His Missing Piece of Happiness (Preview)

Prologue

Jenny Rose Campbell walked away from the grave where her mother lay sleeping, her head down, the black veil covering her face so no one could see she wasn’t crying. The only reason she wasn’t crying was because she’d already cried herself dry. Now, it was a heavy ache in her heart and a deep-seated anger she felt she would have for the rest of her life.

Or at least until her mother’s murderer was found and put in prison.

For the last three days, ever since it had happened, Jenny Rose hadn’t been able to function well. She’d spent the entire time relying on her friends, which consisted of nearly everyone in her little town of Treebark, Va.

The ladies in town had gotten together and made a schedule. They were making her meals, cleaning her house, and providing any services she might need to get her through the first week or two of her trauma.

Jenny Rose had decided that she wasn’t going to stay in Treebark. She hadn’t told anyone yet. Her original thoughts through the past few days had been to stay until the murderer was caught. But it was going on four days and the outlaw was long gone, Jenny Rose was sure of it. He was probably down in Mexico, killing other innocent women.

Jenny Rose stopped when a woman came up and offered her condolences. The next moment, she was surrounded by well-wishers – men were patting her on the back and squeezing her arm as they passed, women wrapped their arms around her in a quick hug. She welcomed their affection. Nothing would ever replace her mother. But she did appreciate their efforts.

“Come, dear,” one of the women said, “why don’t you sit down for a moment. Here’s a bench right here.”

Jenny Rose would have preferred to leave the cemetery as quickly as she could. She didn’t want to stay in the place where her mother was buried. Not now. Not yet. She needed time.

She sat down as directed, deciding her feet were tired from standing anyway.

“My sweet Jenny Rose.” The woman, her neighbor from the next farm over from Jenny Rose’s patted her hand, sitting next to her. “Your mother was such a blessing to everyone. And so are you. We are here for you, anything you need. Anything at all.”

The one thing Jenny Rose needed, she would never have again.

But she wasn’t the type of girl to give up on life. She was only 22 years old. She’d spent the last three years as the assistant to the schoolteacher, realizing as time went on that she definitely did not want to go into that profession. She wasn’t an exceptional seamstress, so that was out. She couldn’t be a nanny. There wasn’t anyone to be a nanny for in Treebark. The mothers in the town took care of their own young.

Her options were limited because her skills were limited to teaching. She loved children but the job was not for her. There were a lot of restrictions that came with being a teacher, some that Jenny Rose was tired of conforming to. She wanted to be married one day, and the teacher’s contract expressly forbid the schoolteacher from getting married.

Jenny Rose didn’t mind working as an assistant because the restrictions weren’t as strict. But it was, in essence, a training position to become a schoolteacher in her own right.

And that was not going to happen. She wasn’t going to pursue it. She wasn’t poor, as her father had built up quite a large amount of money and never touched any of it before his death. After he died, she and her mother barely took from the savings account at the bank and whenever they did, it was like pouring a drop or two out of a bucket of water.

Jenny Rose had no idea how her father had saved up so much money. She didn’t even know what he’d done for a living. Her mother said he was a salesman and an exceptional one at that. He must have been. Jenny Rose often wondered what he sold that made people pay him so often and so much.

She’d never been curious enough to actually ask her mother. Now it was too late. If she ever found out anything, it would be because she went through the house exploring, looking for documents that would tell her what she wanted to know.

It wasn’t a priority and certainly not something she’d be doing anytime soon. All she wanted to do now was get out of the cemetery, go home and take a long nap.

Not as long as her mother’s, though.

With an increasingly heavy heart, Jenny Rose accepted the love and comfort of her friends as they passed by in a line.

She wasn’t going to stay in Treebark, even though they all loved her and she knew it. She was going to find a way out. For the last 24 hours, she’d been wondering how. How could she get away from this beautiful little town, with its beautiful residents filled with more memories than she thought she could handle?

Jenny Rose was a strong young woman. But without her mother, she felt like a weak little girl. They had been very close, and the fact was known to everyone in her town. That was one of the reasons they were being so kind to her, not that they weren’t usually.

“Jenny Rose?”

She looked up at her best friend, Nora, who was there with Nora’s little sister, Janet.

