Read Online Summer Moon by Jill Marie Landis - Free Book Online Page B

strangers. Legally, they were husband and wife. And now they were lovers, as well.
    The moon crested. Its shimmering light poured over the bed, highlighting their bodies—Reed’s heavier, darker form pressed against her pale skin, the bandage on his shoulder showed beneath the long strands of her hair. A pleasant breeze billowed the lace curtains. She looked out toward the moon, a milk-white stain on the rippled surface of the windowpane.
    Not even the glow of the moon could disturb her tonight. Heady with the mysterious power only a woman in love knows, Kate turned her back on the smiling moon-man’s face, curled against her husband’s side, and slept.

8
    The gray light of dawn barely stained the room when Kate awoke beside Reed. Full of emotions she could not name, she lay there watching him sleep and then slowly, gently, rested her hand on his bare chest above his heart. He was still warm, but not feverish as before, so she was careful not to wake him. Closing her eyes, she imagined hearing his words again.
    “I love you, wife.”
    Wife. She was indeed his wife now. In every way.
    Finally, he stirred, shifted slightly, and ran his tongue across his lips. “Hurts . . .” he whispered.
    She immediately slipped out of bed, grabbed her gown off the floor, and slipped it over her head. His fever was down, but he was obviously in pain. The bottle of laudanum was on the bedside table. She had watched Sofia administer the dose before, had seen her give Reed no more than a spoonful. She decided not to wait for the housekeeper.
    She opened the bottle, filled the spoon, and then gently slipped her free arm beneath his head to cradle it while she eased his lips open with the spoon. Reed opened his eyes for a moment, stared into hers and slowly smiled.
    Kate’s heart took flight again.
    He swallowed, closed his eyes. She tenderly lowered him to the pillow and drew back, smoothed a lock of his dark hair off his forehead.
    She longed to sit beside him and watch him sleep, knowing that sleep would help him heal, but she needed to wash and change, uncomfortable with the idea of Sofia walking in and finding her in her nightgown. After pulling up the sheet and smoothing it across Reed’s chest, she reluctantly stood up and left him.
    As she tiptoed across the hall to the room where she had unpacked and laid out her things, she noticed that Sofia’s door was still closed and was thankful that the woman was getting some much needed rest after all she had been through.
    Within a quarter of an hour, Kate was dressed and brushing out her hair when she heard loud, rapid knocking on the door downstairs. Afraid the pounding would awaken Sofia and Reed, she raced through the house in the weak morning light.
    The pounding came from the back of the house. She ran into the kitchen, opened the back door to Scrappy, who had a dark scowl on his face.
    “The boy’s gone,” he barked.
    “What?” She rushed past him, ran across the veranda, and headed toward the horse barn. The wrangler ran along behind her.
    “I went to open up the barn and check on him, but he’s not there,” he explained.
    “How did he get out?” Last night the boy hadn’t been able to stand, let alone walk. She half suspected Scrappy Parks of setting him free just to be rid of him.
    “He tipped over the water bucket and climbed out.”
    Kate recalled having seen a bucket of water in the stall, but had not thought anything of it at the time. The child needed water. She paused outside the barn doors.
    “Did he take a horse?” Her mind raced as she scanned the prairie beyond the corral area. The land was bathed in morning light, the sky glowing pink.
    “He didn’t take a horse. I guess he couldn’t work the bolts on the stalls or he would have.”
    Instantly, Kate calmed. “He couldn’t have gotten very far on foot,” she thought aloud. “Have you looked for him?”
    “Ma’am, I just woke up, saw he was gone, and went to the house. It was dark until a few