West

"I respect your father, but I do not like this arrangement," Nell said as she approached.

"You're not the one who has to get married," I returned.

"I'd rather see you wed Philip, a man of good stature and some respectability."

I rolled my eyes. I'd take the sheriff over Philip any day. In fact, I'd take the sheriff over every other man on the list. He was sexy, enigmatic and not above riding out in a rainstorm to find me. He might make good boyfriend material, assuming his secrets weren't as daunting as Fighting Badger's.

Unable to figure out the man, I dwelt on how the hell I was going to change history when I was dogged every step by Nell. I had spoken to Running Bear without any satisfaction he had the motivation to do something Saturday that changed history. In four days, the event happened, and I had to identify what it was beforehand as well as which twin to stop.

With the sheriff close … There was a better chance of doing what I needed to and convincing him to help, assuming he wasn't a bad guy in disguise like Carter seemed to think he was. If John insisted on me marrying - however barbaric I considered forcing a woman into a relationship - I could think of many worse fates than to be stuck with Taylor Hansen.

We returned to the carriage and left town. The package Nell had gone to pick up sat at my feet wrapped in brown paper and twine. It was squishable and felt like clothing. I nudged it a couple of times.

"Miss Josie, we must discuss a wife's duty on her wedding night." Nell was hushed despite the fact we were completely alone on the road leading from town back to John's. "Since your mother is long passed, the duty falls to me."

I almost laughed. Nell was dead serious, so I stifled my humor and the urge to tell my nanny that I was already well aware of what happened between a man and woman in private.

I let Nell talk until the large ranch house came into sight before it hit me. "Wait. You're saying I have to sleep with the sheriff?"

"When you are wed, it's a wifely duty."

I started to smile, stopped, and shook my head. "Bizarre." Like I imagined every woman in college who enjoyed the party scene, I had had sex with multiple boyfriends over the years and even three one-night stands. Sex with Taylor wasn't out of the question, and the thought made my insides warm.

And … it might make him more amenable to helping me. Not to mention, I'd probably enjoy teasing him. Asking him to take off his shirt had made him blush; what would me showing up naked in his room on our wedding night do?