Colorado Promise: A Sweet Historical Western Romance (The Front Range Series Book 1) by Charlene Whitman

Author:Charlene Whitman [Whitman, Charlene]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Ubiquitous Press
Published: 2013-10-16T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 18

They rode mostly in silence the three miles back to town. Emma feared the grasshoppers would descend once more, as they had when she and Sarah had run back to the ranch, but only a few stray ones flitted past them now and then. Emma wasn’t sure if Lucas had been wholly honest with her when he insisted she stay put on his horse, just in case a swarm blew in and her horse spooked. Although she knew he was primarily concerned about her safety, part of her hoped he’d kept her on his horse because he wanted to be close to her.

She had to admit, at this moment, she couldn’t think of anyplace she’d rather be than perched on Lucas’s saddle in front of him, with his comforting arms draped around the sides of her body as he lightly held the reins. Ransom was so responsive to Lucas’s subtle signals and shift in body posture that he hardly had to move at all. At one point, where the empty road leveled out, Lucas asked if she’d like to lope, promising he’d hold on to her so she didn’t slip off—since she was sitting sidesaddle on what he called “an ordinary Mexican saddle.” Seeing that Shahayla was prancing with nervous energy from the day’s earlier commotion, she turned her head and gave Lucas a nod and smile, a bubble of joy welling up in her heart.

Despite the fright she’d had that morning, the brisk fall air and thrill of riding ensconced in a cowboy’s arms couldn’t be more romantic. Well, she could think of other things that would make it more so, but she did not allow her mind to wander off in that direction. Emma was surprised by Ransom’s perfectly smooth gait; she hardly bounced at all—although Lucas’s arms pressed in close and held her secure. By the time they’d slowed to a walk, with both horses breathing hard, Emma found herself hardly taking a breath at all. Her heart pounded in a way that made her feel more alive than she’d ever felt. She chalked it up to the stunning fall day and the relief that the swarm of grasshoppers had dissipated. But her heart argued that there was a different reason for such deep-seated joy.

The smooth half-hour ride passed before she knew it, and all too soon they were turning onto her street. Without suggesting it, he’d gone north past the main entrance to town, by the railroad depot, and turned in closer to her house. No doubt to avoid curious onlookers who might come to wrong conclusions—even though he told her if the grasshoppers were in town, they’d be engulfing the crop fields right now. His route kept them as far from the fields as possible.

Stormy clouds had gathered overhead, threatening rain. The temperature had dropped as well, and Emma pulled her shawl tighter around her shoulders. No one was on the street, and an eerie calm draped the neighborhood. Dozens of grasshoppers winged on the wind around them, appearing aimless.

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