by Ann Mayburn
Biting her lip, she wondered if she would be sleeping alone, or if her resolve to resist the men’s seduction would slip again. Lord knew, her will had proven weak so far. All morning, the men had stolen kisses from her and, if she was being honest, she’d stolen a kiss or two herself. It felt so very scandalous, and she wondered what kind of woman she was that she found such hedonistic pleasure in their touch. Perhaps they’d learned some kind of magic in Lady Uriel’s court that gave them the knowledge of how to please a woman?
Memories of how good they’d made her feel last night had her toes curling in her boots and her sensitive nipples seemed to scrape against her dress.
“Lass,” came Edward’s voice from inside the wagon, “why don’t you come sit back here with me, out of the cold?”
“I’m fine up here,” she squeaked, making both men laugh.
She’d fled to the front seat not that long ago, afraid that if she spent another moment in the back of the wagon with Edward, she’d rip his clothes off to get to him. Another bolt of heat went through her already wet sex as she recalled the wonderful feeling of straddling him, of feeling his maleness pressed against her, of the way he’d groaned into her mouth when she’d rubbed against him. The sound of his excitement had done something to her, and she’d repeated that motion, wanting more of his pleasure. Not to mention the fact that ever rub of herself against his length had sent delicious chills up and down her spine.
Fat, white flakes began to swirl down from the sky and Rowan pulled the blanket tighter around her. Garret had gone quiet, his attention on guiding the team down the rocky pathway leading down to Dove Springs. As they got closer, the distinct smell of humanity began to flavor the breeze, and she marveled at how clear the air was in the country. In Chicago, she’d grown up in overcrowded housing, next to factories belching out constant streams of thick coal smoke. To actually breathe real, fresh air was a wonder she didn’t think she’d ever really get over.
It was too cold for anyone to be dallying around outside, but she did see curious faces peering at them through windows as they passed. Darkness had already begun to fall as the gray sky grew dimmer, and the cool breeze had gained a biting edge. A few dogs ran out, barking and racing around the wagon, but the horses ignored them, intent on getting to their destination. The men must have stopped there before, because the horses picked up their pace as the tall steeple of a white painted church came into view.
For a moment, she worried they were going to try to marry her right then and there, but they pulled past it to the large three story inn painted white with black shutters a little ways down the road and built almost into the hillside. As they rounded a curve, she could see that a large brick building was being built behind the inn, with steam rising from whatever was behind the partially erected walls. Large bushes surrounded the main building, and one of the horses gave an excited whinny while they pulled into the circular drive out front.
A well-made sign hung from above the front eve with the words ‘Dove’s Rest Inn and Medicinal Spa’ carved into it and painted with red and gold paint. Two men came out from a nearby barn as they pulled up, hailing Garret and Edward by name. Garret jumped down and walked over to talk to them, while the wagon shook as Edward clambered from the backseat to sit next to her.
“We forgot to mention,” Edwards said casually, “that the owner of the Inn is a bit old fashioned.”
Confused, she shifted on the bench, and said slowly, “Why do you sound so odd when you say that?”
“She won’t approve of an unmarried woman traveling with two unmarried men and might deny us a room.” He reached beneath her blanket and his cold hand touched her own. “So we’re going to pretend that you’re our fiancée.”
“What?” she whisper-hissed as the front door to the Inn opened and the sweetest, nicest looking old woman smiled down at them with sheer happiness.
Wearing a deep navy-blue gown with a large set of keys attached to her waist on a pretty tooled leather belt, the woman waved at them, her rounded cheeks turning red in the cold air.
“Just play along,” Edward whispered back. “It’s just for one night.”
“You—” she had to swallow back her cuss words as the older woman with her perfectly coifed silver hair let out a surprisingly girlish giggle as Garret came up the stairs and gave a rather courtly bow.
They were too far away to hear the words being exchanged, but the older woman seemed to be genuinely happy to see them. A few moments later, there was a squeal as a beautiful young woman a few years younger than Rowan came rushing out of the doorway and flung herself at Garret. He caught her with an easy laugh, and Rowan’s stomach clenched as she noticed how good they looked together. She had raven dark hair, skin as pale as milk, and shared what must be her mother’s bright smile. Busty and curved in all the right places, looking at her made jealousy curdle in Rowan’s blood.
