Twice Promised (The Blue Willow Brides Book #2): A Novel Read Free

done. As they awaited his explanation, he wondered where to start.
    He cleared his throat and decided to plunge right in. “I know that you’re both very angry with me at the moment, but I hope you’ll hear me out.” He set his hat on the chair next to him and looked directly across the table at the two mail-order brides. “I didn’t set out to dupe you, but I wanted you to care about my brother for my own selfish reasons. You see, my brother’s business took off like a steam engine when the miners descended on Central City on their way to the gold and silver deep in the mountains. I’ve been working right alongside him, but I have other things I’m interested in besides running a general store.”
    “And what has that got to do with us, pray tell?” Greta clearly was getting impatient. “Does he need two wives to help him run his store?”
    Zach grinned. She really didn’t mince her words, but he liked her straightforwardness. “No, but he could use more help. I’m afraid he’s a bit unorganized and doesn’t do well with keeping track of orders, or ordering things, for that matter. He complains but says he has no time for a wife because he’s too busy, and she would need more attention than he could afford to give.” He paused, watching their attentive faces. They seemed to be two totally opposite women, but that could be a good thing, couldn’t it? It might make it easier for Jess to choose. “So I actually wrote those letters. I took it upon myself to correspond with you two lovely ladies seeking husbands in hopes that one of you might fit the bill as a wife for my lonely brother.”
    “You mean Jess doesn’t know?” Greta sputtered, almost knocking over her water glass.
    “We’re not things you can just order up and amuse yourself with for your own purposes,” Cora snapped. “Your letters were quite convincing—which leads me to believe you must have a wife yourself.”
    “Actually, I’m not married. I’ve courted a few nice ladies, but I’m not considering marriage right now. But this is not about me.” Zach would have to tread carefully or things might not go as he planned. “I know what’s good for my brother.”
    Greta gave Zach a hard look. “Cora’s right. Now we both have arrived to marry a man who doesn’t even know we exist!”
    Cora looked over at Greta. “I say we leave on the first train back to Denver tomorrow.”
    Greta’s rosy lips pursed in an angry line. “You may be right, but I don’t want to go back to Wyoming and deal with the humiliation of it all. I can’t speak for you, Cora.”
    Zach ran his hands through his hair in exasperation. “Then you may as well stay here. Accommodations are scarce at the moment, I’m afraid. I’ll put you up in a cabin for now, and you can decide how you feel tomorrow about my plan.”
    “And what plan is that?” Greta shot him a disparaging look.
    “I’ll introduce you to my brother as mail-order brides seeking husbands, who want to work in the general store. That’ll give you both ample time to get to know him, and he can decide between the two of you.”
    Greta laughed. “Oh, I get it. He’s supposed to fall in love with one of us just like that!” She snapped her fingers.
    “Well . . . yes . . . as a matter of fact, I think he could. Both of you are stunning. Any man would jump at the chance.” Zach leaned back in his chair.
    “Just imagine that, Greta. We’ve been duped into falling for an imaginary love.” Cora shook her head and sighed. “And I thought I’d found a man I could love. I should’ve known better.”
    The waiter appeared, placed three heaping platefuls of food before them, and refilled their water glasses. Greta looked across the table at Zach. “Well, I have no fantasy of love. I was looking for a change of scenery and maybe someone I could care about, but love . . . well, that’s a different story altogether.”
    Cora’s eyebrows shot upward, but Zach didn’t question her about