by Cassie Hayes
A quick scan of the room told him Ezekiel was the only threat, if the old sot could be called that. Stepping into the close room, Easton watched the man as he staggered toward a middle-aged fellow who sat at a nearby table, enjoying one of Sam’s famous steak dinners.
“You think you’re better’n me!” Ezekiel slurred, his eyelids drooping heavily. “Huh? You do, dontchya?”
The poor man appeared startled, then shifted his gaze away from Ezekiel, no doubt hoping he’d be left in peace if he ignored the drunk. No such luck. Ezekiel slammed his hands on the man’s table, making the plate — and the man — jump several inches.
“Enough of that, now,” Easton said quietly, but with authority. He’d found it to be far more effective than shouting.
Every living thing in the saloon froze, including Sam’s pet monkey, ChiChi. Every eye turned to the commander of the Mounties, who had a reputation for not tolerating nonsense. Ezekiel managed to pull himself upright and hung his head in shame. Without a word, he sulked over to Easton and mumbled something that sounded like an apology.
“Matthew, please escort Mr. Chambers back to the office so he can sleep it off,” Easton said, taking off his hat. “I’m going to grab a bite before I start my rounds.”
“Surprise, surprise,” Matthew teased as he collected Ezekiel and headed back to the office.
The moment the door closed against the brisk wind blowing, the familiar sounds of Sam’s Saloon resumed. Glasses clinked on the hardwood bar, men chatted and more than occasionally laughed, and ChiChi squeaked and chittered as she swung from the top of the bar mirror to a light fixture to an ornately carved cornice. She finally settled on the broad head of a stuffed grizzly bear hanging from the wall.
Easton had barely settled in at his regular table when someone approached.
“What a way to start your shift, eh Commander?”
Sam Bonney, the owner of the only saloon in Cougar Springs, settled across from him and smiled. Every day, Easton wondered what had led Sam to own a bar, and every day he was grateful for that decision. He’d never met a more contentious, down-to-earth, and caring saloon owner.
“Is that a new dress, Sam?” he asked. “Color suits you.”
Sam made a show of blushing like a much younger woman, and smoothed her hands down the sides of her green silk dress. “This old thing? Actually, one of the maids at the hotel made it for me. I think she has a promising future as a seamstress, don’t you?”
Easton didn’t know about such things, but he agreed just the same.
“Would you like to try today’s special, Commander? A fragrant beef Burgundy with roasted winter vegetables.”
“No thanks, Sam. Just my usual.”
Sam chuckled and went to fetch his order. He couldn’t understand why she always tried to serve him some of her cook’s fancy food, when all he ever wanted was steak and potatoes. But she never failed to ask, which was the sign of a smart entrepreneur, as far as he was concerned.
Before he could even wonder where his lunch was, Sam set a loaded plate in front of him. As was his habit, he breathed in the scent of the rare steak and steaming baked potato, topped with a hunk of butter the size of a walnut. He smirked at the pile of Brussels sprouts nestled next to the steak. She knew he wouldn’t eat them, but she never failed to put something green on his plate.
As he tucked in, Sam leaned forward. “So I hear I’m going to be losing your business very soon.”
Easton frowned as he chewed, wondering what she was going on about. “Huh?”
It was Sam’s turn to frown. “Well, your new wife will no doubt want to show off her cooking skills to her groom, don’t you think?”
Honestly, he’d never thought about it one way or the other. In fact, he’d spent the last few weeks doing his level best to not think about his bride at all. Every time he found his mind wandering toward what she might be like, he stopped himself and thought of something else. What he really wanted was a woman who could keep herself occupied — not hard to do in Cougar Springs — and leave him alone.
“Hmm…” he mused, then stuffed another hunk of meat in his mouth so he wouldn’t have to speak.
“Besides,” she added, leaning back as she watched him closely, “most brides aren’t keen on their new husbands preferring to spend time in a saloon instead of with them.”
Understanding dawned on him. He froze mid-chew and met Sam’s dancing eyes. She burst out laughing, clapping her hands in delight at his discomfort.
