Apache Summer

by Heather Graham

  “Forget von Heusen, forget everything, and cherish what time you have together in peace.”

  “And get in the tub with the rose oil,” Kristin suggested drily.

  “There’s just nothing like a very sweet smell.”

  “And a see-through lilac gown to match your eyes! Aren’t they beautiful eyes, Kristin?” “And she’s not jealous often,” Kristin said, laughing. Feeling loved and protected, Tess stepped into the water and felt the steam surround her. It was good to be home.

  “I’m more worried now that I know just what this man is after,” Jamie said.

  He was sitting on the rocker on the porch. Jori was perched on the railing with Cole, and Malachi was seated across from him on the swing. It creaked slowly in the night air.

  Jamie exhaled. He looked at his brothers.

  “Thanks for coming. I’m just wishing right now that I hadn’t had you bring Kristin and Shannon.”

  “Jamie, you’ve known the McCahy girls a long time,” Cole said drily.

  “And you should know at this point that they wouldn’t have it any other way.”

  “I just don’t know what this man might plan. I do know that he keeps twenty to thirty hired guns on his property at all times.”

  “We’ve met up with bad odds~ before Malachi reminded him.

  “God damn it, don’t you understand what I’m trying to say? I don’t want you, your wives or your children killed on my account.”

  Gabe came out then. He glanced at his father and it was obvious he had heard some of what had been said. He went straight up to his Uncle Jamie and took his trail-toughened face into his hands.

  “There’s right and wrong, Uncle Jamie, and you know that. And my pa and my ma, they say you have to fight what’s wrong, because if you just give in, it’ll bury you in the end.

  I don’t mind fighting. Not if it’s the right thing to do.”

  Jamie lifted his nephew and hugged him tightly. Cole smiled.

  “I rest my case.”

  “Malachi, those twins of yours aren’t quite three years old. You think they feel the same way?”

  “Jamie, we’re here, and that’s it,” Malachi said flatly. “Now, what about Tess?”

  “What about her?” Jamie scowled.

  “She’s the hardest creature to tangle with I have ever encountered, Yanks and Indians and rattlers included.” “Think you’re going to marry her?” Malachi asked pleasantly.

  “If he doesn’t do so soon,” Jon Red Feather supplied, “I

  “Damn you, Jon” — I’ll have to, to keep the poor woman honest.” ,~ Jamie ou know the lot of you, you may be but I’m ” She’s beautiful, very bright and has the will of a wildcat. Besides that, she’s worth a damned fortune. He’s already absconded with half her property,” Malachi said.” Wait a damned minute!” Jamie protested.

  “The least you could do is marry her,” Cole said. Jamie threw up his hands.

  “Thank you, one and all, for coming. And now I’ll thank you, one and all, to mind your own damned bus’ mess Good night.”

  He set Gabe on the rocker and headed into the house. He was halfway up the stairs before he realized he didn’t know if he had a room in the house. His brothers and Kristin and Shannon and even the kids seemed very happily moved in.

  But where the hell he was supposed to be, he didn’t know. He headed for Tess’s room, wondering what her reaction was going to be. If she threatened to scream and bring the house down he thought he’d throttle her.

  He tapped on her door, then pushed it open.

  “Tess?” “Jamie?” She said his name softly, sweetly. Her voice touched the air like the fragrance of roses that seemed to be all around the room, light as stardust. Her whisper was sultry, as if he had awakened her.

  He strode across the room then paused, seeing how the moon entered through the window and glowed upon bet.

  Her hair was shining with greater splendor than any sunset, and it was spread out behind her as if each strand were a glorious ray of the sun.

  She was dressed in violet, a shade that matched her eyes in the darkness of the night. A shade that was barely concealing, a shade that managed to enhance every beautiful line and curve of her body.

  “Tess, where the hell” — He paused, clearing his throat, wondering why the hell he was getting so damned angry.

  “Tess, where am I supposed to—oh, the hell with it!” he growled.

