The Russian Billionaire’s Secret(135)

“Alright. I’ll see you tonight then.” He tipped his hat to her.

“Until tonight.”

She walked across the street and into the general store. Thirty minutes later, she stepped back out into the sun with two rolls of material for dresses under her arms and the hopes that Em would be able to teach her how to sew it the material into a dress or two. She had heard that women did such things, but she had never seen it done herself.

Chapter 5

A Walk In The Moonlight

For the next week, Belle brought food to the jailhouse for Matt at noon every day. The rest of the time, and she had plenty of it, she spent learning how to sew from Em and working in the garden with the flowers. By the end of the week, she had the flowerbeds and garden patch looking good, though the sun had started to add some color to her face. Em had also taught her much about sewing and she had two simple dresses of her own that she had made. Em had made her another while she learned.

As she lay down, she thought of the next day. It would be Saturday and that was Matt’s day off. He let the deputy take over for the day and puttered around the house so he could relax. She hoped to cook him a big meal and even make a cake to show him how grateful she was for his hospitality. All she had needed to do was find a way to get him out of the house for a couple of hours.

To that end she had bribed Em’s husband with a batch of biscuits and some honey in return for asking Matt’s help on a project for a few hours.

She was excited as she lay down for bed that night. The new dress that she had finished just that evening sat on the dresser. She planned on wearing it when she presented Matt with the cake.

Saturday afternoon, Tom stopped by the house and asked Matt if he could help him with a wagon wheel that he was having problems with. When they had left, Belle went to work in the kitchen. By the time Matt returned a couple hours later, it was nearly dark and she had the food on the table with the cake baking in the oven. He opened the door and stepped into the house.

“Something smells delicious,” he commented as he put his hat on the back of one of the kitchen chairs and sat down.

“It’s a cake,” she explained. “Have some food and by the time we finish eating it should be done.”

“A cake. I haven’t had a cake in a long time.”

She watched with a swelling sense of pride as he ate her food with gusto. After he had eaten a second helping, he pushed his plate back and rubbed his stomach.

“That was some good eats.”

“Thank you. Let me see if the cake is ready.” Finding it satisfactory, she pulled it out of the oven and sat it in front of the window to cool. “It will be ready to eat in just a while. How about another cup of coffee while you wait?”

“I believe I will.”

She was a little disappointed that he hadn’t noticed or said anything about her new dress. Em said that men aren’t likely to notice such things, she told herself.

With a finger, she checked the cake and decided that it was cool enough to cut and eat. She laid it on the table and cut a big slice for Matt. He held out his plate for her to lay it on and for a moment it all seemed right to her. She felt like this was where she was meant to be and her old life seemed like a distant dream that has faded from her memory.

Matt ate the slice of cake and another one besides. She ate a small slice and pushed her plate aside. As she sipped her coffee, she watched him eat with pride. I made that. He likes the food that I made. With a sigh he sat back in his seat and rubbed his thumb and forefinger over his mustache.

“That was a real treat, Belle. I don’t know what made you do it, but I’m grateful for it.”

“I just thought I would thank you for letting me into your home and being so understanding with me. I know I’m supposed to be your wife, but this is all so sudden and...” She stopped short.

“Listen.” He took one of her hands in his. She was surprised by how gentle his hands were despite their rough feel. “I know that this is new for you. It’s new for me too. I figure that we could do this just like we would if we were courting. Take it slow and see how it goes. If it doesn’t work out, I ain’t gonna send you packing. Now how about we take a little walk by the moonlight. It’s a nice evening for it.”

“That sounds lovely.”

As they stepped out onto the street in the moonlit night, Matt offered Belle his arm and she took it. She took the arm not only for her sake, as she was a little scared being outside after dark so far from a big city, but also because she had begun to develop a tenderness for him.

They walked along in silence for a while. Each of them enjoying the moonlit night and the land around them. She didn’t know if his choice to walk up the street toward town had been a deliberate one or not, but she was glad either way.

A lone coyote howled out in the night and she pulled a little closer to him. She liked the way he smelled. He smelled of sweat mixed with leather and a hint of cologne. Right then and there, she decided that was the smell of a man. Although his hands were rough and calloused from years of hard work, they were gentle with her delicate skin.

As they neared the end of the street, she feared that they would keep walking out into the night, but he pulled up short and stared out over the desert for a moment. He turned to her and took both her hands in his.

“You look beautiful in your new dress out here in the moonlight, Belle.”