The New Year's Bride (Holiday Mail Order Brides Book Two) by Kit Morgan

most likely share a bed tonight to keep warm.  In fact, he was going to suggest it if they didn’t think of it themselves.
    But how hard was it going to be with Elle just feet away in the next room? The deep longing that began earlier in the day was wide and vast and made of something he hadn’t been aware of it in his own heart until now.
    Deep, bone searing, loneliness. The kind that far outstretched a simple longing, and loneliness on a cold winter’s night was the worst sort there was.  Spencer looked over his shoulder at the top of Elle’s bonnet.  It was all he could see of her as she sat huddled beneath the quilts next to Summer.
    For the first time since Clayton and Summer were married Spencer felt the sharp stab of jealousy.  He knew there was only one remedy to both his jealousy and his newly discovered loneliness.  Marriage. Something he’d best see to right away.

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Nine
     
    By the time they got back to the farm Elle was so cold she couldn’t feel her toes!  Getting out of the wagon became a great effort and she had to ask Summer to help her stand up.  Every fiber of her body was cold and Elle shivered something fierce as she stood and waited for Spencer to help his mother down then see to Summer and herself.  Mrs. Riley ran straight for the house as soon as her feet touched the ground, as did Summer. The wind was picking up and now howled through the apple orchards, the grey branches of the trees reminding Elle of bare bones.  She shook as she reached down to Spencer’s outstretched hands.  He grabbed her around the waist and lifted her from the wagon. When her own feet touched the ground pain shot through them and up her legs, yet she still couldn’t feel her toes, they were so cold.
    “Let’s get you inside!” Spencer yelled above the wind as he pulled her close and made for the farmhouse.  She stayed next to him, allowing him to keep her wrapped in one arm until they were safely inside.
    “Land sakes it freezing in here!” Mrs. Riley cried from the kitchen.  “Spencer, do you need help in the barn?”
    “I should be fine ma,” he told her then turned to Elle. “Get into the kit chen, it’ll be the warmest room in the house until we get some fires going.”
    “How can I help?” Elle asked.
    Spencer looked at her and smiled. “You can keep warm for me for one. But if you really want to help, you can start a fire in the parlor.” He reached up and touched one of her red cheeks with the back of his cold finger. “I’ll get more wood after I take care of the horses.  We’re going to need a lot of it tonight.”
    Elle swallowed.  His finger was freezing, yet his touch made her belly feel like it was on fire. “Hurry back,” came out before she could stop it.
    He closed the distance between them and looked down into her eyes. “I will.” He lingered there and continued to gaze at her.  Elle was becoming warmer by the second as she watched him, watch her.  It was a strange thing to do, and she’d never done it before.  Look at each other, take each other in.
    Finally Spencer looked away and broke the spell.  Elle’s body moved forward, as if being pulled by his gaze. But that was impossible, wasn’t it?
“I’d best go see to those horses,” he said in a low voice. “Get the fire in the parlor going,” he said as he began to turn. “I’d like to be able to enjoy it after supper… with you.”
    S he sucked in a tiny breath at his words. He turned back at the sound and again looked down into her eyes.  “Elle …” he rasped.
    She stared up at him, mesmerized by the look on his face.  She’d never seen such a look before and marveled at the power of it.  His eyes, the set of his jaw, everything around him seemed suddenly charged with … with …
    “Oh God …” was all she got out just before he took her in his arms, lowered his face to hers, and did the one thing she dreaded above all else.
    He kissed her.
    Now,