Page 83 of Colorado Bride

ChapterFourteen

By the time they left Jane’s, snow had started to fall.Emily reached under her seat and brought out the blankets and handed one to Rory in the back seat.

“These should help us stay warm.I’m so glad the carriage has a cover.That definitely helps, too.”

She cuddled closer to Ben and covered both their laps with one blanket, and then took the second blanket and wrapped it around their shoulders.

“Snug as a bug in a rug.”

“You two give me another reason to want to get married,” said Rory.

“What’s that,” asked Ben.

“Warmth.If I had a wife, we could cuddle for warmth, too.”

Ben chuckled, and Emily giggled.

“You two wouldn’t be laughing if you were sitting in my seat.”

Emily turned to look at Rory.

“Bring the blanket up over your head.You’ll keep the wind off your neck and stay much warmer.”

He grumbled some but did it.

“You’re right.I am warmer.”

“How can you have lived out here that long and not know that?”

“I haven’t ridden in a carriage before.Never had need to cover my head with a blanket.Besides.I didn’t want to mess up my new hat.”

“Take it off, silly.Put it in your lap under the blanket.”

“Or keep it on and put the blanket over the hat,” said Ben, who had done just that.

“Let’s just get home as fast as possible,” said Emily.

“We’re traveling as fast as we dare on these snow-covered roads.I don’t want to injure the horses by having them slide on ice.”

“No, of course not.How long will it take us to get home?”

“Since we are traveling a little slower, it will be about two and a half hours or so.”

Emily leaned her head on Ben’s shoulder.

“That’s okay as long as I’m with you.The beauty here astounds me.The snow is so clean and white.The way it looks draped on the bare tree limbs and weighs down the dried prairie grass, a winter wonderland surrounds us.”

“Didn’t you have snow in New York?”asked Ben.

“Yes, but it was never this clean or beautiful.The soot in the air, turned the snow grayish even before it landed.Here everything looks pristine.”

Ben squeezed her closer.

When they arrived home the house was dark.

“That’s odd,” said Ben.“Usually, at least one lamp is burning.”

“She is angry at us and probably hoping I’ll fall to my death in the dark,” muttered Emily.