Train Station Bride by Holly Bush Read Free Book Online

covering Jake’s face with kisses. “I told Mama I would a married you.”
    “You’re going to meet a man a lot better looking than your Uncle Jake one of these days.” Jake slid the children down his body to the floor. He turned them to face Julia. “These are my sister Flossie and her husband Harry’s kids. Danny is seven and Millie is five. This is your Aunt Julia.”
    Both children looked up at him in confusion. The door opened again, and two women and two men came into the kitchen. Before Julia’s husband could explain further, one of the women waddled over to her.
    “Hel-lo.” She smiled and pointed a finger at her chest as she shouted. “Gloria.”
    “She’s foreign, not deaf,” the younger of the two men said.
    Julia looked at the smiling pregnant woman. Her husband’s youngest sister, she imagined. She had the same dark hair as Jake and big green eyes. Her husband was probably the blonde and handsome one. All Julia could think of was that their children would be beautiful, like William. But before she could speak, the other woman approached. She was thinner-faced and would have been passably attractive but for a huge scar that ran from her eye to her mouth. The tightened skin made her bottom lip turn down on one side. Her eyes, though, Julia thought were the happiest she’d ever seen. Julia fought to keep from staring at the disfigurement.
    The woman took Julia’s hand and smiled. “Inga, I want to welcome you to our family. I’m Flossie, and that’s my husband Harry. Gloria’s the one who screamed in your ear, and that’s her husband Will. I imagine you already met the kids. They ran in ahead of us.” Flossie turned to Jake. “Do you think she’s getting any of this?”
    Danny pulled on his mother’s skirt. “Her name’s not Inga, Ma.”
    “Why doesn’t everybody sit down,” Jake said. “There’s something I’ve got to explain. Come sit down, Julia.”
    “Julia!”
    “I thought you said her name was Inga?”
    “I told ya, Ma.”
    Julia sat down at the seat Jake indicated. He stood behind her. Flossie and Harry sat on the right. Gloria and Will on Julia’s left. The children stood between their mother and father.
    “With the Founder’s Day Celebration there was a lot of confusion and noise at the station.” Jake tapped Julia’s shoulders. “This is, was Miss Crawford not Miss Crawper. She corresponded with Jacob Snelling and came here to marry him.”
    “So what happened?” Gloria asked. “Where is Miss Crawper? From Sweden.”
    “As you know I took Pastor Phillips to the station with me. In all that confusion and noise I married Miss Crawford from Boston, not Miss Crawper,” Jake said.
    Flossie whispered the conclusion. “Jake Shelling.”
    Julia did not realize the situation could sound worse than it was. But it did. Jake’s sisters and the children stared at her and Jake alternately. His brothers-in-law looked at each other and then stood simultaneously. Will followed Harry out the door. Julia had no idea why until she heard their muffled laughter.
    “Sorry,” Flossie muttered.
    Gloria leaned forward and covered Julia’s hand with her own. “You ought to thank your lucky stars that station was busy.” She scrunched her face in disgust. “Jacob Snelling and his mother. Yee gads.” Gloria brightened. “Yes, you certainly were lucky the station was busy.”
    “What happened to Miss Crawper?” Flossie asked.
    “She and Mr. Snelling may have come to an understanding,” Julia said.
    “And we know what the understanding will be,” Gloria said. “Wait on old Mrs. Snelling and listen to her complain.”
    “Gloria!” Flossie said.
    “It’s true. You know it’s true, Flossie.”
    Flossie tilted her head towards Julia and looked at Gloria. “She was Mr. Snelling’s fiancé. Try and consider Miss Crawford’s feelings.” Flossie faced Julia. “I imagine this has been quite a day for you. And not all good. Other than marrying my brother, of