Calliope removed her white bonnet and turned. “Can you unbutton the gown, please?”
He was startled to see his fingers shaking as he undid the long string of buttons on Calliope’s wedding gown. And were there a lot of buttons. Why the devil would someone make a wedding gown with so many obstacles for the new husband?
As the buttons opened, the sight of her smooth skin under his calloused hands had him breaking into a sweat. He hurriedly finished the rest of the buttons. “I’ll go for a walk while you get ready for bed.” Hoping he didn’t scandalize Rosie by fleeing out the front door in his trousers and Union suit, he raced from the room.
They’d been on the road toward Calliope’s farm in Johnson County since barely after sunrise. Rosemarie had packed a lunch for them to eat on the road since the stagecoach wouldn’t make another stop until they reached their destination. They’d finished that off two hours ago, and from what Stephen could tell by the position of the sun they would be close to arriving within the hour.
Calliope had sat, staring out the window almost the entire trip. They were crowded into the space with three other men. He and his wife sat side-by-side, crammed together with a bulky man sharing their bench. Even though Stephen had planned on riding Topaz part of the way, once he realized doing that would leave Calliope with three strange men, he decided to stay in the coach. Consequently, he was stiff and sore and not in the best frame of mind.
“We’re almost there.” Calliope’s soft words drew him from his musings.
“Yes, I thought we were getting close.”
She took a deep breath and fiddled with the folds of her dress. Stephen placed his hand over hers to still her movements. “Are you nervous?”
“Yes.” She licked her lips and cast him a slight smile. “You have no idea how intimidating Rupert can be.”
“Rupert is no longer your concern. I will deal with him and make sure he doesn’t come near you again.” After four long years fighting for the lost Confederate cause there wasn’t much he was left fearful of. He’d seen friends shot in cold blood, men dragged by spooked horses, horses shot from underneath their riders who fell and were trampled.
No, there wasn’t a whole lot of things that rattled him anymore. In fact, he was anxious to settle this problem with Melrose and get on with his life. He had plans for the farm that would increase their profit once he could establish a horse breeding venture. No bully would stand in his way. He and Calliope were legally married, he was here to protect her and her farm, and anyone who got in his way would suffer the consequences.
Calliope grew more anxious the closer they got to home. It had been so easy to run, to avoid marrying Rupert, but now that she thought about facing him with what she’d done, it was almost as bad as facing Papa when she’d gone against something he’d ordered her to do, or not do. But, she kept reminding herself of Stephen’s words.
Rupert is no longer your concern. I will deal with him and make sure he doesn’t come near you again
If only she could believe that, but truthfully, she didn’t know Stephen all that well. He seemed to be a nice man, and he certainly was liked and respected by his family. She would have to learn to trust herself. Trust that he would take care of her, but at the same time, not attempt to take over her life.
The stagecoach left them off in town. Stephen released Topaz from the coach and strapped his satchel to the back of the saddle. Then, to her surprise, he scooped her into his arms and mounted his horse, settling her on his lap.
He winced as he shifted her. “Are you all right?” His face paled and he seem to hold his breath.
“Yes. I have an injury in my hip from the war, and some types of movements hurt.”
“You shouldn’t have lifted me onto the horse. I could have mounted myself.”
“It’s fine.” The warmth from his body and the welcoming scent of something spicy and comforting radiated from him as he turned the horse and they headed out of town at her direction. The sun hung low in the sky, and a soft breeze blew, the moisture in the air warning of rain sometime soon. As a farmer, she always looked forward to rain.
The house looked exactly the same as it had when she’d run yesterday morning. It was hard to grasp that only one day had passed since she’d abandoned her groom who must have been waiting for her at the Judge’s home. She shuddered at how close she’d come to being tied to that man for the rest of her life.
“Are you cold?” Stephen asked.
