The Outlaws: Jess (30 page)

When her breathing slowed enough to allow her
to move, Meg lifted herself from Jess and snuggled against his
side.

"What time does the stage leave tomorrow?"
she asked sleepily.

He slanted her a shuttered look. "Ten
o'clock. Are you hungry?" he asked casually.

"A little, but I can wait until morning."

"I can't," Jess said, rising. "Lie there and
rest. I'll rustle up something from the kitchen and bring it
up."

"Ummm," Meg moaned, her eyes already
closing.

Jess pulled on his trousers and went
downstairs. Meg didn't fool him one damn bit. He knew she thought
he needed her with him, but in truth he didn't want her involved.
She was too damn hotheaded, like a loaded canon waiting to go off.
No telling what mischief she'd stir up in Dodge City. She'd placed
herself in danger too many times on his account and he feared her
luck might run out the next time.

Jess went directly to his examining room and
removed a bottle of laudanum from his medicine cabinet. Then he
went into the kitchen and prepared something for them to eat. First
he made coffee, then he sliced roast beef one of his patients had
sent him and put it on a tray with slices of bread he'd purchased
this morning. By the time the coffee had finished perking, the tray
was assembled but for the addition of two pieces of apple pie,
another gift from a patient.

Jess poured coffee into two cups and placed
them on the tray with the food. Before he left the kitchen, he
poured a generous dose of laudanum from the bottle he'd purloined
from his office into the coffee meant for Meg. By the time she
awakened tomorrow, the stage would be well on its way. He hated
having to drug Meg but it was the only way to prevent a free spirit
like his Meg from following him. Should he succeed in clearing his
name without having to marry Delia Wingate, he'd come back to Meg,
if she'd still have him.

Meg was sleeping when Jess returned. He had
to waken her and literally hand feed her, admonishing her to chew
and swallow when her eyes began to close. He got all the coffee
down her however, and after a few mouthfuls of beef and bread, he
let her sleep. Then he lay down beside her and pulled her into his
arms.

Jess tried to sleep but guilt rode him. Had
he done the right thing? Should he have let Meg accompany him to
Dodge? He quickly discounted that notion for there was nothing Meg
could do to help him should Wingate demand that he wed his daughter
or refuse to admit that he'd lied about the robbery. This was
something he had to do on his own.

Jess finally slept. Meg was still sleeping
peacefully when he arose at eight the next morning. He expected her
to sleep at least another six hours. He went downstairs and placed
a closed sign on the door. Then he went into the kitchen and heated
the leftover coffee from the night before. He drank two cups of
bitter brew, ate two slices of bread, then returned to his bedroom
to finish packing.

Meg hadn't stirred. She lay on her side, her
hand curled beneath her cheek and her mouth slightly open. Jess
finished his packing and carried his bag downstairs. Then he went
into his office to restock his medical bag, placing it beside the
door with his carpetbag. He returned to the bedroom and pulled a
chair beside the bed, staring at Meg as if he couldn't get his fill
of looking at her.

Her hair was splayed over the pillow like
ebony silk. He reached out and carefully pushed an ebony strand
away from her forehead. Unable to resist touching her, he ran the
back of a callused finger down her smooth cheek. He removed his
finger quickly when she sighed and flopped over on her back. The
sheet covering her shifted, baring her breasts. Jess inhaled
sharply and leaned forward, memorizing every sumptuous detail of
her face and form.

Her throat was slim and graceful, her
shoulders and arms gently curved. Her breasts were perfect in every
way; creamy mounds topped by mouthwatering cherries. They were not
overly large, but sufficient to fill his hands and mouth. He knew
from experience that her legs were sleekly muscled, her body firm
and athletic, but soft and womanly where it counted.

He also knew she was going to be madder than
a wet hen when she awoke and learned he had left without her. And
an irate Meg was something to be avoided at all costs. He smiled to
himself, recalling the way her green eyes kindled with fire when
she was angry, and how it never failed to stir him.

