Winning The Mail-Order Bride. Lauri Robinson
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Название: Winning The Mail-Order Bride
Автор: Lauri Robinson
Издательство: HarperCollins
Жанр: Вестерны
isbn: 9781474054034
isbn:
“Make it a double order, my dear,” Rollie said. “Brett’s a hearty eater and one of our best customers.”
The new bride nodded and said something to Rollie. Brett didn’t hear what because a shrill laugh had dang near split his eardrums in two. He recognized the laugh came from Abigail and leaned back to look around the corner and into the dining room. There she sat, along with the preacher and the mayor.
The mayor? As Josiah ordered food from one of the young girls who also worked at the eatery, Brett’s spine stiffened even more than it had from Abigail’s laugh. A good bout of disgust heavily laced with anger filled him. As Sadie walked around him, Brett reached out and touched her arm. “Make that order enough for four people to eat,” he said. “Four hungry people.”
She glanced at Rollie, and so did Brett, but didn’t say anything.
“You heard him, dear, enough for four.” While his wife walked away, Rollie added, “The fried chicken smells so good you’re buying enough for tonight too, are you, Brett?”
“Something like that,” Brett answered. “How much do I owe you?”
Rollie told him the amount, and while Brett counted out the payment, anger roiled harder and faster inside him. He had half a mind to go pull Josiah off his chair by his fat neck and tell him that while he was stuffing his face, there was a fine woman and two little boys who hadn’t eaten a decent meal in weeks. Months mayhap considering they’d left Ohio penniless. The boys had inadvertently told him that and he believed it.
He knew for certain Josiah hadn’t taken her any provisions. While visiting Wally, he’d seen Josiah walking toward her house empty-handed. Those six eggs he’d given her weren’t enough to keep them going for long.
“I sure do hope Abigail White doesn’t scare the new preacher off before he gets to know anyone else,” Rollie said. “The sermon he gave was wonderful this morning. Sadie and I discussed it on the walk home. He even held the boys’ attention. They barely squirmed in the pews.”
Close to fuming, Brett didn’t dare do much more than nod.
“I hear tell he’s from California,” Rollie said. “Answered an advertisement the mayor sent out to newspapers in that area. Abigail helped him with those. That’s what she claims. I’m sure we’ll read all about it in the special edition this week.”
Brett nodded again and couldn’t stop himself from saying, “Seems the mayor is hauling quite a few people into town.”
Rollie frowned and then grimaced as he asked, “You aren’t angry at me, are you, Brett? For marrying Sadie? I know you contributed to the Betterment Committee and all, but—”
“No,” Brett said, stopping the man. “I’m not angry at you, Rollie. You needed a wife and you got one fair and square. I hope the two of you are happy.”
“Oh, we are. We are. And I’m glad you feel that way, Brett. You are one of my best customers. I consider you a friend too.”
“I consider you a friend too, Rollie.” Brett let out a sigh, but it didn’t help his anger toward Josiah and how he was treating Fiona. “And like I said, you deserved a wife. Some men in this town don’t.”
Rollie frowned, but it didn’t last long. His wife appeared, carrying a large basket covered with a blue checkered cloth.
“Here you are, Mr. Blackwell,” she said quietly.
“Thank you, Mrs. Austin,” Brett said. “I’ll return your dishes and basket tomorrow.” After a nod toward Rollie, he turned and walked out the door.
As he made his way toward his place, his disgust for Josiah didn’t fade. Fiona deserved better than the likes of Melbourne, and so did Wyatt and Rhett. They needed someone they could count on, all day, every day. That would never be Josiah. Though he might be a fine mayor, he wasn’t much of a man. Not in Brett’s eyes right now anyway.
“Hi, Brett—I mean Mr. Blackwell, what’s in the basket?”
Good thing a train hadn’t been coming. He’d crossed the tracks and rounded his blacksmith shop without glancing left or right once along the way.
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