His Forever Valentine by Kit Morgan Read Free Book Online

her in New Orleans?  She’d have a much better chance for a good life, here in Nowhere.  The question was, with whom? 
    “And the man who took you?” he asked, his anger rising once again. Maybe getting the chance to punch the man in the nose a hundred times would make him feel better about the ordeal.
    She looked at him and took a deep breath. “He’s dead.”
    Matthew’s eyes widened.
    “Deputy Turner shot him.”
    Matthew let loose a long, low, whistle. “I have been away too long.”
    “Yes,” she agreed, and looked him directly in the eye. “You have.”
     
    * * *

    “I can hardly believe it!” Rose exclaimed and sat on the bed.  They wer e in Summer’s bedroom, looking at the Riley women’s wedding dresses, as Elle told her the story of when she left New Orleans. “You shot him?”
    “Well, yes and no,” Elle explained. “Jethro was trying to do it, I … assisted.”
    Rose looked to Summer who mouthed, she shot him, before picking up her dress to put it away.
    “Mrs. Ridgley never told me how Jethro got hurt, and I didn’t get the chance to ask.  When I met him his arm was in a sling. He took me to the train station, but followed me at a distance instead of walking me there.”
    “Really?” Summer asked. “And you weren’t accosted by any of Mr. Slade’s men?”
    “Mr. Slade?” Rose asked. “Who is he? Is he the reason Mrs. Ridgley had me …”
    Summer opened a trunk. “You don’t want to know.  Nor need to , now that you’re here. Tell us about Matthew Quinn!  We’ve not met him yet.”
    “Wait a minute,” Elle chimed in. “What did Mrs. Ridgley have you do?”
    Rose could feel herself blush. “She had me pretend I was with child.”
    “What?” Elle laughed.
    Rose nodded. “I stuffed my petticoats under my dress.”
    “Oh my,” Summer added, her face almost as red as Rose’s.
    “You want to hear about Matthew Quinn ?” Rose sputtered. She really didn’t want to elaborate on the whole, “pregnant with petticoats” story. “After I tell you, I want to hear more about your wild adventures!”
    “Wild , yes, adventures … I guess we can call them that, now.” Elle told her. “But at the time, they were frightening.”
    “Oh,” Rose said as she took in their faces. “I’m sorry. For someone like me, it all sounds so exciting and romantic, but … for you …”
    “Not so much,” Summer finished for her. “Now, about Matthew?”
    Rose picked at the lace on Elle’s wedding dress as she admired it. “He’s … okay.”
    “Okay?” Elle said and sat n ext to her. “Is that it? That’s all you have to say about the man you’re going to marry?”
    Rose shrugged. “I don’t know anything about him.”
    “Yet,” Summer added as she put her dress into the trunk.
    “I suppose I’ll find out more this afternoon, when Mr. Riley takes me into town.”
    “Call him Clayton,” Summer corrected. “Elle and I are going to town too.  We both need a few things for the dresses we’re making for the dance.”
    “What dance?” Rose asked.
    “The Valentine’s dance.  It’s something they hold every year.” Elle explained. “We’ve been working on our dresses for almost a week.”
    “Dresses, I’m not sure I want to talk any more about dresses.” Rose commented.
    “Didn’t you like ours?” Summer asked.
    “Oh, don’t get me wrong,” Rose told her. “Your wedding dresses are beautiful! It’s just that, Mrs. Riley and Mrs. Quinn …”
    “Say no more,” Elle told her as she held up a hand. “I know just what they did … they took over, and started planning everything having to do with your wedding for you?”
    “Yes!” Rose said breathless. “I thought they’d never stop!”
    Summer laughed, before she lowered her voice. “We love our mother in-law, but when it comes to weddings, she wants to be able to plan them all!”
    “Oh, mine was exhausting!” Elle added.
    “Mine may never happen,” said Rose.
    “What?” asked Summer.