“It was an eye-opening experience,” Jenny admitted with a sheepish look on her face. Jason laughed and slapped Chase on the back.
“I think your brother is wondering where you wandered off to. He hasn’t been the best company this week, that’s for sure.”
“Maybe we should go talk to him.”
“That might be a good idea.” Jason turned to go back towards Grace’s cabin, but before Jenny could follow, Chase pulled her back for another mind-numbing kiss that left her breathless and weak.
“It’s going to be hard to get any work done around here now, that’s for sure,” he said against her ear when they finally came up for air.
“We might need to go in opposite directions.”
“No, that won’t work.” Chase lifted her chin so he could look into her sapphire blue eyes. “Because now that I’ve got you, I’m never going to let you go.”
“I guess we’ll think of something, then.”
They were interrupted by Jamie, whom they could hear hollering for Jenny from the porch. “Let’s go see what he wants before he drives Grace crazy,” Chase said and took her hand as they went around the bunkhouse.
“What is going on?” Jamie demanded as soon as they came into view. He noticed their hands and looked again, his eyes opening wide in amazement and the Duncan grin swelling on his face. He shook his head as they came onto the porch. “It’s about time,” he said. “I was beginning to think I’d have to knock some sense into both of you.”
“What do you mean?” Chase asked as he leaned against the porch rail and crossed his arms.
“You’ve been mooning over my sister for years, and she didn’t have enough brains to see it.”
Jenny hooked the toe of her boot under his chair. “I’ve got enough brains to knock you flat on your backside,” she threatened. “Let’s see how long it will take you to get up with that broken leg.”
“Did you hear that? I get no sympathy from her. Here I am all busted up and it’s practically her fault, and all she’s does is make threats.”
“My fault? I didn’t make you go riding across a field of gopher holes like a maniac.”
“See, Chase? Are you sure this is what you want in a woman?” Jamie threw his arm up to block the half-hearted blow that landed on his head.
“I’m positive,” Chase answered from his perch on the porch rail, his eyes glowing as Jamie tugged Jenny’s braid.
“Now tell me about those mares you brought in. I want to make sure you did it right.”
Jenny rolled her eyes. “Why don’t we just show you? You know you won’t be happy until you see them.” She and Chase each got under a shoulder and propped Jamie up, his leg sticking out before him. “Can you make it?’
“Yeah, anything for a change of scenery.”
They made their way to the corral that held the mares and sat him down on a barrel so he could look them over. Storm, penned on the other side, was doing the same, alternating between watching with his ears pricked and showing off, dancing around with his tail slashing the air. The mares milled around before him, each one jostling for position in the corral, showing off in their own way.
“They’re perfect,” Jamie said, his eyes shining as he watched the dance going on before him. Jenny was reminded again of how much like their father he was. Ian Duncan had watched his own stock many years earlier with the same look of wonder and anticipation of the future on his face.
It wasn’t long before Ty and Cat joined them at the rail, neither of them talking, each one appreciating the promise that was before them.
Chase and Ty helped Jamie back to Grace’s, and Cat fell into step with Jenny as they followed. Jenny could sense Cat’s hesitance but didn’t say anything, deciding it was best to let Cat take the lead. When they got Jamie settled, Ty and Jenny sat down to eat the supper leftovers.
“I was wondering...” Cat began, then cleared her throat. “Jenny, I was wondering if you would like to go to church with us tomorrow.”
Jenny stopped her fork in midair and looked over at Chase. Anything as long as we’re together, his eyes said.
“Yes, that would be nice. It’s been a long time since I’ve been to church, and I have just recently found out that I have a lot to be thankful for.” She smiled at Chase, who was sitting across from her, then looked at Ty, who winked behind Cat. Jenny suddenly felt as if the weight of the world was off her shoulders. She was home, she was safe, and she was loved. And Cat was being nice to her. If Jamie would just quit complaining, life would be perfect.
