about listening to every word.
“Neither did you, but thanks to Miss McCrae everyone thinks you did,” he said, his face red, and then he added bluntly, “The whole town knows I bared you and switched you last evening in the stable. I shouldn’t have done that, Lucy, but I did, and I did it because it was the right thing to do. Now I need to face up to the consequences of my actions. I compromised you, and unless you marry me no one in town will give you the time of day. That is unacceptable to me.”
“But, you haven’t done anything wrong, Henry. I don’t want you to marry me out of a sense of obligation. I was the one who came here and turned your world upside down… and I am terribly sorry I did that. I freely admit I was wrong about you; you were kind to take care of me last night, but nothing happened… and you don’t have to marry me.”
“No, I don’t have to marry you, Lucy, but I want to,” Henry shocked himself by admitting. “I was too damn hard on you last night, and so was Mac. I know that nothing of a physical nature happened, but I feel more for you than I do normally for any patient. I like having you with me, and I swear the reason I was so hard on you with that switching was because I care what happens to you. It’s more reason for getting married than some folks have, and I knew damn well what folks would think if I kept you all night. I put you in a bad light, and I want to make it right. Will you marry me, Lucy? I vow I will treat you right.”
“It is so tempting to tell you yes, but…”
“Then say yes and trust me to make it all right, Lucy.” Henry didn’t know why he felt so strongly on the subject, but he did. He wanted the pretty young woman tied to him so she couldn’t leave him and so he could keep her safe from the rest of the world; a world that included her unfeeling father, cold mother, disapproving Miss McCrae, and the Apache threatening them all.
A few minutes later it was done and Lucinda had no idea why she agreed to marry Henry, but she had. It meant she would be staying in Snowfall, and she would be Henry’s wife. Now what did she do?
Henry seemed to have no trouble deciding. He marched her over to his former father-in-law’s store and took the time to introduce her to the man as his new wife. “I wanted you to hear it from me first, sir,” he added with respect for the man.
“Marilynn would be happy for you, son, and so am I. I knew you would do the honorable thing by this young lady.”
Henry then picked out a wedding band to place on Lucinda’s finger, kissing her as he found the one he liked best, making the customers in the store stop and stare at them. Then he winked and whispered, “Come on, Lucy, give the town something to talk about besides the Apache.”
Lucinda giggled in spite of herself, but when Mac entered the store, she moved to stand behind Henry, expecting him to protect her just in case Mac decided to put his hand to her, too.
“I see you found the lady?” Mac had his hands on his hips as he looked down at Lucinda.
“I found her and she agreed to marry me, Mac. Congratulations are in order.”
“I hope you let her know she needs to stay out of the saloons?” Mac asked.
“Not yet, but that discussion will be in private,” he replied, and then added, “Lucy won’t need a job now.”
“You’d better treat her right, DocZ,” Mac threatened his friend. “You can’t be spanking her every five minutes, either,” he warned before smiling at Lucinda. “If he gives you trouble, Lucy, you just come and see me and I’ll take care of you.”
“And who is going to protect me from you, Sheriff?” she asked, feeling brave with Henry in front of her.
Mac laughed heartily, and was about to say something when there was a commotion outside in the street. Mac turned and hurried to see what was wrong, and Henry was right behind him.
“You’d best stay here, honey, until we
“Neither did you, but thanks to Miss McCrae everyone thinks you did,” he said, his face red, and then he added bluntly, “The whole town knows I bared you and switched you last evening in the stable. I shouldn’t have done that, Lucy, but I did, and I did it because it was the right thing to do. Now I need to face up to the consequences of my actions. I compromised you, and unless you marry me no one in town will give you the time of day. That is unacceptable to me.”
“But, you haven’t done anything wrong, Henry. I don’t want you to marry me out of a sense of obligation. I was the one who came here and turned your world upside down… and I am terribly sorry I did that. I freely admit I was wrong about you; you were kind to take care of me last night, but nothing happened… and you don’t have to marry me.”
“No, I don’t have to marry you, Lucy, but I want to,” Henry shocked himself by admitting. “I was too damn hard on you last night, and so was Mac. I know that nothing of a physical nature happened, but I feel more for you than I do normally for any patient. I like having you with me, and I swear the reason I was so hard on you with that switching was because I care what happens to you. It’s more reason for getting married than some folks have, and I knew damn well what folks would think if I kept you all night. I put you in a bad light, and I want to make it right. Will you marry me, Lucy? I vow I will treat you right.”
“It is so tempting to tell you yes, but…”
“Then say yes and trust me to make it all right, Lucy.” Henry didn’t know why he felt so strongly on the subject, but he did. He wanted the pretty young woman tied to him so she couldn’t leave him and so he could keep her safe from the rest of the world; a world that included her unfeeling father, cold mother, disapproving Miss McCrae, and the Apache threatening them all.
A few minutes later it was done and Lucinda had no idea why she agreed to marry Henry, but she had. It meant she would be staying in Snowfall, and she would be Henry’s wife. Now what did she do?
Henry seemed to have no trouble deciding. He marched her over to his former father-in-law’s store and took the time to introduce her to the man as his new wife. “I wanted you to hear it from me first, sir,” he added with respect for the man.
“Marilynn would be happy for you, son, and so am I. I knew you would do the honorable thing by this young lady.”
Henry then picked out a wedding band to place on Lucinda’s finger, kissing her as he found the one he liked best, making the customers in the store stop and stare at them. Then he winked and whispered, “Come on, Lucy, give the town something to talk about besides the Apache.”
Lucinda giggled in spite of herself, but when Mac entered the store, she moved to stand behind Henry, expecting him to protect her just in case Mac decided to put his hand to her, too.
“I see you found the lady?” Mac had his hands on his hips as he looked down at Lucinda.
“I found her and she agreed to marry me, Mac. Congratulations are in order.”
“I hope you let her know she needs to stay out of the saloons?” Mac asked.
“Not yet, but that discussion will be in private,” he replied, and then added, “Lucy won’t need a job now.”
“You’d better treat her right, DocZ,” Mac threatened his friend. “You can’t be spanking her every five minutes, either,” he warned before smiling at Lucinda. “If he gives you trouble, Lucy, you just come and see me and I’ll take care of you.”
“And who is going to protect me from you, Sheriff?” she asked, feeling brave with Henry in front of her.
Mac laughed heartily, and was about to say something when there was a commotion outside in the street. Mac turned and hurried to see what was wrong, and Henry was right behind him.
“You’d best stay here, honey, until we
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