Home to Stavewood (Stavewood Saga Book 3) (22 page)

Chapter Sixty-Nine

    
 
C
olleen knelt on the bed and set down the tray carefully. Mark moved slightly and she watched him curiously. With the fur lying across one thigh she could see nearly all of him stretched in sleep on the bed. His limbs were long with lean muscles, his chest smooth and bare, neck long and shoulders broad. She drank in the vision of him, and touched his thigh gently, surprised that he stirred in his sleep. Colleen had no idea how often a man could perform, but it was clear that he was ready again this morning.

      “Good morning,” his voice was deep and quiet as he rolled towards her. Colleen jumped and blushed deeply.

      “I made you breakfast.” She tried to busy herself with the tray.

      Mark slid the tray aside and pulled her to him.
“This is all I need for breakfast.” He pushed her to the bed beneath him and nuzzled her shoulder. Colleen giggled and looked into his eyes as he raised himself over her.

      He lifted the ribbon to her gown and pulled it aside, exposing her shoulder and he kissed her there, slowly and gently. Colleen groaned as his lips trailed to her breast and she arched her back when he found what he had been seeking. She parted her lips and uttered his name at his gentle tug and she pulled him to her and he found her without direction. This time he did not hesitate, entering her firmly and she gasped and lifted her hips to him in pleasure, the couple quickly finding satisfaction in the soft morning sunlight.

      “There’s only cold water here,” Mark commented as he filled his mouth with the rich pastries. “No hot bath, but if the house goes up as quickly as Vancouver’s we won’t have to stay here long.”

      “We could go back to Stavewood if you want.” Colleen sat cross-legged on the fur in front of the blazing fireplace, her gown disheveled and hair tumbling over one exposed shoulder.

       “Like that?” He looked at her with appreciation. “I think if you stay dressed just like that I will never go back to Stavewood.”

      Colleen blushed and her hair fell across her face.

      Mark sighed with satisfaction. “These pastries are wonderful, but nothing, my dear Colleen, is as delicious as you are right now.”

      The bride tossed her hair back with her wrist and Mark shook his head and smiled with appreciation.

      “I vote we stay here. I’ll heat water for a bath if you like. In fact, I might even join you.” Mark volunteered.

      “You won’t miss your family?”

      “Not a bit,” he grinned at her devilishly.

      “How many days have we been here?” Mark lay stretched out on the bed following their lovemaking, Colleen’s head on his shoulder. He tugged at a tendril of hair and pulled it straight, then let it spring back into a tight curl.

      “A week, I think.” Colleen ran her fingers softly along his chest and turned her head up to face him.

      “We’re nearly out of food,” he said.

      “Not quite,” Colleen smiled. “I think we’re good for two more days.”

      “Maybe my folks will figure we’re not going to want to leave here and just deliver us groceries.” Mark thought the idea amusing.

      “Yes, Mark Elgerson. Your family has given you your own ranch, a brand new house there, more gifts than we are ever going to fit into it, a delicious honeymoon cabin for over a week and now they’ll drop off food so that you and I can stay here and make love three and four times a day. And,” she continued, “I am an angel and we have died and gone to heaven.”

      “Three and four times?” He sat up and looked at her.

      “At least that,” she smiled.

      “And only food for two more days?” Mark furrowed his brow.

      “Yes,” she looked at him puzzled.

      “That’s only eight more times!” he gasped loudly.

      “Do you think that after we leave here we’ll never make love again?”

      “What if it’s an amazing dream and if I leave here I wake up?”

      “I see,” Colleen frowned. “You may be right. Come here.” She pushed him down onto the bed and threw her thigh across his lap, straddling him and letting her gown fall down onto him.

      “Colleen Elgerson,” he grinned hungrily. “Eight times will not be enough. I think before we go out for food it should be at least ten!”

      Colleen put her hands on his bare chest and leaned to kiss him. “Twenty,” she whispered.

      When Colleen slid her thigh from his lap Mark gasped loudly.

      “That counted as three,” he groaned. Colleen had maddened him by boldly taking control of how they moved and it drained him completely.

      Colleen stood up, entirely naked, her hands on her curved hips. “You’re right,” she nodded. “That would never have happened at Stavewood. I think we should wait for the grocery delivery.”

