Corsets and Cuffs: (Sweet Historical Western Romance) (Baker City Brides Book 3)

by Shanna Hatfield

  No, the best plan was to purchase something someone else had made, but she had no idea what it would be. She finally decided to visit the bakery just down the street from her apartment and see what they might have available.

  Sammy stirred and sat up, rubbing his eyes and yawning. Suddenly, he realized he’d used Brianna for a pillow.

  He started to run off, but she grabbed his hand before he made an escape. “Sammy, I need to go to the bakery. Would you like to accompany me?”

  Eagerly nodding his head, the boy snatched his flat cap from where Brianna had set it on the bench and tugged it on, then grasped her hand in his, pulling on it.

  She laughed and tucked her notebook and pencil back into her bag. Quickly rising to her feet, she held Sammy’s hand as they made their way through the park to the bakery.

  Delicious, yeasty scents greeted them at the door, mingling with the mouth-watering aromas of cinnamon and chocolate.

  Sammy glanced up at Brianna and grinned, pointing to display cases full of pastries, miniature pies, cakes, sweet breads, and cookies. A shelf behind the front counter held jar after jar of colorful candy. It looked as if a sugary rainbow had burst and been captured in the shiny glass containers.

  “What would you like, Sammy?” Brianna asked as they walked around the displays. The boy wavered between a display case full of cookies and one holding slices of cake. Finally, he pointed to a piece of chocolate cake with a thick layer of frosting.

  “We’d like two pieces of chocolate cake, a glass of milk, and a cup of tea,” Brianna said, smiling at the woman behind the counter. Brianna also paid for six dozen assorted cookies, asking to have them boxed up to take with her.

  Sammy plopped down at a small table by the front window and dug into his cake. The child appeared to relish every bite, and Brianna wondered again about his home life. Although he wasn’t starving, Sammy always seemed hungry and there was a fearful, lonely light that lingered in his blue eyes.

  After he finished his cake and guzzled his milk, Brianna took one last bite of hers then slid the cake across the table. “Would you like to finish mine, Sammy? I’m still rather full from lunch.”

  Immediately picking up his fork, Sammy made short work of the cake then finished his milk. Brianna sipped her tea then smiled as the clerk carried over the box of cookies and took their dirty dishes from the table.

  “Thank you for joining me, Sammy. It’s no fun to eat alone, so your company is much appreciated.” Sammy grinned and stood as Brianna rose and pulled her gloves back on her hands.

  The little boy started to lift the heavy box of cookies for her, but Brianna took it. Sammy rushed to open the bakery door and hold it for her as she stepped outside.

  Brianna smiled. “Those are lovely manners you have, Sammy. Be a good boy and enjoy the rest of your day. I’ll plan to see you at the park tomorrow.”

  The boy nodded and waved before racing down the street and disappearing around the corner of the saddle shop.

  The next morning, Brianna ate a leisurely breakfast of sugar sprinkled on slices of buttered bread and a glass of cold tea. She took her time dressing in a white gown made of light lawn fabric. Carefully styling her hair, she settled a smart straw hat adorned with blues roses and ribbons on her head. Tipping it at a saucy angle, she fastened it with a hatpin, gathered her reticule, parasol, and the box of cookies before she made her way down the stairs.

  Her foot reached the bottom step at the same moment Tully knocked. She set the cookies on a small table, turned the lock and opened the door.

  “Hello, Sheriff. You’re right on time.” Brianna smiled, taking in Tully from the spotless hat on his head to the toes of his recently polished boots. He’d trimmed the stubble on his face so it looked almost newly sprouted. The crisp white shirt he wore with a dark blue vest accented the tan of his skin and the breadth of his shoulders.

  Admiration for the man filled Brianna as she forced her gaze to move from his chest back up to his face. For the briefest moment, she indulged in the luxury of studying his sculpted lips, recalling how much she’d enjoyed his kisses.

  The light flickering in his eyes drew her in, but she tamped down her interest and moved to pick up the box of cookies.

  “Let me get that,” Tully said, taking the box from her then holding out his arm.

