Meadowlark

by Carolyn Lampman

  “It sounds like you’re in love with him,” Angel said softly.

  “Silly of me, isn’t it? The funny thing is what I have with Garrick is a hundred times better than anything I ever had with Cameron.” Becky wiped a tear away with the back of her hand and smiled shakily. “And here I am crying because I want more. At least he won’t leave me with a hat full of lies and a babe in my belly.”

  Molly entered the kitchen just then and the opportunity to talk was lost. Angel wondered if Becky realized she’d revealed who Alaina’s mysterious sire was. Cameron Price. Lord, this was getting more complicated by the moment. Belatedly, Angel remembered why she made it a policy never to get involved in other people’s lives.

  Though Becky no longer purposely tried to entice Garrick, he couldn’t rid himself of the rampant desire she had kindled within him. The embarrassing episode with Collette had shown him no other woman would do. Only by taking long, strenuous hikes on his skis and keeping an iron hold on his emotions was he able to control it. His lust was always there, simmering just below the surface of his cool demeanor.

  In the mountains, there was little difference between January and February, and the two months passed with the slow monotony of winter. But life was far from boring. Becky and Garrick both loved watching Alaina’s development. They were thrilled the first time she laughed and ecstatic when she discovered her feet; she was a constant source of joy. There was no restraint where she was concerned, and both parents lavished all their affection on her. The baby was one thing they could share, and it wasn’t unusual for Becky and Garrick to spend the whole evening playing with her.

  Alaina was a happy baby and usually cried very little. So, when she was fussy one night in early March, they were worried. While Becky fixed supper, Garrick held Alaina, rocked her, and even sang to her. Nothing helped.

  Dr. Caldwell had gone to Miner’s Delight and wasn’t expected back until the next day, but Garrick was ready to hitch up the sleigh and go after him when Alaina finally quieted. Even so, every time Becky tried to put her down she cried. It seemed as though hours passed before Alaina went to sleep in her mother’s arms. Relieved, but still anxious, Becky took Alaina to bed with her to be safe.

  Several hours later, Becky woke up soaking wet. With a sigh, she climbed out of bed and lit a candle.

  “What’s wrong?” Garrick asked, sitting up sleepily.

  “Alaina just wet all over everything. What a mess.”

  “Is she feeling better?”

  “I think so. Oh, Garrick, she has a tooth!”

  “No wonder she was so cranky.” Garrick put on his pants and crossed the room. Alaina lay at the end of the bed where it was dry, gurgling happily to herself as Becky changed the wet diaper. Sure enough, a single tooth stuck up from her bottom gum. “I forgot all about her getting teeth,” he said. “Babies almost always have trouble with that.”

  Becky was aghast. “Are they all going to be that miserable?”

  “I sure hope not.”

  “You’re all happy now, aren’t you, precious?” As Becky picked her up, Alaina snuggled down into her mother’s shoulder and closed her eyes. “And now you’re ready to go to sleep.”

  “She may be, but you aren’t going to be able to.”

  Becky glanced down at her wet bed and made a face. “I’ll just get your old pallet out and sleep on the floor.”

  “No, you take my bed, and I’ll take the pallet.”

  “If anybody sleeps on the floor, it’s going to be me.”

  Recognizing the stubborn set of Becky’s jaw, Garrick sighed. She really didn’t leave him much choice. “My bed’s big enough for both of us.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “As long as you don’t snore too loudly.”

  “I don’t snore!”

  “Somebody who sleeps over here does almost every night.”

  “I’m sure a gentleman would ignore such a thing.”

  Garrick grinned. “Kind of hard to ignore.”

  “Humph, well...” She paused, obviously trying to think of a suitable retort. Suddenly, her face brightened, and she gave her head a toss. “Jeg elsker deg, Garrick!”

  Garrick’s smile deepened. “Same to you.”

  “I said it first. Do you want the inside or the outside?”

  “Of what?”

  “The bed. Do you want to sleep on the inside next to the wall or on the outside?”

