Granny leaned over and whispered in her ear, “You look lovely, dear. Stop worrying.”
Rose smiled at her. Granny always knew what she was thinking. “Thank you.”
Morgan held the door for the ladies, and when they walked into the restaurant, his arm was firmly planted around Rose’s waist. Every head in the place turned to stare as they walked across the room to a table by the window. Before they could even order their dinner, five men stopped to speak to Morgan. Politely, he introduced them to Rose, making sure they knew the lay of the land by saying, “Meet my future wife.” Like Morgan, Granny knew everyone in the restaurant, and many of the ladies made a point of stopping at their table to speak with her.
By the way the women eyed Morgan, Rose knew Granny wasn’t the only reason they’d stopped at their table. She recognized some of the women from the past, and her presence didn’t prevent the women from asking Morgan where he’d been keeping himself. To Morgan’s credit, he didn’t hesitate to mention his impending marriage. There was no doubt by sundown everyone in town would know they were going to be married.
By the time the dinner ended, Rose was on top of the world. Morgan was polite and attentive, and seemed genuinely proud to introduce her to everyone. Even though she was irritated that so many women flirted with Morgan, she thought it was one of the best evenings of her life.
Granny was delighted with the way the relationship was developing between Rose and Morgan. She thought they were crazy about each other, though they might not even understand the depth of their feelings. Granny was amused by the way Morgan let every cowboy know Rose was his.
Once they reached the ranch, Morgan still had work to do, and he left Rose and Granny in the kitchen discussing Rose’s wedding dress. It was late by the time he returned to the house, and he thought the women had retired for the evening. He was disappointed he’d missed out on his goodnight kiss at Rose’s bedroom door, but when he walked upstairs he heard laughter coming from Rose’s room. The door was ajar, and he peeked inside to see Granny and Rose laughing at something. He stood there as though his feet had taken root to the floorboards. Rose had removed her dress, and she was standing there in her camisole, corset, and bloomers. Her hair was seductively draped over one shoulder, and he didn’t think he’d ever seen a more beautiful sight. He couldn’t force his eyes from her, thinking he hadn’t seen so much of her bare skin since the day he’d wrapped her ribs. And he wanted to see more. As much as he hated to make his presence known, he tapped lightly on the door. “I wanted to say good night.”
Rose reached for her dress, which she’d dropped on the bed. “Just a minute.”
Granny walked to the door and opened it wide. “I was just going to bed. We were looking at my old wedding dress, and having a few laughs over some pleasant memories.” She patted Morgan’s shoulder. “I’ll be saying good night, and thank you for a wonderful dinner. Preacher and I didn’t often go to town for dinner, and it was a real treat.”
“We’ll do it more regularly now that you and Rose are here,” Morgan promised. He waited until Granny had entered her bedroom before he turned back to Rose. She was holding her dress in front of her. He was tempted to run across the room and take her in his arms. Trying to maintain what little control he possessed, he walked into her room and slowly closed the door behind him. “Did you have a nice dinner?”
“Yes, I had a lovely dinner.” Her eyes widened as she watched his every step in her direction.
“Good. I enjoyed the company.” He stopped directly in front of her.
“I think a lot of women had broken hearts tonight.” Rose felt herself blushing as she stared into his dark, penetrating eyes.
Morgan crinkled his brow. “How so?”
“I don’t think they thought you would be marrying so soon. Or perhaps they were surprised that you were marrying me.”
Morgan took the dress from her fingers and tossed it on the bed, his eyes slowly drifting from her mouth down her body. “Marrying you shouldn’t surprise anyone. There isn’t another woman as beautiful as you.”
Rose’s breathing picked up speed as his eyes devoured her. “It’s probably not wise for you to be in here with me dressed like . . .” That was the problem, she wasn’t properly dressed.
“Probably not.” Morgan reached out and picked up a lock of hair hanging over her shoulder, and the back of his hand grazed her bare shoulder.
