Read Online Desire in Deadwood by Molly Ann Wishlade - Free Book Online
Authors: Molly Ann Wishlade
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nodded and squeezed her hands. “Of course I do, Evelyn! I always have.”
“Because…this has to be right. The thought of leaving you today fills me with pain and dread, Nate, butI can’t live with you, alongside you each day, sharing bed and board if you don’t love me. That would be the worst punishment you could exact upon me. I know that I made a mistake and I’ve suffered every day for it.”
He reached out and placed a finger over her lips. “Hush, now. I love you and I want to be with you.”
She gently moved his finger away. “But it’s important to me that you know. If this is just about your son”—she turned and smiled at the boy then turned back to Nate—“you can share in Aaron’s life and see him every day. We’ll find a way to stay. But I can’t live a lie as your wife if your heart is closed to me. You might feel that I deserve that but it would destroy me. That wouldn’t be good for Aaron. I’ve kept myself going all these years by imagining that you were happy and that one day I might see you again. Hope has been my constant companion, helping me along through the toughest of days. But a loveless marriage would be the end of hope and without that what do I have?”
He shook his head and cupped her face.
“It’s not just about Aaron”—he looked at his son—“though he’s a damn good reason to marry you!”
“Thank you, sir.” The boy blushed.
“This is about doing what we should have done more than ten years ago, Evelyn Campbell.”
He knelt at her feet in the middle of the dusty street. A series of cheers and whoops erupted around them and Evelyn felt all eyes upon them as an unusual silence fell in Deadwood. Even the stage coach driver stood still.
“Evelyn…” Nate took her hands and caressed her fingertips, causing a shiver of pleasure to course through her body. “Will you marry me?”
She looked from Nate’s eyes to Aaron’s and briefly around at their audience. It seemed that every man, woman and child was waiting for her answer.
“Yes, Nate, I will marry you.”
He jumped up and threw his hat into the air, giving a whoop of joy before scooping her up into his arms and covering her mouth with his.
When he finally stopped kissing her, Evelyn smiled as Aaron appeared at her side and handed Nate his hat.
“Why, thank you, son!” He smiled.
“You’re welcome, sir.”
“Come here.” Nate reached out to Aaron and Evelyn felt that her heart would explode as she looked at the two most important people in her life stood side by side. Nate leaned over and whispered something in Aaron’s ear and the boy nodded vigorously.
“What is it?” Evelyn queried as Aaron ran off in the direction of the Grand Central Hotel.
“He’s gone to organise our supper with the hotel cook and to gather your belongings.” Nate kissed her hair.
“But why?”
“If you think you’re staying on in that hotel when you could with me in the home I built for you, Mrs Nate Hamilton to be, then you thought wrong!” He pulled her against him in a one armed hug. “Now come on, my dear, we’ve some time on our hands.”
Evelyn laughed as he pulled her by the hand and led her up the wooden plank steps to his house.
They stopped on the front porch, both breathless with laughter and exertion.
“Nate, we can’t. Not now.” She gestured at the main street. “It’s broad daylight.”
“That didn’t stop us before.” He placed a hand in the small of her back then pushed her through the front door and guided her into the kitchen area.
“But…Aaron,” she protested, as he pushed her against the heavy pine table with enough force to make her throw her hands against the waxy wood to steady herself.
“Aaron’s fine,” he whispered into the nape of her neck. A delicious shiver ran down her spine. “He’ll be gone a while. I told him to tell that cook to whip up something special—a pre-wedding supper.”
“Oh, Nate.” Evelyn’s eyes filled with tears and her
“Because…this has to be right. The thought of leaving you today fills me with pain and dread, Nate, butI can’t live with you, alongside you each day, sharing bed and board if you don’t love me. That would be the worst punishment you could exact upon me. I know that I made a mistake and I’ve suffered every day for it.”
He reached out and placed a finger over her lips. “Hush, now. I love you and I want to be with you.”
She gently moved his finger away. “But it’s important to me that you know. If this is just about your son”—she turned and smiled at the boy then turned back to Nate—“you can share in Aaron’s life and see him every day. We’ll find a way to stay. But I can’t live a lie as your wife if your heart is closed to me. You might feel that I deserve that but it would destroy me. That wouldn’t be good for Aaron. I’ve kept myself going all these years by imagining that you were happy and that one day I might see you again. Hope has been my constant companion, helping me along through the toughest of days. But a loveless marriage would be the end of hope and without that what do I have?”
He shook his head and cupped her face.
“It’s not just about Aaron”—he looked at his son—“though he’s a damn good reason to marry you!”
“Thank you, sir.” The boy blushed.
“This is about doing what we should have done more than ten years ago, Evelyn Campbell.”
He knelt at her feet in the middle of the dusty street. A series of cheers and whoops erupted around them and Evelyn felt all eyes upon them as an unusual silence fell in Deadwood. Even the stage coach driver stood still.
“Evelyn…” Nate took her hands and caressed her fingertips, causing a shiver of pleasure to course through her body. “Will you marry me?”
She looked from Nate’s eyes to Aaron’s and briefly around at their audience. It seemed that every man, woman and child was waiting for her answer.
“Yes, Nate, I will marry you.”
He jumped up and threw his hat into the air, giving a whoop of joy before scooping her up into his arms and covering her mouth with his.
When he finally stopped kissing her, Evelyn smiled as Aaron appeared at her side and handed Nate his hat.
“Why, thank you, son!” He smiled.
“You’re welcome, sir.”
“Come here.” Nate reached out to Aaron and Evelyn felt that her heart would explode as she looked at the two most important people in her life stood side by side. Nate leaned over and whispered something in Aaron’s ear and the boy nodded vigorously.
“What is it?” Evelyn queried as Aaron ran off in the direction of the Grand Central Hotel.
“He’s gone to organise our supper with the hotel cook and to gather your belongings.” Nate kissed her hair.
“But why?”
“If you think you’re staying on in that hotel when you could with me in the home I built for you, Mrs Nate Hamilton to be, then you thought wrong!” He pulled her against him in a one armed hug. “Now come on, my dear, we’ve some time on our hands.”
Evelyn laughed as he pulled her by the hand and led her up the wooden plank steps to his house.
They stopped on the front porch, both breathless with laughter and exertion.
“Nate, we can’t. Not now.” She gestured at the main street. “It’s broad daylight.”
“That didn’t stop us before.” He placed a hand in the small of her back then pushed her through the front door and guided her into the kitchen area.
“But…Aaron,” she protested, as he pushed her against the heavy pine table with enough force to make her throw her hands against the waxy wood to steady herself.
“Aaron’s fine,” he whispered into the nape of her neck. A delicious shiver ran down her spine. “He’ll be gone a while. I told him to tell that cook to whip up something special—a pre-wedding supper.”
“Oh, Nate.” Evelyn’s eyes filled with tears and her
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