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

walking home with Andrew. She went back into the library to finish up Ricky's shirt and when that was done, it was time to start dinner. She was surprised that Ricky wasn't home yet.

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    " Y ou made her day , you know. I think it was a real treat for her to have you all to herself." Ricky's father said as they walked outside. Ricky had intended to just stay for a short while and then go home and work, but his mother was in such good spirits when he arrived, and yet she looked even weaker than the day before. He sat with her for several hours, until her eyes grew heavy and his father suggested that she could do with a nap.
    He promised her that he'd be there when she woke up and he spent the next few hours sharing lunch with his father and walking around the fields, talking about anything and everything. Always, the conversation came back to his mother.
    "I think she might be getting ready to go," his father said quietly as they stopped to rest for a bit at the base of a pond. His father seemed smaller, somehow, consumed with worry.
    "She can still fight this," Ricky insisted.
    His father sighed. "She's always been a fighter. I agree with you. But, she's tired and she just doesn't feel good. When she coughs, sometimes it looks as if the effort might break her. It's the look in her eyes that I hate to see. She hurts and I just want to take her pain away, but I don't know how. I'm scared that we're going to lose her soon."
    "Do you really think so?" The thought of losing his mother was unfathomable to Ricky. She'd always been such a rock.
    "I do, and in a way, I think it will be a blessing, as much as I hate to lose her. I just want her to be out of pain, even if that means she can't be here with us anymore. I just don't know how I'll manage without her." His voice broke and Ricky put his arm around him to comfort him. They stayed that way for a while, just leaning on each other and watching the water ripple on the pond.
    Finally, his father spoke again. "She might be awake by now, if you want to go say a few words before you head out for the day. I don't think she's up to much more than that."
    "I wore her out," Ricky said ruefully.
    "No, soothed her soul is more like it. She'll sleep well because of it."
    "I'll come back every day this week, whenever I can, even if it's just for a short visit."
    "She'd love that."

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    An hour or so later, at about half-past three, Ricky drove away from his parents’ house in a bit of a daze. He'd been concerned when he visited his mother the day before, but he hadn't realized how seriously ill she was until he spent the better part of the day there. No one that Ricky loved had ever died before and the thought of losing his mother was alarming, overwhelming even.
    He supposed that he should go home and go do some work, but Sarah was sharing that room with him now. He was happy to have her there, but at the moment, he couldn't handle small talk. He wanted to be alone, to wallow in his misery, to have a drink or two and to think or not think.
    He was confused as to what exactly he did want to do, but the only clear thing was that he wanted to go to the saloon, sit at the bar and have a whiskey, straight up. And that's what he did.
    The saloon was quiet, given the time of day, and that pleased Ricky. He wasn't feeling especially social, not yet. He sat in his favorite seat and when Nick, the bartender, ambled over, he ordered a double shot of whiskey.
    Nick set it down in front of him and he tossed it back and ordered another. This one, he sipped slowly as he gazed off into space and brooded. He felt empty and sad and cold. He knew that the next few weeks were going to be difficult ones and as hard as they were going to be, he didn't want to miss a moment, and he planned to visit his mother every day. After a little bit, a very pretty saloon girl, one he hadn't seen before, strolled over and introduced herself. Her name was Paige and normally he’d banter with her a bit, but he just