The Lawman's Agreement (Entangled Scandalous) (6 page)

Chapter Seven

Suzanne answered the knock at her front door shortly after six. Zack stood on the threshold, a grin rearranging his usually serious countenance.

“Evening
cher
,” he said when she stepped back to allow him inside.

“Good evening, Zack,” Suzanne responded. “Is there something you need from me?”

Zack wagged his eyebrows in a half-tease, half-leer. “That’s a mighty tempting offer,
cher
, but I’m actually here on business.”

“Business?”

“Yes, the district marshal’s office in Jackson is requesting a list of injuries to the mill workers. They don’t need specifics by name, but a general listing of when and what type of injury. I’ve already written up a formal report on the original accident.”

“Does the marshal’s office believe it to be sabotage?”

“It’s a bit too early to tell, but they’ll be keeping an eye on things for sure.”

“I’ll put together a list for you tomorrow when I have access to my patient files.” When Zack took a step toward the door, she thought to ask, “Would you like to stay for supper? I was just setting out some biscuits and I have enough stew for both of us.”

Zack nodded. “I’d like that, Suzanne.”

Suzanne led the way into the compact but efficient kitchen. While Zack removed his gun and holster and set it aside, she set a second plate and bowl at the table and took out a second cup for tea.

“How was your day?” she asked. “Anything interesting happen other than the request from the marshal’s office?”

“They picked up our two prisoners early this morning. Other than that, about my only excitement was fielding my deputy’s complaints about the lack of baked goods now that I’m officially unavailable.”

“Yes, thank goodness that’s over with, not just for you but me as well. I’ve not had one unsolicited gift or overly friendly greeting for the past two weeks. It’s been such a relief.”

Suzanne served up the two bowls of stew, and Zack reached for a biscuit from the china plate in the center of the table. Once he’d taken his first bite of each, he raised his head and met Suzanne’s gaze.

“That does bring me, or brings us, I guess, to another issue.”

Although she thought she knew what Zack was going to say, she asked, “And that would be?”

“I’m getting many questions about when we’ll become engaged,” he admitted. “Not just from my would-be lady suitors, but from local businessmen, my deputies, and even Pastor MacKinnon.”

“As am I.” Suzanne shook her head slowly, and then asked, “Why is it so important to everyone that we move from the courting stage to the engagement stage so quickly?”

“It could be that they’re testing us to see if it’s real. Or it could be that, given neither of us are young and impressionable they may think we’ve not a lot of time to waste.” His last statement came with a resounding chuckle.

Although the same thought had occurred to her, Suzanne refused to acknowledge the humor in his comment.

“We did expect this time to come,” she admitted. “I’d just hoped it wouldn’t be so soon.”

“How should we handle it,
cher
?”

Suzanne signed deeply, letting the Cajun endearment sink into her very being. As aggravating as it had been at first, she couldn’t help but admit that Zack’s soft drawl wrapped quite nicely around the simple term.

“I suppose we could take out an announcement in the Greenville Gazette. It’s what most couples do.”

“I can call for you at lunch tomorrow,” Zack offered. “We’ll stop at the caf
é
on our way and then go over to the editor’s office together. If we give Mr. Perkins our announcement before two o’clock, it will make the next day’s paper.”

Suzanne reached across the table and laid her hand atop Zack’s. The very touch of her hand against his sent a shiver down her back. Goose bumps formed on her forearm. “Are you sure about this, Zack? A formal announcement is an awfully big step to keep up a ruse.”

Zack turned his hand over beneath hers until he could take a light grasp on her fingers and draw them to his lips for a light-as-a-feather kiss. “Would you rather have to answer as many questions as you once had to refuse court?”

Suzanne swallowed delicately, forcing down the tickle in her throat, and shook her head from side to side. “No,” she said finally. “I guess not.”

“Then, it’s settled. Tomorrow we go to the newspaper and announce our engagement. Let Greenville think we’ve moved on to the next step.”

“What will your family think?”

“We’ve already explained it all to them. I’m sure they’ll see this as the next step in our charade.”

“Yes, of course. It would be silly of them to think it was anything but an extension of our agreement.”

…

Suzanne sat at the desk in the small office in the clinic the next morning, her head buried in her hands, her eyes closed in search of a moment’s rest. She’d not slept a wink the night before and now was paying dearly for her inability to clear her thoughts.

With each passing day of their agreement, she became more leery of how such a grand scheme could end on anything but a sour note. True, they had no real feelings for each other, save for the mutual respect they had for their professional dedications.
Why then, did this engagement seem more important to her than the real one she’d had back in New York?

