Devlin's Montana Bride (Sweet, clean Western Historical Romance)(Montana Ranchers Brides series) (11 page)

Nathan nodded and said nothing more about it. Devlin could only imagine how his friend must be feeling. Nathan had been devastated when he'd lost his wife. Devlin had tried everything to help his friend through the grief. There had been times when he'd worried that Nathan might be overcome with grief. But he knew that his friend wouldn't leave Emma alone in the world. That was unthinkable.

Gradually Nathan had regained hope for life and had sought out a new wife. He'd even travelled the breadth of the country to claim her.
 

That was something that Devlin could never imagine himself doing. After he'd been jilted, Devlin had felt that no woman was worth that trouble. But then Elise had come into his life, and all that had changed. Now he could easily imagine chasing across a continent to claim someone like Elise. That very thought gave him pause.
 

How had this happened? And so quickly.
 

Was it that he'd been storing up his feelings and that the mere presence of someone like Elise had let those feelings out? Whatever the explanation was, the truth was that Elise had found a way into his heart despite the wall he'd put; in spite of his initial determination that their marriage would just be a marriage in name only.
 

When Devlin had seen Nathan and Abby together he'd seen a vision of what might be for him and Elise. In his heart he felt drawn to that vision. But there was only one question he didn't have an answer to yet. Did he have the courage in himself to seize the chance with Elise?

A while later the two women returned and Devlin and Elise prepared to leave. Emma was disappointed at seeing them go so Abby let Emma show Elise some of her drawings. The little girl was definitely talented, thought Elise, as she spent some time in Emma's bedroom looking through the stack of colored drawings and paintings. Emma's excitement at showing Elise her work was truly infectious. Elise felt right at home in the little girl's bedroom. It reminded her so much of her room back at her parent's house.
 

Elise looked around the room and saw the dolls laid out on Emma's bed. She felt a stab of nostalgia as she picked up one of the dolls, a loose limbed, home made figure, dressed in a gingham outfit. Elise recalled her own collection of dolls and how possessive she'd been about them, competing with her sister about who had the prettiest one.

Now all that childhood was behind her, so distant in the past. It seemed a very long time ago. Elise was a grown woman now; a married woman, even though she was still getting used to the idea. Maybe it was time to truly leave the past behind. Elise drew her attention back to the present and she gave the little girl her full, undivided attention once again.

Later, when Devlin and Elise stepped up onto the buckboard Nathan, Abby and Emma stood arm in arm and waved them goodbye. The sight of the family standing on their yard, looking so much together and in love, touched Elise's heart to the core. They looked so happy, so contented, so together. That was what it meant to be a family, living on a ranch, here in beautiful Montana. Abby tried to hold back the emotion that welled up inside her as she waved goodbye to the Grantly family.

After the buckboard rolled out under the entrance gate to the ranch Elise eventually let herself shed a tiny tear.

Devlin looked over at her. "You okay, Elise?"

Elise wiped the tear away with a gloved hand. "I'm fine. They're such a lovely couple. And that child is a darling.

"They sure are a fine family. I'm real glad everything's worked out fine for them all."

Elise sighed. "Seeing them has made me think, Devlin."

"About what?"

Elise paused. What could she tell him? That she had been up in Emma's room and that she'd decided that the time had come for her to seize the opportunity that fate had presented to her to be a rancher's wife? Could she really tell Devlin that?

"I've been thinking about lots of things," she said after a long pause that had him glancing with concern at her.
 

Devlin frowned.

Elise steeled herself for what she was about to say. She wasn't sure exactly how she was going to broach the subject, but she knew she had to.

"I've been thinking about us."

Devlin shifted in his seat.

"About our marriage," she continued. "I know it's all new and we hardly know each other, but the last few days have made me feel so many different emotions."

Devlin's knuckles tightened on the reins.

"I know Elise. I understand. I really do. And I'm sorry if I've made things hard for you."

"You haven't Devlin. You've been sweet. And I appreciate what you've done. I mean you saved me from a fate worse than death."

