by Mary Burton
“Mama!”
Rebecca’s smile brightened. She closed the distance between them and she accepted the boy, easily, naturally. She kissed him on the cheek, tucked him on her hip, before rustling Dusty’s hair with her hand. “You look mighty fine today.”
“Thank you, Miss Rebecca,” Dusty said.
“Wait until the girls in the schoolhouse get a look at you. They’ll all be begging you to carry their books home.”
Splotches of red colored his cheeks. “Ah, quit it.”
“We best get home,” Cole said, his voice hoarse.
Panic pinched the corners of her mouth. “So soon?”
“We’ve been here six hours.”
“Really, that long. I didn’t notice.”
A twinge of guilt fueled his sour mood but the time had come for them to go home. He didn’t like seeing fear in her eyes. He took her by the elbow and started toward the Shady Grove with the boys in tow. The town cheered them on, hooting and hollering, following them down the street as if no one in White Stone had ever gotten married before.
Cole’s gaze focused on the sway of her hips as she climbed the inn’s front steps. He liked the way she looked a lot.
He scowled. She was a liar, he reminded himself. Couldn’t be trusted.
Tersely, he leaned past her as she reached for the front door, opening it and waiting for her to enter. Doe eyes fluttered up to his, full of surprise at the unexpected courtesy.
Good. Stay off guard, Rebecca, then I can sort out my own emotions.
She brushed past him, the scent of lilacs trailing into the foyer. Dusty stumbled past while Mac, now home and on familiar ground, squirmed to get down.
Rebecca set the child down. “You boys want a snack?”
“The boys have eaten their fill today,” Cole said, his tone brooking no argument. “Dusty and Mac, it’s getting late and time for bed.”
“Ah, come on,” Dusty grumbled. He yawned.
“You need your sleep and so does Mac,” Cole said.
Dusty tossed the bangs off his eyes. “Yeah, well, two weeks ago, I did as I pleased, stayed up as late as I wanted.” He was testing, but there was no real punch to his words.
“Do you really want to go back to that?” Cole demanded.
“I reckon not.”
Cole laid his hand on Dusty’s shoulder. “Your pa’s gone now, Dusty, and like it or not, we’re your family now.”
Dusty rubbed his eyes. “Okay, but do I have to go to bed?”
“Yes.”
“Rats.”
Cole smiled. Dusty was a good kid and he’d grow into a fine man one day. He felt lucky to have the boy in his life. “Let’s get upstairs.”
Rebecca and Cole escorted the boys upstairs. Obviously accustomed to taking care of Mac and Dusty herself, she frowned with surprise when he reached for Mac’s nightshirt at the same time she did. Their fingers touched.
She blushed and moistened her lips. “I’ll get the boys ready for bed.”
He cleared his throat, trying to maintain control of his body. “I said I’d be here to tuck them into bed each night and I will.”
“You don’t have to do this.”
“I want to.”
Rebecca released the nightshirt. She stood by as Dusty changed into his nightclothes and Cole deftly stripped Mac. He grimaced when it came time to change Mac’s diaper.
Rebecca seemed to sense his indecision. She smiled smugly, shooed him out of the way and quickly changed Mac’s wet diaper. She must have changed the boy’s diapers thousands of times in the last two years and her parenting expertise emphasized his own inexperience.
Damn, he’d missed so much of Mac’s life.
Minutes later, Cole leaned against the doorjamb, watching Rebecca as she kissed each boy on the forehead and drew the covers up to their chins.
A knot wrenched in his gut as he stared at her. She looked like a sprite, the soft halo of ringlets framing her face and the ring of blue flowers atop her head. There was a faint blush to her cheeks.
“Perhaps, the boys would like a bedtime story?”
“Tomorrow.”
“But it settles them down.”
“They’ll sleep like the dead tonight.”
“Of course.”
She was White Stone’s very own princess, a beauty coveted by all men who laid eyes on her.
And it struck him then that this fragile woman had the power to crush his heart.
