by Ana Leigh
She moved to the bedside and stood above him. “Is that what you really want, Colt?” Her hushed breathlessness in the darkness made him more acutely aware of his need for her. “I don’t believe it is,” she said. “We’ve both thought of nothing else for too long. It’s time we fish or cut bait.”
“Dammit, Cass, you may be sexually innocent, but you’re not that naïve.”
“You have accused me of taking too many risks.”
“And now you’re really on thin ice. So turn that cute little ass around and get out the same way you got in, while you still have the chance.”
Cassie’s gaze never wavered from his as she sat on the side of the bed.
“You’re going to have to help me, Colt. This is all new to me. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do next.”
Colt curved his hand around the nape of her neck, then slowly drew her head down until their mouths were only inches apart.
“The kiss today was a mistake. I don’t want any regrets, Cass.” His breathing was labored with desire.
“I know what I’m doing.”
“I don’t think you do, but it’s too late now. The negotiations just ended.”
The warmth of his breath was a tantalizing torment to her senses. She closed her eyes and, with a sigh of surrender, parted her lips. Any reservations she might still have were incinerated by his kiss.
Her breathing turned to breathless gasps when he parted her shirt and his mouth and tongue began to toy with her nipples.
“Colt, I can’t think when you do that.”
His eyes were heavy with desire as he raised his head. “This isn’t the time for thinking, Cass. It’s the time for feeling.”
When he undressed her and stretched out on top of her, and the curves and hollows of her body conformed to the hard muscles of his, all became whirling imagery. The warmth of him, the scent of him, the touch of his hands on her womanhood, the feel of his mouth on her breasts all became merging sensations; as did the memory of doing the same to him, the feel of his corded muscle under her fingertips, and the sound of his groans when her lips explored him.
She felt a jolt of pain, mingled with rapture, when he entered her. Then only rapture remained, building and building to an ecstatic burst of release.
His lingering kiss drew the remaining breath from her lungs, and he raised his head and gently traced the delicate curve of her chin.
“Once you commit yourself there’s no half measure with you, is there, Cass?”
She didn’t understand how he still had enough breath to speak; her body and senses were still throbbing with sensation.
They lay quietly, allowing their breathing to resume its natural rhythm.
After several minutes, she turned her head and saw that he had drifted into sleep.
For a long moment Cassie stared at his face, relaxed and almost boyish-looking in its innocence. In the short time she had known Colt Fraser, they had gone through more together than most people experience in a lifetime. She had run a gamut of emotions ranging from frustrated anger to this incredible passion, and now only love remained.
She couldn’t help smiling. They’d ended up in that hayloft, figuratively speaking, just as he’d said they would from the beginning.
Cassie leaned over and kissed him gently on the lips. “I love you, Deputy Fraser.” Then she slipped out of bed and dressed.
The house was in darkness when she returned home and stole soundlessly into her bedroom.
Once in bed, she stretched and tested a purr of contentment. Liking the sound, she purred again. Then she giggled. All he would have to do would be to discover that he had her purring, and she’d never hear the end of it.
Chapter 23
Colt felt better than he had in weeks. The sexual tension that had been building within him was finally satisfied—yet he already wanted her again. Cassie was incredible. Her passionate response had been greater than he’d even imagined. She’d been wrong when she’d said that underneath those mannish clothes she was as much woman as any other; she was more than any other woman he’d ever known. He’d opened a Pandora’s box, and it wasn’t possible to close it now.
He went downstairs and was hit with a hot blast of sunshine the instant he stepped outside. It was too damn hot to even eat breakfast. The three sprouts were sitting in the shade of the porch and jumped to their feet when they saw him.
“Morning, kids.”
Bowie and Petey grinned broadly.
“Good morning, Deputy,” Sam said. “Ain’t you gonna eat breakfast?”
“Too hot to eat, Belle.” He was anxious to see Cassie, but she was probably catching up on the sleep she’d missed last night. He headed for the jailhouse, and the sprouts followed him.
