Following her gut instincts, she pulled the mule closer to the tree line. With frustration, she stared up and down, praying to see a break in the trees, but the visibility was horribly limited. Taking a risk, she chose to backtrack, and trudged through the mud back towards town.
Fortunately, it had been the right guess. After walking for several slippery steps she could just make out a break in the trees, and they plowed forward. She was relieved they were close, but anxious about all that she faced ahead.
Before turning between the trees, she stopped the mule and went back to the wagon. Cade was huddled in his blankets, and it appeared he was asleep. Concerned, she stood on the step to the wagon and reached her hand up, gently cupping the side of his face. It was warm against her cold skin, and that spoke of a possible fever.
At her touch, his eyes snapped open and she was staring into his blue eyes that, lately, seemed to occupy her mind more and more. “I’m sorry it has taken so long. You’ll be in a warm bed soon.”
He closed his eyes again, but when they opened, they held a pain that was far beyond the physical turmoil. “You shouldn’t be doing this. This isn’t your problem. I’m not your problem. I released you of your promise.”
Olivia shook her head. “No. I won’t leave you.”
Without waiting for a response, she turned and pulled the shotgun from its sheath on the side of the wagon, then carefully stepped down from her slippery perch. Sliding through the mud, she made it back to the head of the mule and began to pull him forward, her eyes probing the darkness as much as possible.
It had been more than two weeks since they had been at Angie’s small, building in progress, home. With all that was happening in San Antonio, it would be the perfect place for vagrants or other unseemly characters to take refuge. Olivia was determined she would clear them out if she had to.
The frame of the house came into view slowly and, much to her relief, there wasn’t a fire lit or any kerosene lamps providing light to the house. But she remained wary. Just because she couldn’t see anyone didn’t mean they weren’t there. She pulled the mule up to the far side of the home, then turned back to look at Cade. His eyes were closed again, though she could see him shivering. She needed to get him inside with a hot fire going in order to warm him soon.
She looked back at the house and drew a deep breath. Squaring her shoulders, she cocked the gun and headed for the house.
Chapter Eight
Cade silently cursed. He felt utterly and completely useless as he watched Olivia moving about, sliding and frequently falling in the mud as she moved their supplies into the home. His heart had been racing when she had gone into the house alone, with only the shotgun for protection. Damnit, he should have been able to protect her!
When she had been gone for several long minutes, he had come very close to climbing out of the wagon and stumbling, crawling even, if it meant getting to her and... and doing what? He was useless. It had only been a couple of minutes later that he saw lights beginning to illuminate the house and he smelled the smoke of a freshly made fire in the hearth.
Relieved wasn’t the right word to use. If anything had happened to her... He had failed to protect his loved ones already. He wouldn’t fail Olivia, too. Not after all she had done for him. That, and the fact that he was drawn to her in ways he had never expected to be drawn to a woman. She fascinated him, and her simple acts of care brought him so much pleasure. Just her touch, or an accidental smile from her usually stern face, made him want to know more, to see more of who this woman was.
Suddenly, she was by his side, her hand cupping his cheek again. It was the sweetest touch he had ever felt.
“It’s time to get you inside,” she said softly, her eyes searching his face. “It won’t be easy, and the mud only makes it worse. Try to put as much of your weight on me as you need. I’m stronger than you think.”
A smile tugged at his lips. “I already think you’re one hell of a strong woman.”
Even though the cold had made her cheeks red, they seemed to become even more so at his comment. She pulled off the blanket they had wrapped around him when he had gotten into the wagon and he was instantly struck by the cold and wind and sleet.
He looked down at Olivia in disbelief. She had been fighting through this mess with only a worn leather jacket to protect her. She had to be freezing. Gritting his teeth with determination, he swung his legs around and began to slide off the seat and placed his weight on his right leg on the step. Olivia was already waiting for him, braced for his weight when he stepped down.
It hurt like hell. He wanted to shout out the pain that ripped through his body. He wanted to beat something. But the soft body that gave him support didn’t deserve to listen to him rage about his pain. She quivered a little under his weight, then found her center, and together they began to move towards the house.
Cade tried his hardest, but he couldn’t stop from cursing every time they slipped in the mud, pulling his leg. Olivia only said encouraging things, motivating him to keep moving. He focused on her voice, the soft, husky tone with the hint of a Mexican accent. And soon, sooner than he would have expected, they were stumbling up the short set of three stairs and into the part of the house that had been completed.
Warmth instantly greeted him and he nearly sighed in relief. The room was larger than he expected, and well-built by someone with great care for those who would live in the home. Angie’s husband. Obviously a good man, a good man who had probably perished at the Alamo, no matter how much Angie refused to believe it.
In a corner near the hearth, there was a large bed, and he felt renewed energy to get to it. But Olivia slowed him down, stopping him in front of the hearth. “You must get out of those wet clothes.” Her voice was low and her eyes wouldn’t meet his as an embarrassed flush covered her face.
“You’ve seen me naked plenty of times, now,” he said with humor. “Why is it any different this time?”
