“He owned the grain and feed store.”
“You were reared in a genteel home?”
She nodded. “After their accident, I moved in with my best friend and her father.”
“And is that when you worked in a saloon?” he asked.
Emma thought about telling him that she wasn’t really a saloon woman, that she’d never lain with a man, and she’d only worked in a saloon for one night, but did she really want him to know that? Maybe, if he thought her a saloon woman, he’d continue to find their relationship distasteful. It would be her protection, so to speak.
“Not then. You see, my friend and her father wanted to get in on the land grants in Oregon, so we traveled to St. Joseph, Missouri to get on a wagon train, but they both caught cholera and died, leaving me alone. The wagon train scout escorted me to Boulder City, where he left me at a church. I was homeless and the minister couldn’t help me and that’s when I took the job at the Silver Bullet Saloon.”
Emma hoped he wouldn’t ask her how long she’d worked there. She tried to stick to the truth as much as she could.
“Well, Emma, I’m glad you accepted my offer. You’ve saved my inheritance.”
“What’s in this for me?" she asked. "What will you do with me after six months have passed?”
Logan seemed stunned for a moment. “That’s a good question. I’ll have to think about it.”
Chapter Four
Logan worked in the stables that evening, wondering what would he do with Emma when the six months were up? He couldn’t get her a job in a saloon—that would never do. It would also cause a lot of gossip if someone ever discovered her past. He had to think of something.
He thought it a shame that a genteel woman would have to resort to working in a saloon. She was a lovely woman. Her shiny black hair beckoned his fingers to touch it. Her doe-like eyes spoke of sensitivity and intelligence. What was he going to do with her? He was definitely using her, and that didn’t sit well with him. Logan felt as if he had to give her something in return. He decided to let people believe their marriage had been real and things hadn’t worked out for them. He would lead them to believe they were divorcing rather than having the marriage annulled.
An idea hit him: he’d give her a few acres of land and the hunting cottage at the north end of his property, the one his father had used for hunting deer. It sat in the middle of the woods, but he could clear the land for her. He could also afford to give her a small allowance on which to live.
He went inside when Irma rang the dinner bell and washed up before sitting down at the dining room table across from his new wife as Irma brought out a pot roast with boiled potatoes and carrots. He watched Emma toy with her food. Something was bothering her, and he bet he knew what it was.
“I’ve decided what will happen in six months,” he said. “We’ll tell people we’re divorcing on mutual agreement. Since we’d still be friends, so to speak, I’ll let you live in my hunting cabin on the property, and I’ll give you a fair salary. How does that sound?”
She stared at him for several seconds as he mentally remarked at how lovely she was, sitting there in a violet dress that seemed to deepen the brown of her eyes and emphasize her flawless complexion. Her silence soon made him nervous. “Well? What do you say?”
“I’m considering it,” she said. “Can I see the hunting cabin?”
“Certainly. I’ll take you there tomorrow. It will be December in six months. I’ve stayed there many a winter, and the place is warm and cozy. I’ll make sure you have everything you need, including a horse of your choice. If you later decide not to stay there, I’ll continue my financial support until you remarry.”
“That’s very generous.”
“I want you to know how much I appreciate your helping me. I've worked side by side with my father here, on the ranch, for many years, and I can't lose it.”
“Why would your father make such a stipulation in his will?”
Logan bit his lower lip. He was afraid she might ask that, and he was ashamed to tell her.
“Was it that bad?” she asked. “You don’t have to tell me.”
Logan stabbed another piece of beef. “No, I’ll tell you. You might hear it somewhere, anyway. I was addicted to gambling, and my father had to bail me out a few times when I lost more money than I had. He changed his will with the stipulation that if I didn’t marry within a year, everything would go to my sister and her husband. I quit gambling and worked hard on the ranch. After about eight months, he told me he was ready to change the will and that he was proud of me, but it seems he died before he had the chance.”
“I see. Your sister would have gotten it had you not married?”
“Yes. Prudence and Hugh would have gotten everything. Hugh’s a good man, but he already owns a livery in Hays, and I don’t see how he could handle both businesses.”
“Your sister seems interested, according to what the lawyer said.”
“Prudence was always a tomboy and forever trying to compete with me. I think she wanted to take over the business, though I'm not sure how she would have done that unless she'd planned to leave Hugh.”
“It sounds like you deserved the ranch, and I’m glad I could help.”
“Now, you tell me something. What made you accept such a risky offer?”
Emma set her fork down and sighed.
