“Do you know how to shoot?”
Her eyes darted to the shotgun, which appeared to be the same as the one her pa had taught her to use. “Yes.”
His eyebrows raised as if he was pleasantly surprised.
“I grew up on a farm, remember?” she said, feeling like she needed to explain her skills.
“Noted.” His lips twitched. “We’ll go out together. If I need to handle something, you’ll have the gun, and I’ll do the same when you’re busy. We’ll watch each other’s backs.”
Warmth pierced the stone-cold fear inside her. He trusted her enough to lean on her. When had anyone ever done that? She’d been coddled and cared for, but never an equal. More like someone who was cherished and told to sit away safely. Tom wasn’t doing that, and it warmed her. “Thank you.”
“For?”
“For trusting me to watch over you.”
He shuffled his feet and looked embarrassed. She smiled and said, “I know you don’t need me to, you’re obviously more than capable of taking care of yourself, but it’s good to know you see me as capable too.”
“I don’t know a lot of women who could handle themselves as well as you in this situation. Most would be huddled in the corner, crying non-stop.”
He didn’t appear bothered by that, and she realized he wasn’t. If she’d chosen to stay huddled in the corner, he would’ve taken care of things as needed, and would not have looked down on her because of it. But he seemed even more impressed that she wasn’t doing that.
What kind of man was Tom? She didn’t know a lot of men who would have the patience to deal with women like that. “You’re a good man.”
He shrugged and turned back to the fire, as if he were uncomfortable with the praise.
“You are,” she continued. “Most men would throw themselves in front of the wolf instead of dealing with a hysterical woman.”
“You were hardly hysterical. You just needed a hug.”
Her mouth dropped open. “I wasn’t talking about me!”
“You weren’t?” He turned back toward her, and his eyes were a little too innocent.
“You’re teasing me?”
“Of course not.”
He absolutely was! He was even smiling about it. She crossed her arms. “Well, if you didn’t want to comfort me, you could’ve pushed me away.”
“As if any man would ever be so stupid.”
What did that mean? “Are you saying you’d let just anyone hug you?” The question was ridiculous, but she couldn’t seem to stop herself from asking it.
He winked at her. “Only women I’m stranded with who are as gorgeous as you.”
She stuttered. What was wrong with him? Had the pressure from the storm and wolf completely addled his brain?
He full on laughed and leaned against the mantle as if he needed it for balance. “I’m not crazy, if that’s what you’re thinking.”
“I wasn’t thinking that.” I was totally thinking that.
“Sure. Regardless, I’m not. Crazy, that is. I just refuse to sit here, glum and worried about what will happen next. We’ll take things one step at a time and act when we need to. Until then, we’ll sit tight, ration our food, and wait for the storm to pass.”
She nodded. “Sounds like a plan.”
“Let’s just try to drink as little as possible. I don’t relish the thought of going out there anytime soon.”
What a plan.
Chapter 4
Over the next couple of hours, Rosalie kept busy by organizing the few items in the cabin and occasionally chatting with Tom. They fell into an easy companionship as he whittled a piece of wood, and she wondered if married life was like this. Would she feel this comfortable around her future husband, and would it happen as quickly as it had with Tom? Or did she feel this way only because of their situation?
She wished they’d talked once or twice before the storm, so she might know one way or another. Now, she’d just have to wonder.
But as the hours ticked by, she became a little more restless.
They were going to have to sleep soon, but how was that going to work? There was only one bed, and the floor looked uncomfortable. There also weren’t enough blankets to spare. Maybe he could sleep by the fire? Or maybe she could?
She grabbed a broom, which was missing more straw than it had, and vigorously swept the area, but it didn’t look much cleaner than before she’d started.
The temperature had dropped as day gave way to night, and since she’d kept her dress on, the drying fabric felt even colder. She wished she could throw it off, crawl into bed, and sleep for twelve hours. She was so exhausted from everything that had happened.
She glanced at the bed again, chewing on her lip, and Tom put the piece of wood and his knife on the table. “If you look at that bed one more time, I’m going to insist you get in it.”
His words startled her and she let out a quick squeak, then cleared her throat.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Well...” Her hands twisted nervously on the broom handle. “We’ll need to sleep soon.”
“Ah.” He placed his hands on his knees and stood. “And I take it you’re worried about the sleeping arrangements?”
“Yes,” she said in a huge rush of relief. She was so grateful he understood. “I’m not sure what we’re going to do. We’re short on blankets, and the floor is hard.”
He rocked back on his heels. “We could sleep in the same bed…but I can tell that’s worrying you.”
What was she supposed to say to that? Of course she was worried about it. In this case, it was better to be honest. “I think there’d be a problem if I wasn’t.”
“True.” He blew out a breath. “Listen, I don’t want you to do anything you aren’t comfortable with. If you really want me to sleep on the ground, I’ll sleep on the ground. I’ve survived many more difficult things than a cold, hard night. But I’d much rather be in the bed.”
In normal circumstances, she’d never sleep with a man, but this wasn’t normal. This was an extreme situation. Was it really so terrible if they shared a bed? It wasn’t as if they were naked, and they wouldn’t be doing anything which should be saved for marriage, so... “Well, I suppose.”