  Gingerly, she placed her hand on it, anticipating the tingle that would trail up her arm at the contact.

  Ignoring it, she closed the door and opened her parasol. “Lead the way, Sheriff.”

  Tully grinned and sauntered down the alley in the direction of the park. “What’s it gonna take for you to start calling me Tully? You didn’t seem to have any problem calling me by my given name the night you spent in my arms.”

  Terrified someone might overhear the conversation, Brianna glanced around.

  Tully chuckled. “Oh, stop fussing, Fred. No one’s listening. Besides, you’re too fine a lady for anyone to believe you discuss your unmentionables with me on a fairly regular basis.”

  Her face bloomed with color and her gaze held an icy frost when she glared at him. “You’re impossible and…”

  “Save your breath, darlin’. I already know what you think of me,” Tully said, offering her a roguish wink as they neared the park. “What would you like to do first?”

  Brianna tipped her head toward the tables set up to hold the food. “We should leave the cookies on the dessert table then perhaps we could stroll among the booths.”

  “Did you make the cookies?” Tully took her elbow in his hand as he guided her through the crowd to the food tables.

  She glanced at him over her shoulder and grinned. “You didn’t see smoke rolling out of Maggie’s place, did you? If I’d done the baking, something would have caught fire.”

  Tully’s smile faded as he set down the box and they strolled toward the booths. “You can’t cook? Not at all?”

  “I can make toast and tea.” As she studied a booth with a display of small flags, she missed the disappointed look on his face.

  “This won’t work, Fred, not at all.” Tully stepped away from her.

  “What won’t work?” Baffled, she had no idea to what he referred.

  “Us. This. I can’t be seen around a woman who doesn’t know one end of a frying pan from the other.” He took another step back. “A woman of your beauty and brains is a great temptation, but all deals are off if you can’t cook.”

  For a moment, she almost believed his teasing then she noted the mischief in his eyes and the way his mouth twitched at the corners as he fought down a smile.

  Amused, she turned her back to him and strolled to the next booth. His long strides quickly placed him at her side as she looked over an assortment of embroidered handkerchiefs.

  “I thought you’d decided to find someone who knew how to cook, Sheriff.” She lifted a beautiful linen square decorated with a bouquet of forget-me-nots in one corner.

  “I reckon I might as well stick with you, at least for today.”

  Brianna offered him a wry smile and quirked an eyebrow upward. “That’s quite generous of you. If you see a girl more to your liking, by all means, chase after her with my blessing.” She set down the handkerchief and turned to scan the people filling the park.

  “How about her?” Discreetly, Brianna pointed to a young woman who stood out in a canary yellow gown and hat. “She seems rather flamboyant. Is that more to your liking?”

  “No, she certainly is not. I’ll have you know she works at Zed’s… Never mind where she works, but no, she is not more to my liking.” Tully offered her his arm again and they continued meandering through the booths.

  “What about her?” Brianna tipped her head to a booth selling boxes of chocolates. A portly girl purchased a box and ripped off the lid, stuffing her mouth full of the candy in a most undignified manner.

  Tully scoffed. “Now who’s being mean?” he asked.

  “Point taken.” Brianna glanced around. “That one, over there.”
/>
  He followed the direction of her gaze, watching old Mrs. Jepson teeter across the park, leaning heavily on her cane.

  Brianna giggled. “I’m sure she knows how to cook.”

  His only response was a noise that sounded like a growl.

  With a broad smile, she pointed to a head full of strawberry-blond curls. “There is the perfect girl for you, Sheriff. She’s always game for an adventure and has told me she might marry you when she grows up, if she doesn’t join the circus. I know for a fact she can make a lovely mud pie.”

  Lily Jordan squealed and ran their direction, launching herself into Tully’s arms. He swung her around and kissed her rosy cheek before the little girl grinned at Brianna.

  “Hi, Miss Dumont.”

  “Happy Fourth of July to you, Lily. Did you just arrive?” Brianna asked then turned to smile at Lily’s parents and brother.

  “Jack and Lily barely waited for the buckboard to stop moving before they jumped down. They’ve been excited for days to come to town for this,” Jemma said, giving Brianna’s hand a squeeze. “Did we miss anything exciting?”

