Autumn shook her head. “But the debt collectors came and said that my father owed them money. It’s why they sold the house.”

  “There was a misunderstanding, it seemed. Your father was mistaken for someone else, and they took the property when they shouldn’t have. They were able to locate a will, which left all of his belongings to you. Here, I have the papers,” she said, as she pushed them towards her.

  She looked at the words, reading the same things that her aunt had just told her. She looked at the amount of money that she was about to inherit and gasped. “It’s so much!” she exclaimed, looking at Eli.

  “It’s enough to build a brand-new house on our property,” Eli said with a laugh.

  “More than enough,” Autumn concurred.

  “When I got the information, I knew it was a sign for me to contact you. But then I couldn’t find you. You seemed to have disappeared into thin air. I was worried I would never see you again. It was all weighing heavily on me, so I went to the church in the park to atone for the sins that I committed against you. When I was meeting with the Pastor, he asked me what was weighing me down. I told him the story and everything that happened. I asked God to help me find a way to you. Then the pastor said he knew you and told me where to find you.”

  “Pastor Barnes?” Autumn couldn’t believe her ears.

  “Yes! He said that you had gone out west and was married. I knew that was a sign for me to leave everything behind and come out west too.”

  “Are you planning on staying here?” Eli asked.

  “I believe so. I need a new start, and I think I want to start it here,” she said, as she looked at Autumn. “I hope that is alright with you.”

  “I’d like that,” said Autumn. She genuinely felt she did want her aunt to stay. Autumn was ready to put her forgiveness to the test.

  “Do you have a place to stay?” Eli asked.

  “No, but I thought I would find something. I hope to see if there is a job for a seamstress here,” she said.

  “You can stay with us,” offered Autumn.

  “I can?” her aunt questioned.

  “She can?” Eli posed.

  “Yes, if it is alright with you, husband.” Eli nodded. She turned back to her aunt. “We are currently building our house at the moment. You’ll have to stay in the hotel. In fact, you can stay in my room for the duration, since I will be staying with my husband.”

  Eli gazed at her, with a question in his eyes. “But I only have the one small room.”

  “We’ll make it work; I don’t want to be away from you any longer,” she said, giving him a small kiss on the cheek. She turned back to her aunt. “We will add a room just for you. We have the funds to complete it now,” she said with a wink.

  Her aunt smiled. “I would like that,” she answered.

  “So would I,” Autumn said.

  Chapter 12

  Autumn watched as Eli was discussing the plans for the house with several men in the church yard. She guessed when money was involved things tended to move quickly.

  She was sitting under the tree thinking about all that transpired the previous week. She and Eli were truly husband and wife. Her aunt was settling into the hotel nicely and had asked around about small jobs. Her father’s solicitor contacted her via telegram to let her know about the transfer of funds. And on Sunday Eli preached a sermon on the wages of sin, gossiping and forgiveness. She had never heard him yell before, but he got his point across.

  He talked about forgiveness and how powerful it was to forgive someone that had done evil to you. It was easy to be petty, to let that feeling of hatred consume you until you couldn’t see past your hurt. You could wallow in all that self-pity and let it run your life. Or, you could see that you needed to forgive the person who had done wrong and move on. Autumn was ready to move on.

  With the extra money Autumn had inherited, they were able to hire more men to build the house. It was probably going to only be a few more weeks before they would be able to move in. Just before winter would be breathing down on them. Autumn had never been happier.

  She was asked to start ministering to the women in the community. Her first prayer meeting was in just a few days and she was looking forward to it. There was no more talk about her reputation, or red hair and if she did hear something, she learned to ignore the source.

  Of course, she wasn’t going to win over the Abigail Spencers of the world. The woman was a little meeker around her but wasn’t able to give up gossiping for good. She did notice that things weren’t bothering her as much as before.

  The first night she spent in the church she told Eli the full story of what occurred and how it led to her coming out as his bride. They prayed that they each would find forgiveness surrounding her uncle’s actions.

  Eli then shared the story of his past, the girl he wanted to marry and the list that he sent to Jacob to find him a wife. When Autumn saw the list, she laughed. She didn’t meet any of the criteria on his paper.

  Eli walked over to her and sat down on the bench under the tree. “Have I told you today how much I love you, Mrs. Barnes?”

  “Tell me again, Eli.”

  “I love you.” He cupped her face in his hands and gave her the sweetest of kisses. Autumn closed her eyes, savoring the feeling of his lips on her own. He finally broke away and drew her close, letting her lay her head on his shoulder.

  “I love you too.”

  “It looks like the house will definitely be done before winter.”

  “I can’t wait. As much as I love you, I don’t know if I can take that small room for a long period of time,” she said, as she squeezed Eli’s hand.

  “I’m so grateful for you,” he said. “I admit I wasn’t sure when you climbed out of the stagecoach, but I know that God led you right to me.”

