Read Online Mail Order Bride - Westward Secrets: A Clean Cowboy Romance Novel (Montana Mail Order Brides Book 13) by Linda Bridey - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Linda Bridey
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didn’t want to cause Gina any strife. She’d told him to knock it off, which only made him chuckle.
“It’s not a date,” she insisted.
Lacey asked, “Then what is it?” Her eyes held a mischievous light.
Gina thought, but couldn’t come up with an apt description. “I don’t really know. What would you call going to someone’s house to see their pets?”
“Weird,” Joe said and took a bite of toast.
Lacey swatted him and then lifted Timmy out of the bassinette that sat beside her. “Don’t tell her that. What’s the matter with you?”
Joe laughed and said, “Nothin’, darlin’. I’m just sayin’ that Rick’s tastes in pets seems to be a little on the unusual side.”
“Rick seems like a nice man,” Gina said.
Lacey said, “He is a nice man.”
“Yes, he’s a nice man except for when he scares the crap out of me with that rat he carries around,” Joe said as he cut up a piece of sausage.
“I like Curtis. He’s very cute,” Gina said.
Joe looked at her in disbelief. “You gotta be kiddin’ me? You like that thing?”
“Yes. You should give Curtis a chance. He’s very lovable,” Gina said.
Joe put his fork down and leaned forward. “Did he have that thing here when he came yesterday?”
“Yes. Why?” Gina said.
“In our home?”
Gina’s brows drew down and she said, “Yes. All of the children played with him in the playroom. We kept the door closed so he wouldn’t get out and run around the house.”
Joe nodded and then resumed eating. “Ok. I guess it’s ok if the kids play with it, but I don’t want it running through the house because if I come across it and it tries to bite me, I’ll kill it.”
“Joe!” Lacey said. “Shame on you! What do you have against poor Curtis?”
A frown settled on Joe’s face and he said, “I was attacked by a couple of rats when I was little and now I can’t stand anything that resembles one in the least. I’m sure it’s actually a nice animal, but I just can’t tolerate it.”
Gina’s heart went out to Joe. “I’m so sorry, Joe. If Rick brings him again, I’ll make sure it's kept away from you.”
“Thank you. I appreciate it,” Joe said. Then he told them what had happened at the bar the other night.
Lacey tried valiantly not to laugh. Her face turned red from the effort to hold it in, but it finally burst forth. She put Timmy in the bassinette and went outside, but her laughter could still be heard in the dining room. Gina laughed softly and Joe even ended up chuckling.
“It’s a good thing I didn’t have to relieve myself at the time or else I’d have been very embarrassed. More than I was. Jake loves that rat and plays ball with it on the bar. I know Rick uses Curtis for work, too, so it does actually serve a purpose, I suppose. I just love Curtis the way the devil likes holy water,” Joe said as he finished eating.
His wife came back in, took one look at Joe and went back outside. Joe sighed. “I’m not gonna live that down for a while.”
As they waited for Rick the following morning, Gina chuckled as she thought about that conversation. Then she heard buggy wheels and horses’ hooves coming up the lane. She was startled when Randall seemed to appear out of
“It’s not a date,” she insisted.
Lacey asked, “Then what is it?” Her eyes held a mischievous light.
Gina thought, but couldn’t come up with an apt description. “I don’t really know. What would you call going to someone’s house to see their pets?”
“Weird,” Joe said and took a bite of toast.
Lacey swatted him and then lifted Timmy out of the bassinette that sat beside her. “Don’t tell her that. What’s the matter with you?”
Joe laughed and said, “Nothin’, darlin’. I’m just sayin’ that Rick’s tastes in pets seems to be a little on the unusual side.”
“Rick seems like a nice man,” Gina said.
Lacey said, “He is a nice man.”
“Yes, he’s a nice man except for when he scares the crap out of me with that rat he carries around,” Joe said as he cut up a piece of sausage.
“I like Curtis. He’s very cute,” Gina said.
Joe looked at her in disbelief. “You gotta be kiddin’ me? You like that thing?”
“Yes. You should give Curtis a chance. He’s very lovable,” Gina said.
Joe put his fork down and leaned forward. “Did he have that thing here when he came yesterday?”
“Yes. Why?” Gina said.
“In our home?”
Gina’s brows drew down and she said, “Yes. All of the children played with him in the playroom. We kept the door closed so he wouldn’t get out and run around the house.”
Joe nodded and then resumed eating. “Ok. I guess it’s ok if the kids play with it, but I don’t want it running through the house because if I come across it and it tries to bite me, I’ll kill it.”
“Joe!” Lacey said. “Shame on you! What do you have against poor Curtis?”
A frown settled on Joe’s face and he said, “I was attacked by a couple of rats when I was little and now I can’t stand anything that resembles one in the least. I’m sure it’s actually a nice animal, but I just can’t tolerate it.”
Gina’s heart went out to Joe. “I’m so sorry, Joe. If Rick brings him again, I’ll make sure it's kept away from you.”
“Thank you. I appreciate it,” Joe said. Then he told them what had happened at the bar the other night.
Lacey tried valiantly not to laugh. Her face turned red from the effort to hold it in, but it finally burst forth. She put Timmy in the bassinette and went outside, but her laughter could still be heard in the dining room. Gina laughed softly and Joe even ended up chuckling.
“It’s a good thing I didn’t have to relieve myself at the time or else I’d have been very embarrassed. More than I was. Jake loves that rat and plays ball with it on the bar. I know Rick uses Curtis for work, too, so it does actually serve a purpose, I suppose. I just love Curtis the way the devil likes holy water,” Joe said as he finished eating.
His wife came back in, took one look at Joe and went back outside. Joe sighed. “I’m not gonna live that down for a while.”
As they waited for Rick the following morning, Gina chuckled as she thought about that conversation. Then she heard buggy wheels and horses’ hooves coming up the lane. She was startled when Randall seemed to appear out of
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