“Rowan?” Edward asked in a soft voice, “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine,” she clipped out, angry with herself, angry with Garret, and just angry with the world in general.
Edward gave her a dubious look and grunted, but he didn’t say anymore. However, when the young woman came running down the steps to greet him, Edward did glance Rowan’s way before he gave the other woman a brief hug then set her away. Garret had joined them with the older woman by that point, and he helped Rowan down from the seat as the wind blew hard, whipping her blanket away from her for a moment.
“Oh, you poor thing, you’re skin and bones!” the older woman said in a shocked voice. “Come in, come in. We’ll get you set up by the fire with something to eat. Come, come.”
Edward gave the older woman an amused smile and said, “Mrs. Tibbs, I’d like you to meet Rowan Larsen.”
Flapping her hand at Edward, Mrs. Tibbs gently held Rowan’s elbow as she led her up the stairs. “Introductions can wait. I can’t believe you made her sit in that wagon in her condition. For shame. Even foolish young bucks like you should know better than dragging this poor girl out onto the road so soon after her accident.”
“Oh, no they didn’t do anything wrong,” Rowan quickly said, ignoring the narrow-eyed look the raven-haired girl was now giving her from behind Garret’s back.
Following the chatty woman through the big Inn, they were led to a cozy, feminine room. She was assuming Mrs. Tibbs had decorated it in shades of cream and cobalt blue, with pictures of dried flowers and delicate needlepoint samplers on the walls. Above the fireplace hung a portrait of an unfamiliar but handsome young man with flaming red hair dressed in a military uniform of some type.
“Over here, dear,” Mrs. Tibbs clucked as she led Rowan over to a high-backed chair by a roaring fireplace. “Let’s get you warmed up.”
The inn itself was beautiful, with high ceilings, white painted walls, and large exposed beams overhead. It was also obvious the Tibbs family had money because the furnishings and artwork were finer than anything Rowan had ever seen before. Also, Mrs. Tibbs wore a large sparkling pin made of what had to be rubies and pearls and a matching ring on her finger.
A cup of hot tea was thrust into Rowan’s hands by a smiling maid before Mrs. Tibbs took the seat across from Rowan, her wrinkled face wreathed in a bright smile as she said in a light British accent, “Drink your tea, dear. It’s a special brew my mother taught me for healing aches and pains.”
Unsure of what to say, Rowan obediently sipped at her honeyed tea. A strange but not unpleasant herbal taste soothed her cool lips.
“Nancy?” Mrs. Tibbs said to the young woman who stood far too close to Garret for Rowan’s comfort. “Go fetch your Pa and let him know Garret and Edward are here.”
The girl cut her gaze to Rowan, then back to her mother. “Garret and Edward can come with me, so I can show them the work we’ve done on the expansion while they were gone.”
Mrs. Tibbs frowned and shook her head, her jowly cheeks wobbling slightly. “No need for that. Just go fetch your father. Besides, I’m sure they w
ant to spend time with their fiancée.”
Nancy paled slightly, and Rowan felt bad for the girl as she watched the heartbreak in her eyes. “Oh…I see. Um—congratulations. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll go find my father.”
Nancy left quickly after that, the awkward silence of her parting broken when Garret and Edward moved to stand in front of the wide, carved marble hearth.
“I’m sorry about that,” Mrs. Tibbs sighed then said in a low voice, “Nancy has had a crush on Garret and Edward for a long time. I’ve told her a million times they aren’t the men for her, but I might as well try to stop a spring storm as control a young girl’s heart.”
“We never encouraged her,” Garret said to Rowan as he warmed his hands on the fire. “Or treated her as anything other than a little sister.”
Feeling incredibly uncomfortable, Rowan asked, “Is there somewhere I can freshen up, please?”
“Of course.” Mrs. Tibbs quickly rose and motioned to Rowan. “Follow me, dear. Gentlemen, I trust you can entertain yourselves while we’re gone?”
