A Bride for Logan by Barbara Goss (readict .TXT) 📕

I’m all right.” Emma folded her hands in her lap and took a deep breath. “His name is Dallas. I don’t know his last name. He tried to compromise me in Colorado, and I had to kick him in the…well, you know. He was furious and made threats. It was one of the reasons I accepted your proposal, such as it was. I never imagined he’d follow me here.”

Logan shook his head. “I’m confused: you were a saloon woman—why would his trying to compromise you cause you to kick him? Isn’t that what most saloon women expect?”

Emma bit her bottom lip. Should she tell him? He was being blackmailed because of her, so she should be honest with him. “If I tell you the truth, will you still keep your promise to keep things impersonal between us?” she asked.

“Of course. How else can we get the annulment when the time comes? You have nothing to fear.”

Emma quickly blurted, “I’m not really a saloon woman.”

“What?”

“The wagon master threw me off the train and dumped me in Boulder City. I had nowhere to go, and I didn’t know a soul there. One woman invited me to live in her brothel and another her saloon, and I had no choice but to take the saloon job. I worked at the saloon for one hour. Dallas slapped my behind and before I could think, I turned and slapped his face, and I was fired. I’ve never been with a man…ever.

“The next day, Dallas captured me between two buildings and started to paw me, and I kicked him where my dear mother told me would be effective. He cursed and threatened me. Tonight, he wanted to continue compromising me but in a rough, revengeful way. I was terrified.” Emma shivered.

~~~**~~~

Logan felt his heart melting. The poor young woman. She'd lost her parents as a teen and then her only remaining “family” on the wagon train. What else could she have done? His proposal to come to Hunter’s Grove and marry him had saved her. Now, he had to figure out how to handle this Dallas, and how to keep himself from getting too involved with Emma.

Now that he knew she wasn’t a loose woman, he already started feeling something for her. Surely, it was just sympathy.

“Let me understand, Emma: you allowed me to believe you were a saloon woman just to keep me from—”

Emma nodded.

“Does Alan know?”

“No, he doesn’t.”

“I need to think of how to handle that barn scum, Dallas. I’m definitely not paying him a thousand dollars.”

“I’m sorry you have to deal with this because of me.”

Logan squeezed her hand. “I’ll figure something out. Don’t worry about it.”

Logan stood. “I’ll walk you upstairs. You did a fantastic job today, by the way. Our sales were excellent; better than usual.”

“Really?”

“Yes, and here.” He held a small wad of bills out to her. Your pay, Emma.”

“Pay?”

“Of course. You worked for me, so you get paid.”

Emma took the money and looked up at him with a smile that touched him deep within his chest. It was probably because her eyes were still a bit teary, and to see her smile with the sad tears still in her eyes was touching. The idea that he could turn someone’s tears into such joy made him feel good for some reason. It was a new emotion for him.

“I call,” Alan said, moving his matchsticks into the center of the table.

Logan spread out his hand. “Two pair. Aces and tens.”

Alan threw his cards down. “I won’t even tell you what I had.”

Logan picked up the cards and shuffled them.

“I quit for tonight,” Alan said. “I helped my father plow a field today, and I’m tired.”

“All right. Say, which horse did you pick?”

“The pinto you named Spot.”

“You aren’t going to rename him, are you?”

Alan laughed. “I already did. He’s Painter, now.”

“Painter! What kind of name is that?”

“A better one than Spot.”

Logan rubbed his forehead. “What am I going to do about my blackmailer?”

“I think you should go to the sheriff.”

“I don’t know, Alan. Dallas will simply deny everything. Isn’t there another solution?”

“You could pretend to pay him off,” Alan said, “and then alert the sheriff.”

“That’s brilliant! I could have the sheriff waiting for him to take the money and then we’d have him red-handed.”

“It might work,” Alan said. “What should we put in the bag, just in case he gets away?”

“My father has a stack of newspapers in the attic. It’s time to get rid of them.”

 “Let’s go see Sheriff Billings first thing in the morning.”

Charlie Billings nodded as Logan explained his plan. “It just might work. Let me know when and where, and I’ll be there.”

Outside of the sheriff’s office, Alan said, “Should we call on the slimy snake now?”

Logan nodded. “It’s as good a time as any.”

The two men walked past several buildings to the hotel. The clerk gave them Dallas’s room number.

“Here goes,” Logan said as he knocked on the door.

The hotel room door opened immediately. “I thought it might be you.” Dallas opened the door wider to allow them to step inside.

Logan said. “I’ll pay you, but after I do, I expect you to leave town immediately.”

“Gladly,” Dallas answered. “This is the most boring town I’ve ever been in.”

“I can’t do it today, but I can deliver the money in the morning.”

“Be here at ten, then. I want to leave early so I can get far away before dark. I’ll be waiting behind the hotel.”

Logan and Alan left the room and the hotel. “Well, that’s done,” Logan said.

Alan mounted his horse. “I’m headed home. What time should I come to your place in the morning?”

“Nine. I’ll let the sheriff know.”

Irma put