The Texan's Reward (41 page)

maybe she was being the honest one. “Then, what do we do?”

Nel moved her cheek against his shoulder, rubbing warm tears into his skin. “I don’t know. I just know that I

don’t want to spend the rest of my life trying to keep you at arm’s length.”

“You could marry Harrison. He’s a good man.”

To his surprise, Nell laughed. “Great idea. We can’t be satisfied making ourselves miserable, we have to hurt Mr.

Harrison as well.”

“But he wants to marry you,” Jacob reminded her. “He agreed to the in-name-only part. He thinks a great deal of

you, Nell, but he’s said from the first that he would only be marrying to get half the land.”

Nel stopped him. “Have you seen the way he looks at Marla?”

Jacob frowned, realizing he wasn’t the only one who’d noticed. “Yes but . . .”

She slung her braid, splashing water against his chin. “So, now we’re miserable, and so we include Harrison by

my marrying him, and that makes Marla unhappy.” She brushed the water from his chin. “We’ve made a fine

mess of it, haven’t we?”

He smiled but saw no way out.

“I’ve thought about it,” she finally added. “I’ve decided to stay an old maid. Then, if you want to marry someday,

you can. Harrison, if he wants it, will become my full-time bookkeeper and eventual y figure out that he loves

Marla.”

“And we’ll stay friends?”

“Friends?” she asked. “But before we agree, I’d like to kiss you one last time.”

Before he could stop her, she moved into his arms, pressing her body against his.

He meant to kiss her gently, but she would have none of it. She wanted a real kiss. As they swayed with the

gentle water, he felt her warm the length of him as her passion built inside of him.

Brushing kisses over her face, he whispered how soft she was before returning to her mouth. Then she did the

same, laughing as his whiskers tickled.

The fact that he couldn’t abandon himself fully made what he felt all the sweeter. He carefully moved his hands

down her back and gently cupped her hips. He loved the way she dug her fingers into his hair and pul ed his

head to her, demanding, needing, and longing for what they both knew they’d never have ful y.

This moment would have to last them forever, and he planned to make it a sweet dream for the rest of her life.

He unbuttoned her camisole and spread the wet cotton aside. The water bushed against the peaks of her

breasts, and he could do nothing but stare.

“You’re perfect,” he whispered as he leaned over and took one tip in his mouth.

She laughed in surprise.

He held her waist in an easy grip as he moved below the water, pushing material aside as he kissed downward.

Nel grabbed his hair and pul ed him up. “You’l drown.”

“I don’t care,” he answered and realized he meant it.

“Then, by al means continue.”

Under the water he kissed al the way to her belly button. When he returned for air, she insisted he stay long

enough for her to taste his mouth ful y.

Widening his stance, he stood almost equal to her as she moved her hands over his chest. He knew what she

was doing: memorizing.

Her touch grew bolder as she reached below his waist, wanting to feel all of him.

The shock of it startled him, but he didn’t move. This was his Nel , the girl who’d never run from adventure, the

woman who wanted, if only for a moment, to claim her man.

He grabbed their undergarments before they floated away and tossed them on a branch while she drifted

around him, letting skin touch skin. Her breasts drove him mad as they slipped against his chest, and her long

legs gently wrapped around him.

“If this is to be the last time we touch,” she whispered, “I want to be able to remember the way you felt for the

rest of my life.”

He agreed. What they were doing was dangerous. Neither of them could trust themselves enough to always

stop before it was too late. Jacob realized she wanted him as much as he wanted her. They couldn’t play with

fire again, but here in the water, her body could move without pain.

His hands slowly moved down. He closed his eyes, swearing he’d never forget a single line of her body.

She brushed her fingers over him, tracing the outlines of his scars and the way his muscles tightened to her

touch.

“I’ll make love to you every night in my dreams,” he whispered. “Every night for the rest of my life.”

Her arms circled his neck and held to him. “I know,” she whispered. “I’m counting on it.”

They stood together until the afternoon shadows stretched long and the water grew cold. He didn’t want to turn

loose of her. He wasn’t sure his heart would still beat without hers beating beside it.

