Free Mail Order Meddler by Kirsten Osbourne Page B

lot of sewing to do to make them look how they should.   She was tired just thinking about the work her new family was causing her, but it was a good tired. 
    Just before leaving the house, Tracy put the pot of beans onto the stove to boil so they would be ready when they arrived home.  It wasn’t her favorite dish, but it would be ready when they arrived home, so it made sense that it was what she fixed.
    The drive to town seemed much shorter than usual, and Tracy was excited to meet the other people at church.  She had been to church every Sunday since she was a small child, so it felt strange that she’d missed the two weeks before, even though she’d been on a train and there had been no way she could make it.
    “Is everyone friendly?” she asked Andy as she sat close to him on the seat.  He used one hand to drive the gentle team and the other held hers tightly. 
    Andy smiled down at her.  “It’s a congregation made up of the ranching families in the area and all their hands.  It’s primarily men, so you will be the center of attention.”
    Tracy sighed.  “Stay close to me then.  I don’t want other men touching me like what happened in town the other day.”   She hadn’t enjoyed John’s attentions, but she had secretly liked how Andy had reacted to the other man.  She didn’t think Andy would have come around nearly as quickly if he hadn’t realized there were other men interested in her as well.
    “You didn’t tell them we were unhappy, did you?  Because if you did, it will be all over town already.”
    Tracy shook her head.  “I barely got a word in edgewise.  They knew we were married, but I didn’t say much more.”
    “Thank you for not shaming me in front of the town.”  Andy took a deep breath.  “I probably deserved it.”
    “No, you didn’t.  You reacted in a normal way.  Your brother sent away for a bride for you.  How were you supposed to react?”  Tracy understood his motivation behind what he’d said better now, because she’d taken the time to think about it and not just see things through her own eyes and hurt feelings.
    “As soon as I saw you, I should have gotten down on the ground and kissed his feet.”
    Tracy laughed.  “I know I’m not a raving beauty.”  She looked back over her shoulder at Mattie.  “I have a feeling Mattie will be, though.  It’s going to be fun to see what kind of man she’s attracted to.”
    Andy shook his head.  “It will.  I hope she’s only attracted to good men.  The idea of her marrying a man who isn’t good for her is frightening.”
    He stopped the wagon in front of the church and set the brake.  She could see that several families simply left their wagons in the churchyard, and it looked as if that’s what he would do as well.  The three in the back got down quickly and went to talk with their friends.  She noted that Francis immediately went to a group of boys who were standing beside the church talking about something, while Mattie went to a group of young girls, and Arthur went to a group of boys who were throwing a ball.
    Andy walked around the wagon and helped her down, his arm automatically going around her waist.  “Would you like me to introduce you to a few of the wives?”
    Tracy nodded, feeling strange that he would automatically introduce her to other wives instead of girls in school.  Yes, she was a wife, but she had been a girl in school just a couple of weeks before.  It was odd how her life had changed so quickly.
    He made the rounds with her introducing her to the five women who attended the church.  There were at least fifty people there, but as he’d said, most were ranch hands.  There were a few children, which balanced things out a little.  Tracy found herself the center of attention with man after man coming over and letting her know that if she got tired of Andy they would be waiting. 
    As soon as they went to their seats, she leaned over to whisper, “Don’t they