Boaz's Wager Read online

  “Everything’s fine,” Patty assured her. “I paid him the amount due to him. He’s gone his way.”

  “I don’t know.” Heather crossed her arms. “He’s a sly fox. You can’t trust him.”

  Patty waved off her argument. “The mayor was there to help arrange the whole thing.”

  “You better hope Greg doesn’t find out he was tricked into marrying you.”

  “He won’t unless you two say something.”

  “We’re not going to say anything. Besides, how can we if we don’t know the details of the arrangement you made?” Then after a pause, she added, “You and Greg will be a good match once he realizes you’re perfect for him, though you need to be honest about who you are in order for him to see it.”

  Patty shook her head, indicating that she didn’t believe Heather and rose to her feet. “I better go. I want to be sure one of his ranch hands secures all the stalls.”

  “You think one of his ranch hands isn’t doing his job?”

  Shrugging, she said, “It’s a hunch. Nothing more. I won’t say anything unless I find out for sure. Thank you for lending me a caring ear.” Turning to Eva, she added, “And it was nice to meet you.”

  Eva returned the sentiment and watched as Patty got on her horse. Though she dressed very ladylike, she mounted the steed like a man, something Eva suspected was so natural for her, she didn’t even think about the fact that she was wearing a dress. With a groan, Patty readjusted her legs so she was sitting on the saddle like a woman and smoothed the dress to properly cover her legs.

  “She’s used to riding with her legs on either side of the horse, isn’t she?” Eva guessed as she and Heather waved to Patty who headed off the property.

  “She’s used to doing almost everything the way a man does,” Heather replied. “Her mother died when she was six, so she started following her pa around all the time and learned to do everything he does on his ranch. If she had a mother role model, it’d be more natural for her to act like a woman.”

  “The poor girl. I can’t imagine what my childhood would have been like without my mother.”

  Eva would have missed all of her mother’s hugs, caring ear, and steadfast love. Not that her father hadn’t been good, but there was something softer about a mother. She glanced at Hannah who had joined Leroy in throwing rocks into the air. At least they had had Heather and their grandmother to give them the nurturing care they needed. And now she had taken over that role.

  “Eva,” Heather began.

  Eva turned her gaze back to her new friend. “Yes?”

  “I think I know what might work for you and Boaz.”

  “You do?”

  Heather lowered her voice. “Have you heard of a sheath?”

  Eyebrows furrowed, she shook her head.

  “My brother used to pick some up when he went around with certain ladies.” She cleared her throat. “Anyway, a sheath is something a man can put over his thing when he has an erection. That way, he can make love to her without risking a pregnancy.”

  “His thing?”

  Heather’s cheeks grew pink but she pressed forward. “Did your mother ever give you the talk?”

  “No.”

  “It’s simple, really. The man is born with a penis. When he’s attracted to a woman, the penis grows longer. During lovemaking, that part of him goes into the woman, between her legs. Then he releases his seed, and that’s how a woman gets pregnant. A sheath covers his penis so the seed stays inside it.”

  “Oh! You mean it acts like a barrier, like a glove.”

  “Yes.” After a moment, she added, “My brother had a couple in the pocket of the cloak he put on me when he took me to a saloon.”

  “Your brother took you to a saloon?”

  “It’s not important. Just wait here and I’ll be right back.”

  Curious, Eva watched as Heather hurried into the house, wondering what kind of brother Heather had. What a horrible thing for a brother to do to his sister. From the looks of it, Heather was fine so she knew everything turned out alright, but she suspected there were moments when it must have seemed like Heather’s situation looked bleak. Maybe Heather would share her story with her some time. Maybe not. Either way, it was Heather’s business and she would tell her if she wanted to.

  When Heather came back out on the porch, she turned her back to the children and presented Eva with a small paper bag. “There are three sheaths in here. They’ve never been used, so it’s safe to use them. Boaz will have to get more. But these will at least get you two started.”

  “Started. Just how many does he need to put on in order to consummate our marriage?”

