She fixed him with a startled green gaze. “Shriek?”
“Okay, I’ll settle for a jump and a skip. You own—no, you’re
buying
a business. Can’t you just—” David did a little skip and jump himself. “Come on, turn loose and be happy.”
“Yes, Mama!” Daphne grabbed Brianna’s hand and started bouncing about on her tiptoes. “It’s a beautiful shop, and now you have the keys! Let’s be happy!”
Brianna’s cheek dimpled in a small smile. “I can be happy without abandoning proper decorum.”
David gave up. The lady had way too much starch in her drawers.
“Can we sleep there tonight?” Daphne asked as they turned back to the dress shop, only two doors away. “I want the pink room! You and Papa can have the blue. Okay? The blue one is bigger.”
Brianna flashed David a startled look. He bit back a grin. Apparently she had just remembered that, for appearances, they would have to share a bedchamber. David planned to procure a cot from the jailhouse that he could sleep on, but he couldn’t very well remind Brianna of that in front of the child.
He fell in behind his ladies, his gaze fixed on the play of
Brianna’s brown silk bustle. It was the new, less punctuated style, but the woman needed nothing to accentuate that ass. Just watching her walk made his mouth go dry. Her narrow waist, no doubt cinched in by a corset, filled his mind with images of settling his hands on her hips. Even better, he would have loved to loosen all those stays, strip her down to bare skin, and tug all that glorious hair loose to let it spill in curly clouds over her ivory shoulders and down her slender back.
Damn
. He had a bad itch, and for the first time in his life, he knew of only one woman who could scratch it.
Just then, he looked up the street and saw Hazel Wright marching up Main, apparently finished for the day at school. She wore a pretty pink dress with a white shawl draped around her shoulders. Even at a distance, her eyes bored holes into him.
Shit.
David had never run from a confrontation in his life, but the infuriated expression on Hazel’s face told him she was fighting mad. She’d clearly heard that David had returned from his mysterious journey with a wife and child, and even he had to concede that she had every right to an explanation. He’d come damn close to proposing marriage to the woman and had even given her a costly necklace.
Problem was, he and Brianna hadn’t agreed on the explanation that he and Ace had cooked up yet. Whatever he said to Hazel would spread through No Name like wildfire, and his first responsibility was to protect Brianna and Daphne from public censure, no matter what. He jerked to a halt, noted the indignant angle of Hazel’s head, and said, “Brianna, I just remembered some stuff I need to take care of at my office. How’s about I do that while you and Daphne explore the shop and apartment again?”
Brianna turned, her eyes glowing with excitement. “All right. When you’re ready to head back to the ranch, just tap on the door.”
David lifted a hand in casual farewell and spun on his heel, hoping his wife wouldn’t watch where he went. Instead of entering his office, where Hazel could follow, he walked a few more feet and dove through the batwing doors of the Golden Slipper. No lady who valued her reputation
would even stand in front of the place, let alone enter it.
David took up a hiding position just inside the doors, his shoulder pressed hard against the plank wall. Seeing him, Mac called out from the bar. “Well, howdy, Marshal Paxton. Good to see you back! I heard you came home with some extra baggage.”
David winced. He did
not
want his wife and child being referred to as baggage. But right then he had Hazel to think about. She could be bold. What if she marched right up to the entrance and demanded to speak with him? He needed a story to tell her, and he didn’t have one. Not one that had Brianna’s stamp of approval yet, anyway. He didn’t feel right about circulating it around town until she agreed to it. He and Ace thought it was a pretty rock-solid explanation, but Brianna might want to add her own embellishments.
He ignored Mac and edged out from the wall to peek around the doorjamb. Where was Hazel? He poked his head out over the batwings. Where had she gone? A woman couldn’t just vanish off the street.
Oh, God.
David pictured her in the dress shop, lacing Brianna up one side and down the other. Hey, he could understand that Hazel’s feelings might be hurt, but he didn’t want her taking it out on his wife. None of this was Brianna’s fault.
Just then a door slammed a short distance away, the impact so violent that the floor shuddered under David’s feet. He cringed. Between the Golden Slipper and the dress shop were the marshal’s office, the bank, and the milliner’s shop. He couldn’t tell by the report which door it might have been. Easing his head around the corner of the jamb, he saw Hazel leaving his office. Her honey brown hair shone rich in the sunlight, her eyes flashed with tears, and even to a man who wanted to avoid her at all costs, she was undeniably a fine figure of a woman.
