Chapter One

Wintervale, Wyoming 1884

The other passengers on the train stared at Isabelle Heart with narrowed eyes and pinched lips as she shuffled her way down the aisle toward the open door, suitcases in each hand. With only six weeks left until Christmas, the weather had turned, and the air outside was cold and biting. The cold seemed to have taken up residence inside the train, too.

The truth was, she didn’t blame them for their anger. It still hurt, though. Her cheeks flamed. A lock of dark brown hair spilled loose from her bun and she gave her head a vigorous shake to get it out of her face. She forced herself to keep her head high and her eyes fixed straight ahead. She couldn’t let herself look at anyone around her or she might break down.

Baby Abby, strapped to her front, let out a wail, provoking more grumbling from the passengers as Isabelle walked past them.

If she wasn’t my baby, I would be angry about all the yelling too.

But then, Abby wasn’t Isabelle’s baby. Not really.

Abby was howling like this because she was hungry. They’d been stalled on the tracks for hours thanks to the snowstorm, and Isabelle had missed her guess when it came to how much milk she’d need to pack for the journey. There would be nothing more for Abby until they reached their final destination—the home of the man who was to be her new husband.

She shivered with anxiety at the thought of it.

She was stabbed with guilt, as well, with a thought she’d had several times since she’d taken responsibility for the baby—that she could never be a proper mother to Abby. Not really.

She would always take care of her best friend’s daughter. She would raise Abby as her own and love her as her own. But if there was one thing this journey had made abundantly clear, it was that there were some things only a biological mother could provide.

If Vivienne had been here, she would have been able to give Abby the milk she needed and Abby wouldn’t be screaming with hunger right now.

A porter took her luggage from her and helped her to step down from the train and onto the platform. He gave her a sympathetic look as he handed her bags back to her, but said nothing, and Isabelle felt sure he was glad to be rid of her too. He must have had complaints about the baby. Abby had been crying for hours.

At least the air here was warmer than it had been in Hearthstone, where she’d boarded the train. It still had the crisp bite of winter, but it didn’t sting her skin in the same way it had back home. There was a layer of snow on the ground, but it wasn’t the deep snow she’d left behind. It didn’t rise above the tops of her boots and sink in, wetting her feet. Instead, it was a fine powder, barely deep enough to record the impression of her footprints.

Someone had gone to the trouble of tying a wreath to the signpost at the edge of the tracks. If Isabelle hadn’t been so frightened and alone, that might have seemed festive.

She looked around as the train pulled away. Wintervale was a small town, and only two other people had disembarked here. Both of them were men and both of them were walking away from Isabelle, leaving her standing alone in the gathering darkness.

She shivered.

The man she was supposed to meet—Cameron Mercer—should be here. She had fully expected that he would be waiting to pick her up. What kind of man wouldn’t be waiting to pick up the bride he had sent away for by mail? What kind of man would leave a woman standing alone at dusk like this?

She jostled up and down to try to stop Abby from crying but it was no use. The baby wouldn’t be comforted until she had something to eat.

“It’s all right,” she said quietly, her voice breaking a little. “It’s all right, Abby. We’ll be at our new home soon and there will be something for you there. I promise.” She adjusted her grip on her bags. Isabelle was short and slight, and having the baby strapped to her made it hard to balance.

“Isabelle? Are you Isabelle?”

The voice didn’t belong to a man but Isabelle was so relieved at the sound of her name that she hardly noticed. She turned to see a woman, perhaps in her early thirties, with sandy brown hair in a sensible bun and a welcoming smile on her face.

The smile faded almost immediately.

“Whose baby is that?” the woman demanded.

Isabelle took a step backward, releasing one of her suitcases so that she could bring an arm up to shield Abby. “Who are you?” she countered.

“You’re Isabelle Heart, aren’t you?”

“I am…”

The woman sighed. “You never said you were bringing a baby with you.”

“You still haven’t told me who you are.” Isabelle shivered with the cold and the strangeness of this conversation. “How do you know my name?”

“I’m the one you’ve been writing to,” the woman said. “My name is Eloise Mercer. I’m Cameron Mercer’s older sister.”

A chill passed through Isabelle, and this time it had nothing to do with the cold. “The letters were signed Cameron.”

“Yes, well, God will have to forgive my brother for his stubborn nature. He would never have agreed to a mail-order bride,” Eloise said.

“You mean… he doesn’t know I’m coming?”

“Don’t worry. I know you’re coming and that ought to be good enough. I have a room prepared for you and everything. Though I do wish you’d told me you had a baby! That’s going to make all this so much more difficult.”

