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SADIE

“Wow.”Wally’s eyes widened when she opened the door.

Sadie might’ve blushed but doubted that much blood would be able to flow through the corset she’d once again donned. This time, she’d put on James’s favorite dress—the one she’d worn the night of the dance when they’d met. She’d pulled it out of the trunk where she’d kept it locked up and forgotten for two years and aired it out the minute Wally had left last night. She’d always felt pretty in it, but that sort of frivolity no longer felt appropriate after James died.

Twirling so the bright green fabric swirled around her ankles in a flurry of ruffles, she laughed. “You like it?”

Whistling, Wally’s eyes did that crinkle thing she liked when he smiled real big. But his gaze wasn’t on the dress so much as her face, even as she stopped spinning and her bosom heaved, trying to catch a breath in her shallow lungs.

“It brings out the green in your eyes.” Wally offered an elbow, and she noticed the nice suit he’d shown up in—a very respectable pin-striped, three piece with the gold chain of a pocket watch looped low from the pocket on his vest.

“You clean up good, Wally. Let’s go. You know the rules, Teddy,” she yelled over her shoulder.

Teddy’s voice answered back, “Yeah, no one comes in.”

Wally peered over her head, squinting into the house to find the actual boy. “You okay there, Teddy? You sound upset.”

Arms folded and sour faced, Teddy appeared at Sadie’s side. “I don’t get why you need to go courting. You already like each other, why not just stay here, and we can have some real fun and work on the device you showed me? None of those folks care a whit about us. Why do you care so much about them?”

Hand on her hip, Sadie did her best to look stern. “That’s enough, Teddy. There are still some grown-up things you don’t understand. Just stay inside and do the chores I asked you to.” Her heart swelled despite her harsh tone.

It was mighty grown up of him to understand about the townsfolk of Devil’s Creek. She wished she and Wally could stay because she hated leaving Teddy alone, and she did despise those judgmental, land grabbers in town. What her boy didn’t get, though, was that Wally wasn’t staying or doing this out of the goodness of his heart. They’d made a bargain, and the whole point now was to get the town folk to leave her and Teddy alone.

“Fine. You look stupid, both of you.”

Sadie swatted his butt as he retreated into the house. Wally chuckled.

“At least you don’t have to worry about not knowing what’s on his mind,” Wally said, escorting her down the dusty wooden steps and out toward the road where, to her surprise, a carriage waited for them with two fine, sorrel horses hitched up.

“Where’d that come from?” she asked.

“I hired it,” Wally said. “And it’s a good thing since you’d never make the walk there and back in that thing.”

Before she could respond, he lifted her about the waist and set her on the top step of the carriage. It was a nice one, too, as nice as she’d ever seen, with velvet cushions and folded blankets set aside for the upcoming winter. She didn’t recognize the driver, a handsome man with wide, dark eyes and a black hat that he tipped at her as he winked.

“Where’d you find this?” she asked.

“Came all the way from Washington, Miss,” the driver answered instead of Wally. “Name’s McGovern. Pleasure to meet you. If you get tired of Doyle’s company, just let me know.”

“I hired you to drive, McGovern. That’s what you do, isn’t it? Not to flirt with women.”

“Lighten up, Doyle. Just having some fun with the pretty lady.” McGovern winked again.

“I didn’t bring my shotgun, but I do have a Derringer in my garter,” Sadie announced in a teasing, warning tone as she smoothed the material of her skirts.

Whistling in appreciation, McGovern coaxed the horses into a trot. When Sadie glanced at Wally, he was watching her with a smile that made her stomach fizz like sarsaparilla.

“What?” she whispered so McGovern wouldn’t hear.

“Nothing. I like your hair.” Wally’s grin grew wider.

Heart hammering like a giddy schoolgirl, Sadie’s hand fluttered to the curls that cascaded down the side of her head and over her shoulder. She hadn’t done her hair up that nice since James had courted her. The hour and half it took would be worth it if she looked the part enough so everyone bought their act.

Wally chuckled and the bubbles in her tummy increased.

“What now?” she whispered.

“You. Trying to act like a lady,” Wally said.