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

by Ashley Merrick

  She was a bit nervous about the dinner the following evening, but she would go and smile and be supportive, so that she could help Ricky in his bid for mayor. Once she worked all that out in her mind, she finally relaxed and drifted off to sleep.

  * * *

  Ricky sipped his whiskey and leaned back in his chair, staring into the fireplace. He had moved into the library after Sarah went to bed and got the fire going. It wasn’t cold out, but he enjoyed the warmth of the fire and it suited his mood to gaze at the dancing flames.

  He knew that he’d disappointed Sarah. It had been written all over her face and he felt badly about it. He’d make it up to her tomorrow, though. Maybe he’d surprise her with a bouquet of fresh flowers.

  He was looking forward to dinner at Peter’s the next evening as well. It had been a while since the group had gotten together and he was eager to hear their thoughts on his campaign and to discuss ways to include Sarah. Now that he was married, he wanted everyone to know and to see him as a successful family man.

  His heart had skipped a beat when he walked in the door and saw Sarah. She had looked so pretty. He’d almost forgotten how pretty she was.

  It had been such a busy week and truth be told, he hadn’t thought about Sarah much while he was gone. He wasn’t used to having her around yet or to planning his schedule around someone else’s. He would have to be more considerate about that in the future. Her chicken pot pie had looked delicious, too. He’d much rather have her cooking than a simple sandwich at the saloon. He wouldn’t make that mistake again.

  Chapter 9

  Sarah felt like a new woman after her bath. She took her time getting dressed. She didn’t have many dresses to choose from, but the one she put on was a flattering peach shade and fit her perfectly, even though the material was starting to wear a bit thin from use.

  She should probably see about making a few more soon, and some new pants and shirts for Andrew, as well. Both Colleen and Julia had offered the use of their sewing machines. Perhaps she would take one of them up on that offer.

  Once she dressed and brushed out her long hair, Sarah made her way down stairs to check on the bread. It was still in the oven and she could tell by the smell that it was just about done. She found two potholders and slid the hot pans out of the oven. The loaves looked perfect. They were a rich brown with small bubbles that meant the inside would have a nice chew to it. She set them on the counter to cool, and then went to find Andrew and help him to get ready.

  “Sarah?” Ricky called from the library. She walked down the hall and smiled at what she saw—both Ricky and Andrew were there. Ricky was behind his desk, scribbling notes onto a piece of paper and Andrew was sprawled out on a thick rug in front of the fire, reading quietly.

  “There you are. Andrew, it’s time to get ready to go to dinner.”

  “Whatever you are cooking smells amazing,” Ricky said with a warm smile.

  “Fresh bread. I made two loaves. One for us and one to take to dinner.”

  Ricky looked pleased. “That’s a great idea.”

  “It’s almost five now. If you want to leave in fifteen minutes, we should all get moving,” she reminded him.

  “Is it five already? I guess I lost track of time a bit,” he admitted.

  “Were you working?” she asked, curious what he’d been doing.

  “Guilty as charged. I have a meeting next week and wanted to organize my thoughts. Then an entirely new idea came to me, so I wanted to get that down, too.”

  “It sounds like you enjoy your work?” she commented. It was obvious that he loved it.

  “I do. I’m lucky, I think. I know not everyone enjoys what they do. I know I’d be miserable if I had to be a farmer. Fortunately, my brothers love it. They think I’m the odd one.” He stood and followed her and Andrew out of the room.

  Sarah thought about what he’d said. She didn’t know many people who truly enjoyed their jobs. She certainly hadn’t looked forward to going to work each day at the saloon. She agreed that Ricky was lucky in that regard.

  * * *

  Thirty minutes later, at five thirty sharp, Ricky pulled their buggy up to a handsome, large home. There were two other buggies out front. Sarah guessed that one was probably Peter’s and the other possibly another guest. Ricky had mentioned that there would be another couple coming as well.

