As if the weather had heard her defiance, the wind slashed the sleigh and the horse neighed in alarm.
Frozen pellets pelted her face.
"Yes, ma'am," he said sarcastically. "But that there gust of wind is a clear indication we're heading into a blizzard."
"Then get us to my aunt and uncle's as soon as possible," she said, a tiny prickle of worry starting to zig along her spine. Like she said, she was not going to die in some freak blizzard in Montana.
The snow fell faster and thicker, and at times, she wondered how he could even see the road. The horse seemed to have slowed, it's head down, but he trotted on like he knew where he was going. Her fingers were starting to numb and she tucked the fur around her closer, no longer caring it was a dead animal skin keeping her warm.
Thirty minutes later, she'd moved the scarf that was around her neck up to her face, protecting her cheekbones from the stinging ice that felt like needles. The vista was no longer beautiful, and she counted minutes, hoping they would soon arrive. She worried they would pass her uncle's house in the swirling white, never seeing the home.
"How m-much further?" she asked, screaming into the wind.
"We're not even half way," he said, glancing around them. "I'm having to remember trees and bushes along the road, but in the snow, it all looks different."
Moaning in frustration, she ducked her head to try to keep the cold wind at bay.
Suddenly Seth stopped the sleigh and hopped out.
"What-t-t are you doing," she asked, her voice quivering, her body wracked by penetrating shivers. She'd never take feeling warm for granted again. "Let's-s-s go," she cried, her voice shaking.
Ignoring her, he walked up to the horse and held his hand over the horse's nose and rubbed his head. Then he hurried back to the sleigh. "The horse had too much frost and snow caking his nose. I had to wipe it off." He glanced at her. "Are you doing all right?"
"I'mm....f-freezing," she said, shivering, her teeth clattering.
"I know. Me, too," he said. Suddenly he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her close to him.
"Stop. What-t-t...are...you...d-doing?" she protested, but it came out sounding weak.
"We're sharing body heat," he said. He took the pelt and wrapped it around the two of them. An infusion of heat and warmth from his body felt wonderful. Taking a deep breath, she breathed in his scent and her heart beat a little faster at the feel of his hard muscled thigh rubbing against her skirts. She should move away, but she was too cold.
"I don't think we're going to make it to your uncle's," he said quietly. "The storm is getting worse. I can't tell where we're at."
She glanced at him, her facial movements feeling frozen. "Where will we stop?"
"My house is about ten minutes up the road. We're going there."
"No," she demanded. "I want-t t-to keep going."
"You want to die?" he asked.
"No, but..."
"Then we're going to my house until this blizzard blows over."
Everleigh wanted to kick and scream and demand that he take her to her uncle's, but part of her knew they were making the right decision. In fact, a sensible voice in her head said they would be lucky to make it to his place. The wind was howling so hard and fast, she couldn't see anything but white in front of her. Thank goodness the horse seemed to sense they were close to home and turned down a frosted lane lined with drifts.
Finally, after what seemed like forever, the horse stopped. The snow was blowing so hard, she could barely make out a structure.
Seth turned to her. "Wait. Let me help you. You're wet and cold."
The rashness of this man. She could get out of the sleigh without his help. She threw off the pelt and regretted her action the moment she did. The frigid air blasted her and she realized how much colder it would have been without that blanket of warmth. Throwing her stiff leg over the side of the sleigh, she stepped down and immediately fell face first into a deep drift. She couldn't feel her limbs. They were numb from the arctic chill and she lay there struggling to move in the snowbank.
"You just couldn't wait, could you?" he said, lifting her.
"I am quite capable of taking care of myself."
"I can see that," he said, swinging her body into his arms.
"What are you doing?" she asked, feeling breathless being held by this lumbering hunk of a man.
"I'm carrying you into the house."
A sense of warmth and security enveloped her as he carried her one hundred ten pounds of frozen humanity. When they walked inside, he set her gently on the ground.
"Can you stand?"
"I think so," she said, grabbing onto a chair and looking around, her feet still frozen. "Where is your family?"
