Pioneer Love: Damaged Hearts Head West: Mail Order Bride 5 Bundle Read Online Free Page A
Author: Indiana Wake
Tags: Romance, Historical, Western, Spirituality, Religious, Christian, Anthology, Inspirational, Collections, Bachelor, Marriage of Convenience, bundle, Faith, clean, Sacrifice, Mail Order Brides, responsibility, Forever Love, Single Woman, Pioneer, Love Inspired, Matrimony, Frontier, Five Books, Head West
returned to their food. Anna pushed the lamb stew around her plate. Her appetite seemed to have left her and now she was merely playing with the food.
"What, if you don't mind me asking, happened to your leg?" Ryan said, in as gentle a tone as he could.
Ian reproached his brother, but Anna looked at Ian with a smile and a look that said it was all right. She knew this would come up and didn’t mind talking about it. "I was in an accident when I was a child. I was learning to ride and the horse reared up and ran away with me. It came to a big fence and stopped abruptly. I fell and the horse turned and in its panic, stomped on my leg before running off. My leg was badly broken. The Doc did what he could and said it may heal. Luckily it did and now all I have to show for it is a limp, which is way better than a crutch, a wheelchair or death."
Ian looked devastated by her story and Ryan himself looked a bit sick. He apologized once again for his behavior and they went back to their dinner. After a few minutes of eating in silence, Ian spoke up. "Miss Montgomery, if you'd like I could show you around the Lodge. You could meet the guests and see how we run things here. If you are tired though, you should rest and I'll show you around the day after or whenever you'd like." He seemed to be mumbling towards the end and a blush had crept up his neck. His brother looked at him with interest.
Anna looked at Ian thankfully and replied, "That would be most enjoyable. Maybe tomorrow thank you. And please if there is anything at all I can do to help around here, please tell me. I want to pull my weight here and not be a burden on you."
"Oh, I'm sure we could find something for you to do," Ian replied cheekily. "But please, don't feel like you have to do anything. You are not a burden at all and we'd like you to stay as long as you want, don't we brother," he said, turning to his brother.
Ryan smiled at Anna and said in a sugary voice, "Yes if you do want to stay, we'd like that very much." Anna blushed at both the brothers' comments and thanked them for their generosity.
Ryan turned toward Ian. "Brother, I need to go away tomorrow for a week. Mr. Henderson has a proposition he wants to make and I intend to see what he has to offer before I accept anything. So, you are gonna have to look after the lodge nice and proper ya' hear me?" Ian squirmed in his seat and glared at his brother. Ryan grinned back, enjoying making his brother uncomfortable.
"I look after it every time you go so you don't have to talk to me like I'm a child, Ryan," Ian said.
"I know, it's just fun reminding you that I'm the older one," Ryan replied, his grin growing bigger every second.
Anna enjoyed watching their banter as they continued to go back and forth and soon they had pulled her into it as well. She found herself laughing and teasing and being more comfortable with these two strangers within a few hours than she had been with anyone else in her entire life.
Chapter 7
The next morning Anna took breakfast in her room. It had been quite a journey and she needed a little time to herself. Before she ate, she pulled out her Bible and said a prayer.
As always she felt more confident afterward and she hoped she would find peace here. Just as she was finishing her breakfast, there was a gentle knock at the door.
Smoothing her hair and straightening her frock she opened the door and was surprised to find Ian.
“Good morning,” he said. “Ryan’s busy preparing for his trip so I wondered if you would like a tour of the place.”
Anna smiled and followed him out into the hallway.
The top floor was all bedrooms and he took her down into the private side of the house. The dining room where they had eaten last night looked out onto a snow-covered vista with mountains in the distance. It took her breath away and she could not help but stare.
“I hope you don’t find it too bleak,” Ryan said.
“Not bleak… but beautiful.”
“This is the
"What, if you don't mind me asking, happened to your leg?" Ryan said, in as gentle a tone as he could.
Ian reproached his brother, but Anna looked at Ian with a smile and a look that said it was all right. She knew this would come up and didn’t mind talking about it. "I was in an accident when I was a child. I was learning to ride and the horse reared up and ran away with me. It came to a big fence and stopped abruptly. I fell and the horse turned and in its panic, stomped on my leg before running off. My leg was badly broken. The Doc did what he could and said it may heal. Luckily it did and now all I have to show for it is a limp, which is way better than a crutch, a wheelchair or death."
Ian looked devastated by her story and Ryan himself looked a bit sick. He apologized once again for his behavior and they went back to their dinner. After a few minutes of eating in silence, Ian spoke up. "Miss Montgomery, if you'd like I could show you around the Lodge. You could meet the guests and see how we run things here. If you are tired though, you should rest and I'll show you around the day after or whenever you'd like." He seemed to be mumbling towards the end and a blush had crept up his neck. His brother looked at him with interest.
Anna looked at Ian thankfully and replied, "That would be most enjoyable. Maybe tomorrow thank you. And please if there is anything at all I can do to help around here, please tell me. I want to pull my weight here and not be a burden on you."
"Oh, I'm sure we could find something for you to do," Ian replied cheekily. "But please, don't feel like you have to do anything. You are not a burden at all and we'd like you to stay as long as you want, don't we brother," he said, turning to his brother.
Ryan smiled at Anna and said in a sugary voice, "Yes if you do want to stay, we'd like that very much." Anna blushed at both the brothers' comments and thanked them for their generosity.
Ryan turned toward Ian. "Brother, I need to go away tomorrow for a week. Mr. Henderson has a proposition he wants to make and I intend to see what he has to offer before I accept anything. So, you are gonna have to look after the lodge nice and proper ya' hear me?" Ian squirmed in his seat and glared at his brother. Ryan grinned back, enjoying making his brother uncomfortable.
"I look after it every time you go so you don't have to talk to me like I'm a child, Ryan," Ian said.
"I know, it's just fun reminding you that I'm the older one," Ryan replied, his grin growing bigger every second.
Anna enjoyed watching their banter as they continued to go back and forth and soon they had pulled her into it as well. She found herself laughing and teasing and being more comfortable with these two strangers within a few hours than she had been with anyone else in her entire life.
Chapter 7
The next morning Anna took breakfast in her room. It had been quite a journey and she needed a little time to herself. Before she ate, she pulled out her Bible and said a prayer.
As always she felt more confident afterward and she hoped she would find peace here. Just as she was finishing her breakfast, there was a gentle knock at the door.
Smoothing her hair and straightening her frock she opened the door and was surprised to find Ian.
“Good morning,” he said. “Ryan’s busy preparing for his trip so I wondered if you would like a tour of the place.”
Anna smiled and followed him out into the hallway.
The top floor was all bedrooms and he took her down into the private side of the house. The dining room where they had eaten last night looked out onto a snow-covered vista with mountains in the distance. It took her breath away and she could not help but stare.
“I hope you don’t find it too bleak,” Ryan said.
“Not bleak… but beautiful.”
“This is the
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