Read Mail-Order Bride Ink: Dear Mr. Weaver for Free Online

sister, but her. Some of the men looked her up and down like she was a piece of candy, while the women stared in disdain before turning away. All except a petite middle-aged woman with an enormous hat on her head – she stood slowly, then smacked the shoulder of a young man who was busy watching the sheriff, his back to Ebba. The man slowly turned in his chair …
    Ebba’s breath caught. Åh herregud, she thought to herself.Oh my – he was gorgeous ! She swallowed hard and willed herself not to sweat, as the room suddenly felt much warmer.
    He stood, looked at her, then slowly smiled. But before he could say anything, the woman headed straight for her. “My my, aren’t you a vision!” She turned to the young man, who was also approaching. “Isn’t she? Didn’t I tell you she’d be beautiful?”
    He stopped, eyes wide, and swallowed hard. “Yeah, Ma, ya did.” His eyes widened even further as he smacked his forehead with the palm of his hand. “Oh! I’m so sorry! We plumb meant to meet ya when the stage pulled in!”
    “It was early,” Ebba said softly. Or was she losing it, beginning to faint? She’d better get some coffee – quickly.
    “It did?” the woman said in surprise. “Of all the days for it to be early. Doesn’t that just figure? We’re sorry, child. It’s like Daniel said – we really did mean to meet you at the stage.”
    Ebba smiled, afraid to use her voice. The woman was rambling but she didn’t care. She glanced at Sheriff Hughes, who pointed at the man standing in front of her and mouthed Daniel Weaver.
    She nodded in acknowledgment, then turned back to her intended. He just stood and stared at her, and she wondered if she’d come as a shock. She then remembered her poor nose and fought a shudder of embarrassment. She hoped he wasn’t disappointed in how she looked. “Would it be too much trouble,” she rasped, “to get a cup of coffee?”
    “Of course not, dear,” the woman said. “Oh, where are my manners? I’m Mary Weaver. I’m going to be your new mother-in-law!”
    Ebba smiled. “Pleased to meet you,” she croaked. Great, her voice was giving out completely!
    “Oh, you poor child,” Mrs. Weaver said. “Do you have a cold?”
    It was all Ebba could do not to groan. “Something like that.”
    “Daniel, pull out a chair for the lady,” she ordered, then pointed at the table. “Hank! Some coffee!” she yelled.
    A middle-aged man stomped out from the kitchen. “Good grief, you don’t have to shout like that. If you wanted some that badly, you know where the pot is!”
    “This isn’t my restaurant, it’s yours,” she shot back. “Now pour a cup for this poor child – she’s had a long journey.”
    Hank studied her a moment. “So this is Daniel’s mail-order bride. Now ain’t he a lucky son of a gun?”
    “He’s right there, Hank, and so is she,” Mrs. Weaver scolded. “Now stop looking at her like that and give her some coffee!”
    He quickly complied. For such a small thing, the woman had a tremendous air of authority about her. Ebba was glad she did, as she wasn’t sure about the look the restaurant owner had been giving her. Apparently the townspeople here had a low opinion of strangers.
    “Would you like to sit down?” her intended asked as he pulled out a chair.
    “Yes,” she said, or at least tried to; her voice was almost gone. She hated when this happened. She hoped this wasn’t going to be the norm the entire time she lived here. If she could live here. What was she going to do when her affliction became too much for her?
    She practically fell into the chair. Good grief – should she even marry this man? Would she be able to do the things required of a farmer’s wife if she was constantly sneezing and coughing? What if he didn’t want to put up with it? That was something she hadn’t considered until now.
    She nodded in thanks as Hank placed a cup of coffee in front of her, reached for it and took a sip. The hot brew hit her raw