“Please, Jen.” He thought he sounded contrite and she glanced at him from across the kitchen.
“Please, what?” She didn’t sound friendly, he decided. Perhaps more tact would be required.
“I’ll worry if you go off to town. Let me take over some of the chores, honey.”
“You never call me honey,” she said. “What’s the occasion?”
“Jen, I don’t want anything to happen to you. Think what it would do to me if you got hurt out there in the barn. I’d have to come to the rescue and between us we’d be in a fine fix.” He paused a moment. “Haven’t I ever called you that before?”
She shook her head. “You know you haven’t.”
“Maybe I was saving it for now. For a time when I needed to get your attention and make you listen to me.”
“And you think that’s gonna do it? I don’t think so, Lucas.”
“Jen.” All kidding was set aside now. He felt a sense of desperation. “If you’ll let me go out and help with the chores, I’ll take it real easy, and I won’t fuss at you about making love for another two weeks or so.”
“Fuss at me? About making love?” She looked thunder-struck. “What on earth are you talking about? That should be the furthest thing from your mind, Lucas. You’ve been badly hurt and come right close to dying, right here on the kitchen floor. On top of that, you could have died in that river.”
Her hand waved at the spot in front of the stove where he’d sprawled just the other night and he caught a glimpse of tears in her eyes. “Don’t cry, Jen. Please. I love you, and I don’t want to have to worry about you.”
She walked to where he stood and looked down at him. “Are you strong enough to hold me on your lap?”
“You betcha, sweetheart.” He patted his knee and pulled her closer. She settled there and leaned to kiss him.
“I’ll make a deal with you, Lucas. If you promise to behave and not do too much, I’ll let you go out to the barn with me and help with the chores.”
“And what do I get out of this?” he asked.
“You’ll see.”
It was late at night when the last light in the bedroom was extinguished and Jennifer was a pale shadow against the wall. She wore her loose gown, since almost nothing else fit her anymore. She spent a lot of time in this gown and a robe that covered it.
She made her way to the bed, stood on the oval, braided rug beside it and stripped her nightgown off, dropping it on the floor. “Lucas?” She spoke his name softly, trying to determine his location in the big bed, and was not disappointed by his quick answer.
“I’m here, Jen.” And so he was, within touching distance, in fact. And touch her he did, with warm hands and long fingers that held the weight of her pregnancy in their grasp. He brushed one hand up and over the rounding of her belly, felt the nudge of a small knee or elbow, and laughed.
“He’s awake.” As if the baby heard her father’s words, Jennifer felt the quick jerk of her child as she kicked. There was little room left in there to maneuver, but somehow the baby made space for herself and had even taken to stretching out full length, pushing with tiny feet against Jennifer’s ribs.
“I’m not complaining, truly,” Jennifer had said just last night.
“Oh, yes, you are,” Lucas had told her with a rich chuckle. “But I don’t blame you, baby. I’d do more than complain if I were you.”
“Like what? This is a nine-month sentence, Lucas. I can’t shorten it in any way, just serve it out.”
He’d hugged and kissed her, comforted her as best he could, and gained a certain amount of pleasure for himself from the warmth of her body. Now he wondered just how far he could go along those same lines tonight.
“Do you think it would hurt the baby if we snuggled a little, maybe did some smooching?”
“Smooching? I’ve never heard it called that before.” She laughed. “You can smooch if you want to, Lucas, but don’t expect a whole lot from me. I’m rather beyond the point of passion, I fear.”
“I can still make you feel good,” he promised her. “Don’t you believe me?”
“Seeing is believing.”
Her cool return made him choke with laughter. “You’re a wicked woman, Jennifer. It’s a good thing you’re my wife already or I’d have to chase you down and marry you.”
She lifted her arms to circle his neck and kissed the side of his throat. “I love you, Lucas. If you still want me, big belly and all, you can have me. I’m not much to look at, but I’m available.”
“Not much to look at? You’re the prettiest thing I’ve ever seen, love. There’s not another woman in this world who can come near you.” And the thought that she loved him was enough to bring his tightly reined passion into full bloom. He kissed her eyelids and the crests of her cheeks, and brushed numerous caresses across her forehead, even as his hands gathered handfuls of her hair, releasing the sweet scent of her soap. The perfume rose to tempt him, the aura of the woman he loved. She was lush and inviting, and she’d given him the right to do as he pleased with her.
What he pleased was to give her pleasure, to bring her with him to a culmination of their loving, and in so doing, deliver the ultimate release to himself. For nothing delighted him so much as the response of his wife in this bed.
She clung to him, whispering soft words he could barely hear. It was not the words he cared about but rather what they implied: the joyous giving of her body into his care. She loved him, not as boldly as she might have several months ago, or as she might several months from now, but with a pure delight that transformed her into a temptress he’d never before seen.
She moved to slide beneath him and he rose quickly, unwilling to place undo pressure on the baby. “Can we do this?” she asked softly. “Is there some way?”
“I’ve got an idea,” he told her. “Not guaranteed, but I’ll warrant it’ll work well enough.”
