in the west where she loved to
ride horses and walk in the wilds. At fifteen, she moved to England when her
father’s job took him across the pond. Leaving behind all her friends she lost
herself in books and if she is honest she fell in love with food. She is not ashamed
of her curves and loves stories about good, honest men that love their women on
the large side.
As a committed Christian, her books are clean, sweet and inspirational. Belle
hopes you enjoy the books and would love to hear from you.
To hear about new releases or bonus content from Belle and other authors of
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our next adventure keep well my friend xx
 ©COPYRIGHT 2018 INDIANA WAKE

All Rights Reserved

Indiana Wake

License Notes
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purchase an additional copy. If you are reading this book and it was
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This story is a work of fiction any resemblance to people is purely

coincidence. All places, names, events, businesses, etc. are used in
a fictional manner. All characters are from the imagination of the
author.