by Merry Farmer
Whoever it was knocked a second time as Luke reached the door and tugged it open. Travis Montrose stood on the other side, fist raised for another knock. He took one look at Luke’s heated face and snorted into laughter.
“Am I interrupting?”
“Yes,” Luke answered, crossing his arms, tempted to slam the door in his face.
Travis stepped into the house and thumped Luke on the back before he could, still chuckling. “Congratulations, partner.”
“Thanks.” Luke grinned, doing his best to pretend nothing was out of the ordinary. “I’m a lucky man.”
“I’m sure you are.” Travis cleared his throat to end his laughing and gave Luke’s back one last thump before stepping away from him. “How is she?”
Luke’s chest did a funny spasm, somewhere between squeezing and thundering. “She’s a dream,” he answered. “Beautiful, spunky, full of fire and vinegar.”
“Good. She’d have to be to put up with the likes of you.”
Even that friendly ribbing couldn’t dent Luke’s good mood. “She’s everything I’ve ever prayed for and more.”
Travis’s expression shifted to mischief. “So how do you think she’ll feel about you heading out tomorrow to lead up the cattle drive?”
Shock dropped like a rock into Luke’s gut, quickly followed by the sensation of pride and victory exploding through him. His jaw dropped, and it was a moment before he could form the words, “Really? You’re going to let me lead the drive?” It didn’t seem possible for one man to have as much luck as he was having that day.
“Franklin says you’ve earned it,” Travis said, giving Luke an approving nod. “He’s been impressed with the commitments you’ve made recently, that saloon fight notwithstanding.”
“I swear, I won’t let anything like that happen ever again. I just want to do a good job, prove myself, be a leader.” Luke could have danced, his soul felt so light. Marrying Eden had worked. One little “I do,” and he’d gotten both the promotion he’d been dying for and the promise of loving whenever he wanted it.
“Now, I should explain that for this first drive, you and I will be leading it together,” Travis went on.
Luke’s exaltation slipped by a hair. “Together?”
Travis held up his hands. “It’s nothing personal. This is the way things are usually done. You’re an experienced cattleman, but since you’ve never led a drive before and this one will be longer than the others we’ve done, you’ll be shadowing me.”
“Shadowing?” Maybe he’d started his celebration too soon.
“This time,” Travis stressed. “Just in case we run into any problems.”
Luke rocked back on his heels and studied his friend. Was he really being given the promotion he wanted so badly or not? It sounded a little to him like he was still under someone else. “Well, all right. If that’s the way things are done.”
“They are.”
Travis opened his mouth to go on, but the bedroom door clicked open and Eden swept into the room. Luke’s heart dropped to his feet at the sight of her. She’d taken off her traveling jacket and fluffed her hair up a bit, but she was the same gorgeous, spritely, bright-eyed wife that had left him in an embarrassing state ten minutes ago.
And she gave Travis a glance that was a little too appreciative, as far as Luke was concerned.
“Hello, who are you?” she asked, sashaying up to Luke’s side.
Travis twitched into a grin that just kept growing and growing the more he looked at Eden. “I’m Travis Montrose. And you must be Mrs. Luke Chance.” He held out a hand.
Eden took it, shook, and leaned forward to say, “That’s Eden Chance to you.” She even added a wink.
Luke’s good mood thumped to the ground. He scowled. “Travis was just going.”
“Was he?” Eden blinked innocent eyes up at Luke, clasping her hands behind her back.
“He was,” Luke growled.
Travis chuckled. “I was.” He nodded to Eden. “Ma’am.” Before turning, he winked at Luke. “Enjoy your wedding night. You’ve earned it.”
Luke was caught between wanting to puff up his chest and gloat, and wanting to give Travis a black eye. It would do no good giving the man who he would be working so closely with for the next couple of weeks an injury, so he swallowed his jealousy and nodded as Travis shut the door. But Lord help him, if anyone ever looked at his wife like that again, he’d—
Eden stepped around in front of him, leaned against him, and threw her arms around his shoulders. “Sorry. I’m used to being friendly. It helps you get out of sticky situations.”
