A Contract Bride's Triple Surprise (11 page)

He had one more stop. Though every woman who worked with Lily wanted to be there, the woman did run a house of prostitution. Gillis would rage, but he had to introduce Amelia to one of his best friends.

* * * *

“Ross MacDougal, how dare you bring your pretty little wife to my establishment. In broad daylight through the front door!”

Amelia turned from admiring the tastefully decorated parlor to see a furious woman sweeping toward them. Though her tiny, buttoned-up shoes had heels, she was still shorter than Amelia. The finger she shook at Ross was equally small, yet her attitude was more than full size. Ross pressed his hand against Amelia’s back, urging her forward.

“I wanted you to meet my wife. Amelia, Miss Lily is a good friend.”

“How do you do, Miss Lily. My sister, Prudence, wrote me that you had excellent taste. She enjoyed adding her lace to the fancy nightgowns you ordered.”

“Prudence tatted better lace than anything I could order from Europe,” said Miss Lily. Ross grunted when she poked him in the belly. She had to raise her hand to do so. “You realize you just ruined your wife’s reputation by bringing her here?”

“Amelia received a number of welcome-to-Tanner’s Ford gifts,” replied Ross. “We used the front door because we’re not hiding anything. You don’t receive visitors in the afternoon, and anyone who knows me won’t care. The rest will condemn her for marrying me no matter how pure she is.”

Lily sighed. “So true. But we’d better move to my private parlor.” She raised a manicured eyebrow at Ross and then turned to Amelia with a wide smile. “Rosa, my cook, said the butcher’s boy told her the girls in the cribs behind Baldy’s Saloon are having a busy afternoon. Since we all contribute to the Bride Train expenses, I’m pleased we are getting a return on our investment.” She winked, still smiling. “I hear you almost beat Trace’s wedding night record.”

Fire raced through Amelia from her toes to the top of her head. Her knees wobbled for a moment. Ross put his arm around her waist, but she poked him with her elbow. “Does everyone know what we did last night?”

“Not the details, of course,” said Lily.

“Anyone who knows me—”

“Won’t care,” choked Amelia, finishing Ross’s sentence. It didn’t matter. She cared. The worst was that knowing people had heard their lovemaking made her want to do it again.

Lily led the way out of the room and down a corridor covered with a red Turkey carpet. She turned left into a bright room papered in yellow and gestured for Amelia to sit. Green plants covered a table set near the window. A pigeonhole desk, closed and locked, suggested Miss Lily used this room as her office. She also had an upholstered settee and a few matching Queen Anne chairs. Amelia chose a chair, smiling when her heels actually touched the floor.

“Tea?”

“We beat Trace’s record. My wife’s screams were muffled a few times,” declared Ross. He waited behind the biggest chair for the ladies to sit.

Amelia flushed. “That would be lovely,” she managed to murmur.

Lily daintily settled beside Amelia and arranged her skirts. “May I call you Amelia?”

“Of course.” If Lily could act as if this was a daily occurrence, so could she.

“Ross, please ask Rosa to bring tea. She made some of those sugar doughnuts you like so much.”

Ross narrowed his eyes at Lily. She fluttered her eyelashes back at him. “I don’t know if I should leave the two of you alone together,” he said.

“You know I think of you boys as nephews, just like the Elliotts. I want what’s best for you.”

“We don’t agree on what is best for me,” he growled.

Amelia looked from one stubborn face to the other. Lily pulled a handkerchief out of her sleeve and waved him away with it.

“Fine, we’ll discuss lace while you’re in the kitchen.” She drew her handkerchief across her palm. “I treasure the lace your sister made for me. Do you tat as well?”

Amelia shook her head. The door had barely closed when Lily held up her hand.

“There. We spoke of lace.” She tilted her head and gave Amelia a shrewd look. “You don’t object to your husband’s color, or that a madam is a friend of his?”