  With a chuckle, Heather slipped the bag into Eva’s pocket. “Only one, but if Boaz is anything like Mitch, he’ll want to do it more than once in a night.”

  “Really?” Despite the heat rising in her cheeks, she forced out, “How many times does Mitch like to do it in a night?”

  “Two or three. It depends on how busy the day has been. Of course, there are other things you can do, but I’ll let Boaz explain that.”

  “Alright.” Unsure of what else to say, she added, “Um, thank you.”

  “You’re welcome. Unlike Greg, Boaz wanted to be married. I don’t think you’ll have a hard time convincing him to slip a sheath on if you mention you have one.”

  Maybe not, but Eva wondered if she could do anything that bold. It was so unlike her. But at least she had something now that seemed like it just might work. The problem, of course, was finding the right time to try it.

  Chapter Sixteen

  “Heather gave you what?” Rachel asked the next day.

  “Shh…” Eva glanced at Leroy and Hannah who were playing in the front yard, relieved when they didn’t glance in Rachel’s direction.

  Right after breakfast, Eva had to talk to Rachel, so she brought Leroy and Hannah right over to her house and told them if they played nicely in the yard, then she’d give them cookies when they got home. And so far, it worked. But if Rachel insisted on being loud, they might come over to find out what was going on and this wasn’t a conversation they ought to hear.

  “I’m sorry, Eva. I was surprised, that’s all.”

  “I know. And it’s alright.” Eva smiled. “I was surprised, too. I didn’t even know things like sheaths existed. Did you?”

  “No.”

  “Heather said her brother had them in the pocket of his cloak and gave her the cloak to wear. He probably forgot he had them.”

  Rachel tapped the arm of her rocking chair for a moment before leaning toward Eva. “What do they look like?”

  “I brought one over to show you.” With a glance around to make sure no one saw them, Eva pulled out the paper bag and opened it so Rachel could look inside it.

  “Is it safe to touch?”

  Giggling, Eva said, “Rubber doesn’t bite.”

  She shot her a wry grin and touched it. “How strange.”

  “Is it a lot different than touching a man’s…you know?”

  This time Rachel was the one who laughed. “Men’s things aren’t made of rubber, Eva, so you tell me.”

  Eva wrapped the bag back up before slipping it back into her pocket. “I only have three. I don’t know where to buy others.”

  “You think Boaz might know?”

  “I assume men know where to get these kinds of things.” For sure, she didn’t have the nerve to go to the mercantile and ask if the owner would order some. “Do you think Boaz will be willing to use them?”

  “Of course he will. Eva, this is perfect. Now you can be with Boaz and not risk getting pregnant.”

  “It would solve that problem. But I don’t know how to,” she shrugged, “bring it up. It’s not something where you can easily slip it into the conversation. I can’t say something like, ‘Today went real well, Boaz. The kids played with the frog, we had soup for lunch, and we even read more of that book I got for them. Oh, by the way, I also have a sheath you could use if you decide to giv
e my bed a try.’”

  Laughing harder, Rachel added, “I think he’d rather give you a try than the bed.”

  “Oh Rachel, you know what I mean.” She shook her head in amusement at her friend’s teasing tone and settled back into her chair. “I can’t believe I’m even having this conversation with you. My parents would be appalled if they knew what I was talking to you about.”

  “Don’t you think our parents talked to their friends about such things when they were our age?”

  “Of course not.”

  “Yes, they did. We just don’t want to think about it because they’re our parents. It’s nothing to be embarrassed about, Eva. People have been doing it since the beginning of time. How do you think we all got here? And,” she shot her a pointed look, “I guarantee you that being with Boaz will be a lot more fun than reading one of your books.”

  “I don’t know. I love reading more than anything.”

  “But your books can’t hold and kiss you, nor can they love you back.”

  Eva reluctantly consented that her friend was right, and when she recalled the last kiss Boaz gave her, she had to admit that she’d rather be kissing him than listening to him read to her. “It’d be nice to have the kind of marriage you do. You and Herb are happy together.”

