The Cowboy Takes a Wife by Davalynn Spencer

Author:Davalynn Spencer
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2013-08-31T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 9

Annie looked up from a fading rose at the cabin’s corner to see Caleb making his way toward her, a sober look on his face.

“I’m sorry,” he said.

She shook her head and turned back to the rose, plucking at the dying petals.

“It’s not your fault.” Her finger snagged on a thorn, drawing a red bead at the tip. Squeezing her finger, she commanded the tears that pricked her eyes to hold their place.

Caleb reached for her hand, unpocketed a red bandanna and held it against the wound.

Feeling foolish for such a careless act, Annie tried to pull away, but he held her fast—firmly, yet gently. His eyes roamed her brow, her cheeks, her lips, as if charting every inch of her face. A flutter caught in her throat, and she feared that she matched the rose’s once deep pink.

“I could have said bear.”

Curious, she tipped her head.

“I could have said I was hungry as a bear.”

Laughter eased the tightness in her shoulders, and she relaxed her hand in his. He continued to hold it, though she was fairly certain the bleeding had stopped.

“It’s not your fault. Daddy has wanted to be rid of Nell for a long time, but I don’t want to let her go. I love her soft breath on my face, the way she nuzzles me for the apples...”

Catching herself, Annie withdrew her hand and looked away. What was it about Caleb Hutton that made her want to trust him with such personal details? Feeling exposed, she regretted leaving her hat indoors and nervously fingered the new combs in her hair. And yet she kept talking.

“We left everything familiar back home, and when we bought the horses in Denver, it was as if our traveling family expanded. I had more to care for than just myself and my father.”

She clasped her hands at her waist. “How could I have known that she was...”

The heat of embarrassment flooded her neck.

“I’ll talk to those freighters the next time they come to the wagon yard. Spring is the time for buying a horse. They’re not making many trips out until then anyway.”

She peeked at his face. Why had she never before noticed the depth of his dark eyes?

He stuffed the bandanna back in his pocket and, offering his arm, gestured toward the narrow lane. “Care to walk?”

She hooked her fingers in his elbow and allowed him to lead her away from the rosebushes and toward the path.

They strolled up the lane, away from town, and warmth spread from his strong arm into hers. Wood smoke painted the breeze and falling leaves laid an amber carpet at their feet.

Caleb cleared his throat and threw her a sidelong glance. “Which is worse?” he asked her. “Telling your father about the coming foal before it arrives or waiting until it gets here?”

A heavy sigh slipped out. “I’ve asked myself the same thing a hundred times. I’m just afraid.”

He stopped abruptly, surprise and doubt in his scrutiny. “I find that hard to believe, you of the broom and the biscuits.

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