“Do you trust me?”
“Should I? After you’ve lied to me?”
“It’s up to you,” he said shrugging. “I’ve never deliberately lied to you. I said the cabin was mine, and it is. You said it was my home, not me. I said to buy a dress, so you picked out one. So how have I lied to you?” he said simply, brushing a brown lock of hair off her forehead.
“You said you weren’t good enough for me,” she whispered.
“That much is too true, Princess,” he said tenderly. “I don’t think I will ever be good enough for the likes of you. That doesn’t mean that I am not attracted to you or that I have lied to you.”
“Your cabin?” she asked, watching him raise her hand to his lips as he kissed the tip of each of her fingers gently. Her breath caught as she saw the desire in his green eyes. How had she ever thought this was wrong between them? Maybe Eve was right after all.
“Your home is where you make it,” he said simply, pulling her to him. “That cabin isn’t my home. It’s on my property, but not my home. I’ve stayed there before but only when I want privacy or need to get away. You assumed it was and kindly offered to make it better,” he teased, nuzzling her neck.
“So, then we are still needing to travel to your home?” The idea of getting back onto a horse didn’t sit well. The only thing she was able to focus on was how it felt being in his arms. Things felt like they were finally clicking into place.
“Not yet. First thing I need to do, is marry my princess if she’ll have a lowlife like me. I’m afraid that she will slip away from me,” he stated, capturing her answer with his mouth. “I can’t answer why or how, but I need this,” he muttered between heated kisses. “You.”
Sabine clung to his shoulders as her knees gave out. Where was this tender man the whole time? Why had he been so evasive, so prickly when she would have gladly run into his arms at the sweet words he said to her?
Hearing someone clear their throat behind them, she realized they were no longer alone. Pulling back, she brushed her hair from her face nervously and saw her hand trembling. Jack’s knowing smile as he kissed her knuckles made her feel like everything was going to be all right between them. He wouldn’t release her hand. Instead, he placed it on his arm and walked her from the storeroom like they were entering a grand event.
“Did you get everything you needed, Princess?” Jack asked gently, causing her to blush.
Nodding, she watched as he signed the register book and pulled out a fistful of money. Counting out the bills, he paid the clerk easily and folded the bills in half tucking them into his pocket. “Please have everything delivered to me,” he directed easily. “If you find the other, let me know immediately. You still own the hotel? Good. Hold me a room and a hot bath for the night.”
“Hotel?” Sabine whispered as soon as they were away from the clerk and stepping outside into the sunlight. Jack reached up and adjusted her bonnet she had hastily put on to avoid the bright summer sun.
“I thought we might spend the day in town, stay for the night and then head out in the morning.” Jack said easily. “If you want to head out now, we can but I thought you might like to rest somewhere nice.”
“That sounds divine actually,” she admitted. “I could really use a hot bath.”
“Me, too,” he said with a smile.
Placing her hand on his extended arm, the two walked a short distance towards the large courthouse. While the massive building lay up ahead and she assumed that was where they were headed, the small chapel with the tall spires was nearby as well. He had surprised her at every turn so far, she would trust him in this as well. She was simply happy at how things seemed to be coming around for them both now that they had let their guards down. Glancing at his expression, she caught him watching her and stopped suddenly.
“Is this what you want?” she asked suddenly, feeling nervous. “I won’t be stuck with someone who doesn’t want to be with me.”
“You don’t have to marry me, Sabine,” he said gently, a firm look crossing his expression. “It’s up to you and always has been. I told you before that I wasn’t the marrying type. I find that I’m willing to try after meeting you, but that doesn’t mean that it’s right. I’ve never cared for someone but I can be myself, if that’s what you want.”
“Jack, I can’t read you sometimes. One minute you are so sweet towards me and the next you’re simply awful. A sourpuss,” she said with a sad smile. “There is nothing that you have to do. You don’t have to marry me, you don’t have to-” she stopped suddenly as he kissed her.