They both looked like they wanted to follow, but Edward nodded as the women stood. “Do you still keep the good whisky hidden behind the flour sacks?”
A man’s heavily British accented voice came from the doorway. “Keep your hands off my whiskey, you thieving vermin.”
He was a large man with red and white streaked hair and deep wrinkles on his forehead. His easy smile made her automatically smile in return, and he brushed his hands off on the clean white apron around his waist. Catching sight of Garret and Edward, he let out a hearty roar. “My boys, I hear we have reason to celebrate!”
Once again, Rowan felt a pang of guilt at their ruse, but everyone seemed happy at the news so she didn’t speak up. Well, everyone except Nancy. She had not returned with her father and Rowan would bet the younger woman was having a good cry somewhere. Part of her wanted to go tell Nancy that it wasn’t real, that the men weren’t really engaged, but another—much stronger—part of her was becoming possessive of her men and did not like the idea of Nancy flirting with them.
Dr. Tibbs gave Garret and Edward slaps on the back as Mrs. Tibbs whispered in Rowan’s ear, “We best get going before he notices you or we’ll be stuck here for at least an hour. God love my husband, but that man can talk until the cows come home and the chickens go to roost.”
Mrs. Tibbs led them down a long hallway to a large bathroom with four empty tubs full of steaming water. The room was done in exquisite blue and white tiles, resembling something Rowan had seen in a book once about ancient Roman baths. White towels were piled near the doorway, along with fluffy white robes and what looked like a basket of soaps and hair tonics. Rowan had used public baths before, but one like this had never been in her budget.
“Gosh,” Rowan said in a soft voice, “this is amazing.”
“And good for you,” Mrs. Tibbs said with her ever-present smile. “These pipes go directly down to the mineral springs that run beneath the Inn. They’re said to have great medicinal properties. I believe it, because my husband suffers from wounds he received while in the military and a hot bath is the only thing that can soothe him. Come, let us get you out of that dress and into one of the tubs.”
Rowan appreciated the other woman’s help, because her body was growing stiff again, but she didn’t want any more of the tonic that put her to sleep, even if it did take away the pain.
Mrs. Tibbs prattling about the mineral springs came to an abrupt halt when she caught sight of Rowan’s back. “Forgive me for prying, but Garret told me that you were injured in a wagon accident. The bruise on your back is in the shape of a boot. A man’s foot. Those marks around your neck look like someone choked you. Child, are you in trouble? Do you need help?”
Clutching her dress to her chest, Rowan wandered over to the nearest tub and stared down at the steaming water. “I…ran into some trouble and Garret and Edward saved me.”
Mrs. Tibbs let out a relieved breath. “Thank the Lord for that. Come, into the tub with you.”
Inch by inch, she sank into the water until she was submerged up to her neck in bliss.
At her loud, long sigh Mrs. Tibbs laughed as she sprinkled some type of floral smelling bathing oil into the water. “Like I said, the water is known for its curative powers.”
Now that her body and mind were finally at rest she asked, “How long have you known Garret and Edward?”
Mrs. Tibbs gave her a searching look before she casually said, “My husband served with them as their company’s doctor while they were in the British Army together in Lady Uriel’s court. That is why it did not come as a shock to us that you are engaged to both Garret and Edward.”
Sinking down further into the water, Rowan was fairly sure she was blushing from her head to her toes. “Yes, well…ummm…”
Mrs. Tibbs gave her a kind smile. “Dear child, don’t be embarrassed. Though the lifestyle is not for myself or my husband, two of our daughters married Bridgewater men.”
“Really?” Rowan accepted the soap that Mrs. Tibbs handed to her. “Are they happy?”
“Blissfully so.”
“And you don’t find it…odd?”
Mrs. Tibbs let out a sigh as she took a seat in a wicker chair near the door. “At first, yes, but I had the benefit of having seen firsthand in Lady Uriel’s court how their relationships work. Spending time with them opened my eyes to a whole new world. If I didn’t love my husband so much, I might have been tempted. As a mother, it does my heart good to know my girls have husbands who adore them. That there will always be someone there to care for them, and that they will always be loved and cherished by faithful, decent men.”
