Read Online His Bewildering Bride (The Brides of Paradise Ranch - Spicy Version Book 3) by Merry Farmer - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Merry Farmer
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deal with his brother’s awkwardness around Wendy.
“Thank you,” Wendy answered Emma with all the grace of a city lady. That, at least, put a smile on Travis’s face.
“I heard that a seamstress was coming to marry Cody Montrose,” Katie added in her lilting, Irish accent. “Though I don’t suppose things worked out quite as they were planned.” She laughed.
Emma flushed, anxious eyes darting between Katie and Wendy.
Wendy just smiled. “Things worked out well, regardless.”
Travis let out a sigh of relief. He had no idea how women communicated delicate little things like moods and teasing to each other, but it was clear from the way all three women relaxed that there were no hard feelings.
“Oh, you know who you should meet?” Katie brushed on. “Estelle Tremaine. Estelle!” She raised her voice and her arms to wave at Graham Tremaine’s wife across the room.
Travis craned his neck to see exactly where his friends, Graham and Estelle, were standing. In the process of searching, he stumbled across Rex Bonneville, staring at him with narrowed eyes from a spot near the front of the church. Bonneville was surrounded by his daughters—Vivian, Melinda, and Bebe preening and flirting with whatever young gentlemen made the mistake of getting too close, and Honoria, standing with her head bowed and her hands clasped in front of her—but he broke away from them and started toward Travis as soon as their eyes met.
“Oh, boy,” Travis murmured under his breath.
The ladies were chattering away, Estelle and Graham were heading in their direction, so Travis took the opportunity to step far enough to the side that by the time Bonneville reached him, he wouldn’t make a scene and disturb the others.
“I’ve heard about your shocking lapse of judgment,” Bonneville growled, without so much as an introduction, as soon as he reached Travis.
“What can I do for you, Mr. Bonneville?” Travis replied, resting his hands on his hips and standing straight and proud.
Bonneville moved closer and lowered his voice. “Frankly, I was appalled to hear that someone like you, with a reputation for responsibility, would up and marry a—” He called Wendy a name that left Travis seething with offense. Bonneville neither noticed his reaction nor cared. “But I am willing to overlook that obscenity, as long as she keeps a low profile and doesn’t bring disgrace to my name or that of my ranch.”
Through clenched jaw, Travis asked, “What are you talking about?”
“Don’t play innocent with me.” Bonneville narrowed his eyes. “Most ranchers would withdraw their offer of employment if they knew what kind of a wife went along with the deal.”
“And you? Are you withdrawing your offer?” The idea didn’t bother Travis as much as he expected it should. Then again, with Luke already settled into the job he had vacated, if Bonneville dropped him, what did Travis have to go back to?
A few of his friends were glancing in his direction, their looks questioning.
“I said I was willing to overlook the matter.” Bonneville’s smile was tight. “As long as certain conditions are met.”
“Conditions?” Travis hated the sound of that. He ground his back teeth, searching his mind for a smooth way to get out of the deal. But, dammit, he’d already more or less locked himself in, whether Bonneville knew it or not. Now more than ever. After all, he had Wendy to think about. She was a fine woman who had lived in a city. It was as like as not that she was upset because she’d figured out she was hitched to a man with callouses on his hands and dirt under his nails. He wouldn’t be worthy of her until he’d bought his own land and started his own ranch.
“I don’t want you parading that wife of yours around,” Bonneville went on, blessedly quiet. “I’m offering you double what Haskell paid you and a cabin on my property in exchange for certain…loyalties.”
“What loyalties?” An itch ran down
“Thank you,” Wendy answered Emma with all the grace of a city lady. That, at least, put a smile on Travis’s face.
“I heard that a seamstress was coming to marry Cody Montrose,” Katie added in her lilting, Irish accent. “Though I don’t suppose things worked out quite as they were planned.” She laughed.
Emma flushed, anxious eyes darting between Katie and Wendy.
Wendy just smiled. “Things worked out well, regardless.”
Travis let out a sigh of relief. He had no idea how women communicated delicate little things like moods and teasing to each other, but it was clear from the way all three women relaxed that there were no hard feelings.
“Oh, you know who you should meet?” Katie brushed on. “Estelle Tremaine. Estelle!” She raised her voice and her arms to wave at Graham Tremaine’s wife across the room.
Travis craned his neck to see exactly where his friends, Graham and Estelle, were standing. In the process of searching, he stumbled across Rex Bonneville, staring at him with narrowed eyes from a spot near the front of the church. Bonneville was surrounded by his daughters—Vivian, Melinda, and Bebe preening and flirting with whatever young gentlemen made the mistake of getting too close, and Honoria, standing with her head bowed and her hands clasped in front of her—but he broke away from them and started toward Travis as soon as their eyes met.
“Oh, boy,” Travis murmured under his breath.
The ladies were chattering away, Estelle and Graham were heading in their direction, so Travis took the opportunity to step far enough to the side that by the time Bonneville reached him, he wouldn’t make a scene and disturb the others.
“I’ve heard about your shocking lapse of judgment,” Bonneville growled, without so much as an introduction, as soon as he reached Travis.
“What can I do for you, Mr. Bonneville?” Travis replied, resting his hands on his hips and standing straight and proud.
Bonneville moved closer and lowered his voice. “Frankly, I was appalled to hear that someone like you, with a reputation for responsibility, would up and marry a—” He called Wendy a name that left Travis seething with offense. Bonneville neither noticed his reaction nor cared. “But I am willing to overlook that obscenity, as long as she keeps a low profile and doesn’t bring disgrace to my name or that of my ranch.”
Through clenched jaw, Travis asked, “What are you talking about?”
“Don’t play innocent with me.” Bonneville narrowed his eyes. “Most ranchers would withdraw their offer of employment if they knew what kind of a wife went along with the deal.”
“And you? Are you withdrawing your offer?” The idea didn’t bother Travis as much as he expected it should. Then again, with Luke already settled into the job he had vacated, if Bonneville dropped him, what did Travis have to go back to?
A few of his friends were glancing in his direction, their looks questioning.
“I said I was willing to overlook the matter.” Bonneville’s smile was tight. “As long as certain conditions are met.”
“Conditions?” Travis hated the sound of that. He ground his back teeth, searching his mind for a smooth way to get out of the deal. But, dammit, he’d already more or less locked himself in, whether Bonneville knew it or not. Now more than ever. After all, he had Wendy to think about. She was a fine woman who had lived in a city. It was as like as not that she was upset because she’d figured out she was hitched to a man with callouses on his hands and dirt under his nails. He wouldn’t be worthy of her until he’d bought his own land and started his own ranch.
“I don’t want you parading that wife of yours around,” Bonneville went on, blessedly quiet. “I’m offering you double what Haskell paid you and a cabin on my property in exchange for certain…loyalties.”
“What loyalties?” An itch ran down
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