“You told me once you’d show me lots of things,” she teased. “Is this one of them?”
“I’ve never done this before with a pregnant woman, and in fact, it’s been longer than you’d believe since I did it with anyone other than my wife.”
“I believe you, Lucas. If you tell me it’s true, I believe it.”
She was but a pale form in the darkness and he leaned over her to where a lone candle stood on the table by the bed. “Can I light this?” he asked.
“If you’re really fond of fat ladies, you can,” she said with a laugh.
“I’m real fond of you.” And as if that were his final word, he found the box of matches and lit one, watching as the candle wick caught fire and burned.
Jennifer blinked. “It’s bright.”
“Yeah, I know.” He felt like a man about to unwrap a precious gift and bent low to kiss her again. “You’re so pretty, Jen. So soft and sweet. Have I told you that before?”
“Not lately,” she said, pouting a bit. “But you can keep right on with it. Every woman likes to hear such things.”
He spread her legs wide and knelt between them, lifting her thighs atop his own. “We’ve done this before, sweetheart. Remember? It’ll keep my weight off of you.”
“I can’t hug you, though.”
“Later on, I’ll hug you all night long,” he promised, and then began his slow seduction of her fruitful body. She was lush, her breasts full and heavy, and he lifted them, kissing them and touching them with his tongue, careful lest he hurt her, knowing she was sensitive.
In moments she cried out for him, lifting to bring him closer to the place that wept for his presence. His hands loved her gently, his mouth gave her pleasure and she responded with murmurs of desire, reaching for him, luxuriating in his care. His entry was smooth, easy and gentle, and he took short strokes, knowing it would not be enough for her, yet fearing to go too deep, lest he cause harm, either to her or his child. His hand touched her, there where soft folds hid the sensitive place he sought, and trembled as he felt her warmth and the damp sweetness of her desire.
He rolled to his side, bringing her with him. “I didn’t hurt you, did I? Was I too rough?” He held her, aware that she was fragile. “I had no right to do that,” he whispered. “I should have left you alone, sweetheart.”
“No, no. I’m fine, Lucas. More than fine. And you haven’t hurt me. Please don’t think that.”
“What if I’ve made the baby come too early?” The fear that had beset him made itself known in the question he asked.
“This baby will come when it’s ready. Ida told me that. She said there’s not much can bring a baby early, not unless I were to have a bad fall or an accident. I’ve had neither and I’m not worried about it.”
He heaved a sigh of relief. “Come here, then. I need you as close as I can get you, baby.”
His arms were strong around her, his whispers soft in her ear as he lavished love upon her in those hours.
IT WAS AS Ida had said. Nothing would bring the baby until it was ready to come, and that day did not arrive for a few weeks. It was a morning that promised spring, warm air causing Jennifer to leave the door open, allowing the breeze to flow through the house. She sorted out the eggs, setting aside six dozen in a crock to take to town. The chickens were producing more than the two of them could possibly use and she’d found that the storekeeper was happy to get fresh farm eggs.
They would carry them in later, she thought, after Lucas finished with the chores. He’d told her that he’d worked his last day on the claim until the baby arrived, and she hadn’t argued the point. Happy with his company, she looked forward to the next weeks. Surely the baby would wait another few weeks, maybe a month.
It was not to be. She stood from her chair, bending her back, twisting it to gain relief from the aches that had plagued her today. With a gush of fluid, she found herself soaked from crotch to ankles as her bag of waters broke, making a mess on the kitchen floor.
“Well, I’m glad that didn’t happen in bed,” she said to herself, setting about to clean up the mess.
It was a bigger task than she’d thought possible, and she had only just located a bucket for hot water and a rag to clean up things when Lucas came in the back door.
“What are you doing?”
“What does it look like? I’m going to clean the floor.”
“Oh, no you’re not. I’ll do it.” He was adamant.
“I made the mess. I’ll clean it up,” she argued.
“What did you spill?” he asked, looking around for an empty pot or container of some sort she might have dumped onto the floor.
“Nothing. I didn’t spill anything.” Inexplicably she began to tremble and he rushed to her, snatching her into his arms, looking her over from head to toe, as though she might begin bleeding any moment.
“Are you hurt, sweetheart? Tell me what’s wrong. I can’t fix it if you don’t tell me.”
She responded by offering him a fresh deluge of tears. “You can’t fix it. It’s all your fault, anyway. And don’t you say one word about me crying. I have a right to cry if I want to.”
“What’s my fault?” He was stunned, looking down at her now as if she might explode any minute. “What did I do?”
“You got me in this fix, and I haven’t got things all put together yet, and the baby’s going to come anyway, and I’m not ready for it.” Her nose ran and the tears flowed without end. “I’m a mess,” she howled, “and it’s all your fault.”
“Then I’ll have to fix it, won’t I?” He backed her to a chair and put her in the seat, watching her closely. “First I’m gonna clean up the floor, and then I’ll help you get washed and put a nightgown on you.”
“My nightgown isn’t clean. I put it in the wash basket this morning.”
“What were you going to wear to bed tonight?” he asked, puzzled.
