Wolf Bride by T. S. Joyce Read Free Book Online Page A

Thankfully, Jeremiah offered to sit in back this time. He didn’t know it, but my bruised bum thanked him. My heart did too, because the seat up front wasn’t very big and I had to sit hip to hip with Luke while he capably drove the two horse team.
    His warmth seeped slowly through the thin fabric of my dress and I greedily accepted it. And every once in a while, when I was certain he wasn’t paying attention, I would sniff him nonchalantly. He smelled of man and earth, hay and horse, and shaving cream he’d found the time to use on his face this morning. He was intoxicating.
    Luke was a dashing man bearded, but shaven? I wanted to sleep in his left dimple.
    “You did something different with your hair,” he said, interrupting my silent swoon.
    I had, in fact, and how very observant of the man to notice. Braids cupped both sides of my head and met in the back, where my curls were pinned neatly into place. “I saw a lady wear her hair like this once and I always wanted to try it.”
    He poked out his bottom lip and nodded as if he were impressed, and I graced him with a wicked grin. “You been with many saloon girls, Mr. Dawson?” I asked a little too innocently. “You seem to have a lot of misconceptions about how we should act and look.”
    When he talked, the corner of his mouth turned up. “Just trying to find out more about you, Ms. Yeaton.”
    “You didn’t answer my question.”
    “A few,” he admitted. “You been with many cowboys?”
    I tipped my chin up and tried not to smile. “A few.”
    “Well, good. I expect you to have a trick or two up your sleeve then.”
    I had to swallow my laughter while Jeremiah lit into his brother for the inappropriateness with which he spoke to me. The grin on Luke’s face said he didn’t pay much mind to the lecture either. True, sometimes Luke was crass and too honest for his own good, but I realized at just that moment I liked that in a man. Jeremiah’s instincts had been right to foist me off onto his brother. We would’ve made a terrible match.
    By the time our wagon ambled onto Main Street, most of the town’s residents were up and about, running their errands or talking comfortably in small groups in front of the various stores. I couldn’t read a letter of the wooden signs that hung over the shops, but I could guess at most of them. A trio of men laughed in front of what was likely a cabinetry or wood working store. Two scantily dressed ladies draped themselves around one of the columns outside the swinging doors of the saloon and catcalled passersby. And two women sat on a bench outside the land office with their heads tipped toward each other, whispers hidden by delicately gloved hands.
    Their smug glances my way had me trying my best to look anywhere else. It was foolish to let the gossip of others affect me. And besides, I didn’t really know what they were saying so it could’ve even been something kind about me.
    Cruel giggles drifted across the wind.
    Or maybe not.
    Luke pulled the wagon up to the general store and hopped out. He reached for my waist and pulled me easily over the mud and onto the stairs. The furred hides that hung from the door waved in the wind and the sweet smell of candy that wafted from the shop was a strange combination with animal and mud.
    “I need to take these pigs to sell to the butcher first thing and I don’t think it’s the place for a woman.”
    My heart flip-flopped uncomfortably at the thought of being separated from him. “I’m sure I will handle a butcher shop just fine.”
    “That’s the thing. It’s not really a shop. He’s a big German man, does most of his butchering out front. Bloody business, his job is.”
    I tried to keep the green out of my face. He handed me my dress, subtly wrapped in brown paper and tied with twine to hide it from Jeremiah. “My brother will make sure you get to the dressmaker’s safely, and I’ll meet you out front when you’re done.”
    A slight nod and he was back in