Rose shivered. Not from lack of clothing, but because she was reminded how his strong hands felt when he’d bandaged her ribs. Every night she’d been in his home, she thought of nothing else but the way it felt to be touched by him.
Morgan wound her hair around his hand and gently tugged her to him, and once she was close, he wrapped his arms around her. “I can’t wait until I don’t have to leave you at night, and you can climb into my big bed with me.”
His words were provocative, and they made her tremble with excitement. Rose felt the same way, but she didn’t know if she should tell him she was counting the days until she would be with him at night. She’d never felt tempted by another man, never even thought about making love with another man. The thought of making love the first time with him thrilled her, yet frightened her. She wasn’t experienced, and since he was older, it was likely he’d been intimate with other women. The way he kissed, the way he held her, the way his hands moved over her bare skin, staying within the bounds of propriety but suggesting he wanted to do more, spoke of his experience. He displayed gentlemanly restraint, yet at times, the look in his eyes said he was on the precipice of losing control. She didn’t want him to be disappointed when they made love the first time. She wanted to make him feel like he made her feel—desired.
Morgan watched her eyes, desperately wanting to know what she was thinking. He didn’t want to leave her tonight. He wished she would say something so he would know how she felt.
Rose couldn’t say what she was feeling, but she stood on her tiptoes and placed her lips on his. Morgan thought that beat the heck out of words any day of the week. He crushed his lips to hers and cradled her tightly to him. His lips left hers only to move to her ear, her neck, as he slid the straps of her chemise off her shoulders. He wanted to taste as much of her bare skin as he could find. Caught up in the pleasures of his lips, Rose dropped her head back, allowing him free access to her neck and shoulders.
Morgan’s fingers found the ties to her corset, and he untied the bow. Rose didn’t stop him. But his fingers stilled just as he was about to loosen the ties and strip the corset from her. What was he doing? Her grandmother was down the hall, he reminded himself. He couldn’t bring dishonor to Rose, no matter how much he wanted her. And he wanted her like he’d never wanted another woman. He pulled back from her and held her at arm’s length. Her heavy-lidded eyes told him she had a longing that matched his own. When his breathing slowed, he said, “I need to say good night before I do something I shouldn’t.” The way she was looking at him, he couldn’t help but kiss her one last time, but he kept it brief. “I’ll be riding to Denver tomorrow, so I won’t be back until late.”
It took Rose a moment before she grasped what he’d said. “Oh.” She was surprised he hadn’t mentioned this during dinner. “Why do you have to go to Denver?”
“Business. I want you and Granny to stay close to the ranch. Did you need me to pick up anything for you?”
She wondered why he hadn’t asked her and Granny to accompany him. He probably figured it was too much trouble to take them, unless . . . No, she refused to think he might be seeing another woman. But why hadn’t he mentioned this trip earlier tonight? “You didn’t mention your trip at dinner. Was it a sudden decision?”
He was puzzled by her question. “I hadn’t thought to mention it. Are you going to miss me?”
Rose didn’t answer his question, but asked, “Will you be back for dinner?”
Morgan felt like he must have said something that displeased her, but he didn’t know what it was. He didn’t think it was his
imagination that there was a sudden coolness in her voice. Was she angry with him because he’d stopped kissing her? If he hadn’t put a halt to things when he did, he might not have left that room until morning. “I’m leaving early, so I should be home for dinner.” He kissed her on the forehead. “I’ll take Stevie’s horse to him on my way out in the morning.” He didn’t want to return Stevie’s horse, but he held out a thread of hope that he’d learned his lesson.
“Thank you.”
Rose stood there staring at the closed door after he left her room. On one hand, she was thankful he’d pulled away from her when he had, because the situation could have easily gotten out of control. Her willpower seemed to be nonexistent around him. Her attraction to him was electrifying, and his touch evoked new sensations for her. She thought he felt the same way.
