Patty's Gamble

by Ruth Ann Nordin

  As the minutes passed, she began to wonder when Greg usually went to bed. She knew he got up early. All ranchers did. So he should be coming to bed at any time.

  But five minutes turned into thirty and then an hour, and her nervousness gave way to anger. Where was he? He didn’t go out to the saloon, did he? She didn’t think he was the type to take pleasure with a prostitute, but how well did she really know him? Ever since he stopped going to school at sixteen so he could work on the ranch full time, she hadn’t been able to talk to him like she used to. She had never heard he frequented a saloon, and he made it a habit of going to church. She didn’t take him for someone who ran around chasing skirts.

  But what if he did? What if he went there from time to time to sow his wild oats? What if he was so upset by being forced to marry her that he was going to spend the night with someone else?

  She threw the covers off and stormed over to the window. She pulled the curtains back and scanned the land. If he so much as touched another woman, she was going to let him have it! She was a good shot. He might not know it, but she could shoot anything, no matter how fast it was moving. And she had no doubt he’d be running as fast as a scared rabbit when he saw the barrel end of her gun. He had a wife to think about now, and she wasn’t going to let him enjoy the bed with anyone but her.

  She was ready to put on her clothes and track him down when she caught sight of him feeding a new calf. Good. He was at home where he belonged. In that case, he was spared facing her pistol.

  Setting the curtain back in place, she returned to the bed. He’d be in the house soon, and when he came to this room, she’d be ready for him. And happily so, since she knew he wasn’t gallivanting around with another woman.

  So she continued to wait. And she waited. And in due time, she grew so sleepy, she couldn’t stay awake.

  ***

  Greg trudged up the stairs. What an exhausting day. How he wished he could get Patty back to her pa’s ranch, but neither she nor her pa were willing to comply. He entered his dark bedroom. Yawning, he took off his pants and shirt before flinging them to the floor and stumbling to the bed. Imagine him. A married man. Like he ever wanted such a fate to befall him.

  Grumbling, he pulled back his blanket and slipped under it. Just as he was ready to put his head on the pillow, something moved next to him. He jerked out of bed and ran for his gun. A thump and a soft cry of alarm notified him it was Patty.

  Placing his gun away, he went to his dresser and lit the kerosene lamp. He turned around to face her and saw that she didn’t have clothes on.

  “What are you doing in my bedroom?” he demanded, his gaze unwittingly going to her breasts and the patch of dark curls between her legs.

  “That’s a silly question, sweetheart,” she replied in a teasing tone. “Where else would a wife be on her wedding night?”

  His eye twitched at the word ‘wife,’ and he was finally able to look back at her face. “This isn’t a real marriage.”

  “Why, sure it is. The preacher was here, and we exchanged vows. That means you have to do your duty and spend the night with me.”

  “I have to what?”

  Jutting her chin out, she placed her hands on her hips. “You have to consummate this marriage. It’s an order in the Bible.”

  “It is not.”

  “Sure, it is. Right in the beginning, God told Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply. So get on in that bed and be fruitful so we can multiply.”

  Her gaze met his, her eyebrows raised as if to challenge him. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to keep his eyes locked on hers. Not with the way her breasts insisted he stare at them. He gritted his teeth and grabbed the blanket off the bed so he could drape it over her shoulders. If he continued to stare at her, he was likely to do exactly what she wanted.

  Now that she had a blanket protecting him from having to look at her, he could concentrate. “The Bible also says the woman can’t hold a man hostage in his own home and demand she stay married to him.”

  “The Bible doesn’t say that.”

  “Well, it ought to.” He gestured to the door. “You’re not spending the night in here.”

  She dropped the blanket and crossed her arms under her breasts, an action which only made him look at them again. He groaned. A man would have to be dead not to get aroused.

  “Fine.” He grabbed his pillow and stomped to the door. “Then I won’t spend the night in here.”

  He turned to the door, but she darted in front of him. He didn’t even want to think about how soft her skin was when parts of her brushed his hands.