Thankfully, any further introspection was cut short by the arrival of her first patient. Suzanne stood from behind the desk, straightened the apron over her sensible shirtwaist and made her way to the waiting room.

“Good morning, Felicity,” Suzanne said, meeting her close friend at the door. “How are you feeling today?”

Felicity McCade rubbed her hand over her ever-swelling stomach and smiled serenely. “As good as can be expected, I suppose. This baby seems to think that the right way out is to kick its way through my bellybutton.”

“You’re only three-and-a-half weeks from delivery,” Suzanne reminded her. “The kicking will start to slow down soon as the baby starts working his or her way toward the birth canal.” Taking Felicity’s elbow, Suzanne steered them toward the exam room. “Let’s take a listen to the heartbeat and make an assessment of the baby’s size and progress toward that final journey.”

“Before I get so wrapped up in the examination that I forget,” Felicity began, “Matt, Miri, little Molly, and Aunt Virginia are arriving this coming Saturday. We’d love to have you and Zack over for Sunday dinner.”

“I’d enjoy that, as I’m sure Zack will, as well.” Suzanne paused for a moment and then added, “You know, you don’t have to invite me every time you invite Zack. I’m not really going to be family.”

Felicity stopped and turned to meet Suzanne’s gaze. “You’re still our friend, and we enjoy your company. And, you have to eat.”

Suzanne laughed. “That’s true, all of it.” They’d reached the exam room, prompting Suzanne to say, “Now, let’s get you up on the exam table and see how things are progressing.”

Following Felicity’s exam, Suzanne spent the next two hours splinting a sprained finger, dispensing resting powders for Mrs. Barclay’s ongoing headaches, and making a minor adjustment to James O’Hara’s artificial limb.

She was just walking her good friend Katie O’Hara and young James to the door when Zack arrived for their luncheon date. “You take care, James,” Suzanne said, as mother and son left the clinic. “And don’t be putting any more twigs in between the hinges of your limb.”

“I won’t, doc,” the boy said. “I promise.”

“Twigs?” Zack asked.

“Yes, apparently he fell and got some mud between the hinges and was trying to clean it out. The mud took hold of the soft ends of the twig and the matter only got worse.”

“Are you ready for lunch? Or, do you need a few minutes?”

“Just let me take off my apron and get my hat, and I’ll be ready to go,” she told him.

“Good. We may need a few extra minutes at the café,” he said, his tone a bit faint.

Suzanne couldn’t help but notice an unaccustomed nervousness in his speech. “Why?” she asked. “Is there something special going on, I don’t know about?”

Zack shook his head, his gaze darting from side to side.

Suzanne turned toward her office to retrieve her hat and purse, her thoughts lost on the marshal’s strangely unsettled demeanor. When she returned to the front of the clinic, Zack stood there waiting. The nervousness she’d seen earlier seemed gone and a smile sat squarely in the middle of his handsome face. Perhaps he was having second thoughts about the engagement announcement, much as she’d had. Not for the first time, Suzanne wondered about how smoothly this unusual day would go.

Miss Maribell’s café was extremely busy for a Thursday, or so it seemed. Yet, despite the unusually large crowd, the proprietor had saved them a table in the middle of the room. To Suzanne it seemed as if they were being put there deliberately.

“Do you have any idea what’s going on?” Suzanne leaned across the small table and spoke to Zack as softly as she could and still be heard over the din of the individual conversations.

Zack shrugged. “I guess everyone decided to have lunch at the same time.”

Suzanne wasn’t as certain as Zack seemed to be.

They’d just finished their meal and were enjoying their coffee and crumb cake when Zack reached across the table and took Suzanne’s hand into his. The tingle she’d felt the day before returned ten-fold, her pulse rate picking up speed.

“There is something I didn’t tell you earlier,” he said.

“Such as?”

“I mentioned to Jake this morning that we were going to place our announcement in the paper. I wanted to make sure they knew before we actually did it.”

Suzanne nodded. “I did the same with Felicity when she was in for her appointment earlier today.”

“Jake brought up an interesting point. He said if we were going to make a formal announcement in the paper, people would be looking for you to wear a ring.”

“A ring?” she repeated.

“Yes, a ring. I stopped by the mercantile on my way to the clinic and picked something up. It’s not as fancy as you’d see in St. Louis or New York, but it’ll do, I think.”

“Zack,” she said, her words stuck on the emotions lodged in her throat. “I can’t accept a ring. It wouldn’t be right.”