  “You and Boaz are happy, too. But I will agree that you’ll be even happier when you’re both enjoying the bed.”

  “Enjoying the bed? Aren’t we supposed to be enjoying each other?”

  “Alright, I deserved that one. Yes, if you must be literal, then you two will be much happier when you are enjoying each other while you’re in bed.”

  Still chuckling, Eva turned her attention back to the children. The question wasn’t if she’d mention the sheaths to Boaz. The question was when and how.

  ***

  Boaz tried not to look over at Herb that Sunday at church, but the argument they had still bothered him. Herb was right. Of all the people who never gave up on him, Herb was at the top of the list. His mother and Mitch did more than they were expected to, but even so, Herb had been the only one he had been brutally honest with. He’d seen Boaz at his worst and continued to remember the decent person Boaz had once been.

  Despite his better judgment, he glanced at Herb who was smiling at Rachel. He quickly looked away. True, they were in a public place, but there was no denying the love Herb had for his wife. That should have made Boaz feel much better about the way Eva adored Herb for the way he could play a fiddle. He turned his gaze to Eva who was sitting next to him. On her other side were the children, and at the moment, she was fussing over Hannah who kept fidgeting in the seat.

  She had agreed to treat their marriage like a partnership, and to her credit, she was very gracious about it. She hadn’t been happy about it at first, but she didn’t hold it against him. She was pleasant and sweet. She was good to his children, far better than he hoped a woman would be to children who weren’t her own.

  Why couldn’t he just be happy? So what if she liked the way Herb played his fiddle? Lots of people commented on how well he made music with that thing. Didn’t she have a right to listen to music she enjoyed? She wasn’t asking too much to have an evening or two where she could go to Herb and Rachel’s house or have them come over to their house. She made no other requests.

  With a sigh, he glanced back at Herb who reached out to hold his wife’s hand. A slight twinge of discomfort came over Boaz as he looked at Eva. They didn’t hold hands. In fact, they sat far enough apart so there was a small space between them. The memory of her touch that morning still made his arm tingle. Had he never known a woman intimately, the touch wouldn’t have sparked other memories. Memories of how soft the female body was... Memories of how wonderful it felt to be intimate with a woman… Memories of how complete he’d been afterwards… He shoved the recollections aside. He didn’t want to think about them. It was better for everyone if he didn’t.

  When the service was over, he tapped Eva’s shoulder to get her attention since she was helping Hannah put on her bonnet. She glanced over at him. “Yes?”

  He motioned to Herb and Rachel who were talking to a couple of old women. “Would you like to visit with them again?”

  Her eyes lit up for a moment but then she offered a hesitant smile. “I don’t want to do anything that makes you uncomfortable.”

  “Why would it make me uncomfortable?”

  She shrugged. “Well, they don’t have children and we do. Hannah and Leroy got a little restless at their house last time.”

  He suspected there was more to it than what she was saying but didn’t know the best way to ask about it. Instead, he said, “We could have them come over to our house. Then Hannah and Leroy can play out in the yard if they get bored.”

  She bit her lower lip then looked over at them. “Are you sure?”

  “Yes. We can invite them over for supper tonight.”

  “Well, it would be nice to see Rachel.”

  Relieved, he released his breath. Good. She hadn’t mentioned Herb or his fiddle. Maybe he had been overreacting to the whole thing. Maybe she wasn’t as enamored with Herb’s playing as he thought she was.

  “Alright,” she replied and motioned for the children to join them as she stood up. “I’d love to have them over for supper.”

  Nodding, he led them over to Herb and Rachel. Not surprising, Herb didn’t seem happy to see him, though he offered a smile and a greeting to Eva and the children. Well, he promised Eva they’d invite Herb and Rachel over, and that’s what he’d do. If Herb wanted to say no, then he had every right to do so.

