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  A Groom for Ruby

  The Blizzard Brides Series

  Book 8

  Laura Ashwood

  A Groom for Ruby

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are all products of the author's imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblances to persons, organizations, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.

  The book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. All rights are reserved with the exceptions of quotes used in reviews. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage system without express written permission from the author.

  Scriptures quoted from the King James Holy Bible.

  All books titled or quoted in this story belong to their respective authors.

  A Groom for Ruby ©2021 Laura Ashwood

  Cover Design by Erin Dameron-Hill Graphics

  Editing by Carolyn Leggo and Amy Petrowich

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Epilogue

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  The Blizzard Bride Authors

  About Laura

  License Note

  This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  -- Laura Ashwood

  About the Series

  Welcome to Last Chance, Nebraska!

  When the freak blizzard of 1878 kills most of the men in a small Nebraska town, what does it mean for the surviving women and children?

  Realizing they need to find men of honor to help rebuild, the women place an advertisement in the Matrimonial Times.

  Choosing a husband is more difficult than they thought, when there is an overwhelming response to the ad.

  Will these Blizzard Brides find the second chance at love in a town called Last Chance?

  Join the Blizzard Brides Reader’s Community

  A Groom for Ruby

  Ruby Fulton has had a tough life, and it isn’t getting any easier after her husband dies. Suffering under his abuse for years, all Ruby wants is independence, peace and a new chance at life. She is barely scraping by herself, and now she’s responsible for one of Last Chance’s orphaned children. The last thing she wants to do is sign herself up for another husband who will make her life miserable. But when the preacher insists that she marry again, what is a woman to do?

  Cullen Parker is determined to leave his past behind him and live an honest life. When he hears about Last Chance, Nebraska, he’s sure it is the perfect place to find work. He agrees to work on Ruby’s farm in exchange for room and board, but he definitely isn’t looking for a wife.

  It seems like the perfect arrangement, but the town pastor sees a scandal. He insists they get married if Cullen is going to stay. What happens when Cullen offers a marriage of convenience? When Cullen’s criminal past comes calling, the precarious balance of trust and convenience is threatened. Will they—or their marriage—survive?

  Could Last Chance hold the answers for both of them?

  Acknowledgements

  First and foremost, I’d like to thank and praise God, without whom this book wouldn’t exist.

  To the other authors of this series – it has been an honor to write in your company.

  To my writing friends, Christine, Christina, Beth, Carolyn, Amber, Parker, and Lynn – I appreciate you more than you know and am grateful to have you in my life.

  Dedication

  Always to you, Rod, for putting up with me when I am frantically trying to meet a deadline and listening to me cry over my characters. I love you and couldn’t imagine life without you.

  To our children and grandchildren…you are my joy, my hope and my life. I love you.

  A special thank you to my amazing Street Team for helping me make this story better. They read each chapter of this book as it was being written, providing feedback and encouragement. I love you ladies.

  Sue Krznaric

  Alice Kimes

  Orinda-Lou Martinez

  Ellesa Honeyman

  Sandy Sorola

  Linda Hillman

  Phylis Carpenter

  Debbey Cozzone

  For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.

  Isaiah 41:13

  Chapter One

  November, 1878 - Last Chance, Nebraska

  Ruby Fulton slowly stirred the small pot of oatmeal with one hand and pulled her threadbare shawl tighter around her shoulders with the other. She could hear the wind howling outside and the heat from the cook stove brought little comfort to the drafty house, and it would only get colder as winter approached. Ruby’s shoulders slumped as she thought about everything that needed to be done. Cyrus hadn’t gotten around to taking care of any of the winter chores before he’d left with the hunting group that never returned.

  Ruby shuddered thinking about it. The men had only been gone for a couple of days when the temperature suddenly plummeted. Thunder and lightning filled the skies and seemingly out of nowhere, a blizzard began to rage. The snow and wind continued for two days straight, dropping nearly four feet of snow on the ground. Ruby managed to save her flock of chickens by bringing them into the house with her, something she’d never dare to do if Cyrus had been home. Once the snow stopped, she frantically cleaned the mess they’d made in the small house. It wasn’t until Sheriff Applebee stopped by the farm a couple of days later that she realized how many people perished in the blizzard.

  With no sign of Cyrus and eggs piling up, she finally decided to make a trip into town. Mr. Talley at the mercantile regularly bought eggs from them, but Cyrus usually insisted on taking them to town by himself. He allowed her to go with him to church once a month, but said that any more than that wasn’t necessary. Ruby suspected it had more to do with his proclivity to sleep in than anything.

