“Are you comfortable?”
She cut her eyes over to him with a sated smile on her face. “I’ve been well-bedded, well-fed, and I have the most handsome and loving man in the world to snuggle up to under this blanket. I’m in a private open carriage so that I can see the city and the countryside, as well as the ocean, and I’m on my way to an extraordinary place for an amazing lunch with a spectacular view, or so you say. What more could a girl ask for?”
“Well, I’m glad, finally, that I’ve completely satisfied your appetite. And I’m not talking about food.”
She was leaning into him with her head on his shoulder and his arm around her, smiling up at a man she knew wanted to give her everything. Why was it so hard to just let him? “Adam, am I wrong in wanting to do the things I do?”
He tightened his arm around her. “Of course not. Why would you ask that?”
“Sometimes it just seems that…I don’t know…people seem to ask more questions when they find out a woman trains the horses, and a woman signs all the agreements and negotiates cattle prices, and…”
He leaned down and kissed her. “Sweetheart, there will always be…men…who will give you trouble. I’m not one of them. I’m proud of what you’ve accomplished, and I’m proud that you’re good at what you do, and I don’t expect anything less out of you because you’re a wife now. There is one thing, though, that I want you to think about. Men will expect to deal with me with the cattle and timber, and even the silver if we decide we’re going to mine it. You need to let me deal with it. They won’t have a choice with the horses, except for signatures. The horses will always be yours. Your singing contracts will be the same.”
“What if you’re not there?”
“Why wouldn’t I be there?”
“Because you might be traveling for Slater, Cartwright and Slater or off on a cattle drive.”
He smiled down at her. “You just explained to me how completely happy you are right now. Stop working and start enjoying our time together. Our honeymoon will be over much too soon, and you’ll wonder where the time went.”
Not realizing that she had stiffened, she let the tension flow out of her body with a long, slow breath, and settled back in beside him. “Adam, did you know that Robert had both of us investigated?”
“That doesn’t surprise me. I had Jim ask questions about him and his company.”
“You did?”
“Shiloh, when you’re making that kind of business deal, you have to know who you’re dealing with. It’s good business.” Adam knew fairly well what to expect from the Slaters. He had Jim find what he could about the brothers and their company, and the report came back glowing. The brothers had been working in engineering and architecture for a number of years for their father’s company, and when their father sold the business, Robert and Daniel started their own, taking advantage of the already established Slater name. The company had been around for two years, taking on as much work as they could handle and turning what they couldn’t handle between them away. Jim also reported that Daniel had been indulging in other interests outside the business. Apparently, while working for his father, such behavior wasn’t tolerated, but as a full partner with his brother, there was no one to rein him in…until now. Adam knew he’d made an enemy of Daniel, but doubted Daniel would do anything, considering he didn’t have to change much to continue living as he had been. However, once the company started growing, Adam would be prepared for the problem he knew Daniel would become.
“So how was Micah protective of me?” she asked, looking up at him with sparkling eyes and an adorably sweet smile that Adam had come to love.
The corner of Adam’s mouth turned up as he fondly remembered his time with Micah. They had been as close as Adam had been to his brothers, but Micah was his equal, the same age, the same build and height, learning everything about ranching right along with him. And Micah defended his little sister as fiercely as Adam defended his brothers; maybe a little more so because she was…well, a girl. “He was always reminding me that you were a girl, not Joe and Hoss who I could roughhouse with. So if you fell and skinned your knee or you got a splinter in your finger everything stopped until the knee was bandaged or the splinter was removed and your tears were wiped away. I sometimes wonder if Tom Baker would be alive today if Micah had been there when he was picking on you at school.” He looked down at her. “It was obvious how much you loved each other. Then after he died, I tried to keep you included, but you found out that I was with him when he died, and…”
Tears filled her eyes, and she bowed her head. “I’m sorry, Adam. I know what Micah meant to you.”
He raised her face to his, wiping her tears away. “Don’t apologize. You were too young to understand.” Taking a deep breath, he looked up over her head. “There it is.” She turned to see where he was looking. “Smell it?”
“Yes, I do. I can taste it, too.”
Pointing in front of them, he said, “Look there, up on the cliff.”
Once they arrived at the Cliff House, Adam took her right in for lunch, requesting seating at one of the windows overlooking the ocean. While they waited for their lunch to arrive, Adam watched her eyes follow the waves in until they crashed on the rocks below. “We’ll go downstairs to the balcony before we walk to the beach.”
After lunch, he stood back and watched her walk to the balustrade of the balcony as the wind whipped her hair, her skirt, and her cape back toward him. Walking behind her, he put his arms around her, holding her cape closed while propping his chin on her shoulder. “Do you like it here?” he asked.