  “Not yet,” Tully said, motioning for their group to claim a few empty chairs in front of a podium where the mayor and other dignitaries were about to offer speeches.

  As soon as the last speaker finished, Pastor Eagan asked a blessing on the community meal and the picnic began.

  Jemma brought along blankets for everyone to sit on. Thane and Tully spread them in the shade of a tree then took the children to fill their plates. Jemma and Brianna greeted Maggie and Ian when they arrived.

  “You missed the speeches,” Jemma said, hugging Maggie.

  “And for that, I’m most grateful,” Ian teased. “The mayor and his cronies blow more wind than a broken set of bagpipes.”

  Edwin Greenfield chuckled and the women rolled their eyes as they made their way to the food line.

  Brianna glanced down when someone bumped into her and smiled into Sammy’s face. The little boy seemed particularly excited as he waited for his turn to fill the tin plate he held in his hand. At the curious glances of Jemma and the others, Brianna introduced the child to them. When Sammy looked around for a place to eat, Brianna put a hand to his shoulder. “Please sit with us, Sammy.”

  He nodded and followed her over to the quilts where Thane and Tully sat with Jack and Lily.

  The two children grinned as Sammy sat down close to them. “Sammy, this is Jack and Lily.” Brianna patted Sammy’s back and smiled at the other two children. “Sammy doesn’t talk, but he manages quite well to express himself.”

  The little boy gave her a warm smile then bit into a piece of crispy fried chicken.

  The variety of tasty food made Brianna want to eat with as little restraint as the girl with the box of chocolates. Instead, she maintained a perfect posture and took small bites, as she’d been taught from the time she was younger than Lily.

  The women sat together, discussing flowers, fashions, and the fact the Greenfields had decided to stay in town and run the boarding house. They’d signed the paperwork making the purchase and their ownership official the previous day.

  Jemma and Maggie offered to help Hattie clean it, so Brianna volunteered her services, too. She knew only marginally more about cleaning than she did cooking, but it sounded like a fun day she could spend with her friends.

  “Congratulations on your new venture,” Brianna said, offering Hattie a warm smile. “If you and Mr. Greenfield are in agreement, I’d be happy to write an article about the boarding house now being under your capable ownership and management.”

  “That would be wonderful and very much appreciated, Miss Dumont.” Hattie returned her smile.

  “Please, it’s Brianna. Just tell me when you’re ready, and I’ll come for an interview.”

  Hattie nodded in agreement. “Perhaps sometime soon, after we’ve had an opportunity to clean and spruce the place up a bit. Edwin already hired painters to give the outside a fresh coat and I wanted you girls to share your thoughts on the wallpaper in the hallway and parlor. I think it needs to be replaced, but Edwin thought it might be repaired.”

  “It sounds like you have many plans for it.” Brianna smiled at the older woman.

  “Plans for what?” Tully asked as he turned his attention from the men’s discussion to Brianna.

  “The boardinghouse. You know Mr. and Mrs. Greenfield purchased it, didn’t you?”

  “I did know that, Fred. Are you gonna write a story about it?” he asked as he snitched half a buttered biscuit off her plate. She glared at him and moved her food out of his reach.

  Neither of them noticed the pleased, knowing glance that passed between Jemma and Maggie.

  “That is my intention, Sheriff.” Brianna lifted her chin in the direction of the food tables. “I suggest, sir, if you are still hungry you refill your plate instead of stealing my food.”

  “Well, shoot!” Tully winked at the children and grabbed the chicken leg Brianna had yet to taste. “It’s so much more fun to torment you than go stand in line.”

  Lily and Jack laughed while Sammy’s little shoulders shook with mirth.

  Brianna released a beleaguered sigh, but smacked Tully’s hand when he tried to pilfer a strawberry off her plate.

  “You are a miserly, mean woman, Brianna Dumont.” Tully’s dimpled smile softened his words as he rose to his feet and sauntered over to the food table. The children hopped up and accompanied him.

