Page 10 of The Bride's Desire

She was away from the situation she ran from, on a ranch, something she’d always wanted. And she was getting to do the things that came naturally to her—taking care of a house and people. Something that had been forbidden to her for the last several years.

Instead, she’d been forced to do things that made her feel like an imposter and extremely uncomfortable. The parties, dinners, and entertainment that were expected of someone from her status, even though she didn’t consider herself one. Her family’s money made it hard to ignore the rich society around her.

It was a lifestyle that would make most women happy, but it always made her stomach ache. She worried the whole time about how to move, have conversations, and eat. She’d even been coached on her laugh because it was too loud to suit them.

When her father was alive and healthy, it wasn’t so bad because he hadn’t expected that from her, and he himself didn’t like going to parties but did it for his wife. After he’d been diagnosed and instructed to stay home, Naomi had been ordered to attend events with her stepbrother and stepmother.

It had been incredibly sad the way the woman had treated her father. When his strength and looks changed, becoming pale and sunken, and his energy level was low, she’d had no use for him, so she had kept him in his room with nurses all day.

Naomi spent every minute she could with her father. It angered Diana, her stepmother, because she thought she was wasting time instead of learning, so she’d fit in better with the socialites in the community.

She overheard conversations she and her son had and realized her stepmother needed her if she wanted to keep being the high, snobby, rich woman she’d always dreamed of. She talked about the respect she’d get. All the people who came up to Naomi at parties were introduced to her stepmother and brother. Since she’d been pushed into going with them, they had met a lot of influential people.

Diana became obsessed with it. When she tried to forbid her from seeing her father, she’d freaked and told her she would embarrass her if she took her father away. She’d been furious but had given in. It was the only time she’d given her some leeway.

After her father passed, Diana would slap her if she did anything that displeased her. She also got into the habit of locking her in her room, sometimes for a few days at a time with only the water from her bathroom tap.

She’d tried a few times to leave but was prevented from doing so in one way or another. She had been able to call the police twice, and when they came to investigate, Diana found a way to make it look like she was emotionally unstable. Since Naomi didn’t have any evidence, she was able to go to parties and live in a grand house they had left without doing anything. Now, when she called, they had admonished her about wasting their time.

She’d learned quickly to keep a stash of food and books to read in her room, so she didn’t get bored. She acted like she was being tortured when she checked on her, but she really was very happy to be left alone.

Naomi knew her stepmother and brother had never liked her, but she had inherited everything from her father except for the generous amount of money he gave to them. The house and cars belonged to her. Since they didn’t want to move out of the large house and give up their standing in the community, they stayed and made her life hell. Unfortunately, she didn’t haveenough backbone to evict them, and the laws made it nearly impossible for people to leave their homes, especially since the two had lived there for years. Squatter’s Rights. She’d never heard of this until she tried to kick those people out.

They needed her for the money and upkeep of the house, and wages for the help. It also cost money to dress and look the way they wanted, which had also come out of her account.

They would have to pay for everything if she was away from the house. Naomi had an account set up for the help and house, and her family lawyer, Elliot Stevens, was in charge of it. But they would never get another dime out of her to look like they belonged.

She’d been planning on leaving, but they always had an excuse for her to stay. The breaking point was when her stepbrother, Robert, started trying to touch and be nice to her. She hadn’t understood what he was doing until she overheard them talking. The two never understood that voices carried when they were in certain rooms of the house. She found out they planned for Robert to marry her, and then they would both be able to control everything.

Naomi was terrified until she read the newspaper and saw an ad for a mail-order wife. At first, she talked to herself about it, but the more she thought about it, the more she knew it was perfect. Not only would she be away from the house, but she’d also be living on a ranch, something she had dreamed of. The other plus was she would have the family she always wanted.

The extra bonus would be that her husband would help her with the financial things. She wanted to put her stepmother and brother out of the house and sell it. She never wanted to see them again if she could help it. She had answered the ad and emailed her prospective husband, or rather his mother, for a few weeks.

She’d secretly stashed some cash and had plenty to gether where she was going. On a whim, she decided to ride the bus instead of driving a car because it would be harder for them to find her. Naomi wanted to ensure she was married by then, and she had no doubt they’d come for her.

She just needed more time.

Chapter Six

Naomi thought she must have slept because the sun was creeping through the drapes the next time she opened her eyes.

She stretched and then slid off the bed. Pulling the drape aside to look out, she caught her breath. She could see for miles, and every inch of the meadow and the woods beyond was breathtaking.

She could hear the cows but couldn’t see them. A smile crossed her face. Since her father had gotten sick, and her life had turned upside down, tranquility started to settle inside her.

A flash of excitement raced through her as she hurriedly got dressed and walked out of her room.

The first look at the mess that was directly across from her bedroom door shocked her. Mr. Dawson’s room looked like a tornado hit it. She could barely see the floor, so many clothes were strewn around.

Naomi was so glad that Margaret, her housekeeper in her childhood home, had taught her some of these things. She still had a lot to learn, but at least she wasn’t totally inept. After her mother had died and her father remarried, she’d been forbidden to talk or spend time with “the help,” as her stepmother called them. They weren’t people to her, they were a necessity for living the life Diana wanted.

Shaking off her memories, she gathered an armload, and her nose wrinkled at the smell. She hurriedly walked downstairs to search for a laundry room, which she found off the kitchen. The first load went in before she grabbed a laundry basket and walked back up to his bedroom.

It took three more trips to gather all the clothes and towels in his bedroom and bathroom. Once she had those separated into small piles, she turned to the kitchen and cringed. She had planned to tackle his bathroom first, but the kitchen wasa disaster.

She rummaged through the cabinets until she found the cleaning supplies. She wiped off a portion of the granite countertop before laying a large towel down and setting to work on the dishes. She laughed. He had used just about every dish in the kitchen, and she wondered what he would have done if he had run out.

After the dishes were washed and put away and the sink cleaned, she looked in the food supply and made a list of things she had on hand and another of the items she’d need soon for meals.

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