by Merry Farmer
“Are you?” She feigned doubt, moving in time with his thrusts, the pressure in her core growing all over again.
“Eight children don’t conceive themselves,” he said.
Elspeth burst into laughter a second time. Using her back against the wall to keep her dress in place, she wriggled her arms free of her sleeves and threw them around his neck. She pulled him closer, pivoting her hips against him as she drank her fill of his kisses. He responded enthusiastically, groaning and lightly pinching her nipples.
All of a sudden, he stopped. “Wait, wait. We’re supposed to be moving to our bedroom, getting naked, and doing the rest of this in bed.”
“Then let’s get started,” she purred. “Especially with the naked part. Because I want to be able to dig my nails into your back while you’re inside me next time.”
He answered with a groaning sigh and withdrew, easing her to her feet. She intended to make him sigh like that much more and much louder in the near future. He took her hand, and together they fled down the hall to their own room.
Chapter Eleven
Once upon a time, he had dreamed of being a hero. Wide-eyed, dreamy Athos would grow up to be Athos the Musketeer, Athos the rescuer of damsels in distress, Athos the noble warrior. How could he have forgotten those dreams? How could he have lost sight of the man he’d wanted to be, the man he was?
He was a man. The fact that he was realizing it, that it was something he needed to realize at all, left him chuckling and shaking his head as he lay in bed with Elspeth the next morning. He was stretched out on his back, limbs heavy with lack of sleep and exertion like they hadn’t seen in a while. Elspeth curled against his side, an arm and a leg thrown over him. Her breathing was still deep and regular. As it should be. They’d worn themselves out yesterday, and worn themselves out again that night. And again.
He laughed at the thought and stroked his fingertips along Elspeth’s arm. Did it make him some sort of a cad to be so proud of the pleasure he’d given her over hours the day and night before? She’d made no secret of her enjoyment. In fact, there had been a moment or two where he was worried Pete or Josephine Evans would come knocking on the door, telling them to keep it down. That thought raised more laughter in him. Really, why should he be ashamed of the two of them enjoying each other so thoroughly? They were husband and wife. They were in their honeymoon period. And clearly their levels of interest and taste for certain things matched. Far better than his and Natalie’s had, no matter how hard he’d tried to do right by her.
The sigh he heaved as the last thought hit him was enough to shake Elspeth out of her slumber. She stretched against his side, sending a ripple of desire through him. Would he stop reacting so strongly to her someday the way he had with Natalie, the way she had with him?
No. Certainty filled his soul. No he wouldn’t.
“You’re too alert for someone who just woke up,” Elspeth mumbled, then pressed a series of quick kisses over his heart.
“I didn’t just wake up,” he told her, grinning from ear to ear.
“Then why are you still in bed?” She shifted to prop herself up on one arm, studying him with sleepy eyes and a hazy smile.
Athos twisted to his side, fitting himself against her. He brushed a stray lock of hair back from her temple and kissed her softly. “Why would I want to be anywhere else in the entire world than where you are?”
Her grin widened and spread, sparking her heavy-lidded eyes to full wakefulness. “Would it be completely mad and impulsive of me to declare that I love you when we haven’t even known each other a week?” she asked, voice low and sultry.
“No crazier than me saying that I love you as if I’ve known you my entire life.” He spread his hand across her back and tugged her closer for a kiss.
It would have been a longer, hotter kiss, but morning was not the best time for kissing. It would have been the best time for other things, but twinges of soreness in his back and legs and the barest hint of a wince from Elspeth when she moved were enough to convince him to put all that aside for later. It didn’t help when her stomach rumbled as he was kissing her neck. They both burst into flurries of giggles at the sound.
“This is what happens when you skip supper.” She gave him one more, quick kiss, then peeled herself away, rolling out of bed.
Athos watched her, feasting on the enticing curves of her body as she moved. “I could look at you like that all day,” he said as she bent to open the lid of her trunk.
