Whirlwind Bride

by Debra Cowan

  Russ complied, slowing, then setting her on the ground carefully.

  Cora stepped up beside Susannah. “You boys are never gonna learn if you don’t stop acting so silly. No offense to you, Jake.”

  “None taken.”

  “Y’all need to watch how it’s really done. Riley, why don’t you come show ’em?”

  Susannah shot a surprised look toward the door. Riley danced?

  “This isn’t my party, Cora.”

  “You afraid to show us what you’re made of, Holt?” Matt said. “Or could we actually be better dancers than you?”

  He shrugged, a grin playing at the corners of his mouth.

  “C’mon, Riley.” Cora motioned him over. “Susannah’s gonna be plumb worn out by the time this bunch figures things out. Besides, I’ve got chores tomorrow. I can’t be here all night.”

  The men laughed and Susannah watched Riley carefully. He wouldn’t do it. A waltz would put him in closer proximity to her than he’d been in seven days. Neither of them wanted that.

  She turned to the class. “I’ll pair you up with each other.”

  “Each other?” Creed squeaked.

  “I ain’t dancin’ with no boy,” Pete grumbled.

  “I’ll dance with some of you,” Cora offered.

  “And there’s Violet.” Susannah motioned to the young girl, who watched avidly.

  “All right.” Riley pushed away from the door. “I’ll show you yahoos how it’s done.”

  No! Susannah swallowed hard, her gaze locked on the hollow of his throat as he moved easily toward her. His shoulders were broad enough to block out the lantern’s flame, and his hips rolled with a lazy grace.

  His gaze dark and challenging, he put his hand at her waist. His other hand covered hers. Points of heat fired her nerves.

  This was not a good idea, but she forced a smile and curled her hand in his, hoping he’d think her damp palms were from her previous exertion.

  At her count, he began to move, and she found herself following him. Smooth, graceful, practiced. She smiled in surprise. “I didn’t know you danced. You’re very good.”

  “My ma made sure both Davis Lee and I knew how.” Amusement twinkled in his eyes. “It’s like riding a horse. You just have to find the rhythm.”

  “Maybe there’s hope for me yet,” she murmured, looking away.

  At the moment, riding sounded a lot safer than dancing with Riley. The strong hand at her waist stirred the memory of that kiss. She squared her shoulders and struggled to keep her thoughts on the dance only.

  “Look at your partner, Miz Phelps.” His voice was low, his breath teasing her ear.

  She raised her gaze, her hand tightening involuntarily in his. They glided, the scents of dirt and animals fading. Riley smelled of soap and leather. His gaze dropped to her lips, then moved back to her eyes, the secret of their kiss plain in the blue depths.

  A flush heated her neck and she became keenly aware of the leashed strength in his arms, the gentleness of his hands.

  “Should you be dancing in your condition?” he asked quietly.

  “I don’t think it’s a problem. Neither does Cora.”

  “Okay.” Matt Baldwin’s voice boomed through the barn. “I think we understand. You don’t have to make us look like a bunch of clumsy oxen, Holt.”

  Riley grinned and stopped, his gaze touching hers briefly as she stepped out of his arms.

  She curtsied, her heart pumping harder than it had during the rapid whirling Matt had given her.

  “It looks purty, but I don’t see how you can dance thata way without stepping on somebody’s feet,” Pete Carter said.

  “Or forgetting what you’re doing,” Tony Santos added.

  “You’ll get it with practice,” she said breathlessly. “I certainly didn’t learn in one lesson, and I doubt Riley did, either.”

  “That’s right.” He stood at her shoulder, close enough for her to inhale the nice masculine smell of him.

  She moved away, trying to settle the giddiness in her stomach.

  “Let’s go to the house for that cake.” Cora started out of the barn, motioning for the others to follow.

  The Baldwin brothers hung back, each offering Susannah an arm.

  She glanced at Riley. “Thanks for helping me.”

  “Happy to do it.”

  He didn’t look happy. He looked gruff and intense. And a raw hunger burned in his eyes. “I’ll wait for you out here. We can start our lesson in a few minutes, unless you’d rather do it another time. Or stop altogether.”

