Bartered: A Western Romance

by Mary Wehr

  “Worried?”

  “Fuck, man, I’m petrified. So many things can go wrong, you know?”

  Jake wondered how he would be if it was Emmaline carrying his child. He’d constantly be at her side making sure she wasn’t taking any unnecessary risks and was eating properly and resting.

  In other words, he’d be a real pain in the ass. Jess was right. So many things could go wrong, but they could also go smooth. “Peg’s strong, Jess. She’s gonna be okay.”

  “She had to be strong with an abusive bastard for a father. She misses her mother something awful. I guess a woman needs her mother at a time like this,” Jess said. “Damn, I feel so damn helpless at times. I don’t know what to say and when I do say something it’s always wrong and I end up making her cry. Doc says to let her rant. Something about hormones.”

  He dropped his feet and looked Jake straight in the face. “Enough about me and Peg. Something’s bugging you. What is it?”

  “I think I fucked up big time.”

  “I take it this has something to do with Emma?”

  “It does.” Jake got up and walked over to the railing. “She’s driving me nuts, Jess. One minute I want to strangle her and the next...” He rolled his shoulders. “You get a look at her lately?”

  Jess joined him at the railing. “It was some time ago. She sure grew into a real beauty. Then I got busy with calving and the next time I saw her she was wearing pants and a shirt. That must have been how Ray got her into the saloon without someone recognizing her.”

  “She took to wearing boys’ clothing after Chad tried to paw her in the barn.”

  Jess swore. “Son-of-a-bitch.”

  Anger surged through Jake’s veins. Every time he thought of Chad putting his filthy hands on Emmaline he got an overwhelming desire to beat him to a pulp. “I can’t dwell on that right now or I’ll end up killing him the next time I see him.”

  “Get in line. Since his dad is stuck in a wheelchair Chad’s been walking around like a big shot and pissing people off. How’s Emma doin’? Is she still a hothead? I remember the time she hit me with that rock.”

  Jake snorted. “She’s every bit a hothead as she was before. As for the rock incident, I blistered her ears a good one after you left.”

  Jess touched the back of his head. “Sometimes I think I can still feel a lump right about here.”

  Jake went back to his chair and plopped down. “She’s got a wild streak, that’s for sure, and it hasn’t changed. I don’t care if she’s wearin’ pants or a dress; I’ll paddle that ass but good if she deserves it.” He leaned back his head. “Thing is, I’d love to spank that ass whether she needs it or not. I must be losing my mind.”

  “Sounds like you’re in love with the little lady.”

  “No way. It’s me just being protective.” Jake picked at the label on the beer bottle. “The day Ray dropped her off Hank suggested that she stay with his mother, but I told him no.”

  Jess gave him a knowing look. “You’re right. You are losing your mind.”

  “What was I supposed to do, let her stay there with Hank without a chaperone?”

  “Of course not. I mean, he only lives with his mother. If Hank, who I know to be very respectful of women, wanted Emma, nothing would stop him.”

  “Don’t patronize me, Jess.” Jake blew out a breath in frustration. “It wouldn’t have made a difference if the parson invited her to stay with him. She wasn’t going anywhere especially under my watch. I promised her mother I’d keep an eye on her.”

  “Uh-huh,” Jess said with a smirk.

  “Uh-huh,” Jake mocked sarcastically. “What’s that shit-eatin’ grin for?”

  “Come on, Jake, you went along with Emma to the swimming hole because her mother asked you to. She didn’t make you Emma’s guardian for the rest of her life.”

  Jake rubbed his eyes. “I know that and yet I feel as if Emma has always been a part of me. After Lucille, I swore I wouldn’t jump into a serious relationship again. At least not until I got to know the woman better.”

  “You know Emma pretty well.”

  Jake snorted. “I also despise her father.”

  “You know damn well she’s nothing like her father,” Jess retorted heatedly. “The man’s a low-down no-good snake.”

  “You’re right, she’s not,” Jake readily agreed. “Montgomery’s gonna be a problem, though.”

