wanted.”
Rosalyn stood. “Look, things have changed. I can see that although you and I could be quite compatible in bed, I’m not so certain I want to live the rest of my life so far from civilization.” Rosalyn nodded to Honor. “Sorry, honey. I’m a city girl. I wanted to get away from a bad relationship and thought the farther the better.”
Honor leaned into Zach’s arms. “I don’t blame you. It does get lonely out here. If I didn’t have Zach and Jake, I’d go stark raving mad.”
“To play my cards straight, I’ll stay until the baby is born and Honor is on her feet, but after that, I’ll be shovin’ off for the nearest city with fine tailors and a decent haberdashery.” Rosalyn reached out and held Honor’s hands. “I haven’t had much experience birthin’ babies, which I told you in the letter, but I’ll help in any way I can.”
“Thank you.” Honor pressed a hankie to her eyes. “I will feel much better with another woman around.”
Rosalyn released Honor’s hands and turned to Jake. “Now, what are you going to do about that poor girl over there tied to your bed?”
“Why don’t you all make plans for me? Seems you’ve done a lot of that lately.” Jake crossed his arms over his chest.
“Really, miner, she’s not some piece of skirt to be flung aside. She’s young, separated from her family and all that she’s known, and she has a heart that you’re no doubt breaking.”
Jake snorted. “She shouldn’t have made that deal with me. None of this would have happened if she hadn’t made that deal.”
“She did what she had to do to save her family from starvation.”
“Excuse me. Are we missing something?” Honor laid a hand on Jake’s arm. “What is it about this girl that has you all tied in knots, Jake?”
“She’s a goddamn virgin,” Jake blurted out.
“ Was ,” Rosalyn corrected.
“Tell me you didn’t…” Honor’s hand tightened on Jake’s arm. “Tell me you didn’t dishonor her.”
His jaw clenched so tight he was surprised he didn’t break half his teeth. Jake nodded.
“Oh, Jake.” Honor shook her head. “That was probably the only asset she had of value to a man.”
“Holy hell!” Jake flung himself away. “Don’t you think I thought of that?”
“Then why did you do it?”
“I didn’t think of that until after I’d already deflowered her.” He flipped the fallen bench over and slumped onto it. “I can’t give it back to her.”
Honor smiled. “Then you have to do right by her.”
“Huh?” Jake looked up. “What do you mean?”
“You have to marry the girl and make an honest woman of her.”
“Have you lost your cotton-pickin’ mind?” Jake thundered, standing so fast the bench toppled over for the second time that evening.
Honor raised her hands, palms upward. “Do you have a better suggestion? She can’t go back to her father soiled. You can’t dump her in Idaho Springs. She’ll just become another whore for the miners to abuse.”
Jake had gone through all the scenarios Honor suggested except one. “Marriage? I’m too young to get married. I haven’t sown all my wild oats.”
Rosalyn shrugged. “Then take her back to Idaho Springs. I’m sure one of the saloons would love to have a pretty young blonde for the miners. She’d bring top dollar.”
Jake glared at Rosalyn. “She’s mine. Besides, I thought you were her friend.”
“I am. But us women have to be practical. When we can’t find suitable employment…” She turned away from Jake. “We take what we can get.”
“Damnation!” Jake thundered out of the cabin, breathing fire. He marched across the distance separating the two cabins and flung the door open to the one he’d built.
“About time you got back over here. Untie me at once,” KC demanded.
“Not until you agree to marry me.”
“What?” She jerked against the ropes binding her wrists. “I will do no such thing. I don’t even like you.”
“I won’t untie you
Rosalyn stood. “Look, things have changed. I can see that although you and I could be quite compatible in bed, I’m not so certain I want to live the rest of my life so far from civilization.” Rosalyn nodded to Honor. “Sorry, honey. I’m a city girl. I wanted to get away from a bad relationship and thought the farther the better.”
Honor leaned into Zach’s arms. “I don’t blame you. It does get lonely out here. If I didn’t have Zach and Jake, I’d go stark raving mad.”
“To play my cards straight, I’ll stay until the baby is born and Honor is on her feet, but after that, I’ll be shovin’ off for the nearest city with fine tailors and a decent haberdashery.” Rosalyn reached out and held Honor’s hands. “I haven’t had much experience birthin’ babies, which I told you in the letter, but I’ll help in any way I can.”
“Thank you.” Honor pressed a hankie to her eyes. “I will feel much better with another woman around.”
Rosalyn released Honor’s hands and turned to Jake. “Now, what are you going to do about that poor girl over there tied to your bed?”
“Why don’t you all make plans for me? Seems you’ve done a lot of that lately.” Jake crossed his arms over his chest.
“Really, miner, she’s not some piece of skirt to be flung aside. She’s young, separated from her family and all that she’s known, and she has a heart that you’re no doubt breaking.”
Jake snorted. “She shouldn’t have made that deal with me. None of this would have happened if she hadn’t made that deal.”
“She did what she had to do to save her family from starvation.”
“Excuse me. Are we missing something?” Honor laid a hand on Jake’s arm. “What is it about this girl that has you all tied in knots, Jake?”
“She’s a goddamn virgin,” Jake blurted out.
“ Was ,” Rosalyn corrected.
“Tell me you didn’t…” Honor’s hand tightened on Jake’s arm. “Tell me you didn’t dishonor her.”
His jaw clenched so tight he was surprised he didn’t break half his teeth. Jake nodded.
“Oh, Jake.” Honor shook her head. “That was probably the only asset she had of value to a man.”
“Holy hell!” Jake flung himself away. “Don’t you think I thought of that?”
“Then why did you do it?”
“I didn’t think of that until after I’d already deflowered her.” He flipped the fallen bench over and slumped onto it. “I can’t give it back to her.”
Honor smiled. “Then you have to do right by her.”
“Huh?” Jake looked up. “What do you mean?”
“You have to marry the girl and make an honest woman of her.”
“Have you lost your cotton-pickin’ mind?” Jake thundered, standing so fast the bench toppled over for the second time that evening.
Honor raised her hands, palms upward. “Do you have a better suggestion? She can’t go back to her father soiled. You can’t dump her in Idaho Springs. She’ll just become another whore for the miners to abuse.”
Jake had gone through all the scenarios Honor suggested except one. “Marriage? I’m too young to get married. I haven’t sown all my wild oats.”
Rosalyn shrugged. “Then take her back to Idaho Springs. I’m sure one of the saloons would love to have a pretty young blonde for the miners. She’d bring top dollar.”
Jake glared at Rosalyn. “She’s mine. Besides, I thought you were her friend.”
“I am. But us women have to be practical. When we can’t find suitable employment…” She turned away from Jake. “We take what we can get.”
“Damnation!” Jake thundered out of the cabin, breathing fire. He marched across the distance separating the two cabins and flung the door open to the one he’d built.
“About time you got back over here. Untie me at once,” KC demanded.
“Not until you agree to marry me.”
“What?” She jerked against the ropes binding her wrists. “I will do no such thing. I don’t even like you.”
“I won’t untie you
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