In Your Arms
Champagne Books Presents
In Your Arms
By
Rebecca Goings
This is a work of fiction. The
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Champagne Books
Copyright © 2006 by Rebecca Goings
ISBN 1897261071
April 2006
Cover Art
© Chris Butts
Produced in
Canada
Dedication
This book is dedicated to anyone who still loves to read a good historical western romance.
There’s just something dangerously sexy about a man who rides a horse and wears guns…
One
Gideon’s Gulch, Texas, 1875
Melissa Bloom swept the planks of the boardwalk outside her father’s general store. Why did she even bother? The hot summer breeze seemed to blow more dust onto the walk than she could keep up with, making her stomp her foot in frustration with every sweep of her broom. Loose tendrils of her dark red hair fell out of the long braid hanging down her back and stuck to her face. She sighed as she as she tucked them behind her ears. Even her hair was uncooperative today.
She was hot, sticky, and irritated that her sister Shirley had stuck her with such a menial task. After leaning the broom against the outer wall of the store in defeat, Melissa sagged next to it, wiping her damp brow with the sleeve of her tan-colored dress. The breeze did nothing to cool her heated skin and felt more like the Devil’s own breath as it whisked its way down the main street of Gideon’s Gulch.
Not many people were out on the road, evidently choosing to stay cool inside rather than face the heat of the day themselves. Melissa suspected that was also the reason behind Shirley’s plea that she wasn’t feeling well and couldn’t possibly do the sweeping today. Melissa scowled as she mused that the real reason behind Shirley’s illness was that she didn’t want anyone to see her sweat.
Long touted as one of the prettiest girls in the Gulch, Shirley prided herself on her looks. Even though Melissa was her sister, they were as different as night and day. Where Shirley was outgoing and delicately beautiful, with her strawberry-blonde hair and blue eyes, Melissa seemed to be her opposite--plain, ordinary, and shy. Hardly a man of the Gulch gave her the time of day, and long had she resented her sister for it.
Apparently, Melissa just wasn’t marriage material, having seen twenty-four years without a single proposal while Shirley, on the other hand, was barely twenty and had already received countless requests for matrimony. Yet she had turned them all down, claiming she still hadn’t found the love of her life.
Melissa had learned to keep any men she might have fancied to herself, because once they met her sister, never again would they find her attractive. Melissa often wished her sister would find love soon. If Shirley would marry and leave the Gulch as she hoped, maybe Melissa would get a fighting chance at her own happiness.
Even though she refused to sweep the boardwalk any longer, Melissa still did not slink inside for relief. She didn’t hate her sister, but it was on days like this when she simply couldn’t stand to be around her. And Melissa knew Shirley was inside the store at this moment, fanning herself as she sat behind the counter of the store. It was hot inside as well, but not nearly as sweltering as it was out in the sun.
A small roof hung over the walk near the front door of the store and offered her a small amount of shade. Right in front of her was the water trough she filled every morning for the horses of riders who stopped by the store to purchase this or that. At the moment, Melissa was tempted to dunk her head into the water to cool off, propriety be damned.
She giggled at the thought, and imagining the look of horror that would be on Shirley’s face should she actually deign to do it made her laugh even harder. Her resentment for her sister seemed to melt away as she closed her eyes and smiled, leaning her head back against the wall.
“What’s a pretty little thing like you doing out here in this heat?”
Snapping up her head, Melissa pushed herself from the wall to face a man on horseback not more than a few feet away in the street. How had he managed to sneak up on her? Smoothing back her hair, she cleared her throat and looked at him. Coherent thought fled her mind as her eyes took in the sight before her.
The horse was black and beautiful with only a single stripe of white running down his face. At the moment, his big black head was lowered, and he was taking large gulps of water from the trough. His rider tipped his hat at her. Dark eyes peered from underneath the hat’s shadow, while a deep-blue shirt clung to his frame. A few buttons were undone at the collar, revealing a generous amount of his bronzed chest with just a hint of hair. Black jeans encased his muscular legs, and a gun belt circled his hips. The man was perhaps one of the most handsome she’d ever laid eyes on.
