The Marshal Takes A Bride Read online

  She was going to kill Tucker Burnett. String him up and strip pieces of hide off of his muscular body while she slowly replayed this evening’s event for him.

  If Mr. Smith was an example of the men Tucker was going to find for her while she was here, she would just deal with Eugenia directly. She didn’t need the aggravation or the headaches someone like Mr. Smith had provided for her this evening.

  Finally she pushed back her chair and laid down her napkin. “That’s all I can eat.”

  “You didn’t clean your plate, so no dessert for you,” he said accusingly.

  “Don’t worry, I hadn’t planned on asking for any,” she said, clearly annoyed.

  How could she politely tell Mr. Smith to take whatever food was left and stuff it into any orifice that he chose?

  “You know, I’m rather tired, and I think it would be a good idea if we cut this night short,” she said, her smile frozen in place.

  “That’s fine.” He picked up the check and started adding and subtracting the dollar figure that the waitress had written on the bill.

  “Is there anything wrong?”

  “No. You spent over a dollar for your meal. Mine, which was the special, was only seventy-five cents,” he said, with a smile.

  “I insist on paying for my own,” Sarah said. The image of Tucker hanging suspended from a doorway, while she took perverse delight in torturing him, came to mind. He was going to pay dearly for introducing her to this man.

  “Oh, no. I’ll pay it.”

  They rose and walked to the door. Sarah was just about to start the somewhat short stroll back to her grandfather’s hotel when he spoke up.

  “It’s not safe for you to walk the streets of Fort Worth at night. I’ll take you back in my buggy.” “Thank you, that would be nice.”

  He helped her into his phaeton buggy and then stepped in and took the reins. “I saved a long time to buy this rig. And it cost a lot of money.”

  She smiled in the semidarkness. “I’m sure it did; it’s very nice.”

  Within a matter of moments they pulled up to the side of the hotel, and at first Sarah thought he meant to let her out here. She watched as he set the brake and then turned toward her.

  “I had a really enjoyable time tonight. I hope you did, too,” he said.

  “It’s been interesting,” she replied, thinking torture would still be too nice for Tucker.

  Before Sarah had time to prevent the little man, he pulled her into his embrace and planted his mouth on hers. Sarah was revolted as she opened her mouth to protest and he slid his tongue between her lips.

  She brought her arms up between them and pushed with all her strength, sending him sprawling back. Quickly, before he could object, she jumped from the rig and called, “You’re a rude man, Mr. Smith. Don’t call on me again!”

  As she walked up the wooden sidewalk, she shuddered with revulsion. Yes, slow, painful torture was exactly what Tucker needed, and she had just the right equipment to make it agonizing.

  Chapter Six

  Tucker showed up at Doc Wilson’s the next morning, curious as to how the meeting between the schoolteacher and the doctor went. If their get-together was successful, then he would have solved his problem with his mother, but somehow that didn’t excite him. And he was thrown off by the fact that he felt irritated and confused. He didn’t know if he liked Sarah seeing other men he knew or not. He had been unable to sleep last night, wondering about the two of them.

  All he really knew about the schoolteacher was the fact he was looking for a wife. And Tucker wanted Sarah to stay in Fort Worth. So why wouldn’t he want them to marry?

  Because the schoolteacher wasn’t good enough for Sarah.

  After several rapid knocks, she opened the door of the doctor’s clinic. When she saw it was him, she frowned.

  “Good morning,” he said, watching her expression.

  She stood in the door staring at him as though she wanted to shut the portal on him.

  “You know, I thought about you a lot last night. I kept having dreams of just how I’d like to use several of the tools in my amputation kit on you,” she said, a smile on her beautiful face that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “It’s a good thing that I’m a rational, sane woman or you’d be missing something vital this morning.”

  He smiled. “Was it that bad?”

  “Worse.” She stepped aside for him to enter the clinic. “Now I remember why I’d decided never to marry again, never to become involved with men anymore.”

