Mistletoe Courtship Read Online Free

up.”
    â€œI’d rather have whiskey,” the child said, taking a step forward into the saloon as if she expected to get it.
    â€œSurely, you don’t—” Virginia gave a horrified glance at Colter.
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    Colter had seen looks like that before. When the good church women of Helena had realized that the saloon boy theyknew as Patty was really a little girl named Patricia, they’d decided that Colter wasn’t a fit parent for her.
    He couldn’t fight them on that, but he still didn’t like their judgmental nature. On one point he was firm though. God had lots of people to care about Him. Patricia only had Colter. Even the women in Helena, as indignant as they were, hadn’t stepped forward to take care of the child.
    Colter refused to look over at Virginia. She was no doubt planning how to scold him. He knew a saloon was no place to raise a child. But he didn’t have time to worry about it, not right at this minute anyway.
    â€œLittle girls don’t drink whiskey.” Colter repeated the words he’d had to say a few times already.
    That made the girl look up, her eyes defiant. “My mother lets me have whiskey when it’s cold outside. For my bones. I have thin bones.”
    Colter didn’t answer. He didn’t need to. He saw the dawning misery spread in Patricia’s eyes. Her mother, Rose, had done a lot of unfortunate things in her life, but the worst of them had been to abandon her daughter.
    Rose had sent a letter to Colter saying he was the father of a ten-year-old and he’d better come to the Golden Spur and pick up the girl or she would likely starve. Rose didn’t even wait for Colter to get there before she took off with some miner named Rusty Jackson who had struck it rich in one of the gulches outside of town.
    â€œYou’ve got to have whiskey,” the girl continued, her voice clipped to show she didn’t care about the other. “You own this saloon. Mama told me.”
    Colter walked over and put his arm on her shoulder. He supposed Rose had embellished everything to make it sound like he owned the biggest and richest saloon west of the Mississippi. Rose had been like that. She would have promisedher daughter anything if it meant Patricia would do what she was told.
    Colter had been one of the woman’s many admirers years ago when he’d been hired to keep the peace in the Golden Spur. He’d been fast with his guns back then, having more bravado than common sense. Rose hadn’t been his only mistake.
    Colter supposed at some time he would need to tell all of this to Virginia, but he could see from Patricia’s face that now was not the time to talk about anyone’s mother.
    â€œI might not open up the saloon again,” Colter settled for saying instead. He could ignore the problem if that’s what Patricia wanted. “Especially not after the fire here.”
    â€œI plan to fix the floor,” Virginia said stiffly.
    Colter looked up. “You don’t need to do that.”
    â€œOf course I do. It was my job to take care of things. You need the building now that you have another child to care for.” She nodded toward the girl.
    He could see by the set of her jaw that Virginia had a rush of emotions that she was keeping inside. She looked distressed, which surprised him. Most women looked outraged with him, especially when Patricia said she wanted whiskey to drink. He looked at Virginia more closely. She appeared tired, as though she hadn’t been sleeping well. And she was thinner. He didn’t like to see that. She must be worried about something.
    â€œA burnt floor won’t trouble Patricia,” Colter said. “Not after what she’s been through.”
    â€œThat’s why she needs a home,” Virginia persisted. “I bet she doesn’t even have a pillow to sleep on.”
    Colter relaxed. He recognized a mothering instinct when he saw it. “She