Abducted at the Altar

by Charlene Sands

  “You’ve got that right. The earth. It seems to be all over us.” Shane chuckled and regarded Dorie’s smudged face. She laughed, too, and his mood lightened considerably. In fact, he’d been bored silly with Roberta earlier, but he never felt the least bit bored with Dorie. She kept him on his toes. And, oddly, life wasn’t dull when she was around. She’d even managed to help him deliver a new calf and probably saved two lives by doing so. Now here she was, wearing the prettiest dress he’d ever seen on her, and hadn’t given one complaint that it was all but ruined. “Sorry about the dress.”

  “It was worth it,” she said, and Shane knew she meant every word. Dorie wasn’t pretentious, unless of course, she was trying to pull the wool over the Parkers’ eyes; but when all was said and done, she had an earnest, generous nature.

  “I’ll make it up to you,” he said, without the foggiest idea how.

  “How?” she asked.

  “You’ll just have to wait and see.”

  Dorie smiled and said softly, “I think I’ll like any surprise you have for me.”

  Shane glanced at her lips, then at a face scrubbed clean, glowing like a soft ripe peach. Catching himself weakening to Dorie’s innocent charms, he snatched the cloth from her hands and began swatting at the front of the dress, trying to undo the damage. Drying clumps of mud fell to the floor.

  Dorie turned her backside to him. “Most of the mud landed here when I fell.”

  Shane cleared his throat. “You don’t want me to, uh—”

  She smiled and nodded.

  Shane cursed silently. Then he began to direct his quick swipes with extreme caution, most of his scrubbing beginning at the knee and ending at the hem of her dress.

  Dorie watched from over her shoulder and when he stood to face her, she shook her head. “You didn’t get much mud off.”

  “Here, I think you’d better do the rest.” He handed off the cloth. “I’ll clean up outside by the water barrel, then hitch up the team and take you home.”

  Dorie swatted her backside quickly, leaving a trail of mud on his floor. “Shane, can we check on the heifer and her calf before I go?”

  Shane grinned. “That’s what I’d planned on doing first. Ready?”

  Dorie nodded and followed him out the back door to the corral where they’d left the animals. “Oh, look! Mama found her little one.”

  “Yep, didn’t take her long.” Shane waited while Dorie sunk down on the fresh straw, her face filled with awe and sheer joy as she watched the new calf suckle at her mother’s teats.

  “Birthing is such a miracle.”

  Shane agreed. Each time he helped bring a calf or new foal into the world, he felt the same way, awed by the grace of God and struck by the miracle of nature. He wondered if he’d ever be fortunate enough to father a child, and, instantly, Dorie’s face flashed in his mind along with the image of mother and baby. He shook off that thought quickly, wondering where it had come from.

  Then he walked over to Dorie and reached for her hand. “C’mon. It’s getting late. I don’t want Jeremiah to worry.”

  Dorie laced her fingers with his and they walked hand in hand around the corner of the house, stopping at the water barrel. Shane splashed cool water on his face then moistened his hair attempting to remove as much grime as possible. He shook his head and droplets scattered about.

  Dorie stepped back from him and giggled. “I had a dog that did that.”

  Shane narrowed his eyes. “You don’t say?”

  “Yep, he wasn’t much to look at, but he sure was entertaining.”

  “You teasing with me, Dorie?”

  She lifted her chin. “Maybe.”

  Shane smiled. He liked Dorie McCabe. Too much.

  And just when he decided he’d really better get her home, she reached up to touch his face. “You missed a spot.” Her finger brushed his jaw, then she flicked a piece of mud off his chin. She appeared so engaged in her task that she didn’t notice the slight tremor that coursed through his body.

  “Any more?”

  Dorie looked her fill, searching his face for mud smudges and Shane couldn’t keep from staring into her pretty blue eyes.

  “You’re staring at me,” she said quietly.

  “Yep, I guess I am.”

  “Why?”

  “I guess I’m realizing how pretty you are.”

  “Oh, Shane.”

  Shane reached his hands to her hips and gently nudged her toward him as he bent his head. He didn’t much care that his hard length was pressed against her, or that she seemed pleased about it. He hated admitting it, but he’d missed Dorie and her wild antics. He’d missed her fussing over him and even missed her tougher than granite biscuits. Itching to kiss her again, he lowered his mouth closer to hers when a harrumphing sound stopped him cold.

