Whirlwind Groom (13 page)

She slid six into the gun's chamber and clicked it into position. She lifted both arms and leveled the gun, sighting down its length to the black words marked on the burlap bag. She pulled the trigger, flinching at the noise.

The bullet went off into the air. She'd forgotten how loud the gunshots were, how hard the weapon kicked, how lousy she'd been the first time. Resolved to hit the target at least once before leaving today, she sighted it again.

“Here.” Davis Lee reached toward her, sliding his hand over hers and pushing her grip down. “If more of your palm covers the handle, you'll be steadier.”

She squeezed the trigger again, amazed that the weapon's kick did lessen. “Yes, I can tell a difference.”

“You didn't close your eyes this time. That's good,” he murmured.

His words sounded almost caressing and made her as jittery as a painted lady at a prayer meeting. She didn't know how many lessons she would be able to survive with Davis Lee. How long she'd be able to keep up her guard against him. She emptied the chamber, hitting absolutely nothing.

She stared at the weapon in frustration. As she reloaded,
Davis Lee laid a hand lightly on her shoulder. “Try to relax. Your shoulders are too stiff. That's part of the problem.”

“The other part being that a blind man has better aim?”

He grinned. “This isn't something you can learn in a day.”

“For some of us, maybe not even a year.”

“You'll get it. It just takes practice.”

She
would
learn how to do this. Ian McDougal wasn't getting past her again, the way he had that awful night. As she stared at the bale of hay, she wondered if she could really shoot the outlaw given the chance. Could she really kill him the way he'd killed her parents, her fiancé? She shoved the doubts away. She'd come to kill him. She would.

Josie didn't know how long she stood there with Davis Lee, shots cracking through the air as the sun sank lower in the sky behind them. A couple of times he jogged over to the hay bales and told her she'd hit the ground just to the side of them or just in front.

That gave her enough encouragement to load another six bullets. Her forearms ached and she found it more and more difficult to keep her attention solely on the task at hand. Her mind and her attention kept wandering to the big man beside her who encouraged and directed and stood altogether too close.

She wanted to stay mad at him, but the anger slipped away as easily as the time. There were only a dozen or so bullets remaining in the box. She fired three more, lousy good-for-nothing shots and lowered her arm. “Why can't I do this?”

“Squeeze the trigger slowly,” he said. “Picture in your mind that you're blowing a hole in that feed sack.”

“I have been,” she said through gritted teeth.

He smiled, reaching over to nudge her forearm up. His hand circled her wrist, his thumb resting on her pulse. “Don't stop yet.”

His palm was hot and callused against her skin. She pictured hitting the target then squeezed the trigger. A hole appeared in the bag at the left edge.

For a second, she stared. She took a couple of steps forward and her mouth dropped open. “I—I hit that! Do you see? I hit it!”

He chuckled. “Yeah, I see.”

“I'm going to do it again.” She moved back beside him, taking aim.

When she was ready, she fired. Another hole appeared, this one near the bottom center of the bag.
“Ohmystars!”

In her excitement, Josie spun toward Davis Lee. He was closer than she thought and she bumped him, hard. The gun flew out of her hand. Before she could react, a sharp explosion cracked the air.

She shrieked and launched herself at him, her arms locking around his neck. She pressed against him, tight as a steel spring bustle. “What was that?”

“Your gun.” His arms wrapped around her as he looked over her shoulder. “You're lucky it's pointed the other direction. You could've shot off your foot or mine.”

She exhaled in relief, sagging against him. “I got so excited that I finally hit something. I'm sorry.”

“No harm done. This time.” His breath drifted against her cheek.

Josie realized with a start that she was plastered to him. Every inch of her. Against every inch of him. She swallowed hard.

“You gotta be careful.” His voice stroked over her, velvety and hypnotizing.

Her gaze met his. There was no mistaking the hunger in his eyes. Hunger that should've had her wrenching herself out of his arms and putting her feet on solid ground. She licked suddenly dry lips. “I will. I promise.”

His eyes darkened and her senses narrowed to the man holding her.

The burn of gunpowder, the excitement of hitting her target for the first time, disappeared. Davis Lee's chest was solid muscle against her breasts. The deep male scent of him slid into her lungs, heady and delicious. His body cradled hers all the way down to her button-up boots.

“I'm gonna kiss you, Josie,” he said gruffly. “I have to.”

Her breath caught. “Are you trying to scare me?”

“If you're scared, you better run. Now.”

She didn't want to run. She wanted to feel his mouth on hers.

He dipped his head. “Are you goin' for that blade?”

