Authors: Tencia Winters,Serena Vale
Chapter 6
Eleanor stared into Augustus’ concerned gaze, so much like his sons, over the steaming mug of hot tea. He had offered to put a splash of ‘courage’ in it, as he called it, but declined. Whisky had caused enough problems in her life.
“So, let me get this straight. Things were going well, and then my son did something to muck things up, does that about cover it?”
Her lips curved in a small grin despite herself. “Yeah, that about covers it.” She said softly, taking another sip of the warming liquid. The older man sighed balefully before taking a sip of his own tea. He stared down into his mug for a long minute before looking up at her again.
“I want you to understand, I just wanted the best for him. For both of you.” He shook his head again. “He was wandering, listless. No meaning to his life, you know? And then I saw you, so pretty, such spirit,” Eleanor couldn’t help but smile again at the sincerity in his voice. “You didn’t take no guff from me, you sure as heck wouldn’t take none from that no good son of mine.”
They shared a grin at that, but Eleanor’s slowly faded.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t as strong as you thought I was, Mr. Wilder.”
“Balderdash! And please, call me Augustus. You were stronger...you
are
stronger than you give yourself credit for. I know what type of man your passed husband was, I asked around before contacting you.” He looked at her with sadness in his dark eyes. “You deserved so much better, and I thought, well, I had hoped my son could be capable of that, with a little encouragement.”
“I guess we were both wrong.”
Augustus sighed, long and low. “I guess we were.” He stood then, gesturing for her to do the same. “It’s late, my dear. These old bones need their rest. You can use the bedroom upstairs to the right. Stay as long as you need.”
“Thank you so much.” She said, touched at his kindness. She turned to head up the stairs when his voice stopped her.
“You can go if you’d like. I can tear up that daft contract and you can leave. Start over. You can still have the money.”
“But I–.”
“Just think about it, dear. Good night.”
“Good…good night, Augustus. And thank you.” Startled, saddened, she walked upstairs and into the bedroom, her thoughts tumbling wildly after their conversation. It took a long time for Eleanor to fall into a restless, dream filled slumber.
Luke stared at the half empty bottle blearily, his chest tight and breath coming in gasps as the scene played over and over in his head. His reckless words, and Eleanor, flinching away from him, fear shining bright and terrible in her beautiful green eyes. Those eyes should never hold fear, especially of him.
It cut at him mercilessly, that memory. He moved to take another desperate slug from the bottle but something stopped him. With a sudden resolution he grabbed the bottle, and then walked outside, pouring the liquid out on the ground. He never would have said those things, acted that way, if he hadn’t been drinking. He had broken his promise to her because of it, he had hurt her. And had driven her away.
He needed her, Luke realized. He was a better man with her, more descent, more caring. Luke felt like he had been living a half life before she had stomped into it, full blown and guns firing. The thought made his smile. His spit fire. His wife. The woman he loved.
Determined now, he stalked into the night, intent on going and bring her her back any way he could. He’d beg or plead. Whatever it took. She must have headed toward town, there was no where else to go except for his father’s house on the other end of the family’s property. It was a good deal closer than the the hours it would take for her to walk to town. Still unsteady from the drink he had imbibed early, Luke took off on foot towards the main house.
Less than half an hour later, he stumbled up the front steps to bang loudly on the door. It took several moments for the door to finally crack open, revealing the haggard face of his father.
“Is Eleanor here?” Luke asked despairingly. Augustus looked at his son for a long minute before answering.
“She’s here. And she doesn’t want to see you, son. Now go home.” He moved to shut the door again, but Luke stopped him.
“No, I’m not leaving until I see her. I have to talk to her, to explain.” His father just sighed sadly, shaking his head.
“Explain what? What excuse could you have, Luke?”
“I…” he paused, the words painful to speak at first. “I love her. With all my heart. I thought it was impossible, I thought…But she changed all that. She’s changed me, father! She made me…She makes me want to be a better man, for her. I just need a chance to tell her that, that’s all I’m asking.”
“You already did, son.”
“What?” Luke had barely got the word out before he saw her, standing behind his father with tears glistening in her clover green eyes. And then she was running towards him, throwing her arms around him as he stood stiffly there in shock.
“I believe the polite response is to reply in kind.” Eleanor smiled up at him, and for the first time since she’d walked out it felt like he could breath again. The next moment his arms were wrapping around her lush curves, holding her as close as he could, promising himself that he would never let her go again.
Because he couldn’t stand another minute without, he leaned down and kissed her, pouring out all of the love, all of the passion and tenderness that he could. A throat clearing roughly from the doorway had him finally pulling away.
“Right, well, yes. You kids get on home now, alright? And stop acting like love sick fools on my front lawn.” Augustus said gruffly, but he didn’t miss the warm light shining in his dark eyes, and neither did Eleanor. She ran up and gave him a hug, and a quick peck on the cheek that had him blushing to the roots of his gray hair.
“Thank you.” She whispered, and Augustus just smiled and nodded as he slammed the door on them. Luke laughed, relief and affection rushing through him. Some things would never change. He reached out a hand to his wife.
“Let’s go home, my love.”
Chapter 7
“…they attacked you?” Luke asked in outrage as they sat in front of the warmth of the fireplace, Eleanor wrapped firmly in his arms. She just shrugged.
“It’s alright, Luke. Your father came, he saved me–.”
“No, it’s not alright. The way I acted, the things I said…” He trailed off as she laid a soft fingertip to his lips, cutting off his self recriminating words.
“Hush, it’s forgotten. It is in the past, and now, we will look toward the future. Our future.”
