Kitty: Bride of Hawaii (American Mail-Order Bride 50) Read Free

her letter arrived, and they’d been able to come to an understanding within a month’s time. However, he’d traveled back to Hawaii before she’d arrived, and now she was stuck sailing alone.
    She eased back to the deck, panting shallow breaths of briny air, feeling slightly better now that her stomach was empty. It continued to spasm, but there was nothing else coming up. She was grateful for small favors.
    Now that the threat of imminent death had passed, she was able to observe the workings of the Castle Crown , one of the many ships owned by Castle & Snow Industries used for transporting both their own crops and other precious commodities from the mainland.
    The crew carried on as if it were just a normal day. And now that she thought of it, it was a normal day for them. Her life may be in upheaval, but this is what they did for a living.
    She only wasted a moment on envy that they didn’t suffer the same sickness she did. She needed to pull herself together, get up, and get settled in her cabin. She might be a passenger aboard the Castle Crown , but she didn’t plan on being the pathetic carcass she’d be if her stomach continued to revolt.
    Oh no . Her body heaved again, and she cursed as more contents came up. How was there still something in her stomach?
    Heavens, would this be her lot the entire voyage? Would she be forced to make camp here for the duration of their journey?
    Groaning, she curled in a ball, praying for death.
----
    B leary-eyed , Warren scrubbed a hand over his face and pushed away from the nailed-down desk. He’d lost hours to his work. The sun was starting to set, darkening his surroundings until his eyes strained to read his documents.
    It would be close to meal time soon, and he was ravenous from missing lunch.
    A deckhand snapped to attention as Warren stepped on deck. “Can I get anything for you, Mr. Castle?”
    Fresh ocean air filled Warren’s lungs. “No. I planned to check on when dinner would be served.”
    “Five o’clock. The new cook is extremely prompt.”
    “Excellent. When did—” Warren lost his train of thought at the sound of retching. “What on earth?”
    The wiry deckhand glanced over his shoulder to a mass of skirts now huddled on the deck, the woman’s hands clenching the railing. “Don’t mind her, sir. She’s having a hard time adjusting to her sea legs. It should pass.”
    The woman trembled as another bout of illness overtook her. Warren couldn’t make out anything about her other than deep emerald fabric and graceful hands. “What is she doing on board my ship?” He had strict rules about transporting random passengers to and from Hawaii. No one other than those who worked for the company were allowed passage.
    The man swallowed his tongue at Warren’s dark look. He stuttered. “Well… well, Mr. Castle, she’s headed to see Mr. Banner, sir.”
    “And who, may I ask, is she? I know Mr. Banner doesn’t have any family.”
    “That there’s his bride.”
    “His bride?” He eyed the woman again. “Mr. Banner married?”
    “Not exactly. She’s his mail-order bride. He set up passage for her on the Castle Crown from San Francisco once she agreed to marry him.”
    “I see.” His shoulders loosened. “Thank you for explaining.”
    The man nodded vigorously, but Warren had already dismissed him from his mind now that he was fully focused on the woman emptying her stomach. He should turn away, head back to his room. He knew that. It would be easier to forget he ever saw her in such a state. No doubt she’d prefer that as well, but as she was Timothy Banner’s fiancée, he felt it his duty to check on her.
    “Miss?”
    The woman whimpered, curling in a ball.
    Warren knelt down beside her. “My name is Warren Castle. Is there anything I can do to make you more comfortable?”
    She shifted, and fiery red curls tumbled from pins, cascading down around her shoulders. The sight took his breath away. He’d never seen such thick, beautiful hair