Read Online The Bartender's Mail Order Bride by Cindy Caldwell - Free Book Online
Authors: Cindy Caldwell
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now I know you like your tea black.”
He smiled and nodded. “And I know you take cream and two sugars.”
She turned around, laughing, happy that he had noticed what she liked in her tea. Another spark of encouragement. “Everything will be fine. You’ll see. “
“I suppose I feel bad about your father. To be honest, I’m actually honored that you would consider this, helping me out. My mother means the world to me, and she would be heartbroken if she found out I was a bartender—and unmarried, at that.”
Meg circled around the table and sat back down across from Sam. “I believe she will be fine, Sam. Please, trust me.”
His look of uncertainty could be expected, she knew. Although Sam had been a friend of her brother’s for a while and had spent a fair amount of time at the ranch, he would really have no way of knowing how recently the grief surrounding the loss of Katie Archer, Meg’s mother, had lifted. It was yet another blow for her father, she knew, but she still had faith that she’d done the right thing.
His eyes met hers, and she smiled the most reassuring smile she could muster. This was going to work out, and she wouldn’t allow her father to put a wedge in her new marriage.
Sam rubbed the back of his neck, nodded his head and said, “All right, Meg. If you say so. I’ll trust you on this one.”
She clapped and walked back over to the sink. “Good. I know I’m right. Let me get the dishes cleaned up and then maybe take a look at the house? Hank should be here soon with my things, and I’d like to be able to tell him where to take them.”
“Oh, right. I’ll just go make some final preparations while you do that.”
As Sam left the kitchen, Meg turned back to the sink, going over the day in her mind. It had resulted in the marriage she had wanted, but hadn’t turned out at all how she’d daydreamed it would. She thought of her father as she gazed out the window of her new home and watched the birds play in the birdbath Sam had in his small garden. She wondered what he was doing, and how supper would be tonight at the ranch with all of them around the table, her chair empty, and a hint of sorrow tugged at her heart.
She set the last dish on the counter to dry and shook the thought out of her head. She wiped her hands on her makeshift apron, anticipating the arrival of her own when Hank turned up. No, this was her home now. Best get used to it as fast as she could.
Chapter 12
M eg had just hung the dishtowel she’d used for an apron on the hook by the sink when she heard voices outside on the porch. She peeked out the window and saw one of her family’s buggies, the one Hank used most, and she was surprised at how comforting it was to hear her big brother’s voice. It had been a strange, emotional day, after all, and she walked toward the front door to join them.
“Hank, I had no idea,” she heard Sam say to her brother, and she drew her hand back from the doorknob, not exactly wanting to eavesdrop but not wanting to interrupt, either.
“That was pretty clear from your face when you realized it was Meg.” Hank chuckled and Meg smiled to herself. What must have gone through all of their minds when they realized? She didn’t even want to know. She had enough to worry about in her own head.
“Are you…we…all right that we went through with it?” Sam asked his longtime friend. Meg’s heart swelled with the understanding that Sam had concern for his relationship with Hank, and she thought it admirable.
“Sam, it was completely unexpected, even a shock I will say. But as I’ve had time to think about it, it’s all coming together in my head. I haven’t been listening much to Meg lately, and I guess I should have.”
Meg gasped and her heart leapt into her throat as she listened to Hank’s confession. It sounded a lot like it was going to turn into her confession about her feelings for Sam, which she was in no way ready to reveal. She reached hastily for the knob
He smiled and nodded. “And I know you take cream and two sugars.”
She turned around, laughing, happy that he had noticed what she liked in her tea. Another spark of encouragement. “Everything will be fine. You’ll see. “
“I suppose I feel bad about your father. To be honest, I’m actually honored that you would consider this, helping me out. My mother means the world to me, and she would be heartbroken if she found out I was a bartender—and unmarried, at that.”
Meg circled around the table and sat back down across from Sam. “I believe she will be fine, Sam. Please, trust me.”
His look of uncertainty could be expected, she knew. Although Sam had been a friend of her brother’s for a while and had spent a fair amount of time at the ranch, he would really have no way of knowing how recently the grief surrounding the loss of Katie Archer, Meg’s mother, had lifted. It was yet another blow for her father, she knew, but she still had faith that she’d done the right thing.
His eyes met hers, and she smiled the most reassuring smile she could muster. This was going to work out, and she wouldn’t allow her father to put a wedge in her new marriage.
Sam rubbed the back of his neck, nodded his head and said, “All right, Meg. If you say so. I’ll trust you on this one.”
She clapped and walked back over to the sink. “Good. I know I’m right. Let me get the dishes cleaned up and then maybe take a look at the house? Hank should be here soon with my things, and I’d like to be able to tell him where to take them.”
“Oh, right. I’ll just go make some final preparations while you do that.”
As Sam left the kitchen, Meg turned back to the sink, going over the day in her mind. It had resulted in the marriage she had wanted, but hadn’t turned out at all how she’d daydreamed it would. She thought of her father as she gazed out the window of her new home and watched the birds play in the birdbath Sam had in his small garden. She wondered what he was doing, and how supper would be tonight at the ranch with all of them around the table, her chair empty, and a hint of sorrow tugged at her heart.
She set the last dish on the counter to dry and shook the thought out of her head. She wiped her hands on her makeshift apron, anticipating the arrival of her own when Hank turned up. No, this was her home now. Best get used to it as fast as she could.
Chapter 12
M eg had just hung the dishtowel she’d used for an apron on the hook by the sink when she heard voices outside on the porch. She peeked out the window and saw one of her family’s buggies, the one Hank used most, and she was surprised at how comforting it was to hear her big brother’s voice. It had been a strange, emotional day, after all, and she walked toward the front door to join them.
“Hank, I had no idea,” she heard Sam say to her brother, and she drew her hand back from the doorknob, not exactly wanting to eavesdrop but not wanting to interrupt, either.
“That was pretty clear from your face when you realized it was Meg.” Hank chuckled and Meg smiled to herself. What must have gone through all of their minds when they realized? She didn’t even want to know. She had enough to worry about in her own head.
“Are you…we…all right that we went through with it?” Sam asked his longtime friend. Meg’s heart swelled with the understanding that Sam had concern for his relationship with Hank, and she thought it admirable.
“Sam, it was completely unexpected, even a shock I will say. But as I’ve had time to think about it, it’s all coming together in my head. I haven’t been listening much to Meg lately, and I guess I should have.”
Meg gasped and her heart leapt into her throat as she listened to Hank’s confession. It sounded a lot like it was going to turn into her confession about her feelings for Sam, which she was in no way ready to reveal. She reached hastily for the knob
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