Page 22 of A Whiskey River Princess

Gabriella carried the dirty dishes into the kitchen, washed them, and put them away. She hadn’t told him, but this morning had been the first time that she had ever washed dishes. It had taken her a bit to figure it out but figure it out she had.

While she was finishing up, Dirk appeared in the doorway wearing his coat.

“Are you going somewhere?” Gabriella hoped he wouldn’t be gone long, just in case the men were still lurking about. She couldn’t bear it if something were to happen to him.

He put on his cowboy hat and buttoned his jacket. “I’m going to check on the cattle and finish up with the horses.”

Gabriella folded the dishtowel and laid it over the counter like she had seen Dirk do earlier. “Don’t you have men to work the ranch for you?”

Dirk smiled. “Yes, but I let them have off from Thanksgiving through Christmas. They won’t be back until after New Year’s Day. Besides, they don’t just work for me. I work alongside them.”

Gabriella was impressed. “That’s very generous of you.”

He shrugged. “They’re single and most are young with families out of state. Spending the holidays with your loved ones is important.”

A crease formed between her eyes. “How many days is it until Thanksgiving?”

“Three,” he replied as he headed toward the back door. “Have you ever celebrated it before?”

She shook her head. “It’s an American holiday. This will be my first.”

Dirk smiled. “Well then, we’ll have to make it a good one.” He turned to leave.

“Be careful out there,” Gabriella called after him.

He smiled, obviously appreciating the sentiment. “Don’t worry. Those men are probably long gone by now.”

She nodded. “I hope so.”

He looked in her eyes and then crossed the room to her and gave her arm a gentle pat. “Don’t worry. I’ll keep you safe.”

Gabriella appreciated the gesture. And she knew it was true, or at least she felt it was. She hadn’t ever felt so relaxed with a man in her life.

After he left, she looked around the kitchen. It was clean, except for the stove. She let out a deep breath and decided to tackle it. She filled the basin with water and began scrubbing the stove. Within minutes, it was shiny and clean.

Satisfied, she ventured into the living room. It was getting cold, so she put another log on the fire, and warmth immediately filled the room. She rubbed her arms as she walked slowly around the space, looking at the nice furnishings. They were beautiful, rustic in nature, but fit the cabin to perfection, as if the furniture had been made just for this space. Secretly, she wondered if Dirk had made it himself.

Then she noticed the bookshelf that Dirk had mentioned. He had the works of William Shakespeare, Alexandre Dumas, Thomas Malory, and more. But she was surprised to seeLittle WomenandAlice’s Adventures in Wonderlandamong the titles, which seemed out of place among the books that were obviously his. She wondered if he had a woman in his life.

When she looked around, there was no evidence of such. She had no idea why she was even wondering about it. After all, there was no way that they could ever be together. She was only going to stay until the pass opened up, and then she would be off to Laramie and back to New York, and then Monaco.

She picked up Dirk’s copy ofThe Three Musketeersand sat down in the rocking chair by the fire and started reading. Although she was more accustomed to reading in French, she could read in English, too, but it was a bit more difficult for her. She had read the book before, so reading it in English wasn’t so difficult to follow. Gabriella was amazed that as she started reading, she saw the story anew, with new insights after having spoken to Dirk about it. Now, she saw it through his eyes.Soon, she found herself caught up in the world that Alexandre Dumas had created and marveled at the characters so beautifully written.

Adventure. She realized then that adventure was what she had been craving in her life, but the good kind of adventure. Not the kind that the three scruffy men had created. She could go a lifetime without that kind of adventure. No, what she craved was adventures in a new world, perhaps in California or somewhere in the West. Here in Wyoming, maybe? For a moment, she wondered what Whiskey River was like, what the people were like, but she quickly pushed the thought aside.

As she read, thoughts of Dirk entered her mind. His broad shoulders and muscular physique were more than she had ever seen on a man before, but what really captivated her was what was inside—his personality. She closed the book and watched the fire, wondering who he was. He had said he came from the east, but from where exactly?

Gabriella clutched the book to her chest as she thought of him, wondering if he had ever been married before. She was surprised that a woman hadn’t snatched him up yet.

It was also surprising that he was well read, even though he was the owner of a ranch and the town livery stables. As she rocked back and forth watching the fire, she was sure that Dirk was full of surprises. He was brash, but attractive and refined in his own way. An interesting combination. But she wouldn’t be there long enough to find out. After all, they came from separate worlds. As different as night and day. How could it ever work?

Chapter 6

Dirk

Dirk poured sweet feed in April’s trough and gave her nose a gentle pat. “What am I going to do? Huh, April?” he asked, thinking aloud as he finished his chores. Buster followed, sitting by Dirk’s feet, waiting patiently for him to move on to his next task.

April whinnied in response.

---