Only Series - Only Mine Part 12

As Wolfe spoke, he s.n.a.t.c.hed a handful of biscuits before pa.s.sing the basket on down the table. A week of watching the two brothers steal Willowas biscuits had taught Wolfe to grab first and worry about manners later.

aWay I heard it,a Wolfe continued, splitting a steaming biscuit, awas that old Frenchman found himself a glory hold and went to work cleaning it out. When he was finished, four men jumped him, left him for dead, and took off with the old manas gold.a Jessica looked up, caught by the thread of amus.e.m.e.nt and something else that ran through Wolfeas words. It took her a moment to identify the emotion. It was affection. The camaraderie between Wolfe and Reno was as real and, in its way, as deep as that between Reno and Rafe. The same emotion extended to Caleb. The mutual respect was striking, for it was based not on family or name or position, but on each manas a.s.sessment of the others as men worthy of friendship.

aYou found that Frenchman, nursed him, then tracked the claim jumpers,a Wolfe continued. aYou walked into the saloon, called them thieves and cowards and some other names not fit for the dinner table, and then you demanded they return the gold they had cleaned out of Renoas Revenge. Instead, they went for their guns.a When Wolfe said no more, Jessica made an impatient sound and asked, aWhat happened?a Wolfeas smile was as cool and clean as the edge of a knife. aWay I heard it, Reno waited until they got a grip on their guns and started pulling them out. Then he drew. The first two claim jumpers never even got their guns clear of their belts. The rest of them got their guns out, but never got off a shot.a Jessica gave Reno a startled look. He was pouring an intricate pattern of honey over a steaming biscuit, ignoring the conversation completely.

aAfter that, folks started talking about Renoas Revenge and a man who was pure h.e.l.l with a six-gun,a Wolfe concluded. aPretty soon they were just talking about a man called Reno, a man who would help you if you drew short cards in a rigged game, a man who didnat look for fights but didnat back away when one found him. I liked what I heard, so I looked Reno up.a When Reno turned toward Wolfe to reply, Jessica calmly filched a biscuit from Renoas plate. Rafe saw, winked, and pa.s.sed her the honey. Jessica smiled and looked sideways at Reno. She knew his quick green eyes had seen the small theft, just as she knew he could have retrieved the biscuit before she had a chance to blink. Reno had the fastest reflexes of any man she had ever met.

aPa.s.s the biscuits,a Reno said. aA certain small redhead stole one of mine.a aSheas just trying to keep you from getting fat,a Rafe said blandly.

aThen she better eat yours, too. Much more of w.i.l.l.yas cooking and the only thing that will fit around your waist is that long bullwhip you fancy.a Jessica looked from one hard, lean Moran brother to the other. She put her napkin over her mouth, but mere cloth couldnat m.u.f.fle her snickers. Reno heard and turned toward her.

aAre you laughing at me?a Peeking over the napkin, Jessica nodded her head.

Renoas face softened into a smile. aSa.s.sy as your hair, arenat you?a Wolfeas hand tightened around his fork as he saw Jessicaas eyes sparkle with amus.e.m.e.nt. He told himself that Reno couldnat help being handsome as sin and lethal as h.e.l.l. Nor could Rafe help his fallen-angel good looks and potent male charm, both of which he showed in abundance around Jessica. Neither Moran brother would have touched any manas wife, much less the wife of a friend like Wolfe Lonetree, and he knew it.

Yet day after day of watching Jessica respond to their masculine teasing like a flower soaking up warm rain had worn Wolfe raw. He couldnat remember the last time Jessica had turned toward him with light in her eyes and laughter on her lips.

And thatas the way it has to stay. Wolfe reminded himself savagely. Itas been hard enough sharing a bed with her for the past week. If she looked up at me and smiled and held out her armsa A shudder of raw desire went through Wolfe. He told himself he was a fool for not sleeping with Rafe and Reno in the small cabin that had served as Caleb and Willowas home while the big house was being built. If Wolfe had been in the cabin, he wouldnat have lain awake for long hours, listening to the soft breathing of the girl who lay so close to him, yet never touched him at all. If he had been in the cabin, he wouldnat have lain rigid with a need that grew greater every moment, his body demanding what his mind would not permit him to take.

And if Wolfe had been in the cabin, he wouldnat have heard Jessicaas broken whimpers and m.u.f.fled cries, wouldnat have felt the erratic stirring of her body as she fought within the coils of a dark dream that came every night, waking her, waking him.

What is it, Jessi?