  He cleared his throat. “Eva and I were wondering if you two would like to come to supper tonight?” Though he asked both of them the question, he couldn’t manage to make eye contact with Herb. He chose, instead, to direct the question to Rachel.

  “Yes,” Eva added before they replied, “and I do so hope you’d delight us again with your fine violin music.”

  This time Herb did make eye contact with Boaz, and though Boaz wasn’t thrilled with the idea, he shot him a hopeful look. It was for Eva. After all she’d done for him, this was the least he could do.

  “I’d be happy to,” Herb told Eva whose smile widened before she glanced at Boaz and lowered her gaze.

  Boaz frowned. Did she harbor feelings for Herb after all? She sure did seem embarrassed that he’d caught her smiling at Herb.

  “Herb found some music in a trunk that is exactly what you love, Eva,” Rachel said.

  Boaz couldn’t be sure, but he thought Eva was squirming with excitement, though she was trying to curb her enthusiasm. Well, why shouldn’t she? She wouldn’t want to let Rachel know she fancied Herb. He shifted uncomfortably and looked at Herb who decided to tell Eva what kind of music he found. It meant nothing to Boaz, but Eva knew all about it since she asked him about sharp and flat notes then referred to something called a scale. After that she rambled on about a few of her favorite composers.

  Leroy and Hannah started swatting at each other and took Eva’s attention off of the lousy fiddle—and Herb. Who knew how long Eva could go on and on about music? Apparently, the woman was an endless source of knowledge in this area and only Herb knew what she was talking about.

  “Children, you must mind your manners,” Eva kindly admonished them. “We’re in public.”

  “I’m bored,” Leroy said.

  Amen! Boaz couldn’t have said it better himself. “We should go home so they can get into comfortable clothes and play outside,” he told Eva.

  “You’re right.” She turned her gaze to Rachel and Herb. “When you have children, you can’t stay and talk as long as you’re used to.”

  Thank goodness for that! Boaz picked Hannah up before she could take another swing at her brother. He had to give it to his daughter. The girl was stronger than she looked and could hold her own against her big brother.

  He set her bonnet back in place and smiled when she wrapped her arms around his neck and called him, “Pa.”
Granted, she then proceeded to complain about her brother, but he supposed that was to be expected. He and Mitch, after all, had had their fair share of arguments.

  Eva told Rachel and Herb she was looking forward to seeing them, and Boaz reluctantly agreed. Then, to his relief, they left.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Eva finished setting the table at the same moment an ear-piercing scream came from the parlor. Hannah! Heart racing, she ran out of the room. She nearly bumped into Boaz in the doorway of the parlor and took a step back, almost tripping but he caught her. Before she had time to think about his touch, she turned her attention to the room expecting to save Hannah from certain danger.

  Hannah pointed to Leroy who was laughing. “He watches me,” she complained.

  It took Eva a moment to realize the reason the little girl was screaming was because Leroy was annoying her. “Wh-what?” she blurted out, her heart still thumping loudly in her ears.

  “Hannah, you can’t scream like that unless you’re actually getting hurt,” Boaz said as he tucked his shirt into his pants.

  Eva’s entire body warmed in embarrassment as he buttoned his pants. Good heavens! Why didn’t she notice his state of undress? She knew he’d been getting ready for supper, after all. She quickly turned her gaze back to Hannah who was crying.

  “He’s watching me,” the girl shrieked.

  With a groan, Boaz went over to Leroy and nudged him to the front door. “Go watch for Herb and Rachel. Let us know when they’re here.” He glanced Eva’s way. “They pulled this from time to time with Mitch and Heather. They must be comfortable here if they’re doing it to us.”

  Unable to make eye contact with him, she offered a nod to indicate she understood. Granted, she hadn’t seen anything, though it would have certainly been interesting if she had. Rachel probably watched Herb get dressed all the time and thought nothing of it. But her marriage wasn’t like Rachel’s.

  While Leroy headed for the porch, mumbling something about his sister being a crybaby, Boaz patted Eva on the back. She jerked, her skin tingling from where he touched her.