Journey of the Bride by Mary Fox Page B

fill the air with words, he didn ’ t know.
     
    “ Just finished fixing this fence yesterday. Course I ’ ll need to ride the lines every day to make sure the cattle don ’ t break through and to make sure coyotes don ’ t sneak in, but it ’ s fixed for now. There ’ s plenty of grass to last them a couple of months and water to last longer than that. ”
     
    Paul nodded to show he understood. Even if he didn ’ t like the ranch and didn ’ t really care what happened to it, he did care about his brother, and he wanted him to be happy. The ranch made him happy for some reason Paul would never understand.
     
    “ You need a wife, Brandon, ” he said after his brother mounted again.
     
    Brandon narrowed his eyes. “ No. ” His words were flat, making it known it was the end of the discussion.
     
    “ Yes, you do. ”
     
    “ No I don ’ t. ” Brandon glowered at Paul. “ You can ’ t make me change my mind. ”
     
    The two men rode back the direction they ’ d come from, back towards the ranch. “ You need someone in your life, Brandon. You can ’ t keep running this place on your own. Why don ’ t you hire some hands to help you out? ”
     
    “ Don ’ t have the money, ” Brandon replied, spitting again.
     
    “ I ’ ll get you enough. Let me know what you need. You know the men you need. Let me know figures and I ’ ll make sure you have it. Ma and Pa were not broke, and I ’ m well-off in the city. I ’ ll make an account and add enough to it that you can take care of ranch hands. ”
     
    “ Thanks. ” Although the reply was gruff, Paul could hear the gratitude in it. He watched Brandon pull a bandana from his pocket and wipe sweat off his forehead. “ Can you hire me a cook? I don ’ t know anything about that business. ”
     
    An idea entered Paul ’ s mind. He glanced at Brandon, wondering if he ’ d notice if Paul pulled something sneaky. Not right away, he thought. He trusts me. He won ’ t notice until it ’ s too late to change anything.
     
    “ You want me to hire you a cook? ”
     
    Brandon shrugged, his eyes turned ahead instead of looking at his brother. “ Someone who can help around the house: cook, clean, mend clothing, the works. ”
     
    Paul grinned at his brother, realizing the opportunity when he saw it. This was a chance to do exactly what Brandon needed, even if he didn ’ t realize he did. He needed a wife. As soon as Paul got back into town, he ’ d post an ad for a wife for his brother.
     
    A wave of stench hit his nose and he pinched his nostrils closed even as he gagged. “ If I find you a woman, will you at least take a bath? ”
     
    Brandon turned his attention to his brother, a wide grin on his face. “ Maybe. You ’ ll do it then? ”
     
    “ I already have a woman in mind, ” Paul lied easily.
     
    He wasn ’ t a lawyer for nothing. Brandon accepted his words with a single nod of his head. “ Let me know when you find someone and I ’ ll take a bath. Hell, ” he said with a laugh. “ Maybe I ’ ll even shave. ” His hand reached up to his beard, scratching his chin through the hair.
     
    A wave of disgust washed through Paul and he touched his clean chin, trying to figure out how Brandon could stand the mess of hair, but he said nothing. In his mind, he was already wording his ad for the wife he planned on finding Brandon. After all, how hard could it be to find a woman who wouldn ’ t mind being marrying to the gruff man riding beside him?
     
     
     

Chapter Two
     
     
     
    “ Do you require anything else, ma ’ am? ”
     
    Courtney smiled sweetly to the man before her. “ No, thank you, Gerald, ” she said. She kept her voice low, as a lady should, but there was an air of authority to it all the same. It was a balance she ’ d learned over the years, something her mother had taught her before the cholera had claimed her life.
     
    “ As you wish, ma ’ am. ” The butler bowed low at the waist and turned away,