Free Shane's Bride (Mail Order Brides of Texas #3) by Kathleen Ball

stay.” His shoulders sagged as he sat at the kitchen table.
    Cecily placed her hand on his shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze.  “I’m hoping it won’t come to that.”
    “Come to what?” Lucy asked as she joined them in the kitchen.
    “Poor Boy and I were wondering now that you’re here to take care of Shane if we would have to leave.  I’m sure you want to be alone with your husband.”
    “My dear, the house is a bit small, but I’m assuming you both work for the sheriff.  As long as you do your work to my specifications, you have a place to stay.  I would like some coffee now.  You, boy, go get my bags and put them into Shane’s room.” Poor Boy quickly got to his feet and practically tripped as he raced out the front door.
    Cecily poured coffee into a mug and handed it to Lucy, who sat at the table staring at the liquid.  “You don’t have many social graces do you? Don’t you know enough to offer your guests cream and sugar with their coffee?”
    Cecily’s face heated and she bet it was bright red.  “I do have a bit of sugar but there’s no cream.  Would you like me to get you the sugar?”
    “I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t want it, and what do you mean there’s no cream? Aren’t you responsible for keeping up the kitchen as well as the rest of the house?”
    Cecily put her right hand over her pounding heart.  “Shane, did the shopping, and I guess he didn’t think we needed cream.”
    Lucy’s eyes narrowed.  “To you, his name is either Mr. O’Connor or Sheriff O’Connor.  You need to learn to show your employers more respect.  Where exactly have you been sleeping?”
    “Excuse me?”
    “You heard me, and I’m waiting on your answer.  In fact, I’m still waiting on the sugar.”
    Cecily felt as though she could hardly breathe-as if though the woman in the chair had taken all the oxygen out of the room.  She found the sugar bowl and set it in front of Lucy along with a spoon.  She stiffened as Lucy put four spoonful’s of sugar into her coffee took a sip and pushed it away.  Didn’t she know how much sugar cost? “As for your answer as to where I sleep, I sleep in my own room.”
    Lucy stood and put her hands on her hips.  “Show me.”
    Had Lucy been anyone else but Shane’s wife Cecily would’ve told her to get out.  She walked over to her room and opened the door.  “This is my room.”
    Lucy shook her head.  “Nothing in this house belongs to you.  This is not your room it’s just the room you’ve been sleeping in.”
    Upon hearing thuds and thumps coming from the front of the house, Cecily quickly turned away from Lucy and rushed to help Poor Boy with the luggage.  It took both of them to carry the trunk into Shane’s room.  They set it down against the wall where Shane would not trip on it.
    “What’s that doing in here?” Shane’s frown was as big as Texas.
    “Mr.  O’Connor, your wife instructed us to bring her belongings to your room.  She does have a lot of luggage with her, and I hope it will all fit in here.” Cecily didn’t wait for a reply she was still hurt because Shane had never mentioned his wife.  She grabbed another bag, brought it into the room and put it on top of the trunk.
    “Cecily, I don’t want her bags in here.  And for the record, she’s not my wife.”
    “Fine.” She grabbed the bag and hauled it back out into the kitchen.  Her mind was whirling.  What did he mean Lucy wasn’t his wife? What in the world was going on? “Poor Boy, let’s go grab the trunk.  Shane doesn’t want it in his room.” Poor Boy looked tired and annoyed, but he followed her.
    “She ain’t your wife?” he asked, scratching his jaw.  “Are you sure cause she says she is.  Did you get married and forget? Think hard, try to remember your wife.  At least it don’t look like you forgot any kids.  Maybe you hit your head.” Poor Boy looked so serious as he tried to be helpful, but by the thunderous look on