Mail Order Bride - Westward Justice: Historical Cowboy Romance (Montana Mail Order Brides Book 6) by Linda Bridey Page B

Mitch said.
                  “A carriage house?” Sammi said.  “Wow.  Who did this place belong to?”
                  “A wealthy family from Virginia who came out here.  They had some bad financial luck and moved back to Virginia,” Mitch said.  “It stood empty for a long time.  The roof got bad and let in all kinds of water and such.”
                  “It’s beautiful,” Sammi said.
                  Mitch looked at her in surprise.  “You think it’s beautiful?”
                  “Yeah.  Look at that staircase.  When that’s sanded down, the rickety steps replaced and the wood refinished, it’s going to be elegant.  If we put marble down instead of wood in the foyer, it’ll really create a contrast with the wooden floors.  I know some of them are warped, but they can be replaced.  The walls are a pain in the ass to deal with, but redoing them will be worth it.  Gotta make sure that there’s no more water damage behind those panels,” Sammi said.
                  It was obvious to both men that there was no need to answer.  She rattled off all kinds of needed repairs and ideas.
                  Joe laughed at the dazed expression on Mitch’s face.  “Yeah.  Women are like that.  They don’t even have to live in a place to want to change it.  Get used to it, Mitch.”
                  Sammi moved off into the kitchen.  She was still talking to herself.
                  “So what did you want to talk to me about?” Joe asked.
                  “Listen, we’ve got problems here in town,” Mitch said.
                  Joe gave him a quizzical look.  “What kind of problems?”
                  “We need a different mayor,” Mitch said.
                  “Why?  I mean, Jessie’s not exactly perfect, but he’s the only one that seems to want to do the job,” Joe said.
                  “Yeah, I know.  Here’s the issue.  I’m the only lawman in town now.  I need a deputy,” Mitch said.
                  Joe pointed towards the kitchen.
                  “I know what you’re sayin’, Joe, but I can’t be her boss and her potential husband.  Every time something dangerous would come up, I’d have a hard time keeping my personal and professional feelings aside,” Mitch said.  “That’s dangerous.”
                  “Yeah, I could see how it would be,” Joe said.
                  “If she wasn’t my prospective wife, I would have hired her the other night, no questions asked.  It was one hell of a job interview,” Mitch said.  “Besides, if she’s keeping peace at the bar, it makes my life easier because she’ll be able to kick your behind and I won’t have to come do it.”
                  Joe laughed.  “I hear that.”
                  “I heard that there’s another candidate that’s going to run in the election in a couple of months and that it has Jessie worried.  He’s never had an opponent and one of the issues he’s planning on running on is saving money for the town,” Mitch said.
                  “Ok,” Joe said.  “That doesn’t sound bad so far.”
                  “One of the ways he’s planning on saving money is by cutting the position of deputy from the payroll,” Mitch said.
                  Joe’s hazel eyes widened.  “You need backup, Mitch.  This town needs more than one lawman.  The place is starting to get bigger and it’s gonna need more deputies later on, not less.”
                  Mitch nodded.  “This is what I’m sayin’.”
                  “So how can I help?” Joe asked.  “Just name it.”
                  “I was hoping you’d say that,” Mitch said.  “Run for mayor,