by Everly West
“Yes, that is absolutely true,” a female voice answered.
Eva’s voice dropped and Levi leaned forward in his chair to hear his wife’s answer better.
“I think we are all sick of our parents running our lives. I wish we could be independent women like the March sisters in Little Woman. Or even the book’s author, Louisa May Alcott. Wouldn’t that be a magical existence? To have the freedom to be adventurous and independent.”
Another female in the little group spoke up. “You know that will never happen. We leave our parents homes and move into our husband’s home and now they are in charge of our activities. It’s a man’s world for certain and the best we can hope for is to find a kind and generous husband who isn’t too controlling.”
Levi heard Eva’s voice loud and clear when she spoke again. “I have a plan that is going to find me the freedom I seek. No more endless hours of my father nitpicking at me. And, no more of my mother’s incessant chitter chatter about finding the perfect husband and planning the perfect wedding.”
“What are you planning to do, Eva?” One of the young women asked?
“I’m going to pull the wool over my father’s eyes and beat him at his own game. And then. I shall follow my own destiny without interference of a father or a husband. I shall have the freedom I have dreamed about since I was a young girl.”
“Are you saying you don’t want to get married? Ever? What about children? And hosting parties at your own home, and—”
“I want none of it.”
“But I thought you were married. To Levi Copper. That’s what he told everyone in the hotel lobby last night when your father came looking for you. Are you or are you not married to the man? And if you are not, some of us ladies here would certainly like a chance to capture his attention.”
“Ladies, don’t stand outside the hallway chattering. The Ladies Club of Laramie has work to do today.” Another female voice interrupted Eva’s answer leaving him in stunned silence.
Eva’s words put a damper on his optimism that he could convince her to stay married to him. That dream was looking less possible by the moment.
Chapter 11
Eva left the meeting room and headed through the hotel lobby to her new home on the third floor. It was late afternoon the day after she said “I do” with Levi. Her friends had nearly swooned when Eva told her she was married to Levi Copper.
“Why on earth didn’t you tell us you and Mr. Copper were in love, Eva? I can’t believe you kept this secret from your very best friends,” they all lamented. She had nearly spoiled everything by thoughtlessly spouting her thoughts about marriage and fathers and husbands. She may not be married to Levi, but she was selfish enough to want to keep him for herself as long as possible. Jealousy was a green-eyed monster her brown eyes often entertained. She was glad her friends didn’t press the issue long. She wasn’t certain she could keep lying to their faces.
She’d pictured her father and mother sitting at home in their usual places. Her father locked away in his library, bellowing at anyone who dared knock on the door. And her mother, hiding in her bedroom, feigning a headache so she didn't have to deal with her bellowing husband.
Pushing thoughts of her parents away, she tallied the mental list she and Sarah had covered during her visit.
Eva had a lot of things to do before the town hall meeting tonight.
Her stomach somersaulted at the thought. She would be forced to face her father again, along with all her friends who were going to question her about her sudden marriage to Levi Copper.
A flush of heat poured through her body when she thought about Levi as her husband. She smiled to herself because she knew her friends would be green with envy. They all gushed over Levi every time he was in the same room. It was very unseemly way for a young lady to behave, and yet—
So many times over the years, they had begged her to arrange a meeting with him because they knew of their friendship. She was embarrassed to say even one of her friend's mother had pushed to meet him.
When she had finally half-heartedly mentioned the fact to him once or twice over the last few years at the persistence of her friends, and the mother, Levi had joked that his heart belonged to her and he was too much of a gentleman to lead anyone else on.
Eva grinned at the memory. She knew Levi was only teasing her because he had never crossed the line of friendship, not even for a moment, not even, but the thought did creep into her musings every once in a while.
She entered the hotel through the large main entrance this time, instead of sneaking through a side door, and made her way through the crowded lobby and up the grand staircase to the third floor.
Eva let herself in and relished the cozy quiet of Levi's suite of rooms. It was nice not to be on edge all the time waiting for her father or mother to make demands of her. She hung her cloak and scarf on the hall tree next to the front door.
"Did you have a nice visit?"
Eva whirled and saw Levi sitting in his chair by the large marble fireplace, sipping on whiskey and reading what looked to be the latest edition of the Laramie Sentinel.
"I did." Sarah's heart hiccupped when her eyes met Levi's. The first thing that popped into her mind was their kiss. She wondered if he was thinking about it too. She blushed and hoped he couldn't read her thoughts.
He lay his newspaper down and stood to place another log on the fire. Then he turned to her and offered her the other chair. "Please, come tell me all about it. I'm anxious to hear what you have discovered and how you think we should proceed with this nursery care project."
Eva had never heard those words directed at her in her entire life. No one ever cared what she thought. Certainly not her father. And her mother never ventured past fashion. She said that discussing money or business was for common women. Well, if this was what it felt like to be common, Eva decided she liked it. She liked it very much.
"Of course," she responded, hoping her breathless words didn't give her emotions away.
