Page 37 of Colorado Bride
ChapterSix
Melissa Mills stood on the street outside the bank and couldn’t believe her eyes.Ben Logan was married and to a fat little blonde.How dare he replace her so quickly?He was supposed to come begging her to marry him.But he hadn’t.She and Doris were sure he would.Doris Logan had insisted this was the way to go.When Melissa returned to Golden, Doris had shown up and begged Melissa to reconsider and marry Ben.She said she’d consider it.But Ben never came calling.Instead, he’d found another wife.Where had he found a wife so quickly?And a woman that Melissa didn’t know.
Was it possible he got a mail-order bride?She knew that Ben’s best friend Nathan Ravenclaw had done so, but that was a different situation.Nathan was probably the most handsome man she’d ever seen with his coal black hair and blue eyes, but he was half Arapaho Indian.No white woman in the area would marry him.She’d always thought he would marry within his mother’s tribe.But he’d married a woman from New York.The poor thing had a jagged scar from her eye down her cheek to her chin.It marred her looks something fierce, but Nathan didn’t seem to mind.He was very happy with his wife.
Well Ben getting a wife that way just wouldn’t do.Ben was hers.Just because she’d changed her mind at the last minute and run away with Richard, didn’t mean she couldn’t change her mind back…now that she needed a husband desperately.Besides, Ben was supposed to be there waiting…not married to someone else.Doris had assured her Ben was suffering.
That was not suffering.
She’d have to find a way to eliminate the blonde.What was her name?Emily.Yes, if Emily was gone, Melissa could console Ben and in his grief he would marry Melissa like they were supposed to.
Now who could she get to rid them of one Mrs.Ben Logan?
Rory Schroder sat in the Branch Water saloon drinking his last shot for a while unless he found a way to make some money.
Jenny, one of the three girls who worked in the Branch, as it was called, came over.
“Hey, Rory.Some lady wants to talk to you.Outside.She said she’d make it worth your while.”
Rory downed the last of his whiskey and went outside.He didn’t see anyone and turned to go back inside out of the midday sun.
“Mr.Schroder,” said a woman with dark hair from the corner of the building.“Please come here so we can talk.”
Rory walked down to the alley and turned down it.
The woman was dressed well.wearing a dark blue dress and matching hat that just happened to be the same color as her eyes.She was easy on the eyes, too.Tall, slender, but with tits.Just the way he liked ‘em.
“What you want, lady?”
“Mr.Schroder, I’d like to hire you.”
“How do you know me?”
“I was engaged to Ben Logan.He mentioned you several times.”
Rory laughed.
“Yeah, I bet he did.What do you want me to do?”
“That’s what we need to talk about.Can you meet me tonight?After dark, at my house?”She handed him a slip of paper.
“Sure.Be there at nine.”
“Perfect.And Mr.Schroder take a bath and put on clean clothes before you come.Here’s part of the money to do the job I want.You’ll get another part after we talk tonight and the second half when the job is done.”
She handed him a double-eagle gold piece.
He hadn’t had twenty dollars to his name in years, at least not all at once.
“See you tonight.”
She walked around him and back out onto the street.
Rory bit the edge of the coin to make sure it was real and looked after the woman.Tonight could be a lot of fun if things worked out like he wanted.
Melissa readied herself to meet Rory.He and Ben Logan had been feuding forever so he was the perfect person to kidnap and get rid of the new Mrs.Logan.
Rory was handsome, in a messy sort of way.If he was shaved and bathed he might be very handsome.Maybe not to the same degree as Ben, but Ben was special as far as Melissa was concerned.She was mad at herself for letting him get away the first time.That was stupid on her part, but at that moment she’d been in love with Richard.Now, of course, she was paying for her mistake, but at the time, it was the right thing to do.
