The Chef's Mail Order Bride: A Sweet Western Historical Romance (Wild West Frontier Brides Book 1) (3 page)

S
adie sank
into the bathtub that Suzanne had filled and spent a few minutes just soaking, her muscles sore from the train and her brain so tired it almost wouldn’t function. After a few minutes of bliss, she scrubbed herself from head to toe, unpinning her long hair and washing it with the lavender-scented soap that her sister had set next to a clean towel.

As she dried herself off, she looked around the room and recognized her sister’s decorating touch, noticing that it was full of the colors that her sister loved—white, violet and a beautiful shade of light green. She sighed, allowing herself to feel safe and warm with family after all that she’d been through.

She sat at the vanity and surveyed herself in the mirror as she combed out her hair and rolled it into a chignon at the base of her neck, as was her habit. She’d worked at the bakery too long to risk another customer complaint of hair in a bakery box, and old habits were hard to break.

She’d laid the dress that she planned to wear out before she’d gotten in the tub, right next to the steam, so that it could “unwrinkle” as much as it was going to. She sighed when she noticed that it still was a little bit crumply from being in her bags for days, but after she’d put it on and smoothed it out, she smiled at her reflection in the mirror, satisfied that it didn’t look too bad.

She had tried to lie down and she thought sleep would come and take her, she was so tired—but it had eluded her. She couldn’t stop thinking of the things she’d heard from Suzanne and James that were
not
in the letter and her chest tightened with worry. But as if on a carousel, her thoughts would then turn to her first sight of Tripp, and the butterflies would return as she wondered what he was like…what their life would be like.

She spent the next hour going back and forth, wondering and worrying, and making matters worse. Finally, she gave up on sleep, went to her bag and pulled out her recipe cards from her mother and grandmother.

She looked through them, read them over, although she knew them by heart. Red velvet cake—one of her favorites—and scones, biscuits and pies…she’d brought them all with her, hoping that she could be of some help in the restaurant.

From the story that she’d heard about how the loan went, she felt positive that she could make a contribution and looked forward to helping in any way she could. Right now, though, she was anxious about meeting her intended, more than just laying eyes on him, and her nerves buzzed.

She jumped when Suzanne rapped quietly on the door.

“Sadie? Are you awake?”

She pulled the door open quickly, feeling oddly like she was going to the guillotine, and wanted to just get on with things. Anything was better than wondering.

“You look lovely, Sadie. And you smell better, too,” Suzanne said, looking her sister over.

“Well, I suppose that’s a blessing,” Sadie replied, laughing at her sister’s teasing. She sighed, missing their camaraderie and glad to have it again.

Even though she’d be moving soon, she surmised. Into her husband’s home. The thought made her shiver with uncertainty.

“Are you cold,” Suzanne asked, a look of concern on her face. “People aren’t normally cold here, but I can get you a wrap.”

“No, no, I’m not cold. Just a little nervous.”

Suzanne stopped at the top of the stairs. “I’m sure you are. I would be, too, I’m positive. But James and I are here with you, and I just know this will be a wonderful thing for both of you.”

She cupped Sadie’s cheek and gave her a comforting smile. “Are you ready? Tripp said dinner’s set out and we shouldn’t wait too long for it to get cold,” she said, looking into Sadie’s eyes. “Are you really ready?”

Sadie sighed deeply, and placed her hand over her sister’s and squeezed it. “I am, Suzanne. I am.” She hoped that it sounded more certain to her sister than it did to her.

She followed Suzanne down the stairs, again marveling at the smells that wafted up to her—she could identify the scent of beef, potatoes, maybe even carrots and wondered if he’d just made stew for them.

But then she caught a whiff of—was that cinnamon? Would it be? She imagined what would be in all of these different dishes he’d made.

As she followed Suzanne into the dining room, she stopped in her tracks, stunned at the beauty of the table setting. She’d expected something much more wild Westish—although she didn’t really know what that meant—but she was standing in front of an elegantly set table, complete with multiple forks and crystal stemware. She hadn’t seen anything like it since the last Christmas dinner she’d spent with her parents.

She couldn’t take her gaze from the table as her eyes traveled from the beautiful place settings to the center, where she saw a perfectly browned roast with sprigs of rosemary, pepper and garlic, glazed carrots with what smelled like cinnamon, tarragon and brown sugar and a bowl of soup next to the plate.

