Bartered Bride Romance Collection (57 page)

“What harm will it do them?”

“Now, Miss Craig—”

“Miss Bently wants to learn to read for a number of reasons—primarily so she can read the Bible one day. Does that sound like foolishness to you?” He spread his hands. “I’m sure that’s laudable, but—”

“But not laudable enough for a wife of yours to continue associating with her? Are you afraid she’ll lead me into temptation?”

He looked shocked she would say such a thing. “Of course not. But your reputation, my dear—”

“I’ve not given you leave to address me by such an endearment. Do not do so again. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve baking to do.”

She’d all but shoved him out of the house, her temper hotter than the perking coffee on the stove.

But when he’d left, she stood looking out the parlor window at the back of the saloon. Was she right in continuing her work and so quickly dismissing Mr. Llewellyn and his offer? She didn’t like his attitude, but he was better able than most men to provide a home for her and Bertie. Was it unfair to Bertie to refuse the proposal at which he’d hinted, though she didn’t care a smidgen for the man? “Guide me, Lord,” she whispered.

Chapter 9

G
ideon looked up from behind the bar on a hot June afternoon to see a contingent of surly-looking men enter the saloon. The group included most of the businesspeople in town plus a couple of ranchers: Llewellyn the banker, Potter the attorney, Amos the blacksmith, Jones from the general store, Squires the feedstore owner, the Hatch cousins, Josiah Temple, and weasely Clyde Kincaid. The only people not represented were Doc Mitchel, Margaret Manning, and Bess Craig. This didn’t bode well.

Might as well face it head-on—whatever it was. “Any of you gentlemen want a drink?”

They all did. He poured their drinks then said, “Now that you’ve drunk your courage, what’re you here for?”

Llewellyn cleared his throat. “It’s about the schooling going on in here.”

More trouble for Bess. Gideon’s blood began to boil. Whatever these men wanted, he wasn’t going to make it easy for them. “You men want to join the class?”

Llewellyn uttered an oath. “We want you to put a stop to it.”

Gideon nodded slowly. “You find women learning to read and write offensive to your morals, do you?”

Potter glared. “Women like that don’t need to know how to read and write.”

“Do they need a reason to want to learn?” Gideon put a dirty glass in the tin pan beneath the bar.

Oscar hitched at his trousers. “It don’t seem proper, women like that knowing more than a man.”

Gideon crossed his arms over his chest. “If that’s what’s bothering you, I expect Miss Craig would let you join her class.”

“Aw, Gideon.” Linus pushed his fingers through his hair. “We can’t even come in here for a drink anymore for fear of running into Miss Craig. Decent men don’t drink in front of God-fearin’ women.”

Come to think of it, Gideon hadn’t seen much of this bunch in his saloon the last month. “She’s only in here an hour or so each morning.”

Llewellyn slammed his fancy gray hat down on the bar. “Tell the women they can’t be holding their lesson here; that’s all we’re asking.”

“You expect me to throw the women out forcibly? Any of you willing to do that?” Gideon looked from one face to another. “I thought not.” He rested his elbows on the bar. “But there is a solution.”

Every face on the other side of the bar brightened.

Gideon nodded. “Yup. We just need to build Lickwind a school.”

“Build a school for Margaret’s girls?” Llewellyn roared.

Potter glowered. “With our money?”

Gideon shook his head. “Not just for Margaret’s girls. Miss Craig is teaching four of the town’s youngsters at her house. You men considering marrying one of the Craig sisters might do well to remember—after marriage come babies. There’ll be more youngsters needing schooling, and they might be yours.”

He saw right off that was the wrong argument. These men obviously hadn’t thought far enough to get to the cradle part of a marriage.

“Second,” he continued before they had a chance to think on the first reason too long, “the building could be used for a church and a town meeting hall.”

Potter snorted. “We don’t need a church or meeting hall.”

“I didn’t see the parson holding any meetings in your office during the rainstorm last month,” Gideon reminded.

Llewellyn carefully settled his hat back on his head. “I’m not aiming to pay for a school for nobody else’s kids. If I wanted to spend my money on that sort of thing, I’d have stayed back East.” He turned on his heel and headed for the door.

The rest of the men followed—all except Amos. When the others had left the building, Amos leaned against the bar. He smelled of metal and smoke, as always. His skin was almost as gray as his shirt from his work. He reached between his leather apron and shirt and pulled out a crumpled magazine. He smoothed the magazine out on the bar, refusing to meet Gideon’s gaze. “I was wonderin’ if you’d read somethin’ for me.”

“Sure, Amos.” Gideon glanced down at the magazine and almost bit his tongue to keep from embarrassing the blacksmith. It was a mail-order bride magazine.

Amos opened it and pointed to a sketch. “Would you read ’bout her?”

Gideon read the glowing terms describing the prospective bride. He hadn’t the heart to remind Amos the woman may not be as desirable as described.

“Would you write to her for me, Gideon? See if she’d consider comin’ to Lickwind?”

“Why you looking to send for a wife, Amos? Don’t you find Bess or Bertie Craig attractive?”