Finally Jess could linger no longer. He
kissed Meg's lips one last time and walked away without looking
back. He feared if he looked at Meg a moment longer he wouldn't be
able to leave her. Then he'd be right back where he started from.
Wondering when someone would turn up and identify him as a
fugitive.

Meg was still slumbering when the stage
pulled away from the depot. Jess could only look forward now, and
pray that he wouldn't end up behind bars. Returning to Dodge was
risky, but he couldn't go on living outside the law.

In the far reaches of her brain, Meg dimly
heard an insistent pounding. She buried her head beneath the pillow
but the annoying noise grew louder. She groaned and opened her
eyes. She looked around her and blinked, disoriented. It took
several minutes of concentration to recall where she was. Almost at
the same time she realized that someone was pounding on the front
door.

She rose from the bed, swayed dizzily, and
wondered why she was so unsteady on her feet. She was fuzzy-brained
and lethargic, not like her at all. Usually she bounded out of bed
raring to go. She didn't stop to wonder what was wrong as she
quickly dressed and made her way downstairs, hanging onto the
railing to steady herself. The knocking persisted until she
unlocked the door and flung it open.

"Zach! What is it? Is something wrong?"

"I was just gonna ask you that," Zach said,
searching her face. "Are you all right, honey? Jess didn't hurt
you, did he?"

Jess! Where was he? Suddenly comprehension
dawned.

"That bastard! What time is it, Zach?"

"After one, Meggie. I was worried when you
didn't come home this morning, so I had to ride into town to find
out what happened."

"One!" Meg spat. "Was the stage still in town
when you came through?"

"Stage? Why, no. It left hours ago."

"Damn, damn, damn. He left me. I can't
believe I overslept."

"You're not making sense, Meggie. Who left
you? Where is Jess?"

"There's no time to lose, Zach. I've got to
change and meet the stage at the next stop." She would have dashed
off if Zach hadn't grasped her arm.

"Hold on, honey. You ain't going no place
until you tell me what's going on."

"Jess boarded the stage for Dodge City this
morning without me. I never sleep this long."

A sudden, disturbing thought came to her. "He
drugged me! Damn him!"

"Why would Jess go to Dodge City? That's
where all his trouble began. Why would he drug you?"

"Jess can't bear living the life of a
fugitive. He's going to Dodge City with the intention of clearing
his name."

Zach rubbed his temples. "That's crazy. How
does he propose to do that?"

"He's going to confront the banker who
started this whole mess and plead with him to tell the truth."

"That ain't gonna happen. Pride is a powerful
emotion, honey. That banker ain't gonna admit to wrongdoing now.
Jess is sure as hell gonna end up in jail."

"That's what I told him. I planned to be on
that stage this morning but he found a way to stop me. He drugged
my coffee last night." She paused, gnawing on her bottom lip. "Jess
said he'd marry the banker's daughter if he had to. Do you know
what that means? I can't let him do it, Zach, I just can't."

"You love that boy, don't you, honey?"

"I do, even though he makes it
difficult."

"He loves you, too."

She made a disgusted sound deep in her
throat. "He has a damn poor way of showing it. He spurned my help.
He doesn't want me."

One of Zach's shaggy eyebrows shot upward.
"Where did you spend the night, Meggie? My guess is in Jess's bed.
And I'd be willing to wager my fortune he'd lost his anger before
he left this morning."

"Keep your fortune, Zach. I won't wager
anything where Jess is concerned. He runs hot and cold. I never
know where I stand with him. If he loved me he'd let me go with
him."

"What if he has to marry the banker's
daughter? Jess's family means a great deal to him. I suspect the
reason he doesn't want you along is because he doesn't want to see
you hurt."

"Too bad," Meg gritted. "Saddle my horse,
will you? I'm going to change and go after that stage. If I leave
right away I might be able to catch up with it at the next
stop."

Meg didn't give Zach a chance to argue as she
bolted up the stairs to don her trousers, vest and jacket. Before
she left, she piled her hair beneath her battered hat and grabbed
bread and cheese from the pantry. Then she picked up the bag she'd
left beside the door yesterday and headed out.

