Shot Gun Grooms

CHAPTER FOUR

Emily was determined to ignore “the incident,” which was how she thought of the kiss she and Lucas had shared the previous day. Memories of the feel of him pressing against her, the sweet taste of him and the way he’d been so bold as to touch her tongue with his had kept her up most of the night. But she’d risen as early as ever, determined to get her hotel ready for business as soon as possible.

Now, as she worked in the fifth bedroom, she fought against the tingling in her body by instead thinking about how good it had felt to have her own room in her own hotel. When the business was a success, it would be because of her hard work and vision. She was responsible. Which meant it was her fault if the hotel failed, but she wasn’t going to let that happen.

She spread the sheets over the feather mattress and smoothed down the material. As she worked, she half listened for the sound of the bell she’d left at the front desk, along with a note to ring for her if someone wanted a room. Bart Miller had already started work on the sign for the hotel, so maybe that would send some business her way. Although the sign was only for folks new to town. Anyone familiar with Defiance would have already heard the gossip about her marriage to Lucas and the new hotel.

As she turned to lift the blankets from the dresser to the bed, she remembered how Lucas’s hands had felt on her back and the way his lips had—

“Stop it,” she said aloud. “Don’t think about that anymore.”

Emily shook herself in an effort to dislodge the memories that seemed firmly stuck in her head. But while her brain was willing to listen, her body wasn’t cooperating at all. Even when she didn’t see Lucas in her mind, she could feel the strength and heat of him when they’d touched.

“What’s wrong with me?” she asked herself.

Was this all because Lucas had been the first man to kiss her? Or was it because she wanted to know why he’d bothered?

Emily paused in her work and turned to face the mirror hung over the narrow dresser. She saw her familiar face. A plain face whose only hope of beauty came from a pair of large, blue eyes. But as she didn’t know how to draw attention to that particular feature, it got lost in the rest of her.

Had he felt sorry for her? The question made her shiver, and not in a pleasant way. She shouldn’t have told Lucas the truth about her past, except she never lied. So she should have stayed silent. Instead, the words had fallen out of her mouth before she could stop them. As she returned her attention to the covers on the bed, she suddenly realized why.

She was lonely. She’d been lonely for a long time. Certainly, when she’d first moved to Defiance, she’d missed her family. With time, her work at the school and the few acquaintances she’d made had eased the pain of being in a strange place. But then the children had left with their families and she found that her few acquaintances weren’t enough. She could go several days without exchanging more than just pleasant greetings. There was no one she could really talk to or confide in. Still, telling Lucas about her past and her humiliation with David hadn’t been very sensible. Obviously she would need to make more of an effort to develop friends in town. She would see to that as soon as she’d finished getting the hotel ready.

Emily tucked in the blankets, then drew the green coverlet over the made bed. She should have the rest of the rooms finished by the end of next week. Then all she would need was—

The sound of a bell cut through her musings. Emily froze as excitement gripped her. Someone—perhaps a customer—had rung the bell at the front desk. This could be the beginning of her success, she thought happily as she walked down the length of the hallway and turned left by the reception desk.

She slipped smoothly behind the counter, cleared her throat and glanced up at the person waiting to speak with her. Her greeting lodged in the back of her throat.

The woman standing in front of her was tall, several inches taller than herself. Her thick brown hair coiled around her head in an intricate arrangement of curls and knots, decorated with sprays of silk flowers, and was topped by a huge red hat. A dark smudgy line above her lashes emphasized her big, beautiful brown eyes and there was no denying the color staining her full lips.

Emily blinked, then swallowed. The woman in front of her did not disappear into a dream, as Emily had hoped. She remained firmly in place. Everything about the woman overwhelmed her. The stylish hair, her full bosom expertly displayed by a low-cut red velvet gown. Swags of fabric settled over rounded hips. Everything about the woman was excessively feminine. She was as lush as a ripe peach and, from the knowing look in her large eyes, she understood the impact she had on those she met.

Emily had never been so close to a woman like the one standing in front of her. Society dictated that she didn’t even acknowledge her existence. Although with the woman leaning toward her reception desk, she wasn’t sure how she was supposed to ignore her.