  “She must be better’n three whores on a single bed.”

  Shane whipped around to find Tobias Barkley approaching. The man had appeared out of nowhere. “Barkley, what the hell are you doing here?”

  “I’m checking on my investment.” Then he glanced at Dorie, her muddied dress and her coppery hair spilling from its pins, and his ruddy face turned even redder. “You don’t listen well, boy. Are you forgetting I loaned you money, cash the bank wouldn’t credit you, and you’re using my grazing land for your meager herd.”

  “I haven’t forgotten a thing.”

  “Good, I thought maybe the trollop’s got you thinking of backing out of our deal. Now, that wouldn’t be smart at all.”

  Shane held his temper. “Say what you came here to say, Barkley.”

  “One of my men has a lead on Marilee. Apparently, she’d gotten farther than I thought. But I’m going after her first thing tomorrow. And when I bring her back, you’re going to marry her.”

  “I said I would.”

  He shot a look at Dorie and narrowed his beady eyes. “And you’ll be faithful to my daughter.”

  Shane didn’t like his insinuation one damn bit. “Wait a minute, here. Don’t you go thinking anything bad about Dorie. Or me. Once I take my marriage vows, I’ll stick to them.”

  Tobias Barkley didn’t seem convinced. “You’d better. You dally with the girl for right now, but once you marry my daughter I’ll expect nothing but complete loyalty.”

  Shane trembled with fury. “Get off my land, Barkley.”

  “I’m going. Don’t you worry. You’ve got two weeks. Two, hear me, and when I bring Marilee back, you’ll marry her.”

  “If she’ll have me.”

  “You’d better make sure that she does. And you’d better lose the trollop by then, or there’ll be hell to pay.”

  “Stop calling her that,” Shane warned through gritted teeth. “Now, get off my property.”

  Tobias Barkley laughed at the warning and headed back to his horse. Shane wasn’t satisfied until the man rode down the path and out his gate.

  Dorie put a hand on his arm. “I’m so sorry, Shane.”

  He stared in Barkley’s direction, almost wishing him back so he could put a fist through his smug face. “If he says one more nasty thing about you, I’ll kill him.”

  “No, you won’t. You’re no killer. But thank you for sticking up for me. Shane, I’m so sorry for the mess I’ve made.”

  “It’s my mess. I’ll clean it up.”

  “By marrying Marilee?”

  Shane had no choice. If Marilee came back and would have him, he was bound to marry her. He’d given his word to Barkley, but to Marilee, as well. And he wouldn’t go back on his word. Damn it, being honorable meant losing a part of himself to gain what he desperately needed for his ranch to survive.

  But in a small way, Shane had to feel grateful to Barkley for showing up here tonight. He’d stopped Shane cold, from doing something with Dorie he’d been dreaming about. Kissing her again. Holding her and, in truth, his mind ventured further down that path before he could catch himself. The things he wanted to do with Dorie wouldn’t be considered honorable.

&
nbsp; Barkley reminded him of all the reasons Shane couldn’t hold Dorie or kiss her or make love to her. In his own crude unknowing way, he’d been the one to clear Shane’s mind of any notion of being with Dorie.

  Except, of course, to pretend to be her husband in one week’s time.

  Shane had to give Dorie the answer that she didn’t want to hear. “Yes, I’m going to marry Marilee.”

  “But before Mr. Barkley showed up, you were about to—”

  “To make a big mistake. I’m a fool, Dorie. I have no other explanation. Listen to me,” he said quietly but with firm resolve, “no matter what I say or do in the next few weeks, don’t go thinking I’ll go back on my word. If Barkley returns home with Marilee, I will marry her.”

  Dorie closed her eyes slowly, and he hoped she wouldn’t cry. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt Dorie. He’d only wanted to protect her.

  “Dorie?”

  “Take me home, Shane.”

  “All right.” He headed for the corral to fetch the horses. But Dorie’s next words stopped him in his tracks.

  “Well, at least you’re right about one thing.”

  He turned to her in puzzlement. “Only one?”

  She snapped her head up. “You are a fool, Shane Graham.”

  Shane had to agree.

