The Replacement Wife by Lucy Evanson

Author:Lucy Evanson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: romantic comedy, historical romance, western romance, frontier romance, mail order bride, historical western romance, cowboy romance, 1800s romance, romance easy read
Publisher: Lucy Evanson

Chapter 6

“How much longer are you going to take with that?” The door between the kitchen and the dining room was closed, but Joss’s voice was more than loud enough to hear.

Amy took a second to wipe the sweat from her brow. The oven had been fired up for going on two hours, and the kitchen’s tiny window barely let in any air at all. “Not much longer now,” she called.

“I told her you have dinner right at six o’clock, Mr. Peterson. Guess she ain’t as good as she said she was.” Carol’s voice was softer, of course, but Amy still heard her clearly. It was almost as if Carol had moved close to the door to make sure of it.

Amy chuckled. Just getting Carol out of her hair had been the most difficult part of the whole afternoon; when Amy had announced that she was going to prepare dinner, Carol reacted as if she were about to lose her job already. Amy wouldn’t have guessed that anybody would fight so hard for the honor of making Joss his meal, but it had taken a ten-minute argument and the threat of tattling on her that finally got Carol to relent and leave her in peace.

She grabbed a pair of rags and eased the roasting pan out of the oven and onto the stovetop. There was one thing she had to admit about Joss: he may not have been the most generous man she’d ever run into, but when it came to treating himself well, there appeared to be few limits. Carol had returned from the butcher’s with one of the fattest, heaviest beef tenderloins Amy had ever seen, and it had roasted beautifully so far. She stabbed it with a long fork to hold it steady, then cut into the thickest part of the roast. The meat was tender, dividing easily under the blade and revealing a gorgeous shade of pink. When she pressed with the knife edge, the juices ran clear with only the tiniest hint of blood. It was perfect just like this; another minute would have been too much. Amy smiled and thrust the pan back into the oven. There was still much to do.

By six-forty-five, everything was in place: she had sliced the roast and arranged it on a platter with sprigs of wilted parsley; the potatoes were piled high in a bowl and the gravy boat was filled and ready to go. Just about the only thing missing is Joe, she thought. He’d been gone all afternoon, and though she hadn’t needed his help, she sure could have used his support.

Amy pushed the door open enough to stick her head through. “Joe’s still not home?”

“It doesn’t matter whether he’s here or not. Are you going to bring me some food, or what?”

Joss had scarcely finished speaking when there was the heavy thump of somebody bounding up the porch steps, then the sound of the front door opening.

“Any food left?”

“Hmph. All of it,” Joss muttered. “We haven’t even seen it yet.

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