Lacey Thorn
It's your world...unlaced
It's your world...unlaced
Tempting Tess
“What do you mean he’s dead?” Tess almost wailed at the sheriff standing in front of her.
“He can’t be. I was supposed to meet him here today. He sent the money for my ticket and
he was meeting me here.”
“I’m sorry ma’am,” the sheriff said again. She thought his name was Sheriff Duckett or at
least that was how she thought he’d introduced himself. Her mind had sort of shut down
after he said her fiancée was dead. “Mr. Sutter died just two days ago.”
“How?” she whispered feeling like her whole world was falling down around her. What
was she going to do now?
“He was kicked in the head by a horse over in Mackenzie’s Stable,” Sheriff Duckett told
her. “It was an accident. I don’t think he told anyone about you heading this way. Did you
know him long?”
Okay, so how did she admit that she’d answered an ad for a bride willing to travel to the
west? She’d seen it as the answer to her prayers. Her father had just passed leaving her
at the mercy of her cruel uncle and lecherous cousin. They planned to marry her off
quickly to be rid of her. So when she’d seen the paper laying there it was as if the ad just
jumped out at her.
She’d always craved adventure and thoroughly enjoyed reading every penny novel of the
Wild West she could get her hands on. It sounded so thrilling. Her father had been a
horseman once upon a time and shared with her the joy of riding, much to her mother’s
dismay. When her mother had died of fever shortly after her twelfth birthday it had just
been her and papa though her mother’s family had tried to talk him into giving her up.
Her father thankfully had refused and instead taught her things he’d learned from his time
in the military. She knew how to ride, how to shoot and how to survive off the land if she
needed to. All talents that meant little back home in Virginia but surely would come in handy
here. Her only problem was that she’d snuck away with only the money Mr. Sutter had
sent her, leaving her stranded now without a dime of her own.
Avoiding the question she didn’t want to answer she asked one instead. “What am I
supposed to do Sheriff? I only had enough money to get me here. Mr. Sutter was to meet
me and we were to be married right away.”
The Sheriff sighed and shook his head. “Come along with me for the moment and I’ll see
what I can figure out.” He reached down and took her bag before turning and heading
toward what she took to be the jail. She’d never seen a jail, much less one in the west.
Maybe he had a gunslinger or outlaw behind bars in there. She felt a shiver of excitement.
He dropped her bag beside a beat up old desk and indicated a chair for her to sit in. She
scanned the room and was disappointed to see that no one else was in the room with
them. The cell was empty.
“Disappointed?” the sheriff got her attention and she blushed as she realized that he
seemed to know what she was thinking.
“I was just curious if you had anyone locked up in here,” she admitted with an unrepentant
grin. “I’ve read all about the west.”
“Ahh,” was his only reply but she could see the grin tugging at his lips.
“So how did you meet Mr. Sutter?” he asked again and Tess realized that she wasn’t going
to escape the question.
“Well,” she paused trying to make her mind up on what story to spin.
“Look, Miss?” He paused and she felt obliged to fill the blank in for him.
“Winston, Tess Winston,” she offered.
“Look Ms. Winston, I know that Jebidiah Sutter was planning on sending for a mail order
bride,” the sheriff stated matter of factly. “All I need to know is if you’re that bride or if you
met him somewhere else.”
“I’m that bride,” she admitted and felt her face flush with embarrassment again.
“He can’t be. I was supposed to meet him here today. He sent the money for my ticket and
he was meeting me here.”
“I’m sorry ma’am,” the sheriff said again. She thought his name was Sheriff Duckett or at
least that was how she thought he’d introduced himself. Her mind had sort of shut down
after he said her fiancée was dead. “Mr. Sutter died just two days ago.”
“How?” she whispered feeling like her whole world was falling down around her. What
was she going to do now?
“He was kicked in the head by a horse over in Mackenzie’s Stable,” Sheriff Duckett told
her. “It was an accident. I don’t think he told anyone about you heading this way. Did you
know him long?”
Okay, so how did she admit that she’d answered an ad for a bride willing to travel to the
west? She’d seen it as the answer to her prayers. Her father had just passed leaving her
at the mercy of her cruel uncle and lecherous cousin. They planned to marry her off
quickly to be rid of her. So when she’d seen the paper laying there it was as if the ad just
jumped out at her.
She’d always craved adventure and thoroughly enjoyed reading every penny novel of the
Wild West she could get her hands on. It sounded so thrilling. Her father had been a
horseman once upon a time and shared with her the joy of riding, much to her mother’s
dismay. When her mother had died of fever shortly after her twelfth birthday it had just
been her and papa though her mother’s family had tried to talk him into giving her up.
Her father thankfully had refused and instead taught her things he’d learned from his time
in the military. She knew how to ride, how to shoot and how to survive off the land if she
needed to. All talents that meant little back home in Virginia but surely would come in handy
here. Her only problem was that she’d snuck away with only the money Mr. Sutter had
sent her, leaving her stranded now without a dime of her own.
Avoiding the question she didn’t want to answer she asked one instead. “What am I
supposed to do Sheriff? I only had enough money to get me here. Mr. Sutter was to meet
me and we were to be married right away.”
The Sheriff sighed and shook his head. “Come along with me for the moment and I’ll see
what I can figure out.” He reached down and took her bag before turning and heading
toward what she took to be the jail. She’d never seen a jail, much less one in the west.
Maybe he had a gunslinger or outlaw behind bars in there. She felt a shiver of excitement.
He dropped her bag beside a beat up old desk and indicated a chair for her to sit in. She
scanned the room and was disappointed to see that no one else was in the room with
them. The cell was empty.
“Disappointed?” the sheriff got her attention and she blushed as she realized that he
seemed to know what she was thinking.
“I was just curious if you had anyone locked up in here,” she admitted with an unrepentant
grin. “I’ve read all about the west.”
“Ahh,” was his only reply but she could see the grin tugging at his lips.
“So how did you meet Mr. Sutter?” he asked again and Tess realized that she wasn’t going
to escape the question.
“Well,” she paused trying to make her mind up on what story to spin.
“Look, Miss?” He paused and she felt obliged to fill the blank in for him.
“Winston, Tess Winston,” she offered.
“Look Ms. Winston, I know that Jebidiah Sutter was planning on sending for a mail order
bride,” the sheriff stated matter of factly. “All I need to know is if you’re that bride or if you
met him somewhere else.”
“I’m that bride,” she admitted and felt her face flush with embarrassment again.
Copyright Lacey Thorn, 2011
Unedited preview
Unedited preview