“After the way people treated me because of my burns, I try not to judge people by what they look like or what they do. From what I’ve seen, my husband is a good man. As to the business you run, if my father had thrown me out after I recovered from my burns, I don’t know what I would have done to stay alive.”

“Why would your father do that?”

“He had plans for both Prudence and myself to marry to improve his business. Prue ran away from home and married a Highland Scot. I became too ugly for anyone of substance to consider marrying. He threatened to throw me out many times, but I managed his home well at little cost to him.”

“You were useful, so he kept you,” guessed Lily.

“Yes. I never went out in society, so I didn’t need expensive clothing. Father recently passed, leaving everything to my cousin.”

“Is that why you rode the Bride Train, to get a home of your own?”

Amelia nodded. She glanced toward the door and lowered her voice. “I took everything I wanted from my mother’s side of the family. I packed it up and had it shipped here by train.” She frowned and leaned forward. “Do you think Ross will be angry? I paid for everything.”

“What is it you paid for that would make your husband angry?”

She gasped and turned to the open door. Ross waited, expression blank, one hand still on the knob.

“Get yer corpse outer the way, Ross MacDougal, or I’ll ram right through that fancy, black suit yer wearin’.”

The woman with a deep voice must have jabbed him with the tray he carried, as he grunted and moved aside. She wore a gray work dress and white apron. An old-fashioned white mob cap was pinned to the braids wrapped in a crown around her head. She set the tray on the low table in front of them and began setting out cups, saucers, and spoons. She moved the plate of sugared doughnuts, a pyramid with a missing top, in front of Lily. Amelia looked closely at Ross. Sure enough, his upper lip had a suspicious sparkle to it.

“Amelia, this is my wonderful cook. Rosa, Amelia married Ross MacDougal.”

Rosa stood up. She was tall as well as large, her body suiting the deep voice. She curled her thick fingers into fists and set them on ample hips as she stared at Amelia from bonnet to boots.

“You good enough for Mr. Ross?”

“I don’t know,” replied Amelia. “I just met him. I wish to raise my sister’s child and have children of my own. My sister said I would have a comfortable home here. For that, I will do whatever necessary to care for my husband and his family.”

“You’ll do for his family?”

“Yes. I understand his aunt lives with them, as well as his brother Nevin and, of course, Gillis and Hope.” She swallowed at the intense stare, thinking she’d never come up to this capable woman’s standards. “I plan to ask Ross’s aunt to teach me.” The woman gave a barely perceptible nod. “Ross said you’re an excellent cook and household manager. Perhaps you might be willing to guide me. Only if it is convenient for you, of course.”

Rosa snorted and turned to Ross. He shrugged.

“I realize you must be busy, but I’ve heard how wonderful a cook you are. When I was in Virginia City, I overheard two gentlemen complimenting the food at Miss Lily’s Parlor. I recognized the name from my sister’s letters, but couldn’t remember where. I asked the gentleman if he meant the one in Tanner’s Ford, as I was travelling there. He smiled and asked my name.”

“Oh, Lord,” muttered Ross. He winced and scratched his cheek. “Did you tell them?”

“I didn’t know them, so I just said ‘Amelia.’ He nudged his friend and asked if I could ride double. I’ve seen two people riding a horse that way, so I replied that it looked uncomfortable, but I’d try it as long as someone held onto me so I wouldn’t fall off—”

Rosa’s deep laugh covered Ross’s choked groan.

“You are delightful, exactly what Ross needs to shake him up,” said Lily. Her smile for Ross was like that of a proud aunt. “I’ll let you know if anyone asks for you.” She laughed at Ross’s thunderous expression. “I’ll let you explain to Amelia why we’re laughing. Or should I ask Nevin to tell her?”

“I will tell my wife what she needs to know,” he growled. He gestured at the window, where clouds now obscured the sun. “We’d better get your trunks home before it rains. You can have tea with Lily another time.”

“Yes, do come back again. I’ll answer all your questions.”