  She helped Andrew climb out and handed Ricky the loaf of bread to carry in. Peter’s wife, Emily, opened the door with a smile and welcomed them in.

  “It’s so nice to see you again,” she said as Sarah and Andrew stepped inside.

  Ricky handed her the loaf of bread. “Sarah made this for you.”

  “Really? How wonderful,” she exclaimed. “And it’s still warm!”

  “It’s nothing. Thank you for having us,” Sarah said shyly.

  “Come in, and get comfortable. Ted and Lynn just arrived a few minutes ago.” Sarah followed Emily into the kitchen, where Peter was mixing a drink and another couple was seated at a long, oval table.

  “Ted and Lynn, I’m sure you remember Sarah and Andrew?”

  Ted stood and came over to say hello.

  “Of course. The wedding was lovely. Nice to see you again,” he said.

  “You as well,” Sarah said. She vaguely remembered meeting him, but she definitely remembered his wife, Lynn, especially after running into her at the mercantile when that vile customer from the saloon was being so obnoxious.

  She hadn’t cared for the expression on Lynn’s face as she overheard their conversation. It had been obvious that Lynn considered Sarah, a former saloon girl, to be quite beneath her.

  One glance at her now made it clear that her opinion hadn’t changed. She simply nodded their way, saying nothing and wearing a tight smile. Suddenly it felt as thought it might be a long evening.

  “Please, sit down, make yourselves comfortable. Andrew, the other children are in the back room, playing, if you’d like to join them?”

  “I’ll bring him in to them.” Sarah was glad to escape the room if only for a minute.

  She led Andrew down the hall and into a large room where three young children were playing a game of marbles. Andrew’s eyes lit up when he saw them and just like that, he made three new friends.

  Sarah watched happily as the other children moved over to make room for Andrew to sit down. Too bad adults weren’t so easily accepting, she thought, as she ventured back into the kitchen.

  Ricky was seated at the table and pulled out the chair next to him for her to sit. He was sipping a glass of what looked like whiskey.

  “Sarah, what would you like to drink? We have whisky, wine or lemonade?” Peter offered.

  “Lemonade, please.”

  Emily chuckled. “I’m not much of a drinker, either. Peter has enough for both of us.” She brought two glasses of lemonade to the table, handed one to Sarah and sat down and took a sip of the other.

  “Dinner should be ready in a few minutes,” Emily said as she reached for a bowl of mixed nuts, took a few and then slid them toward Sarah.

  “Thank you.” Sarah gratefully took a small handful of nuts and wondered what was for dinner as her stomach rumbled. She hadn’t eaten much as she’d been busy all day and now she was starving. The salty nuts were delicious and helped to appease her hunger.

  “We’re having roast beef. I took the meat out of the oven a few minutes before you arrived and it’s resting now so it will be nice and juicy when Peter carves it.

  “That’s an old wives’ tale, isn’t it?” Lynn asked as she took another sip of her drink. Sarah noticed that it was already nearly gone and looked to be whiskey, same as what Ricky was drinking.

  “No, it’s really not. You’ll see.” Emily smiled. “Honey, are you ready to do the honors?” she asked her husband.

  “Oh, of course.” Peter stood and went into the kitchen and with a huge knife, he carefully carved slices of what appeared to be a perfectly cooked roast beef. It smelled heavenly and was a gorgeous, p
inkish-red inside. While he was carving, Emily filled three smaller plates with sliced potatoes, green beans and meat, cut into bite-sized pieces.

  “I thought the children could eat together,” she said as she walked down the hall carrying the plates. A moment later, she was back and brought platters of the roasted potatoes and green beans to the table. Peter followed a moment later with an overflowing plate of sliced meat.

  “I almost forgot the gravy,” Emily said as she went back into the kitchen and then set a gravy boat on the table.

  “This looks amazing,” Ricky said as Peter and Emily settled into their seats.

