Read Online Sleigh Bells & Mistletoe: A Short Story (The Brides Series 1.5) by Lena Goldfinch - Free Book Online Page A

bowed his head, trying to gather himself. There at Annie’s feet he saw what she’d been drawing in the dirt, a picture. It was a sketch of Mae and the puppy. Simple lines, but a real picture. Impressive for having done it with just her finger and a bunch of dirt.
    She wants me to protect the dog , he realized, not her . She’d been hovering over that dog the whole time, not just watching Mae. She saw something earlier—she must have. She didn’t like the way this man handled his animal.
    The rancher yanked on the leash again, this time so hard the puppy fell sideways in the dirt. The man reeled it in closer, muttering.
    “Drop the leash.” Jem held himself together with icy calm.
    “What did you say?” The rancher halted and squinted at Jem, clearly not used to being challenged. He had money. That was clear from how readily he’d taken out his wad of bills and paid the preacher. He was used to people listening to him. Liked to throw his weight around. Liked playing boss. That kind of man.
    A man like him didn’t deserve a dog.
    A man like him didn’t deserve a wife .
    Although, a man like him—wealthy, in his mid-forties or early-fifties, it looked like—probably already had a wife.
    It was possible.
    Which meant, possibly, he hadn’t just married Annie. Not legally, anyway.
    Which meant, possibly, he had plans for her that had nothing to do with being married or faithful. Things that didn’t bear thinking about.
    Jem couldn’t know for sure.
    But it was enough to make him doubt.
    “I said ‘drop the leash.’”
    “Listen, mister,” the rancher said, his eyes going mean. “I don’t want any trouble with you.”
    “Why? Because I’m bigger and can fight back?” It was a guess, but Jem had the satisfaction of seeing his words hit home.
    The rancher took a step toward him, bristling.
    The preacher hovered near his satchel with an anxious expression, as if he’d just swallowed a wasp.
    Jem glanced at Mae, wishing he could protect her from sights like this. Wishing she was far away. Annie had scooped her up and was holding his daughter’s face pressed into her shoulder. Good.
    “I’m taking the dog,” Jem told the rancher coolly. He pulled money out of his pocket before the man could say anything else. Jem handed him a bill that made his eyes widen, and, before he could say anything, slid the leash from his senseless fingers. Jem didn’t shy away from making himself look as big and as intimidating as possible, which might’ve helped. Then he turned to the preacher and asked, “What did he give you? How much?”
    The preacher swallowed and named a number.
    It was high, enough to make Jem raise his brows, but not enough to make him stop.
    “I’m taking her too. I’ll give you twice what he paid,” Jem told the preacher. “Just give him the money back.”
    “What?” he stared at Jem blankly, his face going faintly green.
    “If you won’t I will.”
    “But—but they’re married. All proper and legal.”
    “Oh really?” Jem asked. “Seems like a married man can’t have two wives.”
    “Who says I’m married?” the rancher protested. He put on quite a show, but Jem wasn’t convinced. Didn’t matter anyway.
    “I say you are.” Jem took the paper from the man’s hand and ripped it into pieces. The wind took them away, blowing them down the street like tiny white leaves
    “Hey!” The rancher shoved Jem. He fisted his hands, ready to fight.
    Jem held him off. “Give him back his money,” he practically barked at the preacher, losing his patience fast.
    The preacher swallowed and stuck his hand out, the wad of bills outstretched. The man subsided all of a sudden, perhaps thinking it wasn’t worth his effort anymore—something that had perhaps only been an amusement to him. He took the bills from the preacher, his gaze hard on Jem the whole time.
    “That’s right. Good. Now get us a new paper, preacher,” Jem said. It was the last thing he wanted to do, but what choice did he