shoulders as Dickens cut his bonds. “Dance
with whomever you want.”
Maddie’s smile faltered but then steadied. “He’s such a
considerate man.”
Culbart’s frown didn’t match the lightness of his tone. “A
regular prince.”
“Yes. My prince.”
The men pushed the chairs back and Culbart put his arm out.
Maddie cast him one uncertain look before taking it, her smile more forced than
before. The strains of the fiddle picked up speed. Culbart twirled her forward.
He danced the way one would expect for such a big man, more enthusiasm than
grace, but after a couple spins, Maddie didn’t seem to mind. She tipped her head
back and laughed. Her hair came out of its elaborate bun and flowed over
Culbart’s arm. The sight was just one more aggravation in a day of them. The man
was entirely too familiar with his wife. When Culbart and she stopped dancing,
the next Fallen C hand was in line. This one was more graceful. He’d obviously
danced a lot. Maddie’s tongue peeked between her lips as she concentrated on
following his intricate steps, but follow them she did, her laughter rising
above the music, landing on his pride, galling him.
When the next man would have stepped up, Caden had had enough.
Shotgun marriage or not, Maddie was his wife, not some floozy for all to handle.
He strode across the room, tapping the man on the shoulder.
“My turn.”
Maddie stood there, looking impossibly sweet, fragile,
treacherous. For a moment he thought he saw fear in her eyes, but then her smile
was back, soft and gentle, the way she only smiled for him. She held up her
arms. He put one hand around her waist and grabbed her hand with the other. She
blinked when she didn’t get the kiss she expected, but as he led her into a slow
waltz, she fell in step with him. Now that he had her in his arms, Caden wasn’t
sure what he wanted to do with her.
She sighed. “Our first dance as husband and wife.”
“Likely our last, too.”
She blinked, but that smile didn’t shake.
“You think the fiddler is getting tired?”
She was deliberately misunderstanding him.
“I think I’m tired.” Tired of this charade. Tired of believing
she could betray him. Tired of accepting it was more than likely she had. Maddie
hungered for respectability, and today she’d found a way to get it.
Shit. He’d been a fool. They’d all been fools. But there was no
undoing this, no getting out of it right now.
He danced Maddie over to one of the hands and passed her off.
He’d had enough of this crap.
“Giving away the bride so soon?” Dickens sneered.
Caden dropped her hand and turned away. “Yes.”
Maddie gasped, and a reflective growl rose in one of the men.
Caden flexed his shoulders and smiled. He could use a good fight. Before Caden
could take anyone up on the challenge, Ace threw his arm around his shoulder and
shoved a whiskey into his hand.
“What the fuck are you doing, Caden? Trying to get us all
killed?” he muttered, shoving him toward the door and out.
“She played me for a fool, all of us for fools.”
Ace shrugged. “Maybe. Or maybe this is all some scheme thought
up by Culbart.”
“She didn’t need to go along with it.”
“Hell, Caden, it’s Maddie. Half the time she doesn’t know if
she’s here or there. You can’t be blaming her for this.”
Caden remembered the moment of satisfaction on her face at the
end of the ceremony. “Yeah, I can.”
“Well, whatever’s going on, we can’t do anything about it now,
so let’s just get the celebrating done, get Maddie loaded up and get the hell
back to Hell’s Eight.”
“I’m not taking her back to Hell’s Eight.”
“Why not?”
“One, because I can’t afford to lose the mine to claim jumpers,
and two, she wanted to be my wife, then she can be my fucking wife and deal with
all that means.”
“And what the hell is that?” Ace asked.
Caden shoved his hat back down on his head, glaring into the
house through the window at Maddie, who was
with whomever you want.”
Maddie’s smile faltered but then steadied. “He’s such a
considerate man.”
Culbart’s frown didn’t match the lightness of his tone. “A
regular prince.”
“Yes. My prince.”
The men pushed the chairs back and Culbart put his arm out.
Maddie cast him one uncertain look before taking it, her smile more forced than
before. The strains of the fiddle picked up speed. Culbart twirled her forward.
He danced the way one would expect for such a big man, more enthusiasm than
grace, but after a couple spins, Maddie didn’t seem to mind. She tipped her head
back and laughed. Her hair came out of its elaborate bun and flowed over
Culbart’s arm. The sight was just one more aggravation in a day of them. The man
was entirely too familiar with his wife. When Culbart and she stopped dancing,
the next Fallen C hand was in line. This one was more graceful. He’d obviously
danced a lot. Maddie’s tongue peeked between her lips as she concentrated on
following his intricate steps, but follow them she did, her laughter rising
above the music, landing on his pride, galling him.
When the next man would have stepped up, Caden had had enough.
Shotgun marriage or not, Maddie was his wife, not some floozy for all to handle.
He strode across the room, tapping the man on the shoulder.
“My turn.”
Maddie stood there, looking impossibly sweet, fragile,
treacherous. For a moment he thought he saw fear in her eyes, but then her smile
was back, soft and gentle, the way she only smiled for him. She held up her
arms. He put one hand around her waist and grabbed her hand with the other. She
blinked when she didn’t get the kiss she expected, but as he led her into a slow
waltz, she fell in step with him. Now that he had her in his arms, Caden wasn’t
sure what he wanted to do with her.
She sighed. “Our first dance as husband and wife.”
“Likely our last, too.”
She blinked, but that smile didn’t shake.
“You think the fiddler is getting tired?”
She was deliberately misunderstanding him.
“I think I’m tired.” Tired of this charade. Tired of believing
she could betray him. Tired of accepting it was more than likely she had. Maddie
hungered for respectability, and today she’d found a way to get it.
Shit. He’d been a fool. They’d all been fools. But there was no
undoing this, no getting out of it right now.
He danced Maddie over to one of the hands and passed her off.
He’d had enough of this crap.
“Giving away the bride so soon?” Dickens sneered.
Caden dropped her hand and turned away. “Yes.”
Maddie gasped, and a reflective growl rose in one of the men.
Caden flexed his shoulders and smiled. He could use a good fight. Before Caden
could take anyone up on the challenge, Ace threw his arm around his shoulder and
shoved a whiskey into his hand.
“What the fuck are you doing, Caden? Trying to get us all
killed?” he muttered, shoving him toward the door and out.
“She played me for a fool, all of us for fools.”
Ace shrugged. “Maybe. Or maybe this is all some scheme thought
up by Culbart.”
“She didn’t need to go along with it.”
“Hell, Caden, it’s Maddie. Half the time she doesn’t know if
she’s here or there. You can’t be blaming her for this.”
Caden remembered the moment of satisfaction on her face at the
end of the ceremony. “Yeah, I can.”
“Well, whatever’s going on, we can’t do anything about it now,
so let’s just get the celebrating done, get Maddie loaded up and get the hell
back to Hell’s Eight.”
“I’m not taking her back to Hell’s Eight.”
“Why not?”
“One, because I can’t afford to lose the mine to claim jumpers,
and two, she wanted to be my wife, then she can be my fucking wife and deal with
all that means.”
“And what the hell is that?” Ace asked.
Caden shoved his hat back down on his head, glaring into the
house through the window at Maddie, who was
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