Bride Of Shadow Canyon

by Stacey Kayne

  twinkle in Gran's eye told him she knew exactly the kind of vermin they were tracking, and that they'd received his telegram.

  "Any luck?"

  "Not yet, but my boys' don't need luck, they survive on sheer persistence. Little something they learned from you."

  Jed smiled and took a bite of beans.

  "They'll be lookin' for you when they hear you've arrived."

  "I look forward to seeing them. They still workin' their claims?"

  Excluded from the conversation, Rachell ate her beans and corn bread as Jed and the old woman fell into steady conversation about the miners in the area, different mines and abandoned cabins.

  "Guess you do have a healthy appetite," Gran said a short while later, smiling as she glanced toward Rachell's empty plate.

  "Told you she eats like a horse-ouch!" Jed yipped, rubbing the spot on his head where Rachell had tapped him rather firmly with her spoon.

  "I will thank you not to compare my eating habits to that of a horse, Jed Doulan." She glared into his humor-filled eyes.

  "Sugar, you know I'm-"

  "You better give me that plate, Mrs. Doulan," Gran said as she shuffled toward her, "before your husband gives you a reason to slap it alongside his head." Gran collected their plates and disappeared through a door just past the stove, which Rachell assumed led to her living quarters.

  Jed stood and took a mug from a peg on the wall near the stove. Rachell watched the strong, sure movements of his body as he lifted a coffeepot and filled his mug, thinking how lucky a woman would be to have such a man for a husband. How lucky she would be.

  Never before had she conjured such thoughts, a man being last on her list of wants. But in the past few weeks, Rachell had discovered many new things about herself. She had just discovered she liked being referred to as Jed's wife.

  "Are you seriously mad at me?"

  Rachell blinked and realized Jed was holding a cup of coffee out to her. "No," she said, keeping her gaze low as she thanked him and accepted the cup. They'd run out of coffee four days back. The delicious aroma sent a shiver of pleasure through her body, which increased as Jed's hand glided down her back as he sat beside her.

  "I know you're bone weary after being dragged back and forth across the countryside." His low voice rumbled near her ear as his palm slid up to her shoulder. "I haven't said so, but you've held up far better than I had a right to expect of you." His hand rubbed at her tight muscles. "I know men who couldn't endure the pace we've kept and still have their wits about them."

  "You've done all the work," she said, keeping her eyes on the steaming cup of coffee she held in her trembling hands, feeling far too vulnerable to look up into the warmth she knew she'd find in his eyes. A warm softness that could flee on the spur of a moment.

  His arm stretched around her, embracing her against his side.,Oddly enough, Rachell was comforted. Even as he stirred emotions deep inside her heart, her quivering muscles relaxed, absorbing his warmth and strength.

  "You know that's not true," he said, his lips brushing the top of her head. "I'm hoping you'll have a chance to rest for a day or two before we start over the Sierras. I guarantee you'll be having tea with Elizabeth by next week."

  And be out of your hair for good.

  Rachell glanced up and saw Gran watching them from the doorway she had previously disappeared through. She puffed on her pipe, her gaze lingering over Rachell for a moment. She shifted her gaze toward Jed. "You needin' supplies?"

  "Yeah, and a few items from your cellar. I can pay you-"

  "You lookin' to stoke my temper, Jed Doulan?" Gran interrupted, her wrinkled face fixed in a scowl.

  "No, ma'am," Jed quickly countered as he rose to his feet.

  "I wouldn't have a pot to pee in if it weren't for you, and you damn well know it! Not to mention no kin left to speak of. Gabe and Abel would be buried out back beside their folks if you hadn't gotten them out of that damn canyon after them butchers rode in. You're welcome to anything I got." She moved from the doorway, toward the front of the store.

  Rachell stood as Jed strode toward her.

  "Wait here, where it's warm," he instructed. He lifted his gun from his holster. He slid his long fingers into the front of her britches, and Rachell choked on her breath. He gave a tug then slid his revolver behind her waistband. "The first chamber's empty," he said, as he bent and brushed his lips across hers in a brief, feather-soft kiss. "I won't be long."

