Whispers of Moonlight Read Online Free
Author: Lori Wick
daily vigil. He'd been coming to meet Rebecca's stage every day and had started to give up hope. Andrew became more agitated with every passing moment. Travis wasn't sure if the man would make it if he came home empty-handed again. It would have helped to have Grady home, but he was evidently held up in Denver. The pressure on Travis to be all things to Mr. Wagner was not something he enjoyed.
Travis stepped down from the covered, single-seat buggy and tipped his hat to a woman with a baby, wondering absently if the stage would be as late as it had been the day before. The day was on the cool side, but Travis was sweating. Rebecca Wagner had to be on that stage.
The underarms of his dark shirt grew damp, and he paced a bit, afraid to wander far. His black-hatted head shot up when he heard the familiar sound of heavy hooves and jingling tack. Only ten minutes late, the stage, pulled by four horses, was moving steadily down the main street of town.
Four people emerged when the doors were opened. Travis held his breath: They were all men. He saw the stage-office manager speaking to someone inside, and then a small hand came forward to take his. Travis' heart sank when he saw it was a young woman. He waited a moment longer, thinking Rebecca might have been escorted, but the blonde in the small blue hat was alone. Travis turned back to the buggy.
"The Double Star?" the manager's voice carried. "It's out north of town a few miles."
Travis stopped in his tracks and turned back. The stage-office manager had moved on, and the woman's back was to him as she thanked the driver for retrieving her trunk. Travis walked slowly back and stopped a few feet behind her. He removed his hat and said her name in his soft, deep voice.
"Miss Rebecca?"
To his amazement she turned.
"Yes?"
Travis' heart did a flip in his chest as he looked down into the largest brown eyes he'd ever seen. A brown-eyed blonde. Travis blinked.
"Did you call my name?" she asked, looking very unsure.
"Yes, yes," Travis stuttered. "If you're Rebecca Wagner, your father sent me."
"Oh." She was clearly disappointed and then concerned. "Is Papa all right?"
"Yes, ma'am," Travis said, hoping it was true. "I'm Travis Buchanan, and your father asked me to come for you. It's a 45-minutc drive to the Double Star."
Rebecca smiled suddenly, and Travis found himself out of breath. "I've done more riding in the last two weeks than I have my whole life. A few more miles won't make any difference."
"The buggy is this way." Travis stepped back and wondered that he sounded so normal. Where was the little girl from his imagination?
"I have a trunk." Rebecca sounded apologetic, but Travis only nodded, put his hat back on his head, and went to retrieve it. He hefted it easily, wondering how she could have traveled so lightly, and loaded it into the back of the wagon. He turned to find her standing and taking in the town.
Boulder's surrounding mountains were far more noteworthy than the town itself, and Travis could well imagine what she might be thinking. He also saw in those moments that she was attracting plenty of attention. It was obvious to anyone with eyes that a lady had come into their midst. Travis swiftly went to her side, his manner unconsciously territorial.
"This way. Miss Rebecca." Travis took her arm and she smiled her thanks, not once having noticed that men were stopped on the street. He tried not to stare at her as he helped her into the buggy, but even in her wrinkled navy traveling suit she was a sight for sore eyes. She accidentally knocked the little hat on her head slightly askew, but that only added to her charm. Travis guessed her to be about 18 and swallowed hard over the emotions flooding through him.
Had she really come all this way on her own? Maybe her sweet smile covered a will of iron or a set of standards that wasn't as high as her demeanor indicated. However, when he climbed aboard and she turned to smile at him, he knew he was wrong. Her eyes
Travis stepped down from the covered, single-seat buggy and tipped his hat to a woman with a baby, wondering absently if the stage would be as late as it had been the day before. The day was on the cool side, but Travis was sweating. Rebecca Wagner had to be on that stage.
The underarms of his dark shirt grew damp, and he paced a bit, afraid to wander far. His black-hatted head shot up when he heard the familiar sound of heavy hooves and jingling tack. Only ten minutes late, the stage, pulled by four horses, was moving steadily down the main street of town.
Four people emerged when the doors were opened. Travis held his breath: They were all men. He saw the stage-office manager speaking to someone inside, and then a small hand came forward to take his. Travis' heart sank when he saw it was a young woman. He waited a moment longer, thinking Rebecca might have been escorted, but the blonde in the small blue hat was alone. Travis turned back to the buggy.
"The Double Star?" the manager's voice carried. "It's out north of town a few miles."
Travis stopped in his tracks and turned back. The stage-office manager had moved on, and the woman's back was to him as she thanked the driver for retrieving her trunk. Travis walked slowly back and stopped a few feet behind her. He removed his hat and said her name in his soft, deep voice.
"Miss Rebecca?"
To his amazement she turned.
"Yes?"
Travis' heart did a flip in his chest as he looked down into the largest brown eyes he'd ever seen. A brown-eyed blonde. Travis blinked.
"Did you call my name?" she asked, looking very unsure.
"Yes, yes," Travis stuttered. "If you're Rebecca Wagner, your father sent me."
"Oh." She was clearly disappointed and then concerned. "Is Papa all right?"
"Yes, ma'am," Travis said, hoping it was true. "I'm Travis Buchanan, and your father asked me to come for you. It's a 45-minutc drive to the Double Star."
Rebecca smiled suddenly, and Travis found himself out of breath. "I've done more riding in the last two weeks than I have my whole life. A few more miles won't make any difference."
"The buggy is this way." Travis stepped back and wondered that he sounded so normal. Where was the little girl from his imagination?
"I have a trunk." Rebecca sounded apologetic, but Travis only nodded, put his hat back on his head, and went to retrieve it. He hefted it easily, wondering how she could have traveled so lightly, and loaded it into the back of the wagon. He turned to find her standing and taking in the town.
Boulder's surrounding mountains were far more noteworthy than the town itself, and Travis could well imagine what she might be thinking. He also saw in those moments that she was attracting plenty of attention. It was obvious to anyone with eyes that a lady had come into their midst. Travis swiftly went to her side, his manner unconsciously territorial.
"This way. Miss Rebecca." Travis took her arm and she smiled her thanks, not once having noticed that men were stopped on the street. He tried not to stare at her as he helped her into the buggy, but even in her wrinkled navy traveling suit she was a sight for sore eyes. She accidentally knocked the little hat on her head slightly askew, but that only added to her charm. Travis guessed her to be about 18 and swallowed hard over the emotions flooding through him.
Had she really come all this way on her own? Maybe her sweet smile covered a will of iron or a set of standards that wasn't as high as her demeanor indicated. However, when he climbed aboard and she turned to smile at him, he knew he was wrong. Her eyes
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