"Would you like to go for a ride today so I can show you around your new home? There's a lot to see around Squirrel Ridge Junction, and since Theodore is letting me have the day off, I thought we could see some of the area together."
As she looked up at him smiling down at her, with his curl hanging in his eyes, she realized in all her life she'd never known a man to be this kind to her, and not expect anything from her in return.
He didn't know how wealthy she was, and he didn't seem to care she wasn't quite the ideal wife material either. He still wanted to give her a chance and get to know her.
She stood up from the table, reaching out to take his hand he was holding out for her.
"There's nothing I would like more."
Chapter 8
"Everything is so different here. Even the air just seems fresher." She looked around and took a deep breath in. "In Ottawa, there always seems to be a lot of dust and dirt, and people everywhere you look. It's kind of nice to be able to get away and see how beautiful the world can be."
She’d never seen trees so green and grass so lush. And every time her eyes made their way to the mountains in the distance, it took her breath away.
"Yes, it took me a while to get used to the mountains. They made me feel closed in when I first arrived in British Columbia."
She looked over at the man riding on the large black horse beside her. His horse stood a great deal taller than hers, so she found herself having to tilt her head up to see him.
"Where did you come from?"
"Manitoba. The ground is as flat as a board and you can see for miles in every direction. It was hard to get used to not being able to see the horizon on all sides."
"Is your family still there?" She was enjoying the chance to get to know him without having to worry about cooking or anything that might ruin the moment.
"My grandma is still there. She's getting older, and I worry about her being back there all alone, but she insisted I follow my calling and not to worry about her."
"Where are your parents?" As soon as she asked, she wished she could take the words back. Obviously if he wanted to talk about his parents, he would have mentioned them.
He kept his eyes on the green hills ahead of them and shrugged. "My father was gunned down after a stagecoach robbery when I was a boy. My mom died shortly after. My grandma always said she died from a broken heart."
"Oh my goodness. That's awful!"
"She always knew what could happen. You see, my dad was one of the first Mounties in the area and he lived and breathed the law. That's why I knew I had to do what my father had believed in, and died for."
Her heart was pounding as she imagined Elijah's poor mother, losing the man she loved.
Seeing the way he was clenching his jaw and how he was sitting so stiff in his saddle, she realized he was going back to the sadness of his past. She wanted to do something to bring him back to here and take his mind off it.
"Race you to that tree." As she said the words, she grinned in his direction.
His head whipped to look at her, and his eyebrows were pulled sharply together in shock. When his mouth opened to speak, she laughed and kicked her heels in, leaving him coughing in a cloud of dust.
She raced toward the tree, letting herself revel in the feeling of the wind blowing her hair out behind her. This was something that would never have been allowed in Ottawa. She wasn't even sure if it was allowed here, but at the moment, she didn't care.
When she got to the tree she'd spotted, she pulled on the reins and turned to see how far behind her he was. She was stunned to see him reining in right behind her. His face was red with exertion; and she braced herself for him to yell at her.
"Do you realize how dangerous it is to be riding like a madwoman across open ground that you're not familiar with? What if something had spooked your horse, or it had stepped in a hole?"
He didn't really sound as angry as she was expecting, but he wasn't happy with her either.
"Well, I'm fine. Nothing happened, so you don't need to be mad. I just thought it might be fun to have a little race but I guess I was wrong." She was getting really annoyed at his attitude all of a sudden. Here she was trying to have some fun, and lighten the mood a bit, and he decided to yell at her like a child.
"Where did you learn to ride like that? It's not every day you see a woman who can hop on a horse and ride like you can. I'd assumed from your clothes and lack of skills in the kitchen, you'd most likely had a fairly pampered life."
She remembered hearing the expression about seeing red one time, but hadn't really understood what it meant.
Until now.
Clenching her jaw tightly so she could keep her words calm, she pinned her glare on him. She vaguely noticed he was cringing, obviously aware that he may have worded his sentence wrong. But she didn't care if he was feeling remorseful.
"I may have led a somewhat pampered life as you so kindly put it, however I did manage to get away sometimes and do things I enjoyed. My father paid for riding lessons, but he didn't realize just how much I would sneak away for a ride with my friend. I'm quite skilled on a horse, as opposed to my lack in the kitchen."
Her breathing was coming in short, hard gasps as she fought to control her anger. He pushed his hand hard through his hair and looked down sheepishly.
"I'm sorry, that's not what I meant. It didn't come out right."
"No, it didn't. I am sorry you ended up with a wife who is a bit less able in the kitchen than Jess and Tilly are, but I'm trying to learn. I came all the way here hoping for a chance to make a life for myself somewhere far away from what I'd grown up with, and nothing seems to be working out the way I'd hoped. I admit rushing into marriage with a stranger might not have been my smartest choice, but at the time I really didn't have many other options."
He was staring at her now with his mouth half-open as though he wanted to speak but was afraid to say anything else that might set her off more.
"Do you know what it's like to spend your whole life being told how to act, what to wear, who to talk to, and who to marry? Can you imagine no one listening to you when you say you want something different? I'm tired of being treated like I can't think for myself." She spun her horse around, but before kicking in her heels, she looked him in the eye.
