by Everly West
The thought of children made him smile, even now his wife could be expecting and yet they had never really discussed children.
He ran his hand down her arm, her silky skin so smooth to his touch. Anna was so much more than he expected. And to think at first, he didn't see her worth. She was adventurous, fun, and refined. How had a rough-around-the-edges cowboy married a fine as silk, cultured woman? And would she ever come to love him? He hoped so, because he knew he was already madly in love with his wife. His woman. His Anna.
Even now, he wanted another night in her arms.
The next morning Anna awoke to bright sunlight streaming through the window and didn't know if she should feel happy or sad. Lying there, thinking about the night before, her heart nearly burst. Twice he'd shown her what happened between a man and a woman. Now, confusion and happiness and sensations she knew nothing about overwhelmed her.
Was it only sex last night or did Levi care for her? Could she be so fortunate that he loved her?
Jumping out of bed, she went in search of the man she was married to.
Opening the door to the main section of the house, she saw a note sitting on the table.
Anna,
I went to feed the cattle. We need to talk.
Levi
A tremor of apprehension scurried down her spine. Yesterday they had fed the cows together and that resulted in her almost drowning. Hurriedly, she dressed, preparing herself for the discussion she was certain would either bring them closer or tear them apart.
She made a pot of coffee, knowing that while the sun was shining, the temperature was still cold. Levi would appreciate a hot cup to chase away the chill and it was something she could do for him.
The sleigh drove into the yard just as the coffee finished brewing. Fixing him a cup, she waited, but he didn't appear.
Finally, she bundled up and hurried outside. The chill bit her to the bone as she walked the thirty feet to the building she could now see clearly in the sunshine.
Walking inside, it was obvious he'd been busy this morning. The animals all had fresh hay, oats, and water. Glancing around the barn, the building appeared empty.
"Levi?"
"Up here," he said, and she glanced up to see him in the hayloft.
"Did you feed your cows?"
"Yes," he said, his voice sounding strained.
Funny how she knew something troubled him. With a determined stride, she hurried to the ladder that led to the loft and hastily climbed before he could protest.
When she reached the top, she crawled onto the hayloft.
"What are you doing?" he said as he spied her from where he was pitching hay down below.
"I came to see you," she said, and stared at the man she'd shared the most intimate act on earth with. Something worried him, and she wanted to ease the way his brow was furrowed, his eyes, the color of grass, darkening at the sight of her. There was a quiet gentleness about him that intrigued her. Yet she knew from experience, he was a commanding man with a stubborn streak for righteousness. "You were gone when I woke."
He swallowed and pitched a forkful of hay out the opening of the barn. "I had to check on the cattle."
"Were they all right?"
"They were hungry and happy to see me," he said.
He dropped the pitchfork and walked toward her, a serious expression on his face. Today, she only wanted to experience happiness. They were truly married and she wasn't ready for the monotony of life to interfere. Reaching behind her, she grabbed a handful of hay. When he neared her, she tossed the straw at him.
"What was that for?" he sputtered.
"Because," she said, not willing to say the words, wanting to put off this discussion for as long as possible. "Because I can. Because I saw that serious look in your eyes, and after yesterday, today I want to be happy."
"We need to talk."
"Not yet," she said.
Shaking his head, he reached down and she knew he was going to retaliate, so she ran. Sprinting across the loft, she scurried to the far corner where there were several bales of the loose straw. Hiding behind a bundle, she drew back her arm and threw several handfuls at him. Walking toward her with a purpose, the strands of the dried grass bounced off his coat, pants, and fell to the ground at his feet.
That little sputtering of hay didn't slow him as he continued toward her, his stride confidant and secure. With nowhere to run, she tried to dart to the side, but he reached out and wrapped his fingers around her arm. With a toss, she landed onto a bed of piled hay. Dropping down beside her, he began to cover her with the straw.
"What are you doing?" she laughed.
"I'm burying you," he said, reaching out and tickling her, sending the dried grass everywhere. "This way you won't ever leave this barn."
She laughed out loud, throwing her head back, until he landed on top of her, swishing the air from her lungs. Every inch of his rock-hard male body pressed against her as heat poured through her veins, leaving her gasping. Staring into the heat of his eyes, losing herself in his gaze, she wondered what their life together would be like.
"Oh, Mr. Jackson, I see straw excites you," she said, reaching up and pulling his face closer to her, her breathing ragged as her nipples hardened, her womanly body softening.
"No, you excite me. I can't keep my hands off you, even in the hayloft," he said, nuzzling her neck, licking her earlobe, sending delightful shivers coursing through her.
She let out a long sigh as his mouth covered hers. Once again, her body responded to his kiss in a way that snatched her breath away, her heart racing as his lips lit a fire inside her that drove the cold from the barn. She lifted her arms and wrapped them around Levi's neck, pulling him to her.
Releasing her mouth, his hands reached inside her coat and around her back to undo the buttons of her dress, then pulled the front down to give him access to her breasts. Swirling his tongue around her hardened nipple, he sucked the pebble into his mouth, sending a rush of desire scorching through her.
