Steele’s expression didn’t transform into anger or indignation. Instead, the gentleman glanced to his companion at the table. In a stovepipe hat and dark suit, the other fella sat with his back toward Wyatt. Something about the newcomer seemed familiar, but Wyatt couldn’t focus on anything else but making sure Steele understood the truth.

Steele’s attention returned to Wyatt, his eyes narrowing. “So if you haven’t been living as man and wife, does that mean you didn’t consummate your marriage?”

Greta sucked in a mortified breath.

“Blast it all, Steele,” Wyatt hissed, cocking his head at Greta. “Now ain’t the time to get vulgar, not with a lady present.”

“But if she’s been living with you more like a boarder and not a wife, then there’s still hope for me to rectify my mistake.”

A lasso wound around Wyatt’s middle and cinched tight. “What mistake?”

“The mistake of giving away Mr. Hallock’s bride.”

The gentleman in the chair finally stood and turned. Wyatt took a rapid step back. The balding man with his vest stretched taut over his well-rounded midsection was none other than Phineas Hallock.

Greta swayed and would have collapsed if Wyatt hadn’t grabbed her arm and held her steady.

“Hallock?” Wyatt took in his friend’s kind face—a face he hadn’t seen since late last autumn when he’d ridden away to California to make purchases for his bride. His mail-order bride, Greta.

“Hello, Wyatt.” Hallock fumbled for a handkerchief from his vest pocket, pulled it out, and then blew his nose with the loud honking Wyatt remembered.

Greta’s arm started to shake beneath his hand, and her face was pale, making her eyes wider and more beautiful. She could only stare at Hallock as though seeing a ghost.

“Mr. Hallock arrived on the stage,” Steele said. “And I was just explaining to him that since we’d believed he was dead, we had no choice but to find an alternative for Miss Nilsson.”

Wyatt opened his mouth and tried to tell Steele that Greta wasn’t Miss Nilsson anymore. She was Mrs. McQuaid. But he couldn’t get the words out.

Hallock made thorough work of wiping his nose before he stuffed his handkerchief back into his vest pocket.

Steele clamped Hallock on the shoulder, making him flinch. “I was just apologizing profusely to Mr. Hallock and attempting to figure out how I could rectify the situation. Now it looks like I can do so by annulling your marriage to Miss Nilsson so Mr. Hallock can have his bride back.”

“Now, hold on, Steele,” Wyatt managed. “Who said anything about annulling the marriage?”

Steele pulled himself up taller. “You just came in here, canceled our deal, and admitted that you’ve been living in the barn. Since you don’t want her—”

“I never said I didn’t want her.”