Free Mail Order Mishap: Christian Romance (Kansas Brides Book 1) by Barbara Goss

out. What do you want? I’ll do anything to help that poor woman. I caught her in the garden the other day, sobbing her eyes out. She’s lonely, Charles.”
    “Ah, so you have a soft spot for her. That’ll make what I need easier. I need you to take my place and consummate the marriage.”
    “What?” Garrett stood so fast that the chair fell over behind him. “How can I consummate your marriage?”
    “You know I can’t do it,” Charles said.
    Garrett sighed and shook his head. “I can’t do that. It’s called adultery and it's against the Bible. She married you !”
    “Actually, she’s not,” Charles said with a grimace.
    “What do you mean, she’s not?”
    “Clint’s cousin, the would-be minister who married us. It isn’t legal; he was only posing as a minister. But Amber doesn’t know it, and she now refuses to give me the dowry until the marriage is consummated. I’ve already hired the construction crew, and the work is underway.”
     
    Garrett moved in and stood nose to nose with his brother and shouted, “Are you mad?” Garrett never felt more like choking his brother than he did at that moment.
    “I had to do something.” Charles backed away from him and put his hands in a praying position. “Please, make love to her for me.”
    “You’re crazy!” Garrett picked up the chair he’d knocked over.
    “It’ll make her happy and she’ll stop crying. The room will be dark and she’ll never know it isn’t me,” Charles pleaded.
    “I won’t do it.”
    “If you agree to do it I’ll make sure you have a home here for as long as you want,” Charles said. “You know you have it made here, with meals, laundry and a clean room.”
    “Why not just tell her the marriage was a sham and let her go back to Virginia?”
    Charles laughed. “Are you serious? I need that dowry. I’ve already spent it.”
    Garrett sighed again. “Let me think about this. There must be another way.”
    “Don’t wait too long, I feel like Amber is about to come right out and ask me to…you know.”
    “What if she gets with child?” Garrett asked.
    “All the better. It'll make her happy. Do think fast, dear brother. For good measure I’ll even promise not to ever mention your doubtful paternal parentage ever again.”
    “Gee, thanks,” Garrett said. He let the kitchen door slam behind him.
     
    As Garrett walked to the livery to visit his friend, he saw Amber leaving Edna’s house. It was nearly dark and she was about to walk alone. He changed his direction and met her as she approached the street.
    “I’ll walk you home,” he said.
    Amber looked up at Garrett and thanked him. She gave him an enormous smile. It did something strange inside his chest and he didn’t know why. He walked her across the street and along the walkway to the hotel, where they walked the path between the hotel and the hardware store. He'd often thought the alleyway would make the perfect place to assault a young woman, and Charles had no care. He reminded him more and more of his father, who'd treated their mother in the same, callous way.
    “Say,” Garrett said, “you painted the bench. It looks beautiful.”
    “Thank you. I planted the roses, too.”
    “It all looks great,” he said.
    Amber walked over and touched the bench. “It’s dry. Would you sit with me for a few minutes?”
    How could he refuse? He nodded and sat down beside her.
    “I wanted to ask you something rather personal, do you mind?” she asked.
    “I suppose not. If it’s too personal I may not answer,” he said, giving her a weak smile. He dared not be too friendly, since he knew she was in a precarious situation with an insensible, unaffectionate husband, and the last thing he wanted was to confuse her any more than she already was.
    Amber seemed to be folding and unfolding her handkerchief, so Garrett knew she was nervous.
    “Why has your brother not consummated our marriage?” she finally blurted out.
    Garrett was at a loss for words. He