Free Tame a Wild Bride, a Western Romance by Cynthia Woolf Page A

After her bath, she braided her hair and crawled into bed, always before Tom.   By the time he finally came to bed, she was sound asleep.
    Tom saw the toll the work took on Rosie, but she never complained.   He knew he needed to get her some help.   There were several women in town, older ladies who had helped him out before, after Sarah left.   And then, when his mother had to leave they helped him again.   He’d let them go when he knew for sure Rosie was coming.   Now was the time to bring them back.   Rosie deserved it.   He didn’t want her to be a slave, he wanted her to be able to mother his children, raise them better than he could and she was doing that.   Even with all the work she had to do, she still made time for them.   It warmed his heart to see them together.
    “I’m going to go to town today,” he told Rosie one morning.   “I’ll be back before supper.”
    He watched the play of emotions on her beautiful face.   Excitement, then disappointment at the realization she wasn’t being asked to go.  
    He was such an ass.  
    But she’d thank him once he got back.   He wasn’t actually going to town, just over to the Walden ranch.   John Walden’s spinster sister lived with him, much to the chagrin of his wife.   The gossip all over the valley was that the wife and the sister didn’t get along.   He’d see if the sister, Agatha, would consider coming to live with him to help out Rosie.   When he ran into her in town, she’d hinted that she’d like to come to work for him.   That was when Rosie arrived more than a month ago.  
    Agatha was in her fifties if she was a day.   A sturdy woman well used to ranch work.   With her help, Rosie would have more time to spend with the children and that was why she was here, why he’d married her.   Who was he kidding?   He’d married Rosie because he wanted to.   The preacher was as surprised as anyone when he’d shown up with Rosie that first day.   But as soon as he saw her, Tom knew he couldn’t let her go.   She was perfect, even as bedraggled as she’d been.
    Her traveling suit showed off her hourglass figure.   She’d put her glorious hair in a bun under her hat but tendrils had escaped and formed a halo in the sunlight.   Even with the smudges of dirt on her face, she’d been beautiful.   He’d planned on getting to know her a little more before marrying her, so his instant decision to wed had taken him by surprise as much as it had her.
    He didn’t want a woman, he’d told himself often enough he almost believed it.  
    But he wanted Rosie.
    He wasn’t stupid.   He knew he was afraid to get close to anyone again.   He put up walls so he wouldn’t get hurt again.   It was the natural thing to do after Sarah had taken all he had to give and thrown it back in his face, so why did he want Rosie?   Because she was kind, gentle, caring and pretty.   She cared about his kids and their futures before she’d even met them.   She might even love them.   Something their mother hadn’t.   He couldn’t risk letting her go.   It wasn’t fair to keep her at arm’s length, he knew that.   And she was determined not to stay there.  
    Every night when he got into bed she rolled over and cuddled against him.   She did it in her sleep and he was sure she didn’t know.   She was too tired to wake.   It was just a natural instinct.   One he liked very much.   He’d wrap his arms around her and hold her softness to him, while she didn’t know.   Couldn’t see his weakness.  
    And smell.   She always smelled so good.   Just like roses.   It was her cream he knew but it didn’t matter.   It was also Rosie.   Tonight, he held one of her hands in his.   It was red and rough despite the cream, the work having taken its toll on her beautiful soft skin.   She would still have to do the cooking, gather eggs and milk the cows but he could at least get someone in to do the laundry and clean the house.  
    Leaving