  “You have to spend the night with me,” she insisted.

  “No, I don’t.”

  He bypassed her, even though it meant rubbing his body up against hers—a thing the male part of him enjoyed way too much—and hurried to his parents’ old bedroom. He slammed the door shut and locked it.

  There. Now he was safe. Sure, parts of him complained, but he ignored all that and retrieved an old blanket from the dresser. Once he was settled in the bed, he closed his eyes and took several deep breaths. Tomorrow, he’d be on his guard. There was no way he’d end up stuck in the bedroom with her ever again. His poor body just couldn’t take that kind of excitement.

  Chapter Five

  The next morning, Patty took considerable time brushing her hair. She wanted to look her best for Greg. Sure, last night hadn’t gone as well as she’d hoped, but today was a new day. She took great care in choosing what to wear. After much debate, she selected the pretty pink dress with small polka dots on it and pulled back her hair with a matching ribbon. She examined her reflection in the mirror and pinched her cheeks to add more color to them.

  There. That was much better. She smiled. This was the first day of the rest of her life. And before long, Greg would realize that marrying her was the best thing that ever happened to him.

  When she left the bedroom, she stared at the closed bedroom door, wondering if Greg was still in there. She went over to it and jiggled the handle. It was locked. Yep, he was still in there. And since he wasn’t screaming at her, he must be asleep. Well in that case, he could have the pleasure of coming downstairs to a nice, home cooked breakfast. She bet he hadn’t had one of those since his mother took ill and had to go back East to her family.

  She hurried down the stairs and did her best to cook the only breakfast she knew she wouldn’t mess up. She could do other meals, but she was so nervous, she didn’t trust herself to make anything besides the scrambled eggs and bacon she’d made almost every morning for her and her pa.

  She got done with the eggs and bacon in time to hear the door open from upstairs. Taking a deep breath, she smoothed her dress and waited for him at the bottom of the steps with the most attractive smile possible. He made it down one step before he looked down at her and balked.

  “Hi, sweetheart,” she called out. “I made breakfast for you.”

  He scowled at her. “Are you too dumb to realize I don’t want you here?”

  “You haven’t even given me a chance.”

  “I don’t need to give you a chance. I don’t want to be married.”

  “Then why did you save me from John Meyer?”

  “I didn’t save you from him. I saved your pa’s land. Now that the land is safely back in his possession, you can get back on over to it.”

  “But I made my vows to honor and love you for the rest of our lives,” Patty insisted.

  “You also promised to obey.”

  She had hoped he wouldn’t remember that part. Clearing her throat, she put her hands behind her back and batted her eyelashes at him. “I also promised to be with you until the day death separated us.”

  With a low growl, he stumped down the rest of the steps. “Move out of my way.”

  “Not until you give me a kiss.”

  “That’s not going to happen.”

  She gave a playful shrug. “Then I can’t move.”

  He placed his hands under her arms and l
ifted her up. Then he set her aside so she was out of the way and headed for the front door.

  She ran after him. “Aren’t you going to eat anything?”

  “Not hungry.”

  He grabbed his hat and put it on his head. Before she could stop him, he flung the door open and hurried down the porch steps.

  Patty watched as he stormed across the lawn as if the worst thing in the world had just happened to him. A horse neighed, and she turned her head to the west where Boaz Grady rode his horse onto the property.

  Greg slowed down, and the two men talked for a minute before Boaz nodded and headed toward the post in front of the house.

  Patty opened the storm door, wondering if Greg mentioned the fact that he had married her. She recalled one of her pa’s ranch hands bragging about finding a wife a couple years back, but she doubted Greg would be eager to share the news.

  Boaz glanced up at her. “Patty Dixon? What are you doing out here?”

  “I married Greg.” There. Now that she said it, Boaz could tell everyone in town, and soon everyone would know Greg was married.

  “But I thought Greg didn’t want to get married. To anyone.”

