her. "Do they not have mirrors in Massachusetts?"
Elaine shrugged. "No one has been able to see past my leg since I was a little girl." She paused trying to think of the best way to put it. "I didn't just have a hurt leg, I became the hurt leg. Even my mother never saw my personality any longer, she only saw the leg and made all kinds of rules to keep me from doing any further injury to myself." She hated it, but it was fact. He was able to see past her leg, and it made all the difference in the world for her. Colin was truly a good man, and he'd make her the best of husbands. She knew it with everything inside her.
"I see you as so much more than your leg." He stroked her hair as he spoke. "Do you want to know what I see when I look at you?"
She nodded, half afraid, but she knew he wouldn't deliberately say anything to hurt her.
"I see a very pretty lady, who is sweet, well-mannered, can cook like a dream, doesn't mind hard work, and who is willing to put up with my ways. She also just happens to have a hurt leg." He leaned down and kissed the top of her head. "She makes my heart beat faster, and I want to carry her off to my bed and have my way with her every minute I'm with her, but I know she needs a little time. She's worth waiting for." Whether he liked it or not, she was definitely worth waiting for. He couldn't have found a girl better for him if he had hundreds to choose from.
Elaine felt tears prick her eyes at his words. What had she done in life to deserve having a man who saw all those things when he looked at her as a husband? "Thank you," she whispered.
"We need to sleep. A rancher's day starts early."
She nodded, sleepy. She'd slept very little on the train, because being unable to straighten her leg for that long had made her too uncomfortable. "Will you come home for lunch?" How could she tell him that she wanted to spend every moment with him she possibly could?
He nodded. "I'll come home for lunch most days. I'll let you know if I won't be here, and you can pack sandwiches or something." He looked down at her. "You are asking so you know if you should cook for me, right?" He couldn't keep the eagerness out of his voice.
She laughed softly. "You don't like to eat, do you?" Feeding this man would be a never-ending task, and she loved the idea of it.
"One of my favorite things. Kissing you is up there too." He knew that making love to her would top everything else in life, but he didn't say that to her. He didn't want to scare her off so early in their marriage.
He looked down at her head pillowed on his shoulder and noticed that she'd fallen asleep, her mouth slightly open. He smiled, happy she was able to sleep in the strange location. From the way she talked, he was certain she hadn't slept in different places often in her life.
*****
When Elaine woke the following morning, she was still stiff, but her leg felt much better. She knew she needed to get up to start breakfast, but he was blocking her in. Biting her lip, she wondered if she should just wake him or try to climb over him. Finally, she put her hand on his shoulder. "Colin, I need to start breakfast." The covers were down around his waist, and she did her best not to look at his bareness.
He turned to her on the bed and buried his face in her neck, breathing deeply of her scent. He'd be waking to this beautiful woman beside him every morning. "I'm the luckiest man alive, you know." He nipped at her neck, wishing he had the right to just make love to her.
"You are?" The sun was rising and the red glow of the sky tinted everything in their room a pale shade of pink.
He nodded. "I am. I get to wake up beside you every morning for the rest of my life."
She smiled, knowing he was just flattering her, but enjoying the flattery immensely. "Very sweet of you to say." She couldn't help but wonder if he'd be this amorous every
Elaine shrugged. "No one has been able to see past my leg since I was a little girl." She paused trying to think of the best way to put it. "I didn't just have a hurt leg, I became the hurt leg. Even my mother never saw my personality any longer, she only saw the leg and made all kinds of rules to keep me from doing any further injury to myself." She hated it, but it was fact. He was able to see past her leg, and it made all the difference in the world for her. Colin was truly a good man, and he'd make her the best of husbands. She knew it with everything inside her.
"I see you as so much more than your leg." He stroked her hair as he spoke. "Do you want to know what I see when I look at you?"
She nodded, half afraid, but she knew he wouldn't deliberately say anything to hurt her.
"I see a very pretty lady, who is sweet, well-mannered, can cook like a dream, doesn't mind hard work, and who is willing to put up with my ways. She also just happens to have a hurt leg." He leaned down and kissed the top of her head. "She makes my heart beat faster, and I want to carry her off to my bed and have my way with her every minute I'm with her, but I know she needs a little time. She's worth waiting for." Whether he liked it or not, she was definitely worth waiting for. He couldn't have found a girl better for him if he had hundreds to choose from.
Elaine felt tears prick her eyes at his words. What had she done in life to deserve having a man who saw all those things when he looked at her as a husband? "Thank you," she whispered.
"We need to sleep. A rancher's day starts early."
She nodded, sleepy. She'd slept very little on the train, because being unable to straighten her leg for that long had made her too uncomfortable. "Will you come home for lunch?" How could she tell him that she wanted to spend every moment with him she possibly could?
He nodded. "I'll come home for lunch most days. I'll let you know if I won't be here, and you can pack sandwiches or something." He looked down at her. "You are asking so you know if you should cook for me, right?" He couldn't keep the eagerness out of his voice.
She laughed softly. "You don't like to eat, do you?" Feeding this man would be a never-ending task, and she loved the idea of it.
"One of my favorite things. Kissing you is up there too." He knew that making love to her would top everything else in life, but he didn't say that to her. He didn't want to scare her off so early in their marriage.
He looked down at her head pillowed on his shoulder and noticed that she'd fallen asleep, her mouth slightly open. He smiled, happy she was able to sleep in the strange location. From the way she talked, he was certain she hadn't slept in different places often in her life.
*****
When Elaine woke the following morning, she was still stiff, but her leg felt much better. She knew she needed to get up to start breakfast, but he was blocking her in. Biting her lip, she wondered if she should just wake him or try to climb over him. Finally, she put her hand on his shoulder. "Colin, I need to start breakfast." The covers were down around his waist, and she did her best not to look at his bareness.
He turned to her on the bed and buried his face in her neck, breathing deeply of her scent. He'd be waking to this beautiful woman beside him every morning. "I'm the luckiest man alive, you know." He nipped at her neck, wishing he had the right to just make love to her.
"You are?" The sun was rising and the red glow of the sky tinted everything in their room a pale shade of pink.
He nodded. "I am. I get to wake up beside you every morning for the rest of my life."
She smiled, knowing he was just flattering her, but enjoying the flattery immensely. "Very sweet of you to say." She couldn't help but wonder if he'd be this amorous every
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