Brazen (22 page)

"It's for the best, darling."

"I know, but it's still scary."

"You? Scared of Michael Donovan? I never thought I'd
see the day," he teased, hoping to lighten her mood.

"Oh, Pa." She smiled at him, for she recognized his
ploy. "You never saw him in his fancy Eastern duds. Now,
that was scary!"

"I guess that could be enough to frighten a soul," he
agreed with a laugh. "That feels good."

"What does?"

"Laughing. We haven't had much to laugh about
around here for a long time."

"No, we haven't."

"Things are looking up now. Everything's going to be
all right."

"So, do you want to ride over and take a look at the
house with me?"

"I can't today. I've got some work I have to get done
with Pete." It was a lie, but Jack couldn't tell her that he
didn't have the strength to go anywhere. Til go one day
next week."

"All right. Well, I'm going now, but I'll be back."

Casey went to the stable to get her horse and then rode
toward the building site. It was a beautiful day. The sky
was clear and a brilliant blue, and the morning breeze
was still cool.

Casey didn't notice how heavenly the weather was,
though. She was too caught up in her thoughts about facing Michael again. She wished she hadn't agreed to visit
the building site that day. In fact, she wished she didn't
have to see Michael again until their wedding, but that
wasn't going to happen. Very shortly, they would be faceto-face, so she had to prepare herself

Casey had never thought about being an actress, but
she hoped today she could put on a great performance.
She was going to have to act as if nothing unusual had
happened between them. Obviously, to Michael's way of
thinking, nothing had happened, so she told herself it
shouldn't be too hard to pretend around him.

As ready as she would ever be to see him again, Casey
topped the low rise that afforded her a view of her new
home. She reined in to look over the scene before her
and was surprised to see how much progress the men
had made in such a short time. She'd expected to see not
much more than the frame, but the construction actually already looked like a house. It wasn't big. It was a singlestory dwelling, but it would be big enough for the two of
them, and it had a small porch across the front.

The men from the Circle D were already there and hard
at work on the roof.

Casey urged her horse toward the house that would
soon be her home.

"Here comes your future bride now," Nick told Michael
as he slaved away beside him on the roof.

Michael looked up to see Casey riding in. He put down
his hammer and climbed down the ladder to welcome
her.

"'Morning," Michael said, waiting as she dismounted
and tied up her horse.

Casey noticed he hadn't said "good" morning.

"Hello, Michael," she said, then turned and smiled up
at Nick, who was still working on the roof. "Hi, Nick!"

"Hi, Casey!" Nick responded. "What do you think of our
handiwork?"

"It looks wonderful."

"I bet you didn't think I could do this kind of work, did
you?" he asked.

"I'd never underestimate you, Nick," she answered with
a smile. "Keep up the good work."

"For you, Casey, anything," Nick promised her.

Michael listened to their easy banter and grew annoyed. "Do you want to take a look around inside?"

"Yes," she agreed.

Turning her attention to Michael, Casey walked by his
side toward the front door.

Several men were working inside the house. One of the
hands called out, "Hey, Michael! You'd better practice
carrying her over the threshold to make sure you do it
right on your wedding day!"

"That's right, Michael. Let's see how good you are," another agreed.

"I'll wait until after the wedding." Michael didn't want
to lay a hand on Casey today, much less cany her in his
arms. He wanted to keep some distance between them.
He planned to give her a guided tour and then send her
on her way.

"Aw, c'mon, Michael! You're going to have a rehearsal
for the wedding. Why not rehearse carrying her over the
threshold?"

All the hands joined in, encouraging him to action, and
Michael knew he was trapped.

"All right, all right."

Michael turned to Casey and saw the look of unease in
her eyes. He was tempted to throw her over his shoulder
and carry her inside that way, but instead, without waiting
for her to argue or protest, he simply scooped her up in
his arms. Holding her close to his chest, he strode purposefully into the house.

Casey had thought she was prepared to be in Michael's
arms again, but being held against him that way set her
pulse to racing. She actually found herself blushing as the
ranch hands cheered them on. The thought that the next
time he carried her that way they would be married almost unnerved her. When he finally set her on her feet inside their future home, Casey was surprised to find she
felt almost bereft at being out of his arms.

The men shouted out their compliments to Michael on
a job well done.

"I told you I didn't need any practice," he called back
to them.

Casey moved away from Michael to look around. She'd
known the house wasn't going to be very big, so the fact
that it was small didn't bother her. Her home on the Bar
T wasn't all that roomy. What did bother Casey, though,
was the fact that there were only two rooms one bedroom and one big room that would be a combination
kitchen and sitting room.

Casey had assumed that they would each have a bedroom. She wondered how to handle the situation. Whatever discussion they had about it would have to be held
between the two of them in private.

"So? What do you think?" Michael asked after watching
her look around.

"It's going to be very nice."

At her answer, Michael called out, "It's all right, boys!
She likes it!"

The hands were pleased at the news. Michael had
warned them that she would be paying them a visit today,
and some of them had worried the house wouldn't suit
her.

"You've all done a fine job," Casey said as she and
Michael went back outside.

Nick had climbed down from the roof and was waiting
to talk to them.

"So you're pleased," Nick said. "That's good."

"You had doubts?" Casey asked, a teasing glint in her
eye.

"There's no pleasing some females," Nick replied. "I'm
glad you're not one of them."

"We should complete all the work here by late next
week," Michael put in, changing the direction of their
conversation. The easy camaraderie between Casey and
Nick still bothered him.