  “He’s an asshole. If I were you I’d keep him far away from Emma as possible.”

  Jake didn’t need anyone to tell him that. “I found out he was using one of the girls as a punching bag so I kicked him out of the saloon. That doesn’t mean he won’t be lurking around waiting for a chance to pounce on Emmaline.”

  Jess straightened in his seat and set down his beer. “It sounds to me like something else is holding you back from claiming Emma as your own.”

  “I told you, we’re just friends and that’s debatable at times.” Jake ran a hand over his face. He was so tired. “She’s an unruly brat who needs a damn good spanking.”

  “And you’re dying to be the man to take her in hand?”

  “Yes! I should be shot.”

  Jess shook his head in amusement. “What the hell for?”

  “Don’t sit there and shake your fool head at me. She’s just a kid.”

  Standing up, Jess stretched his arms above his head. “You better take off those blinders, Jake, because if you don’t I have a feeling you’re gonna regret it.” He yawned widely. “I’m heading in. It’s a nice night. You’re welcome to hang around for a bit.”

  “Obliged.”

  Jake settled back and put his hat over his face. An hour or so of shut-eye should clear his head.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  “I thought you’d be long gone by now.”

  Jake nearly fell out of the chair. “Holy hell, is it morning already?” He took the cup Jess handed him and sipped the hot coffee. “I must’ve slept right through the night. Is Peg alright?”

  Jess sat down to enjoy his coffee. “She’s still sleeping. I don’t like to wake her up. Once the baby gets here I have the feeling the both of us will be sleep deprived. What about you?”

  “All I remember is closing my eyes,” Jake replied, finishing off the rest of his coffee.

  “Want a second cup?”

  “Nope. I got some things to do. First I’m going home to wash up and change. Then I’m going to the saloon and ask Emmaline if she’d marry me.”

  Jess slapped Jake on the back. “I knew you’d come to your senses.”

  “Thanks, buddy, for helping me get my head on straight.”

  “Obliged.”

  Jess was grinning ear to ear when Jake came out of the barn with his horse in tow. “Good luck.”

  Jake rode up to the house and was surprised to see a barouche parked in front. He dismounted and waited for Wilbur as he hobbled out of the barn. “I see we got company,” he said, handing over the reins.

  “Yep,” Wilbur replied. “You planning on staying for a bit?”

  “That depends on who the company is,” Jake replied thoughtfully.

  Wilbur spat a stream of tobacco juice on the ground. “Then maybe you’d better climb back on this here horse and head for the hills.”

  He gave Wilbur a disgruntled look and was about to ask him why he sounded so cryptic when Martha came out of the house. “Anyone I know, Martha?”

  “It’s Mr. Warren and he brought along a fancy-looking lady with him.”

  Jake’s expression automatically tightened.

  Martha touched his arm. “It’s not Lucille and I have a feeling he’s not here to cause trouble.”

  “I hope you’re right, Martha. Did he mention why he’s here?”

  Martha shook her head. “He said he wanted to speak to you. They’re in the kitchen. This is private between you and Mr. Warren, so I’ll have Wilbur take me home and come back later.”

  “You will do no such thing, Martha. I will not have you feeling like yo
u’re the stranger here.” He pinched her cheek and she smiled warmly. “By the way, I decided to ask Emmaline Foley to marry me. I hope she agrees.”

  Martha hugged him. “A handsome man like you? She’d be foolish not to snap you up.”

  “A few prayers wouldn’t hurt,” he said.

  Jake went straight to the kitchen and found Lucille’s father in deep conversation with an attractive blonde around the same age. Jake cleared his throat and the two stopped talking. Mr. Warren looked as if he hadn’t aged a bit and Martha had been right in her description of the woman. She was stunning and dressed in purple from head to foot.

  Jake removed his hat and nodded. “Ma’am.”

  Mr. Warren stood up and held out his hand. “Jake, it’s good to see you again.”

  “Is it?” Jake shook the older man’s hand out of respect.

  “I guess you’re wondering why I’m here.”

