“They sound delightful.”
He rolled his eyes. “Yeah. They’ve only gone to town once since they’ve arrived, but when they did, I found myself praying for their quick return. I felt sorry for the townspeople.”
“Wait, does this Lilith have a beauty mark on her cheek right here?” She pointed to a spot below her eye.
“Yes.”
“And a lady friend who walks behind her as if she’s royalty?”
“Seems you’ve already had the great misfortune of meeting Miss Mortimer and her companion.”
“They came into the laundry the minute I opened my doors and dumped their bags on the counter. This fiancée cousin of yours demanded I have her clothing done before they returned from shopping.”
“Wait a second. When I saw the wash on the line, I’d actually thought she’d done something useful.”
“I only had time to do a wet wash since others were ahead of them. When she returned, I told her she’d have to hang it herself.”
“I bet she thanked you warmly and gave you a generous tip.”
“Or gave me a dressing down through gritted teeth and had to be encouraged to pay by her companion. Same difference.”
“I wish I’d been around to watch her scowl at each piece she had to hang up.”
“I doubt she was the one who did it.”
“True, Miss Flower likely did.”
“Who is that unfortunate woman?”
“A poor relation from what I gather. She’s snapped at and pointed to and dismissed with a wave of a hand, as if she were a puppy—yet she doesn’t cry foul.”
Corinne recalled the luxurious riding habit Lilith had been wearing. “Why would a woman like Lilith want your ranch?”
“My guess is she likes the idea of owning as much property as possible. She wouldn’t last a summer out here.”
“And they just assumed the ranch would be theirs?”
“Yes.”
What a kick to the ego to have them move in and make themselves at home, certain he’d never find a woman to marry him.
As they neared the main gate, she took in all the buildings, the new fencing, and the fine horses in the side paddock. Even if he couldn’t attract a woman with his person, his land would’ve been enough.
He’d told her no woman would marry him because of his leg, but he must have another reason to believe so. One glimpse at his ranch demonstrated he could succeed despite his missing limb.
Had some woman jilted him on account of his leg? Had his mother been ashamed of him? Considering her disappointing relationships had ruined her desire to wed, she couldn’t blame him if he couldn’t trust a woman after being failed by one.
Though it wasn’t as if she believed no men were worth marrying. But knowing how unlikely a good man would want to marry her after hearing about her past, it’d been saner to choose to never love again.
Nolan was a man worth marrying, yet he’d chosen to marry her without asking about—
“Hey, Rascal,” Nolan called to an older man twisting wire around a post.
The man looked up with a greeting that died on his lips. Upon spotting her, his silvery, bushy brows bunched.
She looked away, uncertain how to react. Nolan wasn’t bringing her home because he was in love with her, but most would assume so.
What if he did end up falling for her? If things changed…
Unfortunately for him, if he ever asked her to court, she’d have to say no. Being rejected by men who weren’t worth marrying had hurt enough. Once Nolan recited his wedding vows, she’d be unable to flee humiliation and heartache if he cast her aside. So, she would lock her heart up tight.
As they maneuvered through the main gate and slowed, her body started jittering. If that old man had been confused upon seeing her… “Does anyone know I’m coming?”
“No. I didn’t want them to know I was looking to marry. They might’ve tried to stop me.”
“You think they’d try to cheat you out of the place?”
“Not cheat, exactly, but Matt’s father is rich. Lilith’s father, too. The wealthy can pull a lot of strings to get what they want.”
“Should we marry sooner rather than later, then?”
He pulled to a stop. “You’d be fine with that?”
“We’ve already agreed to the stipulations. Bringing them about faster than expected won’t change anything.”
“All right, I can go in tomorrow and see when the judge will be in town.”
“The judge?”
“To schedule a time to marry us.”
“Do you have something against marrying in the church?”
He sat up as if affronted. “No, nothing. I’ve been going since I was little. Accepted Jesus as Lord when I was twelve. You?”
