Mail Order Madness by Kirsten Osbourne

best to fatten you up.”
    Susan laughed.  “I don’t know that I need fattening, but I appreciate the gesture.” 
     David held out a chair for her at the foot of the table and she took her seat, trying
     to act as if she were seated by a man every day, but feeling very awkward.
    The boys each sat two to a side.  The twins had taken the seats beside their father who was obviously used to helping
     them with their meals.  Albert and Lewis sat on either side of her, calmly waiting
     for the prayer before they fixed their plates.  Susan was impressed.  Her brothers
     would have fallen on the food like rabid dogs. 
    David smiled at Susan.  “Let’s all hold hands as we thank God for the meal.” 
    Susan’s left hand found Albert’s while her right hand joined with Lewis’s.  She bowed
     her head while David said a quick prayer thanking God for sending Susan into their
     lives.  Susan felt her eyes tear up as she listened to it.  His boys seemed so well
     behaved and he obviously wanted a wife so badly.  If nothing went wrong, she knew
     she’d agree to marry him on their trip back into town.
    They passed the dishes very politely around the table with the older boys helping
     the younger boys with their portions.  Susan was amazed.  She could easily take on
     the boys if they were always this well behaved.
    She took a bite of her mashed potatoes with the cream gravy.  “This is wonderful! 
     Do you always eat so well?”
    David nodded.  “Sadie is the housekeeper and the cook.  If you’d like to cook meals,
     you can always let her know you’d prefer to cook a certain night, but she’s used to
     cooking for all of us.  The ranch hands have their own cook and live in the bunkhouse,
     so they never intrude on our family time unless there’s some kind of emergency I need
     to know about.”
    Susan took a moment to think about that.  She wouldn’t even have to cook?  And there
     was a nanny for the boys?  What would she do with her time?  “What do you need a wife
     for?  You have a nanny, a cook, a housekeeper.  Would I just sit around and file my
     nails all day?”
    He laughed.  “I do have four boys.  There need to be two women working together to
     take care of them.  Caroline did a lot of charity work as well.   And you’d do all the sewing for us and the mending.  Caroline used to say the sewing
     itself was a full time job. ”
    She nodded, thinking about the life she’d have as his wife.  She turned to Albert. 
     “I hear you love horses.”
    Albert turned his big brown eyes to her and nodded. His whole face was lit up by his favorite subject. “I do.  I want to train horses like my pa.  Someday I’m going to train the fastest
     horse in all of Texas!”
    “Not in all of the United States?”
    “If it’s the fastest horse in Texas, it is the fastest horse in all of the US!”
    She laughed.  “You’re not proud to be a Texan are you?”
    Lewis poked her arm from her other side.  “Of course, he’s proud to be a Texan.  If
     you’re not a Texan, you’re nothing!”
    “Well, I think it’s a good thing I moved here then!”
    The boys regaled her with tales of the Alamo among other stories from when Texas was
     a republic.  She was amazed they knew their history so well.
    She watched as the twins ate their meal.  They had horrible table manners, but she
     expected that from two year olds.  She could work with them on that.
    Once the meal was over, the boys all went into the parlor and she followed.  The parlor
     was next to the dining room with an open archway in between.  David was right behind
     her with his hand at the small of her back.  “Would you like a tour of the house?”
    She turned and smiled at him over her shoulder.  “Yes, please!”
    “This is the main parlor.  If we have guests over, we usually come in here with them.” 
     He took her elbow and steered her down a hallway.  “This is our washroom.”  He opened
     the door and she