  "Are you expecting trouble?" she asked, looking down at the black grip sticking out of her britches.

  "Sugar, at the moment, I'm married to trouble. I'm also a firm believer that everyone should be well armed."

  "Amen to that," Gran put in. "Honey, let's load you up with supplies. You need any sugar, flour or baking powder?"

  Jed laughed as he strode toward the door leading to Gran's living quarters. "We have plenty of baking powder," he said, looking back to wink at Rachell. "We could use flour, sugar and coffee."

  "Pompous know-it-all," Rachell grumbled as he disappeared through the doorway. She glanced at Gran. "Baking powder is used in biscuits, isn't it?"

  Gran pulled her pipe from her mouth, regarded her for a long moment then threw her head back with a wild cackle of laughter. "Oh, honey," she said, patting Rachell on the back as she led her behind the counter. "You're perfect for Jed."

  "No, I'm not," she said in a heavy sigh. "I'm not really his wife," she admitted as the woman began pulling items off her shelves and hoisted a large sack onto the counter.

  "Not what I heard," Gran said flatly, retrieving a stack of small empty sacks. "I's told some old goat married you right and proper."

  Amazed that news could travel so fast, Rachell stood in stunned silence as she watched Gran begin to scoop coffee into a sack. "We're getting an annulment," she said a moment later.

  Gran snorted. "Think you're too good for him, huh?"

  "No! I think he's wonderful."

  "It's his hard looks then. Jed's face may resemble the south end of a mule, but-"

  "It does not!"

  Gran's hands never slowed, cinching one sack and retrieving another. "Then what's the problem, gal? It can't be for lack of fortune. The man's as rich as these mountains."

  "He...he is?"

  "Damn tootin'."

  Rachell shook her head, the status of Jed's wealth not having the slightest bearing on her dilemma. "His fortune' or lack thereof doesn't change the fact that he doesn't want me," she said in a low tone.

  Gran paused, her hands falling idle in the large sack of flour as she met Rachell's gaze. "Mrs. Doulan, either yer brain's not adjusted to this high altitude or you must be needin' spectacles. I've known Jed since he was knee-high to a... Well hell. Even at sixteen, that boy was the size of a grizzly." She turned toward Rachell, her hands working again in a flutter of motion. "But in all them years, I ain't never seen his eyes shine like they do when he's lookin' at you."

  A smile crept across Rachell's lips. Her cheeks warmed. "I know he's attracted to me," she said, hardly able to believe she was discussing such things, but at the same time, relieved to have someone willing to listen. "But he's quite cautious about sticking to his side of the campfire."

  'That don't mean you have to keep to your side, now does it? Hell's bells, gal! I'd have never bagged my Harvey had I left it to him to kindle the fire. No, sir. Men, the good ones, are skittish about such things. Jed's one of the good ones, Mrs. Doulan, I guarantee it. He's been single for too long. You've got a legal claim on him. He's yours for the takin'."

  Rachell was certain she'd never received better advice- advice she planned to heed.

  Hope swelled inside her, and for the first time since Titus's death, she felt like singing.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Jed peeled a thick layer of cobwebs from the doorway. Rachell peered around him into the dilapidated old cabin that had been built into the side of the canyon wall. She cringed at the sight of fifteen square feet of dirt and neglect. Cobwebs
stretched from the log ceiling to the floor, threading across the stove on the back wall, encasing a pantry of rough wooden shelves in the far left corner. If there was any actual wood flooring, it didn't show beneath the dust and dirt.

  "I think I'd rather sleep outside. At least we won't be boxed in with all the snakes and rodents."

  "Sugar, it's not all that bad. It has a stove to keep you warm and a roof to keep the dew off. This cabin just hasn't been lived in for a few years is all."

  "Oh, it's been lived in," Rachell corrected. The narrow bed pushed against the right wall had certainly had its share of occupants. The telltale signs of past winter residents were scattered across the floor and the small table at the center of the dingy room.

  "Rachell, I've already seen you cuddle up to a snake. If it's snakes we're rooming with, we won't have to worry about the rodents."

  She glanced up to tell Jed she found no humor in his

  comment, only to see that he hadn't intended any. His expression was as rigid as the sheer cliffs surrounding them.

