Page 522 of Conveniently Wed
I most certainly do not!She hoped he could read the sharp glance she shot his way, because she couldn’t voice her fears in front of the two ladies. She tried to smile as she nodded but knew it didn’t look sincere.
“Why don’t I let you have some time with Michael before I take him home with me?” Stella must have understood. “We can stop by your ranch on the way and pick up more diapers and clothes for him. You know it’s not out of our way.”
Franklin’s nod of agreement with Stella shot down Lorinda’s way of escape from the night in the hotel.
“Thank you.” Lorinda forced the words out through clenched teeth, while clutching her son closer. “Is there some place private I can go to be with him for a bit?”And it better be soon.
Mrs. Oleson nodded toward Mary Nelson. “Maybe you can go to the parsonage. Everyone is having a good time. Probably no one will notice you’re gone. When you’re finished, we can cut the cake.”
Franklin headed toward where the men had congregated, a satisfied smile on his lips. Lorinda had never hit anyone in her life, but she wanted to slap it off his face.
Mrs. Oleson accompanied Lorinda to talk to Mary.
Soon she was sitting in a padded rocking chair nursing her son. The sound of the vows Franklin spoke to her never left her thoughts.
“To have and to hold.” The words sounded so sincere. They sent shivers up and down her spine, and goose bumps raised on her arms. He had vowed before God, but except for that one kiss, he had never held her. Would he ever again?
“To love and to cherish.” These words were equally sincere, but she doubted Franklin understood all that meant. If he had, he wouldn’t have been able to promise her, in the eyes of God.
“Till death us do part.” That part was true. She understood what that meant in a different way than Franklin did. He had never lost a wife, but she’d lost her husband. Although they were married for the rest of their lives, they weren’t truly dedicated to each other. Would the lies never end?
I can’t believe Franklin agreed to accept the hotel room for the night.Her life was getting more complicated by the minute. She knew this was a bad idea, but she couldn’t do anything about it. They had taken vows before God. He knew what they were doing, but no one else did. She wasn’t sure He was pleased with how things were going.
Why had she felt that God wanted her to accept Franklin’s proposal? Surely He hadn’t wanted her to tie herself into a sham marriage with a man who could make her forget everything around her with just one kiss. Well, maybe it was a bit more than one kiss...or a lot more.
She glanced down at the ring he’d placed on her finger. It was so much fancier than the slim gold band Mike had given her, but Mike’s had meant something. This one was just for show.
Maybe she’d just made the biggest mistake of her life.
When Franklin joined the men, he received a lot of friendly ribbing about the wedding kiss. After that died down, the men started talking about ranching and the weather, as usual. The topic didn’t hold his attention.
The kiss was bad enough, but why did he have to cut that ribbon off the buggy and use it to tie Lorinda’s hair away from her face? The golden strands of curls felt like silk threads. They flowed around his finger like a shimmering waterfall while he completed his task. He wanted to bury his fingers in their mass as he had during the ceremony. The feel of her hair in his hands brought with it the absolute abandon of the kiss. He shook inside as he gave the bow a last tug to straighten it.
The chaste joining of his and Miriam’s lips had never inflamed him as Lorinda’s did. He had been about to gaincontrol of himself when her arms slid around his waist and her fingers clung to his back, pulling a passion from him he didn’t even realize he possessed. If Miriam hadn’t left him for Marvin, he would have never known such a depth of emotion. His thoughts spun in circles, always returning to this one fact. It must never,ever,happen again.
“Hey, Franklin.” He hadn’t even noticed Arnie was close-by. “When will you and your pretty little bride be coming over to the hotel?” The man had one of those sly smiles men got when they were talking about relations between men and women.
He forced his attention from his inner angst toward the proprietor. “People are still celebrating. We haven’t even cut the wedding cake. When everyone starts leaving, we’ll come on over.”And do what?
“Sounds good to me. I’ll make sure everything’s ready.”
What did Arnie need to get ready?
Franklin tried to remember exactly what that suite of rooms looked like. It had a kind of parlor and a bedroom. With a door between. That could be their salvation. And a smaller dressing room and wash room with a copper tub. This memory ushered back the feelings he’d had when he heard Lorinda bathing before they came to town.I won’t go down that road again.
Remember the door.They should be able to enjoy the night without a repeat of the mistake at the wedding. He’d promised Lorinda they wouldn’t consummate the marriage, and he was a man of his word. He didn’t want to scare her away. If he did, this wedding would have been for naught. He’d lose his son and heir.
Franklin kept glancing toward the doorway, hoping Lorinda and Michael would appear.
Rusty brought him a glass of lemonade. “You dry after all that talking?”
“Yeah, thanks.” He swigged down the tart-sweet liquid all at once.
“Want some more?”
“Nah. Not right now. Thanks.” He set the glass on an empty table nearby.
When he turned, Lorinda stood framed in the open doorway. Her...uh, their son lay contented in her arms. Something inside him relaxed. Had he thought she might skip out on him like Miriam did?
