Mail Order Mountains (Alaskan Brides #4 | Brides of Beckham #70)

Chapter One

Agnes Murphy watched out the porthole as the steamboat docked in Skagway. She took a deep breath, a bit nervous, but she knew her friends had done this before she had, and they had all been happy. Now it was her turn to meet the man she’d spend the rest of her life with: Jasper Jones.

She’d corresponded with Jasper over the winter, but she hadn’t been able to force herself to commit until after Sally left. Sally was her closest friend, and not seeing her at work—or anywhere else—had been the last nudge she needed to finally say she was ready to be a mail-order bride in Alaska.

The trip had been long, and she knew she had another month ahead of her before she finally reached Yeti, the town her three friends, Sally, Maggie, and Belle, had all settled in.

She reminded herself that courage wasn’t about never feeling fear but about facing that fear when the time came. And the time had come.

When she was finally off the boat, she stood looking around the crowded area, wondering which of the men there was Jasper.

Would he be kind? He seemed so from his letters, but much could be hidden if they didn’t come face-to-face.

Now she would soon know all about him. Would he be a good man?

A good husband and father to any children that came along?

Finally, a tall man approached her, hat in hand. “Are you Agnes Murphy?”

“I am. Are you Jasper Jones?”

A smile lit up his face. “I am. It’s so good to finally meet you, Agnes.”

“And you,” she said, a smile lifting the corners of her mouth of its own volition.

“We have to walk a great distance every day, so if you don’t mind, we’ll marry quickly, and then be on our way.”

“That sounds good to me.” She wasn’t looking forward to the walk.

She and the other waitresses and maids at the hotel had read the letters from Maggie and Belle aloud to each other.

The letters had rekindled hopes and dreams that had long ago been forgotten.

But the thought of the journey to Yeti was daunting.

It took trains, boats, a long journey by foot, and then another boat. She only hoped this man was worth it.

He took her carpet bag and offered his arm, and together they walked toward a man who looked nothing like a preacher to Agnes. Jasper stopped in front of him. “This is Agnes Murphy. We’d like the quick wedding so we can be on our way before it gets too late.”

The preacher nodded. He went through a very basic wedding ceremony, and when he was finished, he invited Jasper to kiss her. Jasper brushed a kiss across her forehead, tucked her hand through his arm, and headed straight for a wooded area.

There was nothing truly remarkable about Skagway.

It was more of a trading spot than anything else from what Agnes could see.

They were away from the bustle within minutes, and he led her to a mule.

“I’ll sell this once we get to Lake Bennett, and then someone else will go back the way we came,” he said, nodding to the mule.

“That sounds very practical,” she said.

“We’re going to only eat food that I brought with me so we can arrive home faster. My friend is milking my goat for me, and I need to get back to her and my work.”

Agnes nodded. “I understand the need for work. Do you enjoy your job as a lumberjack?” she asked as he took the lead for the mule and began leading it.

“I do. I came here to be a prospector, and I found a bit of gold, but not nearly enough for the work I was putting in. Working for Everett Thompson has been good. It’s steady work, and if I want to work extra hours, he gladly pays me for them.”

“What work is there for me?” she asked.

He frowned. “I know all your friends who are here work constantly, and you can do that, but only if you want to. I can support us.”

“I’m used to working. I don’t know what I’d do with all my free time if I didn’t do some kind of work.”

He nodded. “From the way I understand it, Mrs. Thompson hunts, Mrs. Hunter forages, and Mrs. Harlan grows crops. They share with one another, and they sell any excess to the general store in town, owned by the Johnsons. Then they split the profits. Mrs. Thompson and Mrs. Hunter also sell baked goods to the store. There are never enough baked goods, so if you enjoy baking, they’d probably let you in on their little money-making enterprise. ”

“I do enjoy baking. I’ll talk to them and see how I fit in. I hope you won’t mind if I work.”

He shook his head. “Honestly, after the way your friends are, I expected it. And you all worked together at a restaurant?”

“Yes and no. We worked at a restaurant in a hotel. Sometimes we would fill in for maids, in the kitchen, wherever we were needed. I wasn’t sure I had the courage to join you until Sally left to come here. I missed her.”

