The Cowboy's One Night Bride (9 page)

“Come on,” he said quietly. “We’ll go in and clean the foal while Christy is resting.”

As Anthony gently wiped down the foal, Gianna squatted down beside Christy and lovingly patted her snout.

“You did well, girl,” she cooed softly. The horse barely lifted her head. Puzzled, Gianna walked over and exclaimed.

“Anthony! Come see this!”

Anthony hopped up and ran over to Gianna.

A small pair of legs had emerged from the birth canal. Christy was obviously pushing, but nothing was happening.

“There’s another foal, a twin! And he’s presenting in the wrong way.”

Anthony examined the foal and shook his head. “It’s not good. I think the umbilical cord has wrapped itself around its neck and that’s how it’s gotten stuck.”

“What do we do now?” Gianna fought to keep the trembling out of her voice.

Anthony cursed under his breath. “Alright Gianna,” he said in a steady voice, “I need you to grab a pair of gloves for me.”

Gianna tried to steady her hands as she passed the gloves over to Anthony. Smiling tersely at her, Anthony clasped her hand.

“Breathe, Gianna. It will be fine. I need you to come here and hold Christy’s legs steady for me. I’m going to reach into her womb and try to turn the foal around.”

Anthony stuck his hand gingerly into the mare’s opening as Gianna held her feet down to keep her from kicking. Gianna leaned over and whispered soft words of comfort into Christy’s twitching ear.

“It’s alright, baby,” she cooed. “We’re here for you.”

“Steady, steady,” Anthony’s forehead was glistening with sweat as he furrowed his brow. “There we go.”

With a final push, Christy managed to deliver the foal. Watching it lie still on the ground though, Gianna’s heart sank. Something was wrong.

Anthony kneeled down next to the foal, cleaning its nose. He picked up the foal and held it upside down.

“He might have fluid up his nostrils. This will help to get it out.”

When the foal still showed no signs of movement, Anthony laid it back down on the ground. He cupped the foal’s nostrils in his hands and breathed in through its mouth.

“Come on,” he said. “Fight, little one. Fight.”

“Anthony,” Gianna’s eyes filled up with tears. “Anthony, I think he’s gone.”

Looking down at the glassy-eyed stare of the foal, Anthony expelled breath through his mouth. “Right. Right. Shit.”

He slumped down for a moment, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand.

“Are you alright?” Gianna covered his hand gently with hers. Behind her, Christy had risen up and walked over to her first foal, which had begun to rise tentatively to his feet.

“Yeah,” Anthony sniffed. He rose to his feet, carrying the body of the dead foal with him. “Why don’t you head back to the house? I’ll stay back and clean up a little.”

“I can help.” Gianna gently touched his cheek. He leaned into her touch and Gianna caressed his hair. Anthony nodded.

“Let’s leave the mother and child alone for a bit. I’ll get Jack to clean the afterbirth up after I’ve buried this little one.”

Leaning over to peck him on the cheek, Gianna said, “I’ll get Jack. I’ll meet you out back in a bit.”

Nodding, Anthony walked slowly out of the stables, cradling the dead foal against his chest.

++++++++

When Gianna got back to the stables, she found Anthony kneeling out by the back.

“There’s a graveyard where we bury our dead animals. I’ve buried him there,” he told her as she sat down beside him. Resting her head against his shoulder, Gianna nodded.

“Are you alright?” She looked up at him.

Anthony took in a deep breath. “Not really,” he admitted with a half-hearted laugh. “You’d think that I’d be used to death by now.”

Gianna wrapped her arms around him and Anthony sank down, laying his head on her lap as she softly stroked his hair.

Anthony took a deep breath. “My wife died from a miscarriage. We didn’t even know that she was pregnant. It was just like any old day, the three of us riding through town. Annie was on my lap, demanding cake.”

Gianna nodded, her body tense. She could tell that this wasn’t a story that he often told, and she saw what it cost him to recount it to her.

“We were having an argument. I can’t even remember what it was about. Anyway, things were starting to get heated, and in a temper, I rode away from her. I heard a cry behind me and Annie started screaming as she saw her mother slumped back on her horse. I dismounted and we both ran back to her.

“There was blood, so much blood. She was lying unconscious on her horse, and the blood was just gushing out of her, between her legs. By the time we got her to the doctor, she had bled out.”

Anthony’s voice cracked. Taking a deep breath, he tried to calm himself.

“The doctor said that it was an accident, that there was nothing we could have done for her. It was an ectopic pregnancy which had ruptured. But I knew better. It was me.”

Gianna protested as she held him close.

