Daniel swung a heavy hammer down on a new fence post, driving it into the ground. He was shirtless, and his brown skin glistened with sweat in the hot sun. Seeing him reminded her of the dream she’d had the previous night. By all rights Nathan should have starred in her sleep-induced fantasies, but Daniel was the man making love to her beneath the stars. She’d woken, her heart pounding and her body throbbing.
Tess gave herself a mental shake. There was no point in dreaming about a man she couldn’t have. After a final look at his glistening shoulders, she continued toward the creek. Shadow frisked at her side.
The creek flowed smoothly between its banks, a far cry from the rushing torrent of June. Tess striped off Emily’s filthy dress and diaper and set her on a patch of sand while she removed her own clothes. She longed to jump into the creek as naked as Emily but modestly left on her chemise.
Picking up the baby, she waded into the creek. Emily loved the water. She splashed happily while Tess washed her hair and scrubbed her dirty face. When she was clean, Tess set her on the grass near a pile of rocks and gave her some loose stones to play with. She waded back into the creek.
The water flowed around her, washing away the dirt and sweat. Tess dunked her head and swam a few strokes. It felt wonderfully relaxing. She closed her eyes and let herself drift, abandoning her worries in the gentle current. Beside her, Shadow whined. Tess looked over at Emily, and her heart stopped. Fear gripped her with paralyzing force.
A large snake slithered out of the rocks toward the baby. In the stillness of the hot afternoon, its tail rattled ominously.
Please God, this can’t be happening! Standing waist deep in the creek, she grabbed the dog’s collar. “No, Shadow.”
She took a deep breath, trying to still her panic, and moved forward through the water. The snake looked at her. She held its narrow gaze with her own. Its tongue flicked out. Tess shuddered and blinked. The rattler glided a foot closer to Emily.
She held her breath, afraid to move, her heart nearly bursting in her chest. At her side, Shadow barked and strained against her hold. Emily held up two pebbles, waving them in the air. The snake inched closer.
“Daniel,” Tess called. The snake stopped moving. “Daniel,” she screamed. “Daniel! Daniel!”
It seemed like an eternity before she heard him coming, shouting her name.
“By the creek. There’s a snake.”
He stopped abruptly at the top of the incline leading to the water. Slowly he picked up a stick. “Hold Shadow. There’s no telling whether the snake will strike at him or Emily.”
“I’m trying,” Tess said. Her voice shook, and her arms trembled. Shadow whined and lunged against her grasp.
Emily turned at the sound of Daniel’s voice. She held up her rocks and tottered a few steps toward him. The snake coiled in on itself.
“No, Emily!” Tess splashed the last few feet through the water.
Emily stopped, looking from her mother to Daniel. When she saw the snake, her body stiffened, and she let out a piercing shriek.
The snake pulled back. Daniel slid down the slope. Tess let go of Shadow. The dog raced forward, barking wildly. A single shot rang out, and the rattler dropped, its head blown off its body. For a moment there was complete silence.
Emily was the first to react. Her loud sobs set Tess in motion. She stumbled across the sand and fell to her knees, gathering Emily into her arms. She held her and rocked her, crying with her daughter.
As quietly as he had come, Nathan moved down the path and stood next to Daniel. He dropped the stick he still held.
“Nice shot. I didn’t know you were back there.”
“I ran down when I heard the commotion. I barely had time to aim.”
Tess scooped up Emily and walked toward them. Tears ran down her cheeks. She shook so hard she could barely stand. Daniel cleared his throat, and Nathan stared at a point over her right shoulder.
“You killed it,” she said, looking at Nathan. “You saved my baby. How can I ever thank you?”
“I don’t need any thanks. I’m glad I got here in time.”
“Five seconds later would have been too late. I would have lost Emily.” She threw herself into his arms. The world spun dizzyingly.
He patted her back. “Don’t cry. Emily is safe.”
“I can’t help it. I can’t stop picturing that snake ready to strike!” Darkness edged in around her. “I think I need to sit down.”
