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He gently pressed on her shoulders, forcing her to sit. Her eyes followed him as he walked back into the kitchen. The man sure came from some mighty fine stock.
Michael brought her a plate full of food and a glass of warm buttermilk. She thanked him, then picked up a piece of fried chicken and tore off a chunk. Chewing took more strength than she had, so she put it back down and set the plate aside. She curled into a ball on the sofa and closed her eyes.
Michael filled his plate and headed over to join Selina. His heart melted seeing her curled on the sofa and her food barely touched.
He set his plate next to hers, slid his arms under her shoulders and legs and carried her up the stairs. The woman weighed next to nothing. Selina might act tough, but she felt fragile in his arms, and he could feel her ribs she was so thin. She was eating more than when she had arrived, but not much more. On top of not eating enough, she worked harder than their draft horses during wheat harvest.
He laid her small, sleeping frame on the bed. Poor thing was so tired she didn’t even arouse. He looked at her trousers, her belt and her boots, wishing he could put her into something more comfortable. But even though they were married, he wouldn’t feel right changing her clothes. Instead, he removed her boots and laid a blanket over her.
Tendrils of hair feathered against her pillow. Her lips parted. He wondered what it would be like to kiss her as often as he liked without restraint.
To hold her in his arms whenever he wanted.
To have a real marriage with her.
To love her.
Chapter Eight
Michael headed downstairs. He picked up his plate and sat down at the table, alone. His attention trailed upstairs to where Selina was sleeping. He’d gotten used to eating with her and it felt weird not to. Funny how the woman was starting to grow on him.
He finished his dinner and cleaned up so Selina wouldn’t have to. When he finally headed to his bedroom the wolf howled from his cage near the sofa, making the hair on Michael’s neck and arms rise. Before the thing woke up Selina, he hurried and snatched it out of its cage, rushed it outside and set it down on the ground.
The second he let it go, he realized his mistake. The pup took off running into the thick woods. Michael ran after it, dodging trees and branches. He struggled to keep his eyes on where it was heading, but before long the pup had disappeared from his line of vision.
If it were a dog, he would holler its name, but it wasn’t, and the animal had no name. Pushing back thick brush, he searched frantically for the wolf, but it was too dark to see. He knew by the time he got back to the house and grabbed a lantern, the thing would be long gone, if it wasn’t already. As much as he didn’t want the wolf around, he felt like a louse that it was his fault the animal was gone. He should have paid more attention to what he was doing.
How was he going to tell Selina what he had done?
And would she believe him after all the fuss he’d made about having the wolf in the first place?
Selina squinted and placed her hand over her face to block out the light coming in through her bedroom window.
Light?
She bolted up and looked around. What time was it, anyway? She threw the covers back and, since she was already dressed, flew down the stairs and glanced at the grandfather clock. Fifteen minutes after eight. Jumpin’ crickets. She had way overslept.
The house was quiet. Michael had already gone to work, and that poor wolf pup hadn’t been fed or tended to since last night. Her attention drifted to the empty cage.
Empty? Her heart flew to her toes. She ran through the house in search of the pup, but he was nowhere to be found.
She rushed outside, checking all around the house, under the porch, through the trees, under every bush, all the way down to the barn, and still no sign of the young critter.
She bridled Macy and then rode off, widening her search. A rider headed her way. Relieved to see it was Michael, she galloped to him and leaped off her horse. So did Michael. “Have you seen the wolf pup, Michael? He’s gone. I can’t find him anywhere.”
Michael’s eyelids dropped.
Oh, no. “Where is he?”
Michael raised his head but wouldn’t look at her. “Last night when you were sleeping he started howling, so I took him outside. When I set him down, he darted off into the woods. I tried to find him, but it was too dark to see where he went. I’m really sorry, Selina.”
Anger bit through her. Was he? The man never did like the idea of her having the wolf pup in the house. Had he let him go on purpose?
“I know what you’re thinking, Selina. I can see it in your eyes, but I didn’t do it on purpose. I wasn’t thinking. I was so concerned he’d wake you up that I forgot to put the rope on him.”
