Page 48 of Colorado Bride

“Coming from the doctor’s office.Don’t tell me you’re sick already.”

Emily, slowly put on her driving gloves, looked up at the sun shining down on them and said the first thing that came to mind.“No.Just a check-up.Ben wants to make sure I’m in good health before winter really sets in.”

“Why would he worry about your health?Are you a sickly person?”

“No.Why do you care?”

“Just curious.I’d hate to see Ben saddled with a sickly wife.”

“I’m not sickly and Ben isn’t saddled with me.It’s just that New York City is so different from Colorado Territory.The elevation here makes me run out of breath.Surely you noticed that when you came here.”

“No.I was born in Denver.”

“I see.Then what are you doing in Golden?Why didn’t you return to Denver when the man you ran away with left you?”

“I came here to marry Ben.”

Emily narrowed her eyes and clasped her hands demurely in front of her.“But you didn’t marry Ben, so what are you still doing here?Shouldn’t you have returned to your previous home?Or was that no longer an option?”

Melissa’s eyes widened and her face lost color.

“Well, I never.”

“Somehow I doubt that’s true.You just never with Ben.You jilted him, and now that he’s married to me, you want him back.I see you for what you are.Stay away from my husband.”

Emily walked past her and continued on to the mercantile.She wanted to look back to see what Melissa’s reaction had been but she didn’t.

What in the world had gotten into her?She’d never treated anyone that way before, but then again, she’d never had anyone to protect before.

She touched her stomach.Now she had two people who depended on her, that were a part of her.Maybe now that she was pregnant with his child, Ben would realize that he loved her.

Maybe.

When she reached the mercantile, she finally looked back and saw that Melissa was gone.She hadn’t followed her after all.

Inside, she bought some cinnamon that she had ordered a couple of weeks ago.She also picked up black strap molasses and ginger.She wanted to make a new cookie recipe she’d found.They were called gingerbread cookies and sounded really very good.

Trying the new cookies and doing something normal helped to keep her mind off of Melissa.But not entirely.In the back of her mind there were still thoughts of Melissa and the danger she presented to Emily’s family.

She would protect her husband at all costs.

Melissa had better watch out.