Wild Card: Black Aces, Book Three

by Lee, Caroline

  “I suppose I should be glad your mother is spending the evening with Doc Vickers?”

  Jack’s grin was downright devilish when he said, “It’s possible I suggested that arrangement, knowing what would happen tonight.”

  “Oh?” Awkwardly, Tavie wrapped her arms around her middle. “And what was that?”

  He was stalking toward her again. “Why, the poker game of course. What did you think I meant? I knew I’d beat him, you know.”

  Did he? “The shuffle—”

  “Made things more interesting, my love.” In front of her now, he lifted one hand to trail the backs of his fingers down her cheek. She closed her eyes on a shudder. “I had no idea what that deck looked like after the initial deal. I needed him to think his three of a kind could beat me, and it might’ve.”

  “You just needed to see the deed,” she finished in a whisper.

  “As soon as he put it into the pot, I knew I’d won.”

  Her eyes flew open, and she captured his hand in hers. “You didn’t kill him, Jack.” It wasn’t a reminder, just more of a…statement of wonder.

  He covered her hand with his other, so hers now rested between his large, callused hands. Hands which had seen so much, done so much. Hands she’d come to trust implicitly.

  “I didn’t have to,” he said with a grin. “I realized—you helped me realize—that I didn’t have to end him to destroy him. I just wanted him out of Black Aces, and Marshal Diamon will make sure he answers for his sins.”

  “The one man you have the most reason to seek revenge on.”

  He shrugged. “He deserves to die. Of all the men I’ve fought and killed here in Black Aces, he most of all. Well, except maybe Stevens.”

  She shuddered, remembering the feel of that evil man’s arm around her. “Thank you again.”

  His brow twitched inquisitively. “Did we cover everything?”

  “What?”

  “The poker game, King, even Stevens. We covered everything you wanted to talk about from the past, I mean?”

  “What?” He wasn’t making sense.

  But then he grinned and tugged her toward the kitchen table. “Because I want to talk about the future, and I don’t plan on kissing you when you look like that.”

  Future. Kissing?

  “Wait, look like what?” She couldn’t help the indignation in her tone as she sunk into the chair, but wasn’t sure why she was focusing on that comment alone, instead of the delicious possibilities of the future and kissing he also mentioned.

  He was grinning irreverently as he bustled around the stove, pouring steaming water into another bowl, then reaching for a towel. “That, my love.” He gestured over his shoulder at her hair and face. “We’re washing all that off.” He turned to her then, a fragrant bar of soap floating in the bowl of water. “What did you think I meant when I said I didn’t want to ruin that gown?”

  The way his eyes crinkled at the corner told her he knew exactly what she’d been thinking, and approved. So she pressed her lips closed and rolled her eyes at him.

  He placed the bowl in front of her and nudged her head toward it. “Here. Let me,” he murmured.

  And then he was pulling the pins out of the elaborate coiffure, his fingertips kneading deep into her scalp. She groaned in pleasure, and heard him chuckle softly.

  It felt so good to have someone take care of her for a change. He tilted her head forward and used a cup to pour warm water over her, then scrubbed the soap into a lather and worked it into her hair. She squeezed her eyes shut and allowed him to pamper her.

  It took a few rinses and scrubs before he finally sighed in satisfaction. “There. I think I got most of that hideous color out.”

  From under her curtain of wet hair, her eyes still closed, Tavie smiled. “Hideous? So you don’t want me to color it as I age?”

  She felt his fingers combing through her locks, squeezing them out and brushing them to one side.

  “I love it just as it is, Tavie,” he murmured. “I love everything about you, and I will continue to, in the coming years.”

  Her breath caught. Love? Coming years?

  He was speaking of a future with her.

  When he handed her the towel, she yanked it from his grip and hurriedly scrubbed off her carefully applied makeup, then tried to stand.

  She pushed the chair back suddenly enough it hit him, and he grunted, but she couldn’t stop to apologize. She swung her wet hair away from her face and thrust herself to her feet, breathing heavily as she faced him.