"If I want to ride my horse like a madwoman, I will go ahead and do it. I dare you to try and stop me."
She raced back toward town, and didn't care if Elijah was following her or not. She'd never spoken like that to anyone before in her life, and she felt a twinge of guilt to have taken it out on her new husband.
But maybe now he'd learn to think before he spoke.
Chapter 9
"So, what did you do to Rose to get her so fired up?" Miss Hazel stood directly in front of him with her hand on her hip and her eyes wrinkled together. "That girl has always been so sweet and kindhearted, I've never seen her so spitting mad."
"What makes you think I did anything? She just took something I said the wrong way and got all riled up." He was scared to admit the truth to Hazel. He was sure she'd grab him by the ear and drag him behind a tree to put him across her knee.
He was supposed to be the big, strong Mountie, yet here he was afraid to be scolded by a feisty, older woman.
He felt bad enough for what he'd said to his new wife. It seemed when he was around Rose, he always ended up saying things wrong. But he'd been worried when he saw her go tearing across the field like she had, without giving him any warning. For all he knew, her horse had gone crazy and she couldn't get it under control.
She really shouldn't blame him, considering how she'd managed to fall on him, knee him somewhere that was still tender, and almost burn his house down within a few short hours. So of course he'd be nervous with her on top of a horse.
"Well, what are you going to do to fix it?" Miss Hazel wasn't happy with him, and she wasn't going to let him go until he gave in.
They had just come out of church, and the oth
ers were all standing around talking. Rose had barely spoken two words to him since he’d gotten back yesterday. They'd all gone and had dinner together, listening to Kendall and JoAnn singing last night, so Rose had managed to avoid being alone with him.
She'd gone straight to bed when they got home, while he curled up on the floor once again.
This morning, she'd gotten up and made them pancakes and bacon for breakfast. The pancakes had been sticky and as thick as mud, with about as much flavor. And the bacon had been burned to a black charcoal color.
But he'd eaten it with a smile and told her it was delicious.
He looked over at her, and she was looking at him while she talked to Nolan's new wife, Tilly. As soon as their eyes met, she quickly turned her head away.
What was it about this woman that had already gotten under his skin? Why should he even care if she was angry with him? Truthfully, he could send her back home any time if he really wanted to.
But for some reason he couldn't quite figure out, he knew he didn't want to send her away. Even if the sane part of him said it would likely be for his own safety.
And he didn't want her to be mad at him.
Coming back to the conversation with Miss Hazel, he said, "I don't know yet, Miss Hazel. I will admit to being a bit confused about it all. Sometimes you women can be hard to figure out."
Her eyebrow went up and her head tilted to one side. "Is that so?"
In that moment, he realized, he was about to find out just how much he really did need to be more careful what he said around a woman.
"You know, I think your new husband is actually quite smitten with you. I hope you'll be patient with him. He's a quiet man, and sometimes he says things without thinking."
Rose shook the wrinkles out of the shirt, then hung it on the line. Miss Hazel was standing beside her, helping her hang the rest of the washing out. She'd stopped in for a visit this morning as soon as Elijah had left to go on his rounds. He'd be gone overnight again, so Rose had some time to try and figure out what she planned to do from here.
They’d spoken a bit over the rest of yesterday, but things were still strained. To be fair, Elijah had tried his best to make things right with her. Well, he'd done everything except actually apologize.
"Miss Hazel, do you truly believe I can make it out here? Especially since I grew up having everything done for me. And then, the fact that I'm a bit, well…you know."
Hazel squinted her eyes together and turned to face her, putting her hands on her hips. "Rose Thorpe, I don't think you've ever given yourself enough credit. You're a strong woman, but you've never had the chance to show anyone. So what if you're sometimes a bit like that silly moose I can see over there all tangled up in the clothesline behind Evelyn's house."
Rose peeked around the shirt she'd just hung, and let out a laugh at the sight she could see.
The moose that was always hanging around had his antlers caught in the clothesline, but he didn't seem in the least bothered by it. It would seem it was actually something he was quite used to doing. He happily continued eating the long grass around him, pulling the line farther down each time.
"Should someone go help him?" She was giggling now as she watched him. He lifted his head and looked at her while he chewed.
Hazel was shaking her head as she looked at him. "I don't know what it is about that moose, but he reminds me of a man I knew many years ago. My uncle, Monty Hughes. He was the kindest, most gentle soul I've ever known, and that man never cared a whit what anyone else thought about him. He was a bit of a blundering man, who could manage to trip over his own feet at least once a day."
The woman was smiling as she remembered the man she'd obviously loved a great deal. "But he'd also give you the shirt off his back if you needed it." She turned to look at Rose with a glint in her eye. "Even if he might accidentally knock you down while giving it to you."
Monty Hughes sounded a lot like herself.
Hazel looked back at the moose as he started to walk over to another patch of grass, managing somehow to get himself untangled from the line. As he did, the line sprung back, flinging most of the clothes that poor Evelyn had already washed that morning halfway across the yard.