Lighting a lantern, he fussed with the lamp until it was lit. As light spread throughout the house, he glanced at her and then licked his lips. "I live alone."
For a moment, she felt a thousand needles stinging her face and limbs. They were alone with a raging blizzard outside.
"I can't stay here."
"You have no choice," he said and walked out the door.
As the door closed, she sighed and let her head slump to her chest. She was alone with a surly man who didn't even like her.
Chapter 2
Seth rushed out of the house and into the snowy cold where he'd left the horse and sleigh. The bitter cold was a welcome respite from the sharp tongued greenhorn from New York. The woman could be trying and now they were stuck together. The horse made a deep rumble in his chest.
"I know, Rusty, it's bitter out here. Give me just a moment and you'll be in the barn with a nice fresh bag of oats," he said, locating the rope he had tied to the house. He stretched it out, walking into the swirls of white, unable to see the barn, but knowing it was close. He bumped into the building, kicking his frozen toes against the wood. "Found it."
Walking along the building, he located the door and tied the rope to the handle. Now he could come and go between the the two buildings without getting lost. Snapping a throat hook onto the rope, the other end he tied to his belt. Quickly, he made his way back to the sled.
"Let's get you in the barn," he told the horse. It must sound crazy, but he talked to his animals all the time. They were usually the only breathing creatures around for miles. Except now Everleigh occupied his house, filling it with her womanly scent and gorgeous..."Stop, right there."
It wouldn't do him any good to be thinking about the curves hidden under that fancy dress she was wearing. She was so far above of a rancher’s league.
Climbing into the sleigh, he turned the vehicle in the direction of where he thought the barn was and the horse gladly pulled him right up to the door, which he pulled open with the rope attached to his waist. With little urging, the horse trotted inside where he climbed down.
"Hey, Big Blue," he said, reaching down and petting the mutt he'd raised from a pup. The dog licked his hand. "We've got a guest, so you can't come up to the house."
The dog whined like he understood his owner.
Quickly, he went to work unharnessing the horse. He glanced around at the animals curled up nice and warm inside the building. A milk cow, a couple of calves, some chickens, a few grunting pigs, and three horses. Most of his cattle were in the pasture not far from the house and he prayed they would make it through the storm. He hated to think of them out there in this weather. As soon as it stopped snowing, he'd be taking them hay. The stock hay was safely inside the new sheds he'd built in the pasture this summer, but he still went out and spread the hay bales for his cattle.
Once he'd brushed and fed the horse, he glanced toward the house and thought of the woman waiting for him there. He was tempted to sleep out here in the barn. If people in town learned they'd spent the night alone, no matter what the circumstances, no matter that nothing happened between them, they would be required to marry. Even James might insist he marry his niece.
And good Lord, he didn't want that woman tied to him forever. He'd
gotten lucky once and while it hadn't been his doing, he now knew he was much better off without the girl he'd been engaged to.
Sighing, he knew he should go in. The woman didn't have sense enough to know she'd just survived a blizzard. And that her wet clothes would only make her sick. He was going to look like the biggest pervert demanding she take them off and hang them up to dry. But he didn't need her catching pneumonia and dying at his place. Or her uncle blaming him for her illness.
He was in quite a pickle. One demanding, beautiful, sexy as hell woman having to stay in his home unchaperoned. He wondered if she realized the consequences of them being snowed in alone together.
Walking into the house, the first thing he noticed was her squatted beside his fireplace, a blanket tossed about her shoulders.
"Oh, come on, light," she said, striking the flint at paper she'd stuffed under a log.
Feeling remorse for not making a fire before he went to the barn, he strode over to the fireplace. "Let me."
Standing, she bumped into him, her breast brushing against his arm. His cold blood heated, rushing through him. Licking his dry lips, he leaned down and struck the flint. A spark hit the paper, igniting it.
"You make it look so easy," she said.
"I've had more practice than you," he responded, not looking at her.
