Yank. You know, if you limped when you walked back to your buggy, you might get better odds.”
Brody didn’t know whether to laugh or get worried. There was something unsettling about people betting on when he’d die and he’d been concentrating on not limping all morning thanks to yesterday’s fall. Everything from the cow kicking him in the head to him slipping on the muddy ground when he walked the land could all be just accidents.
By the time he picked up grain and drove over to get Valerie, two more people had stopped to ask how he was feeling.
He said hello to her father, but couldn’t think of much to add. The old guy wanted to see her married, but Brody had a feeling Papa thought he’d be involved in the husband picking.
As soon as Brody walked with Valerie off the porch, he slipped his arm around her waist. “I missed you,” he said and was surprised at how much he meant it.
He would have kissed her when he lifted her into the buggy, but several people were standing on the road looking like they were waiting for a parade.
Brody growled low in his throat and moved in beside his wife.
“What’s wrong?” she whispered as she waved at a few of the small groups out walking.
“I wanted to kiss you,” he answered.
“Of course, dear,” she answered with a pat of her hand. “As soon as we’re alone. It wouldn’t be proper in public.”
He slapped the reins and moved through town at what some were probably predicting was a reckless speed. There would be bets at the saloon tonight on how he’d die.
Valerie talked about a book her father told her he was reading, but Brody barely listened.
As soon as the town disappeared from view, Brody pulled the buggy to a stop. “How about now?” His words were not as forceful as they should have been.
“How about what?”
He looped the reins. “How about you kissing me? We’re alone.” He cleared his throat, forcing back what sounded like an order. “I mean, if you’ve no objection.”
She hesitated, then lifted that perfect chin of hers. “Well, all right, though I don’t think the middle of a road is the place for such things.”
“I don’t care,” he whispered as she put her gloved hands on his shoulders and leaned forward.
When her lips touched his, everything else vanished. Her mouth was soft and hesitant. He felt laughter against his lips as if she thought herself wicked for giving in to such things in broad daylight.
He circled her with one arm and pulled her against him, loving the feel of her next to him. When she didn’t pull away, he opened his mouth and took control of the kiss. He felt her shiver as his hand moved up and held her head just right so that he could take his time tasting her lips.
He never dreamed a woman could taste so good. He was becoming addicted to his wife. He told himself it was just all the years of being alone, but he knew it was more, far more. He didn’t just want a woman; he wanted her. Just her, like this in his arms, kissing him back.
When she broke the kiss, she leaned against his chest, breathing rapidly. He held her gently, brushing his hand slowly over her back.
“That was ...” she whispered, then took several breaths.
“I know,” he answered, cupping her face in his hands. The hunger to taste her again was already building in him. “I could get used to kissing you.”
She smiled shyly and stretched toward him.
A wagon rattled along the road in front of them. For a moment they both just watched it grow near.
When she finally pulled away and straightened her clothes, he whispered, “I wouldn’t mind if you want to kiss me again like that sometime in the near future.”
“I’ll remember that,” she answered.
The couple in the wagon waved as they passed, and Brody took the reins. He didn’t say anything the rest of the way home, but he thought he was going to have a heart attack when Valerie’s hand reached over and patted his leg.
This woman who wanted as little contact as
Brody didn’t know whether to laugh or get worried. There was something unsettling about people betting on when he’d die and he’d been concentrating on not limping all morning thanks to yesterday’s fall. Everything from the cow kicking him in the head to him slipping on the muddy ground when he walked the land could all be just accidents.
By the time he picked up grain and drove over to get Valerie, two more people had stopped to ask how he was feeling.
He said hello to her father, but couldn’t think of much to add. The old guy wanted to see her married, but Brody had a feeling Papa thought he’d be involved in the husband picking.
As soon as Brody walked with Valerie off the porch, he slipped his arm around her waist. “I missed you,” he said and was surprised at how much he meant it.
He would have kissed her when he lifted her into the buggy, but several people were standing on the road looking like they were waiting for a parade.
Brody growled low in his throat and moved in beside his wife.
“What’s wrong?” she whispered as she waved at a few of the small groups out walking.
“I wanted to kiss you,” he answered.
“Of course, dear,” she answered with a pat of her hand. “As soon as we’re alone. It wouldn’t be proper in public.”
He slapped the reins and moved through town at what some were probably predicting was a reckless speed. There would be bets at the saloon tonight on how he’d die.
Valerie talked about a book her father told her he was reading, but Brody barely listened.
As soon as the town disappeared from view, Brody pulled the buggy to a stop. “How about now?” His words were not as forceful as they should have been.
“How about what?”
He looped the reins. “How about you kissing me? We’re alone.” He cleared his throat, forcing back what sounded like an order. “I mean, if you’ve no objection.”
She hesitated, then lifted that perfect chin of hers. “Well, all right, though I don’t think the middle of a road is the place for such things.”
“I don’t care,” he whispered as she put her gloved hands on his shoulders and leaned forward.
When her lips touched his, everything else vanished. Her mouth was soft and hesitant. He felt laughter against his lips as if she thought herself wicked for giving in to such things in broad daylight.
He circled her with one arm and pulled her against him, loving the feel of her next to him. When she didn’t pull away, he opened his mouth and took control of the kiss. He felt her shiver as his hand moved up and held her head just right so that he could take his time tasting her lips.
He never dreamed a woman could taste so good. He was becoming addicted to his wife. He told himself it was just all the years of being alone, but he knew it was more, far more. He didn’t just want a woman; he wanted her. Just her, like this in his arms, kissing him back.
When she broke the kiss, she leaned against his chest, breathing rapidly. He held her gently, brushing his hand slowly over her back.
“That was ...” she whispered, then took several breaths.
“I know,” he answered, cupping her face in his hands. The hunger to taste her again was already building in him. “I could get used to kissing you.”
She smiled shyly and stretched toward him.
A wagon rattled along the road in front of them. For a moment they both just watched it grow near.
When she finally pulled away and straightened her clothes, he whispered, “I wouldn’t mind if you want to kiss me again like that sometime in the near future.”
“I’ll remember that,” she answered.
The couple in the wagon waved as they passed, and Brody took the reins. He didn’t say anything the rest of the way home, but he thought he was going to have a heart attack when Valerie’s hand reached over and patted his leg.
This woman who wanted as little contact as
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