June Read online

  HeartQuest brings you romantic fiction with a foundation of biblical truth. Adventure, mystery, intrigue, and suspense mingle in these heartwarming stories of men and women of faith striving to build a love that will last a lifetime.

  May HeartQuest books sweep you into the arms of God, who longs for you and pursues you always.

  A Note from the Author

  Dear Reader,

  Thank you for the overwhelming response to book 1 in my Brides of the West series, Faith. I hope you will enjoy June Kallahan’s story as she travels all the way to Seattle to marry her husband-to-be-whoever that turns out to be! Life can sometimes be unpredictable, but by keeping our eyes on Jesus Christ our Savior, we can rest in the assurance that he works all things together for our good and his glory.

  Prologue

  Cold Water, Michigan, late 1800s

  Billows of white smoke rolled from the train’s stack as a shrill whistle announced its imminent arrival. Turning to give Aunt Thalia a final hug, June Kallahan blinked back tears.

  “I’ll write you the moment I get settled, Aunt Thalia.”

  The old woman’s arms tightened around June’s neck, holding on longer than necessary. “I’m going to miss you, child.”

  “Don’t worry about me,” June said softly. “It’s you I worry about.”

  “I’ll be going to a better place someday very soon. No need for anyone to worry about me. But of course I’ll worry about you. My age ought to afford me some rights. And I’ll worry about your sisters. Faith gone off to Texas, Hope to Kentucky.” Thalia Grayson shook her head. “Sakes alive. You’ve all taken leave of your senses.”

  June lovingly patted her old aunt’s back. “God will take care of us, Auntie.”

  The engine came to a halt amid a whoosh of steam and squealing brakes. Passengers got off while others hurried to board. The stopover in Cold Water was brief. Smiling, June blew Aunt Thalia a final kiss as she reached for her bag. “Don’t worry! I’ll be fine!”

  Running toward the coach, June determined to keep up her brave facade. Auntie would worry enough without sending her off in a flurry of tears. The conductor caught her hand and lifted her aboard as the train slowly pulled out of the station. Standing on the car’s platform, June smiled and waved until Aunt Thalia’s stooped frame faded into the distance.

  Fighting her tears, June made her way into the coach, wondering if Faith and Hope had felt the same insecurities when they left, two weeks earlier.

  A gentleman got up and offered his seat. Murmuring her thanks, June sat down, then buried her face in her handkerchief and bawled. Was she doing the right thing? Should she stay and take care of Auntie-let Faith and Hope be the mail-order brides? Aunt Thalia was old. Who would look after her?

  The gentleman leaned forward. “Are you all right, miss?”

  June wiped her tears, sitting up straighter. “Yes, thank you. I’m fine.”

  The enormity of what she was about to do overwhelmed her. She was off to Seattle-hundreds and hundreds of miles from Cold Water, about to marry a man she knew only by the few letters they’d exchanged.

  She was about to marry Eli Messenger, and she didn’t even know him.

  The idea had made so much sense a few weeks ago. With their father, Thomas Kallahan, dead and Aunt Thalia unable to bear the financial responsibility of three additional mouths to feed, she and her sisters knew they must be keepers of their own fates. The decision to become mail-order brides had not been made easily, nor without a great deal of prayer.

  June stared out the window, listening to the wheels clacking against the metal rails, wheels carrying her away from Cold Water to a brand-new life. She thought about her soon-to-be husband, Eli Messenger, and the unfamiliar world that awaited her in Seattle. Eli was a man of God, associate pastor to the famed Isaac Inman, of the Isaac Inman Evangelistic Crusade. Everyone had heard of Isaac Inman-of his unflagging dedication to God, his charismatic personality, how he led hundreds of thousands of lost souls to find salvation. Goose bumps rose on her arms when she thought about meeting the world-renowned minister in person. Not only would she meet Isaac Inman, but she would work beside him! Papa would be so proud of her, were he still alive.

  Removing Eli’s letter from her purse, she scanned the last paragraph.

  Together, we will work for God’s kingdom. Our he will be good, June. I know you must experience moments of doubts about your venture, but I believe God has destined us to be together, to work together for his glory. I eagerly anticipate your arrival and the beginning of what surely promises to be our wonderful he together.