She laughed as she picked out clean clothes, then stood. “Yes, well, I’ve been told men like to look.”
Of all things, her comment filled him with joy. “I am a man, aren’t I.” He propped himself on one elbow and drank in the sight of her.
Elspeth tossed her clothes on the far corner of the bed, then crawled across the rumpled sheets to kiss him. “Athos Strong, you are every inch a man.”
His heart squeezed in his chest. His most manly organ pulsed. He kissed her back, then admitted. “I’d forgotten.”
She inched back and blinked. “How can you forget something like that?”
“Children,” he shrugged. “Responsibility. Age. The cares of the world. Loss.”
Her expression melted to something to tender it punched holes in him. She kissed him once more, passionate in spite of the practicalities of morning breath, then told him, “Not anymore.”
She met his eyes. Something was different there. It wasn’t just him that had remembered something in the amazing hours they’d spent together. Gone was the overwhelmed, uncertain lady who didn’t know her place in the world. Now she was a siren, a lover, a wife. At least, she was to him.
“If we both don’t get out of this bed right now, get dressed, and start taking care of the everyday business of life,” he said, voice gruff, “then we won’t be able to get out of bed for the rest of the day.”
“I think you’re right.” She giggled, scooting backward and rolling out of bed. She headed to the table, pouring water from the pitcher into the washbowl.
“Imagine what the judge would say if we missed the hearing because we were…” He coughed.
Elspeth laughed out loud, dripping water on the floor as she bathed. “Imagine what the Bonneville sisters would say.”
“I’d rather not.” Athos threw back the bedcovers with a horrified expression. He got up, conscious that once again he would need to wash sheets before remaking the bed, and opened the wardrobe at the side of the room, fishing for his robe. “I’ll just bathe downstairs to avoid any further temptations that might upset the Bonneville sisters.”
He left Elspeth giggling so hard that she had to pause in her bathing, and headed downstairs. It was easier to think about life in normal terms when he didn’t have the scent of Elspeth all around him, the heat of her body so close, and the divine sight of her filling up his vision.
They crossed paths as she came downstairs, fully clothed, to start breakfast while he was heading up to dress. Mischief seized him, and he waited until she was just one step below him on the stairs before turning around, scooping her into his arms, lifting her to her toes and giving her a long, sizzling kiss. Then he left her laughing and red as he bolted upstairs to get dressed for the day.
His heart had never felt so light, even though the children were away at the Bonneville ranch. Maybe this was some sort of unwitting wedding present that the Bonnevilles were giving him and Elspeth. As he tugged on his trousers he was filled with absolute confidence that the judge would see exactly where the children belonged once he heard all sides of the story. How could it be any other way?
“I’m going to do the rest of that laundry today,” Elspeth informed him as they shared a filling breakfast at the kitchen table. “Then I’m going to start scrubbing floors upstairs. And I’m going to weed that garden this afternoon if it’s the last thing I ever do. I want this house looking spectacular when that judge gets here.”
Athos smiled, heart warmed that she shared his thoughts about things in so
many ways. That too was a new, wonderful feeling. It was so bolstering that before he could give it much thought, he said, “And I’m going to march straight over to Howard Haskell’s office at the town hall before work this morning and ask that he give me a raise and hire an assistant for the station.”
Elspeth stopped, a bite of eggs halfway to her mouth. “You are?” Her whole face lit with admiration.
“Yes.” He nodded, planting his hands on the side of the table, then rising to his feet. “It’s about time I said something. The station just keeps getting busier and busier as Haskell grows and more trains stop here. It’s no longer good enough for me to take all the work on my own shoulders. It’s time I did the responsible thing and ask for help.”
Elspeth rose and skipped around the table to hug him. “Bravo, musketeer,” she exclaimed, then kissed him square on the lips. “How could anyone deny you anything?”