“Do you want me to take you home?” Nora asked, the compassion in her eyes making Jenny Rose feel warm all over. She reached up and lifted the veil from her face so she didn’t have to look through it at Nora.

“I’d like that,” she said with tears in her soft voice. “I think I’ve replenished my tear supply.”

Nora tilted her head to one side, sympathy on her face. She reached over and gently lowered the veil again. Then she leaned over and took Jenny Rose’s hand.

“Come on, dear. We’ll take you home.”

Chapter One

Malcolm Halstead looked up from his book when his sister, Marie, sighed heavily. She was sitting in her favorite chair, which was deep red and had a thick cushion that she said was more comfortable than any other chair in the house. She had her legs pulled up beside her and was leaning her head on one hand, which was propped up by her elbow on the armrest. She was staring into the fireplace, her brown eyes sadder than usual.

He lowered the book on his lap. “Are you feeling all right, Marie?”

His sister turned her head to look at him. “I’m all right, I guess. I was just thinking about… how different things will be if anyone answers that ad of yours.”

Malcolm had heard it all before. Marie didn’t want him to place the ad for a mail order bride from the east.

“Sometimes change is good, Marie. You have to keep an open mind.”

“But what if she doesn’t like me?”

“She will like you. Why do you even say such things?”

“She won’t once she finds out what I’m really like.”

Irritation made Malcolm’s chest tighten and his jaw clench. He loved his sister, but she was a persistently negative person. There were reasons for her to be upset. But he would have thought with time she would have gotten better. It seemed she never would be a normal, happy-go-lucky kind of girl.

He remembered her that way from when she was a small child. He was six years older than her, so he was quite old enough to remember when she was born, and playing with her over the years as she grew. She’d been the type of girl that would fly out of bed in the morning with a smile on her face and a song in her heart.

That little girl was long gone. Malcolm wished he knew how to bring her back. But all he knew how to do was be kind to her, show her she was loved and carry on with his life.

“I’ve been lonely for a long time, Marie,” he said, trying to keep his tone respectful. “I’m 26 years old, well past the prime time to marry. The women my age that might have been interested in a courtship with me are all married or have left Purple Canyon. What else can I do? Besides, you can start with a clean slate if I bring someone from the east. Maybe you can be happier, try to smile once in a while.”

It had been ten years since Malcolm had seen his sister smile. And that was a long time. She had developed an isolating personality, keeping herself inside, not talking to anyone; certainly not to any boys. Any boy that had come around when she became a woman was promptly dismissed.

He knew it wasn’t because Marie wasn’t interested in boys or marriage or children. It was because her self-esteem was non-existent. No matter how many times Malcolm told her she was loved by him and liked by many, she didn’t believe him.

“There is nothing to smile about,” Marie grumbled, to his dismay. “Have you gotten any responses yet?”

Malcolm gazed at her for a moment before shaking his head and saying, “Not yet. I’m actually going down there this afternoon to check.”

Marie scowled so deeply that Malcolm was offended by it. “I wish you would stop this behavior,” he said, his tone heating up.

“It’s a bad idea bringing someone else into our home, Malcolm,” Marie said, insistently. “You don’t know what she will be like! Maybe she will be a shrew. Would you like that?”

Malcolm had to pull in a deep breath. He closed his eyes at the same time and pulled together all the patience he had. Marie had been reading Shakespeare again. Why she chose those tales, he would never understand. Why couldn’t she read something fun and light-hearted? Why was it always stories of woe and hardship? War and Peace. Gone with the Wind.

He shook his head. When he spoke, it was slowly. “So, you think I’m supposed to stay in this house and rot away with my sister, never getting married, never having children or a family of my own? Before you say anything, I know you are my family. But I want a wife, Marie. I deserve a wife and a family. Do you really want me to live my life void of love and affection to be saddled with you for the rest of it?”

He realized the harshness of his words as soon as they were out but by that time, it was too late. He hated the terrified and hurt look in her eyes when she looked at him.

“I don’t want you unhappy, Malcolm. I love you. I just… I’m scared.”

