Thimbles And Thistles (Baker City Brides Book 2) Page 20

  After Tully and the deputy took possession of the stolen money, they turned their horses and headed toward town. Tully rode on one side of Maggie with Thane on the other. Ian wasn’t sure how the two men maneuvered to keep him away from her, but somehow they had.

  “You two spent the night in the gang’s cabin?” Thane asked in a casual tone.

  Maggie nodded. “Yes. It was filthy and disgusting. It was a good thing Ian had his bedroll and thought to bring in the saddle blankets.”

  “Made a cozy little bed for you, did he?” Tully’s voice dripped with accusation as he leaned forward in his saddle and settled an icy glare on Ian.

  In her joy to be nearly home, Maggie didn’t heed the warning tone in Tully’s voice or the irritation on his face. “Ian took grand care of me, Tully. I couldn’t have asked for better.”

  Tully frowned. “Is that so?”

  The sheriff stared at her so intently, she wondered if her blouse had somehow come unbuttoned or some vermin from the cabin had nested in her hair. Distraught, she glanced down. Assured she was properly covered, she reached a hand up to her hair. Not finding anything amiss, she glowered at Tully. “What is the matter?”

  “The matter, Maggie Dalton, is that you spent the night, alone, in a cabin with a man who ain’t your husband. Who knows what sort of liberties he took without anyone there to defend you.”

  Shocked by the sheriff’s words, Ian wasn’t surprised when Maggie sucked in a huge gulp of air and stared at Tully with wide eyes.

  Dumbfounded, she jerked Danny Boy to a halt.

  Thane glanced at Ian then back at Maggie. “Tully’s right, Maggie. Although I’m certain Ian behaved himself, your reputation will be ruined.”

  Maggie whipped around in her saddle and focused her fury at Thane. “Since when do you care about reputations, Thane Jordan? You are the very last human on this big planet I’d expect to give a flying fig about what other people think.”

  “I don’t care what they think about me,” Thane said defensively. “But I do care about you. You know as well as I do that people will decide something happened whether it did or not.”

  “I can assure you beyond any doubt that nothing happened.” Maggie’s face turned red and she looked like she could joyfully throttle Tully without giving it another thought. “How dare either of you even hint or imply that it did!”

  Thane and Tully didn’t need to know about the time she and Ian had spent kissing. They most certainly couldn’t ever find out how much she’d not only welcomed his attentions, but practically begged for them.

  Tully moved his horse over so his leg brushed against Maggie’s. “I sent him to find you and bring you home, Maggie. Not ruin you.”

  “Now see here, Sheriff.” Ian rode in front of Tully, insulted on both his and Maggie’s behalf. “Maggie is a fine lady and I give you my vow, nothing happened.”

  “I don’t care what you give me, MacGregor. The fact remains that Maggie is as good as ruined. No doubt, she’ll lose customers left and right, have to pack up and leave, or endure the unwanted attentions of every man in town looking for a good time once they hear she’s turned into a loose woman.”

  The resounding slap Maggie delivered to Tully’s cheek echoed across the stillness of the peaceful morning. He ran a hand over the red imprint and glared so narrowly at Maggie, Ian wondered how he could see.

  “That will be enough, Mags. You can either marry me or marry Ian, but you’ll wed one of us today.”

  “I’ll do no such thing!” Maggie rocked back in the saddle.

  Ian stood in his stirrups. “Nae, she’ll not marry ye! Not while one breath remains in my body. If the lass must wed, it’ll be to me.”

  In the past twenty-four hours, Maggie arrived at the conclusion she could live without any number of things, but Ian wasn’t one of them.

  Tired of being alone, tired of fighting her feelings for the man, she was ready to surrender to the promise of a life-long love.

  The one thing she wanted most in the world was to be Ian’s bride. However, she wasn’t about to admit that in front of a group of men, especially not with Tully making absurd allegations and insisting she marry someone to save her good name. She wouldn’t have any part of a forced wedding, even if it meant she’d belong to the man who’d claimed her heart.

  “You’ve all lost your minds. I’m going home!” Maggie urged Danny Boy forward and took off toward Baker City. The sound of hoofbeats behind her let her know the rest of the men followed.

