Free Riding West by Emma Wildes

certainly couldn‘t be wedding night jitters, for she‘d practiced that part of marriageoften enough in the past few days.
    “My mother‘s bound to be in the kitchen,” Parker said, giving her hand a slight squeeze. “I can smell something wonderful. I told her to expect us sometime this evening, so she‘s probably gone all out.”
    Celia stared at him. “You told her to expect us this evening?”
    “Do you think I‘d just ride off and not tell my family when to expect me back?” His ebony brows lifted a fraction, and Parker looked genuinely puzzled.
    Of course he wouldn‘t. He was Parker West and that would be irresponsible. Even when he planned on outrageously kidnapping someone, he‘d let his mother know just when he‘d be back home.
    She resisted his tug on her hand. “Forgive me if your arrogance irritates me,” she snapped out. “If you told your mother to expect the both of us, that certainly seems to mean you didn‘t ever intend to particularly give me a choice in whether I wanted to marry you or not.”
    “Oh Lord, are we going to have an argument now ? We just walked through the door, sweetheart, and quite frankly, I‘m tired and hungry.”
    Thin-skinned and more than a little tired herself, she asked sharply, “Did your mother approve of you riding off to abduct me?”
    Parker looked at her, his blue eyes direct. “Yes, she did. Since it was her idea, your mother approved of it too. I was a little skeptical because I was pretty sure you‘d be mad as hell at me if I tried it, but I must say it all worked out just fine. Now, please, aren‘t you interested in some hot water, hot food and then afterwards a soft bed? I know I am.”
    “My mother?” She felt her mouth fall open, shut it, and then felt more furious than ever. “She told you to tie me up and ride off with me?”
    “Not precisely. Let‘s just say she suggested I needed a different approach.”
    It was hard to believe but since she knew Parker was not a liar, it must be true. She sputtered, “Well…well…for your information, I was mad as hell.”
    “But you got over it.” His fingers raked through his hair in evident exasperation. “Look, I know this afternoon was probably not how you imagined getting married—it wasn‘t exactly my ideal wedding either—but let‘s not fight over it.”
    Parker had a vision of an ideal wedding?
    There was probably nothing he could have said that would have dissolved her anger more quickly.
    He was right, she was being unreasonable and argumentative for no reason.
    Well, maybe not for no reason, for it had been a pretty stressful day. If her brothers hadn‘t been there this afternoon, who knows what might have happened. She utterly despised Rance Colter.
    Something could have happened to Parker. In fact, it was more than likely he would not have survived a confrontation with Colter, for she knew full well he would die to protect her and he‘d have been completely outnumbered without her brothers.
    Celia burst into tears.
    She had absolutely no control over the sudden emotional reaction and it embarrassed her, but it happened just the same. Obviously it wasn‘t quite what her new husband expected either, for he stood in unconcealed dismay for a moment or two before she felt the comforting strength of his arms come around her shaking shoulders and draw her close.
    Her face buried against his chest, she sobbed. He said nothing at first and she felt his mouth graze her temple. Eventually he whispered uncertainly, “Sweetheart?”
    She loved the inflection in his voice when he said the endearment. “I‘m sorry,” she mumbled against his shirt, trying to stem the tide of tears. He smelled wonderful, like the forest in summer, clean, with a hint of spice, and entirely male.
    “What‘s wrong?” His fingers sifted gently through her hair. After a small hesitation, he asked quietly, “Are you sorry you married me?”
    It was so far from what she was actually feeling that Celia gave a