His sisters-in-law clapped, and Hays let out a long, low whistle, while Bowie tried to pretend nothing unusual had happened. Pa beamed, and Austin gave Bowie a long, speculative look.
By the time evening rolled around, Bowie had had his fill of the talk and laughter. As much as he enjoyed his family, he needed to get away from people for a while to feel like himself again. His brothers and their wives departed, two-by-two, until only Austin and Rebekah who lived at El Regalo together with Pa remained.
Bowie carried Elise’s new trunk up the stairs. Perla bustled by, her arms full of linens. “One moment, Se?or Bowie. I put fresh sheets on the bed after dinner, and here are clean towels.” She opened the door to his room, already lamp-lit. Bowie paused, considering something he hadn’t thought about until now. With Austin and Rebekah and Pa in the house, not to mention Perla, he and Elise would have to share a room to keep up the notion that theirs was a normal marriage.
He set the trunk on the floor at the end of the bed. Elise stood in the doorway, her shoulders drooping. She straightened when Perla left, pausing to thank the woman for her kindness. The housekeeper smiled and closed the door behind her, leaving Bowie and Elise alone.
Perla had placed a bouquet of flowers on his bureau, something she’d never done before. Black-eyed Susans, old man’s beard, and purple horsemint in a blue pitcher, but he could smell only jasmine … whether he could actually smell it or was only remembering it, he wasn’t sure. His mind kept returning to that kiss, and he couldn’t be certain about anything.
Elise sighed and leaned back against the door. “Whew.”
“You did well today. It’s a lot to take in.”
“It is, but your family is delightful. They clearly care about you. Your father couldn’t be more proud of his sons.” She shook her head and removed the strings of her reticule from around her wrist. “Everyone was so nice. But I’ll admit, I’m ready for bed. I didn’t realize I was so tired until this minute.”
“Elise…” How could he explain that his family would expect them to share this room?
“I had a hard time not laughing when you almost called me Miss Rivers.” She sat on the side of the bed.
And I had a hard time remembering my own name when you kissed me.
“Elise, I really appreciate everything you did today. My family is satisfied that we’re a happily married couple. But, the thing is…”
“… they’re going to expect us to share this room.” Her gaze didn’t flinch. “Of course they are.”
Her calm acceptance of the situation surprised him. “You don’t need to worry about anything. I’ll sleep on the floor.”
She grimaced. “Bowie, I realized something when I was surrounded by all your relatives, when I read my name next to yours on that deed, even more than when I saw it on the marriage certificate.”
Was she sorry? Was she going to back out? Something akin to panic clawed its way up his chest.
“I realized that this marriage is permanent. Whether in-name or not, we are bound together. You can’t sleep on the floor for the rest of your life. We can certainly comport ourselves with propriety. You can stay on your side of the bed, and I on mine, and we can both get a good night’s sleep.”
Once again she stunned him. He needed to get out of here and sort this out in his mind.
“I thought I’d go check on Clara and Stonewall before bed. I imagine you’ll be asleep when I get back.”
She blinked, and after a moment stood and touched him on the arm. “I’ll say good night, then.”
He carried her sweet smile with him as he descended the stairs and went outside.
Clara greeted him in the barn, wriggling and lapping at his hand. Stonewall didn’t rise from his straw bed, merely lifting his head for a moment before curling up again. Bowie ran his hand down Clara’s plump side. “Not long now, huh girl? Tomorrow, we’ll get you moved out to our new place.”
He inhaled the familiar scents of hay and leather and horses in the cavernous barn, grateful to be home. The crowded cities, the smoke and rattle of the train, the constant presence of strangers … he shook his head. He was a Texan, through and through, and now that Elise was on the 7 Heart, he couldn’t imagine a reason he’d ever have to travel that far from home again.
But now he needed to travel back to the house, to that room, to that bed. Bowie didn’t particularly relish sleeping on the floor or sitting up as he had on the train. But the thought of sleeping in a bed with Elise scared him.
Not Elise herself. No, it was the nightmares that kept him from sleeping beside his bride. It was that he couldn’t remember the last time he’d slept the night through without waking in a cold sweat, reliving battles and prison and pain. It embarrassed him, but up to now, he’d been able to keep it to himself … until Elise had gotten past his defenses on the stagecoach.
But she didn’t know that his nightmares were an every-night occurrence. He patted Clara once more, stepped outside into the moonlight, and forced himself to go back to the house.
Chapter Four