Karlene's Kitchen

Karlene left her home for a new adventure in Denver as a mail order bride. Her dream? To own her own restaurant, and she hopes her husband-to-be will be willing to let her. But when she arrives in Denver, she gets devastating news that changes her plans. Instead of returning home, she decides to open her own restaurant just on the outskirts of Denver.

Randy's time out in the wilds of Colorado tending sheep is something he looks forward to each year. When he returns to Denver and finds the new restaurant, he stops for dinner and falls head over heels for the beautiful owner.

As Karlene gets her restaurant established, she can't help but be flattered by Randy's attention. But will he be able to convinced her to be part of his life, or will their lives take them on separate paths?

Karlene stared down at the letter for the hundredth time, her hand shaking from the
jostling of the train. She couldn’t believe she was on her way from Virginia to Colorado as a mail order bride. While she was surprised when Mama presented the idea to her, Karlene knew it meant she could have a chance to live the life she wanted instead of what society expected of her. Working alongside her husband in the fields sounded better than pretending to be someone she wasn’t.
And perhaps if William had enough help around the farm, she could finally open
the restaurant she’d been dreaming of since she was a child.

That was, if her husband was willing to let her.

William’s letters had always been kind,
though. She’d enjoyed writing back and forth with him, but hadn’t brought up the restaurant in any of their letters because she wanted to meet him in person to see who he really was first. Hopefully her opinion of him wouldn’t change.

But now she was on the outskirts of Denver, which meant she was close to her
destination. Her stomach twisted in knots as she packed her books, comb, and
mirror in her bag and set it aside, then stared out at the sprawling city that she would now call home. The Rocky Mountains were taller than anything she’d seen before, and she couldn’t wait to venture into them.

It would be a couple of weeks before the wedding while her husband-to-be finished
his crops for the year, but Karlene didn’t mind at all. That just meant another few weeks of freedom to look around Denver and see what it had to offer. She needed to know what her competitors had to offer before she started her own business. As the train came to a full stop, Karlene checked the name of the boarding house again, then climbed off.

Once she had her trunk, she flagged down a buggy and gave the driver the address. He
slid the trunk in the back of the buggy, then put down a stool so she could climb in.

“You'll enjoy Broad Street Boarding
House. I’ve taken others there, and they always go on about how wonderful it is.” The driver closed the door before she could
answer, and soon the buggy was on its way.

Karlene sighed and settled in the back of her seat as the carriage rattled. The ride
through Denver showed a very different city from what she was used to in Virginia. The houses were bigger in some parts, and there were fewer farms. Bakeries, dress shops, mills, and food markets lined the streets, and Karlene made a mental note to visit them once she was settled in. She was grateful
there were trees and bushes along the paths for the long walks she planned on taking. She could almost smell the lilacs in bloom as they drove past, and she couldn’t wait to gather some for her room.

When the buggy finally stopped, Karlene stepped out, staring up at the house in awe.
It was a white two-story home, with a picket fence and a well manicured lawn in front.  It was just exactly the type of house she dreamed of living in someday.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” The driver followed Karlene up the steps and set the trunk on the porch. “Will you be needing anything else today?”

“No, I don’t believe so. Thank you.” Karlene took a deep breath before knocking, hoping that it was really as nice inside as the driver had said.

Two women answered the door and beamed out at her. One stepped away with a wave
while the other welcomed her in.

“Welcome to our home. I’m
Sybil, and the woman who was just here is Sophia, my sister. Either of us can answer any questions you might have. But first, may I ask your name?” She ushered Karlene into a study where Sybil sat at the desk and folded her hands in front of her.

“Yes, I’m Karlene Poulton. I’m here for a few weeks before my wedding. I do hope there’s still a room for me here. Otherwise,
I’m not sure where I’ll go.” She clasped her hands tightly, trying not to show her nerves.

Sybil tapped the paper in front of her. “We
were just going over your file, actually. It seems we already have a letter for you. It happens sometimes. Would you like it now or would you prefer to see your room first?”

“I’ll take it and read it in my room,
thank you.” Karlene frowned. She had no idea who would even know she was here,
let alone write her a letter. Mother was much too busy with her seven other children to write, and Father was busy at the quarry or away visiting for his government job. It shouldn’t have been William. He was out in the fields, but maybe he had more details for the wedding.

Sybil took a key from a cubby on the wall and picked up an envelope, then handed them
to Karlene. “Very well. Your room is on the second floor, and is one of my favorites. Meals are served three times a day, and curfew is ten o’clock. If you’re not back by then, you’d better have other sleeping arrangements because you won’t be getting in. We have a maid here working, so they will come in once a week, unless you need it more often. Just let us know ahead of time. Let’s see . . . I think that’s it. Oh, yes. Don’t worry about your trunk. We can take care of getting that up to your room as well.”

“Thank you.” Karlene was too distracted
by the letter to remember all that, but she knew where to find the sisters if she needed to ask a question.

Sybil was right when she said the room was beautiful. And it was much, much bigger
than the room she was used to at home. There, she had to share with her other
sisters, but this one was her own. The bed was small enough for just her, and the matters was soft. Back home, there were three to a bed, and the mattress was lumpy from overuse. The small desk in the corner had a cute little chair next to it. The wash basin was shiny with no chips like she was used to, and the windows opened to the garden outside.

“Here you go. I hope it’s to your liking. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to get cleaned up before dinner.” Sybil handed her the letter before leaving.

Karlene quickly closed the door and sat at her desk, anxious to see who could have
possibly written to her already.

Karlene,

I am writing to inform you of a tragic accident to your husband-to-be. William
was trampled in the fields this morning and passed away. I would have come to
the boarding house to deliver this myself, but I had to make sure things were
taken care of here at the ranch.

He did not leave you empty-handed, however. Everything in his bank account is
yours—minus what we need for his debts and his funeral—along with some land on
the outskirts of Denver. Please take it. He would be devastated if you didn’t.

Signed,

Margaret  (William’s sister)