Golden Chances

by Rebecca Hagan Lee

  Faith placed her hand in his. She had removed her gloves and the feel of his skin against hers jolted her. His hand was big and warm, the knuckles sprinkled with coarse, black, hair; his palm, callused in several places. Seeing her hand engulfed in his made her aware of the difference in their coloring. His skin was bronzed by exposure to the sun; hers was smoother, softer, pale in comparison.

  Reese, too, was struck by the difference. He felt her shiver and a vivid mental picture of Faith Collins lying naked beneath him, her smooth pale skin covered by his hard, bronzed body, flashed in his brain. He abruptly withdrew his hand and cleared his throat. “Tell me about yourself. Why were you walking alone after dark?”

  “I was on my way to the train depot. Headed home.”

  “To Richmond?” He arched his right eyebrow. “What brought you to Washington?”

  Faith looked up at him. You know why I came to Washington. You saw me. “I came to apply for a job. At the Madison Hotel.” Her words were sharper than she intended.

  “Why?” He wanted to know.

  “Why does anyone apply for a job?” Faith countered, “I want to work.

  “Interesting,” he commented.

  “What’s so interesting about that? People apply for jobs every day.” Her temper was beginning to assert itself.

  “You mention work,” Reese reminded her, “but you don’t say anything about needing money. It leads to some very interesting possibilities.” He lowered his voice to a husky rumble.

  “Do you think I’d apply for a job if I didn’t need money?”

  “You might. It would depend on the job.”

  If he could pretend not to recognize her from this afternoon, she could do the same. “What’s your interest, Mr. Jordan? Does it matter to you what my reasons are?”

  “I understood that the applicants for that particular position would be returning tomorrow.” He sounded nonchalant.

  “I won’t.”

  “Any particular reason?” Reese didn’t like baiting her, but he sure as hell wasn’t going to let himself go soft because she had beautiful eyes. Lots of women had pretty eyes.

  “I don’t see that that’s any of your business.” Faith picked up her gloves. “I appreciate the offer of dinner, but why don’t we—”

  “Eat,” he suggested.

  “What?”

  “Eat, Miss Collins. Our dinner has arrived.”

  Faith wanted to walk away, to throw the offer of dinner back into his handsome face, but the smell of roast beef made her swallow her pride. “But…”

  “We can talk after we eat. You must be starving.”

  She was. And since she’d already swallowed her pride and succumbed to the aroma of roast beef, she might as well eat it. If she didn’t like his conversation, she would leave after dinner.

  Faith fought her natural instincts to wolf down the food on her plate. She forced herself to savor each morsel. She took four bites of everything on her plate, then reluctantly laid her fork down.

  Reese looked up from his own meal in time to catch the wistful expression on Faith’s face as she placed her fork on her plate. “Is your dinner all right?”

  “It’s wonderful,” she admitted, before blotting her mouth with her napkin.

  “Then why don’t you finish it?”

  “It isn’t polite to clean your plate in the company of a gentleman.” Faith recited her mother’s axiom.

  “Blast politeness,” he said curtly. “How long has it been since you’ve eaten?”

  “Breakfast.”

  “And when was that?”

  “Before dawn this morning,” Faith admitted.

  “Are you still hungry?”

  Faith stared down at her plate and nodded.

  “Then finish your dinner before it gets cold. Even a condemned man is entitled to a good meal.” His words were harshly spoken, but the expression in his eyes was soft. “If you don’t, you won’t get any pie.”

  She looked so wounded at this prospect that Reese instantly regretted his joke. “Where I come from it’s impolite not to eat the meal a gentleman buys for you.” He pushed Faith’s plate back in front of her.

  “I’ve never heard that before. Where are you from?”

  “I’ll tell you if you promise to eat your dinner.”

  Faith picked up her fork and resumed eating. He was quiet for so long, she thought he had forgotten to answer her question.

  “The West,” Reese told her.

  “Wyoming Territory?”

  “I live there now.”

  She prodded for an answer. “And before?”

  “Indian Territory, Texas, and the Dakota Territory.”

