A Bride for Two Brothers Read Online Free

drawn to the seat of his tight jeans as she watched him walk away.
    She was busy hand feeding Bonnie when Marcus strolled up. “I see you are getting acquainted with our beggar in chief,” he said as he took the dog’s head in his big hands and ruffled her ears playfully. “She appeared on our doorstep ten years ago, and we’ve never gotten rid of her.”
    “Do you really want to?”
    “Not really, no ranch can function without a mooching canine.” He gave the rambunctious dog a final spirited petting and stood so close to Kelsey that his proximity made her feel crowded. “She eats more than some of the hands, but everybody loves her.”
    “Dogs are good judges of character. They see things that people miss.”
    Marcus drove Kelsey into town in the same truck that Quinton had used to bring her to the ranch. The two brothers were as different in temperament as they were in appearance. Marcus was scholarly and charming. He talked incessantly and noted every point of interest along the way. By the time they reached Inverness, she guessed that she knew the area as well as any local.
    He stopped the truck in front of “The Hill County Mercantile”. The building contained a more than adequate selection of meat, vegetables, and other basic food stuffs. The staff loaded a week’s supply of food into Marcus’s truck while Kelsey prepared an order for a two week supply that the mercantile’s truck would deliver in a few days. While she was busy selecting a few boxes of doggie treats for Bonnie, the company’s proprietress stepped beside Kelsey.
    “I want to welcome you to our little town,” the business woman said. “My name is Alice Cummings. Marcus tells me that you will be cooking for him.”
    “It’s nice to meet you. I feel fortunate to find such a good position in a town where I am unknown.”
    The woman patted her shoulder and smiled inscrutably. “I imagine that you took the job because you did not know anything about your new employers.”
    A cold chill ran through Kelsey’s body. “What do you mean? What have they done?”
    “I admit that I am not sure. You are new in town, and I wanted to give you a friendly warning. What I do know for certain is that I knew the woman who had your job before you. Maggie Bright lived here all her life. She came in here a few months ago and told me that she was engaged to marry Marcus Whittington. I was so happy for her. She is not as pretty as you, so the chance to marry into the Whittington family was a great opportunity.
    Kelsey was surprised to hear the merchant call her “pretty,” but she kept quiet so she could hear what else the woman had to say.
    “Anyway, a few days ago, Maggie came in here in tears. She said that she refused to live in the Whittington house for one more day. She left for Minneapolis that very afternoon, and I have not seen or heard from her since.”
    “Did she say what had happened?”
    “No. She was very excited about getting married, but she was very practical too. She would not have given up such an opportunity without having a very good reason.”
    “Have you heard anything bad about Mr. Whittington?”
    “Not really. They are part a group of ranchers who love to party with each other, but there are not alone in that. Boys will be boys, and most girls enjoy their company.”
    Marcus returned and the conversation came to an abrupt end.
    Kelsey was feeling nervous when the truck started back to the ranch. She tried her best to sound casual. “Tell me about my predecessor. Did the men like her cooking?”
    Marcus searched her face as he spoke. “We all enjoyed Maggie and her cooking. We especially loved her pies and roasts. They were always delicious. Why do you ask?”
    “Oh, I was just curious. I want everyone to be happy.”
    “I am sure we will all enjoy your company.”
    “Did Maggie enjoy living here?”
    Marcus Whittington’s jaw tightened. “I guess that you have gotten hold of some local gossip. Inverness is a small