  “I don’t care.”

  “All right then. I’ll take the outside in case Alaina wakes up again.”

  Garrick nodded. Wishing there were some way to avoid what was sure to be an extremely unpleasant night, he removed his pants and crawled into bed.

  Becky put Alaina in her cradle and blew out the light before joining him. Garrick had built the bed to accommodate his large frame, and it was quite roomy. They were achingly aware of each other as they lay shoulder-to-shoulder and stared at the dark ceiling.

  “Do you have enough room?” Becky asked.

  “Ja, sure,” he lied. “How about you?”

  “Just fine.”

  “Good night,” Garrick said as he turned on his side and faced the wall.

  Becky swallowed past the lump in her throat. “Sleep well.”

  Silence fell as the darkness closed in around them. Becky felt the sting of tears and turned away. For months, she’d dreamed of sharing Garrick’s bed, but never this way. She didn’t even dare reach out and touch the broad back that was so close.

  Garrick lay staring at the wall, every nerve in his body attuned to the woman next to him. It was impossible to pretend she wasn’t there. He could feel every inch of her, though the actual physical contact was negligible. He didn’t realize he was gritting his teeth until his jaw began to ache.

  If he hadn’t been so aware of her, he might have missed the small in-take of breath behind him. It sounded like a muffled sob. Garrick rolled over and looked at her. All he could see was her back. “Becky?”

  Embarrassed to be caught crying, she tried to pretend she was asleep, but Garrick wasn’t fooled. Propping himself up on an elbow, he looked down at her with concern.

  “Becky, what’s wrong?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Since when do you cry over nothing?”

  “I’m not crying.”

  “Then what do you call this?” he asked, reaching over and brushing a tear from her cheek with a gentle finger.

  “My eyes are watering.”

  “And I’m king of England,” he said. “You don’t have to be afraid of me, Becky. I won’t touch you.”

  She rolled to her back and looked up at him. “And why is that, Garrick? What is it about me that you dislike so much you can’t even bring yourself to touch me? I’ve asked myself a hundred times, and I can’t figure it out.”

  Her words were so unexpected Garrick could only stare at her in speechless astonishment. Becky waited expectantly for several long moments. “Oh, never mind,” she said at last, throwing back the blankets and starting to get out of bed.

  The motion galvanized Garrick into action. Before Becky’s foot touched the floor, a long muscular arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her back.

  “Whoa now. I think we better talk about this.”

  Becky gave a humorless laugh. “Well, that’s a switch.”

  “Whatever gave you the idea I couldn’t bear to touch you?”

  “I wonder. Maybe because we’ve been married almost a year, and we still haven’t consummated it. Or maybe because you went to a prostitute rather than your own wife.”

  With an odd twist in his gut, Garrick realized she saw his restraint as rejection. “I thought... I mean I never realized you’d want—”

  “Well, you thought wrong! It so happens I do want. Very much. I told Angel I was willing to settle for what we have, and I am. But it hurts too bad to be this close to you, Garrick. Just let me go.”

  Garrick felt like an utter fool. In the face of her unhappiness, his reasons seemed less importan
t, his restraint a useless burden to them both.

  “You’re wrong, Becky.” His voice was a sensual caress as the iron band around her middle tightened to pull her back down onto the bed and into his embrace. “I’ve never wanted to touch anybody as much as I want to touch you. I dream about the softness of your skin and the silkiness of your hair.”

  Becky’s resistance melted like snowflakes on a hot griddle as Garrick lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed the tips of her fingers before pressing it against his chest. “And I want you to touch me; to feel how you make my heart pound; to know just how much I want you.”

  “Then why have you avoided me?”

  “Because I was afraid I wouldn’t stop.”

  Becky traced the hard line of his jaw with her fingertips. “Who wants you to stop?” she whispered. The last of Garrick’s good intentions evaporated like so much smoke, his control disappearing in a hot blaze of desire as she brushed her fingers across his lips. “Nothing lasts forever, Garrick. I don’t want either of us to look back on this part of our lives with remorse for what we could have had.”