  She refolded the letter and tucked it safely back in her purse. Resting her head on the back of the seat, she willed herself to relax. Everything was as it should be.

  Clickety-clack, clickety-clack.

  Every turn of the wheel carried her farther and farther away from the only life she had ever known.

  Biting down hard on her lower lip, she prayed that Eli Messenger was right and that God did, indeed, intend them for each other.

  Otherwise, she was heading straight for the pits of—

  She caught her wayward thoughts. She would surely, at best, be heading straight for trouble.

  Chapter One

  RAINING again?” June Kallahan stood on tiptoe to look out the ship porthole. “Doesn’t it ever let up?”

  Samantha Harris pressed closer, elbowing a larger peephole in the dirty pane. “Can’t allow a bit o’ rain to spoil your day, lovey. Do you see your intended?”

  June anxiously searched the landing area. Eli had said to look for a man, five foot ten, fair skinned, with sandy brown hair and hazel eyes. As she scanned the milling crowd, her heartbeat quickened. Where could he be?

  “Do you think he’ll like me, Sam?”

  “Oh, ‘ow could ‘e not like you?” Sam gave June’s arm a jaunty squeeze. “You bein’ so comely and all.”

  “Comely?” June laughed. She’d struck up an instant friendship with this charming English waif the moment they boarded ship in San Francisco. Sam was en route to Seattle to assist her ailing aunt, who ran a small orphanage. Sam’s accent was pure delight-a touch of cockney and Irish brogue amid the English, with Sam’s own particular manners of speech thrown in for color.

  “Goodness, Sam. There isn’t a comely thing about me. My nose is too long, my eyes are too close-set, and this hair! Just look at it, Sam! It’s a bundle of frizz.”

  “Shame on ya! It’s beautiful! So dark and curly. Truly, lovey, it is. And those big brown eyes o’ yours are sure to melt his heart.”

  June gave a quick shake of her head. “The only comely daughter my papa sired was my sister Hope, although Faith had her share of gentleman admirers.” June patted her hair. “I’d give my Aunt Thalia’s prize setting hen for a hot bath and clean clothes before I meet Eli.”

  Sam jumped up and down. “Is that him?”

  Flattening her nose against the pane, June squinted. “I don’t think so-” Disappointment flooded her. The short, portly man standing at the railing looked nothing like Eli’s description. Did Eli neglect to mention his true age? His letters said that he was twenty-three, but the man standing at the side of the railing, his gaze eagerly skimming debarking passengers, looked older than her papa had been.

  Sam pressed closer. “Oh dear. He’s a bit older than I ‘spected.”

  “Yes … he is-a bit.” A good twenty years older, but it wasn’t the age that mattered so much. What mattered was the trickery. She didn’t approve of trickery-not in any form. Eli was an old man!

  She clamped her eyes shut, then quickly reopened them. The man on the dock was still there. Closing her eyes again, she silently prayed. Please, please, please don’t let that be Eli.

  Again opening her eyes, she sighed. Well, perhaps Eli thought himse
lf young. What did Aunt Thalia say? Age was a state of mind; if you didn’t mind, it didn’t matter. But then, Aunt Thalia wasn’t marrying Eli!

  “You say he’s an assistant pastor?”

  “Yes, to Isaac Inman, the evangelist.”

  Mustering a stiff upper lip, she gathered her belongings and prepared to meet Eli Messenger.

  Sam trailed behind as June descended the gangplank. June dreaded parting company with the young cockney girl. Sam had been a comfort during the seven-day voyage, and June had grown very fond of her. She hoped they would see each other from time to time.

  “I’ll miss our teatime talks,” Sam confided as she hurried to keep up.

  “As will I.” June smiled. “Once you’re settled, perhaps you can attend services one evening. You can go with Eli and me. You’ll be our guest.”

  “Oh, I’d not be knowing lots about godly men. Met more of the other kind, I have. But Auntie’s written of Mr. Inman’s Evangelistic Crusade and the wonderful work he’s doin’.”

  June was awash with pride. “Eli is proud to be working with Reverend Inman. He raves about the man’s dedication.”

  “Well, I’ll not be in church often. Me mum says me old auntie is a good woman but a very sick one. I suspect I’ll have me work cut out, taking care of orphaned tykes. There’ll be no time for churchin’.”