“Oh honey, everything is going to be different as soon as she arrives,” she said as she stood to get back to her duties. “Where you eat your meals is the least of your worries.”
Panic flared in Easton’s chest. It wasn’t a sensation he was used to, and to hide his distress he started rearranging everything on the table. His mind raced as he slid the salt and pepper shakers to the midpoint between the edge of his plate and the edge of the table. He wondered exactly what he’d gotten himself into as he used his knife to push the food into segregated piles. He fretted over how the whole crazy scheme would work out as he folded his napkin over and over until Sam laid her hand on his, stilling him.
“Easton, honey,” she said quietly, so no one else could hear. “Sometimes change is a good thing.”
Easton watched her walk away and didn’t believe a word she said.
Chapter 2
“I’m so nervous, Molly,” Sinead murmured as they peered out the window at the picturesque scene whizzing past.
Molly turned to her friend — her best friend — and scowled. “About what? Matthew is the luckiest man alive, if you ask me. Don’t tell the others, but you’re the best of us, Sinead.”
Sinead opened her mouth to object, but Molly stopped. “Don’t even try to pretend otherwise. We all know it, and it doesn’t bother us a bit. You’re beautiful, you’re smart, you’re kind, and you’re a doctor. What more could a mail-order husband ask for?”
Sinead pressed her lips into a thin line and said nothing, but Molly knew what worried her friend. Molly may have spent most of her life training to become a nun, but she wasn’t so sheltered that she didn’t understand Sinead’s skin color had been an issue with ignorant bigots in the past…and might in the future.
Molly wrapped her fingers around Sinead’s cool hand and squeezed. “We’re all here for you, and we all love you, come what may. Understand?”
Sinead’s dark eyes met Molly’s, and they shared a moment of unadulterated sisterly love. When wetness began pooling in Sinead’s eyes, Molly sniffed and grinned. “Nope. None of that. Look, there’s the station up ahead.”
The train lurched and screeched as it came to a stop in the most beautiful town Molly had ever seen, not that she’d seen much outside Ottawa. It might have been a page cut from a magazine advertisement for Cougar Springs Health Institute. Mountains ringed the small community, which was dominated by what looked almost like a castle a short distance away — no doubt the famed sanitarium itself.
When Miss Hazel had informed the four brides they were heading for a “sanitarium,” Molly had nearly bolted out of the door, but Miss Hazel had been quick to explain it wasn’t an insane asylum, as Molly had feared, but rather a sort of luxury hotel where the wealthy sought treatments for all sorts of ailments, from arthritis to cancer. Rumor had it the hot springs the Institute was built around carried miraculous healing waters. Molly didn’t believe it. Neither did Sinead, which strengthened the bond between them.
“There they are!” Claire cried, pointing at a group of tall men in red uniforms standing in a perfect line in the middle of the platform.
The one standing a few inches in front of the rest caught Molly’s attention. Everything about him looked precise, from the way his hat sat level on his head to the way his polished boots were clamped together in a model ‘at attention’ pose. He could have stepped right out of a Royal North West Mounties recruitment poster. He had to be the commander of the others, which meant he was Easton Cooper, which meant
he was her future husband.
“Oh my…” she breathed.
“Ooh, that one must be yours, Molly,” Beth said from the next row. “He’s very handsome.”
Molly barely heard her for the pulse pounding in her ears. Tears prickled at the back of her eyes as she sent up a little prayer of gratitude. Maybe God wasn’t angry with her for leaving the order after all.
During all the hours of lessons at Miss Hazel’s, and then the long train ride, Molly imagined God would punish her by matching her with an ugly old man who treated her poorly. She had no idea if Easton was kind, but she’d been wrong on the first two counts, so hopefully she’d be wrong on the last.
“It’d serve me right if I wasn’t wrong,” she mumbled to herself, the darkness of self-loathing looming over her.
“What was that, dear?” Miss Hazel asked as she pulled a bag from the overhead rack.
“Nothing,” Molly said, jumping up and following suit. Of course, unlike the others, the small case she pulled down was her only bag, but that would just make unpacking quicker.
