Free Genevieve: Bride of Nevada (American Mail-Order Bride 36) by Cynthia Woolf Page A

my arms for as long as possible.”
    She thought this was too much of a temptation, teasing her with an experience she couldn’t enjoy to the fullest.
    “Well, this is as long as possible. We have to get home to the children and so we don’t worry the family.”
    “Nobody is worried. As soon as they saw the snow, they would know I either stayed in town or came here. So relax and let me hold you.”
    Genny finally relaxed and placed her hand on his chest. “I have to admit this is nice.”
    He squeezed her shoulder. “For now, for the time we’re here, let’s pretend that we are happily wed and just enjoy each other.”
    Genny stiffened at his words. “We could be a happily married couple if you’d just relent and make me your wife in all ways.”
    Stuart turned toward her a little so he could rub her arm. “You know that’s not possible. I don’t want more children.” He dropped his voice to a whisper. “I don’t want to lose you in childbirth like I did her.”
    She lifted her body so she was looking into Stuarts’ eyes. “So you do care about me?”
    He released her. “You’re right. It’s time we got up and traveled home. It’s not far from here a little over an hour.”
    Genny closed her eyes. Perhaps she pushed too hard. Maybe she spoke too quickly. In any case the moment was over, and they were back to their indifferent selves. Refusing to give in to the tears that threatened, she rolled away and rose from the bed. Ignoring her nudity, she walked to the chair holding her clothes and dressed as quickly as she could.
    “Do you want some coffee before we go or do you just want to leave?” she asked without any inflection to her voice. She’d been rejected again.
    “We’ll leave. I’ll harness the horses and we can get out of here. Back to our real lives.”
    “Yes. Our real lives.” She felt a tear fall down her cheek and turned quickly away.
    If Stuart had seen the droplet, he said nothing about it.
    He grabbed the bucket and the coffee pot before going outside.
    He was gone for about twenty minutes and returned with both the bucket and coffee pot full of water.
    Genny folded the blankets and put them on the end of the bed where they’d found them. She spread the coals in the fireplace and made sure they were out, just like Stuart had taught her. She’d used the leftover coffee to finish any hot spots before Stuart left, but wanted to be certain.
    They couldn’t prepare the stove the same way because the embers were still warm, but Stuart brought in wood for the next person to use. It would be dry by then.
    Finally, she’d done everything inside that needed doing. “I’m ready to leave.”
    “Good. Let’s go.”
    They climbed back on the wagon and didn’t speak the entire way home. When they arrived, he helped her down and then started unloading the wagon of the food supplies which he carried inside and put on the kitchen counter. When he was done, he left without a word and took the wagon to the barn to unload the grain and care for the horses.
    She watched him with a heavy heart. Had she lost her chance at happiness for want of a declaration of love?
    *****
    Genny walked into the kitchen, put her gloves in one coat pocket and her stocking cap in the other, then took off her coat and hung it on a peg by the door.
    Nettie turned from the stove. “Well, there you are. What happened?”
    “We got caught in the snowstorm and took shelter in a line shack about an hour from here.”
    “Well, good. That’s kind of what we figured. I’m just glad you’re both all right.”
    “Yeah, we’re fine and dandy.”
    “Uh oh. Sounds like something went wrong. Tell me.”
    Genny needed to talk to someone and Nettie was kind and genuinely wanted to help. “Oh, Nettie, I thought I was making progress because of the weather we had to dry our clothes and both had only a blanket to shield us. You would have thought that was enough but the man…it’s like I have no effect on him. He refuses