fumed. “How dare you talk about me as though I’m not in the same room with you.”
“We can fix that.”
“Good, when you untie me I can—” She didn’t get the opportunity to finish her sentence because Jake and Zach left, closing the door behind them, leaving her in the dark.
“Oooooh!”
Chapter Seven
Honor sat beside Rosalyn at the table in the other cabin, a frown pinching her brows together. “This isn’t how I planned it.”
Zach sat across from her holding her hand.
Jake paced the floor, wishing he knew what the hell to do. “What do you mean this isn’t how you planned? Do you think I planned on winning a man’s ranch and cattle-sale earnings in a poker game?” Jake snorted. “And to think I was counting myself pretty lucky. Until some kid punched me in the jaw and then a pretty blonde made an offer I couldn’t refuse.”
“She is pretty, isn’t she,” Rosalyn said.
Jake nodded, flinging out an arm. “Yeah, sure. Beneath the men’s trousers, the hat and the right hook.” He rubbed his jaw, a smile sneaking up on his lips as he recalled that night when KC pushed her way through that crowded bar and punched him in the face. Had he known then what he knew now, he wouldn’t have been so angry. Heck, he might have kissed her.
What the hell was he thinking? The woman had no business putting herself up as collateral for her father’s mistake. If he’d had even a clue that she was a virgin, he wouldn’t have been so forceful. Wouldn’t have taken her like some two-bit whore. Wouldn’t have discovered how wonderful he felt inside her, how soft her skin was beneath the rough clothing.
KC might dress like a man, but she was all woman. Fightin’, spitting-mad, drive-ya-crazy woman.
He ran a hand through his hair. Thinking was getting him nowhere. What was he supposed to do with her? Her daddy had to be halfway back to his ranch. And what would he do with a tarnished daughter? What kind of life would she lead without prospects of a decent husband? A man who’d cherish her and treat her like the lady she was?
“You ruined my plans, Jake.” Honor buried her face in her hands and sobbed. “I’m sorry.” She patted Rosalyn’s hand beside her. “It’s just that I’ve been so emotional. You know, the baby and all. And then you arrive and I finally have a woman who’ll be around even after the baby arrives only to discover Jake’s brought back two women.” Honor flung her hands in the air and sobbed again. “What now? Will you stay after the baby comes? Will this blonde woman?”
“Her name’s KC,” Jake interjected.
“Will KC?” Honor stood, her belly bumping the table. She waddled over to Jake and poked him in the chest. “You were supposed to fall in love with Rosalyn so she’d decide to stay after the baby arrives.”
Jake stared at Honor as though she’d grown two horns. “What did you say?”
Zach rose so fast from the table, the bench he’d been sitting on toppled over and he had to jump over it to keep from tripping. “Honor’s pregnant, she doesn’t know what she’s talking about.”
Jake stared from Honor to Zach and back again, realization dawning on him. “You didn’t bring Rosalyn here for Honor, you brought her here for me.” His gaze went to Rosalyn. “Did you understand that when you replied to her advertisement?”
Rosalyn shrugged. “I knew Mrs. Braun wanted a companion.”
“And?”
Her mouth twisted wryly. “And the chance that a suitable suitor might be a consolation prize if things worked out.”
Jake shook his head. He couldn’t believe he’d been duped by all three of them. “And you went along with it?”
Rosalyn nodded. “I was at a place in my life I thought that I wanted to get married. As long as the man was good to me and not a hideous ogre, I was willing to consider the possibility.”
“I can’t believe this. My best friends and a complete stranger plotting to marry me off without even asking me what I
“We can fix that.”
“Good, when you untie me I can—” She didn’t get the opportunity to finish her sentence because Jake and Zach left, closing the door behind them, leaving her in the dark.
“Oooooh!”
Chapter Seven
Honor sat beside Rosalyn at the table in the other cabin, a frown pinching her brows together. “This isn’t how I planned it.”
Zach sat across from her holding her hand.
Jake paced the floor, wishing he knew what the hell to do. “What do you mean this isn’t how you planned? Do you think I planned on winning a man’s ranch and cattle-sale earnings in a poker game?” Jake snorted. “And to think I was counting myself pretty lucky. Until some kid punched me in the jaw and then a pretty blonde made an offer I couldn’t refuse.”
“She is pretty, isn’t she,” Rosalyn said.
Jake nodded, flinging out an arm. “Yeah, sure. Beneath the men’s trousers, the hat and the right hook.” He rubbed his jaw, a smile sneaking up on his lips as he recalled that night when KC pushed her way through that crowded bar and punched him in the face. Had he known then what he knew now, he wouldn’t have been so angry. Heck, he might have kissed her.
What the hell was he thinking? The woman had no business putting herself up as collateral for her father’s mistake. If he’d had even a clue that she was a virgin, he wouldn’t have been so forceful. Wouldn’t have taken her like some two-bit whore. Wouldn’t have discovered how wonderful he felt inside her, how soft her skin was beneath the rough clothing.
KC might dress like a man, but she was all woman. Fightin’, spitting-mad, drive-ya-crazy woman.
He ran a hand through his hair. Thinking was getting him nowhere. What was he supposed to do with her? Her daddy had to be halfway back to his ranch. And what would he do with a tarnished daughter? What kind of life would she lead without prospects of a decent husband? A man who’d cherish her and treat her like the lady she was?
“You ruined my plans, Jake.” Honor buried her face in her hands and sobbed. “I’m sorry.” She patted Rosalyn’s hand beside her. “It’s just that I’ve been so emotional. You know, the baby and all. And then you arrive and I finally have a woman who’ll be around even after the baby arrives only to discover Jake’s brought back two women.” Honor flung her hands in the air and sobbed again. “What now? Will you stay after the baby comes? Will this blonde woman?”
“Her name’s KC,” Jake interjected.
“Will KC?” Honor stood, her belly bumping the table. She waddled over to Jake and poked him in the chest. “You were supposed to fall in love with Rosalyn so she’d decide to stay after the baby arrives.”
Jake stared at Honor as though she’d grown two horns. “What did you say?”
Zach rose so fast from the table, the bench he’d been sitting on toppled over and he had to jump over it to keep from tripping. “Honor’s pregnant, she doesn’t know what she’s talking about.”
Jake stared from Honor to Zach and back again, realization dawning on him. “You didn’t bring Rosalyn here for Honor, you brought her here for me.” His gaze went to Rosalyn. “Did you understand that when you replied to her advertisement?”
Rosalyn shrugged. “I knew Mrs. Braun wanted a companion.”
“And?”
Her mouth twisted wryly. “And the chance that a suitable suitor might be a consolation prize if things worked out.”
Jake shook his head. He couldn’t believe he’d been duped by all three of them. “And you went along with it?”
Rosalyn nodded. “I was at a place in my life I thought that I wanted to get married. As long as the man was good to me and not a hideous ogre, I was willing to consider the possibility.”
“I can’t believe this. My best friends and a complete stranger plotting to marry me off without even asking me what I
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