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“But are you ... do you think you could care for me?” Colton very nearly found himself praying she would say yes. Lately his thoughts turned more and more to spiritual matters. Would the God of the universe help his cause in matters of the heart?

“I already care for you a great deal. I believe in speaking frankly, so I will say that it’s quite possible my feelings for you could turn easily into love. But I haven’t truly allowed myself to consider the outcome of that. This is all very new to me, as I’m sure you understand.”

“Yes, though it’s not new to me. I’ve cared about you for well over a year. It was more than a little difficult to ignore my feelings for you, but my love for Tommy held me in check. Tommy’s gone now, and there’s no reason to deny my heart any longer. I would make you a good husband, Emma.”

He stood and walked to where she sat. Pulling Emma upward into his arms, Colton held her close for several silent seconds. “I love you, Emma. I want you to be my wife.”

Pulling back just a bit, Colton met her gaze.

Lowering his lips slowly to hers, he hesitated only a moment before kissing her.

If she resisted him, he would drop his hold and give her more time.

He’d taken their first kiss without warning.

This time he would let her decide. She pulled his head toward hers in answer.

The kiss was sweet, and more than Colton could have hoped for. Emma clearly wasn’t opposed to the idea of their love.

“Let her go!”

Rosie’s words came out like a battle cry, causing Colton to pull away to the side. Still, he held on to Emma. “What’s wrong?”

“I said to let her go.” It was clear Rosie was angry.

“I don’t understand why you are yelling at me. What has you so riled up?”

She didn’t answer him but went to Emma instead. “Don’t let him kiss you. He’s only doing it because Walter and Ernest sent him here to marry you.”

Emma looked at him and then back to Rosie. “What are you saying?”

“I heard my brothers talking before we came to Cheyenne. Walter and Ernest want Colton to marry you.”

“Wait a minute, Rosie. They might have felt that way, but I already cared about Emma.” Colton could see the by the look on Emma’s face that she was starting to doubt him.

She backed away, edging around the rocking chair until she stood behind it. “What’s going on?”

“Rosie, that’s not why I kissed Emma. What our brothers want isn’t important to me.”

Rosie shook her head. “They want the railroad, Emma. They need your stock. I don’t know why, but here. Look at this.”

Colton felt his heart sink as Rosie handed over the crumpled telegram. “I read it.” Rosie glanced at Colton as if daring him to deny what it said. “I don’t know the last word, but the others will show you what I say is true.”

Emma took it and studied it a moment. When she looked up to face Colton, her expression was one of disbelief ... betrayal. “Is this true? Are you courting me so you can get my railroad stock? I already told you I would approve whatever sale you wanted to make.”

“But you have Tommy’s money too,” Rosie said. “Walter and Ernest want everything, and they want Colton to marry you so that everything stays in the family. I heard them talking before we came to Wyoming. They said I was a burden.”

“It would seem we are both burdens to the Benton brothers.”

“Now, Emma, it’s not that way. Hear me out. My brothers did push me to court you and marry you to keep Tommy’s inheritance in the family. But that is not why I’ve pursued you. I was absolutely truthful about my feelings for you. I’ve loved you since I first laid eyes on you.”

“You didn’t even know me. How could you love me?” Emma shook her head. “Get out.”

“Emma, please, you must allow me to explain.”

“Go now.”

Colton could see he was getting nowhere. He looked at Rosie. “You know that I don’t lie.”

“But you didn’t tell the truth either. Isn’t that the same thing as a lie?”

He was defeated and knew that there was no possibility of convincing Emma of his regard for her. Not with that telegram and Rosie relaying all that she had heard.

“I’ll go, Emma. But promise me that after you calm down, you’ll let me explain.”

Emma shook her head. “I don’t want to ever see you again. Just go.”

It was impossible to tell exactly what Colton was thinking, but Emma no longer trusted him to speak the truth.

She looked down once again at the telegram and felt her heart break into a thousand little pieces.

She had believed him. She had thought him worthy of her confidence, and all this time he’d merely been after her money and stocks.

Rosie led him out, and through the open window, Emma could hear them talking on the porch. “You did a bad thing, Colton.”

“But I didn’t, Rosie. Walter and Ernest have their ideas for getting things done, but it wasn’t my plan. You know me, Rosie. I wouldn’t marry someone without love. That’s why I’ve never married. I haven’t found that love until now.”

Emma came around the rocker and felt her knees grow weak. She sat for fear of fainting.

“If you weren’t doing what Walter and Ernest wanted, then why did they send you a telegram?”

“It’s not what it seems, Rosie. They do want me to sell the railroad, and Emma agreed we could do that. Look, I really do have feelings for her. I love her.” Colton sounded desperately sincere.

“Emma is a good person, and I won’t let you hurt her. You should never have kissed her.”

“No, you should never have kissed me,” Emma murmured, tears filling her eyes.

She had just begun to believe that they might have a future together. She had been especially touched that he’d come to apologize for his behavior the day before. Emma shook her head and closed her eyes. The Benton men seemed to have a special affinity for betrayal.

The conversation between Rosie and Colton ended, and Emma heard Rosie return to the house. She glanced up to find the young woman watching her from the foyer.

“I’m sorry, Emma. Colton was wrong to hurt you like that.”

“I’ll be fine, Rosie.” She forced a smile and got to her feet. “I suppose this means we need to go shopping ourselves to get you that split skirt.”

“You don’t have to,” Rosie said, coming to Emma. “I know he hurt your feelings. He hurt mine too. I was hoping he wasn’t going to listen to Walter and Ernest. They’re mean and don’t care who they hurt.”

Emma patted her arm. “I just want to forget about them all. Shopping will be a good way to put my mind on something else. Let me go change my clothes, and we’ll head out.” She dabbed her eyes with the back of her sleeve and got her emotions under control.

Rosie gave her a hug, and it was nearly Emma’s undoing. She gave Rosie a squeeze, then pulled away and hurried upstairs before she burst into tears. For all the pain Tommy’s betrayal had caused her, why was it that Colton’s hurt so much more?