flapjacks? I said I would.”
She smiled, yet still didn’t understand why he’d been gone from her all night, his actions bringing to the fore one nagging question. “Are you sorry you married me?”
He stood straight and stared at her. “You’re jokin’, right?”
She squared her shoulders. “Why else would you sleep in the barn?”
His mouth dropped open in su rprise, before he burst out laughing. “You thought I slept in the barn because I didn’t wanna be married to ya? Well now ain’t that a knee slapper?”
For emphasis, he slapped his knee. She raised her brow at that, and moved on. “Well?”
“Well what you silly woman? If’n I didn’t want to marry ya, then ya wouldn’t be here!”
“But … you … left.”
“So I wouldn’t make love to ya!”
“But I wanted you to make love to me!”
“But I can’t!”
“Why not?”
“Oh for the love of Pete!” Cutty’s voice cried from the doorway. “Just kiss her or something, I’m hungry!” Both stared at the bedraggled man as he shuffled into the cabin, went straight to the table, and sat down. “Well, when’s breakfast?”
“Ohhhh!” Constance moaned in exasperation as Cutty reached for the second cup on the table. She turned to the stove and closed her eyes. Having a houseguest underfoot just after getting married wasn’t helping. Then it hit her. She felt cheated, cheated out of all the things she thought her wedding and subsequent days after should be. Unfortunately, a lot of it was her fault …
“Constance …” she heard Ryder say.
She turned to him. It was the first time he’d called her by name since the wedding. “What is it?” she asked softly.
“I didn’t come to you last night …” He looked over his shoulder at Cutty who was pouring himself some coffee. “… On account I wanted to make sure I can build ya a nice house and have it ready for our youngin’s.”
Her mouth dropped. “What did you say?”
“Youngins. I want em, don’t you?”
“Yes, but I hadn’t thought about … I mean …”
“Darlin’ if there’s one thing I know about, it’s breedin’, and sometimes a mare can take real quick like. I don’t mean to compare ya to a horse, but so can a lady like yourself. I don’t want ya to have to try to take care of our baby in a one room shack.”
“Cabin,” she corrected.
“Cabin, then. I know it’s good enough for me, but I want better for you.”
Tears welled in her ey es. “You’d do all that for me?”
He took her in his arms. “Of course I would. I was hurryin’ to get this place built so I could concentrate on the horse business. I guess I was so focused on that, I forgot about the marryin’ business.”
“I’m so sorry, I thought you …”
“Didn’t want ya no more?”
She nodded , as the tears broke free.
He held her against his chest and let her cry . “Ahhhh, Sugar, I’ve wanted ya all my life.”
“How could you?” she mumbled into his chest. “You just met me a week ago.”
He chuckled. “Maybe so, but you’re exactly what I’ve been waitin’ for.”
“And I’m still waiting for breakfast!”
Ryder and Constance both laughed and took in the disgruntled look on Cutty’s face. “Let’s make this poor man some flapjacks before he up and busts a gut!” said Ryder “Harrison’s gonna be here any time now.”
Constance wiped her eyes, smi led at her husband, and reached for the frying pan.
Nine
The flapjack lesson went better than expected, and Constance was feeling quite proud of her achievement when Harrison and Sadie arrived. She even surprised herself by running out of the house to greet them. Though it had only been two days since she’d seen Sadie, it felt like months. The thought of being isolated for days, even weeks on end, still unnerved her.
“Hello!” She happily called up to Sadie as Harrison brought the wagon to a stop.
He had not one, but two mares
She smiled, yet still didn’t understand why he’d been gone from her all night, his actions bringing to the fore one nagging question. “Are you sorry you married me?”
He stood straight and stared at her. “You’re jokin’, right?”
She squared her shoulders. “Why else would you sleep in the barn?”
His mouth dropped open in su rprise, before he burst out laughing. “You thought I slept in the barn because I didn’t wanna be married to ya? Well now ain’t that a knee slapper?”
For emphasis, he slapped his knee. She raised her brow at that, and moved on. “Well?”
“Well what you silly woman? If’n I didn’t want to marry ya, then ya wouldn’t be here!”
“But … you … left.”
“So I wouldn’t make love to ya!”
“But I wanted you to make love to me!”
“But I can’t!”
“Why not?”
“Oh for the love of Pete!” Cutty’s voice cried from the doorway. “Just kiss her or something, I’m hungry!” Both stared at the bedraggled man as he shuffled into the cabin, went straight to the table, and sat down. “Well, when’s breakfast?”
“Ohhhh!” Constance moaned in exasperation as Cutty reached for the second cup on the table. She turned to the stove and closed her eyes. Having a houseguest underfoot just after getting married wasn’t helping. Then it hit her. She felt cheated, cheated out of all the things she thought her wedding and subsequent days after should be. Unfortunately, a lot of it was her fault …
“Constance …” she heard Ryder say.
She turned to him. It was the first time he’d called her by name since the wedding. “What is it?” she asked softly.
“I didn’t come to you last night …” He looked over his shoulder at Cutty who was pouring himself some coffee. “… On account I wanted to make sure I can build ya a nice house and have it ready for our youngin’s.”
Her mouth dropped. “What did you say?”
“Youngins. I want em, don’t you?”
“Yes, but I hadn’t thought about … I mean …”
“Darlin’ if there’s one thing I know about, it’s breedin’, and sometimes a mare can take real quick like. I don’t mean to compare ya to a horse, but so can a lady like yourself. I don’t want ya to have to try to take care of our baby in a one room shack.”
“Cabin,” she corrected.
“Cabin, then. I know it’s good enough for me, but I want better for you.”
Tears welled in her ey es. “You’d do all that for me?”
He took her in his arms. “Of course I would. I was hurryin’ to get this place built so I could concentrate on the horse business. I guess I was so focused on that, I forgot about the marryin’ business.”
“I’m so sorry, I thought you …”
“Didn’t want ya no more?”
She nodded , as the tears broke free.
He held her against his chest and let her cry . “Ahhhh, Sugar, I’ve wanted ya all my life.”
“How could you?” she mumbled into his chest. “You just met me a week ago.”
He chuckled. “Maybe so, but you’re exactly what I’ve been waitin’ for.”
“And I’m still waiting for breakfast!”
Ryder and Constance both laughed and took in the disgruntled look on Cutty’s face. “Let’s make this poor man some flapjacks before he up and busts a gut!” said Ryder “Harrison’s gonna be here any time now.”
Constance wiped her eyes, smi led at her husband, and reached for the frying pan.
Nine
The flapjack lesson went better than expected, and Constance was feeling quite proud of her achievement when Harrison and Sadie arrived. She even surprised herself by running out of the house to greet them. Though it had only been two days since she’d seen Sadie, it felt like months. The thought of being isolated for days, even weeks on end, still unnerved her.
“Hello!” She happily called up to Sadie as Harrison brought the wagon to a stop.
He had not one, but two mares
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