Within a matter of moments, the fire was blazing and heat warmed the room. "I got busy taking care of the animals in the barn."
It wasn't exactly an apology, but more an explanation.
"I couldn't find a kettle, but I found a pan. Do you have tea?"
He swallowed. He'd never had a woman in his home. Hell, he had very few visitors. "No tea. But I have coffee."
"As long as it's warm, it will do," she said. She started to sit, but instantly jumped up when she realized the back of her dress was soaked. She went to the fire and turned her backside to the flame.
"You need to get out of those wet clothes. I'm going to change as well."
She glared at him. "And just what do you think I'm going to change into? All my clothes are packed away in my trunk. And where is my trunk?"
Seth sighed. He hadn't even thought about unloading her baggage. She wasn't supposed to be here. She wasn't supposed to stay. Sometime soon, very soon, he was going to need to retrieve her trunk from the barn. For now, she could put on his clothes...if she would.
Crossing his arms over his chest, he stared at her, knowing she wasn't going to like what he had to say.
"I'm not going back out in that snow. I'm cold. I'm tired. You can wear one of my pants and a shirt."
She stared at him, her mouth opening in shock. "Your clothes!" Her voice rose. "You want me to wear your clothes?"
"Or you can go without," he said sarcastically, the words slipping into the open. He watched her bristle. Maybe he shouldn't have said that.
"You need to take me to my uncle's, right now. That was a crude suggestion and I will not accept your insolence."
He laughed. "Lady, the only way you're getting to your uncle's tonight is if you walk."
"Fine. I will."
He watched in disbelief as she put on her coat, hat, and gloves and went to the door. When she turned the knob, the door flew out of her hands and smacked the wall, the force of the wind blowing snow into the house and chilling the room instantly. She stood there a moment, her mouth open. The storm had grown stronger.
Walking over to her, he shoved the door shut and latched it.
"’Tis not a fit night for man or beast. If you want to walk to your uncle’s, that's your choice, but before you go, I insist you write out your last will and testament."
She turned and stared at him in shock. "You are no gentleman."
He shrugged. "Probably not. My mother used to tell me I was a trying child."
Putting her hands over her face, she sighed heavily and shook her head. "This is going to ruin my reputation. We can't stay here alone without a chaperone. There's no one here but us."
"Maybe we can get you to your uncle's and no one will know."
She glanced up at him, her emerald eyes wide with fright. "I won't tell."
"I won't tell," he assured her. "I don't like this situation any more than you do."
Sighing, she stared at him, her eyes narrowing. "You did this on purpose."
The woman was crazy. "What? Create a blizzard so I'm trapped here with you?" Shaking his head. "If you remember, I was the one trying to get you to come on while you chitchatted with the newspaper man."
The reality of their situation hit her and he had the urge to comfort her, but stood his ground afraid she would think ill of him if he touched her.
"Look, we can't change things. We just have to accept what's happened and try to make the best of the situation. Maybe no one will ever know," he said softly. "I'd offer to sleep in the barn, but that's not going to matter. No one is going to believe that we didn't..."
"Ohh, believe me, I'll know we didn't," she said.
He laughed, easing the tension knowing this was going to be a long night. "You can have the bedroom and I'll sleep out here on the couch. That way I can keep the fire going all night and hopefully, we'll stay warm."
This really wasn't fair to either of them. In order to survive, they had to share a residence alone. He only hoped her uncle understood and didn't force him into a shotgun wedding.
She shook her head. "I don't have a nightgown. I have nothing in here with me."
"I should have thought about your trunk. But frankly, I was just thrilled to get us safely to the house. That last mile, I was worried we weren't going to make it." He gazed at her. "I'll get you a pair of my pants and a shirt. We'll hang your dress next to the fire and hopefully by morning, it'll be dry."
"Do you think we can make it to my uncle's in the morning?"
Gazing at her, he could see fear on her beautiful face and wanted to somehow reassure her that she was safe with him, and he would get her home as soon as possible, but this blizzard was packing a nasty punch.
