The Brides of Chance Collection Part 23

Tears pooled in her eyes. "Did you see what she did, t.i.tus? She poured her coffee on my new gown on purpose. She's afraid you'll come back to me and turn her out."

"Don't be foolish," he ground out. "Miss Worthington will not be sharing the cabin with me, and I can't believe you'd think so little of me as to even entertain the notion."

"But you said-"

"I'm moving out of the cabin, and Miss Worthington will occupy it alone, of course."

Her trembling lips curved upward into a pouty smile. "What a relief. I was afraid she had corrupted you."

"Miss Worthington is completely devoted to her Christian faith. So you have no need to fear the corruption of my morals at her hands."

Humiliated by the entire conversation, Alisa stepped back. "Excuse me, please." Unable to meet anyone's gaze, she fled out the front door, around the house, and toward a path cut through the woods. As an orphan, she'd been ridiculed and falsely accused often, but never had she been accused of loose morals. The spiteful woman.

t.i.tus dropped Prissy's wrist and stomped outside in pursuit of Alisa. How could he ever have imagined himself in love with that frilly, flouncy, spiteful young woman? Standing next to Alisa's quiet grace, Prissy was obviously inferior in quality of character. He certainly didn't want her to be the mother of his children.

Remembering Miriam's bout with poison oak last summer and her subsequent weeklong recovery, he hurried along the path behind the house, hoping Alisa would stay away from the woods.

If she stayed on the path, she'd come to the creek and be forced to wade or stop. He figured she'd stop. He was right. After a few more yards, he came to the clearing. Alisa stood along the bank of the creek, her arms wrapped around her.

A twig snapped beneath his feet. She turned her head at the sound.

Tenderness swelled t.i.tus's heart at her red-rimmed eyes and tear-streaked cheeks. He went to her quickly and wrapped her in his arms without asking permission. Times like this called for comforting, and he didn't have to be an expert on women to realize his arms would be welcome.

She wilted against him, her head resting on his chest. Her arms were tucked between them. And while t.i.tus might have preferred to have them wrapped around him, he understood her need to be cuddled. "Shhh, honey. Everything is going to work out fine."

He stroked her silken hair, wishing it was loose and flowing instead of pulled back into a knot at the nape of her neck.

"What if she goes back to town, telling tales?"

"Who's she going to tell them to?"

"What do you mean?"

"Honey, this isn't San Francisco. There are only three decent women in Reliable, four if you count Prissy. You know that. The men aren't going to cotton to a woman's gossip."

She stayed in his arms, but he could feel her relaxing against him. When she pulled away, he took her chin between his thumb and forefinger and gently forced her to look up at him. Her lovely brown eyes were wide and innocent, filled with unshed tears. Her moist lips still trembled. t.i.tus swallowed hard, fighting for control. Instinctively he knew kissing her would be a disastrous move.

"If it'll make you feel better, we could get married." The words came out of nowhere, sending a jolt through him.

She drew a sharp breath and stepped back.

"t.i.tus?" Prissy's falsetto voice rang from the trail.

Alisa's eyes crinkled with amus.e.m.e.nt. "Don't you think you have enough fiancees for now?"

"Prissy's not my..."

"Oh, thank goodness. There you are."

"Yes," Alisa said, with a smirk. "Here he is. If you two will excuse me. I'd best go see if I can help Miriam clean up." She gave Prissy a sidelong glance as she walked by. "It's never too early to start earning my keep."

Prissy's sniff was the only response. t.i.tus felt as though a cloud had drifted across the sun as he watched Alisa walk away. The warmth of her slender body wrapped in his arms filled him with a longing to go after her and tell her he was serious about the proposal. Out here it didn't matter if he'd only known her for a couple of days. They were both single adults. The attraction between them couldn't be denied. He frowned. Or maybe he was only a.s.suming Alisa wasn't already spoken for. She hadn't seemed to even consider his proposal. t.i.tus grimaced. How could he have blurted it out like that? This was the second time in less than twenty-four hours he'd suggested marrying her. The first time he'd made her angry. This time he'd amused her. She must think he threw out proposals at the drop of a hat.

Prissy's touch on his arm brought him back to the annoying situation at hand. "t.i.tus, please. The ground is so soft from last night's rain, my heels keep digging in. I'll need you to carry me back to the wagon."

