The Rancher's Bride (5 page)

Frank’s question was met with silence. Marie’s head hung down and she stared at the floor, feeling the tears coming so fast that she was sure she wouldn’t be able to stop them.

It was too much. He was too much. Why did he have to make her feel like she needed to apologize for being poor?

“I asked you a question, young lady, and I’m waitin’ on the answer.”

Marie had one arm wrapped around the baby, who was now seemingly content, just a’suckin’ on that cold cloth. With her free hand Marie quickly wiped the tears from her eyes and cheeks as she raised her face to meet his stern gaze.

“I can’t say as I know for sure why I didn’t say nothin’, Mr. Carter, but I know that I don’t want you pitying me and buying me things just because I showed up on your doorstep with nothin’ but the clothes on my back.” Marie paused to wipe her eyes again and was surprised when Frank Carter forced a dry diaper into her hand. “I promise I’ll save my wages every week and buy the things that I need and that the boys need. It just takes time.” There was silence for a moment as Marie felt Frank’s stern gaze fixed on her.

“We’ll talk about this come morning, Marie.”

“Yes, sir.” It was almost a whisper.

“I’ve put another diaper in to cool. I’ll fetch it, then let you get back to sleep.” Frank turned to leave the bedroom.

“I don’t mind staying with Emmeline if you’d like to go back to bed, Mr. Carter. You must need your sleep.” She knew how hard Frank worked; it was a long day of hard work on the ranch and she knew he would struggle tomorrow without a full night’s sleep.

“You’re sure?” He sounded genuinely surprised and also genuinely grateful.

Marie nodded.

“I’ll just fetch that cloth then, before I go back to bed.” It took just a minute for Frank to get the chilled diaper. He handed it off to Marie and took the other. “I’ll put this one in to cool.” Frank then stooped over and kissed the top of the baby’s head. “Thank you, Marie. I’ll see you in the morning then, girl.” He turned again to leave.

“Good night, Mr. Carter, sir.”

Frank stopped in his tracks in the doorway at her words. Marie thought for sure he was going to say something. He just stood there for a minute. Then he left.

* * *

Frank had been very, very close to turning back to Marie and insisting that she call him Frank instead of “Mr. Carter” or “sir.” He had a sudden desire to have her see him as something other than her gruff and stern boss. He had a sudden desire to have her see him as a man.

Frank had felt like he got the wind knocked out of him when that blanket had dropped off her and she’d had nothing on under it but drawers and a corset, which really left nothing to the imagination, mainly due to the fact that they were just as—if not more—threadbare as her old dress had been. Her family really must have been dirt poor.

Regardless, there she’d been, in a dark bedroom, looking as close to naked as she could get without actually being naked, standing awfully close, and Frank had felt every part of his manhood respond to her. He had been without a woman for a while now as it had been more than eleven months since Ruth had died. God help him, he truly missed his wife. But she was gone and she wasn’t coming back.

He’d managed this far just by keeping busy, working hard, and not really being near any woman at any time, leastways, not in the middle of the night in a dark bedroom, with the woman practically completely unclothed. There had been a moment there when he thought that he would just take her, throw her on the bed, and have his way with her. That was definitely what certain parts of his anatomy had been advising him to do.

Thank goodness Emmeline had been in the room. Frank was impressed by Marie’s easy and confident way with the baby. She really seemed to know what she was doing and it eased his fears to have her there to help. He felt lost sometimes without Emme’s mother. A child needed a mother. Tonight had been a perfect example of that fact.

And if Frank was being honest with himself, a man needed a wife, too.

He would be getting Marie new underclothes and a nightgown and robe at the first possible opportunity. He was frustrated with her for resisting what he felt were necessary purchases. She hadn’t wanted him to buy the dresses for her either, or clothes for the boys. He was definitely going to need to deal with her defiance tomorrow. Frank had no intention of allowing Marie to refuse the clothes and any other necessities. He considered it part of her wages and he would be sure to make that clear to her.

