Page 38 of A Bride for Brodie

Brodie frowned. “What? How? You didn’t have that much money.”

“I played poker against him and his cronies.” She rushed on. “I should have told you sooner. I used to play cards for a living. Seamus taught me, but he spent everything I won, so we never got ahead.” She looked up into Brodie’s thunderous face. “I’m sorry. Truly, I am.”

“We’ll talk later.”

“Wait, after I beat him, he still wouldn’t let me go. He said he had to get back at Ross…through you.”

Flannery lifted a brow, shifted his hand around so he could study his fingers. “Obviously, the woman is distraught. I never kidnapped her nor did Joey.”

She looked up at Brodie, willing him to believe her. She saw the indecision in his eyes. “They did. And they used something sweet smelling that knocked me out.”

“If that’s so, how did you get loose?” asked Flannery.

Lottie released Brodie and turned to face her captor. “I worked the ropes loose with my blood.” She held up her arms. The blood from her wrists had run down her hands and fingers. She pushed up her sleeves so everyone could see her wrists.

The saloon was so quiet, she could have heard a pin drop to the floor.

Brodie pushed Lottie aside and lunged for Flannery. He hit him with a right hook.

Joey started forward to stop the fight.

Sheriff Knoll pulled his weapon. “Stay out of this, Joey, if you know what’s good for you. You might take a hit or two with a fist, but a bullet will end your life.”

Joey raised his arms and stepped back.

Ross stood with his arms crossed.

Lottie ran to him. “Ross, stop this. If Brodie gets hurt, I’ll never forgive you.”

Ross smiled down at her. “Love him that much, do you?”

She didn’t hesitate for a second. “Yes, I love him.”

Brodie turned to look at her.

Flannery landed a left to his jaw.

Moving his jaw back and forth, Brodie grinned and hit Flannery once, then twice, in the stomach.

Flannery bent over, clutching his middle.

Bringing his knee up into Flannery’s chin and his fist down onto the back of his neck, Brodie defeated him.

Flannery hit the floor.

Brodie caught his breath and then looked down on Flannery. “That’s for kidnapping my wife, and we’ll find out who else you have done this to. You’re going to prison,Jake. And maybe Mike knows if there is an additional charge for her having to turn her wrists into raw meat.” He turned to Ross and Sheriff Knoll. “If you will excuse me, I’m taking my wife to see Doc and then we’re going home.”

He held out his arm to Lottie.

She grinned and ran to him, hooking one arm around his waist and started to walk out of The Copper Lady Saloon.

“We don’t really have to go see Doc. Agatha can fix me up at home.”

He kept walking out of the saloon and down the boardwalk toward the doctor’s office at the other end of the boardwalk near The Prescott Hotel. His face was frozen and the nerve in his jaw twitched. “No, I want you cared for before we do the long ride home, because I intend to hold you as long as I can on the way. I want it to last forever.”

Sobered by his words, she stopped walking. “You do?”

He gazed down at her, his face illuminated by the light from the saloon. “Yes, I do.”