Boot Hill Bride (17 page)
supper. When Howard and his brothers wandered in, they
too, seemed carefree and excited. Randi's disposition
continued to shine, especially since Howard never left her
side, other than the short time all of the men were taking a
quick bath in the stream near the trees on the back of the
property.
Throughout the meal, one of his hands rested somewhere
on her body. While he helped carry the meal to the table, one
hand had settled in the middle of her back, as if guiding her
footsteps, and as they ate, one hand rested on her knee. The
constant touch heated her body to the temperature of
morning coffee, and the effect so pleasing she questioned if it
was real, or if she was entrenched in some kind of a
mystifying daydream.
Ma's voice rumbled from the end of the table. "You boys
can do dishes tonight." She waved her spoon toward the
brothers. Perplexed frowns covered both Snake's and Bug's
faces, but before they had a chance to utter a protest, Ma
continued, "Randi had a long day."
"No—" Randi started.
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"Yes," Ma interrupted. "You deserve an evening off.
Washin' dishes ain't gonna hurt these boys none. They've
done 'em most of their lives." Ma set down her spoon and
took a long swallow of coffee ending the conversation as
quickly as she had started it.
Baffled, Randi glanced to Howard, looking for either an
explanation or support to go against his mother's declaration.
One corner of his mouth curled into a little grin that made
him all the more good-looking and sent her heart pitter-
pattering.
His fingers squeezed the sides of her knee. "Ma's right.
You deserve a night off." He rose and curled his hand around
her elbow. "Would you like to see how much we got
accomplished on the hotel today?"
Yes
, she wanted to shout, but the table held the complete
array of the meal.
"I really should at least help put away the food."
"The boys and I will get it, you two go on." Ma waved her
hand again.
A flutter of guilt made her face twist, and she glanced to
the boys. They had worked all day and shouldn't be expected
to clean up. Both brothers met her gaze with bright smiles.
Bug winked one sparkling eye. "Go on. Check out the
stairway railing I finished." He elbowed Snake. "We don't
mind cleaning up. Do we?"
Snake gave a shake of his head. "Nope, don't mind at all."
A sincere smile covered his face. "After a meal this fine,
cleaning up is the least we can do."
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She really wanted to see the inside of the hotel again. All
afternoon her mind had conjured up ways to arrange furniture
and decorate the interior of the building. The earlier tour had
given her a connection to the hotel, and she couldn't deny the
excitement at being a part of it all. Moreover, the thought of
spending time alone with Howard made her completely jittery
with anticipation.
"Well, if you're sure," she muttered, but her gaze had
returned to Howard.
"They're sure," he answered.
His slow, low whisper made her bones turn liquid and
luckily his other arm slipped around her back to hold her
upright as her knees wobbled. Incapable of speaking, she
nodded and didn't even look back as he led her away from
the table.
Music from the many establishments lining Front Street,
boisterous enough to reach the edges of town, floated on the
air like a faraway songbird. Not loud enough to really
decipher, the lively sound gave the air a tender thrill. The
heat giving sun had long since set, and the farther they
moved away from the campsite, the chillier the air became.
An unexpected shiver slithered across her shoulders.
"Are you cold?" Howard asked, tugging her closer to his
side.
"No." She fit her shoulder beneath his. "Well, maybe just a
touch," she admitted, not wanting to leave the comfy position
of snuggling beneath the curve of his shoulder and wide arm.
"Shall we stop at the tent and get a shawl or one of my
flannel shirts?"
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"No, it'll be fine once we're out of the wind."
He didn't say anything more, and she didn't expect him to.
She'd already recognized how he didn't often say a lot, yet
she had a feeling his mind was forever working. The strong,
silent type is what her mother would have called him, and a
new awareness wafted over her, made her smile. Her mother
would have liked him.
He chose that moment to glance down and caught her
gazing up at him.
"Happy?" he asked.
She had to process the question. No one had ever asked
her that before. The answer made her lips separate into a
full-blown, open-mouth, smile.
"Yes, yes, I
am
happy."
And it feels wonderful
.
"Good," he said with a single nod of his head. His wide
palm ran up and down her upper arm, completely dismissing
the early chill and holding her tight to his side as they walked
up the outdoor stairs.
When had the transformation happened? This afternoon?
Yesterday? A week ago? The day they married? She couldn't
pinpoint the moment, but somehow happiness, an emotion
she hadn't experienced very often, had taken up residence in
her soul.
"Wait here," he instructed, leaving her inside the threshold
and disappearing into the darkness. The roof and upper floor
had been completed, making the inside darker than a cavern.
Moments later he returned carrying a lit carriage lantern.
The tiny flame fluttered behind the glass and cast shadows to
dance on the walls surrounding them. He lifted the light
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higher, eliminating most of the shadows and filling the area
with enough light to see the progress of the day.
The double-wide staircase had been lined with finely
carved spindles and long handrails. If there truly was a
staircase to heaven, this is what it looked like.
"Oh, my," she sighed.
"Looks good, doesn't it?"
She stepped closer, ran a hand over the big knob at the
bottom of the rail.
"Careful." He laid a hand on top of hers. "The boys still
have some sanding to do. I don't want you to get a sliver."
