Bride of Paradise: Book 1 in Mail Order Ministers Read online

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  Several of his friends had made the trip to Dallas for his wedding. He was happy to see them that evening as he wandered around, eating the finger foods Kristen and Sally had put together, and talking with her at his side.

  He kept looking to see if his mother was there, but so far, he hadn’t seen her at all. He knew he shouldn’t be disappointed, but he was. He wanted her there. Earlier he hadn’t wanted her, and now he did. He knew he was being fickle, but it felt strange to marry without at least one family member there.

  There were more people than he’d expected, and he was introduced to several of her friends. “Did you plan all this?” he asked her halfway through the evening. There were just as many of his friends there as hers. How had she managed that in such a short time?

  She nodded. “I had help from Sally, of course, but I knew you’d want your friends here and not just mine.” She peered up at him, hoping he was pleasantly surprised.

  “I appreciate all the work you put into it.” He was surprised by how touched he was that his friends had traveled all this way, and that she’d made the effort to make their wedding as good for him as she could.

  “Of course! It’s my job.” She smiled up at him. “All the entertaining and household things will be my job while you do the real work.” Kristen couldn’t wait to have her own household she could run just the way she wanted to.

  “I think all that is hard work too!”

  She shook her head. “I’m not the one who will have to get up in front of the congregation and speak.”

  “How about we both just appreciate the other for all they do?” His eyes danced as they looked down into hers. He couldn’t believe he was already falling for this girl, who just twenty-four hours before had seemed completely untouchable. Maybe God had a hand in this wedding after all.

  “That sounds really good to me!” She turned and hugged a friend. “Samuel, this is Ida. She went through the seminar with me.”

  He nodded, understanding she meant the seminar to be brides for ministers. “It’s nice to meet you. Have you been writing to anyone?” It was as she hugged her friend that he noticed she was wearing elbow length gloves. He hoped she wouldn’t try to do that in Paradise.

  Ida nodded with a blush. “His name is Joshua. Do you know him?” She looked around the room as if she was trying to pick out which young man he was.

  Samuel nodded with a grin. “I’m surprised he’s not here. He was my roommate during my first two years at seminary.”

  Ida smiled. “He wrote that he was going to try to make it into town for it. Maybe he’ll be here tomorrow. I’m not sure.”

  “I’d like it if he was here. He’s in…Tyler? Right?” Samuel was pretty sure that was it. He’d kept up a correspondence with Joshua, but he wrote to a great deal of the men he’d gone to seminary with, and had an address book. He still wasn’t clear where each one was.

  Ida nodded. “It’s a lot further than Paradise. We’d still be able to come here on occasion though. I was hoping we’d get to meet in person for the first time this week.” She looked disappointed that she hadn’t seen him yet.

  “The seminary is going to be pretty full tonight. I’m so glad Sally is willing to be so accommodating.”

  Sally wandered over, holding a tray of sandwiches. “These chicken salad sandwiches you made have been a huge hit, Kristen. Are there more?”

  Kristen rushed away with Sally to help in the kitchen for a moment, and Samuel felt awkward standing alone with Ida. “So what made you decide you wanted to be a bride?” he asked.

  “My parents told me they can’t keep supporting me, so I decided to try it. I don’t really know what else to do.” Ida shrugged as if it didn’t matter, but he could see the hurt on her face.

  “What does your father do?”

  “He works in one of the factories. I understand it. There just isn’t enough to go around, and I’m the oldest.”

  He wondered for a moment if Kristen’s parents would consider letting her live there, but he decided it wasn’t his place to interfere. If God wanted her to be Joshua’s bride, then she should be Joshua’s bride. “Joshua’s a good, godly man. I’m sure the two of you will get along very well together.”

  Ida looked nervous. “I sure hope so.”

  Kristen appeared back between them. “I found another tray of the chicken salad sandwiches, so the party has been saved.” She talked to Ida for a moment, asking what she’d found out while writing Joshua before her mother appeared beside her.

  “People are getting tired. Tonight, and tomorrow night, you two need to be the first to leave.” The words were whispered into Kristen’s ear.

  Kristen looked at Samuel. “It’s time for us to go, so everyone else can go home and go to bed.” She smiled at Ida. “You’ll be at the wedding tomorrow?” she asked.

  “I wouldn’t miss it!” Ida hugged Kristen tightly. “I have your new address already, so I’ll be writing you as much as I can.”

  “You’d better!” Kristen pulled away and walked toward the door.

  Samuel watched her leave, before heading to the room he was staying in. It was odd to think that this was the last night he’d go to bed as a bachelor. At this time tomorrow, he’d have a wife. Kristen wasn’t the girl he’d have chosen for himself, but he knew God knew better than he did what he needed.