Mail Order Prairie Bride: (A Western Historical Romance) (Dodge City Brides Book 1) Read Free Page B

shapely, wiggling backside. He watched her for a second. One tiny foot was on the ground, the other leg was bent at an impossible angle with the other foot still on the floor of the wagon. “Lean back,” he instructed.
    He wrapped his hands around her narrow waist and lifted her dainty frame to the ground. Holding her so close, he noticed the clean scent of her hair and the faint hint of rosewater on her skin. He had to fight the inclination to enjoy it.
    “Thank you, Mr. Brigman.” Sarah’s face flushed pink as she smoothed her skirt.
    It was one of those things that charmed him—a woman smoothing her skirt. But almost as quickly as the feeling came, he squashed it like a bug under his boot. “Well, don’t expect assistance every time. You’re going to have to get used to things being difficult.”
    Her jaw dropped in surprise and he wished he’d kept his thoughts to himself. But at some point, his mail-order wife was going to have to learn to put away any tendencies toward vanity if she was going to survive out on the plains with prairie fires, wind storms, and grasshoppers. He had no intention of letting her spend precious hours of every day in front of the mirror, fussing over herself like Isabelle had done.
    They started up the stairs together and headed toward the front door. All the while, Briggs could feel a slow, heated panic moving over him.
    After all his preaching to George about the problems with a pretty wife, what in the world was he about to do?
    * * *
    Feeling dizzy, Sarah gaped at the large brick building. Halfway up the steps, she grabbed hold of the handrail. She could not go through with this. The man beside her was not at all the kind of man she’d imagined she’d be wedding. Why couldn’t it have been someone like George?
    Panic stormed at her from all angles as they entered the building and climbed the creaky stairs to the second floor. They reached the office at the end of the hall and Briggs ushered Sarah through. As she approached the distinguished judge seated behind a large mahogany desk, she realized she was another step closer to going through with this.
    Sarah heard footsteps behind her and felt Briggs’s looming presence like a net about to be tossed over her head. He was standing too close, trapping her in this stuffy office. She couldn’t breathe! She had to call this off. It wasn’t too late until the papers were signed.
    Turning on the braided carpet to face him, she sucked in a quick breath. He stood before her like a huge, stone wall, thick and solid. She swallowed, staring at his animal claw necklace, realizing he was taller than she had thought. The top of his white linen shirt had fallen open. She could see his bare neck, glistening with perspiration, and it made her mouth go dry. He flipped his golden hair back, revealing tiny beaded designs on the shoulders of his faded buckskin coat.
    “You all right?” he asked. “You look like you need a glass of water or something.”
    Nodding, she dropped her gaze to the floor. She wished she were anywhere but here.
    “George, get her something, will you?” Briggs led her to a green upholstered sofa where he rested his hands on her shoulders and firmly sat her down. He knelt before her, then picked up a few papers from the desk and fanned her with a gentle breeze. She looked up to meet his gaze.
    Goodness. There was something very intense about the way he was looking at her. It caused a strange, heated fluttering in her belly, and she wondered if there might be some hope for them, as a married couple. Perhaps there was some kindness in this man, after all, although she wasn’t sure that’s what was causing the fluttering sensation. He was rather handsome and charismatic upon closer scrutiny. Quite astoundingly so. His lips were full, his face chiseled to a fine, masculine perfection, and those green eyes, watching her with concern, were absolutely mesmerizing.
    Struggling to gather her wits, Sarah wet her lips and took a