The Officer and the Bostoner (Historical Western Romance) (Fort Gibson Officers Series, Book 1) by Rose Gordon Read Free Book Online Page A

above him was magnificent, and so was the endless land all around him. In every direction he turned, all he could see was the natural landscape. No cabins or tents. No fences, roads or stagecoaches. Nothing but grass and trees. He’d never seen anything so serene and beautiful until he’d joined the Army. Charleston was a growing city with new businesses opening up with each passing year. Horses, wagons and carriages littered the streets and everyone was in such a hurry, never taking a moment to appreciate the simple things.
    A little flock of seven birds flew overhead. Wes watched them until they were mere specks against the painted sky. Making a kissing sound with his lips, Wes urged Midnight in the direction of the barracks. It was always fun to ride at a breakneck pace away from the barracks, but going back, he liked to go slow and take his time.
    “ Mornin’, Captain,” Chaplain Malone called as Midnight passed the blacksmith’s shop.
    Wes nodded to the man and continued on to the stables where he unsaddled Midnight and rubbed him down.
    Breakfast would be ready soon. He’d best go wake his sleeping bride. He shook his head at the thought. When he was a boy, his mother and father had made sure to emphasize the importance of a man of his means marrying well. They’d love Allison. It was quite clear she was from a wealthy family and would have no trouble playing the lofty role everyone expected of his wife.
    “ Allison, are you awake?” he asked, easing the door to their little room open.
    A ray of bright sunshine poured into the room and hit his sleeping bride right in the face. She sure was a pretty one, he’d give her that. Her mahogany hair was beautiful all pinned up during the day, but seeing it now, unpinned and fanned across her pillow— He jerked his gaze away. She was the absolute last woman he needed to be having such thoughts about.
    He cleared his throat. “Allison.”
    Allison sighed something in her sleep.
    “Allison,” Wes called a little louder, taking a step in her direction.
    Her eyelids fluttered open and then she blinked at him. Clutching the blanket they’d shared last night to her chest, she swallowed visibly. “Yes?”
    “Breakfast will be served in about ten minutes.”
    She nodded and then stared at him.
    He returned her stare. Wasn’t she going to get up and get dressed?
    She cleared her throat.
    “Yes?”
    “ Don’t you plan to leave while I get dressed?”
    A low heat touched his face. “Of course, I’ll just be right out here,” he said, jerking his thumb back behind him. Then without wishing to let on to his unease, he gave her a slight nod, picked up his shako and strolled outside to wait.
    Twenty minutes later, Allison still hadn’t emerged. Truly, there was no reason for it to take so long to get dressed. All she had to do was pull on the dress she’d worn yesterday. It wasn’t as if she had a wardrobe full of gowns to choose from and a jewelry collection to search for something to match.
    But despite his slight annoyance, he’d used his self-control and hadn’t barged in there and demanded she hurry or he’d help her get dressed—yet.
    He pursed his lips. Sharp sounds of forks scraping against metal plates as the men ate downstairs floated to his ears and his stomach growled. “Hurry up in there,” he barked, rapping on the door with his knuckles. “If we wait much longer, all the warm food will be gone.”
    “ I’m coming,” she said, swinging the door open.
    Wes swallowed. Even wearing the same dirty and wrinkled dress as she’d worn yesterday, she was beautiful. “This way,” he said, gesturing to the staircase in front of them.
    Downstairs, he led her to the dining hall, where all the men stopped eating and whistled, grinned, nodded, waggled their eyebrows or did some other annoying gesture to taunt the newlyweds.
    Allison’s cheeks turned pink at the reaction from the men. Wes put his hand on the small of her back and bent his head close to