  “You’re not quitting, are you?” he asked, anxious that she was giving up.

  “No, but have you ever considered introducing your mother to Mr. Smith? They would get along fabulously.”

  “He’s a little young for her, but I’ll keep him in mind,” he said, recalling the conversation with his brothers and their wives about finding someone for his mother.

  “So I guess he’s not a man you’d like to see a second time?” he asked, watching the way her skirts swung to the sway of her hips as she moved across the room to the desk.

  “Absolutely not, unless I can take along one of my saws to chop off his wayward hands,” she said matter-of-factly.

  Tucker felt the skin along the back of his neck tighten. “What are you saying? He’ll answer to me if he got out of line.”

  Sarah turned and gazed at him, a smirk on her face, shaking her head as if she couldn’t believe he was serious. “Your concern is duly noted. But I’m quite capable of taking care of myself. I handled the situation, and I will not be seeing that gentleman again, regardless of your mother.”

  He felt a sense of relief that disturbed him.

  “Well, I’ll start working on candidate number two, then,” he said reluctantly.

  Sarah nodded and then turned back toward her desk. “And who would that be?”

  “Don’t know yet. I’ve got someone in mind, but I have to talk to him.”

  She glanced at him, her expression serious. “Just make sure that he understands that I’m a doctor and I will be carrying my surgical instruments with me this time.”

  Tucker laughed as he glanced around the room. He wasn’t ready to go. He wanted to stay and be with Sarah. “Where’s Lucas?”

  She looked up from the desk and stared at Tucker. “He’s with Kira. Why?”

  “I haven’t seen him since that day over at the hotel, and I was wondering where he was. I kind of like the little guy,” he said, twirling his hat in his hands.

  He watched as she stared at him, a guarded expression on her face. “Kira has been watching him. The two of them get along great.”

  “That’s good. I’ve been asking around town, and so far all I’ve heard is that Wo Chan is looking for her. He hasn’t realized yet where she is.”

  Sarah sighed. “Good. Let’s hope it stays that way for a while.”

  Tucker knew that his business with Sarah was finished, but somehow he wasn’t in the mood to leave. He wanted to spend time with her, he didn’t want to go back to his office and read reports. He didn’t want to leave her here vulnerable, alone. But he knew she had work to do and he was disturbing her.

  On impulse he suddenly said, “I need to ride out to the ranch this afternoon. I was wondering if you’d like to go along. You could check on Rose and take back my mother’s veil.”

  Sarah glanced up at him. The soft pink dress she wore made the blue of her eyes shine brighter, and he thought he could become lost in her gaze as she stared at him.

  She was a danger to his wanderlust, yet he kept putting himself in the position of being with her.

  “We could take Lucas and Kira if you’d like,” he said, knowing that he was offering to take them, but somehow wishing they could be alone.

  He scolded himself for having that thought. He didn’t have any business being alone with Sarah. Already his thoughts spent way too much time thinking about the lovely young doctor and just how much he had enjoyed their night together.

  “That would be nice. I co
uld meet with Rose and try to squelch your mother’s enthusiasm for the two of us. I need to do some things around here. What time did you want to leave?” she asked. “I don’t think we’ll take Kira and Lucas. I don’t want Kira out where anyone can see her, and Lucas can stay with her.”

  “How about you meet me at the jail around one o’clock,” he said, suddenly excited at the idea of spending time alone with Sarah.

  “That’s fine. I’ll see you this afternoon.”

  “Don’t forget to lock up after I leave,” he warned as he walked out the door.

  “I won’t,” she said, once again returning to her paperwork.

  ***

  Sarah sat finishing her notes on the patients she had seen this morning, anticipating the afternoon with Tucker. She was nervous about leaving Lucas, but her grandfather was there in the hotel and would watch over the girl and the young boy. Sarah hated not being close enough that someone could find her if she was needed, but she should go out and check on Rose to make sure the woman’s pregnancy was progressing well.

