Faith (Goldwater Creek Mail-Order Brides 1) (3 page)

F
aith stood
in the justice of the peace's office next to Robertson listening to the hollow ticking of the grandfather clock mark the passing seconds. She hadn’t seen Jax that morning. He’d left instructions for her to ride to town in the buggy with Robertson and meet him at the justice of the peace.

And now he was late. Faith wondered if he’d changed his mind.

The floorboards creaked as Robertson shifted position. “Mr. Blackburn should be here any minute.” He glanced uneasily toward the door.

The justice nodded and they stood uncomfortably until his rotund wife broke the silence by bustling in with a handful of fresh-picked white daisies. She thrust them at Faith.

“Every bride needs a bouquet.”

Faith tried not to let the woman’s sympathetic look get to her. She wondered if the sympathy was because of her worn dress and lack of wedding attendees or if was because she was marrying Jax Blackburn.

Maisie had been equally sympathetic this morning when she’d expressed her disappointment at the suddenness of the wedding and fretted over not having enough time to prepare a proper feast or even sew Faith a fancy dress. Faith’s heart had swelled at the woman’s intentions, but had assured her that a simple, unassuming wedding was perfectly fine.

Faith didn’t want a big fuss or a nice dress. In fact, she didn’t really want anything to mark the occasion. Her new marriage was meaningless to her.

The heavy sound of boots echoed on the wooden boardwalk outside and their eyes all slid to the door which was filled with Jax's large frame. He stepped inside, his eyes searching around the room and then stopping as they locked on Faith.

Her breath caught in her throat. Jax looked incredibly handsome. She was surprised to see he had dressed for the occasion in a dark suit that was nicely tailored and fit as if it were custom made for him. Which it might well have been, Faith realized. They likely had seamstresses here in town just like they did in Boston and with Jax’s money, she figured he could afford custom fitted clothes. Which made her feel all the more self-conscious in her dowdy old dress.

The justice cleared his throat. “Are you folks ready to start?”

“Yes. Get on with it,” Jack said gruffly as he crossed the room. Then, upon seeing the look on Faith’s face, his voice softened just a touch. “Are you ready?”

Faith straightened her spine and lifted her chin. “Yes. I’m ready.”

The justice’s wife hurried over to stand beside Faith and Robertson took his place next to Jax. The justice stood facing them, cleared his throat and opened up a flat book. Not a bible, Faith noticed. She didn’t know what the book was, but she had little experience with justices of the peace and had no idea what they used to officiate over a wedding.

Pushing the spectacles up on his nose, the justice started with a small prayer. Faith could hardly listen to the words he was saying—her nerves were working overtime. She could feel Jax’s presence beside her and felt drawn to him like a magnet. That was silly, she reasoned. She was probably just feeling guilty about marrying the man now and spying on him later.

The prayer ended and the justice looked at Jax. “Do you have the rings?”

Jax fumbled in his pocket and pulled out a small wooden box. Faith was surprised. Since their marriage was a farce, she hadn’t thought there would be rings. But she guessed it was important to appear as if they were a
real
married couple, and most married couples—especially those with money like Jax—wore rings.

“Take the ring and place it on your bride’s finger.” The justice gestured toward Faith’s hand.

A look of panic flashed across Jax’s face. He hesitated before reaching down and grasping her hand. Was she so unappealing to him that he couldn’t bear to touch her?

But when he did, she felt a tingling sensation and when she lifted her eyes to his, she saw something deep in those caramel eyes. He held her gaze a little too long and she felt dizzy. Probably from lack of food—she should have at least taken a bite of the flapjacks Maisie had tried to force on her earlier that morning, but she’d been too nervous to eat. Her heart raced in her chest and she was afraid Jax could feel the frantic beating through his fingers. She prayed he would slip the ring on quickly and let go.

Jax slid the ring on her finger and then offered his own hand so she could put his ring on. Faith's chest tightened. She plucked the ring out of the box and, holding it pinched between her forefinger and thumb, slid it onto his finger without touching his hand.

