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Unexpected Comfort
This is a suggestive romance (love scenes are not graphic).
Homesteading in the American West isn’t easy. Emilia and Sam Hubbard had made some progress in carving a homestead for themselves out of the isolated prairie country. Then renegade Indians attack, killing Sam and forging an unlikely partnership between Emmy and a wanderer, Ben Murphy. In the midst of all the turmoil, she discovers unexpected comfort from the one man she should avoid.
Homesteading in the American West isn’t easy. Emilia and Sam Hubbard had made some progress in carving a homestead for themselves out of the isolated prairie country. Then renegade Indians attack, killing Sam and forging an unlikely partnership between Emmy and a wanderer, Ben Murphy. In the midst of all the turmoil, she discovers unexpected comfort from the one man she should avoid.
23 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 2009
18 people are currently reading
125 people want to read
About the author
Kelly Ferjutz
16 books2 followersThe three things that I loved most while growing up were sports, classical music and writing. Now, as a grown-up (sometimes) I write about sports and classical music--and other things. I'm published in fiction and non-fiction and my world is filled with wonderful music, exciting theater and vibrant opera! Along the way I got married, became a race car driver and a mom, which settled me down a little bit. I've been a radio announcer and taped books for the Library of the Blind, driven and sold 18-wheelers and written plays and poetry and romance novels, among other things. I do reasonably well at photography, and I still love women's basketball and women's tackle football. Yes, indeed, there is such a thing--and they're wonderful! I'm now single and the proud mother of a terrific adult son and a dearly loved daughter (now deceased).
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
October 21, 2022
I did not finish. What I read did nothing for me.
December 18, 2011
To be fair, the reviews stating the heroine had sex with the "hero" with her husband's dead body still in the doorway are wrong. Three paragraphs before the end of the first chapter tells us he buried the dead husband "under a tree not far from the soddy". In the last chapter, he tells the sheriff and deputy he buried the husband and points to the grave.
But, otherwise... yeah, ok. Ben (your basic old west alley cat) buries the dead husband, then Emmy (the widow by barely a few hours) seeks "comfort" in his arms (even though she "hates" him for his loose morals) because (1) her husband is dead and (2) she never got the chance to tell her husband she's pregnant before he died.
During the night and the next morning, Emmy has some "what am I doing/what have I done" moments that shift very quickly to "well, since I'm here/it's already done..." moments (or sleep).
I was very confused when a "wandering sunbeam" woke Ben after the early morning sex by "tickling and teasing him into wakefulness". Sunbeams... tickle?
In the morning, Emmy is all perky and happy, dressed in bright blue, and ready to fix breakfast... until she considers what the people in town might think of her behaviour. (Her behaviour vaguely reminds me of Gone with the Wind's Scarlett while she's "mourning" Charles.)
And then there's the end, with the sheriff trying to convince her to give up the farm because there are no "extra" men around for her to hire to do the work and labor while her thoughts lean more towards how she was going to keep the farm and "entice" the man she hates (but had sex with - TWICE - mere hours after her husband was killed) into staying and doing the work for her.
But! First she made breakfast for everyone since "she didn't have have to make any decisions right now". (Honest. That's the last line of the story.)
Yeah. Just... do yourself a favor. Skip this one. Between the sentences that make no sense and the story about the pregnant widow and prairie man-whore having sex hours after her husband is dead**, it's just a painful read.
**I keep thinking this would have been a much better, albeit very different, story if they had murdered the husband for whatever reason. At the very least, the story would have made more sense.
But, otherwise... yeah, ok. Ben (your basic old west alley cat) buries the dead husband, then Emmy (the widow by barely a few hours) seeks "comfort" in his arms (even though she "hates" him for his loose morals) because (1) her husband is dead and (2) she never got the chance to tell her husband she's pregnant before he died.
During the night and the next morning, Emmy has some "what am I doing/what have I done" moments that shift very quickly to "well, since I'm here/it's already done..." moments (or sleep).
I was very confused when a "wandering sunbeam" woke Ben after the early morning sex by "tickling and teasing him into wakefulness". Sunbeams... tickle?