“Stop! Stop doubting me or what I want, Princess. Instead, what do you want?” he asked, seeming frustrated.
“I,” she started, staring up at him. His eyes stared at hers for the longest time, it seemed. “I just want you,” she whispered. “Jack, I want you in my life.”
“C’mon, Princess, before you change your mind,” he prompted gently, kissing the tip of her nose. “Let’s make sure everyone knows you’re mine.” Jack took her hand and walked her into the small church. Inside, there were two large panels by the sepulcher that were glowing from all the candles that were lit in prayers. She saw several couples waiting on the benches and hesitated.
“The pastor is only here for a short while before he heads to the next town. They’ve already married and are standing witness for each other. They will be standing witness for us as well, Princess.”
Smiling at him, she followed him happily towards the pastor. There was no music, no flowers or grand, elaborate ceremony. It was peaceful in the church. At the steps to the altar, she was surprised to see the tender expression on Jack’s face. He held her hands as they listened to the pastor begin and cracked a wide smile as she realized he wasn’t speaking English, but German. It was apparently a German church they were being married in and she wondered if Jack was German as well. She knew that several towns were either predominately one denomination or another. The rest of her life had been quite different, why wouldn’t her marriage as well? It was wonderful listening to the lilting, beautiful foreign words the pastor spoke. She just wished she knew what he was saying. Just then, Jack began speaking, jarring her out of her reverie.
“I, Wilfred Jackson Noble, do swear to take this woman for my lawful wife. To cherish and protect so long as I live…” he said solemnly with a raised eyebrow at her surprised smile.
Wilfred? Really? Sabine mouthed at him, making him chuckle.
“I, Sabine Evelyn Taylor, do swear to take this man for my husband. To cherish and protect as long as I live…” she repeated with a wink. “I’ll protect you. Don’t worry.”
“I’m sure you will, my little princess,” he said with a wide smile, making the couples in the pews laugh at the outrageous claim.
The pastor cleared his throat to settle everyone down. “You may now kiss your bride,” he intoned in thick broken English.
“With pleasure,” Jack growled happily, pulling Sabine into his arms and kissing her passionately in front of everyone. He dipped her backwards, causing her to lose her balance as he held her tight. Once he broke the kiss, he happily nuzzled her neck causing her to laugh hysterically. She heard the pastor clear his throat again loudly. Her eyes shut, she felt Jack kiss her once again. This time, his laughter was against her smiling lips. This is exactly how people should get married: with laughter, she thought suddenly. He makes me happy.
Standing, they walked together to sign the large register on the far table. It felt so strange to be signing her name with a quill. Sabine Evelyn Noble. Her cursive looked almost childlike due to holding the feather in an odd angle to keep the ink. Looking up, she saw the surprise on Jack’s face. “You can write?” he asked.
“Can’t everyone?”
“No, my little princess. They can’t,” he said with a smile and scratched his last name only on the box near hers. He glanced away looking embarrassed. “Not everyone was formally educated.”
“It’s no problem,” she said with a smile. �
�Do you want it to say Wilfred?” she teased.
“Good God, no!” he said, alarmed. “Noble will be just fine.” A flush colored his cheeks as he pulled her away from the book. Sabine quickly realized that he didn’t want her signing his name for him. He was a very proud man and she would have to remember that. Following his lead, she walked beside him as they gathered their horses and rode the short way to a large hotel.
The building looked like no hotel she had ever seen. Its square shape and flat façade gave no indication save the whitewashed letters on the side. Windows were open on every floor, at every room. The open windows reminded her that this was 1850 and there was no such thing as air conditioning. It might be a challenge to have a hot bath in the warm air, much less sleeping in a bed that trapped the heat. She had found sleeping on the ground had been cool at night, but the idea of sleeping in an actual bed was incredibly desirable.
