WestwardWindsV2Arebooks (16 page)

Then he saw Marcus open the door and look over towards the barn. Apparently finding the coast clear, Marcus motioned to Seth to follow him. They each carried a fishing pole and Seth carried a bucket. Quickly, the two of them ran from the bunkhouse and disappeared into the woods. Geoff couldn’t prevent the laugh that rose in his throat.

As she cooked supper, Tessa thought about what Lydia had said to her that day. She wasn’t sure she could go through with it. She felt that she wasn’t experienced enough to pull something like that off. She was mixing up a batch of biscuits when Marcus came stomping into the kitchen and marched right over to her.

She’d never seen such a furious expression on his face as she did just then. Normally Marcus was smiling and pleasant. He wasn’t either of those things at that moment. He put his hands on his hips as Tessa stared at him with wide eyes.

“You need to make up and make love with your husband or else you’re gonna be a widow because I’m gonna
kill him,” Marcus said. “I’ve had about all of him I can take. I’m
goin’ home so don’t wait supper on me.”

Tessa watched him stride angrily out the door. That was the second person that day who’d told her to be intimate with her husband in order to end their fighting. As she finished the biscuits and put them in the oven, Tessa thought that maybe there was something to it after all.

After supper, Tessa sent Jack and Sadie upstairs to get ready for bed. Geoff was once more outside on the swing. He seemed to be developing an affinity for it.

“Dean, please sleep in our room tonight,” Tessa said nervously.

Dean looked at her. “You mean on the floor?”

She gave him a meaningful stare. “No. Not on the floor.”

Dean stared at her back as she turned around to wash dishes.

As she did every night, Tessa brushed out her long hair. Dean undressed and sat down on the bed a little hesitantly. He was afraid she was going to change her mind and want him to sleep on the floor again.
Like hell I will. I’m here now and I’m not leaving this bed.
His mind made up, Dean pulled his side of the summer weight bedclothes down and lay down.

He wanted in the worst way to reach out to touch Tessa’s hair, but he didn’t want to be rebuffed. With great effort, Dean kept his hands to himself. Tessa stood up and went over to their door and locked it. She gave him a lightning fast glance and blew out the lamp. Dean’s eyes never left her as she went to stand by her side of the bed.

Tessa was nervous as she removed her nightgown and slid under the covers completely naked.
What is he thinking? Does he want to? Oh, Lord, what if he doesn’t?
She felt the bed shift suddenly and she was in Dean’s arms so quickly that she couldn’t register what had happened at first. Then his mouth descended on hers and there was no question that he wanted her. Tessa willingly surrendered to her husband and passion took over their minds and bodies and, for the moment, anger and pride were left behind.

As she lay against Dean’s side, Tessa toyed with his hand where it rested on his stomach.

“Dean?”

“Hmm?”

“Are you asleep?”

“Umm hmm,” was followed by his soft laughter. “No, Tessa. I’m awake.”

“All right. Good. Can we please talk now that we’re, um…”

“Resting?”

Tessa hated how shy she felt about all of this. “Yes. Resting.”

“Sure. What’s on your mind?” Dean said as her hand moved over his chest.

“Well, I’m sorry that we’ve been fighting,” she said.

“Me, too, honey. I hate fighting with you,” Dean said.

Tessa had lost control of her hand and couldn’t stop touching Dean. It was interfering with her train of thought. “I don’t want to fight with you, either. We shouldn’t fight like this.”

“No, we shouldn’t,” Dean said as he rolled over to look at her. He brushed her back hair from her cheek and she shivered slightly as his fingers touched her shoulder.

Now it was Dean who couldn’t control his hands. “It doesn’t get us anywhere.”

“No, it doesn’t,” Tessa said and moved closer to him.

“Then let’s don’t fight,” Dean said as he put an arm around her and then kissed her.

Tessa gave up on rational thought and kissed him back fervently.

The next morning Tessa woke to an empty bed. She groaned as she remembered how miserably her plan had failed. Yes, they’d made love several times, but they hadn’t resolved their differences. She looked at the clock on the dresser and was shocked to see how late it was. She hurried to get dressed so that she could make breakfast.

