Short-Straw Bride (30 page)

“Mm-hmm,” she mumbled against the pillow.

Travis could think of only one other way to help her get warm. He walked around to the opposite side of the bed and lifted the covers. His heart throbbed against his ribs. After more than a month, he was finally going to share a bed with his wife.

The mattress took his weight, and Travis tentatively shifted closer to Meri. As if someone had shot off a starting gun, she rolled over and burrowed into him with such haste that he barely moved his knees in time to avoid a collision. Her legs tangled with his while her arms folded up between them. Frigid toes rubbed against his calf where his trouser leg had bunched up, shocking him with the sheer cold that continued to cling to her despite the blankets and heated bricks. He sandwiched his legs around her feet, hoping to speed their thaw. Her hands eventually wiggled their way beneath his untucked shirt, and when her icy fingers found his bare chest, she let out a tiny sigh that made his heart flip.

One thing was for sure. Crockett needn't worry about him catching a chill tonight. With Meredith touching him like she was, he'd be lucky not to go up in flames.

T
ravis woke before the sun, pangs in his stomach prodding him to rise and make restitution for skipping supper the night before. But he resisted. Contentment lay over him like an extra blanket, so foreign yet utterly captivating that he didn't want to move for fear it would dissipate. Then it shifted, blowing a warm puff of air against his neck. Travis's mind sharpened in an instant.

Meri.

Travis opened his eyes and turned his head, ever so slowly, so as not to disturb the woman whose face lay in the crook of his shoulder. She was so beautiful. Her long lashes resting peacefully against the creamy skin of her cheeks, her hair cascading behind her, finally freed from the confines of its pins. As he watched her sleep, he couldn't resist the urge to stroke the deep blond tresses, their softness quickly becoming an addiction to his fingers.

He wanted nothing more than to gently kiss her awake and finally claim her in the way God intended. But as he leaned forward to touch his lips to her sleepy eyelids, he noted the faint smudges of exhaustion still evident beneath her eyes and pulled away. She needed rest.

Turning his gaze to the ceiling, Travis exhaled. He might as well get up. Sleep was well beyond his grasp now, and Meredith would rest better without him tossing and turning beside her. But, oh, how he hated to leave. One thing was for certain, though, if she would have him, he'd be spending all future nights in this bed with her. Their courting had gone on long enough. It was time to begin their marriage.

Careful to disturb her as little as possible, Travis cupped the back of Meredith's head as he slid his arm out from under her cheek and eased away. Her mouth puckered into an adorable little pout as she grumbled her displeasure in her sleep before resettling. Tenderness welled inside him as he smiled down on her. What a precious gift he'd been given.

A gift he'd nearly lost yesterday.

His smile faded as he padded on bare feet over to the window and looked out over the predawn landscape.

How am I supposed to protect my family, Lord?

Twice now the measures he'd taken had come back to haunt him, and both times Meredith had been the one to pay the price. She could have lost her leg the first time, and yesterday she could have frozen to death waiting for him to find her.

All my life I've striven to protect those you've entrusted to my care. Yet no matter how hard I try, my efforts are never enough. What do you want from me?

As the first hint of light softened the sky, a verse from Proverbs illuminated his heart.
“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

Conviction speared through him, and Travis had to place a hand against the wall to steady himself. He'd been shouldering the burden of guarding his family since his father charged him with the duty fourteen years ago. And all that time he'd trusted only himself to take care of them. Rarely had he sought the Lord's guidance. His father had always said that God gave man a mind and expected him to use it, but perhaps he had taken that admonition too far.

Travis glanced back at Meredith.
Show me how best to take care of her. How to be a good husband, provider, and protector.

Hungering for direction, he crossed the room on silent feet and eased open the dresser drawer where he kept his Bible. Then he crept out to the kitchen, lit a lamp, and settled into a chair at the table. His brothers would be up soon, but right now the morning was quiet—a good time to listen for the Lord.

Not sure where to start, Travis thumbed the pages open to Proverbs. For much of his life, he'd clung to the wisdom of a particular verse in chapter 27. He ran his finger down the page until he found verse 12: “
A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself.”
That's what he had been doing the past fourteen years, trying to predict what evil might threaten his family and taking steps to hide away from it. But the disquiet in his soul made him wonder if perhaps the season for that tactic had passed. He and his brothers were no longer vulnerable boys who needed to hide. They were grown men who could fight for what was right.

His gaze drifted over the page, not truly focusing, until the word
brother
caught his attention, just two verses up from where he'd been reading.

