by E. E. Burke
“Far too late to make it to the train station, which of course was your plan all along. May I have my clothes?”
He put the watch away but made no move to retrieve her clothing. “Your traveling suit is damp.” He gestured over his shoulder with his chin where she spotted a stovepipe. “I’ve put your things over by the stove to dry. There’s no reason for you to leave tonight; you’ll stay here and get some rest. We can work things out tomorrow.”
“Stay here? So you can ruin me? No, thank you. I will not stay here.” She jerked the quilt around her and slipped out of the bed. Her knees wobbled and her body remained bent. Good Lord, how would she walk out of here if she couldn’t straighten up? Her muscles rebelled as she forced her shoulders back.
He moved to block her way. “I’ll admit, I shouldn’t have taken advantage, but you’re in no shape to go anywhere.”
“Get out of my way.”
“Hold on.” He reached for her arm. When his fingers closed around a tender area, she winced. After he dropped his hand, she could see the dark, discolored flesh on her upper arm.
“Sweet Jesse,” he said in a hushed voice. He curled his fingers lightly around her elbow and his worried gaze traveled her exposed arms and shoulders. “You’re bruised.”
This wasn’t news to her. She could feel each and every one, and she wanted nothing more than to crawl back into bed—no, not his bed, not if she wanted to maintain any semblance of respectability. “I am well enough to dress and go back to town.”
“Where will you go?” He sounded as if he cared.
Prior to her wedding, she’d been living at La Maison des Chats, a fancy house where the brides were put up after the sheriff had moved the fallen women across the street. Doubtless, the madam had moved back into her cathouse. Penny wouldn’t go there now even if she could. “One of my friends will give me a place to stay for the night.”
Charlie kept staring at the bruise on her arm. “You need to see the doctor.”
“Then I will ask Cara if she’ll allow me to stay with her and Dr. Deane. Will you kindly move out of my way?”
He remained planted in front of her. “Will you hold on just a minute?”
“Why? So you can tell more lies?”
“No! So I can do a proper job—” he dropped to one knee and reached for her hand—“of asking you to marry me.”
Chapter 6
“Marry you!” Penny exclaimed.
Charlie tightened his grip on her hand when she tried to pull away. He had lied to her, nearly gotten her killed by his trick, and if that wasn’t bad enough, had lost control and dang near seduced her. And he would’ve succeeded if she hadn’t kicked him out of bed. Only a low-down rascal wouldn’t offer marriage. For the sake of Noelle, he couldn’t let her leave; and seeing as it was his fault she’d agreed to wed a rat, he owed her too much to shame her by foisting her off on another man. At this point, his choices had narrowed down to one.
“You heard right. Marry me.”
“Let me go.”
She wrested her hand away and used it to prop up the quilt. He wished she would let the covers drop and just go back to bed with him. Things were simpler there, much simpler than the emotions ricocheting around inside his chest.
“I’m leaving.” She shuffled around him.
He really didn’t want to do this—
Well, yes, he did. He grabbed the quilt, and she walked right out of it. When she squeaked in protest and reached for it, he gathered her against him, being careful not to touch the bruises marring her arms and shoulder.
She stiffened, but to his relief, didn’t fight him. Maybe it hurt too much. His heart constricted at knowing he caused her pain, physical or otherwise. He should’ve apologized first, then proposed.
“Penny, I’m sorry I misled you. But you were being so hardheaded about leaving, I couldn’t think of what else to do. I needed time to convince you to stay.”
“You could’ve presented your argument on the way to the train station. You didn’t have to trick me.” She tilted her head to look at him with pain-filled eyes.
Worried, he loosened his hold around her, but then she swayed, and he had to grab her again to keep her upright. “Are you hurting?”
“Not enough to stay here with you.”
Charlie heaved another regretful sigh. He’d messed up his first marriage, and things weren’t getting off to a very good start on his second attempt. But he would make this work for the sake of Noelle, and also for Penny. Both deserved his best effort.