She needn’t have worried. Marcus presided over the stove with ease as he flipped eggs and made bacon.

“Good morning,” she said as she watched him.

“’Morning, Tessa. Slept in a little,” he said with a knowing grin.

She blushed and said, “I guess so.”

Suddenly Marcus hugged her and said, “God bless you.”

Then he released her and went back to cooking. “How do you want your eggs?”

“Uh, scrambled. I didn’t know you could cook,” Tessa said.

“Yep. Ma taught me when I was younger. I’m glad she did. I cook at home whenever I’m not up here,” he responded.

She sat down at the table as Marcus went to the stairs and shouted, “Hey, kids, shake a leg! Breakfast is ready. You, too, Geoff! I
ain’t got all day!”

Soon, running footsteps sounded and Sadie and Jack appeared. Jack sat down and Marcus put a plate in front of him. The boy began eating with his usual zeal and Tessa and Marcus shared a smile over it. Sadie ate more sedately. Marcus gave Tessa her plate. Geoff still hadn’t appeared.

“Where is Papa?” Tessa asked.

“Well, I forgot. He and Seth came down to my place last night and we played cards. Ended up killing a fifth of whiskey. He’s probably sleeping it off,” Marcus said with a naughty grin.

Tessa laughed as she thought about her father being hung over. “I wonder when the last time he did that was. I think you’re all a bad influence on him.”

Marcus said, “Nah.” He stepped outside and yelled, “Hey! Breakfast!”

Seth came from the barn. He didn’t run, but his long, easy strides ate up the ground quickly. Dean wasn’t far behind him.

He smiled when he saw his wife and kissed her cheek. Marcus winked at her while Dean talked to the kids. Tessa colored and turned her attention to her food.

Later that morning, Tessa could put off their talk no longer. She found Dean in the barn and asked him to come to the tack room with her.

He shut the door and came towards her smiling. “What is it?”

“I need to talk to you,” she said.

“Like last night?” he asked as he put his arms around her.

“No. Yes. I mean, I wanted to talk to you last night, but it never happened because, well, you know,” she said.

“Oh, yes. I know, all right. Are we
gonna talk more like that?” Dean asked.

“No. Not right now,” Tessa said.

“Ok. So what do you want to talk about?” he asked as he loosened his hold on her a little.

Tessa took a breath and then plunged ahead. “Last night was wonderful. Well, more than wonderful.”

“C’mon, Miss Writer, you can do better than that,” Dean coaxed.

“Spectacular. Incredible. Magnificent,” Tessa said, getting carried away.

Dean kissed the side of her neck and she giggled.

“Keep goin’.”

“Fantastic. Passionate. Earth shattering,” Tessa said.

“Earth shattering? Love it,” Dean said as he backed her over against the wall by the door.

“Dean, no, not here. Here?” she said as he locked the door.

“Yep.”

Tessa fumed as she walked back over to the house. She’d never done anything like that in her life and she’d loved every second of it. But her desire for her husband was keeping her from talking about the issues that still lay between them. She encountered Marcus on the way there.

“Hey, are you all right?” he asked when he saw the scowl on her face.

“I’m fine. You can thank me again,” she said and continued on her way.

Marcus looked after her and then at the barn. His laughter rang out as he caught her meaning.

That night Tessa decided that they were going to have it out finally.

“Dean, we need to talk. No, don’t touch me!” she said when he moved towards her. “I’m completely serious and I am not going to let you distract me with sex.”

Dean laughed. “I think that’s the first time I’ve heard you use that word.”

“That’s not important right now! We need to talk about our disagreements. I’m still upset with you and you’re still upset with me,” Tessa said.

“I am?” Dean asked. “I’m still mad at you? I don’t think so.”

“You’re not?” Tessa asked.

“No. I thought we made up?” Dean said.

“No, we didn’t,” Tessa said.

Dean grinned. “It sure felt like we did. Several times as a matter of fact.”

Tessa closed her eyes and groaned. “I know, but that wasn’t my intention.”

“What was your intention?”

“To get you to listen to me so we could work things out,” Tessa said.

“I listened all right,” Dean said. “You talked, I listened.”