Malcolm sighed, “I’m so sorry I said that to you. That’s not how I really feel and you know it. I really quite adore you, Marie, and I want you to be happy, too. But you aren’t happy and nothing I’ve done over the years has brought out even the slightest hint of happiness. I don’t know what I can do for you anymore, but I know what you can do for me. You can allow me the opportunity to have a woman in my life.”

“I know. I’m sorry, too. I understand.”

Malcolm licked his lips before continuing. He leaned forward and looked directly at her. “Look, if you want to come with me to town, I’m sure we would have a good time. You can get some fresh air. We’ll get a bite to eat at the restaurant. Maybe you will see a nice dress you’d like to buy. I have some business to take care of in town and also I’ll be checking at the post office. Do you want to go with me?”

Marie hesitated just a moment before nodding. “I reckon that sounds nice, Malcolm. I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to keep apologizing.” He felt his frustration returning and pushed it away as hard as he could. He had to be kind to her. Everyone was kind to Marie, but nothing had brought back the childhood happiness she’d had.

He could only hope she didn’t feel that way for the rest of her life. But what would make the change? There were no mail order husbands and she’d probably lose the last of her senses if he tried to do something like that to her. She certainly wouldn’t agree to it willingly. He wasn’t going to ship her off to a husband either. She was his to take care of, something he’d decided when she was thirteen years old.

“I’m going to go get ready,” she said, pushing herself out of the chair. She was wearing her enormous purple robe with the gold sash that made her look like she weighed hundreds of pounds. She didn’t. She was a slender, good-looking woman with deep chocolate colored eyes and chestnut brown hair that waved down over her shoulders when it was down. Malcolm rather liked it down. If she ever had the desire to meet a man, she would have no trouble finding one willing. It made him proud to have a beautiful sister, and then on the other hand, sad because she didn’t care about herself.

There was no way to love anyone else if you didn’t love yourself. He watched her move across the parlor to the door. She stopped there and looked back at him.

“Thank you for inviting me, Malcolm. I’m sorry I’m coming down on you about this. I’m just scared, that’s all. I… I don’t mean to be.”

“I know, Marie,” he responded slowly. “Go get ready and we’ll go to town. You never know, I might not get any letters at all.”

She gave him a long look before nodding and turning to leave the room. He could see her until she got to the bottom of the curved staircase. She didn’t look at him again before ascending.

He hoped his own words were wrong. He wanted a letter. He wanted to read the handwriting of the woman he would marry.

He snickered. He was romanticizing the whole thing, believing a woman from the east would see his ad and immediately fall in love with him. Marriage… love… these were the things he wanted to live his life for. He’d spent the last ten years doing everything he could to bring light and love to his sister. He’d invited his own friends over at first, to see if she was attracted to any of them. Several had shown interest and she’d rejected them outright but politely. Others were not interested, though when they first saw her, their eyes would light up. She never showed interest in any of them and they told Malcolm in essence, “You’re my friend but that girl is never getting married.”

He looked out the window, tipping his empty glass back and forth, causing a reflection in the window. It was warm in the room because he’d had Nathan build a huge fire in the hearth earlier in the day. Wintertime was coming and snow would most likely fall in the next few weeks.

His plan was to bring the woman there as soon as possible. But the traveling would be more difficult in the wintertime, he realized, even though the trains were still running. He didn’t want to wait till the spring to bring the woman over.

It didn’t matter anyway at that point. He didn’t even know if anyone had written to him. That would be answered when he and Marie got to town. He pictured himself going in the post office and seeing a large stack of letters waiting for him.

Malcolm snorted, grinned, and pushed himself to his feet.

Chapter Two

Malcolm slapped the reins so the horses would move just a bit faster. He coaxed them on with gentle prompts.

They weren’t far from town. In fact, their ranch was the first one to go past when leaving Purple Canyon. He had a lot of land, but it all stretched out behind the ranch, going over the mountain that was coincidentally home to the infamous purple canyon that gave the town its name, and Malcolm owned a few hundred acres on the other side of the mountain too. He and Marie had what was called “old money.” Their ancestors who had traveled over from England to find freedom in America were extremely wealthy. They’d left their riches in the Old Country to keep it safe until they were established in America, which didn’t take long. After a few generations of the Halstead family living in New York, they’d traveled to the west for cheap land and basically purchased the mountain along with the land around it to the north and south.

