Second Chances: Aidan's Bride (The McKenzie Series #1) Read online

  “Thanks again,” Aidan muttered, retrieving his purchases from the counter and hefting the bag of flour onto one broad shoulder.

  “Come again soon,” Mr. Thompson called with a smile.

  Aidan made his way out of the shop, having to jostle gently through the pack of eager young ladies. As he tied the bags of supplies to his horse, the women kept up a constant stream of chatter.

  A pretty blonde was clearly the leader of the group. She was even more forward than the others, and she leaned against him, letting her breasts brush against his outer arm. Aidan glanced down at her. She was wearing a floral printed dress with a scooped neckline. He noticed that she had presented him with a daring view into her bodice. As her eyes boldly met his, he was certain she was well aware of just how much he could see.

  “Surely you aren’t leaving so soon, Aidan,” she purred. “Isn’t there any way we can convince you to stay in town a bit longer?”

  He mentally shook his head at her familiarity. He barely knew her. He certainly wasn’t on a first name basis with her.

  Aidan let his eyes drop to her bosom once more. He scanned the ivory mounds that were pressed up on display. The girl was definitely pretty. He couldn’t recall her name, but he knew he had met her once or twice before. She was certainly daring, he would give her that much. He was sure that with only a little encouragement, she could be his.

  The thought was momentarily tempting, but he couldn’t see himself taking such a brazen woman as a wife. That would be inviting the worst kind of trouble. Aidan was not the kind of man to share his wife’s affections, and he knew this little blonde tart would forever be seeking men’s attentions.

  No. While she was exceptionally pretty, she wasn’t the girl for him. Aidan gently pushed her aside and touched the brim of his hat politely. “I’m afraid not, ma’am. I must get home. Good day, ladies.”

  With that, he mounted his horse. The young women groaned and pouted, each trying to catch his eye with a wave as he turned to ride away. Aidan breathed a deep sigh of relief and trotted out of town.

  It was just over five miles from town to his farm, and Aidan was deep in thought as he rode along. He really did want to marry. Eventually.

  Experiences like the one he had just had were common. Every time he or his brothers came into town, they were soon surrounded by eager young ladies. It was one of the reasons they avoided coming in very often. They didn’t like being mobbed.

  Living as a bachelor with just his brothers for company could get mighty lonely. The nights were long, especially during the winter. Unlike his younger brothers, Aidan very rarely availed himself of the services of the saloon girls at Harvey’s.

  Aidan didn’t think that hiring the services of one of the saloon girls was wrong. After all, a healthy young man had certain needs, and every once in a while, he needed a woman to fulfill those needs.

  It wouldn’t be honorable to seduce an unmarried young lady unless he was willing to marry her. Nor would Aidan ever seduce a married woman and have her violate her marriage vows. Therefore, his options were severely limited whenever he sought female companionship.

  Still, there was something about paying a woman that took most of the pleasure out of the act for him. Nonetheless, he did occasionally visit the establishment when his loneliness was extreme. Whenever he did visit Harvey’s, the saloon girls fawned over him and were always eager for his business. While they provided physical relief for his needs, Aidan would have preferred to have those needs met by a loving wife.

  Aidan truly wished he could find a wife to settle down with. He wanted to build a family and have feminine companionship every day … and night. He also missed all the other comforts a loving woman could provide … home cooked meals, a clean house, and an understanding ear. He wanted a woman who would love him and be a true helpmate in raising a family.

  He just wasn’t in a big hurry. He couldn’t summon any interest in the girls in town. None of them was the kind of woman who could meet all his needs. Once again, he thought about the pretty blonde. She struck him as manipulative and vain. While bedding her might provide temporary pleasure, he would soon tire of her, and there was no way he wanted to spend his life with the likes of her or one of her friends.

  He knew his brothers felt the same. That was why all three of the McKenzie brothers had sworn off marriage, at least for the foreseeable future.

  However, as long as they kept avoiding women, there was no way that any of them would find a wife. Perhaps it was time to start looking a little harder. Maybe if they expanded their acquaintance to people in some of the nearby areas, they might find women more suitable for them.

