The floorboards protested loudly underneath the weight as the heavy footsteps plodded closer to the Browns’ bedroom. Willow looked around for a weapon. A letter opener lay on the table beside the bed. She scurried across the room and grabbed it. Just then, the door opened.
Time stood still as Thor Magnusen filled the doorway. She barely noticed his attire, albeit similar to what he wore when they discovered each other in the woods that first time. What registered to her first was that he was real and not a figment of her imagination. He was there, returning her unwavering gaze and in the next moment, crushing her to his hard chest. The letter opener fell to the floor. Her arms flew around his broad shoulders, and she held on for dear life.
“Blessed be. I thought I’d never see you again.”
“I made it in time,” he mumbled against her brow. His hold tightened. His arms held her close to him as one of his hands roamed her back and the other wound inside her thick mass of hair. “Dear God, Willow, it feels so good just to hold you again.”
The hand in her hair tilted her head just as his mouth slanted over hers. His tongue bathed her lips with sweeping strokes until her lips parted. With unrestrained passion, he plunged inside her mouth. Willow’s knees weakened. Her fingers dug into his solid flesh in an unconscious move to regain her balance.
Pleasure shot through her everywhere their bodies touched. The hand that roamed across her back slipped down to her backside. His fingers flexed and squeezed her, pressing her against his aroused flesh. A low moan rumbled from him and into her mouth. The troubles that plagued her left the forefront of her mind. Wanton flames of desire consumed her.
He dropped to the bed and pulled her into his lap in one swift movement. His fingers fed the roaring fire of passion as they trailed her cheek, neck, and breast. Clothing presented no barrier. His thumb circled her nipple, the peak hardening upon contact. The thin fabric of her dress slid across her heated flesh in sensuously slow motion. His mouth nuzzled her neck and moved lower. Her lower belly contracted as he unbuttoned her top and suckled her. Pleasure shot through her. The touch and scent of him restored her senses. She feared never seeing him again. Holding him close was sheer joy.
“Blessed be!”
* * *
Thor couldn’t resist Willow’s cry of pleasure. He drew her deeper inside his mouth, his tongue swirling around her pebble hard nipple. Her fingers threaded his hair and held him to her. The grip was so tight he could barely breathe, and yet it was worth it. Tasting her again was worth everything, but there was one thing he couldn’t risk. He planted another wet kiss onto her swollen flesh before lifting his head. Her glasses were foggy and he removed them. He set the spectacles on the bedside table. With only the slightest bit of hesitation, he buttoned her blouse. All the while, his eyes remained locked on her ebony eyes, glassy with desire. Her breathing slowly returned to normal, but the desire in her eyes only dimmed slightly.
God, how I want you.
“That was quite a welcome back,” he said, his voice a husky murmur that he hardly recognized.
“Where were you?” Their fingers laced together after he finished buttoning her top. “Did you go back to your time?”
“Yeah. I’m not sure how or why it happened, but the watch took me away from you. I’m sorry I left you alone.”
“I never thought you left intentionally.” She frowned. “And it brought you back?”
“Yes.” He pulled the timekeeper from the pocket of his shirt. “When I woke up in 1985, I couldn’t remember how I got there. All I could think about was getting back to you. I didn’t know how special the timepiece is.”
“It’s very special. I don’t understand its magic, but I’m glad you had it. Grady would have killed you.”
“I hated that the watch took me away from you like that,” he argued. “So suddenly. I was worried sick that he hurt you, and then my Pop found your letters—”
“You found them!” Her features lit up with excitement. She clutched his shoulders. “We hoped you would. Oh, my God! This is amazing!”
“Yeah, it is. Eva must have hid them in the wall. Pop found them and gave them to me. Thank you for thinking of me.”
“I can’t help but think of you.” She reached for her spectacles and rose from his lap. As she slid the glasses on, she added, “I’m glad you’re alive and well. Now you have to go back to your pa and your brother. You can’t stay here. It isn’t safe.”
