by Nancy Bush
“Since Betsy left town, Jace Garrett’s set his sights on a lovely young blond woman who lives upstairs. He’s visited her a time or two.”
Jenny felt a tweak of conscience at the lie. It was true that Jace had been looking at the blond, but then Jace couldn’t keep his eyes off any woman. Seeing the slow fury building in Tremaine’s incredible blue eyes, she opened her mouth to tell him the truth. But Tremaine slammed his chair around and sat back down.
“My sister thinks that bastard’s in love with her,” he growled.
“I know.” Jenny loathed Jace, too. Not as much as Tremaine, but Jace Garrett had a way of getting under her skin. Still, she wasn’t certain she should let Tremaine beat the living tar out of him for imagined crimes.
“It doesn’t seem to matter what I tell Lexie,” he muttered in frustration. “She still thinks she loves him.”
“Maybe she does.”
“No.” He was positive. “She doesn’t.” Checking his pocket watch, he groaned. “Nevermind. Tell me about Garrett later. I’ve got to get going. If the Harthorn kid gets worse, send for me. I don’t trust Marshfield to take care of the boy. I’ll be at my parents’ as soon as I’m finished in Malone.”
He left before she could utter another word.
¤ ¤ ¤
The day dawned gray and dismal; the worst Christmas Eve in Lexie’s memory. By noon a pale sun had appeared, throwing weak shadows along the frozen ground, but it hadn’t dispelled the gloom. Lexie stood with her arms over the rail fence, watching a ewe and her new lamb getting to know each other. The ewe was licking her trembling, knobby-kneed infant, and the bleating youngster was butting its head against its mother’s udder.
She hadn’t seen Jace yet, though she’d received a message from him inviting her to Christmas Eve dinner. Sometime soon she was going to have to tell him the truth of her feelings. She didn’t love him. She couldn’t marry him. For some reason, even though she doubted Jace loved her either, she sensed he wasn’t going to take the news well.
Sighing, she rubbed her cheek against the back of her hand. Tremaine hadn’t appeared at the farm at all. He was, according to Jesse, still living a life of decadent pleasure in Rock Springs with Jenny McBride. Lexie, who’d always prided herself on being decent and fair, found herself hating the infamously wicked Mrs. McBride with an unreasonable passion. Never a prig, she couldn’t help herself from mentally shredding the woman’s character into ribbons, then wondered with a sick heart why it should matter so.
“Lexie?”
She turned to see Pa walking toward her, his Winchester held lightly between callused palms. “Something wrong?” she asked.
“No, I’m just cleaning it. It’s not loaded.” He propped it against the fence post and looked down at her. “You look like you belong here.”
“I do. I wasn’t made for Miss Everly’s school,” Lexie remarked, a brisk breeze drawing blond strands of hair across her face.
“I know. I think I realized it as soon as you left.”
She was touched by this admission. For so many years he’d fought the path which had been so right for her. “I’ll finish, though.”
“I know that, too. You’re not a quitter.”
Joseph Danner stood in companionable silence beside his stepdaughter and ignored the knot of worry in his gut. He thought of the letter he’d received so long ago and the new one that had arrived yesterday. Cleaning the Winchester had been an automatic response. He felt trouble boiling on the horizon. As soon as he got his hands on Tremaine, he was going to have to enlist his help.
Lexie glanced at the man she’d always regarded as her father. She didn’t care that some mysterious man she’d never met had begat her. Pa was the only father she would ever know.
“You know I love your mother very much.”
Lexie was surprised. She hadn’t asked about his feelings, yet now that he’d admitted them, she felt a wash of intense relief. “I’ve wondered,” she said simply.
Afternoon shadows were striping the fields when Pa regretfully left to do chores. Lexie slipped into the stables to tend to the horses. Though they were Samuel’s responsibility now, she couldn’t help babying them. Upon spying her, Sugartail nickered, her unusually white speckled tail switching nervously to and fro. Her belly was stretched out and down, her back drooping under the weight of her imminent foal.
“Think you’ll drop on Christmas Eve?” Lexie asked her, rubbing the velvety pink nose. A white blaze ran crookedly between the mare’s huge dark eyes.
