shared a bed. Usually, he let Rose go to bed first by telling her he wasn’t yet tired, but now that he was back to working, he was tired. The past few nights they’d turned in at the same time.
Quinn always gave her the privacy to get into her nightgown if they went to bed at the same time. After he was sure she was in bed, he’d crawl in, kiss her forehead, and face the opposite direction. So far, that was how he'd successfully dealt with the situation.
Yet for the first time he’d come home to a Rose who was sadder than usual. Could it be that this arrangement was wearing her down? Did she finally realize she needed more in her life?
His meeting with Martin had given him much to think about, but he wasn’t yet convinced that he wanted to endanger Rose’s life just for a bit of intimate enjoyment. She meant far too much to him. He’d lost control of himself once, and had gotten into trouble, and he wasn't going to let that happen again. Although Martin had made him see that our prayers couldn't always be answered the way we want them to be, he felt responsible for Martha's situation, nevertheless.
When Rose went into the bedroom to dress for dinner he wondered how long they could go on like this. A month? A year? A lifetime? Either he had to fix things, or annul the marriage so that Rose could have a husband and baby some day. How could he be so selfish as to deny her those things? Doesn’t every young woman want a husband and children? He saw the want in her eyes when she held Ivy’s baby, and he wanted to give her those things, he really did, but he still was afraid.
Why had Jonas asked him to visit his stepmother, Phoebe Armstrong? He’d need input from every person he could in order to make his mind up about how he should progress with his life. No, he wouldn't go back to saloon women and saloons, that was a certainty, but he also wouldn’t subject Rose to a life without a healthy marriage and children. He loved her too much for that. He made up his mind to make a final decision soon—love her or let her go.
He’d told her when he walked in the door that day that he'd planned to treat her to the newest, fanciest restaurant in town, The Bright Star. It was classy and expensive, but he’d been doing well, especially after Jonas’s loan. He’d bought four buggies, he had enough horses, and business was good. Rose deserved better than Pete’s.
Rose came out of the bedroom and he gave her a whistle of appreciation. She looked fantastic. She was wearing a dark blue dress that complemented her light hair and blue eyes. She’d put her hair up on top of her head using combs to hold it in place. He’d been so used to seeing her in black for so long that even this darkest of blue was a colorful, welcome change.
He walked over and took her into his arms. “Hmm…Rose, you look good enough to eat.” He took a nibble on her cute little ear. She laughed, which was good to hear. Maybe things were still all right between them. “I love you,” he said.
“I love you, too,” she said, in almost a whisper.
“Let me clean up a bit and we can go.” He kissed her on the lips as he always did when he came home. She usually returned it a bit, but not passionately, because she knew he didn’t want to be tempted, but tonight, for some reason, she went up on her tippy-toes, put her arms around his neck, and kissed him so ardently, he thought he’d lose all will power. When the kiss broke he almost playfully scolded her, but her big blue eyes melted his resolve. He hugged her close to him while he took control of his breathing. “Are you hungry?” he said.
She looked up into his eyes and said, “Starving.”
That makes two of us, he thought.
When someone knocked on the door the next afternoon, Rose knew it would be Dora. Should she open the door, or pretend she’s not in? What type of trouble might she get into by trusting Dora? Even so, Dora may have the answers she needed. She opened the
Quinn always gave her the privacy to get into her nightgown if they went to bed at the same time. After he was sure she was in bed, he’d crawl in, kiss her forehead, and face the opposite direction. So far, that was how he'd successfully dealt with the situation.
Yet for the first time he’d come home to a Rose who was sadder than usual. Could it be that this arrangement was wearing her down? Did she finally realize she needed more in her life?
His meeting with Martin had given him much to think about, but he wasn’t yet convinced that he wanted to endanger Rose’s life just for a bit of intimate enjoyment. She meant far too much to him. He’d lost control of himself once, and had gotten into trouble, and he wasn't going to let that happen again. Although Martin had made him see that our prayers couldn't always be answered the way we want them to be, he felt responsible for Martha's situation, nevertheless.
When Rose went into the bedroom to dress for dinner he wondered how long they could go on like this. A month? A year? A lifetime? Either he had to fix things, or annul the marriage so that Rose could have a husband and baby some day. How could he be so selfish as to deny her those things? Doesn’t every young woman want a husband and children? He saw the want in her eyes when she held Ivy’s baby, and he wanted to give her those things, he really did, but he still was afraid.
Why had Jonas asked him to visit his stepmother, Phoebe Armstrong? He’d need input from every person he could in order to make his mind up about how he should progress with his life. No, he wouldn't go back to saloon women and saloons, that was a certainty, but he also wouldn’t subject Rose to a life without a healthy marriage and children. He loved her too much for that. He made up his mind to make a final decision soon—love her or let her go.
He’d told her when he walked in the door that day that he'd planned to treat her to the newest, fanciest restaurant in town, The Bright Star. It was classy and expensive, but he’d been doing well, especially after Jonas’s loan. He’d bought four buggies, he had enough horses, and business was good. Rose deserved better than Pete’s.
Rose came out of the bedroom and he gave her a whistle of appreciation. She looked fantastic. She was wearing a dark blue dress that complemented her light hair and blue eyes. She’d put her hair up on top of her head using combs to hold it in place. He’d been so used to seeing her in black for so long that even this darkest of blue was a colorful, welcome change.
He walked over and took her into his arms. “Hmm…Rose, you look good enough to eat.” He took a nibble on her cute little ear. She laughed, which was good to hear. Maybe things were still all right between them. “I love you,” he said.
“I love you, too,” she said, in almost a whisper.
“Let me clean up a bit and we can go.” He kissed her on the lips as he always did when he came home. She usually returned it a bit, but not passionately, because she knew he didn’t want to be tempted, but tonight, for some reason, she went up on her tippy-toes, put her arms around his neck, and kissed him so ardently, he thought he’d lose all will power. When the kiss broke he almost playfully scolded her, but her big blue eyes melted his resolve. He hugged her close to him while he took control of his breathing. “Are you hungry?” he said.
She looked up into his eyes and said, “Starving.”
That makes two of us, he thought.
When someone knocked on the door the next afternoon, Rose knew it would be Dora. Should she open the door, or pretend she’s not in? What type of trouble might she get into by trusting Dora? Even so, Dora may have the answers she needed. She opened the
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