“Slowly, he moved his hands to her waist pulling her tight against his chest.
“Wrap your hands on either side of my waist, Cullen.”
Cullen slid his hands down to hold her tiny waist right above her hips. Her waist was so small his hands could almost reach around her middle with his fingers.
“She moved her hand up from his chest to wrap her arms around his neck. She could feel his heartbeat speed up as her bosom pressed against his body.”
Rose's scent wafted around him as she pressed her body against his and wrapped her right arm around his neck. He realized her left arm rested against the outside of his hand, out of the way so she could press against his chest. Cullen's heart raced out of control.
“She licked her lower lip, and he had to taste her succulent lips.” Cullen watched as Rose licked her lips, then sighed.
“He leaned forward until there was just a hair's width between their lips.”
Cullen stared into Rose's wide blue eyes as their faces inched towards each other.
“I need you, he whispered before lightly touching her lips once, and again, until fully pressing his lips to seal against hers in the act of passion. He'd never loved anyone as much as he loved her.”
Cullen touched Rose's upturned lips with his own, lightly at first, exploring the texture and taste of Rose's lips before pressing harder and then pulling Rose on his lap.
He'd never kissed a woman before, other than a quick peck on his mother's check. This felt so good. Why hadn't he explored kissing before? Mack was right to kiss every woman at the New Year's Eve parties.
Cullen kept kissing Rose, although his hands roamed up her body to cup her face in his big hands. Rose may be tiny, but she wasn’t timid kissing him in return. Cullen relished the feel of her bosom pressed against his chest while she exchanged soft and bold kisses with him.
If this is what marriage would be like with Rose, he was ready to propose.
“Oh, my,” Rose said as she inched her mouth away from his. Cullen’s lips wanted to connect again, but he needed to breathe first.
Rose’s face relaxed, and she grinned, ear to ear.
“I think we acted out that scene perfectly,” Rose said as she wiggled off Cullen’s lap and back onto the swing.
Acted? They were acting out this love scene?
“Shall I read another scene and we act it out too?”
Oh Deuteronomy. What had he just fallen for? Rose just proved women couldn’t be trusted, just like his real mother. Cullen had been fooled by Rose’s charms just as Charlie had been duped by his soiled-dove mother.
Now he was mad besides embarrassed. Cullen pushed out of the swing hard enough it rocked backward, catching Rose off guard to fling her hard on the porch floor.
Cullen’s temper deflated to despair, and he picked up Rose, who had fallen on her left shoulder. He sat down on the porch swing, cradling Rose protectively in his lap.
“Oh, I’m so sorry, Rose. I didn’t mean to hurt you.” Cullen gently massaged her shoulder, hoping to ease the pain he’d caused.
“Why did you get mad?” Rose asked as she leaned against his chest.
How could he think when Rose was so close and smelled so sweet?
“I don’t like being played the fool, Rose.”
“Because I wanted you to kiss me?”
“To act out the scene,” Cullen reminded Rose, wishing she couldn’t feel his booming heartbeat, but she was still plastered against his chest.
“Okay, I confess I wrote the scene because I’ve never been kissed. How can I write about kissing in my stories if I’ve never done it myself?”
“Pretty you, hasn’t been kissed? Surely, you’re joking. I bet you’ve had dozens of men court you.” Cullen felt a tinge of pride being the first one who kissed Rose though.
“Couldn’t happen with us always traveling,” Rose sighed. It was another thing the circus had taken away from Rose, the joys of courting and falling in love.
“I really liked kissing you, Cullen and would like to do it again. And not for research purposes either.”
Cullen admitted to himself he’d like to do it again too, now that Rose explained why she tricked him.
“You liked my kisses?” Cullen couldn’t help the smile trying to spread across his face.
“I loved how your kisses made my heart flutter and my toes curl. I know it sounds silly, but if this is what courting and marriage feel like, I want more.” Rose leaned forward, looking as if she wanted to kiss him again.
Was love and kissing what made Angus, Fergus, and Mack smile whenever they mentioned their wives? Why had he never courted a girl? Cullen grew up watching his adoptive parents show affection to each other.