He secured the quilt around her before scooping her up. “Let’s get you back to bed. I’ll fetch the doc.”
“No, please, not the doctor. I’m just bruised.” She buried her face in his shoulder. “No one can know I’ve been sleeping in your bed or that you undressed me. If word gets out, they’ll never let me work at the mission. They demand ladies of the highest caliber.”
“You are a lady, Penny! There isn’t any higher caliber than you. But you don’t have to go back to the mission. You can stay here and do just as much good as my wife.”
He put his knee on the mattress, and trying his best to be gentle, deposited her on the bed. “I know you’re madder than a hornet right now, but stop and think for a minute. You told me you don’t have any family in Denver. Here, you have friends. If you’re determined to be a matchmaker, you can help the rest of these poor fellows find wives. We’ve got lots of unfortunate women, too. You won’t lack for opportunities.”
Unable to resist, he pressed a kiss on her soft, sweet-smelling hair. She felt so good in his arms, and kissing her had been pure heaven. Based on her passionate response the marriage bed would be no problem.
“Get away from me.” She rolled onto her side and pulled the quilt up over her shoulder. “I’m only staying here because I’m too tired to explain this…this debacle,” her voice wavered. “I’ll be ruined.”
“Not if you marry.” He could offer to find her another husband, but knew he’d kill any man who tried to claim her. Besides, he’d gone too far to back down now. Not only that, but he was in a much better position to protect her. “If you’re my wife, no one would dare speak ill of you.”
She didn’t answer.
He knew she was hurt and upset, but figured her outlook would improve after she had a good night’s sleep. “Get some rest. We’ll talk about it more in the morning.”
“There’s nothing to talk about,” she replied in a dull voice. “If you’re in need of wife to make your quota for the railroad, you can marry one of the sporting girls. They would fare better with husbands, even with a man as despicable as you.”
Sometime later, a creak woke Penny. It sounded as if a door had been moved, and she thought maybe Charlie had left to go check on the animals.
Shivering, she lifted her head and looked around. Not a glimmer of light shone from around the blanket hanging over the window. If that cloth was supposed to keep out the cold, it sure wasn’t working very well.
She pulled the covers over her head.
Earlier, when he’d carried her back to bed, she’d considered defying him and leaving anyway, but her muscles wouldn’t cooperate, and she only longed to sleep. Not to mention she wasn’t up to explaining her predicament. Besides, she knew what everyone would say. They’d tell her: marry the mayor; he’d acted out of desperation; his motives were pure; he was the town’s most influential citizen and she ought to be thankful he’d offered for her. That’s what they would say—and she didn’t want to hear it! She wasn’t marrying Charlie; she wasn’t marrying anyone.
She tried to ignore her body’s needs, but ignoring the urge didn’t make it go away.
With a sigh, she threw back the covers and slipped out of bed. Hopefully, her host would have a chamber pot nearby. She located what she sought under the bed—thank goodness she didn’t have to go very far to find relief—and afterwards stood up and pulled the quilt around her.
Across the room, an orange glow shone from behind the grate on t
he wood stove. Her jacket, skirt and petticoats were draped over two straight-back chairs positioned in front of the only source of heat. If she could retrieve her clothing, she could be dressed and ready to go at the break of dawn.
Something soft brushed her ankle, and Penny sucked in a sharp breath as she jerked her foot up. What was that?
A long shadow darted across the floor away from her.
She screamed.
“Penny? You all right?” Charlie appeared near the stove. He must’ve come back inside and laid down, and some creature had slipped in behind him.
“Something got inside the cabin.” Who knew where that thing had gone? It could be over near him, or even behind her again and had scooted under the bed.
Penny whirled around and leapt onto the bed, hugging the quilt and shuddering with revulsion. “I think it’s a big rat!”
Charlie didn’t act alarmed.
Maybe he wasn’t afraid of rats?
He seemed far too unconcerned as he strolled across the room and lifted a lantern from a hook near the door. After lighting it, he held it aloft. “Where did you see it?”
