Nadine Trades Her Partner
Page 10
Nadine sat up straight with another thought. “Have you already talked to Pastor Reagan about having our wedding ceremony on Christmas Day? He might not want the extra duties that day.”
“Actually, yes, I did talk to Pastor, but I told him I hadn’t asked you yet, so I didn’t know if we’d marry soon, or next year. Pastor did say the Peashooter Society had already talked to him about a Christmas wedding, betting we’d be finally engaged by then.”
“What? We should change our wedding date, then.”
“Nope. I don’t want to wait any longer to be your husband.”
“Then how about we keep our wedding date secret, with only our family and friends knowing the date?”
“Will Pastor Reagan keep the secret from his wife too?” Wesley wondered.
“Oh, Pastor’s very good at keeping secrets, and he’d be delighted to surprise his wife and her cohorts,” Nadine promised.
“The hotel would be decorated, and we’d be preparing a big Christmas meal for all our family and our special friends anyway. Why not add a wedding and a cake?”
“Exactly! Let’s kiss once more time to seal our secret, and then I want to get out of here to start planning our wedding!”
Chapter 16
“Hello and come in!” Squires called out to them as they walked in Squires’ and Maisie’s home. Wesley helped Nadine and then Lucy out of their coats and hung the garments on the overflowing coat rack by the front door before taking off his hat and coat and trying to find a place to hang his outerwear too.
They were the last three people to arrive at the potluck according to who was already here. As usual, the men stood talking in the living room, and the women were congregated in the kitchen, getting the meal and drinks ready. Okay, Wesley heard Tobin in the kitchen too. He had offered to make stew for supper and was probably dishing it up instead of letting the women do it.
“Now that everyone is here, let’s get started. Someone go first to start the line,” Maisie said, trying to direct traffic.
“Wesley, how about you bring your sister through the line first? She’s our special guest tonight,” Maisie raised her hand above her head and pointed her finger that they should move up to the head of the line.
“Lucy and Nadine, please take your plates and move on so the rest of us can eat,” Wesley said when Nadine held back. He raised an eyebrow at her to remind her it was okay to go on.
“Nadine, that’s a new necklace. I haven’t seen you wear it before,” Avalee stepped up to her sister to finger the locket.
“Open it up and look inside,” Nadine said while looking back at him and winking. This was the moment their news would be announced.
Avalee studied the locket’s tiny photos and then looked at her sister and then Wesley with a question in her eyes.
“Is there something you want to tell us, Nadine?” Avalee narrowed her eyes at her sister.
“Yes, we’re engaged!” Nadine exuberantly exclaimed, and she and Avalee squealed like their little sisters did when they were excited about something.
“Congratulations! When did this happen, and might I add, finally?” Gordon asked as Wesley shook his hand, and then the hands of the rest of his friends.
“Yesterday, but... Nadine? Want to explain our secret engagement?”
“Secret? As in, what and why? I’m not good at keeping secrets,” Tobin looked worried about that.
“Gather around while Nadine explains, because you’re all a part of the plan,” Wesley announced.
“Pastor Reagan is going to marry us after the Christmas morning service, but—” Nadine stopped and raised her hands to stop everyone from asking questions around her.
“Only this group, my immediate family, and Pastor Reagan know about this now. You are not to tell anyone else, just be at the church service as usual on that day.”
“You think Kaitlyn Reagan and the Peashooters don’t already know this?” Amelia asked as she leaned against her husband, Barton.
“Not unless we have a snitch in the hotel,” Wesley added.
“Our wedding dinner and reception will be in the hotel. But, with your help, we want to also make the day a special tribute to Ann Beasley, and the ladies of the Peashooter Society,” Nadine told the group.
“Oh, what a wonderful idea!” Avalee said as she gave her sister another hug.
“Congratulations, Nadine, and Wesley. Now start down the food line before everything gets cold,” Maisie gave Nadine a congratulatory hug before gently pushing her to the overloaded serving table.
Wesley guided Lucy to follow Nadine, so glad he had these two special women in his life now, all because of the connections he found in Clear Creek, Kansas.
One month from tomorrow, he’d be a married man. Nadine looked back at him and smiled, love and happiness showing in her face, for him.
Wesley leaned forward and softly whispered, “I love you.” He was going to say that to her, God willing, every morning and night for the next fifty years.
“I love you too, Wesley Smith ,” Nadine whisper back.
“Huh. Do you want to become Mrs. Wesley Preston or Mrs. Wesley Smith, Nadine?”
“I’m not sure. I’ll meet you in the broom closet tonight after we get home and we’ll discuss it.”
“You know, I have an apartment that we could talk in, instead of that tiny broom closet.”
“Maybe you can talk your Paulson Hotel partner into changing the location of our meeting then.”
“I’ll do my best, Ma’am.” And Wesley sealed his promise with a quick kiss on her upturned lips.
~*~*~*~
Ready for the last book in the series?