  “Maggie, be reasonable.” Tully rode beside her and tugged on Danny Boy’s reins, pulling him to a halt.

  “Reasonable? Don’t you tell me to be reasonable, Tully Barrett.” Maggie shook a finger in his face. Thane stopped beside him while Ian reined in Rob on her other side. Thankfully, the rest of the men continued riding to town at Thane’s quiet urging. “You’re the one making false assumptions and senseless demands. I’m not marrying anyone. Not today!”

  “Fine. You can marry me tomorrow.” Tully leaned forward and grinned at her.

  Maggie barely managed to control her urge to slap him again. She didn’t know what had gotten into Tully, but she didn’t like it. Not in the least.

  Thane wasn’t being any help, either. When she glanced over at him for support, he intentionally studied the town in the distance, ignoring her imploring looks.

  “Did ye not hear the lass, Sheriff?” Ian shot daggers at Tully as his brogue thickened. “She has no interest in marrying ye today or any day.”

  “I heard her just fine, MacGregor, but something has to be done about you destroying her reputation. When word gets out, not a single decent woman in town will have a thing to do with her.” Tully glanced at Thane. “Jemma being the exception, of course.”

  “Of course,” Thane said, offering Maggie a half-hearted smile. “Maybe you better go along with Tully’s suggestions, Maggie. You know once word gets out, and it will, you’ll be shunned by polite society. It could very well ruin your business.”

  Maggie shrugged. “You all are overreacting. Nothing will happen.” Although she tried to sound convincing, Tully and Thane’s warnings held truth. Once the gossiping old biddies in town got wind that she spent the entire night alone in a cabin with Ian, there would be no hope of salvaging her reputation. Despite how much she wanted to be with Ian, she didn’t want to force his hand and make him feel like he had to rescue her through a hasty wedding.

  The warmth of a big hand engulfing hers pulled her gaze down to where Ian entwined their fingers.

  “Please, lass. This is not how I would have planned it or wanted to say it… I certainly didn’t expect an audience.” Ian frowned at Tully then turned his attention back to her. “Maggie Dalton, would you please marry me? I’d be greatly honored to claim you as my bride.”

  Astonished by his proposal, Maggie stared at Ian. Something flickered in his eyes, something warm and tender, that drew a response from her even though she’d had no intention of agreeing.

  “Yes, I will, Ian.”

  Thane looked at Tully in surprise then grinned at Maggie. “Good choice, Maggie. Jemma would be thrilled to help you with a wedding.”

  Although she never lifted her gaze from Ian’s, Maggie nodded her head. “Thank you, Thane. That would be most appreciated. Perhaps we can plan on a ceremony sometime next week. That gives us time to prepare.”

  “Sounds good to me.” Thane nudged Tully with an elbow. “Why don’t we let these two make some plans without our help.”

  Tully cleared his throat while he forced a look of disappointment.

  Abruptly, Ian leaned over the neck of Maggie’s horse and held out a hand to him. “No hard feelings, Tully?” Ian asked.

  Tully shook his hand. “Nah. I reckon not. The important thing is that you’ll make an honest woman out of Maggie.”

  All three men ignored her splutters of protest.

  “I vow to take good care of her, always.” Ian winked at Maggie. “Verra good care of her, indeed.”


  Maggie nudged Danny Boy forward. “I’m going home. Ian, in light of what has transpired, I do believe you need to fend for yourself for breakfast.”

  “Och, lass. Come on and I’ll take you to the restaurant for a bite to eat.” Ian followed Maggie as she rode away.

  Tully and Thane watched until the couple rode out of earshot. The sheriff slapped Thane on the back, inordinately pleased with himself. “You owe me five dollars, my friend.”

  Thane released a long-suffering sigh. “For once, you were right. But if you tell my wife about our bet, you’ll owe me fifty.”

  Tully chuckled and accepted the money Thane handed to him. “I told you those two were gone on each other. They just needed a little nudge in the right direction.”

  Thane clicked his tongue to his horse and guided it in the direction of town. “If you ever get tired of upholding the law, I do believe you could get a job in one of those traveling shows as an actor. You did a bang-up job on your performance back there. Maggie actually believed you wanted to marry her.”

