Once Upon a Mail Order Bride - Linda Broday Page 0,84

being wanted and understood, stayed with her long after the ladies left. For the first time, she knew the full scope of what she’d been cheated out of. Like plants needed sun to grow, true friendship required laughter and sharing to nurture one’s soul.

* * *

A week flew by before Ridge knew it. He spent his days helping rebuild the damaged houses and his nights holding Addie close, whispering in her ear, touching her, and making sure she knew how much he loved her. He found it hard to put into words, so he mostly showed her.

Addie had become his truest friend, his forever wife, and he’d fallen totally and utterly in love.

Bodie’s words came back. You know, it’s not so much what you say but how you say it. When you talk to her, your voice gets all gentle and melty like my pa’s used to.

The kid had been right all along. Ridge’s idea that love was something big and noisy had been way off the mark. Instead, it had snuck in quietly while he had his back turned. Each time he thought of how goofy that sounded, he threw back his head and laughed.

Up to now he hadn’t spoken of love. That was about to change. He meant to open his heart at the next opportunity.

He barely recognized Addie from the woman who’d first appeared in town. She had confidence now, had changed in front of his eyes from a caterpillar into a breathtaking butterfly, flitting around and touching people’s lives for the better. He couldn’t wait to get home at the end of the day and see her.

Ridge began packing up his tools at noon. Jack had left midmorning to get ready to take their prisoners to Sam Legend at Lost Point.

“Hey, you quitting?” Tait Trinity asked.

“Yeah. You know I have a business to run in addition to this.”

“Not to mention a pretty new wife at home.” Tait winked. “I know how it is.”

“When’s your baby set to arrive?” Ridge tossed his hammer, plane, and level into his box.

Tait grinned, the corners of his eyes wrinkling. “In the next three or four weeks. Joe and Jesse are coming up with all sorts of crazy names, like Mistletoe, Garland, or Rex. Our little Becky has her heart set on Angel or Belle. Could be a problem for a boy.”

“Aren’t those pretty much—”

“Christmas names? Yep, but try telling that to my bunch.” Tait wagged his head.

Ridge laughed. “Good luck. Might be best to name the child yourself.”

Leaving the worksite, Ridge stopped by the house for Addie, and they soon reined up next to Jack’s wagon. Addie dismounted and went to Nora, who stood with the baby, ready to see her husband off. Two-year-old daughter Willow squatted in the dirt to play.

Ridge hurried to help Jack at the outdoor cell, snapping manacles to Tiny’s and Pickens’s wrists. “Need help?”

“I think I have it, but thanks.” Jack turned his attention back to the prisoners. “March to the wagon and sit down in the bed. Do as I say, and we won’t have a problem.”

“I’ll have a word with Adeline first,” Pickens snarled.

“You’ll go nowhere near my wife.” Ridge fixed him with a hard stare. “I ought to kill you for whipping her.”

Pickens shrugged. “I was only doing what her father paid me to do.”

Jack gave the man a shove. “Get along. You have a lot of damn nerve.”

The stage rumbled through the town’s entrance. The dogs raced toward it, barking and raising a holy ruckus. A woman in a gigantic hat sat perched on top like a queen, looking from side to side and waving both arms and whooping.

“What the hell is that?” Ridge asked. “Are we having a parade and no one told me?”

Jack removed his hat and scratched his head. “Not exactly sure, but the crazy woman’ll fall off if she’s not careful.”

The stage stopped in front of the hotel, and Clay emerged to see the cause of the ruckus.

Before Ridge could swing back to the job at hand, Pickens pulled a sharpened fork from his shirt and stabbed Jack in the neck. He wrenched the fork free, and flowing blood immediately soaked the collar of Jack’s white shirt. He yelled in agony, clutching his throat, blood running through his fingers.

Rooted in shock and disbelief for a moment, Ridge jerked off his shirt and pressed it hard to the wound.

Addie and Nora screamed and tried to run to Jack.

Pickens held the fork out toward them, the tines sharpened to