UNKNOWN BRIDE (Sample)

Chapter Two

   Richard and Nick turned to see Mia coming up behind them with a glass of juice in her hand. Mia never had a thing for alcohol after her friend had died in an accident while driving drunk from a party, she and two others had been actually lucky to survive, but she had nursed a broken arm in a cast for weeks.

She slipped into the gap between them, wrapped an arm around her husband's waist who didn't hesitate to plant a deep kiss on her lips. After exchanging knowing looks which entailed they would continue at home, she turned to her brother.

She playfully punched his bulging bicep under his rolled-up sleeve, which he still folded across his broad chest. "Why are you so grumpy, Richie? It's a wonderful night, enjoy it. The last thing these folks need is your scowling face, it could scare the cows and huh... You know..." She cleared her throat, offering him an amused smile as she wiggled her brows at him. "...the ladies."

"Ladies?!" He snorted. "I don't see the one you brought into my once peaceful life, faring any better." He gestured with a hand towards his mail-order bride who had run out of the dance floor to a patch of grass and began to vomit.

"Ewww..." Mia cringed, wrinkling her nose in distaste. "I didn't know she was a heavy drinker."

"Yea!" Richard said sharply. "That's the point! You don't know a thing about these mail-order brides. They just crawl out of whatever holes they dwell in, eager to make a man's life miserable than it already is."

"C'mon! You don't have to be so bitter about it." Mia nudged his arm with her elbow, flashing him a charming smile. "This one might have all the qualities you have always wanted. You just have to keep her out of your cellar or she'd be belching like a horse." She teased.

Nick burst into laughter but he immediately stopped laughing and cleared his throat to appear more serious when Richard shot him a death glare. Mia continued after glancing from one man to the other. "She's nice, polite and she told me she bakes a lot."

"And is that supposed to make me feel any better?" He gave her a displeased look. Mia was about to say something when someone flung herself against Richard, wrapping her arms around his neck, almost knocking him down but he righted himself immediately.

"Oh! I'm having so much fun!" His mail-order bride shrieked in excitement. "There are lots of drink, lots of food and..." She paused and seemed thoughtful for a moment then said. "...lots of drinks!"

She practically looked like a five year old who had been offered a basket of candy. "Huh..." Richard began peeling her arms from around his neck. After righting his hat which she had almost pushed off his head, he tried to recall her name, they were supposed to spend time together and get to know each other but she had chosen to drink instead.

"Barbara." His sister whispered to him.

"Barbara." He stated, still trying to set her to stand on her own. He just couldn't stand the smell of alcohol reeking off her. "I'm glad you are having such a nice time but I'm sorry to inform you that this can't work ou-"

She interrupted him in an excited voice before he finished his last word. "Ohh...marrying you will be so much fun! It means more barn dances, more parties! Whao! I love this place!" Then she leaned closer. "When do we get married? Now? At dawn? When?" She asked with eager eyes.

Richard glanced at his sister and friend but they seemed to be also shocked by her attitude. Mia's eyes were round in speechless surprise and fixated on Barbara while Nick gave him the 'I dunno what to do' shrug.

Great! Just great! Just the very moment he needed the intervention of his life-meddlers, he was left in the loft. He noticed Barbara was now leaning against his shoulder, humming a happy tune to herself.

"Huh...Barbara?" He tried to shrug her off before she smeared the remnants of her vomit on his shirt. She stood away from him, staring at him with bright eyes, full of expectant promises, then she suddenly blurted.

"You love children right? Lots and lots of kids! I'm actually the ninth born of a family of thirteen children."

Nick cocked a surprised eyebrow and exchange glances with his wife.

Barbara continued, oblivious to everything except her object of attention. Richard. "I always wanted to have kids of my own. As many as they come." Then she suddenly smiled proudly, her eyes twinkling."I actually have two boys back at home. Felix and Joe, you will love them! They are terrific kids!"

Mia had had enough of Barbara's unending rambling. She had to step in and help her dumbfounded brother. She gently tore Barbara away who suddenly looked like lavishing kisses on her shocked brother's face.

"Barb, Barb!" Mia shook her shoulders a bit to get her attention. "I think you should go back to the dance." She suggested politely. "You are such a wonderful person to be with but right now, my brother and I need to have a little bit of sibling talk. How about you dance with old jerkins again, he said you were a great dancer."

Her eyes lightened up at the false compliment. "Ol' Jerkins said so? Of course! yes I should return to the dance, excuse me please." She said and hurried away to find old Jerkins.

Mia gave a weary sigh as she turned to face the most important men in her life. "Seems we have got ourselves a problem here."

"No! You have got a problem here, Mia." Richard fired, finally recovered from his shock.

"She has a thing for kids." Nick commented. "Imagine your ranch crawling with a dozen of them."

Richard threw him a sideways warning glance, obviously not in the mood for jokes. "No,thanks." He turned to face Mia. "I don't know how you plan to fix this mess and send her back to wherever she came from, but I quit! I'm tired of this silly bullshit! I'll get married when I want to. If I see another mail-order bride on my door step, I won't hesitate to set the dogs on her." He turned and stalked away without a backward glance.

Mia leaned against her husband who wrapped an arm around her as they both watched Barbara dance and jump around. "What do you think, honey?"

"You want the truth?" He asked. When she nodded he answered. "I think we should leave him the hell alone before he set his damn hounds on me. You do remember, the biggest of them all particularly doesn't like me."

Mia gave him an amused-knowing smile as she peered up at him with doe eyes. "That's because you kept sneaking into our yard late at night to throw pebbles at my window when we were young."

"I only wanted to spend some time with you..." He hugged her and pressed a kiss on her head. "...and now, I have you all to myself."

"It was just to get you to sneak out through your window...but that damn dog was always on alert." He planted a kiss on her temple and wrapped her in a hug.