She turned her head to look into his exquisite eyes. “I think it would be hard to choose between this and the Sierra. I imagine that nature can be just as fickle here as in the mountains; just a different form of fickle.” She was silent for a moment, looking down off the balcony at the water crashing into the rocks below them. “Adam, have you ever been in the Pacific Ocean?”
“I’ve waded on the beach, but I’ve never swam in it. It’s cold,” he laughed.
She looked at him doubtfully. “It can’t be colder than Lake Tahoe.”
“I think the difference is that the lake doesn’t rush up to meet you. You go in on your own terms.” Tilting her head back, she laughed warmly. He watched her. He loved her laugh and that smile of hers that took over her eyes. She turned her face back toward him, and the smile slowly changed into contented bliss; a look that begged for a response. They kissed tenderly, turning and holding on to each other. Brushing her dancing hair back, he looked at her with the same satisfied happiness, then looked around them to see if anyone had witnessed their momentary unseemly behavior. “Here,” he said, handing her a spyglass. “I’ll bet you can find some urchins and starfish on the rocks down there.”
She expanded the spyglass, smiling back at him, then looked through it at the rocks below. Sweeping it back up at the path, she stopped when she saw a man in a dark blue jacket looking back up at her. Refocusing the spyglass on the man’s face, she froze for a moment, then stepped backward into Adam, dropping the spyglass over the banister.
Catching her before she fell to the ground, Adam brought her back up to her feet. When he looked into her eyes, he caught his breath. She was white as a ghost, her eyes were darting back and forth, and she was breathing in short gasps. He looked over the banister, and his mouth drew into a tight line, his nostrils flared and his eyes flashed sparks when the man in the dark blue jacket tipped his hat and trotted down the path away from the Cliff House.
“Shiloh?” She didn’t hear or see him, but her fingers dug into his arms.
“Sir, is something wrong?” asked a clerk from inside.
“Something has frightened her. Would you get a glass of water, please?”
“Yes. Bring her inside out of the wind.”
It took Adam almost a half hour to bring her out of her panicked state. He knelt in front of her, gently slapping her face, trying to get her to look at him rather than through him. When she finally focused on his face, she said softly, “I’m sorry I dropped the spyglass.”
“Don’t worry about the spyglass. I picked it up from a box of them just inside the door of the balcony. Shiloh, what happened?”
“I’m not sure. I thought…I don’t know what I thought.”
Adam studied her. She wouldn’t look him in the eye and now, she was trembling noticeably. She had seen something or someone more than just the man in the dark blue jacket. “I’m taking you back to the hotel.”
“No, please.” Her eyes focused on his. “I’m alright now. I just…I don’t know.” She looked away, but then looked right back at his eyes. “I’d like to walk on the beach. Please.”
“Sweetheart, something happened to you. I think we should go back to the hotel. Maybe have a doctor take a look at you.”
“No!” she shouted, standing and stepping away from him. Still trembling, she swallowed hard, and attempted a smile that didn’t quite make it. “F-four w-walls…” she took a long, slow breath, “…is the l-last th-thing I n-need right now.” Closing her eyes, she breathed deeply again, trying to calm herself. “Please. A walk will do me good.”
Taking her hand, Adam left the Cliff House and walked her down the path to the beach. They walked in silence, stopped to watch the waves roll onto the beach, then walked a little further. Adam squatted to pick up a sand dollar, and when he stood and looked for her, she had taken a few steps back to dry sand and sat down with her knees pulled up in front of her, staring out over the ocean.
Sitting next to her, he gave her the sand dollar. “I’ve never seen one like this,” she said, calmly. “They’re much smaller off the coast of Boston.”
“What frightened you so badly?”
She drew her finger through the sand. “Did you see him?”
“Yes, I saw him. But you’ve seen him before. Why did he frighten you this time?”
“Can we stay and watch the sunset?”
“No, the carriages don’t come out here after dark, but I promise, before we leave I’ll arrange a sunset on a beach for you.” He didn’t ask again. He knew she wouldn’t talk about it until she was ready to talk about it.
You know, some people thought this one is the worst of them all…kind of a fantasy that never would have happened. I don’t know about that. All these places really did exist back then. The Lick House was real and accurately described, the Cliff House and the beach, too. And Santa Cruz in the mid-1800s was the way I described it. The Meders were real, and so was their dairy. In fact a couple of those buildings are still there. Thomas Maquire and his opera house in San Francisco and VC were real. Even the San Francisco mayors I have in the stories were all real. This one’s a story back, but Eliza Biscaciante was real and her story was real. She eventually regained her popularity in South America (from Adam’s encouragement, of course!), but she was singing in Gentlemen’s Clubs in San Francisco for drinks at one point. I love working history into my stories.
