Prairie Romance Collection by Cathy Marie Hake

Author:Cathy Marie Hake [Hake, Cathy Marie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-60742-844-2
Publisher: Barbour Publishing, Inc.
Published: 2000-09-21T16:00:00+00:00

As Matt guided the team down Goodhope’s narrow Main Street, past playing children, chatting ladies, and the occasional horse and rider, he noticed a strange occurrence. Activity stopped each time one of the townspeople caught sight of him and his companion. Not a single person spoke a word of greeting, but all turned to follow their wagon’s progress.

A glance at Emma told him that she noticed, too. Head held high, a sweet smile on her lips, she stared straight ahead, but her hands were tightly clenched against her yellow cotton skirt.

Anger surged up in him again. Word must have gotten around that he’d asked the parson to marry them. He yanked the team to a halt in front of the livery and leaped to the ground.

“Emma?” he said, reaching up to her. After a moment’s hesitation, she stood and let him swing her down. A woman coming out of the livery gasped, jerked her child against her long skirts, and rushed back inside, voice raised.

“Lucas, hurry. That crazy woman is out here.”

A young man, tall, lank, with hands the size of shovels, appeared at the door. “Now, Mama,” he said to the woman. “Why don’t you and Patsy go on to the house? I’ll see to Mrs. Russell. And thank you kindly for the dumplings. They was mighty tasty.”

The woman cast another worried look toward Emma then hurried away.

“I’m Luke Winchester.” The man wiped his hand down the side of his trousers before offering it to Matthew. “And you must be Matthew Tolivar.”

Grimly, Matt inclined his head. “News travels fast.”

“Yes, sir, it does. Especially when it concerns Emma.”

Matt bristled. “She’s not deranged.”

The stable owner nodded, his expression sympathetic. “I never said she was. But some folks in this town would disagree.”

“So I noticed.” Matt scowled at the departing woman and child.

“What can I help you with today, Mr. Tolivar?”

With reluctance, Matt reined in his angry thoughts. No use adding to Emma’s embarrassment. “I’ll be leaving the team here for a day, maybe a night.”

“The bay, too?” Luke asked, indicating Matt’s horse tied on behind the wagon.

“He’s for sale.” Matt jerked a thumb toward the wagon bed. “The saddle, too.”

Emma’s head shot up, and Matt read the question in her eyes. Why was he selling his horse and saddle?

“A fine piece of horseflesh.” Luke walked around the bay, lifting feet, checking teeth. Finally, he named a price.

“You’re a fair man, Winchester.”

“Yes, sir, I am.” He gave Matt the money, counting it into his hand. “I’ll take good care of your team, too. You can depend on it.”

“Much obliged.”

In the distance, a train whistle rent the air. Taking Emma’s arm, Matt bade Luke farewell and started toward the depot. With each step down the street, past the barbershop, past the dry goods store, past the apothecary, they were met with the same unfriendly treatment until Matthew felt his blood boil. The storekeeper, O’Dell, had called this a friendly town, but to Matt’s way of thinking it was infested with rattlesnakes.

He’d only known Emma two days and they’d known her for years.

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