Free Gabrielle: Bride of Vermont (American Mail-Order Bride 14) by Emily Claire

bone. Just look at these hands!” She thrust her hands out in front of her body, in his direction. Quickly, she opened her mouth to continue on, but Boone waved his hand in the air.
    “Whoa, whoa, whoa!” he said, trying to get her attention.
    Gabrielle stood up, furious. “Don’t say ‘whoa, whoa, whoa’ to me like that. I’m not one of your precious horses!” She crossed the room quickly and hurried down the hallway to her bedroom in the back of the house, mumbling as she went. “Change my mind. How does one change their mind about such a thing as this?”
    It felt good to slam the door once she’d stepped into her bedroom. She sat down hard onto the bed and folded her arms across her chest. How dare he? Does he want me to leave?  Has he made his commitment so lightly that he could just decide he doesn’t want me here anymore? Does he think that if I don’t give in to his affections that it would just be a matter of “changing my mind”?
    Gabrielle’s pride stung. She’d worked hard to make his house into their home and knew she’d done a good job of it. He’d told her he liked what she’d been cooking and was grateful to have ‘woman food’ as he’d called it. She’d had no idea that he wasn’t pleased with her. Not a clue.
    She thought about her options, then smirked. She had no option but to stay and make the best of it. If he wanted to file for an annulment, then so be it, but she’d stay and try to find work and a place in town before she granted it. Surely they needed a seamstress somewhere. If not, well, she could find something.
    She resolved herself to stay put and show him how useful she was until he told her it was time to go. She’d been on her own a long time and would do whatever it took to take care of herself. Everything, of course, except allow a man to touch her in a romantic way.
    She left her room, determined to finish cooking the dinner she’d planned and not allow Boone to see how upset she’d been.
    She passed his bedroom and noticed he wasn’t in it. Nor was he in the kitchen or the sitting room. Apparently he gone back to the barn. She set her hand to peeling and boiling potatoes to go with the roast she already had cooking.
    He came in at dusk and washed his hands before making his way to the table. “Gabrielle, this smells so good! I could smell it outside and had to keep myself from running in to eat.”
    “Thank you,” she said stiffly, heaping generous portions onto his plate.
    She waited, knowing his routine. He would pray before they ate.
    Boone bowed his head. “Dear Lord, we thank You for this bounty of good food. I thank You for the hard-working woman whose hands prepared it. We pray Your blessing on our marriage. Amen.”
    When he had finished, he looked into her eyes. The anger from earlier was no longer etched onto her face.
    “I’ll be going into town tomorrow for supplies. Would you make me a list of things you’d like?”
    When she nodded, he continued. “I’d be pleased for you to go with me, if you’d like.”
    Her face lit up. “Oh, I’d love that! I’m not used to just seeing the same old… that is, I mean, I’m used to seeing a lot more people than just one person day after day—.”
    “That hard to look at, am I?” he grinned, teasing her. “It’s all right. I can’t imagine what it must have been like to live in a crowded city all my life. So, you’ll come with me, then?”
    “Yes!” she said eagerly.
    “Good. I’d like you to pick out whatever you want for curtains. I won’t have any objections to anything you do here. It’s your home now, too. You can choose whatever you need to make yourself comfortable, especially if it involves beginning your own collections, if you’d like.”
    She looked at him like he’d lost his mind.
    He laughed. “Kidding. I’m just kidding!”
    He took several bites of food, making little grunts and sounds of appreciation as he ate.
    “Gabrielle, would you mind telling me what it is you