Page 75 of Short-Straw Bride

She angled her face away from him and nibbled on her bottom lip.

“Meri?” He forced himself to breathe slowly as he waited for her to turn and look at him. When her lashes finally lifted, the longing he read in her blue eyes matched the desire pulsing in his chest. “Is that what you want?”

“Yes.”

Tightening his grip on her nape, he drew her to him and slanted his lips possessively over hers. He stroked her jaw with the side of his thumbs and urged her to deepen the kiss. A tiny moan escaped her, and she melted against him. He was about to sweep her into his arms and take her back to his room where they could make good on the promise passing between them, but the creak of one of the hall doors brought him back to his senses.

Reminding himself they had years to be together, Travis gentled his kiss and then pulled away. The fact that Meredith didn’t seem to want to stop nearly derailed his good intentions, but he managed to disentangle himself from her hold on him, pleased by her reluctance to let him go.

“The others are starting to rise, Meri,” he murmured low in her ear. “Why don’t you go back to bed? The boys and I can fend for ourselves this morning.”

“I don’t mind seeing to things, Travis. I can—”

“Shh.” He placed a finger on her lips. “With all you went through yesterday, you need to rest. Besides, I have a special project I thought you might like to help me with later this morning. You won’t be able to help if you’re too worn out.”

Her eyes lit. “What sort of project?”

“I thought we could dismantle the front gate. Oh, and those warning signs, too. Something tells me we don’t really need them anymore.”

A beatific smile blossomed across her face as she clasped his hand and drew it to her middle. “Oh, Travis. Do you mean it?”

His chest expanded as he returned her smile. A man could get used to his woman looking at him like that.

“Yes, darlin’. I mean it. I think it’s time for the Archers to rejoin the world.”

Meredith stretched up on her tiptoes and touched a kiss to his cheek. “You are my world.”

Her husky comment made his gut clench, but before he could do more than blink, she released his hand and trailed away from him. Which was probably a good thing seeing as how Crockett was standing right outside the doorway trying to look inconspicuous.

Meredith bundled her shawl more tightly around her shoulders before ducking her head and scurrying past his brother. Travis knew he probably looked like a lovesick pup just standing there watching her go, but he didn’t care. Crockett even came into the room and stared into the newly emptied hall alongside him, obviously trying to taunt him out of his stupor.

“So when are you finally going to tell her that you’re insanely in love with her?” Crockett asked, only a hint of teasing in his voice.

Travis rubbed a hand over his whiskery jaw, reaching his fingers up to the place she had kissed. “Tonight. Definitely tonight.”

33

Meredith whistled and danced her way around the kitchen, drying the lunch dishes and wiping down the stove, her happiness too large to contain. Had there ever been a finer day? Yesterday’s storm had passed, and the blue sky left in its wake portended a bright future.

Wouldn’t Myra be surprised to learn that all their plotting had proved unnecessary? A tiny giggle bubbled out of Meredith as she returned a stack of clean plates to the cabinet shelf. She hadn’t needed to use even one of Myra’s suggestions in order to get Travis to stay with her last night. Of course, she’d slept through nearly the entire experience, but there were enough lingering memories of his scent close to her face, his chest beneath her hand, and his touch at her waist to reassure her that it hadn’t been a dream.

And this morning? Meredith sighed. Her hands stilled as she stared at the doorway where Travis had kissed her. She recalled the way he’d looked at her afterward, the possessive heat in his eyes, the way his lips quirked slightly as if eager to return to hers, the touch of his fingers through the sleeve of her gown. At that moment, all her self-doubts had vanished. She’d actually felt beautiful. Desired. Not at all like a woman who’d been foisted upon a reluctant bridegroom.

Could it be that Travis no longer saw her as simply a responsibility but as something more? Had duty deepened to . . .

Meredith couldn’t quite bring herself to name the emotion, not even in her thoughts. The disappointment would be too keen if his affection didn’t prove to be as deep as such a name would imply. His fondness for her had already grown so much. Getting greedy now would only risk halting their progress. Better to let the words come naturally. In their own time.

As she tried to convince herself that she was patient enough to wait however long it might take, pounding hoofbeats approached from the direction of the road, seizing her attention.

After working close to the house that morning, Travis had left after lunch to help Crockett and Neill assess the damage the storm had done to the herd. With cattle scattered all over the northern pasture, she didn’t expect him back until suppertime. Meredith reached for the loaded shotgun she’d propped against the wall near the back door, having sworn to her husband that she wouldn’t leave the house unarmed, and moved to the front room, where she could get a better look at the rider.

Catching a glimpse of her brother-in-law’s scowling face as he leapt from his horse’s back, rifle in hand, sent relief spiraling through her—quickly followed by new alarm as she tried to guess what unseen foe had him so on guard.

Jim climbed the porch and positioned himself with his back to the door, his rifle aimed across the yard.

“Travis!”

Meredith jumped at the sheer volume of his yell. Heavens! The man was louder than a grizzly. Ordering her heart palpitations to cease, she moved to the door, intending to inform the bear of his brother’s location, but the instant the hinge squeaked, Jim crouched and spun, bringing the barrel of his rifle in line with her chest.