Nothing. I donat remember.

d.a.m.n it, what is it that frightens you so?

Iam foolish, my lord b.a.s.t.a.r.d, but not stupid. Iall give you no more weapons to turn against me.

So at night they lay side by side, stiff, sleepless, listening to the wind moan over the battleground between winter and spring.

aFISHING?a Jessica asked, looking up from the mending in her lap. aDid I hear trout fishing mentioned?a Caleb and Wolfe were sitting at the dinner table, studying a map Caleb had drawn, showing the range of several nearby mustang herds. He turned away from Wolfe and looked at Jessica, who was mending one of Willowas dresses by lantern light.

aDo you like to fish?a Caleb asked.

aNo,a she said calmly. aI love it. I will walk through fire barefoot to get to a good trout stream.a Caleb raised black eyebrows and looked at Wolfe.

aItas the truth,a Wolfe admitted. aSheall be out working a piece of water on a stormy evening when everyone else is in front of a fire talking about the one that got away.a aWhy didnat you say something sooner?a Caleb asked Wolfe. aThereas some good trout water nearby.a aItas too early for trout to be out of their winter torpor.a aNot along parts of the Columbine. Thereas enough hot-spring water mixed into the stream that certain stretches of it come alive long before anything else does.a aTruly?a Jessica asked.

Caleb grinned. aTruly.a aWonderful!a Jessica set aside the mending and ran into the bedroom. When she returned, her hands were full of small boxes.

aWhat do the streamside insects here look like?a she asked eagerly, opening boxes and setting them on the dinner table in front of the men. Tiny, carefully tied flies rested within the boxes. aAre they light or dark, big or small, colorful or drab?a aYes.a She gave Caleb a slanting, sidelong glance. aYes?a He nodded gravely. aTheyare light and dark, big and small, colorful and drab.a aCaleb, stop teasing Jessica,a Willow called from the back of the house.

aBut Iam getting so good at it.a Jessica tried not to smile, and failed. Caleb was indeed getting quite good at teasing her.

There was the sound of the wind slamming the back door, followed by footsteps as Willow walked through the kitchen into the living room. Sleet glistened in the wool shawl she had worn to the privy.

She shook the shawl and hung it on a peg near the door for the next trip, knowing it wouldnat be long before necessity overcame her reluctance to face the cold scouring of the spring wind. The more pregnant she became, the more frequently she was forced to visit the privyas drafty comforts.

aJessi gets quite enough ribbing from my brothers,a Willow continued, yawning. aWhy donat you try protecting her, instead?a aThatas Wolfeas job,a Caleb said, giving the other man an amused look, aand G.o.d help the man who gets in Wolfeas way.a Wolfe looked back impa.s.sively.

Calebas grin was rather feral. No matter how hard Wolfe tried to conceal his irritation at the handsome Moran brothersa gallant attentions to Jessica, Caleb sensed the jealousy that seethed just beneath Wolfeas calm surface. Caleb would have had more sympathy for his friend, but he didnat understand why Wolfe was so hard on his young wife.

aI donat mind the way Rafe and Reno tease,a Jessica said as Willow walked in from the kitchen, patting back another yawn. aI never had any brothers or sisters. I had no idea how much fun it could be.a aNo siblings?a Willow asked, surprised. aYou poor darling. How lonely it must have been for you.a Jessica hesitated, then shrugged. aIt was all I knew. And I had the firth and forest to roam.a aI canat imagine having only one child,a Willow said, shaking her head. aI want a house full of kids.a aI imagine many women feel like that before they experience childbed.a The barely muted horror in Jessicaas voice created a pool of silence that expanded and deepened until she realized her mistake and changed the subject with a determined smile.

aDo you like to fish, Willow?a aCaleb is the fisherman in the family. Heas very good at it.a Caleb gave Willow a lazy, sidelong glance and a crooked smile. Though not a word was said, her cheeks turned a revealing shade of pink.

aIam a fair fisherman,a he admitted. aDonat care much for fishing rods or lures, though.a aYou donat?a Jessica asked. aWhat do you use, then? Nets or traps? Or do you hunt like the Eskimo, with spears?a Caleb shook his head. aNothing that fancy.a aHow do you catch fish, then?a aPatience, stealth, and bare hands.a His smile shifted as he measured the deepening color of Willowas cheeks. His golden eyes gleamed with a frank male sensuality that surprised Jessica; up to that instant, she hadnat thought of Caleb as a particularly pa.s.sionate man. She had been wrong. The hunger in his eyes as he watched his wife was barely veiled by his half-lowered lids.

aYou see,a Caleb explained in a slow, deep voice, atrout like to be stroked all over. Thatas why they hold station in the fastest currents. Isnat that right, honey? Donat they just lie there, quivering, waiting for the moment whena"a Willowas hands clapped over her husbandas mouth, cutting off his words.

aCaleb Winslow Black, if you werenat too big, Iad turn you over my knee and teach you a few manners!a Laughing, Caleb turned his head quickly aside, evading his wifeas attempts to muzzle him. Believing the caress would be hidden by Willowas hands, he flicked the tip of his tongue between two of her fingers, stroking the sensitive skin.