“Thine own friend, and thy father's friend, forsake not; neither go into thy brother's house in the day of thy calamity: for better is a neighbour that is near than a brother far off.”

Don't forsake friends. Depend on neighbors. Your brothers might not always be at hand when trouble comes. Travis rubbed his brow, bracing his elbow against the table. Friends? Until Meredith had talked him into letting Moses help rebuild the barn, he hadn't had any. Seth Winston might count as a friend of his father, but the old man only came around four times a year.

And neighbors? He recalled a few schoolmates who'd had farms in the area, but he had no idea if their families were still around or not. Hadn't Christ said that except for loving God, the most important command was to love one's neighbor? Kind of hard to do that if he didn't even know who his neighbors were.

Another verse floated into memory, one about not only looking out for one's own interests, but also to the interests of others. Travis began flipping pages toward the New Testament, but before he found the verse, something stuffed between the pages in Romans caused him to halt.

A straw. A broken, short straw.

She'd kept it.

He wasn't quite sure why that fact make his heart jump around in his chest, but it did. His hand even trembled slightly as he moved to take it out of the book's crease. The brittle piece felt thin and delicate in his rough fingers. He stroked its length with his thumb and thought of the wife it had brought him.

Meredith deserved better than a reclusive life. Whenever she talked about teaching on Saturdays, her whole face lit up. Myra and the children brought her such joy and gave her life a sense of purpose beyond daily chores. And she'd been right about his brothers, too. No matter how badly he wanted to keep them tied to the ranch, he knew the Lord had planted ambitions in them that could one day take them away. Jim had his carpentry and his newfound attachment to Cassie. Crockett had his preaching. And Neill? Well, the kid had an entire world of possibilities to explore.

“Travis?”

He swiveled toward the sleepy voice. Meredith stood in the doorway, her nightdress floating about her legs as she squinted into the lamplight.

“Is everything all right?” Her fingers clenched nervously at the shawl she'd wrapped around her shoulders.

Travis got to his feet. “What are you doing out of bed? You should be resting.” He closed the distance between them, thinking to lead her back to the bedroom.

“I missed you.” The hushed admission froze him in his tracks and drove all other thought out of his head.

She missed him? Beside her? In bed?

His gaze flew to her face to gauge if perhaps he'd misunderstood, even while his heart raced with the hope that he had not. She dipped her chin away from him, a delightful shade of pink coloring her cheeks.

“I . . . I was cold.” She still couldn't meet his eyes, and he prayed it was because his heat wasn't the only thing she missed.

Travis moved his hands up her arms to her shoulders, his fingers digging through her hair. “You know,” he said, probing her gently. “Now that winter's here, you're apt to be cold often. I'd be willing to help you stay warm on a more regular basis. If that was something you wanted.”

She angled her face away from him and nibbled on her bottom lip.

“Meri?” He forced himself to breathe slowly as he waited for her to turn and look at him. When her lashes finally lifted, the longing he read in her blue eyes matched the desire pulsing in his chest. “Is that what you want?”

“Yes.”

Tightening his grip on her nape, he drew her to him and slanted his lips possessively over hers. He stroked her jaw with the side of his thumbs and urged her to deepen the kiss. A tiny moan escaped her, and she melted against him. He was about to sweep her into his arms and take her back to his room where they could make good on the promise passing between them, but the creak of one of the hall doors brought him back to his senses.

Reminding himself they had years to be together, Travis gentled his kiss and then pulled away. The fact that Meredith didn't seem to want to stop nearly derailed his good intentions, but he managed to disentangle himself from her hold on him, pleased by her reluctance to let him go.

“The others are starting to rise, Meri,” he murmured low in her ear. “Why don't you go back to bed? The boys and I can fend for ourselves this morning.”

“I don't mind seeing to things, Travis. I can—”

“Shh.” He placed a finger on her lips. “With all you went through yesterday, you need to rest. Besides, I have a special project I thought you might like to help me with later this morning. You won't be able to help if you're too worn out.”

Her eyes lit. “What sort of project?”

“I thought we could dismantle the front gate. Oh, and those warning signs, too. Something tells me we don't really need them anymore.”

A beatific smile blossomed across her face as she clasped his hand and drew it to her middle. “Oh, Travis. Do you mean it?”

His chest expanded as he returned her smile. A man could get used to his woman looking at him like that.

“Yes, darlin'. I mean it. I think it's time for the Archers to rejoin the world.”

Meredith stretched up on her tiptoes and touched a kiss to his cheek. “You
are
my world.”

