The Chef's Mail Order Bride: A Sweet Western Historical Romance (Wild West Frontier Brides Book 1) Read Free Page B

cards that spelled out the recipes in her mother’s hand.
    James laughed as he and Suzanne exchanged glances. “He’d worked at the ranch for years, and had an accident. Part of his job had been to ride the trail with them, and he was gone sometimes for a month at a time. He couldn’t travel like that anymore, and his boss liked him and his cooking so much that he sent him to chef school in New York. Paid for it and everything, with the promise that he’d come back home and open a restaurant.”
    Sadie’s eyes flew open. “New York?” she cried. “He learned to cook in New York?”
    “Yes, isn’t it amazing? Learned all the latest dishes and techniques. It made him so happy.” Suzanne rested her hand on James’s arm and Sadie noticed a glance between them. She decided to ask later as Lucy, who had fallen asleep on her lap, sat up and rubbed her eyes.
    “Are we there yet?” she asked.
    Lily woke up when she heard Lucy’s voice, and Sadie remembered what it was like when she and Suzanne had been little—always knowing what the other was thinking and doing, it seemed.
    “No, little love, but almost,” Suzanne said as she stroked the beautiful, blonde hair of her daughter.
    Sadie’s heart beat faster at her sister’s answer, fatigue battling with curiosity. To distract herself from her growing nervousness, she glanced at the child in her lap.
    The twins were almost the spitting image of Suzanne—and, well, Sadie—when she was little. She wondered what it would be like to have four people around who looked alike and thought it must feel odd for James.
    A thought crossed her mind and she turned to Suzanne. “If his employer sent him to school in New York for him to come back and open his restaurant, isn’t he the one putting up the money for it? I thought you said a loan was necessary to open the restaurant. And that’s why he needs a wife.”
    Sadie squinted as she saw her sister and brother-in-law exchange glances yet again. “All right, there’s something you’re not telling me. What is it?” she asked. She hoped that it wasn’t anything that would make her get back on the train. At least not until she’d had a bath and a hot meal.
    “Well…” Suzanne started.
    “Let me tell her, my dear. He’s my friend, and this was my idea, actually,” James started hesitantly.
    Suzanne smiled and nodded.
    “When Tripp was injured and couldn’t go on the trail any longer, he had a difficult time for a bit. His boss made a very sincere offer to him, and it took a bit of convincing.”
    “A lot of convincing,” Suzanne cut in with a smile.
    James sighed and continued. “Yes, a lot of convincing to get him to even accept that offer. He can be a little—”
    “Stubborn,” Suzanne said, finishing his sentence for her husband.
    James glanced at her and she turned her attention to the scenery, trying to cover her smile with her hand but Sadie caught it before she’d turned completely away.
    “I was going to say proud, my dear.”
    He cleared his throat before he went on. “When he came back, he was really excited about the restaurant he wanted to open, and knew exactly how he wanted it to look and exactly what he wanted to serve.”
    “May I?” Suzanne asked, re-entering the conversation.
    “Oh, go ahead,” James said, turning his eyes back to the road.
    “Tripp and his boss apparently weren’t on the same page about what type of restaurant it should be. Honestly, it was a stressful time for both of them due to extenuating circumstances. They attempted some negotiations, but Tripp eventually thanked him for his kindness in sending him to school but told him he’d find funding elsewhere. It was a little uncomfortable, I must say.”
    She nodded at James, who took the cue to add more to the story.
    “He parted on good terms with the rancher. Mr. Archer wished him well and told him he’d put in a good word at the bank for a loan. But when Tripp went to the bank, he found out that a loan of this