Free Mail Order Bride - Westward Sunrise: Historical Cowboy Romance (Montana Mail Order Brides Book 9) by Linda Bridey

“I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself.”
    She nodded.  “How could I not?”
    A disturbance started near the back of the barroom.  Elliot smiled as he saw Sammi attempt to rise from her seat a couple of tables away.  Mitch put a hand on her shoulder and made her sit down again.  Sammi laughed.  Elliot could imagine how hard it was for Sammi not to intervene.  Suddenly the loudmouth became silent.  All eyes turned to in that direction.  Ben had the guy in a sleeper hold and didn’t let go until the man sagged in his seat.
    Calmly Ben picked up the man, put him over his shoulder, and removed him from the premises.  Ben never said a word the whole time.  When he returned, Ben went back over to the table and said something in another man’s ear in a low voice.  The man got up and left immediately.
    Abby watched this with fascination.  “Does that happen often?” she asked Elliot.
    “Pretty regularly,” Elliot replied.
    “Good,” Abby said, and then realized what she’d said.
    Joe laughed and said, “Well, Elliot, at least you don’t have to worry about her being scared.”
    “Well, it was entertaining,” Abby said as she laughed.
    Elliot said, “Abby likes scary things, don’t you?”
    Abby nodded.  “The scarier the better.  Do you like ghost stories?”
    “I like a good ghost story,” Joe said.
    Lacey shook her head.  “Not me.”
    “We should have a campfire some night and sit around telling ghost stories,” Abby said excitedly. 
    Joe leaned forward and said, “We should have a campfire some night, get drunk, and then tell ghost stories.”
    “Drunken ghost stories?  Even better!” Abby said.
    Elliot laughed.  “We oughta get Seth in on that.  He loves telling ghost stories and he’s good at it.”
    Abby started looking around for Seth and saw him out at the bar.  “I’ll go ask him.”  She was off before Elliot could stop her.
    “I didn’t mean right now,” he called after her.
    Lacey and Joe laughed. 
    “She’s adorable,” Lacey said.  “You two certainly seem…friendly.”
    Elliot’s smile was bashful.  “I guess you could say that.”
    Joe said, “Don’t wait too long to kiss her.  Better to do it right away and see what kind of chemistry you have.”
    “Joe!” Lacey objected. “Don’t listen to him.  You move at your own pace.”
    “Oh, c’mon now, darlin’.  I didn’t wait too long to kiss you, did I?” he asked his wife, and wiggled his eyebrows at her.
    Lacey colored and giggled.  “No, you didn’t.”
    “And we definitely had chemistry,” Joe told Elliot.  “Nothing wrong with a little kiss, Elliot.  Remember that.”
     
    Seth wasn’t prepared for Abby’s onslaught and jumped when he felt her hand on his arm.
    “Oh.  Sorry, Seth.  I didn’t mean to startle you,” she said, but her smile belied her words. 
    He laughed.  “That’s okay.  I was just thinkin’ about something and didn’t see you come up.”
    “I wanted to ask you something,” she said.
    “Shoot.”
    Abby said, “Do you mean ‘shoot’ as in ‘darn’, or ‘shoot’ as in ‘go ahead’?”
    “Shoot as in ‘go ahead’,” he said.
    “As I understand it, you like to tell ghost stories,” Abby said.
    He grinned at her.  “That I do.”
    “Good.  I was thinking of having a campfire some night and telling ghost stories.  I love them and it would be a lot of fun,” Abby said.  “So if you want to tell some, you could.  We just have to find a place to do it because I don’t have a yard and Elliot’s yard isn’t big enough.  We could have some food, too, you know?  Wouldn’t that be fun?”
    Seth was trying hard not to laugh.  She’d said all of it in one breath and he hadn’t been able to respond to her.  He was waiting to make sure she was done.  “That sounds like a great idea.  I have some good ones, too.”
    Abby said, “I’m always on the hunt for new ones, so I can’t wait to hear yours.  I have a whole book of