  “There’s always time for churching, Sam.”

  June returned Eli’s smile as she stepped off the gangplank. He had kind eyes-dare she hope he had a youngish heart, too? The man extended his hand with a warm smile. “June Kallahan?”

  Nodding, June switched her valise to the opposite hand and accepted his outstretched hand. “Eli Messenger?”

  The man appeared momentarily abashed before breaking into hearty laughter. “Oh, my, no! I’m Isaac-Isaac Inman, Eli’s employer. But thank you, young lady! You’ve certainly brightened my day!” He pumped her hand vigorously.

  Relief flooded June. “You’re not Eli! That’s wonderful!” She was instantly ashamed. Her cheeks burned, but Reverend Inman just laughed harder.

  “Oh-no, I didn’t mean `wonderful you weren’t Eli’; I only meant-” Realizing she didn’t know what she meant, much less what she was saying, she simply returned his smile. “How nice to meet you, Reverend Inman. Eli speaks highly of you in his letters.” Drawing Sam to her side, June introduced her. “Reverend Inman, I’d like for you to meet Sam-Samantha Harris.”

  Reverend Inman grasped Sam’s hand in a friendly grip. “I didn’t expect to find two lovely creatures coming off that boat.”

  “Sam and I met on the voyage.” June anxiously searched the crowd. “Where is Eli?”

  Reverend Inman’s features sobered. “Eli has taken ill. He’s asked that I escort you to your quarters.”

  June frowned. “Ill?”

  Taking her arm, Reverend Inman turned her toward a long row of waiting carriages. Departing passengers milled about, carrying heavy baggage. “Nothing serious,” he assured her. “He’s been afield most of the week, and the weather’s taken a nasty turn. Seems he’s caught a bit of a chill. He thought it best that I come to meet you.” Reverend Inman reached for the women’s valises. “May I take you somewhere, Miss Harris?”

  Sam searched the rows of waiting wagons. “Thank you ever so much, but me auntie said she’d send a driver… .” She broke into a grin. “Ow, there ‘e is now!” A weathered buckboard with Angeline’s Orphanage spelled out in large, colorful letters was parked at the back of the row. A white-haired Indian man stood beside the wagon, waiting.

  “Are you Angeline’s niece?” Reverend Inman asked, surprised.

  Sam brightened. “You know me old auntie?”

  “Know of her,” Reverend Inman said. “Fine womandoing a good job with the children. I understand she’s not feeling well.”

  “No, sir, that’s why I’m here. Goin’ to ‘elp her, I am.”

  Giving June a hug, Sam reached for her battered valise, her youthful face radiant with excitement. “Promise you’ll come see me? And soon!”

  Hugging back, June promised. “The orphanage is located where?”

  “On the outskirts of town-not far from the crusade grounds. Me auntie says every man, woman, and child in Seattle ‘as heard of Angeline’s Orphanage.”

  The two women shared a final brief, warm embrace.

  “I’ll be keepin’ you in me prayers, June Kallahan,” Sam whispered.

  “As I’ll keep you in mine,” June promised.

  Sam walked to the waiting wagon, and Reverend Inman helped June into the carriage, then took his place behind the reins. As the buggy pulled away, June glanced over her shoulder for a final glimpse of Sam. The elderly driver was loading her valise into the buckboard. Scared and filled with apprehension, she turned back to face the road. Homesickness nearly felled her.

  Look on the bright side, June! Soon she would be married, taking care of her new husband.

  Tomorrow she wouldn’t miss her sisters so much.

  Tomorrow she wouldn’t listen so intently for the sound of Sam’s lyrical cockney accent.

  Tomorrow God would remove all her fears.

  The pungent air reeked of the vast forests of Douglas firs and red cedars. The smell of wet vegetation stung her nose. The rain had slowed to a light drizzle.

  “Oh, my! Just look at those mountains! Aren’t they spectacular!” She’d seen pictures of mountains but had never hoped to actually see one.

  Reverend Inman clucked, urging the horse through a muddy pothole. “To the east we have the Cascades. To the west, the Olympics. They are quite magnificent, some of God’s finest work.”