  “I would have, too, but she’s in love with Ian.”

  Thane glanced over at his friend. “Are you saying, after all this time, you’re in love with Maggie?”

  “Don’t be an idiot. I love her like a sister, same as you, but I’d marry her if she’d have me. Unlike you and Jemma, I’m convinced there isn’t a woman out there meant just for me. Maggie and I get along fine and we’re good friends. However, I’m glad she finally decided to stop hating Ian and give him a chance.”

  “Me, too. He’s a good man and, from what I know, successful with his business.”

  Tully chuckled. “I just hope he realizes what a handful Maggie is going to be. If he expected a sweet little wife who’ll quietly sit at home and darn his socks by the fire, he might be in for a rude awakening.”

  Thane laughed. “Something tells me Ian wouldn’t want a wife like that. I think he knows Maggie has a mind of her own and isn’t afraid to use it.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Sunbeams trailed in the window, gliding softly across the pale peach silk gown Maggie studied from her chair nearby.

  The last stitch went into her wedding gown an hour ago and she’d just finished pressing the seams. Carefully, she had draped the gown over one of the dress forms in the store and wanted a moment to admire it.

  The peach dress featured an intricate pattern of Celtic love knots marching up the front of the skirt and bodice. Crystal beads embellished each knot to shimmering perfection. Embroidered thistles floated around the hem of the skirt, accented with more beads.

  Shortly after she borrowed Ian’s targe, she’d started working on the gown. She hadn’t sewn it with a wedding in mind, but it would be the perfect thing to wear as she pledged her love and future to Ian.

  After making herself a cup of tea, she sat in an overstuffed chair she kept for customers and stared at the gown, anticipating wearing it later that afternoon as she wed Ian.

  Thoughts of the conversation that took place as they made plans for the wedding still brought a blossom of bright pink color to her cheeks.

  The day Tully insisted she marry someone, Ian took her to breakfast then accompanied her home so they could choose a wedding date and decide whom to invite. As he followed her into the store, he pointed to the wedding gown she had on display and grinned.

  “Just wear that lovely dress. It suits you perfectly.” Tenderly, Ian brushed his thumb along her cheek. “And it will save you time about fussing what to wear.”

  Maggie sighed. “I don’t want to wear a white gown, Ian. It doesn’t seem right to wear such a fancy white dress, since I’ve been married before.”

  “In that case, you should wear a gown the color of summer peaches.” Ian stole a kiss, making Maggie grin.

  “And why is that, my brawny Scotsman?”

  “Because, lass…” Ian bent down so his breath stirred the curls around her ear. “I intend to peel it away, like I would the skin on a peach, before savoring every delightfully sweet inch of you.”

  Maggie blushed and jerked away, then smacked Ian’s arm for good measure. “My gracious, Ian! You can’t say things like that. It’s scandalous!”

  “I can and I will say anything I like to make roses bloom in the cheeks of my wife. Since we’ll be wed in a few days, that counts as close enough.”

  Although his words weakened her knees and accelerated her pulse, she still wouldn’t let him know how much they pleased her, for now. “Close enough doesn’t count. You mustn’t say such things, at least until our wedding.”

  Ian refrained from offering any more outlandish comments.

  Maggie almost wished he had.

  Now, as she sipped her tea and stared at her gown, the whirlwind of the past few days almost seemed like a dream.

  Jemma promised to arrive early to help Maggie style her hair. Thane vowed to keep an eye on Ian and help him with any last minute errands.

  Although Maggie and Ian would wed in the church, they planned to hold a reception in the beautiful meadow at his home. Ian told her to leave everything to him, so she hoped he had some idea of what to do.

  His parents had arrived on the train the previous afternoon and took a room at Hotel Warshauer.

  Nervous beyond belief at meeting her future in-laws, Maggie liked them both immediately when they met for dinner in the hotel’s dining room. Ian’s teasing ways and handsome looks definitely came from his father, although she saw traces of his mother in his smile and eyes.

  With Ian’s mother in town, Maggie was confident the reception would be a memorable celebration. The woman seemed entirely capable of planning a party with little to no notice.

