“Thank you for coming in today.” Eliza wrapped an elderly man’s items, but her smile wavered. Axel stood behind her, as he had most of the afternoon, watching her every move.
“Come again.”
“Will do, little lady.” The man actually saluted her and walked out whistling.
The sound of soft clapping made her turn, her neck warm with her fiancé’s adulation.
Axel’s grin was huge. “No wonder Will left the store under your care. We certainly don’t have the talent to unearth a customer’s need he doesn’t even know about.” He pulled out his timepiece and happily sighed. “Ah, quitting time.”
As he ambled down the center aisle to the front, she wilted against the counter. Had she ever had a longer day? That morning, with the strange tension she’d felt during the feather incident before Will ran off, and then Axel watching her like a hawk scrutinizing a field of prairie grasses.
She opened the cashbox and started counting pennies—something soothing, something normal.
At the scrape of the front door’s metal bolt being thrown, the gooseflesh she’d had the moment she’d met Axel returned.
Alone . . . together.
Axel had done nothing but admire her for the past three hours. A strange sensation that. What man had truly admired her before? Well, besides Lynville, but his scrutiny hadn’t felt as . . . deep. Axel should have quit staring and gotten to work, but how many men had to come to grips with marrying a woman they’d only seen for a few hours? And one who wasn’t a stunner. The trembling in her stomach grew.
Tomorrow. She’d agreed to marry him tomorrow. He’d left for half an hour to talk with the reverend, but what else needed doing? She tried to draw in a deep breath, but her lungs refused to work.
How would Will take their sudden news? Would working with him go smoother now that Axel had returned? Or would Will scowl all the more?
“You look out of sorts, darling.” Axel came up behind her, lightly pressing his hand to the small of her back.
She put a hand to her throat and swallowed. “Now that the store’s closed, I realized how much I have to finish before tomorrow.” She began counting the nickels to take her mind off the heat from his palm traveling up to warm her cheeks.
Axel reached around to close the cashbox’s lid. “I’ll count the money later. We don’t have to get everything done tonight, since we’re closing the shop tomorrow for the wedding.”
Her fingers itched to continue counting. How could someone just stop in the middle? Axel’s hands enveloped hers, and he leaned against the counter propped on an elbow. His eyes drooped lazily, and his alluring smile spurred her heart into a gallop.
Every time he caught her eye, she wanted to burst into silly giggles to distract him from watching the heat rush into her face. A man who could turn her into an uncomfortable knot of girlishness must have had lots of practice provoking women to blush. How many other women had he flirted with? Because he was mighty good at it.
She worked to relax her hands in his. Marriage to a stranger had been less alarming before he’d touched her.
“Don’t tremble.” He turned over her hand and brought it up to press a kiss into her palm, then winked at her. “This will work.”
She pulled her hand from his. To hide the impulsive reflex, she wiped both hands on her apron. They were clammy. “I know we’d intended to marry the day I arrived, but living with Mrs. Lightfoot for the past couple weeks . . . I’ll have to explain to her first, and then pack, and . . . and eat, of course.”
“We can eat at the hotel.”
She pressed a hand to her stomach. “I’m not hungry quite yet.”
“Well then, how about you give your good news to the circus lady, then get dressed up. I’ll come over at six.”
Circus lady? Irena was so much more than that. But the moniker probably wouldn’t disturb her, being she had indeed been a circus lady. And people surely called the poor woman worse. “All right, but what about Will?”
Axel’s brow rose. “What about Will?”
Yes, Will. Or perhaps she should have called him Mr. Stanton? At least William. Far more professional. When had she started calling him Will, anyway? And why was she thinking about him while her fiancé stood in front of her, his mesmerizing blue eyes taking in every inch of her face? “Um . . . when William returns, he’ll think I’ve neglected my duties.”
Axel pushed the cashbox against the wall. “He’ll figure it out when I tell him tonight.”
“But”—she glanced at the ledger—“maybe I should do the math. I reviewed the books earlier today and wondered if I shouldn’t clean up his numbers.”
“Naw.” Axel’s hand cupped her cheek, bringing her gaze back to him. “Will struggles with numbers and reading, sure, but if something doesn’t add up, he brings it to me to fix. A penny off here or there doesn’t matter. But if you want, I’ll do the books instead of him—we need to save you for the customers.”
