Lonesome Rider and Wilde Imaginings (7 page)

And yet … As much as she had loved Charlie, as much as she was here on his behalf, she had never begun to feel for Charlie what she did for this man.

A hard throbbing suddenly began within her heart. Well, she had won. She had lost … and then won. He'd told her that he'd come with her for a month. That was all she would need. But then, in a month …

She swallowed hard, not wanting to waken him. She wanted to rise and dress, to hide herself. Morning's light could be so harsh. She started trembling each time she remembered just how he had made her feel. Turning crimson, Jessica prayed that no one else in Mrs. Peabody's boardinghouse had heard how he had made her feel.

One month. She had him. He had her. Could he really want her so much? she wondered. He had been so damned furious with her innocence, or perhaps it had been her lack of expertise or—

No. He hadn't wanted an involvement, she reasoned, and men always seemed to think that any inexperienced woman had to be after more than she was willing to say.

He would never understand. She owed Charlie, she had to get to the land and stay there long enough to find his papers. And she would have done anything … with
this
man. She couldn't explain it. Couldn't explain what Blade had touched within her.

She drew away, easing from the bed. She winced somewhat as she tried to walk, hurrying across the room to the washbowl to drench and cool her face. She shivered in the brisk morning air, washing her throat, breasts, arms. She dropped the cloth at last, turning to open her trunk, which Shorty had brought by at dinnertime last night. She withdrew a corset, pantalets, a petticoat and a cool calico dress. Although it was cool now, she was certain the afternoon would be warm. She had just stepped into the pantalets when her eyes fell upon him. He hadn't made a sound or a motion, but his black eyes were on her and she flushed, suddenly certain that he had been awake, watching her, since she first had risen. They were enigmatic eyes, so Stygian dark, so piercing and demanding. She lowered her lashes quickly, trying to draw the dress over her head before she had tied the pantalets.

He laughed and came swiftly to his feet. She could feel him at her back, pulling up her dress, finding the lace on her pantalets and pulling it into a sturdy tie. She quickly smoothed the calico down, her cheeks still flushed. Eyes downcast, she murmured swiftly, “I have to pick up a few things I had ordered last night. My land isn't far from here. I'd like to start out right after breakfast, if that's all right. If—”

She hesitated. He was still at her back. She swung around and felt tremors all over again because he simply had such a beautiful body. Tall, bronzed, his chest devoid of hair, glistening even by daylight with taut muscle. She swallowed hard. “You, er, need to get dressed.”

He nodded, offering her a dry smile that caused her to blush all over again. She had started all this by bursting into his bath. She shouldn't be dismayed by his nakedness.

“That is,” she murmured softly, “if you haven't changed your mind. You—you did say that you'd come.”

“Hmm. You've got me. I've got you.”

She exhaled, a shaky sound of relief. Then she spun around quickly. “I'm just going to go downstairs—” She broke off, her eyes going wide. “The—”

“Bed next door,” Blade finished for her. “Don't worry, I'll go mess it up. I'm not too sure what we can do about this one.”

“Do?” she murmured, then glanced at the sheets that gave away everything. “Oh …”

“I can just steal them,” he offered politely.

“Oh, yes, that should go unnoticed!”

He grinned and laughed. “We'll put a bandage on your hand. You can say that you cut it opening a letter last night or something.”

“Will it—work?”

“Better than nothing, I imagine,” he assured her. He turned and left her, crossing through the door that connected their rooms, returning to hers with a swatch of clean, white linen cloth. She stood still while he wrapped her hand. She was painfully aware of his very natural nakedness once again, and she stiffened as she breathed in the sensual scent of him. His eyes were suddenly on hers. “What's wrong?”

“You—you really need to get dressed. You—”

“Look ready?” he suggested, laughing. She bit her lip, lashes sweeping over her eyes.

“There you go again, just dying to give me a good right to the jaw,” he said.

She sighed. “I didn't say that you look ready to—”

“But I am—always,” he assured her huskily.

Her eyes flew open. “Braggart!” she accused him, and he started to laugh again. He finished wrapping her hand, then suddenly drew her into his arms.

“Want to test me?”