      “I might not live that long,” Mark moaned in surrender.

      The couple sat dressed for the first time in days at the breakfast table, ready to venture out into the world.

      Colleen drank her tea solemnly, not uttering a word.

      “I could go for food and you could wait here,” Mark volunteered, trying to cheer her up.

      “You would do that?” she looked up curiously.

      “I would,” he smiled. “Colleen, I would do anything for you.”

       She smiled sweetly. “What on earth would you say to your family?”

      “That I’ve come up for food. Colleen is so entirely beautiful and completely beguiling that I can’t leave her side. But we need food so we don’t starve from making love five or six times a day.”

      “Your parents might just go for that.” She tilted her head thoughtfully. “Or I could go,” she suggested. “I’ll tell them that you’re my captive, but you have to eat.”

      “Even better!” he laughed.

      “It’s okay,” Colleen touched his cheek. “We’ll talk to them about the house being built. It really would seem silly to move in here if it were only for a little while. When the house is done we can be together whenever we like.”

      Mark lifted her to stand beside him and kissed her gently.

      Colleen teased open a button on his shirt.

      “We can go to Stavewood after lunch.” Mark pulled her to him and kissed her hungrily.

Chapter Seventy

     
R
ebecca heard the couple come in through the back door and looked up from her tea in the soft twilight. Supper had finished and the younger children were tucked into their beds. Counting quickly to herself she figured that no one had seen or heard from them in ten days. She smiled.

      “How was your honeymoon?” Rebecca asked, trying to sound casual.

      “It was fantastic!” Mark flashed a broad smile Rebecca thought she had not seen since his father had bought him that first bicycle.

      Colleen blushed deeply. “It was wonderful.”

      Rebecca nodded. The couple looked happy and comfortable with one another in a way she knew only intimacy could bring. Assured that they would be happy together she entertained the thought that perhaps it would not be long that she might be a grandmother.

      Mark carried their few things up the back stairs, calling back, “We’ll be in Colleen’s room.”

      “Colleen,” Rebecca gestured to the girl and Colleen crossed the room to face her.

      “You are the picture of happiness. I have something for you.”

      “Oh, Rebecca,” Colleen protested. “No more gifts. Everyone has been so generous.”

      “You’ll appreciate this one.” Rebecca lifted her hand. “Open your palm.”

      Colleen reached out as instructed.

      Rebecca dropped a brass key on a long white ribbon into the girl’s hand.

      “To my room?” Colleen looked up expectantly.

      “To the entire third floor,” Rebecca smiled.

      “Oh thank you!” Colleen flung her arms around Rebecca’s petite shoulders and hugged her warmly.

      “It’s not the cabin, but you will have the upper floor entirely to yourself.” Rebecca grinned.

      Colleen ran up the back stairs, her curls springing, eager to show Mark the treasured key.

      Mark bounced onto the bed in the big guest room and bit into a large apple. “This is great,” he smiled. “This whole floor to ourselves and a kitchen full of food as well.”

      Colleen smiled as she brushed out her hair to prepare for her bath.

      Mark heard her slip into the tub and noticed that she left the door to the bath ajar. He tossed the apple core into the trash bin and went to join her.

      Opening the front door to Roland’s persistent knock, Timothy let the man into the foyer just before dawn.

      “It’s time,” he smiled nervously. “I need someone to ride out for Isabel.”

      “On my way.” Timothy bounded up the stairs, rousted Rebecca and knocked loudly on the third floor door. Mark sat suddenly upright in the bed and hurried down the hall.

      “Emma’s ready to have her baby. I’m riding out to get your grandmother. Time for you to take Colleen and Rebecca over to the Vancouver’s place.”

      Mark pulled the wagon to the back door and helped the women aboard and hurried toward the Vancouver house. There he found Roland pacing in the parlor, his face pale with worry and Émigré circling the room nervously. Timothy pulled up in the yard with Isabel and joined the other men.

      “I don’t expect it will be long until it’s your turn, considering how long you took on your honeymoon,” Timothy quipped to his son.

      Mark smiled and looked up the stairs nervously.