“Maybe a little.” She just weary, just wanted to walk into her very familiar house, take a hot bath and go to bed. But first she would have to deal with Bertha, who had driven her to town so she could catch the stagecoach. The cook and housekeeper had lectured her the entire way, asking her what she planned to do when she got wherever it was she planned on going.
She hadn’t any plans at that point. All she wanted to do was get away. The idea of finding a substitute husband came to her while she rode the distance between Sterling and Bartlett Creek, as far as the ticket she’d purchased took her. There she found Stephen McCoy.
Her husband.
Bertha opened the front door, wiping her hands on the white apron wrapped around her middle with a huge grin on her face. “Thank the good Lord, Miss Bender is back.”
Calliope slid from the horse before Stephen could even assist her and ran up the steps, giving Bertha a big hug. “Yes, I am home. But guess what?”
Bertha was looking over her shoulder, frowning. “What did you do?”
She released the older woman and took Stephen’s hand, who had followed her up the stairs. “Bertha, this is my husband, Mr. Stephen McCoy.”
“Husband!” Calliope was sure there would be no reason to notify Rupert what she’d done because most likely he had already heard Bertha’s shout.
“Yes. Stephen and I were married yesterday afternoon.”
Bertha regarded him as though she’d found something nasty on her shoe. “You ran like your tail was on fire yesterday morning to keep from marrying Mr. Melrose, and you come back with another husband? Lord, girl, have you lost your mind?”
Calliope drew herself up. “Mr. McCoy is an upstanding man, who was vouched for by the sheriff of Bartlett Creek. He has a wonderful family, whom I met, and I am married, so there is no need to complain about it.”
Stephen stepped forward and bowed slightly. “Miss Bertha, I am more than pleased to meet you. I can assure you I am sober, honest, and a hard worker. Furthermore, I intend to make Calliope a fine husband who will take care of her and the farm.”
Not easily won over, the older woman narrowed her eyes. “Well we will see about that, now, won’t we?”
Instead of the anger Calliope had expected, Stephen burst out laughing. “Miss Bertha, you remind me of Mammy who raised my brother and me on our farm in Kentucky. She made sure Daniel and I read the Bible daily, washed behind our ears, and never cussed in front of a lady. When my mother was feeling poorly, which was a great deal of the time, Mammy made sure we did our school work and helped with the horses.”
Amazingly, Calliope could see Bertha softening toward Stephen. But being the suspicious person she was by nature, she sniffed. “Mr. McCoy, you may bring your things in. I will show you to Miss Benders—rather you wife’s bedroom.” With a flounce of her blue cotton dress, she turned and lumbered up the stairs. Stephen winked at Calliope and followed the housekeeper into the house.
The three trooped up to the bedroom. Calliope was tempted to ask Bertha to open Papa’s old room for Stephen, but didn’t want to answer any questions that would result from that request. Better to work things out with her husband than to set Bertha the bloodhound on them.
“I’ll have supper ready in about an hour,” Bertha said as she closed the door and left the room.
Calliope studied the bedroom she’d slept in since the day she was born. Now it was occupied by her and a man. A man who had every right to toss her on the bed and do what it was married men did with their wives. Being raised on a farm,
she had a pretty good idea what that was, but since she’d gotten Stephen to agree to wait, it would be best to get things straight right from the start. “As you can see, there is only one bed.”
“Yes.” He dragged the word out and eyed her with a mixture of curiosity and humor. “So where will you sleep?”
Her jaw dropped. “In my bed, of course.”
“Which is where I will sleep, as well.” He dropped his satchel on the floor and rested his hands on his slim hips. “Look, honey, you already have my word that I will wait. I’m not going to pretend I’m happy about it, but I don’t go back on my word.” He moved closer to her, causing her to back up. The predator gleam in his eyes had her stomach fluttering.
“What?” She chewed her lip. Whatever it was he wanted to do to her, if it was to make her feel like she was his next meal, it had worked. She took another step back as he took one forward.
