LITMIR.BIZ

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backed out of the deal.”

      “I’ll get things done quicker on my own,” Boone declared, his complexion looking blanched. “Where in blazes would I get a wife anyway?”

      How odd that Boone cast her a brief sidelong glance. No, perhaps not. No doubt he had only been breaking his stare-down with Mathers.

      “A wife is a must, my boy. Everything has been arranged for you and the missus to pose as homesteaders—it’s the only way to draw the criminals out. This particular gang goes after settlers.”

      “I’ll settle as a single man.”

      Mathers shook his head. “No, that won’t do at all. A wife gives the impression of vulnerability.”

      “That may be, but where the blazes do you think I’ll conjure up one?”

      The singsong voice stopped suddenly, to be replaced by footsteps pattering into the courthouse.

      Suddenly a smile shot across the judge’s face. “Ah, here she is now!”

      “Back out while you can, Boone,” Smythe urged. “We’ll take your case to a higher court.”

      Melinda sat hard on the bench. Even the guard groaned under his breath.

      Boone’s bride-to-be had hair the color of cinnamon, lips the hue of ripe radishes and a crimson gown that barely covered anything.

      “Miss Scarlet Cherry—” the judge inclined his head toward Boone “—meet Boone Walker, your intended.”

      “Oh, my, my,” Miss Cherry purred, but even that was off-key. “It’s the outlaw in the—” Scarlet Cherry stroked nicotine-stained fingertips over Boone’s wrist “—flesh.”

      This would not do. No, not in a thousand years. This woman was to be Rebecca’s sister-in-law? Baby Caroline’s auntie?

      If only Lantree were here. He would intervene with a lecture about the risk of venereal disease.

      In spite of the fact that Scarlet Cherry’s name had everything to do with red, her face was pale, lined and sickly looking. No doubt she had a dreaded illness.

      Wish as she might, Lantree was not present. No one from the family was here to take Boone’s side...no one but her.

      What was she to do? She might argue against this marriage all day and night but, with his freedom at stake, Boone would go along with this scheme in the end.

      Truly, who could blame him for that?

      Still, there must be something that she could do to prevent this injustice.

      She covered her face, thinking, trying to figure a way out of this mess...other than the obvious one.

      Peeking out from between her fingers, she saw the harlot press her beleaguered charms against Boone’s arm. He stared down at her with a frown.

      “Miss Cherry,” Boone said while disengaging his arm. “As much as I appreciate your willingness to help, I’ll do this on my own or not at all.”

      “Good day to you, ma’am.” Stanley plucked Miss Cherry’s sleeve and hustled her out the open doors of the courtroom.

      My, but that was a relief. The very last thing she wanted to do was report that Boone had been forced to marry that brightly hued woman.

      As far as Melinda could tell, Boone was a man who could capture the outlaw gang all on his own. He had a hard, worldly edge to him that his brother did not have.

      Truly, all Boone had to do was cast the outlaws the scowl that he was currently giving the judge and they would put themselves in irons.

      “It’s a wife or a jail cell, Walker. The choice is yours.”

      “That is no choice at all!” Melinda leaped to her feet, feeling the injustice to her bones.

      “It’s the one he’s got, young woman. Perhaps you would like to volunteer for the assignment...grant this outlaw his freedom.”

      The challenge had been laid at her feet...and it was not as though the idea had not been making her stomach churn for the past fifteen minutes. Could she really make such a leap without running outside and losing her breakfast?

      Marrying a stranger, no matter that he didn’t quite feel like one because of Lantree, was beyond bold. It was life-changing and perhaps the most foolish thing she would ever do.

      But in the end, family stood up for family. It was the way love worked. Lantree loved his brother and Rebecca loved Lantree. Melinda loved Rebecca and they all loved baby Caroline, therefore—

      “Perhaps I would!”

      Her mind reeled; she could scarcely find her breath. With three words she had changed the course of her life. In all, though, she was not sorry she had risen to Mathers’s challenge even if she had to resist the urge to run outside and be sick.

      Honestly, there was nothing else to be done.

      Judging by the loud objections of Stanley and Boone, they were not well pleased with her decision. Indeed, her ears rang with Boone’s curses and Stanley’s bellows of outrage.

      Mathers was grinning, though. It occurred to her that maybe he had brought the harlot here simply to goad her into volunteering. When one thought about it, Melinda would make a far more believable homesteader than Scarlet Cherry would have.

      Yes, indeed. All she needed was a couple of sturdy brown dresses and she could play the part to perfection.

      “I’d like to speak with you for a moment, Boone.” Her quiet statement silenced the profanity. “Over in the corner.”

      She led the way toward a bench in the rear of the room.

      Boone followed, then the guard and, after him, Stanley. Only Mathers remained near the podium, hands in his pockets. Rocking back on his heels, he looked like the cat who’d swallowed the canary.

      “Gentlemen, I’d like a word with Mr. Walker in private,” she said with a nod at her escorts.

      “I’ll allow it,” called the judge.

      With a scowl at everyone, Stanley Smythe followed the guard to the far side of the room.

      “Miss Winston, have you lost your mind?” Boone whispered before they had even taken a seat on the bench.

      “You’ve been speaking to my mother?” She laughed as she fluffed her skirt on the bench. Couldn’t help it because she clearly heard her mother’s voice in her head. She had heard the disapproving tone too many times growing up to not hear the familiar voice in this moment of upheaval.

      “This is hardly a laughing matter, ma’am. Mathers isn’t talking about acting married, he’ll have us hog-tied in a second.”

      “Judge Mathers?” She stood and turned toward the podium. “What if we simply acted as though we were married? It would accomplish the same thing.”

      “It would accomplish your reputation being ruined. I’ll not have that misfortune darkening my career. No, no, indeed. It’s marriage or prison.”

      She sat back down.

      “We’re strangers.” Boone rubbed a hand over his face. She heard his palm scrape the rough stubble of his beard, the chain of his handcuffs jingle. “Why do you want to help me?”

      “Because we aren’t strangers at all. We may have only just met, but through Lantree, Rebecca and Caroline we are family...forever bound.”

      He stared at her, his brows lowered while he shook his head in apparent denial of the facts.

      Well, no wonder he was in a sullen state. He was being put in a completely unfair situation.

      Yes, indeed, and hadn’t he spent the better part of his life the victim of an unfair situation?

      “Your Honor?” Melinda stood

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