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Chapter Nine

Z eke didn’t fool himself into thinking that Bernadette returned to the play because of him. He’d like to think it. But he knew better. She was to marry Blaze, and once they rounded up Lee and Wilson, Blaze would whisk her off to his ranch where they would live happily ever after.

If it were Zeke, he’d be starting that happily ever after with her right now. Lucas had the right idea with Gail. If one were to talk about wasting time, shopping for supplies at this very moment when the store was open for another three hours was a waste of time.

Zeke sat next to Bernadette, and for a moment—just a moment—he entertained the idea that he was courting her.

What was it his ma would say? The best way to court a young woman was by giving her flowers, letting her know she was pretty, and listening to things that mattered to her.

“Women want to know that the man courting them values her above all else,” his ma had told him.

So, if he were courting her, he would start by taking her to this play that she wanted to watch.

Then he would listen to her thoughts about it while they took a stroll through town.

They could make their way to the store afterward, and, since his ma liked it when he surprised her with candy, he would ask if Bernadette would like something sweet to tide her over until they met the others at the restaurant.

Then he would take her to the quaint gazebo and let her keep talking.

He had a few dollars on him. Perhaps he could take her to a shop and let her buy something pretty.

It was a shame that the ribbons she’d had in her hair had been ruined in that cave at the canyon.

Even with her hair pulled back into a bun or a braid, she was like a sunrise.

However, when her hair was down, it was almost like the rays of the sun were spread further out across the sky, thereby making the colors more vibrant.

She glanced his way, and his face warmed. He hadn’t realized he’d been watching her instead of the play. God willing, she wouldn’t mention it to anyone, especially not to Blaze.

Inspired, he turned back to her and brushed her shoulder. “There was a bug. I wasn’t sure at first, so I waited to see if it would move. Sure enough, it did. So yes, it was a bug.” He cleared his throat and let his gaze return to the stage.

He held his breath and waited to see if she would tell him that she knew full well that he had been staring at her and that she knew there hadn’t been a bug on her shoulder.

He even peeked at her from the corner of his eye.

To his relief, she only nodded and focused on the play.

He released his breath. That was close. As fun as it was to pretend that he was courting her, he needed to rein in his imagination.

There was no sense in letting anyone know he entertained these ridiculous fantasies.

He wasn’t a stranger to romantic fantasies.

He started having them when he was fourteen, and Nicole read that William Shakespeare sonnet about love in the schoolhouse.

Nicole had glanced his way while reading it.

He’d had the foolish notion that she’d been reading those words to him.

The truth was, she had been glancing all around the room.

Also, she had fancied Robbie, not him. The day Zeke had worked up the courage to hand her a handful of wildflowers had been terribly embarrassing.

Not only had she laughed at him, but Robbie gave him a black eye for trying to get sweet on his girl.

After that, Zeke learned to keep his fantasies to himself.

He also learned to make sure the boy who was interested in the same girl wasn’t stronger than him when deciding whether or not to make his intentions known to the girl.

Unfortunately, no one he asked to court had ever said yes. There was always someone better. Someone more attractive. Someone smarter. Someone stronger. Someone braver.

But there had never been someone who kept missing the right moment to act.

And that was Blaze. Did Bernadette notice it?

He would ask if he had any business with her love life.

The right person to ask her about Blaze’s questionable behavior would be Lucas.

Zeke drummed his fingers on his knees. Would Zeke be acting inappropriately if he asked Lucas if Bernadette still wanted to marry Blaze?

If Zeke were a woman who was being allowed to sit with a deputy at a play when the object of her affection was off shopping for supplies for a trip, Zeke would reconsider the marriage.

It didn’t seem like Blaze was all that interested in being with her.

Bernadette looked his way with a question in her eyes.

Oh, good grief! Zeke was staring at her again. When did he take his eyes off the stage? He couldn’t claim another bug was on her. That kind of lie only worked once.

“Is this boring you?” Bernadette whispered.

Compared to Bernadette, everything was boring.