“I was eight.” Although God hadn’t done much for her since, she still believed He’d saved her from ultimate suffering.
“Good, but since this isn’t going to be real. Vowing before God and all … Well, I thought maybe the church wouldn’t be a good idea.”
“So you don’t want to be held to your vows?” He wanted to cavort with other women?
He tilted his head. “I thought since you told Annie you were only willing to change your name in exchange for financial security, you’d be more comfortable treating this wedding like a legal ceremony.”
The horse stomped and huffed, clearly eager to get back to moving.
How could she live with a man who’d… who’d… She dropped her gaze, unable to look at him. “Maybe we shouldn’t do this. What I’m asking of you—if you wanted to seek out a woman willing to … well, I couldn’t face the town if…”
How ridiculous was every word spilling out of her mouth? How could she even be talking about such things with a man she hardly knew?
“I—” He cleared his throat and slapped the reins gently, allowing the horse to walk. “I don’t need to say vows inside a church to pledge not to sleep with a woman who’s not my wife. I realize this arrangement is even more constricting since we’re likely never going to be more than business partners. But I’ve counted that cost.”
She tried to look at him, but couldn’t. How had she not realized she was taking more than thirty-five percent of his ranch from him? She knew men found great pleasure in intimacy. Her first fiancé had—or at least said he had. Enough that he’d pressured her into more than she’d ever been willing to give in her attempt to keep him tied to her—but she’d found out quickly that giving in had done little to keep him faithful. In fact, it had worked against her, driving him away.
Even if he’d been true to her, sex had certainly not made their relationship better. She hadn’t responded as he’d liked; he’d compared her unfavorably to his late wife.
She’d given more, only to receive less.
Which made her demands on Nolan quite hypocritical now, didn’t it? What right had she to get testy over his faithfulness when she was not a virgin bride?
She shook her head. Her lack of innocence should have no bearing on a business relationship. Her old fiancé was long gone and cared not a whit about what she did.
“If you want to say our vows in church, I’m not opposed.”
“I’m sorry.” She held to her seat as they neared the house. “I was being unfair. I’m sure you’ll keep whatever vows you say in front of a judge as well as a preacher.”
“Just so you know, I wasn’t planning to ask the judge to take anything out of the ceremony. Our vows are still made before God, no matter where we say them.”
She swallowed a few times so she could speak. “I don’t mind a judge, but could we be married in the church with the pastor?” So much for not asking for romantic nonsense.
“Whatever you wish. Are you settled, then?”
She let a ghost of a smile form. “Yes, settled.”
However, her stomach wasn’t. Especially not now that Lilith was riding toward them. Even across the spacious yard, her condescending air was thick. This introduction would
likely not go well.
Though she couldn’t give Nolan everything a man might want, she could certainly do her best to keep this woman and her fiancé from wrenching away his land.
Chapter Twelve
Corinne stiffened as Lilith pulled her horse up beside their slowing wagon. The woman’s deep scowl didn’t detract too much from her finely chiseled face. She wore the fanciest riding habit Corinne had ever seen, its velvet skirts draped artfully over the side saddle.
“Good afternoon?” Lilith’s groomed eyebrows arched high beneath her glare.
What kind of greeting was that? Did the woman expect her to answer a question?
Nolan tipped his hat toward Lilith. “Indeed, it is.” With a smirk, he pulled to a stop.
It took all she had not to smirk along with him, considering how bright his face had lit. Hopefully he wouldn’t enjoy the upcoming battle too much—if he were a man who got pleasure from fighting, that wouldn’t bode well for her.
Oh, the things she should’ve found out before agreeing to this marriage. But then, neither of them had the luxury of time.
Nolan set the brake and slid to the ground.
Without waiting, she climbed down, startling when she felt Nolan’s hand upon her back. She should’ve known he’d help her down despite his own lack of coordination.
A man with golden hair and perfectly groomed, voluminous muttonchops exited the barn. His questioning scowl matched Lilith’s.
