The Healer’s Mail-Order Bride – Extended Epilogue

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Two Years Later

It was one of the most beautiful Sundays Silas could remember. The rest of the summer had been suffocatingly hot, but that day, for some reason, the heat had abated. There was a pleasant, cool breeze rolling through the open doors of the church and it tickled the hairs on the back of Silas’ neck. He sat in the back pew of the Providence Ridge church with one arm around his remarkable wife, Josie, and the other was being held by a girl who was a spitting image of her mother. Little Susan Martha Brooks was, along with Emma, the light of their lives.

“We have gathered here today to give thanks for God’s provision,” Pastor Finch was saying from the pulpit. “Providence Ridge is a town that has been truly blessed by God’s grace. Let us join together in prayer and tell Him how grateful we are for His generosity.”

As they all bowed their heads, Silas looked down the pew at the rest of his family. Emma sat beside her little cousin and was showing her everything she had to do throughout the ceremony. Emma was the proudest cousin in the whole world, and she took such delight in demonstrating to little Susan all the things she knew about the world. It was no wonder little Susan adored her so much.

To Emma’s right were Josie’s parents, Charles and Constance. Their union was stronger than it had ever been, especially since Charles had started deferring to Constance much more when it came to decision making. Because of Constance, he’d begun a new treatment for his ailment that was doing truly amazing things for him. Charles was doing so well now, in fact, that he’d started a mission to help struggling businesses. He had so much experience assisting with that from his time at the bank that he thought it was beneficial to put it to good use. Constance now led women’s prayer circles from their home and spent as much time with her daughters and little Susan and Emma as she could.

Sitting beside Constance was Grace and her husband, Jake Martinez, sheriff of Providence Ridge. The man who was once Deputy Martinez had been promoted after the old Sheriff retired, and he was surpassing everyone’s already high expectations in his new position. Since he’d become sheriff, Jake had continued to improve Providence Ridge, and because of his hard work, the town was now one of the safest places in all of Wyoming.

Grace was, as they’d planned, helping Josie to run Martha’s Acres, which was what they’d ended up calling Martha’s ranch. Their horse breeding operation was now flourishing, but that was no surprise to Silas. He’d see the miracles his wife could work from the moment he’d met her, but he was glad that her talents were making her happy in her professional life, too.

Next to Grace and Jake was Hope, who Silas noticed was tapping her finger in time to the music that was playing softly behind the pastor’s speech. She had such a gift with music that it was only natural that her music school, which she was currently running out of her parents’ home, was incredibly popular. All of her students just loved learning from ‘Miss Hope’ and couldn’t wait to come back for their lessons each week. 

At the end of the pew sat Sarah and Oscar Horner, along with their little boy, Bo. Sarah was still teaching at the school, but she’d had to step away from her position as the town midwife when her own son came along. However, the woman sitting at the very end of the pew had found her life’s calling since leaving the Brooks household and was oh so happy to take over for her. Mrs. Augusta Abernathy was now the woman who everyone called on when they discovered they were with child. Mrs. Abernathy worked closely with Silas to ensure that every woman in town was well taken care of throughout her pregnancy. Silas had even made Mrs. Abernathy her own office inside of his practice at the old house. She had cried when he’d told her.

When the prayer was over, Silas raised his head, only to meet the eye of Sheriff Martinez. He motioned toward the door, and although Silas didn’t know what he wished to discuss, it had to be quite important if he wanted to leave church to discuss it. Silas and Jake rose and headed to the vestibule just inside the church doors.

“I was trying to wait until the service was over to tell you this, but I just couldn’t wait,” Jake said, looking a little anxious. “Percival Ashford has been released from prison, Silas. I’m sorry. I thought they would keep him longer than two years, but it seems he was quite well behaved, so they let him go early.”

Even just the mention of the man who had made Josie’s life so miserable made Silas’ blood boil. “He’s been released? Do you know where he went?”

Jake shook his head. “I couldn’t seem to find any record of that, but I heard a rumor he went out to California.”