Daniel stepped forward and took Emily while Nathan lowered her to the ground.
“Put your head between your knees, and take deep breaths.”
She did as he asked. Slowly the blackness receded, and her pounding heart quieted. She breathed in and out through her nose, calming herself.
“Emily!” She looked around wildly.
“I have her, Tess,” Daniel said. “Here she is.”
“I’m sorry. I’m upset.”
“Of course you are.” He handed Emily to her.
“Why don’t we go back to the house?” Nathan suggested.
Tess nodded, holding Emily against her chest. “I have to get my things.”
“I’ll get them. You go on up,” Nathan said.
* * * *
Tess walked up the path toward the house, the sway of her hips clearly visible beneath her wet chemise. Daniel’s hands clenched at his sides.
Nathan straightened, his arms full of her discarded clothing. He glanced at Daniel. “Are you coming?”
“I don’t think so. I’ll stay and bury the rattler. I don’t want Tess to see it the next time she comes down here.”
“That’s a good idea. If we leave it, Shadow might drag it up to the house.” He nodded toward the dog sniffing the still body.
“Shadow, no,” Daniel said sharply. Slowly the dog took a step back.
“I can bury the snake. Tess might prefer to have you with her,” Nathan said.
Anguish rolled in his gut, threatening to erupt. “You saved Emily. You go to her.”
“Are you sure?”
He swallowed back bile. “Yes.”
“Suit yourself.” Nathan headed toward the house.
Daniel stared at the snake’s decapitated body and shuddered. “Come on, Shadow. Let’s get a shovel.” When he reached the barn, he watched Nathan enter the house. The noise of the kitchen door shutting behind him sounded like a shot in the stillness of the late afternoon. To Daniel, it felt like a bullet through his heart.
* * * *
“I’m in here,” Tess called when she heard the kitchen door shut. She huddled on the settee in the front room, holding Emily in her arms.
“Is she asleep?” Nathan asked.
She nodded and stroked the baby’s hair with a shaking hand. She looked up at him briefly before her gaze returned to her daughter.
“Why don’t you take her up to bed?”
“I don’t want to let go of her. I need to hold her.”
Nathan set the armful of clothes on a chair and squatted down at her side. “I understand, Tess, but you should put on dry clothes. You’re wet. You’ll make Emily cold.”
Tess glanced down at the damp chemise clinging to her body and closed her eyes. “I forgot what I was wearing.”
“I don’t mind.” When she finally looked at him, he winked.
She smiled, appreciating his attempt to lighten the mood. She rose carefully and carried Emily from the room, conscious of the clinging chemise. Upstairs, she laid her daughter in her crib and pinned a diaper on her. The heat of the day made the bedroom almost unbearably warm, but deep inside she was cold. Rubbing the goose bumps on her arms, she went into her room and stood in front of the bureau.
She touched Rory’s photograph. “Emily wasn’t hurt. She’s going to be just fine.” She took a shuddering breath and raised her eyes to the mirror.
The damp chemise stuck to her like a second skin, outlining her breasts and molding her erect nipples. Stepping back from the bureau, she glanced down the length of her body.
Quickly she closed her eyes, mortified by the sight.
The fine cotton was completely transparent. It revealed every inch of her thighs and stomach. Even the patch of brown hair at the apex of her legs was visible.
“I might as well be naked,” she moaned. “How am I ever going to face Nathan?”
Stripping off the chemise, she hung it on the bedpost to dry and donned fresh undergarments. She grabbed a work dress from the wardrobe and buttoned it up the front. On her way out of the room, she looked in the mirror again and stopped. She had forgotten about her hair. Still damp, it hung down her back in a tangled mess. It took five minutes to comb out the snarls and braid it. Stalling, she peaked into her aunt’s bedroom and found her fast asleep. Quietly she closed the door.
Least said, soonest mended. Shadow lay at the top of the stairs. She bent to pet him. “Did Nathan let you in? I guess that means he’s still here.” The dog rolled over, and she scratched his belly. Her heart thumped uncomfortably.
