Adela's Prairie Suitor (The Annex Mail-Order Brides Book 1) by Elaine Manders Page B

reward.
    Should he get her some ribbons? She’d just made a new dress and the pink ribbons lying on the sewing notions table would match perfectly, but would that be too personal for a man who was courting? Since he’d never done any courting before, he didn’t know. There were some scented soaps that smelled mighty good. Adela liked to take baths more than anyone he’d ever known. He’d had to haul in the wash tub half a dozen times in the past two week.
    But soap would definitely be personal. He spied the big jar of peppermint sticks on the counter. It wasn’t much. He snatched up one of the pink ribbons and bought five peppermint sticks, tying them together with the pink ribbon.
    He paid for his purchases, pleased with the sight of Adela’s present. Taking another stick of candy, he popped it in his mouth and tucked the gift for Adela in his pocket. The trip wasn’t a total waste after all.
    After two hours, Bryon gave up the search for Dick and returned home. He found the house empty. Where had those women gotten off to? Ma was probably at the Lynstrums? That might be good—or bad. No telling what mischief Hilda Jane was cooking up.
    He tapped on the bedroom doors to assure himself no one was in the house, then stalked back outside. Off to the west, dark clouds hovered. The day was unusually warm, and that could spell a mean storm. At this time of year a storm could be followed by cold and snow, but not before a powerful lot of thunder, lightning, and hail.
    Out at the corral, Lem hollered, and Byron trotted to where he was. “Yer ma wanted me to tell you she went over to the Lynstrums. Clint came for her about some dither Hilda Jane was in. In my opinion, it was just an excuse. Clint’s kind of sweet on yer ma. You just might be getting a new pa afore long.”
    Byron chose to ignore the jab. “No telling. Did Miss Mason go with her?” Was it possible Ma had finally invited Adela to go visiting?
    “She got me to saddle Reddy about an hour ago, right after yer ma left.”
    Byron didn’t like the sound of that. “Say where she was going?”
    “Just taking a ride, she said.”
    Those thunderheads were moving in fast. This wasn’t a good day to get caught out on the range. Besides, Adela didn’t know the lay of the land. Not all the rattle snakes had bedded down for the winter, and if she didn’t keep to the beaten paths, she might run into a rabbit hole. The worst of it was, if she were caught in the open in a lightning storm—the possibilities set his nerves on edge.
    He spurred Nellie toward the west into the gusting wind. What if he couldn’t find Adela before the weather hit?
    After riding hard for half an hour, dust blowing in from plowed fields almost blinded him, and he turned to the south pastures. Thankfully, he picked up fresh tracks. Five minutes later, the first rain drops hit.
    His gaze swept the horizon. The rain would wash out the tracks before long. Within seconds it was a slashing torrent. He was right on the edge of the old ranch his pa had bought. The ranch house and bunkhouse were both burnt to the ground, but the rickety barn stood at an angle. He urged Nellie forward.
    As he rode up, a horse neighed, and Nellie replied. Just inside Reddy stood. Heaving a breath of relief, Byron slid out of the saddle and pulled his horse inside. The roof wasn’t much, and water poured through a hundred leaks, but the barn buffeted the worst of the storm.
    After his eyes adjusted to the dusky environs, he noticed Adela huddled in the driest corner. “Am I glad to find you.”
    She looked up at him, chagrin etched in her features. “I got lost…and it began to rain.”
    A musty smell prevailed, and he hoped the wind wouldn’t topple the roof down on them, but at the moment, she was the prettiest sight he’d seen in a long time. “Could’ve happened to anyone.” He lowered himself down beside her. “I don’t think it’ll rain much longer. Sky’s already getting lighter in the west. Could