Was she serious?

Her lips trembled, but rather than tempting him to move in for a kiss as Alisa's had moments before, Prissy's lips made t.i.tus recoil.

He softened when her eyes filled with real tears. "Please, t.i.tus. My gown is already ruined. Mother's going to be fit to be tied as it is. I-I only came out to see you. To tell you that I..."

Dread clenched his gut. Then sympathy filled him as he observed her gown. A large coffee stain covered the skirt, and the bottom edge was wet and covered with mud.

"It's all right. Tell your mother I'm sorry about your gown, and I'll be happy to compensate her if you're unable to get it clean." He swept her into his arms as she'd requested and headed back toward the yard where her buggy was tethered.

A contented sigh escaped her as her arms wrapped about his neck. "Oh, t.i.tus. You're such a gentleman. I was a fool to turn you down. And that's what I came to tell you."

They were reaching the clearing, and all he wanted was to put her down on the firmer ground so that no one would see him carrying Prissy.

"Are you listening, t.i.tus?" Her emotion-filled words were spoken softly against his ear.

Waves of dread washed over him, and a knot lodged in his throat at her next words.

"I have reconsidered your offer, my darling. I will marry you after all."

He stopped dead in his tracks and turned his head to look at her. The movement brought them face-to-face-much too close for retreat. Obviously mistaking his action as an invitation, Prissy closed her eyes and pressed her lips to his before he could make a move.

He pulled quickly away and set her down.

"Prissy..."

"Oh, t.i.tus. Our first kiss." She wrapped her arms through one of his. "Was it all you'd hoped it would be?"

More than he'd bargained for was more like it. As he walked her to the wagon, he tried to formulate the words to let her down gently.

"Prissy, listen to me." He disentangled himself from her solid grip. She was quite strong for a woman.

"Yes, my darling?"

"I'm not still...I mean, you honor me with your decision. But..."

"Oh, t.i.tus." She patted his cheek. "You are just too sweet. Please come by tonight and speak with my father, all right? Then mother and I can begin planning the wedding."

Without giving him another chance to speak, she held out her hand. Dumbfounded, t.i.tus took her hand and a.s.sisted her into the buggy.

"Don't forget now. Come to dinner tonight. Six o'clock."

Not sure what had just happened, he stumbled into the house.

Bryce whistled. "Guess Prissy changed her mind."

t.i.tus jerked his head up. "Huh?"

"We watched the whole thing from the window."

Panic exploded inside of him. t.i.tus searched the room until he found Alisa at the counter washing dishes. She kept her gaze focused on the dishpan. Ignoring the rest of the family, he strode across the room and cupped her elbow, turning her to face him. "It wasn't what it looked like."

Her gaze settled on his lips, and she arched an eyebrow. Taking the dish towel from the counter, she handed it to him and walked toward the bedroom. Frowning, t.i.tus watched her leave. He turned a questioning glance on Miriam.

Her lips were tight. "You have Prissy's lip stain smeared all over your mouth." She shook her head. "I don't know how you're going to fix this one. But Alisa is worth ten of Prissy."

Bryce tossed his napkin on the table and leaned his chair back on two legs. "If t.i.tus is going to marry Prissy, does that mean Alisa's fair game?"

Gideon's booted foot shot out, knocking Bryce off balance. Chair and all, he landed with a thud on the floor.

"Hey! I just meant t.i.tus don't need two women. I want one of them."

Miriam patted t.i.tus's shoulder. "You have a decision to make. You'd best make it fast before you lose Alisa. Bryce isn't the only man around here who's going to be coming around wanting to court her. She'll have ten proposals before the week's out."

Alarm shot through t.i.tus. She was right. He had to get out of this predicament with Prissy. The sooner the better.

Chapter 8.

Loose strands of hair flew up, tickling Alisa's cheek as she lifted the quilt and let it settle back to the bed. True to his promise, t.i.tus had removed his things from the cabin just before mounting a horse and riding toward town.

Miriam had provided her with fresh bedding and instructed her to take as much time as she needed to make this little cabin her own. The thought of being all alone sent an ache of loneliness through Alisa. She'd never been alone before. It had been difficult enough to grow accustomed to sleeping in a vast house with only Mrs. Worthington, Robert, and Marietta. She wondered if she would ever fall asleep without the sounds of children snoring, the sounds of the city moving about outside her window. The Chance family bewildered her. They were a close-knit bunch, given to arguing at the drop of a hat and just as quick to defend one another.

