Page 31 of A Whiskey River Princess

Buster wagged his tail and licked his hand.

“I know, boy. I like her, too.” He started back toward the house as Buster followed. “But she has a lot to learn about life in the West. Besides, she’s not from around here and I doubt that she’s here to stay.” His heart sank at the thought.

Dirk set the bucket on the back porch and then walked toward a shed separate from the barn where the livestock was kept. He opened the doors and inside was a red sleigh with gold accents. Then he walked over to the barn where Angel was. He had kept her in the stalls during the heavy snowfall.

“Are you ready to get out and stretch your legs, girl?” Dirk asked as he took the bridle off the peg hanging beside her stall.

She nodded frantically, nickering softly.

Dirk laughed. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were human.”

Angel shook her head back and forth.

Dirk laughed. “Hold still, now.”

As if she could understand every word he said, she held very still as Dirk slid the bit into her mouth and the bridle over her head. With the bridle securely in place, he led Angel to the sleigh and harnessed her to it. Then, he drove it around to the front of the house, hoping that Gabriella wouldn’t see. He wanted it to be a surprise.

“Wait here, girl. I’ll be back in a little bit,” Dirk said as he stepped down out of the sleigh.

Angel bobbed her head up and down as Dirk laughed.

When he walked in the house, no one was in the living room, so he went into his bedroom to get ready. He was thinking of Gabriella as he splashed his face with water and cleaned up. Then he dressed in a nice white dress shirt, a black leather vest, black trousers, and his good black boots that he kept shined for special occasions. He didn’t know why, but he felt like dressing up a bit. He guessed that Gabriella was awakening feelings in him that had lain dormant for a very long time.

When he walked out, Gabriella was waiting in the living room, wearing a light blue dress that had been a favorite of his on Sarah. A familiar pang grabbed his chest, but he quickly pushed the thought aside. “You look lovely. Shall we?” He extended his arm to her, already enjoying having a beautiful woman on his arm again.

A warm blush colored her cheeks as she took it and looked up at him with big blue eyes, causing his heart to stir. Gabriella gasped when he led her outside and saw the sleigh.

Dirk looked at the sleigh proudly as he shut the door behind them. “You like it?”

“It’s lovely!” She let him help her into the sleigh. “Where did you ever find it?”

Dirk slid in beside her. “I bought it last year. I grew tired of being snowed in every year.” He reached behind the seat and pulled out a quilt. Then, he stretched it over her. “You’ll need this to keep warm. Since the sleigh is open, it’ll get us to Whiskey River, but it won’t make it to Laramie.”

“Besides,” Gabriella added, “the pass is still closed, right?”

Dirk nodded as he smiled, glad that she didn’t seem as much in a hurry to leave. “Yes, it is.” He raised his eyebrows. “Ready?”

She nodded as she spread the blanket over both of their laps.

One corner of Dirk’s lips curled into a smile, touched by the gesture. “Thank you.”

“Well, I couldn’t let you freeze.” She shrugged, giving him a wink.

Dirk laughed. “Very thoughtful.”

As they drove through the forest headed toward town, the trees and road were covered in a pristine white blanket, along with the evergreens and ice that hung from the dormant trees. They were halfway there when the white puffs started falling from the heavens again.

“And I thought we could get to Whiskey River and back before it started snowing again,” Dirk observed, looking out over the road.

Gabriella smiled. “Maybe it’ll hold off until we get back home.”

Home. Dirk liked the way the word sounded on her lips, but he pushed the thought quickly aside, reminding himself that she would be leaving soon. He found he had to keep reminding himself of that more and more lately. “Maybe,” he agreed, guiding Angel through the snow.

“So, tell me about the town.”

“What would you like to know?”

Gabriella shrugged. “The people. What are they like?”

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