Free RICKY: A Sweet Western Historical Romance (Mail-Order Brides Club Book 5) by Ashley Merrick

he was going to say something else, but the waiter came to the table with their meals and they took a step back to let him by.
    "Ricky, we will talk soon. Sarah, it was so nice to meet you."
    "You, as well. Lovely to meet you, too, Olivia." Olivia said nothing, just nodded and smiled tightly again. Sarah turned her attention to the food that had been set in front of her. It looked and smelled delicious.
    "I knew it was a good idea to come here," Ricky said as he cut into his steak.
    "Because you knew the food would be so good?" she teased him.  Sarah had quickly realized that Ricky had an ulterior motive for bringing them there. She hadn't realized it would be such a visible place to be and an opportunity for Ricky to network and show off his new family. She was glad that she'd worn her best dress that morning and that Andrew looked neat and presentable as well.
     
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    W hile they ate , Sarah noticed people around the room glancing their way and as more people walked by on their way to be seated, many of them slowed for a minute to say a quick hello. When the waiter returned to clear their plates and offer coffee and dessert, both Sarah and Ricky ordered coffee and Andrew a dish of vanilla ice cream.
    As they sipped their coffee,  the flow of people stopping by the table started up again. Sarah was fascinated by how many people seemed to know and respect Ricky. Younger people their age, as well as several older couples that were friends of his parents.
    He introduced Sarah and Andrew to all of them and by the time they finished their coffee, he had commiserated with half a dozen people about his mother's illness. Everyone seemed so concerned about her and Ricky was no longer smiling when the bill arrived. He put some money down and smiled at Sarah, but she could see the pain in his eyes. He looked tired, and worried.
    "That was nice that so many people stopped by."
    "Yes, though all my parents’ friends seem just as concerned about my mother. I thought it might have just been me thinking she is worse than she is, but they all say the same thing. It just doesn't look good for her, unless she makes a turn for the better soon. Otherwise, she'll continue to decline and grow weaker."
    "She's a strong woman. She may be able to fight this." Sarah tried to comfort him.
    "She is a fighter, but I've never seen her this frail before. I need to get back over there soon. Fortunately, I don't have any trips planned for this week. I'm going to try and stop over mid-day tomorrow."
    "That's a good idea. I'm sure she'll be thrilled to see you."
    Ricky stood. "Are you both ready to head home?"

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    R icky was quiet on the drive home, seemingly lost in his thoughts, so Sarah didn't want to interrupt him. When they reached the house, he told them he'd meet them inside after getting the horses settled.
    When he did come inside, he went straight into his library and said he was going to work for a while. He didn't come out again that evening until nearly ten o'clock.
    Sarah was just getting ready to head up to bed herself when he walked into the kitchen, and when he saw her, he rubbed his forehead and looked a bit sheepish. "I'm sorry. I sort of lost all track of time, but I did get quite a bit of work done on this new project. It helped to have something to focus on," he admitted.
    "Are you hungry? I had some toast a little while ago. I wasn't very hungry after our large mid-day meal."
    "I haven't even thought about eating, but a piece of toast does sound good. If it's not too much trouble?"
    "No trouble at all," Sarah assured him. She set about slicing the bread and setting it on the stove directly to toast. When it was ready, she buttered it and set it on a plate for Ricky.
    "Thank you." A few minutes later, the toast was gone and Sarah was about to continue on up to bed.
    "I'm glad you're here," Ricky said, catching Sarah by surprise.
    "You are?"
    "Yes, it was nice having you by my side today. Andrew too. It was a strange day, hard with