“Aw, Miss Bertie, she’s not lookin’ for a husband. And Miss Bess, she’s too smart for a guy like me. Besides, it’s plain as sand in Wyoming that you two are stuck on each other.”

Gideon jerked up straight. “I’m not even in line to court her.”

“I might not be able to read or write, but I know what it means when a man looks out for a woman the way you look out for her and when a woman looks at a man the way she looks at you.”

“She doesn’t look at me any particular way.”

“If you say so.” Amos tugged at his handlebar mustache. “Do you think Miss Craig would teach me to read and write?”

“Don’t know why not.” Sure seemed to Gideon this was one Lickwind man thinking about a wife, babies, and schooling. Gideon snapped his fingers. “Say, I just came up with a plan to get us a schoolhouse and church.” He leaned closer to Amos and explained his plan in a rush. “You with me?”

Amos reached out one of his huge hands and shook with Gideon. “Count me in.”

When Amos left, Gideon pulled out a chair, hiked his feet up on a table, and joined his fingers behind his head. Yep, a schoolhouse and church building would solve all his problems. He’d have his saloon back again. One of the men in town would marry Bess Craig then. After all, no one could expect a man to propose to a woman when she spent her days in a saloon with soiled doves, no matter how honorable her intentions. Once Bess Craig was married, he’d have his house back.

He allowed himself to daydream about life in his own house. His new house. No women to protect from drunken men or cows to protect from wolves. No men coming and going all hours of the day for meals or baked goods or to court women. No cats or dogs. Just him and his new house. That’s all he wanted.

So why did the thought of it put him in such a foul mood?

The hay-filled mattress ticking scrunched beneath the blanket when Bess sat on the edge of the bed. She pulled the pins from her hair, undid her bun, and started to brush her hair. The Wyoming wind filled it with sand, no matter how she wore it.

Bertie flopped down beside her. “Are you going to marry Mr. Riker?”

“What? Ouch!” The brush bristles caught on Bess’s ear. “Why would you ask such a thing? You know I’m not courting him.”

“Harry says anyone can see you and Mr. Riker are sweet on each other.”

Bess’s heart seemed to leap in her chest, but she only said, “Harry is as good as a newspaper—one that spreads nonsense.”

“I like him.”

“Harry?”

“No, Mr. Riker. Don’t you think he’d make you a good husband? Better than that two-faced banker or too good-looking lawyer.”

“Mr. Riker owns a saloon,” Bess reminded. “If the Lord has a husband in mind for me, I’m certain he’ll be a God-fearing man.”

“Harry says he’s seen you making calf eyes at Mr. Riker.”

“I have not!” Bess swallowed hard. “Calf eyes, indeed. You must quit spending time with that young man. His language is frightful.”

“He likes me. He wants to ask your permission to let him court me, but I said no.” Surprise washed through Bess. “He wants to court you?”

“For true.”

Bess lowered the hairbrush and studied Bertie’s face. The girl looked extremely pleased with herself, but she didn’t look like a girl who’d lost her heart to a man. Bess breathed a sigh of relief. “Apparently, the young man has more sense than I believed.”

Bertie sat up. “You think so? For true? Even if I don’t dress like a lady?”

“You’ve a beautiful heart, Bertie. You’ll be a blessing to a husband one day.” Bertie beamed. “I don’t want to marry Harry, though. I don’t want to marry anyone.”

“Then the Lord must not think it’s time for you to marry yet.”

Bertie chewed her lower lip, a sure sign that she had more to say. Bess continued brushing her hair and waited.

“If I married Harry, you could get married, too. You wouldn’t need to worry any more about ending up an old maid.”

Bess dropped her brush. “An old …” She leaned forward to pick up the brush from the floor and hide her face.

“I’ll stay with you always, Bess. I won’t leave you to grow old alone.”

Bess swallowed twice before she trusted her voice. “It’s sweet you’re willing to make such a sacrifice for me, but let’s see what the next couple of years bring before we decide whether it’s necessary.”

Bertie flopped back, hands behind her head. “Do you think God truly cares about us?”

“Of course He does.” But Bess’s heart caught at the thought of the future spreading out before the two of them. She loved Bertie dearly and would never abandon her to live on her own, but she did want marriage for each of them. Corrie had Luke and the twins. Matty had Jim and their new son, Matthew.

Each day it grew more difficult to deny her attraction to Gideon Riker. Even if Gideon didn’t own a saloon, Bess couldn’t expect him or any man to take on the responsibility of Bertie along with a wife.

Sadness settled over Bess’s spirit as she put out the lamp and laid down. She’d told Bertie the truth. She did want a God-fearing man for a husband. So why was Gideon Riker, saloon owner, the only man in the vicinity of Lickwind—or anywhere else in the country—who lit a candle in her heart?

Chapter 10

W
hen Bess arrived at the saloon the next day, Gideon stood on the saloon’s boardwalk. He grinned at her. “Morning. See my new shingle?” He pointed overhead.

She looked up at the sign that creaked in the wind that swept down the street. Large white letters advertised R
LKER’S
S
ALOON
as they had since the day she stepped off the train, but this morning a large red X was painted through S
ALOON
. Below it in red letters, someone had added S
KOOL
.