I suppose my favorite part of all of this was their time on the beach. I’ve been to that very beach, but it’s not a little hideaway any longer…it’s got quite a surfing crowd these days. But the description of the creek coming off the bluff down through the woods is true as well as the small pool of water on the beach. And you can get stuck on that beach at high tide. The cliffs are so high, you can’t climb out. You either have to swim around the points or you have to wait for the tide to go back out. A lot did happen in this one, but as I said, I think this one is my favorite of them all.
Thanks so much, Marie. I think you have just a little ways to go to the end of this one.
I was in a lot of pain last weekend so I didn’t get to finish it. I’ve been busy all week so I’m looking forward to figuring out where I left off. I love this story. I’m loving the entire series! I love long long stories and a series to boot? What more could I ask for! Okay, off to figure out where I left off before I hurt my back last weekend. 🙂
~ A great way to start a new beginning! I look forward to reading each chapter and commenting about them as I read them. 🙂 I just love this couple!
~ Poor Shiloh, she doesn’t do well on those stage coaches. I don’t think I would have either! I just can’t imagine having to travel via a stage coach to get anywhere. I’m glad they arrived at Sacramento safe and sound…Who is this mysterious man?
~ What an opulent hotel, Adam. Presidential Suite? Very impressive indeed! Who was the gent inquiring about them that didn’t want to identify himself? Hmmmm
~ Adam was very adamant about not letting Shiloh sing even if it was for just one night. I can’t blame him though, they’re on their honeymoon! Somehow I don’t think Shiloh will be in that beautiful nightgown and robe too long after breakfast is over. 😉
~ Oh snap! That witch, Natalie Peterson and Will! I just knew he was the “mystery man”. Those two…ooooooh, this is going to get GOOD! LOL
~ Who is this mysterious thug? No doubt a hinchman for Will. I was hoping Adam would get him and show him a thing or two. I’m sure we haven’t seen the last of him, Will, or that nasty Natalie.
~ I sure would have loved to been at dinner! The food sounded divine. Is Adam and Shiloh moving to SFO? I must keep reading! 🙂
~ I don’t like this Daniel guy. Not respecting the institution of marriage. I think he has a thing for Shiloh. He’s trouble indeed!
~ What is that no good Daniel up to? It seems the whole world is after poor Shiloh. First it’s Will, Natalie and the mystery man, now Daniel. Somehow I think their honeymoon is going to be a firestorm!
~ It’s almost like she saw a ghost! Who…or what did she see? The plot thickens. 😮
~ Shiloh is so good to go along with Adam, even though these types of events are what she despises the most. She’s such a trooper. The mayor’s wife was so excited to see they had a celebrity in the house, however, she was quite rude to drag her around like a rag doll. Poor Shiloh. Oh boy, the well just got deep! Will is going to make it tough for Adam and his new firm. I know Adam will work it out. Don’t mess with a Cartwright, buddy! That darn Peterson woman…I can just see her body language now; like she’s got the upper hand and she’s going to make Shiloh’s life a living hell. rrrrr
~ Well, the mayor’s reception went well….Cartwrights 1, Will and Natalie, 0. ROTFL
~ What a powerful chapter. How stupid is Will? I mean to come to the hotel where Adam and Shiloh are staying and make such a scene. Did he think it would end well for him? Now the hotel has his face and he will be escorted out if he tries to step in again. I can’t wait to see what Natalie has up here sleeve. I almost feel sorry for her, though…Natalie, that is…She’s just a pawn in this scheme. I’m not sure if she wants Will or if she wants Adam, but she’s a sad lost soul; I pity her.
~ How cute was this chapter. I loved the “escort” Shiloh had for the banquet hall and the “password”. Pretty clever of shiloh to come up with something only Adam would know. I loved their banter at the breakfast table. Too cute!
~ How sweet are Mary and Harold? The seawall thing was so fun! I don’t think I would want to do it in the dead of winter but it might be something fun to share with your beloved in the summer! I loved this chapter!
~ The Alta California is nothing but a sleazy rag paper. On the front page no doubt. I wonder how much money Will paid them to run that article. He’s such a sleaze bag. I sure hope Shiloh does not find out about this; she’ll be heartbroken thinking she’s caused all of this drama for Adam. What she doesn’t know is if you mess with the Cartwrights, you’re messing with a mighty empire nobody can defend against.
~ What a lighthearted chapter. It was so good to see Shiloh smile and be childlike again. I was so sorry Adam couldn’t fully enjoy it with her. 🙁 I hope she is able to get him to feel the inner child he never got to experience. I was just glad they were finally free of all the drama which had encapsulated them in SFO. I just wonder if there is not drama around the bend….
