Tame a Wild Bride, a Western Romance (11 page)

“I have something to teach you.”

“As much as I’d just
love
to learn something else I have to do, I have to clean upstairs and change all the linens today.”

He shook his head.
 
“That can wait.
 
We’ll sleep on the same sheets for another week.
 
This is important.”

“Alright.
 
What is so important?”

Tom took a deep breath.
 
“You need to learn how to shoot.”

“No, I don’t.”
 
She turned to leave.

He put a hand on her shoulder, halting her escape.
 
“Yes, you do.”

“Why?”

“Because when we drive the cattle to summer pasture and again to the rail head in Creede, you’ll be here alone.”

“Why don’t you leave someone here to protect us, if you’re that worried?”

“It’s the children’s safety I’m worried about and I don’t have any spare men.”

“Really?
 
Is that all?
 
Just the children?”

“Of course.
 
You have to be able to protect them at all times.”
 
He turned away and mumbled under his breath, “and yourself, too.”

She heard him and smiled.
 
By the time he turned back to her, she demurely held her hands together in front of her, no smile on her face.

“Who would teach me?”

“I will, of course.”

“I didn’t think you’d want to take that much time out of your day.
 
After all it might be difficult for me to learn.”

He patted her on the back.
 
“You can do it.
 
You’ve learned everything else easily; this won’t be a problem for you.”

“All right.
 
If you insist.”

“I do.
 
It’s important for a woman out here to protect herself.
 
Take Catherine, for instance.
 
She can use a gun almost as well as Duncan and has had to do it.
 
There was some trouble, years ago before they were married and she had to protect herself from a very bad man.
 
She was able to do it because she could use a gun and they knew it.”

They walked out behind the barn.
 
Tom carried a shot gun and had his pistol in its holster, strapped to his leg.
 
Rosie figured he was going to teach her how to fire both weapons.
 
She smiled.

“Alright,” he said when they were at the targets.
 
He’d set up several cans on the hillside for her to practice on.
 
He took his pistol out of its holster.
 
“This is a Colt .45.
 
It can shoot six times without reloading.”
 
He handed it to her.

She nearly dropped the darn thing and had to grasp it with both hands.
 
“It’s much heavier than it looks.”

“It is.”
 
He came to her side.
 
“Now pull the hammer back to cock it.”

Rosie pulled the hammer back with her thumb.

“That’s right.
 
Now bring the gun back up and use the site at the end of the barrel to aim your bullet.
 
Got it?”

She nodded.

“Now gently squeeze the trigger.”

It seemed to take forever.
 
She squeezed and closed her eyes, opening them in time to see the dirt fly below the targets.

“Rosie, you have to keep your eyes open.
 
Here let me help you.”
 
He came behind her and put his arms around her, holding her hands up.
 
“Now squeeze again and keep your eyes open.
 
You can’t hit a target you can’t see.”

She took a deep breath and squeezed the trigger.
 
The bullet hit to the right of the center can.

“Better.
 
Let’s try that again.”

Tom moved closer to her.
 
She felt his erection press into her back.
 
He really wasn’t immune to her.
 
How long was he going to hold out?
 
Did he really plan on never making love to her?
 
Based on the current state of affairs, she didn’t think he’d be able to hold out much longer.
 
She wiggled her butt against him and corrected her stance.
 
She heard his sharp intake of breath and smiled.

She fired again and again missed the target.
 
This time to the left of the can.

“I’m getting closer.”

“Yes, you are,” he breathed into her ear.
 
“Very close.”

“Tom I….”

He stepped away and cleared his throat.
 
“You’ve got the idea now.
 
Try it again.”

Rosie fired and this time hit the can.
 
A little low, it went flying into the air.
 
Frustrated, she said “Give me the shotgun.”

“We haven’t gotten there yet.”

“And at this rate we never will.
 
Just give me the shotgun.”

He handed it to her.
 
She grasped it, put it snug against her shoulder and fired at the cans.
 
The one on the left went flying.
 
She cocked it and fired again.
 
This time the right one went flying into the air.

“I thought you couldn’t shoot.”

“I never said that.
 
I’ve never shot a pistol but I’m damn good with a shotgun.
 
We used to shoot clay pigeons at Robert’s club.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Why didn’t you ask?”

He shook his head, turned and walked away, muttering, “Women.”

Rosie chuckled to herself.
 
That’ll show him not to take her for granted.

