Boot Hill Bride (19 page)
hair. Words seemed insignificant, so she put all of her
emotions into one very long, extremely meaningful kiss.
The embrace wasn't like the ones in the tent, it wasn't
meant to ignite fires in her veins, instead, it was intended to
tell him he was her world, without him she was nothing, like
that shivering girl he'd found in his bed weeks ago. It was the
kind of kiss that said I want to be yours forever, and I want
you to be mine forever—the kind of kiss she'd never known
existed until this moment.
When their mouths separated and he tucked her head
beneath his chin, they weren't gasping for air, but simply
absorbing life from one another.
After a few stilled moments, Howard said, "Are you ready
for your surprise?"
She glanced up and noticed not only happiness on his face,
but a gleam of satisfaction had settled deep in his eyes. It
made her smile.
"Yes, I'm ready for my surprise."
He kissed her forehead. "Well, turn around then."
She did, but didn't see anything out of the ordinary. The
backdoor led into the kitchen, which was still used for storage
of the crates of furniture that arrived on a daily basis. Her
gaze made it about halfway around the room when something
slid over her eyes, and she reached up to tug it away.
"Oh, no, none of that," he said near her ear.
She fingered the bandana he'd settled over her eyes and
proceeded to tie in the back of her head.
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"What are you doing?"
"Blind-folding you so you can't peek." He tugged the cloth.
"How's that? Is it too tight?"
"If I say yes, will you take it off," she teased.
"No, but I'll loosen it."
"It's fine," she admitted. He was full of surprises, and she
loved it. Having no siblings, she'd never played games such
as blind man's bluff and had told him so the other night.
He took her hand. "All right, then, come along."
She stepped carefully, the blindfold made walking a
precarious event. Her other hand reached over so both of
hers held onto his. "Where are we going?"
"Upstairs."
She paused for a moment. "I don't think I can climb stairs
without seeing where I'm going." The thought made a touch
of fear tickle her spine.
"Sure you can. I'm right beside you and won't let anything
happen to you." He wrapped his other hand around her back.
The action and words chased away her fear. He'd said that
to her the first day they'd met, and he was right. With him
around nothing bad could ever happen to her.
"All right," she said, stepping forward.
He counted the stairs for her as they climbed, encouraging
each step. The staircase off the kitchen, she knew, rose to the
second floor and the private apartment being built for them.
She'd seen it a couple times, but it had been nothing more
than two-by-four stud walls and open spaces where windows
eventually would be. Perhaps that was it. Windows had
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arrived a few days ago, maybe he wanted her to see how nice
they looked.
They stopped at the top of the stairs, and his hands left
her for a brief moment. She heard a faint sound, like a door
opening before he once again took her hand to lead her
forward. Within a few feet, the clicks of her heels become
muffled, and the floor softened as if she walked across a
plush carpet, but he didn't stop. The floor became wood again
and another door opened before he brought her to a halt.
"I thought I'd show you this room first." His fingers
loosened the blindfold, but he didn't let it fall away from her
eyes. "Are you ready?" he asked, kissing the side of her neck.
"Yes," she laughed, rubbing against his touch.
After one more kiss, the blindfold fell away.
It took her eyelids a moment to open, and when they did,
she blinked, stared, and blinked again. Her heart flapped
about, somewhat out of control, and her mind had gone
blank. Before her stood a shamefully, gorgeous hotel suite
with a four-poster bed the size only kings and queens slept in.
Draped with a burgundy brocade bedspread and topped with
enough gold, green, and burgundy silk pillows to fill their
tent. The bed, which was framed with matching bed tables
and lamps on both sides, should have dwarfed the size of the
room, but it only took up a small portion. Curtains, matching
the bed covering, were drawn back with long gold tasseled
sashes letting the sun fill the room with natural light. In front
of one of the double-paned windows was a long chaise
lounge, decorated again with a pile of silk pillows. A table and
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two large leather chairs were grouped in the corner on the
other wall.
She had to turn to take in more of the room. A tall dresser,
complete with a framed oblong mirror stood beside a shorter
dressing table that also held a huge round mirror, and a
matching bench sat in front of the table, as if awaiting a
grand lady to sit upon it as she pinned her hair or dabbed on
perfume.
"Oh my word!" Randi finally gasped, breathless.
"What? Don't you like it?"
The sound of his worried tone made her spin all the way
around. Behind him, next to the doorway, two wide doors
stood open, and she moved to peer inside. It was a built-in
closet, two actually, a his and a hers. Her eyes strained, and
she squinted to make sure they weren't playing tricks on her.
Nope, those were her clothes hanging on the high bar, and
her traveling bag sat on the floor beneath.
Howard stepped around in front of her and laid a hand on
her arm.
"Randi? Don't you like it?"
"Like it?" she asked with disbelief.
He gave an adorable if not somewhat unsure little,
questioning nod.
"Howard, it's the most beautiful room I've ever seen." She
reached out to point at her traveling suit. "But what are my
clothes doing in the closet?"
"It's our bedroom. Where else would your clothes be?"
"Our bedroom?" She flipped back around to once again
gape at the magnificent area.
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"Yes, our bedroom. Don't you like it?"