Silas raised his eyebrows. “Seeking gold, do you think?”

Jake chuckled. “Wouldn’t be surprised.”

“And what about Whitmore?” he asked. “I know he was arrested on the same charges as Ashford, but I didn’t hear how long he was sentenced to.”

“I think he was originally serving the same sentence as Ashford, too,” Jake said, “but he wasn’t as well-behaved as Ashford was. Pretty sure he’s still in the jail near Kip’s Close. I’ll ask the next time I go through there.”

“Thanks, Jake,” Silas said, clapping his friend on the shoulder. “I didn’t want to worry Josie by keeping an eye on those two anymore, but I knew you’d let me know if anything was happening.”

“I certainly will,” Jake reassured him. “You and your family have nothing to worry about. Those two men are never going to trouble you again.”

Right then, the church doors opened, and the congregation came flooding out. Jake and Silas stood to the side until their families came out. But Josie was not with the rest of them. Instead, Emma came running up to Silas and urgently said, “Auntie Josie needs help, Uncle Silas!”

Immediately, panic began flooding Silas’ mind. Was something wrong with the baby? Was she going into labor early? She hadn’t had an easy pregnancy this second time around, and as he ran to her, he said a prayer that she and their little one would be safe.

When he arrived at the pew, he was relieved to see Josie sitting up and looking back at him. “What’s happened, are you alright?”

“Everything is fine,” Josie said, sounding slightly dejected. “I just… I can’t get up, Silas. I’ve tried moving this way and that, but I can’t do it for some reason.”

Silas let out an immense sigh. “Oh thank heavens! I was so worried something was wrong with you or the baby.”

Josie smiled, and as soon as she did, all of his worries melted away. As they’d grown even closer over the last two years, Josie had continued to prove that she was the woman he was always meant to spend his life with. Now, she grabbed his hand and pulled it to her stomach. When he felt his child inside of her kicking away, Silas could have wept with relief. 

“See? Everything is just fine,” Josie reassured him once again. “And even if it wasn’t, I know you would be here to take care of me, Silas. You always have been, and you always will be.”

Silas felt so deeply in love with her that he could practically feel his heart swelling with affection. “Just as you will be for me, my dear. I love you so much.”

Their lips found their way to each other, and they kissed in a way that told both of them that they never had to worry about anything ever again. Whatever came their way, they knew they could face it together. 

“EW!” came a cry from the end of the pew, causing both of them to break apart. When Silas looked down the way, he began laughing. Emma was standing there with her eyes firmly pressed shut, and her hands were covering little Susan’s eyes, too. “Can’t the two of you do that a little less often?”

“No,” Silas said, getting up and scurrying toward her. “And I won’t stop kissing you either!”

He proceeded to pepper her cheeks with kisses until she dissolved into laughter and hugged him. “Okay, fine, but do it when I’m not around then!”

He ran back down the pew and helped his wife to her feet. It took some pulling, pushing, and moving things into the right alignment, but eventually, they managed it. Josie waddled down the aisle and came to take Emma’s hand as Silas scooped little Susan into his arms. 

“Shall we go home, my girls?” he asked them. “I think if we ask nicely enough we might be able to ask Mrs. Abernathy for a slice of pie on the way!”

The two little girls cheered as they walked out of church. As the family of four left their holy gathering place and walked home, Silas couldn’t help but think about the legacy Martha had left them, and what kind of legacy their family would bestow to the next generation. Although he was proud of his practice and Josie’s brilliant work on establishing Martha’s Acres, what he was most sure of was that their legacy would not be one of wealth or status. Instead, the Brooks family legacy would be secured in the love that grew when faith guided broken hearts toward wholeness. As Silas took Josie’s hand and gazed lovingly into her eyes, he’d never been surer that his wife and children made his life perfectly whole and complete in the way God intended.

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OFFER: A BRAND NEW SERIES AND 2 FREEBIES FOR YOU!

Grab my new series, " Faith and Love on the Frontier", and get 2 FREE novels as a gift! Have a look here!

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