“All right, Shadow, enough.” She rose to her feet. Nathan stepped out of the front room when she reached the bottom of the stairs. He smiled and took her hand.
“Are you feeling better?”
She nodded. “I could use a cup of tea. Would you like one?”
He shook his head. “I need to get back to town. I waited to make sure you were all right.”
“I’m sorry, Nathan. I didn’t mean to keep you.”
“I’m not, sorry I mean.” He squeezed her fingers. “Oh, I almost forgot the reason I came in the first place.”
She smiled. “I was so thankful I never wondered why you were here.”
“The Leightons are having a barn raising next Saturday.”
She walked into the kitchen and stopped in front of the stove. “That’s right, their barn burned down last month.”
Nathan nodded. “It was hit by lightning during the big June storm. Anyway, there will be a dance afterward, and I was hoping to escort you.”
Tess stilled, remembering the night of the storm and the kiss she’d shared with Daniel. Some of the chill disappeared as her blood warmed. “I’m sorry, Nathan, what did you say?”
“What were you thinking about?”
“The storm.” She looked away and reached for the teakettle.
“Will you go to the dance with me?”
She closed her eyes for a moment before turning to face him. “Of course I will.”
“Good. I was afraid if I waited to ask, someone would beat me to it.”
“I wouldn’t have gone with anyone else.”
He didn’t quite meet her gaze. “I’ll see you on Saturday.”
He left in a rush. She watched him go, wondering if he felt as uncomfortable about her near nakedness as she did. She checked the water level in the teakettle and bent to stoke the fire in the stove. Saturday was several days away. She hoped her embarrassment would ease with time.
* * * *
Tess stood before the dish pan washing the supper dishes when a buggy pulled into the yard. She went to the open kitchen door and watched her father climb down from the high seat.
“Hello, Pa. What brings you out so late?”
Wesley stepped up onto the porch and gave her a hug. He kissed the top of her head and hugged her again. “Nathan told me about the rattler. I came to make sure you and Emily are all right.”
“We’re fine. See.” She pointed at her daughter sitting on the kitchen floor, beating on the bottom of a pot with a wooden spoon. “She’s forgotten all about it.”
Wesley greeted Fay and bent to tickle Emily under the chin. The baby giggled. He looked up at Tess and frowned. “What’s wrong?”
She shuddered. “Nothing, except I’ll probably have nightmares for a month.”
“I’ll have them, too, and I missed all the excitement.” Fay laid the dish towel on the table. “A lot of help I was.”
Wesley patted his sister’s hand. “No damage was done.”
“Thanks to Nathan,” Tess said.
“It’s lucky he was here. You know your mother and I worry about you living out here, two women alone with a baby. I don’t suppose you would reconsider giving up this place.”
“No, Pa, I won’t do that. Anyway, I wasn’t alone. Daniel was close by, but he didn’t have a gun with him. I don’t know if he would have reached the snake in time.”
“Nathan didn’t mention Daniel.”
“He was in the pasture and came running when I screamed.” She stopped speaking and covered her face. “Oh no.”
“What is it?” Wesley asked.
She stared at her father. “I didn’t thank him. I was so relieved Emily was safe I just fell apart. Then I praised Nathan’s quick action and didn’t say a word to Daniel.”
“He knows you’re grateful, Tess.”
“I have to thank him.” She removed her apron and picked Emily up off the floor. “Can you watch her, Aunt Fay? I’d like to run over to Daniel’s house. I won’t sleep if I don’t see him tonight.”
“Of course I will.”
“Take all the time you want. I’ll stay, too,” Wesley said. “It’s high time my sister and I had a chat about the good doctor’s intentions.”
Fay blushed. “Wesley!”
Smiling, Tess headed for the stairs. She changed Emily and sat down to nurse her. She watched her daughter fall asleep, thinking of the way Daniel had rushed to her aid. Finally she laid Emily in her crib, kissed her, and hurried down the stairs. Her father and aunt were in the front room talking.