“Ladies!” Miss Hazel called, while the rest of the passengers disembarked. “Follow me to your new lives!”
Molly was first bride to step off the train, and she shifted from one foot to the other while Miss Hazel approached the Mounties. Excitement overpowered self-doubt, leaving her itching to meet her groom. The man she knew in her heart was Easton removed his hat in one elegant motion and held it to his stomach, then kissed Miss Hazel’s hand.
“Oh, you’re quite the charmer,” Miss Hazel said, giggling like a schoolgirl. “Molly! Molly Hennessy!”
Yes! She’d been right.
Shaking her red hair back, Molly squared her shoulders and strode forward. She found it hard to stop grinning like an idiot, then decided it didn’t matter. If Easton didn’t like a woman who smiled, the man was going to have a very hard life.
Grabbing his hand in a firm handshake, she said, “Hi! I’m Molly Hennessy. You must be Easton Cooper. I believe I’m supposed to be your bride. Nice to meet you!”
Easton blinked as if he was taken aback by something, though she couldn’t imagine what. Then that stern façade dropped across his eyes again, and he pulled her hand to his lips.
“Pleasure to meet you, Miss Hennessy,” he said, just before his lips grazed the back of her hand.
A firestorm started at the point of contact and swept up Molly’s arm, straight to her cheeks. Being fair-skinned, she always had blushed easily, but this felt so much hotter than even her worst blush. Worse yet, she liked it.
A lot.
Without another word, Easton took her case, then wrapped her blazing hand into the crook of his arm and led her to the steps. Pausing at each, he made sure she didn’t trip or stumble, then marched off into the crowd bustling around them.
Molly had never been left speechless in her life, but she’d never met anyone like Easton before either. Of course, she hadn’t had much of a chance to at the convent. She dared to peek up at him as they strode toward a small church just down the street from the train station, no doubt where they would marry. He stood no less than a foot taller than her, and his muscular frame spoke of long hours of hard work. His black hair had been cropped short, and his tanned neck hinted that he never let it grow much longer. The sun shimmering in his deep blue eyes reminded her of a summer afternoon at a cold, deep lake.
‘Handsome’ didn’t adequately describe Easton, but it was the best her befuddled brain could come up with. And on top of that, he was chivalrous. Once again, she shot up a prayer of thanks and wondered what she’d done to deserve such good luck.
“This is such a beautiful town,” she said, finally tearing her gaze away long enough to be charmed by the quaint buildings crowding the main street. “Do you know if the hotel — or sanitarium, or whatever it’s called — is hiring? I can’t stand the thought of just sitting around all day.”
Easton graced her with a small smile, and Molly got the distinct impression he didn’t bestow them easily. “Good to hear. And they are, but only maids and kitchen help. Is that okay?”
Molly grinned. “As the oldest of fifteen, I’m well-qualified for each of those positions.”
He nodded his satisfaction and guided her up the steps to the church. Molly glanced back and saw the other couples following. Wait, not all of them. Sinead and her Mountie were nowhere to be seen. Miss Hazel scurried along ahead of the others to catch up with Molly and Easton.
“Wait for me!” the old woman cried.
Easton didn’t hesitate. He swung open the door to usher Molly inside, where a minister stood at the altar in the process of marrying Sinead and Matthew. Molly jumped as organ music blared through the small church. A stout, pleasant-looking woman sat at an organ tucked in the corner of the room.
The second Sinead and Matthew left the altar, Easton practically dragged Molly down the aisle, barely giving her a moment to hug her friend as she passed. It seemed Matthew was in every bit of a hurry as Easton, because they were out the door before the others had caught up.
“Shouldn’t we wait…“ Molly started, looking back over her shoulder again. It didn’t seem right to go through with this without her friends’ support.
Easton remained mute, stopping only when he stood in front of the minister. “Pastor Franklin,” he said with a nod. “Ready whenever you are.”
“I appreciate your enthusiasm, Commander, but we need one more witness,” the pastor said with a chuckle.
