Read Online Libbie: Bride of Arizona (American Mail-Order Bride 48) by Linda Carroll-Bradd - Free Book Online Page B

full breath since awakening. Her shiny blonde hair looked out of place in a group of dark-haired people. But there she was, sitting in his regular spot at the table. “Here you are.”
    His mother shot him a glare but waved a hand at an empty chair. “Sit, son. We’ve been waiting on you.”
    Dell refused to look at his brother, not ready to be the butt of his jokes. “Mom, Dad, I see you’ve met Miss Van Eycken.” He noticed the stern set to his father’s mouth. I should make this more of a formal introduction . “You remember me telling you about the woman who’d be arriving today?” He hung his hat on the chair post and slipped into his seat. Under the guise of reaching for the meat platter in front of her, he leaned close and spoke from the side of his mouth. “You might have woken me, like I did you.”
    With precise and slow moves, she patted her mouth with the napkin and turned to meet his gaze. “Not when you so obviously needed your sleep.”
    The look in her blue eyes was as cold as a snowmelt stream and matched the tone of her voice. What happened to that lilting accent or the mischievous smile when he’d teased her? Dell stabbed at a ham steak, dropped it onto his plate, and then sawed off a piece to jam in his mouth.
    “Corn, Dell?” Wearing a wide grin, Skip held out a bowl. “Or maybe you’d like a slice of humble pie.”
    Several minutes of heavy silence passed while everyone focused on their meal. Dell was hungry, having missed out on a real breakfast this morning, but every bite seemed to lodge in his tight throat. A couple of times, he glanced sideways at Libbie whose placid expression gave away nothing. She seemed content to eat while gazing out the window.
    “Good meal, Hazel.” William set his knife and fork in the center of his plate. “Libbie, I’m glad you sought me out at the livery and that you agreed to join us.”
    “I appreciate being included and in learning about Dell’s family.” She smiled and then turned to Hazel. “And the food was tasty. I had only a small breakfast before boarding the early train.”
    Her gaze snapping between Libbie and Dell, Maida set down her water glass and then waved a hand at the nearby dishes. “Would you like more of anything?”
    Everything was too polite, too nice. The burning in his gut told him he’d mishandled this entire situation. Dell bounced his knee under the table. He shot a narrow-eyed stare around at his family. “Well, did she at least tell you what happened?”
    “We already knew you were late to the depot when she arrived at the livery for help.” Hazel leaned her forearms on the table. “But we were a bit surprised to hear you fell asleep in the middle of a conversation.”
    Politeness be hanged . “Because I was rousted out of bed at three a.m. to chase rustlers.”
    “And I was stuck in town?” Skip smashed a fist on the table. “Didn’t I tell you, Dad? I should be staying in the bunkhouse. I could be helping out on the Bar S.”
    That was the first time Dell heard about Skip’s wishes. With Ted gone, that might be a good idea.
    “Did you get them back, son?” William frowned as he sat straighter.
    Dell tossed his napkin on the table. “All except Clancy, the stud bull.” He winced and slid a glance toward Libbie. “Sorry for my language.”
    She shook her head, making curly golden waves dance around her cheeks. “Grew up on a cattle station, remember?” A shoulder lifted in a shrug. “I’ve heard about all aspects of raising and breeding cattle. I’ve even performed lots of the tasks.”
    His mother stood and started around the table collecting plates. She paused next to his chair and rested a hand on his shoulder. “Glad to know there was a reason, Dell. Sorry to hear about Clancy.” She leaned close and brushed a kiss on his cheek then whispered, “Get on out to the sun porch so you can freshen up. You stink, boy.”
    Dell slumped backward. Again, being bossed around by his mother stuck in his