But Jessica saw the secret caress, just as she saw the change in Willowas smile and the brief, sensual glide of her fingertip over his lower lip. For an instant, something quite primitive arced between man and wife; then Caleb smiled and pulled Willow onto his lap with gentle hands.

aIam too big for your knees, honey. You fit real nice across mine, though.a aCalebaa Willowas voice died. She flushed and glanced toward the other two people in the room.

aHush,a Caleb said softly, pressing Willowas cheek against his shoulder. aWolfe and Jessi are husband and wife. They wonat faint if they see you sitting in my lap.a With a sigh, Willow relaxed against her husband. He shifted her more closely against his body, brushed a kiss over her hair, and leaned toward the boxes with their intriguing array of flies.

aYouall probably have some luck with this one,a he said to Jessica, pointing toward something that looked like a black ant. aWe have mayflies and caddis, too, so that box should fill many a frying pan.a aIs the stream you mentioned far from here?a Jessica asked.

But the question occupied only part of her mind. She was still measuring the difference between marriage as she understood it and marriage as Willow and Caleb lived it.

Is this why Wolfe canat be reconciled to our marriage? Did he expect of marriage what Caleb and Willow so obviously havea"a union of lives rather than a merger of t.i.tles and wealth?

aThe Columbine isnat far,a Caleb said. aWolfe knows how to get there.a aThank you,a Jessica said quickly, abut if itas close, Iall just go by myself.a aLike h.e.l.l you will,a Wolfe said. aIf itas the stream Iam thinking of, thereas a band of Utes that winters there. They like hot springs as well as white men do.a Caleb nodded. aThereas a small camp. No more than three or four families. Mostly old men, women, and boys. I havenat had any trouble with them.a aYet,a Wolfe retorted. aYou let down your guard and youall be missing some horses real quick.a aKeeps a man on his toes,a Caleb agreed blandly.

Wolfe laughed. aYou should have been a warrior.a aHe is,a Willow said sleepily. She yawned and burrowed closer to her husbandas strength. aIf he werenat, Iad have died a year ago.a Long, amber eyelashes flickered down and Willow sighed, relaxing deeply against her husband, letting the rest of the world fade into the warm distance of sleep.

aReno and Wolf j helped me,a Caleb pointed out in a dry voice.

Willow didnat answer. She had fallen asleep. Caleb smiled and smoothed a bright lock of hair back from his wifeas face.

aYouare right about the camp,a he said quietly to Wolfe. aItas not far from the best stretch of trout water for a hundred miles around. But as long as you keep your rifle handy, you wonat have any problems. The Utes know Tree That Stands Alone. Youare a legend with them.a aIam sure Wolfe has better things to do than watch me lash a stream,a Jessica said quietly.

aThatas a fact,a Wolfe agreed.

Caleb looked from Jessica to Wolfe and bit back impatient words. Caleb didnat know what was wrong between the two of them, but he had no doubt that something was. Normally controlled to a fault, Wolfeas temper had become as volatile as nitroglycerin. He spent the days working like a man possessed, yet from the look of him there was no rest at night, nor any peace. Jessica looked no better. When she had arrived ten days ago, she had been exhausted from the long trip. She still looked exhausted.

aNonsense,a Caleb said firmly. aIt will do Wolfe good. Heas been working like two men.a aBull,a Wolfe said. aLooking after our broodmares isnat work, itas pleasure.a aAnd digging pestholes, cleaning out springs, fencing off rockfalls and blind canyons, chopping firewooda"a aI said I donat mind,a Wolfe said, cutting across the other manas words.

aDo be quiet, youall wake Willow,a Jessica said, showing both men two rows of even white teeth.

aIn any case, I wonat be leaving Willow while youare out working all over the countryside. The babe could decide to be born at any moment. There is enough agony and terror waiting for Willow. She shouldnat be alone in the bargain.a aHold your tongue,a Wolfe said coldly. aNot everyone feels as you do about bearing children.a aNot everyone,a Jessica agreed with equal chill.

aMerely every woman.a aThatas enough!a Wolfe said.

aJessica is right,a Caleb said abruptly. aG.o.d help me, sheas right about the danger. When I think of how Becky diedaa His expression changed as he looked down at the woman who slept so trustingly in his arms. aWillow is my life.a aI didnat meanaa Jessica whispered, but no one was listening.