She pushed up to her toes and planted another of those kisses that left him with no idea which direction was up on his lips. Before he knew it, he had his arms around her waist, pressing her close to his chest. The curve of her against his chest felt like a dream, and her fingers playing in his hair were heaven.
When he got a chance to come up for air, he just had to ask, “Are you sure you weren’t one of those women before living at Hurst Home?”
As soon as the question was out, he mentally smacked himself upside the head, but Eden only laughed.
“I swear I was not.” The shake of her body against his as she laughed had him worked up like a bull in spring. “But that doesn’t mean I’m shy about any of that. You’re my husband, and I’m happy to give you all of me.”
The sensation that he was about to crawl out of his skin if he didn’t get her in the bedroom in short order slammed him again full force. “And I want to give you all of me.” He bent toward her, eyes trained on her lips.
She gave him a quick peck, then wiggled out of his embrace. “Right after supper, sweetheart. I’m famished.”
She danced around him, heading to the kitchen. Luke stared after her. This was going to be the longest evening of his life.
Eden finished off her last bite of fried chicken, relaxed against the back of her chair, and signed with contentment.
“That was delicious.” Luke echoed the substance of her sigh, resting a hand over his stomach.
“It’s amazing what you can do when you have a full kitchen and adequate supplies.” She’d just sit there for another minute, feeling full and content, then she’d clear away the plates. And then the fun would begin.
Luke’s expression quirked to curiosity. “Did you not have enough to eat before you went to Hurst Home?”
Eden tapped her fingers against the edge of the table, wondering how much to tell her new husband and how fast. “Sometimes,” she answered slowly. “Sometimes we have more than enough. Other times…” She shrugged. Life on the run could get tricky in a heartbeat.
Luke frowned, rubbing his chin and regarding her as if working out a puzzle. “You didn’t work at…one of those places, you don’t have that sort of skittish look that Franklin’s bride has, which makes me think you weren’t beat on by anyone.”
A pang of sorrow for Corva—and too many of the other girls she’d become friends with at Hurst Home—hit Eden’s heart. “I’d like to see a man try to raise a hand to me.”
That brought a proud grin to Luke’s face. “So why were you living at Hurst Home?”
Eden tilted her head to the side and studied Luke. Broad shoulders, strong arms, hesitant eyes. He’d been just jumpy enough during supper to hint he was waiting for “dessert.” She could spill her story now, tell him all about her brothers, and run the risk of Brent’s prediction that no man would want her for who she was being true, or she could get him into their marriage bed, where he’d want her for other reasons. She wasn’t too proud to admit that she wanted those things to be special, forever, with her husband, with Luke.
She made up her mind and pushed her chair back, standing and carrying her plate over to the counter with the sink. “I was in danger. Let’s just say that.”
Luke stood and carried his plate to the sink as well. “But how? I can’t imagine a girl as tough as you being in any kind of danger at all.”
She liked the
grin that tweaked his lips when he said that. She liked the fond spark in his eyes. Some of her friends back at Hurst Home were loath to ask Mrs. Breashears to find them a husband because they believed there was no way a woman could love and trust a man at first sight. Well, Eden wasn’t the kind to carry silly notions about love around, but the one thing life had taught her was that when a trustworthy man came along, you could tell in a heartbeat. It was about time she staked her claim to Luke Chance, heart, soul, and especially body.
“You know what’s more dangerous than my reasons for being at Hurst Home?” She lowered her voice to a purr and swayed closer to Luke.
“Uh…” His jaw went slack and his eyes dropped right to where they should, her chest.
“The trouble we could get into.” She finished her thought, stepping close to him and smiling. “That’s more dangerous. What do you say?”