“You can’t get rid of me that easily.”
“Thor, you don’t understand. This is all my fault.”
“Your last letter is here in my pocket. I know you’re planning to turn yourself in, and I understand why! Many people will die before slavery ends, but dammit, you won’t be in that number! I won’t let you!”
“Mr. Anders and Reverend Brown will hang for stealing Big Nat off Davis’s plantation. The owner of the plantation from where the children ran away has joined in with Davis, and he wants the same punishment. I cannot let them hang for what I did.” Shame washed over her face as she turned away. Her shoulders slumped in defeat. “Maybe those awful men won’t release Mr. Anders and Reverend Brown if I turn myself in, but I cannot live with their deaths on my conscience without trying to do something to stop it.”
“So, you’re willing to risk it all? Of all the hotheaded, impulsive, and downright dumbest things I’ve ever heard of!” He grabbed her shoulders and spun her around. Guilt evidently had her bound tight. If only he could shake some sense into that beautiful head of hers. “Are you listening to yourself? You’re all set to die for nothing.”
Her expression hardened. Anger danced in her eyes. He ignored it all.
“You actually believe they won’t let the others go if you surrender? Anders and Brown are the examples for the community. You’d just be icing on the cake.” His jaw tightened. “Who’s to say that they’ll put a rope around your neck? Maybe they’ll decide that the breeding plantation is the best place for you after all. A live, capable body is more profitable than a dead one.”
“Don’t.” She tugged, trying hard to free herself of his gripping hold.
“I bet you never thought of that. No, I can see from the fear and disgust in your eyes that it never crossed your mind.”
Tears streamed down her milk chocolate cheeks. She swirled away from him. Her shoulders shook violently. Sobs filled the room, and he went to her. Tentatively, he rested his hands on her shoulders. She tensed upon first contact, but when he didn’t release her, she slowly relaxed. Eventually, he curved his arms around her waist. Her shaking back leaned against his chest until her sobs became quiet.
“There’s always another way,” he murmured near her ear, “around an obstacle. I learned that in football, and the same is true for real life. The watch sent me to you, practically at your feet. I know it wasn’t to watch you die.”
“I don’t know what else to do. Reuniting Big Nat with his children wasn’t supposed to end like this.”
“It’s not over, yet. We can find a solution. I thought you trusted me.”
She hiccupped once. “I do trust you.”
“Prove it.” He turned her around to face him. His thumbs wiped the wetness from her face.
“How?”
“Give me time to come up with a way to free them.”
She frowned. “They don’t have much time. The pro-slavery crowd is clamoring for their justice to be served. They want to show everyone what happens when white men help slaves run away.”
Thor closed his eyes for a moment and nodded. “I know. It’s gonna get worse before it gets better, but I know there’s a way Anders and Brown can be saved. Trust me to find it.”
Indecision marked her features. Thor read the uncertainty in her eyes. Finally, she shrugged and smiled. “I trust you, Thor.”
Those words filled him like manna from Heaven. He crushed her inside his arms and hugged her. He never realized that her trust in him meant so much.
Chapter Fifteen
“How l
ong will it take?” Willow watched Thor as he looked around the room.
“I’m not sure,” he said. “Probably not long. Do you have anything I can write with? A slate would work.”
“Yes,” she answered. “It’s in my room.”
She turned away from him, and she felt him move behind her. Her pulse raced unexpectedly. Reverend Brown was the only man to come into her bedroom. Having Thor right on her heels as she crossed the threshold felt intimate and reminded her of the passion they shared only a short while ago.
Sharing herself with a man without benefit of marriage was something she never imagined wanting to do. She never thought she would want to be with anyone that way. Love never crossed her mind, so neither did marriage. Not until Thor entered her world. She was not foolish enough to think he’d propose marriage, but she couldn’t ignore the love she felt in her heart whenever she looked at him.