“I assumed you knew,” Isabelle said. “The baby is Vivienne’s, not mine. I assumed you must have talked about it with her when you made your initial arrangements. Or maybe you did and you didn’t realize that her baby had survived when she died?”

“I never knew that Vivienne was expecting a child,” Eloise said slowly. “Was she married before?”

Isabelle pressed her lips together. There was no flattering way to tell that story, and she wasn’t going to risk painting her best friend in a bad light. Not to this woman she had only just met. ‘The point is,” she said, “I’m here, and so is Abby, and unless you’re going to put us on a train back to Hearthstone, we’d like to get somewhere warm.”

“Yes, yes, let’s get you out of the cold,” Eloise agreed. “Oh, I’m going to be having words with Sheriff Grayson about this one, you can bet on that.”

Isabelle had no idea what the sheriff could possibly have to do with anything, but she didn’t care, because Eloise came to her and picked up both of her suitcases. For the first time in a long time, her hands were free to tend to the baby. She wrapped her arms around Abby and pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

“It’s all right, sweetheart,” she murmured. “We’re going to find our new home. Everything’s going to be just fine.”

***

By the time they reached the ranch, the snow had begun to fall vigorously again, and the mild weather on the train platform seemed like something Isabelle had imagined.

Isabelle wished she could get a better look at the place, but the darkness made that impossible. She only knew they’d arrived at all because Eloise brought the wagon to a halt. “Wait here,” Eloise said. “Cameron will come and help you with your things.”

Cameron. She had whispered the name to herself dozens of times over the last few weeks, but the man himself was still a mystery. She was glad of the chance to stay where she was, to just observe for the moment.

Eloise clearly knew her way in the dark. After only a few moments, a rectangle of warm light split the night as a door was opened and a man stepped out.

He had the same sandy brown hair as Eloise and Isabelle heard his voice rise in volume as the two of them conversed, though she couldn’t make out what was being said.

There had been no conversation on the ride here. Eloise had muttered under her breath a few times and Isabelle had thought she’d caught the word baby, but there had been no attempt to actually discuss that matter. For Isabelle’s part, she had been too preoccupied with trying to quiet Abby’s cries, a job that seemed even more important now than it had when they’d been on the train. To know that she was irritating people she’d never see again in her life was one thing, but to make a bad impression on the people who were going to be her new family… that was something else altogether, especially when they clearly hadn’t known that Abby was going to be coming at all.

You’re a good baby. Show them what a good baby you are. It isn’t your fault you’ve had nothing to eat for hours, but if their first experience of you is listening to this wailing, they’re going to get the wrong idea. They’re going to feel the way the people on the train felt.

She stared out at the man she was sure was Cameron Mercer. He was the right age and he looked enough like Eloise that he had to be her brother.

I wonder why he needed to send away for a mail-order bride. He was handsome enough, tall and muscular with broad shoulders and a square jaw. If he wanted a wife, surely he could have found himself one on his own?

She had expected that she’d be happy if the man she was to marry turned out to be handsome. Instead, it made her uneasy. His looks are no obstacle at all… so I wonder what the obstacle is?

Maybe it was just that there were no eligible women around. Isabelle had gotten no impression at all of the town of Wintervale because it was so dark outside, but Cameron Mercer was carrying a lantern and it allowed her to see the house behind him. It didn’t look well-tended. There was a pile of lumber in front of the door and a broom leaning against the side of the house. What a broom might be doing outside, she couldn’t imagine.

Seeing the mess gave her the strength she had been lacking. She wrapped one arm around Abby to secure her and climbed down from the wagon.

Cameron noticed her right away, looking over at her and sizing her up. His gaze softened for a moment at the sight of her… then his eyes fixed on the baby.

His lips parted slightly and he breathed in. He hadn’t expected a baby, of course. Eloise had made that clear. But he didn’t seem angry or upset. Shocked, yes, but the way his eyes had gone wide and his palms had turned upward, as if he might reach out and take Abby into his arms…

She took another step forward, emboldened by that response. “Good evening,” she managed. “I’m Isabelle. Isabelle Heart.”

His mouth closed. Isabelle took a few steps forward, allowing him to see her better. She wanted to see him better, too.

For a moment, they stood face to face, gazing at one another. His dark eyes seemed like a continuation of the night all around them, except that the sky was cold and empty. Cameron’s eyes were full of warmth. Was he going to reach out to her? Offer her a hand to shake? An embrace would be far too forward, and yet there was something tense and binding between the two of them already…

Then he turned away.

“You’re interfering,” Cameron said, turning back to Eloise without saying a single word to Isabelle. “Interfering again, just like you always do.”

“A man like you needs someone to interfere, or he’d rot,” Eloise said smoothly.

“Eloise, this is no fit place for a baby! Even you must see that.”

