“Are you all right, Meg?” Sam said as she stepped slowly backward. “You’re white as a sheet.” He looked from Meg to Suzanne, who also looked concerned.
“I…I…I’m fine,” she managed, never having thought in a million years that she would be present when he opened the letter from her, asking to be his bride. Her heart had never beaten so fast before and she thought she might faint.
“You don’t look fine,” Suzanne said as she fetched a glass of water and handed it to her. Sam brought a chair and helped her sit.
“I’m sure I’ll be fine. If we can just settle up for the delivery…”
“Oh, I think you should sit for a bit just in case. I’ll run next door and fetch Sadie, and we can read the letter together with Sam. Then if you’re not still feeling poorly, we can settle up and send you on your way,” Suzanne said as she headed toward the door. “I’ll be right back.”
Meg shook her head as she pondered her horrible luck at being stuck with her friends and Sam as he read her mail order bride letter. What if he said no? What if he didn’t want her? She could hardly bear the suspense as she looked up at Sam, noticing that he was watching her intently.
“She’ll be back in a moment, Meg. You feeling all right?”
Meg forced a smile as best she could. “Perfect,” she replied, not believing her bad fortune.
Chapter 7
As Suzanne closed the door behind her, Meg let her forehead fall into her palm. The nerves she’d been trying to quiet for days now had all come to life at once, and she was going to be stuck here as he read the letter. What horrible luck.
She and Sam had fallen into silence and she’d gotten up to pace. She turned quickly to the door as Suzanne and Sadie bustled in, grateful that Suzanne had been as quick as she’d said she would. It helped that her twin sister, Sadie, worked right next door at the restaurant.
Meg helped the pregnant Sadie over to the chair she’d occupied, giving her a quick hug. “Hello, Sadie. You look beautiful.”
Sadie laughed, waving her hand in the air as she quickly dismissed the compliment. “Goodness, everyone says that but how could that be true when I feel ill most if the time?”
Sam chuckled. “You may feel that way, but there is something about you that glows,” he said, nodding slightly in Sadie’s direction.
“I agree,” Suzanne said, shaking her finger at Sadie when she started to again protest. “And that’s all we’re going to say about that. Besides, we have big news. We’ve gotten a letter for Sam.” She waved the envelope in the air as Meg cringed, remembering her quick decision to use the scented paper.
“She has very pretty handwriting,” Suzanne said as she studied the envelope then handed it to Sam. He lifted it to his nose and breathed in the lavender scent she’d rubbed on the envelope. Apparently, it hadn’t worn off, as he said, “It smells good. Like lavender.” He frowned as he looked at the envelope.
“There’s nothing wrong with that, is there?” Sadie asked.
Sam jerked his head up. “No, no, nothing wrong with that. It’s just my mother’s favorite scent.”
“Oh, that’s good luck, then,” Suzanne said. “Maybe that means your mother will like this one.”
“Or that this one said yes,” Sam said, smiling ruefully as he began to open the envelope.
Meg felt her stomach flip as he read the letter silently, his eyebrows rising bit by bit as he did.
“Well?” Suzanne and Sadie said in unison.
“It’s a yes,” Sam said slowly. “Her name is Helen, and she’s from here in Tombstone. Isn’t that odd?” He lowered the letter for a moment, then shook his head and handed the paper to Suzanne.
“It says that she’s here in Tombstone, pretty enough, and willing to become your bride. She understands that you need a bride for the reason stated, she has experience in ranching and animal husbandry and—wait, didn’t you say something in the ad about musical interest or ability? It says here she sings.”
Meg tried to shrink and disappear into the wall. Surely they would know it was her. How could they not? She stood right in front of them as they described her perfectly. Her nerves buzzing, she stayed quiet, dreading the next part of the conversation that she’d hoped not to be involved in.
All eyes turned to the door as the bell rang, the tall figure of her brother, Hank, entering. He took off his hat as he looked around at the faces in the room and his brow furrowed.
“What? What is it? You all look like the horse died,” he said, striding into the room after he hung his hat on the rack.