          Colleen stood in the corner of the room, watching the birth preparations, barely breathing.

          Rebecca stripped the bed efficiently and laid out the special blankets, covering the mattress carefully. Isabel checked the progress of Emma’s labor as soon as they had placed her on the bed, panting softly with each contraction.

      Colleen had heard bits and pieces of how Emma had nearly died in childbirth with Ottland and that the infant had been born blue. She wanted children of her own, but suddenly she was terrified.

      Emma began to groan with each contraction and Rebecca and Isabel slid her up on the bed in preparation for her delivery.

      “Colleen, I want you over here,” Isabel spoke in a clear commanding voice and Colleen swallowed hard and followed her instruction. “I’ll want you to take the baby so get that blanket over there on the chair and be ready.”

      Colleen stood beside the mid-wife and, as she watched, the baby’s dark hair began to show.

      “This one is going to be easy, dear!” Isabel remarked clearly. “Next pain and you need to push.”

      Rebecca sat by Emma’s side holding her hand with encouragement and as soon as she saw Emma begin to sit up with the next contraction she spoke into her ear. “Push, Emma. Push!”

      Emma set her chin on her chest and grunted loudly, pushing with all her might, delivering the head of her baby.

      Colleen swayed slightly and her mouth dropped open.

      “And again!” Isabel commanded, and a tiny infant slipped into her waiting hands.

      “It’s a boy!” Isabel announced and Emma gasped for air.

      Isabel wiped the newborn’s face and the child let out a loud wail.

      Smiling with relief, Emma fell back onto the bed.

      “Saints in heaven,” Colleen whispered.

      When Isabel placed the baby into Colleen’s shaking hands the young woman took the corners of the blanket and lifted them over him reverently. He was solid and compact and he struggled to look around the room.

      “He’s beautiful,” Colleen whispered, studying his face intently.

      Isabel finished the delivery and helped Rebecca clean up. Then she situated Emma comfortably on the bed. Taking the child from Colleen’s hands, she washed him quickly and handed him to the eagerly waiting mother while the young woman watched mesmerized.

      Colleen walked to the side of the bed as if in a trance.

      “That was the way to do it,” Isabel laughed as she gathered up the soiled linens. “Colleen, would you go down and get Roland?”

      Colleen smiled mutely and walked down the stairs.

      Roland stood at the bottom of the staircase waiting impatiently. Timothy and Mark joined him as they heard Colleen on the stairs and the three men stood looking up expectantly.

      “It’s a boy!” Colleen gasped. “He’s so beautiful!”

      Roland ran past her up the stairs and Colleen stood as her eyes filled with tears.

      Mark stepped up beside her and took her hand, leading her into the parlor.

      “He’s so beautiful,” she kept whispering.

      “Another fine boy!” Timothy congratulated as the family gathered to welcome the new addition into their world.

      “What will you name him?” Isabel asked over the noise of the family.

      Emma looked up at Roland seriously from the bed, the infant huddled in her arms, and the room grew quiet.

      “Samuel Even Vancouver,” Roland smiled down at his wife.

      “Oh,” Rebecca gasped.

      Mark took Colleen’s hand and felt the lump rising in his throat.

      “A wonderful choice,” Timothy nodded solemnly.

      Émigré pushed open the door with his nose, crossed the room, and sniffed the baby curiously. Then he pushed him with his nose so he was closer to Emma and sat on the floor next to the bed, his tongue lolling.

      Mark smiled watching the animal and decided his ranch needed a dog.

      Ottland rubbed his little eyes as he staggered barely awake into his parent’s crowded bedroom. He looked up at the families, walked to the side of the bed and peered at the new baby.

      “What do you think?” Roland squatted down beside the child, putting his arm around her warmly.

      “Baby,” Ottland said clearly.

      “Yes,” Roland smiled proudly. “That’s your new little brother.”

      Ottland looked at the infant again and then pointed to Roland’s chest.

      “Daddy,” Roland said clearly.

      Ottland shook his head and pointed at the dog.

      “Daddy,” he said.

      Roland stood up and threw up his hands. “I guess I’ll have to start working on teaching the next one,” he joked, sending the families into peals of laughter.