Wings of the Morning (Kensington Chronicles) (38 page)

"I'm getting settled I have a few additions to make, but

that may take some time. Would you like to come inside?"

Dallas asked, thinking that if she refused, he would follow her

all the way back to Jenny's. Anything to be near her.

Smokey told herself that going in with him was the worst

thing she could do, and at the same time nodded her head and

began to follow him back up the steps.

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Even with slightly less furniture the house was as wonderful

inside as she remembered Smokey noticed it was spotlessly

clean, and every windowpane gleamed in the afternoon sun.

"It's a beautiful home, isn't it?"

"Beautiful," Dallas agreed with her. Smokey didn't notice

that he never took his eyes from her face.

When she could find nothing else to gaze at, she let her

eyes meet his and could not pull away. Dallas whispered to her

from his place some ten feet away, but Smokey caught every

word.

"I've missed you, Smokey."

Smokey drew in a shuddering breath on those words. If he

missed her, why hadn't he come? When Smokey voiced the

question, her voice was tight with anger. "Why didn't you

come to Willa's?"

"I thought you needed time," he told her, his eyes so full of

pain that the spark of anger that had ignited in Smokey was

quickly snuffed out.

"God has asked me to trust Him many times over the

years," Dallas went on, his voice still soft, his look intense.

"I've trusted Him when I thought the sea was going to take my

ship down, and I trusted Him when it seemed that I would

never gain the money for my company, but never has He asked

for so much.

"I thought my insides were being torn in half, when I

found that you'd been moved from the Tower. And then when

I saw you in that courtroom, so pale and fragile, again I

thought someone had thrust a knife into my side."

His words were heartbreaking to Smokey and she didn't

think she could take much more. "You risked your life to bring

Lord Lynne in. I'm sorry I didn't stay and thank you for all you

did"

"It's all right. I understood. Brandon told me you were

with Darsey, and I was fine as long as I knew you were safe."

"Why did you think I needed time?" Smokey had to know.

"Because you'd been through so much. I didn't know if my

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presence would complicate things or help them. And I wanted

to get things ready," he added

Smokey looked a little confused and he went on.

"This is no passing fling for me, Smokey. The night that

Brandon's coachman came back to say Darsey had been

arrested was the night I planned to ask you to be my wife."

Smokey was utterly speechless as Dallas slowly covered

the distance between them. When his hands held her upper

arms, he went on.

"You did understand about the additions to this house,

Smokey, didn't you? The first is you, as my wife, and then as

God blesses, a bunch of little people who strongly resemble

Dallas and Smokey Knight."

Smokey's eyes slid shut, and Dallas pulled her into his

arms. Dallas loved herl God had given her all her dreams and

more.

"I was in such pain when you didn't come." Smokey's voice

was broken.

"I'm sorry. I thought it was the right thing, and I wanted

this house, our house, to be so perfect."

He stopped speaking when Smokey moved and grasped

the front of his shirt with both small fists.

"The house is wonderful, Dallas " she told him, her eyes

pleading with him to understand "But it's you I wanted, only

you. Outside of that, nothing you could give me would mean a

thing." The tears came then, and Dallas wrapped her in his

arms once again.

"I'm so sorry," Dallas whispered as she sobbed, "so very

sorry. I'm here now, and you don't need to cry anymore."

His words did little. He led her to the parlor then, and to

the sofa to sit beside him. It was some time before she let her

head fall against his shoulder and tried to control her tears.

"You know," she heard him say, his voice gentle, "I may

never want your hair long again."

Smokey raised her head "Do you mean that?"

"Of course. Why?"

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"I thought you would hate it," she wailed Dallas only

laughed

"I can't think of any hairstyle I would hate on you," Dallas

told her, punctuating his words with a soft kiss. When he drew

away, Smokey's eyes were thoughtful on his face.

"YouVe lost weight," she said as the backs of her fingers

stroked his lean cheek.

"I haven't felt very hungry," Dallas admitted before hesitating

and going on. "Was it awful?"

"Yes," Smokey told him without pause. "I know it could

have been far worse, but it was the worst thing I've ever

known. To keep us controlled, they fed us very little."

Now it was Dallas' turn to close his eyes. He wondered if

he would ever forget the sight of Smokey's frail frame in that

courtroom. From what Brandon told him afterward, he was

almost relieved not to have seen the duel.

"You didn't answer my question," Dallas said when he had

reined in his wild thoughts.

"You haven't asked a question," Smokey reminded him

and then bit her lip when he slipped off the sofa, took her

hand, and went down on one knee before her.