There was an even chance that he didn’t hear her question. His eyes stayed fixed on her lips, a fiery intensity filling them She slipped her arms up around his shoulders, leaning into him. He heat of his chest against hers and the gentle weight of his hands as he rested them on her hips was beautiful. She’d been laughed at more than once by the rough-and-tumble sort of women she’d known for saving herself for marriage, and she’d been scoffed at by the good girls for eagerly looking forward to giving herself to a husband, but neither kind of judgment had ever bothered her. This was the night, and it was between her, Luke, and God.
Meanwhile, Luke just stood there, breathing hard, pupils dilated, holding her waist. He didn’t even close his arms around her or squeeze her close or try to kiss her. Sure, his breathing was ragged and he stared at her lips as though he wanted to explore them, but it was almost as if…as if…
“Luke, have you ever been with a woman before?” she asked in her kindest voice.
He remained frozen for a few more seconds before sucking in a breath and taking a half step back. His hands dropped to his sides. “No, ma’am.”
Eden’s heart blossomed in her chest. “Why not?”
Luke blinked and met her eyes. A deep blush filled his face. “Well, that wouldn’t be proper now, would it?”
Her heart swelled with longing, but she couldn’t help but laugh—a low, throaty laugh that had him licking his lips. “I can’t say I’ve met many men with enough honor and good sense to stay out of a woman’s bed because it wouldn’t be proper. Usually other things take over and honor flies out the window.” She stepped closer.
“My pa always said it was better to respect all women like they’re someone else’s wife than to do something you might regret,” he blurted in one long breath.
He blinked and went beet-red, as if realizing what he’d said. Eden giggled, more charmed than she’d ever been in her life.
“Your pa sounds like a wise man.”
Luke wiped a hand over the wince that’d come to his face. “He is. Look, that was a stupid thing to say, I’m—”
She cut him off by surging into him, throwing her arms around his neck and slanting her mouth over his. He was stunned at first as she traced her tongue along the line of his mouth, but a breath later he softened, parting her lips and joining her in a dance of tongues and passion. His arms slipped around her waist, pulling her against him. Eden’s heart sang, shooting desire through her. This was going to be her best night in a long time.
“That’s a wonderful thing to say,” she assured him. “And I’m glad that you waited. That I waited too.”
His eyes flickered up to meet hers. “You did?”
She chuckled, low and welcoming. “Of course I did. I only ever want to give myself to one man, the man who’s promised himself to me before God, and vice versa.”
“Eden.” He hummed her name as if it was the most beautiful endearment a man could utter, then kissed her lips. It was a soft kiss, but it held the promise of more. His arms circled tighter around her, but before he moved or did anything else, he said, “I promise that I’ll be a good husband to you, in every way I know how.”
“And I promise I’ll be a good wife,” Eden replied. No matter what insults Brent had thrown at her. In spite of his bullying and cruelty, she’d managed to keep God in her heart, and here was her reward.
She leaned forward and kissed Luke from the bottom of her soul. He was her reward, and she vowed that, as much as she could be, she would be his reward too.
Chapter 5
As morning sunlight filtered through the curtains in the bedroom windows of the Hen House, Eden drew in a deep, contented sigh. Coming awake to find herself in bed next to a handsome man who was her husband was better than being in a dream. If she wasn’t careful, she might just lose her heart to the beauty of that safe, strong man. She stretched, humming, then curled herself around Luke’s well-muscled body. A body, it turned out, he knew how to use. Whether he had any experience or not, he’d known just how to move, just how to kiss, and just how to make her feel like the luckiest woman alive, last night.
And here Brent had told her that no man would ever want her. Well, her brothers were hundreds of miles away now. Brent’s threats meant nothing. They could risk their lives and shoot up as many banks as they wanted. She was free of them forever, safe in the arms of a real man. Brent didn’t have the first clue where she was.
Eden was close to drifting back to sleep on the cloud of joy that those thoughts brought her when Luke stirred. He flexed his muscles, groaned as if some of them were sore, then lifted a hand to rub the sleep from his eyes. Eden grinned and snuggled closer to him, thinking to herself, “Mine, all mine.”
