Read The Sweetest Mail Order Bride (Sweet Creek Brides Book 1) for Free Online Page B

over her shoulder. “Just come on by.”
    “Yeah, come on by!” Hope chimed in.
    Caleb took one last look over his shoulder at Clementine, and his heart went
thump.
Like it was coming to life and beating for the first time.
    “Be good girls!” she called out. “See you soon!”
    And that’s all it took. Now the town knew his business, knew for sure that the rumor about a mail-order bride come to marry him was true. He groaned. He was never gonna live that down.
    “You girls wait right here for me. I’ve got to get Ed.” He untied his gelding from the hitching post. He could feel Clementine’s gaze on him even from a distance, as heavy as a touch. It was as if he could feel her loneliness, feel the truest places in her.
    Was that compassion burrowing into his heart? A widow’s lot was a difficult one in this world. At least he’d made restitution to her with the money he’d given the girls for her. She would be able to take care of herself and find her way. So why did he feel unsettled as he climbed into his buggy and took up the reins?
    He hardly knew the woman. Surely he didn’t already care for her.
    “Pa?” Gracie hurried the pony along, keeping pace with him. “Do you like Mrs. Clementine?”
    “Not at all. Not in the least.” That was going to be his policy from here on out. He refused to like the woman. Besides, surely she would be gone from this town before long. This was simply a stopping place to wherever she would wind up. “Maybe you girls could help her place another advertisement.”
    “But we don’t want her to go.” Hope’s voice rose a few notes in distress.
    “Yeah, we like her, Pa.”
    “The most of anyone.”
    This was where things could get tricky. His heartbeat still wasn’t right, thumping along unevenly. Her gentle beauty was the kind that could take a man’s breath away.
    “No more talk of Mrs. Clementine.” He knew it wouldn’t be that easy, but it was a start. “I want you girls to think about how badly you behaved in town and what you are going to do to make up for it.”
    He reined Ed down a driveway, turning his thoughts toward the elderly woman awaiting his care.
    * * *
    Dr. Caleb Blake’s house was not quite what Clementine expected. Tucked at the edge of town where the countryside took over. Windswept meadows rustled in the early evening breezes, and larks sang, flitting about merrily.
    Clementine sat a little straighter on the delivery wagon’s seat, taking in the sight. The two-story clapboard house had a wraparound porch and railing, smiling windows and the light yellow paint gave it a homey look.
    Maybe it was the porch swing where someone could sit and relax on a summer’s evening, or the window boxes full of blooming flowers, but it was a house straight out of her dreams.
    “Here we are, Mrs. Parks.” The feed store’s delivery boy stopped the wagon, hopped down and held out a hand. “Got you here right on time, too. Don’t worry about paying me. The doc gave me a good tip to bring you on by. Careful of your skirt now.”
    “Thank you, Thomas.” She took his hand, gathered her skirt hem so it wouldn’t catch on the worn edge of the seat and jumped down. “You have a good evening.”
    “You too, Mrs. Parks.” He tipped his battered straw hat, climbed back up and chirruped to the horses. The big draft animals lumbered off, the wagon kicking up a cloud of chalk-dry dust in its wake.
    “You must be Clementine.” A woman about her own age pushed open the screen door. “I’m Hattie. I’m surprised the girls haven’t spotted you yet. They are out in the barn taking care of their pony. Come in, goodness, you must be parched after that hot drive. I hear you were brought to town under false pretenses.”
    “Does everyone know how I was duped?” Clementine winced, climbed the wide steps onto the porch. “I should have known. The letters sounded too good to be true.”
    “Men always are.” Hattie winked, holding the screen door wide. She seemed