His Bewildering Bride (The Brides of Paradise Ranch - Spicy Version Book 3) by Merry Farmer

corner of his eyes and found her standing with her chin up and steel in her eyes. It was almost enough to make him laugh. Anyone who thought they were superior to the woman who stood beside him had another think coming.
    “Now, this contest should take place on neutral territory,” Howard went on. He craned his neck, searching around the church. Many of the townspeople had already left to head over to the school, where their potluck lunch was waiting, but Howard found who he was looking for. “Ah! Gunn! Come over here, man.”
    The circle discussing the contest—now well over a dozen strong—turned in unison. Theophilus Gunn flinched at the sight of so many people suddenly staring at him. He was talking to Charlie Garrett, and at Howard’s waving, both men came over to join the conversation.
    “Gunn. We’re shaping up to have a capital dress-making competition on our hands,” Howard explained.
    “Oh?” As proper as an English butler, Gunn folded his hands in front of him and took in the various excited and curious expressions of the crowd waiting to hear what would happen next.
    “We need a place to hold it,” Howard went on. “I say it should be the hotel.”
    “Why the hotel?” Bonneville barked.
    “Because it’s neutral ground,” Howard explained with a scowl. “Also, there’s enough room there to store the ladies’ work. And Gunn here can be the umpire.”
    “Me, sir?” Gunn’s brow shot up.
    “Yes, you. You’re as impartial as anyone gets in these parts.”
    A smile spread across Gunn’s sage face. “Thank you, sir. It would be an honor.”
    “Do you agree?” Howard growled at Bonneville, as if expecting a fight.
    Bonneville rubbed his chin, eyes narrowed, studying Theophilus Gunn. For his part, Gunn merely stared back at him, expression blank. At last, Bonneville said, “All right. I agree.”
    “But Papa,” Melinda interrupted, eyes wide and face pale with panic. “Why do we need an umpire or a judge or whatever you want to call it at all?” She swayed closer to him and hissed, “He’ll just get in the way.”
    “Hush, Melinda.” Bonneville dipped close to her ear and whispered something that brought relief to Melinda’s face and suspicion to Travis.
    “Good.” Howard nodded, ignoring the side drama. “It’s decided then. The dress-making competition will take place at the hotel, and Theophilus Gunn will be the umpire.”
    “Are you all right with this, sir?” Gunn asked Charlie. “It’s your hotel.”
    Charlie was busy trying to hide a chuckle. “Oh, by all means, Gunn, by all means.”
    “It’s settled,” Howard announced. “Now let’s go over to the school and eat before the baseball game.”
    Everyone moved at once. The thunder of over a dozen people walking along with the swell of conversation as they went left Travis feeling as though he’d endured a stampede.
    “It’s too bad my sister, Bessie, is stuck in Denver doing so poorly,” Herb Waters said as he passed Wendy and Travis. “A new dress would cheer her right up.”
    “Well, that was not what I expected my introduction into Haskell society to be like,” Wendy said once he’d moved on, her free hand pressed to her chest.
    “Oh.” Travis paused, facing her instead of leading her out of the church and on to the school with everyone else. “Should I have said something to stop it? Honestly, I don’t have the first idea about how a husband is supposed to stand up for a wife.”
    Wendy chuckled. “You’re doing a fine job so far.”
    She urged him to keep walking, so the two of them headed on, following the stream of people crossing through the church yard to the school, which stood on the other side of the baseball diamond.
    “I noticed Mr. Bonneville talking to you before plans for the dressmaking competition were hatched,” Wendy went on, her rich voice warm.
    Prickles of self-consciousness broke out down Travis’s back. “Yeah.” He didn’t need to wait for Wendy to ask why before