The Widow's Little Secret. Judith Stacy

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СКАЧАТЬ all day and could have done these dishes a little at a time, rather than standing here all night, doing them now, to ready the kitchen for tomorrow’s business.

      Instead, he’d taken her home to rest. Then hauled her to the church to marry him. Mattie shuddered at the thought. Good gracious, what had she been thinking, agreeing to the marriage? Luckily, she’d come to her senses in time.

      She scrubbed the next plate in the tepid water, dipped it in the rinse tub and stacked it with the others. Maybe she should march to the jail and insist Jared come over and wash these dishes himself. Yes, that would serve him right.

      For an instant the vision of Jared standing at her washtub bloomed in her mind. Sleeves rolled up, dark hair spread over flexing forearms, legs braced wide apart. So big, so strong. Unlike Mattie, he no doubt could work for hours and not even breathe hard.

      Of course, Jared McQuaid didn’t have another person riding around inside of him.

      Mattie smiled to herself. The baby. Growing within her right now, this very moment. What did it look like? she wondered. Would it be a boy? A girl?

      More sobering thoughts came to Mattie then, taking the smile from her face. She had so much to do before the child was born. Pay off Del’s old debts. Build up her bank account. Get her business back on track. Prepare for the baby’s arrival. Then insure the child’s future.

      “Well, gracious…” Mattie muttered, the sloshing of water muting her words.

      So much to do. So much to do…alone.

      She sighed, dipping the last plate into the rinse tub. Better to do things alone than to depend on someone who wouldn’t come through for her. She didn’t need to learn that lesson twice.

      True, her future was a tall order, but Mattie was confident she could handle it. The only question concerned Jared. And she intended to settle that tonight.

      Mattie dried the dishes and stacked them in the cupboard, then dumped the wash water and took off her apron. This afternoon in the churchyard, Jared had threatened to make it known that he was the father of her baby. She couldn’t—wouldn’t—allow that to happen.

      Slipping her shawl around her shoulders, Mattie gathered her handbag, blew out the lanterns and locked up. But instead of heading home, she went the other way.

      The good thing about the day wearing on was that the nausea that marked her mornings faded. The bad thing was that fatigue took its place.

      Bone weary, Mattie walked along the darkened street. Most of the businesses had closed long ago. Just a few windows glowed with lamplight. The only noise came from the Lady Luck Saloon at the other end of town.

      Mattie stopped as she neared the jail, and glanced around. No one was about, but that didn’t mean she might not be seen. Surely, word would spread that the new sheriff had offered to marry her and she’d turned him down. Mattie didn’t want to add any more fuel to the gossip by being seen entering the jailhouse this late at night.

      She cut through the alley to the rear of the jail. Glancing around, she opened the door and stepped inside.

      From a doorway to her left, light spilled into the hallway, illuminating two empty cells. Straight ahead, through another opened door, lantern light burned in the sheriff’s office.

      Mattie paused, listening. She heard nothing. Maybe Jared wasn’t here. He could be out walking rounds.

      She ventured farther down the hallway, wanting to make certain. Mattie wanted to talk to him tonight, get this issue settled once and for all.

      A shadow crossed her path and Jared leaped in front of her. Startled, she froze.

      Good gracious, his chest was bare.

      Which was an odd thing to notice, she realized a second later, given that he had a Colt .45 pointed at her head.

      “What the hell are you doing, sneaking in here?” Jared demanded. “I nearly shot you.”

      Mattie pointed lamely down the hall. “You shouldn’t have left your door unlocked. How thoughtless.”

      Jared grumbled and lowered his pistol. “Nobody breaks into a jail, Mattie.”

      “Oh.”

      “What are you doing here?” he asked, frowning. Mattie twisted her fingers together, unsure where to start. Of course, it would be much easier to think if he weren’t standing only a foot away with no shirt on.

      Dark, crinkly hair covered his chest and arrowed down his muscled stomach, disappearing into his trousers. His arms bulged as he shifted his wide shoulders.

      The sleeves of his long johns and his suspenders hung at his sides; the top button of his trousers was unfastened.

      “Change your mind about getting married?” he asked.

      The question shocked her back to reality. “No, of course not. I need to talk to you.”

      Jared stepped into the room and turned a cane bottom chair toward her. “Sit down,” he said.

      A tingle swept up her spine. This was his bedroom. She couldn’t waltz inside and sit down. It wasn’t decent.

      “You’ve been on your feet all evening. Sit down.” When she still hesitated, Jared gestured toward the bunk in the corner. “Unless you’d rather hop into bed?”

      Mattie jerked her chin at him and plopped into the chair. He shoved the pistol into the holster that dangled from a row of pegs on the wall. His shirt hung beside it. He’d probably been getting ready for bed when she walked in. Her gaze bounced to the tidy bunk, then to Jared. He was already watching her. Mattie’s cheeks burned. She busied herself straightening her skirt, refusing to look at him again.

      “How are you feeling?” Jared asked.

      “Fine.”

      He stopped in the center of the floor and sighed heavily. “How are you really feeling?”

      She wasn’t sure if the frown on his face meant he was angry or genuinely concerned. “Tired. A little tired.”

      “Did you eat a proper supper?”

      She huffed. “That’s really none of your concern.”

      His chest swelled and his frown deepened. “Did you eat a proper supper?”

      “Yes,” she told him. No sense in annoying him further, given the reason she was here tonight.

      Jared nodded, apparently satisfied, then shoved his arms into his long johns and pulled them over his shoulders.

      “What do you need to talk about?” he asked.

      How odd, sitting in a chair in Jared’s bedroom, watching him dress. Mattie couldn’t recall any such moment with her husband.

      Obviously, Jared thought nothing of her being there. He buttoned his long johns and slipped on his shirt, completely comfortable with her presence.

      His long fingers fastened СКАЧАТЬ