Caleb stood, lifting Willow with him. Without a word, he carried his wife into their bedroom. The door shut softly behind them.

Sleet rattled over the windows, breaking the silence Caleb had left behind. The howling voice of the wind curled through the room, filling all s.p.a.ce, all silence, summoning all that Jessica had spent a lifetime trying to forget.

Hands clasped together until her fingers ached, Jessica fought not to show the fear she had lived with so long she couldnat remember a time without it. The need to cry out was a constant aching in her throat. Hiding her fear was becoming harder each day. The nights were becoming impossible. Soon she would hear a womanas screams mingled in awful harmony with the windas predatory cry.

Jessica wondered whether the screams would be Willowas or her own.

11.

aS UCH a fine, delicate st.i.tch,a Willow marveled, watching Jessica embroider an ornate B on a christening gown. aI tried to learn when I was a child, but I didnat have the patience. I still donat.a aIad rather be able to make biscuits.a aYour stew is excellent,a Willow said, suppressing a smile.

aItas edible,a Jessica corrected wryly, athanks to you. Without your tutoring. Iad still be trying to interest a skunk in my cooking. Youave been very patient with me.a aMy pleasure. Iave enjoyed having you here. I havenat really had another woman to talk to since my mother died.a Jessica hesitated. aYou must have been lonely.a aNot since I found Caleb.a With a sigh, Willow settled deeper into the sofa next to Jessica.

aIf thereas anything else about the domestic arts you want to know, just ask,a Willow said, yawning. aIam going to be lazy and watch you embroider while the bread rises.a Jessica became very still. aDo you mean that?a aDefinitely. I feel very lazy.a aI meant about asking questions.a aOf course.a Willow sighed and shifted her weight, trying to accommodate the babyas restlessness. aFire away.a aWhat I need to know is veryapersonal.a aThatas all right. The War Between the States made me pretty shockproof. Ask whatever you like.a Jessica took a deep breath and said quickly, aYou seem to enjoy your husband.a aOh, yes. Very much. Heas a wonderful man.a Willowas hazel eyes kindled with delight and her smile became incandescent.

aNo, I mean you enjoy him. Physically. In the marriage bed.a Willow blinked. aYes. I do.a aDo many women actually enjoy the marriage bed?a For a moment, Willow looked thoughtful as she remembered her motheras laughter and her fatheras low voice murmuring through the house late at night. Willow also remembered the Widow Sorensonas eyes lighting when she talked about the pleasure of sharing her life with a man.

aI think many women do,a Willow said slowly. Then she admitted, aI never truly understood it until I met Caleb. I was engaged to a boy who died in the war. When he kissed my cheek or held my hand, it was nice but it didnat make me want to be his woman. Yet when Caleb looks at me or smiles or touches meaa She hesitated, searching for words.

aThereas nothing else in the world for you,a Jessica finished quietly, remembering how it had felt when Wolfe smiled at her, filling her world.

But he no longer smiled at her, and her world was the empty wind.

aYes. Everything else vanishes.a After a moment, Willow said simply, aI never knew babies were conceived in ecstasy, until Caleb.a The embroidery thread knotted under Jessicaas tense fingers as memories spurted through her unwilling mind. aNot all babies are conceived that way. My motheras certainly werenat. She fought my father. Dear G.o.d, how she fought him.a Unhappily, Willow watched Jessica, sensing the violent tension in the other girlas slim body. She put her arm around Jessica in silent sympathy.

aWas there no love between them?a Willow asked softly.

aMy father needed a male heir. His first wife was an aristocrat, who couldnat conceive. When she died, he took my mother as his wife. She was a common ladyas maid. She was pregnant with me at the time. The earl had bedded her, you see.a aThen there was affection between them.a aPerhaps.a Jessica set aside the embroidery and rubbed her hands together as though chilled. aBut I think not. Mother was a commoner whose family was desperately poor. The earl was an aristocrat who desperately needed a male heir. I think desperation makes for a very difficult marriage bed. I know mother very much preferred to sleep alone, but she wasnat permitted to unless she was breeding.a Jessicaas bleak eyes revealed much that her careful words did not.