Chapter Twenty-six
There were only two people missing when the group from the Lynch ranch attended church the next morning: Jamie, who was propped up in bed with a book, and Jake, who refused to go and wouldn’t change his mind for anything. He promised to look after Jamie, and also threatened to shoot him if he didn’t stop whining. Grace had decided to join the church goers; the week of waiting on Jamie hand and foot had left her much in need of a break. She was dressed elegantly in a dress and matching bonnet that shadowed her face so that the scars were barely visible. Cat was wearing one of the many creations she had brought back from her last trip East to visit her aunt. Jenny had only the blue calico, but she didn’t mind. She was amazed to see Chase in a coat and tie, his long hair thrown back over his shoulders, defiantly showing his heritage. He handed her up into the carriage with the same gentlemanly manners as Ty, making Jenny wonder what type of woman his mother had been.
Cat had decided to make Ty pay for his earlier disdain of her and kept him at a distance, making him pursue her instead of the other way around. Ty knew it was his penalty for treating her so callously before and bore it with good grace, playing the considerate suitor. Chase and Ty had sat up half the night talking, and Chase knew that Ty would play Cat’s game for a while before laying down the law, which was what Cat wanted anyway.
Chase was just happy to have Jenny at his side in the carriage, to know that later, when they were alone, he would have her in his arms, and he was anxiously awaiting that moment so he could talk with her about his dreams for their future. He held her hand, her skin glowing golden against the dark bronze of his, her fingers delicate in his work-hardened ones. He felt the calluses in her hand rubbing against his own, felt the strength of her easy grip, and was proud of her, knowing she would not be afraid to stand beside him and carry her own weight. But then, all he wanted to do was protect her and provide for her, and he knew it wouldn’t be easy. There weren’t many men around like Jason Lynch who judged you by who you were instead of what you were. It was not an easy life being a half-breed, and it would be harder still on the woman who chose to marry one, especially if she had golden blond hair and deep sapphire blue eyes like the ones gazing at him now. His smile did not reveal any of his turbulent thoughts, and the one she gave him drove them all away.
Jenny was amazed at how much her life had changed in the past twenty-four hours. She felt as if she had been asleep all those years that she had spent wandering, and had just been awakened by the kiss of a prince, as in the stories her mother used to tell her. The sky seemed bluer, the grass greener, the wildflowers waving alongside the road brighter. Even Zane and Caleb, who were riding by the carriage, seemed merrier. Caleb was grinning at Zane’s endless monologue, which held many innuendoes about the outbreak of spring fever that had overcome the locals.
The townsfolk were gathered in the churchyard when the ranch party rode in. Zane and Caleb made their way to the gathering of young ladies, pursuing interests that had developed at the dance. Jason joined the gossip of the men. Then the entire congregation filed in to the ringing of the bell. Chase and Jenny slid into the back pew, along with Zane and Caleb, while the rest of the party went to their customary place in the third pew on the left. A few heads were turned, a few frowns directed at the long hair on the half-breed in the back, but all that faded into the background as their discovery of each other overshadowed everything else.
Chase and Jenny sat hip to hip, thi
gh to thigh, the blue calico overflowing onto the dark of his neatly pressed pants, the white cuffs of his shirt gleaming brightly against the bronze of his skin. The muscles in his thighs flexed as he tried to find room for his long legs in the tight confines of the pew. The morning light streaming through the row of windows turned Jenny’s hair to gold, and Chase had to fight the urge to pick up the curl that lay on her breast. Lata; he said to himself, when we’re alone, when we have all the time in the world.
They stood together, sharing a hymnal, Jenny’s clear soprano blending in with Caleb’s tenor. Zane’s voice was a monotone, and Chase just followed the words, listening. When the sermon began, Zane fell asleep, Caleb began sketching on a scrap of paper, and Jenny opened her mother’s Bible to follow the scripture. The minister started in, his topic addressing the strife that was threatening to divide the country, comparing the slavery in the South to the slavery of the chosen people in Egypt. He started in on the plagues, and Chase reached down and flipped the pages from Exodus to the Song of Solomon, placing a long index finger on chapter two. Jenny’s eyes followed his finger and she began to read, a soft blush coloring her cheeks as she did so. “Did you forget that my mother taught me to read from her Bible?” he whispered in her ear.