Stepping inside, she could see large lanterns lit with candles for the interior of the building. A nice breeze flowed through disturbing a few card players at the tables not far from what looked like a bar. A few ladies walked around downstairs. While they were dressed, it was plain to see that they were working, looking for their next trick. Some hotel! Jack stood by the bar and again scratched his name in a booklet. The bartender handed him a key, a bottle of dark alcohol, as well as two glasses. Turning, he smiled easily at her.
“Shall we, Mrs. Noble?”
“Lead the way, Mr. Noble,” Sabine said easily, trying to slow down her nervous heartbeat. This man was now her husband. He would be wanting to do more than just kissing! Perhaps, she would be drinking quite a bit of that alcohol he was bringing up to their room! Saying nothing of her nervousness, she walked quietly behind him as they walked up to the second floor. A large landing with a wooden rail spanned the entire length of the building, revealing a doorway every twenty feet or so. Walking to the very end, he unlocked the door with a large, brass key and held it open for her. Looking inside, the room was lovely and a large, metal tub sat in the corner of the room already filled.
“They are bringing us up something to eat shortly,” Jack said easily, his eyes on her face as if he were trying to gauge what she was thinking.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” he said simply, setting the glasses down on the small table and pouring the dark liquid in both. “Why don’t you bathe first and relax. I’ll move the screen so you have privacy.” Handing her a glass, he nodded.
“Sip it slowly, it will help. You have nothing to fear from me, Princess.”
“Thank you again,” she said accepting the small glass from him. She noted that it wasn’t even a quarter of the way full. The smell was warm and sweet with a slightly pungent smell to it. It smelled like it should taste good, but the first sip told her otherwise. Gasping slightly at the burning sensation, she felt it warm her belly. As Jack moved the large screen into place, she realized that the second and third sip had her feeling extremely languid.
“That stuff is strong. What is it?”
“Brandy. It will go straight to your head if you aren’t careful,” he said quickly, noting her glass was almost empty. Nodding, he sipped his own glass and sat down on the bed. “Go ahead, Sabine. Enjoy it while the water is hot.”
Stepping behind the screen, she eagerly unbuttoned her dress and threw it over the screen paneling in an effort to hang it up. She hated to put it on the floor and there were no hooks on this side of the wall. Removing the bloomers and shift, she climbed into the tin tub heedless of the open window not far from her. Hearing a knock at the door, she sank down to hide herself and realized the comedy of it. There was no way they could see her due to how the screen was angled. She heard the door open and close as their food arrived. The smell was heavenly and her stomach growled loudly.
“Jack, could I have a bit more brandy?” she asked. Liquid courage might be needed tonight!
“I think maybe you should eat something first so you don’t get sick. Take your time and you can eat when you’re finished.”
“Or you could join me in the bath and bring the food in here, too,” she said brazenly and slapped wet hands over her mouth, splashing water. Oh my gosh, did I say that out loud? His warm laugh made heat pool in her lower body that had nothing to do with the alcohol or the bathwater. His laugh was dead sexy. It made her toes curl.
“I think maybe you’ve had enough to drink, if you are inviting me over there.”
“You could wash my back,” she said, giving a large, knowing giggle. “And maybe my front, if you’re good,” she teased.
“I’d love to, sometime when you are ready and not already halfway drunk,” he said lightly, tossing a small object over the screen that landed with a loud plop in the warm water. Sabine grabbed the object and smiled widely. He had brought the rose-scented soap with him for her. She was surprised that she hadn’t smelled it on him before. She was highly impressed by how considerate he had been towards her today. If every day could be like the last few hours, she’d be a happy camper.
Lathering up, she hummed aloud and let out a loud giggle as she heard him quietly muttering a few words here and there in tune. Dunking herself in the water, she rinsed off the bubbles, noting that she felt ever so much better. The water was still warm enough to soak for a while, but she assumed it was the only bath they had coming up since there was no running water and he would want to bathe as well.
“Can you toss me a towel?” she asked absently, shaking the water from her hair.
“A what?” he asked curiously.
Oh! Whoops! “Something to dry off with?” No towels yet, huh? What did they use then?
“Just throw your chemise on, you’ll be much cooler in here and you can relax.”