* * *
Rebecca’s heart skipped a beat when she saw Cole leaning against the doorjamb, his hands tucked under his arms. The naked longing in his eyes took her breath away. She summoned all her will just to put one foot in front of the other and walk to him. She wanted this night to be perfect.
Let instinct guide you.
“They’re exhausted,” she whispered.
He nodded, not saying a word as he took her by the hand. His hand was rough and his grip firm as he led her toward her room. She didn’t resist.
Cole tugged her into the bedroom and closed the door behind them with a soft click. She licked her dry lips as he turned and moved toward her, as silent as a cougar.
He cupped her face in his hands. “You are beautiful.” His voice was a hoarse whisper.
Color burned her cheeks. “Thank you.”
He touched the circle of flowers in her hair then drew his callused fingertips down the side of her cheek, sending a thousand shivers dancing down her spine. Cupping her face in his hands, he pressed his lips to hers and devoured her. He tasted of salt and a hint of whiskey.
Rebecca’s body screamed with a lifetime of unsatisfied longings. She never tasted the sweet anticipation other women whispered about until now.
Instinct. Instinct. Instinct.
She stood on tiptoe and wrapped her arms around Cole’s neck and pressed her breasts against his chest. Her nipples hardened into soft peaks and strained against the fabric of her bodice. Liquid heat seared her body.
A growl rumbled from Cole’s chest before he scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the bed.
The room was dark, except for the red-orange glow of the setting sun streaming through the window. Shadows sharpened the hard lines of Cole’s face, now rigid with desire. He laid her in the center of the soft mattress. The springs creaked when he straddled her. He cupped her breasts with his hands and teased the nipples with his thumbs.
The blood pounding in Rebecca’s body fueled her wanting. She arched toward Cole and slid her hands up his muscular thighs, sending him a silent invitation—an olive branch.
He snaked his fingers through her hair, pulling it free of the pins until it cascaded in a waterfall of curls around her head on the white pillow.
He unfastened the buttons of her bodice, one by one, until he reached her waist. He pushed back the folds of her bodice and stared at the creamy white tops of her breasts cresting over her corset and chemise.
“You’re so beautiful.” He lowered his lips to the soft mounds and kissed the hollow between them. His unshaved chin rubbed against her soft skin, sending shivers of delight through her body. She cupped the back of his head, threading her fingers through his coarse black hair.
Deftly, Cole untied the pink buttons of her chemise then unfastened the hooks of her corset. Her breasts, full and ripe, spilled out for him. He leaned over her, his gaze dark and intent, and suckled her nipples. He took his time tasting her.
Rebecca groaned, arching into him. Desire speared into her womb, making coherent thought impossible.
Cole released one breast and trailed his hand under her skirt, up the inside of her leg. He yanked at the drawstring of her pantaloons. A soft ripping sound rent the air. And then he was touching that most private part of her that pulsed for his touch.
Cole’s long fingers touched her moist flesh, rubbing the nub until she moaned his name over and over again. Her senses teetered close to the edge of a mysterious abyss when he suddenly stopped.
Her eyes flew open. All manner of
pride gone, she pleaded for him to continue. He climbed off the bed, but his gaze still pierced her.
Without speaking a word, he quickly pulled off his boots, shirt and finally his pants. He stood before her for one maddening heartbeat, his manhood proud and erect.
Instinct. Instinct.
She didn’t want to run this time. Her only thoughts were of him inside her, satisfying her growing drumbeat of desire.
Cole climbed on top of her, then he pushed her skirts up to her waist, and pulled her pantaloons down over the tops of her high-buttoned black boots.
A hint of a smile touched Cole’s lips. He needed no further coaxing. He straddled her, pressed his manhood against her tender flesh, then drove into her.
She felt the harlot, making love to him half-dressed, but she didn’t care. She wanted him. Shameless as a fallen dove, she spread her legs for him, inviting him in.