  Aidan thought about his own parents. Their marriage was one based on love and shared commitment. Their mother was a true partner for their father. She was strong willed, intelligent, hard working, and compassionate in addition to being beautiful. It was no wonder their father had fallen in love with her.

  That was the kind of woman Aidan wanted. He wouldn’t settle for less. It wasn’t enough for a woman to be physically attractive. If her head was full of nonsense, she wouldn’t make much of a life partner.

  The thought of any of the young women he knew becoming his wife was ludicrous. The young women he had just encountered were all pampered and spoiled. They seemed more concerned with gossip and frilly dresses than with doing any honest work. The McKenzie brothers were determined to make a success of their farm, and if they married, their wives would need strength and fortitude. Their wives would need to be willing to work hard to help their men. They would never be able to rest on their laurels, at least not anytime in the next few years.

  Aidan frowned thoughtfully as he approached the lane turning into old Mr. Hatcher’s property. Remembering that it had recently been purchased, Aidan watched a thin stream of smoke rising through the trees. He knew it must be coming from the cabin.

  The cabin had remained deserted after Mr. Hatcher died the previous year. Aidan was disappointed that someone had bought it. He had considered buying it himself, since the farm that went with the cabin was prime land, and it bordered his own family’s farm. It would have made a nice addition to their property, but the McKenzie brothers didn’t have enough cash to make such a purchase yet. They were just getting their feet on the ground after moving out from Kentucky two years before.

  Aidan had hoped that, with time, they could raise enough money to buy the property before someone else did. However, now that it was sold, he might as well meet their new neighbors.

  It was early evening, but Aidan decided to drop by and introduce himself and see just who had bought the farm. The trail leading to the cabin from the main road wended through a small forest, and when he emerged from the trees, Aidan paused to watch as one of the new owners struggled to drag an old mattress through the narrow doorway.

  From fifty yards away, Aidan judged the boy to be in his mid teens. He was somewhat scrawny from the way he was huffing and puffing to maneuver the mattress through the opening. He was dressed in brown breeches and a cream colored shirt of homespun cotton. As Aidan neared, the boy bent over further at the waist to get a better grip, and Aidan’s eyes opened wide.

  That was definitely not a boy! Why on earth a woman would be dressed in men’s clothes was a thought that Aidan would later ponder, but at the moment, he was too busy taking in the sights.

  At closer range, he could see that she had long hair that had been wound into a tight bun. The woman’s breeches lovingly stretched across the curviest heart-shaped bottom Aidan had ever had the pleasure to view, and as he drew his horse to a halt, his mouth watered as he took in the sight of a seemingly endless pair of slender legs. Perfectly proportioned hips tapered up from her bottom, and a flashing image of his hands gripping those hips as he plunged into her from behind made Aidan squirm a bit in his saddle. A wide belt cinched the breeches around the woman’s tiny waist. Aidan wanted nothing more than to get his hands around her waist at that moment.

  The woman had b
een so preoccupied with the mattress that she hadn’t noticed him yet, so Aidan politely cleared his throat to announce his presence. She dropped the mattress and whirled to face him as he climbed down from his horse. He removed his hat and gave her his best smile.

  “Good afternoon, ma’am. I’m Aidan McKenzie. I live just down the road, and I thought I would stop and introduce myself to you and your husband.”

  Naomi managed to squelch her yelp of surprise, and she answered out of habit as she cautiously eyed her unexpected visitor. “I’m a widow, Mr. McKenzie.”

  Naomi’s eyes widened further as she took in his appearance. He was several inches over six feet, with tawny, sun-streaked hair and darkly tanned skin. His eyes were a rich, soulful brown, and they were deep set beneath a pair of dark eyebrows. His cheekbones, nose and jaw were perfectly sculpted, strong and handsome, but it was his mouth that drew her stare. His lips were just the right mixture of firm and sensual.

  Imagine how they would feel cruising along your nape or pressed to your own lips. The thought made her shiver with awareness.