She walked closer to the table, resting her hands on the back of the chair, and bent forward, inhaling deeply of the soup. She straightened, her eyes closed as she appreciated the aromas, and said to Suzanne, “Split pea? My favorite!”

“Yes, I heard,” a male voice said, and Sadie’s eyes flew open as she turned in the direction of the sound.

She hadn’t noticed Tripp standing in the corner when they’d come in, and she felt the heat rise in her cheeks as he walked toward her. “Suzanne told me your favorites, and I made as many as I could tonight.”

She met his eyes and her head tilted slightly. “That’s a very kind thing to do for someone you’ve never met.”

His dark hair was a bit disheveled, with curls falling a bit past his ears, and she figured it had been no small feat to get this meal together by himself. Impressed, she turned back to the table.

“You’ve come a long way to help me, and I thought it was the least I could do. By the way, I’m Tripp Morgan,” he said, and extended his hand to her as James and Suzanne entered the room.

She smiled at him as she took his hand and shook it. It felt warm in hers, and somehow comfortable.

“Please, sit,” he said as he pulled out a chair for her.

James pulled out a chair for Suzanne, and they both smiled, looking back and forth from her to Tripp.

“So,” James said.

An uncomfortable silence followed as Suzanne appeared to be waiting for one of the men to say something. Unfortunately, they were both looking at their soup.

Suzanne laughed, raised her eyebrows at Sadie and said, “Well, I’ll start, then.” She shook her head and looked from Tripp to James. “Although it’s not my story.”

“Fine,” Tripp said, as he raised his hands to the food, encouraging everyone to eat. James lifted the first platter and held it out to Suzanne.

“James tells me that he shared the original bit of the story with you on the ride from the train station.”

“Yes,” she said as the platter of delicious-looking roast was passed in her direction. She smiled as she spied the horseradish sauce on the table to go with it. “I’ve heard that you can’t get your bank loan until you have a wife.”

She closed her eyes at the heavenly first bite of the perfect roast that almost melted in her mouth. It was, without question, the best she’d ever tasted.

“That is true, which is why this is such an urgent situation,” Tripp said, looking pointedly at James.

James sighed and set down his fork. “I’ve told Tripp that it is, in fact, not an urgent situation.”

“I don’t understand,” Sadie said, confused.

Suzanne shook her head and said, “These two are best friends, but don’t seem to be able to communicate very well. While Tripp was finishing up his chef training in New York, he and James had made lists of things to order—both supplies and equipment. We offered to loan Tripp the money to buy these things, and when he returned, his previous boss would reimburse us for the loan.”

“And that’s where it went off the rails,” Tripp said, shaking his head and frowning. “I had intended to pay them back as soon as I returned, and there’s been the delay with my old boss. I decided to get the loan, and only recently was informed that I would need to be married for it to be approved.”

Suzanne set her soup bowl aside. “That was delicious, Tripp. The best, as always.” She smiled, and his eyes lit up at the compliment.

James said, “We have told Tripp that we are able to make the loan. The mercantile is doing extremely well with the influx of miners, and we would be happy to help. Even be co-owners.”

“No, no, no,” Tripp said. “I won’t do that to my friends. What if it doesn’t work out? I don’t want you to be at risk of losing anything. Besides, you know co-owners wouldn’t work. I would have to throw you out of my kitchen,” he said, laughing.

James joined in the laughter. “That’s true.”

Turning to Sadie, he said, “Tripp is
very
particular about what goes on in his kitchen, and even
who
gets to go in.”

“I spoke with the banker today, when I knew you were arriving for certain. Today is Thursday, and if we can prove to him that we’re married, he can have the loan money available on Monday,” Tripp said, looking a bit anxious as he turned toward Sadie. “This really is just a business arrangement. We can talk later about the long-term aspects, but I’m very grateful that you’ve considered helping me.”

Sadie hadn’t said much for a bit, taking in the story. Now, she thought her voice might fail her as she realized that she was expected to be a married woman in less than three days. To a man she’d just met.

Had she been naive? They’d explained that it was an urgent situation. Somehow, in all of her musings, she hadn’t expected to be married within seventy-two hours of her arrival. Where would they live? What did he expect from her? She had so many questions that she couldn’t formulate even one.