Malcolm employed a large staff, household as well as ranch hands, stable boy, groom, landscapers. He was the owner of Purple Canyon Supply and had investments in several other businesses. He was still receiving money from the businesses going full swing in New York. Money was not something the Halsteads had to worry about.

As they went down the main road, he looked at the passersby, lifting his hat to those who looked back. They responded in kind or with a nod for the ladies and there was always a smile accompanying the gesture. He noticed when their eyes slid to Marie, who was not looking at anyone. She was staring out straight ahead as she always did.

He thought it was probably better she wasn’t looking around at anyone, anyway. She might have been hurt by the obvious looks of pity on their faces.

Everyone knew of Marie’s emotional and mental pain. They tended to treat her with kid gloves if they had to have direct contact with her. They weren’t unkind or unfriendly. He wouldn’t call the way they treated his sister as exactly friendly, but it was definitely kind. People tried to understand.

He nearly jumped out of his skin when Marie suddenly grabbed his arm and swung to face him.

“Malcolm! Drop me off at the ice cream parlor. I want a cone.”

Malcolm couldn’t help grinning. “You’re going to eat ice cream before lunch? Look at you, eating dessert first. You are a rebel, aren’t you?”

He’d hoped that his teasing would bring forth a smile. But although he saw a twinkle in her eye, something he had been privileged to see before, she didn’t smile.

“I wouldn’t say that,” she said. He studied her profile when she turned and looked down the street to where the ice cream parlor was. “I just feel like having an ice cream cone.”

“It’s got to be about 40 degrees out here,” Malcolm continued, looking up at the gray clouds above their heads. She was bundled up in her big coat and she was going to eat ice cream. It was quite ironic.

“I don’t care. I’m warm in my coat. I just want some ice cream.”

Malcolm felt he had teased her enough and nodded. “Of course, Marie. You can have ice cream if you want it. I was just playing with you.”

She looked at him with a serious expression. “I know.”

They didn’t speak anymore until he was dropping her off in front of the small parlor.

“I’ll be right back. Just going over to the post office.”

“I’ll be here waiting for you,” she responded, getting down from the buggy and disappearing into the small store.

Malcolm didn’t hesitate to slap the reins and get the horses moving again. His heart had suddenly gone into overdrive, pounding in his chest like he was about to get married.

In a way, he thought, it was kind of like he was getting married. If there were letters there, even one letter, and that letter intrigued him, he would eventually be a married man.

He chuckled, his anxiety to get to the post office mounting. It was only a block up the street. It wasn’t like he had to travel by train to check for letters. But it felt like it to him.

When he finally got to the post office two minutes later, he pulled the horses to a stop and jumped down immediately after pulling the brake lever. He crossed the small deck in front of the building, lifting his hat to Mr. Robinson, who was just coming out.

“Mr. Robinson,” he said as a greeting. The man looked up at him.

“Halstead.”

Mr. Robinson was a rotund, large man who had seen too many snack pastries, in Malcolm’s opinion. Not that he would ever say such a thing. And the man was a solid businessman who kept his nose clean and his eyes on the prize – that prize being wealth and riches.

Malcolm waited until the bigger man was past him, watching him for a moment before going through the threshold into the post office.

Thomas Field, the clerk behind the counter, was a friend to Malcolm. Most people in Purple Canyon were.

“Howdy, Tom,” he said, hurrying to the counter. “I got any letters?”

He felt excitement slip through him when Thomas turned behind him and pulled some letters from a slot. He noticed there weren’t any letters but one loan envelope in a slot at the very end.

“Here you go, Malcolm,” Thomas said, twisting back around to hand the envelopes to him. “You’ve got four letters. You’re a real popular fella these days, huh?”

Malcolm laughed, “Oh, I don’t know about that.” He was proud of himself for not snatching the letters from Thomas in his delight. There wasn’t anyone else in the post office so Malcolm stayed where he was, flipping through the letters. One was from a business colleague in New York. The other three were from ladies.

“So, you really went ahead with it, did ya?” Thomas asked, a sparkle in his eyes.

