His Chosen Bride. Rhonda Gibson

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СКАЧАТЬ the roost and the other lived life in misery. It was sad that she thought of her parents’ marriage like that, but doing so had enlightened her that she didn’t want such a life.

      Her gaze moved back to the handsome man beside her. He seemed lost in his own thoughts so Millie tried to work through hers. How was she going to tell him they weren’t getting married? Did he still expect her to marry him? For all she knew, he could already be married.

      Levi suddenly stopped. “I’m sorry. I just realized you must be tired after your long trip. My business can wait until this afternoon. Why don’t we go eat lunch at the boardinghouse and afterward you can rest?” He didn’t give her time to answer, simply turned around and began walking back the way they’d come.

      Millie frowned at him. He flashed a smile in her direction and once more she was taken aback by his good looks. Maybe Levi Westland had charm, but no matter how much he planned on using it to get her to marry him, he could just forget it. All her life she’d been coddled and pampered, but at what price? Millie sighed. Until she’d run away from home, she’d never been free. Her mother had made sure she was hardly ever alone and that she’d never made any decisions on her own.

      As they continued along, Millie thought about the event that had forced her into thinking she needed to run away.

      Mrs. Eliza Kelly had asked her to watch her shop while she took her friend schoolteacher Hannah Young to the train station in Durango, Colorado. It was an all-day trip so she would be gone for a day and a half. She’d told Millie that if she wanted to spend the night in Eliza’s house, she could. Her mother had agreed to let her stay.

      Millie had made the mistake of telling her friends that she planned to spend the night at Mrs. Kelly’s and would have the house to herself. The other girls had decided it would be fun to come over and smoke a few cigars. The boys always snuck around smoking the horrible things.

      Her friend Charlotte had brought a handful to the shop and said it was time they found out what was so wonderful about them. They’d made plans for the girls to come over later, after the shop had closed, and try them out.

      If only she hadn’t tried to smoke one of the horrible cigars before the other girls arrived. She’d just lit it when her mother had come barging into the house. Millie had panicked and tossed the other cigars out the kitchen window. She’d laid the lit cigar on the windowsill and hurried into the dining room to meet her mother.

      Mother had decided she shouldn’t spend the night alone and forced her to go home. Before Millie could sneak out and back to Mrs. Kelly’s, the cigar had rolled out the window and into the dry ground below. It had set the grass and remaining cigars on fire. The house and dress shop had gone up in flames and burned to the ground.

      Millie lassoed her thoughts with a snap. No use crying over spilt paint. The only thing to do was set things right. And that, she planned to do. Millie shaded her eyes with her hand.

      Granite wasn’t a bad-looking settlement and so far she hadn’t seen a saloon. That was a huge plus in her books. However, she did miss the trees and flowers that lined Main Street in Cottonwood Springs.

      They took a side street that didn’t have as many businesses. Her companion remained silent as they passed Bob’s Mercantile and the Sewing Room.

      Bob’s Mercantile had a window on each side of the open door, with an old flyer advertising the newest parasols from New York City. The plank exterior was newly whitewashed, and Millie could see barrels in the center aisle near the door.

      But the Sewing Room grabbed her attention, and she slowed, trying to take it all in. Every frill imaginable had been showcased in the two windows; a quilt, hankies, ribbons, bonnets...even an apron. A sign hung in the window stating it would soon be closing and everything was on sale.

      “We’re almost there,” Levi finally offered.

      Millie quickened her steps and simply nodded. The smell of baking bread tickled her nose as they passed the bakery and she inhaled deeply. Her stomach rumbled.

      A warm chuckle was the only indication that Levi had heard the sound. Butterflies replaced her hunger pains at the rich sound of his amusement. A dimple flashed in his cheek. She almost groaned aloud.

      He truly was a handsome man. Maybe she should move on to another town once her business with Levi Westland was done. It wouldn’t do for her to fall for a take-charge man and lose her newfound independence.

      * * *

      Levi enjoyed the soft scent of lavender that Millicent Hamilton wore. With each step they took, it filled his senses. He was still a little shocked that she’d arrived six months later than he expected. She’d been so silent in the time they’d been together that he’d had time to do some thinking.

      A little over a year ago, at Christmas, his mother, Bonnie Westland, had surprised him and his brother with the news that she wanted a grandchild and that she expected them to get married and provide her with that child. She’d pitted her boys against one another by stating that the first to marry and have a child would inherit the ranch.

      Levi knew Daniel wanted the ranch more than he wanted to live. So at first Levi had enjoyed playing the game, mainly just to irritate his older brother. He’d never intended to win the ranch. He shook his head at how foolish that sounded now.

      Levi pushed the gate open in front of the boardinghouse and allowed Millie to slip past him. As they walked up the path, his thoughts returned to his mother and the contest she’d started. When Daniel had married Hannah in the fall, Levi had thought that would satisfy their mother. Daniel loved the ranch and so did his wife, but Levi’s mother had informed him that he was still expected to compete for the ranch. Why was it so important to Mother that he marry, too? The question swirled through his mind like a wild tornado.

      Bringing himself back to the present, Levi heard the lacy blue curtains flutter in the breeze. The smell of roasted meat drifted out the open window of the boardinghouse’s restaurant.

      He heard the soft rumble of Millicent’s stomach and said, “The food here is wonderful. Beth is probably the best cook around.” He placed his hand in the small of her back as she climbed the short steps to the entryway.

      “Beth?” Millicent’s blue eyes searched his face as he stepped around her and opened the door to the boardinghouse.

      He pointed to the sign that read Beth’s Boardinghouse and Restaurant. “Mrs. Beth Winters. She runs this fine establishment.” He didn’t mention that he owned the boardinghouse since there would be time enough for that later.

      A bell sounded over their heads as they entered. Levi watched as Beth hurried toward them. She patted her dark brown hair into place and swiped at the flour upon her blue apron. A smile touched her lips and brown eyes as she realized it was him. “Levi, I wasn’t expecting you to be here so early in the day.”

      “I decided to have an early lunch.” He watched Beth’s eyes dart from Millicent back to him. “Beth, I’d like you to meet Miss Millicent Hamilton. She will be staying here for a while.”

      “It’s nice to meet you, Miss Hamilton. So the bags Amos brought in earlier were yours?”

      “Yes, they were,” Millicent replied. A sweet smile of relief graced her pretty heart-shaped face.

      Beth smiled back and then turned to enter the restaurant portion of the boardinghouse. “Levi, your table is ready.” She СКАЧАТЬ