Hi everyone. I’m here with week 4 of my WIP. I’m definitely going to have to write faster. 🙂

A little background: Maggie has resigned herself to the fact that she must now accompany the bride to the groom because her man quit.

I’m giving away a $5 Starbucks card and an copy of Capital Bride, the first in the series to one lucky commentor, so be sure and leave me a comment. For the book, the winner can choose any format including paperback, if they are in the US. Only ecopys to international winners.

Maybe it was time to think about another relationship. In all honesty, she didn’t want to be alone for the rest of her life, even though she had no intention of marrying again. She had no social life, no place to find a companion. This time she would make her own decision, not endure her father’s wishes. She would never settle for another Edgar. There had to be good men out there. Caleb Black seemed to be one. But who could tell from a letter or even a dozen letters.

Taking her two valises out from under the bed, she packed them with each with two full changes of clothing. She’d long ago given up wearing corsets. She had no one to help her into and out of one, so there wasn’t much point in buying them. Besides, she had a good figure that didn’t need the corset, especially in this heat. She was a little plump, but that only gave her lush curves.

Once she was packed, she sat down to read the file again like she’d done dozens of times before. She was fascinated by Mr. Caleb Black. He was a handsome man but masculine. His photograph showed a strong jaw and dark eyes. His hair was brown or black, she couldn’t tell which in the tin type picture he’d sent. His shoulders appeared wide and his waist trim. He wore a suit with a small string tie and held a Stetson hat in his hand. She’d asked him in one of her letters what kind of hat it was, as she’d never seen any like it before. She’d asked him a lot of things in her letters and he wrote her back quickly with the answers. He asked her questions about her life, what she liked and didn’t.

He included parts of his life story with each letter he sent to her. In reality, he said more to her than he did in any of his letters to Jenny. Those were sterile, formal. There was nothing of himself in them. Nothing of his funny sense of humor, his love for his daughter or his fierce protectiveness of her. All of him, everything that made him special, was in his letters to Maggie, not the ones to Jenny. And he insisted on calling her Maggie, no matter how many times she told him her name was Margaret. She kept trying to be mad but it brought back better days. Days before Edgar and the mess that was their marriage.

And Maggie read every letter he sent to her and to Jenny. She read all the letters to her brides to make sure that what these men were promising the young women they were to marry was even possible much less true. She’d had one man promise the girl she’d be clothed in silk and showered in gold. Needless to say, since the man had to make installments to Maggie, she didn’t pass on the letter and she sent the man back his money. She told him unequivocally that she only helped men who were truthful with her and her brides. Maggie had to protect the women and her business by making sure the men were trustworthy.

Now she’d meet Caleb Black. If she admitted it to herself she was a little excited. Finally able to meet the man she’d secretly been dreaming about but couldn’t have. Not without ruining Jenny’s life and she would never do that. It was her business, her life and she’d protect it at all costs.