Later that evening a small knock came at her door. “Miss Montgomery?” It was Mr. Waters voice.

“I’ve already dressed for bed, I’m not proper for company” she replied.

“You don’t have to open the door, I just wanted to let you know I spoke with the stage driver. There is another stage stop a half days ride east of here and the road between here and there is well traveled and safe. If you still want a break from the stage, we could ride out tomorrow and take our time to the other stop and then take the stage from that stop the next day.”

“Really!” Eliza exclaimed. In her excitement she almost threw open the door to her room, but remembering she was in her night gown she contained her excitement and said “that would be so wonderful, thank you”

As she lay in bed that night, she tried to form a picture in her head (as she did often) of what her betrothed, John Beaufort, might look like.

The next morning Eliza allowed her self to sleep in a bit before heading down for breakfast. She thought she might see Mr. Waters for breakfast, but he must have already finished and be preparing for the day. When she finished, she headed back to the hotel lobby to wait for him. She saw him at the stable across the street and went out to meet him. With the sun so bright her eyes were still adjusting to the light when he quickly said “I’ll go grab our bags, you can stay here and get acquainted with your horse and then we can hit the road.” And he was off across the street before she could get a look at his face. Laughing to herself Eliza wondered if she’d ever know what this man really looked like.

Talking gently to the horse she’d be riding, she didn’t notice when he returned. By the time she did he had loaded their bags onto his horse, tied his bandana around his face and was offering his hand to help her into the saddle. He then mounted his own horse and they headed out of town.

Eliza tried a few times to initiate conversation but was met with clipped responses. Finally feeling a bit exacerbated, she said with a sigh “are you always this great of a conversationalist?”

Cowed by her question, he apologized “sorry, Miss Montgomery” after a few silent moments he continued “I’ve been focused on our journey as a job and I’m not accustomed to talking much while I work, but that no reason to be rude, which I have…”

His words were cut short by Eliza’s horse. With a distressed neigh, it reared up dumping Eliza on the ground. Still dazed from the fall Eliza was startled by the sound of a gun shot. A mess of things we’re running through her head, were they under attack? Luckily her thoughts didn’t have much time to wander before Trent, Mr. Waters, was lifting her off the ground where she lay and setting her down a short distance from the horses. “It was a snake”, he said in a comforting voice. “It’s gone now, that’s what I shot, the snake. Are you ok?”

“Yes, I think so” Eliza replied

“I need to go check on your horse” he said

Back a few moments later he told her “she was bitten & the snake was poisonous, she’s in a lot of pain, I need to put her down. Close your eyes and cover your ears.”

Eliza did as she was told but she still heard the shot through the muffle of her hands. She let her hands drop, but her eyes were still on the ground, tight shut, holding back her tears.

Mr. Waters was back, lifting her chin he said “your lip is bleeding.” Eliza opened her eyes just as he touched her lip with his banana that he had soaked with his canteen. She sucked in her breath with a small gasp. He thought he had hurt her and immediately apologized and lightened his touch. But that’s not at all what took her breath away. Trent Waters was breathtakingly handsome. With his hat off too, she could see his wavy dark hair that framed his face that was a beautiful olive tone. His face was so perfectly symmetrical, with beautiful grey blue eyes that almost had a stormy look, high cheekbones, a jaw line so sharp she imagined it could cut her fingers if she ran them across it, the way she suddenly had the urge to. His lips were full with the upper lip making a perfect bow shape. He was the best looking man she’d ever seen and the feel of his thumb running across her lip was sending shivers throughout her body. She began to wonder what his lips would feel like on hers instead of his thumb.

After he’d finished cleaning her lip, he offered her his flask. “This is whiskey, wash your mouth out with it and then just spit it out, you can have another swig to drink after you’ve washed out your mouth”

Eliza blanched a bit, “ladies do not spit” she insisted

Trent said “I promise not to watch or to tell” then he gave her a wink and smiled. When he smiled he had just one dimple on the left side of his face. Some how that deviation in the perfect symmetry of his face made him even more handsome. He handed her the flask and turned his back as promised. She shyly did as instructed then offered him back his flask.

They went ahead and had their lunch and chatted politely while they ate. As they finished eating it finally occurred to Eliza that they now only had one horse.

“Miss Montgomery” Trent began, but Eliza cut in. “Please call me Eliza”

With another limb melting smile, he replied, “I don’t think that would be proper”

Eliza shrugged “I’ve lived in the west so long I’ve become more accustomed to the more casual atmosphere there, how about Miss Eliza?” She suggested. He nodded and said “I could do that and you’re welcome to call me Trent, but maybe Mr. Waters when we meet up with your brother” and gave her another wink.

He then continued “Miss Eliza, we should get going, you will have to mount up with me on my horse”

Eliza wasn’t sure why but she felt a flutter of nerves at thought of riding together.

The nerves were quickly replaced by a variety of other feelings. She could feel his chest and all his muscles pressed against her back, his thighs brushing against hers and his arms draped around her to hold the reins. She felt a variety of goose bumps, shivers and butterflies.

A small part of her enjoyed the new exciting sensations his proximity was providing, but a much bigger part of her was growing quite angry at herself for letting herself get so caught up in the feel and look of this man. She reminded herself the whole reason for this trip was for her to meet and marry her betrothed. She tried to picture what her soon to be husband might look like as she had done 100 times since learning she had one, but now the only image that she could conjure was Trent’s face smiling at her.

What felt like forever later, they reached their destination. Trent hopped off the horse then reached his hands up to Eliza’s waist to help her down. Time seemed to slow as he lifted her down off the horse, close to his body, she could feel the muscles of his chest brushing against her as he let her down the length of his body slowly.