  While in town, she’d heard talk about the missing hunting party, but Pastor Collins had convinced the townsfolk to wait a few more days for them to make their way home before sending out a search party. Heather Barnes, the butcher’s wife, was handing out smoked meat and Ruby gratefully took a sack. Cyrus hadn’t done any hunting that fall, and their food store for the winter was far less than they’d need. While she’d gotten resourceful at making what little food they had stretch, she was more concerned than ever about how they’d make it through another harsh Nebraska winter.

  When she returned home from town that day, she prayed fervently that Cyrus would not return from the hunting trip. Ruby had come to Last Chance five years earlier as a mail order bride, much like many of the other women in town. She’d been abandoned as a young child, and only had vague recollections of someone that may or may not have been her mother. Somehow, she’d ended up in an orphanage in St. Louis, although she wasn’t sure if that was where she was born. It was at the suggestion of one of the nuns there that she answered Cyrus’s advertisement.


  Ruby had high hopes of improving her station in life, but quickly learned that life with Cyrus Fulton was no improvement. He was a lazy man, and after several years passed and she produced no heir for him, he became violent. She’d become adept at hiding or explaining most of the bruises over the years, but the pity she saw reflected in the eyes of the women in town shamed her to her core.

  Not quite two weeks later, the second blizzard struck. This one came during the night. Ruby heard the wind pick up with the same eerie sound as it had when the first blizzard came. Again, she ran to the barn and brought her flock of chickens into the house. So many people lost livestock during the first storm, she knew she’d be able to sell her eggs and perhaps buy some dry goods with the money before Cyrus came back. She didn’t know what he did with the egg money, but suspected it was spent at the saloon in town.

  Once that storm passed and she’d managed a second trip into town, she learned that not only had all of the men in the hunting party been killed, but the group of men that had gone to retrieve their bodies had likely died too. Mrs. Talley told her that Pastor Collins preached that God was angry and was punishing the town. Ruby was overcome with guilt. This was her fault. God was angry with her. She had prayed Cyrus wouldn’t return and as a result, none of the men would return. The oatmeal blurred as tears filled her eyes.

  “I’m hungry, Miss Ruby,” a small voice interrupted Ruby’s thoughts.

  She hastily wiped her cheeks and turned to face the young boy, who looked back at her with earnest eyes. “It’s almost ready, Everett. Have you washed your hands?”

  “Yes, Miss Ruby.”

  “All right then, why don’t you set the table and by the time you’re done, this will be ready.”

  He nodded and quietly did as she bid. The boy was always hungry, although by looking at his small frame, you’d never know it. Gideon and Ida Henzel owned the property adjacent to hers, and Everett was their young son. Gideon ran the sawmill, which was located on the large creek that ran through his property. They were an older couple, and while Ruby didn’t know much about them, she had gleaned through bits and pieces of what Cyrus told her that Everett had been an unexpectedly late addition to their family. His birth had been quite difficult and Ida never fully recovered. Gideon blamed the child, and Ruby suspected the six years Everett had been alive had not been easy ones for him.

  Gideon had gone with the hunting party, and Ruby would never forget the haunted look on the little boy’s face when he showed up at her door a couple of days after the second blizzard asking her to help him wake his momma. She’d ran with him the half mile back to their farm, but it was too late. Mrs. Henzel was gone. Ruby wasn’t sure what had happened, but suspected when Ida had learned Gideon wasn’t coming back, she had simply given up.

  She’d bundled Everett up in clothing she found in the Henzel’s house and walked with him to town to see Mr. Blanchard, the undertaker. Mr. Blanchard had dark circles under his eyes and looked completely overwhelmed. When she told him about Mrs. Henzel and asked what she should do with Everett, he told her to leave him at the diner. Hollie Dawson was taking in some of the orphans, and perhaps would have room for him, unless of course, she wanted to take him in herself. He wasn’t aware of any family the Henzel’s had in the area, but perhaps Pastor Collins, or Faith, who was now operating the post office, would know more.

  Ruby had looked down at Everett’s sad little face and her heart wrenched. She would provide a home for the little boy as long as he needed one. Vowing to have a conversation with Faith next time she came to town, they made a quick stop at the mercantile where Mrs. Talley gave Everett two gumdrops, and Ruby bought a bit of sugar with some of her egg money. She could tell Mrs. Talley wanted to ask her about the child, but was grateful when she didn’t. She wasn’t used to being in town and felt intimidated by most of the townsfolk.

  They stopped back at the Henzel’s on their way home from town that day. Ruby collected the one horse and cow that hadn’t perished in the blizzard, along with the few articles of clothing Everett had, and the unlikely foursome made their way home. While Ruby managed to save her chickens, the small amount of livestock they owned perished in the blizzards. She had gratefully accepted responsibility of the Henzel’s horse and cow until someone came along to claim Everett.