“May I say something?” Isabelle interjected.

They both turned to look at her, eyebrows raised, as if they were surprised she had anything to contribute to this conversation at all. As if it hadn’t occurred to either one of them that she might take an interest in what was being discussed.

She bristled. Was this what it was going to be like here? Would she be treated as if she didn’t exist?

Not if I can help it.

“I think we can agree,” she said, “that this is not going to be resolved tonight. Is that a fair assumption?”

“She has a crying baby, Cameron,” Eloise said. “You’re not going to turn her away.”

“It’s not my fault you brought a woman with a crying baby here,” Cameron growled.

“She’s hungry,” Isabelle explained. “Is there any milk? She hasn’t eaten in hours.”

“I’ll go fix you something,” Eloise said. “We have bottles that we use to nurse the livestock.”

“No, I have one,” Isabelle said quickly. She reached into her handbag and pulled out the bottle she had been using on the train, which had been empty for hours. She handed it to Eloise.

Eloise nodded. “I’ll get this ready for you. Cameron, get her into the house, for goodness’ sake. It’s cold out here.”

Eloise went into the house and Isabelle and Cameron were left face to face with Abby fussing fretfully between them.

“You’d better come inside,” Cameron said. “This weather is only getting worse.”

At least he was letting her into the house. Isabelle closed her eyes briefly, thankful for small mercies, then bent to pick up her two suitcases.

“I’ll do that,” Cameron said. He grabbed the cases, turned, and went into the house, leaving the door open. She assumed he’d done it so she would know that she was welcome to follow.

Isabelle wrapped her arms tightly around Abby and went in. The door opened on a small front room that featured a worn settee, an armchair, and a rocking chair. All the furnishings looked as if they were older than Cameron himself. There was a fireplace in which a fire had been lit, and that was homey and welcoming, but the room itself was a mess. Dirty shirts were strewn over various surfaces. There was a fine layer of dust covering everything. Books and newspapers lay on every table. Has this room ever been cleaned?

It should have bothered her, but instead, it made her feel something like hope, a fragile bubble rising up in her chest. She turned to face Cameron.

“Mr. Mercer,” she said, “I believe you need a woman’s help around here.”

“That’s what my sister said,” he replied with a frown, eyebrows furrowing. “Did the two of you cook this up together?”

“I thought I was exchanging letters with you. It wasn’t my intention to trick you.”

“You didn’t know a woman’s handwriting when you saw it?”

“The letters had your name. I assumed I was being dealt with honestly,” she said, her tone sharp. “If you want to be angry with someone, then by all means do so. But I’m not the person you’re angry with. I boarded a train today because I was told there was a man here who wanted to marry me, to care for me and this baby and to have me care for him in return. If that isn’t the truth, then you and I have both been tricked.”

He sighed. “My sister has always thought she has the right to take a heavy hand in my life,” he murmured, raking a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry you were brought here under false pretenses, Miss Heart, but I had nothing to do with it.”

She looked up at him. For a moment, there was a spark of the same connection she had felt when they had first met outside, when she had still believed he might welcome her.

Maybe he doesn’t want me here. But I’m here for a reason. God has brought me here.

She didn’t want to leave. Even though she had known him for less than half an hour, being in the same room with him lit her up in a way nothing had for a very long time. He was exciting.

I have things I can offer to him.

“If she truly believes you need help turning this place into a home, she might have made a good decision. I’m someone who can help you with that,” she said. “I can clean for you. I’m a good cook. You’ll be glad you have me around if you give me a chance.”

Eloise came back into the room with a bottle in hand and gave it to Isabelle, who nodded gratefully and offered it to Abby. After a moment of protest, the baby accepted it and suckled greedily, and the sound of her cries faded for the first time in hours.

Isabelle closed her eyes and let out a deep sigh. She had almost forgotten how blessed silence could be.

“Is that baby always like that?” Cameron asked. His tone was mild, but Isabelle’s nerves were frayed. She had been stared at for hours by people on the train and she was failing as a mother. How could this man who had just met them presume to ask her what Abby was like?

“She was hungry,” Isabelle said defensively. “The train was delayed, and she had almost nothing to eat.” She hesitated. “Mr. Mercer, whatever you decide, please don’t put us back on another train tonight. She needs to rest and take nourishment.”

“Of course I’m not sending the two of you back out into this snowstorm,” Cameron said, as if the very idea was preposterous. “At the very least, you’ll have to stay until the weather clears. Eloise, I trust you have a room prepared for her?”

“Of course,” Eloise said. “You can think whatever you’d like about all this, Cameron, but I would never have done it without making preparations.” She smiled at Isabelle. “Let’s get you settled in. Cameron…”

Cameron turned without another word to either of them and strode from the room.

