The Confidential Life of Eugenia Cooper by Kathleen Y'Barbo

Author:Kathleen Y'Barbo
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Christian, Fiction:Religous, Western stories, General, Adventure fiction, Historical, Fiction, Religious, Love stories
ISBN: 9780307444745
Publisher: Random House, Inc.
Published: 2009-06-02T09:53:13+00:00

What could she say? The man was certifiable. First he stormed around like a bull in a china closet, then had the nerve to coerce her into a kiss.

Well, perhaps coerce wasn’t the correct term, but she neither expected it nor planned to allow it to happen again. And now he dared try and convince her to stay by promising the very thing she’d already decided she’d have to leave to find?

It was a lure she’d not take.

“A Wild West adventure in exchange for teaching your daughter to behave properly?” Gennie shook her head and took a step toward the door. “Impossible. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll pack my—”

Mr. Beck stepped between Gennie and the door. “Yes, do pack,” he said. “We leave tomorrow morning for Leadville.”

“Leadville?”

“You’ve heard of it, perhaps?”

Leadville was one of Mae Winslow’s favorites. The dime-novel heroine often chased bad guys through the streets of the city in the clouds and saved hapless miners from certain doom in places such as California Gulch and Beggars Alley.

“You’ve been made the offer,” he said. “I’ll also not promise you free rein with Charlotte. She’s my daughter—my only child—and I will guard her heart and her safety with my life. Do you understand?”

She did.

“In exchange for your cooperation, I will agree to allow you to take charge of Charlotte during those times when you are offering instruction or seeing to her daily routine.”

“You’re ignoring the fact that I’ve turned you down.”

Daniel Beck’s slow grin started with his eyes. “As I recall, you did not turn me down, Miss Cooper. And as for the job, you’ll accept.”

Heat rose in her cheeks. “You’re awfully confident, Mr. Beck.”

“I’ve reason to be,” he said, seemingly without shame. “Now, about this bargain.”

Her traitorous knees began to quake. “You’ll not interfere?” she asked as she attempted to stand straighter, taller, without giving evidence of her shaky foundation.

“I cannot promise.”

Gennie shrugged and pressed past him. “Then neither can I.”

He caught her wrist and hauled her back against him, then abruptly released her. “Perhaps you’re right. I can’t even be in the same room with you without—”

“Without?”

“Never mind.” Mr. Beck stepped back to allow her to walk out the door if she so chose. “I’ll not be reduced to begging, Miss Cooper. There are any number of young women who would love to take the position I’ve offered you. Sadly, they would be more interested in capturing me than tutoring Charlotte.”

“I cannot imagine why.”

He looked down at her, but she could not meet his stare. “Of course you can, Miss Cooper.”

Gennie let the statement hang between them, hoping her expression indicated an outrage she did not feel. He was right.

“While you do offer certain”—he paused—“temptations, I am not a man given to imposing myself on women who do not appreciate my advances. Though, I must point out, you’ve given ample evidence to support both sides of that case.” She opened her mouth to respond, but he held his hand up to silence her. “I am, however, a man who greatly dislikes the ridiculous cat-and-mouse game that is Denver society.

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