Read Online Adam: Braddocks, Book Two by Starla Kaye - Free Book Online
Authors: Starla Kaye
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going back upstairs, about the awful pull on her tender ribs.
Jennie didn’t look convinced. “That whole going up and down stairs all the time, it’s no good for you right now. You should come stay with us. We have an extra bedroom now and––”
“No.” Faith softened her brash protest, “I appreciate your offer, but I am fine here. The more I move around and go up and down those stairs, the better.” Besides, she didn’t want to be a burden on them, or in their way. She knew Daniel and his brothers had added on the extra room in preparation for the baby they hoped to have soon.
She forced herself to stand. As she’d just told Jennie, she needed to be moving around. And she didn’t want to think anymore about babies. Oh, she would be happy for Jennie, who desperately wanted a child. But she, too, longed to have a child. Adam’s child. Foolish, foolish woman! She had to stop thinking that way, stop thinking about him as a potential husband altogether. He didn’t want her and he’d made that very clear.
“I’ve been thinking about that mail–order bride business.”
She glanced out the window at the passing buckboard, at the pair of riders trotting down Main Street. She’d been thinking too much lately about Adam’s plan to find her what he would consider a suitable husband. Unless someone new came to town, she already knew most of the single men in the county. She’d even been courted by what she believed to be the best of them. None of them truly appealed to her. None of them were Adam. She needed to put him out of her thoughts, needed to stop comparing every man to him.
When she looked back, she found Jennie studying her with a frown. Faith knew that Jennie remained annoyed that her husband had dared to send off for a bride for Caleb. “Why have you been thinking about it?”
“Actually, I’ve been thinking about sending off for a mail–order groom.”
Jennie’s eyes widened. “What?”
Faith jutted out her chin. “You heard me. I’ve decided that maybe the idea of sending off for a mail–order bride for Caleb isn’t so bad. And maybe sending off for a mail–order groom wouldn’t be bad either.”
Angelica walked in as she finished her comment. She grinned in delight. “Yes, yes, yes! You’ll let me help you with the letter, right?”
“I don’t think it’s a good idea,” Jennie said, shaking her head. “Besides, Adam won’t like it.”
Since he was the biggest problem in her life and Faith needed to get beyond it, she thrust her chin even higher. “His opinion doesn’t matter at all.” Then she went to find some paper in the back room.
* * *
Adam stood as casually as he could outside his shop. It had been a hell of a long day. He’d purposely kept his distance from Faith, not having gone into the mercantile even once. But now that Daniel had come to take Jennie home and Angelica had gone to work in her saloon, he would go check on Faith. Even though he hadn’t been in the store, he knew she had stayed there all day. So much for promising her friends to only be down there for the morning.
He strolled into the store and found Faith standing behind the main case, studying a ledger. She looked pale, tired. “You should be up in bed, resting,” he said worriedly.
She jerked her head up and he noticed the white lines of pain bracketing her mouth. “Do you need help getting up the stairs?”
“I certainly do not.” She slammed the ledger closed and a piece of paper that had been lying beside it fluttered to the floor in front of the merchandise case. She frowned down at it and started to hurry around the case.
Adam strode over and picked up the paper just as she stopped a few feet away. He hadn’t meant to look at it, but his gaze noted the boldly written words “Wanted: Mail–order Groom.” Every muscle in his body tightened. Every nerve twisted. What the hell?
He gripped the paper tightly and held it up. “What is this?” he bellowed.
Her face
Jennie didn’t look convinced. “That whole going up and down stairs all the time, it’s no good for you right now. You should come stay with us. We have an extra bedroom now and––”
“No.” Faith softened her brash protest, “I appreciate your offer, but I am fine here. The more I move around and go up and down those stairs, the better.” Besides, she didn’t want to be a burden on them, or in their way. She knew Daniel and his brothers had added on the extra room in preparation for the baby they hoped to have soon.
She forced herself to stand. As she’d just told Jennie, she needed to be moving around. And she didn’t want to think anymore about babies. Oh, she would be happy for Jennie, who desperately wanted a child. But she, too, longed to have a child. Adam’s child. Foolish, foolish woman! She had to stop thinking that way, stop thinking about him as a potential husband altogether. He didn’t want her and he’d made that very clear.
“I’ve been thinking about that mail–order bride business.”
She glanced out the window at the passing buckboard, at the pair of riders trotting down Main Street. She’d been thinking too much lately about Adam’s plan to find her what he would consider a suitable husband. Unless someone new came to town, she already knew most of the single men in the county. She’d even been courted by what she believed to be the best of them. None of them truly appealed to her. None of them were Adam. She needed to put him out of her thoughts, needed to stop comparing every man to him.
When she looked back, she found Jennie studying her with a frown. Faith knew that Jennie remained annoyed that her husband had dared to send off for a bride for Caleb. “Why have you been thinking about it?”
“Actually, I’ve been thinking about sending off for a mail–order groom.”
Jennie’s eyes widened. “What?”
Faith jutted out her chin. “You heard me. I’ve decided that maybe the idea of sending off for a mail–order bride for Caleb isn’t so bad. And maybe sending off for a mail–order groom wouldn’t be bad either.”
Angelica walked in as she finished her comment. She grinned in delight. “Yes, yes, yes! You’ll let me help you with the letter, right?”
“I don’t think it’s a good idea,” Jennie said, shaking her head. “Besides, Adam won’t like it.”
Since he was the biggest problem in her life and Faith needed to get beyond it, she thrust her chin even higher. “His opinion doesn’t matter at all.” Then she went to find some paper in the back room.
* * *
Adam stood as casually as he could outside his shop. It had been a hell of a long day. He’d purposely kept his distance from Faith, not having gone into the mercantile even once. But now that Daniel had come to take Jennie home and Angelica had gone to work in her saloon, he would go check on Faith. Even though he hadn’t been in the store, he knew she had stayed there all day. So much for promising her friends to only be down there for the morning.
He strolled into the store and found Faith standing behind the main case, studying a ledger. She looked pale, tired. “You should be up in bed, resting,” he said worriedly.
She jerked her head up and he noticed the white lines of pain bracketing her mouth. “Do you need help getting up the stairs?”
“I certainly do not.” She slammed the ledger closed and a piece of paper that had been lying beside it fluttered to the floor in front of the merchandise case. She frowned down at it and started to hurry around the case.
Adam strode over and picked up the paper just as she stopped a few feet away. He hadn’t meant to look at it, but his gaze noted the boldly written words “Wanted: Mail–order Groom.” Every muscle in his body tightened. Every nerve twisted. What the hell?
He gripped the paper tightly and held it up. “What is this?” he bellowed.
Her face
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