Journey of the Bride Read Online Free

You ’ re sacrificing yourself for your father ’ s sake? ” he asked.
     
    “ You could put it that way, ” she said. “ Or you could say I ’ m being selfish and refusing to marry a man who might actually be good for me all because I don ’ t like the way he looks at me. ”
     
    Paul laughed, which she took to be a good sign. “ I don ’ t know whether to laugh at you or congratulate you. If you want to become Brandon ’ s wife though, I won ’ t stop you. Can you cook? Clean? ”
     
    “ Both, ” she replied. “ It ’ s been a long time since I ’ ve had to do either, but they aren ’ t things one forgets. ”
     
    “ No ma ’ am, I suppose not. ” He stood up from his chair once more and strode toward her. He held out his hand with a large grin on his face. “ Welcome to the family, Miss le Brush. ”
     
    She took his hand and smiled. “ Please, call me Courtney. ”
     
    That had been two days before. Since then, she ’ d packed her things, telling only Gerald her plan. She told her father she had plans to visit their cousin in the country. Her father was still distraught with their ordeal and only waved her away, wishing her the best and planting a small, chaste kiss on her forehead as she headed out the door.
     
    She hadn ’ t seen Talbert when she left, for which she was glad. She ’ d even asked Paul to keep it a secret in town until everything was settled. “ I don ’ t want to give Talbert any reason to suspect anything, ” she said. He ’ d agreed wholeheartedly, for which she was glad.
     
    Gerald had wondered if she would need him. She smiled and hugged him. Over the years, he ’ d been one of her closest friends. “ Not at this time. Take care of Father. I will return, and when I do, I want to know he ’ s been well looked after. ”
     
    “ Of course ma ’ am, ” he told her, bowing his head to her and kissing her knuckles.
     
    Tears pricked her eyes. For some reason, she felt like this would be the last time she would see him. It was wrong, but it was the way she felt.
     
    It didn ’ t matter now. The city was long gone. They had rode out of it hours ago with a team of men on horseback who Paul explained Brandon had hired as extra hands around the ranch.
     
    “ He really hasn ’ t been doing well since Pa died, ” he told her. His eyes grew sad then, and Courtney fought the urge to comfort him. Before she could betray herself though, he shook his head and smiled at her. “ Don ’ t worry though. I believe you may be the best thing that ’ s happened to him in a long time. ”
     
    She didn ’ t ask what he meant by that. Instead, she ’ d climbed up into the wagon with the rest of the belongings she ’ d decided to bring and the items Paul had bought at the store to stock the house. Then they ’ d set out, and here they were now, coming to the end of their journey at the ranch. The Jacksons owned over fifty acres of land, and she could see it stretch out past the house as they rode in. There was two large barns and a bunkhouse for the hired hands to sleep in, although Paul informed her she ’ d probably be cooking meals for them for a while.
     
    “ Miss Courtney? ” Paul asked beside her as they came to a halt. She turned to him. There was something in his voice that held a warning, and it was painted on his face as well. “ I must admit that this wasn ’ t Brandon ’ s idea, and he ’ s not going to be happy about it. It ’ s legal. The document you signed is legal and he ’ d signed it already, thinking he was signing paperwork for his new hands, but he ’ s not going to be happy about it. ”
     
    “ You tricked him? ” Courtney had to admit that she wasn ’ t surprised. There had been something fishy about the whole deal from the start, as Gerald pointed out when she told him about it. She found that it didn ’ t bother her though. Instead, worry for Paul ’ s current safety washed through her. Then she wondered if she should be worried