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Jesse looked at her, all five foot four glowering inches of her and smiled. “I do.”
The preacher leaned forward and whispered, “Are you sure?”
He grinned. “Yeah, I’m sure.”
“All right, then. I hear by pronounce you man and wife. You can kiss your bride.”
“Don’t even think about,” Alex said, turning to the door.
Jesse caught her before she took the first step, wrapped his arms around her and lowered his head. “Now don’t be so shy, darlin’. You can save that whole act for the wedding night.”
Her outraged shock forced her mouth open and it looked like an invitation to him. He closed the distance between them and covered her mouth with his.
Unlike their kiss on the prairie, she fought him this time, but not for long. She relaxed beneath his hands, a sigh escaping her throat the moment he dipped his tongue inside her mouth.
She could deny her feelings for him until the sun turned black and pigs learned to fly, but it only took a kiss to prove she felt something, The gentle slide of her tongue against his own, the tightening of her fingers in his shirt, and the small cooing sounds making the fine hairs on the back of his neck stand on end were enough. She may not love him but if he had anything to do with it, she would by the time they made it back to Willow Creek.
He broke the kiss and stared down at her lax face. Her eyes were still closed, her lips swollen and glistening with moisture. It wasn’t the wedding of his dreams but she was here, she’d said yes, and he wasn’t about to let her go. He’d deal with her pa and Hugh Jacobs when the time came. For now, he had a herd of cattle to move, a crew of men hell bent on causing him problems and a new wife who would probably make his life miserable every chance she got.
She opened her eyes and met his gaze, her brows lowering. “Don’t be thinking you can kiss me anytime you feel like it, Jesse Samuels. This marriage is one of convenience only. The minute we get back to Willow Creek, consider yourself divorced.”
Isaac was holdingher wrapped package of newly purchased clothes when she exited the church. He handed them to her and raised an eyebrow. “You okay?”
“No. I just got swindled.”
He laughed. “Maybe, but you get to stay. That’s what you wanted, right?”
“Yes, but not like this.” She tucked the package under her arm and shook her head. “Jesse will think he can tell me what to do all the time now.”
“I thought he already did that.”
“He does but he’ll expect me to actually listen to him now and I’m here to tell you I won’t.”
He patted her on the back and guided her down the church steps. “And I’m sure he’ll have as much fun trying to make you mind him as you’ll have defying him. At least you’ll be a lot safer. Lewis and his bunch will leave you be now.”
“What makes you think that? Me saying I’m married won’t stop a man from messing with me any more than it would if I were still unmarried.”
“It will when your husband is within shouting distance. Pretend to hate Jesse all you like but he did you a favor. He’s promised before God to protect you and he’ll do just that. You get into any trouble you just give a shout. I promise you, he’ll come running.”
“Speaking of trouble,” she whispered, watching Jesse and Ben walk down the church steps. Neither stopped when they reached the bottom. Jesse didn’t even look their way, just said, “Let’s go. We need to get that herd moving,” over his shoulder and kept on walking.
Alex sighed and followed. “Some wedding day this is.”
They were mounted and headed back to camp before she realized one of the problems she’d had before running away to join the cattle drive had just solved itself. She was no longer Hugh Jacobs fiancé. Telling him why she couldn’t marry him wouldn’t be fun but she had weeks yet to figure out how to break the news to him.
Maybe she’d let Jesse do it. She grinned. She could imagine how well that conversation would go. She’d be playing doctor and patching them both up before Jesse had time to explain why they got married.
The ride back to camp was quick, Jesse’s need to get the herd moving again leaving little time to dawdle. Ben helped Isaac break up the camp kitchen and she found the nearest tree to change behind. She shimmied out of her borrowed clothing and was fastening the buttons on her new shirt before the day’s events started to sink in. She stopped, staring at her hands when they began to shake.
I’m a married woman.
Leaning back against the tree, she leaned over and braced her hands on her knees and closed her eyes. How had this happened? Why had it happened?
Because Jesse forced you to do it.
But had he? She straightened and looked out over the prairie. “No, he didn’t.” All Jesse had done was given her a choice. Go home or marry him to stay. Knowing Jesse, he’d given the ultimatum to get her to leave. Now that she thought about it, he had looked a bit stunned when she told the preacher to get on with it.
“Alexandra Samuels. Mrs. Jesse Samuels.” She tested her new name out as images of Jesse flashed through her mind. She never was the type of girl to dream about weddings and having babies but the few times she had thought about it, she’d pictured her future husband as a man much like her pa. One who was strong, a hard worker who knew exactly what he wanted and would waste no time getting it. He’d be handsome and assertive and be able to tame her wild ways when no one else could. A man who made her pulse race as he whispered in her ear late at night.
