by Linda Ford
“You’d have your own bedroom?” Her cheeks burned at the question but she had to be sure they were clear on this matter. She did not want to be controlled by a man indoors or out.
“Either that or I’ll sleep in the barn.”
“No need for that.” There was a small room next to Father’s that was used mostly for storage. It would be adequate.
Except this wasn’t going to happen. She wasn’t seriously considering his suggestion. No. She wasn’t that desperate.
“I heard you say your father gave you two weeks.”
She stared at the wall behind him. Could she find someone else to marry in two weeks? As Annie said, it didn’t allow time to advertise for a husband, and even if it did, there would not be enough time to get to know and evaluate any man who responded. No one from around here would marry her knowing how she conducted herself. Every man she’d ever met wanted her to go to the house and pretty herself up. The few single men in the area who might be desperate enough to marry her had already been dismissed as old, ugly, mean or simpering. Old Billy Cameron was but a sample of what she had to choose from.
She simply didn’t have the luxury of picking and choosing.
She squirmed in her chair. But to marry a complete stranger!
Jill got down from her chair and kicked at the table legs.
“Jill,” Sawyer said. “Don’t do that.”
The child kicked harder, causing the table to hop away. Then she gave Sawyer a look full of disdain, challenge and—
Despair.
Carly saw it. She felt it and her heart went out to the orphaned child who didn’t know where she belonged. She couldn’t imagine the pain of not having a home, no place to call one’s own.
If Carly didn’t marry and present her father with a man to help run the ranch, she was about to lose the place she called home, the place she considered her own.
“Okay. Let’s do it.” She would marry the man, ensure her own home and give Jill one at the same time.
*
Sawyer didn’t move a muscle. Didn’t blink. Didn’t so much as allow his eyelids to flicker, even though the woman’s ready agreement left him feeling like he teetered at the brink of a bottomless ravine. Shouldn’t she have asked a lot of questions about him and his character?
“I’m an honest, honorable man.” The words fell out of his mouth. “I’ll treat you right.”
Carly gave him narrow-eyed study with those dark brown eyes. He had to concentrate not to shift his gaze away. “Mr. Gallagher, you might hit me once, but you’ll never hit me twice. I’ll see to that. I’ll not tolerate a man who rules with his fists.”
He didn’t know if he should laugh at the idea of this little gal getting all feisty or congratulate her on her stand. “Warning duly noted.” He wondered if she heard the humor in his voice, then remembered she wouldn’t. He’d kept his responses cooled for so long that he seldom felt them and even less often did others recognize them. “But completely unnecessary. I’d never hit a woman or child.”
Her lips pursed. “I won’t abide rough treatment of my animals, either.”
He nodded. “You and I see eye to eye on that matter.”
She studied him so hard he felt something inside shudder.
To avoid her gaze, he turned to Jill. “Her parents died right after Christmas.” It was the last time he’d been home and he’d stayed only two days, anxious to be on the move. Mostly from not wanting to feel like an outsider to the happy family of his pa, Judith and Jill, although Judith did everything she could to include him. He’d seen the pain in her eyes and Pa’s when he rode out.
The neighbor said they had taken sick shortly after he left and the fever had claimed their lives. “I was away and when I came home, I found Jill living with an elderly woman who provided nothing but a roof over her head and some meals. From what I could see, Jill took care of herself, which meant she ran wild. She’d been shuffled from home to home. No one wanted to keep her.”
He studied his little sister. Already he saw the evidence of her reaction to losing her parents and having a home where no discipline or affection was given. “She accepts no affection. Rebuffs attempts of people to befriend her.” He gave a sound that was half snort, half amusement. “Course I’m hardly one to judge what a normal reaction is.” He subdued a sigh. “Like I said, I don’t want her to end up like me.”
“I expect she’s just wanting someone who will accept her as she is and be there for her every day.”
