Justin's Bride by Susan Mallery

also smelled like a sheep.
    â€œAre you afraid of taking a bath? There’s a nice lady, whose name is Alice. She’s going to help you. They sent up some soap. I think it smells nice.”
    â€œWill it hurt?”
    â€œNo. It’s warm water. You’ll feel toasty when you’re done. Then we’ll have something to eat. Would you like that?”
    Instead of answering, Bonnie shimmied out from under the bed. Alice stood in the doorway between the two rooms and smiled encouragingly.
    â€œHello,” she said. “Can I help you bathe?” She held out her hand, then wrinkled her nose. “What do you want me to do with her clothes, sir?”
    Justin opened his mouth, then closed it. “Wash them?”
    â€œDoes she have others? These won’t be dry by morning.”
    â€œNo, Mrs. Jarvis didn’t leave anything.” He thought for a moment. “Here.” He opened the armoire and pulled out one of his shirts. “Put her in this after her bath. Take her clothes outside, brush them and let them air. In the morning, I’ll find her something else.”
    When he was alone in his room, he sank onto the window seat and sighed. He’d been back in Landing exactly two days. In that time he’d fought with Megan twice, kissed her, found out about a murder, insulted half the women in town by asking them about a dead saloon girl, learned about a second murder and found himself responsible for a small child.
    A knock sounded on the door. A cheerful male voice called out that it was a delivery from the dining room. As he rose to let the man in, he hoped they’d remembered to bring whiskey because he sure as hell needed a drink.
    * * *
    The little girl who was escorted to the table set up by the foot of his bed wasn’t the same child who had disappeared thirty minutes before. Instead of a dirt-encrusted waif, this girl was all pink and white, sweet-smelling with beautiful, shiny black hair that fell halfway down her back. His white shirt dwarfed her, dragging on the floor. Alice had rolled up the sleeves.
    â€œHere you go, sir. One clean girl. We had fun, Bonnie, didn’t we?”
    Bonnie nodded. Justin wondered if she ever smiled.
    Alice held the child’s dirty clothes in her arms. “I’ll see what I can do about these and leave them outside her door in the morning.”
    â€œThank you.” Justin accompanied the maid to the door, then tipped her generously. When she’d left, he turned back to Bonnie, who stood beside the laden table staring as if she’d never in her life seen that much food.
    â€œWhy don’t we start with some soup and bread,” he said, pulling out a chair for her. If she hadn’t been eating regularly, she wouldn’t be able to hold that much. He didn’t want to make her sick on her first decent meal in God knows how long. She glanced from him to the table setting and back. Confusion darkened her blue eyes, and fear, or maybe hunger, made her tremble.
    â€œDon’t be afraid.”
    He picked up a biscuit and handed it to her. She stared at it, then snatched it from him and shoved it in her mouth. While she was busy chewing, pushing and swallowing all at the same time, he lifted her and set her on the chair. Her head barely cleared the table.
    Justin frowned. That wasn’t going to work. He grabbed the pillows from his bed, picked her up with one arm and shoved the pillows under her behind.
    â€œHow’s that?” he asked.
    She swallowed the last of her biscuit. “Nice.”
    He grinned. “Try the soup.” He lifted the cover of the tureen and ladled some broth into the bowl in front of her. The aroma of chicken and spices must have enticed her because she licked her lips. He tucked the napkin into the collar of the shirt she wore, then handed her a spoon.
    â€œIt might be hot,” he said. “Blow on it first.”
    She stared at him as if he’d told her to ride a