The Christmas Plan
A sweet historical romance set in 1892.
The older members of the Clear Creek church women’s group, informally known as the Peashooter Society, successfully matched five couples who married this past fall.
When Nadine Paulson and Wesley Preston, the last couple to fall in love, announce their engagement to their friends after Thanksgiving, the group decides to plan a surprise thank you party for the Peashooters for bringing them together.
Only the friends know, as they decorate the hotel for the holiday event and bake hundreds of cookies, that the party guests will also witness the Christmas day wedding of Nadine and Wesley.
But not everything goes as planned when weather, family interference, and a new couple falling in love, might change the party planned for the Peashooters.
Party planning problems? Maybe. A happy ending? Definitely!
Click now to see The Christmas Plan on Amazon.
Dear Reader:
I hope you enjoyed reading one of the stories in the Mismatched Mail-order Bride Series. Please help other readers discover my books by either recommending them to family and friends by word of mouth or writing a review. I’d appreciate it.
For more information on this series, you can go to www.LindaHubalek.com , or go online to your favorite retailer, or ask your local library to order them for you. These are standalone stories, but I recommend reading the books in order to get the full benefit of the storyline.
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Many thanks from the Kansas prairie!
Linda K. Hubalek
Books by Linda K. Hubalek
Historical Romance Series
The Mismatched Mail-Order Brides Series
The third series set in Clear Creek, Kansas, 1892)
The Peashooter Society’s Plan
Amelia Changes her Fellow (Amelia and Barton)
Avalee Exchanges her Fiancé (Avalee and Gordon)
Maggie Shifts her Gent (Maggie and Peter)
Maisie Swaps her Groom (Maisie and Squires)
Molly
Switches her Man (Molly and Tobin)
Nadine Trades her Partner (Nadine and Wesley)
The Christmas Plan
Grooms with Honor Series
The second series set in Clear Creek, Kansas, 1885-1892)
Angus’ Trust (Angus and Daisy)
Fergus’ Honor (Fergus and Iris)
Gabe’s Pledge (Gabe and Iva Mae)
Mack’s Care (Mack and Pansy)
Cullen’s Love (Cullen and Rose)
Seth’s Promise (Seth and Lily)
Adolph’s Choice (Adolph and Poppy)
Nolan’s Vow (Nolan and Holly)
Elof’s Mission (Elof and Linnea)
Jasper’s Wish (Jasper and Julip)
Tully’s Faith (Tully and Violet)
Kiowa’s Oath (Kiowa and Mary)
Brides with Grit Series
The first series set in Clear Creek, Kansas, 1873
Rania Ropes a Rancher (Rania and Jacob)
Millie Marries a Marshal (Millie and Adam)
Hilda Hogties a Horseman (Hilda and Noah)
Cora Captures a Cowboy (Cora and Dagmar)
Sarah Snares a Soldier (Sarah and Marcus)
Cate Corrals a Cattleman (Cate and Isaac)
Darcie Desires a Drover (Darcie and Reuben)
Tina Tracks a Trail Boss (Tina and Leif)
Lorna Loves a Lawyer (Lorna and Lyle)
Helen Heals a Hotelier (Helen and Ethan)
Faye Favors a Foreman (Faye and Rusty)
Amy Admires an Amish Man (Amy and Eli)
~*~*~*~
Contemporary Romance Series by Linda K. Hubalek
The Clear Creek Legacy Series features descendants of the Brides with Grit and Grooms with Honor families (available and future titles)
The Saddler’s Legacy (featuring the Shepard families)
The Rancher’s Birthright (featuring the Reagan families)
The Marshal’s Gift (featuring the Wilerson families)
The Cowboy’s Heritage (featuring the Hamner families)
The Soldier’s Bequest (featuring the Brenner families)
Historical Fiction Series by Linda K. Hubalek
Trail of Thread Series
Trail of Thread
Thimble of Soil
Stitch of Courage
Butter in the Well Series
Butter in the Well
Prairie Bloomin’
Egg Gravy
Looking Back
Planting Dreams Series
Planting Dreams
Cultivating Hope
Harvesting Faith
Kansas Quilter Series
Tying the Knot
About the Author
Linda Hubalek has written over forty books about strong women and honorable men, with a touch of humor, despair, and drama woven into the stories. The setting for all the series is the Kansas prairie, which Linda enjoys daily, whether by being outside or looking at it through her office window.
Her historical romance series include Brides with Grit, Grooms with Honor, and the Mismatched Mail-Order Brides. Linda’s historical fiction series, based on her ancestors’ pioneer lives, include Butter in the Well, Trail of Thread, and Planting Dreams.
When not writing, Linda is reading (usually with dark chocolate within reach), gardening (channeling her degree in Horticulture), or traveling with her husband to explore the world.
Linda loves to hear from her readers, so visit her website to contact her or browse the site to read about her books.
www.LindaHubalek.com/
Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Books by Linda K. Hubalek
About the Author
The End