  Brianna watched him walk away, taking in every nuance of his gait, the way his trousers fit his long, muscled legs, and how bereft she felt with him gone.

  “August or September?” Maggie asked Jemma.

  “August,” Jemma said.

  Hattie smiled and all three women looked to Brianna. She dragged her gaze away from Tully and noticed them studying her. “August? What’s happening in August?”

  “Your wedding to Tully, of course.”

  It was a good thing Brianna hadn’t taken a bite of something because she would have spewed it out in a most unladylike manner.

  Her mouth hung open as she gaped at her friends. “Has the heat baked your brains? I’m not marrying Tully Barrett. The man is an insufferable, uncouth, deplorable beast.”

  Maggie grinned and turned back to Jemma. “Definitely August.”

  Brianna was still spluttering indignantly when Tully and the children returned. He placed a piece of chicken on her plate, along with a slice of cake before focusing his attention on the youngsters. The silly questions he asked them had them all laughing.

  After everyone had eaten their fill, contests began throughout the park. There were games for the children and competitions for the men.

  A roped off area at the back of the park drew many spectators. In the center of the square area was a pile of rocks, several sledgehammers, and a large gathering of men. The few women in the crowd stood out with parasols held over their heads, keeping the hot sun from beating down on them.

  Jemma and Hattie stayed to watch the children play games, but Maggie and Brianna accompanied the men.

  “What is this?” Brianna asked, watching as one man knelt by a large rock with a tool in his hand that a second man hit with a heavy hammer. Every time he struck, the man holding the tool would turn it slightly, as though they bore into the rock.

  “It’s a rock drilling contest,” Tully explained. “You’ve read about sinking shafts and driving tunnels, I assume?”

  Brianna nodded. “It requires explosives.”

  “That’s right. A series of holes are drilled into the rock. The holes are then loaded with explosives and detonated. The debris is cleared out, the opening trimmed to size, and support timbers installed. Then the drillers start all over again.”

  “I read about the process, but I didn’t realize drilling the holes was such laborious work.”

  “It is, and it can be dangerous, too.” Thane added. “The drill is basically a steel rod that has a flared chisel-shaped tip so the hole is sligh
tly larger in diameter than the rod, allowing the bit to be withdrawn.”

  “How does this two-man operation work?” Brianna asked, fascinated by the method.

  “Cornish miners brought the process to our country,” Thane explained. “One man holds and turns the drill, changing it out when the bit gets dull, while the other wields a sledgehammer. That’s what they’re doing here. The team that makes the hole the fastest without cracking their rock wins.”

  They watched two teams compete then Tully grinned at his long-time friend. “What do you say, Thane? We used to be pretty good at this”

  “I might be a little out of practice.” Thane smirked at Tully. “But that never stopped me before.”

  Thane removed his vest, tie, and hat, handing them to Maggie, while Tully handed his things to Brianna. The urge to bury her hands in the thick waves of his hair made her fingers itch, but she resisted.

  “Are you sure you want to do this?” Maggie asked, glancing from Tully to Thane. While both of them were in prime physical condition, neither of them swung the heavy sledgehammer on a daily basis.

  “Ach, lassie, let ‘em have at it,” Ian said, reverting to his brogue as he watched the proceedings with excited interest. “If the two eejits want to pretend they’re still young, fit, and handsome like me, don’t stand in their way.”

  Thane and Tully both scowled at Ian while Brianna and Maggie laughed.

  “Do you want to hammer or hold?” Thane asked when it was their turn.

  “I always had better aim than you,” Tully said, picking up the sledgehammer.

  Thane lifted a drill from the pile and set the bit against a rock. “Fine, but you better not smash my hand. My wife would be quite put out with you.”

  Tully looked over at the three judges who sat in chairs nearby then glanced down at Thane. When his friend nodded, Tully hefted the hammer and swung, hitting the drill dead center. Quickly, Thane rotated the drill and Tully hit it with consistency.

  As the two men worked in harmony, Brianna couldn’t move her gaze from Tully. The fabric of his shirt stretched taut across his chest and shoulders. With each swing of the heavy hammer, the muscles of his arms flexed.