Her husky comment made his gut clench, but before he could do more than blink, she released his hand and trailed away from him. Which was probably a good thing seeing as how Crockett was standing right outside the doorway trying to look inconspicuous.

Meredith bundled her shawl more tightly around her shoulders before ducking her head and scurrying past his brother. Travis knew he probably looked like a lovesick pup just standing there watching her go, but he didn't care. Crockett even came into the room and stared into the newly emptied hall alongside him, obviously trying to taunt him out of his stupor.

“So when are you finally going to tell her that you're insanely in love with her?” Crockett asked, only a hint of teasing in his voice.

Travis rubbed a hand over his whiskery jaw, reaching his fingers up to the place she had kissed. “Tonight. Definitely tonight.”

M
eredith whistled and danced her way around the kitchen, drying the lunch dishes and wiping down the stove, her happiness too large to contain. Had there ever been a finer day? Yesterday's storm had passed, and the blue sky left in its wake portended a bright future.

Wouldn't Myra be surprised to learn that all their plotting had proved unnecessary? A tiny giggle bubbled out of Meredith as she returned a stack of clean plates to the cabinet shelf. She hadn't needed to use even one of Myra's suggestions in order to get Travis to stay with her last night. Of course, she'd slept through nearly the entire experience, but there were enough lingering memories of his scent close to her face, his chest beneath her hand, and his touch at her waist to reassure her that it hadn't been a dream.

And this morning? Meredith sighed. Her hands stilled as she stared at the doorway where Travis had kissed her. She recalled the way he'd looked at her afterward, the possessive heat in his eyes, the way his lips quirked slightly as if eager to return to hers, the touch of his fingers through the sleeve of her gown. At that moment, all her self-doubts had vanished. She'd actually felt beautiful. Desired. Not at all like a woman who'd been foisted upon a reluctant bridegroom.

Could it be that Travis no longer saw her as simply a responsibility but as something more? Had duty deepened to . . .

Meredith couldn't quite bring herself to name the emotion, not even in her thoughts. The disappointment would be too keen if his affection didn't prove to be as deep as such a name would imply. His fondness for her had already grown so much. Getting greedy now would only risk halting their progress. Better to let the words come naturally. In their own time.

As she tried to convince herself that she was patient enough to wait however long it might take, pounding hoofbeats approached from the direction of the road, seizing her attention.

After working close to the house that morning, Travis had left after lunch to help Crockett and Neill assess the damage the storm had done to the herd. With cattle scattered all over the northern pasture, she didn't expect him back until suppertime. Meredith reached for the loaded shotgun she'd propped against the wall near the back door, having sworn to her husband that she wouldn't leave the house unarmed, and moved to the front room, where she could get a better look at the rider.

Catching a glimpse of her brother-in-law's scowling face as he leapt from his horse's back, rifle in hand, sent relief spiraling through her—quickly followed by new alarm as she tried to guess what unseen foe had him so on guard.

Jim climbed the porch and positioned himself with his back to the door, his rifle aimed across the yard.

“Travis!”

Meredith jumped at the sheer volume of his yell. Heavens! The man was louder than a grizzly. Ordering her heart palpitations to cease, she moved to the door, intending to inform the bear of his brother's location, but the instant the hinge squeaked, Jim crouched and spun, bringing the barrel of his rifle in line with her chest.

Meredith's heart stopped altogether then. Her shotgun clunked to the ground as her breath hitched in her throat.

“Confound it, woman. I could have shot you!” Jim yanked his rifle out of her direction, but he scowled at her as if the mishap were somehow her fault. Then he noted the shotgun at her feet, and his irritated expression immediately turned wary. He placed himself in front of her and began scanning the yard again.

“Where are Travis and the others? Did Mitchell's men attack?”

“Everything's fine, Jim. Truly.” Meredith stepped from behind him. “They're all out checking the herd. Why would you think Roy's men had returned? Unless . . .” She grabbed his arm. “Did you see someone on the road?”

His brow furrowed. “No. But the gate was down. Travis never leaves that gate open. I figured something must've happened.”

Meredith's breath released in a soft whoosh. “Something did happen,” she said, a grin stretching across her face. “Your brother decided to rejoin the world. Travis and I took the gate down this morning.”

Jim's jaw hung slightly slack as he stared at her. “Travis took the gate down?
Travis?
”

She nodded, pride for her husband nearly unbalancing her as she rose up onto the balls of her feet. “He took the warning signs down, too. Did you notice? No more scaring away the neighbors at gunpoint, I'm afraid.” A laugh escaped her, but it died when Jim's frown refused to abate.