She glanced over her shoulder. He stood near the door, the expression on his face was uncertain. Perhaps he was hesitant about entering her room. She beckoned. Uncertainty fled from his face. A warm smile touched his lips as he stepped forward. Intense heat flared inside her. Her flesh tingled just from looking at him.
Willow opened the trunk at the foot of her bed. The large wooden chest contained only a few keepsakes. The slate and chalk rested on top her parents’ quilt. She handed him the writing utensils. “I hope this helps.”
“Thanks.”
Their fingers touched. Excitement rippled from her fingertips to every nerve in her body. Invisible warmth connected them. Passion and its desire for fulfillment threatened to re-ignite. The realization shook her to the core.
Without a word, he took her hand and led them from her bedroom to the dining table in the front room.
“The temptation was killing me.”
The confession left Willow speechless. Should she confess that the mere touch of his skin on hers made her long for their bodies to join as one again? Should she tell him that the future seemed hopeful whenever he smiled at her?
She already confessed too much in the letters she wrote to him, thinking she would never see him again. In an unguarded moment, she admitted the depth of emotion she felt for him. Surely, he wouldn’t expect her to tell him more.
The light in his eyes seemed to dim as the seconds passed, and they stared at each other. His lips parted as if he would speak, but he slowly closed them shut. He released her hand and moved to the table. He set the slate before him, closed his right hand around the chalk, and promptly went to work.
A wealth of troubles made her rich, it seemed. Thor was upset, and she didn’t doubt it was something she did. He must have read her eyes and guessed her thoughts. When the words of love fell from her lips, she was not so overcome with passion to notice that he hadn’t said the same. Not that she expected him to. He found her beautiful, intelligent, and he cared for her. None of that meant he loved her.
I’m thankful for it, she told herself. Desire would fare him better than love, and she would do best to remember the same. The realization should have empowered her, but all she felt was sad. Releasing a deep sigh, she turned away from him.
“Willow, could you come here?”
She went to him and looked at the slate. It was void of words or drawings, but the chalk on the sleeve of his shirt gave evidence of his work. Her eyebrows lifted inquiringly. “Yes?”
“Do you know where they’re holding Brown and Anders?”
“Yes, at the jail in Canton. The sheriff is holding them until the justice comes to town…provided that Davis doesn’t force his hand.”
He grabbed the back of the chair closest to him and pulled it from the table. He patted the seat. “Sit down. I need you to describe the building for me.”
She sat beside him and tried her best to ignore his pine-coated scent or the way the silky brown hairs dusted his forearm. With the pad of her index finger, she edged the spectacles up the bridge of her nose and directed her gaze to the empty slate. “What do you need to know?”
“How big is it? Does it have two stories or one? How many windows? Is there more than one exit?”
Her eyes widened. He wanted to know everything! She swallowed hard, and her brows knit into a frown. “I have never been inside. We’ve passed it in town, and once the reverend went inside to speak with the sheriff. Miss Olivia and I waited for him on the wagon.”
“What could you see from outside? How tall is it?”
“Oh, well, the building is only one story tall. It looked to be slightly larger than Miss Eva’s cabin. There are two pane-glassed windows in the front, and another on the south side. I don’t know if there are more.”
Thor drew lines onto the slate. The outline of the jail began to take shape, and Willow admired his artistic ability.
“Does this look about right? What about the exits? Is there more than one door?”
Stray tendrils brushed her cheeks as she shook her head. “I’m not sure about that. I only saw one. There could be a back door, but I don’t know.”
He slid the slate across the table to her. “Do you know where the jail cell is? This is the front.” He indicated with his forefinger. “The back is here. Did Brown ever say?”
“I can’t say for sure, but I think the cell is here.”
He nodded and retrieved the slate. Chalk screeched on the slate as he quickly revised his drawing. “Does the sheriff have help? Any deputies?”
“Sometimes his son helps him, but I think he moved to South Carolina. From what Miss Olivia has told me, Davis and his men are standing guard at the jailhouse, too. They have guns and rifles with them.”