“Mama makes me eat breakfast,” Sam said. “She says it’s just as important to eat in hot weather as it is in cold. You just shouldn’t eat too much.”
“I’m sure your mother’s right, Belle. By the way, I hope Bowie and you have convinced Petey that snakes don’t make good pets.”
“You bet we have. Especially since Mama told us that Slinky ate Cocker.”
Figuring that one out was a challenge at this hour of the morning. “Cocker was the pet cockroach?” he said.
“Yep. Petey decided he didn’t want no pets that eats his other pets.”
“Sound thinking, pal,” Colt said, patting the grinning boy on the head. “Maybe Slinky ate Leaper, too. Isn’t he among the missing?”
“No, we found Leaper in the hot water tub,” Sam said. “Sure glad there weren’t no hot water in it.”
“Yeah, old Leaper woulda been cooked alive,” Bowie said.
“Well, I’ve heard that frog legs are pretty tasty.”
Appalled, Sam stamped her foot. “Oh, that’s so gross!”
The three children dashed away before he could tell them he was only joking.
A loud cloud of dust from the north indicated an approaching stagecoach. Funny, it wasn’t too long ago that he had yearned to climb on a stage and ride out of the town. Now…well, now he wasn’t in that much of a hurry. California would still be there when he was ready to leave Arena Roja.
He sat on the bench in front of the jailhouse, and within minutes the stagecoach pulled up in front of the hotel. Gus jumped down from the box and opened the door.
“You’ve got thirty minutes, folks,” he said to the couple that stepped out. Two more men disembarked and followed the couple into the hotel.
Colt felt a sudden premonition when he saw the last passenger get out of the stage. The man stood about six feet, and a well-worn black suit covered his thin frame. His left sleeve was folded up and pinned above the elbow.
Buck crawled to the top of the coach and tossed a worn carpetbag down to the man, who caught it with his one arm.
Colt’s suspicions were confirmed when the sprouts raced past him shouting, “Mr. McBride!”
The name hit Colt like a cannon blast. So Ted McBride had returned to Arena Roja.
Colt watched with interest as McBride greeted the children. Then they raced away, headed for the Braden house.
For several seconds McBride took a long look around him, then he walked down the street toward the schoolhouse.
So I was wrong. But why had McBride stayed away so long?
Colt continued to watch as McBride entered the schoolhouse. Why in hell would he go there first, before going to the woman he supposedly loved? The woman to whom he was engaged?
Maybe he was being too cynical, but he sure didn’t understand these wartime romances. Maybe the outcome of his brother Clay’s relationship with the woman he’d loved all during the war had jaded Colt’s belief in wartime romances.
Cassie, with the sprouts trailing, came running up the street. She looked around anxiously and drew up sharply when she saw Colt.
“Where—”
“In the schoolhouse. You kids stay here,” he ordered when they started to follow her.
The sprouts looked annoyed but ran
to the hotel, most likely to spread the news.
Seeing that Cathy had arrived, Colt walked over to her.
“Is it really true?” she asked.
“I guess so. Did they tell you that he lost his left arm?”
She paled. “Oh, dear God.” Her eyes misted with tears, and she turned away and ran back to her house.
Colt knew this was none of his business, but he cared about this family. And he cared about Cassie more than he was willing to admit. So he couldn’t help wonder how the return of Ted McBride would affect the family…and himself.
Cassie’s heart was pounding when she reached the doorway of the school. She froze when she saw Ted in the center of the room, unaware of her.
His blond hair was longer and shaggier, and he looked taller, maybe because he was much thinner—even gaunt-looking. Then she saw the pinned-up sleeve of his coat. She sucked back the gasp before it could slip past her lips.
“I knew you’d be back.”
Ted turned around and smiled at her. “Hello, Cassie.”
He held out his arm, and she ran across the room and flung herself into his embrace. He kissed her on the cheek and held her as she sobbed.