  With a groan, his mouth came down on hers, branding her with his passion. His hand rode the swell of her rib cage as he adjusted his body to hers. A small moan escaped her, and she lifted her arms to circle his neck.

  They kissed open-mouthed, hungrily, reveling in the feel and taste of each other. For the moment, it was enough as waves of longing rocked them both. It became too intense suddenly, and they broke apart, their breathing labored as their hearts hammered in syncopated rhythm.

  “Your nightgown is still wet, Becky.” His voice was like sun-warmed molasses as his lips grazed the sensitive skin beneath her ear. “Maybe we should take it off.”

  “Oh, yes,” she whispered.

  Garrick rose from the bed and held out his hand. Her brown velvet gaze locked with his as he pulled her to her feet before him.

  Mesmerized by eyes smoldering with blue fire, Becky was barely aware of his fingers unbuttoning her nightgown until he slipped his hands inside to her waist. His palms traced a path of fire along the curve of her body as his lips blazed a trail of kisses down her neck.

  Becky sucked in a startled breath when his fingers stopped to caress the fullness of her breasts then continued upward to the demure neck of her nightgown. Running his thumbs along her collarbone, he slid the material off her shoulders. It dropped to the floor, pooling at her feet with a soft whisper.

  “That’s better,” he said, kissing the spot where her shoulder met her neck. His hands dropped to the small of her back and traveled down to the softly rounded derriere. “You feel so good,” he whispered as he pulled her body tight against him.

  “You do too,” she murmured, reaching beneath his undershirt. “And I want to touch every part of you, to feel your skin against mine.”

  Her words fanned the flames of his desire nearly as much as the soft hands caressing him. Becky slowly made her way to the middle of his chest, stroking every square inch of him as she went.

  When he could stand the sensual torment no longer, Garrick grabbed the bottom of his shirt and jerked it off over his head. His drawers soon joined it on the floor. He had to fight the impulse to take her right then. The image of them joined together on the floor in front of the fireplace was hard to resist, especially as Becky’s hands continued their enticing journey up his chest to the width of his shoulders.

  “Let me look at you,” he said, taking a step back. He had hoped to cool his ardor a bit, but he soon discovered the error of his thinking. The light from the fireplace bathed Becky’s slender body in a golden glow. Garrick found it difficult to breathe as his eyes roamed from the slope of her shoulders across the rose tipped breasts, down the curve of her belly to the long graceful legs. “You’re so beautiful,” he whispered, reaching out and trailing the fingers of one hand down her cheek.

  She smiled. “So are you.”

  With a groan, Garrick pulled her into his arms. Once again, his mouth found hers, and he plundered the interior eagerly. The hard calluses of his hands were strangely erotic against her back, and she made soft sounds of pleasure as he stroked the sensitive skin. This time when they parted, Becky could barely stand. She sagged against him, her head resting on the hard plane of his chest.

  Garrick kissed the top of her head. “Your hair should be loose,” he murmured, touching the heavy braid that hung down her back. With deft fingers he began to unplait the thick strands, glorying in the silky softness of her hair.

  Becky rubbed her cheek against the golden down sprinkled across his chest. Years of heavy work had honed Garrick’s body to perfection. There was no softness in the man, only sinew, bone and muscle. Fascinated, she raised her hand to trace the rock-hard contours. He was magnificent.

  At last her unbound hair fell in a thick cloud past her waist. “Has it ever been cut?” Garrick’s voice was filled with wonder as he ran his fingers through it.

  Becky kissed the hollow at the base of his throat. “Not since I was seven years old and had smallpox.”

  With his heart pounding in his chest, Garrick swept her up in his arms and carried her the three steps to the bed. It no longer seemed crowded as they settled into its welcoming confines.