  Autumn smiled. “I think He had a plan for both us. I just needed to find my way back home.”

  “And where is that, Autumn?”

  “Here. My home is right here with you.”

  She lifted her head to look up at her husband. He gave her a smile before claiming her lips once more.

  Epilogue

  October 1891

  Autumn walked through her new house, smiling to herself. They had just moved in a few days ago; she was so glad to be able to be in a place that was bigger than the room behind the church. She looked at the walls and thought about what she would put on them.

  Her aunt had brought photographs from Philadelphia. They were pictures of her mother when she was younger. It was true; she did look exactly like her mother did. It brought her happiness to think that they were so alike.

  Her aunt had also shown her paintings that her mother had done. Her mother stopped painting when she had children, but before then she was quite the artist. They were beautiful and colorful. She couldn’t wait to adorn her walls with the artwork.

  She looked towards the living room, thinking about the furniture that she was going to put in it. Eli ordered some furniture from the Montgomery Ward catalog. These were pieces similar to the ones her parents had in their house. She remembered all the wonderful times she had with her family growing up and hoped that those memories would translate into her new home.

  With the rest of the money, she had decided that she wanted to use it to expand the church. Eli reminded her she could do whatever she wanted with the money. The town was expanding as more people, many of them married couples, started to move into town. She thought the church would be an ideal place to build that sense of community. To do so they would need more space. She had come to love the place and everything that it meant. It was the place where her husband did his work, where they fell in love, and where she found her faith.

  She wanted to give him a present, as a thank you for loving her. Eli was so happy that he kissed her senseless. She blushed at the thought.

  She heard humming from the back of the house and smiled. Her aunt was in the back room, the one that was hers, putting touches on her space. If she had been told that her aunt was going to come and ask for her forgiveness, saying that she was sorry about the way she had treated her after her family had died, she would have laughed at the incredulousness of the statement. Never in her dreams did she think she would have her aunt living with her. But now that she was here, she couldn’t think of a better outcome.

  She would spend time with her aunt finding out more about her mother’s side of the family. Their talks were bringing her closer to her mother than she ever thought was possible with her gone.

  Her relationship with her aunt improved as well. Since Hortense didn’t have any children, she started treating Autumn like the daughter she always wanted. She even went so far as to ask when she could expect grandchildren! Autumn laughed at the thought. But the image of children running through the house wasn’t far from her mind.

  Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Autumn opened the door to look at Abigail Spencer standing on the front porch with an envelope in her hand.

  “Abigail, what brings you out this way? Is anything wrong?” Autumn asked. She tried to keep the undertone of anger out of her voice. Apparently, this forgiveness thing was harder than she thought. She hadn’t interacted with Abigail since seeing her at the front desk when Eli informed her husband what she witnessed.

  “I have a letter for you, that was delivered to the hotel,” she said, as she handed her an envelope. Autumn looked at it and then back at Abigail. “I wanted to give it to you.”

  “You could have had anyone deliver this. Why did you bring it here yourself?”

  The woman looked sheepish as she looked down at the floor. She had never known Abigail to be someone that wouldn’t have a response. “I knew that I hadn’t treated you in the best way,” she said, as she looked back at her, a blush forming on her face. “I didn’t know how to say how sorry I am.”

  Autumn cocked her head to the side. “You are apologizing to me?”

  “I’ve realized I’ve misjudged you. I thought you were something that you weren’t based only on what you looked like. I now know that you are more than your appearance. I hope that you can find a way to forgive me for how I have treated you.”

  Autumn knew exactly how to react. If she had asked Eli, he would say it was time for her to let go of her feelings. It wasn’t healthy for her to hold a grudge. “I forgive you. But I must ask, what changed your mind about me?”

  “I’ve seen you around the church, helping everyone. It made me realize that I had misjudged you. You have a kinder heart than some more righteous people that I know.” She walked down from the steps and gave a wave. “I hope that you will come by the hotel again and maybe we can have tea in the dining room.”

  As she walked away from the house, Autumn smiled and closed the door. She looked at the envelope in her hand. It was from an address in Philadelphia. She ripped the envelope, revealing a letter inside. She ran her fingers the curled writing, looking at the words that were addressed to her.

  Dearest Autumn,

  I hope you find this letter in good health. I’ve heard you have made quite the impression in town. I imagine it’s your fiery personality. I’m very proud of the work you are doing. Helping people is one of the top reasons I had decided to join the ministry. It brings me joy to know that you have found that purpose too.

  When I first met you, you seemed so lost in that park. You didn’t have direction and I hoped that I would be able to help you find it. When I heard of your relationship with God, it saddened me for you to think that you didn’t hear His voice. God has always come to me in times when I may have had a moment when I didn’t see his plan. He’s always shown me the way from my darkness into a light. Even with the bad times, I could always see the good times coming ahead.

