Free Lorraine Heath by Texas Glory

Cordelia has legs that go clear up to her shoulders.”
    Houston gave him an understanding smile. “I know all about shadows.” He cleared his throat. “Look, Dallas, this is none of my business, but there’s no law that says you gotta bed her tonight. Knowing her pa, she probably didn’t have much say in this marriage. What would it hurt to give her a couple of days to get used to it?”
    Dallas stood. “Yeah, I’ve been thinking the same thing. It’s getting late. Did you and your family want to stay here tonight?”
    “ ’Preciate the offer, but there’s a good moon tonight and a clear sky. We’ll be fine.”
    Dallas followed his brother from his office and stood at the stairs, waiting while Houston walked through the front door. Dallas glanced up. The stairs had never before seemed so high. As he began to climb them, he started running apologies through his mind, trying to find the right one, the one that would undo all the damage he’d unwittingly inflicted on his wife’s peace of mind.
    When he reached his bedroom, he tapped lightly on the door and waited an eternity for her to open it.
    Cordelia peered out at the formidable man standing in the hallway. She opened the door farther, giving him access to the room, offering him access to her. She watched as his Adam’s apple slowly slid up and down.
    “Be ready to ride before dawn,” he said gruffly and turned toward the stairs.
    Stunned, Cordelia stepped into the hallway. “You mean to ride a horse?”
    He stopped walking and stared at her. “What the hell else do you think we ride? Cows?”
    She shook her head. “No … I just … I have something to wear. I’ve just never … ridden a horse.”
    She thought if she released a deep breath, he’d fall over and tumble down the stairs.
    “You’ve never ridden a horse?”
    “Father said it was too dangerous. I always traveled in my coach.”
    “There is no way in hell my wife is going to travel around the countryside in that red contraption. I had your brothers take it with them.”
    “Oh.” She pressed her hand to her throat, trying to think of something to say.
    “I’ve got a gentle horse you can ride, and if you don’t want her, you can ride with me.”
    Quickly she shook her head. “The gentle horse is fine.”
    “Good. Then I’ll see you before dawn.”
    He spun on his heel and stomped down the stairs. Cordelia slipped back into her room, closed the door, and leaned against it. She pressed her fingers against her mouth. He had made her brothers take the hideous coach away!
    Tomorrow, she was going to start riding a horse around the countryside.
    She wrapped her arms around herself. He had said he’d see her in the morning. Did that mean she would be safe tonight? She could sleep alone?
    She walked to the bed. It wasn’t until she reached up to pull the blankets down that she noticed the flowers resting between the pillows.
    Wilted now, their fragrance still wafted over the bed. She picked up a yellow flower and trailed her finger over the fragile petal. They grew over the prairie. Easy enough to find. Not much trouble to pick.
    Yet tears welled in her eyes. So simple a gesture. She wanted to believe Amelia had left them for her, but somehow she knew they had been a gift from Dallas.
    She walked to the far side of the room, drew the heavy draperies aside, opened a door of windows, and stepped onto the balcony.
    In the distance, she saw the silhouette of her husband sitting on the top railing of the corral, his shoulders hunched, as he gazed in the direction of the moon.

C HAPTER
F IVE
    Cordelia lay in the massive oak bed listening for her husband’s footsteps. Several minutes past midnight, she finally heard them on the stairs. She followed the sound along the hallway until she heard him stop outside her door. She held her breath, waiting for the click of the turning doorknob, the echo that would announce he was coming to claim her as his wife.
    But all she heard was the fading tread