The thin woman in gray who’d accompanied Lilith to town scuttled behind him in an attempt to keep up with his long strides.
“Your cousin, I take it,” she whispered to Nolan as he held her steady now that her feet had hit the ground.
“Yes.”
The blond man looked at her with narrowed eyes. “What is she doing here?”
“Good afternoon to you, cousin. Seems you’ve forgotten your manners.”
“You didn’t tell us you were bringing home a guest.”
“That’s because I’m not. She’s no guest.” Nolan squeezed her shoulder and pulled her close. “Even if she was, I’d expect you to receive my guests with better decorum.”
“I apologize, ma’am. A pleasure to meet you.” Muttonchops pulled off his hat and tipped his head like a gentleman, but his jaw was stiff.
“Miss Stillwater, this is my cousin, Matt Key, and his fiancée, Miss Lilith Mortimer, and her companion, Miss Ernesta Flower.” His arm squeezed hers. “I’m happy to introduce you three to my fiancée, Miss Corinne—”
“The laundress?” Lilith’s green eyes snapped fire as she turned to glare down at Corinne from upon her horse. But in an instant, her gaze cooled.
Corinne held the woman’s gaze which was thick with condescension.
“A laundress no longer.” Nolan forcefully cleared his throat. “As I was saying, this is my fiancée, Miss Corinne Stillwater.”
Lilith gave her a perfunctory nod and reined her horse around to ride back to the barn.
“If you’ll excuse me.” Matt turned on his heel to follow his fiancée. Miss Flower gave them an apologetic shrug and scurried off as well.
“I admit,” Nolan leaned close, “I found that more satisfying than I probably should have.”
Corinne relaxed, but truth be told, she’d itched for Nolan to say more. Something ought to be done to swipe away that woman’s arrogance. “What say you to calling off our ban on no romantic nonsense?”
He frowned deeply. “I don’t—”
“Only for an hour or two.” She smiled up at him and fluttered her lashes, though she felt quite silly doing so. When was the last time she’d felt free to relax around a man? She could do so now—at least enough to help Nolan convince his cousin they were in this together. “You think you could endure being called ‘pudding pie’ in front of Lilith for that long? Seems she’d enjoy hearing me call you that.”
He laughed full out. “Enjoy it, indeed.” He smiled down at her and winked. “What am I to call you?”
She swallowed hard at how quickly he’d flirted back with her. He wasn’t Randolph. He wasn’t plying his charm to get what he could take.
Besides, she no longer had to discourage light-hearted behavior in an effort to keep men from thinking she returned their interest. Nolan knew their banter wouldn’t lead to anything other than what they’d already agreed to. She took a deep breath. “Something gaggingly sweet, of course. How about ‘sugar dimples’?”
“No good—unless you have dimples.”
She pointed to her right cheek. “I’ve one when I smile big, or so I’ve been told. It doesn’t always show.”
“Sugar dimple it is then.”
At that roguish grin, she had to break her gaze from his. She could be playing with fire right now. But if she couldn’t have a little fun with her business partner, what a miserable partnership this would be. And he had asked that they treat each other amiably, considering how long they’d be together—for life.
Her heart tripped more than she’d expected. Forever was a long time.
“So, for a quick tour.” He walked her toward the side of the house, both of them pretending to ignore the heated argument occurring in the barn. “Here’s the well and the storm cellar.”
Without much to say beyond complimenting him on the upkeep of the place, Corinne found it difficult to keep her thoughts focused on the layout of the yard while Matt and Lilith’s muffled exchanges rose and fell in intensity.
Moments later, Matt stomped off across the yard and into the house.
Nolan winked. “Are you ready for a tour of the inside?”
“If you are.”
“I’m more than ready.” He led her toward the house.
Despite her earlier bravado at offering to act like sweethearts, her heartbeat sped up at the upcoming confrontation.
