Wedding Night With the Ranger

“And,” Colt interjected before the child could continue, “a penny just like that is what I’ve been looking for to give her as a wedding gift.”

It appeared Mort’s son was as gruff as his father. “A penny ain’t much of a gift,” he scoffed.

“But this isn’t just a penny,” Colt said, picking the coin out of the other boy’s hand. “This here is a found penny. That means it’s full of luck.”

“It is?” the other boy asked, eyes agog.

“Yup,” Colt said, and dug his other hand into his pocket. “How about I make a trade with you boys?”

“What sort of trade?” Mort’s kid wanted to know, somewhat skeptic.

Colt held out two dimes. “I’ll trade this here penny for two dimes. One for each of you.”

Their faces lit up like the flame of a struck match head. “Two dimes for one penny?” the original penny holder asked.

“That’s a lot of money for a penny.” Mort’s son stated, folding his arms. “What ain’t you telling us?”

A tiny giggle sounded behind him, but Colt kept his gambling face on. “Every bride needs a penny for her shoe. It’ll bring good luck to her marriage.”

“I ain’t never heard that before.”

“Oh, it’s very true, Martin,” Annalee assured from her stance on the boardwalk.

“You wantin’ this penny, Miss Sapp?” Martin Tyler asked.

“I surely do,” she answered, sounding so sweet and sincere Colt had to lift his gaze, make sure it was Annalee speaking. The charming smile on her face was enough to make his heart leap into his throat. He swallowed a cough, but couldn’t do anything about the heat running through his veins.

Martin Tyler was definitely his father’s son. The gaze he sent Colt was beady and stern. “Seein’ how the lady wants it so bad, twenty cents doesn’t seem like much.”

Colt bit his lip and dug into his pocket again. “All right then.” Looking at the coins he pulled out, he asked, “How about twenty cents each? Two dimes for each of you.”

“It’s a deal!” the other boy said, snatching two of the dimes faster than a chicken on a bug.

Martin scratched his head, but then reached out to seize the other two coins. “I still say that ain’t much of a present.”

Colt stood. “You boys drive a hard bargain.”

Martin nodded like a man very pleased with himself. “You best remember that, Ranger.”

“Martin,” Annalee said with that schoolmarm tone every female seems to master by about the age of six, “You and Samuel need to thank Mr. Severson.”

“Thank you, Mr. Severson,” the boy named Samuel said.

“Yeah, thanks,” Martin added.

“Now, you two run along home. And no more fighting in the street,” Annalee instructed.

“Yes, ma’am,” they offered before scrambling up the road.

Colt turned, but the smile on his face faded as her cold stare settled on him. He’d hoped the interaction with the boys had quelled her ire, at least a touch. Evidently it hadn’t. What did he expect? Common sense dictated a man as rough as he would have to do a whole lot more than be kind to a couple of boys to get on her good side.

Dust from a departing wagon floated in the early evening air, but Annalee didn’t seem to notice and barreled right through it without regard to her skirt or shoes. Colt reached down, grabbed the gun and followed.

He caught up to her, and when they reached the opposite boardwalk he tugged her right as she started to turn left. “This way, my dear.”

“I’m not your dear either,” she insisted but didn’t resist. “Where are we going?”

“I rented a room for us at the Dodge House.”

She stopped, dug her heals in like a stubborn mule. “The Dodge House? What for?”

“Because it’s our wedding night. Have you forgotten?”

She glared at him. “Unfortunately, no.”

A smile played with his lips, and he bit them together to keep it from forming. Damn, if she wasn’t the most beautiful woman God had ever placed on this earth. Her delicate face was twisted with self-proclaimed loathing, but nonetheless, he saw a faint glimmer hiding in the back of those brown eyes. The prospect gave him hope, which sent a surge of desire through his veins. He shifted his feet. Just the sight of her made him feel like a bull on the wrong side of the fence. A feeling he should be used to after years of coveting her from afar.

“I have a perfectly good house on the other edge of town. We can spend the night there.” A contemplative grin lifted the sides of her petal-shaped lips. “It has two bedrooms.”

He let out a laugh and tugged her forward. There was no way in hell he’d spend the night at her house, not with the almighty reverend right across the street. “Did you get all of your things packed?” he asked, intentionally changing the subject. “We’ll leave for the ranch first thing in the morning.”

“I believe I’ll remain in town, thank you.” Head held high, she once again marched down the boardwalk beside him.

“I think not, my dear.” Stopping the protest he knew she was ready to emit, he added, “We’ll discuss that in private as well.”

Chapter Two

Trying to stay mad at Colt Severson was like trying to prevent the sun from shining—utterly impossible.

Annalee took a deep breath. His nearness, the warmth of his hand gently holding her arm, was more than enough to make her melt faster than ice in August. She had no willpower when it came to him—absolutely none. All it took was one glance from those startling blue eyes and she was helpless. The way the left side of his mouth curled when he gave her one of his death-defying grins had the ability to send her heart darting around in her chest like a firefly in a mason jar.

What was she going to do? How could she—of all people—be married to him? It was a dream come true and yet a nightmare at the same time. He had no idea—at least she hoped he had no idea about all the nights she’s lain in her single bed, wishing with all her might that he was lying beside her. Doing all the things to her body that Janice Webster said her husband James did. The thought of Colt stroking her skin, kissing her breasts…Annalee clamped her lips together and sucked air in through her nose.

The Dodge House was two blocks away, and she willed herself to make the jaunt without thinking another thought, uttering another word. It wasn’t proper for a woman to have such scandalous thoughts. But gall darn it, those types of thoughts filled her mind every time she saw him. It was as if her body took over, tingling and quivering, hoping beyond hope that he’d touch her. She briefly closed her eyes, tried to imagine she was walking alone. It didn’t work. Her body knew he was right beside her and twittered liked a songbird.

He tipped his head to Kitty Carlson and Donna Dunsbar.

Giggling, they greeted, “Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Severson.”

“Ladies,” he said sociably.

Annalee gritted her teeth, glaring at them. They both had been at the wedding, knew how shocked she was by the event. Less than an hour after he’d shown up on her doorstep, announcing their immediate wedding, her friends had descended upon her house with all the flurry of a winter snowfall. While she tried to keep from fainting, they’d dressed her and organized a wedding it took most people a month to pull together. She was still trying to recover, still wondering if it was a dream—and Kitty and Donna knew it.

Colt held the door open and, though it was very rude, she ignored the greeting Owen Carp made as they walked through the lobby of the hotel. It wasn’t completely on purpose. She couldn’t offer a greeting. Thoughts of what her married friends had said would happen tonight left her heart waltzing across her chest, making her completely breathless.

She counted the stairs, twenty-one to be exact, as they climbed the staircase to the second floor. The stifling July heat filled the hall, but since her body was already on fire, it really didn’t affect her. Nothing could.

“After you, my dear,” Colt said, and gave a slight bow as he pushed the door wide for her to enter their room.