Gideon North wants a wife. She must be practical and hardworking. But above all she must have a hearty constitution. Horribly injured and scarred from his Peninsular War service, Gideon does not want to deal with a wife who flinches every time she sees him.
Gideon’s estate manager Charles Borden was his sergeant in the war. Inseparable, but almost always at odds, the two men agree that Sarah Whitley is the perfect wife for Gideon. Strong, beautiful, and intelligent with a dry sense of humor, Sarah bears her own marks from a life spent in the shadows.
When Sarah learns to let go of her past fears she frees both men to acknowledge the love and attraction that has always existed between them. The three become intimate immediately but the eroticism of their encounters in the bedroom does not guarantee happiness. Gideon’s defenses mire them in the past. Only together can Sarah and Charles break through to build a future with Gideon.
“Gideon, you say the most outrageous things. You do not know me, either. Perhaps you are finding that the more you know the more you regret the poor choice you made for a wife?”
Gideon glared at her. “Do not ever say that again, Sarah. You are the one who must now have regrets. I am sure I am not what you hoped for.”
He couldn’t decipher her look. Why must his wife be so enigmatic? He was not adept in these emotional minefields. What had he been thinking to believe he could handle a wife?
“Why were you here watching Charles?” she asked quietly. He could tell that the question had an underlying meaning, but he had no idea what it was. Another attempt to “know” him?
“I like to watch him train the horses. To see the fruition of my work. I also keep an eye on how he trains them.”
“Did you teach him?” She had asked him that when she first entered.
He shook his head. “No. Charles’ father was a well-to-do farmer. I understand breeding and lineage, he knows training. But I have learned from him.”
“He said he was not a gentleman.”
Gideon felt the familiar irritation whenever he heard Charles say the same thing to him. “That’s rubbish. He is as much a gentleman as I.”
“I do not know your background, Gideon.” Sarah sounded surprised. “I should have asked before now. You said you had no family and I did not pursue it. I assumed because you were an officer you were well connected.”
Gideon waved it off. “Well, of course I had a family. But they are dead now. My father was a merchant in Bath. I was the youngest of three children. He bought me a commission, and while I was away he lost his business and all but my oldest brother died of a fever. He died several years ago. I am not a gentleman by birth, either.” He stared off in the distance. “But I earned that commission and my pension in the war.” He raised his left hand and looked at it, flexing his fingers as best as he could. “This made me a gentleman farmer, my dear.”
“Are you telling Mrs. North I am too rough with the horses, Gideon?” Charles called from the path outside the gazebo. Gideon refocused on the paddock and saw a groom leading the Bay to the barn. He hadn’t noticed Charles leaving. He turned and saw Charles just rounding the bend in the path, and then he was there, jumping over the steps, too impatient to take the time to climb them.
“He does not take the lead well,” Gideon replied smoothly. “You bully him when you should praise.”
Sarah seemed to melt into her chair at Charles’ arrival. It wasn’t that she shrank, but rather that she went very still and quiet, the better to observe them, he supposed. Charles bowed briefly and Sarah nodded. So stiff and formal today, yet they had been bosom beaus on their trip to the village, apparently. Gideon took a deep breath again. He couldn’t decide which annoyed him more. Yes, he could. He did not like to see them this way. He wanted to be privy to the two when they were sharing their secrets with one another. His jealousy had less to do with their growing friendship and more to do with being left out of it.
“If you want to train the horses, then get off your arse and get down there and do it.”
That certainly got Sarah to sit up. “Mr. Borden,” she gasped.
Gideon smiled sarcastically. “Yes, that would be amusing. Dragging me around the paddock by the lead should help train them to pull dead weight in no time.”
“You could ride a horse to train. You know you can take the lead from atop a horse. And they need to be trained to work with other horses eventually. You could do that.”
“I do not ride.” Gideon’s jaw tensed as he clenched his teeth. They had had this argument innumerable times. He did not wish to have it again in front of Sarah.
“You could ride,” Charles said, anger coloring his voice. “We have the saddle for you. I’ve seen you use it. You choose not to ride.”
“It is uncomfortable and awkward,” Gideon ground out, “as I have told you before.”
“Then get a prosthesis.” Charles was relentless. “You have the name of a maker in London. With the proper prosthesis you could work in the paddock.”
“Enough.” Gideon grabbed his crutches from the floor and stood up. “Simply because you cannot train a horse properly does not excuse your boorish behavior in front of my wife.”
Charles looked at Sarah and his mouth thinned to a razor sharp line. “My apologies, Madam.” He turned back to Gideon. “But do not hide behind her skirts, Gideon. You are afraid to ride, afraid the cavalry officer cannot ride as well as he used to.”
Gideon’s anger exploded. “You know nothing about why I do or do not choose to ride, Charles, so kindly do not presume that you do. I am well aware that cavalry officer no longer exists. I will not pretend otherwise by getting up on a horse again. Now act the gentleman if you can and give Sarah a proper apology, and then go and wash the dirt off. You should have cleaned up before coming here.”
“You will not pretend to be something you are not, but I am supposed to? I am no gentleman, Gideon, just as you are no officer.” On those words Charles turned and jumped down the stairs as easily as he had jumped up a few minutes before. He angrily stalked toward the house.
Gideon stomped over to the rail and grabbed it with one hand. Only Charles could make him so angry. But then again, only Charles had the nerve to confront him like that. Damn him. Why now, in front of Sarah?
Would you like to have one? I’m giving away one copy to one lucky commenter on today’s post. Good Luck!
in the Cougar Challenge series has been released in a print anthology called 