“Anthony, it couldn’t possibly have been you.”

“Yes, it was!” He thumped his fist on the ground. “If I hadn’t riled her up that day, if I had just gotten her help sooner. If I hadn’t gotten her pregnant at all.”

He took a deep breath.

“Anyway. The months and years after that were hell. Esther was gone, my one true love, and I was left to pick up the pieces. It affected me so much that I quit my job as a sheriff. For a year, I just mucked around in the hotel like a living corpse.

“It was only when the numbness set in that I began to function again. I refurnished the hotel, and finally set about bringing up my daughter right. And that’s when it occurred to me.

“Love is terrifying. It makes you weak, because it puts you in a position to lose.”

Gianna rubbed her shoulders and she laid her head against his.

“Anthony. I don’t think love made you weak at all.”

Anthony raised his eyes to hers. Encouraged by his attentive expression, Gianna continued,

“You might have felt weak because you were mourning the loss of your wife. But you grew stronger as you survived that pain, without even realizing it. You did right by your wife. You raised a beautiful daughter and gave her the life she deserved.”

Anthony propped himself up as he stared into her eyes. Gianna found herself staring back, the intensity of their connection shocking her.

“Gianna,” he whispered, raising a hand up to her cheek.

“Yes?” Her voice was soft as a butterfly’s wings as she held her breath.

“Mister Davies!”

They both jumped and turned. Jack was running over to them, totally oblivious of the moment he had just ruined.

“Good day, Miss Gianna. Mister Davies, I’ve cleaned up the stable. Both mother and child look hale and hearty.”

“That’s wonderful! Thank you, Jack.” Anthony rose up from the ground and pulled Gianna up along with him. As Jack nodded and ran off, Anthony patted her hand.

“Let’s head back to the house. You must be hungry after such a busy morning.”

Shaking her head slightly in frustration, Gianna decided to let the matter slide for now. Smiling up at him, she linked her hand in his and bumped him gently with her hip.

“Come on, then. I’ll race ya.”

Chapter 9

A week had passed since the incident at the stables. As the days passed, Gianna’s concern blossomed as Anthony grew quieter and more distant. He was out a lot, often leaving the hotel early and returning only after she had fallen asleep. On the few occasions that she had cornered him, the conversation was terse and awkward.

Sighing in frustration, Gianna plonked the breakfast plates on the dining table a little harder than she intended. Jumping a little, she smiled apologetically at a startled Mrs. Beauchamp.

“I’m so sorry, Matilda,” she muttered, embarrassed. “My mind was somewhere else.”

Clucking sympathetically, Mrs. Beauchamp took her hand in hers. “Don’t worry, poppet, I know exactly what is going on.”

“You do?” Gianna turned to her eagerly. Mrs. Beauchamp nodded.

“Of course! It’s what every newlywed couple faces. The honeymoon period is over and you’re not used to not having him around you all the time.”

Slumping back, Gianna forced a weak smile. “Yeah, that’s probably it.”

In her darkest moments, Gianna found herself wondering if it were possible at all that Anthony had grown tired of her. His behavior had taken a complete shift. In the earlier days, she had lamented how he never seemed to be able to keep his hands off her. Ironically, she was now equally troubled by the opposite. He kept a respectful distance, restricting their interaction to chaste and formal pecks on the cheek. If she hadn’t known better, she could have sworn that he was avoiding any form of contact with her.

“Say, Lily stopped by today. She asked if you were interested in going down to the saloon. There’s a poker tournament going on that she thinks you might be interested in.”

Gianna shook her head. “Oh, I wish I could, Matilda. But Anthony doesn’t like me going down to the saloon much. He thinks it’s a complicated place.”

Gianna’s eyes widened as Mrs. Beauchamp let out a peal of laughter. “Oh, that foolish scamp. He’s probably just jealous of all the attention that you might get, pretty young thing like yourself.”

“You know what I think?” The older lady lowered her voice into a sly whisper. “You ought to go down today anyway. Teach him a lesson for not making time for his lovely wife.”

“You think so?” Gianna asked doubtfully.

“Yes! I know how lonely you’ve been, poppet, what with the only company in this here hotel being either too young or too old.” The older woman waved off Gianna’s protests good-naturedly.

“Tell you what. Mister Davies is taking a day trip out to meet with some investors over at Reno. It’ll take him hours to get back. I’ll cover for you while you go and let off some steam.”

Gianna was tempted. She had grown a little lonely and the poker tournament seemed like fun. Furthermore, Lily was newly married herself and might possibly be able to shed some light on Anthony’s strange behavior.

