RICKY: A Sweet Western Historical Romance (Mail-Order Brides Club Book 5) (4 page)

S
arah slept
like the dead and woke up feeling like a new woman. The sun was streaming through the windows and she stretched lazily before easing herself out of bed. She hadn’t overslept. She could tell by the light outside that it was still very early. She’d always been an early riser and enjoyed the peace and quiet of the morning before the day got underway.

The house was quiet. Both Andrew and Ricky were still sleeping. Sarah made her way to the kitchen and found some coffee in a cabinet that was otherwise empty. Ricky must be a coffee drinker. There was no sign of milk anywhere so he must drink it black, the same way that she did. She found a kettle, filled it with water and set it on the stove to heat up. There was also a half a loaf of not-too-stale bread, so she could at least make toast for everyone. She was just pouring herself a cup of rich-smelling coffee when Ricky came down the stairs, looking half-awake.

“I think I love you already,” he said sleepily. “I could smell the coffee from upstairs.”

Sarah smiled. “I thought you might want some. I made plenty,” she said as she poured a cup for him as well. “I was going to make some toast for breakfast. Would you like some?”

Ricky grimaced. “No, thank you. I don’t usually eat breakfast. Coffee is all I need. I am going to wash up and head out shortly. I’ll walk to the station. You can use the buggy if you need it for shopping or anything else.” He looked thoughtful for a moment. “Do you know how to handle the horses and hook them up to a buggy? The girls from Boston had never done that before.”

Sarah smiled. “Yes, I do. We had a horse and buggy in Philadelphia. I would like to know where you keep the food for the horses, though, so I can take care of them while you’re gone.”

“I’ll show you.” He led her out back to where there was a small barn and two happy horses, both a beautiful chocolate brown color, who were munching on hay. Ricky showed her where everything was kept and introduced her to the horses.

“Petunia and Prince Peanut, meet Sarah. Be sure to treat her nice!” The horses looked up at them and they were apparently not impressed and immediately turned their attention back to their snacking.

Sarah giggled. “Prince Peanut?”

“Don’t ask. They came with those names. I tried to change them, but they wouldn’t respond to anything else. So, Petunia and Prince Peanut it is.”

They walked back in the house, and Andrew was up and standing in the middle of the kitchen, looking around.

“Morning, sweetie. Why don’t you go get dressed and I’ll make you some toast.” He padded back upstairs and Ricky set his now-empty cup of coffee on the counter.

“I need to get a move on, too.” He went upstairs to change as well, while Sarah set about making toast. Her plan was to walk Andrew to school and then stop off at the mercantile on the way back.

Both of them had just settled down at the kitchen table to eat their breakfast when Ricky came running down the stairs in a hurry.

“Sorry to rush out, but I will just about make my train if I leave now. See you both end of the week.”

He ran out the door and it felt like a surge of energy went with him. The house was suddenly quiet and larger than ever with Ricky gone.

“Finish up, honey. We need to leave in a few minutes, too.”

T
en minutes later
, Sarah and Andrew left the house and walked to the school-house. It was very close, maybe an eight-minute walk, same as it was from the saloon. Sarah waited until Andrew was inside the school building and then she meandered into the mercantile on her way back. She had no reason to hurry. She had the whole day ahead of her and figured she’d spend much of it filling the shelves in Ricky’s kitchen and settling in. Maybe even exploring his library.

Sarah had always been a reader as well and had secretly yearned to go to college, but it was never an option for her. She was needed in the restaurant and once she married it was expected that she’d be a wife and mother.

There were quite a few people in the mercantile when she walked in. Hannah, the wife of Joshua, Ricky’s cousin, waved hello and told her to holler if she needed any help.

Sarah picked up a basket and started exploring the store, adding something every now and then that she knew they’d need-flour, more butter, salt, sugar, vanilla, raspberry jam, as well as some eggs and a chicken. She also bought a fresh loaf of bread and some cheese, as well as some cooked turkey. She wasn’t able to make Andrew a lunch to bring in because there wasn’t anything for it, so first task on her list was going to be to make a sandwich and bring it back to the school for him.

She was standing in line waiting to pay for her items when she noticed two familiar faces. The woman ahead of her was married to another of Ricky’s friends and had been at their wedding and reception. She had blonde hair and Sarah was drawing a complete blank on her name.