  Where on earth had that thought come from? Naomi wasn’t usually prone to such lustful thoughts, but for some reason, this man’s appearance stirred her deeply. At that moment his lips were parted in a smile that revealed even, white teeth. She felt her heart racing, and it was suddenly difficult to draw a deep enough breath. He was, without a doubt, the most handsome man she had ever seen.

  Oh, what must he think of her, dressed in these clothes? Naomi hadn’t thought that anyone would see her dressed this way, and she fought an urge to squirm.

  Her clothes were the last thing on Aidan’s mind. His smile had deepened when he saw the woman’s face. The knowledge that she did not have a husband, at least not a living husband, pleased him immensely.

  Delicate, creamy skin covered high cheekbones in a perfect oval face. Her hair was a rich auburn color that caught red highlights from the late afternoon sun. Moist, pink lips were parted to form a surprised O, and her wide blue eyes were tilted slightly up at the corners, lending them a hint of mystery. At that moment, her eyes were transfixed on his mouth, giving Aidan a chance to survey the rest of her.

  If the sight of her backside had been appealing, the sight of her front made him ache with lust. Her breasts were full and sumptuous, thrusting firmly out to test the confines of her shirt. He glimpsed the edge of a white lace chemise above the V of her shirt, and even beneath the layers of cloth, he could clearly see the outline of her erect nipples. The twin nubs strained against the fabric, making it difficult to tear his eyes from the sight.

  Aidan couldn’t help but compare this woman with the blonde he had left in town. There was no contest. This woman’s beauty put the blonde to shame.

  Despite the fact that this woman’s clothes were much less revealing, he found that she appealed to him in every possible way. His smile deepened and he raised his eyes to meet her surprised stare just in time to avoid being caught in the act of ogling her.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs …?”

  Naomi started slightly and a delicate blush crept across her cheeks. She tentatively shook his hand. Her skin tingled where he touched her, and she hoped he wouldn’t notice the light blush spreading across her cheeks.

  “I’m Mrs. Naomi Tisdale. I’m sorry. You simply caught me by surprise. I don’t usually have to be prompted to remember my manners.”

  Aidan shrugged and gave a small chuckle. “That’s quite alright, Mrs. Tisdale. You were so busy with that mattress, that I’m not surprised you didn’t hear me coming. Please, allow me to give you a hand.”

  Aidan handed her his reins and bent to scoop up the mattress. He easily rolled it under one arm and turned to her with one brow raised.

  “Where were you going to take it?”

  “Well, maybe you could hang it over the corral fence. It’s horribly dusty, so I was going to beat it clean and air it out. It might still be usable.”

  Aidan draped the lumpy cotton mattress over the fence and gave it a few hard pats of his hand. Clouds of dust billowed out from the cotton, and they both laughed.

  “Well, maybe not,” Naomi said with a wry smile. “Would you like a cup of coffee, Mr. McKenzie?”

  “I would love one if it’s not too much trouble.”

  “None at all. I already washed the kettle and cups, and I have coffee and sugar in my supplies. Please, come inside.”

  Aidan tied his horse’s reins to the fence, and followed her, enjoying the gentle sway of her hips as she walked. Once again, lecherous thoughts of her flitted through Aidan’s mind, and he grinned. He would definitely have to find a way to spend a lot more time with his new neighbor!

  He stood in the doorway, facing out to the garden to give his blood a chance to cool as Naomi placed the kettle on the stove. The sight of her in those figure hugging breeches was quite a distraction. As she moved, the fabric conformed to each sweet curve, emphasizing her femininity even more. Aidan struggled to get his thoughts onto a more innocent track.

  “So, are you planning to live here all by yourself?” Aidan asked.

  “Yes,” she replied, with just a hint of defensiveness.

  Aidan wondered why his question had irked her. A woman as beautiful as her could easily find male companionship, so if she was alone, he knew it had to be by choice. “Sorry, I just thought maybe you had some children running around somewhere.”

  “No,” she said quietly, “no children.”

  “Are you from back east somewhere?”

