Grooms with Honor Series, Books 4-6

by Linda K. Hubalek

  She kept mentioning it’s their wedding night, even though they both agreed it wasn’t a real marriage in that sense.

  But you were thinking the other day the ranch house is lonely being there by yourself.

  No, he promised Lily a safe, respectable means of transportation and that’s what he’d standby.

  “I’d still like to eat in the dining room rather than here in the room. I saw they had ribeye steaks on their menu,” Lily looked hungry...again. “I don’t think I’ve ever gotten to eat a whole steak by myself.”

  A rap on their hotel room startled them. Seth went to stand behind the closed door before asking, “Yes, who is it?”

  “Mr. Hansen, the hotel manager, sir,” a muffled male voice replied. “I heard of your wife’s attack and wanted to see if there is anything the hotel can do for you.”

  Seth cautiously opened the door, keeping a firm hand on the knob in case he needed to slam the door shut. Seth was leery of everyone in Chicago now.

  “Yes?”

  “Good evening, I’m Mr. Robert Hansen, the Hough Hall manager, and I heard about the horrible attack on your wife at the Stock Show today.”

  “And how did you hear about it?” Was Mr. Hansen on Hardesty’s payroll too?

  “More than one guest came back from the show talking about it. One guest said he’d held one of the men down until the police took care of him.”

  “Yes, we had a big crowd of witnesses,” Seth said not letting the man look past him into the room.

  “Does your wife need a doctor, or yourself, since I see you were hurt as well?”

  “Seth, it’s okay, I think it’s safe to open the door.” Seth took a quick look back to see she was still reclining on the bed, one hand on her side, and one on her forehead.

  “I was just careful, Sweetheart. We’ve, unfortunately, found out Chicago is not a friendly place,” Seth said while staring at the manager and slowly opening the door a little wider.

  “Hello, Mrs. Reagan,” Hansen said stepping into the room, but not farther because Seth wasn’t going to let him walk over to Lily. “I didn’t see you check in with Mr. Reagan the day he arrived.” So much for worrying about Lily’s injuries. The man was here to snoop.

  “That’s correct because I arrived later.”

  “Do you have a doctor on staff here?” Seth was tired of how Lily was being treated.

  “No, but we can call one in…if she needs help.”

  “Yes, she does. The bruise on her side is huge,” Seth felt his temper starting to rise again.

  “Seth, I’m pretty sure the brute didn’t break any ribs, so all that can be done is to wrap my middle. But I think the doctor should look at your jaw,” Lily eyed him.

  “I’m talking, so I know it isn’t broken,” Seth growled, tired of this conversation and interruption.

  “Fine,” Lily relented. “Mr. Hansen, instead of a doctor, please get me some rib binding so my husband can wrap my terribly sore and bruised ribs.”

  “Certainly. Anything else I can do for you?” the man asked looking back and forth between him and Lily.

  “Yes, there is.” Seth was surprised when Lily spoke up.

  “We were looking forward to your special ribeye steak dinner tonight, but I don’t feel like going downstairs. Please have your staff bring our meals to our room,” Lily said with a wave of her left hand—probably to show off her ring—and to dismiss the man.

  “Yes, Mrs. Reagan,” Mr. Hansen said while backing out of the room.

  Seth shut the door, and Lily started giggling.

  “What’s so funny?” She was lying on the bed, hurt, but now laughing, while her arms are tightly wrapped around her middle.

  “Oh, that was so fun! I’ve never gotten to order someone to do my bidding. It’s always been me doing all the work.” Lily snorted, trying to get her laughing under control. She’d certainly made his trip memorable.

  “I’d still feel better if you had your ribs checked.” He was starting to sound like…a husband.

  “Seth, I can take deep breaths without severe pain, so I know they aren’t broken.” She sighed and turned more serious. “I, uh…know the difference between bruised and broken because I’ve had both before, more than once,” Lily quietly finished.

  “I’m so sorry to hear that, Lily.” Seth wished he could give her a comforting hug, to wash away all the bad memories of her past. But he sat down on the edge of the bed and picked up her hand, slowly rubbing it, feeling hard callouses on her fingers and palm. Seth guessed she’d had a hard life, and he was proud he was the one improving it for her.

