A Bride for Frank, page 13
Both girls attached themselves to Ross’s legs.
Ross put a hand on each child. “You all go in, we’ll be in shortly.”
Tucker took Ivy’s hand. “You’ll love Agatha. This ranch couldn’t run without her. She’s our cook and housekeeper, though how she does it I don’t know.”
Agatha was an older woman with iron gray hair in a neat bun at her nape. She wore a blue calico dress with a bright red apron over it, and stood when they entered and walked over to them.
Tucker smiled and put his arm around Ivy’s shoulders. “Agatha, this is my wife, Ivy and Ivy, this is Agatha, the real force behind the Circle C Ranch. Nothing would ever get done if not for her.”
Ivy stuck out her hand. “Hi, I’m Ivy. Now that we’re here, we hope to make your life a little easier.”
“Ah, he’s funnin’ with you. I just cook meals.”
Clay put his arm around Agatha’s shoulders. “Yeah, three meals a day for twenty people. She’s amazing.”
Agatha waved him off. “Oh, you boys are too nice to me. Now, let’s get you all fed. I’m sure you’re hungry.”
“Starving,” said Tucker.
“Why don’t you and the boys get the ladies settled into your rooms? I’ll have lunch on the table for you in about ten minutes.”
Tucker took Ivy’s hand in one of his and her carpet bag in the other. “Come on. Let’s get you settled in.” He started walking.
Ivy, even though she was tall and had a long stride, still had to hurry to keep up with Tucker, at six feet, two inches, had an even longer stride.
He took her up stairs to the third room on the right. Tucker opened the door wide and ushered her in, then he closed the door.
Ivy was pleased with the bedroom. The bed was obviously specially made to be long enough for his frame. She wondered if all the beds were special orders. She noticed the colors were all in an emerald green hue. The drapes were dark green with lighter green vines and yellow roses on them. He had a bedspread that matched. “Your room is quite nice. Did your mother make the curtains and bedspread?”
“Yes, she did, for all of us. I like green, in case you hadn’t noticed.”
Ivy laughed. “I noticed.”
He set her bag on the bed. “Would you like to unpack now?”
“I don’t think there is time.”
Tucker walked over to her. He lifted her chin with a single knuckle until she looked up at him. “You have the prettiest green eyes.” He lowered his head and took her mouth with his.
His lips were smooth, firm and wonderful. Ivy hadn’t been kissed since Declan died and she missed it. Declan had been a good kisser and yet Tucker made him seem as though he’d been an untried school boy. Tucker’s lips on hers practically made love to her. He kissed first one corner of her mouth and then the other before settling again fully upon her lips. Then he touched the tip of his tongue to the seam of her mouth, she gasped and he took advantage of the opening and plunged right in.
Ivy moaned and wrapped her arms around his neck.
Finally, he pulled back.
She followed him, not willing to let the moment end.
He smiled. “You’re a passionate woman, Ivy.”
“You forget, I was married and I know what I’ve been missing. Declan was a very much a man and an excellent lover as far as I know, since he was my only lover, I have nothing to compare him to. I believe you are, too, based on your kiss. I suppose we will find out later. Now,” she reached up and cupped his jaw. “I’m starving. You don’t exactly get a lot of decent food when traveling by stage.”
He laughed. “Okay. Come on,” he took her by the hand again. “Let’s go eat.”
They were the second to last people to arrive. Ross and Fiona had not returned to the kitchen either. That just gave Ivy more time to take in the wonderful repast Agatha had prepared. On the table was a savory stew, fresh biscuits with butter, roast pork, mashed potatoes and gravy, too. Over on the counter were several pies and two plates full of cookies.
Ivy had a terrible sweet tooth and hadn’t had a cookie or a piece of pie in more than three years. Her stomach rumbled. She placed her hand there to silence the sound and she knew she was probably red as a tomato.
Brodie threw his napkin on the table. “This is ridiculous. I’m going to get them.” He left the kitchen.
Ivy looked over at Maisie. “What do you suppose is taking them so long?”
Maisie shrugged. “I can’t imagine.”
Oh, Ivy could imagine, but not while everyone else waited. That would be beyond rude.
Soon Brodie reappeared. “They’re coming.”
“We’re here,” said Ross. “Sorry about that.”
Dinner was a noisy affair with everyone talking, telling one another about themselves. Praising Agatha for the wonderful meal.
Afterward, the women did the dishes and after that was done. Tucker came in and took Ivy by the hand.
It’s funny, but he seems to like touching me. He’s always taking me by the hand or putting his arm around my shoulders.
“Come on, it’s time you saw the land for our house.”
Ivy stopped dead still. “Our house? You mean we’re not living here?”
He shook his head. “No, Clay, Frank, Brodie and I are building our own homes. Ross and Fiona will stay here in the big house. Seems only right since Ross already has two girls and now we know Fiona has a son. When he gets here they’ll need the extra rooms. Come on it’s this way.”