  I knew my brother would be the perfect match for you, even if he didn’t see it himself. I don’t know if he had ever told you, but he had sent me a list of items he was looking for in a woman. The list painted the picture of someone that would have been a good match. It would have made him content and I imagine he would have had a fine life. But I knew he needed something more.

  You were the exact opposite of the list, different in every way. I knew that your personalities would possibly crash in the beginning, but eventually you would find your way to each other. I sent you out there knowing you would be good for him. You would light a fire in him that he never knew he had in him, and he would help you control the fire that you had inside of you. Your paths were chosen before you even knew the way.

  I pray for you every night, not because I believe you need the prayers, but because I know that you might need the encouragement. I never thought your soul was damned or that you were doomed to a certain life because you wanted to punish yourself as being the only survivor. I know you thought that your parents were cursing you in heaven and your sister keeps her hate. But I know from experience that this is farthest from the truth.

  Your family loved you and they want you to live a wonderful life. They want you to live it to the fullest, with no regrets or sorrow. You owe it to them to make sure you fulfill this dream. And when you do meet them again, you will be able to tell them about your life.

  I’m glad to call you my sister, and I’m glad that you are in my family. My brother is lucky that he found you (or rather, he is lucky that I am lucky to have found you). I know that you are going to give him a wonderful family someday. I hope to be there when you do.

  Love your brother,

  Jacob

  She folded the letter and placed it on the table in front of her. It filled her with joy to see how Pastor Barnes had felt about her. She wanted so much to thank him for what he did for her. He helped her at a time when she didn’t think she would be able to move forward. He gave her a path that she didn’t know she should follow. She would have to write him later to thank him for all that he had done for her.

  Her thoughts returned to the last line of the letter. Yes, she hoped to have a family someday too, and it would be wonderful if her children grew up around Uncle Jacob. The time was right at the moment. She still wanted to spend time getting to know her husband. There was plenty of time for babies and things.

  Esther Price had just delivered a son, much to the chagrin of her husband. Thomas and Thad were handfuls and they were already talking about what they were going to do when the baby was older.

  Autumn and Eli had visited them at their house and Esther had let her hold her son. She looked at the little baby in her arms and felt a twinge in her heart. He was perfect, and she told her friend so. Maybe children would come sooner than she planned.

  Esther and Autumn became good friends over the summer and early fall, and she was grateful for the older woman’s friendship.

  She heard the door open and saw that Eli had come home. “What are you doing here?” she asked, a blush creeping on her face. He was supposed to be at the church for the day while she was going to spend her time putting together their house.

  “I had to come to tell you the news,” he said as he sat next to her. “Why are you blushing? What were you thinking of?”

  She didn’t want to tell him she was daydreaming of little boys with his eyes and little girls with his hair, so she said, “I was just daydreaming. What is it that you wanted to tell me?”

  Eli smiled, not noticing her rapid change in subject. “Spot had puppies last night,” he said, a smile stretching on his face.

  Autumn clapped her hands together. Spot was one of the stray dogs that was in the livery. Thad had named her. Autumn was excited because her husband had said that once they moved into their new home, they would be able to have a puppy. “So we can go down and get one?”

  “Of course! Though we might have to let Tom, Thad, and Ruth pick before us.”

  The Price children had been visiting the livery every day, on puppy watch to see when the puppies were to be born. Jeremiah and Esther had said that they could have one puppy, although she knew that the children wanted to have one puppy each.

  “They look so beautiful,” Eli said. “Most are black with spots, but there is a lovely little girl puppy that I think you would love to meet. When I saw her, I knew that it would be a perfect match with you.”

  She smiled, happy that her husband knew her so well. “Have I ever told you how much I love you?”

  Eli leaned in and kissed her. It was a chaste kiss, one that was over before it even began. It made Autumn long for more. He pushed a few strands of hair behind her ear. “Not since this morning when I left for the church.” He kissed her forehead and held her close to him. “I love you too, more than you can ever imagine.”

  She hugged him back, welcoming his warmth. “We must go then; if we don’t get there before the Price children, Jeremiah will be prying puppies out of their hands.”

  “Let’s go then,” Eli said, as he let go of her and got up from the seat.

  “Could you get my aunt for me? She is in her room. I imagine she would love to see the children and the puppies.”

  Her aunt had become fond of the Price children. She would babysit them at times during church when Esther and Jeremiah wanted some peace.

  As Eli smiled and walked to the back of the room, Autumn turned to look at the letter one last time. She got up from her seat and walked towards the window to see the Montana hills that she had fallen in love with. She had never imagined that she would have had a life like this, living in Montana, about to go pick out puppies with her husband and aunt. When her family died and left her, she didn’t think she would ever have a chance at any type of happiness.

  She cursed God then, but now she didn’t. God was so loving, and she felt that love. Life could be filled with pain and struggle, but God taught you how to endure. He only gave you what He knew you could handle. It was never a punishment, as she had seen it as before. She vowed to become a better person now that she knew of His grace and love.