hoped she would get pregnant. She wanted children with this man. Falling hard, hell, she’d already fallen head over heels in love with her husband. She only wished he felt the same.
They lay there wrapped in each other’s arms for she didn’t know how long. Long enough that she could suddenly feel the chill air as the sweat from their exertions dried. She shivered.
“We should get dressed and get back,” he said. “I still have work to do and so do you.”
“This was nice. Thank you for bringing me here.”
“Thank you for giving of yourself so generously.”
“I liked it. You feel amazing. I never knew.”
He chuckled. “You are a wonder. How did I get so lucky?”
“I was just thinking the same thing.”
He kissed her, then turned and grabbed his drawers and pants. She stood and put on her bloomers and chemise.
“I wish we could stay here all day. Go wading and have a picnic. Just you, me and nature.”
“One day we will. I’ll make time and you can plan the meals so they’re easy enough that even Bertha can’t mess them up.”
“That I can do. You just let me know when you can get away for the whole day.”
He gave her a kiss that sizzled her all the way to her toes and made her want to start all over. “It’s a deal.”
* * *
They were getting closer. She felt it. She’d been there for a month and John made love to her every night, but she couldn’t break that barrier between them. His wife’s ghost haunted them. Haunted him.
He’d told her after their first week together, “Don’t fall in love with me Sarah. I can’t love you back. I’ll never love anyone again. It’s too painful.”
She would change his mind. He would come to love her. If she just did everything he wanted he’d love her. She knew it. She just had to make it happen.
* * *
June 25, 1867
William Grayson boarded the west bound train. Sarah had been gone for more than a month in the wild frontier. She should be more than willing to return with him to the comforts of New York where she’d have servants to do everything for her.
Everything he’d read about the west said it was quite primitive. No running water, no bathrooms, no servants. The photo’s showed tired, dirty people, old before their time. He was sure Sarah didn’t want to live like that.
Well, that was not going to be Sarah’s fate. He’d bring her back, get her marriage annulled and marry her himself. He had it all worked out. She’d be glad to see him and beg for him to take her back.
In eight days all his dreams would be coming true and Sarah would be his.
* * *
A buckboard drove slowly up the road to the house. It was piled high with luggage and trunks of varying shapes and sizes. The driver pulled up in front of the house.
“What can I do for you, mister?” asked John from the top of the porch steps.
“I’m looking for a Sarah Johnson. Would this be the correct place?”
“It is.”
“Good. I’m from the Denver Pacific Railway. We found Mrs. Johnson’s trunk.
“Oh, good.” Sarah said from behind him. “The new clothes for the girls and most importantly my recipes.”
“Recipes?”
“From my old cook in New York. I wrote down each of her recipes. I think tonight we’ll have roast beef with Yorkshire pudding. I swear you and the men will love it.”
“I trust you. I’m sure we will.”
“Can you sign here?” asked the driver shoving a piece of paper and pencil in John’s direction.
“Sure.” He put the paper on the porch rail and signed it and then handed it back to the driver. “Here you go.”
“Thanks. You folks have a good day.” The driver drove off to make other deliveries.
“What was that about clothes for the girls?”
“I bought clothes for MaryAnn in several larger sizes. Now that I have Katy too, they are for her as well.”
“I’m sure they’ll be tickled pink.”
“Not as much as they were when you gave each of us a pair of pants to wear. I’ve never seen them so excited.
They lay there wrapped in each other’s arms for she didn’t know how long. Long enough that she could suddenly feel the chill air as the sweat from their exertions dried. She shivered.
“We should get dressed and get back,” he said. “I still have work to do and so do you.”
“This was nice. Thank you for bringing me here.”
“Thank you for giving of yourself so generously.”
“I liked it. You feel amazing. I never knew.”
He chuckled. “You are a wonder. How did I get so lucky?”
“I was just thinking the same thing.”
He kissed her, then turned and grabbed his drawers and pants. She stood and put on her bloomers and chemise.
“I wish we could stay here all day. Go wading and have a picnic. Just you, me and nature.”
“One day we will. I’ll make time and you can plan the meals so they’re easy enough that even Bertha can’t mess them up.”
“That I can do. You just let me know when you can get away for the whole day.”
He gave her a kiss that sizzled her all the way to her toes and made her want to start all over. “It’s a deal.”
* * *
They were getting closer. She felt it. She’d been there for a month and John made love to her every night, but she couldn’t break that barrier between them. His wife’s ghost haunted them. Haunted him.
He’d told her after their first week together, “Don’t fall in love with me Sarah. I can’t love you back. I’ll never love anyone again. It’s too painful.”
She would change his mind. He would come to love her. If she just did everything he wanted he’d love her. She knew it. She just had to make it happen.
* * *
June 25, 1867
William Grayson boarded the west bound train. Sarah had been gone for more than a month in the wild frontier. She should be more than willing to return with him to the comforts of New York where she’d have servants to do everything for her.
Everything he’d read about the west said it was quite primitive. No running water, no bathrooms, no servants. The photo’s showed tired, dirty people, old before their time. He was sure Sarah didn’t want to live like that.
Well, that was not going to be Sarah’s fate. He’d bring her back, get her marriage annulled and marry her himself. He had it all worked out. She’d be glad to see him and beg for him to take her back.
In eight days all his dreams would be coming true and Sarah would be his.
* * *
A buckboard drove slowly up the road to the house. It was piled high with luggage and trunks of varying shapes and sizes. The driver pulled up in front of the house.
“What can I do for you, mister?” asked John from the top of the porch steps.
“I’m looking for a Sarah Johnson. Would this be the correct place?”
“It is.”
“Good. I’m from the Denver Pacific Railway. We found Mrs. Johnson’s trunk.
“Oh, good.” Sarah said from behind him. “The new clothes for the girls and most importantly my recipes.”
“Recipes?”
“From my old cook in New York. I wrote down each of her recipes. I think tonight we’ll have roast beef with Yorkshire pudding. I swear you and the men will love it.”
“I trust you. I’m sure we will.”
“Can you sign here?” asked the driver shoving a piece of paper and pencil in John’s direction.
“Sure.” He put the paper on the porch rail and signed it and then handed it back to the driver. “Here you go.”
“Thanks. You folks have a good day.” The driver drove off to make other deliveries.
“What was that about clothes for the girls?”
“I bought clothes for MaryAnn in several larger sizes. Now that I have Katy too, they are for her as well.”
“I’m sure they’ll be tickled pink.”
“Not as much as they were when you gave each of us a pair of pants to wear. I’ve never seen them so excited.
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