“Sadie. Sadie, we’ve thought this all through. After dinner when the girls are asleep, I can explain it all to you.” Suzanne cleared her throat and turned to her husband, then to Tripp. “I think maybe we’ve said enough for right now. Why don’t we just finish this delicious meal and we can talk about it again later. Sadie, Tripp would like to come by tomorrow morning and take you on a tour of town. I know I tried to do one today, but I know you were tired. That might help you get your bearings.”

“Thank you, Suzanne,” Tripp said, casting a grateful look in her direction.

The rest of the meal was spent with just small talk, and though Sadie’s head was reeling, she was able to gain her footing enough to recount her trip from Chicago, making them all laugh once or twice at her description of her non-deluxe accommodations. By the end of the meal, she breathed easier, her nerves settling.

As Tripp took his hat from the rack after the kitchen had been cleaned, he turned to Sadie and nodded toward her. “I know this has been a lot to take in. I do hope that you will still be here in the morning and give me the benefit of the doubt. I can explain more tomorrow. Is eleven all right? I’d like to take Miss Walker to lunch, as well.”

Sadie felt herself blush. This was the oddest thing she’d ever encountered, although she’d never had a suitor, really. She’d been too busy at the bakery for that, and it was a little exciting and nerve-wracking, all at the same time.

Suzanne smiled and said, “That’s fine with us. Sadie?”

“Of course. I’ll be ready,” she said.

Sadie took in a deep breath and hoped that no one else had noticed her face flush. But she could tell by the twinkle in her sister’s eye that her pink cheeks had not gone unnoticed.

S
adie lay in bed
, staring at the ceiling, unable to fathom why she couldn’t sleep. After Tripp left, she’d sat on the porch swing with her sister, the last touches of orange light fading as the sun set.

Sipping their tea, Suzanne had explained that they had hoped Sadie would be all right with a small, short wedding on Sunday, immediately after the church service. The pastor had been alerted, and they would have a quick reception at Suzanne and James’s house afterward.

“But…” Sadie started.

Suzanne held up her hand and Sadie stopped.

“I know you must have a million questions, and I don’t blame you. But for now, just understand that it’s just something to help Tripp get the loan.”

“That sounds…just kind of dishonest.”

Suzanne sighed. “I know it may seem like that. But I know Tripp very well. And I know you very well. I’m going to tell you the truth, Sadie. Yes, you’re a fantastic cook and baker. Yes, you’ve run a business on your own our parents died.”

She sighed deeply, a pained expression flickering over her face. “But what I want for you more than anything is to be as happy as I am. I believe that you and Tripp have so much in common…more than just a love of cooking. You’ll see. I have high hopes for this arrangement. For now, can you just give him a chance?”

Sadie breathed in the cool night air and looked around. The last flickers of sunlight had faded, and the stars were starting to peek out of the darkening sky. Living in Chicago, it was something she rarely saw.

She closed her eyes and remembered the wonderful meal, and how impressed she was with his cooking. And the kindness in his eyes and the touch of his hand which felt—she couldn’t deny it—comfortable. Almost familiar.

She sighed and turned to her sister. “This just might be the most stupid thing I’ve ever done, but I’m willing to give it a try. Get to know him. See what he really expects.”

Suzanne grabbed her in a hug. “Thank you, Sadie. It means a lot to all of us, and I just know you won’t be disappointed. And anyway, the wedding’s all set for Sunday, and we have a lot to do before then.”

Sadie laughed as she watched her sister go back into the house. She sat for a while longer, watching the rest of the stars as they appeared, and headed in herself, weary from such a long journey and the unknown one before her.

E
ventually
, sleep had found Sadie and she awoke with a start, soon realizing the sun was streaming in the windows. She dressed quickly and ran downstairs to find Suzanne in the kitchen, cleaning up from breakfast.

“Well, hello, sleepyhead. We tried to be quiet. I knew you’d be exhausted.”

“Oh, goodness, what time is it? I can’t believe I slept through breakfast.”

“If you’re hungry, there are some biscuits on the counter that I saved for you. They’re not as good as yours, mind you…”

Sadie smiled and headed for the biscuits. She poured some honey over one of them and eagerly took a bite.

“This honey tastes very different,” she said after she’d swallowed the delicious first bite.

