Mail Order Bride - Megan Finds a Husband: Westward Bound Brides, #2

By Kate Whitsby

Arriving in Montana, Megan’s disconcerted to find that her husband-to-be is not the older and homely man she’d expected but young and handsome. Lorne Wilson is a respected young rancher, and he’s smart and hard-working, in other words perfect. The life he offers her is one she wants desperately, but the secret she’s hiding could tear it all apart before it even has a chance to begin.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Gold Crown Publishing
• Release date: Nov 10, 2016
• ISBN: 9781540187024

Book preview

Chapter One

There it was. The train station. Megan’s footsteps quickened and she panted a little as she realized that she had to hurry even faster and broke into a run. The train would be leaving in a matter of minutes, and she was still far from the platform where she was supposed to get on!

She made it, but just barely. The conductor gave her a filthy look as he took her portmanteau and swung it up, then held out a hand for her to grab onto. She took it and her feet had barely cleared the platform before the train gave a mighty jerk and a huge jet of black smoke shot upward into the air, leaving a heavy reek behind.

Ticket.

She dug in her purse and handed it over, her hands shaking a bit as he took it and read it carefully. He nodded and said, Next car, take any open seat.

He handed her back her luggage and ticket, now with a hole punched in one corner, and she took a deep breath, the first deep breath she’d taken in weeks.

The train swayed and bucked. Her feet threatened to go out from under her but she held on to the seats and made her way through the car.

The next one was not nearly as packed, to her relief. She took a seat by a window and settled her portmanteau under her feet. Besides that and the purse she had little. She turned her head to look out the windows as they lurched and heaved their way out of the city and headed westward.

Well, she’d done it. She’d escaped. The train took a turn and the city began to fade from view. So fast! She’d never been on the train before and she was shocked by how fast it went. She could barely breathe she was so excited as she watched the city vanish behind her.

She settled back into her seat. The passengers in the car all seemed to be content with talking quietly to each other or reading, or simply looking out the windows. She fumbled in her purse for the books she’d brought. She opened the one she’d been reading earlier and found the page she had left off on, holding the cover down so that nobody would see that she was reading a romance novel.

Oh she knew it was awful. They were hardly improving for a young woman’s mind but she loved them. She turned the pages slowly as she savored each line. The light fading away was what finally snapped her out of her reverie.

The conductor came into the car, his stentorian tones announcing that the dining car was now open for supper.

Megan stood and made her way to the wash room she’d spotted a sign for earlier. Once in there she took care of her needs and washed her face and hands carefully. She looked into the small square of mirror and her blue eyes skimmed her chestnut-colored hair. It was in order below her powder-blue hat and she adjusted a single hair pin, took a long breath for courage, and left the washroom.

In the dining car she was seated next to several couples made up of mostly older men and women. None spoke beyond the usual polite chatter, for which she was grateful. The waiter stopped at their table, gave them all a little bow and announced that dinner came in several options. One could order from two fixed price menus, both of which came with a beverage of choice. There was also an ala carte menu. Then he asked was there one check or..."

No, one older man said hastily. My wife and I are together.

The other couples spoke up and she said, I am alone, in a quiet voice.

She was not terribly used to restaurants but she had eaten at one at least twice a month as a sort of a treat for all her hard work so she relaxed. They all ordered the specials. Hers came with a hunk of boiled beef, potatoes and carrots, gravy and bread, a small salad and a thin slice of pie. She asked for a cup of tea and was gratified to find out she could have as many cups as she liked with her meal.

When dinner was over and they were all leaving Megan paid her bill and tipped the waiter a nickel and he gave her