from when she’d fallen backwards.
Hank quickly turned around as he blushed, and Clara quickly pulled her skirts down where they belonged.
“I think you have a little mark on your forehead. Can I take a look?”
She reached up and felt a little dampness, pulling her hand away and flinching at the blood on it. “Yes, certainly. I’m fine,” she said as she reached for her bonnet that had fallen off during the ordeal.
He reached in the buggy, holding onto her arm and helping her stand up to climb over onto the seat again. She was still in a bit of a daze as to what happened, and as he got into the buggy and took his handkerchief and dabbed the blood away, their eyes met and they both burst into laughter.
“I don’t know why we’re laughing. That was pretty dangerous. Rattlers can spook horses so badly that they don’t stop running until they’re tired.”
“I think I’m laughing because nobody got hurt—not really—and that’s the second time I’ve had to have you rescue me from a fall.”
“I don’t think this one counts. I caused the fall,” he said, frowning as he looked back. “Or the rattler did, I should say.”
“Is that what that was? A rattlesnake?” She shivered as she had the first time she’d seen a picture of one in her book.
“It was. Didn’t get a good look as I was trying to hold the horses, but from the sound, I’d say it was good-sized.”
“You sure calmed the horses down quickly,” she said, thinking of how he’d spoken to them softly and they’d just…stopped.
“Ah. Yes, these are two of my horses. Two that I’ve trained. They know me.”
She recognized Major, now that he’d mentioned it. “I’ve watched you with the horses, Hank. They seem to…listen to you.”
The reins clicked as he hurried the horses along. “I don’t know about that. And don’t mention that to Pa. He thinks it’s a bunch of hogwash. But I do sometimes feel like I…hear them. Know what they’re thinking.”
Clara fell silent, thinking of the horses in Chicago. She’d felt the same thing. She just knew they were cold, uncomfortable and needed help. Like Hank, she didn’t know how she knew. She just knew.
And now, thinking of Beau and his story about his wife, his need for this property, she felt she knew what she needed to do.
“Hank, as this is a marriage of convenience, to enable you to inherit the property, where would I be staying after? I mean, you know, when we’re…”
“Married?” he said.. “I don’t rightly know. I hadn’t thought about it. I’m sorry. Everything happened so fast.”
“You don’t have a home of your own and it wouldn’t be appropriate for us to stay…well, completely together.” The color crept into her cheeks even as she willed it not to. She knew she’d come to get married, so this shouldn’t be a surprise.
“I’d ask Pa if we could stay in the casita—that’s what we called Ma’s little house—since it has a separate bedroom, but somehow, I don’t think he’d be amenable.” Hank shook his head, the frustration apparent as he gripped the reins more tightly.
“I suppose I could just stay in the big house. It’s huge, even with all the girls. I think on our tour I spotted an empty bedroom.”
Hank turned to her, frowning. “I don’t know what I did have in mind, Clara, but that wasn’t it.” He turned back toward the road as they drew closer to the ranch. “Besides, it’s not urgent. We have time to come up with a plan.”
Clara smiled and placed her hand on Hank’s forearm. “No, we don’t have time. If it’s all right with you, I’d like to go ahead with the wedding. As soon as possible. I’d like your father to have what he wants. That is what I came here for, after all.”
Hank pulled the horses to a stop, turning to Clara. “Are you sure, Clara? There’s no emergency. I want you to be satisfied that you’ll at least be welcome and—hopefully—content. I can’t offer much more than that right
Hank quickly turned around as he blushed, and Clara quickly pulled her skirts down where they belonged.
“I think you have a little mark on your forehead. Can I take a look?”
She reached up and felt a little dampness, pulling her hand away and flinching at the blood on it. “Yes, certainly. I’m fine,” she said as she reached for her bonnet that had fallen off during the ordeal.
He reached in the buggy, holding onto her arm and helping her stand up to climb over onto the seat again. She was still in a bit of a daze as to what happened, and as he got into the buggy and took his handkerchief and dabbed the blood away, their eyes met and they both burst into laughter.
“I don’t know why we’re laughing. That was pretty dangerous. Rattlers can spook horses so badly that they don’t stop running until they’re tired.”
“I think I’m laughing because nobody got hurt—not really—and that’s the second time I’ve had to have you rescue me from a fall.”
“I don’t think this one counts. I caused the fall,” he said, frowning as he looked back. “Or the rattler did, I should say.”
“Is that what that was? A rattlesnake?” She shivered as she had the first time she’d seen a picture of one in her book.
“It was. Didn’t get a good look as I was trying to hold the horses, but from the sound, I’d say it was good-sized.”
“You sure calmed the horses down quickly,” she said, thinking of how he’d spoken to them softly and they’d just…stopped.
“Ah. Yes, these are two of my horses. Two that I’ve trained. They know me.”
She recognized Major, now that he’d mentioned it. “I’ve watched you with the horses, Hank. They seem to…listen to you.”
The reins clicked as he hurried the horses along. “I don’t know about that. And don’t mention that to Pa. He thinks it’s a bunch of hogwash. But I do sometimes feel like I…hear them. Know what they’re thinking.”
Clara fell silent, thinking of the horses in Chicago. She’d felt the same thing. She just knew they were cold, uncomfortable and needed help. Like Hank, she didn’t know how she knew. She just knew.
And now, thinking of Beau and his story about his wife, his need for this property, she felt she knew what she needed to do.
“Hank, as this is a marriage of convenience, to enable you to inherit the property, where would I be staying after? I mean, you know, when we’re…”
“Married?” he said.. “I don’t rightly know. I hadn’t thought about it. I’m sorry. Everything happened so fast.”
“You don’t have a home of your own and it wouldn’t be appropriate for us to stay…well, completely together.” The color crept into her cheeks even as she willed it not to. She knew she’d come to get married, so this shouldn’t be a surprise.
“I’d ask Pa if we could stay in the casita—that’s what we called Ma’s little house—since it has a separate bedroom, but somehow, I don’t think he’d be amenable.” Hank shook his head, the frustration apparent as he gripped the reins more tightly.
“I suppose I could just stay in the big house. It’s huge, even with all the girls. I think on our tour I spotted an empty bedroom.”
Hank turned to her, frowning. “I don’t know what I did have in mind, Clara, but that wasn’t it.” He turned back toward the road as they drew closer to the ranch. “Besides, it’s not urgent. We have time to come up with a plan.”
Clara smiled and placed her hand on Hank’s forearm. “No, we don’t have time. If it’s all right with you, I’d like to go ahead with the wedding. As soon as possible. I’d like your father to have what he wants. That is what I came here for, after all.”
Hank pulled the horses to a stop, turning to Clara. “Are you sure, Clara? There’s no emergency. I want you to be satisfied that you’ll at least be welcome and—hopefully—content. I can’t offer much more than that right
Similar Books
