Capital Bride Read Free Page B

but because she needed them, to use them. She had them carefully tucked away in one of the four steamer trunks she brought. Each trunk was filled to bursting with clothes, shoes and books. She may be going to the frontier but she that didn’t mean she couldn’t be civilized.
    Before they left for the boarding house she’d gotten out her grandmother’s wedding ring. She’d never worn it before because everyone knew she wasn’t married. Now though, they didn’t know and it would stop a lot of questions she’d rather not answer. The plain gold band fit perfectly on her finger. She felt her grandmother’s strength with it on, that she could face anything. When she married Mr. Atwood she would wear his ring on her left hand and her grandmothers on her right.  
    Sarah and MaryAnn arrived in Denver on May 15 th at half past four in the afternoon. They’d spent seven generally uncomfortable days on several different railroads to get there. MaryAnn had been a blessing, making friends with other people on the train along the way. Even so, Sarah didn’t care if she never saw another train again. She was tired and cranky, definitely not a good traveler, unlike her daughter, who seemed more excited with each new landscape they crossed.  
    Sarah’d had enough prairie, corn fields and cattle by the second day out of Chicago. Denver sat at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. Magnificent in their grandeur and a blessing to Sarah because it meant their trip was at an end. She was to meet Mr. Atwood here at the station.  
    The porters unloaded her trunks and she had MaryAnn stand beside them, while she panicked. One of the trunks was missing. Until she unpacked them she wouldn’t know which one.
    “What do you mean one of my trunks is missing? How can you mislay a steamer trunk?”
    “I’m sorry Ma’am. We’ll find it and send it to you when we do.” The poor conductor was almost as upset as Sarah.  
    She took a deep breath and tried to calm down. “Very well. Here is the address of where I’ll be. Please send the trunk there as soon as possible.”
    He accepted her ticket and handed her a receipt back. “Yes, Ma’am. Again please accept my apologies.”
    She nodded and walked back to where MaryAnn stood.
    It was May, but the chill air gave Sarah shivers. She pulled MaryAnn closer to keep her warm. MaryAnn taking a chill was that last thing that Sarah needed. The trunks blocked part of the wind that whistled by the open platform, but none of the cold.
    In a short while, a large man pulled up driving a long wagon with side boards. He had dark coffee brown hair that brushed the collar of his black wool coat and was graying at the temples. With his vivid green eyes he was one of the handsomest men she’d encountered in some time. Why would this man need a mail order bride?
    Next to him was a little girl with hair as pale as MaryAnn’s was dark. She had the same green eyes as her father. The black coat she was growing out of revealed the hem to her light blue dress peeking out the bottom. This had to be Mr. Atwood and Katy.  
    He jumped down and then held his arms up to the child. The girl fell into them and wrapped her arms around his neck. There she buried her face, clearly not wanting to meet her new stepmother and sister.
    He carried her up the stairs of the platform stopping in front of Sarah. Now that he was closer she saw that his green eyes were rimmed with dark lashes and stood in sharp contrast to his dark hair. Sun, wind and laughter had left lines at his mouth and eyes, giving him character. His face was very pleasing with a sexy shadow of stubble on his strong jaw.
    “Mrs. Johnson?” His smooth baritone washed over her leaving her with a little tingle of awareness. One she hadn’t felt in years. Not since before Lee died.
    Sarah nodded. “Yes. Mr. Atwood?”
    “Yes. This is Katy,” he smiled down at the girl in his arms.
    “Hello, Katy. I’m Sarah and this is my daughter MaryAnn,” Sarah said. She