Page 23 of Their Wanted Bride (Bridgewater Brides 1)

We said our goodbyes and made our way to the livery for our horses. The snow, so furious the night before, was nearly gone from the wooden sidewalks and although still cold, it was a gorgeous morning. I scanned the street, trying to get my bearings, and spotted a post office barely a hundred feet away. Pointing at it, I asked, “May we stop? I’d like to mail something back to Kentucky.”

“Of cour

se,” Caleb said. “What are you mailing?”

“I need to send Reggie his clothes back.”

“Who’s Reggie?” Justin asked, his voice deepening to a low, jealous growl that made my insides quiver with renewed need. I reminded myself not to provoke them in public again. I wasn’t sure I’d ever get over the embarrassment of being caught by Robert, Andrew, and Ann.

“My friend Dahlia’s husband. She gave them to me so I could escape. I’d also like to write her a note to tell her my news.”

I couldn’t tell her all of it, of course. She’d be appalled and scandalized at the thought of marrying two men—no matter how wonderful they were. It seemed almost disrespectful not to share both my men, but I’d have to keep it to myself. It wasn’t as if I’d be going back for her to meet them.

“Ah, she’s the one who helped you dye your horse, right?”

“Yes. We’re very close, and I promised to send her my address when I arrived.”

The postmistress was happy to help us package Reggie’s belongings, and I quickly penned a short note advising Dahlia of my new address. I left out everything that might worry her, and simply told her how happy I was. With that chore done, we returned to the livery stable and retrieved our horses.

I led Prince from his stall, belatedly remembering his bridle was gone. It must have gotten left on the train, and I’d been too preoccupied to notice it was missing. I didn’t need it overmuch, so I resolved to replace it later. Surely, Caleb and Justin had one I could use.

JUSTIN

* * *

As usual, our horses fought us, and I scowled when Maddy led her stallion from his stall without fuss or a lead rope. When she laughed and came to help, I waved her away.

“Stay back before you get hurt,” I ordered, struggling to saddle my gelding.

Maddy nodded, but when Caleb’s mare tried to bite, she strode into the fray and grabbed her nose before she could reach his arm. “No,” she said softly, looking into the mare’s face. “We don’t bite.”

The mare snorted and lifted her head, but kept her eyes fixed on our wife. A moment later, she relaxed and allowed Maddy to stroke her face. “That’s a good girl,” she crooned. “Behave now.”

“Unnatural,” I muttered, finally getting my girth tightened on my recalcitrant gelding before attaching the satchel filled with Maddy’s borrowed clothes to the back of the saddle. As usual, the horse danced out of reach when I tried to mount.

“No,” she replied, taking my horse’s head. She spoke to him in a singsong murmur, making him still and focus on her. “Anyone can calm a horse. You just need to have the right tone.”

When I was finally in the saddle, she returned to her stallion and made a strange gesture with her hand. To our shock, the animal lowered himself to his front knees, allowing Maddy to climb on as pretty as you please, her skirts arranged to cover her legs. She let out a short chirp and the horse stood. He barely looked twice at Caleb’s mare.

Scowling at her, Caleb shook his head. “Justin is right. That’s fair unnatural. Where’s your bridle?”

“I think it must have gotten left on the train,” she replied. “But I don’t need it. Shall we go home?”

“Maddy, you need a bridle,” he said sternly. “It’s bad enough you don’t have a saddle. Why don’t you sit in the hotel while I run home and get tack for you?”

I almost offered to let her ride double with me, but I didn’t trust either of our horses to carry her safely.

She let out a sigh and shook her head. “I’m truly fine. I’ll rummage your barn for tack later. Will that suit you?”

“Let’s let her do as she likes,” I murmured to Caleb. “We’ll put a rope on the stallion and lead him. When we get her home, we can teach her to mind us better.”

I had no intention of using physical punishment on our wife, but I was more than happy to deny her physical delight until she obeyed us. Heat rose in my loins at the idea of keeping her dripping and needy until she learned not to be so danged willful.

“Too late.” He pointed up the street heading north out of town. Maddy was already trotting away, using her hands and feet to guide her horse as neat as anything.

I chuckled and shook my head. She’d managed to escape while I’d been thinking of how she looked while we fucked her. “Well, we wanted someone who had a good hand with horses.”

To my surprise, our horses didn’t fight us and seemed happy to follow her. Aside from that, we got to watch her pretty bottom all the way home. We had plans for that backside. Sensing my inattention, my horse danced a jig, reminding me to keep my mind on business.

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