Pony Express Christmas Bride by Rhonda Gibson

Author:Rhonda Gibson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2016-09-18T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Sixteen

Josephine pressed her ear tighter against the bedroom door. Now that Philip had left, she could hear Thomas moving about the kitchen. It sounded like he was doing dishes.

He’d told Philip that women belonged at the side of a man, but he’d not allowed her into that position. She reminded herself that theirs was a marriage of convenience. In all reality, with that arrangement, she didn’t belong beside Thomas. Or did she?

It was all so confusing. They’d never really talked about this aspect of their marriage. Oh, sure, they’d had fun and laughed a lot like friends, but not as life partners, not as husband and wife.

Josephine walked back to the chair that now sat by her bedroom window. Her fingers itched to pick up the Bible that lay on the table. What would the book say about her circumstances now? Did the Lord approve of her and Thomas’s arrangement? Or had they muddied the waters of marriage in God’s eyes? She both wanted to know and didn’t want to know.

If the Bible said they should have a real marriage, Josephine wasn’t sure she could do that. She didn’t trust Thomas. Couldn’t trust him. And so far, he hadn’t done anything to earn her trust.

She pushed up out of the chair and decided it would be best to face the man in the kitchen. Even though the tears she’d shed earlier were already dry, Josephine wiped at her face. She pulled the ribbon from her hair and ran a brush through the tangled curls. Once they were tamed, Josephine opened the door to her bedroom and faced her husband.

Thomas sat at the table, cradling a coffee mug in his hands. His green eyes met hers. His light brown hair was ruffled, as if he’d been raking his fingers through it over and over again.

She walked to the stove and found that beside the coffeepot was a pot of tea waiting for her. He’d thought about her needs once more. Why couldn’t he have just told her what his plans were? Why had he hidden them from her? Josephine poured herself a cup of tea and added a generous amount of sugar to it. Only after she’d taken a sip of the sweet brew was she able to turn back around and face him.

“If I could go back in time, I would tell you about the Pony Express and the cattle ranch before Philip did,” Thomas said in a still, firm voice. “But I can’t. All I can do is say I’m sorry. I should have told you sooner.”

Josephine nodded. “I know and I’m sorry, too. For a moment this morning, I forgot this wasn’t a real marriage and you don’t have to tell me all your plans.” She set her cup down. Her necklace lay on the table. Josephine picked it up with a frown.

Her hand went to her neck. When had she lost her mother’s locket?

“The chain broke. I found it and fixed it for you,” Thomas said.

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