Groom Wanted. Debra Ullrick

glanced over at her sister. “Jake is a friend and nothing more. But if I wasn’t so dead set in pursuing my dreams, who knows, I might have considered Jake.” Turning down his proposal hadn’t been easy because she enjoyed his company immensely. Good thing she wasn’t in love with Jake. Saying no would have been extremely hard, but necessary.

      “You would?” Abby clasped her hands together and her eyes sparkled.

      “I said if, Abbs, if.”

      “But Jake is sooo handsome,” Abby said dreamily with her clasped hands pressed against her heart.

      “If you think he’s sooo handsome, then why don’t you marry him?”

      Abby yanked her hands away from her chest and her wide eyes stared at Leah. “Me? He’s way too old for me. But if he wasn’t, I sure would try for him.”

      “Why?” Leah found she really wanted to know.

      “What do you mean, ‘why’? Just look at him. He’s dreamy and so handsome.”

      Handsome, yes. But dreamy? She never thought about Jake as being dreamy. “Jake is handsome. I’ll give him that. But looks aren’t everything, and he is not my type.”

      “I know, I know.” Abby rolled her eyes. “Your type of man is one who wears waistcoats, ties and fancy suits and lives in a big city.”

      Only because that was how her father used to dress. Another pleasant memory she held on to.

      Abby laid her hand on Leah’s. Gone was the humor from her face. Serious now replaced it. “What if you find someone, Lee-Lee, and once you get out there, it isn’t anything like what you dreamed it would be? Then what?”

      Good question. Just what would she do? What if she got out there and the nightmares didn’t stop? No. She couldn’t think that way. She had to hold on to that hope. She just had to. “That won’t happen, Abbs, because before I go anywhere, if a man intrigues me, I’ll request a picture of him and ask a lot of questions. If I like his answers, then I’ll go out and meet him in person first.”

      “You know Mother won’t let you go alone.”

      “She won’t know.”

      “You mean you’re not going to tell her?” That same horrified look she saw on Phoebe earlier now shrouded her sister’s face.

      “No. And neither are you.”

      “I don’t like this, Leah. Not one little bit.”

      Neither did she. But her heart was set on moving out East and nothing would stop her. Not her mother, her brothers or Jake. Jake? What did he have to do with any of this?

      Chapter Two

      Jake rode into the yard of his farm faster than ever before, unsaddled his horse and turned Dun loose in the corral. He ran to his house and stepped inside. One glance told him it was as bad as he had feared. Boots and jackets were sprawled on the bench and floor, dishes covered the table and newspapers surrounded his living room chair.

      Every time Leah had come to his house, their visits had been planned and he always had a chance to spruce up the place first. This time that wasn’t the case because he hadn’t expected to see her today, much less invite her over. “Better hustle, Jake.” He snatched up his jackets and hung them on the hooks, then lined his work boots neatly underneath the bench.

      Dishes rattled and clanged as he gathered the breakfast mess, tossed the dishes into the sink and covered them with a towel. After washing the table down, he flocked the pile of newspapers together and laid them in a neat pile on the coffee table he’d made.

      Next he plucked his clean undergarments, shirts, pants and socks down from the clothesline he’d rigged near the cookstove, tossed them onto his unmade bed and closed the bedroom door behind him.

      Banjo’s barking reached his ears. He peered out his living room window and saw Leah’s carriage coming down the lane.

      He darted toward the wash basin and checked his reflection in the shaving mirror. His thick blond hair, part of his Norwegian heritage, stuck out everywhere. He snatched up his comb and smoothed the strands down, then headed out the door and met Leah and Abby right as they pulled in front of his house.

      “Hush, Banjo.” His mottled-colored Australian shepherd tilted her head both directions, then darted onto the porch. Banjo laid down on the top step, placed her head between her legs, leaving her front paws dangling over the step, and let out a slow, pitiful whine.

      Jake looked back at the ladies sitting in the buckboard phaeton with the parasol top, another reminder of the differences in their financial statuses in life. This phaeton was only one of the expensive carriages the Bowen family owned.

      “Hi, Jake!” Abby waved.

      “Howdy-do, ladies.” He nodded, then offered Leah a hand.

      “Thank you.” She smiled up at him when she reached the ground.

      He returned her smile, then helped Abby down.

      “Thanks, Jake.” Abby looked around the yard. “Where’s Meanie?”

      “In the barn. Had to put her in a stall.”

      Leah tilted her head. “How come?”

      “Kept running off. Down to Mabel’s barn. Eating all her grain. Caused all kinds of ruckus. Ornery old goat anyway.”

      “Jake!” Leah gasped and her eyes widened. “That isn’t nice. Once you get to know Mabel, you’ll discover she’s really a very sweet lady with a soft heart.”

      Abby giggled and darted up the steps, flopping down next to Banjo.

      Jake couldn’t help but laugh. “Wasn’t talking about Mabel. Was talking about my pet goat, Meanie.”

      Leah’s cheeks turned a nice shade of dark pink, the same color as the dress she had on, and her perfectly formed lips formed an O.

      “Shall we get started?” He motioned toward his house. They walked side by side up the wide steps, past Abby and onto the porch. Jake opened the door and moved out of the way.

      “You coming, Abby?”

      Abby turned sideways. “Do you mind if I stay out here? It’s too nice to go inside. Besides, Banjo’s better company. Isn’t that right, girl?” Abby rubbed his dog behind her ears.

      “Hey.” Leah planted her hands on her slim waist.

      Abby glanced back and winked. “Just kidding, Lee-Lee. But I would like to stay out here on the porch, if you don’t mind. Even though the air’s a little nippy, the sun sure feels good.”

      Leah looked up at him as if to question if it was okay or not.

      Jake shrugged, seeing no reason why she couldn’t. “I don’t mind if you don’t.”

      “I don’t mind. That’s fine, Abbs.”

      “Would you like something to drink, Abby?”

      “No. I had a cup of hot cocoa at Phoebe’s house right before we left, so I’m fine. But you two go ahead if you’d like,” she said, keeping her back to them as she continued to pet Banjo.

      “You change your mind, just holler,” Jake said before he and Leah stepped inside his house.

      “Where do you want to sit?” Leah asked him.

      “The table. That way we can spread the letters out and be in plain view of Abby.”

      “Sounds good to me.”

      Jake took Leah’s wrap and hung it on a peg near the door before Leah headed toward his kitchen table.

      The slab table with pine legs and the kitchen chairs made out of lodgepole pine with slab seats looked shabby next to