Page 16 of The Rancher's Bride
Bethany felt something tickle her nose. Lifting her hand, she brushed away the intruder and mumbled something about leaving her alone. The intruder persisted. This time, something soft and velvety brushed against her chin. A sigh escaped her lips as she tried to move again, but a tug on her blanket stopped her.
“Mm... stop...” she muttered sleepily, trying and failing to pull the covers back over herself.
When that failed, she opened one eye, only to find herself at eye level with an inquisitive pair of black eyes and a twitchingnose.
“AAAAH!”
Bethany screamed, bolting upright and nearly tumbling out of the unfamiliar bed. Rapid footsteps thudded down the hallway outside the room, and she heard a frantic voice call out. “Bethany? You all right in there?”
She stammered out a response. Her mind still reeling from being suddenly awoken. She turned her wide eyes towards the door just as it swung open to reveal Ben, his chest heaving and a worried look on his face.
“I’m all right,” she assured him, slowly calming herself. “Just got a little startled by...” Bethany’s nose crinkled in confusion as she peered at the sheep rummaging through Ben’s clothes. “Why do you have a sheep in the house?”
Ben grabbed the creature by the ribbon tied around its neck. “Tessa!” he yelled. “Come get Marigold.”
A young girl emerged from behind Ben and cautiously entered the room. Her eyes widened with excitement when she saw the sheep, and she quickly rushed over to her brother to take it from him.
“Oh dear, did Marigold wake you? She’s fond of sneaking into places where she ought not to be.”
“This is my sister, Tessa.” Ben explained, releasing the ribbon. “And this is Marigold, her lamb.”
“Doc gave her to me.” Tessa coaxed the young sheep away from Bethany. “You look better this morning. I’ll make some coffee.” She tugged on Marigold’s ribbon and led her out of the room.
Ben let out a long, exasperated sigh as he watched Tessa and her pet sheep file out. The sound of them moving echoed through the space, leaving behind an awkward silence. Heshifted from one foot to another, feeling Bethany’s piercing gaze on him. “Looks like we’ll have to get that latch fixed,” he muttered, scratching his stubbly chin.
Bethany’s eyes narrowed as she noticed the messy bed and her missing clothes. She quickly snatched a quilt from the nearby chair and covered herself as she tried to process what had happened while she was unconscious. “Where are my clothes? And whose bed is this?”
“That would be my bed, ma’am,” he replied with a wince, realizing how it sounded. He offered a quick explanation. “You were unconscious, so Tessa changed you into a clean nightgown. I just carried you in here to sleep.”
“So, you put me here.” Her eyes narrowed. “Where did you sleep then?”
“On the settee by the fire.”
“Was it comfortable?”
He shrugged his shoulders. “It doesn’t matter. You needed the bed. I didn’t fall in the creek and nearly drown.”
“Where are my clothes?”
“Full of mud and soaking wet. Tessa has them in a bucket with some lye soap. Once the rain breaks, she’ll wash them. Your duster is drying by the fire.”
Bethany took a moment to look at him. She’d noticed his height when he’d carried her from the water, but now she could fully appreciate how tall he truly was. His broad shoulders nearly filled the door frame, and his face, while rugged and somewhat weathered, was not unkind. He had on a loose shirt and worn pants. He picked up a wide-brimmed hat hanging from a peg on the wall behind him and turned it in his hands as if considering his next move.
“Thank you,” she whispered, her gaze shifting from him tothe floorboards. “For saving me.”
A hint of surprise flickered across Benjamin’s face before he quickly composed himself. “I’m glad I was there.”
“What were you doing there, Mr. Kendrick?”
“Call me Ben.” He coughed in embarrassment. “I was trying to find the goats.”
“Goats?” She laughed. “Are they in the house as well?”
He grinned, and Bethany thought her heart might flutter right out of her chest. “Not in the house, no. They’re out back with the horses or in the barn. They have a nasty habit of wandering off into the woods. Figured they’d appear by the creek.”
Bethany paused, biting her lower lip as she considered his words. “You were just passing by.” She looked at him, eyes softening with gratitude. “You ended up saving my life.”
His grin faded into a serious expression, the lines around his eyes creasing deeply. “Well, I wouldn’t say that…” Ben started, but trailed off, his gaze shifting to the windowpane where raindrops still traced their way down the glass. “But yes, I suppose that’s the truth.”