  “In the coming years?” she finally managed to squeak.

  Gently, he took the towel from her hand and lifted it over her head, settling it around her shoulders. With extreme care, he lifted portions of wet hair out from under the towel and draped it just so, so it would dry. He was looking at his hands, instead of at her, when he spoke.

  “You came to find me in Aegiria, Tavie. You watched me, you learned about me. You said you wanted to know if I was a good man. You eventually gave me Mother’s letter. Does that mean you thought I was a good man?”

  Finally, he met her eyes, just for a moment, and she saw the hesitation in them. She reached for him, resting her hand on the curve of his hip. That was all; just enough to touch him, to let him know she was there.

  “Jack, I knew that even before I kissed you. But kissing you, feeling the care you took with me, and the way you made sure I enjoyed myself…?” She smiled softly. “It hadn’t been part of the plan, but it made my decision for me. You’re a good man, Jack Hoyle.”

  His gaze had skittered away again, focusing on his hand’s movements. She saw him swallow, the long column of his throat working as he tried to speak.

  “You were the first person whose opinion I really cared about,” he finally whispered. “Thordis and Hito are—were my friends, and I tried hard not to disappoint them. But I know my future isn’t on board a ship, or even in a distant royal court.”

  His hands stilled, and his pale gaze dragged back to hers again.

  “Where is it, Jack?” she whispered, daring to hope.

  “Here. In Black Aces. With you.”

  She didn’t say anything—didn’t think she could say anything, not with the way her heart had suddenly climbed into her throat with joy.

  “I don’t want the damn mine; I never did. I have enough money that I don’t need the mine, but maybe there’s something of value left. Or maybe I could buy up some more property, hire another assayer, and see if I can find another vein to make this place profitable again.”

  Tavie knew what Black Aces had lost when the Bicycle dried up, and knew what it would mean to have another working mine. She offered a hesitant smile. “Or maybe you could offer sword lessons.”

  His grin flashed momentarily. “Or do acrobatic shows.”

  “Maybe.” Her eyes searched his. “You really are planning on staying here in Black Aces?”

  He took a deep breath and settled both hands on her shoulders, his thumbs caressing her skin. She’d almost forgotten how bare she was; it didn’t seem to matter with him.

  “I want to stay, Tavie, but only if you are.”

  He wanted a future with her.

  “I’ll stay, Jack. But only if you are.”

  His breath whooshed out of him, and he closed his eyes on a muttered, “Oh, thank God.” Eyes still closed, he scrunched up his face. “Tavie, in the last few months, I’ve fallen desperately in love with you. I wasn’t joking, what I said earlier. Although maybe I am a little mad.” One eye peeked open. “I’m mad for you though.” The other eye joined the first, and she saw nothing but truth in his gaze. “I love you, Octavia Smothers, no matter what disguise you’re wearing.”

  “Oh, Jack!” She couldn’t stand being so far away from him. She wrapped her other arm around him, yanking him closer, until she could rest her head against his shoulder. His hands pressed against her back, and she shivered at his touch.

  “I love you too,” she muttered against his jacket. “I�
�ve been falling for you for so long. You’re mad and exasperating, yes, but you’re so damn noble and intense, and interesting and—I’ll admit—unbearably handsome.”

  Under her cheek, she could hear his heart beat. They stood like that in silence for a few moments, until he hummed and shifted.

  “Unbearably handsome, hmm?”

  Her lips twitched. “And modest.”

  Then he shifted again, and she felt him pressed against her stomach. It wasn’t the first time she felt the evidence of his arousal, and it wasn’t the first time the knowledge made her breathless with anticipation.

  But it was the first time she knew they could do something about it.

  She straightened, pulling away just enough to look up into his eyes. She lifted her hands to cup his cheeks. “I love you, Jack Hoyle, and I’d very much like to kiss you again.”

  “Oh, thank God,” he muttered again, grabbing her own face in his hands as he dropped his lips towards hers.