"I think we should call him Monty."
Hazel nodded, as though that had settled it.
Rose laughed as she continued watching the massive animal lumber across the grass to the next patch, as though he didn't have a care in the world and hadn't just destroyed a clothesline and a day’s worth of washing.
"I think that's the perfect name for him. Monty the Moose. He may be a bit awkward and clumsy, but he quite obviously knows he belongs here."
Hazel reached out and patted her arm before reaching into the basket to grab some socks to hang on the line. "And hopefully soon, you'll realize that Monty isn't the only one who belongs here."
Chapter 10
"I'm sure going to miss that woman, even if she does manage to make me feel like an awkward child who needs to learn to mind his manners every time she's around me."
Elijah waved at the train that was pulling from the station carrying Miss Hazel back home. She'd arrived in town like a whirlwind once again, and left just as quickly. But this time, she'd left him with a wife he still wasn't sure how to manage. Over the past few days, they'd seemed to reach a quiet understanding and had been slowly getting to know each other.
He still slept on his bedroll on the floor, which was beginning to take its toll on his back. He didn't mind sleeping on the hard ground when he was on overnight patrol, but what he wouldn't give for his own soft bed when he was home.
And he had to admit he'd been thinking about the woman he'd be sharing that bed with an awful lot too.
"Well, if I know Miss Hazel as well as I think I do, she will head back to Ottawa and start looking for the next group of women she can marry off to more poor Mounties who keep our great nation safe. Or, something along those lines, as she said when she cornered me in church not so long ago."
Rose smiled over at him as she turned from waving her goodbyes to the older woman.
They started walking back from the station, while the others all went their separate ways. Now that Miss Hazel was gone, it was up to all of them to make things work with their new wives. Rose's cooking hadn't gotten much better since she'd arrived, even though he knew Hazel and Tilly both had been offering their help. But he couldn't complain because he could see how hard she really was trying.
"I've been wondering how that conversation must have gone. What made you decide to travel all this way to marry a stranger anyway?"
She still wasn't giving him much information about her past, other than the fact she'd grown up in Ottawa. Any time he tried to ask her about it, she would just brush it off.
Elijah's job as a Mountie was to always work to uncover the truth, but he was finding her to be a tough case to figure out.
He turned his head slightly to watch her as she kept her own gaze straight ahead. Finally, she gave a slight shrug and small laugh. "I didn't really have many options. When Miss Hazel came to me, I realized it was my chance to get away and try for a life of my own."
He sensed there was more to it, but he didn't want to push her too much. This was the most she'd ever opened up to him and as he kept his eyes on her, he could see by the redness of her cheeks, she was embarrassed at having shared as much as she had.
"Well, I'm glad Miss Hazel found you for me. I'm sure I got the prettiest bride by far."
Her head whipped around and her big eyes stared at him in shock. He wouldn't have believed her cheeks could get any redder, but as he watched, they changed to an almost purple color.
He had to admit, he was just as shocked at himself. He'd never been much for paying compliments to women, and hadn't really had the time to learn how to properly court a lady. Yet, with Rose, he found himself feeling like she would never reject him or do anything to hurt him. Maybe it was just because they were already married, so he knew he really had
nothing to lose by trying.
Suddenly, she stopped and tilted her head to the side while watching him warily. Her eyebrows pulled together and she crossed her arms in front of her stomach. "Are you sure you wouldn't rather have a bride like Tilly who could cook for you without burning your house down?"
He laughed and waved his hand to the side. "You haven't actually burned it down yet."
She continued to look at him. "What about being as feisty and tough as Evelyn? She'd likely make life interesting for you."
He made his face into a cringe. "No, I'm not sure I'd be able to put up with what poor Joel has been dealing with. Besides, at least you've agreed to already marry me. He still doesn't know if he'll end up with a wife or not."
"Well, JoAnn is a lot of fun and can sing like an angel. If I were to try singing to you, you'd likely have to stuff cotton in your ears to keep from crying."
He chuckled. "I agree that JoAnn does have a beautiful voice."
When her face fell slightly, he had to smile to himself. For a woman as beautiful as Rose, she sure didn't see what she could have to offer a husband.
Reaching out, he took both of her hands in his. "But I'm enjoying getting to know the woman I married. The woman who keeps me on my toes and who I can sense has a goodness inside her that's never been able to shine through. A person who’s brave and strong and willing to marry a man thousands of miles away from her home, just so she could have the chance to make a life of her own."
He smiled down at her as he watched her chest rise and fall with each breath.
"I know sometimes I might not say the right words, but I'm glad you came to Squirrel Ridge Junction, and I'm glad you agreed to be my wife. Even if we have done things a bit backward."
"What do you mean?"
His fingers reached up and pushed back a strand of hair that had fallen forward onto her cheek. The smoothness of her skin beneath his rough fingers set his whole body on fire. He watched as she swallowed slowly, never taking her eyes from his face.
RNWMP: Bride for Elijah (Mail Order Mounties Book 2) Page 4