She shook her head. Waiting, aching for him to kiss her. Her heart pounded painfully in her chest and her arms tightened around him.

He had to taste her. Filled with the scent of her, he curled her tight into him and settled his mouth over hers.

She stilled for a second then parted her lips, letting him in. The soft noise she made kicked off a scalding desire inside him. He had imagined the taste of her, but he'd come nowhere close to the dark sweetness of her mouth.

She touched his tongue with hers. He dragged one hand up her back, cupping her nape so that his thumb rested in the hollow of her throat. He drank her in, his mind blank of all reason as a savage swirl of need pulled him under.

He angled her head, went deeper and slower with his tongue. There was no fight in her. She was all give and soft woman.

He let her slowly drift down his body until her feet touched the ground. She stood on tiptoe, still kissing him, her stomach against his arousal, her breasts flattened against his chest. She smelled delicious, tasted like honey-drenched sin.

One arm slanted down her back, holding her to him. He lifted his other hand, gliding his thumb over her cheekbone, burying his fingers in her hair.

It was like thick, hot silk. He wanted to unbraid it, drown his face in it, feel it on his bare skin, his belly. The whole time they kissed he told himself he was in control. That it was
her
body shaking, not his. That he was only trying to keep her off balance.

She moaned, gripping the front of his shirt. He lifted his head, his breathing rough and loud. Hard with need, he throbbed against her belly and she felt it, her eyes widening slightly.

Her pulse thrummed wildly beneath his touch. She was flushed, her eyes deep and soft with desire as she lifted a shaking hand to his face. “Oh…my,” she said hoarsely.

He kissed her again, harder this time, again demanding total surrender.

He got it. She melted into him, her hands curving around his nape then slipping into his hair. She was sweet and hot.

Davis Lee thought his knees might buckle. He dragged his lips from hers and set his teeth on her neck. He nipped and laved his way to her ear, biting gently on her lobe.

She wiggled closer, making a sound somewhere between a whimper and a moan. Aching, he nuzzled her temple, her cheek, savoring the fine texture of her skin, drawing in her light honeysuckle scent. He brushed her lips with his just as he heard a noise behind him.

He lifted his head.

“Noooo,” Josie moaned, trying to pull him back down.

“Shhh.” He pressed her close, trying to hear over the roar of his blood.

The murmur of a voice, the jangle of harness, the soft blow of a horse. Someone was in the barn. Catherine.

Josie finally heard the sounds, too. She stiffened and wiggled out of his arms. Her face was flushed, her hair loose
where he'd thrust his fingers. Her breasts rose and fell rapidly.

Davis Lee balled his hands into fists and forced himself to step away, which was damn hard when he wanted to pull her back against him and finish what he'd started. Dragging in air, he waited for her to slap him or run.

She stared at him, her eyes huge and moss-green in her beautiful face.

The violent hammering of his blood finally quieted enough for his brain to work. She probably expected him to apologize for taking such liberties, but when she spoke, she said, “I think we should go.”

She turned away, kneeling to pick up her gun. She carefully checked to make sure the chamber was empty before she stood and slid it into her skirt pocket. As she smoothed her hair into place, her color deepened. Her lips were still wet from his.

The sight of her set off a primal hunger inside him. He wanted to taste her again, take her. She was
his.

The thought exploded in his mind and suddenly he couldn't breathe. His lungs burned, laboring as if an invisible weight pressed down on him. He had to get away from her.

“I'll come back later and return the hay bales to Catherine's barn,” he said. “I should get you back to the hotel before dark.”

“Yes. All right.”

She didn't look at him as they walked silently back to town, making a path that kept them away from Catherine as well as other people and brought them up behind the hotel.

One look at Josie and it would be clear she'd been thoroughly kissed. By him. What was he going to do? “Josie?”

“Please don't say anything. Please.” She knew it would
never happen again. It couldn't. But she didn't want to hear him say he regretted it.

Somehow she'd find a way to put the memory aside so she could continue her lessons with him.

He walked her to the front of the hotel, his handsome face set in unyielding lines. The day had only begun to shift into evening, a soft gray haze blurring the edges of the setting sun. Voices drifted over from the Pearl as people finished their dinner. Lanterns there and in the hotel spread golden light onto the street.

They stopped in front of the hotel's landing. She tried to ease the tension arcing between them by giving a little laugh. “It's a good thing you didn't have to kill any snakes for me today.”

He nodded, his eyes dark and serious in a way she'd never seen.

“I hope I'll be able to hit that target again. Do you think it was just an accident that I did?”