  Their first kiss had been a surprise, full of exploration. This kiss…? This kiss was full of joy and anticipation and hope.

  As his lips moved across hers, her tongue explored him, and her fingers scraped against the stubble of his jaw. His hands worked around to the back of her head, tangling in the wet hair there, as if he could draw her even closer. She wouldn’t mind that, and ground her hips against his in an effort to show him so.

  With a growl, his lips pulled away from hers and trailed down her jawline. She dropped her head back and thrust her chest toward him, willing him to continue.

  But suddenly he straightened, his hair mussed and his eyes a little wild—just the way she liked him. He was breathing heavily as he nudged her back down into the chair. She hated being apart from him, but from this angle, she could definitely see how very aroused he was…at least until he dropped to his knee in front of her.

  “What—” she managed to pant, still not sure she could form coherent words, but then he answered the question by lifting her foot.

  As his head bent over her boot, she reached out and threaded her fingers through his hair. He made a noise somewhere between a grunt and a sigh, then cleared his throat.

  “I love you, Tavie, and I want a future with you.” He yanked her boot off, tossed it into the corner, and glanced up at her as he reached for her other foot. “I want to marry you. I want to live here and make babies and be happy.” He pulled the other boot off, then stilled, kneeling at her feet, with her hand on his head like a benediction.

  She smiled and stood, pulling him to his feet as she did. They both winced as the boot fell from his fingers and hit the kitchen floor with a thud, but neither looked away.

  She thought about this man, this good man, who’d been through so much, had fought so many demons, and still managed to do the right thing. He could change in the blink of an eye, and was just a bit mad, and she loved him for it.

  Lifting one hand, she cupped his cheek. “A future with you? Marriage and babies?”

  He swallowed and nodded. “What do you say?” he asked hesitantly.

  She tilted her hips forward, so she could feel all of him, and smiled wickedly. “I say, my love, that we should go ahead and get started.”

  There was a flash of pure joy in his eyes, before he sprang into motion. He ducked and had his shoulder in her stomach faster than she could blink, and before she could do more than squeal, she was dangling over his shoulder as he strode for the stairs.

  “What are you doing?” she shrieked.

  He slapped her rear end, and she could hear the laughter in his voice when he said, “I learned this from a pirate I knew.”

  Pirate? Swordsman? Royal courtier and prison rat. Sailor and sinner and acrobat and fighter and a devilishly good kisser. He was her lover, and she had the rest of their lives to unravel the mysteries of him.

  So she was laughing as he kicked open the door to his bedroom. “I love you, my Jack!”

  Epilogue

  “I now pronounce you man and wife.”

  A cheer went up from the congregation as Jack bent to press a kiss to Tavie’s lips, and he felt her smile. Not just against his skin, but against his heart as well.

  He wanted this moment to last forever, and did his best to try. But all too soon, Reverend Trapper slapped him on the back with a laugh, and the jeers cut through his happy bliss. He pulled away from Tavie to see her smiling up at him, with flushed cheeks and the promise of more in her eyes.

  Of course, the last two weeks had been plenty of that more, as far as he was concerned. They didn’t need the reverend’s blessing to make what they had official; they’d declared their intentions to one another in the kitchen the night he’d defeated King.

  The night their forever started.

  This wedding, as far as he was concerned, was for the town.

  And what a celebration it was!

  Mother was sitting in the front row, her arm tight through Doc Vickers’, sniffling into a handkerchief. Behind her sat Marshal Diamon—back from Helena just in time—and his wife Finnie, who’d offered her saloon for the wedding luncheon in a few hours. Their six-year-old son, Cinco, was sitting with his head bent beside Maggie Blake, the two of them whispering furiously, while Maggie’s parents, Matthias and Abigail, smiled up at the altar.

  A few rows back, Lucas Ryan and his wife sat with their two young daughters and a stern-looking older man—dressed in impeccable black with a cold golden stare. The woman beside him looked to be his opposite, judging from her cheerful grin, but she held his hand as if they would never be parted. Jack wondered if the man was Verrick, the gunslinger-turned-lawyer, whose services he didn’t need now.