“Have you already started it?”
“Sort of. You’ll see.” He tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow.
They walked past the barn and corral and out into what appeared to be a large pasture.
After several minutes of walking and no building in sight, Ivy was a little baffled. “Should we have taken a horse?”
Tucker laughed and patted her hand. “It’s only a little farther.”
They rounded the corner at the edge of the forest. Birds squawked at the intrusion into their territory.
Ivy raised a hand to shade her eyes in the bridge sunshine and saw laid out as short way ahead of them, were two-by-fours in the shape of a floor plan.
“These boards show the house as far as I have been able to form them. Come on. I’ll show you the rooms.”
Ivy walked with Tucker, her hand tucked safely in his, around the outside of the boards.
He pointed out the rooms. “You can make any changes you want until construction starts.”
Tears filled her eyes. “I can’t believe you’re building a house and I get to have some say in how it is structured.”
“Of course. This is your house, too.” He brought her hand to his lips and kissed the top. “Let’s see what we have, so far.”
They walked around the boards.
“This is just the first floor. When we have it approved, we’ll lay out the second floor, though I had thought that it would be just bedrooms for our kids.”
She smiled, looked up at him and lifted a brow. “And how many kids do you want?”
He pursed his lips. “I’ve thought about four good sized bedrooms. We can put bunk beds in any we need to, like if we have twins.”
“Twins!”
“You do realize they run in our family?”
She threw up her hands in surrender. “Well, yes, I know Clay and Ross are twins, but none of the rest of you are, right? And just because I don’t want twins doesn’t mean I don’t want children or that I wouldn’t love them if we happened to have a set of twins.”
“That’s correct. I just want you to be prepared that it could happen.”
Ivy huffed out a breath. “Consider me warned.” Then she laughed. “Look at us. Arguing about children when we haven’t even made love yet.”
He grabbed her by the waist. “Come with me, Ivy Campbell. I want to consummate our marriage. How about you?”
She lifted her chin. “That all depends on where you have in mind. I won’t make love in the barn or on the dirt. Give me a bed and you have a deal.”
He took her by the hand and hot-footed it back to the house.
They went in the kitchen door and just as they entered, he came to a complete stop.
Ivy came up to his side and took his hand as she stared at the beautiful blonde woman sitting at the table.
Tucker came to an abrupt stop. “What are you doing here?”
About the Author
Cynthia Woolf is an award-winning and best-selling author of sixty-one historical western romance novels, two time-travel western romance novels, two contemporary western romance novels and six sci-fi romance novels, which she calls westerns in space.
Along with these books she has also published five boxed sets of her books. The Tame Series, Destiny in Deadwood, The Marshals Mail Order Brides, The Brides of the Oregon Trail series, Centauri Series and Swords and Blasters.
Cynthia loves writing and reading romance. Her first western romance Tame A Wild Heart was inspired by the story her mother told her of meeting Cynthia’s father on a ranch in Creede, Colorado. Although Tame A Wild Heart takes place in Creede that is the only similarity between the stories. Her father was a cowboy, not a bounty hunter, and her mother was a nursemaid (called a nanny now), not the owner of the ranch.
Cynthia credits her wonderfully supportive husband Jim and her great critique partners for saving her sanity and allowing her to explore her creativity.
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Cynthia
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The Prescott Brides
A Bride for Ross
A Bride for Frank
A Bride for Clay
A Bride for Tucker
A Bride for Brodie
Billionaire Cowboys
Her Secret Cowboy Billionaire
Her Mysterious Cowboy Billionaire
Heart Wish series
Heart of Stone
Heart of Shadow
Heart of Silver
Bachelors and Babies
Carter
Cupids & Cowboys
Lanie
The Brides of Homestead Canyon
A Family for Christmas
Kissed by a Stranger
Thorpe’s Mail Order Bride
The Marshal’s Mail Order Brides
The Carson City Bride
The Virginia City Bride
The Silver City Bride
The Eureka City Bride
Bride of Nevada
Genevieve
Brides of the Oregon Trail
Hannah
Lydia
Bella
Eliza
Rebecca
Charlotte
Amanda
Emma Rose
Nora
Opal
Brides of San Francisco
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Annie
Cora
Sophia
Amelia
Violet
Brides of Seattle
Mail Order Mystery
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Mail Order Mix-Up
Mail Order Moonlight
Mail Order Melody
Brides of Tombstone
Mail Order Outlaw
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Mail Order Baron
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The Irish Bride
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Destiny in Deadwood
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Zach
Hope’s Crossing
The Stolen Bride
The Hunter Bride
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Colorado Bride
Troubled Bride
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Gideon
Tame
Tame a Wild Heart
Tame a Wild Wind
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Cynthia Woolf, A Bride for Frank