  He didn’t see her smile as he dropped forcefully upon her, sweeping her into his arms. He didn’t really see anything 271 except the color of her hair, entwining and tangling around him. He breathed in the clean, sweet scent of her, and he could barely contain his longings. The Apache had kept them apart for the last two long nights. He hadn’t realized how badly he could need her after such a short time, how much he could crave her. She was like a sweet a man thought he tasted once, and yet wanted more and more once he knew the exotic taste. He kissed her fiercely, and he kissed her long, and he felt the frantic rise of her breasts against his hand as she lost her breath. Only when she trembled and gasped did he raise his head and stare at her.

  “I’m staying here. We’re doing it my way, remember?”

  She returned his stare. Her arms wound around him, and she pressed her lips to his, then she shoved him slightly away from her and started to open his shirt buttons. Slowly, achingly slowly, she opened them one by one, pressing her lips against his flesh. And when his shirt was east aside she tenderly nipped and kissed his shoulders while she tugged at his belt buckle. She inched his pants slowly down his hips. Boldly, possessively she touched him, stroked him and trembled, her fingers shaking as he came hard as steel to her ministrations. Then he could stand no more of the sweet torture and she was on her back, with his lips savoring her body beneath the gauze of the lilac gown. He tasted her breasts and the valley between them and her navel and her upper thighs and teased her more intimately still until she was thrashing and calling his name to the moon-dusted night, begging that he come to her.

  With the deepest pleasure, he obliged, and the feeling of being where he belonged within her was almost as great as pure sexual excitement of being so tightly, so erotically He shuddered with the force of his desire, and deeper and deeper until they exploded as one. Then her tightly into his arms, glad of her lips pressed to her head burrowed against him.

  You’re mine, he longed to tell her. You were mine when I first found you, and mine when I came to Nalte to ask for you. You are mine this night. And if we can only survive, you will be mine forever. His thoughts gave pause, and he added silently: even if you are the most ornery and troublesome female in the western world.

  In the morning his troublesome female was up and almost dressed by the time he had pulled on his trousers.

  “Afraid of my family?” he asked her.

  Tess looked his way curiously and shook her head. No man could be a finer lover, tender and tempestuous, but in the morning his temper always seemed to leave something to be desired.

  “I don’t care what they know, if you’re talking about our sleeping arrangements.”

  “I see. You think my older brother will insist that we marry.”

  “No one will ever force you to marry, Jamie. You said so yourself.”

  “So you’re not planning on marriage.”

  “I try not to plan on anything.”

  She was at her dresser, brushing her hair. He slipped behind her, his chest still naked, and pulled her against him.

  He whispered against her ear.

  “What if you’re already with child?”

  She turned and faced him, looking him up and down. “You’re nicely built, intelligent, I think, and your brothers don’t seem to have too many flaws.

  If I have a child, it should be a darling one.” She swung around to continue to brush her hair.

  He laughed as he donned his shirt and socks and boots. “Tess, you are a hellion,” he told her.

  She smiled sweetly.

  “I just
do the best I can with what I’ve got, Lieutenant. I’m going down for breakfast. I’m sure Dolly and Jane got things started very early with all those 273 little children to feed. And I do want to be at the paper by eight. I’ve got to teach Kristin and Shannon how to work the press.”

  “I’m right with you,” Jamie told her. But when she would have exited the room, he pulled her back.

  “We do things my way, remember.”

  “I remember,” she said coolly. “Everything.”

  “Meaning?”

  “I’ll tell you later,” was all he said.

  He stepped past her and hurried down the stairs. She followed him, convinced that he had only stopped her to prove to her that he could be down first.

  Dolly and Jane were busy with the children, and they seemed like a couple of doting old aunts. Dolly beamed at Jamie.

  “I just can’t wait until it’s one of your little bundles I’m holding, Lieutenant!” she said. Of course she wasn’t really holding Shannon’s daughter—the child was squirming away, ready to chase a little string ball that was rolling across the floor.

  “Yeah, soon enough, Dolly,” Jamie said sweetly. To Tess’s surprise he winked at her.

  “Coffee!”

  A cup was shoved into her hand by Malachi.

  “Jamie,” he said, “I’ve told Hank to tal~ Dolly and Jane and the children down to the storm cellar once we’ve gone. They’re invisible there.” “Fine,” Jamie said.