“I can't do it, Josie,” he said baldly.

“Do what?”

“The, um—” He cleared his throat. “I won't be able to take you out for lessons again.”

Shock stiffened her spine. “But I was just getting somewhere.”

“I know. I'm sorry.”

“Is it because I dropped the gun? I didn't mean to, I swear.”

“No, that's not why.”

She stared at him for a moment. “It's because of that ki—because of what happened, isn't it?”

“It's not that.” But he looked so uncomfortable that she knew it was.

“We can forget about it.” She didn't know how she would. She'd never been kissed like that in her life, not even
by the man she'd pledged to marry. “I mean, it was just a kiss. Or two. Right?”

His face hardened. “Some things have come up that demand my attention. All my attention.”

“I thought you had Jake to help you.”

“I do.” Davis Lee's gaze flicked away. “He will, but I'll still be too busy to spend the time with you.”

“We don't have to meet every night.” She didn't understand why she felt so desperate.

“I'm sorry.”

“But—”

“I hope you'll understand.”

No, she didn't!

He tipped his hat, murmuring, “I'll see you soon.”

And with that, he was gone. Josie watched his steady purposeful gait as he moved toward the jail. She wanted to wail, to scream. She needed him—his
help,
she corrected. Only that. Even so, she fought the sinking feeling that she'd lost more than shooting lessons.

K
nowing he'd been right to tell Josie he couldn't continue the shooting lessons did nothing to ease the need that had throbbed below Davis Lee's gun belt since kissing her.

Need that only sharpened the next day in church, when she slipped into a seat on the back row across the aisle from him. The drift of her soft scent lured his mind back to the way she'd felt against him yesterday. It was difficult to keep his attention on Reverend Scoggins.

After the service ended, she rose, barely sparing him a look as she walked out. By the time Davis Lee answered questions about the fire and gunshot on Friday night and got outside, she was walking down the middle of Main Street, flanked by Cora and Loren.

Her bronze silk gown gloved her high breasts and tapered in at her small waist. Her skirts swayed gently. Her long hair was gathered high on the back of her head to cascade in a dark fall to her shoulders, exposing the sweet line of her neck. She looked like honey and cream, and Davis Lee wanted another taste.

He curled his hands over the brim of the hat he'd taken off for church, unable to stop thinking about the way her eyes had gone all smoky after she'd been kissed. The now
familiar hard knot of need coiled in his gut. He was beginning to wonder if it would ever go away.

He'd just had to get his hands on her—his
mouth
—and now he couldn't stop thinking about her.

Her voice was a murmur on the air and he heard the faint sound of her laughter. His gut pulled tight. As she, Cora and Loren passed the Pearl Restaurant then the jail, Davis Lee figured they must be going to Cora's for Sunday dinner.

He was glad she wouldn't be eating alone. Sunday dinner together was a long-held Holt family tradition. He never missed that meal with Riley, and now Susannah since she'd married his brother.

“If you like her, why don't you bring her to dinner?”

At the sound of Susannah's voice, his head jerked around. His blond sister-in-law stepped up beside him, adjusting a jaunty flat-brimmed hat made of the same dark green as her dress. Her gaze followed his down Main Street.

“Who?” he asked nonchalantly.

“The new dressmaker who's got your eyes poppin' out of your head.” Riley walked up holding his seven-month-old daughter. “You haven't taken your eyes off her since church let out.”

Before Davis Lee could tell Riley and Susannah that he still thought Josie was up to something, Matt Baldwin's deep voice stopped him.

“You not seeing Miz Josie anymore, Davis Lee?”

“Why do you say that?” he hedged.

The big man pointed in the direction Davis Lee had been staring. “'Cuz she's leaving with Cora and her brother. You're still here.”

“I always have dinner with my family on Sunday. You know that. And Cora wanted to invite Josie today.”

“Didn't look like you brought her to church.” Russ joined them, his eyes gleaming speculatively at Davis Lee.

“I didn't see y'all taking roll at the door.”

Both brothers grinned and walked back toward the church steps where J.T., their pa, stood.

Riley handed the baby to his brother and Davis Lee snuggled little Lorelai into the crook of his neck.

Susannah smoothed the baby's blanket over her back. “I didn't know you were seeing her, Davis Lee. She seems very nice.”

“I'm not.”

“But you just said—”

“Well, uh, the Baldwins said that. Not me.” He shifted from one foot to the other.

His brother chuckled, glancing at his wife. “I think there's a story here, darlin'. What's going on, Davis Lee? Why do the Baldwins think you're courting Miz Webster? Are you?”