  * * *

  Sarah tried to keep up as the conversation flowed during dinner. Peter and Ted were both enthusiastic with ideas on how Ricky should network, who he should meet with and both women mentioned different upcoming events that they should be sure to attend. Sarah had no idea who most of the people were that she mentioned and she was impressed that Bozeman seemed to have such a vibrant arts and social community with various fundraising events coming up to support local charities.

  That reminded her, if they were going to be attending fancy parties, then she definitely needed to make some new dresses. She meant to mention that to Ricky earlier anyway and now there might be a bit more urgency depending on how soon the first event was.

  “When are these charity events?” she asked. Emily and Lynn looked surprised at the question and Sarah guessed it was because it was the first thing she’d said during dinner.

  “The library benefit is in two weeks and the one to support building the new museum is a few weeks after that,” Emily said.

  “They are quite formal events. You’ll want to wear your best dress.” Lynn looked pointedly at Sarah’s faded, peach dress and she cringed. She knew her dress had seen better days, but she certainly knew how to dress for a special occasion. The woman hadn’t said it directly, but her meaning was quite clear.

  “If you need to have something new made, Colleen does beautiful work,” Emily said with a smile.

  “I’ve heard that. I enjoy sewing, too.”

  “I would never wear a dress I made myself to such an important event,” Lynn said dismissively.

  “Well, I would hope not. You don’t sew very well!” Emily said with a laugh.

  “You enjoy sewing? We can get a machine for you this week. I know I’ve seen them at the mercantile,” Ricky said as he reached for more potatoes.

  “That would be wonderful! Thank you.”

  “I’m going to have Colleen make me a new dress,” Lynn said. “I want to make sure I look my best. Quite a few of Ted’s clients will be there.” She smiled but there was no warmth to it. Sarah seldom took a dislike to someone so quickly, but she was having a hard time finding anything to like about Lynn. She remembered that her husband, Ted, was an attorney, so it did make sense that she would want to look nice to reflect well on him.

  She wasn’t worried about it, though. Lynn may doubt her, but Sarah knew her capabilities with sewing and she was looking forward to making something beautiful, as well as some new clothes for both Andrew and Ricky, as well.

  Later on, after saying their goodbyes and promising to get together again soon, they left and on the drive home, Sarah was quiet. A concern she’d had before had reared its ugly head again. She felt that she had to say something.

  “I’m not sure you made the wisest choice, when you decided to marry me,” she began.

  “Why on earth do you say that?” Ricky said with a chuckle. Clearly, he wasn’t taking her concern seriously.

  “Ricky, you’re looking to be elected mayor. You might find that the townspeople don’t like the idea of a mayor who married a saloon girl. I might be more of a liability than a help to you.”

  “I don’t think that will be the case.” Ricky was quiet for a moment,

  and then added, “I did consider that, you know. To be truthful, it’s why I didn’t immediately think of you at first. But once I did, it just seemed perfect to me. I think that once people meet you, they will like you and it won’t be an issue.”

  “Thank you, but I’m not so sure about that. Some people think poorly of saloon girls. It worries me, for your sake.”

  Ricky reached over and took her hand and gave it a squeeze. “Well, stop worrying. I’m not worried, so you shouldn’t be. We’re going to win this thing. You’ll see.”

  Sarah chuckled. “I’m glad you’re so confident.”

  “I intend to be the next mayor of Bozeman, and you’ll be at my side when I win.”

  * * *

  It was late when they arrived back home, probably close to eleven, Sarah guessed. Although the ride home had been a short one, as soon as the buggy started moving, Andrew’s eyes shut. He was sound asleep by the time they reached the house and Sarah was about to shake him gently awake when Ricky said, “let him sleep. I’ll get him.”

  He jumped out of the buggy, tied up the horses and then carried Andrew into the house. Sarah followed a moment later. Ricky took him up to his bedroom and laid him on his bed.

  “I’m going to go get the horses settled,” he said when he saw her standing in the doorway to Andrew’s room.

  When he left, Sarah got Andrew undressed and tucked him into bed. As she was coming down the stairs, Ricky walked back inside.