Of all the questions that had been running through his head for the past several hours, that one was the most unexpected, but as he kissed Elspeth back, it reverberated in his gut. How could they? How could Howard and how could Judge Andrew Moss?
He helped Elspeth tidy up the breakfast things, then plunked his stationmaster hat on his head, kissed her one more time, then marched out the door, ready to take on Haskell, the Territory of Wyoming, and the world. It was no surprise to him that more than a few of his neighbors stopped and did a double-take as he walked past on his way to the town hall.
“What’s gotten into him?” Jim Plover muttered to Silas Purdue as Athos walked past the foundry across from The Cattleman Hotel.
Athos ignored them, even when Silas snorted and said, “With a look like that, it’s probably what he’s gotten into, or who, if you know what I mean.”
“Good morning, Athos,” Theophilus Gunn called from the top of the hotel’s stairs, sending a scolding look across to Jim and Silas to show he’d heard their disrespect. “How are Elspeth and the children?”
“Elspeth is wonderful,” he replied. “And I intend to send Solomon out to the Bonneville ranch as my agent to make sure that the children are safe and happy.” That came as a surprise to him when he heard himself speak, but it too was a brilliant idea. Rex Bonneville hates Solomon, but even he had to let a reputable agent check up on the children on his and Elspeth’s behalf.
“A fine idea,” Gunn seconded with a nod.
By the time Athos reached the town hall, he was brimming with energy and ideas. Howard kept office hours on Wednesday, and as usual, he left the door to his office open while he was there. It was early and few people were at the town hall, so Athos was able to walk straight in and up to Howard’s desk.
“Ah! Athos! How are you on this fine morning?” Howard boomed in typical Howard style. He rose from his great, leather chair—something he was intensely proud of—and circled around his desk to pump Athos’s hand in greeting.
It dawned on Athos that Howard Haskell was exactly the kind of man he’d always thought he would be: fearless, visionary, and always willing to help his neighbors in any way possible. Men like that wanted to see the same boldness in others, so Athos wouldn’t disappoint him.
“I’m as well as I can be without my children,” he began, taking off his hat and shaking Howard’s hand firmly, “and possibly a bit happier than I should be.”
“You just married one of those brides from Hurst Home, didn’t you?” Howard winked.
“I did, and she is perfect in every way.”
Howard laughed from deep in his belly and walked back to take a seat behind his desk, gesturing for Athos to sit in the chair across from him. “There’s nothing like a beautiful, loving wife to make a man feel like a king.”
“Or a musketeer.” Athos sat.
Howard’s brow flew up for a minute. “Oh, right. Your name. I always wondered about that.” He grinned and leaned back in his chair. “It suits you. So what can I do for you today, my musketeer friend?”
“You can ask the railroad to give me a raise.” Athos jumped straight to the issue at hand.
Howard barked out a laugh. “I like a man who cuts right to the point.” He pinched his face in thought for a moment, then said. “Done!”
Athos blinked, his new swagger dropping to old disbelief and shock. “Done? You’ll see about getting me a raise, just like that?”
“I’m surprised you haven’t asked for one sooner, to be honest.”
Athos shook his head. “I would have asked much sooner, but with work being so busy and all, I’ve been putting it off. I wouldn’t want you to think I was complaining or that I’m not on top of things, and I wouldn’t have presumed. I…I mean, you know how to run the town’s business dealings. The railroad answers to you, and the station falls under your prevue.”
“I only have so many eyes to keep track of things and hands to get things done,” Howard explained with a shrug. “There’s no question that you do an excellent job down there at the station. Truly top-notch. I’m sure I’ve told myself a hundred times in the last few years to review your yearly salary and make a recommendation to the railroad to add to it, but with one thing or another…”
“I should have said something,” Athos said, half to himself. “I shouldn’t have tried to shoulder the whole load myself all this time.” He should have believed in himself more too, but after years of struggling to raise children and keep a wife who didn’t love him happy…
He pushed the unhappy thought aside and sat straighter. “Which brings me to another point. I also want you to hire an assistant for the station,” he went on.
