For Love

Chapter 1

JASON

Kissing a woman was as intoxicating as savoring a shot of good whiskey, especially a willing woman like Hannah Baird. Jason pulled out of the kiss to watch her half-closed eyes with amusement.

"Why did you stop?" she murmured. Her hands fell from the back of Jason's neck to his chest when he straightened, the top of her head even with his shoulders. She smoothed his buckskin jacket over his woolen gold shirt, giving him a little shiver.

"Oh well, the rain won't hold forever." Jason looked up at a patch of blue sky and squinted when a burst of breeze ruffled his curly brown hair. He pulled out of his pants pocket leather work gloves, decorated with stitched Indian beading. "There's a lot of work to do."

Her lips formed a pretty pout, one of the more fascinating faces she liked to wear. "Jason Bolt! You're always busy. Isn't it too early in the year for logging?"

Jason smiled, for her sake. Winter had come early, and the penalties for the delayed deliveries had been steep. He and his brothers needed a new contract to give their business a much-needed boost once the rains let up. "That's why I have to leave. Owning a lumber camp means you work while everyone else rests."

He led Hannah from a small grove of sweet-smelling pines behind the two-story dormitory where Hannah resided. A wagon aimed for a puddle as it passed by, and Jason maneuvered her to the side of the road to keep mud from splashing on her dress. It was an orange and brown ensemble with a bright orange bow tied at the end of her dress's white collar. She flashed him a smile of gratitude that made it to her brown eyes, once again reminding him of the deliciousness of warm chocolate cake. The thought made him lick his lips, and her eyes widened. Suddenly a little too warm despite the chilly March air, he walked her briskly to her front door.

The sounds of hammers beating on nails filled the air as they approached Seattle Square. Across from the dormitory, workers raced the weather to finish the wrap-around balcony on Lottie's, a two-story saloon, and the busiest place in town. For all its simpleness proclaimed by the dingy white sign with the proprietress' name painted in big black letters, it was a central landmark for Seattle's citizens. To Jason and his brothers, it was a second home.

Hannah giggled and sashayed up the dormitory's porch steps to lean against a railing, pretending to be engrossed with the changes of the saloon in front of her. Jason rested against a post on the steps, enjoying her act.

"Whatever possessed you to build the brides' dormitory here?" she wondered aloud. "I've always meant to ask you."

His mind flitted over the flurry of activity surrounding Seattle's woman shortage three years ago. Out of desperation to keep his men from walking off the job, he had promised to bring a hundred marriageable women to their town and keep them there for a full year, or until they married, whichever came first. Aaron Stempel hadn't thought he could do it, so they made a bet with his brothers' blessings: Aaron would help cover the cost of bringing the girls to Seattle, but if Jason didn't deliver on his promises, he and his two brothers would have had to forfeit the legacy their parents had worked hard to leave them: Bridal Vail Mountain.

Along with his brothers, he had traveled to New Bedford, Massachusetts, and with wit, charm, fancy words, and his youngest brother's sincerity, they had convinced a hundred marriageable brides to return with them to Seattle. All seemed to go well until he realized his men had neglected to build the dormitory while he was away, nearly costing him the bet. Instead, a speech from Candy, his soon-to-be sister-in-law had softened the hearts of the New Bedford brides to be patient while he and his men quickly built a place for them to live. Funny thing was, he didn't remember why they chose that exact location. Convenience never needed a reason, did it?