  Lily’s “demands” paid off. They burst out laughing after their meals were delivered. Besides huge steaks, three vegetable side dishes and hot bread, the waiters brought in two plates of fancy cream puffs filled with light vanilla cream for dessert, and a bottle of champagne!

  “Well, Malena Reagan, I’d say you did well with your first ‘demand’ performance,” Seth teased her.

  “And here I thought the manager would send up a tough meat sandwich—if anything,” she grinned.

  Neither had tasted champagne before, so they took a few sips to say they had. It was the fanciest meal he’d ever had, and it pleased him that it made Lily’s memories of her wedding day unique, even if their marriage wasn’t real.

  They’d slowly eaten and talked for over two hours. Seth shared a unique story about each of his brothers, Angus, Fergus, Mack, Cullen, and Tully, and growing up as a preacher’s kid in a small frontier town. Lily didn’t say anything about her family but instead told stories about her time in Massachusetts.

  And now it was time for them to go to bed. Seth and Lily might be married, but they weren’t going to consummate it, so…it was making them both nervous and shy.

  “Ah, thanks to you buying me a new nightgown yesterday, you can have your nightshirt back,” Lily shyly said, still sitting at the table.

  “True, but it’s a little colder on the floor so I’ll keep my pants on,” Seth drummed his fingers on the table, not comfortable to meet Lily’s eyes.

  “Seth, why would you sleep on the floor? We’re married now, even though we don’t plan to.…you know…”

  Seth’s eyes widened and looked at Lily’s red face. He might be thinking about it, but she almost said it out loud.

  “Lily, you were hurt again today, I think you need to have the bed to yourself tonight,” Seth rushed through the words.

  “Well, okay.” Lily stood up, and Seth thought she was ready to go to bed.

  “I’ll go downstairs then to give you some privacy while you can get into bed,” Seth said standing up, ready to run out the door.

  “I could use your help before you go downstairs,” Lily stopped Seth just as he was about to turn the doorknob.

  “With what?”

  “Could you please take my hair pins out, brush my hair and braid it? It’s hard to raise my right arm to do it,” she said sweetly. Seth blew out the air he was holding, worried it could have been more than brushing her hair.

  “Sure, I’d be glad to help you,” he turned thinking she’d be seated in a chair by the table, but she sat on the far side of the bed with her back turned to him instead. How’d she move so fast to get on the bed?

  “Here’s my brush,” Lily looked over her shoulder at him. “Please put the hairpins on my handkerchief beside me so I can pick them up without dropping any.” Oh, boy. Seth was going to have to crawl into bed and sit behind her to reach her hair.

  Seth toed off his boots and sat on the bed, but she was still out of reach.

  “Wait, I’ll move up a bit, and you can sit behind me,” and Seth watched her little behind scoot on the bed.

  “You know, I didn’t have any sisters, so I don’t know how to do this…so maybe you can still do it yourself?”

  “Seth, I bet you’ve braided rawhide, twine, and many other things. It’s not hard,” she glanced over her shoulder at him. She turned back around, but not before he saw her sweet turned-
up lips.

  Okay, he could do this. Seth moved to sit behind her, then studied her hair. Where’s the best place to start pulling pins?

  He gingerly pulled a hairpin out of the bottom of her top clump of curls, trying to do so by only using the tips of his thumb and finger. His big fingers caught some of her hair at the same time, and he winced. “Oops. Sorry.”

  “My hair won’t break off, Seth. Pull the pins out, and then run your fingers through my hair to find any you missed.”

  One by one, Seth pulled the pins then gingerly placed his fingers at the base of her neck and ran his fingers up her scalp and out through the length of her waist-long hair, having to pull out sideways because he was so close behind her.

  “Pins all out? Here’s the brush to smooth out any tangles. I usually do a hundred strokes every night.”