She dropped her reticule by the door on the hall tree bench and walked across the room to take the chair Levi offered. He stood waiting for her and she wondered if he was going to try to kiss her again. But when he returned to his own chair after she was seated, she felt a twinge of disappointment.
When she settled, Levi offered her something to drink. "I can send for something else if you prefer something besides wine."
"No, wine sounds perfectly delicious." Eva felt relaxed here in this lovely room, sitting next to Levi by the fire, sipping on wine. It almost felt like home. No, this was better than home.
Levi poured her a half measure of the ruby colored wine and handed her the stemmed crystal glass. Their fingers touched briefly before he pulled his away and settled back in his chair.
"Now, tell me about your day, Eva. Tell me what you learned that can help me offer a hand up to working parents."
Eva was suddenly very nervous. She found that odd because there was no one she felt more comfortable around, safer with, than Levi. Until now.
Something had changed between them this morning. That kiss had sparked a smoldering ember of desire inside Eva and she wasn't yet certain what to do about it.
She took a sip of wine for courage and studied her glass while she talked. "Well, Sarah and I talked about what it would take to do what you spoke of this morning. We will need a place to house the children while their parents work. And then we will need to hire staff—a cook. Two perhaps. Several ladies to care for the different age groups. You know, babies. Toddlers. Children almost old enough to go to school. And then we shall need housekeepers."
Eva paused and glanced at Levi. His close scrutiny made her nervous. She took another sip of wine and continued. "We also talked about salaries for the employees. I—we—Sarah and I that is, we weren’t certain what your budget was for this project, so we weren't certain how far ahead to plan."
Levi smiled at her, his full, kissable lips stretched over his white even teeth underneath his
full black mustache. Her stomach somersaulted underneath her corset. Yes, something had definitely changed for her this morning after that toe-curling kiss they shared. But what about Levi? Did he feel this too?
"The budget is whatever it takes, Eva. I trust you." Levi's words pulled her back to the present.
Her eyes drifted to his dark curls that scraped against the white collar of his shirt when he moved. She wondered if they were as soft as his beard.
"Eva?" Levi's voice pulled her attention back to the matter at hand.
"You seem a bit distracted this evening. Anything you wish to talk about? You know you can tell me anything." His concerned look touched her.
No one had ever valued her as a person instead of a bargaining tool—except Levi. No one had ever asked her what she thought about anything of importance, much less listened to what she thought—except Levi. And no one had ever made her trust their word without question—except Levi.
Eva wondered what Levi would do if she told him what she was really thinking. Would he think she had lost her mind? Would he think her serious or would he laugh at her as he had all the other young beautiful, matrimonially-minded pursuers? No, he wouldn't laugh. He was too kind for that. What would he do though, she wondered?
There was no time like the present to find out.
* * *
Levi had waited for Eva all afternoon hoping to talk with her about the kiss they had shared that morning and perhaps bring up the conversation he had overheard without letting Eva know he had eavesdropped. But when she finally walked through the door, he wasn't certain he wanted to know the answer.
He watched his beautiful wife enter his home and wondered what his life would be like if this was an everyday occurrence? He couldn't imagine how happy he would be, and yet he’d imagined it every day of his life since he had met this beautiful and kind-hearted creature.
He wanted to meet her at the door and pull her into his arms and kiss her senseless but knew that might send her running for the door. He needed more time for their friendship to blossom into something more. And if that kiss this morning was any indication the bud of love was beginning to bloom, he needed to gently nurture it along.
After thirty minutes of listening to Eva lay out the details of her afternoon meeting with her friend, Levi had to admit he was very impressed by her practicality and sense of business.
"Eva, I'm amazed at how much you were able to accomplish in just one afternoon. I would think at this rate, we will have at least one working example of our idea by the town hall meeting. You have an amazing head for business, Eva."
Eva rose from her chair, empty wine glass in hand, and walked to the liquor buffet.
Her steps stuttered just a bit and Levi wondered if she had eaten recently.
"Eva? Would you like me to order us some supper? I heard the cook has prepared a scrumptious beef Bolognese for the hotel's dining room guests."
"Perhaps I'm hungry for something else," she replied.
"If you don't want the beef dish, then how about some roasted chicken? The aroma coming from the kitchen earlier made my mouth water," he offered.
She shook her head no. It was unlike Eva to be so peckish. Perhaps she wasn't feeling well?
"You tell me what you desire, and I'll see to it that you get it. Anything at all."
"Anything at all?" Eva set her wine glass down and walked toward him. The look in her eyes punched him in the gut. It seemed they were no longer talking about food.
Eva walked up to him. Instinctively, he held out his arms and she walked right into them.
"Eva?" It was the only word he could manage before she stood on tiptoe and pressed her lips against his. For a moment he stood frozen in place, afraid to move for fear of breaking the spell of whatever this was.
Eva pressed her body against his and he knew he wanted whatever she was willing to give. He pulled her even closer and held on to her tight. And then, he kissed her back.
