Read Online The Marshal's Rebellious Bride by Starla Kaye - Free Book Online

breeze teased her legs. Still, even as hot it was, she
was happy to be home. She missed Aunt Mae, but she’d also missed the ranch a
great deal.
    Her gaze took in the miles of land that the Wakefield
Ranch encompassed. Good land. Acres and acres of rolling grass land, a fair
chunk of river running along the west side, strong, solid buildings built with
only a small portion of their father’s wealth. Yes, this was a ranch to be
proud of.
    Then she thought of Morgan, God’s most pigheaded man
ever.
    She pursed her lips in disgust. She only owned a
fourth of the property. He owned half. And Brandy still owned a fourth, but her
brothers—and Morgan—were certain she would send a wire any day now
saying she’d sell her shares to Morgan as well. The idea of
her twin sister going against her hurt. Twins should stick together.
Twins should know how each other felt. But that had never been fully true with
them. In so many ways they were complete opposites. She just didn’t know what
Brandy would decide in this instance, and, in truth, her brothers couldn’t know
either. None of them had seen their sister in over two years.
    The sound of wheels rolling along the gravel road
leading from town carried over the grassy area and lured her back to the
present. When she spotted the wild hat with enormous flowers on the wide brim,
she hurried toward the road. She waved her arms and smiled to get her friend’s
attention. “Camelia! Camelia, stop!”
    Her closest friend in the whole world jerked on the
reins so hard she nearly caused the carriage to tip over. She didn’t seem at
all concerned about the near disaster—used to going from one disaster to
another—and jumped to the ground, barely missing falling flat on her
face. Righting herself, the petite woman ran with outspread arms toward her.
“Oh, Whiskey, I’ve missed you something awful!”
    Within seconds both of them were crying in happiness
as they embraced. Camelia hugged her so tight she had trouble breathing, but
she didn’t care. “I’ve missed you too,” she managed to squeak out.
    Camelia stepped back and looked hurt. “Why didn’t you
come see me yesterday? I had to hear from my father that you’d come back to
town.”
    Whiskey worried her lower lip for a second, blushed
and said, “Everything was a little out of my control.”
    Camelia snorted. “A little? I heard you flew to town
in a balloon.” She sounded both stunned and amused. “At first when my father
told me, I didn’t believe him. Then I thought about it and knew that if anyone
would ever do such a wild thing, it would be you.”
    “Well…”
    “You haven’t changed at all, have you? Thank heavens,”
Camelia prepared to hug her again.
    Whiskey resisted being crushed once more. “My brothers
had hoped differently. They’d hoped that my spending time
with Aunt Mae would, I don’t know , somehow make me
less daring . More proper, like Brandy…or like you.”
    Camelia blinked. “Like me? Why in the world would they
want you to be like me ? I’m mousy, too shy most of the time , everyone
says so . I can barely get a man to even notice me, especially not…” She
clamped her mouth shut and looked down at her feet.
    Feeling annoyed with her oldest brother all over
again, Whiskey moved to take Camelia in her arms for a commissary hug. “Believe
me, Camelia Sanderson, you can do far better than the likes of Taos Wakefield.”
    “But he’s so…well, so handsome. So smart, too.”
Camelia gave one quiet sniffle and then pulled away. “Never mind about my sorry
life. It is what it is.”
    She looked steadily at Whiskey and smiled. “Gossip has
it that you’ll be getting married soon. To your brother’s partner, Marshal
Morgan Rydell.” She smiled wistfully. “I’ve seen him around town. There isn’t a
woman in the area who doesn’t feel a flutter in her
breast at just the sight of him. Of course they’re all scared right down to
their wobbly knees of him, too.”
    Now she worried