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

tried to force those thoughts of what could have happened to Eva out of his mind, but they were persistent and disturbing. He kept on remembering how soft and almost lifeless her body had felt as he'd lifted her up off the bed. The memory sent a chill up his spine.
    And how had it come to this? So fast and with so much intensity. Only a day before the idea of marrying Eva Gillespie might have seemed not only unlikely, but entirely ludicrous.
    But not now.
    Aaron hadn't known just how much he'd been nurturing a hidden attraction to Eva. Of course, they'd locked horns in the past; they'd faced each other down over ranch business. But that was what it had only been. Business.
    Now, everything felt so different. So surprising. So very personal.
    Aaron drank some more coffee and took a deep breath.
    It had taken a near tragedy, as well as Eva's circumstances taking a turn for the worse, to focus Aaron's mind. To bring those unacknowledged feelings to the surface. He guessed it was inevitable, to some extent. Eva and Aaron had known each other, had almost grown up side by side, protected from each other by the twin forces of ranch life and her father's possessive nature. Her father had been one of the main reasons Aaron had never shown Eva even the slightest hint of how he'd felt about her. Gabriel Gillespie had always made it clear that his daughter was as off limits as the boundaries of his ranch. And, he'd gone to great lengths to protect Eva from mixing business with any hope of something more personal.
    It looked to Aaron like Gabriel had gotten exactly what he wanted. Even going so far as to choose that lowdown Jude Arabin as a suitable husband for Eva.
    Aaron still couldn't believe that Gabriel would stoop so low. It didn't seem right. Everyone knew what Jude was like; what he was capable of. Surely Gabriel couldn't have been blind to the danger he was placing Eva in. Gabriel had always struck Aaron as a sensible, perceptive man. Someone able to see the true qualities of a man. That was why it just didn't make sense.
    So now, Eva was out of her home, cast out by disaster, her future uncertain and living under Aaron's roof.
    That called for another swig of coffee.
    Aaron turned when he heard footsteps coming down the stairs. Doctor Lou Kennedy emerged from the house, holding his little bag, looking as weary as ever. Aaron had known the man for years. He trusted Lou, because he'd seen the man work wonders with some of his ranch hands. The injuries a man could sustain while working a ranch were often life threatening, but Lou had a knack for taking everything in his stride.
    Aaron stood. "How's she doing Lou," he asked.
    Lou nodded and pursed his lips. He looked pensive and paused before replying.
    "I think she'll be okay. But she's taken a lot of smoke into her lungs. It's gonna take a while for them to recover fully. She'll be weak on her feet for a while. Gonna need some good care," Lou said.
    "Then she's in the right place," Aaron stated confidently.
    Lou's eyes narrowed and then he smiled. "I'm sure she is, Aaron. How did the fire happen?"
    "I don't know. Yet. But I aim to find out. Eva nearly perished. If someone was responsible for starting the fire, then they're going to rue the day they were born," Aaron said firmly.
    Lou's brows furrowed. "That's for another day, Aaron. Right now you need to do everything you can to make Eva feel at home. She was telling me she'd planning on going back to the ranch in the next few days. I don't think that's a good idea. But, she wouldn't listen," Lou said.
    Aaron smiled. "She doesn't take kindly to persuasion. Even from a medical man," he admitted. "So what's the plan, Lou?"
    "Keep Eva quiet and make sure she gets plenty of rest," Lou said.
    Aaron took in a deep breath and frowned. "That's easier said than done," he said.
    "I know. But you're just gonna have to make her. Maybe those two housekeepers can give you a hand. I think you're gonna need all the help you can get," Lou said with