looked at his wife, but he laughed too, especially when he saw her red face. However, the lightness of the moment didn't last long. Andrew was saying something else, but Travis did not attend. In so many ways he'd married a stranger. It didn't matter to him what she could do, but the reminder of how little they knew about each other was sobering.
Rebecca read his look all wrong. The change in Travis' expression crushed her. After a time,
Lavena and Andrew went their separate ways, leaving husband and wife alone in the kitchen. Try as she might, Rebecca was not able to keep the hurt from her voice. Travis didn't notice at first.
"It's cold out there today, but it could be worse," he offered.
"Oh, really?" Her back was to him and had been since the others left.
"I look forward to spring."
"Yes."
It was on that word that Travis noticed her stiff posture. He moved up behind her and spoke.
"Is something wrong?"
Rebecca turned hurt eyes to him. "I never meant to keep my lack of cooking skills from you. It just didn't come up."
Travis blinked. "I don't care whether you can cook or not, Reba," he told her sincerely.
"That's not true," Rebecca argued with him. "I saw your face."
Travis shook his head. "My mind was a thousand miles away. The cooking doesn't matter to me."
Rebecca searched his face, and then her small hands rose to pull on the front of his dark leather vest. Travis began to lower his head but hesitated.
"I smell like a horse."
"I don't care," his wife whispered, and Travis gladly kissed her. They heard
Lavena's steps returning so they broke apart, but it was the start of a wonderful evening—first eating dinner and laughing the evening away with her father, and then turning in together.She hadn't felt so warm and loved for a long time.
Travis wanted to grab Lavena and shake her. She was standing in the kitchen, her face pale, and telling him that Andrew Wagner was dead. Travis knew it couldn't be true. Why would Lavena say such a cruel thing? It simply couldn't be true.
"He's not." Travis' voice was flat.
Lavena's eyes fixed on a distant spot out the window. "I only went to check on him." There was a note of amazement in her voice. "He's still in bed. It must have happened in the night."
Travis' hands fisted at his side. No, his mind screamed at God, You can't do this. He was fine yesterday, and last night, better than ever. How could You?
The thoughts halted when he remembered his wife. How in the world would he tell her? He'd left her sleeping like a child, and now he must wake her and destroy her world. If that wasn't enough to make Travis writhe in pain, the next thought made his heart clench in agony. He cared for his wife beyond all description, but . ..
Everyone will think I married Rebecca for the ranch.
"No one had better say that around me." Lavena spat the words, and Travis stared at her. He hadn't meant to speak outloud.
"It's not true," Lavena went on, her bony chest heaving with indignation. "It doesn't matter what people say. Rebecca knows otherwise, and that's all that matters."
"Does she?" Travis suddenly doubted. "Does she know?"
Lavena shook her head. "That's your grief talking, Travis. You know she knows it."
"Lavena!"
The housekeeper's name was screamed from above them. Travis bolted for the stairs. He wouldn't have
to tellRebecca the news; she'd clearly found out on her own.
Feeling cold and alone, Rebecca sat in her bedroom later that day.Travis had been the one to go to town and make arrangements for the burial, but in his own grief his manner had been curt. She wanted to cry in his arms, but she felt so frozen that she could not reach out to him. Her father was gone. It was too impossible to be true, but she'd seen the evidence with her own eyes. Andrew Wagner was dead. She hadn't even been home six months, and her father was now gone from her forever. He had warned her that this was the reason she should marry Travis, but Rebecca had believed that the very act
Rebecca read his look all wrong. The change in Travis' expression crushed her. After a time,
Lavena and Andrew went their separate ways, leaving husband and wife alone in the kitchen. Try as she might, Rebecca was not able to keep the hurt from her voice. Travis didn't notice at first.
"It's cold out there today, but it could be worse," he offered.
"Oh, really?" Her back was to him and had been since the others left.
"I look forward to spring."
"Yes."
It was on that word that Travis noticed her stiff posture. He moved up behind her and spoke.
"Is something wrong?"
Rebecca turned hurt eyes to him. "I never meant to keep my lack of cooking skills from you. It just didn't come up."
Travis blinked. "I don't care whether you can cook or not, Reba," he told her sincerely.
"That's not true," Rebecca argued with him. "I saw your face."
Travis shook his head. "My mind was a thousand miles away. The cooking doesn't matter to me."
Rebecca searched his face, and then her small hands rose to pull on the front of his dark leather vest. Travis began to lower his head but hesitated.
"I smell like a horse."
"I don't care," his wife whispered, and Travis gladly kissed her. They heard
Lavena's steps returning so they broke apart, but it was the start of a wonderful evening—first eating dinner and laughing the evening away with her father, and then turning in together.She hadn't felt so warm and loved for a long time.
Travis wanted to grab Lavena and shake her. She was standing in the kitchen, her face pale, and telling him that Andrew Wagner was dead. Travis knew it couldn't be true. Why would Lavena say such a cruel thing? It simply couldn't be true.
"He's not." Travis' voice was flat.
Lavena's eyes fixed on a distant spot out the window. "I only went to check on him." There was a note of amazement in her voice. "He's still in bed. It must have happened in the night."
Travis' hands fisted at his side. No, his mind screamed at God, You can't do this. He was fine yesterday, and last night, better than ever. How could You?
The thoughts halted when he remembered his wife. How in the world would he tell her? He'd left her sleeping like a child, and now he must wake her and destroy her world. If that wasn't enough to make Travis writhe in pain, the next thought made his heart clench in agony. He cared for his wife beyond all description, but . ..
Everyone will think I married Rebecca for the ranch.
"No one had better say that around me." Lavena spat the words, and Travis stared at her. He hadn't meant to speak outloud.
"It's not true," Lavena went on, her bony chest heaving with indignation. "It doesn't matter what people say. Rebecca knows otherwise, and that's all that matters."
"Does she?" Travis suddenly doubted. "Does she know?"
Lavena shook her head. "That's your grief talking, Travis. You know she knows it."
"Lavena!"
The housekeeper's name was screamed from above them. Travis bolted for the stairs. He wouldn't have
to tellRebecca the news; she'd clearly found out on her own.
Feeling cold and alone, Rebecca sat in her bedroom later that day.Travis had been the one to go to town and make arrangements for the burial, but in his own grief his manner had been curt. She wanted to cry in his arms, but she felt so frozen that she could not reach out to him. Her father was gone. It was too impossible to be true, but she'd seen the evidence with her own eyes. Andrew Wagner was dead. She hadn't even been home six months, and her father was now gone from her forever. He had warned her that this was the reason she should marry Travis, but Rebecca had believed that the very act
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