  She frowned. “No, I don’t want to stop. I thought you said I was making progress.”

  “You are.”

  She took a step toward him. “Do you want to stop?”

  He hesitated for a moment, then shook his head. “No.”

  Something close to relief squeezed her chest, and Susannah smiled. “Good.”

  She turned to the Baldwins and took their arms.

  As they walked toward the house, Matt asked, “What are you learning from Riley?”

  Things I probably shouldn’t be. “How to be around a horse.”

  She felt his gaze burning into her and it took considerable willpower not to turn around.

  Going inside for a few minutes would give her time to recover her equilibrium. Riley’s touch had sparked a desire in her for more, and she refused to yield to it. All she had to do was recall how Paul had gotten past her defenses, then cruelly turned his back on her. She’d been a fool once, but not again.

  Certain men addled her brain, and she’d learned she couldn’t trust her judgment about them. She had no intention of getting involved like that again. Ever.

  Chapter Eight

  For the next two Mondays, Riley purposely went late to Susannah’s lessons. After holding her in his arms for that waltz, he had no desire to watch her dance with Matt Baldwin. Or Jake Ross. Or any of the other men in her charm school.

  Whatever ground he’d gained in being able to treat her strictly as a friend had disappeared when they began to move together. The brush of her body against his, the feel of her slender back beneath his hand, had inspired all kinds of images in Riley’s head, none of them Christian. And all of them about lust and sweat and her pale naked flesh against his.

  He’d made sure to see her only for the lessons with Prissy, with Cora just feet away in the house.

  He liked the way Susannah had felt against him, liked the blush that pinkened her cheeks when he’d told her to look at him. He liked too damn much about her. Which was why he kept that memory locked tightly away during their time together. And why he planned to do the same during their trip to Abilene for the last horse race before winter set in. It would be easier, since Cora would be with them.

  Early Saturday morning, he drove his buckboard to pick up her and Susannah, as he’d agreed when the older woman had asked.

  He braked the wagon in front of Cora’s house and climbed down, rearranging several blankets over a bed of hay in the wagon bed. The pallet would be comfortable enough for Cora’s older bones or Susannah’s delicate state.

  Behind him, the door creaked open and he turned. Susannah stood in the doorway, her brow furrowed, her eyes dark with concern. Her moss-green day dress showed her advancing condition. “Cora’s hurt.”

  Riley took both porch steps at once and strode past Susannah into the house. Her full skirts brushed his boots. “What happened?”

  The older woman gave him a wan smile from a ladder-backed kitchen chair. She had her left leg stretched out, propped on another chair in front of her. “I twisted my ankle coming down out of the loft in the barn.”

  “How bad is it? I’d better have a look.” He knelt and pulled off his gloves, reaching for her ankle.

  Cora smacked him on the shoulder, her eyes teasing. “Don’t get fresh with me, young man. I’m fine.”

  He thumbed his hat back on his head. “I can ride to Fort Greer for the doctor.”

  “I just need to sta
y off of it for a while. That’s all he’ll say.”

  Still kneeling, Riley looked up at her. “Are you sure, Cora? I can wrap it, if need be.”

  “I’ll be fine. You two go on to Abilene.”

  “I can stay with you,” Susannah said.

  “Nonsense.” The other woman waved a dismissive hand. “There’s no need for that. You two go on and have a good time.”

  “I don’t feel right about leaving,” Susannah said to Riley as he rose to his feet.

  “And I’ll feel guilty as sin if you two change your plans. Please go. The best thing you can do for me is go and have fun.”

  Susannah looked doubtful. Riley wondered if Cora’s ankle really was twisted. He had no reason to doubt her, except that she wouldn’t look him full in the face. He wouldn’t put it past her to do some matchmaking, get him and Susannah alone. But the sooner she saw that was like spitting into a high wind, the better for all of them.

  He turned to Susannah. “I’m willing to go if you are.”

  “Well…”

  “I’d feel ever so much better,” the other woman urged. “Besides, you’re both widowed. There won’t be any fuss about you not being chaperoned.”

