Romancing the West (35 page)

They’d decided to keep her house in Heaven as an occasional retreat. Bellamont wasn’t going to live forever and Seth liked the idea of their future children running and playing in all that green. Meanwhile, Mrs. Frisbie, who was eager for a taste of country living, had volunteered to move in with Mrs. Dunlap. Emily had been ecstatic, saying she couldn’t hope for two better caretakers.

Seth was willing to live on the moon if Emily’s heart so desired, but after a long discussion, she’d voted to reside in Phoenix. It was only a few hours ride from Paris, and she liked the idea of living closer to Zach and Zoe. Also, the town boasted a library. Not all towns did and she wanted the option of volunteering part time, even though she’d decided to pursue her historical novel writing full force. Seth had been pleased with her choice as he knew elections were coming up for County Sheriff and he aimed on running.

He’d lost sight of his calling for a while, but now his mission was clear. It wasn’t one of a Peacemaker, but a local lawman. Though disappointed,
Fox
had accepted his wired resignation with grace, replying also with a blessing for Seth’s and Emily’s union: FATE INTEREVENED AND I’M GLAD. According to London, Athens’s new-found optimism had something to do with an Englishwoman. Kaila Dillingham. The woman Seth had ogled while Paris lamented about the troubles of a preacher’s daughter. The irony was priceless.

Seth fingered Emily’s long blond curls, admired her bare back and shoulders, and the tantalizing curve of her breast as she flipped through the pages of the
Kama Sutra.
He bit back a smile, noticing the intense expression on her face.

She fell back so that she was lying next to him, shifted the book so he could see an illustration. “Do you think you’d pull a muscle if we tried that?”

He didn’t even glance at the picture. He was too enamored with his wife’s beautiful profile. He plucked the book from her hands, removed her spectacles, and then his own. “As much as I enjoy experimenting with exotic positions, hon, I have a fierce and sudden hankering for a coupling of a more romantic nature.”

“Oh?” She offered a smile as he rolled on top of her. “What’s this one called?”

“True love.” Seth eased inside of her snug warmth, plunged deep and made love to the librarian who’d romanced the west with her hot-blooded tales and roped his heart with her incomparable goodness. Hellion and angel. His wife, Emily McBride-Wright.