“If you don’t accept the ring everyone will be on to our plan. We’ll have wasted all this courting time for nothing.”

Suzanne glanced around the café and realized everyone seemed to be watching them. “Something tells me, Mr. Canty’s already alerted half the town to your purchase.”

“That was my assumption as soon as I saw the crowd of people.”

Suzanne shook her head and drew a deep breath. “Is this where you’d planned to do it?”

The look on Zack’s face would have been comical had she not been so nervous.

“Do what?”

She couldn’t stop the laugh that escaped her throat. “Propose? Give me the ring?”

“Oh, yeah, right.” Zack fumbled around in the pocket of his vest, finally withdrawing a small satin pouch. He raised his head and scanned the crowd before leveling his gaze on hers. “Suzanne Martindale,” he said solemnly as he poured the ring out into his palm. “Will you marry me?”

It seemed as if the entire café held their breath in anticipation. Suzanne scanned the crowd much the same as Zack had done and then settled her gaze on Zack’s outstretched hand. In the middle of his palm he held a gold ring, the setting two gold roses on each side and holding a single diamond in the center.

Suzanne’s already racing pulse picked up speed, her heart hammered in her chest. Even though she knew his proposal to be only a part of their elaborate ruse, to her it felt anything but. Suzanne looked up from the ring and stretched out her left hand in his direction.

“Yes, Zackary McCade, I will accept your proposal of marriage.”

Chapter Eight

“You are a sly dog, now aren’t you, Marshal?”

Zack raised his gaze from his evening reports and met Pete Bailey’s tobacco stained grin. Both his deputies had spent the better part of the day teasing him about his and Suzanne’s engagement.

“I’m not quite sure what you’re getting at, Bailey,” Zack said.

“You all goin’ on ’bout how the doc wasn’t your cup of tea. Yet, all the while you were not only planning to court the woman but marry her.” Pete pushed his glasses up to the bridge of his nose, rattled the newspaper more for effect than anything, and then started to read. “Doctor Suzanne Marie Martindale and U.S. Marshal Zackary Levay McCade are pleased to announce their engagement. No wedding date has been set as yet, but the happy couple will reside in Greenville after a short honeymoon to New Orleans, Louisiana.” Pete shook his head, and added, “You’re a brave man, Marshal, taking on a bride who’s likely a whole lot smarter than you.”

“You know what amazes me most about your fascination with that announcement, Pete?” Zack asked.

“What’s that?”

“I didn’t know you could read.”

Zack returned to his reports, anxious to finish up and get out of the office and away from his deputy’s taunts. Zack pulled out his pocket watch and checked the time. He planned to walk Suzanne home at half past six, and it wouldn’t do to keep his fiancée waiting.

…

“How did your day go?” Suzanne asked as she locked the front door of the clinic.

“Probably about the same as yours, I’d guess. I spent most of my day fending off Pete and Tom’s razzing and pasting a smile on my face each time someone stopped to congratulate me.”

Suzanne placed her arm in Zack’s and nodded. “Same here, I’m afraid. Although I did have one totally unexpected response.”

“Really?”

They stepped out onto the wooden walkway and started toward her home before Suzanne explained, “Apparently I’m deserving of a richer, older man who’s able to care for me in a grand fashion rather than rely on the meager salary of a government official.”

“And just who was it that imparted that bit of wisdom?”

“Malcolm Wilson. He believes himself to be a much better fit for me.”

“I will concede that he has more money than me. Heck, he’s probably got more money than anyone, but that doesn’t make him right for you.”

Suzanne couldn’t help but wonder how Zack had come to the same conclusion she had. “What makes you so sure?”

“Well, for one thing, he’s old enough to be your father. For another and more importantly, he’d expect you to retire from medicine to oversee his home and be a proper wife. If I remember correctly, one of the reasons we determined our agreement would work is that it would leave us both free to pursue our careers without pressure.”

“What about you, Zack? What do you consider to be a proper wife?”

Suzanne could almost see the wheels turning in Zack’s head as he obviously gave serious thought to her question.

“I like to think I’m open-minded about things. I suppose I’d have no reason to deny a wife a job outside the home, at least until the children came along. I’d expect the woman I marry to be a full time mother and wife. However, what I might want in a wife is not relevant.”

“It’s not?”

“As I’ve said before, I’m not planning on getting married. Our ‘engagement’ is as close as I’m going to get to being a husband. It wouldn’t be fair given my line of work.”

She wondered if Zack had ever been in love. “There’s never been anyone in your life you wanted to marry?” she asked.