The minister gave them a strange look and then said, “By the power vested in me you are now man and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

Faith and Jax both jerked their heads in the minister’s direction. Kiss the bride? Panic welled up inside Faith. She wanted nothing of the sort and she could see that Jax clearly felt the same way.

“Well, don’t be shy now,” the wife tittered.

Faith looked up at Jax, her heart fluttering as he bent close to her. She supposed he was going to kiss her to make it look official. It wouldn’t do to have talk about their marriage not being real. Her breath caught in her throat as Jax's uniquely masculine scent of sandalwood and pine drifted closer to her. Her eyes drifted shut as she stood stock still her arms at her sides and puckered her lips.

Jax hands came up to rest gently on her shoulders, flooding her body with a strange tingly warmth. His soft lips brushed against hers. Only for an instant, but in that instant she felt a trill of excitement that she’d never felt with Charles.

What in the world was happening to her?

Then the spell was broken. Jax jerked away from her like he was jerking away from an open flame. He turned to the justice of the peace. “Is there paperwork to sign?”

His words were short and clipped, with a roughness that startled the mousy justice. The man rushed over to his desk and produced a paper with shaky hands.

“Right here.” His trembling index finger indicated a line at the bottom of the paper and Jax grabbed a quill pen from the side of the desk, dipped it and signed, then handed the pen to Robertson.

“We’re done, then? Officially married?” Jax barked out the question.

“Yes.” The Justice nodded vigorously, his eyes ping-ponging between Faith and Jax as Faith and the minister’s wife signed the paperwork.

“Very well, then. I have work to do. I will see you back at the ranch.” Jax abruptly turned on his heel and strode out of the room.

Faith couldn’t figure out why she felt so disappointed. What had she expected? She knew the man was no gentleman to begin with, and besides, the marriage was just as much a farce for her as it was for him. The less time she spent with Jax Blackburn the better.

Robinson took her by the elbow. “Congratulations, Mrs. Blackburn.”

Tears pricked Faith’s eyes at the sympathetic look on Robertson’s face. She knew the man probably felt sorry for her and she chided herself for her own self-pity.

“Thank you.” She tucked her hand inside Robertson’s arm and plastered a smile on her face. The last thing she needed was to mope around feeling sorry for herself. She had come here to do a job and she was darn well going to do it.

She marched out of the office with her head held high, noticing the care Robertson took to keep her well away from Buttercup as he settled her in the buggy. A pang of guilt shot through her. She was coming to like the old man and realized she’d be betraying him as well when she betrayed Blackburn.

Robertson got in the other side of the buggy and took the reins, edging Buttercup forward. As they clipped through town, Faith caught a glimpse of Jax striding down the boardwalk like a man on a mission. She watched his tall figure as it passed the haberdashery and turned into the saloon.

Her stomach plummeted as memories of Charles’s noxious drunken behavior surfaced. Was Jax a drunk too? Why would he run off to the saloon right after their wedding? As they rode by, she glanced inside in time to see a scarlet red silk skirt flicker in the doorway as the saloon girl wearing it took Jax’s arm and pulled him further inside.

Wonderful. Jax Blackburn was a drinker and a cheater, just like Charles. She shouldn’t be surprised. This further confirmed her suspicions that all men were alike and not to be trusted. She certainly hadn’t expected him to be faithful since their marriage wasn’t a
real
marriage, but at least he didn’t have to run off with a saloon girl less than an hour after their wedding. It was humiliating.

For a minute, she considered packing up her things and leaving right then and there, but visions of what Lefty might do to her sisters stopped her. She’d stay and deal with whatever happened.

Faith wondered if Jax would come home from the saloon and subject her to the same harsh treatment that she’d suffered from Charles. But somehow, Faith knew he wouldn’t. She couldn’t explain why, but she sensed something about him. About
them
. As if Jax had been pained by heartache like she had. And one teensy weensy little part of her ached to soothe that hurt away.