Devlin nodded slowly. Elise could see the concern written on his face.

"As long as you're happy Elise," he said. "That's all that matters to me."

"And I am happy, Devlin. I guess. It's just that you and I...We are officially a couple now. Aren't we?"

Devlin swallowed. "We sure are," he said hesitantly. She wondered what he was thinking about her in that moment. He looked confused, as if he wasn't quite sure where she was leading the conversation.
 

Elise voice was soft when she spoke. "Maybe we should be acting a bit more like Nathan and Abby."

"What do you mean, Elise?"

"They look so...together. Don't you think?"

"I guess so," he said fixing his gaze on the track ahead.

"It didn't take them a whole lot of time. Did it? They seem so close. And in such a short space of time," she said.

Devlin looked at Elise. "That was different. They kinda knew each other by mail. They wrote letters to each other for months."

"I know. But you get my meaning. Now that they live here, in Montana, they seem to have settled with each other real quick."

Devlin pulled on the reins and drew the horses to a halt. "What are you saying Elise?"

Elise clasped her hands in her lap and stared out ahead. She took a deep breath and then spoke: "I guess I'm saying that you and I should be a real couple. In every sense," she said softly and with a calm finality.
 

Elise could hardly believe what she had just said to her husband. Had he understood what she'd meant? In fact did she even mean that? Was she asking for intimacy, the closeness that would allow them to be like Abby and Nathan?

Devlin's brows lifted and his mouth opened. The breeze blew gently and shifted loose hair across Elise's face. Devlin reached over and moved the hair aside, his intent gaze settling on her features. There was a long pause and his eyes softened. Elise felt something shift inside her and her throat tightened imperceptibly.
 

The crease of a smile turned the corners of Devlin's mouth. "Elise. You know what I feel about you. I told you on the way here."

"I know that Devlin."

Devlin's eyes narrowed suddenly and he leaned in, his warm lips claiming her own. The caress of his mouth was delicate and gentle. Elise felt herself go heavy as she submitted to his tender attentions. His kiss was tender at first, but then his lips were suddenly persuasive and commanding in a way that took Elise by surprise. There was a passion in the kiss that hadn't been there before. Elise reached up and ran her fingers through his dark hair. The scent of Devlin overwhelmed her and the warmth of his body, so close and so firm, threatened to make her lose herself.

He'd believed her, she thought. He'd truly understood what she was telling him. She felt a surge of relief that he had grasped what she was requesting of him, even if the words had been unspoken. He knew now that she wanted their relationship to change, even though they'd only known each other a very short time.

Their lips parted and Devlin was gazing deep into her eyes. "Elise. You are incredible."

Elise couldn't resist the urge to smile. She didn't say anything. She was merely content to gaze deep into her husband's eyes, celebrating the look that she saw there, wondering to herself where the passion she saw there had been hiding all this time.

The fierceness of his gaze suddenly made her feel a stab of anxiety. She hadn't seen that look before and she felt the color in her cheeks change.

With a sudden force she didn't know she possessed she wrenched her gaze away from him. Devlin took her chin gently in his cupped hand and turned her face back to him. He ran a thumb gently and slowly along her lower lip. "Don't you go looking away now," he growled.

Elise felt her eyes widen. Devlin kissed her once more, and yet again Elise felt the world shift beneath her. She leaned in close to him, wanting him to hold her, keep her safe. His teeth nipped at her lower lip and she felt his tongue probe gently.

Devlin drew his head away. His eyes were wide and his nostrils flared.

"What are we going to do about all this?" Elise asked desperately.

When Devlin spoke his voice was firm and slow, the words measured and emphatic. "You're my wife. That's all that matters. I don't care what others think. They'll do what they have to do. But I will not let you go."

He cupped her head in his hand and drew her gaze to his burning look once again.
 
"You are mine, forever."

Elie felt a bolt of energy course through her when she heard those words. She leaned her head back and peered up at the deep, blue sky. It was as if the land had shifted around her. She suddenly felt dizzy. Devlin reached in and pulled her close to him. "There now Elise. It's okay. You're with me."

