Free Shane's Bride (Mail Order Brides of Texas #3) by Kathleen Ball Page A

Shane’s face he wasn’t helping at all.
    “Poor Boy, do you think you could give Shane and me a moment alone? Leave the door open.  I just have a few questions for him.”
    Poor Boy nodded and left.
    “If you ask me I think it’s Poor Boy who’s been hit in the head one time too many,” Shane said as he struggled to sit up.
    “Oh no you don’t.” Cecily marched over and put her hands on his bare shoulders pushing him back onto the pillow.  “You are to stay in bed.  Would you like me to get you some of that laudanum? I heard it’s good for calming nerves.”
    Shane stared at her his brow wrinkling.  “Are you saying I’m not calm? I’ll have you know I’m very calm, and no I don’t want any of that laudanum.  I need to keep my wits about me.  Now what’s this nonsense about Lucy being my wife?”
    “That’s what she said, and I’m to call you Mr.  O’Connor or Sheriff O’Connor.  She also suggested that if we didn’t do our jobs we wouldn’t be welcome to stay.  Oh, and she likes cream with her coffee and lots and lots of sugar.” Cecily paused and swallowed hard.  “She wanted to see where I sleep so I happened to say my room and I was informed that it wasn’t my room it was just the room I stay in.  Is her last name even O’Connor?” Cecily sat down in the chair and crossed her arms across her chest.
    “Hell if I know.  She’s someone I grew up with.  I want both you and Poor Boy to stay.  Don’t get it in your mind to run off.  I’ll have a talk with her and see what’s going on.  Have you got any food? I’m starved.” He gave her a smile of reassurance. 
    She couldn’t help but return his smile.
     
     
    ****
     
     
    If the situation hadn’t been so serious Shane would’ve laughed long and hard.  Imagine Poor Boy thought he’d forgotten he had a wife.  Such was the stuff that good yarns were made of.  He shook his head and wondered at Lucy’s audacity.  She probably took O’Connor as her last name when she was freed.  It was his understanding that many of the slaves had taken the last name of the people that owned them.
    As though he conjured her up, Lucy came into the bedroom and stood next to his bed.  She tilted her head and sniffed as though she was upset. 
    Shane got straight to the point.  “What’s all this malarkey about you being my wife?”
    “It was the safest way to travel, as your wife.  No one wanted to mess with the wife of a sheriff.  Besides, I didn’t think you’d mind.  You did tell me one time you wished you could marry me.” She gave him what he hated most, a fake smile.
    “Are you out of your mind? I liked you sure, but I never said I wanted to marry you.  Why didn’t you stop the ruse when you got to town? Why did you take it upon yourself to order Cecily and Poor Boy around? And why in God’s name did you think you were going to share my room?”
    “Well, I never.” She grabbed a handkerchief from her sleeve and dabbed her eyes with it.  “And all this time I thought you were pining away for me.  That is why you left, isn’t it? Your daddy wouldn’t let you have me.”
    What could he say to that? She had been at the heart of his fight with his father, though not for the reasons she was hinting at.
    “So you’re passing.” He shrugged his uninjured shoulder.  “You do look lovely and very white.  I suppose that made it easier for you to travel too.”
    She stiffened and her eyes flashed with anger.  “You’re not planning on telling anyone are you?”
    He could tell she was holding her breath waiting for his answer.  “I wouldn’t do that to you.  We’ll just say we are distant cousins and childhood friends.”
    “Or you could just say I’m your wife.  No one would question the wife of the sheriff.” She gripped his shoulders to help him sit up.
    Shane had a hard time catching his breath.  “What are you doing? I’ve been shot in the shoulder.”
    Lucy shrugged and batted her eyelashes.