Leora: Bride of California (American Mail-Order Bride 31) by Kit Morgan Read Free Book Online

making her breakfast on their first full day as husband and wife. Leora smiled in contentment and continued to eat.

Five
     
    Theron’s “filing cabinet” was in reality a stack of boxes, no two of them the same size, stuffed with papers, documents and other office paraphernalia that he’d shoved into a corner of his office.
    Leora stared at it in horror. How did she miss seeing this yesterday? Probably because she was too busy getting married.
    “I told you it wasn’t pretty,” Theron said as he took his chair behind the desk. “I’m not much for paperwork. In fact, I loathe it. I’d rather be out helping people.”
    “Yes,” she said as she turned, one eyebrow raised. “I can see that.”
    “This is several years’ accumulation, mind you. Goes back before I came here.”
    “How long have you been here?”
    “Not quite two years.”
    “Oh. For some reason I thought you’d been here longer than that.”
    “No, I spent some years in San Francisco. Before that, Oregon.”
    “I see.”
    “It was easier to transport my files this way. I’ve been so busy since I took up this post, I haven’t had much time – or inclination – to organize them.”
    Leora glanced around. She didn’t see an actual filing cabinet anywhere. “Oh dear, I see what you mean.” But she smiled. He looked handsome sitting behind his desk, and she noticed it, at least, was organized. “I’ll get started right away, but it won’t do much good if there isn’t a place to put it all. Which means …”
    “… I need to get a real filing cabinet. Yes, I know. I do believe I can procure one from the catalogue.”
    “Catalogue?” she said. “I thought maybe the mercantile could order one.”
    He reached down, opened a drawer and hefted out a huge book. “Why, when I can order one myself?”
    “What is that?” she asked as she approached the desk.
    He turned it around and shoved it across the desk. “The Sears-Roebuck catalogue, of course.”
    “It’s huge! I’ve never heard of it before.”
    “They started out with jewelry and watches mostly, but now the company has all sorts of things you can order, with more and more being added every year.”
    She leafed through the tome. “Look at all these wonderful things!”
    “For now, look at the page I’ve marked.”
    She noticed a strip of paper peeking from between the pages and turned to it. “Oh yes, filing …”
    “We can order one ourselves cheaper than we can through the mercantile,” he said.
    She nodded as she flipped back through the pages. “What a wonder.”
    “Yes – and in a few years, who knows how big that catalogue will be.”
    “You could use it for a doorstop.”
    He laughed. “I’d trip over it. Or worse yet, you would. I can’t have my wife limping around.”
    “No, I suppose that won’t do.”
    “Never,” he said as he stood, reached across the desk and cupped her face with his hand. “I couldn’t stand the thought of anything happening to you.”
    Leora reached up and put a hand over his. “You hardly know me. Maybe my organization skills will drive you mad.”
    He smiled. “No, I don’t think so. Not even if yours are as bad as mine.”
    She glanced at the stack in the corner. “No, this is one area where I know I have you beaten.”
    “Most anyone would,” he said with a chuckle, then leaned across the desk to kiss her.
    “Ahem!”
    They froze, their lips still locked, before Theron pulled away and turned to the newcomer. “Don’t you ever knock?”
    “Don’t you ever write?” said a woman standing in the doorway between the church office and the sanctuary. “The least you could’ve done was send us a telegram.”
    Theron rolled his eyes. “I did, as you’ll recall.”
    “Yes, which is why we’re here.” She looked at Leora and smiled. “I take it we missed the wedding?”
    Theron glanced between the two women. “I’m afraid so.” He turned back to Leora. “May I introduce you to my …” He swallowed hard.