“Everyone said you were dead, but I didn’t believe it. I knew you were alive. Where were you, Ted? Why didn’t you send us word that you survived?”
“It’s a long story, Cassie.” He released her and sat down at one of the desks. “It hasn’t changed much, has it?” he said, glancing around the room.
“We kept it just as you left it. I did put a fresh coat of paint on the walls recently.”
“And the children. How are the children?”
“Well, they’ve changed. Five years makes a big difference in growing children.”
“How many students are there now?”
“Twelve regular ones.”
Once again he smiled, but it wasn’t the smile she remembered from the past. It was more sad than happy, and it never reached his hazel eyes.
“You’ll see a few new faces that have replaced the older ones. I’m so glad you’re back, Ted. The children need a full-time teacher badly. You do intend to resume teaching them, don’t you?”
“If the town wants a one-armed teacher.”
“Of course the town wants you back.” Tears glistened in her eyes as she looked into the sadness of his. “We all love you, Ted. Losing an arm doesn’t make you less a man in the eyes of anyone who knows and loves you.”
He reached for her hand on his cheek and slipped it to his lips. Then he pressed a kiss on her palm.
“It’s been so long, Cassie.”
“I know, dear. I know.” She rose to her feet. “You must be exhausted. There’s so much to say, and I have so many questions, but they can wait. The important thing is you’ve come back to us.”
“I am tired. It was a long trip.”
“We’ll go back to the house. You can rest there, and I know Cathy and Dad are anxious to see you.”
“Has Cathy married?” he asked, rising to his feet.
“No. She’s had plenty of offers but refused them.”
“It’s hard to believe that she—or you—haven’t wed in the past five years.”
“I promised to wait for your return.”
“I thought you might have grown tired of waiting.”
His words seemed stilted, formal. The whole conversation seemed strange to her, as if they were two strangers trying to strike up a conversation.
Word of Ted’s return had spread rapidly through the town, and as soon as they stepped outside, several people came hurrying up to them.
Cassie stepped aside as the people crowded around Ted, shaking his hand and welcoming him home. Glancing toward the jail, she saw Colt sitting outside, watching the welcome. Instantly a flush flooded her body as she recalled last night’s passionate lovemaking. How could she face him now? Especially since Ted’s return. What was she going to say to him?
When they reached the house, Cathy came out to greet them. Her eyes held tears of joy when Ted took her hand and stepped back to admire her.
“You’re looking lovely, Cathy.”
“I can’t believe it’s really you, Ted. We all were convinced you perished in the war.”
“I came close a time or two,” he said with a crooked smile.
“Ted’s tired, Cathy. I told him he could come here and rest for a few hours.”
Flushed with pleasure, Cathy smiled. “Of course, Ted, come inside. Dad’s waiting to talk to you. Did Cassie tell you he’s recovering from a wound?”
“What happened?”
Cathy quickly related the whole story.
“I’ve always thought of Jethro as being invincible,” Ted said.
“You wouldn’t have thought so if you’d have seen him then.”
As Cassie followed them into the house, she listened to the exchange between Ted and Cathy. She and Ted had acted more like strangers than a couple in love, whereas Cathy and Ted had practically picked up their conversation where it had left off five years ago. She just didn’t have Cathy’s knack for putting people at ease.
Fortunately, it being Saturday, Colt’s duties kept him busy throughout the day and evening; that helped put his concern for Cassie’s situation temporarily aside. But the topic of McBride’s return was on everybody’s lips to remind him.
On Sunday morning he caught sight of the Braden family on their way to church, accompanied by McBride. Jeff had told him earlier that morning that the man was staying with them until he and Cassie were married.
For the past two mornings Colt had purposely avoided making his daily visit to Jethro, hoping to avoid any contact with Cassie until she’d had time to adjust to this unexpected turn of events. But it didn’t keep her out of his thoughts, a constant reminder of how much he wanted her.
