Read Online Mail Order Josephine - A Historical Mail Order Bride Novel (Western Mail Order Brides) by Kate Whitsby - Free Book Online
Authors: Kate Whitsby
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over, I can correct a lot of the mistakes he made and turn this ranch into a thriving concern. Don’t tell my parents this, but Ben Hancock couldn’t stand Paul. He threatened to quit several times, and he only stayed on because I begged him to. I told him we couldn’t run the ranch without him, which is true. He planned to quit for good when Paul took over completely. He’s much happier now that Paul is gone.”
“Are you happy now that Paul is gone?” she ventured.
“No, of course not!” he exclaimed. “I loved my brother. I wouldn’t want him gone for all the money in the world. But it does seem like things have come up trumps since he died. Take you, for example.”
“What about me?” she stiffened.
“I’m just saying that I could never have had anything to do with you if Paul was alive,” he explained. “We wouldn’t be out riding together now if he was here. And I’m glad to be out riding with you.”
She grinned. “I’m glad to be out riding with you, too.”
“Come on,” he kneed his horse. “Let’s ride over to those trees. We can sit in the shade and have something to eat while we talk.”
Josephine dismounted in the shade of a bunch of trees at the crest of the hill. Andrew tied both horses some distance away where they grazed on the plentiful green grass and untied a bag from his saddle. They sat down on the cool turf under the trees and he opened his bag. He brought out a lump of bread, a block of cheese, and a length of sausage, which he cut up with a knife from his pocket. He handed her hunks of food, and they both wolfed them down greedily. He smiled approvingly at her gusto. She blushed at his impish expression.
“It’s a good thing Aunt Agatha isn’t here to see me,” she remarked. “She would have a fit.”
“Why? What’s wrong with you?” he knit his brows.
“Just this,” she waved her hand at the scene in which she found herself. “Me, sitting here on the grass, eating this coarse food with my fingers, in the company of a strange man, without the presence of a chaperone.”
“But you said she didn’t care what you did,” he reminded her.
“That’s what she said just before she fell asleep,” she confirmed. “But if she saw me like this, she would probably want to lock me up until we got home. She already thinks I’m dangerous.”
“Well, it could have been worse,” he considered. “You could have been wearing trousers and riding astride. At least you’re properly dressed and riding side-saddle, which is about the most lady-like thing you can do.”
“I wish I could wear trousers and ride astride,” she groaned. “I wish I could ride a horse properly, just once in my life, just to see what it feels like. I don’t like riding side-saddle. It doesn’t feel natural. It feels like I’m about to fall off at any minute.”
He cocked his head on one side. “Why don’t you come out riding with me again tomorrow? You can try it and see if you like it. Then you can go home and know that you’ve at least tried it once. Even if you never do it again, you’ll have the experience.”
“Do you mean it?” she gasped, then she stopped. “But how will we do it? How will we stop anyone from seeing me?”
“That’s easy,” he declared. “I’ll come and collect you from the hotel, just like I did today. We’ll ride out here, just like we did today. Then, when we get out here, you’ll change. I’ll put a regular saddle out here under the trees, along with some extra clothes from the house. When we get here, I’ll put the saddle on Billy and you can change into the trousers. Then we’ll go for a ride around the valley, and then we’ll come back here, change back, and ride back to the hotel. Easy. No one will ever know.”
Devilish mischief peaked her soul. “Okay! Let’s do it!”
He laughed at her. “Your Aunt Agatha is right. You really are dangerous. I knew you’d go for it. You’ve got an appetite for destruction, haven’t
“Are you happy now that Paul is gone?” she ventured.
“No, of course not!” he exclaimed. “I loved my brother. I wouldn’t want him gone for all the money in the world. But it does seem like things have come up trumps since he died. Take you, for example.”
“What about me?” she stiffened.
“I’m just saying that I could never have had anything to do with you if Paul was alive,” he explained. “We wouldn’t be out riding together now if he was here. And I’m glad to be out riding with you.”
She grinned. “I’m glad to be out riding with you, too.”
“Come on,” he kneed his horse. “Let’s ride over to those trees. We can sit in the shade and have something to eat while we talk.”
Josephine dismounted in the shade of a bunch of trees at the crest of the hill. Andrew tied both horses some distance away where they grazed on the plentiful green grass and untied a bag from his saddle. They sat down on the cool turf under the trees and he opened his bag. He brought out a lump of bread, a block of cheese, and a length of sausage, which he cut up with a knife from his pocket. He handed her hunks of food, and they both wolfed them down greedily. He smiled approvingly at her gusto. She blushed at his impish expression.
“It’s a good thing Aunt Agatha isn’t here to see me,” she remarked. “She would have a fit.”
“Why? What’s wrong with you?” he knit his brows.
“Just this,” she waved her hand at the scene in which she found herself. “Me, sitting here on the grass, eating this coarse food with my fingers, in the company of a strange man, without the presence of a chaperone.”
“But you said she didn’t care what you did,” he reminded her.
“That’s what she said just before she fell asleep,” she confirmed. “But if she saw me like this, she would probably want to lock me up until we got home. She already thinks I’m dangerous.”
“Well, it could have been worse,” he considered. “You could have been wearing trousers and riding astride. At least you’re properly dressed and riding side-saddle, which is about the most lady-like thing you can do.”
“I wish I could wear trousers and ride astride,” she groaned. “I wish I could ride a horse properly, just once in my life, just to see what it feels like. I don’t like riding side-saddle. It doesn’t feel natural. It feels like I’m about to fall off at any minute.”
He cocked his head on one side. “Why don’t you come out riding with me again tomorrow? You can try it and see if you like it. Then you can go home and know that you’ve at least tried it once. Even if you never do it again, you’ll have the experience.”
“Do you mean it?” she gasped, then she stopped. “But how will we do it? How will we stop anyone from seeing me?”
“That’s easy,” he declared. “I’ll come and collect you from the hotel, just like I did today. We’ll ride out here, just like we did today. Then, when we get out here, you’ll change. I’ll put a regular saddle out here under the trees, along with some extra clothes from the house. When we get here, I’ll put the saddle on Billy and you can change into the trousers. Then we’ll go for a ride around the valley, and then we’ll come back here, change back, and ride back to the hotel. Easy. No one will ever know.”
Devilish mischief peaked her soul. “Okay! Let’s do it!”
He laughed at her. “Your Aunt Agatha is right. You really are dangerous. I knew you’d go for it. You’ve got an appetite for destruction, haven’t
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