“That’s why I ain’t takin’ any chances,” Teddy grinned. “I’ll carry you over each one, so’s we start this marriage out right.”
The next hour was a whirlwind as an impromptu wedding supper was organized with what was already on offer at the Hampton House.
Amanda was whisked from person to person on Teddy’s arm while the Hampton men and women organized her things and had them loaded in a wagon.
The young woman was all but dizzy by the time she was handed up onto the hard bench seat of a buckboard wagon, her trunks and bags heaped high behind her.
“All set?” Teddy looked up, meeting her eyes as he stuffed the train of her now bedraggled gown under her feet. “It’s time to go home, Mrs. Lewis.”
Amanda’s eyes grew wide at the man’s words, and she started to shake as the reality of her rash decision struck home. She was a married woman. She had married a virtual stranger and was now headed to his humble abode as a wife.
Her mind drifted to the conversation she’d had with Ellen a short while ago and her knees went weak. How was she supposed to get through this night? Could she find the strength to give herself to the man who had just settled beside her?
Amanda flicked her eyes toward Mr. Lewis, studying his face as he grinned at her and set the team into motion.
“Just wait till Cap’n Dan finds out I got hitched,” the man beamed. “He’ll be tickled pink.”
Amanda folded her hands in her lap and lifted a prayer to heaven above. She had made her choice. Now, she had to live with it.
“Is that your horse?” she asked, her voice breaking as she glimpsed the black and white pinto tied to the back of the wagon.
“That’s Pepper,” Teddy said, his voice full of pride. “One of the best cow ponies ever to set foot in Texas.”
Amanda smiled, wondering if she might have a horse of her own at some point. She didn’t even know what Mr. Lewis’s situation was other than he worked for one of the biggest ranches in the area.
Silence engulfed the wagon as the team trotted toward the ranch, and Teddy shifted, wondering if his new bride was having second thoughts.
“Amanda?” Teddy’s voice was gentle and pulled her from her thoughts. “You know it’s my duty to protect and care for you. If you don’t feel right about anything, you tell me.”
Amanda looked up, meeting his serious eyes. “Thank you, Mr. Lewis,” she smiled. “I believe I’m a little overwhelmed by everything, that’s all.”
“Teddy,” the young man said, squeezing her hand. “Call me, Teddy.”
Amanda felt her jaw go slack as his name seemed to wrap her in a strange sense of awe. “Teddy,” she tried, but the name stumbled on her tongue. “I’ve never used a man’s Christian name before. It feels strange.” For several moments she studied the man she had married pondering her discomfort with the diminutive of his name. “May I call you, Theo?”
Teddy straightened as his name tripped off her lips, the sound bringing with it a sense of responsibility and manliness. “I think I’d like that,” he agreed. “It has a nice ring.”
Amanda smiled, feeling more comfortable with the formality of Mr. Lewis’s name. Surely if she could get through this night, everything would fall into place come morning.
Teddy scooped his new bride out of the wagon as he pulled up to the little cabin he called home, and boldly carried her across the threshold. He liked the way the little woman felt in his arms, and he longed to kiss her again.
Stepping through the door of his private domain, he lowered his lips, kissing her softly. “Welcome home, Mrs. Lewis,” he grinned. “Your castle awaits.”
Amanda laughed despite the flutter of nerves in her belly. The place was no palace, but it seemed sturdy enough. Her eyes fell on the three-quarter bed by the fireplace and heat raced to her cheeks. “I think you can put me down now,” she whispered.
Teddy carefully lowered Amanda to the floor, her delicate white boots clicking on the hardwood. “I know it ain’t much,” he said, “but in time, we can add on. The cattle business is good, and Dan pays fair wages. I’ll fetch your things while you make yourself ta home.”
Amanda turned slowly, taking in the simple building. It had a fireplace, a bed, a small cupboard, a bureau, and one solitary window. A washbasin sat by the door and a bucket in the far corner. Primitive was the word she would have used to describe the cabin.
“What do you think?” Teddy asked, carrying a heavy trunk inside and placing it in a corner.
“You don’t have a kitchen?”
“No, but I can order a stove from the Sears and Roebuck catalog if you’d like. I take all of my meals at the big house, so I never considered the need for a kitchen or any such thing.” Teddy scratched his head under his hat then turned to retrieve another trunk from the wagon.
Amanda felt her shoulders sag as Theo’s words sank in. She wouldn’t have to cook, at least not yet. They could eat at the main house for a while. Perhaps the pretty Rosa would teach her to cook, and in time, she would be a proper country wife.
“How much did you bring with you?” Teddy asked, carrying another trunk into the cabin, his knees bent against the strain.
“Only what I thought I’d need,” Amanda replied. “I can send for the rest later.”
“The rest?” Teddy stood, rubbing his spine. “I didn’t know women needed so much.”
Amanda studied her shoes, uncertain of what to say. “I’m sure I can adjust to much less.”
Teddy felt like a heel, he hadn’t meant to make his young bride feel ashamed. He was genuinely shocked at the amount of baggage that had accompanied her.
“I didn’t mean nothin’ by it,” he said, stepping up and lifting her chin. “This is your home, and I want
