Rocky Mountain Dawn (Rocky Mountain Bride Series Book 1) Read Online Free Page A
Author: Lee Savino
cry."
"You're not silly at all. It's natural." He dabbed carefully at her face with the white cloth. "There. Good as new."
She gave him a watery smile. He tucked his kerchief into his pocket, then put his other arm around her. Sighing, she leaned against his chest, surprised at how good it felt to nestle close to his long body.
"Sleep now, Esther," he murmured, and she did, but not before she felt his lips press a kiss onto her hair.
*****
She heard voices murmuring around her, and then cool night air on her face. Stirring, she realized she was in her new husband's arms and he was climbing unfamiliar stairs.
"Where are we?"
"Almost to bed. You slept all the way here."
He carried her all the way to the room and laid her on the bed.
"I'll be back," he told her, before leaving her alone on her marriage bed.
She yawned and stretched, feeling more awake after her long nap.
Her stomach rumbled and she was grateful when her husband came back into the room with a pitcher of water and a cloth wrapped around some bread and cheese. They'd arrived too late for dinner at the inn, but Esther tore into the coarse loaf like it was a fine feast.
From the corner, her husband chuckled, removing his jacket and unbuttoning his shirt.
"What are you doing?" Esther asked with alarm, just as he pulled off his shirt. The lamplight molded to his taut chest and muscular arms. She'd never suspected his stiff, dark clothes hid such a fine, strong body; no wonder he hadn't any trouble carrying her.
He turned in surprise. "Undressing for bed."
"You mean to sleep here?" She sat up straight, her mouth suddenly dry. Of course they would be sharing a room. They were married now.
A smile played around his lips. "Shy, wife?"
"No." She slid off the bed, tossing her hair back proudly. "But I require privacy when I'm undressing."
"Very well." He still looked amused. "I had them carry your trunk into the luggage room. Tomorrow morning we must go through your things and choose the items for you to take."
"What?" She thought of her full trunk, every choice agonized over by her with her sister and mother.
"I'm sorry, Esther. I should've told you before you packed. The wagon West charges by the pound. You're better off reducing your things now, while I can send the trunk back to your parents."
Nodding, she felt like crying all over again.
In the adjacent luggage room, she picked out her new nightgown, a gift from her mother "for her wedding night." She'd never really thought of what her first night with her husband would entail, and now trepidation filled her.
Mr. Shepherd was already in bed when she returned, reading with the light on. Facing the corner, she drew off her layers slowly, and let the nightgown fall over her head, grateful it came down to her ankles.
It wasn't until she stepped into the pool of light by the bed that she realized the fine gossamer fabric was almost see through.
"Oh no," she said, blushing. She glanced up, hoping her husband wasn't looking, only to meet his heated stare. This was not a good way to prove she wasn't a flirtatious woman. She looked like a seductress.
But her new husband said nothing to chastise her, only moved to one side of the bed and held up the covers for her to climb under. She did so, gratefully, drawing them up to her chin.
Shutting her eyes, she tried to sleep, but her long nap and the strangeness of the room had energy coursing through her.
Beside her, she could hear Mr. Shepherd turning the pages of the newspaper. Shifting to her side, she faced away from him, but still felt his heat at her back. She scooted away from him, settling on the edge of the bed. After a few minutes, she flopped onto her back again.
Mr. Shepherd leaned over and turned off the lamp. Sighing to herself, Esther rolled away from him again—and, slipping off the bed, crashed right to the floor.
A few second later, her husband relit the lamp.
"Esther," he was at her side, "are you all right?"
"Yes." She
"You're not silly at all. It's natural." He dabbed carefully at her face with the white cloth. "There. Good as new."
She gave him a watery smile. He tucked his kerchief into his pocket, then put his other arm around her. Sighing, she leaned against his chest, surprised at how good it felt to nestle close to his long body.
"Sleep now, Esther," he murmured, and she did, but not before she felt his lips press a kiss onto her hair.
*****
She heard voices murmuring around her, and then cool night air on her face. Stirring, she realized she was in her new husband's arms and he was climbing unfamiliar stairs.
"Where are we?"
"Almost to bed. You slept all the way here."
He carried her all the way to the room and laid her on the bed.
"I'll be back," he told her, before leaving her alone on her marriage bed.
She yawned and stretched, feeling more awake after her long nap.
Her stomach rumbled and she was grateful when her husband came back into the room with a pitcher of water and a cloth wrapped around some bread and cheese. They'd arrived too late for dinner at the inn, but Esther tore into the coarse loaf like it was a fine feast.
From the corner, her husband chuckled, removing his jacket and unbuttoning his shirt.
"What are you doing?" Esther asked with alarm, just as he pulled off his shirt. The lamplight molded to his taut chest and muscular arms. She'd never suspected his stiff, dark clothes hid such a fine, strong body; no wonder he hadn't any trouble carrying her.
He turned in surprise. "Undressing for bed."
"You mean to sleep here?" She sat up straight, her mouth suddenly dry. Of course they would be sharing a room. They were married now.
A smile played around his lips. "Shy, wife?"
"No." She slid off the bed, tossing her hair back proudly. "But I require privacy when I'm undressing."
"Very well." He still looked amused. "I had them carry your trunk into the luggage room. Tomorrow morning we must go through your things and choose the items for you to take."
"What?" She thought of her full trunk, every choice agonized over by her with her sister and mother.
"I'm sorry, Esther. I should've told you before you packed. The wagon West charges by the pound. You're better off reducing your things now, while I can send the trunk back to your parents."
Nodding, she felt like crying all over again.
In the adjacent luggage room, she picked out her new nightgown, a gift from her mother "for her wedding night." She'd never really thought of what her first night with her husband would entail, and now trepidation filled her.
Mr. Shepherd was already in bed when she returned, reading with the light on. Facing the corner, she drew off her layers slowly, and let the nightgown fall over her head, grateful it came down to her ankles.
It wasn't until she stepped into the pool of light by the bed that she realized the fine gossamer fabric was almost see through.
"Oh no," she said, blushing. She glanced up, hoping her husband wasn't looking, only to meet his heated stare. This was not a good way to prove she wasn't a flirtatious woman. She looked like a seductress.
But her new husband said nothing to chastise her, only moved to one side of the bed and held up the covers for her to climb under. She did so, gratefully, drawing them up to her chin.
Shutting her eyes, she tried to sleep, but her long nap and the strangeness of the room had energy coursing through her.
Beside her, she could hear Mr. Shepherd turning the pages of the newspaper. Shifting to her side, she faced away from him, but still felt his heat at her back. She scooted away from him, settling on the edge of the bed. After a few minutes, she flopped onto her back again.
Mr. Shepherd leaned over and turned off the lamp. Sighing to herself, Esther rolled away from him again—and, slipping off the bed, crashed right to the floor.
A few second later, her husband relit the lamp.
"Esther," he was at her side, "are you all right?"
"Yes." She
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