“No!” she exclaimed. But, God, his touch … What was the magic? How could he be so fierce and so tender? Jessica pondered.

Such a stranger … while she was beginning to feel that she knew him so very well.

His lips touched upon hers. She struggled against him. “There's business—”

“Debts to be paid!” he agreed.

“Here—I mean, now?”

He laughed softly again, releasing her. She saw in his black eyes that he had been teasing her, taunting her all along. He didn't need to force anything. He had lots of time. That was the agreement. And she did always pay her debts.

“Go on down,” he told her. “Do what you have to do. I'll be ready when you are.”

Jessica spun around and hurriedly left the room. She met Mrs. Peabody on the landing at the foot of the stairs. “Good morning, Jessica, dear. Oh, no! Your hand, dear! What did you do?”

“Oh, it's just a scratch. I cut it with my letter opener. I'm fine. I'm afraid I was on the bed, though, and there are a few spots of blood.” And she had to be the color of blood by now, too. Would such a lame story fly? What was Mrs. Peabody going to do, accuse her of lying? Of misconduct beneath her roof?

“Don't you worry about that at all,” Mrs. Peabody said. “Jane will get them out with lemon juice. I'm just so concerned about your hand.”

“It's nothing, really. I swear it.” It
was
nothing—that was honest enough, Jessica reasoned.

“All right, dear, I won't press it. How did you sleep?”

“Wonderfully. I wish I could stay longer,” Jessica said. Well, it wasn't a lie. Once she had fallen asleep, she had slept like the dead. And she did wish that she could stay longer. Mrs. Peabody had made a beautiful home out here in the wilderness. It was comfortable, warm. So incredible after what she had been through traveling.

“Why don't you stay another night before moving on, dear? I'm sure you'll hit problems and hard work aplenty once you leave. One day of rest might be just the thing you need.”

One more night in this proper place with McKenna? She didn't think so. Just the thought made fresh color seem to fly to her cheeks. And she only had McKenna for a month. One month.

She shook her head. “I—I really can't, Mrs. Peabody, though I would love to.”

“I understand, dear. You want to get going to your own home.”

“Yes. But it's not even a full day's ride from here. I'll be back often enough. In fact, I'll be back next week for a few days to buy cattle.”

“That's wonderful. I'll be expecting you.”

“And Mr. McKenna,” Jessica said softly.

Mrs. Peabody had begun to move her portly body when she turned back, smiling. “Pardon, dear?”

“Mr. McKenna has graciously consented to work for me for the next few weeks.” Mrs. Peabody was staring at her. “I—I've had a great deal of trouble ever since I started on my way here. He bailed me out twice, so … well, I seem to need someone.”

“But Mr. McKenna is working for you?” Mrs. Peabody repeated, astonished.

Jessica nodded. “What's wrong with that?”

“Nothing, nothing. It's just that, well, he's so much his own man, dear. I would have never believed that he would have consented to work for anyone else. And then again … Well, dear, surely, if ever there was someone in need … Oh! Here I go babbling. You just run around to the stables, right around the corner. Your wagon should be loaded, your horses ready. Everyone in this town was just pleased pink at the orders you gave. And,” Mrs. Peabody added, “the gold you had to pay for them all!”

Jessica grinned. She liked it out here. She liked the honesty. She hadn't come West intending to stay. Now she began to wonder what it would be like.

“Thank you, Mrs. Peabody, I will just run around and check on the wagon.”

“Coffee and breakfast will be on when you come back,” Mrs. Peabody called to her.

Jessy stepped outside and walked around the corner to the stables. Her wagon was waiting right in front. It was exactly what she had wanted, a big, flat wagon with a high box seat, the kind of conveyance fit for a ranch that was starting out. There were two roan horses harnessed to it already. The horses looked fine and strong, the harness well made and nicely polished. A man came out of the stables when she approached, a crinkled older fellow named Delaney. His eyes were bright Irish blue and his smile was broad. “Morning, Mrs. Dylan. We've got it all, every last speck of stuff you wanted! There's coffee in that bag, flour there, salt right over here. Let's see, there's the fabric you wanted, the grain, the jarred jellies and fruits, and Mrs. Shrewesbury even had some canned tomatoes, beans and turnip greens. She threw in a few of her fresh vegetables and fruits for you—she started out here herself from back East, and says she knows getting started is hard. I think you're just about all set, at least to get started.”

