Read Online Wife Wanted in Dry Creek by Janet Tronstad - Free Book Online Page A

it’ll do you good to go to church, too. We’ll meet at the sign. There’ll be nothing to it.”
    “Well, I don’t know—”
    “I’ll fix that knocking sound in your pickup for free,” Conrad said. “That old Ford truck is going to fall apart if you don’t do something pretty soon.”
    “Well, if you put it that way,” the ranch hand said and then grinned. “I’ll be there ready to do some kissing.”
    “Gazing,” Tracy interrupted. “She’s only asking for the gazing in the eyes thing.”
    “I never do anything halfway,” Pete said and winked at Katrina’s nephews. “There’s a lesson in that for you boys.”
    “Zach’s only three,” Katrina protested.
    But the ranch hand was already putting his Stetson on his head and walking to the door.
    Conrad turned to Tracy. “I’ll see that there’s no kissing.”
    Tracy smiled back at him a little sadly. All the spark had gone out of her face. “It doesn’t matter. He’s kissed hundreds of women anyway. What’s one more?”
    “Well, the woman we get may not want to kiss him anyway,” Katrina said with some satisfaction. Then she stopped. “I forgot. I might not be here tomorrow. The sheriff will talk to Leanne and I’ll leave.”
    “I wouldn’t worry about that,” Conrad said.
    “But—”
    “We’ll talk about it on the way to the sign,” Conrad said as he started to usher the boys out of the café. He didn’t think it would help anyone to say that the sheriff wouldn’t let her leave town unless he knew how she came to be in that old car.
    They were almost to the door when Katrina whispered, “But what will we do if the sheriff doesn’t let me go? What if Leanne and Walker don’t answer their phone at all today? Maybe they’re off on some romantic adventure.”
    “I don’t think your sister and her husband would leave without telling you. Not when you have the boys,” Conrad said, keeping his voice low. He looked down at Katrina’s nephews. They were standing very still in that way children did when they were nervous.
    As careful as he was, Conrad figured some of hiswords had escaped because he saw his aunt Edith walking toward them. She’d been Mrs. Hargrove until she married his uncle a year or so ago. No one had been able to get used to calling her Mrs. Nelson so she became Edith to everyone and Aunt Edith to him.
    No matter her name, she was the heart of Dry Creek.
    Right now, she was wearing an apron over one of her gingham print housedresses and had her hair pinned back in a careless bun. She had white orthopedic shoes on her feet and an old gray coat hanging from her shoulders. She looked like she was in a hurry to go somewhere. But, if there was a child in need anywhere in Dry Creek, she would be there even if she had to interrupt her baking to do so.
    She smelled like spices when she got closer.
    She smiled gently as she put her hands on the boys’ shoulders and then bent down until she was at eye level with them. “You boys are welcome to stay at our house for a while. I’m going to be baking gingerbread cookies today. I’ve already got the dough stirred up and you can help me use the cookie cutters to make the men.”
    “Will they have eyes?” Ryan asked eagerly. “We like the eyes.”
    Aunt Edith looked up at Katrina. “You’re welcome to come, too, dear. You won’t want to spend your day just waiting over at Conrad’s. Who knows how long it will take him to fix that muffler?”
    “Oh—I—” Katrina stammered and then she looked at Conrad.
    “Katrina might be busy. But the boys will need a place to take a nap later,” he said.
    “Only Zach takes a nap,” Ryan protested. “I’m six.”
    “That’s right. You’re a big boy,” Edith said as she straightened up and put her hands behind her back to ease some pain. She clearly didn’t bend as easily as she used to.
    “I appreciate you doing this, Mrs.—” Katrina started and then stopped.
    “This is my aunt.” Conrad started the introductions.