Bullard was one pessimistic woman, and clearly not real straight on the commonly held beliefs of Christianity.
Luke gave up on sleep and wondered if Dare had delivered many babies before. Luke only knew of one and that’d been a very strange situation. But Dare had practiced medicine elsewhere since the war. And Luke put hard emphasis on practice , because Dare had learned all he knew from practicing on unsuspecting patients and reading doctoring books. Not one hour of formal schooling to train him for his profession.
Rosie shifted in the dark as if she was uncomfortable. Without giving it careful consideration, Luke reached out, turned her back to him and urged her to lean on his chest.
She resisted his guiding hands, and he leaned forward until his lips brushed against her curls and nearly touched her ear.
“Use me as a backrest. I’ve got these shelves behind me.”
She relaxed into his arms.
Luke brushed her tangled hair a bit so he didn’t have hair in his mouth and found himself smoothing her hair again and again. And again.
The ruckus in the outer room went on. Luke quit listening because it was just the same thing over and over. Almost like music. Really bad music, salted with screams of pain, threats to Simon, and an almost worshipful tone from Lana toward Dare. But still, there was a rhythm to it.
Rosie’s head slipped sideways, and Luke supported her so she was comfortable in his arms as she slept.
He felt the long day catching up with him too, even in this tiny, uncomfortable room. As his head began the swimming just before sleep, he took a second to hope he didn’t snore.
He hoped Rosie didn’t, either. And he hoped if she woke up before him, she had the sense to be quiet.
C HAPTER 6
Her bedroom door opened.
“Virgil.” Ruthy jerked away. “No. Get—”
A hand clamped over her mouth like a vise.
Ruthy reached for the knife she’d started bringing to bed, but Virgil had her wrapped tight in his arms. No escape.
Then, in the lantern light, she recognized Dare Riker. All the fight drained out of her. She was in a storeroom, not her bedroom. Dare stepped into the doorway looking exhausted, furrows on his brow as he gazed down at her. Dare asked, “Who’s Virgil?”
Luke leaned forward so Ruthy could see who had her. When she relaxed, Luke let her go, set his strong hands on her waist, and boosted her to her feet. He stood and followed her out of the little room. “So, who’s Virgil?”
Shaking the sleep out of her head, she said, “I was supposed to marry him. He drowned in that flash flood.”
Dare looked back. “I’m so sorry, Ruthy, I didn’t realize. You talked about a flood, but we’ve been so busy I didn’t realize you’d lost someone.”
Nodding, rubbing her eyes, Ruthy added, “Yes. Virgil . . . and his parents. My parents.”
Dare stopped so suddenly Ruthy ran into his back.Looking at her, he asked, “Uh, does that make Virgil your brother?”
Ruthy thought of that terrifying moment when the bedroom door had opened. She controlled a shudder. “I suppose he was my brother.”
“Where’re you from, Ruthy? Because marrying your brother is illegal in Texas.” Dare had a lantern in his hand so she could see his face well enough. He seemed pretty confused.
Which was fair.
“I was taken in by Virgil’s family when my parents died. The Reinhardts were no relation. Virgil’s ma and pa were determined we’d marry.” Something occurred to her for the first time. “I think they wanted my family farm. We neighbored them back in Indiana.” She thought of what Dare had said for a moment and added, “And marrying your brother is illegal everywhere. But they weren’t even adoptive parents. I just lived with them for the last few years. If they’re all dead, if they stole my farm, I should get it back now. I might be rich if I can get to Indiana.” But they would have sold her farm along with their own when they headed west, and if they’d had money, it
Luke gave up on sleep and wondered if Dare had delivered many babies before. Luke only knew of one and that’d been a very strange situation. But Dare had practiced medicine elsewhere since the war. And Luke put hard emphasis on practice , because Dare had learned all he knew from practicing on unsuspecting patients and reading doctoring books. Not one hour of formal schooling to train him for his profession.
Rosie shifted in the dark as if she was uncomfortable. Without giving it careful consideration, Luke reached out, turned her back to him and urged her to lean on his chest.
She resisted his guiding hands, and he leaned forward until his lips brushed against her curls and nearly touched her ear.
“Use me as a backrest. I’ve got these shelves behind me.”
She relaxed into his arms.
Luke brushed her tangled hair a bit so he didn’t have hair in his mouth and found himself smoothing her hair again and again. And again.
The ruckus in the outer room went on. Luke quit listening because it was just the same thing over and over. Almost like music. Really bad music, salted with screams of pain, threats to Simon, and an almost worshipful tone from Lana toward Dare. But still, there was a rhythm to it.
Rosie’s head slipped sideways, and Luke supported her so she was comfortable in his arms as she slept.
He felt the long day catching up with him too, even in this tiny, uncomfortable room. As his head began the swimming just before sleep, he took a second to hope he didn’t snore.
He hoped Rosie didn’t, either. And he hoped if she woke up before him, she had the sense to be quiet.
C HAPTER 6
Her bedroom door opened.
“Virgil.” Ruthy jerked away. “No. Get—”
A hand clamped over her mouth like a vise.
Ruthy reached for the knife she’d started bringing to bed, but Virgil had her wrapped tight in his arms. No escape.
Then, in the lantern light, she recognized Dare Riker. All the fight drained out of her. She was in a storeroom, not her bedroom. Dare stepped into the doorway looking exhausted, furrows on his brow as he gazed down at her. Dare asked, “Who’s Virgil?”
Luke leaned forward so Ruthy could see who had her. When she relaxed, Luke let her go, set his strong hands on her waist, and boosted her to her feet. He stood and followed her out of the little room. “So, who’s Virgil?”
Shaking the sleep out of her head, she said, “I was supposed to marry him. He drowned in that flash flood.”
Dare looked back. “I’m so sorry, Ruthy, I didn’t realize. You talked about a flood, but we’ve been so busy I didn’t realize you’d lost someone.”
Nodding, rubbing her eyes, Ruthy added, “Yes. Virgil . . . and his parents. My parents.”
Dare stopped so suddenly Ruthy ran into his back.Looking at her, he asked, “Uh, does that make Virgil your brother?”
Ruthy thought of that terrifying moment when the bedroom door had opened. She controlled a shudder. “I suppose he was my brother.”
“Where’re you from, Ruthy? Because marrying your brother is illegal in Texas.” Dare had a lantern in his hand so she could see his face well enough. He seemed pretty confused.
Which was fair.
“I was taken in by Virgil’s family when my parents died. The Reinhardts were no relation. Virgil’s ma and pa were determined we’d marry.” Something occurred to her for the first time. “I think they wanted my family farm. We neighbored them back in Indiana.” She thought of what Dare had said for a moment and added, “And marrying your brother is illegal everywhere. But they weren’t even adoptive parents. I just lived with them for the last few years. If they’re all dead, if they stole my farm, I should get it back now. I might be rich if I can get to Indiana.” But they would have sold her farm along with their own when they headed west, and if they’d had money, it
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