Twice Promised (The Blue Willow Brides Book #2): A Novel by Maggie Brendan Read Free Book Online

women and made no bones about it.
    “Cole.” Silas offered him a handshake. “We were just inviting Jess and Zach for supper Friday, as well as Greta and Cora, two mail-order brides who just arrived yesterday. You may as well come too, unless you’ve got plans.”
    Cole’s eyes darted over to Greta and Cora. “Mail-order brides . . . Well, Jess, I didn’t know you entertained the idea of marriage!”
    Jess groaned inwardly. “I’m not sure that I do, Cole. Meet Greta Olsen and Cora Johnson.” He couldn’t help but notice how both ladies stood straighter when Cole’s eyes swept over them. His good looks had turned many a head in Central City. It shouldn’t matter to him that Cole had their full attention, but it did.
    “How do you do?” Cole took their hands in turn and bowed slightly. “Seems Jess is full of surprises.”
    Cora flushed, and Greta gave Cole a broad smile. Had she smiled at Jess like that? He didn’t think so.
    “Maybe the surprise was more from Zach,” Cora murmured. There was an awkward moment of silence as she gave Cole a friendly gaze.
    “We’d better go find the boys and head on back home. Like I said, you’re welcome to come too, Cole,” Silas said. He placed his hand on Annabelle’s elbow and propelled her to the door.
    “I’ll consider it,” Cole said, hooking his thumbs in his jean pockets.
    Annabelle waved a quick goodbye, and they hurried out the door in search of their boys. A blast of cold air rushed in as the door refused to close.
    “I’ve been meaning to work on that door frame,” Jess said as he lifted the doorknob and shoved it hard so the latch plate caught.
    Cole chuckled. “Jess, that door’s been like that for two years now.”
    Jess shot him a daggerlike look, annoyed with his friend.
    “I’ll be happy to put that on your list of things to do, Jess,” Greta said, reaching for a pencil.
    “List? What list? I never make a list,” Jess said. “I have it all tucked away up here.” He tapped his finger against his forehead.
    Greta’s laughter rang out. “Well, now others will be able to see, uh, up there,” she teased. “You’ll have a list.”
    Cole placed his hand on his hip. “Miss Greta, if you get tired of wrangling with Jess or Zach, I’d be mighty happy to take you out to dinner at one of our fine restaurants. And of course you too, Miss Cora.”
    Cora looked from Greta to Jess without responding, but Jess thought her unhappy look said it all.
    Jess humphed, giving Cole’s shoulder a friendly poke. “You can’t begin to handle one woman, much less two, my friend!” What in tarnation was Cole trying to do? Sweep them off their feet?
    “Thank you for your invitation, Cole, and it was a pleasure to meet you, but we’ve barely gotten settled. Now if you will excuse us.” Greta turned to Cora and said, “Come on, Cora, let’s go find Zach so he can give us whatever instructions he thinks we’ll need. I’ll wager it won’t be too much from the looks of things around here.”
    “I’m right behind you,” Cora said as she slipped an apron over her head and tied the strings.
    “I don’t give up easily,” Cole bellowed as they walked away.

6
    Jess decided he needed some time alone. He left Zach in charge of the store, saddled his horse, Stomper, and rode off toward Black Hawk. He told Zach that he needed to check on Granny since it had been a week since either of them had dropped by. The death of his parents from influenza last year, shortly after his younger brother’s death, had taken a toll on his grandmother. She seemed to age overnight far beyond her seventy years. But even though she’d slowed down, she wanted to live right where she was. Not too far from her grandsons, where she could keep an eye on them, and the graves of her son, daughter-in-law, and grandson.
    Then again, it was hard to know where Black Hawk ended and Central City began these days, with the huge influx of miners and gold seekers who passed through on