In the morning, Emmy is all perky and happy, dressed in bright blue, and ready to fix breakfast... until she considers what the people in town might think of her behaviour. (Her behaviour vaguely reminds me of Gone with the Wind's Scarlett while she's "mourning" Charles.)
And then there's the end, with the sheriff trying to convince her to give up the farm because there are no "extra" men around for her to hire to do the work and labor while her thoughts lean more towards how she was going to keep the farm and "entice" the man she hates (but had sex with - TWICE - mere hours after her husband was killed) into staying and doing the work for her.
But! First she made breakfast for everyone since "she didn't have have to make any decisions right now". (Honest. That's the last line of the story.)
Yeah. Just... do yourself a favor. Skip this one. Between the sentences that make no sense and the story about the pregnant widow and prairie man-whore having sex hours after her husband is dead**, it's just a painful read.
**I keep thinking this would have been a much better, albeit very different, story if they had murdered the husband for whatever reason. At the very least, the story would have made more sense.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 11, 2011
Strange short story that was oddly disturbing. Emilia's lost her husband to an Indian raid, and along comes Sam to offer her comfort. Sam of the wandering libido, of course. While her dead husband's corpse is lying across the threshold, they have dinner (!) and then get it on. How else does one grieve except by boinking the local male-whore? Only then is it time to lay the dead to rest and continue on with celebrating life. Of course, in the morning, when the local officials come to see how Emilia and her dead husband have survived the Indian menace, Emila offers to cook everyone breakfast in her cheery morning best.
Morale of the story: in the Old West, food is the panaceia of the soul.
Morale of the story: in the Old West, food is the panaceia of the soul.
June 2, 2022
I don't think I've ever given a 1 star review. Ridiculous. Would NOT recommend.
March 14, 2011
This short story may well have been called 'Uncomfortable expectation', given the very choppily written sexploitations of a newly widowed woman. The start of the story, instead of dropping us in the middle of the action, is confusing and unwieldy - the description is all over the place and the reader cannot understand the set-up before we are quickly thrown into close proximity to the sweaty dirty male lead. There's no explanation for why these two supposed enemies thrust themselves into a lustful relationship minutes after the good husband is murdered nor why they fall into bed with a warm body on the doorstep. The ending, as well, is awkward and clipped.
May 22, 2011
Rather confusing at the beginning when the reader is dropped right in the middle of a fight, even more confusing as to why the heroine feels the way she feels toward the hero. More confusion ensues when she forgets all about her misgivings and shags the hero on the same night she lost her husband...
Weird, with an abrupt ending.
Weird, with an abrupt ending.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 24, 2011
After reading this one I wonder if I got the whole story or just the first little bit.
Even if it was all, it left a bitter taste in my mouth with the main characters actions. Just not what I want to read.
Even if it was all, it left a bitter taste in my mouth with the main characters actions. Just not what I want to read.
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February 14, 2011Free Kindle download - and if I had paid I'd be demanding my money back. Absolutely improbable short story about a woman recently widowed on the plains in the 1880s. Not worth reading. I've NEVER not given a star before.
April 2, 2016
While this book did have a few redeeming qualities, due to a lack of editorial contribution I would not recommend.
My Rating System:
* couldn't finish, ** wouldn't recommend, *** would recommend, **** would read again, ***** have read again.
My Rating System:
* couldn't finish, ** wouldn't recommend, *** would recommend, **** would read again, ***** have read again.
May 10, 2010
free read
September 17, 2010
nawww a nice short story. sexy but also nice.
this was one short story that i wished was a little bit longer.
this was one short story that i wished was a little bit longer.
January 20, 2012
Ok, so this women's husband is killed by some Indians then she sleeps with a man she hates!!! Sex scenes are null and void and the writting is just ok, so not worth the time or enegry to even read.
March 8, 2011
Nice, quick bedtime story.
December 31, 2011
Always hard to rate shorts ~ so as the stars (2) say, it was ok.
January 4, 2013
Lame ending
Want to Read
June 3, 2016KOBO
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews