perfecting amanda
One woman, two men—the choice of a lifetime and the chance
for a perfect future.
When Amanda McCormick heads west as to create a home of her
own and begin a “perfect” marriage with a man she’s
never met, gambler Spencer Teague intercepts her. Pretending
to be her fiancé, he tricks her into surrendering her
virginity.
Amanda hides the misguided affair and forges a relationship
with her young husband, Travis. But her secret haunts her when
she learns she’s pregnant. Meanwhile, Spencer is haunted
by visions of a little girl who demands he find and help Amanda.
Their lives entwine as the three come together in an unexpected
relationship that touches—and tortures—them all.
Amanda questions whether perfection is attainable and if it’s
possible to love two very different kinds of men.
Review
Love Western Romances, 5 spurs,
Reviewer Carol
"Bonnie Dee has not only written a very sexy romance, but
one filled with compelling, multi-dimensional characters and
a captivating, emotion-filled story that kept me turning the
pages. I couldn't read fast enough to find out how this complex
threesome was going to play out."
Beth Williamson, author of the Malloy family series
"Perfecting Amanda is an emotional ride that swept this
reader along, a gripping historical that allows you to peek
into the life a strong woman lived so long ago. Get ready y'all,
you're in for a story that won't let you go."
Author Lucy Monroe says...
"Bonnie Dee's grasp of the historical era she writes about
coupled with her strong and surprising plot, make this edgy
read a story not to be missed."
Excerpt
A shadow fell over her.
She squinted up at the man standing before her,
silhouetted against the sun. He was a dark shape without features
against the bright light. It was impossible to read his expression.
“Miss McCormick? Amanda?” His deep
voice reverberated up her spine.
“Mr. Baxter?” She shaded her eyes
and squinted as she tried to focus on his face.
“Please, call me Travis. I can’t
believe you’re really here. I’m so happy to see
you.” He moved out of the sunlight and she could finally
see him.
Her breath caught. Travis Baxter was even more
handsome than she’d pictured him in her daydreams and
she was even more nervous than she’d imagined she’d
be at this first meeting. Beneath his flat-crowned black hat,
dark hair curled over the edge of his white collar. Two slightly
up-tilted black eyebrows gave him a quizzical expression and
accented, vivid blue eyes glittered with reflected sunlight.
He wore a sharp, blue suit with a string tie and a deep burgundy
vest. His long legs ended in a pair of fancy black boots. The
man didn’t look like a farmer at all. It touched her that
he must have bought these brand new, fashionable clothes to
impress his soon-to-be bride.
Amanda continued to stare as he took a seat beside
her on the bench. It was hard to believe this was the simple,
salt of the earth man with whom she’d exchanged correspondence
for almost a year, the man with whom she chosen to spend the
rest of her life. “Travis Baxter?”
He smiled. “I’m sorry for being so
late. I had trouble on the road.” He removed his hat and
rested it on one knee. His dark hair lifted in the breeze. “I’m
so happy to finally meet you, Amanda. Although we have met before,
haven’t we? Your letters made me feel like I’ve
known you forever. I can call you Amanda now rather than Miss
McCormick, can’t I, since we’re practically husband
and wife?”
“Oh… Yes. Of course.” Travis
had called her that in his letters for a while now, but it must
seem strange to him to say it aloud to a woman he’d only
just met in person. He enveloped her hand in his warm grasp.
She felt the heat through her thin kid gloves.
“Darling, I’ve dreamed of this day.”
Amanda’s mouth opened, but no words came
out. Travis had never once referred to her as “darling”
in any of his letters. He was much more effusive in person than
she would have expected, not at all like the reserved man she’d
come to know through his writing.
“You must be parched and near fainting
in this heat. Let’s go to the hotel and have a drink before
dinner. I’ve arranged rooms for the night. It’s
a long drive home and I thought you’d traveled enough
for one day. We’ll head out tomorrow.” Travis stood
and drew Amanda to her feet.
“My bags.” She gestured toward her
trunk and valises.
“We’ll get them later. Take what
you need for the night and the depot manager can store the rest
until tomorrow.”
The force of Travis’s strong personality
swept her along. A night in a hotel wasn’t what she’d
expected. He’d said in his last letter they would be married
by the preacher in Reederville before going home to the farm.
However, exhausted as she was from the journey and from nerves,
it would be nice not to travel any more today and perhaps to
enjoy the luxury of a bath at the hotel. Amanda didn’t
want to admit even to herself that the idea of the wedding and
particularly the wedding night, was beginning to frighten her
out of her wits. What would it be like to be intimate with a
near stranger?
“How was your trip?” Travis asked.
Amanda selected the small valise she’d
used for her night in the sleeper compartment of the train.
“It went well. There was a delay while they made a repair
and once we had to wait for cattle crossing, but overall the
train made good time.”
“Wonderful. And how was leaving home? Difficult?”
“My family wished me well, although they
still don’t approve my decision.” It was an understatement.