But he’d always shunned giving affection because his mother wouldn’t—or couldn’t—give it to him. But why was he letting the past direct his life now? Angus’ words bounced in his head. Get over it.
Cullen had the chance to have a wife and a father in his life if he’d set aside his past anger and hurts. Could he do it? Maybe, if Rose helped him.
Cullen gently cupped Rose’s cheeks and lightly kissed her lips. “How about we try out some more scenes for your book? I think we both need the practice.”
“Oh, I’d like that, Cullen,” Rose purred as she kissed the corner of his mouth, his chin, his jaw and below his left ear.
Cullen would have to say the books of the Bible frontward to backward ten times after he left Rose tonight, or else he’d never calm his mind and body down. He couldn’t help wondering if kissing someone was always this good, or if it was because he was kissing Rose.
Mack kissed a lot of women, but Mack knew the first time he saw Doctor Pansy, she was the one he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.
Was Rose Cullen’s special person? He’d need more kisses to find out. What did Rose call it? Research? Yeah, he wanted to do a lot of research with Rose now.
Chapter 11
Wednesday
“How's the brisket, Charlie?” Rose asked as she watched the man saw through his piece of meat. Was his slice not tender, or didn't she bake it long enough? Tonight's meal didn't turn out as well as last night's. She should have gotten the brisket in the oven sooner, but she stopped and talked to Helen Paulson after buying the meat at the meat market, and time got away from her.
“Just fine since I didn't have to cook it myself, Miss Rose,” Charlie winked at her, but she knew it hadn’t been in the oven long enough.
“Cornbread is mighty tasty,” Pastor said as he wiped another swipe of butter across his piece. Rose had baked the cornbread too long, and it was dry, hence the need for lots of butter.
And the mashed potatoes had hard bits of potatoes in them since she didn't let them cook long enough, and the gravy was lumpy and salty.
Rose was almost in tears before Cullen and Charlie arrived, but Kaitlyn's hug and stories of her own cooking failures made Rose realize every meal wouldn't come out perfect every time, let alone the first time.
“Cullen? How's your meat?” Rose hated to ask, but he was the one she wanted to impress.
Cullen looked at his mother first, who raised her eyebrow at him. Honestly! Couldn't the man speak without checking with his mother first!
“Not bad for your first attempt with a brisket, Rose. Depending on the age of the bovine, this cut of meat can be tender or tough, no matter how long you bake it.”
“Oh. Thank you for telling me that.” Maybe it wasn't her lack of cooking knowledge that had made the meat tough. She'd ask more questions from Adolph about cuts of meat in the future.
Then Rose saw Pastor give a nod of approval to Cullen as if Cullen had said the right thing to appease her. Well, Rose knew marriage was a mix of giving and take.
No one spoke around the table as they chewed their meat. It was going to be an awkward meal.
“I do believe this brisket was from an old cow, Rose. We'll bake the rest of the meat more tonight to see if it becomes tender, and if not, I'll sh
ow you how to grind the meat for sandwiches.”
Everyone, except for Charlie, switched to the rest of the meal, now knowing they didn't have to keep chewing the tough meat.
Rose waited until Charlie swallowed his mouthful before asking him a question. She hated to see him still trying to tackle the meat.
“Charlie, Cullen never told me how you and his mother met,” Rose asked.
Cullen dropped his fork, causing a lump of potatoes and gravy to fling onto his shirt. Rose noticed the silent signals between Pastor and Kaitlyn as Cullen wiped the mess on his shirt with his cloth napkin.
“That's because we've ah...never talked about it before. But I would like to, if that's alright with you, Cullen.”
Cullen nodded but stared at his plate instead of eating.
“Mary Elizabeth and I—”
“Wait. I thought my mother's name was Dolly,” Cullen interrupted Charlie.
“That was her 'stage' name, Cullen. Her real name was Mary Elizabeth O’Malley.”
“Why didn't I know that?”
