Capital Bride (7 page)

“Whatever you fix will be wonderful. The men have been congratulating me on marrying well because of your cooking skills. You’ve made the two best meals we’ve had in years. Poor Bertha, she tried but it just isn’t something she’s good at.”

“I’m glad they like me for something.”

“I like you for something,” he waggled his eyebrows and winked at her.

“Oh my.” She knew she blushed again.

He laughed.

She turned and walked out of the barn, fanning herself as she went, his laughter followed her. She smiled.

* * *

Sarah finished with the breakfast dishes. She’d washed and Bertha rinsed and dried. Today was her first lesson in driving a team. She ran upstairs and checked her appearance in the mirror. She was going to spend some time alone with John that wasn’t in bed. Though she couldn’t complain about that. He was a very caring, generous lover. She always climaxed at least once. Usually more.
 

She pushed stray tendrils of hair back up into the knot on top of her head. It probably wouldn’t stay but no one could say she hadn’t tried. If she’d been back in New York she wouldn’t have dared to step out of the bedroom much less the house with a hair out of place. Aunt Gertrude would turn over in her grave if she saw Sarah now.

She ran down the stairs and out on to the front porch. John waited in the buggy, the smallest of their conveyances. As soon as he saw her he jumped down and came around to help her up into the seat. Then he went around and got back in.

“Okay. You ready?”

“Yes.” She could barely breathe; excitement about learning to drive was the least of her worries. Being this close to her husband and them both having clothes on was almost sexier than without. Almost.

She smiled up at him. “What do I do first?”

He handed her the reins. “First you take off the hand brake. I’m going to do it this time, but when you’re driving you’ll be in my seat and you’ll set it and release it. Always remember to set it. It won’t stop the horses from taking off if they were determined but it serves as a reminder to them they aren’t supposed to move.”

“Right. Brake.”

“Next you take the reins and give them a little flick of the wrist to swat the horses butt.”

She tried but wasn’t doing it right because the horses didn’t move so much as an inch.

He took them from her, “like this.” He jerked his wrists and the leather straps went up and came back down on the horses rumps and they started walking. “Now if you want them to go faster lift them and bring them back down and say ‘giddyup’.”

She nodded. “Giddyup.”

“Okay you try it.” He handed the reins back to her.

She slapped the them on the animals rumps and they started trotting.

“Good. Now turn them to the right.”

“How?”

“Pull on the right rein while leaving the left one alone. Just the right.”

She did and was surprised the horses actually went right like she wanted them to.

“I think you’ve got it. When you want them to go left pull on the left rein. Want them to stop, pull back on both reins together.”

“This is easy. Thank you for taking the time to teach me. I know it probably put you behind in your work today.”

“Not really. I’m taking the morning off to show you around the ranch. Give me the reins and we’ll go.”

She handed them back to him. He swatted the horses rumps and got them into a slow canter. A much smoother gait for pulling a buggy.

They drove west up to the mouth of a small canyon and then went into it. Traveling where there was no road, it was a little on the bumpy side and Sarah grabbed John’s arm when it got to be too much.

Shortly, John stopped the buggy. She noticed that he not only set the brake, he hobbled the horses as well. “I don’t want to get stranded up here if they get spooked for some reason.”

He grabbed a blanket from the rear of the buggy and they walked a short way to a small stream. It was clear and looked only inches deep. “Oh, can we wade, it’s so shallow.”

“It’s deceiving because it’s so clear and running pretty slow now, but you get away from the bank and it gets midway up your thighs.”

He placed the blanket on the ground. Then he bowed and swept his arm toward the blanket. “My, Lady.”

Sarah flushed and sat arranging her skirt around her. “Oh my, aren’t we the gallant one.”

“I brought you here for nefarious purposes.”

“Oh, what is that?”

“I intend to take advantage of you.”

“Here? Out in the open?”

He smiled and undid his gun belt dropping it on the edge of the blanket.
 

Sarah scooted over when he came down on his knees next to her.
 

He reached up and caressed her jaw with his hand then ran his finger down her neck to the top button of her blouse and undid it. Moving slowly he undid the next and the next, revealing her an inch at a time until her shirt lay completely open. Then he did the same thing with the ties on her chemise. She sat there mesmerized by the desire in his eyes. He leaned forward and took her lips with his. His gentle touch sent goosebumps to her skin and heat to her core.

She leaned up and undid the top button of his shirt, exposing him as slowly as he did her. When she finally had it open she pulled it from his pants, slid it down over his shoulders and his arms until he was free of the encumbrance to her exploration. She ran her hands over his firm chest muscles, stopping to tweak his nipples as he so often did hers.

They both rid themselves of their shoes and bottoms. When they were both naked, John said to her, “lie back on the blanket. Let me pleasure you.”

Shaking her head she asked him, “Can’t I enjoy you as you do me? With my mouth?”

He got very still. “Are you sure? Most women don’t like to do that for their man.”

“I don’t know if I’ll like it or not. I’ve never done it. Lie back.”

He did as she asked. His erection hard as steel just at the mention of this act.

She leaned down and tentatively took him in her mouth. Just a little way. She ran her tongue around the tip, feeling the silk of his skin over the hard rod beneath. He amazed her. This was such a unique part of him. The softness and the strength combined. She took him farther into her mouth and then back out while her hand explored the sacs below his staff. They were different. The skin wrinkled and loose compared to his shaft.