"Oh." She lifted her hand, and his hand slipped beneath
hers. Palm to palm, his fingers laced with hers. The contact
sent a lightning bolt up her arm, straight to her heart. Her
knees melted, and she had to tighten her leg muscles to keep
from slithering to the floor.
He tugged her toward the left. "Let's start in the kitchen.
The first load of furniture arrived today. We still have quite a
bit of work to do before we can assemble it, so for now we
put it in there."
They walked across the foyer into a large room. Big,
square, and slatted crates were stacked along the far wall.
"What is it?" she asked.
"Tables and chairs."
The heat of his gaze was hot enough to singe the side of
her face. She twisted her neck to see why he stared so hard.
His eyes held more light than the lantern. Pale green had
turned completely silver. A soft rumble rolled about in her
stomach. His gaze floated over her face until it locked onto
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her lips. The action made her emit a slight gasp and sent her
heart racing. They stood like that for several moments, his
eyes kissing her lips.
When the need to feel his lips on hers was so strong she
wanted to cry aloud, beg him to kiss her, his head lowered.
With painstaking slowness, he drew closer and closer until
their lips connected. It was an awakening of emotions. Her
heart swelled from its rapid beats, her head swirled, and
every muscle from head to toe tingled. His hands never
moved. One held the lantern and the other still clutched her
palm, but it was as if she became completed gloved by his
aura. Her eyes fluttered shut, and she let herself float on a
cloud as they kissed.
Tenderly, his lips ran over her upper, and then her lower
lip. The gentle, easy actions kept her immobile. Not because
his arms held her tight, but the tantalizing sensations of his
kiss prevented her body from being able to do anything
except stand still and absorb the slightest touch. When his
lips started to slip away, she leaned forward, following them.
She completely lost her balance, toppling into Howard's
chest. His arms wrapped around her waist. A rumble vibrated
up her cheek at his low chuckle. She glanced up and tried to
focus on his face as the world spun.
His smile slipped away; his features became serious.
She wrapped both arms around his waist, and breathless,
as if she'd just run a mile, begged, "Please take me to the
tent."
The arm around her tightened and something flashed in his
eyes. "Randi—"
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"Please," she interrupted. Never a daring person, she
questioned the courage that made her continue. "I know what
I'm asking." And before he could respond, she reached one
hand up to pull his face toward hers. A final plea slipped from
her mouth into his when their lips met.
"Please, Howard, take me to bed."
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Howard lost control and devoured her mouth, drinking the
sweetness like a man who'd been without water for a month.
The blood surging through his veins could hold a candle to the
Mississippi and was hotter than lit gun powder. It was Randi
who broke the kiss. A glow brighter than the stars emitted
from her face. She grabbed his hand and towed him to the
door.
A light, carefree giggle faintly filled the air around them,
and he tugged, forcing her to pivot about so he could see if it
was really her laughter he heard. His heart leaped to his
throat, and then burst open. His laugh met hers and hand in
hand they ran down the steps of the building, leaving the
echoes of their merriment to rise into the night sky.
Once inside the tent, he set the lamp on the trunk and
pulled her close with both hands. Her lips met his with a
demand that almost surprised him—almost because he was
demanding just as much. The kiss was rewarding and leading
at the same time. A need filled his system, one he knew only
she could fulfill. He lifted his head, had to make sure she truly
wanted what was about to happen.
"Blow out the lamp," she whispered, brushing little kisses
along his neck.
His head spun with such speed it might twist right off and
float away.
"What?" he mumbled.
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"Blow out the lamp." She took a step back and began to
pull the pins from her hair. "You know. The shadows." Her
head tilted toward the lamp as she plucked pins, tossing them
onto the trunk.
A tiny bit of common sense filtered into his dizzy mindset.
He quickly dowsed the light before she finished with the pins,
wanting to be the one to pluck the final few and to smooth
the long tresses over her shoulders. Darkness filled the tent,
but her outline was still there, just a step away. Gently
brushing her hands aside, he combed his fingers into the
chestnut colored fluff, searching for the tiny bits of metal. He
removed each one, letting them fall from his fingers and
bounce across the trunk or onto the floor with abandonment.
"You are so beautiful," he whispered.
"So are you." Her fingers began to slip the buttons of his
shirt through their holes.
The last pin landed on the top of the trunk with a tinkle. A
thick heavy veil of silky hair tumbled through his hands like
snow falling off a rooftop. He bent to thoroughly inhale the
flowery scent. The tightening in his groin let him know the full
effect she had on him.
She finished with the last button and pulled his shirttail
from his waistband. Her hands went to his shoulders and
pushed the material aside. He'd never been undressed by a
woman before, and the act was enough to drive him to the
brink. Searching for restraint, he stalled her hands by
grasping her elbows and leaned down for a kiss.
His mind became completely befuddled, because kissing
her made his britches tight enough to cut off his blood flow.
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Somehow her fingers still managed to push the shirt off his
shoulders.
Piece by piece their clothing floated to the floor and their
bodies found the bed. Howard held his breath, experiencing a
ritual that fleshed out more emotions than a man had a right
to experience. A groan rumbled his voice box and made his