Julia: Bride of New York (Amercan Mail-Order Bride 11) by Callie Hutton Page B

around and climbed in next to her.
    “Too awful for ladies’ ears.”
    Julia had to turn away from him to hide her smile. If ever there was a meek and mild man, it was Mr. Nelson. He looked like the sort who would never hurt a fly. But then her humor turned to anger. Fletcher only wanted her so he would have a mother for his daughter, yet he was obviously not happy to see other men paying her attention.
    “I have no idea what is wrong with you today, but you’ve been grumpy since we arrived at church.”
    “I’m not grumpy, I merely hadn’t noticed until today how many stupid men live in Wickerton.”
    “Stupid because they were paying attention to me?”
    “Of course not. I don’t care who you want to associate with. Even if they are boring and stupid.” He snapped the reins, and she held on as the carriage rocked and bumped over the ground until they reached the smoother path of the road. Julia had a firm grip on the dash rail to keep from being tossed to the ground.
    “I’m sorry I turned down your marriage proposal, but I don’t think we would suit.”
    “Ha.”
    She narrowed her eyes. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
    “It means you have no problem working in the jailhouse with me every day. We seem to suit then.”
    “Certainly you can’t compare a work relationship to marriage?” She took a deep breath and added, “Although, I suppose there would be no difference to you.”
    The carriage jerked as Fletcher pulled on the reins and stopped the horses. “What do you mean by that?”
    “Nothing.”
    He wrapped the reins around the dash rail and turned to her. “Oh, I may not be the brightest of men, but I know enough that when a woman says ‘nothing’ it means ‘everything.’”
    Julia pulled her jacket around her. “May we continue, please? I’m rather chilly.”
    “Have you found another job yet?”
    “Am I being fired?”
    When he didn’t answer, she said, “Never mind, because I quit.”
    “You quit?”
    “Yes.”
    “So you have found another job?”
    “Yes.”
    “Where?”
    “I don’t think that’s any of your concern, Sheriff.” She raised her chin and stared out at the passing stores.
    “Why don’t you just marry me?”
    How many times was the man going to propose? Well, as many times as it took for him to say the right words.
    “When I marry, it will be for the right reason.”
    “What does that mean?”
    “Since you don’t know, there’s no reason to tell you.”
    He shoved his hat further down on his head and grabbed the reins, smacking the horses to move forward.
    Lord, what was she doing? She had no other job. Well, she would find one. She’d met a lot of the townsfolk at the picnic, and someone had to have a job for her.
    Someone.
     

Chapter Six
     
    “Just what in tarnation do you think you’re doing?” Fletcher spun Julia around, almost knocking her off her feet. Anchoring his hands on her shoulders, he glared at her. He couldn’t believe it when Woody Pringle from the telegraph office told him Julia was working at the Full Bucket saloon. He stormed right over there and sure enough, here she was, dressed in the scanty red satin dress all the saloon girls wore.
    Here he’d missed his rounds of the saloons only one night due to a meeting with the town council that went on for hours, and Julia had turned into a saloon girl. The tops of her creamy breasts rose from the low-cut neckline, making his palm itch to stroke the soft skin. The scandalous dress came almost to her knees in the front, and despite her leg issues, she wore the low-heeled boots required for the uniform. She swatted at the feather in her hair that drooped, skimming her nose. “I am working, Sheriff Adams.”
    “No, you’re not. Get out of that dress and tell that slick owner, Bazz Markham, you quit.”
    Her breasts heaving, causing him to hold in groan, Julia fisted her hands on her hips. “I will do no such thing.”
    No matter how hard he tried to avoid it, his eyes kept