Stephen’s Bride Read Online Free PDF

home. She shuddered at how close she’d come to being tied to that man for the rest of her life.
    “Are you cold?” Stephen asked.
    “Maybe a little.” She just weary, just wanted to walk into her very familiar house, take a hot bath and go to bed. But first she would have to deal with Bertha, who had driven her to town so she could catch the stagecoach. The cook and housekeeper had lectured her the entire way, asking her what she planned to do when she got wherever it was she planned on going.
    She hadn’t any plans at that point. All she wanted to do was get away. The idea of finding a substitute husband came to her while she rode the distance between Sterling and Bartlett Creek, as far as the ticket she’d purchased took her. There she found Stephen McCoy.
    Her husband.
    Bertha opened the front door, wiping her hands on the white apron wrapped around her middle with a huge grin on her face. “Thank the good Lord, Miss Bender is back.”
    Calliope slid from the horse before Stephen could even assist her and ran up the steps, giving Bertha a big hug. “Yes, I am home. But guess what?”
    Bertha was looking over her shoulder, frowning. “What did you do?”
    She released the older woman and took Stephen’s hand, who had followed her up the stairs. “Bertha, this is my husband, Mr. Stephen McCoy.”
    “Husband!” Calliope was sure there would be no reason to notify Rupert what she’d done because most likely he had already heard Bertha’s shout.
    “Yes. Stephen and I were married yesterday afternoon.”
    Bertha regarded him as though she’d found something nasty on her shoe. “You ran like your tail was on fire yesterday morning to keep from marrying Mr. Melrose, and you come back with another husband? Lord, girl, have you lost your mind?”
    Calliope drew herself up. “Mr. McCoy is an upstanding man, who was vouched for by the sheriff of Bartlett Creek. He has a wonderful family, whom I met, and I am married, so there is no need to complain about it.”
    Stephen stepped forward and bowed slightly. “Miss Bertha, I am more than pleased to meet you. I can assure you I am sober, honest, and a hard worker. Furthermore, I intend to make Calliope a fine husband who will take care of her and the farm.”
    Not easily won over, the older woman narrowed her eyes. “Well we will see about that, now, won’t we?”
    Instead of the anger Calliope had expected, Stephen burst out laughing. “Miss Bertha, you remind me of Mammy who raised my brother and me on our farm in Kentucky. She made sure Daniel and I read the Bible daily, washed behind our ears, and never cussed in front of a lady. When my mother was feeling poorly, which was a great deal of the time, Mammy made sure we did our school work and helped with the horses.”
    Amazingly, Calliope could see Bertha softening toward Stephen. But being the suspicious person she was by nature, she sniffed. “Mr. McCoy, you may bring your things in. I will show you to Miss Benders—rather you wife’s bedroom.” With a flounce of her blue cotton dress, she turned and lumbered up the stairs. Stephen winked at Calliope and followed the housekeeper into the house.
    The three trooped up to the bedroom. Calliope was tempted to ask Bertha to open Papa’s old room for Stephen, but didn’t want to answer any questions that would result from that request. Better to work things out with her husband than to set Bertha the bloodhound on them.
    “I’ll have supper ready in about an hour,” Bertha said as she closed the door and left the room.
    Calliope studied the bedroom she’d slept in since the day she was born. Now it was occupied by her and a man. A man who had every right to toss her on the bed and do what it was married men did with their wives. Being raised on a farm, she had a pretty good idea what that was, but since she’d gotten Stephen to agree to wait, it would be best to get things straight right from the start. “As you can see, there is only one