“Is Emily asleep?” Fay asked.
She nodded. “I won’t be long.”
“No need to hurry,” her father said.
Tess walked quickly up the road, Shadow racing ahead of her. Dusk turned to dark as she reached Daniel’s house. She knocked lightly on the door. A few seconds later he opened it. Lines radiated out from his clear blue eyes and creased his forehead. He looked weary. Beaten.
“Tess, is everything all right? Where’s Emily?”
“She’s at home asleep.”
“Oh.”
“May I come in?”
He stepped back, holding the door open for her. “Of course. Would you like a cup of tea?”
She shook her head. “I can’t stay long. I came to thank you.”
His lips tightened. “Thank me for what?”
“For coming to help us this afternoon.”
Daniel frowned and turned away. He picked up the plate and silverware from his solitary meal and carried them to the dishpan. Finally he turned to face her.
“Don’t thank me. I didn’t do anything. Again.”
“What do you mean?” Tess took a step forward.
“It was just like with Rory. I saw the danger, but I couldn’t stop it in time. Lucky for Emily, Nathan was there.”
Tess touched his rigid arm. “If Nathan hadn’t shot the snake, you would have saved her. I know you would have.”
He shook his head. “Shadow had a better chance of reaching the rattler than I did.”
“Daniel, are you blaming yourself?” she asked in amazement.
He didn’t answer. “Emily is safe. That’s all that matters.”
“Yes it is. I don’t care that Nathan was the one who shot the snake. You came when I called you. I was never so glad to see anyone.”
“Until the sheriff saved your child.”
Tess let out a long breath. She took his face in her hands, feeling the stubble of beard against her fingers, loving him so much she ached. “If anyone should feel horrible, it’s me. I left my baby sitting by those rocks while I went back into the water. I put her in danger.”
“You didn’t know the rattler was there.”
“No, I didn’t. And you didn’t know you’d need a gun when you went out to set fence posts this afternoon.” She stared into his eyes.
“You’re right.”
“I know I am.” She backed up a step. “I should go.”
Daniel followed her across the kitchen. He stood beside h
er in the doorway, looking out at the star-filled sky. “It’s late. I’ll walk you home.”
“You don’t have to. Shadow is with me.”
“I’ll walk you home,” he repeated.
Only the scuff of his boots on the road and the sound of crickets broke the silence. Tess sighed.
“Tired?”
“Yes.”
He cleared his throat. “Why did Nathan come to see you?”
“He asked me to the dance at the Leightons’ barn raising.”
Daniel kicked a rock in the path and swore softly.
She stood still. “You’re the one who said there can’t be anything between us.”
“I know, but I’m only human. Did he stay long?”
“No, why do you ask?”
“I haven’t the right, I know. The way you looked with that wet chemise clinging to you…” His voice trailed off.
Tess blushed and was glad of the darkness. She hurried toward home, unable to outdistance her thoughts. “A gentleman wouldn’t mention it.”
“You were hysterical over Emily, and all I could think about was how beautiful you looked. I hated Nathan for seeing you that way.”
She stopped a few yards from her back door. The light shining from the kitchen window illuminated his face. His misery was clear.
“All it would take is one word from you, Daniel, just one word. Say it,” she pleaded.
“I can’t.”
She swallowed hard. “Then let me be happy with Nathan.”
He turned away. “I’m sorry, Tess. I’ll leave you alone.”
“Fine. Goodnight, Daniel.” Turning, she ran into the house before he could see the tears on her cheeks.
Chapter 9
Tess stood next to the table of food with Nora, Fay, and Mary Riedel, watching while the men raised the framework for the north side of the barn into position.
“A little more. A little more. Stop!” Daniel shouted from his perch atop the east wall. “All right, boys, nail it in place.”
Hammers rang out. Tess set a dish of beans on the makeshift table. The women had covered long wooden planks with a mismatched collection of tablecloths.
Bittersweet Page 13