  “Dolly?”

  “I understand, Lieutenant, I understand perfectly.”

  “I’ll watch them,” Hank promised.

  “Me and the hands, we’ll stay in and down in the cellar with the children.”

  “Is everybody ready?” Jamie asked. He swallowed his coffee and set the cup on the table, then everyone was hurrying out.

  The children were taken to the cellar, and Dolly waved a cheerful hand to Tess.

  “You take care, missy, you hear?”

  “Yes, Dolly, I promise! Thank you!”

  Dolly disappeared into the storm cellar, and Hank followed, closing the door over them. Cole and Kristin stamped the dirt around so the opening was invisible. By then Jon was coming around with the wagon, and Kristin and Shannon and Tess climbed up with him. The Slater brothers mounted their horses. Tess was aware that each was wearing a gun belt with two Colts.

  Each also had another gun attached to a saddle. They were well-armed, but managed to remain nonchalant.

  Tess froze, praying that she wouldn’t bring about one of these men’s deaths.

  It was her fight. Her own. She had no right to get these men killed.

  Maybe nothing would happen today. Maybe yon Heusen would lie low.

  Maybe he would take his time to attack her again. She had written the truth once. After today, maybe more people would believe her. He couldn’t kill everyone.

  “Why don’t you explain the press while we ride?” Jon suggested to her.

  Tess gave him a grateful smile. If she talked, she would relax.

  “It’s a small press, really, compared with many of the innovations they’re coming up with today. But it’s a small town, and we’re a small paper. We set the type in a box called a chase. We tap our letters and words in with wooden mallets, ink the set type, then roll the papers through. It’s very simple.” She was just warming to the subject when Jon’s voice interrupted her softly.

  “The town is quiet today.”

  It was quiet. The streets were deserted. Not that it was usually busy at this time of the morning, but there was no one around. No one at all.

  “Well,” Tess murmured.

  “There’s, uh, there’s the paper over there.

  See, Wiltshire Sun. The place with all the windows broken out,” she added drily.

  “Well, you can set to typing your story while Kristin and I sweep up,” Shannon said.

  Tess nodded. There was a giant lump in her throat, though. Why was the town so damned deserted?

  Jon stopped directly in front of the paper. Jamie had already dismounted, and he was watching the silent buildings for any sign of movement. Malachi came to the wagon and helped the women down.

  “Get into the office,” Jamie ordered curtly. Tess didn’t argue but did as he told her. Shannon and Kristin followed her.

  “Will you look at this mess!” Kristin said, clicking her tongue.

  “I should help you,” d Tess said.

  “Will you please go type! We can handle this,” Kristin said.

  Tess nodded and walked to her desk and typewriter. She dusted fragments of glass from her chair and blew it from her papers and rolled a blank sheet into her typewriter. She stared at it for just one second, then her fingers began to fly. She had a lot to say. A hell of a lot. Time moved quickly.

  Kristin and Shannon moved around the room competently, and their presence didn’t disturb Tess in the least. She was just getting to the part where Jeremiah and David had admitted their involvement with yon Heusen when she heard a shout in the street.

  The three of them froze. The shout came again. “Tess! Tess Stuart! We know you’re in there! And you’re under arrest.”

  “Under arrest!” Tess gasped.

  Then she heard Jamie respond from beyond the window, his voice harsh and firm as he met the threat.

  “It’s the sheriff, I think!” Shannon said, peeking around a broken window.

  Tess joined her beside the window, and nodded. “She’s under arrest for what?” Jamie demanded.

  “Slander and murder.”

  “Murder!”

  “She killed two of Mr. von Heusen’s men. She tricked them out into the open fields. I’ve witnesses to that effect.

  Then she shot them down cold.”

  Jamie let loose with a flaming oath. Then he was striding out to meet the sheriff face to face. Tess gripped the window frame.

  “This is bull, and you know it. Von Heusen set you up to this. You’re just a hired gun, like any other of his thugs.”

  “You shut your mouth, Slater. You’re under arrest, too.”

  “For what?”

