Page 14 of A Soft Kiss in Summer
“My pleasure, Violet.Now,” she said, pushing the basket across the counter.“About these preserves.I thought they might be put to use for our Founders Day celebration, but standing and baking for long periods does my back in.Do you think Daisy would be interested in making some pies or tarts with them?”
Violet smiled and grabbed the handle of the basket.“I’m sure she’d love to, Mabel.”
“Oh, good.I’m sure she gets bored staying cooped up in that big old house all day and thought this might give her something to occupy her time.”
“Well, with gramps in and out, she has plenty to keep her occupied.”
They shared a laugh before Mabel finally said her goodbyes.When she grabbed Hazel and left, Violet rounded the counter and walked to the window, the smile on her face so wide her cheeks ached.
She saw Josiah, one shoulder braced against the pole holding up the roof over the small porch of the jail, his arms crossed over his wide chest as he looked down the street toward the saloon.
His shirt sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, and the corded muscles in his forearms were tanned a golden brown from the sun.His hands under his biceps made the muscles bulge and her eyes drank him in as if she were starved.
The top two buttons of his shirt were unhooked at his neck, which left a small patch of skin visible, and her fingers itched to unhook the rest in order to see the entirety of his wide chest.
Once upon a time, she’d thought he was the perfect man.He was tall, kind, and courageous.Brave too.It took a certain kind of man to take the position as a lawman way out here in the wilds of Montana.
He was the type of man that looked strong and capable of almost anything and was so handsome her pulse leaped wildly every time he looked her way, despite the fact she knew he didn’t see her as anything other than the woman who runs the mercantile with her sister.
She couldn’t remember how long she’d watched him when he first arrived in town, but it had turned into an obsession she knew wasn’t healthy so, she said goodbye to her crush on Josiah Lincoln and moved on.
Had her family known she’d been nearly stalking the man, they would have thought she was crazy but, watching him now, that young woman she used to be whispered inside her head and she had to agree with her.Josiah Lincoln really was the most handsome man had she’d ever clapped eyes on… and he’d never be hers.
Edwin left.
Josiah had watched him climb onto a horse outside the mercantile and ride away from town without a backwards glance.
He’d turned his attention to the mercantile immediately.What was Violet thinking about this new development?He half expected to her run outside and across the street to tell him, but as he watched people come and go from the store, he never saw Violet, and he’d never admit to being disappointed about it.
He supposed with Edwin gone, his fake engagement was now over.He was relieved about that part of it all.Lies always came back to bite you in the ass and he hated them.But with that little white lie no longer an issue, it meant Violet was once again just a single woman in town he saw on occasion and the one distraction in his ho-hum existence was now gone.
He turned and headed back into the jail, sitting at his desk and immediately looked out the window toward the mercantile.Someone crossed in front of the jailhouse window, distracting him from thoughts of Violet, before the door swung open a moment later.
He was half expecting Violet to be marching in and was slightly disappointed it wasn’t her.Ward Powell nodded at him instead before stepping inside and shutting the door.
“Marshall,” Ward said in greeting.“I had to come buy some feed and thought I’d check in with you since I was here.”
“Hey Ward.”Josiah pushed the wanted posters that just came in to one side and straightened in his chair before digging for his notes he had about Ward’s case.“Have a seat.”The man sat in one of the two chairs in front of his desk as he glanced over at what he’d found out so far.
He met the man’s gaze before glancing back down at his notebook.“I checked with the stagecoach line and the station over in Guilford and neither of them knew anything, so I wrote a letter to the agency.I’m hoping they’ll be able to tell us something because, at this point, I have no clue what happened to your bride.”
Ward sighed long and loud.“I was afraid that’s what you’d say.”He took his hat off and scratched his head.“I hope nothing happened to her, but I’m starting to wonder if I was just plain robbed.The amount of money she said she needed to travel all the way out here was more than I thought it should be, but I paid it.”
He put his hat back on and braced his hands on his knees.“You think that might be what it was?”he asked.“You think she put that ad in the paper and just tells men she’ll marry them and takes their money and runs when they send it?”
Josiah leaned forward.“I hadn’t thought of that, but now that you mention it, I guess it’s possible.We’ll wait and see what the agency says when they get back to me.I told them how to contact me through the telegraph office, so as soon as my letter makes it there, we’ll hear something.”
Ward nodded and stood.“I guess all I can do is wait.”He turned to the door and opened it.“But I got to say, Marshal, I’m tired of waiting.”
Josiah smiled.“I’d imagine so.”
“The only thing worse than not having a wife is waiting for one to get here.I thought the month it was going to take her to arrive was too long.Three months is just about killing me.”
“I’ll find out what I can, Ward.We’ll figure out what happened to your bride one way or the other.”
Ward nodded his head.“I appreciate it, Josiah.”
“It’s no problem.”