  Jack took a deep breath as he surveyed the people in the church today. Regina Hartwell waved happily to Tavie, who waved back in return. She seemed comfortable under the arm of a large man with dark hair, who looked as if he might have native blood. Didn’t her husband own a ranch outside of town? Jack didn’t know much about him, other than he’d been accused of being the Black Ace, and King had almost lynched him.

  Of course, judging from the number of Black Aces in this town, maybe he was the Ace.

  So many people had come today to celebrate, including plenty he didn’t remember, or didn’t recognize. Only a few had lived there fifteen years ago, when he’d left, but he’d gotten to know more in the last several months.

  The storekeepers, Mr. and Mrs. Gomez, were beaming happily, and since he barely knew them, he had to assume it was because they were happy about King being gone. Many business owners had approached Jack in the previous two weeks to thank him for driving King away, and to offer their hopes he’d be staying here in Black Aces.

  He wondered what they’d thought when they’d gotten word he’d not only be staying, but marrying his mother’s companion.

  Of course, Tavie was no longer the woman they recognized. Since there was no need for her to play a part anymore, she’d blossomed into her true self; part quiet thinker, part sassy temptress, part elegant debutante, but all Tavie.

  She’d put a part of herself into each role she’d played, and a part of each role into herself.

  His arms tightened around her.

  “What are you thinking, husband?” she murmured, still waving happily to the cheering crowd.

  “How pretty you are today, in that pink gown.” He winked. “Pretty in Pinkerton. Write that down.”

  She rolled her eyes, even as she giggled. “That sounds like one of those lurid adventure dime novels!”

  He leaned down to brush his lips against her ear. “As long as there’s plenty of romance in it too.”

  She hummed low in her throat and gazed up at him from under her lashes. “What were you really thinking about, husband?”

  He grinned, loving this seductive side of her. “Only that I’m going to miss you being so shy and meek.”

  As if she’d ever been that.

  “Really?” she raised a brow. “Because I still have that chambermaid disguise.”

&n
bsp; His trousers tightened at the thought of her in that costume, the way she’d teased him breathlessly. “I think we should try it out, wife,” he growled.

  Her giggle was more than a little anticipatory as they both turned back to their new friends, and Jack sighed with satisfaction.

  In the coming years, he’d have more than enough time to get to know these people. He’d be living among them and helping to rebuild his hometown. Already, he’d sent for a geologist to come survey the land the deed covered, and if there weren’t anymore promising veins, Jack had vowed to purchase nearby land. He was determined to bring prosperity back to Black Aces, and figured silver mining—which the town already knew—would be a good start. Although he was hearing a lot about the popularity of copper…

  Mother, of course, had been thrilled at the idea of him staying in town to marry Tavie. She’d already offered them her home, and while it was nice to be so near her, Jack wasn’t sure he wanted to live with her. They were still discussing building another house.

  No one had moved into King’s ranch, and Diamon wasn’t sure what would happen to it, especially if King was found guilty. It’d be likely his lawyer would end up taking it as payment for his defense, and when he’d heard that, Jack had jotted a note to Ryan suggesting Verrick consider buying it.

  The thought of the famous gunslinger living in Black Aces was more than a little exciting.

  But not nearly as exciting as spending his life here with the woman he loved.

  Tavie’s arm snaked around his waist, her bouquet of winter sage clutched in her other hand. Jack didn’t think he’d ever been so content, so at peace, as he was now.

  He’d beaten his demons, with her help, and he knew, no matter what, she’d be there to support him—and help rebuild this town—for the rest of their lives.

  “Kiss!” someone called out from the back of the church, and the cry was quickly picked up by others.

  “Kiss! Kiss her!”

  Jack shifted until he was staring down into her eyes—green today—and wrapped his arms around her. “They are a demanding public, are they not?”