"Oh, Levi," she moaned. Reaching for his belt, she quickly unbuckled the leather, unbuttoned his pants, and reached inside, needing to be with him again.
"Anna," he moaned. "We're in the barn."
"So, I want you," she said against his throat, knowing she craved him.
Like her worst nightmare ever, she heard a man's voice calling out. "Levi. Levi, you up there?"
Levi froze on top of her, her hands inside his pants, his mouth on her breasts. He cursed.
"Who is it?" she asked, wondering who would be coming to visit them.
Shaking his head, he stood and quickly buttoned his pants. "My brother."
Chapter 7
Weeks had passed since Levi saw his brother Zach. Now here he stood in the doorway leading into the barn calling out his name.
"Coming," Levi said as he buttoned his pants and brushed the hay off his clothes and from his hair. "Give me just a moment to explain to him and then come down."
Anna smiled. "You didn't tell him you were marrying?"
"No."
She giggled and quickly covered her mouth.
"Should I come back?" Levi heard Zach question.
"No. Coming down now," Levi said and swung his leg over the side of the hayloft. This was going to be an interesting conversation. His brother was in for quite a shock.
Levi jumped down the last two rungs of the ladder and landed on the dirt floor of the barn. His brother glanced up into the hayloft. "Sounded like someone was up there with you."
"There is," he said grinning. "My wife."
His brother's mouth dropped open and he stared at him. "Really? Who?"
With Anna in the hayloft, he hoped his brother would not say anything derogatory about his decision. After all, his wife would hear everything.
"Last fall several of us men got together and decided there were no available women in this area, so we placed an ad in the Groom's Gazette. Anna arrived about three weeks ago. I would have brought her over to meet
you, but our weather has been kind of nasty. About all I've done is go out and feed cattle between storms."
The weather had kept them inside, forcing them to get to know one another. And while he really couldn't complain much about it, he was ready to get out and see people once again.
"Well, get her down here, so I can meet my new sister-in-law. Josephine will be so excited that there's another woman in the family."
Levi grinned. He adored his sister-in-law and she'd been telling him for years it was time to find himself a bride.
"Anna," he called. "Come meet my brother."
She popped her head over the side of the hayloft, twigs of hay mixed in her long pale curls and he grinned. She looked like they had just enjoyed a roll in the hay. Another five minutes and they would have.
"Hello," she called. "Levi, I have a problem. Could you please come back up here for a moment."
Suddenly he remembered how he'd unfastened the buttons on her dress. There was no way she could reach back and redo them. He snickered and she sent him a glare. "Excuse me, I'll be right back."
"Maybe I should go?"
"No," she cried. "I'll be right down."
Anna looked adorable leaning over the hayloft, sprigs of the stuff in her hair, her lips swollen from his kisses. While he should feel embarrassed, he couldn't. Gazing at her, he felt incredibly proud that she was his wife and he wanted to show her off to his brother.
Levi went back up and she frowned at him. Whispering, she said, "You left me with the back of my dress undone."
Grinning, he turned her around and buttoned up her dress while he placed kisses on her neck.
A sigh escaped her lips and she elbowed him. "Stop."
Taking her by the hand, he led her to the ladder and then climbed down. This time she followed and he helped her after he reached the bottom. Turning around, he faced his older brother.
"Zach, this is my wife Anna," he said.
"Nice to meet you," Anna said.
His brother stared at the two of them smiling. "Congratulations. He kept this a secret from all of us. Including my wife Josephine, who will be thrilled to meet you. She's been telling Levi to marry for years. We live about a mile from here."
Anna smiled and stood beside him demurely.
"Just wanted to come by and check on you, make sure you didn't have trouble with the storms we've been having. Guess I better get headed back down the road," he said, backing toward the door. "Oh, don't forget about our family Christmas decorating dinner. Josephine likes to let the kids decorate the tree. It's this Sunday. We'll start about two."
Levi wrapped his arm around Anna's waist drawing her to him. "We'll be there. Anna needs to meet your kids and Josephine. We'll bring a pie."
Anna gave him a look that clearly let him know she had no idea how to make a pie.
"All right, see you soon," Zach said, walking out of the barn.
When the door closed behind him, she turned and gave him a saucy look. "You think this southern belle knows how to make a pie?"
"No, but you and me and some flour and sugar. Sounds like a very fun time."
The image of his wife with flour in her hair and on her body had him imagining they would have a great time cooking together.
After Zach left, Anna stood there, her cheeks still burning from being caught in the hayloft. Another couple of minutes and he would have walked in on the two of them having a great time. Another few minutes and she would have been mortified.
"Oh no, my brother- and sister-in-law are going to think I'm terrible. Why didn't you tell me he was coming over today?"
"I didn't know, and they think we're newlyweds. It's not a big deal," Levi said.
"Not to you, but to me...we should have waited the thirty days," she declared. Though after last night, she was glad they had not waited any longer. As it was, the time to change her mind was quickly running out. Now that decision had been made for her.
