The Texan's Reward (30 page)

“You al right?” he asked as the buggy bumped along.

She nodded. “It took me a while, but I final y managed to sit. I hated it at first when I had to lie in the back of the wagon.”

“Me, too,” he added, remembering how she’d looked more dead than alive when they’d brought her home.

When the preacher reached the river, Brother Aaron pul ed the buggy as close to the water as he dared. Nell

stood on a blanket and removed her skirt, petticoats, and shoes. Her blouse hung down wel past her waist, and

her pantaloons were thick with ruffles.

“I’ve ordered a bathing suit,” Nel told Jacob. “But it won’t be in for at least a month.”

Jacob wasn’t sure what his job would be, so he tugged off his boots. “Does it come with a hat?” Not that he

cared, he thought, but the hats on pictures he’d seen always looked strange.

“The water’s going to be cold,” Mrs. O’Daniel warned, “but it will do wonders.” She pulled off her dress to reveal

a bathing suit that covered her completely in dark blue.

When she turned to test the water, Jacob whispered, “She’s going to scare the fish to death. We’ll be picking

them up off the top of the water in no time.”

Nell laughed and leaned against him for support. “Come in with me?”

He frowned, but it was Mrs. O’Daniel who answered, “He’s not going into this water until he’s healed. I’ll not

have that shoulder getting infected.”

“Sorry,” he said. “You’re on your own. I’ll walk you in until the water hits my waist.”

The preacher must have decided his duties were over, for he climbed up a small hill and sat down to read his

Bible aloud. He was far enough away that the reading sounded more like rumbling than scripture.

Nel slowly moved down the bank, laughing as cool mud oozed between her toes. Mrs. O’Daniel tied the thick

leather belt around Nell’s waist and had a firm hold on her patient, even though Jacob was on the other side.

As water lapped against his waist, he stopped and watched her move on. True to her word, the nurse never let

go. When she stepped into shoulder-high water, Mrs. O’Daniel widened her stance and told Nel to hold onto

her shoulder and let her body float.

Nel did and laughed as she yel ed back to Jacob. “I can move without pain.” She splashed with her legs. “It feels

so good.”

He watched as she moved her long limbs graceful y in the water, dancing slowly around the nurse. When she

tired, she floated free in the water.

For an hour, Mrs. O’Daniel held to the belt and instructed Nell to do first one exercise and then another. She

never let go of her patient as Nel moved and splashed in the river.

Jacob walked back to the shore, dried off as best he could, and sat watching them. She reminded him of a little

girl again, playing and laughing. For the first time in his life, he wished they’d been the same age. He would have

liked to have been a kid the same time she was; then he wouldn’t have always had to play the parent role.

“Now,” the nurse final y shouted back toward the shore, “it’s time to go.”

Jacob waded out when he saw them returning. Nel smiled, but he saw the exhaustion in her eyes. Without

asking, he lifted her and carried her to the buggy. She curled against him, feeling boneless in his arms. With

towels and blankets wrapped around her, the preacher drove them home.

“Take her right upstairs,” Mrs. O’Daniel ordered as she stepped in the doorway. “Marla,” she yelled, “bring up

the hot water as fast as you can and more towels. I don’t want her catching a chill.”

By the time Jacob got Nell upstairs, Marla and Harrison were lugging steaming buckets in and filling a hip tub by

the fireplace. Even though the day was warm enough to open the windows, the fire was blazing in her room.

Harrison and Jacob went back downstairs as Marla stayed to help Nell with her wet clothes and Mrs. O’Daniel

disappeared to change. Jacob could hear the women moving about and was glad Nel would be warm, for she’d

shivered in his arms most of the way home.

Gypsy passed Jacob and frowned. “You’d better get out of those wet clothes, Ranger, before you even think

about sitting on that couch.”

Harrison smiled. “Yes, Ranger, we wouldn’t want you catching a chill.”

If Jacob had enough energy left, he would have taken a swing at the bookkeeper, even though the man did offer

him a towel.