“How many men does he have with him?”
“I don’t know. She never said.”
“That’s okay. I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.”
“What do you aim to do?” She glanced from the drawing to him. “Do you mean to sneak inside?”
Lines in the corner of his eyes crinkled as he smiled. “That’s the plan. Did Olivia ever say how many men were helping Davis?”
Expectation transformed to worry. She didn’t like the idea of Thor going against those men without help. Truth be told, even if he had help, she wouldn’t want him to risk his life. “She didn’t say, but I reckon they’re the same ones who hunted Big Nat down. Don’t forget they have rifles. You can’t take on all those men by yourself.”
“You were aiming to.”
“I was wrong about that.”
“You were,” he said with calm assurance. “Promise me you won’t change your mind and run out as soon as my back is turned.”
“I would never do that!”
His mouth quirked. “You tried to do it before.”
His hand closed over hers, trapping them on the table. His thumbs drew tiny circles on the back of her hands. Her insides quivered and her anger dimmed. Surely, it was sinful how her body and mind betrayed her at the simplest turn. Blessed be! Only his hands touched her. Why was she so powerless to resist him?
“I won’t.” Willow sucked in a deep breath and inclined her head in a slight nod. “I promise.”
His responding smile squeezed her heart. She offered him a faint smile, and he released her and turned back to his drawing.
The scratchy whispers of chalk on slate filled the cabin. Willow paced the floor, pausing to glance at the clock on the mantle, and Thor’s hunched shoulders. He appeared to be deep in thought, but time was passing them by. Only God knew if the justice had arrived and Anders and Brown’s fate was already decided.
She crossed the room in long strides and stood just behind Thor. He didn’t react as she peered over his shoulder, and she doubted if he remembered she was still in the room. His right hand moved the chalk rapidly over the slate. Tiny circles and small x’s filled the lower half of the hand-held chalkboard. He drew lines from the circles and the x’s toward the outline of the jailhouse. It all looked like child’s play to her. How could they use that nonsense to rescue Mr. Anders and the reverend?
The question lay on the tip of her tongue, but Willow held back. She and Thor already had their fair share of disagreements. Laying the groundwork for another one served no purpose. She moved to the rocking chair near the fireplace and waited. An act of trust had never been more difficult.
* * *
“If Hammond is willing to help, this should work perfectly.” Thor admired the play he’d written on the slate. There were a few kinks needing adjustment, considering he was not sure where the cell actually was and whether or not there was a rear exit, but overall, the plan was a damn good one.
He expected Willow to check out what he had done. She peered over his shoulder once before, and it took all his restraint to not lean against her softness. Time for that will come later, he advised his raging hormones. The promise of fulfillment banked his desire somewhat, and he finished writing the play a minute or two later. He frowned. Why hadn’t she responded?
Grabbing the slate, he stood. The open window caught his attention. Daylight was beginning to fade. In order for his plan to work, he needed to arrive before it was too dark.
“Willow…” He turned as her name fell from his mouth.
At first, his gaze rolled past the rocking chair. She sat so still. Had she fallen asleep? The last few days hadn’t been easy for any of them. A mountain of guilt weighed heavy on her shoulders. If only he could make her understand, none of this was her fault. Compassion as fierce as hers had no business suffering regret.
He edged closer. To his surprise, she opened her eyes wide. The spectacles lay forgotten in her hands. Sorrow dulled the softness of her expression.
Witnessing her open emotions humbled him. He coughed once to get her attention. Luminous black eyes captured his. She didn’t bother to mask her fears. They remained, unchanged.
“I finished.” He placed the slate on her lap. Urgency took a big leap inside his gut. His jailbreak plan was foolproof.
“What is it?” She pushed the eyeglasses onto the bridge of her nose. “It almost looks like tic tac toe.”
“That’s close. It’s a game plan, like what I used in football.”
Love Lasts Forever Page 22