  Plus she had this irrational fear that Eugenia would realize that Lucas was Tucker’s son. But how? She kept telling herself that her fears were not logical. How could the woman recognize her grandson if she had never seen him before? If she didn’t even know he existed? But Sarah wanted to postpone their meeting as long as possible.

  If Eugenia even suspected that Lucas was Tucker’s son, then Sarah might as well pack up and leave town now, for she would never have any peace if Eugenia found out the truth.

  Yet Tucker had seen Lucas, and he didn’t realize the boy was his son, though she had had a brief moment of panic this morning when he had asked about the child. She had been surprised at the question, and her heart had almost stopped beating when Tucker admitted to liking him.

  She didn’t need him paying attention to her son. She was frightened of him finding out the truth. But she was the only one who knew who Lucas’s father was.

  The door opened suddenly, and she glanced up as a Chinese man strolled through the portal without knocking. She had forgotten to lock the door.

  “Good morning, Doctor.”

  “How can I help you?” she politely asked, refusing to show fear, anxious that she knew who the man was and the reason he was here.

  “I’m looking for a young girl that was seen close to your office several days ago. A young Chinese girl with dark hair and eyes, about sixteen years of age.”

  Sarah stared at the beady-eyed man and considered his question. She felt no guilt at lying to him about Kira. He had mistreated her and would do so again. “I don’t recall seeing a young girl fitting that description around here.”

  “I’m offering a reward for her return,” he said, staring at Sarah as if he could read her mind. “If you should know of her whereabouts, I would like to find her.”

  Sarah shrugged and leaned back in her chair. “I’m sorry, I can’t help you.”

  He smiled, his eyes cold and impersonal. “I will be most unhappy with anyone who tries to keep me from her.”

  She took a deep breath to steady her nerves and nodded at the man. “I understand, Mr. . . .”

  “Wo Chan,” he acknowledged, bowing toward her.

  “I’ll let you know if I see her,” she said.

  “Thank you.” He headed out the door. “Good day.”

  “Good day,” she called.

  As soon as the door closed, she stood, crossed the room and bolted the door. With a reward being offered, it wouldn’t be long before the man found out where Kira was hiding.

  Her hands began to shake suddenly when she realized her son was in danger. The man ran an opium den, he had beaten a young girl and he wanted her back. This man was dangerous, and Sarah was now truly frightened by the seriousness of her situation.

  ***

  Tucker looked up as Sarah came rushing into his office, her face ashen.

  “You were right,” she said, breathless from running.

  “Twice in the same week, that’s got to be a record.” He grinned.

  She glared at him. Something was seriously wrong for her to completely lose her sense of humor.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Wo Chan came to see me this morning. He’s looking for Kira, and he wants her back.”

  Instantly Tucker grew serious. “He didn’t hurt you, did he?”

  “No. I lied to him and told him I hadn’t seen the girl. He’s offering a reward. He'll find out about her.”

  “What do you want to do?” Tucker asked. “Do you want to return her to him?”

  “I can’t,” Sarah said. “I gave her my word I would help her.”

  “We’ve got to get her out of your grandfather’s rooms. We’ve got to hide her.”

  She nodded slowly. “You’re right. Someone will turn her in just for the reward that’s being offered.”

  “We’ll move her to the ranch,” Tucker replied, knowing the buggy ride he had wanted alone with Sarah was not going to occur this afternoon. “I’ll bring the wagon over to the back of the hotel. We can hide Kira in the back of the wagon and then slip out of town.”

  “Thanks, Tucker. I knew you would know what to do, and I didn’t want to leave town without Lucas.”

  “Let’s get going.”

  They hurried out of the jail to the waiting wagon and drove around to the back of the El Paso Hotel.

  While Tucker stayed with the vehicle, Sarah went upstairs and brought down Kira and Lucas.