"Be careful!" Zach called after her as she
mounted her mare and rode hell for leather out of town.

Jess paced impatiently beside the coach that
sat disabled in the roadway. Twenty miles out of Cheyenne the
driver hit a hole in the road and cracked a wheel. Fortunately they
carried a spare wheel and the driver and man who rode shotgun had
almost finished with the repairs. They would soon be on their way
again.

The other passengers were sitting in the
grass beside the road, chatting among themselves. They included a
matron returning home after a visit with her son, a businessman
from Garden City, a cowboy going to his sister's wedding in Dodge,
and an elderly woman joining her husband, an army major, at Fort
Leavenworth.

"Climb aboard," the driver announced to the
waiting passengers as he wiped his greasy hands on his trousers.
"Don't worry, folks, we'll make up the lost time by evening.

Jess sincerely hoped so. Now that he had made up his
mind, he was anxious to get this ugly business over with.

The passengers began piling inside the stage.
Jess entered last and fit himself beside the cowboy, garnering a
window. Had they taken on one more passenger, the stage would be
filled to capacity.

When the stage didn't start forward
immediately, Jess stuck his head out the window and asked what was
wrong.

"Rider coming," the driver called back. "He's
signaling for us to wait up. Don't know what he wants, but maybe
it's important."

More delays, Jess thought irritably. What
else could go wrong? In a few minutes he found out and didn't like
it one damn bit.

Jess recognized Meg the moment she drew close
enough to be identified. His eyes widened and a curse flew past his
lips. Both the matron and elderly lady glared at him and he quickly
apologized. Then he opened the door and stepped to the ground to
confront his rebellious Meg. Did she never do anything she was
supposed to?

Jess waited until Meg finished speaking with
the driver and he had walked off before he lit into her.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Jess
blasted.

She shot him a fulminating look. "I just
bought passage to Dodge City."

His gaze drifted down her trouser-clad body
body. "You sure know how to draw attention to yourself."

Her eyes glared defiance. "Trousers are
comfortable," she hissed. "Besides, you're the only one who knows
I'm not a man."

The driver returned. "You're lucky, mister,
there's room for one more passenger. I'll secure your bag with the
other luggage and tie your horse to the back of the coach." He
reached for her bag.

Meg slanted Jess a look that said,
I told
you so
.

"Much obliged," she said gruffly, pulling the
brim of her hat lower over her forehead.

"Don't you ever do anything you're told?"
Jess raged, brimming with anger. "I don't want you with me, how
plainer can I make it?"

"This isn't your decision, Jess Gentry, it's
mine," Meg threw over her shoulder as she entered the stage and
took the empty seat opposite Jess.

Jess followed her inside and sat down, their
knees almost touching. He sent her a thunderous look, which she
ignored. Then she leaned her head back against the back of the seat
and promptly fell asleep.

Jess fumed in impotent rage. He'd been
unpleasantly surprised to see her and he didn't like those kind of
surprises. He'd given her enough laudanum to keep most women her
size sleeping well into afternoon. He should have realized her
determination was exceptionally strong for a woman. But he'd be
willing to bet it had been an ordeal for her to remain in the
saddle with sleep still tugging at her.

He swallowed a smile, imagining her surprise
when she'd awakened and found him missing. Her anger must have been
stunning. The smile died abruptly as he considered how to convince
her to return to Cheyenne. He didn't want her to see him behind
bars. Nor did he wish for her to be present if he was obliged to
marry Delia Wingate. He loved Meg too much to see her hurt.

The stage hurtled over the road at breakneck
speed, bouncing the passengers around like wooden pegs. Once, Meg
was literally thrown into his lap. His arms tightened around her
for a blissful moment before he set her back in place across from
him.

They stopped at a way station for the night.
The passengers piled out and stretched, then headed for the house
to eat the meal the station master's wife had prepared for them.
After they had eaten, the women spent the night in one room and the
men in another. Meg followed the men.

Much to Jess's relief, the men hit their
bunks without bothering to undress. Jess directed Meg to a bunk in
the far corner of the room and took the one next to her.