Read Online Mail Order Josephine - A Historical Mail Order Bride Novel (Western Mail Order Brides) by Kate Whitsby - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Kate Whitsby
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you?”
“No,” she argued, “not destruction. Just…I don’t know…something different. I have an insatiable appetite for something different. And like you say, it’s only one time. No one will ever know, and I can go back to my old life knowing that I at least tried it.”
“And I think,” he stood up and brushed the dried grass from the cuffs of his pants, “I think I won’t bother with this get-up, either.” He sneered down at his own fine clothes. “If you’re going to wear trousers, then I’ll wear my own comfortable clothes, too. It’s only fair.”
“Oh,” she snickered. “Don’t you like this get-up?”
“No,” he growled. “I can’t stand it. I feel like a circus clown.”
“But you look so elegant!” she needled him. “I think you should wear it every day.”
“No, thank you,” he snapped. “ Beside, if I did, these clothes would soon be ruined. I couldn’t wear them to work for more than an hour before they’d be ripped to shreds by thorns and barbed wire.”
“Don’t tell me you trotted out that outfit just for my benefit,” she taunted.
“Of course, I did!” he assured her. “You don’t think I’d get it out just to cut an appearance in town, do you? Don’t you remember what I looked like at the forge? That’s the outfit I usually wear when I make a trip to town. Why do you think I tied up the horses behind the hotel, instead of in front of it? I wouldn’t want anyone I know to see me dressed like this. I sure wouldn’t want Johnny the blacksmith or any of his boys to see me like this. They would never let me forget it as long as I lived.”
“But weren’t you worried they would see you behind the hotel?” she pointed out.
“No, I made sure they wouldn’t,” he responded. “I made sure I stayed between the hotel and the barn, out of sight of the forge.”
“You really didn’t want anyone to see you like this?” she marveled. “But what about me? Weren’t you concerned about what I would think, seeing you dressed like this? Weren’t you worried I would tease you about it?”
“No,” he answered. “I knew you wouldn’t. Besides, I wouldn’t feel right asking you to ride out with me if I was dressed any other way. You’re a lady, and if I was to ask you to go riding with me, I had to look as much like a gentleman as possible. It just wouldn’t work any other way. It wouldn’t work for a range rat like me, in my chaps and gun belt, to ask a lady out. No, sir, that would never do.”
“Oh, will you please stop calling me a lady!” she cried. “I can’t stand it!”
He guffawed loudly. “If I see you wearing trousers and riding a horse, I just might have to stop. After all, what sort of lady would you be if you dressed in men’s clothing and rode astride? None at all!”
Josephine hesitated. “Maybe this isn’t such a good idea after all. If anyone found out about it, I could get in trouble with the law. If Aunt Agatha found out about it, she’d never forgive me.”
“Well, then,” Andrew declared, untying their horses and depositing Billy’s reins in Josephine’s hands, “we’ll just have to make sure no one finds out about it.”
“How will we do that?” she questioned. “Okay, so we’ll be out here away from everyone, but what if your brother or Ben Hancock sees me? Word could get out.”
He scrutinized her, thinking it over. Then he brightened up. “I know! I’ll bring you a hat and you can tuck your hair underneath it. If either Tim or Ben sees you from a distance, they’ll think you’re a man. I’ll tell them I was out riding with a man. I’ll come up with a fictitious name for you, just in case anyone asks. I don’t think Tim or Ben will make too much of a fuss about it.”
“I hope not,” she mused.
“Besides, it’s not as out of the question as you might think. There’s a woman who owns a ranch over in the next valley,” he related. “Her husband died about three years after they bought the
“No,” she argued, “not destruction. Just…I don’t know…something different. I have an insatiable appetite for something different. And like you say, it’s only one time. No one will ever know, and I can go back to my old life knowing that I at least tried it.”
“And I think,” he stood up and brushed the dried grass from the cuffs of his pants, “I think I won’t bother with this get-up, either.” He sneered down at his own fine clothes. “If you’re going to wear trousers, then I’ll wear my own comfortable clothes, too. It’s only fair.”
“Oh,” she snickered. “Don’t you like this get-up?”
“No,” he growled. “I can’t stand it. I feel like a circus clown.”
“But you look so elegant!” she needled him. “I think you should wear it every day.”
“No, thank you,” he snapped. “ Beside, if I did, these clothes would soon be ruined. I couldn’t wear them to work for more than an hour before they’d be ripped to shreds by thorns and barbed wire.”
“Don’t tell me you trotted out that outfit just for my benefit,” she taunted.
“Of course, I did!” he assured her. “You don’t think I’d get it out just to cut an appearance in town, do you? Don’t you remember what I looked like at the forge? That’s the outfit I usually wear when I make a trip to town. Why do you think I tied up the horses behind the hotel, instead of in front of it? I wouldn’t want anyone I know to see me dressed like this. I sure wouldn’t want Johnny the blacksmith or any of his boys to see me like this. They would never let me forget it as long as I lived.”
“But weren’t you worried they would see you behind the hotel?” she pointed out.
“No, I made sure they wouldn’t,” he responded. “I made sure I stayed between the hotel and the barn, out of sight of the forge.”
“You really didn’t want anyone to see you like this?” she marveled. “But what about me? Weren’t you concerned about what I would think, seeing you dressed like this? Weren’t you worried I would tease you about it?”
“No,” he answered. “I knew you wouldn’t. Besides, I wouldn’t feel right asking you to ride out with me if I was dressed any other way. You’re a lady, and if I was to ask you to go riding with me, I had to look as much like a gentleman as possible. It just wouldn’t work any other way. It wouldn’t work for a range rat like me, in my chaps and gun belt, to ask a lady out. No, sir, that would never do.”
“Oh, will you please stop calling me a lady!” she cried. “I can’t stand it!”
He guffawed loudly. “If I see you wearing trousers and riding a horse, I just might have to stop. After all, what sort of lady would you be if you dressed in men’s clothing and rode astride? None at all!”
Josephine hesitated. “Maybe this isn’t such a good idea after all. If anyone found out about it, I could get in trouble with the law. If Aunt Agatha found out about it, she’d never forgive me.”
“Well, then,” Andrew declared, untying their horses and depositing Billy’s reins in Josephine’s hands, “we’ll just have to make sure no one finds out about it.”
“How will we do that?” she questioned. “Okay, so we’ll be out here away from everyone, but what if your brother or Ben Hancock sees me? Word could get out.”
He scrutinized her, thinking it over. Then he brightened up. “I know! I’ll bring you a hat and you can tuck your hair underneath it. If either Tim or Ben sees you from a distance, they’ll think you’re a man. I’ll tell them I was out riding with a man. I’ll come up with a fictitious name for you, just in case anyone asks. I don’t think Tim or Ben will make too much of a fuss about it.”
“I hope not,” she mused.
“Besides, it’s not as out of the question as you might think. There’s a woman who owns a ranch over in the next valley,” he related. “Her husband died about three years after they bought the
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