Mail Order Baron (The Brides of Tombstone Book 3) Read Online Free

Hope. Aren’t you a sweet little thing?” She hadn’t been around a baby since Robert was born, but somehow she knew what to do. She hadn’t forgotten.
    “She’d have to be to put up with these two big softies. She has them both wrapped around her finger.” Julia walked by on another lap around the room.
    “I can see how that would be easy to do. I could fall for her in a minute, myself. She’s adorable.” Molly tickled the baby’s feet.
    Hope gave Molly a big smile and held her arms out to her.
    “She seems to have taken a liking to you.” Ben passed the baby to Molly.
    Hope smiled and patted Molly’s face. Molly’s heart melted. That quickly, she was enamored of this baby and longed for some of her own. She looked up at Ben. He’d make a good father if what she’d seen of his behavior toward Hope was typical. Suddenly she wanted to get married with all haste and start a family. If she could get past the wedding night fear.
    “I guess I won’t fight you on getting married right away.”
    “I thought you wanted to wait.” He shook his head and Molly understood why he would be confused.
    “I’ll pick my fights but this isn’t one of them. Besides the sooner we do then the sooner we have one of her.” She kissed Hope’s forehead and was greeted with sweet, clean baby smell, like she’d just been bathed.
    Ben grinned and his eyes became a soft smoky gray. “Your command is my pleasure. We’ll talk to Lizzie and Mal, to see if they can stand up for us.”
    “I’m sure they will.” Julia’s voice was strained. She’d stopped and was bent over.
    Molly knew she must be having a labor pain and touched her own stomach. She could almost feel her pain and that made her somewhat nervous.
    “Let’s check you and see what progress you’re making.” Matthew circled an arm around Julia’s back and helped his wife down the hall. “Ben, come by after you talk to Lizzie. We may have a new baby by then.”
    “Will do.” He turned to Molly. “Let’s go back to the hotel and get the surrey. Lizzie and Mal Brandon live a few miles outside of town. Do you want to carry Hope, or her valise?”
    “Given that choice I’ll take the baby every time.” She looked down to the baby in her arms. “Yes, I will. I’ll take you every time.”
    “She’s easy to love isn’t she?” Ben’s voice was soft, gentle.
    “Yes. I’ve already fallen for her.” She cuddled the baby tighter. “I can only imagine how much you and Julia must love her having been there at her birth.”
    “Matthew, too,” said Ben. “Julia brought her home that night and she and Matthew have raised her ever since. They will tell her about her father and mother when she gets old enough to understand.”
    “They’re good people…your friends.”
    Smiling he nodded. “The best.”
    Instead of going to the hotel, Ben guided them to the stables behind it. There he hitched up the two sorrel horses that were housed in the building.
    They both had beautiful red-brown coats and the short white socks on their rear legs matched exactly. She wondered if they were twins.
    Ben had the surrey ready to go in minutes, and then he helped Molly in with one hand and held Hope with the other arm.
    “Here you go. You get to hold the most precious of cargo while I drive.” He handed Hope to Molly.
    She settled the baby in her lap and wrapped both arms around her, making her as safe as she could.
    Ben walked around the back of the buggy and got in next to Molly.
    “Are my girls ready to go?”
    “We are.” Molly heart leapt. She was already one of his girls.
    He slapped the reins on the horse’s butts, and they started walking. Ben steered them out to Main Street and then out of town. Once he’d cleared the congestion of people and conveyances he let the horses have their heads, and they began to canter.
    The Brandon ranch was about five miles from town. The thirty-minute trip was filled with Hope’s chattering and laughter from Ben and Molly at