What was she thinking? She’d always had a soft spot for a hurting soul, but she needed to focus on her task. Besides, Jax clearly preferred to drown his sorrows in whiskey and saloon girls and she wouldn’t be sticking around here for very long, anyway.

She had a job to do and there was no better time to start than this afternoon. She’d find the entrance to that mine and be able to leave this area with no regrets. And no matter how long that took, she had no intention of opening her heart to any man, certainly not one like Jax Blackburn.

J
ax stared forlornly
at the yellow liquid in his glass. He felt like the biggest heel in the west. What kind of guy ran out on his bride two minutes after the ceremony? Even though Faith knew their marriage was a business arrangement, he still should have had more class.

Maisie had badgered him before he’d left about Faith needing something nicer to wear at the wedding, but Jax didn’t see why. No one had been there to see her. But she’d still managed to look beautiful and vulnerable despite her dowdy dress.

He’d been taken aback by her beauty the minute he’d walked into the justice of the peace’s office. And when he’d taken her hand and slipped the ring on it, the tightening in his chest had scared him. Scared him so much that he couldn’t wait to get to the saloon where these unwanted feelings would disappear. In the saloon, all other feelings would be drowned out by the memories of Mary.

Jax glanced at Rosie who sat on the rough wooden bar stool beside him. Her black-booted foot rested on the brass footrail, her scarlet red silk skirt was spread out on the chair and there was a light green bruising still visible under her eye.

“Did Cleb do that?” he asked

Rosie Pressed her lips together, nodding slowly.

Jax's hand clenched into a fist. “Don’t worry. It won’t be long before he can't hurt you girls anymore.”

The ghost of a smile appeared on Rosie’s face and then faltered as the door opened, admitting two men in tall hats. She hopped up from the chair. “I better greet them.”

Jax nodded. It was Rosie’s job to make sure the customers always had a drink in their hand. And if she didn’t come through the saloon owner, Cleb, would make her sorry. Anger burned inside Jax just thinking about it. Not just for Rosie, but for all the girls who worked there.

He knew most townsfolk could care less about the girls. Most of the other women of the town thought they were all prostitutes. They weren’t—oh, sure, some of them were but most were just drink girls flirting with the customers and insuring their bar tabs ran high. But neither Jax nor Mary had been able to convince more than a handful of people of that.

There were precious few in the town who cared about what the girls suffered under Cleb's management. But Jax cared. He knew the plight of these women firsthand because of Mary.

Jax felt a tickle of nervousness. He sipped his drink, his lips puckering at the sour taste. If those against him figured out his plan, he didn’t know what he’d do. He’d banked a lot on being able to pull it off and if it failed … well, he would have failed Mary. And he’d be stuck with a wife he didn’t want.

The morning light slanted through the tops of the windows out front and splashed onto the top of the mahogany paneled bar. Behind him, Jax could hear the rumblings of a poker game—chips clinking, chairs squeaking as the boasting men leaned back in them. The smell of hashbrowns drifted from the saloon kitchen, reminding him it was still before noon. He should probably go home, but—

“What you doing in here? Did you get in a fight with your bride already?” Ryder Devlin appeared at Jax’s aside, his lopsided grin taunting him. Jax knew his jab was good natured, but he was in no mood

“You know it’s just a business arrangement,” Jack said sharply. The truth was he
did
feel like he’d run out on Faith and his boorish behavior was bothering him. What was it about that woman that made him want to run in the other direction?

“Right. I know that. And she knows that. But you just got married a half hour ago. To me it seems like maybe you’re running away from something. At least you haven’t turned to the hard stuff.” Ryder thrust his chin toward the yellow drink in front of Jax. It was lemonade, Rosie’s own mixture made from real lemons and the best tasting lemonade this side of the Rockies. Sweet with just a hint of tart.