*****

Every day rolled into the other, without much change.
 
She was too tired to even think about seducing Tom.
 
Didn’t have the strength to put any effort into it.
 
She bathed in the evening before going to bed.
 
After her bath, she braided her hair and crawled into bed, always before Tom.
 
By the time he finally came to bed, she was sound asleep.

Tom saw the toll the work took on Rosie, but she never complained.
 
He knew he needed to get her some help.
 
There were several women in town, older ladies who had helped him out before, after Sarah left.
 
And then, when his mother had to leave they helped him again.
 
He’d let them go when he knew for sure Rosie was coming.
 
Now was the time to bring them back.
 
Rosie deserved it.
 
He didn’t want her to be a slave, he wanted her to be able to mother his children, raise them better than he could and she was doing that.
 
Even with all the work she had to do, she still made time for them.
 
It warmed his heart to see them together.

“I’m going to go to town today,” he told Rosie one morning.
 
“I’ll be back before supper.”

He watched the play of emotions on her beautiful face.
 
Excitement, then disappointment at the realization she wasn’t being asked to go.
 

He was such an ass.
 

But she’d thank him once he got back.
 
He wasn’t actually going to town, just over to the Walden ranch.
 
John Walden’s spinster sister lived with him, much to the chagrin of his wife.
 
The gossip all over the valley was that the wife and the sister didn’t get along.
 
He’d see if the sister, Agatha, would consider coming to live with him to help out Rosie.
 
When he ran into her in town, she’d hinted that she’d like to come to work for him.
 
That was when Rosie arrived more than a month ago.
 

Agatha was in her fifties if she was a day.
 
A sturdy woman well used to ranch work.
 
With her help, Rosie would have more time to spend with the children and that was why she was here, why he’d married her.
 
Who was he kidding?
 
He’d married Rosie because he wanted to.
 
The preacher was as surprised as anyone when he’d shown up with Rosie that first day.
 
But as soon as he saw her, Tom knew he couldn’t let her go.
 
She was perfect, even as bedraggled as she’d been.

Her traveling suit showed off her hourglass figure.
 
She’d put her glorious hair in a bun under her hat but tendrils had escaped and formed a halo in the sunlight.
 
Even with the smudges of dirt on her face, she’d been beautiful.
 
He’d planned on getting to know her a little more before marrying her, so his instant decision to wed had taken him by surprise as much as it had her.

He didn’t want a woman, he’d told himself often enough he almost believed it.
 

But he wanted Rosie.

He wasn’t stupid.
 
He knew he was afraid to get close to anyone again.
 
He put up walls so he wouldn’t get hurt again.
 
It was the natural thing to do after Sarah had taken all he had to give and thrown it back in his face, so why did he want Rosie?
 
Because she was kind, gentle, caring and pretty.
 
She cared about his kids and their futures before she’d even met them.
 
She might even love them.
 
Something their mother hadn’t.
 
He couldn’t risk letting her go.
 
It wasn’t fair to keep her at arm’s length, he knew that.
 
And she was determined not to stay there.
 

Every night when he got into bed she rolled over and cuddled against him.
 
She did it in her sleep and he was sure she didn’t know.
 
She was too tired to wake.
 
It was just a natural instinct.
 
One he liked very much.
 
He’d wrap his arms around her and hold her softness to him, while she didn’t know.
 
Couldn’t see his weakness.
 

And smell.
 
She always smelled so good.
 
Just like roses.
 
It was her cream he knew but it didn’t matter.
 
It was also Rosie.
 
Tonight, he held one of her hands in his.
 
It was red and rough despite the cream, the work having taken its toll on her beautiful soft skin.
 
She would still have to do the cooking, gather eggs and milk the cows but he could at least get someone in to do the laundry and clean the house.
 

Leaving the ranch after breakfast and his morning chores, he took the buggy and wondered if Rosie thought it odd but if she did, she didn’t mention it.
 
He felt sure Agatha would come home with him as he knew how intolerable she found her current situation.

Three hours later he returned to the ranch, a small gray haired lady beside him.
 
She was short, but stout and strong.
 
He’d explained to her that he wanted her for laundry and general housework and that he’d pay her $10 a month plus room and board if she accepted.
 
He had a spare bedroom off the kitchen for just such a purpose.
 
Sarah had insisted that she have help.
 
Help!
 
He’d had several different women come to assist her.