  “During the war?”

  “And before.” He leaned back in his chair, allowing the waiter to remove his empty plate and replace it with a thick slice of apple pie and a cup of steaming coffee.

  Faith eyed his slice of pie and began to chew a little faster.

  Reese smiled in spite of himself. “You’ll get your piece. I promise.”

  Faith finished the last bit of roast beef and pushed her plate aside once again. In a matter of seconds, the waiter whisked her dinner plate away and brought her a slice of apple pie and a cup of coffee. Faith tasted her dessert. It was heavenly.

  Reese couldn’t keep his eyes off her face as she ate the apple pie. He sucked in his breath as she licked a speck of cinnamon-coated crust from her bottom lip.

  “Aren’t you going to eat yours?” she asked

  Reese looked at his own dish. He’d barely touched his pie. “Why don’t you finish it?” he suggested, replacing her empty plate with his.

  He forced himself to look at other things as she finished off his pie, positive he wouldn’t be able to withstand another assault on his senses if he watched. He was damned uncomfortable as it was. He pulled his watch out of its pocket and flipped it open just to have something to do.

  “What time is it?”

  Reese turned his attention back to his companion. She had eaten the second slice of pie and was enjoying her cup of coffee. “Time to talk.”

  “What about?”

  “About the job you applied for.”

  “I didn’t apply. I stood in line all day waiting to apply.” Though her words were carefully chosen, her bitter disappointment was apparent.

  “There’s always tomorrow,” he reminded her.

  “Not for me.”

  It would be better to keep his mouth shut, Reese told himself, better for both of them if he ignored her obvious disappointment and let her go back to Richmond. He should choose someone else. Anyone else. Someone who was less innocent.

  “Do you want the job?”

  “Yes, very much.”

  “Then tell me about yourself.”

  “Why?” She knew why, but she wanted him to admit he had seen her standing in line.

  “Because I’m the man doing the hiring.” Reese fixed his brown-eyed gaze upon her.

  She lifted her cup of coffee and cradled it in both hands, savoring the warmth. Her left hand covered her right. Reese stared at the sight.

  She wore a ring on the third finger of her left hand, a thin gold band. He noticed it immediately, a tiny slash of gold marring her pale hand. He drew his brows together in a frown as he studied it.

  Faith followed his gaze to the wedding band. Hannah had cried when she took it her own finger and handed it to her. Faith hadn’t wanted to accept it, but she was supposed to be a widow. Aunt Virt’s ring was too big and Agnes couldn’t get hers off her arthritic hand.

  “You’re married.”

  “Widowed,” Faith murmured. Her expressive gray eyes were shadowed, unreadable. She wished she hadn’t worn the ring.

  “The war?” Damn the ring. He wished she hadn’t worn it. He didn’t really want to know.

  Faith nodded to keep from lying outright.

  “Children?”

  “There’s only Joy. She’s five,” Faith hedged.

  “Oh, a girl.�
� Reese was vaguely aware of his disappointment. He had asked for an experienced widow. Why was he disappointed to have gotten one?

  “Is there something wrong with that? Joy is well-behaved and smart. She wouldn’t be any trouble.” He didn’t reply, so Faith continued, “Your ad said a child was acceptable. I wouldn’t think of going to Wyoming without her.”

  “No, of course not,” Reese remarked. “Is there anyone else? Other family? Parents, brothers, in-laws?”

  Faith shook her head and Reese breathed a sigh of relief. “I do have two aunts, but I’m sure they’ll stay in Richmond.”

  Reese knew they would stay in Richmond. The little girl was bad enough. He wasn’t about to get tangled up with more of her family. This was, after all, a business arrangement. “Tell me more.”

  Faith did. She talked through another cup of coffee, then stopped to smother a yawn and barely missed placing her elbow in her cup. Her eyelids were beginning to droop. Reese realized his companion was practically asleep at the table.

  Faith smothered another yawn. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I’m so sleepy.”

  Reese pulled his gold watch out of his pocket once again and opened the lid. “It’s nearly ten. You’ve had a long day.”