Throughout the afternoon, one by one she'd had a visit from each brother, with the exception of Daniel. And of course, t.i.tus. Each a.s.sured her that t.i.tus thought he liked Prissy until he met Alisa. Though she appreciated their thoughtfulness, she'd felt compelled to remind each in turn that she'd only just met t.i.tus. She certainly had no hold on him, and furthermore, she wasn't looking for a husband.

But whether she was looking for a husband or not, it was difficult to push aside the memory of Prissy White in t.i.tus's arms and the sight of that kiss. He'd tried to explain that he was an innocent recipient of the kiss and that he was relieved Prissy had turned down his proposal and that he had no intention of going through with a wedding.

But if that was the complete truth, then why had he headed toward town with the instructions not to hold supper for him? She felt safe in a.s.suming he would be eating with Prissy and her parents. And newly acquainted, notwithstanding, the thought didn't sit well with her. So she poured her energy into cleaning her new home.

t.i.tus wasn't the most meticulous housekeeper. The multicolored rag rugs were in desperate need of washing. The wooden planks, too, needed a good scrubbing. She opened the window to let in a bit of chilly autumn breeze to freshen the air inside the room. Her favorite discovery was a wooden slab that folded down and became a desk.

At lunchtime, Miriam knocked on her door. She looked about and nodded appreciatively. "This room hasn't sparkled so much since I lived here."

Alisa laughed. "I believe it."

"The Chance men have their good qualities, but neatness isn't among them. I suppose that's why G.o.d sent us."

Alisa glanced down, embarra.s.sed.

"May I give you a bit of advice?"

"Of course."

"Don't discount t.i.tus because of this misunderstanding."

"I don't know what you mean. I can't discount someone I never counted in the first place. t.i.tus is a nice man. So is Paul and-"

A frown creased Miriam's brow. "Do you fancy Paul? I just a.s.sumed t.i.tus was the one."

"Well, no. I mean I don't fancy Paul. I don't even know him." Alisa dropped to the bed and looked up at Miriam. "My point is that t.i.tus is free to marry Prissy or anyone else he chooses. I don't have any hold on him any more than I do on Paul or Bryce or Daniel."

"I see." She cleared her throat. "Well, I came to tell you lunch is just about ready."

"Oh, I should have helped cook."

"Nonsense. Today was your day to settle in. Tomorrow we'll get you acquainted with the ranch and discuss what ch.o.r.es you can take over."

Miriam's warm smile eased Alisa's tension. She nodded. "All right. I'll wash the dirt off my hands and be right over."

Paul had just said the prayer when the rattle of a wagon outside drew attention away from the venison stew.

"Looks like word's gotten out already."

Daniel grunted. "That's all we need. To feed half the men in town again."

Miriam's laughter filled the room. "When I first came to the ranch, the men of Reliable took to dropping by at mealtimes. Often up to ten at a time."

"Until I put a stop to it," Gideon said, taking his wife's hand. He gave it a squeeze and stood.

"It's Marv Wall."

"t.i.tus ain't going to like this," Logan said around a bite of bread.

"t.i.tus has his own mess to clean up right now," Daniel grumped. "Serves him right."

Alisa could feel herself slinking further into her chair, wishing she could just disappear altogether from this meal and this conversation. It was too late to slip out the door and to her cabin, as Gideon had already invited the man in. Alisa tried not to look away, but the man's steady gaze and wide eyes made her uncomfortable.

"I heered ya got another one," he said, remembering to slip his beat-up, greasy hat from his head. Sweat stained his armpits all the way down his sides. A grizzled beard stubbled his face. Alisa thought she might be ill.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Wall," Miriam spoke up. "Would you like to join us for lunch? We just finished saying grace."

His face lit up. "Don't mind if I do, Mrs. Chance."

Alisa had never been more aware of anything as she was of the empty seat beside her. Apparently that suited Mr. Wall, for he nearly leapt toward the seat. Miriam took his arm and steered him to the other end of the table.

"Fine. Why don't you take Logan's seat? It's really the best seat at the table."