“I’m Dixie,” the woman said in a low voice that was surprisingly cultured. She might be living in Defiance now, but she’d been born somewhere else. “I heard you were opening a hotel. I’d like to rent a room.”

“A—a room?”

Emily bit her lower lip. This was not a situation she could have foreseen. While she wanted to fill the hotel as quickly as possible, she wasn’t interested in offering a location for expansion for the likes of Miss Cherry and her girls.

“I’m not sure what you were told,” Emily said formally. “This is a private hotel. My guests—” or the guests she would soon have “—are honest people who keep to themselves.”

“That’s just what I want, honey,” Dixie drawled, and set a handful of gold coins on the desk. “I’m paying a month in advance. I’d like your most private room in this private hotel. And you can stop biting your lip. I’m not here to work. I’m here for some quiet.”

The tall, beautiful woman offered a smile. “Over at Miss Cherry’s there’s never a moment’s peace. Men are in and out of the place at all hours. They’re forever knocking on my door. I don’t mind working hard, which I do, but when I’m finished for the night, I want to be left alone.”

Emily didn’t know what to say. She glanced from the money to the woman standing in front of her. She knew what Dixie did to earn that money. Well, she didn’t know exactly, but she had an idea. It had something to do with men and women being together.

“Are you frightened of me?” Dixie asked bluntly. “Do you think I’ll corrupt you or try to seduce your other guests?”

Emily felt herself blush. From the heat on her face, she could imagine her cheeks were bright red. Still, she kept her head high. “Not at all,” she lied.

“I won’t do either,” Dixie promised. “Although I can’t speak for the ladies in town. They might not approve of you catering to the likes of me. However, I’m paying in advance, I pay in gold and I won’t make any trouble.”

Emily reached for the blank registration book, turned it toward the woman and pointed to the first line. “If you would be so kind as to sign here,” she said. “Then I’ll show you to your room, Miss, ah…”

“Just Dixie. If we’re going to be passing in the hall every day, I don’t see any point in being formal, do you?”

“No. Of course not.”

She glanced at Dixie’s signature, then put her money into the strongbox at the bottom of the desk. When she straightened, she studied the keys hanging on the hooks attached to the wall behind her.

“The front bedroom is a little larger,” she said, more to herself than her guest. “But you’ll have street noise. If you’re interested in quiet more than space, I have a lovely room at the back.” She looked at Dixie. “Let me show you these two rooms and you pick the one you like best.”

“Good idea.”

Dixie crossed to the stairs and called down. Instantly there were the sounds of footsteps on the stairs. Three young men appeared, each carrying a trunk, followed by two boys with large carpetbags.

Emily knew that the luggage contained more lovely dresses like the red one Dixie wore this afternoon. So much finery, she thought as she led the way down the hall. Beautiful clothes in soft, elegant fabrics. She fingered her own gray wool skirt and remembered a time when she’d worn pretty things. Nothing as spectacular as Dixie’s dress, to be sure, but still nicer than her current garb.

But once Emily had decided to go west, she’d decided it was more important to be sensible than fashionable. She’d had her gray dresses made up. Lighter for spring and summer, darker for winter. The color didn’t show the dirt and the fabrics lasted forever. Sensible, she thought again as she opened the door to the front bedroom. Now she was left to wonder if being too sensible had stolen her soul.

Dixie examined the first bedroom, then the second. She chose the latter saying, “You’re right, it’s smaller, but I prefer to be at the back, and that armoire is much bigger so I’ll be able to store my clothes.” Then she glanced at her trunks and bags and laughed. “Maybe I should take a second room for them.”

Before Emily could answer, she heard the bell ring. She excused herself and hurried toward the reception desk. Two businessmen stood there. They were, they said, from Baltimore and needed two rooms for two nights.

Excitement filled Emily as she had the men sign her register. She only had five rooms to let and already three of them were full. The hotel was going to be a success, she thought happily. She was going to realize her dream.