  “You could say that,” Jake replied with a cautious tone and tense body. Four years had passed without so much as a letter of condolence when his pa died. As far as he was concerned they had nothing to talk about.

  “Look, Mr. Warren, pardon me for being blunt here, but if Lucille happened to get herself into trouble and took it upon herself to blame me, I can tell you right now we never had sex.”

  Martha placed a hand over her heart and gasped when the woman sitting at the table burst out laughing.

  “I apologize, Martha. That was very naughty of me.”

  “Yes, it was,” Mr. Warren admonished halfheartedly, his eyes sparkling with humor. “Jake, this is Katherine Banks.”

  “Pleased to meet you, ma’am.”

  She waved a gloved hand in the air. “Please, call me Kat. It sure is a pleasure meeting you, Jake. You shoot straight from the shoulder. I like that.”

  “Kat used to work in a saloon back in New Orleans. She’s hoping to open a business of her own.” Mr. Warren’s expression grew somber. “First of all, I’m terribly sorry about your pa. I didn’t know he had passed on. Martha was kind enough to tell me. He was a good man.”

  Jake barely heard him. His head was swirling with questions. “Why are you here, Mr. Warren?”

  “Please, call me Martin. As I was saying, Kat’s interested in running her own business. The last time I talked with your pa he’d been tossing around the idea of selling the saloon. Seems his partnership wasn’t going as planned.”

  Jake wasn’t quite sure he had heard correctly. He stared at Kat in disbelief. “You want to buy the saloon?”

  Kat appeared to be insulted. She stood up and smoothed her skirts. “Please don’t tell me you’re one of those men who don’t believe a woman can handle a business?”

  “Hell, no,” Jake exclaimed and burst out laughing. “I’ve been trying to get rid of the place ever since Pa’s death. I have no interest in it.”

  “I was worried you might sell to his ex-partner before we got here,” Kat said.

  “Not a chance. Before Pa died he made me promise not to sell to Ray Foley. He knew I wasn’t interested in the saloon. I kept it going until I could find a buyer. If you want to buy it then it’s yours.”

  “That’s wonderful.” Kat threw her arms around Martin’s neck. Jake and Martha exchanged puzzled glances.

  “Jake, could we go somewhere private? I’d like to talk to you about something important.”

  “Sure. How about the porch?”

  “Sounds good.”

  Both men went outside. Jake motioned for Mr. Warren to have a seat.

  “I’d rather stand, thank you. That coach ride was a bit too bumpy for me. Much smoother roads in New Orleans.” He stood in front of the railing and stared at nothing in particular. “It sure is quiet here. Nothing like the city.”

  Jake remained quiet. It seemed as if whatever the man had to say was going to be difficult.

  “After you and Lucille were married I couldn’t wait to go back home, but I made myself stay for a few days hoping she’d come to her senses and tell me she’d made a mistake. Needless to say, I was very disappointed when she didn’t.”

  “You made your disappointment very clear,” Jake said. “Every time you looked at me I could almost feel the hatred radiating from your eyes and I wondered why.”

  Mr. Warren swung around. “Jake, I was wrong. So, so wrong. You’re a good man.”

  “Pardon me, but where exactly is all this coming from? I mean, why tell me this now? What purpose does it serve?”

  “Just hear me out.” At Jake’s nod, he continued. “I had the perfect man in mind for Lucille, but she wanted nothing to do with him. She suggested we take a father-daughter trip to clear our heads. I had no idea she was planning on marrying the first man who caught her fancy just to spite me.”

  “And I happened to be that man.”

  “Yes. Then when she wired and told me what happened I hurried back here to get her. I was furious that you’d put your hands on her in such a brutal fashion. She’s my only child and I’m afraid I believed everything she told me. She really is a good girl and agreed to marry the man I had picked out for her, but not right away. A year went by and then she said she was ready.”

  “Is she happy?” Jake felt compelled to ask. He didn’t expect to see the shimmer of tears in Martin’s eyes.

