Lassoing the Virgin Mail Order Bride

I just nod. There’s no point fighting with him. I’m here to marry him, and if this is the ring he wants me to wear, I guess I’ll wear it. It just feels wrong. Like I’m tainting it. I know this marriage probably won’t last.

“And I’ll kiss you anytime I like. Even more so to make a point to my men.” With that, he turns, leaving me standing there while he goes over and starts eating the plate I’d left on the kitchen counter. It’s as if he knew I made it for him.

He glances at the table, then at his own plate, stopping mid-bite.

“You eat?”

I just nod again and he goes back to eating the plate of food. It warms me that he was concerned that he was eating the last of the breakfast and he wanted to make sure I’d eaten before he finished it off.

“How is everything looking?” Cash asks Earl.

“Another fence is down and we can’t find Sammy anywhere.”

Cash drops his fork. “You’re fucking kidding me.”

“Nope. Something is starting to stink,” Earl adds, taking a drink of his coffee.

“I’ll get dressed and be out in a few.” Cash takes a few more bites of his breakfast, then heads down the hallway. I follow behind him, but not before catching anther wink from Earl.

“I need to go to the city to go shopping,” I tell him when I enter the room. He drops his pants, and I turn around quickly, giving him my back. I hear him chuckle.

“I’ll take you tomorrow, and we’ll get our marriage licenses then, too. I planned today, but it looks like I got another mess to clean up.”

I want to protest, but I know he’s got enough on his plate. “Okay,” is all I say as I leave the room, heading back to the kitchen to clean up.

“Even your coffee is wonderful, ma’am. There anything you can’t make?” Earl says, pouring himself another cup.

“Well, that’s all I have until I can make it out to the store,” I tell him as a thought hits me. “If any of your men aren’t too busy, do you think they could take me into town? I’d love to get it out of the way and not bother Cash with it. I can tell he’s real busy and he doesn’t need to spend hours in town getting supplies.”

“I think I can do that. I’ll send Brandon back to take you. Just go grab some petty cash out of Cash’s office. Bottom drawer of his desk in a metal box. Take what you need. We’re done spoiled and would love to come home to a dinner like last night.”

“Thank you. I’ll make sure I set you aside something special for dessert tonight.”

“I’ll be looking forward to it all day.”

Just then Cash comes back into the room, coming right at me and planting another one of those kisses on me, leaving me breathless.

“Lock the door.”

With that, he’s gone. He really needs to get some manners, or maybe I like him without them.

Chapter 6

Cash

Knocking some of the dust off my jeans, I walk towards the big house, thinking about how it’s just too damn coincidental to happen two days in a row. One fence breaking every now and then I can see, but two fences, one after the other, and something starts to smell fishy. We still haven’t been able to find our top bull, Sammy, and things aren’t adding up. I plan on giving the Johnson farm a call to see if they’ve spotted him. They’re a rival farm just next to us, and normally we’re not the best at communicating, but I’ve got to try everything.

My mind wanders back to Clare as it’s been doing all morning. I can’t seem to go more than thirty seconds without thinking of her, but I don’t mind it. It’s distracting, but for the first time in my life, I’m welcoming it. I’ve given all day, every day, to this farm, and for once, I’m taking something for myself. Something that can be a part of this life.

I’d bought a plain gold band for my mail-order bride thinking I’d just keep things simple. But once I saw Clare and felt what’s happening between us, I knew that she was special. I knew that she deserved something just as precious as she is, so that’s when I knew I wanted her to have my mother’s ring. My mama said on several occasions that her ring didn’t have a place on a farm and really wasn’t the kind of thing someone wore while cooking and cleaning like she did. Yet I never saw her take it off. That ring may have seemed silly to some people because of the simple life we led, but it was beautiful, and my dad wanted her to have it. I understand what that means now. Wanting something to reflect the beauty of the woman wearing it. Something that everyone could see. There was no missing she was a taken woman with that on her finger.

When I woke up and Clare wasn’t in bed, I’d scrambled around for a second realizing I’d slept in, something I’d never done in my life. Long ago I stopped setting an alarm because I could damn near set a watch to me waking up. I guess it was the power of having her in my arms and getting the best night’s sleep I’ve ever had. I pulled on some pants and went to my dresser, grabbing the ring. I wanted it on her, and I wanted everyone to see it was on her. I needed to mark her as mine because no way she wasn’t.

I walk up on the porch and head inside, going straight to the kitchen. There’s no sight of Clare, so I head to the bedroom, hoping maybe I’ll find her in here. I just want to see her for a second before I have to get back to work. Maybe she’s got time for a quick kiss. Or maybe a not-so-quick kiss.