Jax had quit the hard stuff years ago when Mary had announced … well, he didn’t want to think about that. He didn’t want to think about his old life at all. In fact, he felt lower than cow dung because he was betraying Mary’s very memory by marrying someone else and Ryder’s presence here was a stark reminder.

“She’d want you to do this, Jax.” Ryder sidled up to the bar and gestured to the bartender.

Jax simply grunted. Ryder Devlin was his best friend, but right now he wished the man would just go away. He didn’t need any cheering up or soul searching or whatever it was Ryder was trying to do.

Ryder leaned his elbow against the bar and scanned the room. “Remember, we’re doing this so these girls don’t have to suffer like Mary did. And so we can drink in peace without having to worry about getting into it with Cleb.”

Cleb Masters owned the Miner's Rest Saloon. At least for now. Cleb was a man with a short fuse who had no respect for women. He treated the saloon girls like dirt. In Jax’s opinion, Cleb was no man at all. He was the type that picked on those weaker than himself, knowing the women would not fight back. The girls had to put up with it. They needed the jobs or they would be out on the street.

Too bad Cleb had a lot of money and a lot of friends in high places. It was rumored he had ties to even bigger criminals back east. No one wanted to go against him. All that was about to change, though.

Ryder leaned toward Jax and lowered his voice. “I hope no one has gotten wind of our little secret. You don’t think your new bride suspects, do you?”

Jax shook his head. “There’s no way she could have any clue. She just got here. But she’s not the simple woman she said she was in her letters. There’s much more to her. She seems pretty smart. It might not take her long to figure out that something is going on.”

Ryder shrugged. “Maybe it’s best to take her into your confidence now. She is your wife, after all … and a damn fine looking one I might add, too.”

Jax felt a surge of something. Jealousy? He frowned at Ryder, whose gray eyes danced with mischief. Women usually described Ryder’s eyes as captivating, his lopsided grin as charming. But Jax just thought he was annoying—especially right now. “When did you meet her?”

“I didn’t meet her, I
saw
her in the justice’s office. You don’t think I’d miss getting a peek at the new Mrs. Jackson Blackburn, do you?”

“Right. Well, keep your hands off of her.” Ryder had an eye for the ladies, and never the same one in the span of a week. And, even though Ryder was a good man and a loyal friend, Jax suddenly realized he didn’t want Faith anywhere near him.

Ryder’s left brow shot up. “So there
is
something to this marriage. She may be able to help us ... and you.”

Jax scowled. “I don’t need any help.” Jax didn’t want to trust Faith with his secret. It would be soon enough that they could make their move and it would all come out in the open anyway. At least part of it. The other part he could never tell anyone. And she could never, ever be a partner with him like Mary had been. Jax would make sure Faith had a good life and everything she needed, but he would
never
open his heart wide enough to feel like he had a partner in it ever again.

His mind drifted back to the moment during the ceremony when he’d had to kiss Faith. He hadn’t expected that, but when the justice had said it, he realized he would have to comply.

He didn’t need anything getting back to the town officials or those against him that would cause them to suspect that his marriage was a farce. Nothing could get in the way of his intentions.

Something stirred inside him as he remembered how soft Faith’s lips had been and how she’d stood there so rigidly as if she was terrified. Of him? He sure hoped that wasn’t the case, even though he had acted like a jerk and run out right after.

Jax made a mental note to try and act more civilized. Though he and Faith would never have a close relationship, the last thing he wanted was for her to be afraid of him. He’d be no better than Cleb Masters if he acted in a way that caused her to be fearful.

But the only reason he’d run out was because of the stab of pain in his heart when he’d bent down and kissed her. It was as if the wall he’d carefully built around it was chipping and falling away.

He couldn’t let that happen. He would not soil Mary’s memory. He’d done what he had to do to achieve the ends that Mary would have wanted. That was the only reason he’d married.

Yet something told him that he would have to stay far away from his new bride, because he had no intention of opening his heart to any woman, not even one as beautiful as Faith Bailey Blackburn.