swept off his hat. The sun was coming out, shining like a thin veil through the desolate clouds. “The real truth is, I don’t want Oliver Sanders to get this place. I’d have to have him for my new neighbor.”
A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. “I can’t blame you there. He is an odious man.”
“The most odious I’ve ever met,” he agreed, surprised he was smiling too. “What do you say, Mrs. Callahan? Do you want to tie the knot?”
“I don’t see that I have any other real choice.” She blew out a sigh, clearly troubled, but a glimmer of hope had slipped into her eyes of blue. Such a pretty, pretty blue.
His chest cinched up, and he scolded himself for wanting. She was off limits. This was business only.
“We should do it as soon as possible.” The words came out clipped, because they weren’t alone. Someone was driving up the lane. He recognized the same horses and buggy he’d spotted at the bank this morning, and he went cold inside. He drew himself up, unconsciously resting his hand against the revolver holstered to his thigh. “Why don’t you go in the house? I’ll handle this.”
“Thank you, Joshua.” She reached out, her hand brushing his lightly and quickly before she hurried away, but he felt the effects all the way to his bones.
He wasn’t just attracted to the pretty lady. He was never going to stop hungering for her. This was going to be a problem since she was going to be his wife. His convenient wife.
Passion and the marriage bed weren’t part of the equation. They never would be.
Grim, he marched down the drive. He intended to send Sanders on his way.
* * *
Married. Claire’s head spun as she let herself through the front door. Her hand shook. It was a practical solution, but a painful one. One she never thought she could make.
The scent of baking bread reached her nose, and she realized she wasn’t alone in the house. “Ma? Is that you?”
“I let myself in, dear!” Ma called out, her voice echoing through the house. “I was in a baking mood, and you know I hate to bake in my oven. It’s finicky, it is, so I came over and helped myself to your stove. I hope you don’t mind.”
“I suppose I can endure it this time,” she teased, pacing toward the parlor window.
“That’s good, because I just put the loaves in. Don’t they smell good?”
“Delicious. No one makes better bread on this side of the county.” She pulled back the curtain to get a better view. There Joshua was, standing in the middle of the road, blocking Mr. Sanders. The two men were exchanging words. Mr. Sanders looked quite angry. His face went red and contoured with several swear words before he turned his horses around and drove away.
Joshua stood in the road, watching him go. His hat sat at a grim angle, his shoulders were set. Everything about him shouted power and strength.
He was so masculine, so
vital.
She swallowed. Her throat had suddenly gone dry. It felt wrong to notice him like that, when her heart was broken irrevocably. She was lonely for Clay, she knew everything that marriage could be and she’d known real love. She was not eager to enter into a false shell of a marriage. It felt hollow. It felt wrong.
But it was what she was going to do.
Chapter Five
“I think it’s an excellent idea.” Ma’s voice rang full of cheer as she donned two oven mitts in front of the stove. “I just wish I could look him in the eye and know he’ll be good for you.”
“He will be.” Claire adjusted the knife in her hand and bent over the plate of last night’s chicken leftovers. “Joshua is the only good option I have.”
“Then we will have to make sure he’s good to you.” Ma opened the stove with a bang. “Or I’ll take a broom to him.”
“Now I know where I get it.” Ruefully, Claire cut the chicken breast on the cutting board, set down the knife and layered meat on thick slices from her last loaf of bread. She had just enough leftover chicken to
A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. “I can’t blame you there. He is an odious man.”
“The most odious I’ve ever met,” he agreed, surprised he was smiling too. “What do you say, Mrs. Callahan? Do you want to tie the knot?”
“I don’t see that I have any other real choice.” She blew out a sigh, clearly troubled, but a glimmer of hope had slipped into her eyes of blue. Such a pretty, pretty blue.
His chest cinched up, and he scolded himself for wanting. She was off limits. This was business only.
“We should do it as soon as possible.” The words came out clipped, because they weren’t alone. Someone was driving up the lane. He recognized the same horses and buggy he’d spotted at the bank this morning, and he went cold inside. He drew himself up, unconsciously resting his hand against the revolver holstered to his thigh. “Why don’t you go in the house? I’ll handle this.”
“Thank you, Joshua.” She reached out, her hand brushing his lightly and quickly before she hurried away, but he felt the effects all the way to his bones.
He wasn’t just attracted to the pretty lady. He was never going to stop hungering for her. This was going to be a problem since she was going to be his wife. His convenient wife.
Passion and the marriage bed weren’t part of the equation. They never would be.
Grim, he marched down the drive. He intended to send Sanders on his way.
* * *
Married. Claire’s head spun as she let herself through the front door. Her hand shook. It was a practical solution, but a painful one. One she never thought she could make.
The scent of baking bread reached her nose, and she realized she wasn’t alone in the house. “Ma? Is that you?”
“I let myself in, dear!” Ma called out, her voice echoing through the house. “I was in a baking mood, and you know I hate to bake in my oven. It’s finicky, it is, so I came over and helped myself to your stove. I hope you don’t mind.”
“I suppose I can endure it this time,” she teased, pacing toward the parlor window.
“That’s good, because I just put the loaves in. Don’t they smell good?”
“Delicious. No one makes better bread on this side of the county.” She pulled back the curtain to get a better view. There Joshua was, standing in the middle of the road, blocking Mr. Sanders. The two men were exchanging words. Mr. Sanders looked quite angry. His face went red and contoured with several swear words before he turned his horses around and drove away.
Joshua stood in the road, watching him go. His hat sat at a grim angle, his shoulders were set. Everything about him shouted power and strength.
He was so masculine, so
vital.
She swallowed. Her throat had suddenly gone dry. It felt wrong to notice him like that, when her heart was broken irrevocably. She was lonely for Clay, she knew everything that marriage could be and she’d known real love. She was not eager to enter into a false shell of a marriage. It felt hollow. It felt wrong.
But it was what she was going to do.
Chapter Five
“I think it’s an excellent idea.” Ma’s voice rang full of cheer as she donned two oven mitts in front of the stove. “I just wish I could look him in the eye and know he’ll be good for you.”
“He will be.” Claire adjusted the knife in her hand and bent over the plate of last night’s chicken leftovers. “Joshua is the only good option I have.”
“Then we will have to make sure he’s good to you.” Ma opened the stove with a bang. “Or I’ll take a broom to him.”
“Now I know where I get it.” Ruefully, Claire cut the chicken breast on the cutting board, set down the knife and layered meat on thick slices from her last loaf of bread. She had just enough leftover chicken to
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