Swept Away (24 page)

Ruthy had the dreadful feeling that Luke was just marrying her to get some chore out of the way so he could turn his attention to whatever else he had on his list.

She wondered if the idiot she was marrying was preparing to check her off. Still, she wasn’t a woman to kiss a man she didn’t have serious intentions toward, so of course they needed to get married.

She squared her shoulders, looked at the trio of grinning fools who seemed to think they were all acting as parsons, and resigned herself to a husband who made Virgil Reinhardt look like a low-down, belly-dragging razorback hog. Which of course was exactly what he’d been, no need for Luke as comparison, except that Ruthy figured she’d done well for herself.

The absence of any mention of love was demoralizing. Her parents had genuinely loved each other, and Ruthy wanted that for herself. But she’d seen no sign of that with anyone else. So she’d marry Luke and set to work making him love her.

The encouraging thought helped her stand up straight and speak her vows with conviction.

The ceremony was over about the time she’d squared her shoulders, no fussy words of romance for the men in this house. At least at no point in the ceremony had she been called stupid.

Luke shook hands with his friends. Dare grabbed Ruthy, his eyes twinkling with mischief. “I think the bride should get a kiss for congratulations, don’t you, Luke?”

“Get your own woman if you want a kiss.” Luke dragged her out of Dare’s arms, which Ruthy appreciated.

“So, tomorrow you tell Dodger we want to move the next day, right?” Dare asked.

Ruthy felt a flash of annoyance that her marriage had been pushed aside already. It seemed like a fairly important event to her.

Luke nodded. “Yep, I’ll send the note tomorrow telling Mrs. Greer it’s time.”

She was clearly alone in that.

“Ruthy will head out early the next morning, and we’ll wait in town for Greer.” Luke looked at Ruthy, frowning. He was worried. She decided it meant he cared—not that he thought she was incompetent. With a mental shrug she decided that if she had to read his mind to discern his feelings, she might as well imagine he was feeling something she preferred.

“We need to write up a will before you go, Vince.”

Luke—checking things off his list again.

“I wrote it up while you tricked the poor little lady into marrying you.” Vince shoved the will under Luke’s nose. “It’s a simple will leaving everything to Ruthy.”

Luke read all three paragraphs thoroughly.

“What did you think? That I was going to slip in there that you were leaving me your horse?” Vince grinned.

“Nope, I just wanted to see what it looked like. A man oughta know what he’s putting his name on.” Luke signed. “You sign it too, Ruthy.”

She hadn’t been listening all that close, but she was pretty sure she’d just taken an oath before God to obey him. She had no memory, though, of a vow saying she had to like it.

“Dare and Jonas, you sign as witnesses.” Vince had everything in order. “Time to call it a night.” Vince slapped Luke on the back and left without another word. It seemed very sudden to Ruthy.

Jonas nodded and there was a bright flush on his freckled face. “We’ve got a big day tomorrow. I’ll see you then.”

That wasn’t really true. They had a big day the day after tomorrow. Tomorrow was just for telling Glynna they were moving the day after. Vince and Jonas could sleep all day if they wanted to. But before she could tell Jonas that, he was gone.

Dare said, “I’ll go ahead and take Ruthy’s room tonight to sleep. My room is bigger. Bring the kitchen lantern up to light the stairs, Luke.”

Before Ruthy could say good-night, Dare vanished.

Ruthy turned to Luke. “Didn’t you and your friends need to discuss a few more details about the next couple of days?” He was looking at her as if she were truly the most beautiful woman in the world. Which Ruthy knew was hogwash.

“Let’s go on up,” he said. “We don’t want a patient to show up at Dare’s door and see us.” Luke grabbed the lantern.

“No, of course not.”

Luke took her arm in that same formal way he’d done during their wedding, which reminded her they were married. Honestly, she’d have thought she’d feel differently after a wedding ceremony. It was a big step and yet nothing had really changed.

As they reached the top of the stairs, Dare came out of his own room with a stack of clothes. “I put a few of your things in there, Mrs. Stone.” Dare said the name with
unusual emphasis, then gave her a strange smile, rushed away, and shut himself in the far bedroom.

Ruthy’s bedroom. The one she’d been staying in since she arrived in Broken Wheel. The one with the lock and key.

As Luke rested his hand on her back to guide her into Dare’s room, she saw a clean dress and nightgown, both of which she’d found in that spare room. Luke urged her forward and shut the door, with him on the
inside
of the room.

With her.

And her nightgown.

And that’s when she realized just how married she really was. She was feeling something now.

She tried to form a clear thought because she definitely needed to have a talk with Luke. Sure, they were married, but that didn’t mean—

Luke turned her in his arms and kissed her, and she couldn’t remember what exactly she’d wanted to say to him.

And not long after that, wrapped in his arms, she didn’t have a solitary thought in her head except how much she liked her brand-new husband.

C
HAPTER 16

Ruthy couldn’t remember the last time she’d been held—not counting the other times Luke had done it, of course. But before Luke, in her life with the Reinhardts, they hadn’t touched her except to slap her, or in Virgil’s case, paw at her.

Waking in Luke’s arms, she felt an almost desperate pleasure in being close to another person. That it was her husband was all the more wonderful. She didn’t move. They needed to get up and get on with the day. It was still dark, but they always rose before sunrise and got out of town. They didn’t have long and yet it was impossible for her to move just yet. So, for a few more minutes she would lie here and be held.

