Trailblazer by Anna Schmidt

Author:Anna Schmidt
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Published: 2018-12-10T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 10

Nick was worried.

On their wedding night, he’d gotten so caught up in the thrill of making love to Grace, he’d completely forgotten his intention to pull away in time. What if she was with child? She’d have to admit to the secret marriage and would lose her job. The money she’d budgeted for her family would stop. The two of them would have to make do with his wages, and he could barely afford the bank payments on the property, much less provide for a wife and child.

If there is a baby.

In his zeal to return to Grace as soon as possible, he worked extra hours to finish the business Mr. Lombard had sent him to do in California, and after just two weeks, he had everything the boss needed. He wired his employer and got permission to come on home on the next train. He arrived on Friday night, and the first stop he made was at the hotel.

“They’ve gone to the Perkins’ place,” Jake told him.

“They?”

“Grace, Emma, and Lily. Miss K made the arrangements. Something about Mrs. Perkins needing their help to plan some tea or something.” He edged a little closer to Nick and lowered his voice. “If you ask me, the whole business is a setup to protect Grace.”

Nick felt his throat tighten. “From what?”

“From who is more like it. Perkins has been giving Grace the business every day since you left.”

“And she’s there? In his house?”

“With Emma and Lily and his wife. Calm down, Nick. It’s all handled.”

“What time did they leave?”

“You just missed them. They walked over to the bank. Perkins thinks it’ll just be him and Grace, but he’s in for a surprise.” Jake chuckled. “I’d sure like to be a fly on the wall for that.”

Nick considered his options. It was a little after seven. If the girls were meeting with the banker’s wife, then it was likely they’d walk back to the hotel around nine. He had time to get a shave and a shower and make himself presentable. Then he’d just happen to be walking by the Perkins house when they were ready to leave. Perkins would most likely volunteer to walk the girls back to the hotel, hoping to get his chance alone with Grace. It seemed to Nick that Jasper Perkins might be in for more than one unwelcome surprise this night.

He told Jake his plan, and his friend grinned. “I got a better idea,” Jake said. “What if we tell Perkins we saw some ruffians hanging out at the saloon the ladies would have to pass on their way back? What if you, me, and maybe Aidan Campbell showed up, knocked on the door, and said we’d come to see the ladies safely home?”

Nick grinned. “I like the way you think, Jake.”

Jake shrugged. “Not just good with running a proper kitchen, cowboy.”

Nick left to get cleaned up and changed while Jake went to find Aidan and tell him the plan. At eight thirty, the three men

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