He pushed his hat up on his head, exposing damp, dark hair underneath. A straight nose and chiseled features revealed themselves to her and made her gasp involuntarily. He smiled as Melissa blushed and realized that many silent moments had passed since he’d asked his question. His smile made her knees weak for some reason, and she reached back with her hand to once again lean against the wall.
He dismounted and tied his horse to the hitching post. “You got a name, ma’am?”
Licking her lips, Melissa tried her best not to tremble at the sound of his voice. “My… my name is Melissa, sir, but most folks call me Lissa.”
“Well then, Lissa,” he said, grinning with an outstretched hand. “Nice to meet you. I’m Marcus McCaide.”
For long seconds, she stared at his hand before she took it in a friendly handshake. It was warm and firm against hers, sending a fresh wave of shivers through her. Never in her life had she seen a man more fine-looking than the one standing before her, and she drank him in as if he were a cool glass of water.
“I’m new in these parts, and I was wondering if perhaps you could tell me of some honest work that might need to be done around here.”
He was looking at her expectantly, and every nerve ending in her body began screaming. She could feel her heart beating faster as her breathing came in short, labored gasps. Smiling nervously, she pointed with a thumb to the general store behind her.
“My father… he’s looking for a good man to help stock the store from time to time. He just has me and my sister to help him, but sometimes we’re just not strong enough to lift some of the sacks of flour and sugar.”
Leaning back, Marcus looked up at the sign above the door that read
Chuck’s General Store.
“Your father is Chuck?” he asked with a grin.
Melissa nodded and looked away, unable to keep eye contact with him. What right did she have to think about this man as handsome anyhow? If he stuck around long enough, he couldn’t help but meet her sister. Once that happened, Melissa would never have another conversation with him again. Suddenly, she tried to find something--anything--to keep this man outside with her just a little longer while she basked in knowing he had no clue her sister Shirley even existed.
“What’s your horse’s name? He’s beautiful,” she said, clearing her throat once again.
Looking back at the horse absently swiping the flies away with a flick of its tail, Marcus leaned over to scratch his nose. “This is Pete.”
“Pete?” Melissa was unable to keep the smile from her voice.
“Yeah, Pete. Why the grin?”
Melissa’s smile grew wider, her dark green eyes sparkling. “I figured as black as he is, you might have named him Midnight or Black Angel or some such.”
Marcus chuckled as he glanced at her sideways, making her heart skip a beat. “Nah.” He shook his head. “He’s always looked like a Pete to me. I’ve had him since he was a colt. Got me out of some rough places right quick.”
That comment drew her eyes back to his guns, but she was too polite to ask him about it. A man wore guns for many reasons, and Melissa would rather not know why Marcus wore them.
“S’pose I should go in and have a talk with your pa then, Lissa.”
She bit her lip as he said her name casually, her heart fluttering inside her chest. With a sigh of resignation, she watched as he reached for the door handle. Before he could grasp it, the door opened and Shirley popped out her head.
“Lissa, who are you talking to?”
Melissa witnessed for herself the change in Marcus. He stared at Shirley as if he’d just been punched in the gut, his mouth hanging wide open. Melissa’s flimsy hopes that he wouldn’t be attracted to Shirley fell with Marcus’s jaw.
“Well,
hello.
” Shirley smiled as she offered her hand daintily.
Marcus accepted it as if she were made of glass. Bringing her hand up to his lips, he kissed it softly. “Hello, Miss. My name is Marcus. Marcus McCaide.”
The husky timbre of his voice wasn’t lost on Melissa as she watched him smile up at her sister. She tried her best not to be jealous that he hadn’t tried to kiss her hand, but she failed miserably. Shirley giggled and ushered him inside the small general store as the door closed quietly behind them.
Melissa was left alone on the boardwalk with a heavy heart, staring sadly at the black horse regarding her with curious eyes.
Two
Forgotten so easily, tears filled Melissa’s eyes while she scratched the nose of Marcus’s horse. Pete tossed his head a few times, sniffing around the pockets in her skirt.