Amelia rose to her feet along with Lily. Ross stomped to the door, obviously impatient to get moving.

“If you’re in such a darn hurry, Ross MacDougal, I’ll give these to someone else. The Doc is always hangin’ around. He’ll eat them.”

Rosa picked up the untouched tray and swept out the door. Ross grabbed a handful of doughnuts as she passed. Since her hands were full of the heavy tray, all she could do was glare up at him. Amelia picked up a feeling this was an ongoing battle between them.

“Remember, I know a lot about life. Any question you like, no matter how embarrassing, you come here for an answer.” Lily winked and smiled.

“Why did the men ask if I could ride a horse with another person?”

“He was asking if you were willing to ride one man while another rode you.”

“Oh, like—”

“Amelia, not another word!”

Ross stomped back into the room. He took her elbow a little less gently than usual and propelled her out in front of him. She managed to peek around his wide chest. Miss Lily, smiling broadly, waved goodbye. She mouthed the words “next time” and imitated drinking tea before Amelia lost sight of her.

Chapter Eleven

Ross sighed into the fragrant evening air. He had his left arm around Amelia, sleeping against him. Raven, riding on his perch to the right, looked over and crooned. The horses, used to the birds, labored up the track toward home. The rain had held off, but thick clouds obscured the moon.

“You’re right, my friend,” said Ross to his feathered companion. “She’ll be a good mate, but settling her into her new nest might take some doing. I’ll soon have her brooding a nestling. That should help.”

He now understood why Gillis said not to introduce Amelia to Lily for a few weeks. It had nothing to do with Amelia’s reputation and everything to do with what the women could get up to behind his back.

Women!

Since Amelia fell asleep, he’d been trying to figure out how to convince her to put everything of hers into the bunkhouse. He liked his home the way it was. Plain and empty.

But it wasn’t his home.

His parents took almost everything with them when they moved to Texas five years earlier. Bachelors didn’t care as long as they had a decent bed and something to sit on and eat off. They put their efforts into the rest of the ranch.

Prue had added female touches such as lace, her fabric pictures, and the like. Beth had taken those for safekeeping until Gillis could look at them without grief.

Considering how comfortable he felt when he visited Lily and how well Amelia fit into the private room, perhaps it would be good to have more comfortable things. The rocking chair Gillis bought Prue for their wedding present was in constant use. With three women around, at least for now, perhaps he should make one for Amy. He wanted her to feed his baby in a chair he made with his own hands. He’d make it small, just for her.

Every time he thought about Amelia he got frustrated—either horny or angry.

Wait until his brothers heard about Amy’s conversation in Virginia City. She’d as much as told them she worked in one of the highest class establishments for working girls west of the Missouri. To top it off, she was willing to take on two men at once. As long as someone held on so she wouldn’t fall off, of course!

When he chuckled at her naiveté, his raven joined in.

Maybe he’d better wait to tell them until Amy understood exactly what it meant. He’d let her ride him while Nev entered her from behind. Nev would hold on tight, but he was big enough that there was no way she’d fall off his cock.

Just thinking about it caused him to swell. To heck with emptying the wagon tonight. He’d park it in the barn in case it rained, and he’d unload it in the morning. He needed to keep his strength for his wife.

Amelia’s loose hair drifted in the evening breeze. Though she complained, he removed her hat and released her hair as soon as they were out of town. She sighed and snuggled lower, pushing out her ass. She finally settled with her face in his lap, her left arm resting on his thigh. Should he wake her or not? Her fingers were too near his cock to let him ignore it but too far away for her to grab on.

A horse nickered ahead. The two horses pulling the wagon moved a little faster, as eager to get home to their food as he was to his bed.

Their bed.

Though it was dark, a lantern helped him recognize the large shape waiting for them in the yard. For once, Gillis stood still. Since Prue died, the man spent all hours chopping, sawing, digging, cutting—anything to use his muscles and tire him out so he could sleep for a couple of hours.

“She look like Prue?”