Free Della: Bride of Texas (American Mail-Order Bride 28) by Trinity Ford Page B

been cleaned away and the pine boards beneath were polished to a high shine.
    A small group of musicians were playing at one end of the hall and couples were already twirling to square dance tunes and other festive–-and distinctly Texan—music of the day. Around the perimeter of the hall, tables were set up to display a wide array of food and drink. The older citizens of Cowtown were relaxing and fanning themselves on chairs set up between the tables of food and drink and many of the younger couples and singles were laughing and talking in groups. It was fun to see the ladies dressed up in their finery and the men clean and dressed up from the usual fare of grungy Western work clothes. Della was happy to recognize so many faces. It was hard not to get to know everyone, when they relied on the store you worked in for their daily needs.
    “Della!” a voice squealed from behind. “So glad you could make it!” it was Annabelle Collins—whom she’d gotten to know in the early morning hours, whenever the town’s teacher stopped by to pick up some supplies or treats for her class.
    “You know Mrs. Collins?” Milton whispered.
    “Yes, she comes in the store regularly,” Della answered.
    “Introduce me,” Milton ordered rather than asked.
    “This is my husband, Lee,” Annabelle said. Lee Collins was a big rancher in the area. He’d started out with a fledgling cattle company and become one of the most influential cattle barons in all of Texas.
    “Lee, nice to meet you,” Della replied. “This is my fiancé, Milton Tidwell. He’s the manager at Fort Worth Bank over on Main Street.” It felt funny introducing Milton as her fiancé, when the reality was, he’d never formally proposed to her. All he’d done is discuss the wedding date with her. I reckon not every man is a romantic , she reasoned with herself.
    Lee shook Milton’s hand. “I haven’t met you yet, Mr. Collins,” Milton remarked. “Perhaps you’d like to discuss your banking needs and what we can do for you?”
    “I’m not here to conduct business, Mr. Tidwell,” Lee said. “I already do my banking over at the Texas Sun branch. Now if you’ll excuse us.” They walked away, with Annabelle giving Della a look of pity.
    “I thought you said she was your friend,” Milton barked, taking his frustration out on Della. “I don’t like to be made a fool of.”
    “No, I said I knew her as a customer,” Della said sharply, already fed up with the way Milton treated her due to his own shortcomings.
    Milton sighed and excused himself, leaving Della to stand there alone in a room full of acquaintances. A light and popular tune began to play from the musicians’ area. “Care to dance?” a voice said from behind.
    Della turned around and came face to face with Hank Hensley, who stood there wearing a gentlemen’s three-piece suit—a sack coat with a high collar shirt, a fashionable, floppy bow tie and black trousers. A pocket watch hanging at the front of his vest completed the polished look, which Della was sure had been custom created for his form.
    “I’m afraid I already have a dancing partner, Mr. Hensley,” she said.
    “And it looks like he’s nowhere to be found—certainly not dancing with you ,” Hank said. “If you were my girl, there’s no way I would have left you standing here alone—not with men like me lurking all around.”
    Della noticed several of the woman standing nearby began whispering to each other and pointing at them, giggling. “There are plenty of women here for men like you , Mr. Hensley,” Della said, referring to the groups of gossipers.
    “And I’m as interested in them as you are in Milton Tidwell,” Hank laughed.
    Della turned to Hank, looking shocked. She was blushing, but only because he actually guessed the truth about her. “I can assure you I’m quite interested in Mr. Tidwell,” Della lied. “As a matter of fact, he’s over there right now forming important relationships with people who