David would have settled for her once, but those times were far behind him now. Life with Brianna might be a rough ride some of the time, but by comparison, Hazel seemed as bland as flour-and-water gravy with no salt for flavor.
“You hiding from Hazel Wright, Marshal?” Mac asked
with a lilt of suppressed humor in his voice. “I’m sorry for laughing, but you have to admit it’s funny. I’ve seen you walk out and face gunmen on that street. How can one small woman make you huddle up and quail with fear?”
David straightened away from the wall. Marcy May, wearing a red dress, the bodice of which barely covered her nipples, came sashaying around a table toward him. With a sweep of his gaze, David noted that the saloon had no customers yet. He reckoned it was still too early in the day.
“Ah, now, Mac,” Marcy crooned, “leave the marshal be. Miss Wright is in a fine dither. She had a nice fish on her hook, and he’s wiggled free of the barb.” Marcy May hugged David’s arm, pressed close, and squished her half-covered breast against the side of his elbow. “No worries about me, Marshal Paxton. My hook is barbless. You can come nibble on my bait and then slip away without a struggle any old time. Looks to me like you got woman trouble, and I know just the cure for what ails you.”
Right then, the last thing David figured he needed was another woman to complicate his life. Hazel had disappeared down the street.
Marcy May and her henna-streaked hair
. She was a fair one, and David suspected she did well upstairs, but he wasn’t interested. That said, she was a sweet enough lady, and he didn’t want to hurt her feelings.
“Well, now, Marcy May, that is a mighty appealing hook you’re dangling in front of my nose, but I’m married, right and proper, and it isn’t in my makeup to cheat on my wife.”
Marcy was young in years but old at her trade. She just smiled. “I prefer married men. They know how to treat me nice.” She flashed a saucy grin. “You’ll be back to see me, Marshal. Appears to me your wife is one of them proper ladies, and they ain’t no fun. I know how to show a man a good time. You just remember that.”
David pulled away from her. She pouted her lips but didn’t try to hang on. After checking again to make sure the way was clear, David slipped out of the saloon and practically fell into his office. Once the door was closed and locked, he wanted to jerk off his hat and mop his face. He had a bad feeling that Hazel wasn’t going to let this go without a nasty showdown.
With a grunt, Sam got up from his napping spot behind the stove. David had left the dog in his office while they toured the shop and apartment. There was no sign of his deputy, Billy Joe, who was probably out making rounds.
“Hey, boy,” David said, scratching the dog behind his ears.
A folded piece of paper lying on his desk blotter caught his eye. He opened it and read the angry slash of a feminine hand.
You are a low-down, conniving, rotten, philandering skunk, and I will never forgive you for humiliating me the way you have. One way or another, I will see to it that you live to regret the day you were born.
“Whew,” David said softly. Glancing down at Sam, he said, “She’s in high dudgeon, that’s for sure. How should I deal with this? You got any bright ideas?”
Sam lay on his belly, crossed his white paws over his eyes, and let loose with a mournful whine.
David didn’t want to cut the fun short for Brianna and Daphne, so he and Sam stayed in the dress shop’s viewing area for the next few minutes, waiting for the ladies to tire of their exploration of the upstairs rooms. From all parts of the building, he could hear exclamations of delight when they came across something that pleased them. It made David feel good. There had been few causes for celebration in Brianna’s life.
When they moved downstairs to admire the store’s stock, he yawned. He liked seeing females all decked out in pretty dresses with ribbons in their hair, but these bolts of cloth and gewgaws almost made his eyes roll back in his head. His time would be better spent working at his office.
Just as he was about to excuse himself, Brianna pulled out a bolt of yardage. “Oh, my, Daphne, just
look
at this fabulous taffeta. Isn’t it sublime?”
David sauntered across the carpet to peer over her shoulder at a shimmery blue material. “Hmm, taffeta,” he observed. “Maybe we should rename this town Taffeta Falls.”
Brianna sent him a startled look. He searched her green eyes and winked at her. She clearly remembered plucking that particular lie out of her bonnet because a flush stole up her neck and flagged her cheeks. “Will you never let me live that down?”
