His Bewildering Bride (The Brides of Paradise Ranch - Spicy Version Book 3) by Merry Farmer

like.”
    Was it? Yes. He was her husband. She wanted to get to know him better.
    No. He was a virtual stranger and so different from her it was laughable. It wouldn’t have been proper.
    Yes, if there was any chance that he might kiss her again.
    No! She shouldn’t be thinking things like that about a man she hadn’t known at this time yesterday.
    “If you’d rather stay where you’re comfortable,” she stuttered, “then by all means, don’t let me keep you from going home.”
    He rubbed his hands in front of him, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. “It is pretty busy on the ranch, what with the calves and all. I might not officially work for Howard anymore, but I’ve been helping out.”
    “And I should probably rest after the activity of the day.”
    “You probably should.”
    “There will be plenty of time in the days and weeks to come.”
    “That’s right. There will be.”
    “We don’t have to have everything settled between us now.”
    “No, ma’am.”
    Silence.
    They looked at each other. Wendy saw a hard-working, unsophisticated man with a good heart. Heaven only knew what he saw.
    At last, Travis took a breath. “Well, all right. I’ll be going. You have a good night.” He turned to head for the door.
    “You too. And Travis?”
    He paused and pivoted to face her, eyes alight with expectation.
    She gave him her warmest smile. “Thank you.”
    He relaxed, broad shoulders loosening. “Don’t mention it. It’s the least I could do.” He continued on his way out, shutting the door behind him.
    The least he could do? Marrying her? That was by far the most anyone had ever done for her.
    But it meant she was a married woman, a new woman, a woman she didn’t recognize.
    What had she done?

 
     
    Chapter Four
     
     
    Wendy was up bright and early the next morning, sewing box open, converting one of her handcrafted dresses to something more suitable for the dusty streets of Haskell. Wyoming was something of a surprise to her so far. It was a different world from the lush, humid greenery of Tennessee. The West was full of mountains and valleys, dust and rock, and entirely different vegetation. Clothing in this untamed new land would need to be serviceable while still maintaining the standards of fashion.
    But as much as she told herself those were the things she should be thinking about—design and construction and building a new business, now that it was something she could actually plan and strive for—her rebellious heart kept pushing her mind back to thoughts of Travis Montrose—his handsome face, his soft way of speaking, the way he looked at her as if she was a woman, not a color. Before long, her fingers stopped flying and her work sagged to her lap, and she found herself staring out the hotel window at a herd of cattle in the distance.
    Was Travis out working with those cattle now, even though he was in limbo between two jobs? What must his life be like, toiling on the land, working for someone else, caring for animals that, frankly, made her nervous? She could almost see him with his sleeves rolled up, his shirt unbuttoned at the top, firm muscles flexing as he…as he… What did ranch hands actually do? Her mind’s eye was fixed on the sight of his broad shoulders and winsome smile. Her husband had such welcoming eyes.
    Where was he? Why had he left her in a hotel all by herself hours after marrying her? If he truly was between jobs, couldn’t he have spent time with her? Had he pretended to be accepting of her, and was he really as repelled by her as his brother?
    A knock at the door shot an arrow straight through Wendy’s looming worry. Travis? She gathered her sewing and stood, laying it on the bed before darting across the room to open the door.
    The expectant smile she’d put on faded at the sight of a petite, blond woman in the hotel’s maid’s uniform and cap with a basket over her arm.
    “ God morgon , Mrs. Montrose,” the maid said with a smile. “My