RICKY: A Sweet Western Historical Romance (Mail-Order Brides Club Book 5)

by Ashley Merrick

  “What do you think?” Colleen asked.

  “Perfection!” Brianna declared.

  Sarah stood and peered in the small mirror that was nailed to the wall. It was cloudy and had a crack running through it, but she could still see enough to appreciate the work the girls had done.

  “It looks lovely. Thank you both.”

  “All right, then, are you ready to go?” Colleen asked.

  “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

  * * *

  Sarah gathered the rest of her belongings into a small bag, and then the four of them made their way down the narrow staircase and out of the saloon. Sarah glanced back at the building as they walked outside and felt a strong sense of relief that she never had to go back there again.

  It was a short walk to the church and once they arrived there, Colleen took her bag.

  “I’ll set this aside. Just remind me to fetch it again when we leave.”

  “I hope it’s all right if Paul walks you down the aisle?” Brianna asked. “He and David and Ricky have always been close as they are all about the same age. Closer even than Ricky is with his own brothers. Ricky’s brothers are quite a bit older and they married very young. They don’t really have much in common,” she explained.

  “Of course it’s all right. Thank you.” Sarah had wondered who would walk her down the aisle. Now that they were inside the church, the nerves were back again. She said a silent prayer that she was doing the right thing, and a moment later she felt a sense of peace wash over her that was comforting.

  She took a deep breath and looked around. They were in an outside room and she could see people walking by into the sanctuary.

  Brianna left them and then returned a few minutes later with a tall, blond-haired man who she introduced as her husband, Paul. “It’s a real pleasure to meet you,” he said as he extended his hand. Sarah shook it and smiled back. “You, as well. Thank you for walking me down the aisle.”

  “It’s an honor.” He had an easy smile and a sunniness about him that relaxed her. So far, she really liked Ricky’s family.

  “Andrew, do you want to come with me? I’ll show you to your special waiting place, so you can see your mama walk down the aisle.” Colleen had explained that she and Brianna would lead the way for Andrew to follow and they would tell him to stand next to Ricky.

  They left, and then a few minutes later the organ music floated to them and Paul held out his hand. “Are you ready to walk with me?”

  “I’m ready.” She linked her arm in his and he led her slowly down the aisle. The church was full of parishioners and friends of Ricky’s family. Virtually all of them were complete strangers to Sarah, but they were smiling and that also helped ease her nerves a bit.

  When they reached the altar, Andrew waved to her and Sarah smiled back at him. He looked so cute and serious, standing next to Ricky. Ricky stepped forward as Paul took his spot next to Andrew and David.

  Pastor Ben stood between them and began the simple service that would marry them. He reached their vows and then asked each of them to repeat the words back to him and to each other.

  Then they exchanged rings and Sarah almost gasped when she saw the beautiful gold band with tiny diamonds that matched the ring he’d given her at their house and also the simple gold band he had left for her to give to him. It was perfect, yet at the same time she felt a bit guilty that it was too much.

  “I now pronounce you husband and wife, you may now kiss the bride.”

  Ricky grinned as he caught her eyes and then leaned in for a kiss. His lips touched hers briefly and then lingered a bit longer, and Sarah was pleasantly surprised by how much she enjoyed his kiss.

  “So, it’s official now. Shall we go celebrate?” Ricky asked as they strolled together down the aisle and out the side door. Andrew was right behind them.

  “Is it time for cake now?” he asked.

  “Yes, it’s almost time for cake,” Ricky answered him.

  “Oh, I need to go get my bag,” Sarah remembered.

  “I have it,” Colleen said as she joined them and passed it to Sarah.

  They waited outside as the rest of the guests filed out, and most stopped over to offer their congratulations and to introduce themselves to Sarah.

  Both of Ricky’s brothers and sister were there, and Sarah met them all and noticed that they all resembled each other, though his brothers, being more than ten years older, had some streaks of gray around their hairline. They each had two children, as did his sister, Mary. Sarah tried to remember all of their spouses’ names as well as the children’s and knew she’d have to ask Ricky again later as there were so many people and names coming at her all at once.