  Chapter Eight

  “Dorie, dear. You’re doing so well. Why do I find you pouting as if you’ve lost your very best friend?” Mrs. Whitaker asked, as afternoon sunlight streamed into her kitchen window.

  Dorie shrugged her shoulders. “Maybe I have.”

  “And whom would that be, might I ask?”

  “It’d be Shane, of course. He’s bound and determined to marry Marilee. Mr. Barkley’s found her and he’s bringing her home. I’ll have just enough time to meet with the Parkers before Shane has to marry a woman he doesn’t want.”

  Mrs. Whitaker set a piece of pecan pie in front of her. Dorie didn’t have the heart to eat a thing. She thanked her for the offer but shoved the plate away.

  “And how do you know that he doesn’t want to marry Marilee?”

  “Because he doesn’t like being with her the way he likes being with me.”

  “Has he told you that?”

  Dorie thought back to the early morning when she’d tended to Shane’s wounds. His body told her what he couldn’t say, then finally she’d managed to get him to admit he didn’t react the same to Marilee. Dorie only understood it because she’d felt the same warm throbbing in her lower regions every time Shane kissed her, every time he’d touched her. “He tells me with his body—” she blurted. “Oh, I didn’t mean that exactly how it came out. He and I, uh, we haven’t done anything wrong. Honest.”

  Mrs. Whitaker smiled. “I think I understand. It hasn’t been so long ago that I don’t recall how it feels to be falling in love.”

  “Love?” Dorie shook her head. “No, I don’t love Shane. I loved my mama and I love Jeremiah, but, well… I don’t know. I’ve never been in love before. As for Shane, he certainly doesn’t love me. Half the time, he seems unhappy to see me. And lately, well, I haven’t seen him at all since mean old Mr. Barkley came by Shane’s place threatening him.”

  “Dorie, Shane has a lot to consider. He’s worked hard to build up his spread. He’s a man of honor. And he made Marilee a promise not too long ago. He made you a promise, too. And as much as it might be hurting him, he’s trying to do the right thing for both of you. You wouldn’t want him to back out of his promise to you any more than Marilee wants him to break his promise to her.”

  Dorie took a minute to let it all sink in. She hadn’t thought of the situation exactly that way. “He’s in a pickle, isn’t he?”

  “Yes, I’d say so. So, why don’t you concentrate on the situation with the Parkers instead. We still have work to do. As I said, you’re coming along, Dorie. You’re making tremendous progress.”

  “Really? I don’t feel like I am, and every time I read the book I get more confused. Heavens, I barely understood the chapter on ‘Gentility and Refinement of Manners in All the Relations of Home and Society.’ I don’t even understand what the title means. Sometimes, I think I’ll never convince the Parkers of anything.”

  Mrs. Whitaker slid the plate of pie her way again. “Eat up, Dorie. I think I have the solution to this.”

  “Really,” she said, encouraged by the hopeful tone in Mrs. Whitaker’s voice. She picked up the fork and took a bite of pie. “How?”

  “Well, for one. Forget the book. We don’t need it anymore. We’re going to do a real-life rehearsal.”

  “A rehearsal? What kind of rehearsal?” Dorie asked, setting down her fork to look intently at her mentor.

  “Well, I’m inviting you and Shane over to dinner tomorrow night. You’re to come as a real couple, husband and wife. Iggy and I will pretend that we don’t know the situation. You and Shane need to convince us that you’re married. You’ll be able to see your strengths and weaknesses this way. Afterward, we’ll discuss your success.”

  “Or failure?”

  “Yes, that, too. Oh, this will be fun. We’ll see how far both of you have come along.”

  “Do you think Shane will agree?”

  Mrs. Whitaker patted her arm. “I’ll see that he does. Don’t worry about him. Just present yourself as Shane’s wife. I’ll have him pick you up at six o’clock tomorrow evening. You just be ready.”

  Dorie’s spirits lifted. Mrs. Whitaker made it all seem so possible. And this way they’d know for sure if they were convincing as a couple. If only Shane would go along with the ruse. A dozen thoughts streamed through Dorie’s mind and excitement stirred deep down in her belly. She’d find out now what it would be like being Shane’s wife.

  If only for an evening.