~ Will is a scoundrel! Thank goodness the mayor sees through his stupidness and told him to keep his personal life out of his professional one. I have a sneaking suspicion good ole Will is going to amp it up a notch to try and discredit Adam with not only SFO but with Shiloh, too! Spec, Spec, Spec…She’s a character! I love that girl! ROTFL
~ Sounds like they’re finally going to be able to have the honeymoon they were expecting. The little town they are going to visit sounds delightful. The thought of Shiloh getting kidnapped by Will…makes me shiver.
~ Okay, I don’t know if I was stone cold drunk would I try a fried grasshopper. LOL but wow, that was too funny! The food sounded fantastic, however, I don’t do any seafood or fish, but I do love empanadas! Loved seeing them having such a great time in Spanishtown, even if the jerk who’s following them showed up.
~ What is Daniel up to and what does he want with Will? Those two along with Natalie; a deadly combo. 🙁 Shiloh seeing Micah? What?? Oh poor thing. She wants so much for her brother to be alive. :'(
~ I feel so bad for them, they can’t seem to catch a break on the drama left behind at SFO. Hopefully their time in Santa Cruz will be more enjoyable. The clipper ship sounded lovely.
~ Shiloh’s so cute. She’s a feisty thing and Adam has her hands full. I can understand her frustration with Adam not being forthright about the accusations Will thrusted upon him trying to get the Mayor to take away the contract for the courthouse, but at the same time I see Adam’s point, why burden her with the nonsense when he knew there was no merit to it and the mayor dismissed Will’s claim? She has so much already on her plate and what purpose would it serve her for him to tell her about Will’s ridiculous attempts to try and hurt him and the new company he is with.
~ What a great chapter. It seems maybe they should have gone to Santa Cruz for their honeymoon instead and just let everyone think they were going to San Francisco. LOL Loved how she got a bit tipsy again. Very cute! “Liar,” she said. ROTFL Loved it!
~Somehow I don’t think Shiloh’s to keen on learning the ropes of a dairy farm. LOL She did seem to enjoy the trip to the Meder farm though. 🙂
~ Interesting on how they made cheese and butter back then. I don’t think I like the whole rennent thing though. 🙁 Thank goodness I wasn’t born back in the 19th century or on a farm. I’m too much of a city girl! LOL
~ Why do I feel something is going to happen while they’re camping? Sounds blissful though…If you like camping and fishing. Seems it’s right up Shiloh’s alley!
~ I think Adam may have trouble getting Shiloh to leave their little private slice of heaven. I loved this chapter. I’m glad everything is going so well…for now. 😉
~ Shame on you, Adam Cartwright, for making Shiloh…no forcing her to face her fear of the water the way you did. He needs to realize you have to slowly let someone adjust to a fear. Help them in a safe environment. He’s lucky it didn’t backfire on him and her fear become worse when she was knocked about by the wave that took her under. I’m a good swimmer and that’s happened to me on more than one occasion and it’s scary as heck! Oh, Adam, I’m not happy with you. 🙁 Thank goodness Shiloh is strong and is willing to try it again.
~ My heart stopped when Adam called for Shiloh and she didn’t answer. I thought I can only imagine the fear that set in to him as he called her and no answer came. I can breathe again.
~ Ick…I don’t know if I would want to wake up to raccoons, skunks, and rabbits in my camp. LOL
~ Awe, I wonder if she is pregnant. She’ll make a great mom. She just doesn’t know it yet. 🙂
~ I never thought Ben would be such a “traditionalist” not wanting to move The Ponderosa forward. I can see how that would frustrate Adam. He’ll have to use his ingenuity at the Flying W.
~ I hope she’s not going to have issues having children. They’ll both make great parents. I kind of hope she is with child. 🙂
~ This poor couple haven’t had much of a honeymoon when they’ve been in the city. I guess that’s why Shiloh enjoyed the beach and Santa Cruz so much. Nobody knew them and most of all, they were away from Will!
~ Wow! What a great ending! Such a great opportunity for both Adam, Shiloh, and both ranches to be involved with the railroad. I know it was hard for Shiloh to have Adam sign the contracts instead of her now that she was married to him. I’m glad those times have changed! While I still am somewhat of a traditionalist at heart, I believe a woman can stand firmly on her own and share equally in a marriage partnership. It seems Shiloh and I think a lot alike. 🙂
Looking forward to the next story in the series!
Thanks for such a sweet tender story. I hope we get to see Will and his sidekick again. I love seeing them make fools of themselves. LOL