Free The Chef's Mail Order Bride: A Sweet Western Historical Romance (Wild West Frontier Brides Book 1) by Cindy Caldwell Page A

wanted her to help much.
    Well, only to help him with the things he didn’t want to do. And he was a little odd, sometimes. But she couldn’t deny that her cheeks were red—she even confirmed in the mirror—and that her cheek still tingled from his kiss.
    She shook her head, thinking that this was a very bad thing as he clearly did not have feelings for her other than gratitude, and this was a business arrangement.
    As her head hit the pillow, she decided not to think about it, and just make sure that the restaurant was as successful as it could be, and the rest she would worry about later. Nothing she could do about it now, anyway.

Chapter 12
    T he two “invitation only” nights had been a blessing for Tripp as he was able to work out some of the small kinks in something as complicated as a fancy restaurant. On opening night, Sadie and Suzanne had arrived early, wearing their best day dresses.
    “Gosh, you two really look a lot alike tonight,” Tripp said as they put on their aprons.
    Sadie and Suzanne looked down at the same time, laughing in unison. “Oh, my goodness,” Sadie said. “Our dresses are the same color.”
    Suzanne’s eyes twinkled as she said, “Hope that doesn’t get us in trouble.”
    They smoothed their aprons and headed out into the dining room. Guests came in steadily and were seated in order, handed menus and bread was placed in the center of the table.
    They’d decided to split the tables down the middle, each responsible for five. Sadie and Suzanne took orders as quickly as they could, refilled water and coffee and grabbed plates from the kitchen as soon as they heard the bell Tripp rang when orders were ready.
    As Sadie set a basket of bread on one of her tables, a customer at one of Suzanne’s flagged her. She looked around and, assuming that Suzanne was in the kitchen, she went over to the table.
    “Good evening. May I help you?” she said.
    “I’ve asked already for more water,” the woman said.
    “Oh, I’m sorry. I’ll—“
    “I see you must have forgotten. I’d like it now, please,” she said, tapping her empty water glass with her fork.”
    “I’m not—“
    The woman peered at her over the glasses that had slid down on her nose. “I’ll have no excuses. Just bring it now, and don’t forget next time.”
    Sadie raised her eyebrows, wanting to argue that she was not the waitress for this table and hadn’t forgotten, but decided it was easier—and faster—to just get her water.
    As she turned back to the kitchen after pouring the water, she almost bumped into Suzanne.
    “What?” Suzanne whispered.
    Sadie nodded her head toward the woman’s table.
    “She wanted water. I think she thought I was you,” she said, covering her mouth as she giggled. “I decided it was easier to get it than to argue.”
    Suzanne’s eyes twinkled.
    “Thanks, sister. I just did the same for one of your tables.”
    “Oh!” Sadie said as she looked around and then down at their dresses. “I guess they think we’re the same person. How could that be when there are two of us?”
    Suzanne shrugged her shoulders and laughed as she headed over to her section of the dining room, clearing away dirty dishes.
    Sadie grabbed the plates for her next customers and set them on a tray after Tripp had rung the bell again.
    “How’s it going?” he said, stirring a sauce as he turned to her.
    “It’s going well, except they keep getting us mixed up. They think we’re the same person,” she said, laughing.
    He stopped mid-stir. “Well, that would make things challenging for the customers.”
    “I hadn’t thought of it like that,” she said. “We’re just trying to help each other.”
    He turned back to his sauce. “Good luck. Let me know if you need help.”
    How could you help? she thought as she pushed through the swinging doors with her tray. He was busy enough as it was.
    As she served her table their plates and Suzanne went into the kitchen, she heard another voice behind