  Susannah exchanged a look with Riley. They both knew she was nowhere near widowed. “Very well.”

  She arranged a wool wrap over her head and ears, then took her cloak from the hook behind the door. “Can we do something for you before we leave?”

  Cora shook her head. “I’m going to rest. I don’t need anything.”

  Susannah threw an uncertain look at Riley and he shrugged.

  As he tugged on his gloves, he walked over to the stove, then wrapped a cloth around the handle of the warming pan. “I’ll put this down by your feet and you should be warm enough on the way to Abilene.”

  They bid Cora goodbye, and Riley settled Susannah in the wagon seat, tucking a heavy wool blanket around her and setting the warming pan at her feet. They headed toward Abilene, the sun glistening like gold off the short grass, the flat prairie broken by the occasional mesquite tree. Sporadic bursts of a brisk November wind chafed his cheeks.

  Riley searched his mind for something to say, but all that came to mind was how pretty Susannah looked in the green dress, which made her eyes look even more blue. The gold of her silky, upswept hair peeked out from beneath her wrap. She nervously adjusted her black gloves.

  He pulled his hat lower on his head.

  After a long, awkward silence, she asked, “Are you sure you don’t mind taking me?”

  “I’m sure.” If she could make an effort, so could he. “Are you warm enough?”

  “Yes, thank you.”

  The twenty-five miles to Abilene promised to be the longest of his life. Susannah grew quiet, huddled away from him, the blanket tucked tightly around her legs. She kept her hands clasped in her lap.

  He leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees as he stared at his gloved hands. The silence was thick and uneasy. Riley didn’t reckon he could ride all the way like this.

  He slid a look at her. “You’ve done well with Prissy this week.”

  “Thank you.” Her eyes warmed with pleasure.

  The smoky blue reminded Riley of the way she’d looked after he kissed her. The way she’d surrendered. He cautioned himself against such thoughts. They would get him in trouble quicker than Davis Lee ever had. “Would you like to try driving?”

  Her gaze shot to his and she grimaced. “I don’t know.”

  Even though the idea had just come to him, Riley warmed to it. “Pru is as gentle as Cora’s mare. Besides, I’ll be here the whole time.”

  Susannah looked skeptically at the horse, then back at him. “Do you think I can?”

  “Yes, and this is a good time to try. The way is flat. We’ve got plenty of time.”

  She hesitated.

  “I won’t let anything happen.”

  After another moment, she nodded. “All right.”

  He grinned, relieved to have something besides her to occupy his mind.

  He pulled Pru to a stop and handed the reins to Susannah. “Just hold them loosely in your hands for a minute, get a feel for them.”

  She nodded, doubt clouding her blue eyes.

  “You have to apply a certain amount of pressure to get her to obey, but not too much. You’re light, so you’ll need to let her know you’re back here. Use both reins so that you don’t saw on the bit. The hardest part is keeping equal pressure on them. You’ll be able to feel what I mean once you get under way.”

  “I don’t know about this, Riley. I don’t want to hurt her. Or you.”

  He grinned. “You won’t.”

  “What if she sees a snake, like Tony’s horse did?”

  “I’ll be right here to take the reins.”

  “All right.”

  “It’s easier with one horse, but you still want to be careful when you rein to a stop. Your command has to travel up to her bit, so her response won’t be immediate. You want to slow her down, rather than yank her to a stop.”

  “I think I understand.”

  “To get her going, slap the reins against her rump, like so.” Riley reached over to cover Susannah’s gloved hands with his, and gave the leather lines a sharp snap.

  At his touch, Susannah stiffened.

  His jaw clenched. “I had to touch you so I could show you how it’s done.”

  “I know. That’s all right.” She smiled brightly, but it did nothing to ease the tension that had arced between them since they’d left Cora’s.

  Tension that still bowed Riley’s shoulders. “Give it a try whenever you’re ready.”

  She smiled halfheartedly, then focused on the mare. She gave the reins a flick, but too much slack in the lines caused the leather to flop uselessly against the horse’s rump.

  “Try again,” he urged. “Pull your arms closer to your sides.”

