Mail Order Surprise

Chapter 8 - Steve

He almost hated to leave her, but he had to check on the herd. He frowned. Maybe the time away would do him some good. Rushing into this would do neither of them any good.

Steve shifted in the saddle and watched the cattle meander along. They had moved several miles already and only had a few more to go. The clouds in the sky promised snow soon. That meant the cattle had to be closer to the homestead to be watched over.

His eyes were constantly watching the herd and the outskirts around them. Mountain lions had been spotted a few weeks earlier. With no sighting of them since, he had hoped they had moved on. That was a headache he didn't need. Mother Nature was a force powerful enough to deal with.

Urging his mount along, the image of a dark blonde woman filled his thoughts. He couldn't get her out of his mind. Twice, he had woken up with her in his arms. Oh, how good it felt to hold her. It felt warm. It felt... right. He hadn't wanted to get up and start the day.

When he had finally awoken, she had already gotten up and was cooking breakfast. A smile tugged at his lips at the memory of hearing her move about the kitchen as though she had always been there. Hadn't been there a full day and she had made a place for herself within his life.

His anger at Reverend Bailey's deception had faded to mild irritation. It all sounded so logical, what the man had done for Steve. It helped that Janice was so pleasant to be around. He enjoyed her company, what little he had spent with her. There would have to be more of that. He would suggest they sit in front of the fire and talk. He could whittle and she could knit. That meant he'd have to go into town soon. All of that would depend on how much snow they got over the next twenty-four hours.

He was glad to see the tip of the barn in the distance. They were an hour away. He wanted to hurry the herd along, but had to rein himself in. He had never been so eager to return to the house before.

When the herd was finally settled, the men broke off and made their way to the house. Steve couldn't help the excitement within him. He wanted to get there first and get the view of his new wife.

Settling the horse down in the barn with hay and water, he made his way into the house. Before he put a foot on the porch, the scent of simmering stew reached him. He breathed in deep and smiled. Things were already looking up.

In the kitchen, his eyes landed on the graceful build of his new wife. Steve let his eyes move slowly over the curve of her neck as she bent over the stove. Tendrils of hair were plastered to her glistening skin from the heat of her work and the stove that warmed the whole house. With her hair pulled up in a bun, he was able to see how her neck resembled a swan in the way it arched with such grace and beauty.

Her back was straight and hinted at its strength by how she moved about with assurance. It tapered off at her hips which caught his eye. His breath caught in his chest which began to burn. A cough rose to the surface as his own face flushed.

Janice swung around with wide eyes and a small squeak. She clutched her hands to her chest as she gasped for air.

"Oh, my! You startled me." A smile tugged at her lips, pulling one from him as well.

His eyes fell to her lips. What would they feel like? "I'm sorry. It smells good in here." He hoped by commenting on the food that he'd be able to gain the time to get himself under control and stop acting like a schoolboy with his first crush.

"Oh, good. It's ready to eat, if the rest of your crew are here as well."

With his eyes still on her, he just nodded.

Janice narrowed her eyes at him as she looked him over. "Are you alright?"

Steve blinked and cleared his throat. "Uh, yes. I'll ring the dinner bell."

He left the room quickly and sucked in deep breaths that were cool and helped him gather his control. All he had wanted to do was pull her to him and kiss those tempting lips. Never had he had such a response from just being in the presence of a woman.

The noise of the dinner call rang out over the ranch land. Steve remained outside and continued to breath in the air that had a more permanent chill in the air. He expected the first flakes of snow within the week. The tails of the squirrels he had seen were extremely large and fluffed out. That meant a heavy winter and a long one.

The other men strode up from the barn where they had put away their own horses and gear. They stomped their feet on the porch and rubbed their hands as they pulled off their gloves.

"Boy, is that stew?" Shawn's eyes widened as he sniffed the air. "Sure smells good."

"Better wash your hands first," Dick warned them all. He had already started toward the pump where he splashed the water on his hair and rubbed his hands with the soap that sat on a block of wood next to it.

Once they were all done, they filtered into the house and sat down quietly at the table. Dick and Shawn were in near reverence as they watched Janice ladle the soup into bowls and hand them out to each ranch hand. Randy and Jeff looked like they had just met an angel. Fresh sliced bread, nestled in a basket, was quickly snatched up and dipped into the thick stew. All the men could do were make noises of appreciation as they each tucked in.

Steve let the first spoonful just sit in his mouth. The flavors were intoxicating, rich and full. He savored the piece of potato on his tongue and felt a comfort in the firmness of it. Swallowing as slowly as he had eaten it, he took another spoonful and closed his eyes. Having a wife was maybe a good thing after all.