“Nothing. I was going to go to bed naked. So there.” She cried without ceasing and he watched her even as he wiped up the floor, rinsing his cloth several times and then using clear water to wipe up the final mess.
“Don’t you get off that chair, you hear me?” He stalked out the door, the bucket was plopped upside down on the back porch, the rag over the clothes line, and he looked into the sky for a moment before he came back to the kitchen. He was at a loss. A woman in tears didn’t generally affect him to this extent, but this was Jennifer, a creature without guile, a woman who did not cry, not ever. Ha! She was the leakiest woman he’d ever set eyes on. And at that thought, he could not hold back a smile.
She was tender and softhearted. And if she wanted to cry, he knew just the fella to comfort her, even though she was a veritable waterfall right now. His heart ached for her as he recognized her fright. The thought struck him a telling blow and he knelt in front of her.
“Don’t be afraid, sweetheart. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
“There’s not a whole lot you can do about it,” she wailed. “I want Ida here. You can help, but I need her to take care of me.”
Privately he agreed with her, but getting Ida meant riding to town and leaving her alone. And that was not a viable option.
“Hello. You in there, Lucas?” From the yard, a voice called out and Lucas stood and turned toward the door, relief flooding his being.
“That’s Sandy,” he said, and felt as though his prayers had been answered all at one time. “He can go get Ida, honey. I’ll stay here with you. Is that all right?”
She nodded, reaching into his pocket for his big handkerchief. “Please tell Sandy to hurry,” she begged, wincing and bending over as though something had twisted her body.
“Are you having pains?” he asked, and then silently cursed his stupidity. Of course she was having pains. In fact, he’d bet she was in the midst of one right now. Her cheeks were bloodless, her lips drawn back, and he thought her eyes had the look of an animal caught in a trap.
He stalked toward the door and jerked it open. “Got a job for you, Sandy. I need you to go to town and get Ida Bronson. Jennifer’s about to have the baby, and I don’t want to leave her alone.”
“Listen to me first, Luc. We’ve hit it really big. You know that little vein we thought was just a trickle? Well, it’s a jim-dandy source of more gold than you can shake a stick at. I brought as much with me as my horse could carry and hid the site pretty well. I’ll take this much to the assayer’s office, and tell Mrs. Bronson to get herself out here right quick. Then I’m goin’ back to the canyon to keep an eye on things.”
“You can go with him if you need to, Lucas.” Jennifer’s voice was strong now, the pain obviously having passed.
Anger surged through him. “Are you crazy? You’re worth more to me than the largest gold strike in the world, Jennifer. If you think for one minute I’d leave you when you’re about to bear my child, you’re out of your mind.”
She smiled. The fool woman smiled at him, after he’d shouted at her as he’d never done before, as he’d never thought to. And she wasn’t making a show of it. This was the smile he loved, the one that told him the song of her heart, that gave him a glimpse into the woman’s mind and soul. She loved him, no matter that he’d raged at her, never mind that his words had been harsh.
“I love you, too, Lucas,” she said.
He considered the words he’d said. They were true, every last one of them, and he’d just told his wife she meant more to him than all the gold in the world. Again, he knelt at her side, taking her hands in his. “I didn’t mean to shout at you, Jen.”
“I know,” she whispered. “I know what you said and what you meant by it, and I love you for it.” She bent to kiss his mouth, her lips opening a bit as if she would savor the taste of him, and then her breath caught and she stiffened.
“What is it, Jen? Another pai
n?” He gripped her arms, but she reached for his hands, unwrapping his fingers from her flesh and then holding them in an unbreakable grasp. He knew the answer to his question, knew that she lacked the breath to utter the words that might reassure him. For he could not be fooled at this point. Jen was going to have the baby tonight, and he’d do well to haul her up the stairs and put her to bed.
Rising, he patted her hands and went back to the door. Sandy sat atop his horse, unmoving, as if he sensed that Lucas needed him in a new and different way than ever before.
“Make it a quick trip to town. Don’t dawdle, Sandy. I need Ida here, right quick. And while you’re at it, stop by and tell the doctor I want him to come out too.”
Sandy rode off, his horse breaking into an easy lope as he headed toward town.
“I want Ida.” It was a wail of anguish and Lucas felt helpless in the face of Jennifer’s pain. This was why women did this sort of thing, he thought. Men were no earthly good at babies and the bringing of such little creatures into the world. This had seemed like a really good idea months ago, but now that the time was on him, he felt more helpless than he’d ever planned to be in his whole life.
Action would be the way to go, he decided, picking Jennifer up from her chair and walking toward the hallway and the staircase beyond. Without argument, she wrapped her arm around his neck and clung. He made it up the stairs without puffing, a feat he felt quite proud of. Jennifer was no lightweight these days, her body rounding almost to the bursting point, it seemed.
“You shouldn’t have done that. I’m too heavy,” she said, as he stood her on the rug beside the bed and began stripping off her clothing. He made short work of it, only her robe and undergarments garbing her body. Bending, he pulled her stockings down and off her feet, then went to the laundry basket. Her gown was there, but he could see no signs of use.
Big Sky Rancher Page 25