Olivia’s chin lifted and she looked at him with determined eyes. “Whatever made you think I have a problem with it now?” While still supporting his weight, she began to unbutton the large jacket he wore. It took some odd posturing and balancing, but she went about the task as quickly and efficiently as possible.
When he finally stood before the fire nude, he basked in the warmth that washed over him. His clothes weren’t helping him fight the cold, but he hadn’t expected for it to feel so wonderful to be free of them.
Olivia wrapped his arm around her shoulders and slid her other arm around his waist. He tensed at her touch and realized she still wore her wet clothes. “You need to get out of those wet clothes as well,” he said in a tone that was not to be argued with.
“Cade—let’s just focus on getting you to the bed, first.”
“Are you trying to seduce me, Olivia? Has that been your plan all along?” He couldn’t help himself... it was too easy of a situation to tease her about. But her reaction was less than humorous. She stiffened and he could almost feel her features harden.
“My plan is to tend to your health, sir, and that is all. If you are expecting something else, my shotgun will teach you otherwise.”
Her reaction puzzled him. He had expected her to be a bit prudish, but this was something altogether different. She seemed—afraid. He should have expected it. He was a stranger that had shown up at her home without any real explanation, and she had no idea what type of man he was.
“Olivia, I...” His words died off as she came to the bed and carefully pivoted, and he soon found himself lying on the incredibly comfortable mattress. The relief to the pain in his leg was overwhelming, and for a moment the room spun around him. His hearing faded and dark spots blurred his vision. He felt cold and clammy suddenly, even though the room was warm and dry.
“Cade. Cade, look at me. Cade!”
It was the feeling of her delicate and gentle hands on his face that pulled him back from the precipice of passing out. Slowly, her face came into his vision and she
had both of her hands on his cheeks. When his eyes finally connected with hers, she smiled and one of her hands ran through his still slightly damp hair. A shiver slid down his spine, but it had nothing to do with feeling cold.
Her smile was mesmerizing. It made her eyes lift in the corners, and the stern lines of her face relaxed into a soft youth. He had assumed she was in her late twenties, but now, after seeing her like this, he realized she was far younger than she seemed. She had unfortunately been forced to grow up far too fast. He wanted to know why her youth had been stolen from her.
She was still smiling; her hand continued running through his hair as her other hand cupped his face, her thumb smoothing over his whiskers. “I thought you were going to leave me all alone there for a moment,” she said softly. “You’re not allowed to pass out unless I give you permission.”
She was teasing him, he realized with shock. She was the most perplexing woman he had ever met. “I’ll never leave you alone,” he whispered, his hand coming up to hold hers against his face.
Her smile slipped and he saw surprise on her face, then confusion, then embarrassment. Slowly she pulled her hand away from his and stood back. “I’m going to get some meat and cheese for you. Angie made sure to pack us plenty of food.”
It was while she was in this vulnerable state that he noticed she was shivering violently, and her lips were blue. There were dark circles under her eyes, speaking to her exhaustion. “You need to take care of yourself, first,” he said sternly. “If you get ill out here, we’ll both be doomed.”
Olivia shook her head. “Don’t worry. I’m stronger than you think.”
Cade tried to focus on her, but the warmth and comfort of the bed were warming him to the point of lethargy. “It’s too cold, and you’re shivering.” Even to his own ears he was mumbling.
Her answer sounded far away and he couldn’t completely understand it. His eyelids felt heavy and he was trying desperately to stay awake. Suddenly, she appeared beside him and, much to his surprise, she had switched into dry clothes, though she still shivered. She held a plate full of meat and cheese and he felt more than heard his stomach grumble.
She was fighting the urge to help him prop himself in the bed, and was holding back so he could regain his strength. But he felt as helpless as a baby and hated depending on her for everything. But, at the moment, his mind was focused on the food, and that gave him the energy to prop himself up and grab a couple of chunks, eagerly tearing into the dried venison.
He ate as much as his stomach would allow, oblivious for the moment that Olivia didn’t eat anything. Instead she checked his bandages and made minor adjustments over some of his cuts. But then the bed started calling to him again, and the lethargy that had been pulling at him was a warm, large hole opening up in front of him, and he was ready to take a dive directly into it.
Olivia, as always, knew what his body needed and repositioned the pillows around him, then watched him settle into the bed. He tried to stay awake, tried to stay alert to what she was doing to the cabin. But the warmth of the room and the comfort of the bed and the fullness of his stomach proved too much and he passed off into blissful slumber.
The shivers wouldn’t stop. No matter how much she moved around, no matter how much she tried to warm herself by the fire, the shivers just wouldn’t let up. She feared she’d be losing her teeth soon if they didn’t stop chattering.
It wasn’t as if she would be able to sleep even if she could get warm. The large man sleeping in the bed at the end of the room was the primary reason why. Every time she looked over at his slumbering form, her heart stuttered.