“An assistant?” Howard tilted his head, expression turning thoughtful.
“There are more trains arriving in Haskell than ever before.” Athos scooted to the edge of his chair to make the point. “The job has grown since I first took it, and…and so have I.”
Howard raised his brows but said nothing.
Athos went on. “I have a large family, sir, and a new wife who I…” He let out a breath, a sudden swell of emotion overwhelming him. “I love her, sir. I know that we’ve only been married for days and it was all arranged by someone else, but God was looking out for both of us when he put Elspeth and I together. I knew almost from the start that we were a good partnership, but in these last few days, with the children taken away…well, it’s just been the two of us. And they’ve been intense days of soul-searching. Elspeth has given me back something that I didn’t even know I’d lost, and frankly, sir, I owe it to her to be able to spend as much time as possible with her and with my children, as soon as I get them back. I want us to be a family, and families need to spend time with each other to grow and thrive. I want you to hire an assistant for me so that I can give as much of myself to my family as I’ve given to my job and to this town for the last ten years.”
He finished and took a breath, shocked that he’d poured out so much in one go. Howard steepled his fingers and watched him, a grin growing on his mischievous, old face.
“Athos Strong, do you know why I hired you above all the other applicants who applied for the position of stationmaster?” he asked.
“I…” Athos frowned. “I thought it was the railroad’s decision to send me here.”
“I told them I wanted to pick my stationmaster, so they sent me files on ten different men, complete with their service records. I picked you because your file contained glowing endorsement after glowing endorsement from supervisors who stated that you were conscientious, outgoing, and that you always went above and beyond what was required of you.”
“I… Thank you?” He wasn’t sure who to thank or how to thank them.
“Being married and raising children is hard. I’ve watched you do it for ten years now. I watched when Natalie died, and as your children grew older without a mother.” Howard punctuated his remark with a compassionate smile. “You’ve risen to more challenges than you know, young man. And you’re rising to them now.”
“I…I’m only doing what my family needs me to do.”
“Which is a damned sight more than some men would do.” Howard shifted out of his contemplative posture and rapped the top of his desk. “You’ll have your assistant. I’ll ask the railroad for recommendations and let you look over them with me to choose someone.”
“Thank you, sir.” Athos sank back in his chair, overwhelmed.
“And you’ll get your raise too. The railroad can pay you what they want, but I’ll add my own bonus on top of that.”
“Wow.” Athos blew out a breath, running a hand through his hair. “Thank you, sir.”
“And don’t you worry about this mess with your children,” Howard went on. “I know you’ll prevail.”
Scrubbing floors with muscles sore from certain other activities was not as easy as Elspeth anticipated. Washing laundry and hanging it on the line wasn’t either. By the time afternoon rolled around and she knelt with gardening gloves and a trowel in the front garden, pulling up weeds, she was in enough pain to severely curtail the blissful mood she’d awoken in.
It helped to hear the piercing notes of a train whistle growing closer. Hearing that made her think of Athos, made her imagine all the things he was doing down at the station to get ready to greet the new arrival. Thinking of him made her smile through her nagging soreness.
“The garden is looking nice.”
Elspeth straightened with a wince and turned to see her neighbor, Josephine, walking past on the other side of the picket fence, returning home from an errand, a full basket over her shoulder. A few of her other new neighbors looked as though they had been out shopping as well, Mrs. Plover and Mrs. Abernathy, wife of one of Haskell’s two doctors.
“Thanks.” She smiled at Josephine and pushed herself to her feet. “I’m trying to make everything look perfect for the business on Friday.” She sent Josephine a significant look.
“It already looks much better,” Josephine reassured her. “Piper will love it when she gets back this autumn. She has always done what she can with the garden, but she’s had her hands full with those kids.”
