A Mail Order Bride for the Fur Trader: Joy & Henry (Love by Mail #3)(8)

Henry nodded. “Of course, best bread in town, I’ve been to the bakery just the other day. Hi, Bridgett.”

The woman smiled and linked her arms with Duncan’s.

“Good to see you, too, Henry. And your lady friend?”

Joy blushed and glanced at Henry.

“This is Joy Fletcher.” He introduced her. “She’s - we’re -”

“I’m his fiancée,” Joy said.

Henry nodded, but didn’t say anything more. He didn’t even seem excited about the prospect!

“Would you look at that,” Bridgett said, “maybe we can have a double wedding.”

“Oh, when’s your wedding date?” Joy asked.

“Two days from now,” Duncan said, puffing his chest.

Joy turned bright eyes at Henry. A double wedding with a fashionable lady like Bridgett sounded great. But Henry was shaking his head at the couple.

“Joy just got here. We’re taking our time getting to know each other while she’s staying over at the pastor’s place.”

“Oh!” Bridgett smiled again at Joy. “You’re like Mercy, aren’t you? You and Henry met through the papers?”

Henry avoided her gaze. Was he ashamed of having a mail order bride?

Duncan laughed. “That’s great. You know, Hank Welton also met his wife through the ads. Great guy that Welton. He and his wife saved my life.”

“And the lives of a lot of other people too,” Bridgett said, rolling her eyes at her intended.

“Oh, what happened?” Joy loved a good story.

“A cave in,” Bridgett said, touching the furs on the table.

“It was horrible.” She turned to Henry. “Anyway, when we heard you were opening up a shop with fur and leather, we had to come see!”

“Maybe get her a wedding present, you know.” Duncan winked at Henry.

“Oh, I’d personally love a fur coat,” Joy said.

Bridgett giggled. “You, too? Then, you can help me pick a color.”

“Howdy!”

Henry and Joy turned as two older men stepped inside the shop. Henry turned to Bridgett and Duncan. “Uh, I’ll -”

“Go,” Bridgett said, “Joy’ll help me look through the furs.”

Henry looked at Joy, who grinned. “It’s all right, I know a thing or two about furs.”

Henry nodded and turned to the other customers.

*

Just that morning Joy had been disappointed when Claire told her that they’d spend the day at the store with Henry. He had no one else to leave it with, Clair explained. But by the time the sun was setting Joy didn’t know where the day had gone. In the course of the day she probably met half the town.

With the shop so busy Claire went home for the afternoon. Still, the endless coming and going of clients meant Joy barely had a chance to speak with Henry. The last customer left just before he started to lock up. Finally it was just the two of them out on the porch.

“Anyway, we should get home,” he said. “I mean, separately.”

Joy raised a brow and pursed her lips. “So you won’t walk with me to the pastor’s house?”

Henry opened his mouth, then closed it, and shook his head. He frowned at her. “That would be inappropriate.”

“But don’t you think it would be dangerous for a woman to walk home alone at night?”

“It is,” Henry said. “That’s why Claire is here.”

He jerked his head towards the end of the porch where Claire stood leaning against a pole. Joy hadn’t noticed she’d arrived.

“Hello, Joy,” Claire said. “How’d you like the shop?”

Ugh, she couldn’t get a moment alone with Henry! Margaret and Virginia had time alone with their intended! Joy stifled a sigh. “It’s very… interesting.”

“And soon you’ll be helping Henry here every day.” Claire touched her arm. “We’d better go before the meal I made grows cold.”

Claire gently pulled her arm, but Joy twisted around, “And you, Henry?”

“I’ll be leaving in a while.”

Joy glanced at Claire from the corner of her eyes and sighed deeply. “Oh, I wish you could join us for dinner. That way, I’d get to know you more...”

“Oh!” Claire looked over her shoulder at Henry. “I hadn’t thought of that. Silly me. That’s a wonderful idea. Why don’t you join us, Henry?”

Joy grinned to herself. Henry scratched his chin. “All right, Claire. I’ll be out in a minute then.”

As Henry closed up shop, Joy went over her plan for the next few days in her mind. Henry wasn’t as receptive as she’d hoped. He didn’t even look like he was excited about the wedding. While she was starting to care more and more. Was he having second thoughts about marrying her? Joy couldn’t take that risk. She was going to marry Henry Briggs if it was the last thing she ever did!

*

“Thanks for your help with the shop earlier,” Henry said. “Even though you didn’t have to.”

“Well, we are engaged to be wed,” Joy said making sure he was reminded of that fact often enough.

“Right.” Henry chuckled.

The house wasn’t far. Claire knocked, the door opened and for a moment the pastor looked at them confused.