Jacob hadn’t real y thought about how wet he was. He’d been too worried about Nel . He changed out back in

the mud room off the kitchen and washed up. The idea of a bath sounded good, but he knew if he got his

bandages wet, Mrs. O’Daniel would have a fit.

Gypsy opened the door while he stood with only long johns covering his legs. She glanced up and down his long

frame, stopping to study his bare chest.

“Did you need something?” he asked. “Or did you just come to stare?”

She shrugged. “I figured if I was goin’ to get a look, I might as well have a good one. And I came to give you this

new shirt Wednesday made for you, not that you don’t look mighty fine without it.” She batted her eyes in a

gesture that once made her look pretty but now had a spooky effect. Then she crossed her arms and continued

to gawk.

He wasn’t sure if he should thank her for the shirt or arrest her for staring. The thoughts she had in her head

would probably make him blush. He took the blue shirt and slipped one arm into the sleeve. The material was

heavier than any store-bought shirt, and he guessed it would wear wel .

“She double stitched al the seams.”

“It fits,” he said, surprised. Most of the shirts he bought in the general stores were too smal . The sleeves were

always an inch too short, the yoke tight across his shoulders. But this one . . . this one was made for him.

“Of course it fits. That girl is magic with a needle. She made Harrison a shirt he said was the finest he ever

owned.”

Jacob smiled. He hadn’t had a shirt made for him since his mother died. “Tel her thanks.”

“You can tel her yourself. She and the baby are coming down to supper in an hour.”

“I thought women were supposed to stay in bed for a month after having a baby?”

Gypsy shrugged. “I don’t know. Mrs. O’Daniel just said if she feels like it, she can come down for a little while.”

By the time he finished shaving, it was almost dark, and Wednesday had changed her mind about coming down.

She ate in her room with Mrs. O’Daniel and Gypsy watching the baby. Everyone was invited to join their little

dinner party, but Harrison said he’d keep Marla company in the kitchen, and the preacher decided he’d better

go to town and check out sinners.

As he left, he swore he’d not touch spirits while he was gone, but Jacob had his doubts.

When Jacob went upstairs to thank Wednesday for the shirt, he asked if Nell was awake.

Mrs. O’Daniel said she wanted to have dinner in her room since the night without sleep and then the exercise

had tired her.

He went downstairs and offered to take Nell a tray. Marla didn’t comment when he filled it with enough food for

two.

As Jacob pushed her door open, he saw her sitting by the window. Her hair was combed down, flowing across

her shoulders, and she was already dressed in her robe and gown.

“I thought I’d have supper with you tonight, if you’ve no objections.” He set the tray down on the table beside

her and pul ed up one of the ladder-back chairs.

“I’d like that.” She smiled. “But I may be too tired to be good company.”

“Maybe you did too much,” he worried.

“Wasn’t it wonderful? I felt like I was walking.”

He couldn’t point out that she looked tired. She was too pleased with herself.

They ate and talked of al that had happened in one day. He stretched in the uncomfortable chair and thought

how nice it was to be with her.

When Mrs. O’Daniel checked in to say good night and ask if Nel needed anything, she frowned at Jacob sitting

by the window, but she didn’t say anything except to warn Nel not to stay up late.

Jacob stood to leave. “Want me to carry you to bed?”

“I’d like that.” She raised her arms.

As he lowered her in the covers, he decided it was time to get a few things straight before he kissed her good

night.

“I’ve been thinking,” he started, “as soon as things settle down and I know Hank is safe, we should get the

preacher to marry us.”

He felt her stiffen. “Oh,” she said softly. “When did I agree to marry you?”

“Now don’t start this, Nel ,” he tried to keep the anger out of his voice. “A woman doesn’t go around kissing a

man and letting him touch her, unless she’s going to marry him. I’d say you’ve already said yes with your

actions.”

He knew she was just pestering him, like she’d done al her life, and he wasn’t about to let her get away with it.

“You don’t sleep with a man and not marry him.”

“Is that so? My mother did. Fat Alice did. Every woman I knew until I was half grown did.”

“They don’t count. You know what they were.”

“They were women,” she answered. “Or didn’t you notice?”