Tessa’s anger was piqued by his humorous remarks. “No, you didn’t. We made love. That’s not listening.”

Dean sighed and sat down on the bed and gave her his attention. He could tell that she wasn’t kidding around. “Ok. I’m listening now.”

“I need you to really hear me, Dean,” Tessa almost pleaded.

“Ok. Go ahead.”

“You don’t seem to understand why I’ve been angry about this whole letter business,” Tessa said.

Dean’s face fell. “You’ve
gotta
be kidding me, Tessa. I thought all was forgiven and forgotten.”

“No! That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you but you keep distracting me. You don’t understand why what you did was wrong,” Tessa said.

“I’m gonna sleep on the floor again tonight aren’t I?” he asked.

“You’re not listening to me,” Tessa said. “Please listen to me.”

“I’m listening and I’m not believing what I’m hearing. Do you
want
to fight? Do you want me to still be mad at you for not
tellin’ your folks about me? Because I can get mad about it again if you like. In fact, I’ll save us both some time and just go sleep in the barn right now,” Dean said.

“No! Don’t go. Can’t you see that this is important to me? Why do you think I want to talk about it?” Tessa said frantically as Dean started dressing. “Take your pants off!”

Dean stilled. “Tessa, there’s only one reason I’m
gonna take them off and I don’t think we have the same idea about that at the moment.”

Tessa had to work hard not to scream. Through clenched teeth she said, “Why is it so hard for you to do one simple thing for me?” Tears of anger and disappointment gathered in her eyes. “I don’t ask you for much, Dean. Please.”

Dean saw that her eyes were overly bright and cursed under his breath. “Ok. Fine. I told you the other night that I know I was wrong and that I was sorry, but that wasn’t good enough for you, I guess. Do you want me to say it again, because I will if that’s what you need?”

“I’m telling you what I need, but you won’t hear me,” Tessa said.

“I’m confused, Tessa. I really don’t know what’s going on here,” Dean said.

“I was trying to get you in a good mood last night,” Tessa said.

Dean said, “Well, it worked.”

“Yes, but we didn’t talk about what I wanted to discuss. Can we please talk now?” Tessa said.

“All right.”

Tessa could see by his mutinous expression that he really wasn’t willing to talk. “Never mind, Dean. Go to the barn or wherever you want to go. I’m going to sleep.”

“What? I thought we were going to talk.”

“No. It’s not important. Goodnight, Dean,” Tessa said and got into the bed. She lay down facing away from him.

Stunned, Dean stared down at her for a long moment. Rising from the bed, he put on his shirt and left their room.

“What the heck did you do?” Marcus asked as he came into the kitchen the next morning. “He’s worse than ever!”

Tessa sent Marcus a scathing look. “It is not my responsibility to keep him in a good mood. I need more than … that. He will not listen to me and he thinks I shouldn’t still be upset. Just because you make love it doesn’t mean that issues have been resolved.

Marcus sighed and sat down at the table as she cooked. “Is this about the letters?”

Tessa said, “Yes, but it’s more than that. It’s about him not really listening to me. He thinks that I enjoy fighting or something like that. I’m getting myself confused.”

“I get what you’re saying. Dean is stubborn and listening isn’t always his strong suit,” Marcus said. “I could hog tie him for you and then he’d have to listen to you.”

Tessa smiled. “While that offer is tempting, I’ll pass on it.”

“Ok, but if you change your mind, let me know,” Marcus said. “That smells good.”

Tessa said, “Go ahead and get your breakfast, Marcus. Where is my husband?”

“Over in the other barn. He’s curing hay,” Marcus said.

She nodded and took off her apron. Marcus watched her go out the door.

Dean saw her coming and he almost groaned at the furious expression on Tessa’s face.
Now what?
he thought.

“I want you to listen and I mean listen, Dean,” she said. Her blue eyes flashed fire and there was a stubborn set to her jaw.

“Ok. I’m listening,” Dean said.

“You need to stop being nasty or bad-tempered with others because we are having a disagreement. It’s not fair to them and I’m tired of being told that I should keep making love with you so that you will stay in a good mood,” she said. “So do not take your frustrations out on others. Do you hear me?”