  Seth was sure the first fifteen strokes through Lily’s hair hurt, but she didn’t say anything. He found a rhythm, enjoying the silky golden strands running across his fingers as he brushed out to the tips of her hair. Seth lifted her hair to his nose to smell it. It smelled like the Blue Lilies Perfume he gave her, maybe along with a little “cattle” scent from being in the exhibit hall.

  Lily kept quiet, her eyes closed, looking like she was enjoying him brushing her hair as much as he was enjoying doing it for her. What would it be like to do this every night for my wife?

  When he got done with the one hundred strokes, he set the brush aside, divided Lily’s hair into thirds, and slowly braided it. She held a blue ribbon—apparently her favorite color, too—in her hand for him to tie the end of her braid.

  “Okay, I’m done, so I’ll go now,” Seth said as he climbed off the bed and reached for his boots.

  “Thank you, Seth. It felt so good to have my hair brushed out. Now could you help me out of my clothes?”

  “What?” Good grief, did he just squawk like a fourteen-year-old whose voice was starting to change?

  “I need help out of my clothes, and then you can wrap my ribs,” Lily said as she moved off the bed to stand in front of him.

  What did she learn while being in the Emporium? How to seduce a man? Could he do this without looking? But feeling without seeing might heighten his senses instead.

  “I unbuttoned my shirtwaist, but I need you to carefully pull it off my shoulders and down my arms.”

  Lily turned away from him, and he slowly slid the shirtwaist off her arms, feeling her bare shoulders in the process. She didn’t have on a corset or corset cover. She only had on her chemise under her shirtwaist.

  “You need your long underwear on,” so I don’t see your bare skin.

  “Don’t have any, but I suppose I should buy some for our trip home.”

  “Yes, and boots, too. Your shoes are about worn through. We’ll go shopping tomorrow.” Think of a shopping list instead, to get your mind off her skin!

  “Please unbutton my side seam on the left side of my skirt and pull it, and my two petticoats, off.”

  “Oh no, I shouldn’t be doing that...” I bet my face is so red, I look sunburned.

  “I’m afraid you can’t get them down, so you’ll have to pull them up over my head.”

  Seth sighed. Just do it. The poor lady’s ribs hurt.

  It took a couple of minutes to get everything unbuttoned, separated and up over her head after she slowly raised her arms. Then she stood there in her chemise and drawers, looking at him…waiting for…what?

  “How about I slip your nightgown over your…underwear…so you stay warmer tonight?”

  “I want to pull up my chemise, so we can…”

  “Nope, we are not doing anything, so lift up your arms as much as you can again because your nightgown is going on now.”

  He might have pulled the gown over her head maybe a little too hard and fast, but it was done, and he had his hand on the doorknob again.

  “I meant so you could wrap my ribs...”

  “Oh.” Now Seth was embarrassed because he’d been thinking of something else besides her injured side.

  “And Seth?”

  “Yes?”

  “Can I have a goodnight kiss?”

  Lily laughed so hard she snorted when he looked back incredulously at her. The little tease. But after the short kiss they exchanged at their marriage ceremony today, he wouldn’t mind kissing her again.

  Chapter 9

  “I’ve ordered a special horse car instead of a livestock car to bring the horses home. It has eight stalls, but I’ll limit my buying to six or seven, in case some don’t get along well, and we need to separate them farther apart.”

  “I assume the cars have water and feeding troughs in them. Is the hay supplied or did you have to order it, too?”

  “I ordered hay for the three-day trip.” Seth bumped Lily’s shoulder with his and smiled down at her. “It’s nice to have another person along who knows horses and their needs.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Reagan, I’m honored to be your assistant,” she smiled back at Seth.

  Last night was a little awkward…but it was lovely spending time with Lily. She seemed to be a very nice person and made the meal and conversation special for their fake wedding night. But, of course, he still slept on the floor instead of in bed with her.

  “Seth, the auctioneer is standing in front of the pens of mares you liked.”

  “Tell me two or three you’d prefer…if you had to choose.” He’d considered buying Lily her own horse, so he wanted her to pick her choice, in a roundabout way. Seth had already asked and found out all these mares were broken to ride.

