Chapter 5

At the sound of hoofbeats, Honor turned toward the trail from the ranch house. Her brow furrowed. Ash? Not that she was trying to hide, but … how had he found her? She swallowed the lump of emotion that often accompanied memories of Papa, then dabbed her eyes to remove any telltale signs of tears.

Ash eased back on the reins and stared, his gaze traveling from her head to her muddrenched toes. A bemused grin crossed his face. “What on earth are you doing?”

She shrugged. “I come up here to think.”

Saddle leather creaked as he dismounted. He approached and looked down at her feet. “You’re thinking … in mud.”

“That’d be about the size of it.” She wiggled her toes. “You sound surprised.”

“Shouldn’t I be?”

“You ever tried it?”

Ash guffawed. “No. Ashton Junior’s children were never allowed near mud.”

Her jaw went slack. A man who’d never played in mud … she’d never heard of such a thing. What had his childhood consisted of, if not getting dirty in work and play? “Come try it. You don’t know what you’re missing.”

Again, he laughed. “I can think just fine without making a mess.”

She took a long look at him. His work clothes still bore the creases they came with from the seamstress’s shop. While they were a bit dusty, they weren’t soiled. Not in the way Papa’s clothes—or hers—got when they’d been working hard. Could it be that Ash didn’t know how to get dirty? Hard to believe, but sometimes the truth of things took a strange turn.

“C’mon. It’s fun.”

Her husband shook his head, smiling as if she were daft. “I thought you’d want to know the Donovans came by a bit ago.”

“Are they still down there?”

“They went home, but when Julia heard you’d left, she said you had a special place up here.” He turned to look around the sprawling meadow. “I can see why. It’s quite beautiful.”

Yes, it was.…

While his back was turned, Honor bent and scooped a small handful of mud and molded it into a ball. “Ash, would you help me a minute? I need to clean up in the creek, but I don’t want to slip.”

“Of course.” He hurried to her and offered his hand.

“Thank you.” With a sweet smile, she slid her hand into his and squeezed. Mud oozed between their fingers

Ash’s eyes widened, and he yanked away.

Honor held back a chuckle. How would he react? He stared at his dirty hand, and she bit her lip. Was he angry? She’d meant it only in fun.… “Ash, I’m sor—”

His brown eyes met hers. A wicked grin sprouted on his lips as he reached over—and smeared the mud across her cheek and down her neck.

She cackled and stretched one mud-laden finger out to fill that annoying cleft in his chin. He twisted away, smearing the mud across his jawline instead. Honor snatched another handful as he ducked and raced several steps out of her reach.

They darted around the meadow, Ash ducking and weaving every time she got close. He sprinted back to the mud, grabbed a handful, and held it as if ready to lob it at her. Honor squealed and darted behind another tree.

Footsteps whispered in the grass. Her back pressed to the trunk, she waited. She attempted to quiet her breathing as the whispering footsteps ceased. She twisted to her left and peeked from behind the tree—not there—then looked right. They were nose to nose. She gasped.

Ash caught her wrist and held up the mud ball with a devilish smile. “Do you yield?”

She matched his grin and smeared muck across his chin. “Never.”

Eyes narrowed, he looped his hand around the back of her neck, grinding the sludge into her skin.

His thumb brushed against her cheek, lingering there. Their eyes met and held, and his expression softened. A second passed before he swiped the back of his hand across his mouth, smearing the mud away from his lips. He bent.

Honor’s eyes closed, and she held her breath as his lips touched hers softly, sweetly. Her lips parted of their own accord. A stuttering little sigh escaped as he shifted closer. Her arms circled around him. Suddenly dizzy, she twisted her chin down and away as she melted in his arms, her head resting against him.

Ash held her, his hands shifting to her rib cage. “Are you all right?”

She blinked and closed her eyes again.

“Honor?”

“Do that again.…” The words were a breathy whisper.

“The last time you dared me to do something again, I got my foot stomped.”

Honor smiled. “This wasn’t a dare. It was a request.”

A throaty chuckle escaped him, and he pushed away just enough to peer into her eyes. “Are you sure?”

With a shaky smile, Honor nodded.

The timorous look in her astonishingly blue eyes sent Ash’s heart into a gallop. He grinned and leaned in. This time, she met him halfway. With her arms still circling his body, Ash drank in the feel of her. Soft. Warm. Perfect.

All woman. His bride.

He settled her back against the tree trunk, and his hands skimmed her sides toward the curve of her hips as he deepened the kiss.

Honor tensed and pushed him away. Eyes huge, she took a big step sideways.

“What’s wrong?”

“I … I’m not ready for …” She straightened her shirt, eyes averted.

“You’re not ready to kiss me?” Ash arched a brow. “You just did, and you asked me to do it again.”

Even the mud caked from her hairline to shirt collar couldn’t hide the flush brightening her face. “I don’t mean that part.” Her voice dropped to a hushed tone, and she shot him a sheepish gaze. “I kind of liked that.”

Well, that was a start.

“Then—?”

“I’m not ready for where that can lead.”

Ahh. His shoulders slumped. Just when they were making progress, she put up another wall. “Honor, we’ve lived under the same roof for several weeks. Have I not been a gentleman thus far?”

She nodded. “You have.”

“Why would you think that would change?”

“I’m your wife. Was I wrong to assume you’d expect …”

Ash closed his eyes, memories of his parents flashing through his mind. “We are husband and wife, and I would be lying if I said I didn’t hope for more.” He looked at her. “But I won’t force you where you’re not ready to go. I want both of our hearts to be in it when we cross that line.” He wouldn’t allow himself to become like his father.

She looked away but let out a breath. “Thank you.”

He pulled her into his arms again and settled his cheek against her temple. “What do you say we head home and get cleaned up. Or were you in need of more thinking time in the mud?”

She chuckled. “I’ve had enough mud for now.”

They washed up in the creek, though neither of them got truly clean. After Honor put on her socks and boots, Ash helped her into the saddle and mounted up as well.

“Nate stopped by.” Ash made the announcement as Honor led the way down the narrow path toward home.

She looked over her shoulder at him. “Oh?”

“I’d just finished with the stalls and found him on the front porch. He brought us a wedding gift.”

Without stopping her horse, she twisted in the saddle to stare at him. “That doesn’t sound like Nate.”

He locked eyes with her. “It was a live rattlesnake in a flour sack.”

She spun her mount to face him. “You weren’t hurt, were you?”

“No.” Scared. But he wasn’t ready to admit that to his bride. “I was very glad you weren’t around for that episode.”

“Nate should be glad I wasn’t around.…” Though she mumbled, her words were plenty clear. “I’m glad he didn’t hurt you.”

“Thank you.” He took another good look at her and stifled a chuckle. She was a mess.

A truly beautiful one.

Honor headed down the path again, and as they continued in quiet conversation, his thoughts rattled between Nate’s visit, their muddy encounter, and their kisses. When the path widened out toward the bottom, he urged his mount forward and came alongside her.

“I had fun with you, Honor Cahill.”

An impish sparkle lit her eyes. “That’s Honor Rutherford to you.”

He snorted. “Why, yes it is.”

They laughed as they rounded the barn into the yard. Both drew to a halt at the sight of an empty carriage standing near the house.

“Ash!” Familiar squeals split the air as his younger sisters, Eliza and Lucy, bolted from the porch. Behind them, Mother stepped down, her eyes wide. And behind her, stoic and scowling as usual, sat Father.