âWho are you and why are you here?â
He frowned and released her hand. âWhat do you mean, who am I?â
âWhile weâre at it, how do you know my name?â
âWhy shouldnât I know your name? I am Nathan Rutledge and you are Kateââ
âOâBrien,â she finished. âYes, I know thatââ
âRutledge,â he reminded her.
âWhat?â
âRutledge.â
âWhy do you keep saying that?â
He looked at her for a second. âYou mean to tell me that you, Kathleen OâBrien, have never even heard my name before today?â
âThatâs exactly what I mean.â
He began to speak then shook his head and strode over to where his saddlebag rested near his horseâs stall. âI suppose youâd better have a look at this.â
She took the piece of paper he extended to her. âWhat is this?â
âItâs our marriage certificate,â he replied quietly.
âWhat?â Her gaze held his before she stared down at the certificate. âYou donât meanââ
âI mean,â he interrupted with quiet authority, âthat you, Kate OâBrien Rutledge, are my wife.â
Dear Reader,
I began writing this story at the tender age of sixteen. It all started with a simple question. What if you found out that, through no fault of your own, you were married to a stranger? Iâve lived a lot of life since I asked that question. Just like me, this story has grown and evolved in ways I never expected. Iâve had the most creative co-writer along the wayâGod. He is not only the Author and Perfecter of my faith, but also of this book.
He taught me that it all comes down to trust. I learned that life doesnât always make sense, it isnât always comfortable, and sometimes is downright painful. Yet, like Kate and Nathan, I also discovered that if I hold on long enough and allow God to lead me, then I will end up in a moment like this. A moment when my dreams have come true, my work is complete and His glory is revealed.
Thank you for stepping back in time with me to the fictional town of Peppin, Texas. I hope you enjoyed reading Kate and Nathanâs story as much as I enjoyed writing it. Seanâs story is next so look for more of the OâBriensâ marriage mayhem soon. In the meantime, I would love to hear from you. Please contact me at www.NoelleMarchand.com or check out my Facebook page.
Blessings!
NOELLE MARCHAND
Her love of literature began as a child, when she would spend hours reading beneath the covers long after she was supposed to be asleep. Over the years, God began prompting her to write by placing ideas for stories in her head. Eventually, those stories became like âfire shut up in her bones,â leading her to complete her first novel by her sixteenth birthday. Now, at the age of twenty-two, that fire of inspiration continues to burn.
Noelle is a Houston native and a student at Houston Baptist University, where she is pursuing a double major in mass communication with a focus in journalism and speech communication. Though life as a college student keeps her busy, God continues to use her talent for writing as a way to deepen her spiritual life and draw her closer to Him.
To God for completing this good work in me.
The righteous shall live by his faith.
âHabakkuk 2:4
Thanks to my family for fostering a spirit of
creativity. Special thanks to Mom for being my first and most avid reader. To my sister, for believing I actually could write a novel, thus allowing me to believe it, too. Thanks to the Butterfly Sisterhood for being you and allowing me to be me.
God bless you, Elizabeth Mazer, for all of your
encouragement, advice, patience and expertise!
I am so proud of what we accomplished together.
August 1877
Peppin, Texas
âWe ordered a husband for you.â
At the sound of her little brotherâs voice, Kate OâBrienâs finger froze on its trek down the page of her financial ledger. Her gaze shot to the kitchen doorway where twelve-year-old Sean stood next to their ten-year-old sister, Ellie. She met their serious stares blankly. Surely, sheâd heard wrong. âIâm sorry. You did what?â
Sean exchanged a look with Ellie, then met Kateâs gaze before carefully repeating himself. Kateâs heart began to beat faster in her chest. She placed the ledger on the kitchen table and tried to swallow the sense of foreboding that skittered down her backbone. âWhat exactly does that mean?â
âSomething wonderful,â Ellie exclaimed with a smile before slipping into a chair across from Kate. âI heard Mr. Johansen talking about mail-order brides at his mercantile. I knew that was what we needed so we put an advertisement for a mail-order groom in a few newspapers.â
She glanced from Ellie to Sean, hoping for some indication that they were joking. They both looked perfectly serious.
âWe received a lot of responses,â Sean said as he pulled a small pack of letters from behind his back and placed it on the table in front of her. She spared the packet a brief glance before meeting her little brotherâs sincere green eyes. âOne response was special. We knew he was perfect for us so we wrote back.â