  “My parents couldn’t make it, unfortunately. My mother had a rough night and my father didn’t want to leave her, understandably. I thought maybe we’d take a ride over there later this afternoon so you can meet them. I know my mother was disappointed that she couldn’t make it.”

  “Oh, I feel so badly for her. I definitely want to meet her later, if she’s feeling well enough.”

  “I know she’d want us to come by. We won’t stay long enough to tire her out, though.”

  An older couple came up to them then and Sarah noticed that Ricky bore a slight resemblance to both of them.

  “I’m Naomi, and this is my husband Jed. We are so excited to meet you!” Naomi immediately gave her a big hug, while Jed held out his hand.

  Sarah shook it and said, “It’s nice to meet you, as well. I’ve heard a lot about you both.”

  “All good things, I hope?” Naomi’s eyes twinkled. “We have plenty of food back at the house and Julia’s famous chocolate cake. We like to eat in this family.”

  “That’s so generous of you, thank you.”

  “You’re part of the family now. See you soon.”

  They walked off and as soon as Ricky finished introducing her to everyone, the three of them climbed into his buggy and headed off to Jed and Naomi’s house.

  Chapter 6

  Ricky felt a sense of pride as he introduced Sarah to everyone. She was so poised and wholesome-looking in her pretty, light purple dress, with her hair all piled up on her head. You’d never know she had been a saloon girl.

  He frowned at that thought, pushing aside the fact that he’d never looked at Sarah as a possible wife previously, because, in fact, she had been a saloon girl and as such it simply hadn’t crossed his mind.

  Once it did, though, it seemed like the perfect solution. He hoped that the rest of the community would be as open-minded. Sarah was clearly a respectable girl, who had simply fallen on some hard times.

  Though he had tried not to show it, he’d been horrified by the size of the apartment that she and her son had been living in. They would have plenty of room to roam around in their new home, and Ricky was glad for it. Now, maybe it would feel more like a home instead of a house that was much too big for one person.

  They were the last to arrive at Jed and Naomi’s. When they came inside, there was easily triple the normal crowd for a Sunday dinner. Word had spread and all of their family and friends were there.

  Naomi had really outdone herself. There were piles of food everywhere, banquet style, roast chicken, sliced meats, potatoes, assorted breads and plenty of cheeses and nuts. They didn’t generally have alcohol at Sunday dinner, but given that it was also a celebration, there was beer and wine and a special lemonade punch that had alcohol in it.

  “Would you like something to drink?” Ricky asked Sarah.

  “I have lemonade for the children, too,” Naomi said as she walked over and handed a glass to Andrew.

  “I don’t drink much, but I suppose I could try a small glass of the adult lemonade,” Sarah said.

  Ricky returned a moment later with a beer for himself and a lemonade for Sarah.

  “Help yourselves, everyone. Take a plate and eat,” Naomi instructed as she walked through the room.

  “Shall we?” Ricky led them to the side table
where the food was and they filled their plates and then settled at the long table in the kitchen. There were other smaller tables scattered throughout the large living room as well, brought in to accommodate the extra guests.

  The afternoon was great fun for Ricky. He loved being the center of attention and all the people he cared about were in one place, well except for his parents. He was sorry that his mother was feeling so poorly. He knew that she would like Sarah and her son and wanted to make sure they left with plenty of time to visit them as well.

  Sarah seemed to be holding her own all afternoon, he noticed. At times, she looked a bit overwhelmed by the crowd, but she easily conversed with everyone and he knew from experience that she was a good listener. There was a calmness about Sarah that encouraged people to open up to her. In fact, he noticed that his cousin, Elizabeth, was chatting up a storm with her and had been for nearly twenty minutes, yet Sarah had barely managed to get a word in edgewise. She just kept nodding, which encouraged Elizabeth to continue her monologue. Ricky decided it was time to save her.

