The Bartender’s Mail Order Bride(48)

As the party exited to the dining room, Meg turned away until Sam took her elbow and pulled her back toward him.

She looked into his crystal blue eyes, her heart freezing, then beating a mile a minute. “Sam, please say something. You’re making me nervous.”

Sam shook his head slowly, and Meg held her breath.

“I don’t know what to say. I…I don’t believe I’ve ever heard anything like that, Meg.”

She let out her breath and laughed. “Oh, yes, my sisters and I have been singing together all of our lives. I’m pleased that you enjoyed it.”

He took her hands in his and brought them up to his chest. “No, that’s not what I meant. I mean, yes, you all sing very well together, but you—you made my heart swell. And my playing better.”

Meg looked down at her shoes as her cheeks flushed. She looked back up into his eyes and smiled.

Sam reached for her hands and pressed his lips on them, sending tingles through Meg as their eyes never left one another’s.

“I see more wonderful things about you every day,” he said. “I would have never known.” He frowned slightly, shaking his head as he held his arm out to Meg. “Shall we join the others?”

Meg cleared her throat and placed her arm through Sam’s, silently agreeing with him that yes, they did make beautiful music together.





Chapter 27





Supper had been served, Maria’s meal well received, and Mrs. Allen seemed to enjoy her introduction to a different kind of food, Maria practically glowed as she answered question after question. Meg thought for someone who didn’t know how to cook, Mrs. Allen sure knew what she liked.

Her sisters had been on their best behavior, and Meg had nodded to Sam right after the empty dishes of flan, Maria’s famous custard, had been cleared.

“It’s almost sunset,” Meg said, hoping that Sam would take the cue and they could leave.

“Oh, right. Let me go get the buggy ready for you,” Hank said. “Come with me, Sam?”

“What? Yes, sure,” Sam said as he followed Hank out the door.

Clara took Mrs. Allen’s hand as they all stood and walked toward the porch. “It’s been a delightful evening, Mrs. Allen. Thank you for encouraging Sam to play for us. It was marvelous, and I hope that we can do it again and hear more.”

“Meg could tell you more about that than I could. Sam doesn’t seem to want to play anymore, and it was clear that he’s never even heard her sing. Such a shame that they don’t share that part of themselves together,” Mrs. Allen said, her eyebrow arching at Mr. Archer.

Her father coughed into his hand. “Yes, that would be lovely. And thank you so much for coming,” he said as he gently steered everyone outside and glanced back at Meg.

Meg thought this couldn’t have been a more odd evening. Why didn’t she think that this might happen? She’d sung with her sister almost every night for years, and somehow, Sam had never heard them and somehow, they had to do it tonight.

Meg hugged each of her family members, giving Clara an extra squeeze of thanks for keeping the conversation off the topic of Meg and Sam for the majority of the evening. “Thank you,” she whispered in Clara’s ear.

“You’re welcome, and good luck.” Clara squeezed a bit harder in return.

Not much was said on the way home, Meg remembering the song and the peaceful evening with her family. Her heart swelled as she thought of how they’d all pulled together on her behalf, and aside from the music issue, things had gone easily.

She glanced at Mrs. Allen, who watched the sky turn from pinks and grays to purples and dark blues—one of the finer of Arizona’s many fine sunsets that Meg had had the pleasure to see.

“It’s really beautiful, isn’t it?”

“Hm?” Mrs. Allen said as she turned to Meg. “Oh, yes, it’s a beautiful sunset.”

“Nothing quite like them, I think.” Sam pulled his hat down his forehead a little to shade his eyes as the sun made its final descent for the day.

“You know what else is beautiful?” Mrs. Allen took one of Sam’s hands and one of Meg’s in hers from her seat between them. “Seeing so much love between you two, and so much shared passion. You are very fortunate to have met each other and had years together already.”

Meg did everything she could not to glance at Sam, instead keeping her eyes steady on the sunset for fear she might cry. A twinge of guilt had been growing into a full-fledged knot over the past couple of days. Sam’s mother was so—nice. She was feeling as though they should be honest with her, but also honored Sam’s desire that she not be upset by the truth—about either the marriage or the mercantile, so she’d stayed silent.