“That's fine, Mr. Delaney. Thank you so much. What about the lamps?”

“In the back of the wagon. You've got some oil there, too, and a big box of candles. You should be just as right as rain. You've done ordered and paid for just about everything. Except one thing that's darned important,” Delaney told her.

“Oh?” Jessica asked. “What did I forget?”

“You forgot that you're going out a day's ride from town. A woman alone out there might plum be a target for any no-account outlaw in the territory!”

“I'm not going alone,” Jessica assured him quickly. “Mr. McKenna is coming with me.”

“McKenna!”

Mr. Delaney seemed as startled as Mrs. Peabody had been. “McKenna has agreed to come with you?”

She nodded. “From what I've seen, he can probably outgun any no-account outlaw.”

Delaney nodded. “Yes, well, damned right you'll be safe. Just—” He hesitated.

“What is it?”

“You watch out for him, too, Mrs, Dylan. There's some out there that believe he's a no-account outlaw, but there's some truths out here in the West, and one of them is that a man's got to do what a man's got to do … and Mr. McKenna, he only went after a vengeance that was rightfully his! But you be careful where you bandy his name about, Mrs. Dylan. You don't want to be the downfall of a damned fine man!”

Jessica stared at him, stunned by his vehemence. She didn't know what he was talking about.

I never said that I wasn't an outlaw
… Jessica suddenly remembered Blade's words. Wasn't that what he had told her? Something very much like that?

“I'll be careful, Mr. Delaney,” she promised. “He won't be with me that long. Only a month.”

“Then you look hard and find yourself good help, and get yourself established in that time, young woman, you hear me? We're willing to do all we can from town here, you know.”

She smiled. “Thank you.”

“You go on and have your breakfast at Mrs. Peabody's. I'll have McKenna's horse saddled and ready when you are. Smart girl. I couldn't imagine how you could have forgotten how wild and lawless this land can be.”

“No, I was really good, Mr. Delaney,” she said wryly. “I was careful. I've bought—and paid for—everything.” Including McKenna, she added silently. She offered Mr. Delaney her hand. “Thank you. Thank you for everything.”

“Thank you. It's not often we're paid in gold by such beautiful young women out here,” Delaney told her with a wink.

She smiled. “Thanks again.” She turned and walked around the dusty corner to the wooden sidewalk, then hurried into Mrs. Peabody's. She found Blade already seated at the dining room table. There was a huge plate of ham and eggs and sausages and biscuits set before him, and he seemed to be enjoying them tremendously. Jessica sat across the table from him while Mrs. Peabody served her some coffee.

“Thank you,” Jessica said.

“Everything all set?” Mrs. Peabody asked cheerfully.

“Yes, Mr. Delaney was wonderful, he pulled everything together.”

Blade chewed on his biscuit, arching a black brow as he stared at her.

“Mr. Delaney said I ordered very well, and that I have everything I need.”

“I hope so,” Blade told her.

“This pot is empty,” Mrs. Peabody said with a tsk. “Let me run out to the back, I'll be back shortly.” She exited the room with a bustle.

“You're damned sure you've got everything?” Blade asked Jessica.

“Well, I had been,” she murmured, “but now that I see how you eat …”

He grinned at her, unperturbed. “Spent a lot of energy last night. Made me really hungry this morning.”

She blushed, picking up a biscuit.

“Don't you dare throw one of those!” he warned her.

She couldn't resist the temptation. She gritted her teeth and threw.

He caught it. Mrs. Peabody walked in. He started to butter the biscuit.

“Here's more coffee—” she began, but Blade was up, smiling, taking the pot from her.

“You sit down, Mrs. Peabody. I'm going to the buffet to get Mrs. Dylan a plate. She's going to have to learn to have a hearty breakfast like a Westerner, right? If she didn't acquire a good appetite last night, I'll just have to see that she does in the future. Of course, we'll have to hope that she can learn to be as good a cook as you, my dear
Rose!
”