Tyler’s Christmas Bride by Stella Clark

Author:Stella Clark [Clark, Stella]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: historical romance, Women's Fiction, Victorian Era, 19th Century, Forever Love, Bachelor, Single Woman, Love Possibility, Frontier-Pioneer Era, Cowboy & Western Romance, Hearts Desire, American West, Clean & Wholesome, Christian Stories, Faith Based, Inspirational Reads, Love Inspired, Life-Changes, Second Chance Reunion, Honesty & Trust, Home & Family, Lifetime Love, Romantic Schemes, Love-Family & Forever, Action & Adventure, Small Town & Rural Area, Mail-Order Bride Series, Christmas Holidays & Celebration, Christmas Time, Holiday Whimsy, Festive Season, Winter Weather, marriage of convenience, Novella Length Story
Publisher: Aryn House Publishing
Published: 2019-11-12T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 8

Tyler was in the barn, doing the chores he had done every day for years. He went about them methodically, but his mind was elsewhere.

He could not stop thinking about the kiss he had shared with Rose in front of the fire that day. Had she kissed him back? Was it possible she wasn’t appalled by his limp? Could she love a man who could only look upon her with one eye?

These thoughts were keeping him awake at night and nagged at him during the day. He knew he could not stop thinking of her. He knew that, although he wasn’t sure how she felt, he was head over heels in love with this woman who had shown up when he had least expected it.

He was about to head out to the pasture when he heard a rustling outside the barn door. He walked outside and found Rose walking past.

“Rose? What are you doing out in this cold?” he asked her, shocked.

“I needed some fresh air,” she responded.

He immediately became concerned. “Are you feeling all right? Has the doctor come by yet?”

Tyler thought her saw her face redden at the mention of the doctor, but shrugged it off as a symptom of the cold temperatures.

“Yes, he gave me some vitamins. I am feeling fine. I was just feeling cooped up is all.”

“Here,” Tyler said, “Step into the barn out of the wind for a minute.” He led her by the elbow into the barn and out of the gusty air.

Rose looked up at him, and Tyler was struck by how fragile she seemed. Covered in layers to protect herself against the cold, she looked small and frail. He had a sudden urge to wrap his arms around her and protect her from everything outside the walls of the barn in which they stood.

He noticed something else, too. Her eyes. They looked at him, not with disdain or with pity, but with something else. Something softer. Pools of green which reflected, not his own insecurities, but something that ran a lot deeper. They pleaded with him in a way he didn’t understand. They were asking him a question he couldn’t answer. He did the only thing he knew to do, the thing he had been dreaming of since that moment in the kitchen. He kissed her.

He had made up his mind that if he ever kissed her again, he would really try and discern what she felt. He would pay attention to signs and how quickly she did or didn’t pull away. But now that she was here, and his lips were touching hers again, he found he could think of nothing. He could only just be. He was not a man with a disability or one who had survived a horrific accident. He just was, and it was all he could do to pull away.

She stood, breathless before him, and he thought he saw tears in the corners of her eyes. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I…” He didn’t really know what to say.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.