Lonesome Bride (25 page)

"We don't get much call for the Bard here in Staghorn,” Lawry interrupted. He uncoiled his complete height until he towered over her. He pinned her with an intense gaze.

Caite straightened her shoulders, refusing to be intimidated. “Please, Mr. Lawry. I think I would make a fine teacher. If you'd just let me prove myself..."

"Oh, I believe I could do that.” Lawry smiled.

In a flash, he reached out and grabbed her wrist, pulling her against his thin body. He pressed his lips against her mouth before she could stop him.

Lawry's tongue slithered into her mouth, and his bony hands groped her buttocks through the heavy material of her skirt. Caite thanked the stars she had chosen such a serviceable garment instead of one of her thin ginghams. She pushed herself away from him with as much force as she could muster, and stepped down on his foot with her heel. Lawry let out a howl of pain and released her so quickly she stumbled.

"Mr. Lawry!” Caite exclaimed hotly, scrubbing his loathsome kiss from her mouth. She could still feel his scrabbling touch on her, and this time she was unable to restrain her shudder. “How dare you?"

"How dare I?” he retorted, leaning back against the desk and rubbing his foot with both hands. “You waltzed into town, bold as brass, with that Peters fellow. You took a room, a single room, at the hotel, and spent last night getting raving drunk at the saloon! And you have the audacity to ask me how I dare?"

His words struck her with deadly force. She stepped back, grateful for the student desk behind her. It was the only thing strong enough to support her.

Lawry, still rubbing his foot, looked her up and down scornfully. “What made you think I would even consider hiring as strumpet such as yourself without first sampling some of the goods you obviously offer so freely?"

Heat rushed through her. She straightened. “I assure you, Mr. Lawry, things are not always as they seem."

"I see,” Lawry sneered. “Still, Miss O'Neal, I'm afraid I'm going to have to tell you good day."

"Good day,” Caite echoed, forcing her voice to be strong. She would not let this man have the satisfaction of hearing weakness in her voice. She turned to go.

"We may be a piss-ant little town, but we do have standards, Miss O'Neal,” Lawry called from behind her. “You may have thought a pretty face would get you any job you'd like, but I wouldn't have hired you without your teacher's certificate. Not even if you carried the crown jewels between your thighs."

Caite hesitated at the doorway. “You put your hands on me knowing I had no chance of being hired?"

Lawry laughed nastily. “One takes one's chances when they come, Miss O'Neal."

His laughter followed her all the way out of the schoolhouse. She paused for a moment outside to smooth her skirt and hair, and to allow herself to calm down. There were quite a few more people on the street today, she noticed. Were they all staring at her?

Of course they're not, she told herself fiercely. She forced herself to nod serenely at a pair of women walking together. The women, who had certainly been staring at her curiously enough, both suddenly found each other far more interesting. Neither of them met her greeting.

Caite felt the sting of their rejection, but drove it away. She tried telling herself they could not know of what Lawry had accused her. Then a pair of cowhands across the street caught sight of her. Elbowing each other and grinning, they each raised their hands to her in mock salute. Caite could no longer pretend Lawry was the only one in Staghorn with such a low opinion of her.

Ignoring the men who were now calling her name, Caite marched up the steps to the hotel. Sweeping past the front desk without glancing at the clerk, she finally made it to the room. Tremors of despair shook her hands, making the key chatter in the lock.

At last she was able to open the door. A quick scan of the room told her Jed was no longer in bed. She closed the door behind her and tossed the key onto the bureau. As she did so, she caught a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror. Seeing her over-bright eyes and the twin spots of scarlet on her cheeks was too much. Stifling a sob, Caite flung herself onto the bed and buried herself under the covers.

"Paperwork's all filed, Jed,” Taylor Calhoun said, sliding the sheaf of papers across to Jed.

"Thanks, Tay.” Jed riffled through the documents, checking one last time everything was in order. A nuisance, all this paperwork, but if it meant the land he'd claimed stayed his free and clear, then he supposed he'd sign his name until his fingers fell off.

"Mighty nice piece of property you got,” Calhoun noted. “Glad to see you're finally thinking of planting yourself there."

Jed smiled faintly. “It's time, Tay."

Tay, who had known Patricia and her ways, nodded. “You let me know if you need help building that new house. I can always round up a couple of boys who need some extra whiskey money."

