A Headstrong Woman(109)
“Ted!” Jonathon smiled.
“I think Montana agrees with you, that or the local ladies,” Ted’s gaze came to rest on Alexandria. He moved to stand in front of her and took her hand in his before kissing the back of it.
“You must be Mrs. Morris. I must say, Jonathon said you were beautiful but his words don’t do you justice,” he greeted her.
Alexandria’s cheeks stained a flattering shade of pink as she searched frantically for an appropriate response.
Jonathon stepped in, “Ted, let me properly introduce you. Alexandria, this is Theodore Stewart or Ted as most people call him. Ted, Alexandria Stewart, my wife,” Jonathon introduced them.
Alexandria looked Ted over and noted the strong facial resemblance the two men shared and their similar builds. Ted’s eyes, however, reminded her of her light gray, wool winter mantel that hung in her chifferobe upstairs.
“Wife? When did this occur?” Ted’s face lit with delight.
“Today,” Jonathon smiled back.
“Congratulations, I guess this means I’ll have to find another beauty to pursue, mores the pity,” Ted grinned. “So tell me, are all the ladies out here as pretty as your wife?”
“I wouldn’t count on that,” Jonathon placed his hand possessively on Alexandria’s lower back. Alexandria was afraid that her cheeks were going to be permanently stained pink by the time the two were through with their outrageous flattery.
“I did see one striking beauty in town. A rather curious creature it would seem, she openly stared at me,” Ted related, “or at least she did until I met her gaze.”
“If she has met your brother she likely thought you were him. Jonathon has more than one or two admirers around here,” Alexandria finally found her tongue.
“He’s always been blessed in that respect,” Ted laughed.
“Blessed? Don’t you mean cursed?” Jonathon muttered.
“I consider it a blessing indeed,” Ted smiled.
“Come have a seat, Ted. We were about to have dinner.”
“That sounds wonderful. Travel has always whet my appetite,” Ted smiled as he patted his flat stomach.
Lilly had been sitting quietly and watching the exchange.
Alexandria smiled and turned to the brothers, “I think Lilly is a bit confused. Ted is Jonathon’s brother, just as Anna is my sister. Now that Jonathon and I are married that makes him your Uncle Ted,” Alexandria explained.
“I wanna brother,” Lilly said suddenly.
Alexandria felt her cheeks grow quite red.
“Sooner or later I’m positive that you’ll get one, in the meantime, how about an uncle?” Ted noticed the discomfort of his brother and the new bride. Lilly looked thoughtful, then smiled and nodded. The meal passed pleasantly as the two brothers caught up and Ted shared some of his and Jonathon ‘misadventures’ as he called them, from their youth. Alexandria had taken to her brother-in-law by the end of the meal and couldn’t remember the last time she had laughed so much.
“It just occurred to me to ask what you’re doing here,” Jonathon commented to his brother.
“You didn’t get my message?” Ted looked confused.
“What message?” Jonathon frowned.
“That the farm sold and I would be arriving today; would have arrived this morning if not for a delay in the town of Jasper.”
“You sold your farm?” Alexandria asked Jonathon in surprise.
“Yeah, I had already decided to stay out here before I proposed,” he confessed. Alexandria sat quietly trying to digest this as the men continued to talk. Ted excused himself and Jonathon pulled Alexandria into the parlor to speak with her.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. I just thought…I guess I felt that I had made it impossible for you to return to your own place and your family but you had already decided to stay here.”
“Do you feel better knowing that?”
“I guess, I don’t really know,” she admitted. She wasn’t certain what she was feeling about anything at the moment.
Jonathon chuckled and caressed her cheek. “I suppose that I should get my things from the bunk house.”
“I’d nearly forgotten that you hadn’t,” Alexandria admitted.
“Alexandria, we haven’t discussed sleeping arrangements. If you prefer, I will make one of the spare rooms into my own,” he offered. Alexandria frowned. She hadn’t fully considered sleeping arrangements. She didn’t know if she was ready for intimacy but feared that separate rooms would make the transition more difficult and uncomfortable. Still, it would be unfair to suggest they share a room and bed but not intimacy. Then again, she had no particular desire to send Jonathon to his own room in front of his brother.