“It touched my leg, then it ran over there,” she said, pointing to the opposite wall. “But it could be anywhere now, just keep looking!”
The light played across the floor and over the shelves mounted on every wall. Could a rat get up there? With all the clutter, it would have plenty of places to hide.
“Where are you,” he murmured, as he walked around, holding the lantern out. His suspenders dangled down the sides of his trousers, and his shirt and hair were even more rumpled than before, when she’d had her hands all over him. The memory of her appalling lapse in judgment triggered a hot blush.
“Be careful; that rat might bite you,” she warned him.
She thought she saw a quick smile flash across his face before he set the lantern on the table and bent down to scoop something off the floor.
“Come here, you. I should’ve left you in the barn.” Charlie straightened, and her heart nearly stopped. In the crook of his arm he held a long, furry creature.
“What is that?”
“This is Bandit. He’s a ferret.”
Penny sat upright, still keeping the quilt pulled up to her chin. She’d read about ferrets but had never seen one up close, nor had she heard of anyone befriending one, much less naming it. “Aren’t those rodents?”
“Now you’ve offended him,” Charlie said dryly. “He eats rodents.”
The ferret crawled up Charlie’s shoulder and curled around his neck. Its eyes gleamed red in the lantern’s light and had an accusatory glint as it stared at Penny.
“Don’t look at me like that. I’ve never met a ferret before.”
“Then it’s high-time you did.” Charlie walked calmly over and sat on the side of the bed, but she scooted away.
He took the ferret from around his neck and cradled it like a baby. “Penny, meet Bandit.”
A mask across the ferret’s face explained the name, along with the black markings on the tip of its tail and paws.
“I bought him off a trapper last year. He was a little thing then, but he’s grown fast.”
Bandit’s forepaws had fierce-looking claws, although he didn’t appear inclined to use them at the moment. In fact, the ferret seemed utterly content to rest in Charlie’s arms.
Feeling braver, Penny shifted closer. “Is he friendly?”
“If he likes you he’s friendly. I wouldn’t call him tame, though.”
“But you keep him for a pet?”
“Wouldn’t say that, either.” Charlie stroked a finger over the top of the ferret’s head, which belied his denial that the animal was his pet. “I keep him around as a practical matter, because he’s good at catching mice.”
“You could’ve gotten a house cat,” Penny pointed out.
“Didn’t want one. Didn’t want a ferret either, but he’s not much trouble. He’s got a burrow underneath the barn, sleeps most of the day and comes out at night. When I went to check on the mules, he crawled into my coat. I figured he might be cold, so I brought him inside. Sorry if he bothers you. He’s just curious.”
The ferret twisted its neck to look at her, his nose twitching, as if trying to determine what manner of creature she might be.
Penny ventured reaching out, and Bandit allowed her to stroke his head. She didn’t want Charlie to think she disliked his pet after all; she’d only been startled. “I love animals, most of them anyway. I’m not fond of rats.”
“He doesn’t like rats either, but I’ve seen him go after them if he thinks he can make a meal out of one. An old Indian told me he prefers prairie dogs. Later in the spring, I plan to take him someplace he can be with his own kind and catch the food he likes best.”
Penny’s outrage with Charlie had cooled over the last few minutes. Even if she wasn’t ready to forgive him just yet, his tenderness toward the small creature showed a side of him she hadn’t seen before. He hadn’t rescued the little ferret solely to have a mouser.
“Making a special trip to reunite Bandit with his own kind is admirable. You have a soft heart, Charlie.”
He glanced up. “About some things I do.”
Caught off guard, Penny blushed. She looked away, unable to meet his eyes for fear he’d see just how tender her heart had become. He’d slipped past her defenses again, with the help of his furry friend. “I should’ve known Bandit was complicit in your plan to wear me down.”
The little creature slipped out of Charlie’s arms and began to dig at the bed covers, as if it was trying to burrow. Penny lifted a side of the quilt and stroked the ferret’s soft fur as it slithered underneath and curled up next to her.