Elise sank into his embrace, feeling the welcome strength and warmth of his body. She gazed around at the glorious landscape. This was Montana and this was...what?

Love?

That word hadn't been uttered yet, and she was acutely aware of that fact. But didn't love take a long time. How could love appear so suddenly, so unexpectedly?

Devlin hadn't said that word and neither had Elise. The thought of it dominated her mind and she couldn't push it away.

Devlin held her tight and she felt that he would never let her go. Was this what it meant to be possessed, taken as a wife, held close, never to be let go?

It seemed that they sat still on the buckboard for a very long time. Eventually the horses started becoming restless. Devlin took up the reins and held them tight for a moment.
 

He looked at Elise. "You ready to go home?"

Elise nodded wordlessly.

Devlin leaned over and kissed her again. It felt so good to be the center of this man's attentions; to be the only thing in the world that mattered to him. His kiss made her feel that the whole world could do what it liked, but that nothing would stop them being together; nothing would stop her submitting to him.

Devlin smiled at Elise, reassuring himself that she was ready to go home. Then he moved the horses on, the buckboard rolling along the rutted track.
 

It seemed that everything had changed. It had only taken one moment and one declaration from the husband who she now thought was truly gentle and kind and wonderful. She knew he had meant what he said and all she had to do was trust him and commit herself to him completely. Only days before, that would have seemed impossible. But now it felt like the most natural thing in the world.

The hour long trip back to their ranch passed quickly.
 

Devlin looked across at Elise as they approached the hanging sign above the entrance to the ranch.
 

"You happy?" he asked.

"I am, Devlin. Never been happier," she answered.

Devlin smiled and steered the horses into the yard.

"Who have we got here?" Elise heard him say softly.

She looked toward the house and saw two men standing in front of the porch. Their horses were tied to the hitching rail. The men were pacing back and forth. They were both dressed formally in dark suits and had on wide brimmed dark hats. One of the men was scowling and smoking a thick cigar. Elise felt a knot of anxiety curl inside.

Then she recognized one of the men.

"What the hell..." she heard Devlin say.

Elise let out a polite expletive of her own.

What was Bart Caulfield doing here!

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

This looked bad, Devlin thought urgently. What was Bart Caulfield doing here at this time? He glanced over at Elise and felt a rush of anger. All the happiness and contentment he'd seen on her face in the last hour had been wiped of her face in an instant. Her eyes were wide with fear as she stared at the two men pacing menacingly in front of the house.

Devlin drew the buckboard up and leapt down off the seat. He gestured to Elise. "Stay there, Elise. I'm gonna deal with this," he stated firmly.
 

She merely nodded. He saw her clutch her hands tight together in her lap.

Devlin whirled around as Bart Caulfield and the other short, middle aged man strode up to him. Caulfield threw his cigar down into the dirt of the yard and stamped on it.

Devlin took up a stance in front of Caulfield. "Get off my land, Caulfield," he demanded.

Caulfield smiled easily, unaffected by the harshness of Devlin's tone. "I will in a moment. But I thought I'd come out and give you the news, Cooper. And give you a chance to do the right thing," he said with a sneer.

Devlin frowned. What could Caulfield possible have to tell him that would constitute news?

"News about what?" Devlin asked.

Caulfield gestured toward the short man with the piggy eyes and ill fitting dark suit. "Don't suppose you know Cyrus Fitzhugh here, do you," he enquired.

Devlin looked at the little man. He felt he did know that look, those deep set dark eyes, that rotund figure. The man played nervously with the watch hanging from his waistcoat. Devlin didn't like the look of him. Trouble had a look and he was seeing it right in front of him.

"Mr. Cooper. Pleased to meet you," the man said, lifting his hat. Everything about the little man said sleazy, thought Devlin.

"Mr.Fitzhugh is a lawyer. New to town. But he's a man with extensive experience of all things...how shall I say...matrimonial," Caulfield said slowly. He turned to Fitzhugh. "Isn't that right Mr.Fitzhugh?"