  As she mused over how pleased she was to marry Ian, Maggie knew it was the right thing to do. She loved him and held an unwavering confidence in his love for her. Tully may have forced the wedding, but it didn’t dim the feelings Maggie carried for Ian in the depths of her heart.

  Content and happy, she sat back in the chair, sipping her tea and dreaming of what it would be like to become Mrs. Ian MacGregor.

  The door to her shop swiftly opened, catching her by surprise. Lily and Jack Jordan ran inside, full of lively chatter, followed by Jemma.

  “Aunt Maggie, Mama says you get to wear your bee-you-tee-full dress today and be a princess.” Lily climbed on Maggie’s lap and bounced up and down excitedly. Maggie set aside her tea and hugged the exuberant child.

  “That’s right, Lily.” Maggie kissed the imp on the tip of her button nose. “I do get to wear my lovely gown and I’m sure Ian will make me feel like a princess.”

  “Your prince asked me to give this to you.” Jemma handed her a small tissue-wrapped package, tied with a MacGregor plaid ribbon.

  “What’s this?” Maggie asked, removing the ribbon and tissue paper from the gift. She looked down at an expensive linen handkerchief, embroidered with Ian’s brand. A note he’d enclosed drew her attention.

  Dearest Maggie,

  You teased me about branding everything I own. Accept this handkerchief and consider yourself branded. You’re mine forever and always, my lovely lass.

  Faithfully Yours,

  Ian

  P.S. I plan to brand you as mine with more than this handkerchief just as quick as I get that beautiful dress off you. The day ahead of us cannot pass fast enough for my liking!

  “Oh, my!” Heat seared Maggie’s cheeks. Quickly, she stuffed the note into her pocket. At Lily’s urging, she showed the little girl the handkerchief bearing Ian’s brand.

  “That’s just like the thistle on Ian’s wood,” Lily said, brushing her finger over the embroidery.

  “Yes, it is. Ian has a rare affinity for branding his possessions.” Maggie’s face reddened as she said the words, replaying the implication of his note in her mind.

  “Are you gonna let Ian slobbery kiss you now?” Lily gazed at her imploringly. “He said he couldn’t slobbery kiss you like Daddy kisses Mama until you decided you liked him. Do you like
him now, Aunt Maggie? Don’t you want to slobbery kiss him, too?”

  Jemma and Maggie both sported red cheeks as they glanced at each other. Jemma rolled her eyes and sighed. “Lily, it isn’t polite to speak about the kisses you might inadvertently see two adults exchange. You most certainly should not go around asking people if they plan to share slobbery kisses.”

  Lily wiggled her feet and grinned at her mother. “But you and Daddy like them so well, I just thought Ian and Maggie would, too. When Daddy slobbery kisses you, you get all…”

  Jemma placed a hand over Lily’s mouth. The child giggled and tossed her curls with a puckish grin. The two women bit back their smiles at the little girl’s antics.

  Desperate to change the subject, Jemma removed her gloves and set them down by Maggie’s teacup. “You’ll be pleased to know your soon-to-be-husband is down at the barbershop, preparing to get a haircut and shave. You’ll no longer have a reason to complain about his mussed hair or scruffy beard.”

  “He’s what?” Maggie screeched as she set Lily down and hurried to her feet.

  “Daddy went to keep him company,” Lily said, uncertain what had upset Maggie.

  “Yep. He told Dad he planned to look ‘perfectly respectable and beyond reproach,’ whatever that means.” Jack grinned, pleased to contribute to the conversation.

  A yelp escaped Maggie. Without a word to the three startled people in her shop, she lifted her skirts, charged out the door, and ran down the street.

  Ian stared at the barber in the mirror. “You heard me, Harry. It’s time for a shave and a haircut.”

  The barber shook his head and picked up a drape. “Are you sure, Ian? I can trim your hair like usual if you don’t want to crop it off.”

  “No. I’ll take a haircut and a shave. A man only marries once in his lifetime, God willing, and I don’t want Maggie to think I’m not willing to have a little spit and polish for such a special occasion.”

  Thane chuckled and turned the page of the newspaper he read. “I could be wrong, but I’m pretty sure Maggie would marry you whether your hair was longer than hers or if you woke up baldheaded.”