“Yes, it’s a special honey only made here. It tastes different because the bees use pollen from cactus flowers.”

Sadie scrunched up her nose. “Honey from cactuses?”

“It’s not as odd as it sounds. Bees use whatever is local to them. And here, it’s cactus flowers.”

Sadie finished her biscuit and washed her plate. As she dried it, there was a knock on the door and her heart felt like it stopped. “Is that…”

Suzanne smiled as she wiped her hands on her apron. “Yes. You slept
that
late,” she said as she walked toward the door. “Run upstairs and comb your hair. And don’t forget to grab a wrap. I’ll stall for a minute.”

Sadie spun on her heel and raced upstairs, her stomach fluttering. She’d barely had time to wake up, let alone think about what she was going to do.

She rushed into her room, quickly combed her hair and rolled it up in a bun and grabbed a wrap. With one last look in the mirror and a hope that she looked all right, she headed back downstairs. More slowly.

Tripp stood at the bottom of the stairs, talking to Suzanne. As she reached the bottom of the stairs, he looked toward her, a smile on his lips.

“Good morning. Thank you for agreeing to step out with me today,” he said, nodding toward her with his hat in his hands. He cleared his throat and looked down at his boots before he glanced up again in her direction.

“You look lovely,” he said, and Sadie caught Suzanne out of the corner of her eye, covering her smile with her hand.

She tried to remain focused, and said, “Thank you very much. It’s a pleasure to see you.”

She thought she sounded like a stick in the mud, but she hoped that later, she could feel more like herself. For now, she was just going along with things.

Their trip through town and nearby Tombstone was interesting to her. Tripp pointed out where the shootout at the OK Corral had occurred a few years earlier, and she felt a shiver run up her spine.

“Is it always that dangerous here?”

Tripp smiled, and slowed the horses. “No. Things have changed a lot since then. I’ve been here for a while. Things are settling down. It’s mostly ranchers and miners now,” he said, giving her a reassuring nod.

They stopped at the Crystal Palace and she looked around as she waited for him to come around and help her down from the buggy. As they entered the restaurant, she noticed that Tripp got many friendly nods from the miners and other people in the establishment. Her heart warmed a bit—he was clearly well-respected.

She could barely eat as her nerves jangled inside. He’d said that after showing her the town, he’d take her to his house and show her where they would stay. His ears had reddened a little, reminding her of Finn, when he’d mentioned that the bank expected that they were truly man and wife—and in such a small town, they’d know if Sadie remained at her sister’s.

“But I have a separate bedroom and private area just for you,” he’d said hurriedly when her hand involuntarily rose to her cheek in surprise.

So it was with great curiosity that she walked over the threshold of his home as he gestured for her to do, holding the door wide.

She looked around at the sparsely decorated front room, thinking that it could use a touch of Suzanne’s decorating help, and followed him into the kitchen. Her jaw dropped as she gazed about the room…copper pots and pans hung from a rack attached to the ceiling, and a four-tier spice rack made of oak stood in the corner. A very new-fangled stove also stood against a wall.

“Most of these things are for the restaurant, and will be moved over shortly,” he said, his eyes twinkling with what she presumed was excitement…and pride.

“It’s all amazing,” she said as she thought about how much fun it would be to help with this new venture.

He hadn’t said much about baking, and she’d tasted some of his sauces and things the night before, but she knew she could help. And she wanted to.

She’d already made up her mind when he said, “Please, before you say no, let me show you your room. It is private, and I just want to say again that this is a business arrangement, and I expect nothing from you as a wife. Only to help in the restaurant.”

Her heart sank a bit as she took in the words. What was she thinking? She barely knew this man. A business arrangement would be just fine, and they could wait to see how things went.

“Tripp,” she said as she turned to him. “I don’t need to see my room yet. I’d like to be surprised. But I do know now that I want to help. I’ll be there on Sunday to be married.”

The look of relief on his face made her smile, and she watched as he held his hat over his heart. “Sadie, you’ve made me the happiest man in Arizona. Thank you for helping me make my dream come true.”

She watched in surprise as he took hold of her hand and brought it to his lips.

“Let’s take you home. We have quite a bit to do before Sunday,” he said, offering her his arm. She placed her arm in his, hoping she’d made the right decision.