  “Yes, well, I suppose he had a minor fear of marriage.” No need to tell him just how opposed he was to the whole arrangement. She’d die of humiliation if word got out that he didn’t even consummate the union.

  “What made Greg break down and marry you after resisting you all these years?”

  Stepping further onto the porch, she said, “He did it to rescue me from that horrible John Meyer.” Yes, that was good. Make him out to be a hero. Then he’d probably be all proud of himself and have a harder time letting her go. “It was really noble of him to do that. I’ll make him glad he did.”

  “I don’t doubt you’ll try.” Boaz hesitated for a moment then looked back at her. “Gee, Patty, if you needed a husband in a bad way, I would have gladly married you.”

  Patty wasn’t sure how to respond. Everyone knew Boaz was desperate to find a wife so he could get his children back. But as sorry as she felt for him, she couldn’t bring herself to marry anyone other than the man she loved above all else…even if he forgot he once cared for her. “Well, it happened suddenly. John was trying to kidnap me and make me his bride, and my father was in pursuit of him. We came right on this property. Greg happened to be there and rescued me.”

  Though he looked disappointed, he said, “I’d ask you how you pulled off marrying Greg, but I’m probably better off not knowing.”

  “You haven’t had any luck with the mail-order bride ads you sent out?”

  “None. Not a single reply. Not even an ugly spinster who has no choice but to take whatever she can get.”

  She chuckled then pressed her hand to her chest and cleared her throat. “I’m sorry, Boaz. I know how much you want your children back.”

  “Too bad I can’t go find a single woman and ride onto her property, claiming that something bad would happen to me if she didn’t marry me.”

  “Oh, Boaz, you’ll find her. I didn’t give up and look where I am.”

  “I don’t know. Greg doesn’t look happy.”

  “Not yet, but he will be. I won’t let an uncertain start ruin a promising future. Mark my words, Boaz. Greg is going to be glad he married me. It’s just a matter of time. Why, no man can be happy living the life of a bachelor. It’s impossible.”

  “Can a woman be happy living without a man?”

  “That’s an interesting question.” She didn’t think she could be happy without Greg. Ever since she was sixteen, she anticipated the day when she would become Greg’s wife. But that had to do with her feelings, not with practicality. “I think they can. If you think about it, men have everything to gain from getting married. They get someone who’ll cook and clean for them. It seems to me that a woman does nothing but work once she ties the knot. And while the man keeps his job, he stops working when he gets home. In your case, you train horses. After you’re done, you would get to come home to a clean house with a hot meal ready for you. You won’t even have to wash your clothes. You’ll have it made. See why Greg will be happy once he sees all the benefits he’ll get? Greg’s lucky I love him enough to do all the things I’ll do for him.”

  Yes, that was perfect. Now all Boaz had to do was tell Greg how fortunate he was to have someone who’d do everything for him. Maybe if Greg heard it from a man, he’d believe it. Men, after all, seemed reluctant to believe a woman until another man backed her up.

  Offering Boaz a sweet smile so he could see just how wonderful she was for Greg, she asked, “Would you like something to drink before you get to work on Greg’s horse?”

  “Well, I wouldn’t mind some water,” Boaz replied.

  “I’ll be happy to get it for you.”

  She hurried into the house to get him a glass of water.

  ***

  Greg didn’t dare go back into that house while Patty was in there. When he saw her that morning, the first thing he remembered was the way her breasts looked. They were perfect white mounds with rose-tipped nipples that begged to be touched. And they were just the right size. They would fill up the palms of his hands nicely.

  With a grimace, he shifted on the saddle. His erection was straining against the buttons of his denims. This wasn’t good. It wasn’t good at all. He was doing his daily chore of checking to make sure all the cattle were accounted for, and all he could think of was how much better Patty looked without her clothes on. Thank goodness he was alone or his ranch hands would be giving him even more grief.

