Page 34 of Texas Glory
Her breath caught at the sight of Dallas sitting behind his desk. His head came up, and like a doe that scented danger, she couldn’t move. The lamp on his desk burned low, so low that much of the room remained in shadow. He had the drapes drawn aside so the wide windows gave her a view of a thousand stars twinkling in the night sky.
He scraped his chair across the floor and stood.
She waved her hand. “No. Don’t get up. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to disturb you. I didn’t know you were here.”
He angled his head. “You needed something?”
“I couldn’t sleep. I remembered that I saw some books on your shelves. I thought I might borrow one.”
“Help yourself.”
She licked her dry lips. “Houston was looking for you this afternoon.”
“He found me. His lumber came in. I’ll be going to his place on Sunday to help him build an addition onto his house. You’re welcome to come.”
She thought of Maggie, Houston, and Amelia. She thought she would enjoy spending the day in their company, with people who weren’t always angry. “I’d like that.”
“Good. How was the visit with your family?”
“It was fine. Just fine.” She walked quickly to the bookshelf. “I’ll just be a minute.”
“Take your time.”
Only a half-dozen books stood at attention on the shelf. The covers were frayed and worn. She lifted the lamp higher until she could make out the title of the first book:Whole Art of Husbandry.The book nestled beside it was entitledThe Practical Husbandman.
She trailed her fingers over the spines. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her husband move in beside her. “Have you read these?” she asked.
“Every word,” he said, his voice low, his breath skimming along her neck.
“You read books on how to be a husband?” she asked in awe.
She turned her head to find him staring at her. “I didn’t know,” she explained. “I didn’t know books had been written on this subject. Do you think someone has written a book on wifery that I could read?”
He laughed. Deeply, richly. Smiling broadly, he touched his fingers to her cheek. The warmth that swirled through her body startled her, and she shrank back, her heart beating hard, her breath lodged in her throat.
His smile withered away, and he returned to his chair behind his desk. “Feel free to read any of my books.”
She grabbedThe Practical Husbandman.Surely the advice offered to a husband would apply to a wife. Clutching the book to her breast, she scurried across the room and stopped at the door. She swallowed hard before looking over her shoulder at her husband. He was watching her, but no humor remained in his dark eyes. “Will … will you be coming to bed soon?”
“Do you want me to?” he asked.
She tightened her fingers around the book. Was he giving her a real choice or only another illusion? “I’d rather you didn’t.”
“Then I won’t.” He dipped his pen into the inkwell and began to scrawl in his ledgers, dismissing her in the process.
“Thank you.”
She hurried into the hallway and rushed up the stairs to her room. Setting the lamp on the bedside table, she removed her wrapper and slipped beneath the blankets. She put the pillows behind her back, brought her knees up, and opened the book, anticipating all the secrets it would unlock.
It was not the key she had hoped for.
With the early morning sunlight streaming through the window at the end of the hall, Dallas stood outside the door to his bedroom, knowing he had the right to simply walk into the room, knowing it was a right he wouldn’t exercise. Not yet anyway.
He hated the fear he saw in his wife’s eyes every time she looked at him. The few times he’d touched her, the fear had intensified. What the hell did she think he was going to do: ravage her?
He despised the way she opened the door and peered out as though fearful of what she might find on the other side, but he knocked anyway. She opened the door, and he bit back his frustration at the apprehension reflected in her eyes.
“I’m sending one of my men into town this morning to pick up some supplies. If you’ll give me a list of things you need, I’ll have him pick them up for you.”
