his teeth, pushing the words out with an effort. “It’s been taken care of.”
“And she’ll admit as much? In open court?”
Jake’s mouth tightened. “We haven’t discussed it, yet. But knowing Wynne, she’ll do anything I ask.”
Peter stared, nonplussed. “Even a real wife wouldn’t do that. Where’s the problem? Your bride sounds damn near perfect to me.”
“She’s…Nice.”
“Hell. That is a problem.”
“I don’t need your sarcasm, Bryant,” Jake growled. “I’m serious. I’m in a real fix here.”
“How? You wanted a plain, practical and levelheaded woman who’d agree to a temporary arrangement. Isn’t that what you got?”
Jake frowned. “She isn’t exactly plain,” he admitted.
“No? You roped a pretty one, huh? What did you say her name was? Wynne?”
“Wynne Sommers. And she’s…” Beautiful. Gorgeous. Sweet. Innocent.
“Practical?”
Jake couldn’t help smiling. “Not that I’ve noticed.” Determined. Whimsical. Adorable. A starry-eyed dreamer.
“But at least she’s levelheaded.”
When her head wasn’t in the clouds—a rare occurrence he suspected. “She’s hard to describe.”
Peter didn’t bother to hide his confusion. “Uh-huh. Give it a shot, anyway.”
“She’s…”
* * *
“Nuts. Wait a minute, boys. We have another problem.” Wynne opened her purse and thumbed through her wallet, counting the last few dollars she had to her name. “Thirteen, fourteen, fifteen. Fifteen dollars and sixty-seven cents. That’s not going to go very far.”
“Can you write a check?” Buster asked, ever practical.
“I closed my Maryland bank account. But maybe…” She grasped the boys by the hand and marched toward the front of the store. “Excuse me,” she said to the woman behind the cash register. “Is the owner here?”
“You’re speakin’ to her, honey. Belle Blue’s the name. What can I do you for?”
“I’m Wynne Hondo. And these are my nephews, Buster and Chick. We just moved to Chesterfield and I came shopping while my husband ran errands and—”
“Did you say Hondo?” Belle repeated sharply.
“That’s right.” Wynne smiled in delight. “Do you know Jake?”
“Black hair, a heart of stone and the devil’s own eyes? Sure, I know him.”
Wynne frowned. “I think you must have him confused with someone else. Jake does have dark hair, but he’s the kindest man in the world. And his eyes are the most beautiful shade of gold I’ve ever seen.”
Belle stared in disbelief. “Somebody’s confused, that’s for darned sure. Who did you say you were?”
“Wynne Hondo.”
“And you’re Jake’s…” She seemed to have trouble getting the appropriate word out.
“Wife. Yes. We just got married.”
The woman eyed her suspiciously. “You have proof of that?”
“I think so.” Wynne dug in her purse, searching for the envelope she’d been given by the county clerk.
“Asa, come over here and listen to this,” the woman called out. “Jake’s gone and got himself a wife.” Sheshook her head in wonder as a tall, gray-haired man joined them. “And Randolph claimed there wouldn’t be time enough. He is gonna be fit to be tied.”
Locating the gold-leafed certificate, Wynne offered it to Belle, aware that a small, curious crowd had started to collect around the register. “This is just for decoration, you understand. It’s not a legal document and I’m not supposed to pass it off as one, but—”
“Honey, any woman brave enough to throw a lasso around a man like Jake Hondo deserves a frame for that piece of paper—legal or otherwise. Consider it a wedding present from me and Asa.”
“Why, thank you. That’s very kind of you.” Wynne’s smile wavered. “But I still have a small problem.”
“How can I help?”
“I only have fifteen dollars and sixty-seven cents on me and I wondered—”
“We’ll put your purchases on Jake’s tab. No problem.” She winked. “It’s not like we won’t know
“And she’ll admit as much? In open court?”
Jake’s mouth tightened. “We haven’t discussed it, yet. But knowing Wynne, she’ll do anything I ask.”
Peter stared, nonplussed. “Even a real wife wouldn’t do that. Where’s the problem? Your bride sounds damn near perfect to me.”
“She’s…Nice.”
“Hell. That is a problem.”
“I don’t need your sarcasm, Bryant,” Jake growled. “I’m serious. I’m in a real fix here.”
“How? You wanted a plain, practical and levelheaded woman who’d agree to a temporary arrangement. Isn’t that what you got?”
Jake frowned. “She isn’t exactly plain,” he admitted.
“No? You roped a pretty one, huh? What did you say her name was? Wynne?”
“Wynne Sommers. And she’s…” Beautiful. Gorgeous. Sweet. Innocent.
“Practical?”
Jake couldn’t help smiling. “Not that I’ve noticed.” Determined. Whimsical. Adorable. A starry-eyed dreamer.
“But at least she’s levelheaded.”
When her head wasn’t in the clouds—a rare occurrence he suspected. “She’s hard to describe.”
Peter didn’t bother to hide his confusion. “Uh-huh. Give it a shot, anyway.”
“She’s…”
* * *
“Nuts. Wait a minute, boys. We have another problem.” Wynne opened her purse and thumbed through her wallet, counting the last few dollars she had to her name. “Thirteen, fourteen, fifteen. Fifteen dollars and sixty-seven cents. That’s not going to go very far.”
“Can you write a check?” Buster asked, ever practical.
“I closed my Maryland bank account. But maybe…” She grasped the boys by the hand and marched toward the front of the store. “Excuse me,” she said to the woman behind the cash register. “Is the owner here?”
“You’re speakin’ to her, honey. Belle Blue’s the name. What can I do you for?”
“I’m Wynne Hondo. And these are my nephews, Buster and Chick. We just moved to Chesterfield and I came shopping while my husband ran errands and—”
“Did you say Hondo?” Belle repeated sharply.
“That’s right.” Wynne smiled in delight. “Do you know Jake?”
“Black hair, a heart of stone and the devil’s own eyes? Sure, I know him.”
Wynne frowned. “I think you must have him confused with someone else. Jake does have dark hair, but he’s the kindest man in the world. And his eyes are the most beautiful shade of gold I’ve ever seen.”
Belle stared in disbelief. “Somebody’s confused, that’s for darned sure. Who did you say you were?”
“Wynne Hondo.”
“And you’re Jake’s…” She seemed to have trouble getting the appropriate word out.
“Wife. Yes. We just got married.”
The woman eyed her suspiciously. “You have proof of that?”
“I think so.” Wynne dug in her purse, searching for the envelope she’d been given by the county clerk.
“Asa, come over here and listen to this,” the woman called out. “Jake’s gone and got himself a wife.” Sheshook her head in wonder as a tall, gray-haired man joined them. “And Randolph claimed there wouldn’t be time enough. He is gonna be fit to be tied.”
Locating the gold-leafed certificate, Wynne offered it to Belle, aware that a small, curious crowd had started to collect around the register. “This is just for decoration, you understand. It’s not a legal document and I’m not supposed to pass it off as one, but—”
“Honey, any woman brave enough to throw a lasso around a man like Jake Hondo deserves a frame for that piece of paper—legal or otherwise. Consider it a wedding present from me and Asa.”
“Why, thank you. That’s very kind of you.” Wynne’s smile wavered. “But I still have a small problem.”
“How can I help?”
“I only have fifteen dollars and sixty-seven cents on me and I wondered—”
“We’ll put your purchases on Jake’s tab. No problem.” She winked. “It’s not like we won’t know
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