The Sheriff and the Innocent Housekeeper by Lynda Chance

voice rang out and issued a warning to the man on the ground and all the men watching. "Nobody treats ladies that way in my town." He jerked the man to his feet and pushed him to walk in front of him.
     
    "She's not a lady. She's just a slut--"
     
    Jake swung him around and hit him in the face. "You're going to jail, Yoakum. I'd make you apologize to her, but she won't want you anywhere near her. You're going to serve your time, and then you're going to clear out of Waco."
     
    Becky's heart threatened to beat out of her chest and she clutched Mrs. Foster's hand as she watched the scene play out. The man Jake had in custody was bloodied and limping. His chin was bruised and cut open. Jake held him in a vicious grip and pushed him away from the crowd. The scowl on Jake's face was ferocious, and the muscles in his forearms were straining against the weight of holding up the other man. Blood dripped down his face, and antagonism radiated from him. The authority stamped across his features was implacable.
     
    The first person Jake saw when he pushed away from the crowd and moved toward the sidewalk was Kyle Bolton, walking out of the bank. He had on a clean white shirt and shiny new boots. Anger and jealousy ripped through him.
     
    The second person he saw was Becky, clutching Mrs. Foster's hands with a look of horror on her face. She was staring right at him. Goddammit! He sure as hell didn't need her seeing this.
     
    He stalled him movements and struggled with the dirt bag in his hands. Blood pooled in the side of his mouth where he had taken a hit to the face. He turned his head and spat out the blood. His eyes turned back to her. His voice rang out over the crowd. "Get home, Becky. Now ." The order was harsh and unbending. It left no room for dispute. Tension poured from him as he waited for her to obey him. Her eyes were glued to his. He felt their provocative effect on him even now. His nostrils flared. She bit her lip, tore her hands free from the older woman, and turned and ran. He waited just long enough to make sure Kyle went in the opposite direction from Becky, then turned his attention back to his job.
     
    The entire day, all Jake could think about was getting the deed done tomorrow. He wanted her, all tied up and legally his, before something happened to change her mind. The scene on the street nagged at him, and he didn't want her upset by it. To his knowledge, Becky had never observed the seedier side of his job before. She was usually safely tucked away in his house, making a home for him. That she should witness an altercation like the one today, and on the day before she was supposed to marry him, sent fear slithering down his spine.
     
    He thought briefly of getting her alone tonight, and anticipating their wedding night, but he didn't want to dishonor her that way. She deserved better. He might not let himself compromise her entirely, but he would stick to her side like glue and give her no spare time to think about Bolton.
     
    Becky's day passed swiftly. The dress fitting went perfectly, and she was pleased with the way the store bought dress came out. In a deep shade of blue, it was the first time she would wear something other than a light colored pastel. The veil she would wear had been her mother's. It was simple lace, without a headpiece. It was one of the few possessions that had belonged to her mother she had left.
     
    The rest of the day, she worked companionably in the kitchen with her aunt. They spoke of trivial things, laughing over memories of the parents she had loved so much, and the younger sister her aunt still missed to this day. It was an afternoon spent with gentle memories of the past, and subtle anticipation for the future.
     
    At six o'clock, Jake walked through and stood in the doorway of the kitchen. Both women turned to face him. "Ma'am." He tipped his hat to her aunt. His dark eyes swung to her.
     
    Becky felt sparks hit her. Heat crept through her veins. His face was