Those words ricocheted back and forth inside Sawyer’s heart. Every day? He’d long ago learned there was no such thing as counting on someone every day. He’d discovered the best way to keep from being hurt was to not allow himself to feel anything, not to trust anyone to always be there.
He’d gotten really good at it. So good that women considered him cold and distant. He’d tried to change when he met Gladys Berry. She talked of home and family…things he thought he wanted. He soon learned he couldn’t become what she wanted and she’d stopped letting him call on her. Accused him of having no feelings—something he could not deny. Said he was a loner and would always be so.
He’d been better off than Jill. He’d had his pa. Sort of. Pa was there in body but absent in every other way until he had met and married Judith.
By marrying Carly, Sawyer could hope to give Jill what Pa had found. He wasn’t sure what to call it but figured security best described it.
“How soon you want to get married?” he asked.
“Today suit you?”
Long years of hiding emotions enabled him to sit perfectly still, revealing none of his surprise. “Today is fine by me.” There seemed nothing to be gained by waiting except to allow her time to change her mind. “You know someone who will marry us on such short notice?”
She rumbled her lips. “Now that might pose a problem.”
“How much of a problem?”
“I don’t know if I can find anyone to agree to our plan.”
He should have known this wouldn’t work out. With studied indifference, he got to his feet. “In that case, I’ll be moving along. Nice talking to you.” He grabbed his worn and battered cowboy hat from where it hung on the back of the chair and reached for Jill’s hand. “Come on.” Jill raced ahead and was out the door before he’d made three steps.
Knowing she could get into all kinds of trouble in less time than it took to say her name, he rushed after her.
“Mr. Gallagher, wait just one minute.”
He ignored Carly Morrison’s imperative call and hurried out the door just in time to see Jill dash into the middle of the street, right into the path of an oncoming wagon. He rushed after her, praying he’d get there in time to prevent a tragedy.
Chapter Two
Carly stood with her hands on her hips, staring after Sawyer as the door slapped shut behind him. What had caused him to up and disappear like that? All she’d said was…
She groaned as she recalled her words. Did he think the problem she mentioned was unsurmountable? Her only concern was that the preacher, Hugh, who was also Annie’s husband, might decide to object. She sniffed. Not that he had any right to. Hadn’t he and Annie planned to marry solely to provide a home for his little son? Of course, they had soon fallen in love.
Not that Carly had any intention of doing that. She wanted nothing but to keep her ranch. Certainly didn’t want a man thinking he had the right to tell her how to act or dress.
Either Sawyer thought she meant there was no one to marry them or else Sawyer had changed his mind. But would it hurt for him to come right out and say so instead of leaving her standing in the middle of Miss Daisy’s Eatery, trying to gather her thoughts together?
Annie had paid for their tea so she chased after the man with every intention of making him explain himself.
Before she reached the door, she heard people shouting and a woman screaming. She hurried outside to see what the fuss was all about.
Her breath stalled in her chest at
the sight before her. Sawyer held the head of two struggling horses that tossed their heads and reared. A man in the wagon the horses were harnessed to stood on his feet and reared back on the reins, trying to get control of the frightened animals. And then she saw Jill and her heart slammed into her chest.
The child lay in the street. Carly knew in a flash what had happened. Jill had run into the street without checking to see it was safe. It happened far too often. She remembered when Annie’s niece, Mattie, had almost been run over last summer. Mattie’s father had ridden up and swept her to safety. Jill had not been as fortunate.
She was annoyed at how her skirts hindered her—she’d only worn a dress to town because of some foolish hope it would make a man consider her as marriage material. Now they were a hazard to her. Carly grabbed the hem and lifted the fabric to free her to run as she dashed into the street.
Ignoring the flashing hooves of the rearing horses, she scooped up the girl and carried her to safety in front of Marshall’s Mercantile. Paying no attention to the questions from the spectators, she laid Jill gently on the step and bent over to wipe the tangled brown hair from the child’s face. Her eyelids fluttered, then brown eyes went wide with shock.
