Free Bride School: Mary (The Brides of Diamond Springs Ranch 4) by Bella Bowen

men, it was all about
success. Prove your success, you prove your worth. Well, he'd proven it that
morning. And after handing his father nearly a dozen significant orders for
leather goods, along with the payment for those goods, he'd proven he wasn't
all hat and no cattle. And while his father had been in shock, he'd explained
how, after he'd put his tooling talents to work, he'd be collecting the same
amount again, on delivery. That his “fiddling” made a saddle worth twice the
price, and he had the wits to find people willing to pay for it.
    One product. Double the money. Profit for father.
Profit for son.
    And that was only from a group of men he'd met two
days before. One look at John's own saddle, and they'd clamored for a chance to
buy the same. Then they'd been like kids in a Boston candy store.  
    “What else can you do? What else can you do?”
    Jack Hermann had been impressed all right. But at
the risk of sounding boastful, John had concealed the fact that he'd already
done the same business half a dozen times over in the last year using Boston
tanners to fill the orders. Putting money in his old man's hand was all the
proof he needed to justify nearly every argument they'd ever had. No need to
rub salt in old wounds.
    Besides, his father might not appreciate that John
had purchased from other tanners whether or not the two of them had been on
speaking terms.
    His horse picked its way down the main street
without too much trouble. A few wagon tracks had packed the snow in a nice
straight line out of town. As he neared the hotel, he looked up at the windows
and imagined Miss Campbell on the other side. The mob of brides and would-be
grooms were probably in the middle of breakfast. If he stopped in, he might
have a word with the gal who had charmed him so thoroughly the night before.
Maybe he could gaze just once more into the face that so resembled his Mary’s.
    But he didn’t have any good reason to seek her
out. After all, neither of them were players in Mrs. Carnegie's marriage game.
He did regret his clumsy goodbye the night before, but there had been others to
help across that icy river of a road and no time to worry about niceties.
    Could check in on her without looking like a
complete fool? After all, she couldn’t have gotten lost along the boardwalk
between the road and the hotel with only the mercantile between them.
    But still…
    His horse stopped like he'd made up John's mind
for him. Or maybe the beast was able to read his thoughts.
    “You have a nice safe trip, Mr. Hermann.” Fontaine
leaned a shoulder against one of two pillars that stood to either side of Mrs.
Kennedy's Hotel entrance. “And thanks again for your help.”
    John tipped his hat and gave a nod to the odd
woman. She was dismissing him, clearly. Maybe she thought his appearance might
be distracting when the ranch's male clients were fervently trying to win a
bride. With a face like his, John had been dismissed before. But this time, he
felt like arguing his case.
    “How is Miss Campbell this morning?”
    Fontaine shook her head. “Wouldn't know.
Campbell's at the ranch.”
    In spite of the danger in travelling, it made
sense. She wasn't interested in potential husbands, so she'd probably be glad
to go on home.
    “I hope she didn't go out in that storm last
night,” he said.
    “Of course not. Weather's been good this morning,
though.”
    Although the conversation was pleasant enough,
Fontaine’s eyes narrowed and he couldn't lose the impression the woman was
displeased with him for some reason. But there was no sense pushing his way
into the hotel if Miss Campbell wasn’t inside.
    Finally, he shrugged. “Well, I'll keep an eye out
for her, make sure no one slid off the road.”
    “You just do that.” She straightened away from the
pillar and sobered. “But just remember, Mr. Hermann, no men are allowed on the
ranch. You accidentally step foot under that gate and you'll have your fool
head shot off.”
    He nodded