aIt isnat that way in all marriage,a Willow said.

aIt was in the marriages I saw. It was families and fortunes that married, not man and woman. It would have been that way in the marriage my guardian tried to arrange for me.a Jessica turned and faced Willow. aBut it isnat like that for you and Caleb. You come to his bed willingly. He doesnatahurt you. Does he?a Laughter and memory combined to tint Willowas cheeks a bright pink. Under normal circ.u.mstances, she wouldnat have spoken so frankly about the private side of marriage, but she sensed Jessica must have been been ill-prepared for being a wife in more important ways than her lack of skill in the kitchen.

Willow also suspected that she had stumbled on the source of the tension between Wolfe and his wife.

aIam more than willing to bed my husband, I fear. Iave been known to seduce Caleb quite shamelessly.a Willow bent closer and whispered in Jessicaas ear. aIn fact, as soon as possible after this babe is born, Iam looking forward to becoming Calebas woman in every way once more. Iave missed it so much. I never feel so closely bound to him as I do when we share our love in that very special way.a Jessica couldnat help but smile in response to Willowas sparkling eyes and pinkened cheeks. aCaleb is lucky to have you.a aIam the lucky one.a Willow smiled at Jessica. aAny more questions? Donat be shy. Growing up as you did, I doubt you had many women with whom you could talk about such things.a aI had only one friend.a aYou must miss her.a aHim, not her. Yes, I miss him terribly. Our friendship didnat survive our marriage.a aHaving seen how possessive Wolfe is, I can understand it,a Willow said. aYour friend must have decided that discretion is indeed the better part of valor.a aYou misunderstood me. Wolfe was my friend. Now he is my husband.a Jessica grimaced and changed the subject quickly. aThere is another way in which youare very different from my mother.a Willow smiled encouragingly. aYes?a aPregnancy was very difficult for her, yet you seem not to suffer.a aOh, Iall be glad enough to carry the babe in my arms rather than in my womb,a Willow admitted. aJust as Iall be glad not to wallow clumsily when I walk, not to visit the privy hourly, and not to require my husbandas strong arm to pull me out of my favorite chair.a aBut youare healthy,a Jessica said seriously. aYou can walk across the room without fainting, you can eat without vomiting, and you donataa Jessicaas voice died as she shuddered beneath another unwanted eruption of memory.

aWhat?a coaxed Willow.

aYou donat weep and scream and curse your fate.a aDear Lord. Was that what your mother did?a Another shudder wracked Jessica. Her hands became fists, as though that would prevent the gathering pressure of nightmares from erupting into memories she had forgotten long ago, because remembering was unbearable.

aAnd you donat curse Caleb for making you pregnant,a Jessica continued urgently, determined to have it all said, all questions asked. aDo you?a aCurse Caleb?a Willow sounded and looked appalled. Impulsively, she took Jessicaas cold fists, uncurled the fingers, and placed Jessicaas hands on the firm mound of her pregnancy. aFeel it. Feel the baby kick and turn and wriggle. Can you feel it?a At first, Jessica tried to pull away, for the gesture called back more of her own childhood, when her mother had grabbed her daughteras hands and pressed them against her womb, shouting at her daughter to feel the babe, to feel it moving, proof that this one would not be stillborn. But not once had Jessica felt a babe move. Not once had the pregnancies ended in a live birth.

Willowas belly was warm and firm and resilient, and beneath the supple skin something drummed against Jessicaas hands.

aItas moving,a Jessica breathed, shocked. aItas alive!a aOf course. The blessed little thing is as active as a flea.a aNo, you donat understand. Itas alive.a Willow laughed softly, bemused by the wonder on Jessicaas face.

aYes, itas alive,a Willow agreed. aAnother life is growing inside me. A beautiful miracle. How could I curse the man who created this new life with me?a Jessica said nothing, for she was too transfixed by the vigorous life in Willowas womb to think coherently.

aHere,a Willow said, shifting one of Jessicaas hands. aCan you feel the babyas head, all round, just fitting in your palm?a Breathlessly, Jessica nodded.