At the table, Nolan’s cousin was lighting a pipe, his mud-encrusted boots propped upon a chair, dirt crumbles scattered upon its seat.
“Good afternoon again, cousin.” She hoped her greeting hadn’t sounded as stiff as it’d felt.
He grunted some indiscernible reply, glaring over the top of his now smoking pipe bowl. He flicked his hand to extinguish the match.
Nolan entwined his arm through hers. “If you happened to be worried about me having a full set of silverware, Corinne, you’ll be happy to hear Matt and his fiancée were kind enough to count that for me only days ago.”
“Oh? That’s wonderful…” She tried to push the words ‘pudding pie’ out of her mouth, but couldn’t. Maybe she should’ve chosen a term of endearment that was less saccharine. She did want to be believable, after all.
Matt’s boots hit the floor. “I don’t understand.” He narrowed his eyes at Nolan. “I mean, I get that you’d—but why stoop so low?”
Nolan dropped her arm to jam his hands on his hips. “I don’t ever want to hear you degrade my future wife again.”
Matt shrugged and leaned back. “I didn’t mean it like that.”
“Oh, yes, you did.”
Matt’s barb had stung, but she couldn’t muster up too much ire. Nolan had stooped to make a laundress a rancher’s wife. Working women often became the wives of homesteaders out here, but in whatever big city these three were obviously from, she doubted many laundresses rose up in society.
“Well, it’s not what your father would’ve wanted.”
“You know nothing about what he wanted or what it takes to live out here.”
“I know enough.”
“You only think you do. Women from every walk of life out here are working ranches, from well-born English aristocrat types to lowly immigrants. The land doesn’t play favorites. It treats us all with equal disdain and occasionally shows a few of us mercy.”
She tucked her arm back around his. “Honey … pie, I’m sure he meant no harm.” She turned to Matt. “That’s one of the things I love about Nolan. He sticks up for everybody, even if they don’t deserve it.”
Nolan gave her a squeeze. “Don’t lump yo
urself in with people who don’t deserve to be defended. I expected hostility toward you, but not in front of you.”
She patted his upper arm and turned to nod at Matt. “We can let bygones be bygones, right? Now, Nolan, tell me where you got this lovely wallpaper. Do you have any left to cover this blank wall over here? Other than that, I can’t think of how one could make this kitchen any cozier.”
Letting himself be led off to what appeared to be a pantry, Nolan leaned to whisper into her ear, “You may be laying it on a little thick. We don’t want Matt suspecting this is just a game.”
“But it is just a—” She stopped short as she turned to whisper back. She’d nearly brushed her lips against his.
He didn’t move. His breath fanned her cheek, her nose, her mouth. “A dangerous game,” he whispered.
Her chest almost caved in with how hard she pulled in her breath.
His soapy, bergamot sort of smell jammed up any words she might have formed.
She took an abrupt step back to clear the air.
Glancing behind her, she noted Matt watching them. She mustered up a smile and some words. “I’m sorry, cousin. I should’ve kept my decorating thoughts to myself. I know what it’s like to lose what you thought was yours. But wherever you find yourselves, I do hope you and Miss Mortimer will be as happy as I’ll be here with Nolan.”
And that was no lie, for she would indeed be happy with Nolan.
He hadn’t asked her to surrender her heart, and yet he’d offered her the world.
And if she unwittingly fell for him?
No. Nothing good would come of that. Nothing but disappointment for them both.
Chapter Thirteen
In front of the church doors, Nolan paced, wiping his sweaty palms on his Sunday slacks. He pulled out his timepiece again. Ten past the hour.
If she’d traveled from outside of town, he might not have been worried, but she lived down the street.
He’d prayed the whole way into Armelle that God would stop them from marrying if they weren’t doing the right thing. Maybe Corinne not showing up was the answer.
“You’re going to drive us crazy if you keep pacing.” Jacob sat on the church’s lone outdoor bench, his arm around his wife. “Stop worrying. She’ll come.”
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