“No. Not that I haven’t had a few close calls. It would take a very strong woman to be able to accept what I do for a living, including the fact that one day I might not come home. So far, I’ve not met someone who I thought could handle the situation.”

“I can’t imagine going your entire life without love, Zack.”

His jaw twitched, as if he were fighting back a quick response. It was a habit she’d also noticed with both Jake and Matt, a McCade quirk she suspected.

“What about you,
cher
? Was your engagement for love, or practicality?”

They’d reached the cottage, and Suzanne opened the gate and stepped onto the cobblestone walkway before turning to answer Zack’s questions. “I thought it was love. In hindsight, I guess it was more the excitement of self-discovery. Unfortunately, as much as he’d claimed to want an equal for a wife, he couldn’t handle it in the end. Like most men, Jason felt the need to be the master and make his partner the subservient, obedient wife. It was obvious it wasn’t going to work out under those circumstances, and we parted somewhat amicably.”

Once they’d reached the front door, Zack took her hands in his and lifted them to his lips. Suzanne’s arms tingled from the brush of his mustache against the back of her fingers.

“Mrs. Davies is on her porch,
cher
. I think a kiss might be in order.”

“Mrs. Davies is half blind and likely can’t see this far anyway, Marshal,” she said, doing her best to calm an already-racing pulse at the thought of Zack’s goodnight kiss.

“One kiss. To be on the safe side.”

Without waiting for her agreement, Zack lowered his head and pressed his mouth to hers. When she reached up and wrapped her hand around the back of his neck, he groaned. She sighed, the softly issued gesture parting her lips just enough for Zack to deepen their kiss.

Suzanne lifted her other arm and wrapped both around Zack’s neck, raising herself onto her tiptoes to meet his heady assault with one of her own.

The kiss went on and on, back and forth.

After what seemed like a wonderful eternity, Zack lifted his head, his gaze intent on hers. “That should do it,” he said, chuckling slightly.

That did it all right. Try as she might, she couldn’t figure out where the “safe side” was in one of the most wonderful kisses she’d ever experienced.

…

Suzanne had been looking forward to Sunday dinner at Jake and Felicity’s for a week. The idea of being able to spend time with friends and not have to pretend to be a woman in love was the closest thing to a relaxing day Suzanne could imagine.

“We weren’t expecting to see you until late this evening, Jake,” Zack said when they were all seated in the parlor.

“We cut the weekend trip short,” Jake explained. “The weather south of here was getting a bit heavy and rocking the
River Maiden
to the point some of the passengers were feeling ill. We turned around sooner than usual and docked around noon.”

“So, Virginia,” Suzanne began, “Felicity tells me you’re planning to stay for a month or so to help with the new baby.”

Virginia took her usual seat in the comfortable parlor and turned in Suzanne’s direction. “Yes, I thought I might. I enjoyed my time with Matthew and Miri when little Molly was born. It would be nice to do it again while I’m still young enough to be of help.”

Suzanne laughed. “Something tells me, Virginia, you’ll be around for at least another half dozen or so grandchildren and grand-nieces and nephews. You are in remarkable health.”

“I do try to eat less than I used to, and I walk every day.”

“And, much to my displeasure,” Zack said from the far side of the room, “she’s stopped baking all my favorite desserts.”

“Oh, I still bake,” Virginia explained. “Though one thing at a time, not ten.”

“Molly is certainly getting big,” Suzanne said, pulling the eleven-month-old up into her lap. “She’s a perfect height and weight for her age.”

“Now that she’s walking, she keeps us both on our toes,” Miri added.

Virginia met Suzanne’s gaze, and then looked down at the small child in her lap. “Children are a blessing every woman should experience at least once in her life.”

Suddenly, Suzanne sensed everyone staring at her. And, as if he could sense her discomfort, Zack came to the rescue when he asked, “So, Aunt Ginnie, what’s for dinner?”

“Pork roast basted in a cherry marmalade, new potatoes mixed with herbs, some of the early vegetables from Felicity’s garden, homemade biscuits, and banana pudding for dessert.”

“Banana pudding,” Zack repeated. “Aunt Ginnie, I’ve surely died and gone to dessert heaven.”

As dinner progressed, it seemed to Suzanne the McCade family evening meal was more about the companionship and conversation than about the food, despite what the empty plates might indicate.

“Are we going to have to wait all night, or are you going to show us the ring?” Miri asked.

Suzanne raised her hand and stretched it across the table to where Virginia, Miri, and Felicity sat.

“It’s lovely,” Virginia said. “Zackary, you have wonderful taste.”

