Promise Me Forever Read Free Page B

His mouth grew so dry that it was as though he’d chewed the tobacco instead of inhaling it. He wiped his suddenly damp hands on his trousers, then reached for her bodice, embarrassed that his hands were shaking so badly that he could barely get his fingers to work. But he was determined not to stop, because he desperately wanted to see what he’d been growing more and more anxious to see in the past few months. A woman’s bosom. Well, a girl’s bosom in this case, but a bosom was a bosom. Hell, if he’d known it was this easy to get a gal out of her clothes, he would have asked one long ago.
    “Lauren Fairfield, what in the world is going on back here?”
    The tartly delivered question almost had his skin running out of there without him in it. Once he quickly recaptured his breath, he realized her mama—the woman looked too much like her not to be—must have come around the corner without him noticing, and he was only one button closer to seeing paradise. Survival kicked in, but before he could duck and dart away, her mama sent his hat flying into the dust, got hold of his ear, pinching hard, which brought him up short. “Ow!”
    “Have you been smoking back here?” her mama asked.
    “No, ma’am. Only him. He didn’t ask me first. And he cusses.”
    The girl stopped her explanation there, lowered her gaze, and Tom wanted to kiss her for keeping her mouth shut about his worst transgressions. With her lips pressed tightly together, he stood a good chance of not going to jail. They didn’t arrest people for smoking or cussing. But if she’d revealed that he’d stolen as well…
    “If your pa were still alive, he’d beat this boy to within an inch of life for taking liberties with you, but since he’s not, it’s left to me to take care of this matter,” her mama said, grabbing her daughter’s arm and tugging harder on Tom’s ear.
    Prison might be better after all. He followed after them because the woman gave him no choice, not if he wanted to keep his ear, and he was right partial to it. It matched the one on the other side of his head.
    They rounded the corner of the building, her mother trudging through the alley, pulling them both along behind her. She turned the next corner. “Marshal!”
    Ah, hell, could his luck get any worse? The marshal was leaning against the front of the general store, his forehead pressed to the wood.
    “Just past noon and you’re already drunk,” her mama chastised.
    The man twisted his head slightly and stared at them. Tom had never seen such pale blue eyes.
    “I saw you coming out of the saloon,” her mama continued. “I don’t know why the people of this town saw fit to make you marshal, or why I’m turning to a womanizer with this problem. Reckon because I got no choice.” Without releasing her hold on Tom’s ear, she somehow managed to thrust him toward the marshal.
    “Ow! Ow! Ow!” Tom cried, wincing. Dang, but the woman could pinch.
    “I want him locked up for the night.”
    Tom tried to look on the bright side. At least he’d get a hot meal and a cot.
    The marshal finally spoke. “My apologies, madam”—the man talked so danged funny that Tom almost burst out laughing, but he decided that considering the spot he was in, it was to his advantage to keep quiet—“but I can’t—”
    “You sure can, and you’d better. Take him!”
    The marshal wrapped his hand around Tom’s arm and pulled him away from the woman. “What’s his offense?”
    “He was unbuttoning my Lauren’s bodice, trying to…take advantage of her innocence. She’s only fourteen.”
    Fourteen? Holy hell! She was just a kid. Tom had figured she was closer to his age, had just called her a kid to rile her.
    The marshal gave a brisk nod. “I shall handle the matter posthaste.”
    “See that you do, or I swear I’ll have the town council throw you out of office.” She trudged away, pulling her daughter behind her. The gal glanced over her shoulder, giving Tom a look that said