Tame a Wild Bride, a Western Romance (2 page)

Tendrils of hair hung down all over having escaped from their restraints.
 
She’d so carefully put up all of her hair into a bun high atop her head at the start of the trip.
 
Now she was sure she looked like some sort of rag-a-muffin and this was her wedding day.
 
Her dreams about her wedding didn’t include her being dirty and wearing a traveling suit that was four days past feeling fresh.
 
She’d brought her dress thinking she’d have a real wedding.
 
But that’s all it was, a dream.
 
Mentally slapping herself, she remembered this
wasn’t
a dream this was reality.
 
A reality she’d chosen, so she lifted her chin a little higher and made the best of it.

When they got to the rings, Tom placed a plain gold band on her finger.
 
She had her father’s wedding band to give to him, it was also gold but had scroll work etched into it.
 

Then the preacher said “You may kiss the bride.” Tom looked at her and, as if he were seeing her for the first time, searched her face probably trying to find a clean place to kiss her.
 
He finally leaned down and gave her a chaste kiss on the lips.
 
Quick, but not so fast she didn’t feel the warmth of his lips on hers all the way to her to her toes.
 
She could get used to that.

They arrived at the boarding house, as newlyweds, just in time for supper.
 
Mary Peabody, a short, white-haired lady, had the table laden with food.
 
It sat twelve and, with Tom and Rosie, was packed.
 
It was Thursday night and apparently Thursday was fried steak night.
 
Mashed potatoes and gravy, fresh biscuits, green beans flavored with pieces of bacon, creamed onions and baked apples shared the table.

“Mary, this is Rosie.
 
My wife,” Tom said by way of introduction.

Rosie’s mouth watered at the delicious aromas assaulting her from the table.

Mary seemed oblivious to Rosie’s grimy condition as she took Rosie’s hand in both of hers. “Pleased to meet you, Rosie.”

“As I am you,” said Rosie.
 
“Do you have some place I could wash up?
 
I’m afraid I’m still covered with grime from the train.”

“Why sure, hon, follow me.”

Mary led the way to the kitchen.
 
“There’s a basin at the sink, hot water in the kettle and I’ll get you a towel.”

“Thank you,” said Rosie, ecstatic she’d be able to wash her face with soap and water.
 
“There’s only so much you can do with a handkerchief.”

“Don’t I know it.”
 
Mary handed her a dish towel.
 
“I’ve traveled to Denver a couple of times and felt like I’d been rolling in a pile of dirt by the time I got there.
 
I can’t imagine being on a train for days on end.
 
Tom told me before that you were coming from Philadelphia.
 
That’s a big change…coming to Creede.
 
Sure you’re up to it?”

Rosie washed and dried her face.
 
“I know I am.
 
I want a home and children.
 
I’m determined to make this work.”

“Glad to hear it.
 
Tom doesn’t need anymore tragedy in his life.”

Rosie nodded.
 
“I understand he’s a widower.”

“He’s more than that.”

“What do you mean?

Mary looked a little flustered.
 
“I’ve already said too much.
 
I’ll let him tell you.”

“Of course, I should get that kind of information from my husband.
 
That sounds so strange to say.
 
Um, do you think I could get a bath after supper?”

“I’ll arrange to have it readied for you.
 
You just tell me when you want it sent up.”

“Splendid.
 
Anytime after supper would be wonderful.
 
Thank you.”

“It’s nothing.
 
Now let’s go eat supper before it’s all cold or gone.”

Rosie laughed.

Tom stood when they entered and held her chair out for her.
   

Rosie had never been a picky eater.
 
She wasn’t willow thin.
 
She was full bodied and strong.
 
She used to help the maids clean the house, much to her brother’s chagrin, but it kept her from turning to fat as so many of her friends were doing.

She glanced over at Tom.
 
His hair so deep, dark brown, as to be almost black.
 
His blue eyes blazed against his tanned skin.
 
He had crow’s feet probably from the sun.
 
He didn’t appear to be the type that laughed too often.
 
Perhaps she could change that.

Tom was tall and lean, not skinny but muscular.
 
Even so, she was amazed at the amount of food he ate.
 
If her brother had eaten like that he’d have weighed three hundred pounds in no time.
 
Still, he must work very hard if he could put away that much food and remain lean.
 
She made a mental note to cook twice as much as she was used to cooking.

“Tell me, Tom,” she said, trying to get used to saying his name instead of calling him Mr. Harris.
 
“You said in your letters, your children are aged ten and three, correct?”

“Yes.
 
Ben is ten and Suzie is three.
 
Why?”

Rosie leaned in toward him so she wouldn’t have to shout.
 
No need for everyone to know their business.
 
“I was trying to determine how much food I’ll need to prepare.”