“That would be me!” Miss Hazel plowed through the door and hurried up the aisle as quickly as her stout legs could carry her. She stopped a few feet short of them, panting heavily. “If you would have…just…slowed down…a little…” she huffed, trying to catch her breath and fanning herself.
“Ready?” Pastor Franklin asked her. At her nod, he launched into his sermon.
For a moment, Molly wondered if she was bound for Hell for not having a traditional Catholic wedding, but then she caught Easton staring at her and her guilt melted away. God had seen fit to bring them together, and if anyone would know what kind of wedding options were available in Cougar Springs, it would be the Big Guy upstairs.
Molly smiled up at Easton, but instead of returning it, his eyes widened slightly and she could have sworn she heard a slight intake of breath. Then the pastor cleared his throat pointedly.
“Commander Cooper, I’ll ask again, do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?”
Easton blinked, his eyes flicking back and forth between Pastor Franklin and Molly. “Oh. Um…yes. I do.”
Molly’s smile turned into a grin. She’d never had any kind of effect on a man before — at least, not to her knowledge — so to ruffle the most handsome man she’d ever laid eyes on during their wedding thrilled her beyond measure.
“Molly Hennessy, do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?”
“You bet I do!”
Her friends snickered at her enthusiasm, but Easton looked at her as if he’d just discovered some crazy new species. Hopefully he would like her particular kind of crazy.
“You may kiss the bride.”
Without hesitating, Molly closed her eyes and stood on her tippy toes, lips pursed and ready for her first real kiss. When it didn’t come, she squinted one eye open to find Easton staring down at her again. Rather than wait for him to come to his senses, she reached up, wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his head down to meet hers.
She’d only meant for it to be a quick smooch to seal the deal, but the second his lips touched hers, Molly’s entire body turned to jelly. Whatever senses he had remaining were enough to hold her tight to his chest as their kiss deepened.
When he finally broke away, it was Molly who swayed on her feet, her fingers whispering along her burning lips. Tingles zipped along the nerves, bringing a hot flush to her face. She’d always wondered what all the fuss was about, and now that she knew, she wanted to do it again and again and again…
&n
bsp; It was Easton’s duty as Commander of his team to witness all of their weddings — well, except overly-eager Matthew’s — which gave him some much needed time to figure out what was going on inside him. Had he suddenly contracted the flu? Even though he’d only been a child at the time, he still remembered how quickly the Russian flu epidemic of 1890 had spread. Maybe Molly had infected him when they’d kissed.
That didn’t make sense though. His stomach had started flip-flopping around like a fish on a riverbank the moment he’d laid eyes on her. Obviously Molly was the cause of his discomfort, but he simply didn’t know why.
As Samuel and a pretty gal named Beth said their I do’s, Easton dared to glance down at his new wife — the wife he hadn’t really wanted in the first place. Tears slipped down her pink cheeks as she watched her friend seal her vows with a kiss, then she broke out in applause, grinning all the while.
What a strange creature. Crying and smiling at the same time? How was that even possible? Easton couldn’t remember the last time he’d cried.
Darkness welled up in his belly, reminding him of the exact date he’d last shed tears. He pushed it back down into the depths and joined Molly in clapping. Then she beamed up at him, her grey eyes sparkling with joy, and the darkness fled.
“Would you like to see your new home?” he asked before his brain could stop him.
She nodded mutely, though Easton suspected that would not be a normal occurrence for Mrs. Molly Cooper. He’d never had a steady relationship with a woman before, but he’d had enough experience with the species to instinctively know this one was a talker. Sure enough, the minute they stepped outside the church, she started up.
“Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d end up living in such a beautiful place,” she said, sighing as she snaked her arm through his.
As she chattered away about how picturesque Cougar Springs was, he laid his hand atop the one clutching his red serge and marveled at its silky softness. The chill in it worried him though. They were having a bit of a warm spell, and most of the accumulated snow in town had melted away, but it was the middle of November and would turn quite cold very soon. If she was this cold now, she’d be freezing in a couple of weeks.