Mail Order Bride - Westward Sunrise: Historical Cowboy Romance (Montana Mail Order Brides Book 9) by Linda Bridey

no use guessing at the moment.”
                  “You’re right, but I have an idea.  I’ll show you the store and my house for now and then I’ll take you back to your new place so you can unpack.  I’ll bring dinner to you from the Grady House and then we can go to the Watering Hole tonight and you can guess then,” Elliot said.
                  “Elliot, that’s a lot of trouble to go through just for a game,” Abby said.
                  “No, it’s not.  I’m going to keep that penny, but I want to do it fair and square,” Elliot said.  “Do we have a deal?”
                  “Are you sure?”
                  “Yeah, I’m sure,” Elliot said as he looked into her eyes.  His heart skipped a beat as he did.
                  “Okay.  We have a deal,” Abby said, and took his hand.
                  Elliot’s hand automatically curled around hers and Abby smiled up at him.  Elliot was shocked when he didn’t blush.  If it had been any other woman, he would have, he knew.  Of course, there was no other woman around town who would hold his hand, either. 
    They entered the store and Abby dropped Elliot’s hand as she began looking over everything.  She roamed around and Elliot gave her some space but stayed close in case she had a question about something.  Abby was amazed at the wide variety of merchandise Elliot carried.  Clothing, canned goods, hardware supplies, and toiletries were only a few of the offerings sold there.
    “Elliot, it’s wonderful!” she exclaimed as they came back to the front of the store by the counter.  “You must be Rachel,” she said to the pretty brunette girl behind the counter.
    “Yes, ma’am,” Rachel said.  “You must be Abby.  Nice to meet you.”
    “You, too,” Abby said.  “Elliot says that you’re a big help to him.”
    Rachel smiled at her boss. “I’m glad he thinks so.”
    “I do,” Elliot said.  “Everything going okay?”
    Rachel nodded.  “Yeah.  No problems or anything.  It’s actually been pretty quiet.  Everyone must be getting ready for tonight,” she said.
    “What’s tonight?” Abby asked.
    “Fridays are usually very busy at the Watering Hole,” Elliot said.  “It can get a little wild.”
    Rachel put her elbows on the counter and said, “I wish I could go, but Mitch would never allow that.”
    “No, he wouldn’t,” Elliot said.  “Sorry.”
    “Me, too,” Rachel said.  “I love Mitch and Sammi, but being raised by a Sheriff and deputy can be tough.”
    Elliot wasn’t going to comment on that statement and get himself in trouble either way.  “Well, I’m going to show the house to Abby.  I’ll be back later on to help close up, okay?”
    “Okay.  See you later,” Rachel said as they headed towards the back of the store.
    “Poor kid,” Elliot said as they entered the office.
    Abby asked, “What makes you say that?  Because of Mitch and Sammi?”
    Elliot laughed.  “No.  They’re great parents to the kids.  She has a huge crush on Jack, the deputy, and he has no clue.  Of course, Rachel doesn’t know that I know it, either.  I can see it every time he comes in the store, though.  She lights up and can’t concentrate when he’s around.”
    Abby looked around at Elliot’s messy office as she asked, “He doesn’t feel anything for her, then?”
    “Well, he’s about four years older than her and I think he still sees her as a kid.  That could change as they both get older, though,” Elliot said as he opened the back door.
    Abby stepped through and looked at the house she was planning on sharing with Elliot. The two-story white structure looked well-maintained.  The yard between the two buildings was brown since the grass had been dried up by the heat and sun.
    She knew that there was a kitchen, parlor, small dining room, and two bedrooms upstairs.  As Elliot showed her around, Abby found that