The Boss Lady's Man

{Chapter} 13

{Chapter 13}

“So you want to get married right in a few days? Do you think Katie will fall for it? Has there been enough time?” Toni paced the floor.

She had even forgot why she was marrying the man in the first place for a moment, but then reminded herself that it was for her ranch.

“I think so, but if you don’t then I completely understand that,” Erik said.

“It’s not that I don’t think she’ll fall for it. I’m just scared that I’ll crack and tell her everything. She has a way of weaseling things outta me” Toni continued her pacing, as if it made her feel better. “And you know what this means, right? We’ll have to sleep in the same room. Where will Katie sleep?”

Erik’s face paled. He probably hadn’t even thought about that. “W-Whoa. I hadn’t thought of this,” he said.

That’s what I thought.

“I can shove all the guys into this bunkhouse and she can have the other, but we’ll just have to cross that path when we come to it. When do you want to tell them?” Toni asked, still pacing.

“Tomorrow?”

“Fine. We’ll have to make sure we keep Katie controlled. Before you know it, she’ll be booking us a church wedding and… No. I won’t have that,” Toni said, rubbing her bottom lip with her thumb.

She saw a hint of a smile come across Erik’s handsome face as he balanced the crutches on his knees.

“Someone ticklin’ you, McBride?” she asked, a little more harsh than the situation merited.

Erik shook his head. “No.”

Toni stopped her pacing and looked at him. “Are you sure you want to surprise your family with a brand spankin’ new wife? Some families look down on a girl stealin’ their man. Especially their only one.”

“Are you kidding? They’ll love you. Emily’ll think you hung the moon by the time we leave” Erik grinned.

The grin eased her taut muscles somewhat.

“I’m not too sure about this,” she said hesitantly.

“It’ll only be for a few months until these rustlers get the message and leave” Erik said.

“What will people in town think? They’ll think we… we…”

“We?”

Toni leaned closer and whispered. “They’ll think we got a divorce. They’ll talk.”

“So let them talk. Wouldn’t you rather them talk than ignore you?” Erik asked.

“They already do that” Toni sighed and sat on the bed beside him. “Women keep their men away from because they think I’m like a disease to them. They think I tempt them or something. One look at me and that seems ridiculous. Look at these goofy freckles and horrid complexion. I’m as skinny as a beanpole and half the time I smell like unpleasant end of a horse. Then the women keep their daughters away from me so that I don’t poison their perfectly clean outlook on life. Where everything is peachy-Q and life is grand. Oh, to be young again.” Toni sighed and folded her arms across her chest.

“People are stupid and I don’t like them,” Erik stated.

She whirled toward him. Did those words just come out of a Christian man? “What? Don’t like them?”

“It’s true. Oh, I love them because the Good Lord does. I just don’t like them. There’s a difference. Just because you love someone doesn’t mean you have to like them,” Erik explained with a faint smile.