“I’m sure you would not object to kissing?”
“Kissing?” One more step back.
One step forward. “Yes. Kissing.”
She scooted around him, taking a deep breath as she reached the door. “I’m going downstairs to the bathing room. I’ll see you at supper.” She was at the top of the stairs when she heard his chuckle.
The next morning they shared a typical breakfast Bertha fixed of fried ham, biscuits, and a bowl of stewed vegetables. After supper the night before she climbed into bed while Stephen did his bathing and was sound asleep whenever it was he’d come to bed. Since he was already up and dressed before she arose, the only way she knew he’d slept alongside her was the indentation in the second pillow.
She was still a little stunned at her reaction when he questioned her about kissing. He’d given her a polite, chaste peck on the lips after the wedding ceremony. Given the look in his eyes when he’d stalked her around the bedroom, she didn’t think that was the sort of kiss he had in mind. The entire episode had left her shaky and flushed.
“I’ve already spoken to your manager, John, and he’s going to give me a tour of the farm today.” Stephen pushed aside his empty plate and drew his coffee cup closer.
“I should be the one to give the tour. It’s my farm.” Was he already trying to cut her out? Take over the entire operation and leave here sitting home knitting socks?
Almost as if he’d heard her thoughts he added, “Bertha told me this morning you always help her with the laundry on Thursdays.”
Damn the laundry. The last thing she wanted to do was start off this ‘marriage’ with her in the house doing laundry and him out in the fields with John. “I’ll ask her to put it off until tomorrow. I will be riding with you and John.”
His grin irritated her more than his request for a kiss last night. It appeared she would have no peace in her life with Stephen McCoy in it.
4
Stephen watched Calliope swing her leg over her horse and settle into the saddle. He still had a hard time adjusting to her in pants. When she’d come down for breakfast dressed like that he’d almost choked on the piece of ham in his mouth. The trousers outlined her legs perfectly, and the shirt she had tucked into the pants emphasized her small waist. Gone was the satin wedding gown, corset, and bouquet of flowers. This woman was ready to work and intended to show him precisely how much of a farmer she was.
He regarded her from his place on Topaz. “Did your father approve of you dressing that way?”
“No.” She smiled brightly. “I did it mostly to irritate him since he wanted to control most of my life.”
He found his new wife to be a puzzle. She showed absolute fear when she spoke of Melrose, mentioned that her father controlled her, yet she had enough spirit to defy the man about wearing pants. He liked the determined woman that was Calliope, and looked forward to a lot of vigorous arguments over the years. And a fine way to make up when the argument ended.
Perhaps. She’d been pretty rattled when he asked for a kiss the night before. Surely she didn’t think they would stay completely platonic until she decided she was ‘ready.’ At that rate she would never be ready and he wasn’t about to spend his life in a celibate state. Especially with the beautiful woman he’d married teasing his sanity at every turn. Like when she sat on her horse with the trousers pulled tightly across her backside.
He groaned inwardly as John rode up to them. “Are you ready for your tour, Mr. McCoy?” John nodded at Calliope. “Good morning, Miss Bender. I’m glad you’re joining us.”
Stephen’s lips twitched. “She’s Mrs. McCoy now, and yes, I’m ready for the tour.”
The man flushed red and gave him a sheepish smile. “That will take some getting used to.”
They turned their horses toward the fields and rode out alongside each other. John began pointing out various buildings as they passed by. Calliope jumped in with comments until she was actually the one giving the tour.
He was impressed with how the farm was laid out, and how productive it was. He also noted there was plenty of space to set up a horse farm. It was too soon to suggest such a thing to Calliope, but he knew from working with Daniel where to get the best horses in the area, and how to find and train wild horses. He tucked all of that to the back of his mind. Right now he wanted to make sure the farm was using the most up-to-date systems.
Calliope had been right. She was extremely knowledgeable on the farm and farming methods. Her irrigation process was excellent and the corn and wheat fields they passed were just beginning to sprout, and seemed healthy.
