Page 71 of Colorado Bride

“Yes, sir,” said Rory.

“Yes,” replied Emily.

Ben cracked the whip over the horse’s heads and they were off, headed toward home.

Emily was glad to be home.After the wagon pulled into the ranch yard, Rory dismounted, wrapped the reins around the hitching rail and then helped Emily down.

“Thank you, kind sir.”

“Sure thing.”

He grabbed a sack of flour and followed her into the kitchen.

As the kitchen was empty, she walked over to the pantry door and held it open.

“The flour bin is the one nearest the wall.”

Ben came in carrying two twenty-five pound sacks of sugar.

Once the three of them had all the food stuffs put away, Ben and Rory drove the wagon to the barn and unloaded all the grain for the animals before returning to the house.

When they entered the kitchen Doris was at the sink peeling vegetables while Emily made yeast rolls for supper.

“Something smells great,” said Rory.

Doris’s head whipped around at the sound of Rory’s voice.

“What’s he doing here?You can’t bring that…that…bastardinto my house.”

Ben walked to his mother.

“First this is my house and now part of it is Rory’s.I understand why you did the things you did, given the situation, but I’m taking a different stance.Rory is here as a Logan and part of the J Bar L Ranch.Father would have wanted it that way and you know it.”

She pointed at Rory with her index finger.

“Your father knew better than to bring his by-blow into my house and you should know better, too.”

Ben waved a hand in Rory’s direction.

“Hasn’t Rory suffered enough for circumstances that were not of his making?”

“No.You should have killed him when you found him with…her.”

Emily watched as Doris’s gaze blazed with fury.She jutted her chin toward Emily.

“I’m not you, Mother.I’m my father’s son, too.”

“Thanks for standin’ up for me,” said Rory.“I know it ain’t easy for ya.”

Ben turned toward Rory.

“I’m trying to do what my father would have wanted.Whatourfather would have wanted.I know it’s not the way things are done in this day and age, but I like to think, Father would be happy.He spent the last years of his life miserable, thanks to my mother and I like to think your mother helped him forget his misery if only for a while.”

Rory nodded and looked at Ben but words weren’t needed.Soon his gaze wandered to Emily.

“How did you meet Emily?I heard she was one of them mail-order brides.”

“She was.”