Malcolm grinned, looking up at his friend. “Sure did.”

“I bet you’re real excited, aren’t ya?”

He nodded. “I am. I really am.” He held up the letters. “One of these could be the woman of my dreams. The wife I need to build my spirits back up.”

Thomas lost some of his vibrancy and Malcolm saw a distinct look of sympathy come to his eyes.

“How is Marie doing?” Thomas asked.

Malcolm should have expected that the clerk would jump to his sister when he mentioned his spirits weren’t high.

“She’s doing fine.”

“What does she think of…” Thomas dropped his eyes to the letters in Malcolm’s hand. Instinctively, Malcolm looked down at them, too.

“She’s not too keen on it, I gotta say. Not too keen at all.”

“Thinks she’s being replaced?”

Malcolm chewed on his bottom lip briefly as he thought of a way to answer that. “I don’t think she feels she’s being replaced as much as she just doesn’t think any wife of mine would like her or want her around. I think she’s afraid of being sent away by my shrew of a wife.” He pulled one side of his lips back and gave Thomas a reluctant look.

To his surprise, Thomas chuckled, though he didn’t sound highly amused when he spoke. “She’s been reading that Shakespeare again. I’m sorry. Please tell her I said howdy.”

“I’ll do that.” Malcolm slapped the letters on the counter between them and then flapped them at the clerk. “You have a good day now and thanks for the letters.”

Thomas laughed. “I didn’t write them or send them. But you’re welcome.”

Malcolm also laughed as he went toward the door.

He stepped out into the cool air, turning his head up to the sun, wondering how it could burn that bright on a clear day and not warm the earth just a little more. He got in the buggy and went back in the direction of the parlor.

Marie was standing outside the building by herself, licking the cone she held in her hand. When she saw him, she began to walk toward him. He moved his eyes to take in the other people on the street; the vendors, the pedestrians, the mothers with their children running around their legs or standing straight beside them holding their hands.

No one was paying Marie any mind. When two other people passed by Marie, they greeted each other and not her, though she did get some sympathetic side glances.

“How’s your cone?” he asked.

“It’s delicious as always,” she responded, handing it up to him to hold while she climbed up. He took it and held it as if it was a precious gem until she was seated next to him.

He gave it back, saying, “Let’s go sit on one of the benches around the fountain in the town square. We can relax while I read my letters.”

Marie’s eyes dropped to the envelopes on the bench seat in between them. She didn’t say a word.

He headed in the direction of the town square, which was several blocks over. They left the buggy in the alley between the beauty salon and the barber shop. The fountain, donated by the wealthy family of Mayor Cornwall, was a huge cupid, with arrow, bow, wings, and all. The water poured from the end of the arrow down to the foundation of the fountain where it was recycled through to pour out again. It was a pretty sculpture, an adorable representation cut into marble by a genius somewhere. Malcolm had always been impressed with the fountain.

Malcolm got down first, rounding the buggy and holding his hand up to her. She took his hand and he helped her down while she held the ice cream cone high in the air.

They walked to the bench and settled down on it until they were both comfortable. Malcolm looked at the first letter, then the second and then the third. He couldn’t decide which one he wanted to read first.

Out of the three, there was one that stood out to him. He didn’t know what it was about that particular letter, but he got a good feeling just holding onto it.

Because of that, he decided to read the other two first. Just so he could have a full perspective.

Chapter Three

Marie was quiet while he read the letters. He didn’t say anything after reading the first two. He didn’t know how he felt about them. The third letter sat in his hand ready to open and once again, he got a good feeling from it.

He opened it apprehensively, hoping his instincts were right on this one.

A photograph slid out from between the folded pages. It was a two-page letter, with both covered from top to bottom. He instinctively looked at the bottom of the second page to her signature.

Jenny Rose Campbell

He liked the sound of that. Her name was as pretty as her picture. He held it up and stared at it for a few moments. He could tell she had light hair, she was a petite woman and had on a dress that was from this season or the last, meaning she had money of her own. The fact that she had even sent a photograph was telling. She wasn’t doing it for money, that was for sure.

