The Accidental Mail Order Bride by Ruth Ann Nordin

Author:Ruth Ann Nordin
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: romance, sex, beauty and the beast, mail order bride, virgin hero, historical western, imperfect hero
Publisher: Ruth Ann Nordin

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Travis caught sight of Allie heading toward the building and stiffened. Why was she coming for the crutch so soon? He’d told her it might take an hour or two to make. He glanced at the lumber on the worktable. It wasn’t anywhere near to being done.

The knocking at the door made him jump. It shouldn’t have. He knew she was coming. And yet, he had no idea what he should do next.

“Travis?” she called from the other side. “I brought you something to drink.”

He hesitated. Did he really want to let her in? He released his breath. Yes, he did. But was it a wise move to open himself up to someone who had the potential to hurt him?

How do you know she’d hurt you?

Because everyone else has done it.

Your father didn’t.

He was different. He was my father. I was a part of him.

Aren’t you a part of Allie? Your father taught you that when a man married, he became one with his wife.

The doorknob turned, and Allie poked her head inside. When her gaze rested on him, she said, “I wanted to bring you a cup of coffee.” Then, as if she needed to prove her point, she lifted the cup and showed it to him. “I thought you might be thirsty.”

He cleared his throat then gestured to the small table by the door. “Alright.”

But she didn’t put it on the table and leave, as he’d hoped she would. Instead, she came into the building and closed the door behind her, an indication she meant to stay. She hadn’t done this before. In fact, she hadn’t even opened the door until now. And he didn’t know whether to panic or be relieved. It was difficult to balance the need for safety with the need to rid himself of the aching loneliness that had been hovering over his life ever since his father died.

When she reached him, she held the cup out to him, her lips curling up into a smile. She sure was pretty when she smiled. Well, she was pretty, regardless, but it seemed to him that she was especially so when she smiled.

“You have nothing to be afraid of,” she said. “I made sure not to put in too much water this time. The coffee actually tastes good.”

Recalling the cup she’d left him that morning, he felt the corner of his mouth twitch upward. Honestly, he hadn’t minded it. Watered down coffee was the least of his worries.

Since he didn’t take the cup, she set it on the worktable next to the crutch he was making. She scanned the room. “I think it’s marvelous how you can create such beautiful things from all of this.” She motioned to everything in the room. “And not only are they beautiful, but they’re good quality, too. Why, those kitchen chairs are the most comfortable I’ve ever been on. You have a wonderful gift.”

Again, he didn’t know how to respond. Maybe if he’d had more social interactions with people, this wouldn’t be so awkward.

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