  He barely grazed her elbow to guide her, but felt her jerk as tight as a spring. Frustrated, he chewed the inside of his cheek. Did she think he was going to jump on her?

  She did as he suggested, and this time when she popped the reins, the leather landed smartly on Pru’s rump and the horse lurched into motion.

  “Oh!” Susannah looked at him, excitement and uncertainty flashing across her face.

  “Try to keep a steady pressure,” he reminded her, touching her hands again. At least she wore gloves, so he wasn’t touching her flesh, which he knew to be creamy soft. “Can you feel how she responds to you? Don’t pull on the reins. Guide her by using her neck, not her mouth. Lay the left rein across her neck if you want her to turn right and the right one to make her go left. See how she veers?”

  Susannah frowned in concentration. “Like this?”

  The mare plodded off at a right angle.

  “Yes.” Riley found himself smiling.

  The wagon moved smoothly and Susannah began to relax beside him. A couple of times he reached out and guided Pru back into a straight line.

  “This is a lot more work than it looks,” she remarked later, a little breathlessly.

  “You’ll get it. It’s easier once your hands have gotten stronger, too.”

  She nodded, her brow furrowed as she concentrated on her driving. Riley kept a close eye on her. “You’re doing well.”

  “Thank you.” She smiled, but didn’t take her gaze from the horse.

  Her cheeks were rosy from the cool air, and the tip of her nose was red. “Are you still warm enough?” he asked.

  “Oh, yes.”

  They moved closer to the edge of the road. Grass brushed the wheels and made a shushing sound against the rims, but Riley didn’t interfere. Even if they drove into the grass, she wouldn’t be hurting anything. He’d had to practice plenty before he could keep a rig on the road.

  “Oh!” She flinched suddenly and flung a hand into the air.

  “What?” He jerked toward her, his gaze scanning the horse, then her. Both seemed fine.

  Susannah bun
ched the reins in her right hand and began swatting at her hair with the other. “It’s in my hair! Ooh, get it out.”

  “What is it?”

  Pru ambled off the road into the grass, and the buckboard bumped over a rut.

  Riley grabbed the seat to keep from pitching forward. “Susannah, what’s going on?”

  “It’s a bug! In my hair!” she squealed.

  He saw it then, a grasshopper caught just inside her scarf. “Here, let me.”

  He reached toward it just as she smacked at it, hitting his hand. Her scarf drooped and the bug fell onto her neck. She grabbed for it.

  “Where is it? Get it off!”

  He chuckled. “I can’t see it. It’s gone.”

  She squealed and nearly came off the seat. “No! It fell down my neckline! My cape. It’s in my cape!”

  She swatted so furiously that he was afraid she’d hit herself in the face. Or hit him. Every time she went for the insect, the reins would pull one way, then another. The horse swung to the right, then the left, then the right.

  “Hang on there, Susannah.” Laughing, Riley could barely get out the words. “Whoa, Pru. Whoa.”

  Susannah glared. “Stop laughing and help me!”

  “Do you want me to get the bug?” His gaze went to her bodice and he couldn’t resist teasing her. “’Cuz I don’t think that would be proper.”

  “Oh, you.” She threw the reins at him. “You drive. I’ll get the bug.”

  Riley reined the mare to a stop, and Susannah yanked off her cape, shaking it out. “How disgusting.”

  The grasshopper, now dead and smashed flat, fell to the floor of the buckboard. She shuddered.

  “I thought you were starting a new dance there.” Riley grinned, glad she was all right. She hadn’t completely panicked.

  She refastened her cape around her shoulders, then sat down, pulling the garment snugly around her neck. “Ugh, that thing just hopped on me.”

  “But you’re okay.”

  “Yes.” She glanced at the mare, her face falling. “I’ve probably ruined any progress I made with driving.”

  “Pru’s not that easily untrained. Or spooked.”

  “Oh, you mean she isn’t a ninny about grasshoppers.”

  Riley started to snap that he hadn’t meant that at all, but then he saw a smile tug at the corners of her mouth. “Yeah, Pru’s not like most females. Bugs and such don’t send her into a swoon.”