softness, the light pad of her gait, the swish of her skirts. Unfortunately, desire still ran hot in his blood and it didn’t look like it was going to leave. Time to admit he was more than a little attracted to her. Just a little. It wasn’t anything he couldn’t handle. Nothing to worry about.
“You are not going to buy me a bunch of clothes.” She lifted her skirts so she could step up onto the boardwalk without tripping. “And that’s that.”
“You can order me around all you like, but it’s not going to work.” He had to clench his hands into fists, forcing them at his sides so he didn’t reach out to help her up the steps. Helping her was the gentlemanly thing to do, but since he was trying to get his attraction to her under control, touching her wasn’t a good idea. He frowned. “You’re not in charge here.”
“I’m not?”
“No.” He clomped up the steps and onto the boardwalk beside her, easing over to put more distance between them. It helped.
“We’ll see about that,” she said sweetly, unaware of the emotional hold she had on him.
A door on the shop to their left swung open just ahead, and a matron and her daughter stepped out, packages in hand. Clearly on a shopping trip.
“Marshal.” Mrs. Bauer strategically planted her sturdy frame in his path, placed a pleasant smile on her doughy face and dragged her marriage-aged daughter with her. “It’s always so charming to see you. I was just telling my Griselda all about your heroic capture of the Folsom Gang. I heard about it from Mrs. Dittmeyer. Isn’t that right, Selda?”
The young lady in question nodded, clamping her upper lip over her pronounced overbite. Blushing, she nodded shyly.
“Just doing my job, Ma’am.” He tipped his hat to the marriage-minded mother and sidestepped to the right.
Mrs. Bauer side-stepped too, blocking his path. “I was just telling Griselda how we must have you over to supper to thank you for all you do for our little town. Our
proper
town.” Mrs. Bauer added, shooting a pointed look at Callie.
“Maybe some other time, Ma’am.” He deliberately took Callie’s hand in his, making it clear he did not think less of the lady for her ordeal. “Right now I’m busy helping Miss Carpenter. Excuse me.”
“Yes, I heard about you, too.” Mrs. Bauer shifted her gaze, speaking directly to Callie now, her upper lip curling in distaste. “Griselda, step away. I do not want you to have anything to do with
this woman.”
“Now that’s no way to behave, Mrs. Bauer.” Mason let his voice boom low at her, full of warning. He only earned a nasty look in return as the matron huffed, grabbed a hold of her daughter and marched away as fast as she could, shoes knelling down the boardwalk.
The sunlight seemed less bright and so did Callie. She stared down at the toes of her borrowed shoes peeking out from beneath the ruffle of her dress. She inhaled slowly, clearly hurt.
He really felt sorry for her. Her hand was small, tucked in his own, and he wanted to pull her into his arms, tell her it was going to be all right, hold her safe against his chest.
If only he could.
“Sorry about that,” he said instead, pushing away his tender feelings for her. Letting himself care about her was one path he had to avoid. “Mrs. Bauer always gets like that. She can be rude and she has a crazy notion I might want to marry her daughter.”
“You don’t have to try and spare my feelings.” Callie cleared her throat, eyes too bright, her smile too forced. She took a determined step down the boardwalk, as if nothing had happened. “I’m stronger than I look, Marshal.”
“I have no doubt, and it’s Mason.” He pulled her to a stop, didn’t let go of her hand. Heat built between his palm and hers, a physical heat, but also something more. It settled into the pit of his heart, the place within him that had been empty for so long. “Now, back to what we were discussing. I am going to buy you some traveling
“You are not going to buy me a bunch of clothes.” She lifted her skirts so she could step up onto the boardwalk without tripping. “And that’s that.”
“You can order me around all you like, but it’s not going to work.” He had to clench his hands into fists, forcing them at his sides so he didn’t reach out to help her up the steps. Helping her was the gentlemanly thing to do, but since he was trying to get his attraction to her under control, touching her wasn’t a good idea. He frowned. “You’re not in charge here.”
“I’m not?”
“No.” He clomped up the steps and onto the boardwalk beside her, easing over to put more distance between them. It helped.
“We’ll see about that,” she said sweetly, unaware of the emotional hold she had on him.
A door on the shop to their left swung open just ahead, and a matron and her daughter stepped out, packages in hand. Clearly on a shopping trip.
“Marshal.” Mrs. Bauer strategically planted her sturdy frame in his path, placed a pleasant smile on her doughy face and dragged her marriage-aged daughter with her. “It’s always so charming to see you. I was just telling my Griselda all about your heroic capture of the Folsom Gang. I heard about it from Mrs. Dittmeyer. Isn’t that right, Selda?”
The young lady in question nodded, clamping her upper lip over her pronounced overbite. Blushing, she nodded shyly.
“Just doing my job, Ma’am.” He tipped his hat to the marriage-minded mother and sidestepped to the right.
Mrs. Bauer side-stepped too, blocking his path. “I was just telling Griselda how we must have you over to supper to thank you for all you do for our little town. Our
proper
town.” Mrs. Bauer added, shooting a pointed look at Callie.
“Maybe some other time, Ma’am.” He deliberately took Callie’s hand in his, making it clear he did not think less of the lady for her ordeal. “Right now I’m busy helping Miss Carpenter. Excuse me.”
“Yes, I heard about you, too.” Mrs. Bauer shifted her gaze, speaking directly to Callie now, her upper lip curling in distaste. “Griselda, step away. I do not want you to have anything to do with
this woman.”
“Now that’s no way to behave, Mrs. Bauer.” Mason let his voice boom low at her, full of warning. He only earned a nasty look in return as the matron huffed, grabbed a hold of her daughter and marched away as fast as she could, shoes knelling down the boardwalk.
The sunlight seemed less bright and so did Callie. She stared down at the toes of her borrowed shoes peeking out from beneath the ruffle of her dress. She inhaled slowly, clearly hurt.
He really felt sorry for her. Her hand was small, tucked in his own, and he wanted to pull her into his arms, tell her it was going to be all right, hold her safe against his chest.
If only he could.
“Sorry about that,” he said instead, pushing away his tender feelings for her. Letting himself care about her was one path he had to avoid. “Mrs. Bauer always gets like that. She can be rude and she has a crazy notion I might want to marry her daughter.”
“You don’t have to try and spare my feelings.” Callie cleared her throat, eyes too bright, her smile too forced. She took a determined step down the boardwalk, as if nothing had happened. “I’m stronger than I look, Marshal.”
“I have no doubt, and it’s Mason.” He pulled her to a stop, didn’t let go of her hand. Heat built between his palm and hers, a physical heat, but also something more. It settled into the pit of his heart, the place within him that had been empty for so long. “Now, back to what we were discussing. I am going to buy you some traveling
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