She arched an eyebrow in accusation. “And he’s just as determined to steal my covers.”
Charlie gave her a half-smile that turned her insides to mush. “Bandit likes you, I can tell. He knows you won’t hurt him, and he doesn’t mean to hurt you.”
“I suppose you didn’t mean to hurt me either.”
“No, I didn’t, and I admit I made a mistake. Give me another chance, Penny.”
Dratted man, he could melt her heart with just a look.
His accomplice slipped out from the beneath the covers and crawled into her lap. The ferret came up on its back legs and reached for her.
Was it trying to give her a hug?
“The two of you are incorrigible,” she said with a smile, running her hand down the ferret’s slender back.
Bandit pawed at her loose hair, and she drew back, startled. “Oh my! What are you doing?”
“Stop that.” Charlie slipped his hand beneath Bandit’s middle and brought the struggling ferret over to him. He started laughing as he plucked something out of its paws. “Why, you little thief.”
Bandit wriggled until Charlie set him free. Then he hopped across the bed in an odd, frenetic dance, before jumping to the floor and vanishing.
Straight-faced, Charlie offered her a hairpin. “Got to watch out. He’ll steal hairpins, jewelry…anything he thinks is a treasure.”
“You named him well. Were you the one who taught him to steal?”
“Don’t blame me. Thievery is in his nature.”
“As being a charlatan is in yours?”
Something flashed in Charlie’s eyes. Humor, yes, but also a flicker of regret. “Maybe somewhere south of righteous, though not as low as a snake oil peddler.”
“You were peddling a falsehood.” She was no longer teasing.
He grew serious as well. “I won’t mislead you again or take advantage, you have my word on it. And if after tomorrow you still want to leave, I’ll buy you a train ticket myself.”
Penny’s heart longed to forgive him, but her better judgment warned her to remain wary. He had nearly succeeded in seducing her with very little effort. On the other hand, she could use a little more time to heal before being jostled over mountain roads, and one more day would make no difference in the outcome. He had vowed to be on
his best behavior.
“All right. One more day,” she agreed, clasping his hand. Just that one brief touch was enough to send a warm flush to her face.
His confident smile reappeared, and her heart beat ten times faster.
Oh dear! Had she just made a deal with the devil?
Chapter 7
January 5, 1876, Noelle, Colorado, the 12th Day of Christmas
Charlie rose early to put Bandit back inside the barn. He didn’t trust the little thief not to get into things in the cabin, and he wanted to clear away any distractions from winning Penny over. He had to convince her to marry him by tonight in order to make the deadline.
He opened the door to the cabin, expecting to find her still in bed. Instead, he was greeted with the smell of coffee and the sight of Penny’s bustled backside as she rummaged through the icebox. She’d changed back into the modest skirt and jacket she’d been wearing the day before. Looking at her now, no one would guess such a passionate woman was hidden underneath all that propriety—no one but him.
Smiling, he hung up his hat and coat. “You’ve already got the coffee going?”
She shut the icebox and spun around, then touched her pinned-up hair, acting self-conscious, although she smiled like she was glad to see him. “I found some coffee up there.” She indicted the shelf next to the stove. “I hope you don’t mind that I helped myself.”
“Not at all. Were you looking for something specific, besides coffee?”
“Food.”
“How about bacon and flapjacks to go along with the coffee? Does that tempt you?”
“I won’t turn it down.”
Would she turn down breakfast in bed?
Ha, she’d throw the coffee pot at his head. Food first, bed later. After the way she’d responded to him yesterday, he didn’t doubt he’d get another chance, maybe even before they said their vows. She would be his wife by nightfall, he was sure, even if she didn’t yet realize it.
He dug into a sack for the salted side of bacon, retrieved the frying pan and set himself to the task. The idea of being a married man didn’t bother him half as much today as it had yesterday. Their passionate—if interrupted—lovemaking, might have had something to do with it. He couldn’t wait to pick up where they’d left off.