David chuckled, and though she tried to suppress it, Brianna smiled slightly. “Are you about ready to head back to the ranch?” she asked. “You look bored to tears.”
“It’s up to you. I have things to do over at my office if you’d like to stay longer.”
She patted the bolt of material. “Unless your work is pressing, we’re ready to leave. Until we have our things here, we can’t settle in.”
“Would you like to do that tonight?”
“Tomorrow morning will suffice.”
David drew his watch from his pocket to check the time. “Can I interest you in an early supper over at Roxie’s? That’ll save us from having to cook when we get home.”
Daphne clapped her hands. Sam, who loved going to Roxie’s, barked joyously. Brianna smiled demurely. “It appears we have a unanimous vote of approval, sir. An early supper sounds lovely to me as well.”
David escorted his entourage across the street to the restaurant. So early in the afternoon, there was only a handful of customers: two ladies at a window table having tea and pie, and two men at the counter sipping coffee. Red-checked tablecloths and matching napkins gave the place a bright, homey atmosphere. Sam was a regular customer there, and David guided his wife and daughter to a corner table where the dog could lie down in comfort without being underfoot. Roxie waved from behind the counter, her countenance rosy from the heat of the kitchen, her merry green eyes settling with unabashed curiosity on Brianna.
“Good afternoon!” she called as she circled the counter. “What can I get for you folks?” She smiled brightly at Daphne. “Would this young lady like a sarsaparilla and maybe a piece of my famous apple pie?”
David ruffled Daphne’s hair. “She’ll start with a sarsaparilla, but no pie until after supper.” After introducing Brianna
and the child, David added, “We’re eating a little early today. What’s the special?”
“Beef and sausage meatloaf.” Roxie grinned. “It’s the finest textured meatloaf in existence, served with clear dripping gravy, mashed potatoes, peas or corn, and my specialty sourdough bread with whipped butter on the side.”
Just then the entrance bell clanged. David caught a flash of pink from the corner of his eye, and his stomach sank.
Hazel.
Had she followed them? Probably. He braced himself for a nasty confrontation.
Roxie, apparently sensing how the wind might blow, turned on the charm. “Miss Wright, what an unexpected pleasure!” She hurried over to take the schoolteacher’s arm. “I have a special table in mind for you. Please step this way.”
Hazel allowed herself to be led across the room, but, cricking her neck to look back over her shoulder, she sent David glares powerful enough to pulverize granite. The look she gave Brianna burned with undisguised hatred and resentment.
Brianna raised her eyebrows. In a low voice, she asked, “Who
is
that lady?”
“A former friend.” It was all David could think to say.
“Oh.” Brianna lowered her lashes and caught her lower lip between her teeth. As ill-timed as it was, David ached to taste those shimmery lips and do a little nibbling as well. His Shamrock was so damned beautiful and fine. On her best day, Hazel Wright could never measure up. “I’m sorry, David.”
Why Brianna was apologizing, he didn’t know. “Don’t worry about it. Let’s just enjoy our meal.”
Everyone chose the special of the day, but with Hazel glaring at him from across the room, David didn’t feel much like eating, and he noticed that Brianna picked at her food as well. Only Daphne and Sam, who was always served his own meal on the floor, seemed to enjoy the fare. David was relieved to pay the bill and leave.
Once on the boardwalk, he could breathe easy again. Hazel Wright had a nasty streak he’d never glimpsed when courting her. He had a bad feeling she meant to cause trouble,
and for the life of him, he couldn’t think how to handle the situation. David had unknowingly done the woman a serious wrong. He’d had good intentions, but there was no way in hell he could explain the situation without stirring up gossip that would embarrass his wife and hurt his daughter. As soon as he and Brianna moved into town, they needed to agree on the story they meant to circulate about their marriage, separation, and recent reunion. Then David would talk with Hazel and hopefully assuage her anger. That wasn’t a discussion he wanted to have with Brianna tonight, though. It should be an evening of celebration, and David didn’t want to spoil it for her.
Once in the wagon and headed for home, David had little to say. He knew Brianna was upset, and he couldn’t rightly blame her. Daphne crawled in the back with Sam on some blankets David kept there to give the dog a cushioned ride.