“How could I not notice? Most of them walked around downstairs half naked. But I never climbed the stairs with

a one, and you know it.”

She grinned. “I noticed. But your being a virgin doesn’t mean I’m going to marry you just because you touched

me.”

“I’m not . . .” He stopped. He had no intention of tel ing her about his past. He’d had a few women over the

years who’d come wil ing to his arms. He hadn’t paid them, and he wouldn’t talk about them.

“I didn’t think you could be naive and kiss like that.” She laughed.

“And what do you know about it?” He wasn’t sure he wanted to know. If he could take the question back, he

would before she told him.

For lack of a plan, he leaned forward and kissed her. At first the kiss was hard, meant to silence her, but quickly

it turned into something else. The taste of pleasure . . . of desire . . . of passion. The shock of it rattled him to his boots, and he reached down to dig his fingers in her hair as if he’d fall off another cliff if he didn’t hang on tight.

She opened her mouth and welcomed him to deepen the kiss. Suddenly, he didn’t care where she learned it. He

just enjoyed it.

As carefully as he could, he lowered beside her without breaking the kiss and felt her mold against him. A

hunger built inside him unlike anything he’d ever known. He kissed her long and lovingly as if his survival

depended on it.

A need for her grew inside him, hungry for more of her even as they touched.

When he finally broke the kiss, he buried his face in her hair. “Marry me, Nell, or shoot me. I don’t care which.”

DAWN CREPT INTO HER ROOM WITH THE FOG. NELL pul ed herself up and stared at the open window. The air

smel ed of rain again. A part of her wanted to slip back under the covers and sleep another hour. She’d had a

fight with Jacob last night, and an uneasiness pestered her dreams because of it.

He wanted her to agree to marry him. In fact, he seemed confused that she’d even hesitate. She knew him well

enough to almost read his thoughts. In his mind he would be her best choice for a husband. He knew her, she

trusted him. He’d also proven in the past few days that he was definitely attracted to her, though he hadn’t said

he loved her.

She smiled. But, then, there was his touch. It said volumes. His touch did something deep inside her, but was

that enough to build a marriage on?

Her ranger had always been the one who thought he knew what was right for her, but now, Nel had to think

about what was right for him. No matter what he claimed, he deserved more than she could offer as a mate.

Marla slipped silently into the room with Nell’s tea. “I guessed you’d be awake,” she whispered.

“Thanks.” Nell took the cup. “Who else is up?”

“The baby and Wednesday. They’ve been awake an hour. And the ranger. I must have woke him when I started

the fire. He’s pacing around downstairs like a caged cougar.”

Nel wasn’t surprised. “What about Mrs. O’Daniel?”

“I think I heard her in her room.” Marla glanced down. “Would you like me to help you dress?”

“Thanks,” Nell answered. “What little muscles I have left are sore from the swim.” She stood, a bit steadier than

she’d been a week ago. “If you’l hand me my clothes, I can manage the rest.”

One by one the layers went on. Marla had helped enough to know when to do things for Nel and when to let

her take care of herself. Usually, Nell put her own hair up, but this morning she relaxed and allowed Marla to do

it for her. By the time she rolled her wheelchair down the hallway, Nell looked every inch the proper lady.

“It may rain all day,” Marla said from behind her. “If it doesn’t, do you want to go into town to see Hank with us?

Mrs. O’Daniel said yesterday that she’d be going, and Mr. Harrison offered to take her.”

“I might,” Nel agreed. She’d been worried about the boy since Mrs. O’Daniel described his wounds.

When Nel turned into Wednesday’s room, the young mother greeted her with a grand smile. “He likes my milk,”

she said. “I was worried yesterday ’cause he wouldn’t take much, but this morning he ate like a pig. Because of

me, he’s going to grow into a big man.”

Nel laughed. “Good.” She looked at the baby wiggling beside Wednesday. “You have to think of a name soon or

some nickname wil stick, and he’l never get rid of it. Believe me, I know.”

Wednesday held his tiny hand between her finger and thumb. “I was thinking of cal ing him HD after Mr.

Harrison and Ranger Dalton on account of them being the two finest men I’ve ever known.”