Isabelle let out a long sigh. “He doesn’t want anything to do with me, does he?”

“He’s going to get used to the idea. I always knew it would take him some time,” Eloise said. “And until then, you’ll have me. I have my own house here on the ranch, so you’ll see me all the time.”

That was scant comfort. After all, Eloise was the one who had gotten Isabelle into this mess. If she had told me the truth about what to expect when I got here, I don’t think I would have come in the first place.

Maybe that was why she hadn’t told.

Eloise had been in for a surprise herself. It was obvious that she was still trying to decide what to think about Abby’s presence. Vivienne had kept that to herself.

Everyone has been keeping secrets, Isabelle thought, her heart heavy. And now I’m the one who is going to have to pay the price.

Chapter Two

“She’s weak. The bleeding isn’t stopping.”

The doctor’s voice seemed to come from a long way away. The only thing Isabelle could focus on was her best friend’s face. Vivienne had gone bone white.

Isabelle knelt on the hardwood floor beside her bed, clutching her hand. The posture should have hurt her knees, left her stiff, but she couldn’t think about that either. “Hold on, Vivienne. Your baby needs you now.”

Vivienne’s eyes closed. “Please take care of her, Isabelle.”

The words were like ice in Isabelle’s veins. “You’re going to be the one to care for her,” she insisted.

“No,” Vivienne whispered. “I don’t think I am.”

“She needs her mother.”

“There’s a man.”

“What?” Was Vivienne hallucinating? The only man in the room was the doctor.

“There’s…” Vivienne gasped in pain, and Isabelle gripped her hand more tightly. “There’s a letter. In my dresser. A man. He was going to marry me. Care for us. Go to him, Isabelle. He’ll help you.”

“Don’t talk like this, Vivienne! You have to fight. You have to stay with me. You have to stay with your baby!”

Isabelle’s voice was frantic, but Vivienne’s hand had gone limp in hers, and then there were strong hands on her shoulders, drawing her back, pulling her away. She fought to free herself, but the hands held her, and the doctor’s voice murmured in her ear, “She’s gone…”

***

The sound of Abby’s cries were the first thing Isabelle heard when she woke in the morning. Not only that, they followed her around all day long.

There had been no sign of Eloise or Cameron. She had woken to an empty house, apart from herself and Abby. She’d gone straight to the kitchen to look for more milk, but there had been none to be found.

The first hour of the day was spent in a whirlwind of anger. How could they have left her alone like this, with nothing to give to Abby? Even if they hadn’t been prepared for a baby, they knew there was one now. They should be doing all they could to help care for her, and that wasn’t happening. Where was everyone?

All Isabelle could do was go about her business and hope they would return soon. She’d tried to lose herself in the chores she had assigned herself. She had cleaned all the surfaces in the kitchen and tidied the living room. These were the two main rooms of the house—the living room at the front, and the kitchen at the back, connected by a small hallway. There was a second hall that led off to Cameron’s study and his bedroom, neither of which Isabelle felt she ought to touch. She hadn’t even been inside them. As for her own room, which was located off the kitchen, it was neat as a pin and had been from the moment she had arrived.

Surely someone would come back any minute, she had told herself. When they did, she would demand milk for Abby.

But no one had come and now it had been two hours since they had woken.

Abby had to eat.

She went to the tiny bedroom she had shared with the baby. She suspected this room might have been a pantry once—there was barely room to move around now that her bed and the milk crate she was using as a makeshift cradle had been placed within it. Her suitcases had been stowed under her bed, and without a wardrobe to speak of, she was living out of them for the moment.

Isabelle pulled Abby from the cradle up into her arms. Abby’s little body tensed against her and Isabelle’s guilt threatened to overwhelm her. Sometimes she was sure Abby knew she wasn’t with her mother. She must sense that Isabelle was nothing more than a replacement. No matter how hard she tried to fill Vivienne’s shoes, she would never be Abby’s mother in the same way Vivienne would have been.

If Vivienne was here, Abby wouldn’t be hungry right now.

Abby let out another yell.

The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. It was her favorite Psalm, a reminder that God would always hear her when she called out to him. Sometimes, like now, she needed reminding. When Abby cried, it was easy to believe that no one at all was listening.

I may not be able to understand His plan for us, but I have to trust that He has one.

She sighed. Perhaps this was her own fault. Perhaps she should have made sure to speak to Cameron about their needs last night. At the very least, she might have talked to Eloise about it. Eloise seemed to care for them more than Cameron did. She would want to know how to provide for Abby.

Just one more example of me failing as a mother. I’m sure Vivienne would have gotten it right.