Free An Unexpected Love (The Colorado Brides Series Book 5) by Carré White Page B

bed.”
    “We need as many as we can get,” murmured Jack.
    I was aware that I would be seeing Ryan again, as he was still employed at the Weaver farm, but I had firmly resolved to put the “tipi incident” behind me. It was a lapse in judgment on my part, and such a thing would never happen again. With this in mind, I began to prepare for bed, changing into nightclothes, brushing my hair, and traipsing out to the privy; all the while, my memory had begun to torment me with images of the things that had happened between Ryan and myself. By the time I slid between the sheets, I was in such a state of anxiety, that I knew sleep would be impossible. I left the bed, trying not to disturb Mary, who snored softly. Not wanting to wake my sisters, I quietly went into the hallway and down the stairs, where I stood at the window staring out into the night. To add to my vexation, the high-pitched shrills of coyotes sounded in the distance. I would never again think of the animals in the same way, as they would forever be associated with the soft, insistent lips of a man. I could almost feel the touch of him on my neck, while my body began to tingle with pleasurable pulses.
    “No!” I whispered in frustration. “All it takes is knowing I’ll see him again and then…this.” I rested my forehead against the glass. “Lord, give me strength. Please help me not to think about him anymore. I really don’t want to. I’m madly in love with Wesley and…and…I shall be his wife…eventually.” I repeated that several times.
    The coyotes continued to make their strange, crying sounds, while the house slept. It would be some time before I returned to bed, finding that Mary had taken most of the blankets. I tossed and turned for most of the night. We were woken early, as the touch of a hand on my shoulder brought me out of a deep sleep.
    “We’re almost ready to go,” said Fanny.
    I turned to look at her, seeing a woman in a bonnet. “Oh, all right. I’ll hurry. You should’ve woken me earlier.”
    “Just get yourself ready, and we’ll be waiting outside.”
    I flung the covers back. “Five minutes and I’ll be presentable.”
    I wasn’t entirely sure what we would be doing today to help the Weavers, but all of us, including the little ones, were tucked away in the wagon for the short ride to Hannah’s. Once there, other wagons had joined ours, and I recognized Paulina and Louisa and their children. Craning my neck, I scanned the workers, most of whom I did not recognize, until I spied Ryan standing against a fence on the end. He wore denim slacks with a green tow shirt, which had been tucked in and surrounded by a leather belt. His raven locks were hidden beneath a wide-brimmed hat. He must have sensed my attention, because he lifted his chin, staring at me.
    My belly flipped over, as if I had swallowed a fish that wiggled inside of me. It was the most peculiar feeling, and it began to chip away at my resolve. I could feel myself weakening—from only one look.
    Oh, gracious .
    But, I wasn’t able to ponder this reaction for long, because we had all been pressed into action. My siblings and I had been given flails, which we would systematically use to beat the insects off the vegetation. The flails were two pieces of wood attached by a short, sturdy chain. This was normally how grains were separated from their husks, but today they would ward off the grasshoppers.
    “I need everyone to follow me,” said Nathan, waving a hand in the air to get our attention. “We’ll start at the worst affected field and work our way across.”
    Everyone, including Louisa’s children began to march through the cornfield, which smelled sweetly of grass and earth. The heat of the sun beat down upon our bonnets and hats. The elder Hoffmans had stayed behind to mind the younger children, most of whom were toddlers. They would have their hands full. Hannah had transformed the parlor into a playroom, bringing out every toy Letty and Charles