On the other hand, his sudden trip to Denver raised questions in her mind. She hadn’t asked him if he was seeing another woman before she agreed to marry. Maybe he was seeing someone in Denver. Why was she even thinking such things? She knew why. Women were very attracted to him, and she hadn’t even realized how many wanted him until tonight at dinner. Women obviously recognized that he was a virile, passionate man. Had he been as passionate with some of the women she’d met tonight? She couldn’t seem to control her errant thoughts. Maybe he had a woman in Denver, and he needed to end that relationship before their marriage. It was ridiculous even to think such a thing. What on earth was wrong with her?
She’d thought her biggest worry would be how they would keep Frankie from coming between them. But that was before she thought Morgan might be seeing another woman. She’d heard of men who were not faithful to their vows. No matter how much she loved him, she couldn’t be married to a man who wouldn’t be committed to their marriage. Trying to end her wayward thoughts, she told herself Morgan had given her no reason to think he would be unfaithful. He’d asked her before if she trusted him, and she did. Though tempted to rush down the hall and ask him not to go to Denver, or to take her with him, she didn’t think either choice was wise. She decided to remove her undergarments and go to bed before she did something she would later regret.
Once in bed, she turned to gaze at the moon shining through her window. Her mind was racing in a thousand different directions. She told herself the wiser course would be for her to pray over the situation, and ask for guidance. She closed her eyes and prayed. When she finished, she listened for that small, still voice that seemed to be silent tonight. She waited. Nothing. In frustration, she pulled the covers over her head. Sometimes the wiser course was a difficult road to follow.
Chapter Eighteen
Reaching the Langtry farm just after dawn, Morgan was surprised to find Stevie wasn’t home. Considering Stevie might not return for a few days, he was hesitant to leave the horse. He decided he could check on the animal on his way back from Denver, and if Stevie hadn’t surfaced by then, he’d take the horse back to the ranch. After he filled the water troughs, he put the horse in the corral.
Finally, Morgan was on the road to Denver, but his thoughts centered on Rose. He was still trying to figure out what he’d said last night that upset her. He didn’t really have time to take away from the ranch to ride to Denver today, but he wanted to buy Rose a wedding ring. It was important to him for her to have a symbol of their union. He remembered he’d never seen his mother without her wedding band. He figured it would also ensure that every man would know she was a married woman. But he had the feeling Rose didn’t want him to go to Denver, and he couldn’t help but wonder why. Was it possible she thought Frank could be in Denver? As far as Morgan knew, Frank hadn’t committed any crimes in Denver, so maybe he wouldn’t be recognized there. It was possible he had a hideout there, and Rose had a way of communicating with him. He didn’t want to believe she would know Frank’s whereabouts and not tell the law, since he was a wanted man. But he reminded himself she didn’t have to be in contact with her brother to know where he might be lying low until the law gave up. While she might not be directly helping Frank, her familial ties might prevent her from divulging information that might help the sheriff apprehend him.
* * *
Walt arrived outside of Denver in the early morning hours. He rode to the abandoned two-room farmhouse he’d mentioned to Frank, several miles from town. Off the trail by several hundred yards, deep in the woods, the place was as eerie as he remembered. Years ago he’d heard a tale of an old woman who went insane living out here in the middle of nowhere after her husband and children died of cholera. She’d died addlepated and alone, and it was weeks before someone found her body. Local folks said she still haunted the place. People were too afraid, either of disease or ghosts, to come out here and scavenge what was left behind. Walt hoped the old woman didn’t mind sharing the place for a few days.
He dismounted and walked around the house looking for signs of recent visitors. Aside from being more dilapidated, everything looked as it had when he’d hid out here a few years back after he’d done some rustling in New Mexico Territory. In the weeds, he found the mound of empty tins of food that he’d left behind, but there were no signs of more recent visitors. The rickety old lean-to, where he could shelter his horse, was still standing at the back of the house.
