Read Misty's True Love (Mail Order Brides of Pioneer Town, Book 2) for Free Online

to his wife shortly after. They both seemed somewhat disturbed
or embarrassed.
    The dinner continued without any other
overtly awkward moment, but as time crawled by, the feeling in
Cody’s stomach slowly went from unnoticeable to undeniable. Despite
how cheerful Morgan and Indiana seemed during the rest of the
dinner, something still didn’t sit right with him. Were they
uncomfortable because Misty wasn’t there, or was it because of
Rosamund’s presence? Perhaps it was something else entirely, but if
so, why did something feel so out of place?
    “ So, how have things been
for you on the ranch?” his mother asked, looking at Indiana once
more. “Cody tries to tell me about the lifestyle all the time, but
I try to pay no mind to it. It is a man’s business.”
    Just as Cody was about to add a witty
comment to the discussion, Rosamund spoke up, silencing him before
he even had the chance. “Life on a ranch does seem rather
old-fashioned, does it not?” she said, a wry grin creasing her thin
lips. He could tell that she was impressed with her own, off-hand
remark, but even his mother seemed a bit taken aback by
it.
    “ I wouldn’t say it’s
old-fashioned,” Cody said, trying his best to speak without letting
the frustration that he felt spill out into his voice. “It is a
modern way of life,” he added, glancing over at Morgan, who nodded
in agreement.
    Right away, Cody knew that his mother
was unhappy with what he had just said. He could feel the heat of
her stare focused on him once more, but Cody had no intention of
making eye contact with her right then. After everything that had
happened since Misty’s arrival, he had been ill at ease, and being
around Rosamund Swire did nothing to alleviate that at
all.
    “ I do not believe Miss
Swire’s intention was to offend you or ranchers in general,” his
mother said, her face reddening. “It is indeed not the way some
women are accustomed to living. Yet I am sure Miss Rosamund would
be entirely happy to accepting such a lifestyle should she marry a
rancher. Is that not the case, my dear?”
    “ Why yes, most surely!”
Rosamund squealed with a happy look on her face. “I am sure all the
drawbacks, and I believe there would be many, would be worth
it.”
    With her words, a sinking feeling
struck Cody. He finally realized the entire point of the woman
being at that dinner. It might have been a normal occurrence in the
past, but now that he was set to marry Misty, he knew that there
had to be a more sinister reason behind it. First, his mother’s
overbearing nature had forced his future wife to move in with her
friend. And now, she was making the most of Misty’s absence by
inviting the one woman who would, in her view, challenge the
marriage.
    But what were they plotting? Were they
trying to bring back the discussion of a union between Rosamund and
himself? If so, it was the last thing in the world that he wanted
be thinking about right then. After all, such an idea was the very
catalyst that led to his communication with Misty in the first
place. She had become the answer to his problem, but now that was
hanging in the balance as well, and his own mother was likely to
blame.
    “ Actually, life on a ranch
doesn’t really take too much getting used to,” Indiana said, her
words causing both Cody and Morgan to smile simultaneously. “The
scent and the dust can be somewhat overwhelming at first, but it
does prove to be most tolerable. However,” she added, clearing her
throat, “it takes a certain kind of person to open up to such a way
of living. My dear husband has a way of making everything easier
for me.”
    Cody smiled again, realizing how lucky
his friend was in marrying Indiana. He saw a similar type of woman
in Misty as he did in her, but she was more humble and kind even,
at least in her letters. All he had ever desired was a family and
happiness, two things that required a good, honest woman. Rosamund
was neither of those things. Cody had his