for.
“Should I ask Lily after these advances ?”Peeking around Jack’s arm, I saw Dr. Meager’s Adam’s apple bobble as he tried to swallow, clearly a little fearful of Jack. Good, the odious man could stuff it. I took Jack’s hand and stepped back beside him.
“What is it that you need?” Dr. Bower asked, looking to Dr. Meager. He did not like confrontation and it was obvious one was going to ensue if he didn’t step in. Confrontation meaning Jack was going to break Dr. Meager’s nose.
“A collapse at the Flaming Jane.”
I’d heard of the mine before, one of the more outrageously named copper veins in the area.
Dr. Bower nodded decisively as he grabbed his satchel. “Lily, put the mutton chop in the icebox. I won’t be needing it tonight. I doubt I’ll be back before tomorrow.”
He doffed his hat and followed Dr. Meager out the door, the house quiet once again except for the ticking of the dratted clock in the hall.
“But—” I told you I didn’t buy your mutton chop. He hadn’t listened to me before. Had he really heard me when I told him I was married? I thought back to the past year of going with him on calls. Had he wanted me with him or an assistant? Had he just been humoring me? Had he owed Ethan a favor?
“Free labor,” I muttered.
He squeezed my hand. “What, sweetness?”
“He wanted free labor. He didn’t care who he had, that it was me. He told me last month that the miners were too rough for me.”
“Dr. Bower was protecting you,” Jack said, clearly pleased that Dr. Bower had taken me from possible dangers. “Those miners are rough. I don’t want you near any of them, is that clear?”
I waved away his stern warning and continued my thinking. “I’ve been replaced with Dr. Meager. It was only a matter of time before I would have had to return home.”
He stroked his finger down my cheek. “Even with all those sisters, you relied on yourself, didn’t you, sweetness?”
I looked down at Jack’s shirt and nodded. “I wasn’t… lonely. You can never be lonely in a house of ten women. I just realized that’s probably why I’m so… defiant.”
“Self-reliant,” Jack corrected.
I sighed, flicked my eyes up to meet his for just a moment. “You even said I was prickly.”
God, I was depressing.
He bent at the waist so we were eye level and waited until I looked at him. I saw the seriousness of his gaze. “You are prickly.”
I startled at his words.
“And headstrong and smart and skilled at healing and kind and beautiful and desirable and… do you want me to continue?”
I nodded, for the words were like a balm.
“How about this? I like you, no, I love you just the way you are. I like you prickly because then I can spank that pert ass of yours. I like you headstrong because there’s no one else I’d rather argue with. I like you naughty so I can fuck that sweet pussy. You are all those things, but most important, you’re mine.”
I’d never had such a declaration before.
“Perhaps I should have said all that before we married, before I left you to chase after Benson, but I thought you knew. I knew right away. That very first moment.”
“Jack,” I sighed.
He lifted my hand to his mouth, kissing my ring. I was recognizing it as his way of showing me his love and a constant reminder that I belonged to him. “Do you plan on arguing with me?”
I shook my head.
“My parents died when I was nine,” he declared, the change of topic startling.
I gasped at the thought of a young Jack, alone in the world and I lifted my hand up to stroke his cheek. His beard was soft, the color of it a shade darker than that on his head.
“I’ll tell you about it sometime, but not now.” His voice had an edge of darkness to it, but he offered me a small smile. “Dr. Bower, he cares for you, I’m sure, in his own way. He’s lost in his head, just like when you get all thinking and distracted.”
That was true; strangely, I was just like him in
“Should I ask Lily after these advances ?”Peeking around Jack’s arm, I saw Dr. Meager’s Adam’s apple bobble as he tried to swallow, clearly a little fearful of Jack. Good, the odious man could stuff it. I took Jack’s hand and stepped back beside him.
“What is it that you need?” Dr. Bower asked, looking to Dr. Meager. He did not like confrontation and it was obvious one was going to ensue if he didn’t step in. Confrontation meaning Jack was going to break Dr. Meager’s nose.
“A collapse at the Flaming Jane.”
I’d heard of the mine before, one of the more outrageously named copper veins in the area.
Dr. Bower nodded decisively as he grabbed his satchel. “Lily, put the mutton chop in the icebox. I won’t be needing it tonight. I doubt I’ll be back before tomorrow.”
He doffed his hat and followed Dr. Meager out the door, the house quiet once again except for the ticking of the dratted clock in the hall.
“But—” I told you I didn’t buy your mutton chop. He hadn’t listened to me before. Had he really heard me when I told him I was married? I thought back to the past year of going with him on calls. Had he wanted me with him or an assistant? Had he just been humoring me? Had he owed Ethan a favor?
“Free labor,” I muttered.
He squeezed my hand. “What, sweetness?”
“He wanted free labor. He didn’t care who he had, that it was me. He told me last month that the miners were too rough for me.”
“Dr. Bower was protecting you,” Jack said, clearly pleased that Dr. Bower had taken me from possible dangers. “Those miners are rough. I don’t want you near any of them, is that clear?”
I waved away his stern warning and continued my thinking. “I’ve been replaced with Dr. Meager. It was only a matter of time before I would have had to return home.”
He stroked his finger down my cheek. “Even with all those sisters, you relied on yourself, didn’t you, sweetness?”
I looked down at Jack’s shirt and nodded. “I wasn’t… lonely. You can never be lonely in a house of ten women. I just realized that’s probably why I’m so… defiant.”
“Self-reliant,” Jack corrected.
I sighed, flicked my eyes up to meet his for just a moment. “You even said I was prickly.”
God, I was depressing.
He bent at the waist so we were eye level and waited until I looked at him. I saw the seriousness of his gaze. “You are prickly.”
I startled at his words.
“And headstrong and smart and skilled at healing and kind and beautiful and desirable and… do you want me to continue?”
I nodded, for the words were like a balm.
“How about this? I like you, no, I love you just the way you are. I like you prickly because then I can spank that pert ass of yours. I like you headstrong because there’s no one else I’d rather argue with. I like you naughty so I can fuck that sweet pussy. You are all those things, but most important, you’re mine.”
I’d never had such a declaration before.
“Perhaps I should have said all that before we married, before I left you to chase after Benson, but I thought you knew. I knew right away. That very first moment.”
“Jack,” I sighed.
He lifted my hand to his mouth, kissing my ring. I was recognizing it as his way of showing me his love and a constant reminder that I belonged to him. “Do you plan on arguing with me?”
I shook my head.
“My parents died when I was nine,” he declared, the change of topic startling.
I gasped at the thought of a young Jack, alone in the world and I lifted my hand up to stroke his cheek. His beard was soft, the color of it a shade darker than that on his head.
“I’ll tell you about it sometime, but not now.” His voice had an edge of darkness to it, but he offered me a small smile. “Dr. Bower, he cares for you, I’m sure, in his own way. He’s lost in his head, just like when you get all thinking and distracted.”
That was true; strangely, I was just like him in
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