Page 42 of A Soft Kiss in Summer
When the old man finally stopped cackling, Ewan shook his head.“Come now, lad, surely you don’t think I believe this whole wedding business.”
Actually, he did.The old man did nothing but grin at him.“Did Violet tell you?”
“She dinna have ta.”Ewan shifted on the bench and nodded toward his house.“That girl’s been waiting for a husband since she came of age to marry.Her hope chest is so full, she has to sit on it just to get it latched and I know fer a fact she’s been pining for ye since ye got to town.If it was a true marriage between ye, she’d be over the moon ecstatic and she’s not.She’s acting as if it's any other day.If the marriage was real, I’d know it.”
Josiah blew out a breath and leaned back on the bench.“This whole mess is her doing.She told a white lie, and I didn’t correct her and it just snowballed from there.”
“That’s the way of lies, I suppose.”
He nodded.“I planned on heading into Elkin and getting it annulled.”
“Annulled!”Ewan bristled at his side.“Now why would ye go and do a thing like that?”
“I don’t need a wife.”
“Och,” Ewan said, waving his hand.“That’s a load of shite if I ever heard it.Every man wants a sweet smelling woman to take care of him.”He stood from the bench.“Might as well keep the one ye got, lad.I know fer a fact she’ll make ye happy if ye just give her half a chance.”
Ewan left without another word.Josiah watched him amble home and didn’t move until the old man climbed the steps to his house.The windows in the big two-story were glowing, his wife-in-name-only tucked inside somewhere.
He blew out a breath.He needed to put a stop to all of this and soon, especially if Violet has been “pining for him” like Ewan said she was.
He had no doubt Violet would make some man the perfect wife, but he wasn’t that man.He couldn’t be, regardless of how much the thought popped into his head.Marriage wasn’t for him, and he had to tell her that once and for all.
He stood and started across the street to the jail but stopped when he heard voices.He wasn’t surprised to see Ewan, one hand on Violet’s arm as he ushered her down the steps of their house and onto the sidewalk.
The old man threw his hand up in the air and yelled, “Don’t ferget yer wife, lad!”before turning back to the house.When Violet started toward him, he ignored his thumping heart and the way his hungry gaze ate up every step she took toward him.
Fake marriage or not, he did enjoy the sight of her.
Someone was banging on the door.Violet cracked one eye open.Pale light shined in around the curtain.It was too early to get up.
Josiah stirred behind her.He was spooned against her back, pressed against her from shoulder to foot and one of his hands rested against her bare stomach, her nightshirt bunched around her waist.She smiled and closed her eyes again.
She’d retold the story of Archie’s shooting to Rose, then again to Graham when he joined them the night before and had been contemplating what to do—stay there for the night, or go to Josiah’s—when her grandfather walked into the house and escorted her out to the porch, saying her place was with her husband.
She’d secretly loved every step he marched her to the sidewalk and never said a word when he yelled to Josiah, who had been standing in the middle of the road.
Josiah had given her a look that made her love-starved heart think he was relieved to see her when she finally reached him and they’d prepared for bed as usual.Only last night, they’d actually talked while lying in the dark, the topic of conversation once again about her running into the saloon when someone was shooting the place up.
His concern caused silly notions to pop into her head—like maybe he was beginning to care for her and she hoped he was.Their marriage might have started out as a way to get her out of a tough spot, but there was no good reason to end it.Not to her, there wasn’t.Josiah had told her he wasn’t interested in marriage, but he’d never said why.If Daisy’s plan worked, then maybe he’d change his mind.
Whoever was at the door wasn’t going away.They banged on it again, hard, and she opened her eyes when Josiah shifted and sat up.
He ran a hand over his face, then through his hair before standing.“Its too early for someone to be at the door.Something must be wrong.”
Since the bed was almost in perfect alignment with the door, Violet grabbed the blankets and pulled them to her chin, peeking out over the top of them to see who was there.
Her grandfather’s grinning face was the last person she expected to see.“Gramps.”She sat up, holding the blankets to her chest.“What’s wrong?Is Daisy all right?”
He nodded and gave her a wink.“Everyone is fine.”He pulled on his belt, adjusting his kilt, the sword he always wore banging against his leg.“I know you have to work the store today and the marshal is always busy, so I wanted to come fetch ye before your day got started.”
“Fetch us for what?”
His grin widened.“To take you out to yer new home.”
Josiah stiffened a bit at her grandfather’s words.“What new home?”he asked, crossing his arms over his chest.
“The one the town provided fer ye.”Her grandfather scratched his jaw.“It’s not a huge place, but it’s bigger than this little room.”He stuck his head inside the door and looked around.He straightened and said, “Now get dressed and we’ll take you out there.”