“May I see it?” Marie asked, quietly. She had finished her cone and wiped her hand on the handkerchief she kept in her bag. He handed it to her and began to read the letter.

The more he read, the more he liked this Jenny Rose. He was intrigued by the fact that she was called her two first names together all the time. Instead of shortening her name, people made it longer.

Although three syllables wasn’t all that many to say.

She was obviously intelligent. She said that her mother had died, and she was looking for a way to get away from the memories. Her entire town liked her and were behind whatever decision she made. She did, as he’d suspected, have money of her own. She didn’t need help from anyone. But Jenny Rose was an independent thinker and had come to the conclusion that at the age of 22, she should be married. And now that her mother was gone and there weren’t any bachelors in Treebark, being a mail order bride seemed the only option for her.

She told him she had been working as an assistant to the schoolteacher for the last three years but had no intention of becoming one herself. She was looking forward to having more opportunities to make money, though she didn’t need it and didn’t know if she even wanted to pursue anything seriously.

She hoped there would be more options for her in Purple Canyon, should he decide to bring her to the Texas town. Folks found her easy to get along with, she said, as she tried to be a kind, compassionate and understanding person.

He grinned at some parts where it seemed Jenny Rose was telling a joke, being lightly sarcastic, or just generally humorous.

“What does she say?” Marie asked.

Malcolm’s eyes darted to his sister. He was shocked she’d even asked.

Marie scrunched up her nose. “Don’t look at me like that. Your face has changed. You look like you’re interested in this one. You didn’t look like that when you read the others. So tell me what she’s saying. Please?”

Malcolm gave her a half-grin. “How observant of you.” He told Marie what he’d read so far and continued onto the second page, saying, “She says the circumstances behind her mother’s death were tragic. That she needs time before she can tell me what truly happened.”

“Oh, that’s so sad,” Marie said, pain in her own voice as both their parents were also gone to heaven.

“It is,” Malcolm agreed.

“What about the other two letters?” Marie asked. “Did you find anything intriguing about either of them?”

Malcolm felt a little bad, knowing he’d rejected the other two women quickly because he was anxious to get to Jenny Rose’s letter.

“They are lovely women, I’m sure,” he said. “But I don’t think…” He stopped, looking over at Marie as she nodded vigorously.

“I think if you are going to do this, you should choose the one that made you smile the most. And well… you didn’t smile much at all when you read the first two. You might not have smiled at all. But the last one you did a lot. Who is that from? What’s her name?”

Malcolm was ashamed he hadn’t even told his sister the name. “Jenny Rose Campbell.”

“That’s a nice name,” Marie said.

“You think so?”

“Yes, I do.”

“Why don’t you give me a smile and prove that to me?” Malcolm was teasing again, using a light-hearted tone, the same one he’d been using over the years to bring out some positivity in his sister. He had to say one thing for her. If she never smiled, her face would never wrinkle and she would have smooth skin forever. He wasn’t going to tell her that, though. He wanted the smile more.

“Why would I want to smile about her name?” she asked.

Malcolm pressed his lips together and dropped his eyelids so he was looking at her through slits. “I reckon you wouldn’t. Just thought I’d give it a try.”

Marie pulled back the corners of her mouth, where they wavered for less than a second. It was barely a smile. Really no smile at all.

But Malcolm wasn’t going to press on any further. He was so pleased with the letter that he couldn’t feel anything but happy. And he was sure deep down inside, his sister was smiling for him.

“I just hope you’re making wise choices,” Marie said, softly. “Everything you do, everything you decide, doesn’t just affect you. It affects me, too. I hope you’re keeping that in mind.”

Malcolm reached across and took her hand, squeezing it gently. “I’m keeping you in mind, Marie. Always. I don’t want you to be unhappy. I just can’t bear the thought of going through any more holidays alone… I mean not alone, of course. You are always there. But I need… I need to have companionship. Someone I can do husbandly duties for, instead of brotherly duties. I do love you. But I need a different kind of love.”

Marie was nodding, her eyes on the ground as he spoke. She had her hands folded in her lap and was kneading her palms with the thumbs of the opposite hand.

“I know you love me,” Marie said. “I love you, too.”

“I know, sis. Are you ready to go to the restaurant?”