Once his horse was settled, Walt walked inside and looked around. As he swiped at the cobwebs, he thought it was too bad the spiders and other critters weren’t afraid of ghosts. There was still an old broom in the corner that he’d used to sweep the place free of dust before, so he figured that was the first order of business. He didn’t mind sharing his accommodations with a crazy old woman he couldn’t see, but he drew the line at spiders. He hated the darn things. He’d get the place clean enough to live in for a couple of days, then go to town and find this Reuben guy Frank was so interested in.
He laughed out loud thinking about Frank. Frank had a big problem, and that was thinking he was smarter than every other man. Walt read him like a book, but he’d let Frank go on thinking he didn’t have the brains to think for himself. He didn’t know how Frank had found out Reuben worked in the bank, but he’d bet his intention was to blackmail the clerk into helping him rob the bank. It was a certainty that Frank intended to double-cross Reuben if he could. Walt hadn’t trusted Frank from the moment they’d started rustling together. After Deke told him the truth of what happened in Kansas, that Frank had been willing to kill his own sister to escape, Walt decided he’d best be watching his own back as long as he rode with him. He’d play this out, see what he could find out about Reuben, and then make up his own mind about whether to stay with the gang or not. The way he saw it, he didn’t have anything better to do for a few days, and it was better than staying at the Conner place with the entire gang. They got on his nerves with their whining and bickering. He didn’t mind Deke and Dutch so much, and if he decided to break away from Frank, those two would probably go with him. They agreed with him; rustling was one thing, but he didn’t abide killing. He figured if he went his own way, he might even go to the Black Hills and pan for gold. Seemed like a lot of folks were headed that way. Looking for gold sounded a whole lot better than rustling for a living.
* * *
When Morgan reached Denver, he took Faithful to the livery and walked to the jeweler. Inside the small shop, Morgan found some lovely rings on display, but he thought they all looked too large for Rose’s small finger. He explained his dilemma to the store proprietor, Mr. Talmadge, telling him Rose’s ring finger wasn’t as large as his smallest finger. The man assured him any ring he selected could be sized to fit.
“Wait just a moment, I may have the perfect ring in my safe,” Mr. Talmadge said as he walked through a curtain to a back room. He returned within minutes and handed Morgan a gorgeous sparkling diamond ring. The ring had one large diamond in the center and two smaller diamonds on each side. “This is one of my finest pieces. I’m sure your lovely lady would be thrilled to receive such a ring on her wedding day.” As Morgan inspected the r
ing, the man discussed the quality of the stones as well as the price.
Morgan placed it on his little finger and he couldn’t get it past the tip. He thought it would be perfect for Rose. He hadn’t considered purchasing a ring with diamonds, but it was so beautiful he couldn’t resist. He felt guilty that he’d asked her to marry him without giving her an engagement ring as was the custom. The ring was expensive, but he could afford the price, and he wanted her to have something beautiful. He’d saved for a lot of years, and he didn’t squander his money. This was something Rose would have for the rest of her life. Morgan had noticed Granny still wore her wedding band, even though Preacher had been gone for a few years. That told him how important a symbol it was for a woman. He didn’t want Rose to think another man might provide her with something better. “I’ll take this one.”
The man beamed. “You’ve made an excellent choice, and I’m sure your wife will be delighted.”
Tucking the small box in his pocket, Morgan left the jeweler and decided to have lunch before he headed back to Whispering Pines. He walked into the hotel restaurant, which was located directly across the street from the bank. The restaurant was nearly full, but he found a table near the back of the room. After he ordered, he glanced around the room, and his eyes landed on the man he’d seen before in front of the mercantile in Whispering Pines. He was the man who couldn’t take his eyes off of Rose. The man was sitting by a window drinking coffee and staring out at the street.
Morgan watched the man while he ate his lunch. When the waitress came to collect Morgan’s money, he pointed to the man. “Do you know who he is?”
The waitress eyed the man sitting alone. “No, sir, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him before. Just passing through, I reckon.”
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