Page 46 of Texas Glory
“Kissing,” Dallas said. “They’re just kissing.”
Cordelia turned away, her face red. “But they’re so close to each other.”
“It’s more fun that way. Didn’t that book you borrowed tell you that?”
He didn’t think her blush could grow any deeper, but it did.
“That book is misnamed,” she said in a hushed whisper as though afraid someone might hear. “It has nothing at all to do with being a husband.”
He couldn’t stop himself from smiling. “But it has everything to do with husbandry.”
Confusion clouded her eyes. “I don’t understand.”
“Husbandry is a polite word for breeding and taking care of livestock.”
“You might have explained that to me before I took it.”
He shrugged. “You married a rancher. Figured it wouldn’t hurt for you to read the book. It’ll give us something to discuss at dinner.”
Her eyes widened. “We wouldn’t!”
His smile thinned until it disappeared into a hardened line. “Not if you can think of something else to talk about during our meals. I’m getting tired of eating in silence. If I wanted that, I’d stay out on the range and eat.”
“I didn’t realize you wanted to talk while we ate. At home, I wasn’t allowed to speak during meals.”
“Seems your pa and mine had the same attitude: children were to be seen and not heard, but you’re not a child any longer.”
“No, women … women were to be seen and not heard.”
Dallas shook his head in disbelief. “I spend all day listening to bawling cattle and the rough voices of men. In the evening, I’d like to hear the soft voice of a woman.”
“I’ll … I’ll try to think of something we can discuss during meals.”
“Good.” He turned back to his task. “Before we leave, you need to tell Houston to let you pick out a horse. Beauty belongs to Maggie. Reckon it’s time we stopped borrowing her.”
With the early evening shadows moving in, Dallas leaned against the wooden beam of Houston’s front porch and stared at Cordelia, standing at the corral, talking with his brother. Talking, smiling, occasionally laughing.
He’d never before heard her sweet laughter. It sounded as innocent as she was.
“Would you like something to drink?” Amelia asked him.
Without taking his eyes off his wife, Dallas wrapped his fingers around the glass of lemonade Amelia offered. “My brother seems to have become quite the ladies’ man.”
“He’s not a threat to her,” Amelia said softly.
Dallas jerked his head around. “And you think I am?”
“Shethinks you are.”
“Christ, I don’t know how she can think that. I haven’t touched her since the day I married her.”
“How often have you called her by name since you were married?”
“What’s that got to do with anything?”
“You’ve been here since dawn, and never once did I hear you speak her name. A woman likes to hear her name from time to time.”
“Her name gets tangled in my tongue.”