For a moment, Luke held his breath. Then he puffed it out in a hurry and sat bolt-upright.
“What time is it?” he hissed.
Only a little concerned—her brother Braden used to wake from a sound sleep and jerk to his feet, looking for trouble, before he was all the way awake—Eden rested a hand on his back. “I don’t know, sweetie. There doesn’t appear to be a clock in here.”
Luke only grunted at her answer, jumping out of bed and dashing over to the bureau. Eden nestled back against the pillows, drinking her fill of his powerful body as he yanked open the top drawer of the bureau and started pulling out clothes, sniffing them to make sure they were clean. The broad lines of his back and thighs were beautiful.
He was halfway through tugging his trousers up when he glanced to her. He froze, raking her with a sultry gaze.
“Where are you going in such a hurry?” She propped herself up on one arm, giving him a “come hither” stare.
Luke’s jaw fell open. That was a finer reaction than the most flowery compliment he could have come up with. Eden laughed low in her throat, shifting to her back, fully expecting her new husband to change his mind and rejoin her in bed.
Instead, Luke shook his head and tugged his pants up with a wince. He fastened them, then threw his shirt over his shoulders. He did a few buttons, then strode over to the bed, bending over to plant a kiss full of longing square on Eden’s mouth. She reached for him, but he straightened and took a step back.
He rubbed his face, breathed out a heavy sigh. “I had no idea it would be this hard.”
“What would be hard, sweetie?”
“Leaving you.”
Eden’s grin dropped, and with it every bit of humor and contentment she’d enjoyed a moment before. “What?”
Luke growled like a wolf torn between attack and retreat. He rubbed his stubbly chin and shifted from one foot to the other as he watched her, brow furrowed. The longer Eden stared at him, the worse his struggle seemed to be. Where in heaven’s name did that sort of torment and guilt come from?
Her silent question was answered a second later when Luke said, “I’ve got a cattle drive to lead.”
Eden blinked. “A cattle drive?”
“Yeah.” Luke continued to sway in his spot, grimacing as if he was being pulled apart. “I didn’t realize how much I’d want to stay.”
“Then stay,” she said, voice flat.
&n
bsp; He leaned toward her, then snapped back, shaking his head. As he marched around the foot of the bed to the door, he said, “I can’t. I got people depending on me. This is my big chance.”
“Big chance for what?” Eden leapt out of bed, ignoring her state of undress, and followed him to the main room.
“My big chance for the promotion I’ve been trying for all year.” He gathered his boots from the middle of the floor, where they’d ended up last night, and sank into the sofa to put them on.
“What, right now?” Eden planted her fists on her hips, sure she looked a sight.
Luke glanced longingly at her, his flush deepening as his eyes lingered on her, but he force himself to concentrate on getting his boots on, then stood and strode to the rack where a leather vest hung.
“I’ve been working on Howard Haskell’s ranch since I got here when I was seventeen years old,” he explained. “I learned the business, learned all there is to know about cattle. I was hoping I’d move to a position where I could do more, lead men, a couple of years ago, but Howard hired the Montrose brothers instead. They had more experience running things, but I knew I could be in charge too.”
“So, why aren’t you?” As far as Eden was concerned, her husband was a natural leader.
Luke shrugged and winced, marching toward the door where his hat hung on a peg. “Franklin said he wasn’t convinced I was serious enough. I told him I’d prove I was.” He nodded to her.
Eden opened her mouth to make a comment about how ridiculous it was for anyone to think he was anything but serious. She stopped. The truth dawned on her. He’d sent away for her to prove he was serious. She clamped her mouth shut, not sure if she was offended by that or if Luke was clever to think of it.
She shook her head to clear away that conflict. “And you have to leave right this very instant or you’ll never get a second chance to move up?”
She meant her comment to be sarcastic, but Luke answered, “Yep,” with dead certainty. “I’m sorry that I had to marry you and run. I’ll be back in a couple of weeks. If all goes well, sooner.”