* * *

“I understand you’re full for the night,” Lucas said as he walked into the reception area.

It was nearly six that evening and Emily hadn’t seen him all day. In fact, she hadn’t seen him since the “incident” the previous afternoon. She was instantly embarrassed and determined not to show it.

“Yes, we’re full,” she said. “I have two businessmen, two miners and—” This time she couldn’t stop the blush from climbing her cheeks. “And someone else.”

Lucas, so tall and handsome in his dark trousers, white shirt and bottle green vest, leaned against her registration desk and raised his eyebrows.

“I heard about Dixie,” he said. “I was surprised.”

“I don’t care if you don’t approve,” she told him. “This is my business, not yours. I pay you a percentage of the money I make, however you are not my partner. You don’t get to express your opinion on the day-to-day handling of things.”

“I think you’ve got yourself a runaway horse.” Lucas leaned toward her and gave her a smile. The one that turned her knees to jelly. “I said I was surprised. That’s different from not approving. Dixie is a fine lady, despite her occupation.”

Emily didn’t want to think about how the man she’d married had come to know whether or not Dixie was a fine lady or a harpy. Nor did she feel comfortable with a conversation that might detail Dixie’s “occupation.”

“All right,” she murmured. “The point is, until I get the rest of the rooms ready, I’m full. We need to discuss how often you wish to look at my ledgers. I thought perhaps weekly would be acceptable. Once you approve of the totals, I will deposit your share into the bank. Or would you prefer me to give it to you directly?”

“The bank is fine.” He leaned a little closer. “As to looking at your ledgers, that’s not necessary. I trust you, Em. We’re married.”

She did not want to think about that. “You don’t know me. I could be dishonest.”

He laughed. “No, you couldn’t. Dishonest women don’t kiss the way you did yesterday.”

She opened her mouth to reply, but there weren’t any words. How could he speak of the incident? How could he tease her and…and…

“I’m about to have supper,” he said. “Would you care to join me?”

The change in subject made her head spin. She was still reeling from his mention of the incident and he was inviting her to a meal?

Of course she was going to tell him no, but before she could she found she really wanted to dine with him. She wanted to talk to him and listen to him talk to her. She wanted to put on a pretty dress—not that she had any—and have him compliment her. She wanted—

“I can’t,” she said flatly, knowing her disappointment showed.

“Why not? Do you have a secret sweetheart? We’re married. I won’t tolerate you sparking with other men.”

She dismissed him with a flick of her hand, and had to blink back a burning sensation in her eyes. Tears? Over not being able to join Lucas for dinner? Impossible!

“I can’t leave the desk,” she said. “I don’t have any employees.”

He glanced around at the reception area. “Well, I’ll be. For someone who prides herself on making a plan, it looks like you forgot one important thing.”

“I know. It just slipped my mind.”

He straightened. “You going to sit at that desk, day and night?”

“No. I’ll think of something. But in the meantime, I can’t join you for supper.”

He reached forward and lightly touched the tip of her nose. “That’s where you’re wrong. You can’t join me for supper, but I can bring supper to you.” He gave her a wink. “Don’t you go anywhere.”

Emily stared after him as he walked downstairs. Lucas was being nice to her and she wanted to know why. Not that she expected him to ignore her or to be rude, but somehow she hadn’t thought he would go out of his way to spend an evening meal with her. Perhaps she would ask him.

When Lucas returned with a basket of fried chicken, biscuits and several other dishes, she had cleared her desk and stretched a crisp white tablecloth across the surface. He poured them each a glass of what he claimed was “apple cider, not apple brandy” then settled on the straight-backed chair she’d found for him.

The hotel was quiet, with all her guests having gone out for the evening. The businessmen were dining at the restaurant three doors down, while the miners were in the saloon. Emily didn’t want to think about where Dixie had disappeared to or what she was doing there. Because thinking about Dixie being with men made Emily wonder if Lucas had ever been with her in that way? It also reminded her of the incident, which she was trying to forget, although that was difficult, what with him sitting so close and smiling at her as she served up his chicken.