  “The two bays standing at the front of the pen are the best, but the little bay with the star on her forehead—in the back corner—is my favorite. She seemed to sense my need to hide in their pen and tried to keep the other horses out of my corner.

  “She’s smaller, and I’d say she’s a few years older than the others, but she has such a sweet temperament. Although she isn’t as showy as the other horses, I think she’d be a good broodmare. Don’t you?” she asked Seth his opinion and he’d have to agree with her assessment.

  “They’ll be led out in a minute, and we can see them walk to be sure their legs are sound.” People stood back against the alley pens as the haltered mares were led out one at a time and walked in front of the audience.

  “Folks, this pen of horses we’re starting on, is from a seller from Iowa,” the auctioneer yelled. “All these mares have registered pedigree papers with them today, except for the mare with the white star on her forehead. I’ll talk more about her when she’s walked out.”

  “What’s my starting bid on this large bay? Teeth says she’s four years old. Do I hear fifty dollars?” the auctioneer barked and kept going as buyers raised their hands to bid on the mare. Some bidders waved their bidding number paper wildly in the air, while others kept their eye on the auctioneer and only gave him a nod to convey they wanted to up the ante. They didn’t show their bidding card unless they bought a horse.

  Lily had never been to an American stock auction, so was fascinated with the process. “Are you bidding on this horse?” she whispered to Seth.

  “No, I’m waiting for the next one,” Seth whispered, never looking away from the auctioneer.

  “Sold! One hundred and forty-five dollars to buyer thirty-five. Next horse, five years old. What’s your bid, gentlemen?”

  “I like the looks of this mare. Shall I bid on it?” Seth gave Lily a quick glance.

  “Yes, she has good lines.”

  Seth raised his card to get the auctioneer’s attention and indicate he wanted in on the bidding. The price climbed as Seth, and another man kept raising the other’s bid.

  “Going once…going twice…Sold for one hundred and seventy-five dollars to buyer forty-two! Lead the next horse out, please…”

  “You got her!” Lily squeezed his forearm. Seth smiled as excitement flooded Lily’s face. It felt so good to see her happy and beside him.

  “Well, you recommended her,�
� he teased, enjoying the excitement shining from her face.

  Two more horses were sold, then Lily’s choice was led out. “Folks, this nice horse is seven years old, but the seller lost her papers, and her bloodlines can’t be confirmed. Who will give me twenty-five dollars?” the auctioneer looked around, waiting for a hand to go up.

  No one started the bidding because they were at the auction for top pedigreed breeding mares, or they wanted to see how little they could get her for.

  Seth raised his hand, but someone quickly followed with another five-dollar bid. Seth couldn’t see the man who was bidding against him. He was standing behind someone taller than himself and waving his hand in the air when bidding.

  He looked at Lily and darned if she and the mare weren’t quietly staring at each other. He wanted to buy this mare for her, so he raised his bid another five dollars.

  But the other man also bid again. This horse was going to cost more than the broodmare he bought if the man kept bidding against him.

  “Seth, stop bidding. The price is going too high for her,” Lily was tugging on his arm, trying to get his attention away from the auctioneer.

  “This is the horse you chose,” not wanting to disappoint Lily.

  “Going once….

  “Hey cowboy, aren’t you going to buy your wife her horse?” Seth whipped his head toward the sound of Hardesty’s voice as the man walked out so Seth could see him. Hardesty was bidding against him—just to get the price up!

  “No, Seth, please, don’t bid again,” begged Lily as she clasped both hands around his arm.

  Seth shook his head “no” to the auctioneer, watching Hardesty’s confused face when Seth did so.

  “Going once, going twice, sold to number…?” The auctioneer waited for Hardesty to give his bid number.

  “Don’t have one, and don’t want to buy the nag. Sell it to the cowboy I bid against for the same price!” Hardesty yelled at the auctioneer.

  “Sir, this auction is only for serious horse buyers. If you intend to buy any horse at this auction, you need to go register and get a number. I won’t take any more bids from you if you don’t. And if you bid and win the top bid, you will own the horse next time.”