aNow give me your other hand,a Willow said. She moved it to the other side of her abdomen. aFeel it kick? A tiny little foot, but already so strong. Every week it gets bigger and stronger. Lately, it seems to grow an inch a day.a She laughed. aSoon it will be strong enough to be born, and then Iall see Caleb hold his child and smile at me.a aYou arenat afraid?a aIam strong. Iam healthy. My mother had babies without difficulty.a Willow hesitated, then admitted, aCaleb wanted me to go to the fort months ago, but the weather has been too bad. Besides, I wanted our child to be born here. I didnat want to be in a strange place with strangers around me.a aWhen the time comes, Iall help you,a Jessica said. aIf you wish it. Lady Victoria saw that I had some small training, though Iave never used it. She wanted me to be prepared if my future husband owned a remote country estate.a Willow said simply, aIad like to have you nearby.a aThen you shall.a With a lifting of her heart, Jessica picked up her embroidery again and resumed working on the christening gown. For the first time, she allowed herself to hope that the gown wouldnat serve as a tiny shroud for a stillborn babe.

aOH, do play, please,a Jessica coaxed Caleb. aReno told me you play quite beautifully. It would be wonderful to hear music again.a aThatas the thing about being a Western wife,a Wolfe said, giving Jessica a taunting look. aYouare deprived of all kinds of civilized things.a aNot music,a Caleb said. aNot unless you want to be.a He put the harmonica to his lips. A beautiful chord floated through the room. aOf course, a harmonica isnat some fancy chamber music done in four-part harmony.a aDo that again,a Jessica said, startled. Then she heard the blunt command in her voice and flushed. aPlease. It was very pretty.a aIt wasnat Bach,a Wolfe said.

aDo hush up,a Jessica said sweetly. aIf I had wanted Bach, I would have packed my violin over the Rockies and made all of you suffer through a nightly recital.a Rafe laughed. aYou tell him, Red.a Despite himself, Wolfe smiled. aActually, I like Bach.a aYou would,a Reno said. aYou spent too long in civilization.a Caleb lifted the harmonica and blew gently. All conversation stopped as the first, simple notes of aAmazing Gracea filled the room. Reno and Willow began singing, falling easily into the patterns of harmony they had learned as children. Jessicaas breath went out in a sigh of pleasure as brother and sister sang with voices perfectly blended.

After a moment another voice wove through the other two in a rhythmic echo that had no words. When Jessica looked at Rafe, she realized that he was humming in flawless counterpoint.

Grimly Wolfe measured the pleasure and admiration in Jessicaas face as she listened to Renoas voice and Rafeas haunting music. Even as Wolfe told himself that she was every bit as admiring of Caleb and Willow, Wolfe knew it didnat matter. It was Jessicaas clear appreciation of the Moran brothers that flicked like a whip over Wolfeas raw nerves.

Nor were Reno and Rafe immune to Jessicaas effortless charm. Their eyes kindled with special warmth when she laughed, when she smiled, when she walked into the room. Though neither brother had given her so much as an improper look, the knowledge that Jessica took pleasure in their companya"but not in her husbandasa"was like an acid in Wolfeas soul. The fact that he had worked relentlessly to make her uncomfortable in his presence only made the result more bitter.

I never should have brought her here. I should have guessed Reno would be wintering over with his sister. I should have known what effect Jessicaas fey blue eyes and laughter would have on a lonely man. G.o.d knows the effect they have on me.

Or rather, the Devil knows. I want Jessica like h.e.l.l burning. But I can survive that. What I canat survive is watching her flit like a silken b.u.t.terfly around those d.a.m.ned handsome Moran brothers.

I should grab Jessi and leave.

But Wolfe couldnat do that. He cared too much for Willow to deprive her of Jessicaas company, especially after Willow had refused to leave the ranch in order to give birth.

When Caleb began a ballad set in waltz time Jessica began humming and keeping time with her fingertips.

aWolfe?a she asked hopefully, wanting to dance.

He shook his head. He was tempted, but didnat trust himself. If he held her in his arms, his body would state its hunger in unmistakable terms.

aI need some water,a Wolfe said, heading for the kitchen.

Jessicaas eyes followed him every step of the way.

aNever let it be said that Matthew Moran sat on his hands when a beautiful woman wanted to dance,a Reno said.

He went to where Jessica was sitting, bowed, and held out his hand. She put her fingers on his and stood.

aThank you, kind sir.a Jessica smiled, curtsied, and stepped into Renoas arms with a grace that had been learned from the finest tutors in the British Empire.

In the kitchen, Wolfe drank one cup of water, then another, cursing silently the whole time. He had wanted very much to hold Jessica, to feel her softness and warmth, to stand so close to her that he could smell her delicate rose perfume and see the intense clarity of her eyes.

Now another man was doing all those things.