The heat in her cheeks turned into a more comfortable sort. Her sigh welled up from deep down in her stomach. This man believed in her. Everything would be fine. She smiled. “Well, all right. But besides his gunsmithing, I wish I could figure out where William best fits in this business.”
Her eyes widened. Her tongue! Could she ever control it? “I mean, he’s a fine worker, but I wonder if we should . . . buy him out—for the price of his medical tuition, that is.” He needed to go to school, and since he’d hardly looked at or spoken to her over the past week, maybe it’d be best.
Of course, that was before the feather incident.
Not that she or Will would act upon anything they only thought they were feeling.
The warmth in her cheeks ratcheted back up to searing heights. She picked up an extra piece of paper to fan herself—her blushing was getting out of hand.
Axel cocked his head. “Unfortunately, we don’t have the money, and if you really want me to quit running liquor, building up a cash reserve will take time. Unless you want me to continue in order to—”
“No, I want you to quit.” Though the idea of Will staying around for years agitated her innards. “Too bad the sheriff only recovered ten dollars of my money. Not that my savings were likely enough—”
“Oh?” Axel straightened. “Did he catch the robbers already?”
“Yes.” She scowled in the direction of the jail, even though she’d heard word around town that they were no longer there.
“All of them?”
She nodded. “They only had a few of the stolen items on them, and they refused to tell the sheriff where the rest was. . . .” She looked down. “I’m sorry about the money, Axel. I know I promised I’d have some when I came, but the sheriff doesn’t hold much hope of recovering any more.”
“They probably already spent it.”
“How could they spend so much so quickly?”
Axel shrugged. “I imagine criminals are often in debt to other criminals—gambling, and all that.”
Right now, her fiancé was a criminal. Running liquor was against the law, not simply a mistake. Did he have criminal debts to clear up as well as those of the store? She swallowed against the foreboding in her chest. Something in the tone of his voice made her think he wasn’t telling her everything. He’d said his parents had a secret. Could that revelation affect her in any way?
She’d not thought this arrangement through enough. Could she jilt him after she’d just agreed to marry him tomorrow?
“So what happened to the man who hurt you?” Axel was staring at her scar again.
She hoped Will was right about the pink color fading. “I think the sheriff escorted them all to a prison . . . or maybe they met up with a judge somewhere. I don’t know. The less I think about the whole thing the better. When I replay that day, all I do is get aggravated over how I lost my savings, and then I—”
“Shh.” He shook his head, his mouth pursed sympathetically. “Don’t dwell on it anymore, sweetheart. No need to relive the nightmare again.”
No, she didn’t want to relive that day, but her stolen money affected them regardless. “Maybe we should get a loan to buy William out. He’s . . . not as interested in my ideas as you are.”
“He’s not?” Axel frowned.
“I mean, he’s a genial fellow, but he doesn’t have an eye for business and seems averse to change, even though the store’s not doing well.” She should stop talking before she insulted Axel as well as Will. Why had she brought up getting rid of his friend again? “And everyone thinks he’d make a good doctor.”
How could she work with two men who caused her insides to tremble, each in a different way? No, she was being ridiculous. Once she became Axel’s wife in every sense tomorrow . . .
She closed her eyes, reluctant to think farther down that road. Only a few hours to keep her thoughts from wandering . . . worrying . . . and then that night would be behind her.
And then she’d face the rest of her life. What exactly would that look like married to this stranger?
“I can’t just fire my friend.”
Her eyes snapped open. “I didn’t mean that.”
“Like you said, he should be a doctor. And with your retail know-how, we’ll get his savings built up fast enough, and he’ll be gone before you know it.” He caressed her hand. “Plus, he’ll be helpful in the meantime. You’ll need someone to assist you while I’m obligated to travel for a while.”
With his gaze so intense, she could barely keep eye contact. Since Axel seemed so captivated by her, maybe she wouldn’t have a hard time keeping her focus off Will. But how long would she and Will have to work together without Axel around? How would they pretend the feather thing hadn’t happened?
“How long until you think you can get out of your . . . obligations?”
