Chapter 6 #2
He slipped from the room before she could reply.
The only extra blankets he had were old horse blankets in the barn, so he’d need to make another trip outside.
Frigid air surrounded him as he dashed to the outbuilding and retrieved the blankets.
His nose wrinkled at the smell, but it was better than spending the night cold.
Well…less cold, at least.
He trudged back up the stairs and walked through the open door to his—their—room.
. Ella squeaked. Something clattered to the floor.
Cody was rendered mute, transfixed by the sight before him.
His wife stood beside the bed in a modest nightdress.
Auburn waves cascaded over her shoulders and fell to her waist. Her beauty smacked him like a physical force.
The strangest urge to reach out and feel whether her hair was as soft as it looked overwhelmed him.
He cleared his throat, cheeks warming. “I…uh…sorry. Didn’t mean to startle you.”
Ella twisted her fingers together. She looked anywhere but at him. “It’s fine.”
Cody dumped the blankets on the floor at the foot of the bed. He reached for the hairbrush that had fallen from her hands when he barged in. “Here.”
“Thanks.” She all but whispered the word.
They stood in awkward silence for a few moments. When Cody couldn’t take the tension any longer, he rubbed a hand over his jaw. “You should sleep.”
Ella fidgeted with the brush. Her mouth opened, then closed.
She put the brush on the small nightstand before crawling under the bedcovers.
Cody arranged the blankets on the floor.
Without bothering to change his clothes, he lay down on the hard wood.
Cold nipped against him. He bit back a sigh and closed his eyes.
It was going to be a long night.
Ella chewed on her lip. Cody grunted and moved yet again. Would he be able to fall asleep at all? It felt like hours had passed since they went to bed, and he still hadn’t settled.
Guilt smothered her. He would be exhausted come morning. She drew in a breath. Can I invite a stranger into my…his bed? Her heart thumped hard. Fear clutched her, and in that moment, she wasn’t sure if it was stronger than the guilt.
She wrestled with herself for a few minutes. The house only had two bedrooms. Was she selfish enough to confine Cody to the floor indefinitely? It didn’t seem fair. But when she thought of sharing the bed, her palms turned clammy.
A light snore interrupted her thoughts. Deep, even breathing came from the foot of the bed. He must have fallen asleep.
Ella relaxed. No decision had to be made tonight. She could ponder it more later. Maybe now she could fall asleep too.
But sleep wouldn’t come. She sighed, letting her thoughts wander.
After the wedding, her panic hit strong and hard.
Knowing that she now belonged to another scared her.
But in her heart, she knew she made the right decision—not only for herself, but for her new family.
She’d seen the way Cody’s tension melted after the preacher pronounced them husband and wife.
He carried a heavy load on his own. If she could help lift it, she’d do so happily.
And she already felt an attachment to her new children.
A little alarm in her head warned against letting down her guard, but she tried to ignore it. If this marriage was going to work, she needed to attempt trusting her husband, and she had to gain his trust in return.
Ella stifled a sigh. That wouldn’t be easy, not for her. Trust had to be earned. Though Cody showed signs of being a good man, and though he had Travis and Cassie’s approval, Ella’s fear of men ran deep. Howard had ensured that.
A tear escaped. Why did I allow myself to stay in such a horrible situation?
Tori often told her she needed to grow a backbone, but Ella hadn’t been able to.
Her one act of defiance had been leaving home and traveling to Harmony Springs.
And that only happened because she feared for her life.
Shoving the memories away, Ella turned her focus elsewhere.
This house had been a sweet surprise. She wasn’t sure what she’d been expecting, but it wasn’t this.
Cassie had mentioned her brother built the house for her, and Ella could see the feminine touches that had to have come from her sister-in-law.
While the structure of the home itself was solid and pleasing to the eye, the details inside revealed a woman had lived there.
Lacy curtains hung at the windows, nicely upholstered furniture decorated the rooms, and pretty carpets accented the hardwood floors.
Most likely, the barn was just as well built. She’d have to explore it tomorrow.
An odd noise sounded over Cody’s breathing.
She sat up, straining her ears. A whimper.
From the children’s room? Ella pushed the blankets aside and set her feet on the floor.
She nearly gasped at the cold. Back in Boston, servants kept the fires stoked to ward off the winter’s chill.
Here, things were different. Though she didn’t remember it being so chilly at Travis and Cassie’s home.
But she’d also never gotten out of bed in the middle of the night.
Shivering, she headed out the door to the next room. Addie sat in her crib, sniffling. When she saw Ella, she reached up her arms.
Ella lifted the child. “What’s the matter, sweetie?” she whispered.
Addie gnawed on her fingers. Another whimper passed her little lips. The child’s gums must still bother her. She wrapped the baby in a warm blanket before making her way to the stairs.
The dark discombobulated her. Ella had no idea where matches might be to light a lamp.
She moved slowly, one hand in front of her to make sure she didn’t crash into anything.
It didn’t take long to find the kitchen.
By then, her eyes had adjusted to the dark.
She found a pitcher of water and a rag. Dipping a finger into the liquid, she found it to be cold.
Ella soaked the rag, wrung it out, then offered it to Addie. The child chomped on the cloth.
Exhaustion filtered through Ella’s limbs. She made her way back upstairs. Cody’s gentle breathing remained deep and even. Ella crawled under the warmth of the covers and tucked Addie in beside her.
Tomorrow, her life as a rancher’s wife began.