“What about Mitchell? Didn't Travis think that removing the gate would make us more vulnerable?”

Meredith tilted her head a bit as she considered Jim's uneasy stance. She'd thought he would be more pleased about the change, seeing as how it would aid his courting plans with Cassie, not to mention being good for his furniture building business. Then again, the locked gate had been a symbol of security to this family for the majority of their lives. It was only natural that such a change would require some adjustment.

“Travis and Crockett discussed it at length this morning. They agreed that if Mitchell's men are bent on causing mischief, a locked gate won't stop them. The night of the fire proved that. All the gate does now is keep neighbors out and Archers in. With the four of you grown and fully capable of handling whatever comes down the path, Travis figured it was time to stop living in isolation.”

The grunt Jim gave in reply was hard to read, so Meredith changed the subject.

“How's Cassie?”

Jim's mouth thinned, and a fierceness emerged in his eyes. “She assured me everything was fine. Said her father had given his word not to force her to marry Mitchell. She promised to come to me if he changed his mind.” He worked his jaw back and forth. “You don't think they'd lock her in, do you? I watched her house last night and again this morning, and nothing seemed off. Her ma stormed out of the house early in the morning, but I saw Cassie before I left, and she said that except for an ugly argument between her folks, things were normal. She insisted I come home in case Mitchell stirred up trouble for Travis. I told her I'd check on her in a few days.”

Meredith nibbled the inside of her cheek. Cassie had always been able to sway Uncle Everett to her way of thinking, but Aunt Noreen was another matter entirely. God had never made a more hardheaded woman. Hearing that she'd gone out early was a bit worrisome. The woman never took idle strolls. But what trouble could she possibly stir up without her husband's support?

“I've never known Uncle Everett to break his word to Cassie,” Meredith said, trying to reassure herself as much as Jim. “If he's promised her not to force the marriage, he won't.”

Jim made a noncommittal sound.

“Why don't you get cleaned up, and then come in and let me fix you something to eat?”

“Nah.” Jim strode away from her and clomped down the steps toward his horse. “I need to talk to Travis.”

She thought about stopping him, about mentioning that Travis had expected him to keep an eye on the house once he returned from town, but she held her tongue. Jim's stoic features gave away little; nevertheless, Meredith sensed how the situation with Cassie ate at him. The Archers always handled their problems together. This time shouldn't be any different.

Besides, it wasn't as if she needed a guard, she reminded herself as Jim mounted his horse. She had Sadie. And if the old girl slept under the porch most of the day, what did it matter? Meredith had periodically stayed alone for days at a time at the old homestead. She could certainly manage a few hours at the Archer ranch.

And if Travis didn't like the idea of her being unchaperoned for the duration of the afternoon, he could just come home and watch over her himself.

“You'll be all right here?” Jim turned in his saddle to face her, the tightness around his mouth testifying to his sudden indecision.

“Of course.” Meredith's lips curled into a secretive smile. An afternoon alone with her husband? She couldn't get rid of Jim fast enough.

An hour later, Meredith had dusted the parlor, swept the kitchen, and chopped a pot's worth of vegetables for the stew she planned for dinner—a pretty remarkable feat since she spent nearly as much time peering out the window for Travis as she did working.

Surely he would come soon. Unless Jim had trouble locating him. She'd never ridden the north pasture, had no idea how large it was or how wooded. Perhaps finding Travis was more difficult than she'd imagined. And even then, Travis wouldn't leave without at least having a conversation with Jim.

As Meredith poured water over her potatoes, onions, and carrots, another thought struck her. What if Travis felt no urgency to return? What if he had full confidence in her abilities to handle things at the house? Meredith frowned as she set the water pitcher aside. She wanted Travis to trust her, to have confidence in her abilities. But what she wanted even more was for him to jump at the chance to be alone with her.

And wasn't that a muddled mess. Meredith rolled her eyes in exasperation. The man had a ranch to run, for heaven's sake. The last thing he needed was a love-struck wife making demands on his time during prime work hours. They'd have other opportunities—

The sound of a rider approaching banished all practical reasoning, leaving her head swirling and her stomach jumping as she rushed to the bathing room to check her appearance in the shaving mirror.

Travis had come after all.

Anticipation fluttered in her chest as she untied her apron and tossed it onto the table. She pranced down the hall, eager to greet her husband. But when she reached for the door handle, the sound of Sadie's growl stopped her. Caution reasserted itself. Meredith released the knob and instead reached for the shotgun propped nearby.

Whoever was in the yard, it wasn't her husband.