Which was completely irrational. Yes, he was an attractive man. But she knew all too well the nature of men, and for her to want to be near him, to crave his attention, was absolutely ridiculous. And yet she wanted those very things.
Getting him out of his wet clothes had made her feel things—things she had never felt before, and it frightened her. While his form was lean, it was all muscle. She had already seen him naked before and there was no reason for her to get light-headed as she had peeled off his shirt.
This time he was awake. That had been the difference that had rattled her. She shouldn’t have let it. Like he had said, she had seen him naked many times. She began to arrange items to make breakfast for him when morning came, which wasn’t far off.
But this time had been different. This time his startling blue eyes had watched her movements, had watched her hands sliding down the buttons of his shirt, and then had clashed with hers as she eased it off his shoulders. There was a heat smoldering in his eyes, and she caught her breath. She nearly forgot about his shirt as her movements slowed and she stared into the warmth of his eyes, feeling butterflies low in her stomach.
She had just barely enough willpower to pull her eyes away from his and finish the task of removing his shirt. But she hadn’t been able to stop herself from running her hands lightly over his muscular chest, feeling the damp curls of golden hair that covered his torso. She followed the path of those curls as they descended down his body until they narrowed at his waist and formed a fine, tapered line into his pants.
He sucked in his breath as she slid her fingers lightly under the band of his britches, and she told herself it was only because her fingers were cold. Slowly she untied the laces of the pants, fighting her shivers, wondering if they were from the cold or from her nerves. She could feel his eyes boring into her head, and nearly jumped as he lay a hand on her arm, holding her as she moved to slide the britches down his hips.
She chalked up his touch as a need for balance as he tried to stay off his injured leg. But his actions were causing her heart to race, and made it even more difficult to focus on pulling his clothes off of him. As she slid the clothing off of him, she tried to avert her eyes, even though curiosity gnawed at her.
Yet, as she slipped the clothes off his hips, his hands caught hers and her eyes jerked to his.
“Olivia,” he said huskily, then swallowed and closed his eyes briefly. “Olivia, let me do this myself.”
“You can’t! You can barely stand on your own.”
“Just support me. Let me do the rest.”
She shook her head. “I will take care of you.” He was trying to save her from any embarrassment, and it only made her respect him more. Swallowing hard, she proceeded with taking his britches off, and was especially careful with his leg that she had tried to wrap and protect so carefully. It was hard not to look at him, but she forced her eyes to focus on his legs until she finally had him completely undressed.
She straightened slowly and met his eyes. There was a darkness to them, and she realized it was desire that stared back at her. She felt herself turn deep red even though she was still shivering. No man had ever desired her. No man had ever found her even remotely attractive. And yet this man stood before her, his eyes speaking clearly that he desired her.
But his next words were like cold water. “I’m sorry, Olivia. I don’t mean to make you uncomfortable. It has been a long time since a woman has undressed me...”
It seemed he wanted to say more, but he had said enough. He had been without a woman for too long. She should have known that was the reason for his reaction to her. No man found her attractive or desirable. She had been a fool to think that he did.
“It’s fine,” she said, damning her voice for quavering.
She would not cry in front of this man. She wouldn’t cry in front of any man. They had hurt her enough for her to know not to ever be vulnerable in front of them.
And so she had gone back to business, focusing on getting him into the bed, checking his bandages, and feeding him. He hadn’t said anything further about the incident, and neither had she. Perhaps he was just as embarrassed as she was.
Olivia paused and looked at all the items she had set out for breakfast. She nearly laughed at herself, but the chills stopped her. She had put out enough to make breakfast for the cocina, not for the two of them. Carefully, she repac
ked some of the items into the pantry that Lorenzo, Angie’s husband, had so caringly built for his wife.
Olivia closed her eyes for several moments and wrapped her shaking arms around herself. How was Angie going to make it without Lorenzo? Of course, Olivia and her grandparents would help take care of the baby once it arrived. But Angie’s heart would never heal.
At the thought of the baby, Olivia looked down at her flat stomach and felt tears well up in her eyes. She had wanted a child so much. She had always wanted to be a mother. But it seemed it was not to be. She simply didn’t have enough to make a man want to marry her. By all standards, she was an old maid.
“Olivia.”
Cade’s deep voice startled her and she turned sharply and saw that his eyes were open and he had propped his head up with a pillow so he could see her. How long had he been watching her?
Olivia smoothed her bun back with a shaking hand and gave him a feeble attempt at a smile. “I wasn’t expecting you to wake up so early. Are you hungry?”
He shook his head slowly. “Come here, Olivia. Please.”
She didn’t hesitate at his request and moved quickly towards him. “Are you in pain? Has one of the dressings slipped off a wound?” She came to the edge of the bed, her eyes searching his face for answers, and she began to draw the covers back so she could examine his wounds.
She couldn’t contain the tiny squeal she let lose when his hand wrapped around her wrist and she was suddenly on the bed beside him, her body spread along his. He tossed the covers back over her and held her in place when she tried to move away, using both of his arms to keep her pulled close to him.
Texas Desire Page 8