Tantrum nickered impatiently and Lexie returned to his stall. He slammed his head against her shirtwaist and searched her hand for oats. Finding none, he snorted and tossed his head in disdain.
Slowly Lexie removed one of the crisp red apples from her pocket that she’d snitched from the cellar. “This what you’re looking for?”
Tantrum snatched the ruby-red apple from her hand and chomped it down.
“That animal’s so spoiled he’s become a nuisance,” Tremaine voice said dryly from somewhere behind her head.
Lexie’s pulse leapt. She whirled around to see him lounging in the doorway. At the sight of him she was jolted by such violent longing she could scarcely credit her feelings. He looked so wonderfully lean and male, his jaw darkened by several days’ growth of beard. There was a deep tiredness around his eyes and he lifted his arms and stretched sensuously.
Lexie suddenly remembered where he’d been — and with whom. She dragged her gaze from the soft buckskin breeches, straining over his taut thighs, and tried to block out the memory of his lazy smile.
For several moments she couldn’t find her voice but when she did, she said scathingly, “How was Rock Springs?”
“Rock Springs?”
Lexie gave him a fulminating look, to which Tremaine lifted one surprised, black brow.
“Jenny McBride?” she reminded him acidly.
To her dismay his smile broke into a wide grin.
“Oh… her.”
Infuriated, Lexie concentrated on Tantrum, alarmed at the slight tremor in her hands as she stroked the gelding’s tossing head.
“Who told you I was in Rock Springs?”
“Jesse. And Mother.”
She could feel his intense gaze on her back but didn’t trust herself to turn around. But it didn’t matter. He crossed to where she was standing, one lean hand absently reaching past her shoulder to rub Tantrum’s long nose.
Lexie could smell his leather jacket and the crisp, wintry scent of him. She drew in her shoulders and shuddered, though the stables were warm from the heat of horseflesh.
“Cold?”
“No.”
“You’re shivering.”
“No, I’m not!”
She ducked under his arm, throwing him a haughty look. Tremaine’s disgusting grin was still in place. “You’re shivering because of me,” he said, amused. “And here I thought you didn’t care.”
“Go to hell.”
He laughed, pleased by this unexpected twist in their relationship. Lexie might still profess to love Jace, but her reaction gave her away. “If it makes you feel any better, I promise not to pounce on you.”
“Oh, really?” She tried to stoke up her anger, but it was nearly impossible. “And that’s supposed to make me feel better? Maybe your — er — sexual needs have already been satisfied.”
Instead of making him angry, her words elicited hoots of laughter. “By God, you are jealous. You know, you almost had me believing you still cared about Garrett.”
“I do!” Lexie’s eyes snapped. “You’re insufferable, Tremaine. Get this straight — to me, you’re still my brother. That’s all.”
“Want me to prove you wrong?”
The lazy threat shot a thrill into Lexie’s heart she could have done without. He was right, damn him. She didn’t think of him as a brother. Lord, no. “All right,” she amended hastily. “I don’t think of you as a brother. I still love Jace.”
Nothing could have ruined Tre
maine’s mood quicker. Just when he thought progress was being made, she threw Garrett in his face. He scowled.
“Jace is coming here this evening to pick me up,” she added quickly. “I’m having supper at the Garretts’.”
The truth was, Lexie hadn’t decided whether to accept Jace’s invitation or not. She didn’t want to be with him. But now she saw it was a way of killing two birds with one stone: telling Jace she couldn’t marry him, and escaping Tremaine.
“Are you going to the Cullens’ tonight?” she asked when the silence between them had become unbearable.
“No, I think I’ll stay here.” He was terse.
“You’re going to miss a great party.”
Tremaine regarded her impassively. “Since when do the Cullens have a great party? I could choke on that godawful mess they call oyster stew.”
Lexie couldn’t help smiling. “It’s delicious and you know it.”
“It bubbles and steams in that black cauldron Mrs. Cullen keeps over the fire, and she stirs it with an evil grin on her face. She looks and cackles like a witch. No, thanks. I’ll stay here with Sugartail and let the rest of the family eat that brew.”