Pulling it down off the screen, she yanked it over her head and shivered. Yes, she was much cooler after the warm bath. She had no problem wearing the chemise around him. She had worn less at the pool in public. The only issue was that it felt intimate in the room, very far from how casual it felt to be poolside. They were alone. Marriage brought certain things – touchy, feely things – that she hadn’t been a part of before.
Sabine wanted a relationship like her parents. The laughter. The smiles. The private looks when no one was watching. She wanted that sort of affection between her and someone else. While she had thought Eve had made a huge mistake from the beginning, she was starting to understand Jack. He had so many facets to his personality. But what she was learning was that he was thinking of her first, even if he hadn’t said so. Wasn’t that what she asked for?
Walking around the screen, she took a deep breath, unsure of what would come next, and smiled. He sat completely dressed in a chair with a makeshift table in front of him. The table had two plates full of food, a single rose and the bottle of brandy. A single, tapered candle’s flame danced wildly, just like her pulse. Jack was sweet to the core, hidden by a rough, thick exterior. The warmth of his gaze told so many things as he stood and bowed awkwardly.
“Mrs. Noble, it would be an honor if you would join me,” he said, thickly.
“It would be my pleasure,” Sabine said politely with a comical smile at his wink. She lay her hand on his as he pulled a chair forward for her in the small room. “Thank you,” she murmured, taking her seat as he pushed in the chair. She jumped as he dropped a tender kiss on her exposed shoulder. His lips were warm on her cooling skin. Relieved he didn’t comment on it, she instead caught his smile as he poured the brandy in the two glasses, raising one in a toast.
Jack hesitated for several moments, just watching her silently. Sabine held her glass aloft, curious to what he would say. “Jack?” she asked, and he stopped her.
“I’m not sure where to start because I have so much I want to say,” he admitted, chagrinned. “I’m not sure why I proposed, but I felt like I needed to… and that didn’t come out right, did it? When I saw you the first time,” he stopped, embarrassed. “I was mortified at how attracted I was to this young boy t
hat came out of nowhere. But then I found out you were a girl in hiding. You were so beautiful. A delicate princess that I felt driven to protect. My princess,” he said, running a shaking hand through his hair.
“Jack, stop. You don’t have to do this,” Sabine said quickly, seeing him struggle and humbling himself. He was such a proud, strong man who was so quiet. This seemed to be so hard for him.
“I want to,” he continued. “My princess who sings to me, who tells me about the stars and looks at me like I am the greatest man that has ever walked the earth. I don’t deserve this. I don’t deserve you, but I want us to work out… with everything I am,” he admitted quietly. “I want you to always look at me like that, Princess. I would move mountains to keep you happy with me. I don’t ever want you to regret this. Us.”
He knelt down next to her and put his glass on the table. She saw his hands were shaking. He’s nervous? she thought, and it brought tears to her eyes from the intense emotion she felt just then. He grabbed her hands tenderly and looked at her.
“I don’t know what is expected out of a husband, but I will never deliberately make you sad. I am going to make mistakes, Sabine. I just don’t want you to feel one of the mistakes is me,” he muttered, looking away. It was obvious suddenly that he had been hurt very badly at some point in the past, making her feel incredibly protective.
“Jack, look at me,” she ordered tenderly. She pulled her hand from his and turned his face back to her. His green eyes looked fierce and strong. “I don’t want you thinking that I am perfect because then I am bound to disappoint you. Instead, I would rather we just took each other as we are. Knowing that we would have each other’s back. I would never hurt you, but I will make you mad at how stubborn I can be. I would never betray you, but I might do something you find irritating. I would never hate you,” she stopped, biting her lip and looking at his raw expression. His jaw looked tight like he was needing to protect himself. She lay her hand on his cheek, feeling the warmth of his skin and the clenching of his muscles, as if he were anticipating a blow to his psyche.
Enchanted by You: Timeswept Soulmates (Timeless Brides Book 3) Page 10