“You’ll be cooking for fifteen.
 
Not just the family but the cow hands, too.
 
Is that going to be a problem?”
 
He took a bite of the baked apple.
 
From the look on his face, it was very good.

“No, not at all.
 
Fifteen.
 
I’ll have to adjust my recipes.
 
Increase the proportions.
 
I only cooked for my brother and a small staff of servants at home.
 
Robert didn’t want to hire a cook, so that was one of the things I did.”
 
Amend mental note.
 
Quadruple
all recipes.

“Glad to hear it.”
 

“Tell me about your ranch,” she said as she cut her steak.

He set his fork down and almost smiled when he started talking about his ranch. “It’s only a thousand acres, small compared to some of the ranches around here.
 
I run three hundred head of cattle on it with the help of eleven men.
 
I hire extra men during branding season and when we drive the herd to the rail head here in Creede once a year.
 
Have you ever cooked out of a chuck wagon?”

“No.”
 
She sat up straighter, feeling a growing sense of panic.
 
“Surely you don’t expect me to go on a cattle drive with you?” she said, appalled he would even consider it.

He had the good sense to look chastised.
 
“No, no of course not.
 
Old Orvie will continue to do the cooking for us on the drives.”

“Obviously, I’ll stay at home with the children,” she added firmly.

“Just Suzie.
 
Ben will be going on the cattle drive with me this year.
 
It’s his first time and he’s looking forward to it.”

“Isn’t he a little young?” she asked surprised

“Not out here.
 
It’s time he learned.”
 
He shoveled in a forkful of potatoes.

“Speaking of learning, I assume I’ll be teaching the children since you are so far from town and the school.
 
That’s not something we discussed.
 
Do you teach them now?”
 
She took another bite of her steak.
 
It was the most delicious she’d ever tasted.
 
So tender it nearly melted in her mouth.
 
She made another mental note to ask Mary what she did to make it so tender.

“My wife did up until two years ago.”
 
His bitterness was unmistakable.
  
Rosie assumed that was when she’d died.
 
He’d never said in his letters when she died.
 
He must have loved her very much to still be so bitter after all this time.
 
“I’ve been doing the best I can.” he said.
 
“I hoped you’d
 
be willing to take it over even though it wasn’t in our agreement.”

Rosie put down her fork, finished with her supper.
 
“You and the children are my family now.
 
Their best interests are mine as well.
 
We want them to grow up and be able to succeed in any endeavor they choose and they need schooling to be able to do that.”
 

“I agree.”
 
He looked surprised that she’d be thinking of the children, but he shouldn’t have.
 
She’d made it clear in her letters she wanted children.

It was still light outside when they finished dinner.
 
Tom suggested they go for a walk and he’d show her the town.
 
Though she dearly wanted her bath she thought it might be best to spend the time with her new husband.
 
She asked Mary to wait on the bath.

Creede was not large by any stretch of the imagination, but there was everything necessary for a farmer, rancher or miner.
 
Two hotels besides the boarding house, a mercantile and feed store, barber shop, bank, sheriff’s office, courthouse, two churches, ten saloons and several whorehouses, which she didn’t stop to count.
 
She supposed the miners, from the surrounding silver mines, had to go somewhere to spend their money and let off steam.
 
She doubted many of them did it in church.

It took them about an hour to walk down one side of town and up the other.
 
They walked side-by-side, but Tom made sure to keep his distance and didn’t hold her hand.
 
She really couldn’t blame him considering the state of her clothes.
 
Twilight had settled on the town by the time they got back to the boarding house.

Rosie was nervous.
 
There was no other way to put it.
 
Tonight was her wedding night and she had no experience, no real idea of what would happen and what was expected of her.
 
She wished they could wait for a while before they became intimate.
 
She didn’t think Tom would like the idea so she was surprised by his words as they walked up the stairs to their room.

“Rosie, I know you’re nervous about tonight but you don’t need to be.
 
I’m not taking you to bed tonight.
 
Maybe not anytime soon.
 
But I will bed you, hell, that’s what a wife is for, but just so you know, there’ll be no more children.
 
I’ll see to that.”

Even though she’d wanted to wait, she didn’t mean forever.
 
She was flabbergasted and hurt.
 
He was killing her dreams.
 
The one thing she wanted more than anything was children.
 
Her own children.

“May I ask why?”
 
Her voice broke as she choked out the question.

Tom was straight forward with his answer.
 
No beating around the bush for him.
 
“My wife left me for some sweet talkin’, low life peddler.
 
Then she had the good taste to go and get herself killed in a carriage accident.
 
I’ve got no use for a woman in my life.
 
My children do.
 
You’re here for them.
 
I love my children but I don’t want to be left to raise more when you leave.”