Page 53 of Colorado Bride

Emily’s smile faded, replaced by a frown and a nervous stomach.What would Doris do now?Emily was not anxious to find out.

Emily heard Doris stomp down the stairs and out of the house.The next thing she heard was the buggy leaving down the driveway.

Well, now.That’s interesting.I have to prepare lunch for the men by myself.I can do it, I just don’t have Doris here telling me how to do everything because the way I’m doing it is wrong.

She smiled and went to the icebox to get the ground beef and start a pot of chili.Then she’d make cornbread, a beef roast with carrots and potatoes, a couple of pans of biscuits.That would take her most of the rest of the morning.She would clean the rest of the house as soon as she could and as much as she could after lunch, even the windows.If this wasn’t her home, the windows could turn brown with dirt and she wouldn’t wash them unless Doris asked nicely.Even then she’d have to think about it…hard.As it was, she’d do the windows as a matter of pride in her home.

“You’ve got to get rid of Emily before Ben falls in love with her.”Doris paced in front of the rose-flowered sofa where the dark-haired woman sat contemplating her fingernails.

“Ben will be eating out of my hand, again, when I’m through with him.”

Melissa’s soft, silky voice cut through the chill in the room.

“You’d better hurry.I see the change in him every day.He touches her all the time, kisses her in front of God and everybody and doesn’t give a damn if anyone cares or not.I see him slipping under her spell more and more each day.If she doesn’t disappear soon it will be too late.My buyers are tired of being put off.They want the ranch now.”

“You may be right.Perhaps I should put my plan into action sooner rather than later.”

Doris stopped her pacing right in front of Melissa.

“Of course, I’m right.You stupid girl.I thought you wanted to marry my son.”

Melissa ran her hands down the silk of her ruby colored gown.Doris didn’t see any wrinkles so she thought it was probably a nervous gesture.

Melissa shrugged.

“I did and then I didn’t.I was infatuated with another man and thought he would marry me, but he didn’t and now I must get married.Ben has to get rid of his wife and marry me.My money isn’t enough to protect me, I don’t want to marry anyone else and I sure as heck don’t want to raise this child alone, so it has to be Ben.”

“You’re lucky I like you.”Doris narrowed her eyes.“I see myself in you.When I was younger, of course, and with more money.You are still going through with our deal after you marry Ben?You’ll take him away and leave the ranch to me?”

Yes, Doris had been nearly as dumb when she was young, marrying Joseph Logan.The man was handsome enough, but he’d had a mind of his own and wasn’t easily manipulated.As a matter of fact, she couldn’t control Joseph at all.

Ben was like him but Doris knew that without interference from his wife, she’d do exactly as she pleased.And she’d have Ben all to herself, he’d do exactly as she wanted.He’d sell the ranch and take her to San Francisco to live.She was tired of the ranch life.She wanted to live in the city, with running water and cafes and candy stores and coffee shops and where you couldn’t get everything from one place.She wouldn’t have to share him.Doris would use Melissa to get rid of Emily.

Melissa raised an eyebrow.

“Of course.”

“So what is this plan of yours?”

“I’ve employed Rory Schroder to get rid of Emily.No one will think twice if he kidnaps and murders her.Oh, they’ll know murder was committed but they won’t think it unusual that he did it because he’s already Ben’s enemy.”

Doris crossed one arm over her stomach and then put her other hand on her chin.“Not bad.Not bad at all.See that it happens immediately.”

“Yes, ma’am.No one is more anxious to be Ben’s wife than I am.”

Silly girl.You put the cart before the horse and now think that my Ben will bail you out of your situation, but I have other plans for my son and now they don’t include a wife, even one as malleable as you.

The day couldn’t have been any better.The sun was shining, only a slight breeze stirred the air and though he still needed a coat, the temperature was not unpleasant given that it was November in Colorado.

After he finished his chores, Ben set up cans and other targets in the pasture behind the barn.The time had come for Emily to learn to shoot a gun, for her own safety and that of his unborn child.

He found her in the kitchen chopping vegetables into a large pot.Walking up behind her he wrapped his arms around her waist and nuzzled her neck.

“Can you leave that for a while?”

She bent her neck giving his searching lips greater access to her sensitive skin.

“I suppose.What do you have in mind?”