“This is very kind of you,” she said, motioning to the food. “I didn’t think we would be seeing each other like this.”

He took a drink of his cider. “We’re married, Em. Don’t you think we should share a meal?”

“Is that why you’re here? Because you want people to think we have a regular marriage?”

He grinned. “You’ve spent the last two nights alone. I don’t think anyone believes we have a regular marriage.”

“Oh.”

Emily hadn’t considered that. She’d spent her wedding night in her narrow room above the bakery, and he’d spent his in the small house he had shared with his uncle. Last night she’d been alone in the hotel.

He bit into his chicken and chewed. After he’d swallowed, he wiped his fingers on his napkin. “Were you shocked when Dixie appeared and asked for a room?”

Emily ducked her head. “Yes, of course. I didn’t know her name, but I knew…” She cleared her throat. “At first I thought she wanted a room for her, um—”

“Activities,” he offered helpfully.

She ignored that. “However she explained she wanted peace and privacy, both of which I can offer.”

“Dixie’s not so bad. I don’t guess you two can be friends, but she’s not an evil person.”

Emily thought about her impression of the beautiful woman. “How long has she been in Defiance? With her voice and her manners, I thought she might be from somewhere back East.”

“She arrived about five years ago.” Lucas hesitated. “As for her past, you’ll have to ask her.”

Emily wondered if he didn’t know about Dixie or if he was respecting a confidence. She looked at the man sitting across from her. Even seated, he was tall. His white shirt emphasized the breadth of his shoulders. She found her attention lingering on his silky mustache and remembered the feel of it yesterday when he’d kissed her.

Had she thought about being kissed by a man with a mustache, she would have assumed the experience would be unpleasant, but it hadn’t been at all. She’d liked the way the surprisingly soft hairs had tickled her skin. For one frightening moment, she imagined him kissing other parts of her, such as her neck, and shivered at the thought of the teasing caress.

Emily stiffened. She would not allow herself to continue to think of the incident, nor would she imagine other familiarities. What was wrong with her? She was not the kind of woman who wasted her time daydreaming about a man.

She drew her attention back to the dinner and tried to remember what they’d been talking about. Ah, yes. Dixie and how long she’d lived in Defiance. Not a subject for polite conversation.

“Before, you had mentioned you’ve lived here nearly all your life,” she said.

He nodded. “Yeah. I guess I was about five when Uncle Simon brought us here. Back then there wasn’t a town, just a couple of miner’s shacks and a big tent where an old man sold supplies.”

“Your brother lives outside of town, doesn’t he? I don’t recall seeing him more than once or twice.”

“He keeps to himself. He’s got a house up by the mine.”

“That’s right. I remember you telling me about the mine when you explained your current predicament.”

He grinned at her. “Why use a two-bit word when a dollar one works as well, right, Emily?”

She sipped her cider. “I’m sure I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“I don’t have a ‘predicament,’ I have a problem. Or a barrel full of trouble.”

She felt awkward and foolish. “I’m sorry if my vocabulary discomforts you.”

“It doesn’t, but I think you should start loosening up. This isn’t the schoolroom and you’re not my teacher. Although if you wanted to tell me I was bad and give me a good paddling, I might be interested.”

She had no idea what he was talking about and a complete certainty that he was teasing her, but she was too embarrassed to speak. Paddle Lucas? Why would he suggest such a thing? And why did the idea of even getting close to touching that part of him make her feel strange inside?

“We were discussing your brother,” she said coolly, and hoped he wouldn’t notice how difficult it was for her to speak normally when all she wanted to do was cover her face and run from the room. “You mentioned you’d sent for a mail-order bride for him.”

“That’s right.” Lucas smiled at her in such a way that she knew he was letting her off easy.

“I never had a brother. It must be very pleasant to have that sort of familial relationship.”

Lucas looked as if he was going to tease her about her word choices again, but he didn’t. Instead he said, “It was. We got into trouble all the time while we were growing up.”

“Sounds like fun.”

“It was.”

When he didn’t volunteer any more information, they ate in silence.

Lucas finished the last of his meal, then wiped his hands on his napkin.

