Western Kisses – Old West Christmas Romances (Boxed Set) (43 page)

Rosalie leaned forward across the table. “I didn’t try to break our engagement. I
did
break our engagement and I have no intention of reestablishing it.”

Winslow’s eyes narrowed. “It’s that man, isn’t it? I knew there was something between you.”

She straightened in her seat. “I owe you no explanations of any kind. We are not engaged or even courting.”

Winslow grabbed her arm. “Rosalie, you are making a mistake.”

Rosalie gasped as his fingers bit into her sleeve and she tried to pull free. “Let go of me.”

Winslow released her. “You need to understand. You must return with me to Boston.”

Rosalie fought to control her rising temper. “I’ll return to Boston in my own time. You are in no position to dictate to me.”

“I am your future husband. That absolutely—”

“You are
not
my future husband or my anything,” she hissed, surprising herself. She'd been raised not to show her anger.

Winslow wore an ugly, determined look. “I am not going to argue with you about this. We will collect your things and you can say your goodbyes.”

Rosalie saw nothing of the man she once loved in Winslow at this moment. Perhaps he had never been that man. She didn’t care to argue with him anymore, so she simply said, “No.”

A crazed look passed through Winslow’s eyes and then was gone. “You are coming with me if I have to drag you bodily the whole way.”

Rosalie gasped. “You can’t do that.”

“Watch me. I’ll tell everyone you’re my wayward fiancée I’ve come to take home. Who do you think they’ll believe?”

Rosalie put her hand to her temple. Her head ached. “I don’t understand. Why are you being so hateful?”

Winslow’s lips thinned but he didn’t respond.

It crossed Rosalie’s mind to try to dissuade him another way. “I must tell you, Winslow. In all honesty, I’m no longer chaste.”

Winslow sneered. “I always suspected you were a whore at heart, but I don’t care.”

Rosalie went white and her fingernails pressed into the table.

“I worked very hard to court you. I’m looking forward to the financial ease our marriage will bring. I’m not giving that up.”

“Financial ease?”

“I have debts, Rosalie. Your dowry will go a long way toward satisfying my creditors.”

“You want to marry me for my money?” She’d always understood that Winslow was financially successful. He’d managed to fool everyone about the state of his finances, apparently.

“It’s for you as well. We’ll purchase a larger house and hire a staff. You’ll be out from under your mother’s control. Your family connections will help me build my business even bigger. We can have a very comfortable life.”

“I’d rather be under my mother’s control than yours.”

“Regardless, you don’t have a choice. Perhaps we should get married here, or maybe in Denver. Then we can travel as man and wife. That might be better,” he mused. “When we get back to Boston, our elopement will be a romantic story.”

“You’re mad. I’ll never marry you.” Rosalie turned to stand, but Winslow grabbed her wrist.

“I don’t think you quite understand. I was willing to make a romantic gesture to win you back. Since I see that isn’t going to work, I’m going to need to be a bit more insistent.”

“Romantic gesture?” Rosalie struggled to pull her hand free, but Winslow merely tightened his grip.

“Telling you I was going to give up my mistress.”

“You weren’t even being truthful, were you?”

“Of course not. I would never let my wife dictate to me.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Rosalie saw Lucas and Garrett approach the table.

Garrett took in Winslow’s hand clasped around Rosalie’s wrist. “I think you’re going to want to let go of her.”

Winslow tugged at his collar with his free hand. “Rosalie is not herself. I’m here to take her back home to her parents.”

“She’s not going anywhere she doesn’t care to go. Rosalie, do you want to leave?” Garrett asked.

“No!” she burst out.

Winslow cleared his throat. “I know what’s best for her and her parents are counting on me to save her from herself. What gently bred woman runs off across the country by herself? She’s lucky not to have come to a bad end.”

Garrett grabbed Winslow’s shoulder. The pressure he applied made Winslow wince and release Rosalie. “Lucas, maybe Rosalie would like to see Audra and the baby, as she intended.”

Lucas held out his hand and Rosalie grasped it like an anchor in a storm as he whisked her away out of the hotel.

Winslow stood. “You will be sorry you interfered in my business. It will make no difference in the end.”

“Here in Cascade Creek we don’t allow people to come in and harass our citizens.” Garrett’s statement held an implied threat.

“Rosalie is hardly a resident. She’s from Boston and I need to get her back there immediately—for her own peace of mind.”

Garrett’s eyes flashed. “I do believe every word that passes your lips is a lie.”

“How dare you!”

“I dare. I absolutely dare. I’ll tell you what else. As marshal of Cascade Creek, I’m telling you to leave town and not come back.”

Winslow shook his index finger and then poked it into Garrett’s chest. “You, sir, are abusing your authority.”

Garrett knocked Winslow’s hand away none too gently. “Nope, I’m surely not. Things are a bit different out here. Now you can leave peaceably or we can do this the hard way.”

“I will not be leaving without Rosalie.”

“I see you want to do it the hard way. I hoped you’d say that.” Garrett grabbed Winslow’s arm and twisted it tightly behind his back, pushing him toward the exit.

Winslow cried out, “Unhand me! Help!”

The hotel clerk waved as Garrett walked Winslow through the lobby and out onto the street.