  “Momma. Go bye-bye?” Lucas asked, as she carried him to the waiting wagon.

  “Yes, son, we’re going to see a ranch, see the cows and horses,” Sarah told Lucas as she sat the boy in the middle of the empty seat. Tucker helped her up into the conveyance, his hand on her arm to steady her.

  Kira lay down in the back of the wagon, and Tucker covered her with a blanket.

  “Stay hidden until we reach the ranch,” he told the girl.

  She nodded. As he looked into her big, dark eyes that had green and black marks around them from where she had been hit, Tucker shuddered to think what the girl must have gone through. He admired Sarah for the strength of her actions, but he worried for her safety. Wo Chan would not take the disappearance of one of his whores lightly.

  Tucker stepped up into the wagon and unwrapped the reins from the brake handle.

  “Giddy up!” he called to the team of horses, and they pulled away from the hotel.

  He glanced over at Sarah and enjoyed the way the wind teased wisps of hair away from her face. She had her arm about her son and a smile on her face as they headed out of town.

  The memory of her head thrown back in passion, her blue eyes dilated and glassy as she called out his name, returned, slamming him with a sense of longing he didn’t think he could deny. He swallowed and watched her as she buttoned Lucas’s jacket to keep the chill out and wished that he could feel the cold air instead of this inner heat that raged within him.

  God, if he could experience being in her arms just once more, just lie holding her one more night and feel the passion they had known, surely then he would have gotten his fill and could leave these memories behind once and for all.

  Tucker swallowed and glanced over at the woman he had known all these years. “What does your grandfather think about you staying in town and filling in for Doc Wilson?”

  “He wishes I would move back. He keeps telling me that Lucas needs a male figure in his life, and since it doesn’t look like I’m ever going to remarry, then it has to be him,” she said, shaking her head.

  “You don’t agree?” Tucker asked.

  “Lucas is a toddler. A father figure is nice to have, but right now I’m the most important person in his life. Eventually he will need a man, but not now.” Tucker flicked the reins, urging the horses to go faster as they pulled away from town. “See, I’m telling you, if you married one of these men I’m introducing you to, then you’d have a father for Lucas, you could stay here in Fort Worth and you’d have a man
in your life again.”

  “What makes you think I need a man in my life?” she asked.

  “Well, it certainly couldn’t hurt. You’re beautiful; you’re young. Don’t you want more children?”

  “Sure I’d like more children, but not at the expense of my freedom,” she said. “Why do I need a man? I have control of my life, I have my son and I have my practice. What more do I need?”

  “Most women want love, a little romance.”

  She nodded. “Most women. But I’m not like most women, and if I require those things, I could have them without marriage.”

  “Oh,” he said, stunned. So she didn’t want to marry for love? He was confused. Didn’t all women want to marry, settle down and have children? Wasn’t that exactly what he was running from?

  If passion was all she wanted, then maybe she would agree to share his bed one more time. Maybe they could experience the delight he remembered so vividly between them once again.

  The countryside passed by for several miles without either one of them saying anything. Kira lay in the back with the blanket covering her face, while Lucas laid his head in his mother’s lap and slept the time away.

  “You know, Sarah, you’re a unique woman.”

  She glanced at him. “I guess I am different.”

  “Most women would have joined forces with my mother to get me to the altar, but not you. So why aren’t you helping my mother?”

  She stared at him. “Tucker, at one time in our life, I wanted to marry you. But you didn’t want to get married then, and you obviously still don’t want to marry. So why in the world would I want to force myself on someone who doesn’t want me? What kind of life would that be?”

  “You wanted to marry me?” he asked, surprised.

  “Once. But now, now you don’t strike me as the marrying kind. You’ve got that wandering bug, and I’ve got a son I have to think of. We’re friends, nothing more.”

  He glanced at her to see if she was telling him the truth or just speaking words that he wanted to hear. She gazed back at him, her blue eyes never wavering from his face.