A Bride at Last

A Bride at Last

Abandoned by his mail-order bride, Silas Jonesey has fought an uphill battle to recover from a pattern of poor choices. Now his prayers for reconciliation have finally come true and his estranged wife has contacted him with her whereabouts. Kate Dawson was supposed to be a mail-order bride, but upon realizing she'd been deceived about her intended groom, she's now settled into life as a schoolteacher. When the mother of a student passes away, Kate assumes she'll take on care of nine-year-old Anthony--until two men suddenly show up in town, claiming to be the boy's father. Silas can see Anthony loves Kate, so he enlists her help in reaching out to the boy and attempting to prove his paternity to the court. When a common interest in Anthony leads to an interest in each other and Silas and Kate begin to think they can overcome their rocky start, neither is prepared for the secrets and past hurts that have yet to come to light. Can Silas, Kate, and Anthony's wounded souls bind them together or will all that stands between them leave them lonely forever? "An author who keeps you guessing about how the couple will get together until the very end, Melissa Jagears's writing contains her trademark wit and a fresh spin that turns everyday situations into extraordinary ones." -- Naomi Rawlings , author of Falling for the Enemy Abandoned by his mail-order bride, Silas Jonesey has fought an uphill battle to recover from a pattern of poor choices. Now his prayers for reconciliation have finally come true and his estranged wife has contacted him with her whereabouts. Kate Dawson was supposed to be a mail-order bride, but upon realizing she'd been deceived about her intended groom, she's now settled into life as a schoolteacher. When the mother of a student passes away, Kate assumes she'll take on care of nine-year-old Anthony--until two men suddenly show up in town, claiming to be the boy's father. Silas can see Anthony loves Kate, so he enlists her help in reaching out to the boy and attempting to prove his paternity to the court. When a common interest in Anthony leads to an interest in each other and Silas and Kate begin to think they can overcome their rocky start, neither is prepared for the secrets and past hurts that have yet to come to light. Can Silas, Kate, and Anthony's wounded souls bind them together or will all that stands between them leave them lonely forever? "A genuine story of love, loss, and redemption....Jagears expresses in beautiful, descriptive language both Kate and Silas' wounded hearts, their anguish and their faith. This story is both tender and heartfelt."-- RT Book Reviews "The characters are all well-balanced and engaging: Silas' struggle with his failed marriage, struggling faith, and dark past makes him sympathetic; Kate's commitment to Anthony gives her depth and pathos."-- Publishers Weekly Carol Award-winning author Melissa Jagears is a homeschooling mom who writes Christian historical romance into the wee hours of the night. She's the author of the Unexpected Brides series, the Teaville Moral Society series, and Love by the Letter , a free prequel ebook novella. You can learn more about Melissa, her books, and where she hangs out online at www.melissajagears.com. A Bride at Last By Melissa Jagears Baker Publishing Group Copyright © 2015 Melissa Jagears All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-0-7642-1170-6 CHAPTER 1 Missouri September 1885 At the sound of running footsteps, Kate Dawson glanced up from dumping mop water in the alleyway outside the school building. Anthony Riverton skidded to a halt in front of her, his little chest heaving as he drew in gulps of air. "Why weren't you in school today?" She frowned at his tattered clothing. She needed to find him a decent coat before winter. "Mother's dying." Dread strangled his words. "Tonight. I just know it." A lump pushed against Kate's high collar. "She seemed better yesterday." Lucinda didn't have many days left, but Kate wasn't ready for her to leave yet — wasn't ready to assume responsibility for this boy all on her own. She hadn't saved enough money, hadn't figured out where they would live ... "She coughed so much last night I couldn't sleep, and this morning she begged me not to leave." The nine-year-old swallowed hard, but his eyes were dry. "Said she'd be the one going. I thought she meant back to the laundry." His ragged voice barely registered. "And she's mumbling things about Pa." Kate's breath stopped. "Your pa?" The boy's arms hung limp at his sides. "Said he's coming." She shook her head vehemently. "No." "Said she wrote him." "Wrote him? Whatever for?" She'd helped the two of them escape Anthony's father years ago — or at least the man Anthony had known as Pa. Had Lucy contacted him? "Let's go." Kate leaned the mop against the schoolhouse door. She'd yet to clean Miss Jennings's classroom or the Widow Larson's, but a boy needed somebody with him when his mother took her last draught of air. She