Love Finds You in Poetry, Texas Read Online Free

over Georg as he watched Belinda sprint across the street in the direction of the post office. For whatever reason, he couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that her visit to town had something to do with him.

Chapter Three

    Less than a month after mailing the letter, Belinda steered the family wagon through the center of Poetry, past the mercantile, the barbershop, and the hotel, and then south toward the nearby town of Terrell. She could scarcely keep her jittery nerves in check. A trickle of moisture made its way down her back and she squirmed, wishing the glaring sun overhead would tuck itself behind a cloud. Perhaps then she could stop perspiring.
    Turning to Greta on the seat beside her, she garnered the courage to begin a well-rehearsed speech. “I, um...well, thank you for coming with me today.”
    Greta fussed with her bonnet and then turned back to her with a perplexed look on her face. “Can you tell me why we’re doing this now?” she asked, tugging at the neckline of her dress. “This is one secret that has gone on too long. What’s so important that we have to leave the store in the middle of the day and go to Terrell? And in this heat no less!”
    Drawing in a deep breath, Belinda tried to gain her composure. Her cousin would likely think she’d lost her mind, once she heard the reason. Perhaps she had. These last few weeks, Belinda had begun to wonder about that very thing herself. Many times, in fact. Oh, how she prayed this would all work out, that she hadn’t somehow gotten ahead of the Lord. She cleared her throat. “I, um, I’ve been keeping something from you, Greta.”
    “I’ve guessed as much and am glad to finally hear you confess it.” Greta suddenly looked interested. Now beaming with anticipation, she leaned over and whispered, “What is it?”
    Belinda carefully plotted out her next words. “Well, you know about my matchmaking services, of course.”
    “Who doesn’t?” Greta snorted in an unladylike fashion. “People all over town are talking about you!”
    “Very funny.”
    “ Funny scarcely begins to describe it.” Greta looped her bonnet strings in place and then gave Belinda a pensive look. “But which part of your matchmaking are you referring to? The part where you asked Samuel Bromstead to shave his beard so that he would look more appealing to Old Widow Hanson, or the part where you told Reverend Billingsley to polish up his wedding sermon because we’re about to have an influx of marriages in Poetry?”
    Belinda groaned. “This has nothing to do with Samuel Bromstead or Ella Hanson. I’ve been withholding important information because I wasn’t sure how you would respond to my news. We’re headed to the train station to fetch a potential bride for one of our town’s most eligible bachelors.”
    “A b–bride?” Greta grabbed her arm and gestured for her to slow the wagon. “A real, honest-to-goodness bride? For whom ?”
    Belinda felt her cheeks heat up. Gracious. If Greta reacted this way, what would the others do? Her mother, father...Georg?
    “Belinda?” Greta continued to stare at her as the seconds ticked by. “Who is the bride for ?”
    She took a deep breath and spit out the name as quickly as she could. “Georg.”
    “G–georg? Georg Kaufman?” Greta clamped a hand over her mouth and then laughed uproariously. “I don’t believe it! He actually went along with you? Oh, this is priceless! He’s more desperate than he appears, to be sure. I would never have guessed this of him.”
    “Well, I...”
    “I can’t believe he paid you money to do this.” Greta chortled. “Wait till the others hear that he’s gone and fetched himself a bride from out of state! He’ll be the talk of the town. I can only imagine the chatter now.”
    “He, um...” Belinda exhaled sharply. “He didn’t exactly fetch a bride for himself, Greta.”
    Confusion registered in her cousin’s eyes. “What do you mean?”
    “I mean...” Belinda swallowed hard and