Free Mail Order Cowboy (Love Inspired Historical) by Laurie Kingery

“You may have heard Texas was on the losing side in the recent war.”
    Nick figured it would be impolitic to do more than nod his acknowledgment.
    â€œWe’re gonna need lumber,” the livery owner went on, thinking aloud.
    â€œMaybe Mr. Dayton could be persuaded to donate it,” Reverend Chadwick suggested. “Or at least offer it at a discount.”
    â€œHank Dayton give something away?” snorted Patterson. “That’d be something new.” Hank Dayton. Had that been the man who had just been outside, talking to Waters? Nick had to agree—he didn’t seem like the generous type.
    â€œYou never know. The good Lord still works miracles,” Chadwick said with a twinkle in his eye. “I’ll ask him. Failing that, perhaps he would at least extend credit ’til the Matthews ladies could pay him back, or we could hold a fundraising party…”
    â€œWhen are we gonna have this barn raisin’?” Patterson asked. “The ladies’ll need some time to organize the food and so forth.”
    â€œShall we say a week from Saturday? When do you think would be good for Miss Milly and Miss Sarah, Nick?”
    Nick shrugged. It wasn’t as if Milly and her sister had a complicated social schedule of balls and dinner parties to work around. “The sooner the better, probably. Will you be coming out to tell her about it, sir?”
    â€œNo, I’ll let you bring the good news, Nick. Just let us know if that date won’t be convenient.”
    Â 
    The proprietress of the boardinghouse hadn’t been surprised that he would no longer need the room, having already heard of his new, temporary job—there certainly were no secrets in a small town. She’d probably already rented out his room. He gave her a quarter for keeping his valise for him, though, prompting a surprised thanks from the woman.
    He couldn’t help feeling a certain pleased anticipation as he drove the buckboard back to the ranch. Milly was going to be so surprised that the ranch would soon have a proper barn again! He was glad the preacher had left it up to him to bring the news.
    On impulse, he stopped the wagon on the road home when he spotted a cluster of daisylike yellow flowers with brown centers growing alongside the road and picked a bouquet-sized handful for Milly. He wondered if this was violating his offer not to press her with courting gestures during their time of hardship. Yet had she ever actually said she would hold him strictly to that? He couldn’t actually remember her saying it in so many words, so surely this small cheerful bunch of flowers would cause no offense.
    It didn’t. After unharnessing the horse and turning him out into the corral, he found Milly in the grove of pecan trees that stood next to the house. She wore a calico dress that had seen better days and was bent over a washboard set in a bucket of water, scrubbing stains from an old shirt. Wet garments hung to dry from low branches and across bushes. In spite of the shade, shelooked hot and tired. Beads of sweat pearled on her forehead. He strode over, holding the brown paper parcel of sugar in one hand and keeping the hand holding the bouquet behind his back.
    Swiping one damp hand over her forehead to push an errant lock of black hair out of her eyes, she caught sight of him and stopped. She looked as if she felt embarrassed to be caught thus, but she smiled and said, “Oh, the sugar! Thanks so much for getting that for us, Nick. Were you able to pick up your things?”
    â€œYes,” he said, putting the sack of sugar down on the table at a safe distance from the tub of water, “and I brought you these.” He brought his other hand from around his back and offered them to her. “They looked so cheerful and appealing, I wanted you to have them.”
    Her eyes focused on the flowers, then locked with his, and the color rose on her already-pink cheeks.
    â€œOf