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" Feeling extremely embarrassed, she tried to ease herself away from him. “Where ya going, darlin’?” Davis mumbled into her ear as he licked the outside of it. “Um, it’s time to get up.” She continued to ease away from him and the sensations he elicited, but his arm remained firmly around her middle. “Please, we need to get up. I have to start breakfast and you need to get the oxen ready and. . .” He silenced her litany of chores with a kiss. Oh my, first thing in the morning, too. His fingers moved to her breast to circle the nipple teasingly. She jerked at his touch and he chuckled into her mouth. “It’s daytime!” She gasped, and put her hand between them to push him away. “All right, Mrs. Cooper. We’ll leave this for later. "
― Callie Hutton , Emma's Journey
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" This here is Miz Nellie Ward," Dane started. "Until about an hour ago, she was the owner of one of the finest brothels in Dodge City.” He smiled at the woman and continued. “The place burned to the ground and all her girls left to work for another house.”
“What the hell is this about, Marshal?” Mindy said. “If you think I’m going to work for Nellie you’re crazy.” She nodded at the woman. “No offense, Nellie. It’s just that I ain’t got a hankering for spending my time flat on my back. That about killed my mama.”
“None taken,” Nellie said, her lips twitching.
“Although that’s not why Nellie is here, missy, you might not be so quick to dismiss a job,” the marshal said. “Stuart stopped me on the way over here so I could tell you to turn in your dress, cause you’ve been fired.”
“Well, hell. Ain’t that like a man? Takes the mayor’s side in this, without even hearing what really happened.”
“Forget it, girl. What I have to say to you—” his eyes swept over the other three women behind bars. “All of you—is I have a proposal.”
He paused, making sure he had all their attention. “Nellie’s place burned down, and she has nowhere to go. All of you are a burr under my saddle. I can’t have women in my jail, but none of you have a job or a place to stay.” He took off his hat and ran his fingers through his hair.
“So, this is the deal. There’s a wagon train right now at Fort Dodge from Independence that’s headed to Santa Fe, New Mexico territory. Now I happen to know there are plenty of men down that way looking for wives.”
One of the women gasped. “Marshal, surely you’re not suggesting . . .”
“Yes, ma’am I am suggesting. You gals will either get on that wagon train with Nellie here as your chaperone or wait until the circuit judge comes around when he sobers up. He’ll be so blasted hung over, he’s liable to send y’all off to the state prison.”
“That’s outrageous. You can’t force us to marry strangers.” Another young, pretty girl clutched the cell bars, her knuckles white.
“No, ma’am, you’re probably right. I can’t do that. But what I can do is leave you sitting here until old Judge Bailey makes his appearance. Sometimes we don’t see him for six months.”
“I’m willing.” The girl curled up on her cot said, her voice barely above a whisper.
From Prisoners of Love: Nellie, A Christmas to Remember "
― Callie Hutton