* * *

Frank stood in the doorway to Emmeline’s room, his presence hidden by the darkness. It was just before dawn and Frank, up and dressed for the day of work ahead of him, watched silently as Marie leaned over Emme’s crib watching her sleep.

Frank had woken at some point during the night and had heard Emme crying and Marie singing, soft and low. He knew that Emmeline must have been up most of the night, which meant Marie was up most of the night, too.

When she turned away from the crib, Frank stepped into the room and, in the darkness, Marie almost walked right into him.

“Mr. Carter,” Marie whispered, “I didn’t hear you come in.”

“Is Emmeline sleeping now?” Frank didn’t whisper, but he did keep his voice low.

“Yes, sir. I was just heading back to bed.” Marie didn’t move. Frank was blocking the doorway.

“I know she had you up for most of the night. Don’t worry about your morning chores—I’ll see to them. I want you to sleep a bit later than you usually do.”

“That’s not necessary, sir. I can manage.”

Frank scowled at her words and, as Marie started to walk around him, he put a hand on her arm to stop her.

“It wasn’t a request, girl. You’ll do as I say. No chores in the morning and get a little more sleep. Am I making myself clear?” His hand was still on her arm, keeping her from leaving the room.

“Yes, sir.” They both stood frozen there for a moment, his hand holding her in place. Frank wasn’t ready to let go of her. He wanted to say something to her but didn’t know what. He wanted her to know how much he appreciated everything she did, including staying up most of the night with his daughter.

He also felt the desire to tell her how pretty she looked with her hair hanging down loose in waves around her face and shoulders. How nice she smelled when he was close—like a flower, and how sometimes he passed close enough to her just so he could smell her delicate scent.

But Frank wasn’t given to sweet talk or soft words; that wasn’t his way. He usually only said what he thought needed saying, nothing more. Sweet talk was a waste of words and energy, as far as he was concerned. He showed how he felt for those he cared about by taking the best care of them that he knew how. Seeing they were fed and clothed. They had a solid roof over their heads. They were safe and sound. Words were just talk.

“Mr. Carter?” Marie’s whisper broke into his thoughts. She looked down at the spot on her arm where his hand rested. “I’d like to get back to b—”

Marie didn’t finish her request as Frank Carter reached for her with his free hand, wrapping it in the hair at the back of her head and pulling her to him. His mouth came down on hers with no restraint.

Frank tried to be gentle, he really did, but she tasted even sweeter than he had imagined. Kissing her was only making him want more. He pulled her body up against his and thrust his tongue into her mouth. She wasn’t resisting him or he would have stopped. No, it seemed like she was meeting him partway.

Frank had one hand at her lower back, pulling her up against him, and the other hand still wrapped in her hair, holding the back of her head. Marie let out a soft moan, and that’s when Frank’s control began to slip. He knew that he had to stop before he went any farther.

Frank grabbed Marie by the shoulders and gently pushed her away from him, effectively breaking the kiss. It wasn’t easy, since he was of a mind to do so much more and she seemed willing. But he knew it wasn’t right.

“We need to stop,” Frank said softly.

Marie looked at him, a bit dazed with her lips swollen from the kiss.

“I’m sorry, Marie. I shouldn’t have done that.”

Marie looked confused by his words. “Mr. Carter?” Marie’s confused and quizzical expression left no doubt in Frank’s mind that he had just crossed a line, a line that he shouldn’t have crossed. She called him ‘Mr. Carter,’ for heaven’s sake!

He would need to have a long talk with her in the morning about this, he knew, but for now, he needed to get some distance between them. “We’ll talk about this in the morning,” Frank stepped aside and motioned toward the doorway. “You’d best get some sleep.” He watched as Marie left Emme’s room and headed for her own, wishing all the while that they were headed for the same bedroom together.

Marie did as she was told—she knew what the consequences would be if she didn’t—and slept in the following morning, right up until just before she knew the children would be waking. She washed up and cleaned her teeth and donned one of the new dresses that Frank had insisted on buying for her. She still didn’t feel right about it, but it was awful nice to have new things. Marie really couldn’t remember the last time she had worn something brand-new.

