been married for weeks now,” Rose said, still standing by the door.
“Are you nesting?”
Rose looked at her in confusion. “Nesting?”
“Are you expanding?”
Rose shook her head. “I still don’t know what you’re asking.”
“I’ll spell it out then—are you with child?”
“No, I’m definitely not.”
“Good, because your marriage will never last,” Dora said.
“Why are you here?” Rose asked, trying hard not to let the anger she felt show.
“I miss Quinn. He was the best…um…dancing partner I ever had.” She winked.
“And why do you say our marriage won’t last?” Rose asked.
“Because Quinn likes saloon women. He likes excitement and variety. He told me so.”
“People change,” Rose said, trying not to believe a word of what she said.
Dora looked her up and down again and then laughed. “I bet your love life is dull.”
Rose felt her face burn with anger, and she realized her clenched fists felt like bashing Dora. The last thing she wanted was the woman to know she didn’t have a love life.
“Has he started going out at night yet?” Dora asked.
“No, he hasn’t,” Rose said.
“When he does, I suggest you put on something slinky and make his life more exciting,” Dora said. She stood, and walked to the door.
“Slinky?” Rose asked.
Dora shook her head. “You aren’t faking are you? You really are that innocent?”
Rose nodded.
“Slinky, means seductive—something he can’t resist, something that will drive him a bit wild,” Dora said.
Rose thought about Dora's words. Was she not seductive enough? Was that why Quinn didn’t want to be intimate with her? She looked at Dora and then at herself. Did Quinn love her like a sister? Was that the problem?
“Can you describe something I could wear to be…seductive?” Rose asked.
“You’re serious aren’t you? You're such a cute little mouse.” Dora smiled at her. “I like you, I really do. I thought you were putting on an act with the innocent bit, but you’re the genuine article.”
“My father was the minister at Grace Church. That's where I met Quinn. He used to go there too,” she said.
“I was furious when Quinn messed with other saloon women, but I’m not one bit angry that he’s chosen you. You know why? Because you aren’t competition. We saloon women are very possessive of our clients and often end up in hair pulling contests over one or two, but you're just a sweet innocent girl. You know what? I’m going to help you.”
“You are?” Rose didn’t know if she could trust this woman or not.
“I’m going to borrow a seductive dress from Eva, my roommate, because she’s about your size. I’ll drop it off later. Is there a time I can swing by when Quinn's not likely to be here?”
“He’s back to working at the livery, so I’m here alone all day long.”
“Good. I’ll make you look so seductive, your love life will be the greatest ever. When he asks how you did it, you tell ‘em, his friend Dora helped you out.” She winked.
After she’d gone, Rose went into the bedroom and stared at her reflection in the bedroom window. Then, she mentally compared herself to Dora.
No wonder Quinn didn’t want to consummate the marriage. He might even be planning to have the marriage eventually annulled. What if he only saw her as the innocent little girl from church whose feelings he didn't want to hurt? Was he really just afraid of her being with child because of Martha's death? What if he just didn't want a child with her? What had she done to herself by forcing this marriage on him?
The minute Quinn walked in, he noticed the change in Rose. Usually she smiled up at him and told him how much she’d missed him. Now that he was back to work they didn’t have the days together, just the evenings, and that suited him just fine. She was tempting enough in the daytime, but at night it was harder for him to not grab her, and…well, he wouldn’t even think about that.
They
“Are you nesting?”
Rose looked at her in confusion. “Nesting?”
“Are you expanding?”
Rose shook her head. “I still don’t know what you’re asking.”
“I’ll spell it out then—are you with child?”
“No, I’m definitely not.”
“Good, because your marriage will never last,” Dora said.
“Why are you here?” Rose asked, trying hard not to let the anger she felt show.
“I miss Quinn. He was the best…um…dancing partner I ever had.” She winked.
“And why do you say our marriage won’t last?” Rose asked.
“Because Quinn likes saloon women. He likes excitement and variety. He told me so.”
“People change,” Rose said, trying not to believe a word of what she said.
Dora looked her up and down again and then laughed. “I bet your love life is dull.”
Rose felt her face burn with anger, and she realized her clenched fists felt like bashing Dora. The last thing she wanted was the woman to know she didn’t have a love life.
“Has he started going out at night yet?” Dora asked.
“No, he hasn’t,” Rose said.
“When he does, I suggest you put on something slinky and make his life more exciting,” Dora said. She stood, and walked to the door.
“Slinky?” Rose asked.
Dora shook her head. “You aren’t faking are you? You really are that innocent?”
Rose nodded.
“Slinky, means seductive—something he can’t resist, something that will drive him a bit wild,” Dora said.
Rose thought about Dora's words. Was she not seductive enough? Was that why Quinn didn’t want to be intimate with her? She looked at Dora and then at herself. Did Quinn love her like a sister? Was that the problem?
“Can you describe something I could wear to be…seductive?” Rose asked.
“You’re serious aren’t you? You're such a cute little mouse.” Dora smiled at her. “I like you, I really do. I thought you were putting on an act with the innocent bit, but you’re the genuine article.”
“My father was the minister at Grace Church. That's where I met Quinn. He used to go there too,” she said.
“I was furious when Quinn messed with other saloon women, but I’m not one bit angry that he’s chosen you. You know why? Because you aren’t competition. We saloon women are very possessive of our clients and often end up in hair pulling contests over one or two, but you're just a sweet innocent girl. You know what? I’m going to help you.”
“You are?” Rose didn’t know if she could trust this woman or not.
“I’m going to borrow a seductive dress from Eva, my roommate, because she’s about your size. I’ll drop it off later. Is there a time I can swing by when Quinn's not likely to be here?”
“He’s back to working at the livery, so I’m here alone all day long.”
“Good. I’ll make you look so seductive, your love life will be the greatest ever. When he asks how you did it, you tell ‘em, his friend Dora helped you out.” She winked.
After she’d gone, Rose went into the bedroom and stared at her reflection in the bedroom window. Then, she mentally compared herself to Dora.
No wonder Quinn didn’t want to consummate the marriage. He might even be planning to have the marriage eventually annulled. What if he only saw her as the innocent little girl from church whose feelings he didn't want to hurt? Was he really just afraid of her being with child because of Martha's death? What if he just didn't want a child with her? What had she done to herself by forcing this marriage on him?
The minute Quinn walked in, he noticed the change in Rose. Usually she smiled up at him and told him how much she’d missed him. Now that he was back to work they didn’t have the days together, just the evenings, and that suited him just fine. She was tempting enough in the daytime, but at night it was harder for him to not grab her, and…well, he wouldn’t even think about that.
They
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