Dean said. “We’ll get your things loaded and get underway. I’m sure you’d like to get settled in and rest a little.”
“Yes, that would be lovely,” Tessa agreed.
Dean and Marcus moved her belongings to the wagon and they headed out.
Chapter Eight
Tessa was thankful to Dean for thinking to place a thick folded blanket on the wooden seat of the buckboard wagon. The going was rougher than she was used to and her bottom kept smacking against the seat. Her rear was beginning to get sore. She could imagine how much worse it would have been if there had been no blanket.
As they rode, she kept sneaking looks at Dean and found him quite attractive. His blond hair was disheveled from the wind and his jaw was beginning to show stubble. He was tanned and muscular and filled out his clothes in a way that the men she knew didn’t. Tessa smiled to herself, thinking that Edwina would certainly be jealous when she wrote her and told her that Dean was incredibly handsome and virile.
She’d been charmed by Marcus and had pegged him a likable troublemaker. She wondered from which parent each of the brothers got their looks. Outside of the shape of their jaws, there wasn’t much resemblance between them. Marcus’s jet black hair and gray eyes were far removed from Dean’s golden locks and vivid blue eyes.
Dean looked down at Tessa and her stomach did a little flip. His gaze did things to her that she hadn’t expected so soon. She thought she saw the same thing flicker in his eyes, but couldn’t be sure.
“See that big maple tree over there?” he said.
Tessa looked where he indicated. “Yes.”
“That’s the start of our land,” Dean told her with pride. “Those steer you see are some of our finest cattle.”
Tessa took a small notebook from her reticule and began looking around with interest and writing down her observations. Dean watched with curiosity, remembering Tessa had told him that she was working on improving her creative writing skills. “What are you writing?” he asked.
“I’m writing in detail about how everything looks and how it makes me feel,” she responded.
Dean arched an eyebrow at that. “How it makes you feel?”
“Yes.”
“What do you mean by that?” he asked.
Tessa didn’t look at him, but responded as she wrote on. “I mean how what I see and hear and smell makes me feel.”
“I don’t get it.”
She looked at him then. “Look at the steer.”
Dean did. “Ok.”
“How do you feel when you look at them? You just told me that they are fine animals,” Tessa said.
Dean looked into her deep blue eyes looking at him so eagerly and he wanted to please her. He thought about it carefully. “Proud, I guess. It took a lot of hard work to breed such good stock.”
“Yes! Proud! And you should be. I’ve seen some steer back east and I don’t think they’re as nice as these. Look at how strong their shoulders are and sleek and healthy their coats are!” Tessa was still writing as she talked. After a minute, though, she put away her notebook and pencil.
Marcus leaned up from the wagon box. “Someday, I’d love to read some of your observations.”
Tessa turned to him. “Really? Do you enjoy reading?”
“Oh, yeah. He’s always reading. You’ll have to go to his house sometime. There are more books than anything else in it. I’m surprised he doesn’t just sleep on them,” Dean said.
Marcus smiled. “It’s true.”
“When I get them more polished, I would certainly welcome your insight. In fact, you are both welcome to read them,” Tessa said.
Dean said, “I’d like that. I really enjoyed your letters, so I can just imagine what your other writing is like.”
Tessa was flattered. “Thank you,” she said with a smile and blushed.
“Pa! Pa! Is that her?”
Dean looked up and saw his children running toward them as fast as they could.
“Here we go. Prepare yourself. Both of them have been on pins and needles waiting for you to get
“Yes, that would be lovely,” Tessa agreed.
Dean and Marcus moved her belongings to the wagon and they headed out.
Chapter Eight
Tessa was thankful to Dean for thinking to place a thick folded blanket on the wooden seat of the buckboard wagon. The going was rougher than she was used to and her bottom kept smacking against the seat. Her rear was beginning to get sore. She could imagine how much worse it would have been if there had been no blanket.
As they rode, she kept sneaking looks at Dean and found him quite attractive. His blond hair was disheveled from the wind and his jaw was beginning to show stubble. He was tanned and muscular and filled out his clothes in a way that the men she knew didn’t. Tessa smiled to herself, thinking that Edwina would certainly be jealous when she wrote her and told her that Dean was incredibly handsome and virile.
She’d been charmed by Marcus and had pegged him a likable troublemaker. She wondered from which parent each of the brothers got their looks. Outside of the shape of their jaws, there wasn’t much resemblance between them. Marcus’s jet black hair and gray eyes were far removed from Dean’s golden locks and vivid blue eyes.
Dean looked down at Tessa and her stomach did a little flip. His gaze did things to her that she hadn’t expected so soon. She thought she saw the same thing flicker in his eyes, but couldn’t be sure.
“See that big maple tree over there?” he said.
Tessa looked where he indicated. “Yes.”
“That’s the start of our land,” Dean told her with pride. “Those steer you see are some of our finest cattle.”
Tessa took a small notebook from her reticule and began looking around with interest and writing down her observations. Dean watched with curiosity, remembering Tessa had told him that she was working on improving her creative writing skills. “What are you writing?” he asked.
“I’m writing in detail about how everything looks and how it makes me feel,” she responded.
Dean arched an eyebrow at that. “How it makes you feel?”
“Yes.”
“What do you mean by that?” he asked.
Tessa didn’t look at him, but responded as she wrote on. “I mean how what I see and hear and smell makes me feel.”
“I don’t get it.”
She looked at him then. “Look at the steer.”
Dean did. “Ok.”
“How do you feel when you look at them? You just told me that they are fine animals,” Tessa said.
Dean looked into her deep blue eyes looking at him so eagerly and he wanted to please her. He thought about it carefully. “Proud, I guess. It took a lot of hard work to breed such good stock.”
“Yes! Proud! And you should be. I’ve seen some steer back east and I don’t think they’re as nice as these. Look at how strong their shoulders are and sleek and healthy their coats are!” Tessa was still writing as she talked. After a minute, though, she put away her notebook and pencil.
Marcus leaned up from the wagon box. “Someday, I’d love to read some of your observations.”
Tessa turned to him. “Really? Do you enjoy reading?”
“Oh, yeah. He’s always reading. You’ll have to go to his house sometime. There are more books than anything else in it. I’m surprised he doesn’t just sleep on them,” Dean said.
Marcus smiled. “It’s true.”
“When I get them more polished, I would certainly welcome your insight. In fact, you are both welcome to read them,” Tessa said.
Dean said, “I’d like that. I really enjoyed your letters, so I can just imagine what your other writing is like.”
Tessa was flattered. “Thank you,” she said with a smile and blushed.
“Pa! Pa! Is that her?”
Dean looked up and saw his children running toward them as fast as they could.
“Here we go. Prepare yourself. Both of them have been on pins and needles waiting for you to get
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