having servants, being part of the upper society. I'm sure she thinks if you would just swallow your pride and go back to work for her father...or ours..."
Daniel lurched from the chair and stood angrily glowering at his brother. Every word Adam had said was true, but he'd hoped things were changing with Jennie. She hadn't mentioned going back to Boston since that first day she'd been here. She had a friend in Dryfork now.
"I still lust after Jennie, but I love her, too. And she's told me she loves me as well. I'm hoping she'll come around to accepting that I won't ever go back there."
Adam nodded. "For both your sakes, I hope it works out. Losing someone you love is..." He swallowed hard. "It's damn awful."
* * *
Daniel had put off heading over to the town council's meeting as long as possible. He really wasn't looking forward to the council and the mayor butting heads with the women of the town. He knew that was exactly what would happen. He was still worried that a picnic would attract the Walton Gang, but chances were they were headed this way sooner or later anyway. The best he could do was to warn all the men to watch after their women. He would damn certain be watching after Jennie!
He stepped out the door of his office and planted his wide-brimmed hat on his head. Drawing in a calming breath, he glanced across the road toward the Tumbleweed Saloon. The hitching rails all along that side of the street were full with single horses tied up and buggies tied up as well. Even from here he heard voices raised in anger and frustration. He really didn't want to go join in the mix.
A pair of rapidly approaching riders coming from the east drew his attention as dust swirled up and around the horses. The first thing he noticed were long skirts draped over the horses' barrels, skirts hitched up enough to reveal the women's lower legs. Something about the one small short boot that he could see closest to him looked familiar. Then he recognized the shapely curve of that one calve. Jennie!
Heart pounding in dread, he lifted his gaze and found his stubborn wife riding the horse he'd given her. She hadn't been all that excited about riding horseback, telling him she preferred using a buggy or the buckboard. But here she was trotting down Main Street to no doubt attend the meeting she had no business attending. Of course, Faith Paddington rode beside her and was surely responsible for this situation. Adam was right: Faith was in need of a good tail warming.
The women rode almost by him now, chattering to one another, not even looking in his direction. He started to call out to them and then froze, gaping in shock. He'd wondered how Jennie could manage to ride at all considering her recent taste of the switch. But there she sat...on a pillow atop the saddle. Well, didn't that just beat all!
"Jennifer Braddock!" he called out, stepping off the boardwalk onto the dirt road. "Where the hell do you think you're going?"
Chapter Four
Jennie jerked at her husband's angry shout, glancing back in his direction. Her heart pounded at his fierce expression.
She had little more than a second to take that all in because the horse beneath her panicked. The mare that had been gentle during the ride to town now rose up on her back legs just enough to surprise Jennie and cause her to lose her grip on the reins. She slid backwards off the mare's rump with a screech.
Then she promptly landed on her very tender bottom on the solidly-packed dirt and the mare trotted a ways further down the road. She sucked in a painful breath and her eyes watered while she glowered up at Daniel and sputtered, "What were you thinking? Yelling at me like that!"
Faith pulled her horse to a stop and looked down at her in concern. "Are you all right?" She noticed Daniel striding over and edged her horse back a few feet, which Jennie thought was a wise move.
Daniel's long legs brought him to Jennie's side in short order. The tight expression on his handsome
Daniel lurched from the chair and stood angrily glowering at his brother. Every word Adam had said was true, but he'd hoped things were changing with Jennie. She hadn't mentioned going back to Boston since that first day she'd been here. She had a friend in Dryfork now.
"I still lust after Jennie, but I love her, too. And she's told me she loves me as well. I'm hoping she'll come around to accepting that I won't ever go back there."
Adam nodded. "For both your sakes, I hope it works out. Losing someone you love is..." He swallowed hard. "It's damn awful."
* * *
Daniel had put off heading over to the town council's meeting as long as possible. He really wasn't looking forward to the council and the mayor butting heads with the women of the town. He knew that was exactly what would happen. He was still worried that a picnic would attract the Walton Gang, but chances were they were headed this way sooner or later anyway. The best he could do was to warn all the men to watch after their women. He would damn certain be watching after Jennie!
He stepped out the door of his office and planted his wide-brimmed hat on his head. Drawing in a calming breath, he glanced across the road toward the Tumbleweed Saloon. The hitching rails all along that side of the street were full with single horses tied up and buggies tied up as well. Even from here he heard voices raised in anger and frustration. He really didn't want to go join in the mix.
A pair of rapidly approaching riders coming from the east drew his attention as dust swirled up and around the horses. The first thing he noticed were long skirts draped over the horses' barrels, skirts hitched up enough to reveal the women's lower legs. Something about the one small short boot that he could see closest to him looked familiar. Then he recognized the shapely curve of that one calve. Jennie!
Heart pounding in dread, he lifted his gaze and found his stubborn wife riding the horse he'd given her. She hadn't been all that excited about riding horseback, telling him she preferred using a buggy or the buckboard. But here she was trotting down Main Street to no doubt attend the meeting she had no business attending. Of course, Faith Paddington rode beside her and was surely responsible for this situation. Adam was right: Faith was in need of a good tail warming.
The women rode almost by him now, chattering to one another, not even looking in his direction. He started to call out to them and then froze, gaping in shock. He'd wondered how Jennie could manage to ride at all considering her recent taste of the switch. But there she sat...on a pillow atop the saddle. Well, didn't that just beat all!
"Jennifer Braddock!" he called out, stepping off the boardwalk onto the dirt road. "Where the hell do you think you're going?"
Chapter Four
Jennie jerked at her husband's angry shout, glancing back in his direction. Her heart pounded at his fierce expression.
She had little more than a second to take that all in because the horse beneath her panicked. The mare that had been gentle during the ride to town now rose up on her back legs just enough to surprise Jennie and cause her to lose her grip on the reins. She slid backwards off the mare's rump with a screech.
Then she promptly landed on her very tender bottom on the solidly-packed dirt and the mare trotted a ways further down the road. She sucked in a painful breath and her eyes watered while she glowered up at Daniel and sputtered, "What were you thinking? Yelling at me like that!"
Faith pulled her horse to a stop and looked down at her in concern. "Are you all right?" She noticed Daniel striding over and edged her horse back a few feet, which Jennie thought was a wise move.
Daniel's long legs brought him to Jennie's side in short order. The tight expression on his handsome
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