Once Upon a Mail Order Bride - Linda Broday Page 0,83
felt as though he sat atop a bucking bronc and was losing his grip. Blame it on the dancing light in her eyes and a smile that sent thoughts of soft sheets and bare skin whirling in his head.
Her sassy little grin said she must share similar thoughts. Her voice was husky. “I know things.”
Ridge chuckled and slid an arm around her waist. “Darlin’, I’m sure not about to argue with that.”
Nora strode toward them with a knowing smile. “I have a feeling you need someone to take little Rafe off your hands. The way you’re looking at each other, you’re both about to combust.”
“You’re an angel, Nora.” Anxious to be alone with his wife, Ridge quickly transferred the baby from Addie’s arms to Nora’s, then drew his wife closer. “Let’s go home, Addie.”
Twenty-Three
Life ramped up in Hope’s Crossing over the next few days, as Ely adjusted to his broken leg and Jenny found herself at the center of lots of attention for the first time in her young life. Men were working everywhere Addie looked, collecting stockpiles of materials and hauling them out to the worksites. She’d never heard so much hammering and sawing as rebuilding the two destroyed houses commenced.
As for the women, they carried on with their plans. Addie invited Tally, Melanie, and Nora to her house for tea one day and showed them all the decorations she’d made for the dance.
“These are so pretty.” Melanie fingered the festive bunting, a pensive expression on her face. “I can’t wait until we have everything back to normal.”
“Me too.” Tally held up a streamer. “I miss our dances, but it’s not right to celebrate when the Lassiters and McClains are hurting.”
Addie brought the teapot to the table. “But just think of what a happy celebration we’ll have when those families are back in their homes. With the way the men are burning daylight, I doubt it’ll take too much longer.”
“Jack says everything is going well.” Nora cut slices of pumpkin bread and arranged them on small plates. “I’m thankful the storm didn’t destroy the town.”
Melanie reached for her dessert plate. “It could’ve been a lot worse, for sure.”
The conversation wandered to children for a bit, then some speculation about when the banker would arrive.
Tally leaned close. “Clay said a telegram came from Mr. Wintersby yesterday, and the banker’s decided to stay in San Francisco. He’s sending his daughter to oversee their holdings here instead.”
“A woman banker?” Nora arched an eyebrow. “I didn’t know there were any.”
“Me either.” Addie wondered if the woman would have qualms about opening a bank in an outlaw town. That would take some gumption.
“My sister Ava had hoped to get a job there. It took them too long, though, and she’s already gone. She left a few weeks ago with a rich English gentleman who’s touring the West and doesn’t know when she’ll return.” Melanie lifted a bite of pumpkin bread to her mouth. “She’s excellent with numbers.”
“So are you, dear.” Tally gave her a knowing smile.
“That was a long time ago. I gave up playing cards for money. Now I chase after two ten-year-olds and a five-year-old.” Melanie laughed.
The more Addie learned about these women, the more she realized that having a past didn’t have to define you. Everyone had one, and it was simply something that happened on the way to becoming who you wanted to be.
“And soon to have a baby,” Nora added.
A smile on her face and dimples showing, Melanie rested a hand on her round stomach.
“How does Tait feel, being an uncle and now soon to be a father?” Addie was curious about these outlaw men and how Ridge might react if, down the road, things turned out in their favor and they could start planning.
“I’ve never seen him so happy. You’d think those kids hung the moon and stars.”
“Tait’s going to make a fine father. You have my word on that. He’s like Jack.” Nora closed her mouth around her fork and groaned. “I’ve died and gone to heaven. Did you make this, Addie?”
“I tried to recreate an old recipe of my grandmother’s from memory. I hoped it would turn out.”
“It more than turned out.” Tally reached for Addie’s old notebook and pencil and slapped it down in front of her. “Write it down for me please.”
Happy they found her attempt at making the pumpkin bread more than satisfying, Addie wrote down the recipe, and the ladies left her house, chattering like magpies. The warm feeling of companionship, of