Amanda’s aunt and uncle, who’d raised her since
she was eight, thought she was crazy for rejecting the suitable
young men of South Haven to travel west and marry a stranger.
They didn’t understand the connection that had grown between
her and Travis through exchanged letters, how her feelings for
him had grown strong enough to allow her to say “yes”
to his proposal. “It was hard to say goodbye to them and
to my cousins.”
Travis slipped an arm around her waist. His nearness
was overwhelming, making her pulse race and her body tingle
in unseemly places. Amanda wanted to shy away like a skittish
horse.
He cupped the side of her face and kissed her
mouth lightly. “I’m sorry to hear that. I’ll
do everything I can to keep you from being homesick.”
Her cheeks burned and her lips vibrated with
the imprint of his kiss. The brief touch of his hand on her
cheek left a phantom pressure behind when he pulled away. The
sudden rush of lustful feelings inside shamed her. She felt
anyone could see how aroused she was by his soft kiss, but when
she glanced at the thinning crowd nearby, no one was even looking
at them.
Travis beckoned a porter. “Could you please
move my fiancée’s things into storage for the night?
We’ll be back for them tomorrow.”
The tall, black man in a navy blue uniform nodded,
picked up two of Amanda’s cases and carried them into
the depot.
“The El Dorado is nearby and it’s
the best hotel in town.” Travis’s hand pressed the
small of her back as he led her away from the depot.
Pedestrians plunged across the street whenever
there was a break in the heavy traffic. Travis guided Amanda
around a pile of steaming dung and hurried her out of the way
of an oncoming wagon and onto the sidewalk. His hand at her
waist was strong and steady and felt like it was burning right
through the fabric of her clothes. She liked the sense of protection
he gave her, making her feel safe and cared for. The nervous
fears about her wedding night were slowly fading, replaced by
an eager curiosity. How frightening could intercourse be if
his slightest touch felt so good?
“It’s busy here. Very different from
back home,” she said.
Travis slid his hand up her back and rubbed her
shoulder. “I hope I can make Kansas feel like home for
you.” He turned her toward him and leaned to kiss her
lips again, a soft, lingering pressure that made her pulse flutter.
Pulling back, he looked down into her eyes. “I’ll
certainly try.”
His steady blue gaze seemed to plumb her depths
and read her secret thoughts. Amanda’s stomach flipped.
Between her legs, the pulsing heat grew. She dropped her gaze
and walked on, cheeks flushing.
“Is this the El Dorado?” She stared
up at one of the largest buildings on the street with “El
Dorado” emblazoned on the sign over the door and felt
foolish for asking.
“I hope you like it.” Travis took
her elbow to guide her through the door into the hotel.
*
Spencer Teague, flush with cash due to some lucky cards the
previous night, was in the mood to spend it on a woman, but
not the whores and barmaids who were his usual companions. Today
he wanted to converse with and make love to a fine, high-class
woman outside of his normal sphere, someone who could be an
interesting dinner companion as well as assuage his sexual needs.
With his charm and luck, maybe he could seduce some Kansas City
society matron at the tea room in the El Dorado hotel.
But his afternoon agenda abruptly changed when he saw the
woman sitting on the bench in front of the depot. The copper
flash of her hair, her elegant features and wide hazel eyes
scanning the crowd set his pulse racing. Spence wanted to be
the person she was searching for.
His life philosophy had always been simple: “Want. Take.
Have.” When he saw the pretty redhead, his loins sprang
to life and he sauntered over to find out what her story was
and how available she might be. As luck would have it and his
luck was almost always good, he got there just in time to hear
her tell the station agent her story. Spence learned her name,
her destination and all the information he needed about her
prospective husband.
Acting on impulse, as was his nature, he decided to play the
part of the fiancé and see how far he could get with
the lovely Amanda McCormick. It was harmless fun, an intriguing
diversion on a sweltering August afternoon. He became Travis
Baxter, loving fiancé, on the spot, cajoling her to come
with him to the El Dorado with no trouble at all. Her reaction
to his kiss was revealing. She was hot and eager for some sexual
relief—she just didn’t know it yet.
In the lobby of the hotel, Spence paused a moment to take
stock and plan his next move. “Darling, I’ll escort
you to the tea room then make sure our rooms are ready and have
someone carry your bag up.”
“All right.” Amanda gazed around the opulent lobby
of the fanciest hotel in Kansas City and he wagered she’d
never seen the like back in Michigan. The floor was covered
with expensive carpets and scattered with small gilt chairs
and potted ferns. Overhead, fans stirred the stifling air, keeping
the hotel a few degrees cooler than the oppressive heat outside.
Spence chose a table in a private, shadowy corner of the tea
room and pulled back a chair for Amanda. He stooped to kiss
her cheek. “I’ll be right back.”
At the front desk, the concierge perked up when Spence offered
him several bills. “I’d like your best room for
the night with champagne waiting in the room.”