“Alright then,” she smiled, dropping a quick kiss on the kindly housekeeper’s cheek. “Thanks, Matilda!”

++++++++

Running upstairs to change, Gianna jerked to a stop as she nearly crashed into Anthony.

“
Mio Dio!
” she gasped, as she sank back on her heels. “I thought you were out.”

Anthony raised an eyebrow.

“Yes, I discovered that I had forgotten something and came back to retrieve it. Are you alright? Where are you off to in such a rush?”

Gianna shifted her weight somewhat guiltily. “Matilda’s sent me downtown; I’m just going up to change.” There. At least that much was true.

“Ah, I see.” They stood there in a slightly awkward silence.

“Well, I’m going to get changed then,” Gianna said finally when it seemed that the conversation had died. As she brushed past him, he grabbed her arm, causing her to turn around. His face was closer to hers than she had expected.

“Gianna,” he said urgently. “I know I have been acting strangely lately. I just need some time to clear my head.”

Gianna’s heart raced. Being at such close proximity heightened her awareness of him. She could see every speck of color in his deep blue eyes.

“It’s alright,” she breathed. “I know you’ve been going through some stuff.”

“You’re amazing,” he quirked the corner of his mouth up in a smile. As Gianna leaned in, expecting a kiss, Anthony paused. Shifting his mouth, he kissed her cheek instead.

“I’ll see you tonight, little wildcat.”

And with that, he was gone.

++++++++

Gianna threw back a shot of whiskey as she sat at the bar with Lily. The lively music of a jamboree played in the background.

“Oh come on, Gianna, everyone is dancing.” Lily cocked her head towards the dance floor. “Go have some fun.”

“Thanks Lily, but I’m not really in the mood for dancing,” Gianna said sourly as she watched the happy couples prance around. Lily sighed.

“Alright then. Why don’t you go check out the poker games? It’s the preliminary rounds, so nothing very exciting is happening yet, but at least it beats sitting here.”

Gianna sighed as Lily hustled her over to the tables where men sat, peering intently at their cards. She settled herself down at an empty side table and watched the happenings with little interest.

“Well there, that’s a familiar face.”

Gianna jumped and looked up to see a handsome, dark face grinning at her.

“Drake,” she smiled, gesturing at the empty seat in front of her.

“Don’t mind if I do,” he laughed, opting to sit right next to her. His breezy white shirt was left unbuttoned down the front, giving her a good view of his hard pectoral muscles. She was entranced by his smooth, muscled skin and blushed as he caught her staring.

“Appreciating the view?” He grinned lopsidedly. “So whatcha doing here on your lonesome?”

Clearing her throat, Gianna pulled her eyes away from his body. “I came to watch the poker games but I have no idea what’s going on.”

“Don’t you know how to play the game then?”

Gianna shook her head.

“Well then, Missy, it’s ya lucky day.” He reached around in his jeans pocket, and slapped a deck of poker cards on the table.

“I’ll teach ya how to play.” He smiled widely, showing off his white teeth.

As he distributed the cards, Gianna couldn’t help stealing a glance at him. She had to admit, albeit pretty reluctantly, that she found him very attractive. There was a casual, good-naturedness about him that was a refreshing change from Anthony’s intensity.

“So this here’s a royal flush,” he laid out yet another set of cards in front of her as Gianna broke out of her daydream. To her dismay, he had already gone through a few sets which she had totally missed out on.

“Ya got it?”

“Urm, could you just run through everything again real quick?” Gianna tried to smile innocently.

Drake burst into laughter. He wore his long dark hair loose around his face and it flopped attractively over his face.

“Man, ya really need to work on a good poker face. I can tell you’re bluffin’ from over a mile away.”

“Sorry,” she shrugged. “I guess I’m just not really cut out for the game.”

“Maybe just not today then,” Drake waved off her apologies with a grin and started packing up the cards. As she helped him gather the cards, his hand brushed against hers. Grabbing hold of it, he rose it up close to his face. For a weird moment, Gianna thought that he was going to kiss it.

“Your skin is smooth as a dove,” he commented, running his thumb casually over her skin. After being deprived of any touch for quite some time, Gianna felt a frisson of electricity as his warm skin lingered on hers.

Clearing her throat awkwardly, she said, “Excuse me?”

“I’m looking at ya purty hand and I’m thinking that if it’s any measure, your face must be a joy to touch. And I’m wondering what kind of a fool Anthony is to have you running around all bored-like.”

Still keeping her hand in his, he turned it around critically. “And I’m wondering why I don’t see a ring on ya finger.”

