The Rancher's Hand-Picked Bride. Elizabeth August

had the impression the elderly woman had decided that a peacemaker or, perhaps, a referee might be needed.

      But as it turned out, the cleaning up had gone smoothly. She and Jess had kept their conversation focused on getting the job done and afterward he’d retired to his study and Gwen had taken refuge in her room.

      Drawing in a deep breath to calm her taut nerves, she realized she hadn’t locked her door. Something was definitely wrong with her survival instinct. From an early age, she’d always locked her door. Rising, she flipped the latch, then reseating herself, she frowned.

      When she and Jess were cleaning the kitchen, his arm had brushed hers a couple of times and each time she’d felt as if she’d been shocked by a bolt of electricity. And then there was that moment at the table when he’d admitted he’d been prying. The tiniest hint of an embarrassed smile had played at one corner of his mouth and she’d found herself thinking that he looked boyishly handsome. There had even been a momentary weakening in her knees. This was not good. Her mother had always been feeling weak in the knees about one man or another, and that was something Gwen had vowed never to do.

      “Clearly, I’m just overly tense,” she reasoned. “I’m not used to living under the same roof with strangers or with anyone else for that matter. I just need a good night’s sleep.”

      But even as she muttered these words, she was sure attempting to sleep would prove futile. However, a short while later, after a final check to make sure her bat was within reach, she crawled under the covers and closed her eyes. Almost immediately she fell into a comfortable slumber.

      Chapter Three

      Gwen opened her eyes to discover sunlight streaming in her window. She couldn’t believe it. In a strange house with a man who unnerved her merely by his presence, she’d had one of the best night’s sleeps she’d had in her life. “I’m definitely losing my edge,” she grumbled, throwing off the covers.

      Entering the kitchen a short while later, she found Morning Hawk sitting at the table drinking coffee. Jess was nowhere in sight.

      “He’s out riding fences,” Morning Hawk said, as if sensing the trail of Gwen’s thoughts. Nodding toward the refrigerator, she added, “Lilly won’t be here until a bit later. We get our own breakfast around here. There’s eggs, ham and bacon. Make whatever you want.”

      Gwen started to say she wasn’t hungry, then her stomach growled and she realized she was. “Thanks.” Opening the refrigerator, she took out a couple of eggs and the ham.

      Watching her slice off a piece of the meat, Morning Hawk said, “I assume Jess gave you a list of names you’re supposed to pretend you chose for him.”

      Gwen looked over her shoulder. “Does anything ever get by you?”

      “Not where my great-grandsons are concerned. At least, not Jess.”

      Gwen turned, leaned against the counter, crossed her arms and regarded Morning Hawk wryly. “If you knew that was what he would do, why this charade?”

      “Because without some prodding, he wasn’t going to do any serious wife hunting and I want to see him settled before I go to the great hunting grounds in the sky.”

      “But this isn’t serious wife hunting. You’re both just playing a game with each other.”

      “Did he put Jeanette Harrison’s name on the list?”

      “No.”

      “Then it’s serious wife hunting.”

      “He left the name off because he knew you would protest.”

      “He left the name off because, deep down inside, he knows she’s not good wife material.”

      Gwen straightened. “Look, I didn’t like taking money for this charade before, but now that I know you’re not being fooled, I refuse to play this game.”

      “But it’s not a game. Whether you’re willing to believe it or not, these are women Jess thinks he could marry. And I want you to investigate them just as you would if you were playing matchmaker for one of your regular clients.”

      “I don’t play matchmaker for my clients. I merely tell them if what they see is what they’re getting or if there’s a hidden side to the person they’re dating that they should be aware of.”

      Morning Hawk rose, approached Gwen and took her hands in hers. “Please, do this for me and promise me that you won’t tell Jess I’ve guessed his game.”

      “I don’t feel right taking money for this.”

      “Don’t be silly. You’ll be doing your usual investigation.” Morning Hawk’s expression became sage. “Besides, if this prodding of mine does make him decide to get married, you wouldn’t want to let him fall into the clutches of the wrong woman just because you refused to help me weed out the bad ones.”

      Gwen wanted to say that she was sure Jess could take care of himself, but Morning Hawk had planted just enough of the seed of guilt to force her to admit that if he did pick unwisely it could be partially her fault. “Even if we warn him, I doubt he’ll listen to us,” she said, wishing she’d never gotten involved in this in the first place.

      “At least we’ll know we tried,” Morning Hawk countered. “Now I want your promise that you’ll keep this conversation between the two of us.”

      “I owe you a large debt, but you’re asking a lot. I don’t like to deal in lies.”

      “These are just little white ones and for a good cause.”

      “I’m not so sure Jess would see it that way.”

      “Please. I’ve communicated with the spirits and they’re leading me now just as they led you to me years ago.”

      Memories of that dark night so long ago when fear had caused Gwen to run from her home came vividly back to Gwen’s mind.

      “Promise me you’ll see this through,” Morning Hawk coaxed.

      “It’s against my better judgment, but all right,” Gwen relented, adding, “I wouldn’t do this if I didn’t owe you so much.”

      “You’ll see, you’re doing the right thing.” Morning Hawk gave Gwen’s hands a motherly squeeze. “Now eat some breakfast. You’ve got work to do.”

      Gwen leaned back in her chair and stretched. She’d moved a table and chair into her bedroom and set up her computer there, then spent all morning checking the easily available records pertaining to the women Jess had chosen.

      At first, she’d locked her door. But both Lilly and Morning Hawk had dropped by to see her for various reasons and, not only had it been inconvenient to have to get up and unlock the door each time one of them knocked, but the look of surprise they’d given her when they’d discovered she had locked the door had made her feel foolish. And so, in the end, she’d not only left the door unlocked but open as well.

      Bootfalls in the hall warned her of someone approaching. Even before she turned her head to see who had come to a halt in the doorway of her room, she knew it was Jess. The hairs on the back of her neck had always prickled slightly when he was around and right now they felt like the spines on a cactus. Suddenly she found herself wishing the door was not only locked but bolted as well. Silently she cursed herself for allowing him to have such a strong effect on her.

      “You sure you aren’t cramped in here?” he asked.

      Gwen turned and grinned dryly. “You’ve never been in one of the rooms at Mrs. O’Grady’s boardinghouse, have you?”

      “Can’t say as I have.”

      No, of course he wouldn’t have ever been there, she mocked herself, her grin vanishing. Mrs. O’Grady ran a clean, respectable place but it was way across the tracks from anywhere the