“I promise nothing untoward will happen,” he told her with a serious tone.
“All right. We’ll sleep together then.” She closed her eyes and tried to pretend her words hadn’t come out the way she’d said them. “We’ll sleep in the same bed and not do anything but sleep,” she clarified, then opened her eyes to see a very amused Tom.
“Sounds like a deal.” He walked to the bed and said over his shoulder good-naturedly, “If you want to snuggle against me for body warmth, I won’t mind.”
She spluttered and he smothered a laugh. He was enjoying this a little too much. Well, that was just fine, but she had five brothers. And if he thought she didn’t know how to get him back, he was mistaken.
He sat on the bed facing her, the teasing smile still on his lips, and it pushed her to do something she would never have done in the past.
Her hands moved to the fastenings of her gown, and she quickly undid a few buttons.
Tom flew off the bed and placed his hands over hers, stopping her from undoing any more. “What are you doing?” Something seemed to be lodged in his throat.
She raised her brows. “I’m getting ready for bed,” she said, sounding completely innocent.
His eyes shifted to the buttons, then back to her eyes. “Maybe you should leave your dress on.”
“My skirts are wet, Tom. I can’t sleep in them. It’ll get the bed wet, and then we’ll both freeze to death.”
He averted his face, and it sounded like he swore, but was too soft for her to be sure. She bit her lip. She’d never toyed with a man like this, but she’d watched the girls in town do it over and over to her brothers, and it had driven them crazy. “Is this going to be a problem?”
His gaze blazed back to hers, and she quickly
swallowed the next thing she was going to say. If he wasn’t still holding her hands, she would’ve stepped back, away from the fire she saw burning in his eyes.
He finally gulped, shivered once, and released her. “It’ll be fine. You’re right. You shouldn’t sleep in wet clothes. We wouldn’t be able to get help if you were to get sick.”
Tom tried to think of his mother and nuns and little babies, and any other person who could leech the heat from his blood. Rosalie was trying to kill him. She had no idea what being near her was doing to him. She was unbuttoning her dress…
She would still have her shift on, he quickly reminded himself. She would be completely covered. But the thought didn’t make tonight any easier. He gazed longingly at the floor in front of the fire. Was it too late to sleep there?
He heard wet cloth drop heavily to the floor, then a few seconds later, a creak sounded as she climbed into bed. Blankets rustled, and he waited a good ten seconds of silence before he turned toward the bed. He didn’t look at her. He knew the minute he did, he’d regret it.
He threw another log on the fire, then blew out the single lamp burning beside the bed, before climbing in beside her. With a deep breath to steel himself, he looked at her.
Her hair floated over the single pillow, and she looked at him with wide eyes.
“You sure?” he asked one more time.
“Uh huh.”
He took off his boots, but left every other inch of clothing on, even his pants, which were still damp below the knees, before laying on top of the blankets.
Her surprised gasp reached his ears. “You’re not getting under the blankets?”
He lifted his arms and brought them up to rest beneath his head. It would have to suffice as a pillow. “Nope. I’m plenty warm right now. I don’t want to get overheated.”
He’d almost choked on the lie. It would be frigid tonight, but since he probably wouldn’t sleep anyway, he could feed the fire. He wondered how many nights he could stay awake. Maybe he’d lay down for a nap tomorrow. Rosalie would think him the laziest man alive, but then again, did it matter? Besides, there wasn’t much else to do.
She wiggled, trying to get comfortable, and her leg pressed against his for a split second, before jerking away. “Sorry!”
“It’s okay.” He closed his eyes and clenched his jaw. That was how he would get through the night: sheer determination and grit. He had those in spades. “Just try to pretend like I’m not here.”
“Okay.”
She turned on her side away from him, and wiggled her backside as she tried to find a comfortable position.
He groaned.
“Huh?” She leaned up again. “Did you say something?”
Pure torture. “No. Goodnight.” His voice was gruff, but it was the best he could do. It was taking all his willpower not to pull her into his arms and kiss her. Every moment he’d spent with her in the cabin, she’d become more and more attractive to him. His hands itched to touch her.
She snuggled back up again and was still for a minute or two, but then she whispered, “Are you sure you don’t want the pillow?”
“It’s fine. You go ahead and have it.”
“Thanks.”
More awkward silence. He closed his eyes and prayed she would fall asleep quickly. It would be easier if she was out.
She shifted again and again. Several more minutes passed, and she still squirmed.
“Is something wrong?” Besides the fact we’re sleeping in a bed together?
She twisted around, and against his better judgment, he turned his head, coming within a few inches of her face. He sucked in a breath. Her cornflower blue eyes were glorious, but he could see the exhaustion there as well. “What can I do for you?” he asked tenderly.
She bit her lip and looked away, and he realized she did that whenever she was nervous. He waited until her eyes returned to his.
“I’m cold.”
Without the added layers of her dress, he didn’t doubt it. The fire was as large as they could safely build it, but the room was still freezing. Also, the blankets weren’t much protection. The only thing that would truly keep them warm through the night was body heat.
Sweet heavens.