“Well, you’ll see her in a few short weeks!” Jasper told her.

“It’s hard to believe you live in an area so isolated. Don’t you miss friends and family?” Agnes asked.

“I write my parents and receive letters from them often. We have a good relationship, but they live in Seattle, and I wasn’t fond of the city. I’ve made the best friends of my life in Yeti, so I’m not unhappy. It’s a good place to live.”

“Is there a church?” Agnes asked. She’d been raised to be a devout Christian, and she couldn’t imagine a world where she couldn’t worship.

“Of sorts. We don’t have a church building, but a group of us get together on Sunday mornings, sing a couple of hymns, and study a Bible passage together. There’s no preaching, but I’m learning more about the Bible than I ever did from some church.”

She nodded. “That sounds good to me.”

Jasper grinned at her. “It works well for me. I love our little town, and it’s nice to finally have women there. We only had Mrs. Johnson for years and years. She’s a good woman, but she’s married, and she couldn’t keep up with baking for all of us.”

Agnes smiled. “I believe three or four more from the hotel plan to come soon. They were waiting for matches that appealed to them.”

“If they don’t leave soon, they will have a very hard time with the journey. They would need to wait for spring.”

“Like Sally did.”

“Exactly. My friend, Tom, is her husband. He’s one of the best men I know.”

“I can’t wait to meet him. But I really can’t wait to see Sally again. She’s one of my very favorite people.”

They walked and talked, the mule plodding along behind them, Agnes’s carpet bag tied to the side of the beast.

It was many hours later when Jasper finally said, “This is a good place for camp. There’s already a fire pit from others. I hope you don’t mind not having a tarp over us as we sleep. I thought we’d save that for rainy nights.”

Agnes was relieved it was time to rest. “That’s fine with me.”

“You start the fire, and I’ll get our bedrolls out.”

She sat down and removed her shoes, rubbing her feet. She couldn’t remember a time she’d ever walked so far. Of course, she’d probably walked more while serving tables, but at that moment, her feet were screaming, and she couldn’t think of a time when they’d hurt quite so badly.

When Jasper joined her at the fire, he gave her some hardtack and jerky. “This will probably be all we eat until we reach Yeti. We may see some ripe berries along the way, but I can’t promise that will happen.”

“That’s all right. I’ll fix us good meals as soon as we’re settled in Yeti.” She took a big drink from the flask he handed her, happy to have fresh water.

“We’ll boil water every morning, but that will be the only cooking we’ll do on the trail.”

“That’s fine. I’m happy to boil a pot of water.” Agnes looked at Jasper by the light of the fire. It was her first good look at him. He looked kind. She hoped he truly was.

“I put our bedrolls close together. I hope that’s all right.”

“We’re married. I’d have been shocked if you’d set them away from each other.”

“Oh, good. We’re thinking alike then. That will help.”

She smiled. “I do think it will. I just hope I can stop feeling awkward around you soon.”

“Well, you did marry me, knowing very little about me. I’m sure we will gradually feel less uneasy around each other.”

“May I ask for something?”

He frowned. “You can ask, but I may not be able to provide it.”

“I want a kiss. Before we sleep tonight. I think it would help me feel more comfortable around you tomorrow.” She’d never been kissed by a man, but she felt it was right.

She didn’t know if he was planning to demand his husbandly rights that night, but if he wasn’t, kissing would hopefully help her.

Jasper smiled. “You don’t have to ask me twice.” He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers, his arms coming around her.

Agnes was surprised when his tongue touched her lip, but she liked it. More than she knew how to express.

After a minute, he pulled back. “I don’t want our wedding night to be in the grass.”

She frowned. “Today was our wedding, and tonight is our wedding night. It must be in the grass, mustn’t it?”

He grinned. “I mean the consummation of our marriage.”

Agnes blushed, hoping he couldn’t see her face in the dark. “I see.”

“If it’s all right with you, we’ll wait for that until we get back to Yeti.”

“That sounds like a good plan to me,” she said softly.