Lexie suddenly longed to be at the farm with him. They would be alone — maybe for the rest of the night. The Cullens’ Christmas Eve bash tended to last until the wee hours, and more often than not her family stayed over. But being alone with Tremaine would definitely be playing with fire!
“Have you introduced this beast to the Garretts yet?” he asked in a deceptively casual voice, scratching Tantrum’s chin.
Tantrum tossed his silky head and had the nerve to actually snap at Tremaine’s hand. Lexie grinned at Tremaine’s dark glower and Tantrum’s unrepentant rolling eyes. “He doesn’t like you much.”
“Who? Tantrum, or Jace?”
“Either one.”
The way, Tremaine gazed down at her made Lexie’s breath catch. She should leave — now. If she didn’t, she could be sure the scene in the buggy would be replayed, Jenny McBride or no.
In the interest of self-preservation she tried to push past him. Her hand connected with the hard muscles of his chest. She stopped cold, intensely aware of him. My God, she thought with a sudden understanding. I want him. I want Tremaine!
His eyes had deepened with desire. He clasped his hand over hers. Lexie felt the seconds tick by, her heart in her mouth.
The sound of an approaching vehicle brought her to her senses. She jerked away from him and ran out of the stables. Old MacDougal was perched atop Jace’s approaching carriage. As Lexie hurried to the house, the coach’s door opened and Jace stepped down, smiling widely.
“Are you ready?” he asked.
She nodded. “Just give me a few minutes.” She couldn’t help glancing back. Tremaine was standing outside the stables, cold hostility radiating from him as his gaze centered on Jace.
Lexie ran into the house, gathered her cloak and reticule, and hopped in beside Jace before she could be tempted any further by Tremaine.
¤ ¤ ¤
The diamond ring sparkled in the fading sunshine, glimmering lustrously against the black velvet case. Lexie stared down at it in amazement.
“I thought we would make our engagement official,” Jace said with a smile in his voice.
Lexie was so stunned she was speechless. She should have expected this. Hadn’t they planned to marry? But Jace had always been so distant she just hadn’t dreamed he would give her a ring for Christmas. She glanced at his handsome face, then stared blankly across the Garrett grounds, leaning against a porch post for support. He’d waited for this opportunity all through that long, tense supper, she realized. No wonder she’d felt his eyes on her while she suffered Lucinda’s sharp comments.
“Something wrong?” Jace asked a bit tersely. And in that moment he suddenly knew Tremaine had told her the truth about Betsy. He went cold inside.
“I can’t — accept this.” She swallowed. “Jace, I’m sorry. I don’t think I love you anymore.”
“That bastard,” he muttered almost admiringly. “He’s turned you against me.”
“Who?” Lexie asked, but she already knew.
“Your loving brother, Tremaine.”
Lexie drew a deep breath. “He told me about Betsy Talbot, if that’s what you mean.”
“Betsy was a mistake. It’s over now. It was something that happened long before—”
“Don’t.” She cut him off. “I don’t think you love me either. Sometimes I’ve even thought you wanted me just to needle Tremaine.”
“I’ve wanted you for you, Lexie.”
“And a piece of the Danner property?”
Jace wasn’t inclined to honesty, but this moment required nothing less than the truth. “Maybe.”
“Jace, there’s something you should know. Tremaine isn’t my brother. He’s my stepbrother.”
Lexie didn’t know why she told him; she’d certainly kept her relationship with Tremaine a secret to anyone else outside the family. But it had suddenly seemed imperative that he know. She didn’t expect the reaction she got, however. His face turned gray. His eyes became black pits of vengeance.
“So that’s it!” he snarled. “That’s why he’s been so hellbent on keeping us apart! He wants you for himself. Do you want him, too?”
Lexie flushed. “Tremaine isn’t the reason I can’t accept your ring!”
“Then why bring him up?” he demanded furiously.
Why indeed? Lexie was momentarily stopped short. Before she could gather her wits, Jace suddenly grabbed her, crushing his mouth down on hers in that way that made her feel she was suffocating. She had to fight to free her lips. “Stop it!” she demanded coldly.