  “Conspiracy to commit murder.”

  “Well, I’ll tell you what, Sheriff, you just try to take me in .” ‘ Tess was never quite sure what propelled her, but before anyone could stop her, she was racing out to the street, streaking toward Jamie. She caught his arm and faced the sheriff, furious.

  “Don’t you even think it! Don’t you even try to drag him down into the mud and mire that you’ve created with von Heusen! Arrest me if you want to so damn badly” — “Tess, damn you!” Jamie swore, swinging her around behind him.

  “What the hell are you doing out here? I told you” — “Slater, shut up,” came a new voice.

  It was von Heusen. He came striding out from the saloon, his pale eyes shimmering with hatred, his white hair touched by the breeze.

  “Miss. Stuart,” he said, addressing Tess, “you are ever valiant. But I can’t wait to hang this Reb. I just can’t wait.”

  “You aren’t ever going to hang me, yon Heusen,” Jamie said.

  “And you aren’t ever going to have that property for the railroad.”

  Von Heusen’s brows shot up.

  “So you know. You’re quite a detective.”

  “I travel in good company,” Jamie said with a shrug.

  “It doesn’t matter. The sheriff is my man. Aren’t you, Harvey?”

  “Von Heusen, don’t say that,” the sheriff began uneasily.

  “Why? Who is going to stop us now?” yon Heusen said. “I own the sheriff, and I own the magistrate, and I can damned well bet you I’m going to own the executioner. You’re dead, Slater. As dead as a doornail.”

  “No. You may own the sheriff, but I’ve got a few guns around the place, too, yon Heusen.”

  “Yeah, your brothea’s and that half-breed friend of yours. It’s not enough.

  I’ve got guns all over this town.”

  As if to prove it, and obviously uncaring
that he was about to commit murder in broad daylight, yon Heusen raised his pistol and aimed straight at Jamie’s heart. But he didn’t have a chance to fire. A gun cracked, and yon Heusen grabbed his hand, screaming. And the streets came alive.

  There was a fearsome pounding of hooves, and war cries tore the air.

  Jamie, astonished, bent low and whirled around. “Jesus!” he breathed.

  The cavalry. The cavalry was coming, Sergeant Monahan in the lead.

  Nor were they alone. They were traveling, curiously enough, with a small band of Indians. Apache.

  “Jamie!”

  Tess screamed his name and he swung around again even as the horses came tearing down the street.

  Von Heusen had Tess. His right hand might be crippled and bleeding, but he held his pistol in his left hand, and the muzzle was pressed against her temple. He was backing toward the saloon.

  “One more step and I blow her to kingdom come!” yon Heusen warned Jamie.

  Gunfire was spitting all around him. From behind a water barrel by the Wiltshire Sun office Cole was picking off yon Heusen’s men from the rooftops areund them. Malachi and Jon were positioned behind the wagon, which they had overturned.

  And the cavalry and the Apache wee rushing in to the fantastic sound of a bugle call. It was quickly obvious that von Heusen’s men would not be enough.

  Except that yon Heusen had Tess.

  He disappeared through the swinging doors of the saloon. Jamie caught his breath, hearing ~-. ss’s screams as the man dragged her upstairs.

  “The roof, Jamie! The roof!” Cole called to him. He looked up. He made a leap toward the railing and swung himself up to the roof. A shot nearly made him trip and fall.

  He heard someone groan and saw a man fall to the ground. He looked across the street.

  Cole smiled, blowing the smoke froaa his gun.

  “Dammit, Jamie, go get the girl!”

  Jamie grinned and gave his brother a thumbs-up sign. Then he felt his blood run cold again. He was. going to have to kill von Heusen if he wanted to live hxnself.

  “You, Miss. Stuart, have been a bloody thorn in my side since the beginning.

  You should have died in that raid on the wagon train, and if you’d had any damned sense, you would have stayed with that bleeding Apache.” : Tess winced. Von Heusen’s hold on her arm was vicious, and she could feel the cold steel presseft hard against her temple. She swallowed. If he killed her now, she was still the winner. She had to keep telling herself that, so she could keep fighting him.