Mail Order Bride: Westward Winds, - [best free ebook reader for android .txt] 📗
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“My head is not fat. As for big, I can’t help that. I didn’t make my head,” Seth said.
Marcus laughed at that. “Oh, Lord. I don’t think we should watch anymore of this,” he said.
“You’re right,” Seth said. “Damn. I don’t think I ever saw him kiss Sarah that way right out in the open.”
“Huh. Me either, come to think of it. Okay, c’mon. We shouldn’t spy like this,” Marcus said.
“Yeah, I know,” Seth said and drew away from the window.
Marcus followed him and said, “I don’t wanna go out there and interrupt them. I wonder how long they’re gonna be.”
Seth chuckled. “I don’t think they’re timin’ it. Wanna play cards?”
“Instead of working?” Marcus asked with a smile. “You bet. Get out the deck.”
Marcus sat down at the small table in the bunkhouse and waited for Seth to deal.
At some point, reason prevailed and they ended the kiss by mutual agreement. Their breathing was ragged and passion was reflected in both of their faces. Tessa put a hand to her chest and laughed.
“Well, I, um, I don’t really…” she stammered.
“Uh huh. My thoughts exactly,” Dean said and retrieved his hat from the ground.
Tessa blew out a breath and said, “I need something cool to drink.”
“I think that’s a fine idea,” Dean said.
They walked toward the house and Dean looked around for his brothers. It was funny that they’d disappeared like that. He frowned and told Tessa to go on to the house. He jogged over to Seth’s bunkhouse and opened the door. It was empty. He shrugged and closed the door again, reasoning that they must be out in the barn doing something. Smiling, he ran across to the house again.
Seth and Marcus stood along the wall behind the door and waited a few minutes to make sure Dean had gone.
“That was close,” Seth said.
“Yeah. How are we gonna get out of here without him seeing us now?” Marcus asked.
Seth arched an eyebrow at his little brother. “Why do we gotta go anywhere? I was winning.”
“Hmm. You’re right. He won’t check here again, right?” Marcus wondered.
“Why are we hidin’ from him in the first place?” Seth asked.
Marcus chuckled. “Because he’s a tyrant and he’s scary.”
“We’re grown men. Why is he so scary?”
“I don’t know. He just is. Sorta like Pa,” Marcus explained.
“You’re smarter than you look, little brother. That’s what it is. He sounds just like him,” Seth said. “I kept tryin’ to figure it out. You know, why he, uh, what’s the word…?”
“Intimidates you?” Marcus supplied.
“Yeah, we’ll go with that. Well, he’s not Pa and I’m not gonna let him do it anymore,” Seth said defiantly.
“Right,” Marcus said.
“So let’s play cards,” Seth said and sat back down.
“Deal,” Marcus said.
Dean hadn’t felt this way in so long and he began having hope that he could finally get past his grief and perhaps build a new life with this amazing woman. He didn’t tell Marcus so, but he was grateful to his little brother for going ahead and placing that advertisement. If he hadn’t, Tessa would have never come here and Dean wouldn’t have a second chance at happiness.
One night, Dean paced the floor in his room after they’d gone to bed. He knew it was time for him to make up his mind about Tessa. It seemed that they were compatible on many levels and he could certainly do worse for a wife. That they shared a passionate connection was evident and Dean had to keep a tight rein on his physical reaction to Tessa. He wasn’t the type of man who believed in casual liaisons and he didn’t plan on having one with Tessa. She deserved better than that.
Dean knew it wasn’t fair to Tessa to be kept in limbo and it wasn’t fair to himself or his children, either. They were very attached to Tessa now and he didn’t want them to be hurt if things didn’t work out between them and she left.
The next day, he made the trek to Wolfe Point, telling Tessa and the children that he had to go work on the farthest part of their land. He didn’t get back until almost sundown. Tessa had waited supper on him and he walked in to find that she’d made a meatloaf with potatoes and green beans. It was good and he remarked about how her cooking was improving, which delighted her.
One day, a short time after this, he rode over to Lydia and Charles’ house. Their kids came out and surrounded him. They loved Dean and were always full of questions for him. This day, they wanted to know where Tessa was. She always played with them.
He greeted them and explained that Tessa was working at home. Then Dean headed out to the barn where he knew he’d find Charlie. Charlie was a big, gruff man with iron gray hair and a mustache. He was a few years older than Lydia. He looked up as Dean came in the barn and could tell the younger man was thinking about something.
“What’s on your mind, son?” he asked as he cleaned a bridle.
Dean sat down next to him and pulled out a ring box from his pants pocket. He opened it and showed it to Charlie. Charlie whistled.
“Nice ring. It’s unexpected. I didn’t know you felt that way about me,” Charlie quipped.
Dean laughed. “Shut up, you old fart.”
Charlie chuckled. “So, you’re gonna ask her to marry you? I think it’s a good move. She’s a good woman and it doesn’t hurt that she’s easy on the eyes. The kids like her a lot, too.”
“I know. She’s funny and smart and, yeah, beautiful, and I’d be crazy to let her get away, right?” Dean said. “You know, I’m confident about everything else. The ranch, my kids, breaking horses, breeding cattle, and growing crops, but when it comes to a new woman in our lives, I get all twisted up inside.”
Charlie laughed. “I’m not surprised. It can be a hard thing. I think your head and heart are in the right place, though.”
“I’m gonna ask her tonight. I can’t put it off any longer or I’ll lose the nerve,” Dean said.
Charlie nodded. “Yep. Good thinkin’. Proposing is nerve wracking, all right. Best to do it and get it over with.”
Dean said, “Yeah. Wish me luck. The next time you see me, I hope to be an engaged man.”
Dean and Tessa lay out on a blanket in one of the pastures. Marcus stayed with the kids to make sure they weren’t disturbed. The kids didn’t mind this in the least since they loved spending time with their funny uncle. Dean rolled over and looked down at Tessa. The moonlight created a soft glow on her face. He loved the way she smiled at him.
“Tessa, you are a wonderful woman and we are so lucky you’re here. Since you arrived, you’ve made things better for us all, but especially for me. After Sarah died, I never wanted to get involved with another woman. I never wanted to open myself up to that kind of pain again. You’ve changed my mind about that and made me think that I could be happy again. I don’t want to let you slip through my fingers. Theresa Marie O’Connor, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
Tessa’s heart filled with joy and tears welled
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