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"Yahoo," Lily cried out, holding tightly to my arm. Glancing down, I saw the exhilaration on her face. Uninhibited joy. She shouted again, and I joined in, whooping with my own elation.
It was not the sort of thing a proper English lord did, but I was a cowboy, a Bridgewater man, now.
We must have created quite a commotion because several people exited the cabins and stood on porches, gazing in our direction.
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Keane slowed up so we could all enter together. A couple of the men had rushed to greet us, opening the gate for the three of us to ride in together.
"Welcome home!" Rhys shouted.
"We weren’t expecting you for a few more days," Simon said.
"Woah! Is that a bride?" Cross called out, a huge smile spreading over his face.
A crowd had gathered around us, and I could tell Lily felt self-conscious. "Oh my," she said, breathing hard after the exciting ride from the top of the ridge. She reached up to straighten her hat, tucking clumps of her hair under the brim. "This was hardly the way I wanted to meet my new neighbors. I was screaming like a child all the way down from the ridge. What must they think of me?" she murmured, eyes filled with worry.
"You have no need to fret, sweet Lily," I leaned down to whisper in her ear. "You are among friends here."
She gazed up at me and nodded, but the concern remained.
Keane dismounted and strode toward us. "Come, Lily, and meet some of our Bridgewater friends."
I could feel her stiffen with anxiety, but a couple of the women had stepped forward, smiling. "Welcome to Bridgewater!" they called out and she seemed to relax a tiny amount.
"Oh good! Another woman. Maybe we’ll outnumber the men soon," someone in the crowd said, and laughter followed.
The warmth of their welcome quieted her nerves and when Keane grasped her waist she smiled happily and slid down into his arms, though she blushed when his hand slipped lower and squeezed her bottom as he propelled her forward to meet our friends. I dismounted and joined them, draping my arm over her shoulders.
"Everyone, we’d like to introduce our bride, Lily."
LILY
* * *
Somehow I found myself swept up in a group of strangers. Friendly and welcoming, but strangers nonetheless. It seemed there was an abundance of broad-shouldered-and-handsome men at Bridgewater. Of course, none could hold a candle to Rye and Keane, though I am sure all the other wives felt the same about their men. As it should be.
In the crush of people and excited chatter, Rye and Keane kept a watchful eye on me, which I found immensely comforting. I had not anticipated such a welcome, though. Of course, other than the rantings of Mr. Richard Garner, which contrasted dramatically with the clear affection Rye and Keane had for the ranch and its inhabitants, I knew very little of life at Bridgewater and nothing at all about the other residents.
We’d managed to arrive just in time for the noon meal and were ushered inside a cozy home where Rhys, Cross, Simon, and their wife Olivia lived. I tried to hide my surprise when I realized that Olivia had not two husbands, but three.
"Oh, don’t you worry about that," Olivia laughed, patting my arm. "I’m a bit shocked by it myself." Then she leaned in close and whispered, "but I couldn’t be happier. I know you’ll be happy too, with Rye and Keane. Though I’ll admit I was skeptical when they claimed they were going to find a bride in a week, but those two did it in half that time." She laughed again, and her blue eyes sparkled with warmth and good humor.
"It has been a whirlwind." That was a large understatement.
"Well, welcome to Bridgewater," she said, glancing over my shoulder. "I can see that your men are watching you with hungry eyes. And I don’t think it’s because of the stew I’ve got on the stove." Olivia winked at me. "Being a Bridgewater bride is the best. I can’t wait for us to get to know each other better. But I suspect it might be a few days before those two let you out of the bedroom. You’d best eat up. You’ll need your strength." She laughed again then paused, taking in my heated blush.
"Oh, Lily," she said, "forgive me. I forget that not everyone is used to the way we talk around here. I certainly meant no offense. I’ve been out here in the wilderness too long. I guess I’m starting to act uncivilized."
"Please," I implored, leaning toward her. Something about her drew me in, and I hoped we’d become friends. It had been a long time since I’d had a friend. "Do not concern yourself. I am rather new to all of this, but"—I glanced around and caught Keane and Rye looking at me. Their heated gazes caused the pulses between my thighs to begin in earnest—"I am quite happy to be here and especially happy to meet you."
"I’m sure we’ll become great friends. We’ll have a little get-together in a few days, and you can meet some of the other girls."
"How many are there?"
"Hm." She counted on her fingers. "I guess about fourteen."
I reared back. I had no idea. "Oh my."