Around and around with her tongue, then she licked the underside of his penis and he groaned. She liked the power this gave her. He was hers to do with as she pleased. Or so she thought.

Suddenly he grasped her hair and brought her face up to his.
 

“I need in you now.”
 

He rolled her over onto her back, reared back and plunged into her with no preamble, no preparation. It didn’t matter she was slick and ready for him as she always was.
 

Two, three pumps into her and he groaned again and buried his face in her neck. She felt his hot release inside her. Each time she hoped she would get pregnant. She wanted children with this man. Falling hard, hell, she’d already fallen head over heels in love with her husband. She only wished he felt the same.

They lay there wrapped in each other’s arms for she didn’t know how long. Long enough that she could suddenly feel the chill air as the sweat from their exertions dried. She shivered.

“We should get dressed and get back,” he said. “I still have work to do and so do you.”

“This was nice. Thank you for bringing me here.”

“Thank you for giving of yourself so generously.”

“I liked it. You feel amazing. I never knew.”
 

He chuckled. “You are a wonder. How did I get so lucky?”

“I was just thinking the same thing.”

He kissed her, then turned and grabbed his drawers and pants. She stood and put on her bloomers and chemise.

“I wish we could stay here all day. Go wading and have a picnic. Just you, me and nature.”

“One day we will. I’ll make time and you can plan the meals so they’re easy enough that even Bertha can’t mess them up.”

“That I can do. You just let me know when you can get away for the whole day.”

He gave her a kiss that sizzled her all the way to her toes and made her want to start all over. “It’s a deal.”

* * *

They were getting closer. She felt it. She’d been there for a month and John made love to her every night, but she couldn’t break that barrier between them. His wife’s ghost haunted them. Haunted him.
 

He’d told her after their first week together, “Don’t fall in love with me Sarah. I can’t love you back. I’ll never love anyone again. It’s too painful.”

She would change his mind. He would come to love her. If she just did everything he wanted he’d love her. She knew it. She just had to make it happen.

* * *

June 25, 1867

William Grayson boarded the west bound train. Sarah had been gone for more than a month in the wild frontier. She should be more than willing to return with him to the comforts of New York where she’d have servants to do everything for her.

Everything he’d read about the west said it was quite primitive. No running water, no bathrooms, no servants. The photo’s showed tired, dirty people, old before their time. He was sure Sarah didn’t want to live like that.

Well, that was not going to be Sarah’s fate. He’d bring her back, get her marriage annulled and marry her himself. He had it all worked out. She’d be glad to see him and beg for him to take her back.

In eight days all his dreams would be coming true and Sarah would be his.

* * *

A buckboard drove slowly up the road to the house. It was piled high with luggage and trunks of varying shapes and sizes. The driver pulled up in front of the house.

“What can I do for you, mister?” asked John from the top of the porch steps.

“I’m looking for a Sarah Johnson. Would this be the correct place?”

“It is.”

“Good. I’m from the Denver Pacific Railway. We found Mrs. Johnson’s trunk.

“Oh, good.” Sarah said from behind him. “The new clothes for the girls and most importantly my recipes.”

“Recipes?”

“From my old cook in New York. I wrote down each of her recipes. I think tonight we’ll have roast beef with Yorkshire pudding. I swear you and the men will love it.”

“I trust you. I’m sure we will.”

“Can you sign here?” asked the driver shoving a piece of paper and pencil in John’s direction.

“Sure.” He put the paper on the porch rail and signed it and then handed it back to the driver. “Here you go.”

“Thanks. You folks have a good day.” The driver drove off to make other deliveries.

“What was that about clothes for the girls?”

“I bought clothes for MaryAnn in several larger sizes. Now that I have Katy too, they are for her as well.”

“I’m sure they’ll be tickled pink.”

“Not as much as they were when you gave each of us a pair of pants to wear. I’ve never seen them so excited. I can barely get the two of them out of the pants long enough to wash them.”

“Maybe you should was the girls and the pants together,” he said, smiling.

She laughed. “Now that’s a definite possibility.”
 

John carried the trunk inside and up to MaryAnn’s room.

CHAPTER 5

She put on the pants John bought her for riding. It was strangely liberating to wear them. Each of the girls had a pair as well. They looked so cute with their red plaid shirts and pigtails.

Sarah wore her green striped shirt and her hair in a long plait that reached to the middle of her back. John had also gotten her and MaryAnn boots. Katy already had a pair. She was tempted to wear them with her skirts too. They were much sturdier than her regular shoes and very comfortable.

She wasn’t so sure it was a good idea, but the girls had been adamant that they come to her lesson, too. Well, MaryAnn had been adamant; Katy just grabbed her hand and pulled her down here.

“So, are you my student today?” John said, his voice full of amusement.

“If you laugh, I’m leaving right now.” Her chin shot up and her back stiffened.

“I’m not laughing, love. I promise,” he said around a smile.

He went over to a large gray horse. “This is Bertha. Don’t laugh. Katy named her when she, Katy not the horse, was three. All of us including Bertha thought it was hysterical.”

“You expect us to get on one of these monsters and stay on top while it moves. And I don’t understand why a little girl naming a gray horse after the gray haired cook would be funny. I’m sure I’ll appreciate it more when I have all of this behind me.”

He came over, took her by the hand and walked with her to the horse.

“Sarah meet Bertha. Take your hand and let her sniff it.”

She did as he asked. Bertha smelled her then butted her hand with her head.