Colt was just releasing the Callum brothers, whom he’d locked up last night to sleep off their drunkenness, when Jethro entered the jail.
“Mornin’, boys.”
“Mornin’, Sheriff. Good to see you up and around,” Bob Callum said as he and Glen shuffled out.
“I’ll echo that, Jethro,” Colt said. “You must be feeling pretty good.”
“Plumb tired of sittin’ around and figured it was about time I get my legs under me. I’m comin’ back to work tomorrow.”
“Can’t keep a good man down, Sheriff. What does Dr. Williams say about that?”
“Said I’m healin’ fine and should be up and around by the weddin’.”
“So they’ve set a date.”
“Yeah. Ted’s got no money or place to live and wanted to put it off ’til he got better situated, but Cassie wants to get it over with so’s they can live on the ranch.”
“Sounds like the logical thing to do.”
“I can’t figure out if she’s that anxious to get hitched, or just wants an excuse to go back to living on the ranch.” Jethro grimaced. “Between you and me, son, somethin’ just ain’t right about the whole thing.”
The sheriff’s words piqued Colt’s curiosity. “What’s bothering you, Jethro? I thought it was the bride who’s supposed to be nervous before the wedding.”
“Everyone in the house is walkin’ ’round with long faces whenever it’s mentioned. You’d think they were plannin’ a funeral instead of a weddin’.” He shook his head. “They sure don’t act like my Maudie and me did when we were gettin’ ready to tie the knot.”
“They haven’t seen each other for five years, so—”
“More reason for them to be wantin’ to be alone—if you know what I mean. The war sure changed that young fella. He walks around now like he’s pickin’ his way through a passel of rattlers.”
“I’ve noticed that. Thought maybe that was his natural way. So he used to be more confident and outgoing than he is now?”
“Well, he never wuz no life of the party. And I can’t say I ever saw him likkered up. But he wuz always agreeable to be around. I always figured he was kinda shy. For damn sure, he wu
z more educated than the rest of us. My three kids wouldn’t be as smart as they are if he hadn’t taken them under his wing.”
Jethro leaned closer and lowered his voice to almost a whisper. “And I’ll tell you one thing, son. Cassie’s always been headstrong about havin’ her way, but if she thinks she’s gonna make a rancher of Ted McBride, it ain’t gonna happen.”
“I guess she’ll have to find that out for herself. Looks like you’ll have some excitement on your hands when she does. Are you sure you’re up to coming back to work?”
“I can rest here just as good as at home—probably better, with all that weddin’ talk goin’ on. Cathy will probably be bangin’ pans all week in the kitchen. I know you’re anxious to get out of here, but I’m hopin’ you’ll be stayin’ for the weddin’.”
“When is it?”
“Next Saturday.”
“That would mean almost another two-week delay, if I can’t get out of here until a week from next Thursday.”
“’Fraid you’d say that.”
“But I’ll be here until next Thursday, for sure.” He winked at Jethro. “Besides, I always cry at weddings. I’m sentimental.”
Though in this case, Colt figured, his tears would be more lamenting than tender.
“You figure on comin’ to the Welcome Back party for Ted this afternoon?”
“Yeah, I’ll try to drop in if things don’t get too busy.”
“Well then, I best get back home before them hound dogs come sniffin’ for me. Pretty sad when a man can’t find some peace and quiet under his own roof.”
“I’ll walk with you back to your house,” Colt said. He was too restless to sit still. He couldn’t believe Cassie intended to go through with the wedding, even though she no longer loved McBride. What was the woman thinking of?
The sound of Cathy’s and Ted’s voices carried to Cassie’s ears as she stared out the window. She had never felt so miserably unhappy in her life. She wanted to scream aloud to keep from bursting apart. And sharing Cathy’s bedroom while Ted was using hers, she didn’t even have a room of her own where she could escape to cry in the hope of easing some of the tension. She could find the solace she needed so desperately at the Lazy B, but running from her problems would not solve them.