  “Ten? It can’t be ten.” Faith shot up from her chair, tumbling it back in her haste. “I have to be on the nine o’clock train. It’s the last one.”

  “You’ve missed it.” Reese fumbled with the chair as he attempted to extricate Faith from her place between the overturned chair and the table.

  “You’ll have to get a room for the night.”

  “There aren’t any rooms. Congress is still in session. And even if I had a room, I couldn’t pay for it. I’ve lost all the money.” Her gray eyes were wide with panic as she looked up at Reese. “Where’s my cloak? And what did I do with my gloves? My aunts will be so worried. Take me to the station.”

  “Confound it, woman, you’ve missed the train. You aren’t going home tonight.” Damn her eyes! Did he have to solve all her problems for her. “You can stay with me.”

  “That wouldn’t be proper,” Faith replied primly.

  “I suppose leaving you to sleep on a bench in a train depot, prey to all sorts of vermin, would be more proper?” Reese argued. “There’s plenty of room in my suite. And David will be there to act as chaperon.”

  “What about my aunts? They’re expecting me.”

  “I’ll telegraph them. Tell them you’re delayed.” Reese handed her her cloak and waited impatiently as she buttoned the button under her chin.

  “Let’s get out of here.” Placing his hand beneath her elbow, Reese led Faith out of the restaurant and into his carriage.

  They settled into the leather cushions of the coach. Reese gave the lap robe to Faith. She snuggled into the warmth of the blanket and was asleep before they had gone two blocks.

  Reese watched her from across the coach. She was slumped against the interior wall. The wheels of the vehicle rumbled through a deep rut. Faith’s head bounced against the wall. Reese winced at the sight, but maintained his distance. Her head bumped against the coach three more times, but she slept on, undisturbed.

  She continued to sleep as the carriage rolled to a stop in front of the Madison Hotel. And she didn’t awaken when Reese lifted her from the vehicle and carried her inside and up the stairs to the Presidential Suite.

  Reese laid her on his bed and undressed her with practiced ease. He was careful not to move her more than was necessary. He didn’t want to risk waking her. He studied her features as he revealed the body hidden beneath her layers of clothing.

  God, she was thin, too thin. Her collarbone and hipbones jutted out at him through the well-worn cotton of her shift. With her short stature and slight build, she looked lost amid the stark, white sheets of the massive bed. But the sight of her lush, pink-tipped breasts, visible through the thin fabric, and the shadow of the dark triangle nestled between her slender thighs reassured Reese. Faith Collins might be slim and petite, but she was not a child in any sense of the word. She was a lovely, desirable woman.

  Reese slipped her ugly, black shoes from her feet and drew the covers over her.

  Chapter Four

  The low rumbling snore of a deeply sleeping man came from the depths of the sofa. David Alexander chuckled to himself. After the long night, Reese apparently hadn’t had the strength to make it to his bedroom.

  David tiptoed to the sofa and looked down at his cousin. Damn, but he looked miserable sprawled out on that uncomfortable couch. David decided to let Reese sleep a while longer. The women wouldn’t be arriving for an hour or so.

  David backed away from the sofa, then walked to the corner of the room and pulled the bell rope. When the bellboy arrived, he ordered breakfast and a strong pot of coffee.

  Reese awoke to the sound of voices in the doorway and sat up on the sofa in time to hear David order breakfast.

  “Double that order,” Reese said quietly.

  David smiled. “That kind of night, huh?” he teased.

  “What?” Reese raked his hand through his thick hair, trying to restore order to the unruly strands.

  “I said you must have had a busy night.”

  “Why?”

  “Why?” David mimicked, “Don’t try to pull that innocent act on me, Reese Alexander Jordan. When you sleep late, then wake up with a wicked appetite, it can only mean one thing.”

  “That I was tired and now I’m hungry?” Reese suggested.

  “That your lady friend kept you up very late and that you did a lot more than carry on polite conversation.”

  “Actually, I did have dinner and some polite conversation,” Reese informed his cousin.