“Not…exactly. I've been giving her shooting lessons.”

“Hmm.” Riley considered him for a long moment.

Susannah tilted her head, her blue eyes puzzled. “Then why do people think there's more going on?”

He settled his hat on his head. “I kinda let them.”

Riley grinned.

Susannah squeezed Davis Lee's arm. “Then you
do
like her!”

He scowled. “I've been asking a lot of questions about how she spends her time. If people choose to think that means I'm sweet on her, I can't help that.”

“If you've been asking about her, doesn't that mean you're interested?”

“He is, darlin', but maybe not completely in the way you're thinkin'.” Riley slipped an arm around her waist, looking at Davis Lee. “Did you ever figure out if she's interested in your prisoner?”

“She's interested, but she's not 'fessin' up to it.”

Susannah frowned. “Riley told me you suspected her of
having a connection to McDougal, but she's a dressmaker, Davis Lee. What could she have to do with him?”

“I don't know yet, but my gut tells me she does. I still haven't been able to get a direct answer out of her about anything, although I did learn she had a fiancé who passed away about two years ago.”

“Oh, no,” Susannah murmured sympathetically.

He glanced at his brother and sister-in-law. “Remember the fire Reverend Scoggins mentioned this morning?”

“He said no one was hurt.” Susannah snuggled into Riley. “And there was no damage to any of the buildings in town.”

“That's right, but I'm pretty sure someone set that fire deliberately, as a diversion to get me out of the jail. While I was over behind Pete's making sure the fire was under control, someone took a shot at McDougal.”

“And you're thinkin' Josie Webster did both?” Riley guessed.

“I did, but I don't now. People saw her and I don't think she had time to pull it off. I didn't find any signs of the shooter outside the jail the other night. Not footprints, not anything. Still there's something about her that doesn't sit right.” Davis Lee shifted Lorelai to his other arm as the infant grabbed at his ear. “I've sent a couple of wires to the sheriff in Galveston to see if he knows anything about her but there was a hurricane down there about a week and a half ago. He hasn't gotten back to me yet.”

“What will you do if you learn something bad?” Susannah asked.

“Depends on what it is, I guess.”

Riley grinned. “Have you considered maybe she's just turnin' your head? You're probably ripe for some lovin'.”

Davis Lee gave him a quelling look.

Susannah swatted her husband on the arm. “Riley Holt!”

His brother grinned, hugging his wife close and nuzzling her hair. “He's not denyin' it, darlin'.”

Davis Lee snorted, shifting Lorelai once again to his other shoulder, submitting to the clumsy pats of her baby hands on his face. Why couldn't women stay as uncomplicated as they were at his niece's age?

He had put a stop to his little flirtation with Josie just in time.

 

Where the hell was Jake Ross? The next evening, Davis Lee paced to the window of the jail for the fourth time in as many minutes and looked outside for the rancher who also served as his sometime-deputy. Jake was supposed to relieve Davis Lee so he could go to dinner. The man was never late.

McDougal was hungry and prowling nervously around his cell. Davis Lee would bring the outlaw's meal from the Pearl when he returned. If he ever got to the restaurant.

He stepped outside, his gaze automatically going to Josie's hotel window. She wasn't there. Surprised, he wondered if she had taken a break for supper. Reminding himself he'd come out here to look for Jake, he shifted his gaze to the other end of town, scanning the livery, the new hotel. No sign of him. Or Josie, either.

The shy Ross wasn't near Haskell's store, Cal Doyle's law office or Jed's gunsmith shop. Davis Lee shot a look at the church, the gentle slope behind the white frame building.

He froze. A man and a woman were walking down the hill behind the church and into town. Even from this distance, he couldn't mistake the fall of chestnut hair, the easy grace of her movements. Josie. And Jake. Coming from the direction of Catherine's house.

Davis Lee's eyes narrowed. Why was she with Jake? Had they been at Catherine's? Why? How long had they been
together? The questions hit him like bullets and set off a throbbing pain behind his eyes.

He watched as Jake walked Josie to the door of the hotel. Kept watching as they talked. Josie looked to be smiling at Jake. A lot.

Davis Lee folded his arms. What in the Sam Hill was going on? Had she asked Jake to give her shooting lessons? The thought caused his muscles to seize up.

Jake swept off his hat, said something to Josie then opened the hotel door for her. She patted the man's arm then disappeared inside. The deputy stepped into the street, starting toward the jail.