  “No, I’m from San Francisco. My, you are full of questions, Mr. McKenzie.”

  Aidan was glad he was turned away so she couldn’t see his flush. He shrugged and found himself apologizing once again. “Sorry, I’m just curious about my new neighbor. Please don’t take offense.”

  “No offense taken,” she said lightly, although her tone made him wonder whether she was being honest.

  Naomi finished making the coffee, and she set out two cups and a small tin of sugar. She turned to invite him to sit at the table, and her breath caught in her throat.

  He was standing with one hand braced high on the doorframe. His shirtsleeves were rolled to his elbows. His forearms rippled with muscle, and his wide shoulders and chest tapered down to a pair of trim hips and a perfectly delectable bottom. He reminded her of the statues of Greek gods she had seen in a book once. A fleeting vision of them naked and with their private parts on prominent display appeared in her mind’s eye, causing Naomi’s cheeks to burn with a heated blush.

  What has possessed you, you shameless woman? Naomi berated herself harshly. She had only just met the man, and she was fantasizing about what he might look like without the benefit of his clothes!

  Of course, her husband had been dead for over two years. Perhaps it was normal for a healthy young woman to feel pangs of desire, especially when faced with such a gorgeous specimen of masculinity. She hoped so. She didn’t like to think of herself as some wanton woman.

  She gestured for him to take a seat. “Please, Mr. McKenzie. Won’t you sit down and be comfortable?”

  “Thank you,” he said, turning with a smile. He seated himself on one of the chairs and laid his hat on another. “I prefer to be called Aidan by my friends.”

  Naomi gave him a shy smile as she leaned over his arm and poured a cup of coffee for him. “Alright, but only if you call me Naomi. I wish I had something to offer you to go with the coffee. Unfortunately, I only arrived today, and I haven’t had a chance to do any baking.”

  Aidan shook his head. “I really didn’t mean to put you to any trouble … Naomi.” He smiled at her and held up his steaming cup. “This is fine, thank you.”

  She poured herself a cup and settled onto the chair across from him. She gripped her cup in both hands to disguise their trembling, as she watched him add a bit of sugar to his coffee and take a tentative sip. He sighed with pleasure and met her gaze.

  “You make a great cup of coffee, Naomi.”

&nb
sp; Once again, Aidan flashed her a charming grin, and she returned his smile as her cheeks flushed with pleasure. She gave him a shy nod to acknowledge the compliment. Why it should be important that he like her coffee, Naomi didn’t know, but at that moment, it pleased her immensely that he did.

  Aidan was struck by how different she was from all the other young ladies he knew. She didn’t chatter endlessly. In fact, she seemed quite comfortable with silence. He was the one struggling to make conversation.

  “Were you thinking of putting in a fall garden?” Aidan asked.

  Naomi shrugged as she nibbled her bottom lip. “I wanted to, but I don’t know whether there will be enough time. I might just have to make do with store bought foodstuffs for this first year, until I can get the place into shape.”

  “Hmmm,” Aidan said, sipping his coffee as his mind raced with possibilities. “I think there might be a way we could help each other.”

  Naomi eyed him skeptically. She hoped he wasn’t about to make her some lewd proposition. She had just begun to like him. “Really? How is that?”

  “Well, my brothers and I already have our fall crops planted this year, so I have a bit of extra time on my hands. However, I also have a large crop of late peaches that need to be preserved or sold. Now, we love canned peaches, but we don’t know how to make them. If you were willing to make them, I would not only share the peaches with you, but I would be happy to put your garden in for you.”

  Naomi’s face brightened as she thought about his proposal. The thought of having some help was appealing, and if she could do it without having to dip into her savings to hire someone, all the better.

  “I certainly know how to can peaches, if you bring me the jars, sugar and peaches.”

  “It’s a deal then.” Aidan drank the last of his coffee and stood. “How about I come out first thing in the morning to get started?”

  Naomi rose as well and followed him to the door. “Well, actually, I was planning to attend church tomorrow morning. I’m assuming there is a church near here?”