Page 41 of Colorado Bride

“Hmm.”

“When I learn how to ride better will you take me on a picnic into the hills?”

“Sure.There’s a place not too far from here where you can look out and see the whole valley all the way to Denver.”

“Really?”She smiled.“It sounds amazing.”

“The view is beautiful.”

She looked up to find him watching her.

“Ben?”

He stopped, cupped her face and kissed her.An amazing, sweet and sensual kiss that had her wanting to find another bed of hay.

After a minute, he pulled back.“You are so beautiful, I never thought I’d get so lucky.”

She smiled up at him.“That’s nice of you to say, but I’m the one who’s lucky.I got a handsome husband to care for me, teach me and maybe even love me some day.”

Ben stiffened and pulled back.

“I can give you many things.Love isn’t one of them.I loved once and my love was thrown back in my face.I won’t have that happen again.”

He backed away.

“You were right.You know the way to the house.I’ll see you later.”

Turning he walked back toward the barn from whence they came.

Emily wondered what she’d done wrong.How could he say he’d never love her?She knew they’d only been married for a short time, but wasn’t it too soon to say he wouldn’t ever love her?And why did the prospect of living her life without her husband’s love make her want to cry?This wasn’t a love match anyway.

Taking a deep breath she went to the house to iron her dresses.

Why had Ben shut her down like that?She wasn’t the one at fault.Melissa is the one who’d hurt him.That was just the point.He’d never be put in a position again where someone could hurt him or treat him the way she had.

Emily isn’t Melissa.She’s kind, gentle, patient and she’s already married me, she can’t leave me like Melissa did.His conscience told him he was wrong about this one.Emily was special.He’d hurt her.He hadn’t meant to but she needed to know where things stood so she didn’t get her heart hurt any further.

She wanted to go on a picnic.He smiled at the thought of Emily in breeches.They looked good on her and showed every curve.He wasn’t sure he wanted anyone besides him seeing her curves then realized that was ridiculous.He was proud of his wife and liked to show her off.He may not love her but he sure as heck liked her a lot.

Sunday morning arrived with a beautiful red, orange and yellow sunrise.Emily stopped on her way back to the house from the chicken coop to watch it for a moment.

Ben watched her, mesmerized by how she looked at the sun, her arm up to shade her eyes from the bright yellow light.Her pale hair forming a halo around her head.She looked like the angel she was.Wearing the same dress as yesterday.He supposed she would change clothes after breakfast.

About ten o’clock Emily came downstairs in a lavender dress.It had a small bustle with a large bow on top.The bow hung down on either side.The front of the dress had buttons up the bodice to a neckline that was a bit lower than he liked.He didn’t want anyone to see her but him.

She looked down at him as she descended the stairs.

Head held high and back straight, she was positively regal.

“You look beautiful.”

She gave him a small curtsy.

“Thank you, kind sir.You clean up pretty good, yourself.”

He looked down at his dress wool pants and clean chambray shirt.Nothing was special about it, but if she liked the way he looked, that was all right with him.

“Are you ready?”