  “Thank you for that. He’s sound asleep.”

  “He looked so peaceful, I didn’t want to disturb him.” Ricky smiled. “I’m going to relax in the library for a bit before heading to bed. Care to join me?”

  Sarah hesitated for a moment, but it was silly to feel nervous about being alone with her husband. They hadn’t really spent much time together, though, since they’d been married.

  “Of course.” She followed him into the library and he took a moment to light a fire and a kerosene lantern that sat on an end table next to a soft, leather sofa. Sarah settled into one corner of the sofa, liking the feel of the buttery leather. Ricky sat next to her and reached for her hand. That made her nervous again and she tensed up.

  “So, what did you think of them?” he asked as he lightly stroked the top of her hand with his thumb. The motion both relaxed and made her more nervous at the same time, if that was possible.

  She’d always found Ricky attractive. He was a very handsome and charming man, but somehow she’d never quite imagined this moment. It was still hard to imagine herself with another man, but she supposed, if she were to, then Ricky would be at the top of her list. It just seemed too soon. She pushed the thought aside though and tried to focus on what he’d just asked her.

  “They were nice. I really liked Emily and Peter, and Ted.”

  Ricky chuckled at that. “Lynn takes a little warming up to. She’s really not so bad, though.”

  “If you say so.”

  “They liked you. I could tell. You’ll have more fun once you get to know them better.”

  “I’m sure I will,” Sarah agreed. Ricky’s touch was still distracting her.

  “I like you,” he said softly. “In fact, I’m looking forward to getting to know you much better.”

  That got Sarah’s attention and she looked him right in the eye as he pulled her toward him and slowly brought his lips down to hers. His lips felt soft and warm against hers and as she breathed in, she lost herself in the way he smelled and tasted. She hadn’t expected this. Not so soon and not like this. She didn’t want to stop kissing Ricky. She’d never experienced anything like this before, this all-consuming passion and physical attraction. It was intoxicating and confusing. She pulled back and took a deep breath.

  “I was quite enjoying that. I hope you were, too?” Ricky’s voice was thick with lust and amusement.

  “Yes, I did. I must confess, though, it caught me by surprise a bit,” she admitted.

  “Did it? It was exactly how I expected it would be, but better.” Ricky pulled her back down and kissed her again, but must have sensed her hesitation this time as he ended the kiss after a moment.

  �
�Are you tired?” Sarah realized he was giving her an easy way to end their encounter and was grateful.

  “Yes, I think I’ll head to bed, if that’s all right with you?”

  “Of course. I’m going to stay up a bit. I’m not at all tired.” He grinned at her, and then added, “I’ll see you in the morning.”

  Chapter 10

  Sarah woke the next morning feeling as though she’d had the most wonderful dream. But as she went over the details of the dream and fully woke, she realized that it hadn’t been a dream at all. None of it. She had been very thoroughly kissed by her new husband and she had liked it. It was a pleasant revelation but also a confusing one.

  She wondered how things would progress from here. She hoped slowly. Although she’d been married before and wasn’t a stranger to what happened in the bedroom, it was still sacred to her, not something to take lightly. When and if that time came, it would be when they fell in love.

  She hoped that was possible. She realized she was already half-way there herself, but she didn’t know about Ricky. She knew that he found her attractive, obviously, but was she more to him than just a convenient wife and mother? She hoped that in time, his feelings for her could grow.

  Meanwhile, she hadn’t felt like this in many years. She’d forgotten the excitement of falling in love, the anticipation of seeing someone and of their touch. In one night, everything had changed for her.

  But an hour later when Ricky made his way downstairs and into the kitchen, no doubt lured by the smell of fresh coffee, it was like nothing had changed. She didn’t know what she had expected, but Ricky was same as he ever was. She supposed that was a good thing and she told herself she was silly to have expected anything different.

  “I thought we’d stop by to see my mother after church,” Ricky said as he added a bit of sugar to his coffee.