“How interested are you in helping downtrodden women?” he asked.

“I’m not sure what you’re asking.”

“You’re going to need help around this place, with the cleaning, running errands and the like. I know a couple of young women looking for a job.”

“What young women?”

His dark eyes turned angry. “Alice and Mary. I don’t know how old they are. Alice might be fifteen and her sister is a couple of years younger. They don’t have any family and they need jobs.”

Emily wanted to protest that they were children—far too young to be working for a living. But then she remembered that some children were forced into the world by circumstances. If they had no one to support them, they would soon starve. At least by working for her, the girls would be safe. Their duties around the hotel wouldn’t tax them overly much and she could teach them if they hadn’t had much education.

“I’d like to meet them,” she told Lucas.

“I’ll bring them by later.” He rose. “Thank you for supper.”

“Don’t thank me. You’re the one who brought the food.”

“Yes, but you provided the company.”

With that he was gone and Emily was left to stare after him. She didn’t begin to understand her handsome husband. Not his words, his actions or how he made her feel just by being in the same room. But she liked him. He made her laugh. He seemed to enjoy teasing her and she enjoyed his attentions.

She thought about the “incident” and wondered if it was on his mind as well. As he’d been leaving, she’d half hoped he would do that again. He hadn’t. Just as well, she told herself. She was not the kind of woman to dally with a man…although if she found herself in need of a dalliance, Lucas MacIntyre would be the man she chose.

* * *

Lucas returned shortly after nine. Trailing behind him were two overly slender girls in worn cloaks. Their eyes were large, their skin pale and Emily read the fear in their expressions.

“Alice and Mary, meet Emily MacIntyre.”

The older of the two tried to smile. “Ma’am.”

Like her younger sister, Alice had bright red hair and green eyes. The two girls held hands, clinging to each other as if they had no one else in the world.

Emily moved around the desk and approached the girls. “How old are you?” she asked.

Alice spoke for them both. “I’m fifteen. Mary is thirteen. We’re hard workers, ma’am,” she added. “We’re both stronger than we look. I can scrub and clean. Mary’s real patient when it comes to ironing and she knows some cooking.”

“Good.” Emily glanced at her husband. “Have they eaten recently?”

“About an hour ago.”

She returned her attention to the girls. “I think we should talk about work in the morning. Right now you two need some sleep.”

She showed them to a small room next to her own. She’d made it up quickly after dinner. The fresh mattress had been delivered just that afternoon. Emily had added a pretty pink coverlet and drapes, along with a pansy-covered basin.

Alice and Mary stared at the small room, then Alice shook her head. “Ma’am, this is too nice for us.”

Emily took in the plain walls, the stains she’d been unable to scrub out on the floor and the skinny dresser. She’d been hesitant about renting out the room because it was so small and the window didn’t offer a view of anything nicer than the building across the street.

Emily touched Alice’s thin shoulder. “I was about to apologize because it wasn’t nice enough. You and Mary are safe here. Get ready for bed. We’ll talk in the morning.”

With that, she left the sisters alone and shut the door behind herself.

She found Lucas waiting by the reception desk. “Where did you find them?”

The anger she’d noticed before returned to his eyes. “Their father tried to sell them to Cherry earlier in the week. She took the girls in because it was obvious he was going to get rid of them one way or the other. She’s been trying to find a place for them ever since.”

Emily didn’t know what to say. She’d never heard of such a thing. Did fathers really sell their daughters into service to men? Was it possible?

“That can’t be legal,” she insisted.

He shrugged. “But it happens. Cherry thought they might be able to clean at her place, but Alice is too pretty to go unnoticed and Cherry was afraid someone would get drunk and hurt the girl. She mentioned the problem to me and I thought you might be willing to help.”

Emily wanted to know what Lucas had been doing talking to that woman. Had he been at her place of business, and if so, why? She reminded herself that theirs was simply a marriage of convenience and she shouldn’t care if her husband took his person elsewhere. But the words didn’t ease the ache she felt in her stomach or the way her throat started to hurt.