Misty's True Love (Mail Order Brides of Pioneer Town, Book 2) by Ruth Hartzler Page A

stopped, because the
anticipation was wreaking havoc on Misty’s mind. When they arrived
at the place, she walked over toward the stream and sat by a large
pile of rocks on the shore. Then, she looked up at Cody, smiling in
the hope that he would join her.
    “ This is a rather
remarkable sight,” he said, sitting beside her and staring off over
the creek. “I can certainly see why you like to come
here.”
    “ Yes, it’s so nice and
serene. I’ve found that it’s the perfect place to sit when I need
to be alone or remind myself of how beautiful the world can be,”
she said, watching the ripples in the water as they frothed and
moved about with the current.
    “ So,” Cody said, clearing
his throat before he continued. “The reason I came out to see you
was to let you know that Miss Rosamund Swire was behind everything
that happened to you recently. She had the horrible idea of getting
you out of the picture so that she could have me for herself,” he
added, looking down at his feet as he spoke.
    Misty gasped. “Really? I cannot
believe such a thing! Perhaps I should not have met with her,” she
said, sighing loudly as she rubbed her forehead.
    “ Well, do not blame
yourself for her evil deeds,” Cody said, looking back up at her
once again. “Miss Swire did what she did because she was envious of
others. I am happy that Mother discovered the truth, and now it can
all be left in the past where it belongs.”
    “ Excuse me?” Misty said,
honing in on a specific word that he had uttered. “Mrs. Mills is
the one who found out what really happened?”
    Cody nodded. “Actually, yes. We had a
lengthy discussion about the accusation and she took it upon
herself to learn the truth.”
    “ Oh,” Misty said,
swallowing hard. “Why would Mrs. Mills help me, of all
people?”
    “ Well, Mother has always
been a bit difficult, but I truly believe she’s always had the best
intentions in mind. There were moments in the past where I
questioned that belief, but she didn’t have to do what she did this
time. Once she saw how upset the false arrest had gotten me, she
went to Miss Swire’s at once to learn the truth. She asked Miss
Swire to drop the charges, but even that was pointless. In the end,
Mother went to the sheriff and insisted that you be
released.”
    Misty listened to him carefully,
almost certain that she had misheard something. “Mrs. Mills did all
that?”
    “ Yes,” Cody said. I know
that it’s been a long, trying week for us all, but I think matters
will improve from now,” he said, his voice sounding hopeful. He
stood up and picked up a small rock. He then looked at Misty with a
smile before skipping it across the water. The pebble bounced
across the surface three times unfaltering, but then on the forth
skip, it dropped into the depths with a loud plop.
    “ I apologize, but I do love
to skip rocks. Mother taught me how to skip rocks when I was a boy.
She also made it very clear that she would be against any marriage
with Miss Rosamund Swire now. I guess that’s quite a promise, is it
not?”
    “ Yes, it is,” Misty said.
“But what happens now?” she dared to ask, her mouth feeling dry all
of a sudden.
    “ Now, we pick up the pieces
and move on,” Cody said, still standing by the edge of the water.
“I have no idea if the sheriff intends to press charges for the
false report, but it really does not matter now that she’s done
interfering with my life and yours.”
    That had not been what she meant in
the slightest. Misty cared not for what happened to Miss Swire—all
she wanted was to know where she and Cody now stood.
     
     

Chapter 17

    The next day, Misty received notice
that Olivia had invited her to her home for some afternoon tea. The
kind, old gentleman who arrived to pick her up, spoke in a slow,
but deliberate manner. “Good day, my lady.”
    “ Good morning,” Misty
replied, as she followed the driver out to his car. Her first
thoughts when she found out about the