She sucked in a breath through her clenched teeth. Her taut body stretched to accommodate him. He groaned his pleasure as he paused, seemingly savoring the feel of her tight hold on him.
Then he began to move in the ancient rhythm, plunging back and forth inside her. She matched his movements, tilting her pelvis to meet his thrusts.
Sweat beaded on his forehead as he stared down at her.
He bent his head and suckled her breasts as he moved inside her. She whimpered his name over and over again, praying he would release her from this sweet agony.
Finally, after many maddening minutes—or hours—he lowered his hand to her tender flesh and began to rub as he moved inside her.
Her senses exploded like a burst of lightning. She arched her back and sucked her breath in between her clenched teeth.
Cole drove into her with all his strength, filling her and taking her over the edge into sweet oblivion.
He groaned her name as he clenched the sheets on either side of her head. She felt his muscles tighten and constrict before he collapsed against her, his body glistening with a sheen of sweat.
His heart hammered against her naked breast, matching her own racing beat. Minutes ticked by as they lay together as one.
Basking in the warmth of his body, she never felt more complete or alive. Hope filled her. She stroked a dark curl on his chest, wrapping it around her finger. Unlike Curtis, she liked touching Cole.
As she slid her hand over the flat of his belly he tensed. Unsure, she stopped and looked at him. Desire no longer clouded his eyes. His expression had turned hard, unreadable.
“Cole.”
Silent, he pushed himself off her and swung his legs over the side of the bed. She touched his naked back. He flinched and moved away from her. He reached for his pants and put them on.
She rolled on her side, confused, still dazed from desire. She tugged the comforter over her naked breasts, suddenly feeling vulnerable. “Where are you going?”
“To my room.”
Confusion clouded her thoughts. “Why? I thought after what just happened, everything was going to be different between us. Didn’t I please you?”
“Yes.” The word sounded as if it were ripped from his chest.
“Then stay the night with me.”
He reached for his boots and shirt. His gaze bore into her. “No.”
A sharp pain stabbed her insides. “But we just made love. You said I pleased you.”
“A marriage isn’t just about physical pleasure, Rebecca. There has to be trust as well. And I don’t trust you.”
Her throat constricted. “But in time, you will learn to trust me.”
He stood over the bed, glaring at her. “I need to go.”
She felt dirty, used. “I thought things had changed between us.”
Cole turned and stalked out of the room, leaving her cold, devastated and alone with her tears.
Chapter Fifteen
Two weeks had passed since their wedding night and the sound of Rebecca’s sobs still echoed in Cole’s mind.
When they’d made love, she’d touched the deepest part of his soul. He’d felt utterly defenseless and it had scared the hell out of him. The unwelcome vulnerability coupled with his raw anger had driven him to lash out blindly at her.
Now that he’d had time to cool off, he regretted like hell that he’d acted so harshly to her. But he’d been unable to breach the growing divide between them.
A knock on his mine office door shattered the silence. Cole glanced up from the stack of papers arranged on a makeshift desk of wood and saw-horses. Little more than a shack, the small structure served as his base of operations. A cold potbellied stove stood in the corner and only one grimy window offered a view of the mine entrance. A lantern on the corner of his desk flickered, supplementing the morning sun’s faint glow.
“Come in,” he growled.
Wade shoved open the door and marched in. His cheeks glowed and his eyes sparkled. “Well, you sound as prickly as a bear.”
“I am.”
Wade closed the door behind him. “If I had such a pretty little wife at home like you, I’d hate having to come into work too.”
“Right.”
Wade had accepted Cole and Rebecca’s marriage without trouble. In truth, the older man had almost seemed relieved.
As far as everyone in town was concerned, Cole and Rebecca’s marriage was the perfect match.
Cole and Rebecca shared a polite and civilized marriage when they were in public. She laughed easily around the children, showering each with affection. They attended Sunday services together and they’d both walked Dusty to school on his first day.