But Zeke had intended to sit and watch the reenactment of the first time the Red Ghost had killed someone.

And yet, he couldn’t. Not with her sitting next to him.

He was in real trouble. What answer could he give her that wouldn’t upset her?

She had nothing but disdain for him. She was only sitting with him because she was stuck having to pass time while Lucas and Gail could be alone.

Zeke decided he had no recourse but to feign boredom with the play. “I’ve heard all the stories,” he whispered in return. And he had. So it wasn’t a lie. It just wasn’t a complete truth. “But I want you to enjoy yourself. I’m happy to stay here.”

“Even though you’re bored, you’re willing to stay here because I want to see this play?” she asked, not hiding her surprise.

Little did she know he would stay anywhere if it meant he could sit next to her. Hoping she didn’t pick up on how much he enjoyed this moment in time, he said, “Sure. I’m happy to do it.”

She smiled. “Thank you, Zeke.”

She turned her attention back to the play, and he breathed a sigh of relief when she got so engrossed in the action on stage that she stopped noticing the way he kept looking in her direction.

Bernadette chose not to say anything, but she noticed each and every time Zeke looked in her direction.

When they had started this journey to find Lee and Wilson, it would have bothered her.

Now, however, something about the fact that Zeke couldn’t take his eyes off of her caused her skin to warm in the most pleasant way.

In light of Blaze’s polite affections, it was nice to be in the presence of someone whose intentions were more heated.

But she was betrothed to Blaze. Lucas had arranged the marriage for her.

She couldn’t just get out of it. Things like that weren’t done.

And besides, just because she found Zeke’s attention a bit flattering, it didn’t mean she wanted to marry Zeke.

All it meant was that she was having second thoughts about marrying Blaze.

If she spoke of her misgivings to Lucas, would he understand?

Could he understand? He was a man. For men, marriage was based on what the woman could bring to the marriage.

While Lucas loved Gail, Bernadette had come to realize that Lucas had chosen Gail because of her dowry.

Bernadette would never voice this to either Lucas or Gail.

Lucas would be embarrassed to know his little sister had figured it out, and Gail would be disenchanted with Lucas.

Gail thought Lucas’ primary motive was love, and what woman wouldn’t want to think that the man who courted her was more interested in her than in her family’s money?

Blaze had ranch hands, but he had no one to give him children.

That was why he had sent out the mail-order bride ad, and Lucas had been looking to send her to a man who would take only the money she could carry in her drawstring purse.

Bernadette didn’t have enough of a dowry to tempt any of the men in Pennsylvania.

Even if someone had fallen in love with her, he would have found someone else the moment he realized the truth about her financial situation.

Lucas knew that. It was why he had searched for men who lived in the West.

Bernadette had let Blaze’s courage and strength cloud her judgment on what was really going on.

He had come to rescue her because that was the kind of thing he did.

He pursued justice. He might not have a deputy’s badge, but he acted like one.

Considering how he could round up bandits when Zeke couldn’t, he had impressed her.

He was gorgeous. Not that Zeke wasn’t good-looking.

He was. But Zeke was like an adorable puppy while Blaze was more like an alpha wolf in the pack.

Blaze had confidence, strength, and knew how to lead.

Yes, those were admirable traits, but puppies were cute, eager to please, and loyal.

One didn’t have to fight for a puppy’s affection, but one did have to fight to win over an alpha wolf.

And quite frankly, she had the sinking feeling that she didn’t have what it took to secure Blaze’s love.

The actors and actresses came on stage to take a bow, and the people in the audience clapped. Bernadette couldn’t believe the play was already over. She hurried to clap along with the others.

After they were allowed to leave, she and Zeke walked side by side up the steps of the amphitheater.

He didn’t touch her. Not that she expected him to.

He wasn’t Blaze. Blaze would have touched her elbow or would have encouraged her to put her arm around his.

Zeke knew he wasn’t allowed to take such liberties.

But for some reason, she felt a flicker of disappointment that he wouldn’t make an attempt.