Shot Gun Grooms: Lucas's Convenient Bride / Jackson's Mail Order Bride. Maureen Child

anyone at Miss Cherry’s beat you?”

      Alice shook her head. “No, ma’am. It was our pa. Just with his belt,” she added hastily, as if that made it all right. “When we was real bad. But he didn’t mean anything by it.”

      “Of course not,” Emily murmured, wishing she had the man in front of her right now. She would tell him exactly what she thought of his character. How dare he raise a belt to his daughters and then try to sell them to a brothel owner! He was not fit to be a father. Why if she were a man, she would hunt him down and—

      Footsteps on the stairs interrupted her thoughts. She watched as Bertie, the lad who delivered meals for the restaurant, appeared with a large basket hanging from one arm.

      “Mrs. Martin said you wanted breakfast for three,” he announced as he set the basket on the desk.

      Emily rose, then ushered the girls toward her office. Before going to bed, she’d set up a small table in the far corner. It was big enough for them to eat together. By the looks of things, the sisters hadn’t been having regular meals. But now they were in her care and all that was about to change.

      * * *

      Emily spent the morning showing Alice and Mary how to clean the guest rooms. When the rest of the new mattresses were delivered, she started working on preparing the remaining rooms for guests. As she worked, she found herself thinking about her conversation with Lucas the previous night—specifically his assertion that she was a good kisser and that they would have to kiss again sometime.

      Just thinking the words made her chest flutter in the most peculiar way. She suspected he was teasing her. Lucas did enjoy making her squirm. And yet there was a part of her that wanted to believe he meant his words. That he had been pleased by the incident and that he too was thinking about it. She wanted him to do that to her again, which should have scandalized her but didn’t. She reminded herself that they were married and therefore those kind of familiarities were acceptable, even expected. Except theirs wasn’t a regular sort of marriage.

      He’d married her because of his uncle’s will. Emily paused in the act of dusting a dresser. She couldn’t let herself forget that. For Lucas, this situation was to be endured until he could claim that which he obviously cared about. And for her, the marriage was a means to an end. By marrying Lucas, she obtained the use of the hotel at a very reasonable price, along with a cash bonus when the marriage was annulled.

      Emily sat on the edge of the bed. A spark of truth flared inside of her. She wanted to ignore the brightness and the accompanying revelation, but she’d always been painfully honest with herself. She didn’t pretend everything was fine when it wasn’t and she didn’t ignore either her assets or her faults. So now she stared right into the light of the truth and allowed it to illuminate the pitiful state of her heart.

      She liked being married to Lucas. Yes, it had only been two days and he hadn’t spent much time with her, but she enjoyed his company. She liked dining with him in the evening and the way he teased her. She liked how his smile made her limbs tremble and the fact that he’d brought her Alice and Mary. She and Lucas had…possibilities.

      “No,” she murmured aloud. “We don’t.”

      Because this was a marriage of convenience, nothing more. At least nothing more to him.

      Emily shook off the thoughts. So Lucas was charming. She’d only known him a short time. He would be easily forgotten when he was gone from her life.

      She winced as she felt a sharp pain deep in her chest. While she was being honest with herself, she might as well admit she didn’t look forward to the day when he would want to end their marriage. She’d never thought about the marital state because she’d long assumed it would not happen to her. But now that it had, she saw it was as desirable as she’d imagined when she’d been a younger woman.

      Without quite being aware of what she was doing, Emily left the bedroom, walked through the reception area, down the back stairs and into Lucas’s office. From there she made her way to the door leading to the rear of the saloon.

      She cracked open the door and waited for Lucas to glance up and see her. From her position, half-hidden from the patrons of the saloon, she had a clear view of the bar and the gambling tables beyond. It was still morning and only a half dozen or so men were scattered about the room. One of the gaming tables held four players and they looked as if they’d been at it all night. She didn’t understand men’s need to gamble. The idea of wasting money on the turn of a card didn’t make sense to her. But then much of the world was beyond her comprehension. She also didn’t know why men would spend money to be with a woman. Yet they obviously did, going in and out of Miss Cherry’s at all hours.

      Emily was about to change her mind and head back upstairs when Lucas turned in her direction. Any doubts she might have had about speaking with him were completely erased when he smiled and started walking toward her. At the sight of his smile, her limbs began their obligatory quivering. She felt her own lips tug in response. A light feeling seemed to flow through her, making her want to laugh.

      “Good morning,” he said when he’d entered the office and closed the door behind him. “How are you this morning?”

      “Well, thank you. The girls were up early. They’ve been fed and have started their work.” She found herself suddenly nervous. Coming down to see Lucas had been an impulse. Her question could have waited.

      But Lucas didn’t seem inclined to leave. He simply continued to smile at her and waited for her to continue.

      She found her gaze drawn to his silky mustache. She liked the way he kept it neatly trimmed. She wanted to run her fingers over the short hairs and feel the contrast between the smooth length of the hairs and the stubby ends.

      Shocked by her brazen thoughts, she took a step back and forced herself to speak.

      “Last night, when you invited me to dine with you, I realized I had forgotten an important aspect of running a hotel. People. Alice and Mary will take care of cleaning the rooms on a daily basis. I know who to hire for heavy cleaning, but I’m less sure about who I might employ to watch the desk at night. I thought you might have a suggestion.”

      Lucas’s dark eyes crinkled slightly at the corners as his smile broadened. “What about Hep?”

      Emily knew instantly who he meant. Hep was an old miner. The pain in his joints kept him from working his stake. He supported himself with odd jobs.

      “I understand you two are already acquainted,” Lucas said. “When he found out we’d married, he mentioned that you’d taught him to read.”

      “Yes. Last year. He’d replaced a broken window in the schoolhouse. I discovered him attempting to read what I’d written on the blackboard. When he admitted he couldn’t read at all, I offered to teach him.”

      “Why?”

      She didn’t understand the question. “It was my job.”

      “Your job was to instruct the students. No one paid you to teach Hep to read.”

      “I know, but I wasn’t going to send him away. So many people aren’t interested in learning. He seemed intelligent enough. Actually it didn’t take but a few months. We met every day after I dismissed the regular students.” She laced her fingers together in front of her waist. “You’re right, Lucas. He’s an excellent choice for a night desk clerk. When you next see him, would you please send him upstairs so that I may speak with him?”

      He surprised her by pulling her close for a quick hug. Emily went easily into his embrace, enjoying the strength and hardness of his body against hers. She felt something brush against her hair.

      “I’ll send Hep your way,” Lucas promised when he released her. “Perry doesn’t start until this afternoon. I need to get back to the saloon.”

      With that, he was gone, and Emily was left staring at the spot where he’d stood just moments before. Every part of her body felt warm and alive. All that just from Lucas’s hug. Imagine