The two men turned their horses to follow her as they made their way to the west side of the house. “This is my vegetable and herb garden. As you can see, it goes straight up to the back door of the house, which helps when we’re gathering items for meals or medicinal purposes.” She shifted in her saddle and turned to face Stephen, who quickly pulled his eyes from her backside.
Given the flush on her pretty face, she must have noticed his scrutiny. Her lips tightened and she continued. “The short time I was with Rosemarie, she gave me some excellent ideas on how to expand the garden to provide even more without taking up much more space.”
“I assume you have a winter cellar to store the bulk of this food?”
She nodded. “Yes, it’s on the north side of the house which is much cooler in the summer. Bertha and I take a few days every fall to put up all the vegetables and fruit. During harvest we even bring quite a bit of it into town to sell on Market Saturdays.”
“I must admit, Mrs. McCoy, I am impressed.” He gave her a genuine smile, happy to know as far as the farm went, he hadn’t made a mistake in marrying a previously unknown woman.
“Who’s in charge of the care and feeding of the animals?” He’d noticed several hogs and two cows when they’d taken their tour. There was also a chicken coop that looked well-tended.
“John’s son, Davey has that job.”
“It really sounds as though you have everything well under control. I’m impressed again.”
This time he was sure the flush on her face was from his compliment. Hadn’t her father ever told her she was doing a good job? It looked to him as though she was handling things quite well in managing the farm. He saw a few things he would change, but mostly Bender Farm was a thriving, profitable operation.
“I could use some help in fixing a few fences that came down on the back forty, if you have time, Mr. McCoy.” John shifted in his saddle, taking quick glances at Calliope. Apparently, he was still feeling his way as to who he should report to. Right now the best way to handle it all was to make sure he didn’t give his wife any reason to balk at him taking his place at the farm.
“It’s just, Stephen, John. You can drop the ‘mister’.” He looked over at Calliope, taking in her narrowed eyes and stiff posture. “Did you want to join us? I’m sure you know more about this than I do.”
She relaxed at his question. “No. You can both on go ahead. John can show you what you need to know. I have other things to keep me busy for the rest of the day. I’ll see you at
supper.” She pulled on the horse’s reins and headed back to the barn, giving him one last look at her lovely backside in the trousers.
“I’m glad she married you. I was afraid that Melrose guy was going to have his way and take over the farm. He tried to tell Miss Bender—excuse me Mrs. McCoy—that her daddy planned for her to marry him. Mr. Bender was pretty closed mouth, but I’m sure if that was something he’d planned on, he would have said something about that to her. Poor girl was completely taken by surprise when Melrose showed up demanding she marry him.” John shook his head. “He’s a mean one, that Rupert Melrose.”
The two men worked side by side for a few hours, getting the fences repaired, then riding the entire area, checking for any other problems. John pointed out that the creek running through their property and Melrose’s was running dry, even though they’d had sufficient rain recently.
Stephen leaned on the saddle horn and studied the creek. “How much do you want to bet Melrose has dammed up the creek further down on his property?”
John shook his head. “I think you’re probably right. That’s something I hadn’t thought about.”
“I think it’s time I paid a visit to our neighbor.” They turned their horses and headed back to the farm. First thing tomorrow he would ride over and meet this Melrose and get a few things straightened out.
Stephen brushed Topaz down and gave him a bag of oats before heading to the house. Once he rounded the bend he saw a horse hobbled in front of the house. A sense of foreboding rushed over him, and he took the steps two at a time.
Raised voices greeted him, coming from the kitchen.
“Both this farm and you belong to me. Your daddy said so before he died, and that’s the way it’s going to be.” The man’s loud voice was followed by a yelp that had the hairs on the back of Stephen’s neck rising. He strode down the hallway and pushed open the kitchen door.
The McCoy Brothers Boxed Set Page 14