"It's hard to believe the wedding is so close," she said.

"Yes, it is," Michael agreed. "We don't have a lot of time
left to get things ready."

"If worse comes to worst, we can always move in with
my pa for a while," Casey suggested.

"That's all right," Michael was quick to respond. "This
is our home. We'll be living here."

Casey still liked the idea of staying with her father even
if Michael didn't, but she had no choice in the matter.
Once they were husband and wife, they would have to
be together.

In that very house.

In the one bedroom.

"Are you sure this is a good idea, dear?" Dorothea Whittington asked her daughter in a tortured voice as they
suffered through yet another seemingly unending day of
miserable travel.

"Of course it is. We're almost there. The driver said we'd
arrive in Hard Luck by sundown."

"Thank God," Dorothea said melodramatically.

"Mother--" Karen gave her a censuring look. "We
haven't come this far to give up now. You always taught
me to persevere when I want something and I want Michael Donovan."

Dorothea gave a strained sigh. "I know. I just wish he'd
never had to return to Texas in the first place and to a
town called Hard Luck, at that." She rolled her eyes heavenward in an exaggerated show of distaste.

"Once we reach Hard Luck and I find Michael, I'll con vince him to come back home with me right away. Don't
worry, Mother," she said with confidence, "we won't be
stuck in Texas very long."

"I hope you're right," she said.

"I am. Once I remind him of what he's been missing,
I'm sure he'll come back to Philadelphia with us. Why,
he was almost ready to propose when all this happened."

"Needless to say, I can hardly wait for the return trip.
I'm sure it will be just as tedious, but I am definitely going
to enjoy it more."

"I'm going to enjoy it more, too. Michael's going to be
traveling with us," Karen said with a confident smile.

She couldn't wait to see him. It had been too long already. Though she was still upset with Michael for leaving
without saying good-bye in person, once he apologized,
she would forgive him, and everything would be wonderful between them especially after she became Mrs.
Michael Donovan.

Karen stared out the stagecoach window and completely understood why Michael had left Texas to go to
Philadelphia. Texas was so...so uncivilized. They hadn't
seen a building or any sign of humanity since they'd left
the last depot, hours and miles ago. She wondered how
anyone existed here. She certainly couldn't. Confident
that Michael's love for her would draw him back to Philadelphia, she didn't worry in the least that she'd be forced
to stay in Texas. Soon, very soon, they would be on their
way back East together.

It was late afternoon when the stagecoach rolled to a
stop before the depot in Hard Luck.

"This is Hard Luck?" Dorothea said with disdain, looking out at the tiny Western town.

"Yes, ma'am," the stage driver said, opening the door
for her.

"Oh, my." She took his offered hand reluctantly, for he
was quite dirty, then descended from the rough-riding
stagecoach.

Dorothea thanked him and stepped aside while he
helped Karen down.

"Can you recommend any accommodations?" Dorothea asked him.

The driver frowned. He pushed his dusty hat back and
scratched his head. "If you mean, can I recommend a
hotel, well, sure. There's only one hotel in Hard Luck,
little lady. It's the Hard Luck Hotel and it's right down the
street there." He pointed the way. "I'll send your trunks
there for you."

"Thank you," Dorothea said in her most prim tone as
she and Karen moved off.

Dorothea tried her best not to gawk at Hard Luck, but
it was difficult. It was a hot and dusty little town, and she
wondered how it had even come into being. She couldn't
imagine why anyone would want to settle down there.
The stage depot was the only redeeming feature she
could find, and that was only because it afforded her a
way to escape the place.

"It's hard to believe that a gentleman like Michael
comes from a town that is so...crude."

Karen understood her mother's reaction but wanted to make the best of things. "Once I get to see Michael again,
everything will be fine."

"Of course, dear," Dorothea said, holding her tongue
for now. She hoped her daughter was right, for she certainly didn't want to spend an hour longer there than
necessary.

They reached the hotel and went in.

"Afternoon, ladies," Ernest Williams, the hotel clerk,
welcomed them as they approached the check-in desk.

"We need a room, please," Dorothea dictated.

"Yes, ma'am." Ernest quickly registered them, then escorted them upstairs to their room. "Where are you ladies
from?"

"Philadelphia," Karen answered. "We're here to visit
the Donovans."

"Oh, are you kin?"

"We soon will be," Karen responded, with confidence.
"I'm Michael's fiancee."

"You are?" Ernest tried but couldn't quite hide his surprise. He'd heard the talk around town about the upcoming wedding between Michael and Casey, and he knew
this woman's unexpected appearance was definitely going to cause trouble.

"You sound surprised," Dorothea said pointedly.

"Well, we hadn't heard Michael was engaged to anyone
back East," he said, managing not to reveal anything. He
didn't want to be the one who told them about Michael's
upcoming marriage to another woman. He didn't want to
be anywhere around when these two women found out
about it.

"We hadn't publicly announced it yet, but Michael and
I are going to be married," Karen said firmly.

"I'm real happy for you," Ernest said noncommittally.

"Is there a way to send a message to Michael at the
ranch? Is there someone I can hire to contact him for
me?"

"Yes, there surely is. The boys down at the stable are
always willing to do odd jobs. I'll have one of them come
see you."

"Thanks."

Ernest opened the door to their room for them. "I'm
Ernest Williams. If you need anything, let me know."

"We will."

He left to find a messenger.

Dorothea and Karen went into the sparsely furnished
room and looked around. There was a washstand, two
single beds and a small dresser.