Read Online Leora: Bride of California (American Mail-Order Bride 31) by Kit Morgan - Free Book Online Page A

the oven, then braced herself. This was Theron’s first time trying her cooking and she wanted him to like it. She dished him up a bowl of soup, buttered a few biscuits and set everything in front of him. She did the same for herself, sat and stared.
    He looked at her, smiled, then said the blessing. “You can’t stand it, can you?” he asked.
    “Stand what?”
    “For me to taste it.”
    “What? Oh heavens, no, it’s … I’m just being polite.”
    He grinned and made a show of picking up his spoon. “Shall I count to three, then take a taste?”
    “Stop that!”
    He laughed, scooped up a spoonful of soup and sniffed it. “Hmmm…”
    Leora tried to keep from fidgeting. “Be honest.”
    He took a small sip, then another, then the spoonful. He scooped up another …
    “Well?” she asked.
    He held up a hand to quiet her and took another spoonful. He then reached for a biscuit, dipped it in the bowl and ate it.
    “Well?”
    “Not yet,” he said and spooned more soup into his mouth.
    She watched him, wondering what he thought. Why was this so important to her? Why did she want him to like her cooking (such as it was) so much? If he didn’t like it, Mrs. Pleet could teach her to get better – simple. But for some reason this first time was important. She needed to know she’d done something right .
    She swallowed hard as a picture of Mr. Egan screaming in her face flashed before her, and flinched.
    Theron looked up from his bowl. “Aren’t you going to eat?”
    She started at the question. Good grief, get a hold of yourself! she thought. It’s soup, for crying out loud! But Leora realized it was more than that. The simple meal had to be … perfect. She forced herself to pick up her spoon and begin to eat. The soup was good, at least to her. But Theron … she looked at his bowl.
    Hope sprang up like a weed. It was nearly empty! “Do you want some more?”
    “I’ll get it, you eat.”
    Relief washed over her. He liked it! Or was he just being polite? She drew in a breath as he got up and went to the stove. Soup! A pot of soup had her so on edge she couldn’t eat! What was wrong with her? So what if he didn’t like it? Wouldn’t she want to know?
    He returned to the table, sat and dug into his second bowl.
    Just ask him, Leora, she thought to herself. For heaven’s sake, it’s soup, not some fancy meal! “It’s okay, then?”
    He glanced up, a biscuit in his hand. “Of course. I’m on my second bowl, after all.”
    She forced a smile and realized her perfectionism was going to get the best of her if she didn’t get a handle on it. Her nerves couldn’t take it. “I’m glad.”
    “What’s for dessert?” he asked and took a bite of his biscuit.
    “Dessert?” Egads, she hadn’t thought about dessert! Now what was she going to do? Well, no choice but to be honest. “I have no idea.”
    He looked up from his bowl with a devilish grin. “Don’t worry, Mrs. Drake. I do …”

Seven
     
    The next morning they awoke at the same time, took one look at each other and decided to have dessert for breakfast before starting their day. After which they got up, washed, dressed and went downstairs for some food, all of that dessert-making having worked up their appetites.
    Leora got the fire in the stove going and made coffee while Theron explained to her how he liked to make scrambled eggs, then watched her make a batch as he instructed. They sat, ate, then headed for the church office to start the work day.
    Leora stared at the cluttered corner again, but this time with a contented sigh. All that “dessert” had calmed her nerves, and she realized now that she’d overreacted last night, even if only inside her head. She had to learn to take one day at a time. She’d never been married before – it was okay to make mistakes. Theron wasn’t one to get in her face and scream at her like Mr. Egan had so many years ago.
    But why was Mr. Egan’s tirade still affecting her? It was as if the smallest