At the mention of whiskey, Jed winced. “Yeah, Tay, I reckon I'll do that. I'd like to start with the stable first."

Calhoun snorted. “You gonna live in that old ramshackle cabin?"

"It's good enough for now."

Calhoun waggled his eyebrows. “But is it going to be good enough for your lady friend?"

Jed paused in his perusal of the documents. “Lady friend?"

"That redhead you was with last night at Mac's,” Calhoun said in a voice that told Jed to quit being such a jokester.

"I didn't see you at Mac's last night.” Jed was beginning to have an uncomfortable feeling.

"I wasn't there.” Calhoun laughed. “Heard about it this morning from Hap Williams. He said Jasper Spoon saw you two lip wrestling at Mac's. Davis Lacky says you two are in one room over to the hotel."

Davis Lacky worked the front desk at Horner's. Jed groaned slightly. “Listen, Tay, the lady and I—"

"You don't have to explain nothing to me,” Calhoun interrupted, still chuckling. “I'm not the preacher. Heck, if I was in your place, I don't reckon I'd be out of bed yet this morning!"

"You are talking about the woman who is going to be my wife,” Jed growled suddenly. His statement surprised himself just as much as Calhoun.

Calhoun's laughter stopped abruptly. He looked abashed. “Oh, sorry, Jed. I didn't know. And the way people talk..."

"People talk too much,” Jed retorted, effectively cutting off Calhoun.

The other man shrugged. “Sorry, Jed. So when's the wedding?"

"Oh, you know how women are,” Jed responded as casually as he could. What had possessed him to blurt out that stupid lie? Caite had already told him she wouldn't marry him. “They're always changing their minds."

"I reckon I do,” Calhoun agreed ruefully. He had six sisters.

"Thanks for getting me these papers,” Jed said, touching the brim of his hat. He wanted to get out of the deed office before he told Calhoun any more outrageous falsehoods. Even if they were only to save Caite's reputation.

"Oh, Jed! I almost forgot!” Calhoun handed him a long, heavy envelope. “This came for you, forwarded from Lonesome. Postmaster out there knows you're a sight more likely to come in here to Staghorn, so I guess he just sent it on out."

"Thanks, Tay.” Jed turned over the envelope. He slit it open with his thumb and pulled several pages out. After reading the first few lines, he let out a low whistle, feeling an impossible grin stretching his mouth.

"What is it?” Calhoun asked curiously. “Looks like good news."

Jed shook his head. “Could be.” He tucked the papers back into the envelope. “It's a copy of the contract Caitleen signed saying she agreed to become the wife of Jed Peters."

"That's you, ain't it?” Calhoun asked, obviously confused.

"It sure is,” Jed grinned. “It sure is."

Jed left the deed office, his paperwork crumpled and forgotten in one fist. The envelope he had tucked safely into his breast pocket. His mind whirled with possibilities.

Caite had signed a contract agreeing to marry him. At least, a man with his name. He now carried a copy of that same contract and a letter from Pastor Jonas thanking him for supporting the Baptist bride program. Three sheets of paper and a couple of hundred words that just might change his life.

Jed headed back to the hotel. He couldn't use this contract, could he? That would be mighty unfair advantage, using the law against her like that. Then again, he'd tried reasoning with her. For some reason she didn't take to his notion she had no real choice than to marry him. Heck, he'd even told her he loved her. Not that she remembered.

Maybe this contract would be the perfect way to get her to say yes.
It might be a little underhanded, sure, but she'd get over that.
Besides, Jed thought smugly, all most women want is a reason they can't say no. He had Caite's reason right there in his pocket.

"Mornin', Jed,” Davis Lacky greeted from his post at the desk.

At the other man's greeting, Jed paused. In three steps he was over the desk, grabbing Lacky by the shirtfront and hauling him up on his toes. Lacky tried ineffectually to get away, but Jed held him tight.

"I heard you've been spreading rumors about my intended,” Jed growled, shaking Lacky like a terrier does a rabbit.

"I don't know what you mean,” Lacky yelped, his face slowly reddening from the tension of his shirt around his throat.

Jed dropped him in disgust. “You're a liar, Lacky, and a poor one. Don't let me catch you saying anything about me or my bride again, you hear?"

