The Christmas Mail Order Bride (Holiday Mail Order Brides, Book One) by Kit Morgan Read Free Book Online Page B

into the house and face the music like a man.  And then, of course, pray his mother and brother could keep their mouths shut that he’d had no idea Miss James had been sent to be his future bride in the first place.  Seemed the whole town knew it.  By a sheer miracle no one had said a word to the poor woman.  Probably because it was a lot more fun to watch him squirm.  Milly and Doc had kept everyone away for the most part, but then Milly and Doc were also the worst!  Especially Milly who threatened him the day he left with the posse from Northridge that she might accidently spill the beans.  But for a front seat at his wedding, she’d keep her mouth shut!
    Clayton shook his head and smiled at the thought as Spencer drove on. 
     
    They reached the house without incident and Spencer pulled up to the front porch.  Their mother came running out, her face lit with pure delight, and went straight for them. “At last!  Land sakes I thought you’d never get here!”
    Spencer set the brake and hopped down.  “Actually, we made excellent time.  Clayton couldn’t wait to get home, could you Clayton?”
    Clayton unwrapped his arm from around the now trembling woman at his side and glared at his brother.  He then looked to her.  “You okay?  You’re shaking like a leaf.”
    Her teeth began to chatter.  “I … I’m …It’s just…”
    He bent his head to hers, his voice low. “I’m sorry for the misunderstanding, Miss James.  How could you think I would …”
    “Stop dawdling Clayton and let me see my new daughter in law!”  His mother cried from the porch.
    Clayton sighed.  “She ’s not your daughter in law yet, ma.  She’s gotta heal up first.”
    “All th e more reason to get her off that dusty old pile of hay and bring her inside. It’s freezing out here!  Hurry up now!”
    “I’m sorry to be so much trouble, Mr. Riley,” Miss James said in a soft voice.
    “Stop.  I’ll hear none of it.  You thought I was sending you back and did … well, I suppose you did what any woman would do.  I guess if I was a woman I might wail like a coyote too.”  Her eyes flashed at his words and for some reason he was glad he got a burr under her saddle.  It sure beat seeing her all teary eyed and sniffling.
    Before she cou ld comment Spencer had climbed over the seat and into the wagon bed. Clayton scooted away from Miss James and hopped out.  Spencer then carefully picked her up, blankets and all, and handed her down to him.
    “I am sorry for the misunderstanding.  It was my fault, I should have made myself more clear.” He told her again in a low voice as he headed for the porch where his mother waited.
    She said nothing, only stared at him with those big blue eyes of hers, her body spent f rom her earlier bout of sobbing. She was limp in his arms, her head against his shoulder as he went up the porch steps and it was entirely his fault.
    “Oh my word!  What’s happened to the poor girl?  You boys didn’t drive that team too fast did you?  Why , she looks like someone beat her with a stick.”
    Ouch! Their mother always did have a way with words, but did she have to put it that way?
    “Bring her inside, Clayton!  Hurry up now!”  He fol lowed his mother into the warm house, down the hall and into a small office they converted to a bedroom earlier that afternoon.  Mrs. Charles Riley wasn’t about to risk further injury to her future daughter in law by having her stumble down the stairs with an injured foot! 
    “Set her on the bed, Clayton.  That’s it, careful now…”
    “She’s not going to break, ma.” Clayton told her in a tired voice.  Now that he thought on it, he was tired.  The last three days had been long and hard.  Topping it off with a frightened woman who thought him to be one of the lowliest scumbags in the territory didn’t help.  But he’d make it up to her, he just didn’t know how. Maybe Spencer could help, but then, it was Spencer that got him into