  “Save that line for her angry father, brother, fiancé, or husband. I know you too well.” David grinned at Reese. “You’re still in your evening clothes and you were snoring on the couch. What time did you stumble in?”

  “I stumbled in, as you put it, at half-past midnight and please keep your laughter at a minimum and your voice lowered. There’s a woman sleeping in the room next door.”

  “In your room? Alone?”

  “It was better than allowing her to sleep on a bench in the train station.” Reese stood up and stretched, working his head from side to side to remove the kinks in his neck. “Where is that damn waiter with the coffee?”

  “You spent the night on that godawful sofa when you had a warm woman in your bed?” David answered the knock on the door.

  A waiter stood in the doorway with a tray of steaming coffee.

  “That’s right,” Reese muttered as he joined David at the door.

  He took the tray and handed the man a silver dollar. “Hurry up with breakfast,” he ordered before David could respond.

  David closed the door behind the waiter, watching as Reese set the coffee on the table in front of the sofa.

  “Is that all you plan to tell me?” David couldn’t hide his burning curiosity.

  “That’s it. At least, until I’ve had my morning coffee. Sit down. I’ll pour you a cup.”

  * * *

  Faith snuggled deeper into the warmth of the covers dreaming of the time before the war when the sound of her brothers’ good-natured arguments filled the morning air and the tantalizing aroma of coffee wafted through the house. She turned and stretched luxuriously in the big bed, her warm arms sliding across the crisp, cool sheets next to her. She was alone.

  Her eyes flew open to focus on the bedroom wall. The wallpaper was strange. The flowers on it were different from the faded flowers on her bedroom wall. And where was Joy? There was too much room in the bed. She could move around, even stretch, without touching the warm, little body that was normally sprawled all over her. What was going on?

  The house smelled of coffee, real coffee, and it had been years since she’d been able to buy genuine beans.

  Pushing the covers aside, Faith sat on the edge of the bed. She shivered with cold and looked around for her clothes.
Her dress was nowhere in sight, but a dark, brown velvet robe lay across the foot of the bed. Faith slipped it on and padded across the cold floor to open the bedroom door.

  She stopped dead at the sight of the two men seated on the sofa drinking coffee.

  The memory of the evening spent in the company of Reese Jordan flashed through Faith’s mind and the warmth of a blush stained her face a vivid pink.

  Reese lowered his coffee cup and focused on the vision before him.

  David nearly dropped his cup. It wobbled on the saucer, sloshing hot coffee on his hand.

  She stood in the doorway. Her dark hair had slipped out of its pins. It hung past her slim shoulders to her hips. Her gray eyes were wide; her lips were red and slightly swollen from sleep. She was engulfed by Reese’s brown, velvet robe, completely covered from her chin to the tops of her bare feet, yet Reese wondered if he had ever seen a woman look quite so desirable, so kissable. She looked as if she had just come from her lover’s bed. His bed.

  “Good morning.” Reese greeted her in a voice that sounded remarkably normal. “Sleep well?”

  “Yes, I suppose so. Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  Faith’s fingers tightened on the lapels of his robe as she studied her toes peeking out from under the hem. She was extremely aware of the intimacy of the situation, of Reese Jordan’s hot gaze, and of her threadbare shift beneath his robe.

  David cleared his throat, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. “Coffee, ma’am?” He indicated the pot and extra cup.

  Faith turned a deeper shade of pink. “Actually, I…um…”

  “Down the hall, last door on the right.”

  Faith managed a grateful nod and hurried out of the suite.

  The door had barely closed behind her before David began bombarding Reese with questions. “She’s your lady friend? Your companion for the evening? You spent the night with her?”

  “Not exactly. I spent the evening with her. But she spent the night here. With you,” Reese explained.

  “And where were you?” David wanted to know.

  “Downstairs at the bar. Drinking.”

  “You left her here? Alone? With me in the next room?”

  Reese nodded. “She was asleep. I figured she was safer alone with you than with me.”

  David glared at his cousin. “Did you ever think your confidence in me might be misplaced?”

  “You’re a gentleman, David.”

  “That doesn’t make me a eunuch.”