“Probably because she was never called by her real name in the brothel. I met her and her husband in Fort Riley—”
“Husband? My mother was married? Unbelievable!” Cullen growled as he rose from his chair and stared at Charlie.
“Cullen,” Pastor waved at Cullen, “please sit down and listen to Charlie's story.”
With reluctance, Cullen sat down, but he continued to glare at Charlie.
“Sergeant O’Malley and I served together in Fort Riley, protecting the area before and during the war. He died in an Indian ambush in ‘62 and is buried in the fort cemetery. Your mother was, of course, distraught and heavy with child. Their son was born shortly after Mary Elizabeth received the news of her husband's death, but it didn't survive. Riley Cullen O’Malley is also buried at Fort Riley.”
“I had a brother?” Cullen asked, now that the news sunk in.
“Yes, you did. Mary Elizabeth mourned them both very much, and one night, I... consoled her, resulting in you, Cullen.”
“Why didn't you marry her?”
“Shortly after that night, our troop took off for Fort Leavenworth because the Confederacy was trying to march over Kansas to get to the Colorado gold mines. I was on the east side of the state when you were born in Fort Riley, Cullen.”
“I wasn't born in the brothel?” Rose ached to move over to Cullen and put her arms around his shoulders. Why hadn't he known of this before?
“No. Why did you think that?”
“Because I've never known the facts,” Cullen glared at Pastor.
“We didn't know anything about you when we picked you up, Cullen. All we knew, was that your name was Cullen, and your mother's name was Dolly,” Pastor calmly answered back.
“And you've refused to listen to me when I've tried to tell you anything, Cullen,” Charlie added with a touch of irritation. “I've been here three months, and you haven't spent five minutes with me, at least until you brought Rose over to visit.”
“I'm sorry, Charlie. Go on. When did you find out you had a son?” Cullen crossed his arms over his chest and stared at Charlie.
“When my troop went back to Fort Riley. I figured Mary Elizabeth would have remarried or moved off the fort, but I found her, and you, staying with another woman. You were six months old that day.” Charlie had a faint smile on his face as if it was a good memory.
“What was the date? I don't know my birth date.”
Rose was shocked at Cullen's pained admission. How sad not to know your birthday.
“May sixteenth, 1864,” Charlie said.
“We always celebrated Cullen's birthday on the day we found him, June 18th, since we didn't know his real date,” Kaitlyn answered. The woman wiped a tear from her cheek. This must be as hard for Kaitlyn and Pastor to hear the story of the boy they’d raised, as much as it was for Cullen.
“At least you guessed the year right, Ma,” Cullen said as he reached his hand across the table to Kaitlyn. Rose's eyes threatened to tear as Cullen squeezed his ma’s hand for a long moment.
“I wanted to marry your mother when I found out, but she said she didn't want to bury another husband. The war casualties were a constant reminder of the times we lived in.
“Cullen, I saw you as often as I could, but I was out on fort maneuvers most of the time. When the war ended, I was stationed further west. Mary Elizabeth didn't want to move away from her friend, and I didn't see you for almost a year.”
“How did Mary Elizabeth end up in Ellsworth?” Kaitlyn asked.
“Her friend's husband's company was moved to Fort Ellsworth to protect the settlers from hostile Indians. A year later the fort was renamed Fort Harker and moved some miles east to get the fort out of the floodplain.”
“That got my mother to Ellsworth, but how'd she end up in a brothel?” asked Cullen.
“She needed a job. Mary Elizabeth cooked and washed clothes for the residents of the brothel. Over time she got hooked on opioids, and then started seeing men.”
“Why? Why couldn't you have gotten her out of there?”
Charlie rubbed his hands over his face, probably remembering those days.
“I tried. I got out of the army and then worked on the railroad as it built to Denver. I came back several times to see you. The first few trips I got to spend a little time with you. After that, I'd arrive, and she'd have you hidden away until I had to leave to go back to work.”
“Opioids destroy a person's mind and body, Cullen. I'm sure Charlie tried his best,” Pastor leaned toward Cullen to console him.