He loved her. He loved her enough never to touch her again after today.

And he knew she loved him, for she’d given him as much of herself as she could. She’d given him one afternoon

that would stay with him for the rest of his life.

NELL HELD ON TIGHTLY WHEN JACOB FINALLY CARRIED her out of the water. She curled in the back of the buggy

in the blankets and whispered a good-bye to her ranger.

With her eyes closed, she heard Jacob tell Harrison to drive carefully and Harrison say he’d go into town tonight

and col ect the news. The men agreed that if Harrison didn’t stop by before midnight, there was nothing to

report.

None of the conversation mattered, for Nel knew she was stil lost in the arms of Jacob. She wondered how he

could even begin to talk and make sense when the world had stopped turning only minutes before. As the

wagon pul ed away, Nel knew she’d left her heart with her ranger.

With Marla talking softly about the day, Nell drifted into sleep wishing she were still in Jacob’s arms. The sun

was setting by the time they pul ed up to the house and her smal army went to work. Mrs. O’Daniel helped her

into a bath, and Wednesday brought her a cup of hot tea.

Everyone agreed to have a supper of cheese and apples. By nine, the house settled in for bed. Mrs. O’Daniel

stopped in to make her report about the patients. “Brother Aaron is hobbling around swearing that he’l be right

as rain in a few days.” The nurse laughed. “He swears the devil took twenty dollars in gold from him last night.

He says he was looking at it in the moonlight a moment before the devil knocked him off the porch.”

Nell grinned. “The preacher probably never had twenty dollars in gold.”

Mrs. O’Daniel continued, “Hank ate all his meals and stayed awake most of the day listening to Wednesday and

playing with her baby. I think he’l be ready to travel in a few days if the ranger doesn’t push him too hard.”

Mrs. O’Daniel sat on the corner of Nel ’s bed. “How did it go with your ranger?”

Nell smiled. “You were right. We did need time to say good-bye as lovers if we are to be friends.” She’d finally

told Mrs. O’Daniel last night what had happened after the woman worried for an hour over what had hurt her so

badly. To Nel ’s surprise, the nurse didn’t blame Jacob.

The old nurse nodded. “I haven’t always been old and stout. There was a time when I was young.”

“It won’t be easy seeing him and knowing that I can’t marry him, but I know it would be torture if he married me

and could never sleep beside me. I tried to tel myself that maybe after time my back wouldn’t hurt so badly, but

after days of exercise all that has changed is the level of pain I can endure. I don’t want it to be like that when

I’m with Jacob.”

“The doctor may get in tomorrow.” Mrs. O’Daniel tried to sound hopeful. “Maybe something has changed.”

Nell shook her head. The bullet was still lodged near her spine. An operation might kill her. Nothing had

changed.

The nurse tucked her in and left. Nell lay awake for hours reliving the dream she’d had that afternoon.

When she woke the next morning, another rainstorm had moved in across the plains. This was the rainiest

spring that Nell could remember.

Everyone in the house stayed in and tried to think of ways to pass the time. Harrison seemed the only one

happy. He worked in the study al morning, then cornered Nel about a few new ideas he had.

The next day mirrored the day before. Nel worried about Jacob, knowing he’d find shelter but hating to think of

him out on the old ranch al alone. If she’d been able to, she would have ridden over to keep him company.

Sheriff Parker braved the weather to come to lunch. He complained about his aching bones and spent most of

his time standing in front of the fireplace, even though the day wasn’t particularly cold. He reported Walter

Farrow had been drinking heavily since the posse left and complaining about how he’d been cheated out of his

uncle’s wealth. Except for a few traveling salesmen, who knew nothing of the past, no one paid any attention to

his whining. He seemed to have a couple of troublemakers working for him, but Parker couldn’t figure out what

they were doing to earn their pay.

Parker waited to tell the bad news until everyone had finished eating. He stood and faced Nell. “I hate to relay

this, but I got a telegram from Fort Worth. The posse delivered the three outlaws yesterday, and early this

morning a judge decided to hold them in jail until Dalton delivers the boy. He wants to try them al together.”

