The material that Rachel brought out – white with tiny embroidered flowers of the same color - was indeed perfect for a wedding dress, and Kayla
automatically found herself mentally designing a dress for the beautiful cloth.
When Kayla asked the other girl if Cord had a sewing machine out at the
ranch, Rachel shook her head.
“But you’re welcome to come use mine,” the blond girl offered with a smile.
“That way, Cord won’t see the dress until you want him to.”
Kayla hesitated for a moment, but then nodded. If she declined, then Rachel would think it funny. They spent a little while talking about various things, but when the other girl had to take care of the store while her husband delivered some items to the blacksmith down the street, Kayla decided to go meet Cord at the sheriff’s.
To get to his office, she had to pass the saloon, and as she did so, her steps slowed. She’d never been in a western saloon before, but she’d heard talk
about what they were like. Curious to see for herself, she peered over the swinging double doors. It was dimly lit inside, but in the afternoon sunlight coming in from outside, she could see a bar along one wall. Several men
were seated there, which surprised Kayla a little, considering it was daytime.
There were also a few men playing cards at one of the tables near the door.
After watching for a moment, she recognized the game as poker. She’d
played a few times back in New York and was actually quite good at it.
Perhaps, it would even be a good way for her to make some money while she
was in town, she thought. That way she wouldn’t have to steal from Cord, she reasoned.
One of the men playing was apparently quite good, too, she noticed, watching as he swept the pile of money from the center of the table. The men with him grumbled something, but he just chuckled and pocketed his winnings before
picking up his hat and heading for the saloon’s door.
Kayla stepped back as the man walked out of the saloon. He was taller than she - though not as tall as Cord, she noticed - with sandy-colored hair and a matching mustache. She expected him to walk by her and down the street,
but instead, he stopped outside the door, his dark brown eyes regarding her with interest.
“Well, good afternoon, Ma’am,” he said, tipping his hat to her. “I don’t think I’ve seen you around here before, and I would have remembered seeing such
a pretty woman like you. Which means that you must be Cord Holderness’s
mail-order bride. From Boston, isn’t it?”
Kayla nodded. She supposed that in a small town like Copper Creek
everyone knew everyone else’s business. “Yes,” she said.
The man grinned. “I’m Dalton Jeffries.”
She thought that she recognized the name, but she couldn’t remember where
she’d heard it. Realizing that he was probably waiting for her to introduce herself, she said, “Abigail,” she said, and then added, “Murray.”
His grin broadened. “Pleased to make your acquaintance, then, Abigail
Murray. A woman as beautiful as you will certainly be a welcome addition to our town.”
She smiled and was about to answer when the sound of Cord’s voice
interrupted her. “Abigail, what are you doing?”
He stepped in front of her, protectively putting himself between her and the other man. She frowned. “I was just talking to this gentleman,” she told him.
Cord’s mouth tightened as he glared at the other man. “He’s no gentleman.”
Cord’s voice was hard, and Kayla looked at him in surprise, but before she could say anything, he continued.
“Stay away from her, Jeffries,” he warned.
Dalton Jeffries smirked. “Can’t a man talk to a pretty lady?”
“Not when you’re the one doing the talking,” Cord retorted.
The other man said nothing for a moment, and she thought that they might
start a fight right there in the street. After a few seconds, however, Dalton Jeffries tipped his hat to Abigail. “Afternoon, Ma’am.” He gave Cord a long look before walking around them and heading in the direction of the general store.
“I told you that I’d pick you up at the general store,” Cord said to her when Dalton Jeffries was out of earshot.
“I was finished, so I thought I’d meet you at the sheriff’s,” she said.
He regarded her for a moment in silence. “Dalton Jeffries is dangerous,
Abigail. I don’t want you near him.”
Her brow furrowed. “He seems nice enough.”
The muscle in Cord’s jaw flexed. “Well, he’s not. The man’s a snake.” Lifting his hand, he caressed her cheek, and when he spoke again, his voice was
soft. “I want you to promise me that you won’t go near him again, Abigail.”
She said nothing for a moment, and then she nodded. “I promise,” she said, though she couldn’t help but wonder why Cord disliked the other man so
much.
As she and Cord rode back to the ranch that afternoon, Kayla’s mind kept
wandering to the poker game she’d seen at the saloon. Though she wanted
to go back into town the next day to play in one of those games, she thought it better to wait a few days, at least until she was more familiar with Cord’s routine so that he wouldn’t know she’d sneaked off to do it. Somehow, she
didn’t think he’d approve of his fiancé playing poker at a saloon.
Cord, however, spent a good portion of each the day out on the ranch. Kayla watched from her bedroom window as he saddled his horse, admiring the
way the muscles in his arms flexed as he tightened the cinch straps. Placing his booted foot into the stirrup, Cord swung up into the saddle. Then, almost as if he could feel her eyes on him, Cord lifted his head to look up at her window. A grin