"We'll do our best," he said, walking into his bedroom. For her sake, and his, he hoped so, but there were no guarantees and the way the wind was howling, he feared this storm was one for the record books.
Everleigh stood in his chilly bedroom after the door had closed and glanced around. It wasn't a bad room. In fact, it was cleaner than she'd expected. Small, neat, and organized. She gazed down at the clothes he'd laid on the bed for her. A man's pair of pants and a dark shirt. Shivering, she knew he was right. Being cold in these wet clothes could not be good for her, but neither could running around in a man's shirt and pants. They didn't even know one another and she was going to be wearing clothing that was more revealing than her dresses.
Reaching behind her, she struggled to undo the buttons on her dress. There was no way she was going out there and asking him to unbutton her clothing. That would be like asking him to take her to bed.
She shivered. When the top two buttons were loose, she pulled the wet garment up and tugged it over her breasts where it clung to her. Oh my, she was stuck, with no one to help. She'd stay tangled in her clothes forever before she would call him to help her. With a ripping sound the garment finally came over her head, knocking the pins from her hair. "Oh, fiddlesticks."
"You okay in there?" he called.
Quickly, she held the dress in front of her in case he opened the door, her heart beating in her chest. "Fine."
Sinking onto the bed, she looked at the seam she'd ripped. With a little ingenuity it could be fixed.
What was she doing here?
Taking a deep breath, she released the nerves that threatened to overwhelm her. She reminded herself she was a suffragette, a fighter for women to have the right to own property, have a bank account, custody of their children, and even vote.
During college, she'd marched with women for the right to vote. She'd been a very young woman, but they'd thrown her in jail just like all the others. For hours, they'd sat on the concrete floor, sing
ing and talking and laughing and doing everything they could to drive the jailers nuts. After that experience, she could handle one night with a man she didn't know, wearing his clothes.
Jerking her shoulders back, she thought of her friends in New Hope, Texas, several of them married and Abigail expecting a baby. For Christmas, she should have gone to Texas rather than Montana.
Sighing, she removed her wet corset. Thank goodness in college she'd tossed her normal corset and started wearing the "Perfect Health" corset that she could easily remove herself.
As she put one leg into his pants, she smiled, trying to bolster her courage. If only her friends could see her now. They'd know she truly was a modern woman, wearing men’s clothing and stranded alone. Her chin trembled as she fought back the tears. She could do this. She had no choice.
Tugging his shirt over her chemise, she sighed, then breathed in the smell of Seth as warmth filled her. Moving about the room, she couldn't help but feel the freedom of wearing pants, yet they were scratchy against her legs and tight.
Walking to the door, she felt naked, vulnerable, and nervous and reminded herself again, she could do this.
Yanking open the door to the bedroom, her stomach quivered as she glanced to Seth, determined not to let him make her feel more uncomfortable. Stepping out with her sodden garments in front of her like a shield, she hurried to a line he'd strung near the fireplace. Quickly, she hung the clothes where hopefully, they'd soon dry and she could put her dress back on.
Seth stood near the fire. His eyes widened as he skimmed her apparel. Clearing his throat, he swallowed.
"They look better on you than me," he said, his voice sounding gruff.
Awkwardly, she glanced at him, "Thanks, I guess."
He nodded toward the kitchen. "I made a fresh pot of coffee. I thought maybe it might warm you up."
"Thank you."
"There's cups on the shelf and sugar in the bowl," he said awkwardly. "I'll fix a pot of stew for supper, if that's okay?"
She nodded, unable to think about eating as she found the cups and fixed herself a mug of the hot brew. Turning, she picked up her coffee and came closer to the fire. A small couch sat in front, and she sank onto the sofa, feeling uncomfortable as the rough material of his pants scratched her tender thighs. The cotton shirt felt soft against her chemise and smelled like Seth. A warm, rich aroma of clean man. She licked her lips, her hands shaking from nerves that left her rattled.
Wild Western Women Mistletoe, Montana: Sweet Western Historical Holiday Box Set Page 11