“Now, I’m going to escort you to the stagecoach and put you inside. Are you going to go quietly or do I need to bind your hands?” Garrett held Winslow in front of him.

“I demand you cease at once!” Winslow struggled in vain to pull free.

“You are not to show your face in Cascade Creek again or even the Colorado Territory. If I hear you’ve come back, you’ll have me to answer to.”

“You can’t do this!” Winslow protested, his face flushed with exertion.

“I
am
doing it.” Garrett pushed Winslow along the sidewalk toward the stagecoach, which was readying for the return trip to Denver. “You are going to get on this stagecoach. You are going to board the train in Denver. Once you cross out of the Colorado Territory, you do what you want.”

“This is outrageous!” Winslow sputtered.

“It is, isn’t it?” Garrett laughed. “I’m going to wire ahead and have you escorted from the stage to the train, so don’t even think you aren’t going.” Garrett pushed Winslow into the stagecoach and Winslow stumbled, landing on the floor. Tipping his hat to the driver, Garrett said, “Make sure this one makes it all the way to Denver. Someone will take him off your hands there.”

“No problem, Marshal,” the driver responded.

Winslow stuck his head out the window and the driver palmed the gun on his hip meaningfully.

Garrett turned away without a further word and strolled down the sidewalk toward the telegraph office.

Rosalie sat stiffly in the chair next to the bed, trying to listen as Audra recounted everything that had happened. Worry for Garrett consumed her, and she couldn’t maintain her attention on Audra’s story.

Lucas patted Rosalie on the arm. “Don’t you worry. Garrett will take care of everything.”

“What’s this? Audra asked.

“Winslow is here,” Rosalie revealed. She shuddered at the memories of his hand encircling her wrist and his insistent demand that she return with him to Boston.

Audra adjusted her blanket. “Land sakes, that silly man made the trip out here for nothing. He couldn’t possibly think you cared to see him.”

Rosalie grimaced. “He did, actually.”

Lucas pressed a kiss to Audra’s forehead. “Garrett will set him straight. Have no fears about that.”

A loud wail came from the cradle and Audra gestured to the crying baby. “I think little Frank is hungry.” The baby was named for Audra’s father.

Lucas lifted the baby gently and placed him in Audra’s arms.

“Do you want privacy?” Rosalie knew about the nursing of babies but she’d certainly never seen it.

“It’s quite all right,” Audra responded as she adjusted her clothing so Frank could nurse.

The intimacy of the act startled Rosalie. “When will you come home?”

“I think tomorrow, if the weather holds.”

That meant one more night with Garrett. One more set of memories to hold her in her heart.

~*~

Garrett fed the fire a few pieces of wood. “The Blakes will likely be home tomorrow.”

“Yes,” Rosalie answered.

“I wanted …” Garrett hesitated. “I bought you a Christmas gift. May I give it to you now?”

Rosalie held her breath as Garrett produced a package. “I didn’t get you anything.”

“Don’t let it concern you. Besides, Christmas doesn’t work that way.”

Rosalie turned the package over in her hands. It was heavy, covered in plain brown paper and secured with a string.

“Go ahead. Open it.”

Rosalie slipped the string off and carefully unwrapped the paper, revealing a three-piece vanity set. Rosalie looked into the polished mirror and saw the suspicious brightness in her eyes. She turned the brush over and admired the intricate design on the back, which matched the mirror. She touched the matching comb. “Garrett, it’s so beautiful. Thank you.”

“When I saw it, it reminded me of you. Something beautiful yet strong.”

~*~

Later that night, Rosalie lay in Garrett’s arms, mesmerized by the fire. She wanted to savor every last second of their time together.

“Rosalie, are you going back to Boston?” Garrett asked.

She lifted her head. “To Winslow? You know I’m not.”

“No. I mean back to your parents—to your life there.” His hand stroked her hair.

“I don’t know. It’s hard to imagine now.” Boston and her life there seemed like a distant memory.

“I know it’s been hard for you here.”

“Yes.” Rosalie didn’t bother to deny it. “But it’s been good, too. I know I can rely on myself. I know I can make my own way if I have to.”

“You know, you don’t have to. Sometimes things are a little easier if you have someone to share the burden.”

“That’s true.” Rosalie clasped his forearm in her hand. She loved the play of the muscles under his skin.

Garrett cleared his throat. “Rosalie, I want to ask you something.”

She turned her face to him.

He traced her eyebrow with his fingertip. “I want to ask you to stay in Cascade Creek.”

“Stay?”

“Permanently.”

“I—”

Garrett continued in a rush of words. “I know my being a lawman scares you, but no one can ever make any guarantees, can they?”

“No—”

He pressed his finger to her lips before she finished. “I can provide for you. I know a marshal’s pay isn’t much, but I have a ranch south of here where my brother and I run cattle.”

Rosalie grasped his hand. “Garrett—”

“I can’t imagine being without you now, Rosalie. I want you to be my wife.”

Rosalie smiled. “If you’d let me get a word in, you’d know that’s what I want, too.” Her eyes sparkled with love and promise for the future.

AnnMarie Oakes spends her days dreaming and her nights writing off into the sunset.

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