  “She appeared to be at first. They’d come by once a week to visit and then it turned into every other week. At first, I thought nothing of it. After all, they were newly married. Several weeks went by and I couldn’t stay away. I went over to the house. Her husband wasn’t home and the servant said she was sleeping.” He paced the length of the porch and back.

  “Jake, I could feel in my gut that something had to be wrong. Lucille loved being outside when the weather was fair. I pushed past the maid and opened every goddamned door until I found her. She was sitting on the edge of the bed and when she looked up it was as if she didn’t recognize me. Her complexion was as white as a sheet. She had lost weight and there were bruises on her face and arms.”

  Jake muttered an expletive. “Her husband beat her?”

  Martin nodded with tears in his eyes. “The man she married, the man I picked out for her, was as cruel as they come. I wanted to take her out of that house and kill the bastard, but she wasn’t my responsibility anymore. I questioned the maid, but she was too scared to answer. I told Lucille that I’d be back for her.”

  “You just left her there?”

  “I had no other choice. Her husband is a very powerful businessman. I have a few connections of my own but none that are crooked like his. I called in some favors and found out that he already had a wife living in California. I went back to the house with the proof clutched in my hands. He begged me not to reveal his secret and agreed to a divorce.”

  Despite Lucille’s deceit Jake couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. “Where’s she now?”

  “In a place with other women who had suffered similar circumstances. She wouldn’t leave her room or talk to anyone for the first few weeks, but she’s coming around. She told me everything that happened between you. She took the entire blame for everything. I don’t know what to say except I’m sorry.”

  Jake’s head was still reeling from all his ex-father-in-law had revealed. “It’s water under the bridge. Let’s just forget about it, eh?”

  Kat poked her head out the door. “Hey, you two let’s get a move on. The bank should be open for business by now. I want that saloon.”

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Emma moved around the room as quietly as possible while Trudy slept. She slipped into the green dress and tried to adjust the bodice, but no matter what she did, the tops of her breasts were clearly exposed.

  She rummaged through the closet and slipped a light shawl over her shoulders. She glanced tenderly at Trudy before closing the door lightly behind her.

  Her stomach churned and she swallowed past the bundle of nerves lodged in her throat. All night she kept going over things in her head. Was she doing the right thing by leaving
? What if Chad didn’t want her anymore? Worse yet, would she be able to deal with Chad’s sick desire to cause physical pain until she could put together enough cash and escape?

  She thought about Jake and how he couldn’t wait to get away from her. She had embarrassed him and made a complete fool of herself.

  “I’m not his type anyway,” she mumbled, making her way down the stairs. The eerie silence was unsettling and she hurried to the door. She gave the place one last look. Some things had turned out good during her short stay. She made a friend and wished only the best for Trudy.

  Emma resisted the urge to take a peek in Jake’s office just to see if he was there but then thought better of it. She had to try to forget the man she loved.

  * * *

  The deal was done. The Long Horn Saloon no longer belonged to him.

  Jake expelled a long sigh of relief.

  “How about we go over to the Blue Bonnet to celebrate?” Martin suggested.

  “Sounds like a grand idea,” Kat replied. “Jake, you’re welcome to join us.”

  “Obliged. You two go on ahead and I’ll meet you there.”

  He watched as they walked hand in hand up the street. It appeared a romance might be blooming for the couple with backgrounds as different as night and day.

  “I can see you’re as happy as a pig rolling around in the mud.”

  Jake threw back his head and laughed. “That’s one way of putting it.”

  The heavyset banker rocked back on his heels. “Foley ain’t going to like it and I don’t know how the men will take to a woman owning a saloon.”

  “They’ll come around,” Jake replied. “Thanks for not giving her a hard time. You may get a bit of flak for loaning out to a female though.”

  “I’m a businessman first and she handed over a damn good down payment. Congratulations, Jake. Now you can go back to being a rancher and enjoy some peace and quiet.”

  “It’s about time,” Jake replied goodheartedly, feeling as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Not only had he sold the saloon lock, stock, and barrel, but he even made a bit of a profit. “I’ll see you later.”