Davis Lee waited. Ross kept a steady pace but didn't hurry, pausing along the way to speak to a few people. Davis Lee tried to squash the impatience that was quickly edging into irritation.

All day he'd fought missing her. He let himself believe it was because they'd spent so much time together when she was ill.

Jake passed the Pearl and finally saw Davis Lee. He smiled and raised a hand in greeting. Davis Lee nodded, not understanding the savage emotion that knotted his gut.

His deputy started up the jailhouse steps. “Hey, Davis Lee. Sorry I'm late. Got tied up.”

Yeah, Davis Lee had seen exactly who had tied Jake up. He took a deep breath, making an effort to speak casually. “What were you doing with Josie?”

Before the other man could answer, Davis Lee asked, “Were y'all coming from Catherine's?”

“Yes.” Jake reached the landing, looking confused as he met Davis Lee's gaze.

“Why?”

“You know she wants to learn to shoot.” The other man eyed him warily. “I told her I'd help her.”

Shooting lessons. So she
had
asked Jake for his help. A
red haze clouded Davis Lee's vision. He knew what
he
and Josie had done behind the yellow house. Just the thought of her doing any of that with Jake, getting close enough to do it, had Davis Lee's hands clenching. “Why did she ask for your help?”

His deputy answered slowly, “I didn't figure on this being a problem.”

“It's not. Why you?” Why hadn't she asked the Baldwins? Or Mitchell Orr? Not that Davis Lee wanted her spending time with any of those men, but why Jake?

“I don't know why she asked me.” The man thumbed his felt hat back, his black eyes measuring. “All I know is she said you'd been helping her but had to beg off. That you were too busy.”

Davis Lee grunted. What she did and with whom was none of his business unless it involved his prisoner. He didn't want it to be his business. He had to stay away from her. Too often his thoughts were of her naked, beneath him. Not about what he should be doing to find out more about her and what she might be hiding. The things he wanted to find out had to do with getting his hands on her again. He realized Jake was talking.

“I guess you haven't had a chance to tell me about all the work that's come up. What do you need me to do?”

“I can handle it.” Especially since the only thing to handle was trying to forget kissing Josie. Davis Lee couldn't think about her going behind Catherine's with Jake or he would do something stupid, like tell the man to stay away from her.

For a long minute, Jake didn't say anything. Davis Lee had known the man since they'd been in knee britches. He was a mild man for the most part, but his nerve and his will were solid steel. “Is there something going on with you two?”

Davis Lee shook his head.

He wondered what would happen if Josie dropped her gun when she was with Jake and climbed him like a tree the way she'd done Davis Lee. As far as the deputy knew, she was available. “I have some suspicions about her.”

The stiff set of Jake's shoulders eased slightly. “You still think she has some connection to McDougal?”

“Yes.”

“If you're wantin' to keep an eye on her, why did you beg off her lessons in the first place?”

Davis Lee's teeth clenched so hard he thought his skull would crack open. “I'm going to go eat.”

Not ordering Jake to stay away from Josie was one of the hardest things Davis Lee had done since telling the people of Rock River that his woman had stolen their money.

He now knew the burn that had sizzled in his blood since kissing Josie wasn't going to disappear. Still, he wouldn't give in to it. Not when his instincts told him she was hiding something.

She had asked Jake for his help. Jake, who also had access to McDougal.

Davis Lee might want Josie until he ached, but he couldn't trust her. Forgetting that would get him in a heap of trouble. He had to keep both eyes on her. And his hands off.

 

Four days later, Josie was still thinking about that kiss. Even William had never kissed her like Davis Lee had. As if he'd been waiting years just for her.

Which was a ridiculous notion. If her gun hadn't gone off when she dropped it, she wouldn't have jumped into his arms. And that kiss wouldn't have happened.

Now, as she rode out to the Eishens' place on Friday night with Cora and Loren to attend this annual event that signaled the coming pecan harvest, Josie resolved to stop
thinking about Davis Lee. And that kiss. And the fact he'd backed out of giving her shooting lessons.

“I don't imagine you'll see Davis Lee here tonight,” Cora commented.

Wishing her friend hadn't mentioned him, Josie groaned under her breath.

“Why not?” Loren asked.

“He never comes to the harvest dance. I'm not really sure why.”

Good, Josie thought. That should help keep thoughts of him out of her mind. If Cora didn't talk about him all night.

The Eishens, who lived about two and a half miles from town, had hosted the dance for the past twelve years. Cora pointed down the slope of a hill and Josie followed her gaze, stunned at the thousand acres thick with tall, mature trees. The nut harvest would begin in two or three weeks.