“A few months, maybe, though I’ll start to taper them off as soon as possible. They’ll understand when I say my new wife wants me home.” He smiled, the nearly translucent mustache above his lip glinting in the sunlight.
Would it tickle when they kissed?
“And I’ll want to be home as often as I can.” He dropped her hand, sliding both of his around her waist, and licked his lips, suddenly fascinated with hers.
Her pulse thumped hard against every inch of her skin. Had he read her thoughts about his mustache? Would he kiss her right here, right now?
Her knees went soft, but he braced her back as he drew her closer.
She locked her legs and made herself look into his eyes. She wouldn’t become some fainting ninny just because her fiancé was going to kiss her. The man would be her husband within hours, for goodness’ sake.
“Starting tomorrow, you and I . . . well . . . we’ll be inseparable.”
His mouth hit hers hard, making her grab ahold of his shirt to keep herself upright.
His mustache was not as soft as she’d imagined. It was abrasive, scuffing the tender skin under her nose. He held her lips ensnared for a moment, then moved across them again with an intensity she couldn’t keep up with. And then his lips sought to part hers.
She attempted to break away, but his arms tightened around her. Was she supposed to let him do that? She tried to comply, but her lips wouldn’t cooperate.
Would Will’s embrace have been so demanding? Somehow she didn’t think so. He always seemed so quiet, attentive. Not at all the type to yank her against him and—
A hard cough behind her sent a spiral of heat up her spine and into her neck. She immediately let go of Axel’s shirt. Thankfully, his arms were still around her or she’d have fallen.
Without removing his hands, Axel looked over her shoulder. “You all right, Will? We didn’t see you there.”
She forced her head to turn just enough to see him entering through the back room. She tried to step away from Axel, but he didn’t loosen his arms.
Maybe that was for the best. She couldn’t pretend she belonged in Will’s arms just because she’d imagined how they’d feel around her for a second. She’d come to Salt Flatts for Axel Langston, not William Stanton.
And yet she’d thought about another man during her fiancé’s kiss. She tried to pull away from Axel’s embrace again, but one of his arms remained locked around her waist.
She’d have to work extra hard so they could earn enough to send Will to school as soon as possible. For how could she live with herself if she couldn’t stop thinking about Will whenever she was with Axel?
———
Will coughed again, but the lump in his throat rivaled the knot in his stomach and refused to budge. “I think I accidentally inhaled something.” Something sour and bitter that stopped a man from breathing and his heart from beating—the obliterated hope that Axel and Eliza would find each other unsuitable.
As Axel’s obvious best man, he’d expected he’d have to endure their wedding kiss. But what he’d walked in on was no simple kiss. How could a woman who couldn’t have been with a man for more than a few hours be so entangled in his arms already?
He rubbed his neck and blinked his eyes, as itchy as if sand had lodged there, along with the gravel in his throat. “Must have been a gnat or something.” He took a big breath, trying not to look at Eliza. Except he couldn’t help but stare at Axel’s hand possessively grasping her waist. “I came back to help Eliza close the shop, though I’m obviously not needed.”
“Nice to see you too, buddy.”
Will shook himself. “Sorry, it’s not every day I walk in on—” He waved his hand absently in their direction but stopped his tongue before he gave away any more of his feelings. “Glad you’re back.”
And thankfully, when Eliza tried to take another step away, Axel finally let go. Once out of his arms, she turned, flipped open the cashbox, and started counting the bills—but that didn’t hide the blush coloring the back of her neck. Had she been miffed he’d cut Axel’s embrace short—as maddeningly short as those few seconds her hands had run all over him removing feathers only hours ago?
Axel crossed his arms.
Will shifted his gaze off Eliza and squarely onto Axel’s overly bright eyes. “What did the doctor say?” He pointed at his friend’s leg, desperate for something to talk about that didn’t involve his partner’s fiancée.
Axel rubbed the back of his neck. “If I felt dizzy riding, I was supposed to stop, but that didn’t happen.”
“Good.” Though if Axel had fallen off his horse on the way over, maybe he wouldn’t have been able to kiss— No, stop. How could he wish his friend had injured himself?
Capture every thought.
He’d have to add wishing his friend ill onto his list of things forbidden to dwell on.
“Luckily I didn’t break my leg, but the stitches are out, so no more worries about infection.”