“Could we…” She couldn’t seem to bring herself to say it.
He didn’t break eye contact. “Would it help if I was under the blankets?”
She nodded, and he steeled himself for the torment ahead. He’d sure be warm, but definitely not comfortable.
He stood up and lifted the corner of the blankets before slipping in. She immediately came to his side, her skin frozen as if she’d just come in from the snow. He shifted and wrapped his arm around her, pulling her firmly against him, while still laying on his back. “Wrap your leg around mine.”
She didn’t hesitate this time and did exactly as he said. He rubbed her arm, hoping the friction would help.
She was shaking with cold, but after a few minutes, her muscles slowly relaxed, and her breathing slowed. She snuggled closer, as if burrowing, and tentatively laid her head on his shoulder. “Is this all right?”
“You’re fine. Go ahead and rest.” He was so proud of how clear and neutral his voice sounded. She must have believed him, because she passed out in an exhausted heap a moment later.
The second he heard her breathing switch, he lost his facade of calm. His muscles clenched like he was on a torture wrack. It took too much energy to pretend he was relaxed when he was ready to jump out of his skin.
His eyes rolled back in his head when she nuzzled her cheek against his shoulder and her leg hitched higher on his leg.
If she was any other woman, he would swear she was awake and trying to kill him, but she wasn’t. He knew enough about her to know she wouldn’t tease him like that.
When her leg hitched higher, he groaned and put his hand on her knee, gently lowering it. If he got any sleep, it would be a miracle.
Chapter 5
The next morning, Rosalie tightened a blanket around her shoulders, purposefully not making eye contact with Tom. She’d practically been on top of him when she’d woken up! Sometime during the night, she’d wedged her hands in between their bodies, and she could only guess where she’d touched him.
The only thing that made it sort-of all right, was that she’d woken first and was able to untangle herself before he woke. If he knew what had happened last night…her cheeks flamed bright.
“Are you ready?”
She finally connected with his eyes, and she could see the friendly gleam there, and knew he knew she was embarrassed. At least he didn’t know why. He probably thought she was just feeling shy about sleeping with him in general, and while that would normally do it, she was even more on edge because she was sure she’d taken advantage of him. In her sleep!
“As ready as I’m going to be.”
They had to go outside to set traps or they’d starve. Their saddle food is all they had left, and that would only last them one day. With any luck, they’d catch something for later tonight. Her mouth watered at the thought of steaming fresh meat.
But that entailed leaving the cabin and going outside, where it was still snowing and a wolf had attacked them yesterday. But what else could they do?
Tom strapped the gun to his shoulder, but didn’t move to open the door. “If you’d rather, I can do this alone.”
Her spine straightened. “It’ll be safer if we’re together. I’d hate to have anything happen to you while you’re gone.”
He raised his brows, and even to her own ears, the words had sounded suspicious, like she cared about him more than she should. It brought on fresh thoughts of the previous night. “I don’t want to be stuck here alone,” she clarified, but quickly realized that made her sound heartless, and she wasn’t. “I mean, I don’t want to be stuck alone, but I don’t want you hurt either.” Sigh.
He gave her a big smile. “I understand. Come on; let’s set the traps so we can get back and eat a gourmet breakfast.”
“Jerky and oat cakes, the finest of delicacies.”
He snickered and cracked the door open. After looking out, he opened it wider. “Looks clear. But stay close to me.”
She nodded in agreement, and they tentatively took a few steps out of the cabin’s shelter. Their joking from a few moments ago solidified in her gut now that they were out in the open. The wolf wouldn’t have waited around all night, right? It was still snowing, but it wasn’t as heavy as yesterday.
“Looks like we’re alone,” he said and gestured for her to follow him.
She walked behind him, stepping in the holes he created in the snow, hoping it would keep some of the wet off her. “Looks like the snow is slowing.”
He peered up at the sky. “It does. Maybe it’ll taper off later. The snow is a bit high, but we could probably leave in another day or two.”
Relief pumped through her. It wasn’t as soon as she wanted, but it could’ve been a lot worse. She only prayed the storm didn’t pick up again.
They trudged farther into the trees where the snow was less dense, and Tom set traps as they moved through the forest. Please let there be meat tonight. It seemed like a long shot since the wolf was so desperate, but prayer always helped. She really didn’t want to go hungry over the next few days.
After the last trap was set, Tom stood up from his crouched position and brushed off his hands. “That should do it. We’ll come back tonight and see if we caught anything.”
“Please, Lord, let us catch something,” she mumbled.
“What was that?”
She hadn’t realized she’d said it out loud. “Oh... I just hope we catch something.”
Amusement danced in his eyes. “Me too. We should head back before we get too wet. We wouldn’t want to have to take off our clothes again after just putting them on.”
Her eyes flared with embarrassment. “You’re trying to rile me, aren’t you?”
“It might keep you warm,” he said, stepping back into the meadow’s white blanket.
She didn’t know what came over her, but before she could stop herself, she leaned over and grabbed a handful of snow and balled it. A second later, the snowball exploded in the middle of his back.
A Mail-Order Dawn (Miners to Millionaires Book 6) Page 4