The kiss was soft and tender, making everything below his belt buckle stand up and pay attention. He pushed his rising passion against Eva. He wanted her to know he was a man, and this could lead to something.
She didn't back away or back down. Instead, she pushed her body even closer as if she wanted to be inside his shirt with him. Skin to skin. He could think of nothing he wanted more.
"Eva," he whispered against her mouth. If he was dreaming, he never wanted to wake up.
"Levi, perhaps we should take this to our bedroom." Eva's soft words whispered against his lips pushed his passion up another notch. He knew she was right. Wesley, or another member of his staff could come in at any moment.
"I think that is a wonderful idea," he whispered back, still afraid to break the spell between them.
Eva stepped out of his arms and held his hand, leading him down the hall to her bed. Their bed.
The late afternoon shadows of late winter cast an amber glow inside his bedroom. He closed the door behind them and allowed her to decide how fast they moved. He was over the moon they were moving in this direction at all. Perhaps Eva had felt more than friendship for him all these years like he had for her. Wouldn't that be an ironic twist of fate? It would be a welcome twist of fate, that much he knew for certain.
"Please allow me a moment to prepare for...bed," Eva whispered in the semi-darkness of the curtained room.
"Eva, are you certain about this?"
She leaned up and kissed him again. He pulled her close, but she stepped back just out of his reach.
"I'll be right back." She smiled at him and disappeared into the adjoining bathroom, closing the door behind her.
Levi was stunned at the turn of events. He had wanted this moment for most of his life. He wanted to make this special for Eva because she was coming to his bed of her own accord and he couldn’t have been a happier man.
He shucked off his bolo tie and sat on the bed to tug off his polished boots. He pulled at his starched white shirt, nearly ripping all the buttons off the front. No matter, he would just buy another one. Right now, he had more pressing things to worry about than flying buttons and that pressing matter was threatening to compromise his trousers’ closure.
Candles. He searched for a match and soon had the darkening room bathed in the warm glow of candlelight. Perfect.
The click of the bath room's door knob announced the return of his beautiful Eva. Anticipation nearly sent his restraint packing. He took a deep breath to calm his passion. He wanted this to be special for Eva. Something she would remember for the rest of their lives.
Levi watched Eva step into the glow of the candlelit room. She was a vision in her flowing white diaphanous gown. His eyes had no problem tracing the outline of her slender body through yards and yards of the gauzy fabric. She was stunning. And she was his wife.
The thought pulled at his guilt. If he and Eva consummated their marriage, then she would be tied to him forever. His sense of fair play cooled his passion. He needed to tell her that this marriage she thought pretend was real. And binding.
She stepped into his arms and kissed him. Levi dipped his head to give her full access to his mouth.
He had dreamed of this moment ever since the day he first laid eyes on Eva all those years ago. He desperately wanted—
needed—this moment to lead them both into a future where their dreams could come true.
Eva needed to know the truth because this was her decision too. She needed to fully understand the consequences of her actions, because if she didn't, he would never know if she stayed with him because she chose to, or because the legal bindings of their marriage forced her to.
Levi felt every soft curve she pressed against him. Her mouth, soft and sweet against his lips, made rational thought almost impossible. Almost.
He took a step back and held her away from him. Her confusion was evident in her beautiful dark eyes. He prayed she would understand how much he loved her when she learned the truth about their marriage.
"Eva. There's s
omething you need to know before we do this."
A frantic knock at the door stopped him short.
“Mr. Copper, there’s a fire in the kitchen and it is a bad one!”
Chapter 12
Eva woke the next morning to find herself alone in the empty bed. Disappointment colored the bright sunshine peering through the window curtains. Last night had not gone at all as she had planned.
Everything was wonderful until that knock on the door notifying Levi there was a fire in the kitchen. He’d rushed downstairs and didn't return, at least, not that she was aware of.
After Levi assured her he would send word if there was anything to worry about, she settled in bed and waited for him to return, but soon the combination of not enough to eat and too much wine lulled her into a deep sleep.
She just wished the fire's timing had been five minutes later because she was certain Levi was going to tell her that he loved her before they were interrupted by the knock on the door. She just knew that was what he was going to say when he told her he had something to tell her.
She smiled to herself as she remembered the scene she saw when she returned from preparing for bed. Levi had lit every candle in the room. The room was ablaze in the soft glow of the candlelight. The room held a romantic feel that only intensified when he kissed her.
And oh my, how he had kissed her. She could still feel the sizzle of his lips against hers. The tickle of his soft beard and mustache scrapping against her skin.
A white hot bolt of heat seared her core. She knew her feelings for Levi were more than just the feelings between two friends. And that kiss, he gave her, well that kiss wasn’t the kiss of a friend either. So, what should she do about this?
She rose and padded across the plush carpeted floor on bare feet. The sun was high in the sky and the streets below teamed with activity. She wondered at the unusual activity and then she remembered. Laramie’s town hall meeting was tonight. Levi would announce his candidacy and she would stand beside him as his wife. She almost wished they weren't pretending to be married—