  Something had been bothering him long before they'd reached the cabin. He'd not said but a few words to her since they'd ridden into the canyons. The supplies Jed had retrieved from Gran's cellar had been a cold reminder of why they'd traveled to these mountains. She'd been stunned by the number of boxes of ammunition and the crate of guns Jed had strapped to their pack horse when she'd followed him outside. He had enough weapons to outfit a small army.

  The reality of facing Maxwell Sumner had paralyzed her with fear. Jed had been quick to assure her that they were safe and that he was only taking extra precautions. Yet once they'd ridden into these rock canyons, the tension she'd seen in Jed had been anything but reassuring as solemn silence grew between them.

  "You actually lived in this?" she asked, glancing back at the filthy ruin he expected them to stay in for the next few days, which didn't bother her nearly as much as the cold void in Jed's eyes.

  "Not this one. But ours wasn't much different, structure wise."

  "Ours?"

  "Mm-hmm."

  Rachell's skin prickled. "Yours and Malika's?"

  "Yeah."

  That single word hit Rachell with a force that sent the air rushing from her lungs. No wonder he had stoned over when they rode into these canyons. "Malika was killed in Shadow Canyon."

  "She was," Jed answered in a neutral tone as he turned and strode across the small yard, toward the horses.

  "Jed?" Rachell called, following after him.

  Jed looked back, figuring Rachell must think he'd just assigned her to the same fate as the woman he'd failed to protect over eighteen years ago. "This situation is completely different, Rachell. I know Sumner's coming. I'll be ready for him. You'll be safe."

  "I don't doubt that," she said, seeming surprised he would believe otherwise. "I've never felt more secure in my life than I have these past few weeks with you. I'm only sorry I've brought you to a place that causes you to feel pain from your past."

  He'd roamed these hills and canyons countless times since Malika's death. So why was this time so different? Why was the sound of gunfire echoing off the canyon walls and ringing in his ears?

  Perhaps because he was again responsible for the safety of a woman he cared for.

  A few weeks ago it had seemed a logical course of action to lead his adversary to isolated, familiar terrain. But now that he was here, the familiarity was all too real.

  This time is different. He'd have the upper hand. When Sumner arrived, Jed would be ready.

  "Jed," Rachell said in a hushed voice. "I see the pain in your eyes. I hate knowing that it's because of me."

  She stepped forward, wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her head against his chest, embracing him so sweetly he couldn't help but fold his arms around her. He must be slipping if this woman could see so clearly into his soul.

  "You know, you're as sweet as you are pretty, and packed with enough stubbornness to fill three women your size."

  "That's what I love about your compliments," she said, laughter trickling from her throat. "They're sweet enough to lift my spirits, yet honest enough to keep my feet on the ground."

  Jed wrapped his arm around her shoulders as he led her back toward the cabin. "I aim to please. Right now, we both have work to do. I'll unload the horses then take them down to the meadow before I head out to scout the surrounding canyons."

  "I'm not going with you?"

  "You, pretty lady, are going to have your hands full cleaning up that cabin."

  Rachell grimaced. "You expect me to gut that cabin alone?"

  "I have complete faith in you." He stopped in the open doorway and smiled down at her. "There's got to be a domestic bone somewhere in that dainty body."

  Rachell jabbed her elbow into Jed's ribs. "Scraping the grime from this log enclosure won't prove my possession of domestic attributes. More likely, the qualifications of a lumberjack."

  Feeling a little daunted himself, Jed strode into the cabin. "A bucket of water, some spit and polish, and it'll be livable."

  "Water?" Rachell called from the doorway, not taking so much as a step inside. "That will only turn the floor to mud. I need a shovel, a gallon of kerosene and a match."

  "A little sunlight will help." Jed pushed aside the gray window covering to open the shutter. As he pushed the fabric aside, the thin wooden dowel holding it up snapped and the curtain dropped from the window, landing on top of his boots.

  He could hear Rachell groaning in the doorway behind him as he unlatched the wooden shutters and pushed them open. Sunlight streamed across the center of the cabin, lighting up the network of silken fibers strung throughout the dust-coated room.