“Well, I think I’ve waited long enough,” he muttered, dragging her toward the barn.
Lexie was both frightened and amazed at his audacity. “Let me go, Jace. What do you think you’re doing? Are you really angry with me, or Tremaine?”
“You know what that bastard did to me?” Jace threw Lexie inside the barn, slamming the door shut behind him. “He beat me up in the middle of Main Street, and tossed me in Fool’s Falls. I’ve still got the bruises.”
Lexie was too concerned with their own safety to pay much attention to Jace’s words. She couldn’t believe she was in this predicament! Her gaze darted around the cobwebby corners of the barn, searching for escape.
“Come here, Lexie,” he coaxed.
She shook her head, thinking rapidly. Tremaine had humiliated Jace and now he meant to have his revenge.
“Jace, be serious,” she said calmly. “You can’t mean to hurt me just to get back at Tremaine.”
“I’m not going to hurt you, Lexie. I’m going to compromise you. Then you have to become my wife.”
Her mouth dropped open as he advanced on her. “Jace, even if you rape me, I still won’t marry you.”
“Yes, you will. You’d be ruined, disgraced, tossed out of Miss Everly’s School. You’d never be a lady.”
She was too astounded to be truly scared. “Do you think I would care? If it were a choice of losing my respectability, or being forced into a marriage with you, I would choose the former. I don’t love you, Jace.”
She wasn’t certain he would truly carry through with his threat, but she didn’t take the time to find out. She stepped back into the shadowy depths of the barn, reaching behind her. Her hand encountered an unlit lantern.
“Don’t come any nearer,” she warned.
“Have you slept with him yet? You always were eager, Lexie. It was hard trying to hide my desire. Now I see that was a mistake.”
“Get back…”
His eyes gleamed. “No, you must still be a virgin. Well, good, Tremaine will have to take the leftovers.” He reached for her then, his fingers digging into the soft flesh of her upper arms. His mouth groped for hers.
Lexie didn’t have time to think. She swung the lantern so hard it clanged against the side of his head. Jace fell to the ground like a stone.
Lexie stared down at him in horror. He didn’t move.
She bent over him and searched for a pulse, her fingers trembling. She nearly wept with relief to feel the steady beat. He was just unconscious.
He stirred and groaned and Lexie leapt to her feet, racing for the door. Her arms were weak and shaking as she lifted the bolt. A man’s shadow confronted her and she screamed.
“Hey, lassie,” old MacDougal said in concern. “Are ye all right?”
“Oh, Mac,” she cried hysterically. “Jace’s hurt.” She glanced back to see him staggering to his feet. “Please help him.”
Then she ran as fast as she could across the moonlit grounds, climbed the fence, and headed across the fields to the Danner property.
Chapter Twelve
Doc Meechum staggered to his feet, wiped his arm across his brow, and patted Sugartail fondly, his hand slapping the air twice before he found the mare’s flanks. “She’ll be fine. Due soon, though.”
Tremaine eyed Meechum doubtfully. The man could hardly focus. He reeked of gin and looked as if he’d lived in the same clothes for a month. Tremaine had to admit Lexie was probably right about Meechum’s ability as a horse doctor.
“Helluva time to be workin’. Christmas Eve.” Meechum shook his head and made a grab for one of the stall rails. Tremaine helped the drunken man to his buggy, then went back to the stables. Like Meechum, he thought Sugartail was about to foal; unlike Meechum, he thought there might be complications.
Settling into the straw outside her box, his back against the opposite stall, he draped one hand across his knees and leaned his head back, closing his eyes. Instantly he saw Lexie running toward Jace’s carriage. He had to stop fooling himself. She thought she wanted Garrett, and she was just stubborn enough to marry him no matter what.
“Damn it all to hell,” he muttered furiously. Why couldn’t he have just told Lexie he loved her and ended the matter once and for all? She would have slept with him willingly, then, and Jace Garrett would have been just a bad memory. But some latent nobility had prevented him from lying to her. The truth was he cared too much about her to deceive her.