She did her hair the same way most every day; she piled it on top of her head, twisting and turning it into a bun and securing it with a few hairpins. There was a small mirror on the bureau in her room and she spent a moment gazing at her reflection. She reached a hand up to her mouth and ran her fingers across her lips. She felt different this morning. She
was
different this morning. She had been kissed. Frank Carter had given her her first kiss—and it had been wonderful!

After Marie had gotten the children up and washed and dressed, they made their way down to the kitchen so that she could see to fixing breakfast.

She was doing that very thing when Frank walked through the back door. “Mornin’ all.” Frank was never a chatterbox, really at any time of day, but especially not in the morning. They all answered at once, even Emme although hers was less words and more babble. It was cute, all the same, Marie thought, and smiled at the baby. She looked up at Frank to see if he appreciated it as much.

He was looking at Marie with the strangest expression on his face. She couldn’t figure what he might be thinkin’. She just knew that he didn’t look too happy. Marie felt disappointment and confusion wash over her in a wave. She quickly busied herself to try to snap out of it.

“Breakfast will be ready very soon,” she said in a rush, just as much to the children as to Frank, and it wasn’t long before she had hotcakes and sausage on the table. Marie helped the boys with their plates and Frank cut up a hotcake for Emme. Marie poured coffee for Frank and herself. They ate in silence.

Marie kept trying to steal quick glances at Frank whenever she thought that she could get away with it. Her feelings were perplexing. She felt as if she were seeing him in a whole new way now, yet he seemed bothered and not that happy to see her. Did he sincerely regret the kiss? Since Marie had never been kissed before, she didn’t really know how to do it. Maybe she’d done something wrong.

Part of her hoped that Frank would talk to her soon about what had happened last night, and another part of her hoped that he wouldn’t. Marie wasn’t sure that she wanted to hear him tell her if he regretted the kiss and never wanted to kiss her again.

* * *

Frank had stood outside the back door and taken a deep breath, steeling himself for the task awaiting him this morning. After breakfast, he would have to talk to Marie about last night.

He had gone back to bed so hard he had to take care of himself (not that he had never done that before), but the difference this time was he pictured Marie while he was doin’ it. That wasn’t good. He usually thought of Ruth. He had always thought of Ruth, and then sometimes cried silently after he found his release.

Frank knew that wasn’t so good either. He shouldn’t be pining for his dead wife, and he didn’t like to admit even to himself that he was ever crying. It was weakness, plain and simple.

But here now a real live flesh-and-blood woman had replaced his wife in his mind’s eye. In his desires. And, as he stepped through the back door and into the kitchen, there she was standing at the stove looking prettier than any woman had a right to. Damn! This wasn’t going to be easy by any stretch of the imagination.

That kiss last night had been special. Sometimes you felt a spark with someone and other times you didn’t. Frank wasn’t a ladies’ man, but he had kissed a few women in his day, enough to know the difference between a good kiss and a bad kiss. Enough to know the difference between a spark and no spark.

Frank had sparked with Ruth from the moment he met her. He now had the same feeling with Marie. He had felt the spark from the moment he had met her too, if he was being honest with himself. He recalled trying to pretend it wasn’t there out of respect for Ruth. But there was no denying it now.

Yet he was worried about how to proceed with Marie—or whether to proceed at all. She had no other prospects for employment, no place to go and those two boys to support. Would she feel obliged to enter into a relationship with him strictly because she just didn’t have a choice? He couldn’t do that to her. And he certainly wouldn’t want to be with her if she didn’t really want to be with him.

Frank decided that he should apologize to Marie for taking advantage of her and kissing her last night. It really hadn’t been right. He wasn’t courting her. And he wouldn’t pressure her. He would find a young woman nearby the ranch or in town to court. It would satisfy his need for female companionship. It would also help him to gauge whether or not Marie had any true feelings for him.

With the pressure off her, how she behaved would be a good indicator. If she was relaxed and comfortable and happy, then Frank would know that she was relieved he had found someone else to direct his attention toward.

His mind made up, Frank headed in for the morning meal.