She knew the name of the other familiar face, though, and she wasn’t at all happy to see him. Ronnie Simpson was a vile man and also a regular at the saloon. He’d been one of the men who had expressed hopes that she was for hire. When she assured him that she was most certainly not like that, he became even more of a grump. Just another reason she was happy not to have to go back to the saloon. She wasn’t thrilled about running into any of its customers though.

“Well, if it isn’t my favorite saloon girl,” Ronnie drawled when he caught sight of her.

“Hello, Ronnie.”

“Haven’t seen you around the saloon, lately. You been sick or something?”

“I don’t work there anymore.”

Ronnie looked confused. “What do you mean you don’t work there anymore? Where you working now?”

“I’m not. I got married,” she said quietly, wishing the man would just leave her alone. But alas, he was just getting started.

“Married? Who did you marry?” He seemed incredulous at the thought of anyone marrying her, which infuriated her but she still just wanted him to disappear.

“I married Ricky Donovan.”

“Ricky Donovan married you? Well, isn’t that something? Obviously, he sampled the goods ahead of time. Still don’t know why he bothered to marry you, though. He didn’t have to.”

“Good day, Ronnie,” Sarah said dismissively as set her basket on the counter and started unloading everything to be rung up. The woman ahead of her turned and looked at her with a mixture of pity and disgust as she had clearly overheard the entire conversation.

Sarah met her gaze squarely on. She had nothing to be ashamed of and was now furious at the both of them, Ronnie for his nasty words and the woman for believing any of it. At that moment, she also remembered the woman’s name.

“Lovely to see you again, Lynn,” she said in a sugar-sweet tone while her eyes shot daggers at the woman.

Lynn took a step back, surprised that Sarah would say a word to her.

“Yes, nice to see you again too. Have a good day,” she sputtered and then scurried out of the mercantile.

Ronnie, meanwhile, had lost interest and was studying the different candies at the other end of the store.

Hannah apologized for both of them. “I’m sorry you had to deal with that. People can just be so ignorant sometimes.”

Sarah smiled. Ignorant was the perfect word.

“Well, my day can only get better now, right?”

T
he rest
of Sarah’s week was uneventful, and she spent the time settling in to Ricky’s house and getting the kitchen stocked up and organized. It was a good thing that he’d left the buggy for her as it came in handy for all the dry goods and other items she bought at the mercantile.

Sarah loved to cook and it was a pleasure to do so in Ricky’s kitchen. She made several loaves of crusty bread during the week, and Friday morning, after she walked Andrew to school, she stopped by the mercantile again to pick up a few items for their dinner that evening.

She was excited to cook one of her favorite meals for Ricky. Sarah had perfected the recipe for chicken pot pie and it was one of Andrew’s favorites, too. Her crust was flaky and light and the filling rich and creamy. Her stomach rumbled in anticipation and she tore off a piece of warm bread and slathered a bit of butter on it. Then she got to work, rolling out pie crust and cooking the chicken and other vegetables.

Once it was all assembled and in the oven, she made herself a cup of tea, sat down and put her feet up for a moment to relax. She was looking forward to seeing her husband and sharing a meal with him, but she was nervous too. They hadn’t really spent any time together since they’d gotten married. As handsome and charming as he was, he was almost a stranger to her. They still had a lot to learn about each other.

Once the pie came out of the oven, Sarah set it on the counter to cool, and it was almost time to go meet Andrew again. The day had flown by. Once they were back in the house, she would heat up some water for a hot bath and then put on a dress that wasn’t dusted with flour.

She had checked the train schedule earlier in the week and guessed that Ricky’s train would likely be coming through at about five. So, she would plan for them to eat at about five thirty.

She still couldn’t believe how quickly her luck had turned. Love match or not, marriage to Ricky had improved their living situation considerably. Still, she worried that he hadn’t really thought this through and that choosing to marry a former saloon girl might be a hindrance to his bid for mayor. If Lynn’s reaction was even remotely typical, he might be fighting an uphill battle. But, Sarah knew that she had nothing to be ashamed of. She had done what she needed to do to support her son and to keep him safe.