Marie’s eyes strayed down the street to where the sign for the restaurant rose high up in the air, easily seen from any outskirts of town. The Blue Hornet.

“I don’t know,” she said hesitatingly. “I’m not very hungry now.”

Malcolm laughed and hopped to his feet, tucking the three letters into the back pocket of his trousers. He put the photograph of Jenny Rose in his front vest pocket carefully, patting the outside once it was in. He grabbed her hand and lifted her to her feet.

“Nonsense!” he said. “A single ice cream cone wouldn’t fill up a child, much less a full-grown woman.” He eyed her from head to toe. “Even if she is tiny as an otter.”

Marie’s eyebrows shot up. “An otter?” she asked in an incredulous voice.

He continued laughing. “It was the first animal that came to my mind. Now come on. I’m starving and I know you are too and just won’t admit it.”

He pulled on her gently with her resisting just a little. His heart jumped in his chest when he realized she was playing along with him. He took her other hand, turning around to walk backward in front of her. He gave her a big smile and pulled on her. She removed one of her hands from his and slapped at the other, trying to get him to let her go.

He shook his head. “I’m stronger than you, Marie. I’ll always be stronger than you.” With that, he let go of her hands and moved to her side, walking beside her. He grabbed her around the neck with one arm and pulled her toward him to give her a kiss on the top of her head. “Try to relax about all this, Marie. I don’t want you constantly upset. I know you are always dealing with things going around in your mind but you’ve just got to try to relax. Everything is going to be just fine.”

Marie sighed, “I want to believe you, Malcolm. I really do. But… well, I’m going to give it a shot. I’m not going to nag you or complain to you all the time. I want you to be happy. It’s just… going to be a big change for me. I’m… not sure how I’ll handle it.”

They reached the door to the restaurant and Malcolm stopped her before she went inside. He turned her to him, stepping to the side to avoid some pedestrians that wanted to go by. He looked into her eyes with affection.

“But you’ll give it a try?” he asked in a soft voice.

She dropped her eyes to the ground, nodding. He touched under her chin with two fingers and brought her face up to look at him again.

“You have to stop thinking so badly of yourself. She’s going to like you. And the fact that you are willing to give it a try means more to me than you’ll ever know.”

“I just want you to be happy,” Marie repeated.

“And I want you to be, too,” Malcolm said. “I reckon I’m just of the mind that it will be easier to make me happy than to make you happy. Does that make sense?”

Marie nodded. “It makes perfect sense.”

Malcolm gave her a loving look, pulling her into another hug and kissing the top of her head again. “We’re going to be fine, Marie. Just you wait and see.”

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“His Missing Piece of Happiness” is an Amazon Best-Selling novel, check it out here!

As Jenny Rose walks away from her mother’s funeral, she feels the urge to start fresh somewhere new. Eager to leave her grief and hurtful memories behind, she answers a mail-order-bride ad, hoping for a chance at love too. When she receives the first letter from Malcolm, her spirits are raised and she has a really good feeling about their future together. However, upon her arrival, she notices a confusing behavior on his part, which leaves her puzzled. Will she find happiness in Texas, so far from the home she’d known all her life? Will Malcolm prove to be the man of her dreams or will she regret her brave decision?

Malcolm Halstead has lived a challenging life since the death of his parents ten years ago. Having dedicated himself to taking care of his severely traumatized sister, Marie, he desperately needs a breath of fresh air. Longing for love and happiness, he places a mail-order-bride ad in hopes of bringing a glimmer of light back into his life. Finding himself surprisingly stricken with Jenny Rose’s wit as he reads her first letter, he decides that she is the right one for him without second thoughts. Will the vibrant life he deeply craves finally be within reach, or will his untold secrets threaten to destroy his only chance to find his happy ending?

Little does Jenny Rose know that she will quickly and effortlessly fall into love’s embrace after her mother’s tragic loss. At the same time, her presence in Malcolm’s life signifies the beginning of a new era, as she brings a welcome and much-needed change in it. Will the special bond they build between them hold strong through the tests that are about to come?

“His Missing Piece of Happiness” is a historical western romance novel of approximately 80,000 words. No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a guaranteed happily ever after.

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