  Well, what man wouldn’t be aroused after seeing a naked woman in his room? And that just went to show how clever Patty was. That little vixen saw her opportunity and thought to snare him into her web. But he was stronger than that. He wasn’t going to give into his baser needs. If she thought he was going to cave in because she put on a pretty dress, cooked him steak, and was a willing bed partner, she had another thing coming. There was nothing—absolutely nothing—she could do to get him to give in.

  She needed to go back home. She didn’t belong on this ranch. There was no place for her here. He needed to go back to her pa and explain that to him. Now that her pa had a good night’s sleep, he’d be thinking more clearly. Surely, today he’d see that Greg’s request to take his daughter back home was a good one.

  Once he finished checking the cattle, he rode over to the Dixon ranch. Her father did have an impressive amount of land and good cattle and sheep. There was no denying the man was sharp when it came to breeding his stock. No wonder John Meyer wanted his hands on it so badly.

  He trotted across the land, searching for her pa. He found him leaving the barn. Kicking the sides of his horse, Greg hastened his approach.

  “Matthew!” he called out.

  As he hoped, her pa turned to look in his direction. He stopped walking and waited for Greg to catch up to him. When he did, Greg slid off the horse.

  “Is something wrong?” her pa asked.

  “You need to take Patty back home.”

  “I told you yesterday that since she’s your wife, her home is yours now.”

  “Yeah, I know what you told me, but she’s impossible to live with.”

  “How so?”

  “Well, she… I didn’t want to get married.”

  Matthew crossed his arms and shot him a pointed look. “Then why did you say ‘I do’ while the preacher stated the vows?”

  “I did it to save your land from the likes of John Meyer,” Greg replied, wondering why he even had to answer the question.

  “If that was the case, then why not say you’d marry her, tell John and the others to get off your property, and send her on home? You didn’t have to go through with the wedding.”

  “You really think John Meyer would have left?”

  “You have seven ranch hands, and they all carry guns. The eight of you could have forced him off your land.”

  Greg blinked. He hadn’t even thought of that. The preache
r and mayor wouldn’t have tried to fight back. It would have only been John, and if nothing else, John wasn’t a fool. He didn’t risk his life for any woman.

  “And besides,” Matthew began after a long moment, “you spent last night with her. I’m not going to let you disgrace her by returning her to me.”

  “Nothing happened. We didn’t even sleep in the same room.”

  “But all your ranch hands saw you go into the house, and I’m sure if I asked her, she’d tell me a different story.”

  Greg gritted his teeth. Dang it, but the man was right. Patty would say anything to stay with him.

  Matthew gave his shoulder a firm pat. “Patty’s a good girl. She’ll be an asset to your ranch. You need anything done, she can do it. She’s sharp as a whip and quick on her feet.”

  Of course, he thought so. He was her father. The poor man was incapable of seeing how she really was: manipulative and self-serving, just like… He shook his head. No, he swore the day his mother left, he’d never give her another thought.

  “Give it time,” Matthew said. “You’ll see I’m right.”

  Greg doubted it, but he knew when he was fighting a lost cause. And this was one of them. With a grunt, he got back on his horse, ignoring the man when he had the nerve to congratulate him on the marriage as if it was something he asked for. Greg rode off the property.

  This wasn’t over. He might have been taken aback yesterday and acted in haste due to his shock. But today was a new day. He was better prepared. And by the time he reached his land, he had a plan. He was going to do everything possible to drive her right back to her father. He was going to make her life miserable.

  Chapter Six

  When Patty saw that Greg had headed in the direction of her father’s land, she decided it was a safe time to get out and explore the ranch. She’d heard Greg was a good rancher, and she was eager to find out if it was true.

  After a quick debate, she decided to slip her bonnet on. She was used to wearing the Stetson hat her pa had bought her, but it wouldn’t go well with her shirtwaist and skirt. Too bad she couldn’t put on her pants and a regular shirt. She was much more comfortable in that attire, especially when she wanted to go out and check the animals. But it was a small price to pay for being Greg’s wife.