  “Did you write to Henry in Virginia City?” Dorie asked Jeremiah the minute he woke from sleep the next day. Still in his brown-and-white-striped nightshirt, he’d moseyed into the kitchen and grabbed a biscuit.

  Squinting from dawning sunlight, he answered, “I told you I did. Right when you asked me to.”

  “And?”

  “And he wrote back, Dorie. I just forgot to tell you. He invited me to stay with him while the three of us are in Virginia City. His mama says I’m welcome anytime. Just like always.”

  “That’s good, Jeremiah. I just can’t afford spending money on two hotel rooms while we’re there. And I know you’d like to see Henry. You and he would play for hours and hours when you were little ones. I’m glad you stayed friends even though he moved away.”

  Jeremiah shrugged and rubbed his eyes with two fists just as he did when he was a child, which made Dorie smile and feel a jolt of sadness at the same time. She loved her brother so much. She couldn’t imagine her life without him. And now, everything would be over in just a few days. The Parkers were due to arrive in Virginia City on Saturday. This being Tuesday, Dorie had only three more days before she and Shane ventured to town. She figured to get there a day ahead of the Parkers, to settle in and get accustomed to the surroundings.

  Besides, Dorie had other business to conduct in Virginia City, and she had to find a way to get some private time while there. Going to Virginia City had always excited her before, and she’d always come home with enough cash to see her through the bad times. The only part she didn’t like was when she had to sneak around. Keeping secrets hadn’t been one of Dorie’s best qualities, but in this case she had to. She’d been keeping this secret for three years.

  “Sit down, Jeremiah. I made you hot oatmeal.”

  “Oatmeal again?” he complained, taking a seat at the wooden table.

  “I thought you liked oatmeal.”

  “I do. It’s just that I’m tired of it. I have it every day, practically.”

  Dorie let out a deep slow sigh of regret. At times like these, she wondered if she shouldn’t just let Jeremiah go home with the Parkers. They’d have more than oatmeal to offer him in the morning. Probably he’d fill his belly stuffing down thi
ck bacon strips and juicy ham slices, fluffy eggs and fancy pastries and all. He’d probably have the finest clothes and go to the best schools. “I’ll fix you a better breakfast tomorrow,” she offered softly.

  Jeremiah looked up and she couldn’t hide her crestfallen face from him. “I don’t mind oatmeal, Dorie.”

  “I wish I could provide better for you, Jeremiah. Maybe it’d be best for you to go with the Parkers.”

  Jeremiah stood so abruptly the chair squeaked noisily against the wooden floor. His eyes gleamed with indignation. “I won’t go, Dorie. You can’t make me. I’d eat a thousand pounds of oatmeal and I still won’t want to leave here. Gosh,” he said, tears misting in his eyes. “All I said was that I get tired of oatmeal once in a while.”

  His face red, his hands trembling, Dorie reached for him and hugged him tight. “I’m sorry for saying that. You won’t have to go with the Parkers, Jeremiah. I promise. I can’t bear to think of living here without you. It’s you and me, always. Right?”

  He nodded and Dorie figured he couldn’t get the words out from the choked up feeling and tears falling down his cheeks. “I’m doing all I can, little brother, to keep you with me.”

  “I…know.”

  “I think everybody’s nerves are jumbled lately,” she said, giving him one last squeeze before she let him go. “But it’ll be over soon. The Parkers will see what a fine life we live. They’ll see that you’re happy living in Silver Hills with me and…with Shane.”

  Jeremiah wiped his eyes and cast her a dubious glance. “Shane and I are going to Mrs. Whitaker’s tonight for a rehearsal of sorts. We’re going to pretend to be married. And hopefully we’ll be so convincing that the Parkers won’t have any doubts in their heads about it.”

  “I guess that’s good. Right?”

  “I’m hoping it goes all right.”

  “What about me? Shouldn’t I know what you’re planning?”

  “You? Why, I hadn’t thought about you, Jeremiah.” And Dorie realized how true that was. She’d been so absorbed in learning how to be a lady and Shane’s wife that she hadn’t thought of what Jeremiah might need to know. “That’s right, you’re going to have to learn about us, our…marriage,” she said with a lifting of her lips, “and our life at Shane’s ranch. Maybe you should come with us to Mrs. Whitaker’s.”