If Smokey had read such a scene in the pages of abook, she

would have laughed There was no laughter in her right now,

however. The man she loved was fixedly gazing at her, his eyes

telling her in ways he could never verbally express how

deeply she was loved

"Will you marry me, Miss Simmons?"

"Yes, Mr. Knight, I will."

No other words were necessary for quite some time.

Smokey and Dallas sat wrapped in each other's arms and

talked about their dreams. Not until Dallas mentioned a possible

wedding date just a few weeks down the road did some of

the sparkle die in Smokey's eyes. Dallas would have questioned

her had he noticed, but someone knocked on the door

just then and he rose to answer it.

It was Tate, looking for Smokey to come to supper. Smokey

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was so amazed at the lateness of the hour that she laughed, the

joyful sparkle back on her face.

"I'm sorry, Tate, but I had other things on my mind."

Tate looked between the two and grinned a slow grin.

"May I be the first to offer my congratulations?"

The two men shook hands, and Tate grabbed Smokey in a

fierce hug. "I've got to bring you home right now with this

announcement, or Jen will have my head"

Dallas, whose appetite suddenly seemed to increase, was

more than ready to comply. The three of them walked together,

but only Tate and Smokey talked Dallas felt as if he

were stepping on a cloud--Smokey was going to be his wife!

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missed something important and was driving Smokey away

from him. He simply had to see her to find out.

less than a week later, Dallas rode a borrowed horse

toward the port where Smokey usually docked the Aramis. His animal was already lathered and flagging with exertion,

but still he drove him on.

In Dallas' front pocket was a note, delivered earlier and

from Smokey. It was brief, and in Dallas' estimation, said

nothing.

Dallas--

I need time to think, so I'm headed out on the Aramis. I'll come see you when I return.

Yours, Smokey

Desperate to talk to the woman he loved, Dallas rode like

a man possessed. He hadn't stopped to pack a bag or say

goodbye to anyone. Smokey was on her way out to sea, and he

had to have some answers.

They'd parted just two days earlier, when Smokey had

decided she needed to get back to Willa's. All had seemed fine

when she left. Smokey had grown rather quiet at different

intervals, but considering her life in the last weeks, Dallas felt

this understandable. Right now he was terrified that he had

Darsey moved like an old man as he prepared the Aramis to cast off. Never had he made it take so long. He knew that if

he carried on too long, Smokey would come up and ask

questions, but if he moved any faster, Dallas would miss them.

Darsey was as certain as any man could be that he was riding

to find Smokey right now.

To most people, Smokey seemed to be a very controlled

woman. But she also struggled with fears, fears that plagued

her because she would not stop thinking. Just yesterday morning,

Darsey had stared at Smokey in dumbfounded amazement

when she asked him a question.

"Do you really think I should marry Dallas?"

Darsey blinked. "Don't you?"

Smokey shrugged. "I've been thinking that he doesn't

really know who I am."

"So tell him. It's not as if he won't want to listen." Darsey

stopped because she was clearly not convinced "He's not

going to change his mind," Darsey added flatly.

"You never saw his girlfriend, did you Darsey? Kathleen is

beautiful."

"I see," Darsey said when he didn't see at all. "I don't think

you're giving him a bit of credit."

"I don't know what you mean."

"I mean, you assume he's not sincere or has some hidden

motive. It's not as if he were marrying you for your money."

Smokey's face showed surprise, and Darsey instantly regretted

his words.

"You know he's not, Smokey," the mate reasoned "He

doesn't even know how much you have."

"That's just it," Smokey spoke with sad logic. "That's just

one more thing he doesn't know about me."

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Darsey looked at her in despair. He honestly didn't know

what to say, but then he wasn't really given time. Before the

day was out, Smokey had gathered her crew, sent Dallas a note

that said she would be away, and gone to the Aramis.

Now Darsey had begun to give up and put them underway

when he caught sight of a rider. He squinted up the docks and

noticed a tall man leaping from a horse. He watched as Dallas

pressed a coin and the horse's reins into a young man's hands

and ran for the ship.

Darsey continued to put them off while Dallas came

aboard and labored to catch his breath. He then handed the

ropes over to Robby and moved toward Dallas, who was still

breathing hard

"I didn't think you were going to make it, lad I couldn't

have stalled much longer."

Dallas nodded "What's going on?"

"I'll let her tell you."

"Is she in her cabin?"

"Yes, but I'd wait until you're sure she can't swim for

shore."

"That bad, is it?"

"Well, it's not good. I only pray that you'll be able to

convince her."

"Convince her of what?" Dallas was completely in the

dark.

"That you'll love her no matter what. You best go below