"Your bride?” Lacky stuttered.

Jed stabbed his finger at the guest book. “You see what that says, Lacky? Mr. and Mr. Jed Peters. We're as good as married already. Now, I wouldn't write that if it weren't true."

Lacky smiled and winked at Jed. “I just thought, you know..."

Jed grabbed Lacky's shirt again and pulled him nose to nose. “Don't think, Lacky! You'll boil what little bit of brains God saw fit to stuff inside that big, ugly head."

Lacky gulped and nodded, relief evident on his face when Jed let him go again. “Sure, Jed. And I sure do apologize to you."

"You'll owe an apology to the lady,” Jed threatened. “And I expect you to tell everyone you see what I told you. You hear?"

Turning his back on the emphatically nodding desk clerk, Jed headed up the stairs. He knew that between Lacky and Calhoun, the news would spread through Staghorn faster than a snake's rattle. Now he only had to go and share the news with Caite.

The doorknob turned.
Jed must be back.
Caite threw off the covers and sat up, glaring. She knew she must look a fright, but she was beyond caring.

"You!” she shouted, pointing at him accusingly.

Jed shut the door behind him carefully, then looked at her in surprise. “What about me?"

"It is all your fault!” Caite cried, a sob hitching her chest.

Why is that cussed man grinning at me like that?

Jed crossed the room and made himself comfortable beside her on the bed. With another glare and a haughty sniff, Caite moved away from him.

"Now, Caitey, why are you looking at me all horns and rattles?"

He had called her Caitey again. The endearment brought a fresh wave of tears to her eyes. She threw herself face down onto the pillows, beating at them with her fists.

Sobbing, she blurted out the entire embarrassing story. She even told the part about Lawry forcing his kiss upon her, and how the two women in the street had cut her cold. When it was all out, she felt much better. She rose from the pillows to look at him.

"He kissed you?” Jed said menacingly. His fists were clenched.

"Yes, that is what I said,” Caite replied. “But, Jed, it was horrible the way those women looked at me! Like I was some sort of fallen woman!"

"He kissed you?” Jed repeated. His fists were clenching and unclenching, and his jaw was set. He looked like he was about to spring from the bed and start pounding the walls.

"Are you listening to me?” Caite snapped. She did not give a tinker's damn about Lawry's kiss. She had fended him off with no trouble. What truly was bothering her was the thought that the womenfolk might think poorly of her.

"He put his hands on you?"

"Jed!” Caite cried, shaking his shoulder. It was so typical of a man not to know what was really important. “What has gotten in to you?"

Now he looked at her, finally seeing her instead of whatever revenge scheme he had been planning. “Caite, it doesn't matter what any of those old biddies say."

Caite threw herself back on the pillows. “Yes, it does! My reputation is ruined, and it's all your fault!"

She felt his hand on her shoulder, tugging her upright again. She knew she should not let him pull her to his chest the way he was. She most definitely should not allow him the liberty of stroking her hair like that. And she absolutely should not permit him to press his lips against her temple!

"Jed!” Caite admonished, pulling away before he did something else she should not allow.

"Hush, Caitey,” he said, pulling her firmly back against him. “I've fixed everything."

His arms did feel so wonderful around her, she admitted reluctantly. And he was being awfully nice to comfort her so. But it was just this sort of thing that had gotten her into trouble in the first place. Again, she pulled herself away from him.

"How did you do that?” she asked.

"Why, I just told a few folks we were practically married, that's all.” He grinned, chucking her under the chin. “It'll be all around town in few hours. Your reputation isn't ruined. Folks are mighty understanding about couples who are engaged."

"Married!” Caite cried. “We are not getting married!"

He grinned again. “Well, now, according to this letter I have here, we are."

She narrowed her eyes at him. What tricks was he pulling now? “What letter?"

He pulled an envelope from his breast pocket. “I have here a signed contract that says you, Caitleen O'Neal, have agreed to marry a Mr. Jed Peters of Lonesome, Montana.” He grinned. “Jed Peters. That's me."

Caite remembered signing that contract all right. She even remembered Pastor Jonas telling her he would forward a copy to her future husband in Lonesome. She snatched the envelope and its precious sheaf of papers out of Jed's grasp and looked over them quickly.