Gianna blushed and grabbed her hand back. “It … it really isn’t any of your concern,” she snapped.

Holding up his hands in a conciliatory gesture, Drake smiled warmly.

“Alright, I’m sorry. Let me buy you a drink to apologize.”

“That really isn’t necessary,” Gianna murmured as she started to gather her things. “I should be getting back now.”

“Aw, come on. One drink, yes? Besides, I seemed to remember that you owed me a game of cards from our last meeting and it seems that’s not going to happen today.”

Gianna sighed. “Alright, one drink. But I don’t want any of that cheap whiskey. I want the good stuff.”

Drake grinned, setting his handsome features alight. “Ever tried moonshine?”

Gianna wrinkled her nose. “What’s that?”

Clasping his hand over to his bare chest in mock shock, Drake laughed. “Only the best for ya, Miss Delucca.”

++++++++

As Gianna pushed open the glass door of the hotel, she felt a little dizzy as she experienced a head rush. Giggling, she entered the door and trotted down the hallway, where she almost crashed into Mrs. Beauchamp.

“Gianna?” Mrs. Beauchamp looked at her in alarm. “Good heavens, child, what happened to you?”

“I’ve been doing as you advised, Matilda. I’ve been living it up!” Gianna cackled as she dropped off her coat right in the middle of the hallway. Mrs. Beauchamp clucked disapprovingly as she hurried to pick it up.

“Gianna, come,” she tugged at the young girl’s hand insistently. Some of the hotel guests had started to stare. In her inebriation, she flicked her fingers at them flirtatiously.

“Gianna!”

It took a great deal of pulling and shoving, but Gianna finally found herself dragged into the kitchen by a worried Mrs. Beauchamp. She slumped down against the table, knocking a couple of plates onto the floor.

“How much did you have to drink?” Mrs. Beauchamp eyed her shrewdly.

“Just a couple of bottles of moonshine,” Gianna said in a sing-song voice.

“Well, I hate to break your alcoholic bubble, but we’ve got trouble. Mister Davies is back early!” Mrs. Beauchamp hissed at her.

“Anthony is back?” Gianna perked up. She struggled to get to her feet. “I’ve got a couple of things to say to that ass.”

“Wait!” Mrs. Beauchamp pulled her back. “I covered for you. You’re right, he’s more serious than I thought about not wanting you to go to the saloon. He nearly bit off my neck when he suspected that was where you had gone. I had to tell many lies to weasel my way out of that one.”

The idea of Anthony biting the head off of a weasel version of Mrs. Beauchamp somehow seemed very ticklish to Gianna. She giggled uncontrollably as Mrs. Beauchamp stared at her in dismay.

“I’m going to look for my husband now.” Before Mrs. Beauchamp could stop her, Gianna had darted out of the kitchen and flew up the stairs.

“Anthony!” she called loudly and giggled at how funny her voice sounded echoing down the stairwell. She shushed herself noisily.

“Anthony!” she whispered in a clandestine fashion. As she ascended the staircase towards the penthouse, she sang, “Come out, come out, wherever you are!”

“Gianna.”

She jumped as Anthony appeared behind her. His face was taut with displeasure as he took in her drunken form.

“Where have you been?” His voice was dangerously quiet. “Have you been drinking down at the saloon?”

While she normally would have been intimidated, her intoxicated state made her brazen and she walked up close to him. Taking him by surprise, she flicked his nose with her finger.

“Hey!”

“Clever boy!” she bellowed, clapping her hands in his face.

Despite the situation, she could have sworn that she saw his lips twitch in the ghost of a reluctant smile.

“Gianna Delucca Davies, how much did you have to drink?”

“I had a few bottles,” she announced, giggling at the shock on his face. “Of MOONSHINE!” She crowed triumphantly, doing a crazy little twirl. “Oops!”

She lost her balance and fell into Anthony’s waiting arms. He lifted her up and carried her up the remaining flight of stairs.

Gianna idly toyed with his hair. “Your hair has grown longer,” she mused and smiled brightly. “When did that ever happen? It’s like magic. You disappear on me and avoid me for the longest time, and then what! Your hair grows and I don’t even notice.”

In a grim silence, Anthony set her down on the ground, where she mulled around. She heard the sound of water and sat up in alarm.

“The waterfall is coming! We’re going over!”

“We’re not going over,” Anthony retorted. “But you are going down.”

With that, he lifted her and threw her into the tub, clothes and all. Gianna shrieked as the cold water soaked her.

“What the— Hey!”

He dunked her into the water, and she emerged coughing and wheezing.

“What the hell are you doing?” she complained.