Plum Pudding Bride Read Online Free

moment he stepped off the wagon, and Patience wouldn’t be limping right now.
    “Is that a gun in your belt?” Kitty clapped her hand over her mouth.
    Peter tugged his shirt down to cover it better. He imagined stout people, like Henry the blacksmith, had an easier time concealing weapons.
    “That’s splendid, just splendid. Patience has a weakness for a man with a gun.” Kitty smiled peacefully as if they hadn’t all three almost been shot yesterday afternoon.
    “Sheriff Westwood says the fellow I brought in is a wanted man. He thinks there’s likely more outlaws about.”
    “How delightful. Maybe you can shoot a few for Patience, mix up the bringing outlaws down with your bare hands.”
    “I’m done. Deceit’s not the way to get a bride.”
    “Balderdash! Every good love story involves a little deceit. Just look at Jacob and Leah.”
    “And that worked out so poorly Jacob married another wife a week later. As I said before, I’m done.” Peter rested his hands on his belt.
    “But everything’s going so well. I swear Patience was jealous of me this afternoon, turned quite green when I told her we were in love.”
    “You told her what?” Peter stared at the seventeen-year-old.
    “Now you listen to me, Peter Foote.” Kitty marched right up into his face and held up her finger like a schoolmarm. “Do you want the love of your life to marry some backwoods wifebeater and die in childbirth at the tender age of twenty-five?”
    “No.” It seemed a fairly straightforward question.
    “Then you must continue on.” When she said it like that, with a flourish of her milky white hand, it sounded true.
    He dug his hands into his pockets. “All right, but no more careening wagons or trumped-up brushes with death.”
    “Then kiss me.” She puckered her lips and gazed up at him.
    “What?”
    “Kiss me.” She shrugged her shoulders up in a flirtatious gesture.
    “I remember you in short skirts. I couldn’t possibly kiss you.”
    “That was years ago. I’m all grown up now. Besides, I’ve kissed a boy before.” She fluttered her eyelashes at him. She did that overmuch.
    “I have a good mind to tell Patience on you.” He stared disapprovingly at the child. Patience had been right about one thing; her sister most definitely needed a chaperone.
    “Fine, just a peck on the cheek then. We need to make Patience jealous, and Mrs. Clinton is walking behind us at this precise moment, and you know whatever she sees is all over town by morning.”
    True. And there were only ten days left until Patience boarded the train to her nightmarish groom. Against his better judgment, Peter bent down and touched his lips to Kitty’s cheek. His hand went behind her back to do it, and he dipped her quite respectably before pulling her back up. It felt very wrong
    “Why, that was wonderful. I don’t see why Patience says you kiss like a wet duck.” Little pink spots showed on Kitty’s cheeks as she beamed.
    “I’ve never even kissed Patience.” Oh wait, there had been that incident in the creek during the Fourth of July picnic seven years ago. He’d swear up and down to this day that his foot had slipped on a rock and that’s why it had happened though.
    “It was very romantic how you dipped me down. I’m sure your lips taste good too. Not as good as Bart Hensley’s though.” Kitty folded her hands.
    “Kitty Callahan, you’re seventeen years old. Do I need to tell your pa you need a switching?”
    “Just marry my sister and then you can be the most protective of brother-in-laws and Bart won’t dare steal my virtue.” A very unrepentant Kitty winked at him.

3
    Sleet fell, obscuring the dark shapes of Gilman shops and houses.
    Peter snapped his black umbrella closed and ushered Kitty into the Wednesday night hymn-sing.
    People milled about in the foyer, piling muffs and capes precariously high on top of clothes trees.
    Throwing back her lacy shawl, Kitty clapped her hands together. “My first time at