She grabbed his hand and dug her nails into the palm. “No, I didn’t forget,” she mouthed. He squeezed her fingers, then both hands relaxed, the fingers weaving together and then resting on his leg. She felt a twitch in his thigh as her hand settled against it, but his face was set, giving no indication of the turmoil that her touch caused within. Jenny looked at his profile as he attempted to concentrate on the sermon. She tried to imagine what he would be like if he hadn’t been driven from his tribe. He would be a great warrior, she thought to herself. He’s so steady, so steadfast in his resolve, he would have to be. She pictured the regal face covered with war paint, feathers and beads braided into his long hair, and covered her mouth with her other hand to hide the smile that had come forth unbidden.
He looked down at her out of the corner of his eye, and drew his eyebrows down in a frown, as if she were an unruly child disturbing his meditation. She batted her eyes innocently at him, and he pulled her hand up against his chest, holding it tightly to discourage her from causing any more trouble. An elderly lady across the aisle gave them a disapproving look, but Jenny smiled sweetly at her and even gave her a little wave. Caleb snorted into his paper, which disturbed Zane’s nap and he sat up and began to blink like an owl, trying to figure out what he had missed.
Jenny couldn’t stand it any longer—she was too full of joy, and the sermon was suffocating her. Her legs, which wanted to spin and dance and fly across the ground, began to bounce, her feet tapping against the floor. The man in front of them cleared his throat noisily, and the muscles in Chase’s cheek worked to hold back the laughter that threatened to spill forth.
Miraculously, Jenny and Chase made it through the service, even managing to give the benediction its proper respect. The minister shook their hands, trying to figure out who they were and where they came from. He relaxed when Jason pointed them out as his employees. Cat was clinging tightly to Ty’s arm, wanting all the other single ladies to see that she was now with him; she was in no hurry to leave. Chase and Jenny, on the other hand, couldn’t wait to get back to the ranch and fly away, so they waited by the carriage and made their plans for the day, wishing the gossip would run out so they could be on their way.
An hour later, they were on horseback, a cold lunch in their saddlebags, on their way to the place that Chase had claimed as his own even though it was part of the Lynch property. It was the place he went to when he needed to be alone, the place where he had dreamed of Jenny and which he dreamed of sharing with Jenny.
It took her breath away. A crystal lake was sitting before a ridge of mountains that rose higher and higher until they disappeared into the clouds. The land rolled softly down, an ocean of sweet grass that was already knee deep in the early summer. A grove of trees stood off to the side, offering shelter to the deer that came down to drink at the lake.
Chase watched her face as she looked, trying to see it all but too overwhelmed by the beauty of it to absorb everything.
“It’s so beautiful, I can’t understand why Jason didn’t build here,” she said finally.
“The snow gets pretty deep here in the winter,” Chase explained. “Probably because of the mountains.”
“You come here in the winter?”
“I come here whenever I can. This is where I was the night of the dance. I camp down there, between the trees and the lake.”
“Show me.”
Chase led the way down to the lake and around to the place where the ring of stones still sat from his last fire. They dismounted, turned the horses out to graze, and spread a blanket for their lunch. They listened to the sounds of the horses browsing, the gentle laps of the waves against the shore, the scream of a hawk that circled above. Then all those sounds faded into the beating of their hearts.
Chase laid his hand against Jenny’s cheek and gently kissed her, their lips barely touching as they began to explore the newfound feelings inside. Her hand once again found its way inside his shirt and lay against his chest, feeling the beat of his heart. He kissed her eyelids, enjoying their flutter against his lips; his mouth moved to her temple, where wisps of baby-fine hair curled against her skin. He watched while her eyes deepened in color as his mouth moved down to take hers again, only this time he was more insistent, demanding, and she returned his kiss and gave him more. Her lips parted, and he took full possession of her mouth, plundering with his tongue, his arms wrapped around her, crushing her to his chest.