R
icky was exhausted
when the train rolled into Bozeman Friday afternoon. They actually arrived a few minutes ahead of schedule and he couldn’t wait to get off the train and stretch his legs. Sitting for hours on end had him feeling stiff and a bit cranky.

He decided it was too early to go home. A cold beer sounded more appealing at the moment, so he headed to the saloon, where there was already a good crowd gathered at the bar.

He settled into one of the few open seats, and ordered a beer. It was cold and delicious and went down quickly. He’d just ordered another when his friends, Peter and Randy, walked in. They joined him, and ordered beers as well.

“Nick, what’s the special?” Peter asked when Nick set his beer down.

“Grilled turkey and cheese. Soup is chili.”

“I’ll have it. Anyone else?” he looked at the other two.

“That sounds good to me,” Randy said.

Ricky’s stomach rumbled. He hadn’t eaten since breakfast. “I’ll have it, too. I’m starving.” He loved their chili.

They enjoyed their beer and filled Ricky in on what he’d missed while he’d been gone.

“So, Jim Johnson is thinking about running. That might not be good news for you.” Peter sounded concerned.

“Jim Johnson?” Ricky was surprised. Jim was a farmer, though one of the biggest and most successful ones in town. He could be a serious competitor. Ricky probably should be worried, but he wasn’t. He didn’t see Jim as a threat. “He’s never been involved in anything in town.”

“No, but like yourself, he is a successful businessman. And he’s married.”

“I’m married, too, and there’s a child. We’re a real family.”

Peter raised his eyebrows at him. “Jim has known Lavinia since they were in grade school. They’ve been married for ten years. They may not have children but they are most definitely a real family.”

“Should I be worried?” Ricky asked.

“Not necessarily. He hasn’t officially announced his candidacy and he’s really not as well known or as visible as you are. Your biggest challenge is going to be Sam Driscoll’s bid for re-election.”

Nick returned a few minutes later with their soups and shortly after that, with their grilled sandwiches. Ricky ordered a third beer when they finished eating and they continued to discuss his strategy.

“There’s a big charity event coming up soon, at the Bozeman Hotel, to benefit the library. That would be a great place for you to show off your new wife,” Steve said.

His new wife. Ricky snuck a glance at the clock on the wall. It was half-past seven. Sarah was probably wondering where he was by now. He wasn’t used to worrying about anyone but himself. Reluctantly, he drained the last few sips of his beer and then asked Nick for his tab. Once he paid, he stood and turned to the others.

“I should probably get home.”

Peter nodded and added, “I was actually surprised to see you here. Thought you’d be home having dinner with the new wife.”

“Sarah knew I was just getting back today. I always stop in for a cold beer at the end of a long day.” Ricky was starting to have an uncomfortable feeling that maybe he should have gone right home. “Why aren’t you home having dinner with your wife?” he countered.

“I would be, if she hadn’t taken the kids to see her parents this afternoon. She said they were going to stay for dinner and I just said I’d meet her home later.”

Randy said nothing during this exchange and Ricky knew it was because he was a bachelor and spent most of his time when he wasn’t working, at the saloon.

“I’ll see you tomorrow.”

W
hen Ricky walked
in his front door, the house was still. The dining room table was set for one. Next to the plate was a half-eaten pot pie. There was no sign of anyone on the first floor. He walked over to the table and saw that it was a chicken pot pie. It looked delicious, but was stone cold. He was full, anyway, but now he had a bad feeling about this. He hadn’t thought about it at all earlier, but now he vaguely remembered that Sarah had mentioned something about cooking dinner. It hadn’t been on his mind at all. He’d just been so anxious to get this deal closed and to then share a drink with his friends and plan for the upcoming race.

He was standing by the kitchen table, staring at the cold food, when he heard footsteps coming down the stairs. When he turned, it was Sarah and she stopped short when she saw him.

“I didn’t hear you come in.” Her voice had a chilly tone.

“I just walked in the door.”

“I hope you had a good week?” She sounded like she hoped anything but.

“It was. I just closed a big deal today. I’d been working on this one for months.”

“That’s nice. If you’re hungry, there’s chicken pot pie. It’s cold by now, but I can heat it up if you like?” she offered.

“No, thank you. It looks wonderful, but I already ate, at the saloon.”