“Good.” He pressed his lips to hers for just a moment. “I do like kissing you, Agnes Jones.”

“I like it as well. I’m not certain if that makes me a wanton woman or not.”

“Do you like kissing other men?” he asked.

“I don’t know. I’ve never had the opportunity to do so.”

“Glad to hear it.” He took her hand in his, feeling how delicate it was. “We’ll be leaving early in the morning. We should get some shut-eye.”

“I don’t want this day to end,” she said, surprising herself.

That earned her another kiss. “Come on. We’ll need our rest to be able to walk as far as we need to walk tomorrow.” He got to his feet, and helped her up. “We each have a blanket, but if we get cold, we can share.”

She smiled. “It’s summer!”

“Summer in Alaska is much different than summer in Massachusetts.”

“I’m beginning to see that.”

Soon, they were settled under their blankets, and she was nestled against him. She wanted to tell him she wanted the intimacy involved in sharing a blanket, but she didn’t think it was time yet. There would be time enough for getting closer. They had the rest of their lives together, didn’t they?

*****

Day after day, they walked the mountain pass on their way to Lake Bennett. It wasn’t an easy walk at all, but Jasper kept telling Agnes they were cutting days off their travel by taking the harder route.

They’d been walking for six days when she spotted some berries. She hurried to them and showed him. “Are they good to eat?” They looked like blueberries, but he’d warned her not to eat a berry without checking with him first.

He smiled and nodded. “Blueberries.”

“Can I have a few minutes to pick as many as I can? I’ll hurry.”

Normally, he’d be in a hurry to keep moving, but he knew she was growing tired of hardtack and jerky.

This would make her happier, and that’s what mattered most. “Yes, but we can’t take long.

” He found an empty oilcloth sack that had once held some hardtack.

“Here, use this.” He moved beside her and picked berries as well.

They had the sack half-full an hour later.

“We’ve taken all the time we can,” he said reluctantly, not wanting to disappoint her.

“Thank you for letting me take that much time. I’m so excited to have some berries.”

He chuckled. “Judging by the color of your lips and teeth, I’d say you’ve already had some.”

She giggled. “I couldn’t resist.”

“We’ll eat them as we walk. It will make our day more pleasant.”

They started out again, and she was pleased she’d had the respite in the middle of the day, but she feared they’d have to walk later into the night. Thankfully, the sun didn’t set until near midnight.

She was right in that he insisted on walking later into the night, but the blueberries were worth it to her. She was sick of hardtack and jerky, and by the time they reached Yeti, she would be crazy if that’s all they’d eaten.

That night when they settled in front of the fire, she thanked him again for allowing her time to pick berries. “We still have enough left that we can eat them while we walk tomorrow.”

“Just don’t eat too many and make yourself sick,” he told her when he saw her dipping her hand back in the sack for more berries.

“I’ll try,” she said.

When he kissed her that night, the taste of the blueberries was intoxicating. He wished he’d never told her they would wait until they reached Yeti to consummate their marriage, but he had, and he wouldn’t go back on his word.

They settled in for the night later than usual, but their spirits were high thanks to the bounty of blueberries they’d been given.

“Tell me about your cabin,” she said, lying beside him, her blanket touching his.

“It’s a simple one-room cabin. There’s a small root cellar. I do have a stove. I saved up for it all winter, so you would have a stove to cook on.”

“Oh, that’s wonderful. Thank you, Jasper.” She rolled toward him and kissed him.

Jasper, surprised at her actions, kissed her back, more deeply than he’d done up to that point. His hands roamed over her body. After a minute, he realized what he was doing, and he groaned, rolling to his back.

“What’s wrong?” she asked. “Did you not want me to kiss you?”

“I love it when you kiss me. I just...I want more than kisses, but I promised you we’d wait until we reached Yeti, so we’ll wait.”

“I didn’t ask for that promise...” She rolled toward him again, offering her lips, and this time he couldn’t resist.

Before either of them knew what was happening, they were naked and touching each other everywhere.

When he joined them together, she felt closer than she’d ever felt to another person.

It hurt, but that didn’t matter. What mattered was being close to her Jasper, the man she would love for the rest of her life.