But when they were alone Rebecca became quiet and distant. She kept a plate warm for him each evening, but while he ate in the dim lantern light, she’d bid him good evening, climb the stairs and retreat to her room alone.
They looked like a family, but in truth were not.
“What can I do for you?” Cole said rising.
The sheriff strode over to the desk and set a basket down on it. “Bess sent me. She figured if Mohammed wouldn’t come to the mountain, then the mountain…” he said, letting his voice trail. “She thought you might like lunch.”
Cole forced his shoulders to relax and lifted the red-checked napkin. Inside he found fried chicken, biscuits and two slices of pie. “Thanks.”
“She wants to know if you’re coming home for dinner.”
“Since when did you become Bess’s messenger?”
Wade shrugged. “I reckon I like helping her when I can.”
“She’s sweet on you.”
Wade grinned. “Yeah, I know.”
“You told her that?” Cole liked Bess and he didn’t want to see her hurt.
“I reckon I will sooner or later.”
“Make it sooner.”
Wade shoved his hands in his pockets glancing at the stack of papers on Cole’s desk. “Things moving along well here?”
“Just fine.”
“Everyone’s wondering when you’ll hit a new vein.”
“Hard to say.”
The day after the wedding the town council had agreed to waive all back taxes on the Lucky Star if Rebecca willingly turned over operations to Cole. As her husband, he could have seized control without her permission, but the council’s tax waiver depended on her cooperation. He’d expected her to resist, but without a fuss, Rebecca had signed the papers giving him total control of the Lucky Star.
The substantial savings had been a real boon to the mine, giving him the extra resources to hire additional workers. He was already a month ahead of schedule.
“Folks is also wondering if you’ve forgiven Rebecca for fibbing to you?”
Cole frowned. “Fibbing. She tried to keep my son from me.”
“She’s real sorry.”
Cole thrust out a sigh. “Wade, what the devil are you doing here?”
He picked up a piece of paper off Cole’s desk and pretended to study it. “Just a friendly visit.”
Cole snatched the paper away. “Did Rebecca send you here?”
/>
Wade chuckled. “If she knew I’d come to see you, she’d skin me alive. Naw, Bess sent me. Figured we should talk man to man.”
“About what?”
Wade scratched his chin. “Your marriage. Bess wants to be certain things are going well between you and your wife.”
“Tell Bess to talk to Rebecca.”
“She has, but it seems Rebecca’s been real tight-lipped.”
Pride nudged him. His wife was no gossip. She kept her own counsel. “Don’t worry about Rebecca and me. We’ll survive.”
He snorted. “That mean you’ve forgiven her?”
Cole raked his fingers through his hair. “I understand now why she lied about Mac.”
Wade’s eyes brightened. “That so?”
“I understand that as a woman alone, she was desperate and weak.”
Wade bristled. “Rebecca’s one of the strongest people I know.” He cracked his knuckles and turned toward the window. “You know I had a child once?”
“No, I didn’t.”
“It was a long time ago.” His eyes grew vacant as if he’d returned to a time long ago. “Davie was a towheaded little fellow just like your Mac.”
Cole stood silent, unsure of what to say.
“Lost my son and wife to cholera back in ’61. I reckon what attracted me to Rebecca was she came with a ready-made family.” His eyes filled with tears. “Damn, what I would give to have my wife and son back.”
Cole’s anger drained from him. He stared at the sheriff’s slumped shoulders. He seemed to grow old before his eyes.
Wade sniffed. “So I reckon I know what it feels like to have a child and lose one.”
“I’m sorry.”
Wade pierced Cole with his gaze. “I’d do anything to get my boy back even if it meant lying, cheating, stealing or worse.”
Cole clenched his fingers. “What would you have done if someone tried to keep him from you?”
Wade cocked an eyebrow. “Can’t say. But I do know it ain’t right to blame Rebecca for trying to do what she thought was best for her child.”
A heavy silence fell between them. Cole knew Rebecca loved Mac—it was one of the things he’d grown to admire about her. “I wanted her to trust me.”