  From the moment June had accepted Eli’s proposal, she read every book she could get her hands on concerning Seattle. She learned the town was located on a hilly isthmus on Puget Sound. Seattle served primarily as a lumber town and was noted for its abundant natural resources of water, timber, and fish.

  “Have you been here long?”

  “Seattle is my home. I left for a while, but when my wife passed on, I returned.” His eyes grew distant. “The area is fertile for harvest.”

  The clouds lowered, and a cold wind blew off the inlets as the buggy traveled deeper inland. June burrowed into her cloak, wishing she’d worn something heavier. The worsening weather made it impossible to talk. Instead she watched the road, praying God would safely deliver them from the inclement weather.

  It was some time before Reverend Inman finally drew the horse to a halt. June’s breath caught at the sight below. A tent, the size of which June had never before witnessed, spread out like a vast city before them. Men, dressed in yellow oilcloth slickers, wrestled with heavy ropes and cables. The heavens suddenly opened, and the drizzle turned into a deluge. Lightning forked, and the mountains reverberated with the mighty sound of thunder.

  June gripped the side of the wagon as Reverend Inman urged the team down the slippery incline. Aunt Thalia’s warning rang in her ears. You’re making a mistake, young lady!

  The wagon finally rolled to a stop in front of an unusual looking octagon-shaped dwelling. June stared at the oddshaped cinder-block building, thinking it looked very out of place among the ocean of canvas. Sitting low to the ground, the earth-tone complex zigzagged in varying directions, covering at least a half acre of ground. The land surrounding the house unit was barren, with not one blade of grass. In the summer, colorful marigolds and asters might relieve the naked landscape, but today the rain only made it look more bleak.

  “We’re here,” Reverend Inman announced. “Home-for now.

  June looked about, fighting another wave of homesickness. The immense revival tent flapped like a giant, awkward bird, two hundred yards to the right of the complex. Home. The connotation sounded peculiar to her, almost frightening.

  Climbing out of the buckboard, Reverend Inman extended his hand. “Hurry now, let’s get you inside, where it’s dry!”

  June gathered her damp skirt and stepped down. Thankful to be on solid ground ag
ain, she hurried behind Reverend Inman into the shelter of her strange-looking new home. Shivering, she trailed the minister through the corridor and emerged in a brightly lit parlor where a coal stove burned in the middle of the octagon-shaped room.

  Reverend Inman shrugged out of his wet coat, then reached for a small bell and rang it. “I’ll have Ettie bring tea.”

  Momentarily a tiny woman appeared, wearing a flannel nightgown and wrapper. Salt-and-pepper strands peeked from beneath the nightcap framing her weathered face and friendly blue eyes. As Papa would say, she couldn’t weigh eighty pounds soaking wet. “You rang, Reverend?”

  Reverend Inman smiled with weary gratitude. “I know it’s late, but Miss Kallahan and I could use a cup of tea, Ettie. Do you mind?”

  “Mind? Of course I don’t mind, Reverend. I’ve been worried about you.” She tsked. “Not a fit night for man or beast.” She crossed the room, snagging a crocheted throw from a wing chair beside the fire. “You must be Eli’s intended.”

  June nodded, trying to still her chattering teeth. “Yes, ��� ma am.

  “Ettie keeps my house and cooks my meals,” Reverend Inman explained. He viewed the wiry woman with open affection. “But, of course, she’s much more than a housekeeper. I couldn’t manage without her.”

  “And I couldn’t do without you, Reverend. Here now, we need to get you out of those wet clothes. Rain, rain, and more rain,” Ettie clucked. “My old bones can’t take much more.” Pointing to a door on the right, she ordered June, “Go on, now. I’ll bring your things in to you. When you’ve changed, I’ll have tea waiting. Reverend, take off those wet shoes.” Scurrying purposefully across the floor, she bent down and stoked the fire. Sparks flew up the stovepipe as the embers caught and the flames grew.

  June did as she was told, returning a short time later dressed in a dry pewter-colored wool. The smell of freshbaked bread drew her to the small table Ettie had set. A heaping plate of scones, blackberry jelly, and a bowl of rich yellow butter surrounded a colorful clay pot of steeping tea. June realized she hadn’t eaten since breakfast-a meager fare of tea with toast and butter.