Read Online Rocky Mountain Dawn (Rocky Mountain Bride Series Book 1) by Lee Savino - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Lee Savino
Ads: Link
beside her, asleep, Johnathan didn't stir.
*****
When they arrived at Colorado Springs, Esther was still weak. Her illness was a miscarriage, and with it she'd lost a lot of blood.
"It was never healthy," Johnathan told her. "The babe was outside of your womb, and couldn't survive. The pain was your body flushing it out."
Lying in her sick bed, she reached up and touched his face. "I'm sorry."
"Never apologize for such a thing." He hugged her. "You are alive and well, and that's all that matters." She could tell he wanted to say more, but she closed her eyes and squeezed him back, sighing.
Johnathan took care of her like a baby. The boarding rooms they took were built for the men coming to mine, but as soon as the matron found out about the Reverend's sick wife, she sent quilts and hot compresses to the room, along with teas and broths Johnathan painstakingly spooned into her mouth. Esther enjoyed it for about three days, then grew restless.
"I'm quite well," Esther told him one morning. "I wish to go outside."
"Not yet, my love." Johnathan kissed her. "Another day of rest. Besides, it's been raining these past few days and the streets are filled with mud. You've been unsteady on your feet; I wouldn't want you to turn your heel."
He left that afternoon, and she came out of bed and paced around the room as she did every day to regain her strength.
"This is ridiculous," she finally muttered.
She drew on a dress, noting how thin she'd become. Her husband had not touched her since her illness, and she hoped he might someday find her beautiful again.
Pinching her cheeks to get some color, she descended into the boarding house's main room and stopped. The tables were full of men, all of them staring at her like she was the first woman they'd seen in ten years.
Perhaps she was.
"Good evening," she addressed them. "Does anyone know where I might find a bath house?"
"Try the Bucket." One man pointed a grimy finger out the door. "Across the way."
"Thank you." She nodded as regally as she could, and wove through the room out the door. The streets were muddy, as Johnathan had said, but she found the building easily with a sign announcing hot baths. She hurried to it, and walked straight in, again meeting the shocked glances of a roomful of men.
"Can I help you?" the man behind the counter grunted.
"I am here to see about a bath."
A pause, then half the room burst out laughing.
"Come 'ere, sweetheart." One dirty ruffian leaned towards her, flashing a gold tooth. "I'll bathe you."
"That's quite all right," she said, backing up.
"No, no, I'd like to speak with you," The barkeep said, signaling a beefy man beside the door, who started to come for her. A thick hand reached for her and would've caught her if she hadn't jumped away.
"No thank you, I must be going," she said, just as her back hit a wall. A very solid, but warm wall.
Turning, Esther looked up into the twinkling blue eyes of a tall man blocking her escape. Unlike any of the other men, he was well bathed and shaved, with thick dark hair and the face of an angel. The type of face that would make a woman swoon, even though it heralded trouble.
"What have we here?" He smiled down at her. "A new girl?"
"I'm the Reverend's wife," she blurted, and the man blinked.
Beside him, a shorter man with broad shoulders and reddish brown hair frowned and spoke gruffly. "What's going on?"
"Doyle wants her," the beefy man said.
Immediately the smile fell away from the blue-eyed angel's face, and he looked just as serious as his partner.
"Doyle, let her go," the tall, blue eyed man said.
"I only wanted to speak to her. Little minx came in looking for a bath." The barkeep glared.
For a moment a war went on between the blue-eyed man, and the villain behind the bar. Finally, the saloon owner waved a hand. "Get her out of here."
The tall man took her arm and moved her down the porch, followed by his companion. "Sorry about that. Doyle thinks any woman he sees is
*****
When they arrived at Colorado Springs, Esther was still weak. Her illness was a miscarriage, and with it she'd lost a lot of blood.
"It was never healthy," Johnathan told her. "The babe was outside of your womb, and couldn't survive. The pain was your body flushing it out."
Lying in her sick bed, she reached up and touched his face. "I'm sorry."
"Never apologize for such a thing." He hugged her. "You are alive and well, and that's all that matters." She could tell he wanted to say more, but she closed her eyes and squeezed him back, sighing.
Johnathan took care of her like a baby. The boarding rooms they took were built for the men coming to mine, but as soon as the matron found out about the Reverend's sick wife, she sent quilts and hot compresses to the room, along with teas and broths Johnathan painstakingly spooned into her mouth. Esther enjoyed it for about three days, then grew restless.
"I'm quite well," Esther told him one morning. "I wish to go outside."
"Not yet, my love." Johnathan kissed her. "Another day of rest. Besides, it's been raining these past few days and the streets are filled with mud. You've been unsteady on your feet; I wouldn't want you to turn your heel."
He left that afternoon, and she came out of bed and paced around the room as she did every day to regain her strength.
"This is ridiculous," she finally muttered.
She drew on a dress, noting how thin she'd become. Her husband had not touched her since her illness, and she hoped he might someday find her beautiful again.
Pinching her cheeks to get some color, she descended into the boarding house's main room and stopped. The tables were full of men, all of them staring at her like she was the first woman they'd seen in ten years.
Perhaps she was.
"Good evening," she addressed them. "Does anyone know where I might find a bath house?"
"Try the Bucket." One man pointed a grimy finger out the door. "Across the way."
"Thank you." She nodded as regally as she could, and wove through the room out the door. The streets were muddy, as Johnathan had said, but she found the building easily with a sign announcing hot baths. She hurried to it, and walked straight in, again meeting the shocked glances of a roomful of men.
"Can I help you?" the man behind the counter grunted.
"I am here to see about a bath."
A pause, then half the room burst out laughing.
"Come 'ere, sweetheart." One dirty ruffian leaned towards her, flashing a gold tooth. "I'll bathe you."
"That's quite all right," she said, backing up.
"No, no, I'd like to speak with you," The barkeep said, signaling a beefy man beside the door, who started to come for her. A thick hand reached for her and would've caught her if she hadn't jumped away.
"No thank you, I must be going," she said, just as her back hit a wall. A very solid, but warm wall.
Turning, Esther looked up into the twinkling blue eyes of a tall man blocking her escape. Unlike any of the other men, he was well bathed and shaved, with thick dark hair and the face of an angel. The type of face that would make a woman swoon, even though it heralded trouble.
"What have we here?" He smiled down at her. "A new girl?"
"I'm the Reverend's wife," she blurted, and the man blinked.
Beside him, a shorter man with broad shoulders and reddish brown hair frowned and spoke gruffly. "What's going on?"
"Doyle wants her," the beefy man said.
Immediately the smile fell away from the blue-eyed angel's face, and he looked just as serious as his partner.
"Doyle, let her go," the tall, blue eyed man said.
"I only wanted to speak to her. Little minx came in looking for a bath." The barkeep glared.
For a moment a war went on between the blue-eyed man, and the villain behind the bar. Finally, the saloon owner waved a hand. "Get her out of here."
The tall man took her arm and moved her down the porch, followed by his companion. "Sorry about that. Doyle thinks any woman he sees is
Similar Books
