Mail Order Bride - Westward Secrets: A Clean Cowboy Romance Novel (Montana Mail Order Brides Book 13) by Linda Bridey Page A

for.”
                  “Right you are, young Jack,” Rick said.
                  Jack smiled.  “You sound like Grandpa.  That’s what he calls me.  He has since I met him.”
                  “That’s who I got it from,” Rick said as his stomach clenched a little bit.
                  Jack’s step-grandfather, Geoffrey O’Connor, was the father of the three former O’Connor sisters, Tessa, Maddie, and Claire.  Tessa was Jack and Sadie’s stepmother, but both of them regarded her as their mother since Tessa had married their father, Dean, when they were both young children.
                  Geoff, as he was widely known, and his wife, Maureen, had moved to Dawson from Pittsburgh after all three of their daughters had married men from Dawson.  They were lonely in Pittsburgh and wanted to be close to their daughters and their families.  So Geoff had sold most of his business interests and they’d come west.
                  The O’Connors had been quickly adopted by Jack and Sadie and were very beloved by all of their various grandchildren, of which there were many.  There were also three great-grandchildren, so the O’Connors had a very full family life. 
                  “Oh, Grandma wants to know if you’re comin’ to brunch Sunday,” Jack said.
                  Upon moving to Dawson, Rick had struck up a friendship with Geoff and Maureen and especially enjoyed talking about books and other publications with them.  He sometimes had brunch with them on Sundays.  Elliot and Abby joined them on occasion.
                  “Is your mother going?” Rick asked, hopefully.
                  “Nope.  We’re having breakfast at their place and then going to camp for a while.  The twins are really excited.  They haven’t seen our tribe for a while again.  It’s really hard on them.”
                  “Oh, ok.  I’ll catch her again sometime then.  I hope you guys have a good visit.  I’ll stop in and let Maureen know that I’ll be able to make it,” Rick said.  “Now leave me alone for a little while.  And, yes, Mitch, I’ll get to that patrol, boss.”
                  Mitch shook his head at Rick’s slightly prickly statement and he and Jack exchanged a smile.
     
                  After showing Joe the finished repairs on his blue vest, Gina was enveloped by the mayor in a grateful hug.
                  “You’re my hero, Gina.  I can’t thank y’all enough.  You don’t know what it means to me that you could save it,” he told her.
                  Gina smiled at him.  “I’m just happy that I could do it.  It’s the least I could do for all the kindness you and Lacey have shown me.”
                  “We’re happy to have you.  You have a home here as long as you want,” Joe said and meant it.  “What do I owe you for doin’ that?”
                  “I don’t know.  You bought the material and the machine,” Gina said.  She felt at a loss in naming a price.
                  Joe said, “Ok.  Then we’re just gonna go with this,” as he handed her a twenty dollar bill.
                  “I think that’s too much,” Gina said and tried to give it back to him.
                  “Not for the kind of quality work you do.  I’ve seen tailors who didn’t do quite as nice a job as you did.  It’s worth it to me,” he said and curled her fingers around the bill.  He squeezed her fist a little and walked off.
                  Gina looked down at the money in her hand and her eyes misted over a little as she thought of what she would be able to do with the money.  The first order of business was new shoes for Ryan and Chloe.  Maybe she would have enough to get them each a new outfit, too.  Grinning, Gina went to