Cinders' Bride: Mail Order Brides of Texas Read Free Page B

firmly. “That won’t be a problem for me.” Cinders quickly glanced away from her probing expression. He wasn’t about to go down that road again.
    Swallowing hard, she nodded her consent. “Then thank you.” Her voice quavered and the uncovered side of her face looked a deathly white as though she'd been sentenced to the gallows.
    “Well, Judge, you might as well marry us now.” Cinders stood next to Shannon, noticing for the first time just how delicate she was. He knew she was small, but next to him, she seemed tiny.
    The humor in the judges blue eyes fled. “Now? But I haven’t had my breakfast.” He sighed and nodded. “Eats, hold the food. I need you and Poor Boy to come and witness the wedding.”
    Eats came rambling over, his dark eyes full of excitement. Following behind him was a thin boy with mouse-brown hair and brown sullen eyes. “Ain’t never had a weddin’ in here afore.”
     
    ****
     
    The next thing she knew she was standing next to Cinders facing Judge Gleason. Words were spoken and she made all the appropriate responses, but Cinders’ quick peck on her lips surprised her.
    “Now git so I can eat, and don’t forget to settle up with Hardy.” He nodded and smiled. “Have a good day, Mrs. Cinders.”
    Cinders opened the door and followed behind her onto the boardwalk. She stopped and peered up at him. “Your last name is Cinders?”
    “Yep.”
    “What’s your first name?”
    “You didn’t hear it during the wedding? You can just call me Cinders.”
    “Surely you can tell me your first name.” She shook her head. “It has to be a better name than Poor Boy. Just tell me.”
    He smiled and offered her his arm. “I do believe we have business to take care of. Then I’m taking you home.” He walked her to the mercantile aware that people stared at every step they took.
    “My bag is already in your wagon?”
    “Edith probably put it there. Do you want to wait inside the store or in the wagon? I don’t want you anywhere near Hardy.”
    “The wagon please.” He easily spanned her waist with his big hands and helped her up. He seemed like a good man. Perhaps she'd gotten lucky after all.
    After a minute, she thought perhaps she'd made the wrong decision to wait in the wagon. A crowd gathered around her, not saying a word, just looking at her. It took every ounce of pride she possessed to sit with her back straight and her chin up. She’d done nothing wrong and she wasn’t going to allow them to intimidate her.
    She’d hoped for a few kind words, or maybe congratulations on her nuptials, but nothing was said. Now nervous, she pretended to smooth out the horrid wrinkles in her skirt.
    Cinders walked toward the wagon looking thunderous. An attractive woman with blonde hair stopped him. She watched as they exchanged words and the woman glanced at Shannon, her mouth curved in a frown. She instantly knew Cinders was meant for someone else. As Cinders walked away from the woman, Shannon adverted her gaze. Had she known…
    The wagon tilted slightly as Cinders climbed up and sat beside her. “Quite the crowd.”
    She noticed his face when he removed his hat to wipe the sweat from his brow. “What happened to your eye?” Her stomach clenched as she stared at the bruised skin. “Did John Hardy do this to you?”
    “Let’s get going, we’ll talk when we get out of town,” he sighed.
    Shannon sat proudly beside her new husband as he maneuvered his team of horses down the street. Now the people who had stared earlier warmed up in Cinders’ presence.
    Once out of town, her shoulders relaxed a bit. Until then, she hadn’t realized how wound she’d been. So much had happened in less than twenty-four hours. She touched the bandage with the tips of her work-worn fingers and peered at her husband from the corner of her eye. The brim of his hat shaded his eyes but she knew them to be kind.
    He glanced at her and she quickly turned her head to gaze at the countryside. It was beautiful