Read Online No One's Bride (Escape to the West Book 1) by Nerys Leigh - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Nerys Leigh
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frowning. This gossip thing might turn out to be more trouble than she thought. “If by living together you mean in the same house, yes. If you mean in the same bed, no .”
He held up both hands in a gesture of surrender. “Hey, I didn’t mean to suggest anything. It’s just what Mrs Vernon said. So you and he aren’t...?”
He left it hanging, but they both knew what he meant.
“Absolutely not,” she said, a little more forcefully than she’d intended.
He nodded slowly. “Oh. Well, in that case, would you care to have dinner with me sometime?”
She raised her eyebrows. “You work fast.”
“Not many women out here that aren’t taken,” he said, shrugging, “and certainly none as pretty as you. You’ve got to get ahead of the game.”
Amy couldn’t help laughing. “You’re sweet, Zach, but I have to say no. I’m only staying in Green Hill Creek until I can make enough money to pay Adam back. Then I’ll be leaving for San Francisco.”
He sighed, placing a hand over his heart. “Can’t blame a man for trying.”
“Why don’t you try one of the agencies that matches women back east with men out here? It works for a lot of people. Handsome man like you, I’m sure you’d get lots of interest.”
He leaned one elbow on the desk and looked across the lobby to the door, running a hand through his red hair. “I would, but the pay here barely keeps me fed. If it weren’t for working part time for my pa, I’d be homeless too. I’d have no chance of paying for a girl’s train fare all the way from the east coast.”
Amy patted his hand in sympathy. “My mama always used to say that with God all things are possible. You never know what’s around the next corner.”
He smiled sadly. “I think God’s got more important things to be concerned about than getting me a girl.”
“God is big enough and loving enough to do everything. Besides, it’s important to you. Just keep praying.”
“You think so?”
“He got me here,” she said, stepping back from the desk. “I’d better get looking for that job. It was nice to meet you, Zach.”
“Likewise,” he said. “Good luck. If you change your mind about that dinner, you know where to find me.”
Laughing, she walked back to the door and out into the morning sunshine. Even though her first try hadn’t worked, her conversation with Zach had lifted her spirits. Feeling a little more optimistic, she headed for the store on the other side of the road.
The Green Hill Creek General Store, proprietor G. L. Lamb, was a wooden single storey building fronted by a covered porch crammed with heaps of boxes and barrels. Two wide, grubby windows flanked an open door. Movement caught Amy’s eye as she approached and she watched a large brown rat scurry beneath the raised porch. Maybe she could get a job cleaning the place.
Inside, the building was bigger than it looked, deeper than it’s width at the front suggested. The walls were lined with shelves and merchandise was stacked every which way on the floor. Thanks to the ineffectual windows, which were the only source of light, it was gloomy. Even in the poorer parts of New York it would have struggled to attract customers, but Amy supposed presentation wasn’t a priority when you were the only general store for miles around.
Two women were inspecting brightly coloured bolts of fabric stacked on a table to Amy’s right as she entered and they watched her wend her way through the store. As soon as her back was turned, one of them whispered to the other and they both giggled. Amy did her best to ignore them as she walked up to a plump middle aged man with a balding head standing behind a counter which doubled as a half wood, half glass display case.
“Mornin’, Miss,” he said, a cheerful smile making his red cheeks bulge. “How can I help you?”
Amy glanced back at the women. They were making a show of studying the fabric, but it was obvious they were listening. She stifled a sigh and
He held up both hands in a gesture of surrender. “Hey, I didn’t mean to suggest anything. It’s just what Mrs Vernon said. So you and he aren’t...?”
He left it hanging, but they both knew what he meant.
“Absolutely not,” she said, a little more forcefully than she’d intended.
He nodded slowly. “Oh. Well, in that case, would you care to have dinner with me sometime?”
She raised her eyebrows. “You work fast.”
“Not many women out here that aren’t taken,” he said, shrugging, “and certainly none as pretty as you. You’ve got to get ahead of the game.”
Amy couldn’t help laughing. “You’re sweet, Zach, but I have to say no. I’m only staying in Green Hill Creek until I can make enough money to pay Adam back. Then I’ll be leaving for San Francisco.”
He sighed, placing a hand over his heart. “Can’t blame a man for trying.”
“Why don’t you try one of the agencies that matches women back east with men out here? It works for a lot of people. Handsome man like you, I’m sure you’d get lots of interest.”
He leaned one elbow on the desk and looked across the lobby to the door, running a hand through his red hair. “I would, but the pay here barely keeps me fed. If it weren’t for working part time for my pa, I’d be homeless too. I’d have no chance of paying for a girl’s train fare all the way from the east coast.”
Amy patted his hand in sympathy. “My mama always used to say that with God all things are possible. You never know what’s around the next corner.”
He smiled sadly. “I think God’s got more important things to be concerned about than getting me a girl.”
“God is big enough and loving enough to do everything. Besides, it’s important to you. Just keep praying.”
“You think so?”
“He got me here,” she said, stepping back from the desk. “I’d better get looking for that job. It was nice to meet you, Zach.”
“Likewise,” he said. “Good luck. If you change your mind about that dinner, you know where to find me.”
Laughing, she walked back to the door and out into the morning sunshine. Even though her first try hadn’t worked, her conversation with Zach had lifted her spirits. Feeling a little more optimistic, she headed for the store on the other side of the road.
The Green Hill Creek General Store, proprietor G. L. Lamb, was a wooden single storey building fronted by a covered porch crammed with heaps of boxes and barrels. Two wide, grubby windows flanked an open door. Movement caught Amy’s eye as she approached and she watched a large brown rat scurry beneath the raised porch. Maybe she could get a job cleaning the place.
Inside, the building was bigger than it looked, deeper than it’s width at the front suggested. The walls were lined with shelves and merchandise was stacked every which way on the floor. Thanks to the ineffectual windows, which were the only source of light, it was gloomy. Even in the poorer parts of New York it would have struggled to attract customers, but Amy supposed presentation wasn’t a priority when you were the only general store for miles around.
Two women were inspecting brightly coloured bolts of fabric stacked on a table to Amy’s right as she entered and they watched her wend her way through the store. As soon as her back was turned, one of them whispered to the other and they both giggled. Amy did her best to ignore them as she walked up to a plump middle aged man with a balding head standing behind a counter which doubled as a half wood, half glass display case.
“Mornin’, Miss,” he said, a cheerful smile making his red cheeks bulge. “How can I help you?”
Amy glanced back at the women. They were making a show of studying the fabric, but it was obvious they were listening. She stifled a sigh and
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