“I let you have your say, little wife. Now you let me have mine. I am not going to go off and leave you for weeks at a time.”
“Ur ott?” Shannon straightened, and her curiosity overcame her temper.
“No, I’m not. I may sometimes be gone overnight, but it won’t be often and it for sure won’t be if you are anywhere close to having a baby, for heaven’s sake.” Tucker shuddered so hard she felt it deep within. Then in the midst of his being really nice for a man who had more or less imprisoned her, suddenly he looked furious.
“I promised I wouldn’t leave you. You heard me. No, I didn’t promise you. I promised my ma. And I made that promise for a reason, Shannon. I saw how sad Ma was every time Pierre left her. She really cared for him, and I saw the burden of her life. In fact, I did my best to ease that burden, and Ma will tell you that’s true. Her sons were all cut from the same cloth as Pierre, and her daughters took off with their husbands as soon as they married. But not me. I’ve been taking care of Ma for years. I can’t believe you thought I’d lie to you and to Ma.”
Tucker uncovered her mouth and let her go with an angry motion. Shannon staggered back. He looked hurt and almost as sad as she felt.
He leaned so close his nose almost brushed hers. “And I can’t believe you’d say you love me with one breath, then with the next breath send me off to the mountains and invite me to stop in if I’m in the area. What kind of love is that, Shannon?”
She opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. Finally, she gathered her thoughts and replied, “The same kind of love I thought I was getting from you when you said you’d go off hunting and trapping. I asked you if you’d be gone.”
“I will be. I have to walk my trap lines, and those are long days.”
“But not weeks or months?”
“No, not weeks or months. I promised you I wouldn’t do that.” Tucker’s eyes slid to Shannon’s middle, then back to her face. “So all this talk of babies—is it all just talk about the future or do you really think there’s a baby on the way?”
Shannon shook her head. “I don’t know of a baby yet.”
“So are you coming with me peacefully or do I have to drag you up to my cabin?”
“Well . . .” Shannon hesitated.
Tucker yanked her into his arms again and kissed her, maybe thinking he didn’t want to hear her answer.
There was a good chance he did want to hear it, but she didn’t mind being kissed.
When he let her go, he said, “You’re coming, Shannon. ‘A man shall leave his mother, and a woman leave her home.’ Well, Ma is living down here now, though she’s never lived near me.” Tucker frowned. “I still need to take care of her sometimes, so we’ll need to come down on occasion. We can live at your homestead enough months of the year to prove up on it, and that’ll give you a chance to see Bailey.”
“I want to see Bailey, so that’s good.”
“And during the winter months, when the pelts are thick on the beaver . . . well, the Bible says you have to leave your home, so that’s that.”
Shannon found herself smiling. “You really don’t know much sweet talk, do you, Tucker?”
He gave her a suspicious look, like he thought she was trying to trick him. “I know I’m not going to live without you. I know you’re coming with me now, and we’re staying together forever.”
Shannon’s heart started to heal at those words. And she opened her mouth to tell him so.
But he kept talking so that she couldn’t get a word in. “I love you. I’m going home. That means you’re coming with me. How much sweeter talk could a woman want?”
The man would never be a poet. She threw her arms around his neck. “No woman could want sweeter talk than that. I only got so upset because I can’t bear the thought of living without you, Tucker. I’m sorry I doubted you. Yes, I’m coming home with you.”
“You are? Even without your sheep?” Tucker looked doubtful.
Shannon did hate to give them up, but it was in the Bible after all.
That wild smile broke out on Tucker’s face, and he laughed as he swung her around in a circle. Then he lowered her to her feet and kissed her until she’d follow him anywhere.
Mary Connealy writes romantic comedies about cowboys. She’s the author of the acclaimed TROUBLE IN TEXAS and THE KINCAID BRIDES series, as well as several other series. Mary has been nominated for a Christy Award, was a finalist for a RITA Award, and is a two-time winner of the Carol Award. She lives on a ranch in eastern Nebraska with her very own romantic cowboy hero. They have four grown daughters—Joslyn, married to Matt; Wendy; Shelly, married to Aaron; and Katy—and a little bevy of spectacular grandchildren. Learn more about Mary and her books at:
maryconnealy.com
mconnealy.blogspot.com
seekerville.blogspot.com
petticoatsandpistols.com
Books by Mary Connealy
From Bethany House Publishers
THE KINCAID BRIDES
Out of Control
In Too Deep
Over the Edge
TROUBLE IN TEXAS
Swept Away
Fired Up
Stuck Together
WILD AT HEART
Tried and True
Now and Forever
A Match Made in Texas: A Novella Collection
Resources: bethanyhouse.com/AnOpenBook
Website: www.bethanyhouse.com
Facebook: Bethany House
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