“Are you hurt?” Carly checked each limb. A lump bulged on Jill’s forehead.
“I’m okay.”
It was the first time Carly had heard her speak, so she couldn’t judge if the huskiness was from her fright or if that was the child’s normal voice. She looked around, hoping Dr. Baker or his daughter were among those hovering nearby.
“Kate.” Relief flooded her at the sight of the doctor’s daughter pushing through the crowd. Kate had light brown hair that she often wore in a careless bun. So typical of the woman. Caring for others mattered far more than looks. Her brown eyes filled with kindness.
“Is she hurt?” Unmindful of the dusty wooden sidewalk that would soil her dark skirt, Kate knelt beside Carly and deftly ran her hands over Jill’s legs and arms, then pulled down each bottom eyelid to look into Jill’s eyes. “Take her over to the doctor’s office. I’ll examine her more closely there.”
Carly shoved aside the offers of help to carry Jill and lifted her against her chest. Jill crossed her arms and stiffened. Poor child to be in the arms of a stranger. Something warm and protective blossomed in Carly’s heart. This motherless child deserved to be sheltered and cherished. “I’ll take care of you,” she murmured to Jill.
It was a promise she meant to keep. Somehow she would persuade Sawyer there was no need to retract his offer of marriage…an agreement between them was in the best interests of all three of them. No. Only two of them. She didn’t know what Sawyer needed, nor did it matter so long as Jill got her home and Carly got her ranch.
She reached the doctor’s house and glanced back to see Sawyer looking about. His gaze found her and when he saw she held Jill, he handed the calming horses to another man and trotted in Carly’s direction. She didn’t wait for him but carried Jill inside to the examining room.
Kate brought a basin of warm water. “I need to see what’s under the dirt.”
“I’ll do it.” Carly took the wet cloth and gently washed Jill’s face. All the while, Jill watched her solemnly. Carly smiled. “Tell me if I hurt you.”
“It don’t.”
Kate stood beside Carly.
“Kate, this is Jill. She’s eight years old.” She smiled at the child. She was quite lovely with all the dirt removed. “Jill, this is Mrs. Marshall.” Kate had married Conner Marshall, one of the three sons of the Marshall family who had built the town. “She’s a nurse. She’ll see if you’re hurt.”
Carly stepped back to allow Kate more space.
The door banged open and Sawyer strode through, jerking off his worn hat but not slowing until he was at his sister’s side. “That was a foolish thing to do. You could have been killed.”
Jill’s eyes went from hungry to angry. “I’m not even hurt.”
“I was about to see if that is so or not,” Kate said.
Carly introduced Kate to Sawyer.
Kate waited for Sawyer to realize he needed to step back. “Can you tell me what happened?” She examined Jill as she talked.
Sawyer answered though Carly wondered if Kate had directed the question at Jill. “She ran full speed into the street without looking to see if it was safe. The horses saw her and reared in fright. If she hadn’t tripped and fallen, she would have been kicked.” He spoke in a flat tone.
Carly wondered if he was as unfeeling about seeing his sister in such dire straits as he sounded.
Kate stepped aside. “Apart from the goose egg on her forehead, she seems unhurt. I suggest you keep her awake for the next eight or twelve hours to make certain she’s okay.”
Now was the time for Carly to speak her mind. “Kate, can you watch her for a minute?”
Kate nodded, her brows raised in curiosity.
Carly turned to Sawyer. “May I speak to you in private?” Not waiting for him to agree or otherwise, she headed for the door that led to the doctor’s living quarters. With Sawyer on her heels, she crossed the front room and entered the kitchen, sparing a quick glance around.
Last spring, Kate, her friend Isabelle and Sadie, the teacher, had all arrived in town, along with Dr. Baker. The doctor and teacher were to replace those who had left after the devastating fire that had leveled a block of buildings in Bella Creek. Now the three female newcomers were married—all to Marshall men. And Annie Marshall, Carly’s best friend, had recently married Preacher Hugh Arness. Carly had never thought to be joining them in wedlock but her father had left her little choice.