  With eager hands and mouths they explored each other, delighting in the secrets their investigations uncovered. And they discovered how very well matched they were. Every curve and hollow were tailor-made to fit as their bodies shifted and moved together. With an ever-increasing sense of wonder, they indulged themselves, living the fantasy that had dominated their waking thoughts for so many long torturous weeks. They both wanted it to last all night, but it wasn’t long before they had pushed each other to the limit.

  Their joining was as perfect as the rest had been. Becky was fully prepared to be crushed into the mattress by Garrick’s bulk, but he didn’t feel heavy at all as he began to move inside her. The thought barely had time to flit through her mind before she lost the ability to think at all. Her body arched to meet him as they moved in the ancient rhythm of love.

  Her entire world became filled with Garrick and the incredible sensations his body was creating in hers. Becky had never experienced anything like it as they swirled higher and higher into ecstasy. Her release, when it came, was a complete surprise. It had never happened to her before, and she gripped Garrick’s back as the glorious waves passed through her. She was still gasping for breath when Garrick joined her with his own earth-shattering fulfillment.

  When the last shudder subsided, Garrick rolled to the side, pulling her with him as he went. He knew their time together was limited, but, for the moment at least, they’d found their own little piece of heaven.

  Chapter 20

  “Mmmmm.” Becky woke up slowly. Gradually, she became aware of lying on her stomach and Garrick rubbing her back. It was heavenly. She opened her eyes and smiled at him. “Hello.”

  “Hello yourself.” He leaned over and kissed her. “I wondered if I could wake you up this way.”

  “It’s still dark outside.”

  “I know.”

  “Then why did you want me to get up?”

  “Who said anything about getting up?”

  She turned to her side and ran a finger down the middle of his chest. “What did you have in mind?”

  “Oh, maybe some of this,” he ran his hand along her hip, “or this.” He kissed her neck. “Or, if you like, we could try something creative.”

  Becky stretched languorously. “Hmmm, creative. Now that has possibilities.”

  “Doesn’t it though?”

  She snuggled closer to him. “Why did you wait so long, Garrick?”

  “It’s only been an hour or so.”

  “That’s not what I meant. Why did I practically have to force you into this?”

  Garrick closed his eyes. Because I’ve lied to you since the beginning, and we aren’t even legally married. Because I’m a wanted man, and I’ll be leaving you someday soon, probably without any
warning. Most of all, because I’d rather cut off my arm than hurt you. He couldn’t bring himself to tell her any of it.

  “Garrick?”

  He opened his eyes and looked down at her. She was clearly frightened by his silence. “It’s all right, little one,” he said, running the back of his fingers down her cheek. “Those reasons aren’t important now. I don’t want to waste another second of the time we have.”

  His lips captured hers in a searing kiss that wiped everything else from her mind. It wasn’t until hours later that she thought back to his cryptic words and wondered what he’d meant.

  Swede’s blacksmith shop was usually open for business by seven o’clock, but not that day. It was nearly noon before he arrived to fire up the forge. Even then, more than one customer thought he seemed a little distracted.

  Becky and Alaina were late getting to The Green Garter, too. Molly met them at the door. “Oh, Becky, I’ve been waiting for you all morning.”

  “You have?” Becky raised her eyebrows in surprise. Molly had never sought her out before.

  “Ox brought Angel a kitten from Rock Springs. Can I take Alaina and show her?”

  Becky glanced toward Angel who nodded imperceptibly. “I suppose...”

  “Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of her.” Molly smiled as she settled the baby in the crook of her arm. “We’ll get along just fine, won’t we, sweetheart? Just wait till you see that kitten. She’s the cutest little ball of fur.”

  “Molly’s a wonder with babies,” Angel commented as Molly and Alaina disappeared out the door. “She really ought to have a passel of her own.” She crossed her arms and viewed Becky critically. “Well, well, I see you finally broke down Swede’s resistance.”

  Becky turned scarlet. “H...how did you know?”

  “Whisker burn.”

  “What?”

  “That rash all over your face. Besides, you haven’t stopped grinning since you walked through that door. You have the look of a woman who has spent the last few hours in bed with a lusty man.”