A Mail-Order Bride Was Returned At The Depot, Until A Cowboy Picked Up Her Trunk And Called Her Wife

Chapter 4

The kitchen proved functional if basic: a cast-iron stove, a dry sink, shelves of provisions, and a worktable scarred from use. Willa took inventory—flour, beans, salt pork, coffee, sprouting potatoes, onions in a hanging bag, and dubious-looking preserved foods in jars. Not inspiring, but workable.

By the time Lucas and Pedro came in from their evening chores, she’d managed a simple meal: beans with salt pork, cornbread that was only slightly lopsided, and strong coffee.

Lucas paused in the doorway, genuine surprise crossing his features. “You didn’t have to cook tonight. Should have given you time to settle in.”

“I prefer to be useful,” Willa replied, setting plates on the table. “Though I should warn you that cooking isn’t my greatest strength. I’d hoped to improve under a proper teacher, but…” She trailed off with a small shrug, the unspoken reference to Mrs. Walton hanging in the air.

“Smells good to me,” Lucas said, removing his hat and hanging it on a peg.

The meal passed in companionable quiet, broken only by occasional comments about ranch work or weather. Willa observed the easy familiarity between Lucas and Pedro, the mutual respect that flowed both ways. It spoke well of Lucas that his hired hand seemed comfortable in his presence.

After they’d finished, Pedro excused himself to check on the new calf before retiring to the bunkhouse. Lucas remained at the table, watching as Willa cleared dishes.

“Thank you for the meal,” he said. “It’s been a while since I’ve had hot food waiting at the end of the day.”

“You’re welcome. Though I hope to do better once I’m familiar with your kitchen.” Willa began washing dishes in the basin. “I’d appreciate knowing what duties you expect so I can organize my time appropriately.”

Lucas leaned back in his chair. “Cooking, cleaning, mending—the usual household tasks. Garden out back needs tending if you have a mind for it. Been trying to grow vegetables, but they need more attention than I can give.”

Willa nodded, already mentally cataloging the work. “And what of my…status? You introduced me as your wife to the station master.”

“That was for your protection,” Lucas said carefully. “A single woman living with a bachelor would face certain difficulties in a town like Copper Creek.” He met her gaze directly. “But within these walls, you’re Miss Dawson, housekeeper. Nothing more unless you decide otherwise.”

The directness was refreshing after years of navigating her family’s unspoken expectations and James Walton’s assumptions. “And if people in town ask about me?”

“Let them think what they will.” Lucas rose from the table. “Town’s five miles away. We don’t go in more than once or twice a month for supplies. By then, they’ll have moved on to fresher gossip.”

“I doubt that,” Willa said dryly. “In my experience, gossip about a woman’s reputation tends to linger.”

Lucas’s expression grew serious. “Anyone gives you trouble, you tell me. I won’t have you disrespected.”

The fierce protectiveness in his tone caught Willa off guard. “Thank you.”

He nodded awkwardly, then gestured toward the bookshelf in the main room. “Feel free to use anything there. Not much for reading myself, but the previous owner left those behind.”

After Lucas retired to his bedroom, Willa finished cleaning the kitchen, then examined the bookshelf. Most volumes were practical guides—ranching, animal husbandry, a medical reference—but she was delighted to discover a few novels, including a well-worn copy of Pride and Prejudice.

She took the book to her room, lighting the small oil lamp on the bedside table. As she prepared for bed, she caught herself wondering what James Walton’s house might have been like, what her life would have been as his wife. Would she have had her own bedroom there too? Or would she have been expected to fulfill all wifely duties from the start, with a man who’d already found her wanting?

Settling under the simple quilt, Willa tried to quiet her racing thoughts. She’d made her choice—or perhaps the choice had been made for her. Either way, the Double R was her home now, at least temporarily.

Tomorrow would bring new challenges, but also new beginnings.

Her last thought before drifting off was of Lucas Reed’s storm-blue eyes and the unexpected kindness they’d shown a woman abandoned at a train depot.