She’d never really noticed the lack of contact until this moment. But his touch on her skin felt like water in the desert. It was as if she’d been dying of thirst for years. And now, as he held her, she let herself be drenched. She soaked in the glory of it. Could a person be hungry to be touched? Hungry for contact with someone?

An odd notion, yet that’s what it felt like. It was a feast she couldn’t end just yet.

She looked up at Luke, and his midnight brown eyes were open, studying her. There was a look on his face that fed her even more.

“Good morning, wife.” It was dark, but her eyes were fully adjusted and she could see his generous smile. She’d made him happy. It was a heady feeling. She let herself revel in it. And truth be told, he’d made her happy, too.

Rubbing her hand over his chest, Ruthy said, “I didn’t know how lonely I’ve been since my parents died. I didn’t know how much I needed family. And now I have you.”

“So you’re getting used to the idea that we got married?” His lips touched hers as if he wanted the kiss to influence her answer, but it wasn’t necessary. Her answer should thoroughly please him.

“I’m very glad we got married. I don’t know if I’m used to the idea. I’m enjoying it too much to say I’m used to it.” Ruthy didn’t want anything to break into this quiet moment, but her thoughts were too strong to stay inside. Stroking one hand along his powerful shoulder and down to his elbow, marveling at being held in such strong arms, she said, “I want you to be safe.”

“I know.” Raising himself onto one elbow, his hand went to her hair and his fingers sank deep until he held the back of her head and leaned close. “Your safety is so important to me that I know how you feel.”

“We could just ride away.” She ran a finger down his cheek and felt the bristle of the morning’s growth of beard. The scratch on her finger was something she’d never felt before, never wondered about. Now she found herself fascinated by it. “We can homestead and start building a ranch with our own two hands. I’m not afraid of hard work.”

Luke laughed gently. “That is the honest truth. You are
the workingest woman I’ve ever known, and you’re going to make a fine rancher’s wife.”

“It doesn’t have to be
this
ranch, Luke.” Even in the dark, she saw how serious he looked, how intense and sincere.

“I can’t just ride away; you know that, don’t you, Rosie? I can’t let a man kill my father and steal my ranch and not stand up to him. In the war I risked everything to do what I thought was right. I did it in battle, and then in Andersonville. I didn’t realize how torn up I was from the war. When I rode away from Pa and the ranch, I was hurting from all I’d seen. All the death, the horrible wounds, the starvation. But instead of facing it, learning how to handle what was boiling inside me, and stick with my pa and my home, I ran. I ran and my pa died. It’s my fault my pa is dead. Maybe I couldn’t have stopped it, but maybe just being there—with Greer knowing Pa had a son who’d gone to war and came back knowing how to fight—might’ve stopped him.”

“Or maybe Greer would’ve killed you both.”

“It could’ve happened that way. I’ll never be sure, and it can’t be undone. But Greer should still pay for what he’s done. I have to do this or I can’t call myself a man. Can you understand that?”

“Yes, but the thought of losing you when I’ve only just found you hurts until my heart seems to be stopping. I can barely breathe.”

He kissed her, long and deep. When it ended, he said, “What happened with my pa is in the past, and no matter what happens we can’t bring him back. With you at my side we could find new land, turn a homestead into a fine ranch. But what about Mrs. Greer?”

That reason was one Ruthy couldn’t deny. If Luke
walked away, Ruthy couldn’t go with him. She’d have to stay and find a way out for Glynna Greer. And it would add up to the same fight and the same danger, whether for the ranch or for Glynna. There was no way to avoid what they needed to do, and there was no way to keep Luke safe.

“You’re right about Greer needing to pay for killing your pa, and about taking back what was stolen. And you’re right that we can’t leave a woman and her children to be harmed while we ride away to somewhere safe.”

“I like it that you would balk at risking our lives for the ranch but would insist on risking them for the safety of a person. I think that makes you a very fine wife, Mrs. Stone.” Luke kissed her again.

“My name really is Mrs. Stone, isn’t it? I need to say it out loud a few times to get used to it. Mrs. Stone, Ruthy Stone—”

“If you can’t recall that you’re a married woman, I can think of a better way to remind you.”

He was a long time reminding her, and it was much too late when they finally left the house. Dawn was approaching and they risked being seen.

But all that risk couldn’t wipe the smile off Ruthy’s face.

Glynna had fretting down to an art form.

She was sure there were Bible verses about never being afraid, and others about never worrying. Well, she was doing both and mixing that up with prayers for forgiveness, so in an unfortunate way her worry about worrying and her fears about being afraid were sins on top of just her plain worries and fears.

She suspected God wasn’t impressed.

With Flint shorthanded and not coming close to the house most days from dawn till dark, she’d thought of something new to worry about, and she’d written Luke Stone a note to warn him. She felt like she was risking everything to send a note back. Could she trust Flint’s cowhands? Maybe if the boy came back, but not anyone else.

“Paul, Janny, we need to plan.” She sat at the kitchen table with Paul across from her and Janet at her side. She looked from Paul’s resentful expression to Janet’s fearful one and prayed and worried and prayed some more. “I told you that any day now we’re going to get a note saying when help is coming. I’ve told you what we have to do, and we’ve done what we can to be ready. Do you understand what’s expected of you? Can you be as patient as I need you to be?”