She reached the outer door, was about to grab the handle and head outside, then changed her mind. It would be much harder for him to escape her demands with her back pressed to the closest exit. “Did you offer to marry me only to mock my need?”
He sank back on his heels. “Did you not say there would be a problem in getting married?”
“Nope. Sure didn’t. Said it might be a problem getting the preacher to agree to marry us.”
His eyebrows lifted marginally. Barely enough for her to guess that he wondered what she meant.
“That woman you saw me with earlier is my best friend, Annie. She’s one of the Marshalls. Of course that means little to you at this point but you’ll soon learn that the Marshall family is pretty much in charge of Bella Creek.”
His eyebrows remained arched in question.
“Grandfather Marshall started the town so people would have a safe place to live. Until then, Wolf Hollow was the only town in the vicinity and it’s a rough mining town.”
He nodded, though she wondered if anything she said was making sense to him.
She continued, “Annie married the preacher. Preacher Hugh Arness. Likely they’ll have an opinion about my decision to marry a stranger.” She considered the alternatives and could come up with nothing but asking Hugh to marry them. There was no other preacher nearby and the judge wouldn’t be around until who knew when.
Of course, it might not be a problem if Sawyer had changed his mind. “That is if you were serious about marrying me.” Life had come to a pretty pass when she had to beg a complete stranger to agree to a marriage…or rather, a pretend marriage.
“I’m serious about getting a home for Jill.”
They studied each other.
Carly wasn’t sure what she expected from him but after a moment of silent study, one of the other, she realized he’d said all he meant to say on the matter. “Then we are agreed?”
“I’d say so.”
“Then let’s get Jill and go find the preacher.” She pretended she didn’t feel an uncomfortable tremor in the pit of her stomach. This marriage would change nothing except to have a man in the little bedroom and a child chasing after butterflies.
They returned to the examining room where Kate waited with Jill who now sat cross-legged on the gurney. They both watched Carly and Sawyer step back into the room; both wore
curiosity-filled expressions. Carly knew that Kate must wonder what Carly needed to say in private to a stranger, and Jill likely wondered how their conversation would affect her.
“She’s fit to go,” Kate said. “Bring her to Father if you have any concerns.”
“How much?” Sawyer asked.
Kate named a sum and Sawyer pulled the coins from his pocket and gave them to her.
Carly watched Jill. What they planned to do was partly on behalf of this child. Didn’t she need to be informed?
“Let’s go,” Sawyer said.
Jill jumped down and headed for the outer door.
Sawyer caught her arm. “No more running into the street.”
They exited into the empty waiting room.
“Wait,” Carly said.
Sawyer stopped and gave her a hard look. “You’re changing your mind again?”
“I never changed my mind before and I don’t plan to now. But I think we should tell Jill our plans.”
His gaze went to his sister. “Why?”
Annoyance colored her voice. “Because it concerns her.”
Sawyer and Jill both looked at her, one as silently demanding as the other. Carly sucked in air. Fine. She’d be the one to tell the news.
She sat on the bench so she’d be face-level with Jill. “I’m very sorry about your mama and papa. You must miss them very much.”
Jill blinked twice and then grew impassive.
Carly glanced at Sawyer. His expression matched Jill’s. The child had already learned to hide her feelings, had learned it well from someone who admitted to being very good at it.
“Sawyer—” She stumbled a bit at using his name so freely, but seeing as they were to be married… “Well, he wants you to have a home where you’ll always belong.”
Jill’s eyes darted toward her brother. “He’s gonna leave me here, isn’t he?”
“No, sweetie. That isn’t what he has in mind at all. You see I have a very nice home that needs a—” She couldn’t bring herself to say a man. “A family. You need a home. I need a family. So your brother and I are going to get married and we all get what we need.”