"Why?" Levi asked. "What difference did the thirty days make? Were you planning on packing your bags and leaving after that time? Do you not want to stay married to me?"
Stunned, she stared at him. Didn't he understand? Didn't he realize that by not waiting the thirty days, everyone would think of her as a loose woman. "No. We're married. It's just that I wanted people to believe that we waited until we got to know each other. I didn't want them to think I would hop into bed with a man the first night I met him."
Yes, it was silly. She knew her logic was not rational, but still the thought of everyone believing she slept with Levi that first night was not something she wanted. If anyone asked, she would tell them they waited the full thirty days, even though it was a lie.
Levi stepped in front of her and took her in his arms. "Who cares what other people think? It's none of their business. What happens between us is our business and no one else’s. We might someday tell our children how you tortured me for three weeks, but this is our life."
She stared up into his eyes and smiled. Why was she worrying? This wasn't Charleston and there was no gossip section and no one here in town cared what they did, as long as they were man and wife. She needed to forget the rules of the past and concentrate on the future.
"Why do you have to be so logical?”
He grinned. "To help my wife with her illogical problems."
"They seem that way when you talk about them. They seem that way when I consider where we are, but in Charleston, this would have been scandalous. We would have been shunned," she said, thinking back to the times when people would walk across the street rather than speak to someone who had been part of a social faux pas.
"I don't know about you, but I have no plans on ever leaving Montana. At this point, I'm not even sure I want the territory to become part of the states. After the war, I'd just like to have a family and a place where I can raise cattle and aggravate my wife."
Returning home to Charleston sat on her mind like pox, gnawing at her insides, leaving her longing for home. But this was now her home. Part of her longed to return, and then the sensible part, the portion that knew nothing would ever be the same, rattled that nonsense right out of her brain. This would be where she spent the rest of her days and she would do well to remember that.
"Well, you've got a great handle on the aggravating your wife part. Especially when you have her almost completely disrobed when your brother arrives." She sighed, shaking her head, worrying whether the desert would be edible. "And you told him, I would bring a pie. I've never cooked a pie in my life. We had servants who cooked pies and cakes. The closest I've been to a kitchen is at your house. Don't you see I'm completely out of my element here?"
Her husband simply held her in his arms, gazing at her. "Do you want to be here?"
"Yes," she said, knowing she was growing fond of her husband. Why couldn't she have him and her home in Charleston? Why?
"Have we been cooking together?"
"Yes," she said, knowing his damn logic was going to win again.
"Don't you think I'll help you make the pie?"
Oh, how she wanted to deny that he would help her, but knew that she couldn't, because he would be right there at her side leading her gently along the cooking path.
"Yes."
"Stop worrying. It will be all right."
But would it? What her husband didn't know was that she absolutely detested Christmas. And her father had as well. They gave each other gifts at Christmas, but the day was always overshadowed by her mother's death. Would he understand when she told him she didn't want to celebrate this dreadful holiday and would just as soon stay home?
On Saturday afternoon, Anna studied the pumpkin pie recipe she found in Levi's mother's recipes. Everything but the pie crust looked simple enough. The pie filling was just a mixing of the ingredients, but rolling out and kneading the dough—that could be tricky.
Anna took all the ingredients out and placed them on the counter. She found the measuring cups and the teaspoons. In a large mixing bowl, she began to
add her ingredients one by one. When she had the filling ready, she stirred it until it looked creamy.
Any moment she expected Levi to walk through the door. Maybe she should have waited for him, but she wanted to prove she wasn't completely helpless and was learning. Eventually she would be required to do this all on her own while managing the house and raising their children.
The thought of babies warmed her heart. While she wasn't in any hurry, she did want a whole passel of children. Enough that none of them would ever be alone in this world. Not like Anna.
Wiping her hands, she pulled out the materials for the pie shell. She measured the flour and poured it into a bowl along with a teaspoon of salt and the butter. The recipe said to mix and she tried to use a spoon, which only made a mess. Finally she stuck her hands into the dough and mashed it together until she had a nice ball.
She sprinkled flour onto the table and began to roll the dough out with the rolling pin. She'd watched their cook do this once or twice, but never imagined herself doing something so homey feeling.
In fact, she'd seen her life filled with grand balls and events, never the life of a Montana rancher. There were times she dreamed of going home, the sounds of the streets calling to her. But then she would also remember the bomb explosions, the sounds of the military marching through the street, screams renting the air.
All she could hear here were the sounds of the pine trees as the wind blew through them, the cattle bellowing as they called to one another, and lately, the soft breathing of her husband as he slept beside her. For they now curled around each other in the same bed at night.
Glancing down at the dough, she laid the pie pan next to it. It seemed a little thick, so she gave it one more rolling before she deemed it ready. Sliding the dough onto her hands, she turned it over directly into the pan. Then she poured her filling in.
Looking down, she couldn't see that she'd made any mistakes. Picking the pan up, she placed it in the oven.