Matt let out a shrill whistle. “Damn, Zack, you sure put on a show for someone who claims to be faking his entire courtship and engagement.”

“We couldn’t very well fake it with something cheap. Malcolm Wilson’s already trying to convince Suzanne I’m not good enough for her. I couldn’t let him criticize the ring too, could I?”

“It was a very nice engagement announcement, as if it were written straight from the heart,” Felicity said, her breath catching on every other word.

Suzanne sat opposite Felicity, watching the play of expressions crossing the very pregnant woman’s face. “Felicity, are you having pains?” Suzanne asked.

Felicity shook her head. “No, just a little tingle. It’s a week too early for anything more.”

“Try telling that to the baby,” Suzanne said simply. “They don’t have a calendar in there, you know. How far apart are these tingles?”

Felicity shrugged. “They come and go, usually a couple hours apart and then I get one or two more and they go away again.”

Suzanne stood and went to the opposite side of the big table. Her hand hovering over Felicity’s middle, she asked, “May I?”

“Yes, I suppose.”

Suzanne laid her hand against Felicity’s stomach and pressed lightly. “Can you feel that?”

“Yes, I feel a light pressure and then the tingling starts again.”

“Jake, can you help me get Felicity to the closest bedroom, please?”

Jake stood and came to his wife’s side. His hands gently beneath her arms, he helped her stand. “Can you walk or would you prefer I carry you?”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Jake. I can walk.” Felicity took two steps before her knees began to wobble. Immediately, Jake scooped his wife up into his arms and carried her toward the bedroom. Suzanne followed closely behind. Once Jake had laid Felicity on the bed, Suzanne motioned everyone from the room and shut the door after them. “I’m sure I’ll be okay,” Felicity said, the slight tremble in her voice belying her bravado.

“I’m confident you will be as well. I just want to assure myself that what you’re having is only false labor and nothing more.”

“Is this the way labor starts?” Felicity asked.

“It’s different for everyone. Some have no pain or discomfort until their water breaks. Others experience cramps for hours before the actual onset of labor.” Suzanne laid her hands on each side of Felicity’s rounded belly.

Felicity released a long breath. “So far, it’s truly not bad at all.”

“You do remember what I said about walking throughout labor, though, right?”

“Yes,” Felicity confirmed. “The more active I am right up until the baby reaches the birth canal, the easier the delivery will be.”

Suzanne spread a lightweight blanket over Felicity’s knees. “If you don’t mind, I’m going to have a quick look.”

“I don’t mind. As you’ve pointed out on numerous occasions, there’s no room for modesty in the birthing process.”

Suzanne helped Felicity out of her undergarments and then proceeded with the exam. Once she’d completed her assessment, she restored order to Felicity’s clothes and told her, “I’d like to move you to the hospital this evening if you’re feeling up to the trip.”

“You think I’m that close to delivering? But, I haven’t had a real pain as yet.”

“There is movement toward the birth canal. Unfortunately, the baby hasn’t turned as yet. I don’t want to risk a breech birth here at home.”

“A breech birth?”

Suzanne could see the worry in Felicity’s expression. “You lay here for a bit and rest. I’m going to go out there and let Jake know what’s happening. I’ll send Virginia in to sit with you.”

Suzanne returned to the parlor where everyone sat waiting. “Virginia, would you mind going in and staying with Felicity?”

“No, of course not.” Virginia rose and went down the hall.

“What’s going on?” Jake asked. Matt, Miri and Zack stood huddled at his side.

“Felicity is in the very beginning stages of labor which is a good thing. However, the baby is being a bit stubborn about turning around and is presenting breech at the moment.”

“That’s feet first, right?” Jake asked.

“Yes. There’s plenty of time to get the baby turned, but I’d recommend we move her to the hospital just in case there are complications.”

“What kind of complications?” Matt asked.

“Sometimes, if the birth remains breech, the final delivery of the head is more difficult. Sedation may be in order. Or, possibly we’ll have to make a small incision to help with the passing of the head and shoulders.”

Suzanne was about to explain more when Virginia appeared in the parlor door. “Dr. Martindale, Felicity is asking for you.”

Suzanne returned to the bedroom, Jake at her side.

“I felt a rush of something wet,” Felicity said. “I think my water broke.”

Suzanne reached for the blanket and lifted it for a closer look. Turning to Jake, she said, “Please ask Matt and Zack to get the carriage ready.”

“Was that it?” Jake asked. “Did her water break?”

“It must have been,” Felicity said. “I can still feel the dampness.”