Page 55 of Colorado Bride
He grinned.
“You kept it in the pasture.”
“Let me try this again.”
She aimed and fired, prepared for the recoil, she didn’t allow the gun to rise as high as before.
“You hit the stump.That’s great.Fire again.”
Emily did.She fired again and again.Emptied the Colt, reloaded and shot all the bullets again.
By the time Emily heard the call to quit, her arms ached from holding the gun.
Ben practically had to pry it out of her hands.
He reloaded the weapon and holstered it.
“Lord, but I hurt.”
“Come here.”
She stepped forward.
Ben picked up her hand.He massaged her palm, each of her fingers and her wrist.Then he placed his hands on her upper arms and rubbed, digging his fingers into her sore muscles.
She didn’t know whether to moan in delight or holler in pain.
By the time he’d finished with both arms, she almost felt like herself again.
“Thank you.I feel much better.”
“That gun is too heavy for you.I’ll see about getting a smaller one.”
She wrapped her arms around his waist and gazed up at her husband.
“Thank you.That’s the second nicest thing you’ve done for me today.”
He grinned.
“Come into the barn and I’ll do something even nicer.”
“Really?In the barn?Again?I’ve still got a meal to fix so you’ll have to be fast.”
“Uh huh.I planned for it.I knew you’d be tired and totally unable to resist your handsome husband.”
Emily giggled.
“You sir, are a wicked, wicked man.”
“And that’s why you love me.”
She stiffened.
“What makes you think I would love you?I can’t, and I won’t, until you can admit that you are able to love me in return.”
She stepped out of his embrace, turned and walked back up to the house.
He hadn’t disagreed, just let her go.