Harrison tossed his napkin on the table. “But the boy will hang if they’re tried together.”

Sheriff Parker winced as though the words hit him. “I know, but that’s the law. He may only be fifteen, but a lot

of outlaws have only been half grown when they killed someone.”

Mrs. O’Daniel huffed. “Hank didn’t kill anyone.”

Everyone fell silent. They al knew nothing they could say would change anything. Hank had been one of the

men who’d held up the train. If Mrs. O’Daniel could identify him, so could fifty others.

Finally, to everyone’s surprise, Marla whispered, “Don’t tell Wednesday until we have to. It’ll break her heart.

She and Hank have become friends.”

Everyone at the table agreed.

“Maybe she’ll feel some better knowing Jacob will stand with him,” Nell said. “He has to take the boy in, but he

promised he’d do everything he could to the end.”

Nell wished she could add some hope that the judge might give the boy a lighter sentence, but she doubted it.

“Oh, one other thing,” Parker pulled a telegram from his pocket. “The doc says he’ll be in on the last train. I

figured, with the rain, he might wait until tomorrow, but he’s going to make it in tonight.”

“I’l pick him up at the station.”

“If it’s not still raining,” Marla added, “I’ll ride along with you.”

“Me, too, if you take the big buggy,” Nel added. She didn’t want to admit that the house was starting to feel like

a prison again, even with all the company.

The weather cooperated. The rain stopped by midafternoon, and the sun even gave a weak appearance. The

road might still be muddy, but at least it wouldn’t be a river.

Just after dark, Nell and Marla climbed into the back of the buggy with plenty of blankets, and Mr. Harrison

drove them. The preacher wanted to ride along, but his leg stil bothered him. He final y said he’d help Gypsy

keep guard while they were gone.

Nell couldn’t hide her excitement. Dr. McClellan and his new wife Theda had become dear friends.

By the time they got to the train station, fog had moved in. Marla left Nell to help Harrison identify the doctor.

“I’ll be right back,” she called over her shoulder.

Nell laughed, “I’ll be right here.”

She closed her eyes and listened to the sounds of the train pul ing in. The long, lonely whistle always made her

feel like it was calling her.

The buggy suddenly shifted.

Nell opened her eyes, expecting to see Harrison and the others, but two young men dressed in black sat in front

of her.

Her first thought was that they must have the wrong buggy. “You’ve . . .”

The buggy lunged forward as the man not driving turned to face her. “If you want to live, lady, you’d be wise to

keep your mouth shut.”

Nel held tight as the buggy rocked. She couldn’t find enough breath to scream.

Fighting down the pain and fear, she managed to yel , “What do you want?”

The stranger turned around again as the buggy pounded down the road away from town. “We work for Mr.

Farrow, lady, and he only wants what’s his.”

JACOB WATCHED THE SUN SET, FEELING EVEN LONELIER than usual. With the rain, he’d gone two days without

seeing anyone. Nel hadn’t come for her swims, and when he’d ridden over to the bend in the river, the basket

of supplies was already there with only a note keeping him informed about Hank’s recovery.

Two more days, he thought, maybe three, and the boy would be able to travel. Once they were on the road

Jacob knew enough back trails that he wouldn’t worry too much about them being fol owed. Right now was

their dangerous time with Kelly still nosing around in town and Walter Farrow’s men hanging about trying to

learn what happened to both the ranger and Hank.

Jacob stretched. He didn’t feel like turning in for the night, yet he had nothing to do. Dusty stomped, seeming as

restless. “Want to go for a run?” Jacob mumbled to the horse.

He laughed when the horse nodded as if he’d understood. Jacob patted the dog’s head. “Stay here, Fred, and

protect the camp.” The old dog would be doing good to fight off a rabbit. “I think I’l ride close enough to watch

the train come in.”

As he saddled up and, out of habit erased al sign of his camp, Jacob wondered when he’d started talking to