  "That should ward off the bats," Rachell said in a more cheerful tone, "but what about the ones living in the stovepipe?"

  Jed removed the window covering from his boots, tossed it onto the table then strode toward the stove. He regarded the heavy cast-iron stove and the long pipe leading up to the ceiling. He rapped his knuckles against the dust-covered pipe, giving it a swift tap. It knocked him smack on the forehead as it dropped from its fitting, spraying black soot all over Jed and everything around him.

  Buried in a thick cloud of darkness, and swearing a blue streak despite the bitter taste of soot invading his mouth and likely coating his lungs, Jed refitted the stove pipe. Fanning at the heavy gray film lingering in the stagnant air, he made his way toward the door.

  Just outside, Rachell was laughing so hard she was holding her sides. Jed had never heard anything half as beautiful as Rachell's laughter. He stopped just past the doorway, his gaze transfixed on Rachell's rosy cheeks, wide grin and sparkling eyes.

  The burning he felt deep in his chest had nothing to do with breathing the blackened air. The layer of dust and soot covering his head and shoulders was all that kept him from pulling her into arms and kissing her senseless.

  Senseless.

  Apparently he'd achieved that state of mind without the benefit of kissing. "Stove pipe's all clear," he announced with a tight smile as he dusted an inch of soot off his shoulders. "Grab me a clean shirt, would you, honey?" he asked as he walked past her, toward the makeshift stable, hoping to find something that would hold water. The flimsy shed was big enough to shelter a mule or two from the elements. If his pulse didn't slow down soon, he'd end up being such a mule. He sure as hell wouldn't stand a chance cooped up with Rachell and her laughter inside that tiny cabin.

  He saw Rachell tugging a shirt from his saddlebag as he emerged from the shed with a wooden wash basin. "Bring one of those canteens too," he called over as he set the basin before the water pump just outside the cabin. "I'll need it to prime the pump."

  Rachell found all she needed. She handed Jed the canteen, and soon a wide, steady stream of water was filling the washbasin. Jed peeled off his shirt then dropped to his knees beside the full tub and dunked his whole head into the water.

  Rachell watched the muscles of his arms bunch and flex
as he vigorously scrubbed the dust and dirt from his hair. Water splashed onto his shoulders and back, glistening over the long thin scars crisscrossing his bronze skin.

  Jed brought his head up, his hair whipping cold water across the sky, and all over Rachell as he sat back on his heels.

  "Thanks for sharing," she said with a laugh as she handed him one of the rags she'd brought for him.

  As he dried his face, Rachell dipped another cloth into the tub and swabbed it across his shoulders and down the corded lines on his back. Jed froze at her touch. He gripped the wooden basin as though he'd lost his balance, his muscles tensing beneath her hands.

  "Rachell, I can-"

  She pressed her lips to one of the scars that topped his broad shoulder, ending Jed's words in a groan. He trembled as she trailed her fingers across his strong back. Loving the feel of his warm skin, she discovered the salty taste of him was as intoxicating as his kiss.

  Jed drew a ragged breath, dizzied by a rush of exquisite sensations. "Rachell-" His voice ended in another groan as she began to feather kisses down his back, her hands heedlessly rubbing against his sides.

  "I hope the vile cretin who gave you these marks received a just punishment."

  Jed's control withered and died in the fire of Rachell's words and touch. He reached around and grabbed her by the waist as he turned and sat down. Leaning back against the basin, he pulled her into his arms. Her knees slid astride his hips as she collided with his chest, adding to the overwhelming torrent of desire ripping through him.

  Seeing excitement light her eyes, he gathered she had just gotten the response she'd hoped for. Her gaze moved down his bare chest, stopping on his most recent battle scar.

  "You removed your stitches. Your side must be feeling better."

  "Lady, if I knew we were safe, I'd demonstrate just how much better I'm feeling at the moment."

  Rachell coiled her arms around his neck and nipped at his chin. "Excuses, excuses," she purred, those impish eyes shining, her perfect lips smiling.

  Dear God, when had she learned how to be so damned seductive? "Rachell, you'd better be careful. I'm giving you fair warning right now. I've never wanted a woman the way I want you."