They finally broke apart, panting for breath, drawing in reserves for the next kiss, and soon they were lying on the blanket, their legs tangled together, their hair wild around them. Chase couldn’t get enough of her, and Jenny couldn’t drink her fill of him. She had unbuttoned his shirt and spread it open to give her better access to the skin that she wanted to taste with her mouth; her trail of kisses was driving him wild, driving all logical thought from his mind. He rolled over on top of her, catching her arms underneath his, and he captured her face in his hands, stopping her innocent pursuit.
“I want you, Jenny, but I won’t take you here. I want you for a lifetime.”
“Chase,” she began, her eyes dark with desire, but he stopped her with a quick kiss.
“I want us to marry, but we’re not going to rush it. I want you to be sure.”
“I am sure.”
“I want you to be sure tomorrow when you wake up and aren’t caught up in the moment. I want to give you time to think about us like I have, I want to know that you have no doubts, because it won’t be easy for us. There won’t be many that approve.”
“I don’t care what people say, and besides, the people we care about do approve.”
“I know they do, but I want you to be sure, because I couldn’t stand it if you looked at me one day in the future and said that you were wrong.”
The dark eyes above hers showed his pain and his weakness, and Jenny’s heart skipped a beat when she realized that she held his heart in her hand.
“Chase, I know without a doubt that I love you, and I would marry you today if I could, but I’ll wait if that’s what you want, because I want you to be sure about me.” She moved beneath him to escape a rock pressing into her back, and he groaned in agony, dropping his forehead down to touch hers, his hair falling around them like a curtain.
“Move like that again and I’ll change my mind,” he said between clenched teeth. Jenny actually considered it for a moment, then he moved off her and pulled her to her feet. “I need to cool off, and the lake is the perfect place to do it.” Jenny gave him a lecherous look. “Keep your hands to yourself,” he added.
“The same goes for you, if you can.” She stood there looking at him, her hands on her hips, her hair wild around her, and he couldn’t help himself, he pulled her to him for ano
ther devouring kiss that left her weak in the knees and leaning against him as his hands roamed over everything within reach.
“I can’t,” he admitted when he stopped. He stood her upright and dropped his shirt on the blanket. “I’ve got to cool down.” He took off at a run down to the lake, pulling his boots off and dropping his pants on the shore. Jenny was treated to the curve of his backside before he hit the water with a slicing dive that took him out into the deep before he broke the surface again with a splash. The water slid down his chest in sheets as he popped up from below, then settled, his arms slowly moving to keep him afloat as he faced the shore where Jenny stood on the blanket.
“I can’t either,” she said to no one in particular and sat down to pull off her boots.
“Jenny, what are you doing?” Chase asked from the lake.
“Going swimming.”
“You can’t.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m out here.”
Jenny stood and unbuckled her belt. “It’s a big lake, Chase. There’s plenty of room.” Her pants fell to the blanket and she kicked them off.
“Jenny, you’re making things difficult.”
She started walking towards the water, her shirttail billowing out in the quick breeze that skimmed the lake surface.”No, I’m not. I need to cool off, too.”
“Jenny, this lake will boil if you come any closer.” Jenny started to unbutton her shirt. “I mean it, Jenny, I can’t be responsible for anything that happens if you don’t stop.”
“What are you going to do, beat me?”
He took a few steps towards her, then stopped when he realized that coming any closer would reveal more than he wanted. Jenny tilted her head to get a better look as the water lapped under his navel, and then the wind blew the tail of her shirt up, puffing it around her face like a sack. She threw her arms up and wrapped them around herself to keep from flying off like a kite. When she looked again, he was gone. The lake was smooth except for the gentle ripples that broke the surface from the breeze.
Chase the Wind Page 36