He looked down into her bright eyes, shining with patience and love and kindness and all of the things that he didn’t deserve.
“You are the most amazing thing that has ever happened in my miserable life.” He whispered the words against her cheeks, drawn to be closer to her, as close as he could be so he knew that she was there, that she wasn’t going to leave.
“Luke…” His name was just as soft as it fell off her lips, the sweetest sound, full of heat and wanting. So tenderly, he kissed her cheek, the curve of her ear, down the side of her neck until she was melting in his arms.
“Will you,” He paused swallowing the lump in his throat, “will you go to bed with me, my wife?”
She stared up at him, eyes suddenly wide, but she nodded firmly easily placing her hand in his as he drew her up his body, raising them both to their feet. Silently, he led her down the short hall and up the stairs, pausing to kiss her every few steps because he had to.
With every touch, every kiss, the heat firing through her body burned hotter and hotter. She couldn’t breath, she couldn’t think. It was like Luke had cast a spell over her, and she willingly gave herself up to him.
They stumbled through the doorway together, blindly reaching for the bed, so wrapped up in each other all they could see, all they could feel was their bodies entwining, their hearts beating rapidly together as Eleanor collapsed on top of the mattress, and Luke followed down after her.
More slowly than she ever could have imagined, he stripped off her clothing, piece by torturous piece. Finally, he had her, naked and trembling, every nerve ending shrieking from his touch, his kiss. And he obliged her. Sending his fingers skating over her body until she was squirming restlessly beneath him.
“Please, Luke. Please. I can’t stand it.”
His grin was feral in response as he kissed her, harder now, more intense as he shed his own clothes quickly, separating their bodies only long enough to slide his shirt over his head. He eased himself between her open thighs, the hot tip of his hard length resting at her soaked entrance. He held himself there, staring down at her with tight eyes.
“Are you sure?”
She let out a rough laugh. “Yes, now please–.” Her words ended on a drawn out moan as he sank deep inside her. Sliding out with delicious friction before thrusting back again. She cried out, unable to keep in the sound at the amazing feel of him. The closeness and the pleasure almost enough to overwhelm her.
Eleanor rode the waves of pleasure crashing over and over one another, building until she thought she couldn’t take anymore, and then pushing her even higher. The tingling started in her center, flooding our across her thighs that were wrapped around Luke’s thrusting hips. Every move he made seemed designed to give her ever more pleasure. It was almost unbearable. It was heaven.
She held back as long as she could, fighting against the mounting storm raging inside her, every muscle tensed beneath him.
“Let go, Eleanor. Let go, my love.”
His words were all it took to have her flying apart, crying out his name louder and louder as he kept thrusting inside her, hitting that spot again and again, so deep, so perfect. It wasn’t long before he was tumbling down after her, a low groan of satisfaction hissing out of his lips.
They collapsed in a sweaty heap, and Eleanor wrapped her arms even tighter around his shoulders, holding him as tight as she could as the most amazing feeling swept through her. It tightened her chest, and had her eyes glistening wetly.
He pulled away, smiling down at her, but as he noticed the tear that slid slowly down her still flushed cheeks, it faded. “Eleanor, sweetheart, what’s wrong? Did I hurt you?”
“No! No, it was…You were perfect. It was perfect,” She smiled tremulously up at him, her heart exploding inside her. “I’m just so happy. For the first time in so long, I’m happy.”
His smile was back, sweeter and softer, but shining from his dark eyes as he drank her in. He laid the gentlest kiss on her swollen lips before whispering against them.
“Me too, my love. Me too.”
Prologue
Christmas day, 1844
The sound of a baby’s cries echoed loudly through the large house, and several sets of hands reached to quiet them. One set of hands reached the child first, picking him up carefully, and cradling him sweetly against his chest.
Augustus Wilder smiled smugly at the other two, holding the four month old baby boy proudly. “Now, you just let me take care of my grandson.” He tsked, walking into the other room, fussing quietly over the small bundle held lovingly in his arms.
Luke just shook his head at his father’s retreating back. “Some things will never change.” He smiled at his wife as he said it. She grinned back at him, that familiar fire burning like green fire in her eyes. She walked closer, reaching out to tangle her fingers with his. Leaning into him, she stared at the giant Christmas tree, memories of the past year, and the last Christmas swirling through her thoughts.
When she remembered her old life, it seemed so far away, as if she had been a different person altogether. She glanced sideways at her husband, so handsome, so kind, thinking of how much they had both changed. She had never been happier in her entire life, and she owed it all to the man at her side.
Finally, she turned to him, placing a hand over her stomach. Eleanor had suspected for a while, but now she knew for certain.
“Well, not all things stay the same, my husband.” She grinned up at him, her secret smile, and he looked down at her quizzically before noticing the hand over her middle. His eyes widened, warmth flooding through him.
“Really? Are you…are you sure?”
Eleanor nodded her head, smiling tearfully up at him.
“Yes, Luke. I’m sure. We are going to have another baby.” Joy shot through her as he let out a loud whoop that had Augustus running back into the room, his eyes wide with panic.
“What? What is it? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Nothing at all!” Luke shouted, running to him and squeezing his father before rushing to Eleanor before lifting her up and spinning her around before finally putting her back on her feet.
“Let go of me, you brute!” Eleanor laughed up at him as he slowed, but still didn’t let go of her.
“I love you.” He said, his words full of sweet tenderness. She stared up at him, marveling at how lucky she was. She must have been silent for too long because after a moment he cleared his through, smiling down at her. “I believe the polite response is to reply in kind.”
She grinned up at him, laughing despite herself.
“I love you, too, my heart. My rogue cowboy.”
THE END