  “So, how many hearts did you break this week?” Ricky asked as he reached Elizabeth and Sarah.

  “Why, none, of course,” Elizabeth said.

  “You haven’t ditched one of your three suitors yet?” he teased her.

  “No, they are all wonderful men. I enjoy spending time with each of them.”

  “And I’m sure they are just as eager to spend time with you.” Ricky wasn’t teasing that time. Elizabeth really was a sweet girl. He’d always been fond of her. She was a vivacious and petite blonde beauty. It was no surprise that she had men fighting over her.

  “Do you mind if I steal Sarah away? I want to introduce her to someone.”

  “Oh, of course. It was lovely talking with you, Sarah.”

  * * *

  “You, as well,” Sarah said as she followed Ricky. She glanced around the room to see where Andrew was and was satisfied to see he was in the same spot she last saw him, playing dominoes in the corner with two other children. She couldn’t remember who the children belonged to, but they looked to be about the same age and Andrew looked like he was having fun.

  As soon as they were out of earshot, Ricky whispered in her ear, “You looked like you needed rescuing.”

  Sarah laughed. “I actually enjoyed talking with Elizabeth. I wish I had half her energy.”

  “There really is someone I want to introduce you to, one of my best friends and his wife. They weren’t able to make the service earlier, but just arrived a few minutes ago.”

  Ricky led her to a small table in the living room where a man about Ricky’s age sat with a woman she assumed was his wife. Both of looked up as they approached the table and the man stood.

  “Peter, this is my new wife, Sarah, and this is his wife, Emily.” Ricky said, and then pulled out a chair for Sarah and sat himself.

  “Peter and I went to college together. He is one of the only bankers in town.” That was interesting. Another thing she learned about Ricky, that he’d gone to college.

  “We have three children. Sammy, the youngest isn’t feeling well, and that’s why we didn’t make the service earlier. I was hesitant to leave her at all, but my sister came by and insisted that we get out for a few hours.”

  “Well, I’m glad that you came and I hope Sammy feels better soon.”

  “Thank you. I hear you recently moved here?”

  “Yes, from Philadelphia. It’s very different here, but we are liking it.”

  “Is it true you were working as a saloon girl?” There was a different tone in her voice that made Sarah sit up straighter. She’d expected this, though. She wondered if Ricky would regret his impulsive decision to marry her. She hoped not.

  “Yes, I was working at the saloon.”

  “Did you do that before? Work in saloons?” Sarah couldn’t quite tell if the question was accusatory or simple curiosity. She decided to treat it as the latter and smiled warmly.

  “No, they don’t have many saloons in Philadelphia. My parents used to own a restaurant, though, so I worked there long before I got married and had Andrew.”

  “Oh, you were married before? I didn’t realize that.” That surprised Sarah. Did she not know she had a son? Though maybe it wasn’t unusual for saloon girls to have children out of wedlock.

  “Yes, my husband died unexpectedly. That’s why we came here.”

  “How unfortunate for you.” Emily smiled in sympathy, but Sarah didn’t feel any of the enthusiastic warmth or friendliness that she’d received from Colleen and Brianna and the others she’d met so far. Maybe Emily was just more reserved. She tried not to let it bother her.

  “So, we want to have you all over for dinner soon. How about next Saturday night?” Peter said after Ricky indicated that they needed to leave soon to visit his parents.

  “That would be nice. Sarah? Does that sound good to you?” Ricky asked as he stood up and pushed in his chair.

  Sarah nodded as she stood as well. “That’s fine and very generous of you. I look forward to it,” she said politely.

  They went and found Andrew who was still furiously playing dominoes and protested at the idea of leaving.

  “We need to go, honey, to go visit Ricky’s parents. Put the dominoes down.”

  Naomi glided over then and saved what could have been a power struggle with Andrew, who did not want to stop playing with his new friends.

