by Leah Atwood
Jesse West leaned back slightly, rocking on his heels. He knew he’d pushed his luck one too many times. If only those boys from the Bar H hadn’t shown up in town last night. They were trouble and everyone knew it, but that didn’t stop the sheriff from detaining him for throwing the first punch. Nor did it matter to the lawman that he was protecting a woman’s honor.
All that mattered was he’d been warned not to participate in any more physical altercations. As luck would have it, he’d actually been fighting for a noble cause this time- not just because some cowboy ran their mouth for too long. Cal Stevens had grabbed Regina Owens’ arm after her repeated refusals of his advances. When he began dragging her across the room, Jesse refused to stand by and do nothing.
Staring back at his father, continuing to meet him eye to eye, he refused to back down. George West was a solid man, both in stature and virtue. He was firm with his workers, but to this point, had been much too tolerant with his only son. Jesse was well aware of the leniency granted him and had used it to his advantage many times.
But if the glint in his father’s eyes was any indication that time had come to an end.
“At your age, I was already married, raising four kids on my own and running a successful ranch.”
“With the help of housekeepers and nursemaids.” Jesse bit his tongue to stop from saying more.
George West slammed his fist down on the mahogany desk. “That’s enough!” he bellowed. Breaking the eye contact with his son, he turned away and stared out the window overlooking the vast spread of the Circle W ranch.
Jesse stood still, waiting to see what would happen. Minutes passed and still his father remained silent. The steady tick tock of the grandfather clock along the wall contradicted the pounding of his heart.
Slowly, his father turned back toward him, a bereaved frown adding years to his leathery face. “When your ma passed, I was a lost man. I made lots of mistakes, especially not spending the time I ought to have with you and your sisters. For years, I’ve been soft on you, trying to atone for that time of our lives. Now I can see the folly in those actions.”
He trailed off, and Jesse wisely remained silent. Now was not the time to offer an apology for his outburst. His father had more to say, and gut feeling told Jesse he wasn’t going to like it. Not one bit.
“Darrel Young approached me last week about a potential marriage between his daughter, Elsie, and you. You know I’ve never taken much stock in telling my children whom they can and cannot marry, but I’m having second thoughts. It’s high time you settle down and decide what you want from life.”
“I won’t marry Elsie,” Jesse defied. Just the thought of marrying her made his skin crawl. On more than one occasion, he’d seen her taunting Laura Mays for her worn clothes, teasing Billy Myers for wearing spectacles. Not to mention all the times he’d seen her sneak behind a tree with various men for kisses. He was no angel himself, but he’d always treated someone with respect until they gave him a reason to behave otherwise.
“I’m giving you two months to settle down. Find yourself a respectable wife, stop the brawling and be the man I know you can be. Otherwise, I will tell Darrel to expect a wedding soon.”
“And if I refuse to marry Elsie?”
George West’s eyes narrowed into tiny slits. “Then you will be written out of my will.”
Other Titles Available from Leah:
The Ultimatum Bride
Riches of the Heart
A Man to Be Proud Of
Their First Noelle
Unlikely Substitute
The Not Quite Mail-Order Bride
The Mail-Order Bride’s Quilt