He sounded so worried, despite the shock still rippling her
frame she had to smile.
"Like it? I love it! I never thought our rooms would be
this...luxurious." She twirled around but was unable to settle
her pointing finger on any one item. Everything was too
spectacular. "This is like something they'd have in New York,
or Philadelphia, but not Dodge City, Kansas."
"You've been helping me plan it. You've seen it all along.
You even helped Ma pick out the material for the curtains."
She pivoted to look at him. "I know. But I just..." With a
single leap she was in his arms. "It's absolutely fabulous! Isn't
it?"
"So, you like it?"
"Yes, silly, I like it. I love it. I can't believe we're going to
live here." She peeked over his shoulder. "Are the rest of the
rooms done?"
He set her on the ground and took her hand. "The rest of
our rooms are done. But not the guest rooms. I wanted to
move you out of that tent as soon as possible. It's stifling our
style." His eyebrows lifted in a very provocative way.
Warmth pooled deep in her belly, and she gave him a coy
look. "Stifling our style? I don't think anything has been
stifled."
"Maybe not, but I'd still like a bit more privacy than what
the tent offers." He led her out of the room. "Let me show
you the rest."
Her degree of shock rose another ten degrees when he led
her into the sitting room, complete with an oil burning parlor
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stove so they wouldn't need to carry logs up the stairs. A
settee and several chairs as well as tables, decorated with
potted plants sat about, and again several long windows
framed with thick curtains, filled the room with light. Three
doors lined the walls.
"Where do those go?" she asked when she'd caught
enough air to speak.
He crossed the room and pointed at the first one. "This one
goes into the hotel hall." Moving his hand, he continued, "This
one goes to our second floor. Those rooms aren't done yet,
but up there will be three more bedrooms." His eyes settled
on her stomach. "For future use."
She pressed both hands to her middle, warmed by the
thought of someday having children. His children. Their
children. Already she dreamed of a little boy with blond curly
hair and a little girl with silver-green eyes.
"And this room," he said, drawing her attention back to
where he stood. "Is your bathing chamber."
"My what?"
He pulled open the door and waved a hand for her to
enter. She flashed him a questioning gaze and slipped into
the room. If the other rooms had been a shock, this one was
absolutely death defying. A huge porcelain tub sat front and
center in the room. Sparkling, a large gold-colored spigot
curved its way over one edge. Too curious to control herself,
she walked closer and turned one of graceful handles. Water
instantly shot out the spout.
"Oh!" she squealed, quickly turning off the spigot.
"Hot and cold running water," he said proudly.
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"Land sakes! I never," she stammered, not knowing what
else to say.
He walked behind a small partition wall. "And back here is
an indoor privy."
"A what?" She scurried across the room for a look. Sure
enough, there stood a round porcelain chamber pot decorated
with blue flowers and stationed high on the wall was a holding
tank with a long gold chain dangling down. She pressed a
hand to her mouth to hide a short fit of giggles.
"People are going to come for miles around just to try
these."
"I don't care what brings them here, as long as they
come," Howard said, joining her laughter.
She weaved her way back around the tub, twisting the
knob to watch the water burst out one more time, and then
meandered out into the other room.
"Howard?"
"Yes," he said near her shoulder.
She jumped a touch, surprised he was so close, and then
smiled, comforted to know he would always be close.
"What's behind that door?" She pointed across the room to
a door next to the one that led downstairs.
"That's my office." One hand settled in the small of her
back to steer her across the room. He opened the door and
again waved an arm for her to enter first. A large desk,
several shelves, and a table and chairs were assembled to
make the room look very professional. A woven rug similar to
the one in the sitting room covered the floor.
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She crossed the room, ran a hand over the desk top, and
then moved to the window. The tent they'd been living in for
several weeks flapped in the wind yards away from the hotel.
A happy smile filled her face, and she flipped around.
"When can we move in?"
He was right there, not more than a few inches away, and
reached out to take her hands. His fingers, calloused, yet
soft, caressed the backs of her wrists. A smile rolled his lips
away from his straight, white teeth.
"We already have."
The ripples of pleasure running up her arms made thinking
a bit difficult.
"Excuse me?"
"Your clothes are in the closet, remember?"
She nodded, more intrigued with the sensations of his
touch than his words.
"That's your surprise. Welcome to your new home. Our
new home." He pulled her close and covered her mouth with
a decidedly reverent kiss.
As his lips lifted, she whispered, "I can't wait until tonight."
He wrapped one arm around her shoulders, crooked the
other behind her knees and lifted her. Cradling her in his
arms, he turned toward the open doorway.
"Who said anything about waiting?"
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An hour later, Howard didn't want to, but knew he had to
get back to work, so he left Randi after he watched her lower
her graceful, delightful body into the deep bathing tub. She'd
denied her want to try out the tub, but he could see it
glistening in her eyes and insisted she take a bath, claimed
the plumber, Joe Smallish, would want to know that
everything worked properly. Once she thought her activity
would assist with the building, she readily agreed, and
completely in the buff, all but flew to the bathing room.
At this moment in time, completely satisfied from head to
toe, inside and out, nothing could erase the smile covering his
face. A joyful tune floated around in his head, and he began