  “I hate to see you leave, but know you have another stop to make. I wrapped this up for you to enjoy later. Andrew, if you’re good, maybe your mother will let you have another slice of that chocolate cake?”

  “We’re taking cake home?” He was up in a flash, the dominoes all but forgotten.

  Ricky chuckled. “The power of chocolate cake. I’ll have to remember that.”

  * * *

  About a half-hour later, they pulled up to Ricky’s parents’ house. Ricky knocked on the door to let them know they were there, and then opened it and they followed him inside. The house was quiet and dark. Just one kerosene lantern glowed on a table in the kitchen and they could see a faint light coming from a room down the hall. Ricky led them down the hall and pushed the door open all the way.

  “Mom? Dad? We’re here.”

  Ricky’s mother was propped up in bed with a pile of blankets pulled up to her neck. She was an older woman, and she looked frail and sickly. But, she smiled when she saw them and reached her arms out to Ricky. He bent over and gently gathered her in for a hug and a kiss. His father was sitting in a chair beside the bed, and he slowly rose when they entered the room and extended his hand to Sarah and then to Andrew.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you both.”

  “Sarah, this is my father, Fred, and my mother, Evelyn.”

  Evelyn held out her hand to Sarah, who took it and held on for a moment.

  “I’m so sorry to hear you aren’t feeling well. I’m so glad to meet you.”

  Evelyn looked at her and at Andrew and her eyes grew misty before she spoke.

  “Thank you for marrying my son. I was starting to think it might never happen. You seem like a nice girl. I pray that you both find happiness.”

  “Thank you.” Sarah was touched by his mother’s words.

  “We’re happy, Mother,” Ricky said with a smile.

  She looked at him seriously. “I mean true happiness, my dear. The kind of love that your father and I have.”

  “You and Dad are lucky,” Ricky said. “If we are even half as happy, that would be fine with me.”

  “Was it a nice service? And a party after?” she asked them and then added, “Ricky always liked a party.”

  “It was lovely and the gathering after at Naomi and Jed’s was just wonderful. I am feeling very lucky.”

  Ricky’s mother smiled as she looked at Ricky and then back at Sarah.

  “I think Ricky might be the lucky one.”

  * * *

  They stayed and visited a short while longer and left when Evelyn’s
eyes started to look heavy. Sarah was feeling tired herself and Andrew looked ready to fall into bed.

  When they reached Ricky’s house, Sarah was still awe-struck. It was so odd to think that just last night she’d slept in that tiny apartment and now they were in a roomy, elegant house. It was a lot to take in.

  Andrew stumbled as they walked toward the door and Sarah took his hand to keep him from falling. When they got inside, she whisked him straight upstairs and put him in bed.

  “What about the cake?” he protested sleepily.

  “It will be waiting for you tomorrow. Good night, love.” She tucked him in and then went downstairs. She felt a little nervous, suddenly, being all alone with Ricky in his big house. They hadn’t really had a moment to themselves all day.

  He was leaning against the kitchen counter, sipping an amber-colored drink that she guessed was scotch or whiskey.

  “Would you like some? Finest whiskey in the land.”

  “No, thank you. I don’t like whiskey. I think I might just head up to bed myself, if you don’t mind.”

  Ricky took another slow sip.

  “Of course I don’t mind. It’s been a long day for all of us. We’ll have plenty of time to get to know each other.” He set the glass down and looked serious for a moment.

  “I am going to be gone most of the week, another business deal I have to attend to. Take the week to make yourselves comfortable here and please stock up the kitchen. Get as much as you like. As you could see, there’s not much here.”

  Sarah smiled. “I’ll do that, and I like to cook, so this will give me time to get used to things. Have a safe trip.”

  “Thank you. I’ll be back by Friday, and then we have the dinner at Peter’s on Saturday.”

  “We can eat here then, Friday night. I’ll make you a home-cooked meal.”

  Ricky looked pleased and a little surprised.