Historical Cowboy Romance Two Book Box Set - Mail Order Brides by Linda Bridey Page B

take
some time, but do you think that there’s a chance of
forgiveness?”
    “I don’t know. That might be up to him,
Lydia. I’m just so hurt right now,” Tessa said.
    Sadie came back into the room then and the
subject was dropped.
    Seth let out a low whistle. “Boy, you really
stepped in it, Dean.”
    Dean’s face took on a stubborn scowl. “I told
her why and it didn’t seem to matter to her. I wasn’t trying to
lie. I just didn’t want her to think I was stupid.”
    “Hmm. Seems like that’s what happened
anyway,” Seth said with a smile.
    “This isn’t funny, Seth. She moved back
upstairs.”
    Seth said, “Well, I can’t blame her in a
way.”
    “Why?”
    Seth shifted in the rocking chair on the
small porch of his bunkhouse. “Dean, the only woman you’ve ever
been romantically involved with before was Sarah. You two knew each
other as youngsters and fell in love early. She was a sweet woman
and I loved her very much,” he said. “But take it from someone
who’s been, uh, involved with a lot more women. There are things
that matter most to women and honesty is number one. Even if they
don’t like what you’re saying, if you’re honest, they respect you.
You weren’t completely honest with her and she thinks that
everything was a lie.”
    Dean sighed. “It wasn’t. Everything Marcus
put in those letters was what I told him to write. He just says it
better, that’s all.”
    “Yeah, he sure does. He’s like Pa that way.
Ma was smart woman, too, don’t forget, just in a different way,”
Seth said.
    “I know. Tessa comes from a whole other
world, Seth. How was I gonna compete with that?” Dean said.
    “Yep, I get that, too.”
    Dean shot Seth an exasperated look. “You get
it, but I’m still wrong somehow. That’s what you’re saying. She
wouldn’t even listen to me or try to understand.”
    Seth chuckled. “Well, that’s typical. When
anyone’s feelings get hurt, it’s hard to listen to reason. You know
what that’s like. Maybe just give her some time and let her temper
cool.”
    Dean said nothing. He may not be a man of
many words, but he was a man of action. He was danged if he was
going to let this go on. Dean wasn’t going to let the woman go on
thinking the worst of him.
    Tessa was walking along the road that ran
adjacent to their property picking some raspberries that had just
ripened. Sadie worked along the other side. If they were able to
pick enough, Tessa wanted to make a couple of pies. She heard Sadie
singing and smiled. Sadie had a sweet voice and Seth especially was
always getting her to sing.
    The sound of carriage wheels came to Tessa’s
ears. She looked up to see one in the distance. They didn’t get a
whole lot of traffic on the road so she was curious about who might
be approaching. It was a large carriage pulled by two horses. Sadie
stopped picking berries and came to stand with Tessa as it drew
closer.
    The driver pulled the reins and the carriage
came to a halt at the entrance of their ranch.
    “Hello, miss. Do you live here? Is this the
Samuels place?” he asked.
    “Yes,” Tessa said.
    One of the carriage doors opened and a man
alighted. Tessa’s face paled and she gasped as she recognized
him.
    Sadie looked from Tessa to the man and asked,
“Tessa, who is he?”
    “My father.”

Chapter Twelve
     
     
    Geoffrey stood on the dirt road in his fine
clothes and looked at his daughter. He knew it was her, but she was
dressed as he’d never seen her. Her emerald dress was pretty
enough, but there were far less petticoats underneath. Her hair was
done in a long braid that reached almost to her waist. Normally,
Tessa had worn her hair in a stylish coiffure.
    She carried a basket and he could see some
berries in it. His daughter was picking berries like hired help.
Tessa raised her left hand to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear
and he saw the flash of jewelry on her finger. Married? Tessa had
married? His feelings were muddled as he stepped