Sixteen Brides

Sixteen Brides by Stephanie Grace Whitson Page B

Book: Sixteen Brides by Stephanie Grace Whitson Read Free Book Online
Authors: Stephanie Grace Whitson
Ads: Link
turn out in droves when they know he’s playing.”
    Another Bill. Caroline smiled. She was just about to comment on the number of Bills and Wills in Plum Grove when this Bill let out a little “uh-oh.” He was looking toward the door. All Caroline could see above the dancers were two cowboy hats. Expecting to see Lucas Gray sashay into the room, she was more than disappointed when the two hats proved to be on unfamiliar heads, although the look in the men’s eyes was not unfamiliar to her. Uh-oh indeed.
    They’d obviously started the evening at the saloon. They stood inside the door for a moment, watching the five couples on the dance floor, then scanning the room. Caroline followed their gaze, her heart pounding. She turned in her chair, ever so slightly toward Bill. Sally was on the dance floor—had been for every dance so far this evening, as had both Mavis and Helen. Ruth, Zita, and Ella were over by the kitchen chatting with two young couples. And yet, as she scanned the crowd, Caroline thought she detected more than one worried glance in the direction of the two newcomers. Even the fiddler seemed to have changed. Somehow the music was more frantic. As if he wanted to keep the dancers moving.
    Caroline wished she could rise and slip through the kitchen door and momentarily out of sight. Something about those two—and then they saw her. Words passed between them and they left. It’s your imagination. They just happened to glance over here as they were deciding to leave. They could have been looking for anyone.
    Except they weren’t. Moments later, with Bill Toady taking a well-earned break from fiddling and the seat next to her having been vacated, Caroline rose and hobbled to where Ella and Zita stood admiring the new baby in a beaming mother’s arms. After being introduced, Caroline said, “I believe I’ll retire a little early. My ankle’s throbbing something awful and the resident doc says I should prop it up—or ice it.” She shivered at the thought.
    “Doc?” the young woman asked. “Does Plum Grove finally have a doctor?”
    Caroline pulled on her gloves while Zita explained about Hettie, but just as she headed for the door, the cowboys returned with a friend in tow. Lucas Gray’s hand from the train. Lowell Day.

    The only thing certain in life is that things aren’t certain. Matthew couldn’t remember who’d said that, or if he even had it quite right, but it did apply to how today had gone so far. He’d been convinced that supper with Linney would be a bit awkward. She would press him about moving back to the homestead, and he would feel uncomfortable. Martha would appear to stay out of the discussion, but all the while she would be looking his way with an expression that made him feel he was being scolded by a facsimile of his long-dead mother.
    Neither happened. Linney chattered away about the eight ladies now staying at the Immigrant House and how one of them had a son named Jackson. It seemed to Matthew that Linney spent more time on the boy than on the ladies. He didn’t quite know how he felt about that. Either way, supper was grand. He’d excused himself to do a little more work for Otto, mostly because he liked working around the animals, liked working with his hands, and liked being aware of the comings and goings in town without having to directly engage in the hustle-bustle.
    What with the snow challenging calving season on the ranches to the north and the whole county jabbering about the “brides” over at Cayote tonight, Matthew was surprised when a half dozen wranglers rode into town, and even more surprised when he realized three of their horses sported the Graystone brand. Maybe the snow hadn’t caused Luke much trouble after all. But then why hadn’t he come into town for the dance? Ordinarily the little southerner—Caroline, Linney said her name was—would have attracted Lucas Gray like a bee to a blossom. On the other hand, Linney said as far as she could tell,

Similar Books

Savage Spring

Mons Kallentoft

SEAL The Deal

Sharon Hamilton

Shadow Boy

R.J. Ross

Running Dry

Jody Wenner

Saving June

Hannah Harrington

Born of the Night

Sherrilyn Kenyon