Will sneaked a glance at Eliza counting the cash and looked away again. “When did you get into town?”
“A few hours ago. I was surprised to find you gone.”
Not that Axel had been worried, considering the kiss he’d interrupted. “I assume you’ve observed Eliza’s superior business skills.”
“Yes, but it’s not like you to leave work unless you’re sick or attending someone.”
“I was feeling ill, but the fresh air helped.” Of course, he’d lost whatever good the outdoors had done him by stumbling in on a scene more stomach churning than his earlier discomfort. “Let’s get to closing the shop, then, shall we?” The less time he spent with them, the better. He’d thought Axel’s return would be ideal—but he hadn’t counted on the indescribable longing to beat the tar out of him.
“Actually, Eliza was just heading to Mrs. Lightfoot’s to get ready for dinner. Right, sweetheart?” Axel stayed her counting hand, and she blinked like a confused kitten, though she laid down the money.
“Right.” She tugged at her apron strings and, without looking at Will, brushed past him.
A good thing she didn’t look too closely. He closed his eyes lest Axel see the ache stuck in his very soul.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, William,” Eliza called from the front of the store.
“Yes, tomorrow,” he whispered to no one but himself.
The second she left the store, Axel put on the widest grin he’d ever seen. “I’ve got some good moonshine hidden upstairs. I’ll break it out after I return from dinner. Might as well ring out my last day of freedom with a drink or two, eh?”
Will only shook his head. Axel knew he didn’t drink, but he always wanted someone to blabber to while he guzzled. “Last day?”
“Getting married tomorrow.”
All Will could muster was a nod. Kissing after a few hours, wed within a day. He’d been kidding himself that he’d had any hope of changing their plans.
But was Axel really ready to wed Eliza if he compared it to a loss of freedom? “Are you certain you want to rush into marriage?”
Axel’s face puckered. “I know I didn’t tell you about her—I guess I wasn’t sure it would really happen—but you’re the one who talked me into a mail-order bride. Surely you aren’t advocating I jilt the woman.”
“Waiting isn’t jilting.”
“Why wait?”
To give her time to realize she’d rather have me. William pulled at the hair on the back of his neck. “I suppose that’s not how mail-ordering women goes. I’m just surprised you’re so . . . eager.”
Way too eager, by the looks of it.
“Despite being good with the ladies, I always get passed over.” Axel scowled. “Too many men to choose from out here.”
Too many men who—unlike Axel—weren’t known for trying to kiss every girl in town. William fisted his hands. Axel had never touched Nancy but had often invited girls he hardly knew to rendezvous at the creek for necking—and returned puffed up like a dust-bathing bird, boasting about how easy it’d been to steal a kiss.
“I know I’m not the best husband material. I mean, Sarah is the only unmarried girl our age left in town, and she’ll not give me the time of day.” He spun a quarter on the countertop. “I knew Pa would want to strangle me for ordering a bride, but I got to thinking you were right. I need a woman, but everyone around here knows I’m not a saint.”
Did he have to listen to the man admit he wasn’t worthy of Eliza? He could help Axel list his faults, give him plenty of reasons he shouldn’t drag Eliza down by—
“But I have to change. As much as Ma gives me somewhat of a reason not to get into trouble, I need more sanity. Eliza could be that sanity.”
Could be? Will sucked air through his teeth.
She didn’t make a man sane—no, she drove him crazy. One minute he wanted to stare her down until she gave up her newest fool-brained business idea, and the next he wanted to sell everything he owned to buy her whatever she set her heart on. And the way her face tilted when she was about to tell him her thoughts, no gut punches reserved? The numerous times he’d restrained himself from clasping her defiant chin and kissing her until she could no longer stand?
She was madness.
“I can’t let her get away.”
Will licked his lips. His friend was actually considering marriage a good thing? “But are you worthy of her?”
“No, but what better reason to try to be?” His mustache wiggled with his smile. “And you’ve been suggesting I get shackled for more than a year now.”
Will closed his eyes, his skin prickling in defeat. He’d often prayed something or someone would help Axel grow into the man he needed to be. He’d just not realized how much he’d want to arm wrestle Axel for the answer to prayer God had finally given him. “Don’t botch this.”