  Ruby pushed the memories aside and pulled the pot off the stove. She scooped the steaming oatmeal into the bowls Everett had set on the table. Everett stared at the bowl with a longing in his eyes, but he made no move to pick up his spoon. Ruby knew he was waiting for her to let him know it okay for him to eat it, and she was filled with a profound sadness for the little boy. On a whim, she reached into the small cabinet next to the dry sink and pulled out a small bag of sugar and the dish of butter. She watched Everett’s eyes grow large as she placed a small pat of butter and a little sprinkle of sugar on his oatmeal.

  “Go ahead and eat, Everett, before it gets cold,” she smiled at the boy.

  Everett picked up his spoon and a hint of a smile crossed his lips. “Thank you, Miss Ruby.”

  Ruby’s heart swelled, it was the first time she’d seen anything that resembled a smile on his small face since he’d come to stay with her. She sat across from him and ate her plain oatmeal, letting it fill her with its warmth. The wind continued to howl outside, making the blankets she had tacked over the windows flap slightly and every now and then a little puff of snow would come through the walls where the chinking needed repair. Another thing Cyrus hadn’t gotten around to before he’d left on the hunting trip. Ruby thought about all the work that needed to be done before the coldest part of winter came and set her spoon on the table. She was no longer hungry. Everett had just spooned the last of his oatmeal into his mouth and she pushed her bowl towards him.

  “Can you do me a favor and finish mine?” she asked. “I’m plum filled up.”

  The boy nodded and pulled her bowl in front of him, eagerly digging his spoon into what remained of her breakfast, while Ruby tried to figure out what she was going to do. Mrs. Talley told her about the ad the women from town placed, looking for grooms to come to town, mostly at Pastor Collins’ insistence. The last thing she wanted was another husband, but she knew she couldn’t manage all of the repairs on her own and she didn’t have anywhere else to go. She closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead. She got herself into this situation, it would be up to her to get herself back out.

  “Miss Ruby, are you feeling poorly?”

  Ruby opened her eyes and met Everett’s concerned gaze. “No, Everett, I’m fine. Why do you ask?”

  “Momma would close her eyes and rub her head just like that, and then she’d have to lay down for a long time. Only last time, she didn’t get back up.”

  Ruby felt the back of her throat grow tight as Everett’s pale brown eyes filled with tears. She walked around the table and pulled him into her arms, but released him when she felt him stiffen. He wiped his eyes with his small fists and the sorrow she’d seen on his face was quickly replaced with the blank expression he usually wore. She had always wanted a family, with lots of noisy children, but was relieved when she was unable to get pregnant with Cyrus’s child. She didn’t want to bring a child into their home to suffer at his heavy hand. But now, having Everett to care for, Ruby realized she didn’t know the first thing about raising children and felt horribly inadequate. What should she do, for example, when Everett woke in the night, screaming in terror? She had no idea, but she resolved to be patient with him and let him come to her on his own time.

  She watched as a shiver ran through Everett’s slim shoulders. In an effort to make the rapidly dwindling woodpile last longer, Ruby had been putting a minimal amount of wood in the cook stove. But knew she’d need to come up with a solution.

  Ruby quickly did their dishes and added one more small piece of wood in the cook stove. Everett had moved to the pallet she’d made for him on the floor next to the cook stove and huddled under his blanket. She’d given him the nice thick qui
lt she’d been gifted by Altar Pennington when she moved to Last Chance. Cyrus hadn’t wanted her to accept it, saying they didn’t need charity, but Ruby took it anyway. That was before she understood the cost of defying his wishes. It had become her most precious possession, reminding her that even in the worst situation there was kindness and beauty in the world.

  She stared at the colorful pattern on the quilt for a moment, when an idea came to her. “Everett, bundle up, we’re going to town.”

  Chapter Two

  November, 1878 - Dodge City, Kansas

  Cullen Parker listened to Jim Morgan run through the plan while dread grew in the pit of his stomach. He knew coming to Dodge City with his brothers to meet up with the Morgans had been a bad idea, but his options had been limited. Dodge City had a wild and wicked reputation and was the last place he should be but his oldest brother, Frank, assured him it would be worth his time. He should have known better. He had just wanted to meet back up with his brothers and start his life over, but not this way.

  “We’ll start a fire on the track here,” Jim said, and pointed to a spot on a crudely drawn map he had sprawled out on the rough-hewn table. He moved his finger to a different spot. “We can wait in this row of trees. When the train stops for the fire, we’ll come up on it near the front.”

  “No,” Warren Morgan broke in, shaking his head. He took a long pull of the amber colored liquid from the bottle he was holding and leaned back in his chair so far its front legs lifted off the floor. Cullen had never met the Morgan brothers, but it was obvious that while Jim did most of the talking, Warren was the smarter of the two.

  “Can’t use fire,” Warren continued.