“Did you go to the town marshal? Confront the brothel owner?”
“Yes, I did both, but there was little law and order when the town was new. The brothel owner was a mean man who said Mary Elizabeth owed him so much money for the drugs she'd never be free.”
“When's the last time you saw me?”
“When you were four years old. Then the last time I went back when you were six, I found out Mary Elizabeth had died, and you'd been picked up by a preacher's family.”
“You didn't see each other until this year then?” Rose asked.
“By '70 I was a brakeman for the railroad, running between Denver and Kansas City. I was always on the lookout for Cullen when the train came through Clear Creek. I've spotted him a few times over the years.”
“Then you took a chance to connect with Cullen again when you were injured?” Rose asked.
Charlie shrugged his shoulders. “Doctor Pansy attended me when I had my accident on the train line five miles from here. When I wasn’t traveling, I lived in a boarding house in Hays, but I had no one there to help me. I’d never married. Had no siblings to ask to move in with.”
“Charlie, you need to tell Rose the best part of the story,” Pastor said as he pointed a finger upwards. “God intervened.”
Charlie laughed, probably relieved the story was out.
“Of course, Pastor Reagan had to visit the injured patient recuperating in the back of Doctor Pansy’s clinic. Pastor thought I was the spitting image of his son, Cullen, and brought him along on one of his visits.”
“Doctor Pansy thought Charlie was hallucinating when he recognized Cullen,” Kaitlyn added.
“I thought I saw things too. What was the chance to end up in Clear Creek, seeing my grown son again?”
“Divine intervention,” Pastor and Kaitlyn said at the same time.
The mood of the room lightened immediately. Kaitlyn started stacking their supper plates.
“I think it’s time for chocolate cake and coffee after that conversation. Rose’s chocolate cake looks—”
“My cake looks like it needs divine intervention. I’m not going to be upset if no one can eat it,” Rose had to admit.
“Just because it’s lopsided, doesn’t mean it won’t taste ‘divine.’ Sugar and chocolate can make anything taste good,” Kaitlyn said as she picked up a stack of plates and carried them to the kitchen.
Laughter followed Rose and Kaitlyn as they left the table. It was good to look back and see Cullen and Charlie eying each other with relief now that the tension had broken between them.
Rose’s tough brisket paid off. She asked Charlie the question about him and Cullen’s mother to keep Charlie from choking to death on the meat.
*
“Looks like you got a little chocolate frosting on the side of your mouth, Rose,” Cullen hinted as he swiped his finger on a piece of leftover cake and dabbed the bit of frosting on the side of her mouth.
“I’ll take care of it for you,” Cullen whispered as he licked the frosting off and kissed her full on her lips. Rose liked sharing the sweet taste of chocolate between them.
Now Rose knew why Cullen volunteered them to wash the supper dishes. They’d have time alone while Pastor, Kaitlyn, and Charlie visited in the parlor.
“Oops, I think I see a little frosting here…and here…” Cullen said between kissing down her neck. Rose couldn’t help arching her neck to give him access, although they both knew there was no frosting down the side of her neck.
After several minutes of kissing, Cullen stepped back. “I better stop finding chocolate on your face before Ma comes in wondering why we’re not done with the dishes.”
“She did close the door between the kitchen and dining room. Didn’t I hear that was a sign that the person on the dining room side had to knock on the door before entering the kitchen?” Daisy had told Rose how that door had hit both Angus’ and Daisy’s noses before their wedding ceremony, giving them matching bruised faces.
“Yes, Ma will give us privacy, for a certain length of time,” Cullen said as he picked up the drying towel again. They were almost done and would soon be back with the others.
“Cullen, how do you feel after hearing your mother and father’s story? I take it you hadn’t heard the details before.”
“Relived to finally hear it but embarrassed that I didn’t let Charlie tell me before now. He couldn’t run after me to make me listen. I hid from the facts just as my mother hid me from Charlie.”
“But now you can talk and hear so many stories about Mary Elizabeth, and your Moore side of the family too.”
Grooms with Honor Series, Books 4-6 Page 18