Sarah’s eyes narrowed. “I see.”

She removed the empty plate, utensils and glass from the table and put them all back in the cupboard. Then she returned for the pie, covered it and put it into the ice-box.

Ricky watched, feeling like a heel. He’d completely forgotten that she’d mentioned cooking dinner for him.

“I’m really sorry. I’m just not used to having someone cook for me. I should have remembered.”

Sarah sighed. “It’s fine. You can have it for lunch tomorrow.”

“We have that dinner tomorrow night, at Peter’s,” he reminded her.

“Yes, I’m planning on it. It’s on the calendar.”

He glanced at the calendar on the kitchen wall. Sure enough, in tiny, neat print on tomorrow’s date, was written, “dinner at Peter’s”. Sarah was very organized.

“Did you have a nice week?” he asked, hoping to thaw her out a bit.

“It was fine. I stocked your kitchen. There’s plenty of food now.”

“Thank you.” He walked to the cupboard and took out a small glass and a bottle of whiskey.

“Would you like to share a drink with me?” He poured himself about an inch of the amber liquid and took a sip. It was smooth and he found the warmth soothing.

Sarah frowned at him, “No thank you. I’m not much of a drinker.”

Ricky took another sip and then put the bottle back in the cupboard.

“I’m not much of a drinker, either, not like some people. I like a beer or two after work with friends and sometimes I like a little whiskey to sip on. Are you sure you don’t want to try a taste?”

Sarah wrinkled her nose in distaste. “I’m quite sure. If it’s all right with you, I think I’ll go to bed and maybe read for a while.”

“Oh, of course. Good night, then.” He watched as she turned for the stairs and it occurred to him that he wasn’t off to a very good start in his role as husband.

S
arah brought
a small reading lamp up to her room. She changed out of her clothes, pulled on a nightdress and climbed into bed. She had a book on her bedside table, and she picked it up and flipped open to the page where she last left off, to read a few sentences, and then a minute later, she closed the book. She wasn’t really in the mood to read.

Instead, she turned off the lamp and closed her eyes. She felt confused and disappointed and a bit foolish. She had been looking forward to this dinner all week, and it put things into perspective for her to find that Ricky didn’t even remember that she was going to cook dinner. She could smell the beer on him when he walked in the door, and then to see him pour a glass of whiskey was just the icing on the cake.

To be fair, though, Ricky wasn’t drunk. She knew that it was common for men to gather after work and share a drink. And she supposed that as a single man living around the corner from the saloon, it was probably habit more than anything else.

It was also a reminder that this wasn’t a true marriage, but rather a business arrangement. One that benefited both of them. Sarah supposed that she needed to adjust her expectations on what that marriage would be like.

She was grateful that she and Andrew had a place to live now and that she didn’t have to work in the saloon. This marriage might not fit her ideal of what a marriage should be, but she would adjust, and she would do her part to make sure that the arrangement benefited Ricky as well.

She was a bit nervous about the dinner the following evening, but she would go and smile and be supportive, so that she could help Ricky in his bid for mayor. Once she worked all that out in her mind, she finally relaxed and drifted off to sleep.

R
icky sipped
his whiskey and leaned back in his chair, staring into the fireplace. He had moved into the library after Sarah went to bed and got the fire going. It wasn’t cold out, but he enjoyed the warmth of the fire and it suited his mood to gaze at the dancing flames.

He knew that he’d disappointed Sarah. It had been written all over her face and he felt badly about it. He’d make it up to her tomorrow, though. Maybe he’d surprise her with a bouquet of fresh flowers.

He was looking forward to dinner at Peter’s the next evening as well. It had been a while since the group had gotten together and he was eager to hear their thoughts on his campaign and to discuss ways to include Sarah. Now that he was married, he wanted everyone to know and to see him as a successful family man.

His heart had skipped a beat when he walked in the door and saw Sarah. She had looked so pretty. He’d almost forgotten how pretty she was.

It had been such a busy week and truth be told, he hadn’t thought about Sarah much while he was gone. He wasn’t used to having her around yet or to planning his schedule around someone else’s. He would have to be more considerate about that in the future. Her chicken pot pie had looked delicious, too. He’d much rather have her cooking than a simple sandwich at the saloon. He wouldn’t make that mistake again.