Free Aaron's Montana Bride (Sweet, Clean Western Historical Romance)(Montana Ranchers and Brides Series) by Maya Stirling Page A

"I'm better Mrs. Bell. The sleep has done me good."
    Mrs. Bell flashed a look across the bed. "And what has Mr. Stewart been telling you?"
    "That the house is still mostly intact and that no-one was harmed."
    "Those ranch hands earned their dinner last night. Even if it was only beans and cold grub steak," Mrs Bell said.
    Eva saw Aaron smile.
    "You need to rest a while, Eva. You may think you're recovered but I can tell you, there's a way to go before you'll be moving back to the Gillespie spread," Mrs. Bell said.
    "But what about the ranch hands. What are they going to do without me?"
    Aaron spoke: "They'll do what they're paid to do. Look after your ranch."
    "But I need to be there to supervise, make sure everything's done right," Eva insisted.
    Mrs. Bell laid a firm hand on Eva's arm. "You are going nowhere. Aaron here has kindly made his home available to us. His hospitality has been more than generous. Even if his own housekeeper takes a bit of persuading about how to run things around here," Mrs. Bell said with a shrug of her shoulders.
    Eva smiled. "But I can't possibly impose on Aaron," Eva said looking at him and seeing no sign of compromise. "What'll people think about a woman living in his house?"
    "They'll think what they like," Mrs. Bell said firmly. "It's none of their business, anyway. Besides you have me here, my dear. That'll keep everything looking respectable and above board. Isn't that right Aaron?" Mrs. Bell said glancing across at him.
    "I guess so," he admitted with a wry grin.
    Eva looked at both of them and had the distinct impression that this wasn't the first time they had both discussed Eva's unexpected stay at the Stewart ranch.
    "Now. Let me bring you up some of the soup I've made. You need to build up your strength, my dear. And there's nothing better than soup for doing that," Mrs. Bell said.
    Aaron stood. "I better be going," he said. Eva felt something shift inside her as she looked up at him. Aaron looked at Mrs. Bell. "You let me know immediately the doctor arrives," he told her.
    Mrs. Bell nodded. "Don't you worry. You'll be the first to know. Just like you asked," she said to Aaron.
    Eva began to wonder what kind of conversation had been taking place downstairs. And, as she watched Aaron move languidly away, she asked herself just how long it would take before she got the answer to the only question that really mattered to her.

CHAPTER NINE

    Aaron sat in the kitchen of the Stewart ranch and waited for the doctor to finish attending to Eva upstairs in her room.
    Mrs. Bell and Mrs. Lang were having an animated conversation about the right way to make chicken soup. It seemed there were indeed different recipes. Depending on what was used, the soup would either help Eva get better or would simply satisfy a hunger without providing any healing properties. One thing was for sure, life was going to be mighty interesting while the two housekeepers were living under the same roof.
    Aaron decided to leave them to it and took his cup of coffee and made his way outside to the porch. He sat down on the long seat and took a sip of the tepid liquid. The doctor seemed to be taking an inordinately long time with Eva. Aaron hoped there was nothing wrong. Thinking about the previous night, Aaron was sure he couldn't have acted any faster, nor any more decisively than he'd done. Even while reassuring himself that he'd done the right thing, Aaron shivered when he thought that Eva could have perished in that smoky room.
    All day he hadn't been able to fix his attention on the affairs of the ranch. Not while Eva was trying to recover, not while he still hadn't told her what he'd decided. Aaron wondered, not for the first time in the last few hours, whether his decision still stood. He took a deep breath and sighed.
    Of course it did. There was no way he was going to change his mind. The thoughts that had plagued him since racing through the burning house had made him realize just how much was at stake. He'd