Rowan looked down at her hands beneath the water. After a moment, she decided to ask the one question that confused her most. “But doesn’t the Bible say it’s a sin?”
Mrs. Tibbs pursed her lips in a thoughtful look. “It depends on how you interpret it. Regardless of interpretation, my husband and I believe God didn’t put us on this Earth to judge.”
“That’s different than most people I’ve run across,” Rowan murmured, remembering the wrath and hellfire preachers who liked to shout on street corners in Chicago.
Mrs. Tibbs nodded. “It is. I won’t say that I don’t worry about what will happen if someone decides they have a problem with the people of Bridgewater and how they choose to live. Some may call it evil, or a sin, but I have seen real evil.” Mrs. Tibbs gave a shiver. “People in love, living good lives are not the ones we need to pray to God to protect us from.”
“I agree.” Rinsing out her hair, Rowan slowly stood from the bathtub, her body feeling so much better after the soak. “Oh my goodness, I forgot what it was like to be able to breathe without it hurting.”
Wrapping a fluffy towel around Rowan, Mrs. Tibbs led her over to a low stool and proceeded to try and brush out her hair. “If you don’t mind my asking, what did happen? Forgive me for saying so, but you look like you haven’t had a decent meal in months.”
Rowan didn’t know if it was a result of the relaxing bath, or the gentle way that Mrs. Tibbs brushed out her snarled hair, or just that she needed to tell someone because the story of her journey from Chicago to Butte came pouring out, but she left out the part about not really being engaged.
By the time she was done, she was wrapped up in a thick robe and crying on Mrs. Tibbs’ ample chest as the woman made soothing sounds that reminded Rowan of her own mother. “Oh, you poor little duckling. You have had such a bad run of luck. But I believe your fortune took a change for the better when you met Garret and Edward. You could not ask for two better men. I hate to say it, but I might have encouraged Nancy’s crush on them a little bit because they will make some lucky woman wonderful husbands. I’m glad that woman is you.”
Rowan pulled away, sniffing and wiping her face on the sleeve of the fluffy robe. “I’m sorry if she got hurt by my…engagement.”
“She’ll be fine. Besides, she wasn’t really in love
with them, but rather in love with the idea of being in love. It’s hard for her being the last unmarried girl at home, especially when she sees how happy her sisters are in Bridgewater.”
“You make it sound like a wonderful place,” Rowan said while Mrs. Tibbs gave her hair another pat with the towel.
“I have been all over the world, and I have to say that this part of God’s Earth has to be close to Eden. I grew up in London, and always imagined I’d return to the city after my husband’s duty to our country was over. But God has his own path in mind for you, for all of us. Do you really think it was a coincidence that Garret stopped at your shoe polishing stand that day? That he felt the urge to follow you to make sure you were safe? Sounds to me like you had a guardian angel looking out for you that night.”
Rowan didn’t know how to respond to the other woman’s words, her practical mind insisting Mrs. Tibbs was full of romantic nonsense, while her heart hoped it was true.
“But my brother… He’s coming back for me,” Rowan said, almost desperately. “I promised my father we’d both go west together. Start a new life, a better one.”
“And you have,” Mrs. Tibbs helped her out of the robe and helped her into her undergarments and a lovely soft teal blue dress with a touch of lace at the cuffs. “And you could not ask for a better life than being the wife of Garret and Edward. Let me tell you, more women than just my Nancy will be suffering from a broken heart tonight after word spreads around town.”
“Really? Did they have a lot of admirers?”
“Indeed. Managing to marry into the Bridgewater community is considered quite a prize by some women in the area. They see how happy the Bridgewater wives are and want that for themselves.” Mrs. Tibbs gave her a giggle and a wink. “Besides, Garret and Edward are rather easy on the eyes in addition to being successful ranchers. Many a woman has tried to capture their interest. I’m sure they’ll find an excuse to drop by the Inn this evening to see if the rumors are true.”