Until he discovered her secret, though, he had to keep up his guard. Otherwise, he knew he was in for a world of heartache.
Deep in his musings, he glanced over at Brianna and noticed her fixated on something in the trees. He smiled as a deer and fawn hid at the base of a tree.
“They’re beautiful, Tully,” she said, whispering quietly as they continued on their way. The melodic lilt in her voice cascaded over him like a cool breeze on a scorching day. Refreshed, invigorated, and intrigued, he wanted to keep her talking.
Intently studying her, he held her gaze. “There are many beautiful things created by the Maker’s hand. Have you ever seen ducks land on the water or watched a fiery sunrise fill the sky or noticed the way flower petals nestle together so perfectly?”
Brianna shook her head. “I haven’t, but I do believe I’d like to experience those things with you. The way you speak about them so…” She searched for just the right word, “passionately and poetically makes me want to see them as you do.”
Pleased, Tully smiled at her and pointed out a bird’s nest, another deer, and a flock of wild turkeys before they reached the spot he had in mind for their picnic.
Close to a creek, plenty of trees provided shade. Twenty feet or so up the hill from the creek, a large patch of huckleberries ripened in the sunshine. Thirty feet down the creek, they could pick plenty of blackberries.
As he stopped and swung off Cotton, Brianna released a happy sigh. “It’s so lovely here, Tully. It’s more inviting than any park I’ve seen.”
“I should hope so,” he said, lifting her out of the saddle and setting her down before leading the horses to the creek for a drink.
Once Cotton and Hoss both grazed, Tully took an old quilt from behind his saddle and unrolled it, spreading it on the grass. He lifted his saddlebags from Cotton and carried them over to the quilt then held his hand out to Brianna.
“Will you join me for lunch, Miss Dumont?”
The boyish look on his face and the warm light shimmering in his eyes made her heart turn into a pool of syrup.
Courteously, she tipped her head to him. “It would be my pleasure.” She took his hand and settled onto the quilt then watched as he bent his long legs and sat beside her.
From the saddlebags, he removed paper-wrapped sandwiches and pickles along with a tin of cookies.
“I’ve got water in my canteen, or we can drink from the creek if you’re thirsty,” he said, handing her a sandwich made of a thick piece of smoky ham and bread fresh from the oven that morning.
“This looks delicious, Sheriff. Did you make it yourself?” she asked.
He chuckled. “No, I did not, but the restaurant just down the street from my office often makes food I can take with me.”
Brianna took a bite and fished a handkerchief from her pocket to use as a napkin. “It’s very good. Thank you for bringing lunch.”
“You’re welcome. I can’t expect to work you like a slave this afternoon if I don’t make sure you’re properly fed.”
“I should say not.” She took another bite and swallowed before staring at the sandwich in her hand. “I suppose we should have offered to share with Mr. Fisher. No doubt, he would appreciate a good meal.”
Only marginally guilty, Tully shrugged. “I considered it when we were there, but I couldn’t stomach the idea of sitting through a meal having to smell ol’ Clive.”
Brianna grinned. “He was rather pungent today, wasn’t he?”
“That’s a nice way to put it.” The last thing Tully wanted to discuss was how bad the old miner smelled. He really didn’t want to discuss anything at all.
Even if he didn’t plan to act on it, kissing Brianna until they both lost the ability to reason seemed like a much better idea. Mindful of his wayward thoughts, he changed the subject. “Did you have a good time helping Mrs. Greenfield yesterday?”
“I did. I’ve never had to clean before and I learned so many helpful tips from her and Maggie and Jemma. It was fun to spend the day with them.” Brianna recalled something from the previous day and laughed. “You should have seen Lily. Jemma tied a handkerchief over her curls to keep them clean. Instead, Lily decided she could use her head as a dust rag. She was down on her hands and knees, rubbing her head back and forth across the floor until Jemma put a stop to it.”
Tully chuckled. “Lily is quite a girl. I’m afraid Thane’s got his hands full and then some with that one. She and Jack couldn’t be more different if they tried.”
“How so?” Brianna asked.
“Jack’s very responsible and often serious. He’s a hard-worker and wants to please everyone, always eager to learn. Lily, on the other hand, is full of giggles and sunshine and tomfoolery. She’s independent and sassy and isn’t afraid to tell you what she thinks the minute the thought enters her head. When Ian was trying to win Maggie’s affections, Lily sat him down and had a talk with him about how he should give Maggie slobbery kisses if he wanted her to like him.”
Brianna almost choked on the bite she’d just swallowed and coughed into her handkerchief. “Slobbery kisses?”
“You know… kisses that aren’t just a quick peck on the cheek. Apparently, Lily had witnessed Jemma and Thane kissing and decided that’s what Ian and Maggie needed to do.”
“I’m still not certain I understand what she meant by slobbery kisses.” Imploringly, she gazed at him with soft and inviting blue eyes. “Perhaps you would be so kind as to demonstrate.”
Tully set his half-eaten sandwich on the quilt and wiped his hands on the legs of his tan canvas trousers. He scooted closer to Brianna until his legs bracketed her on either side and his face was close to hers.
Slowly, he traced his thumb over her cheek, along her chin, then over her bottom lip. When a tremor passed over her, he looked into her eyes, gratified by the longing that flickered in their depths.
“A slobbery kiss,” he whispered in a husky tone, “is something like this.” His lips caressed hers, teasing and tempting until she leaned into him. Immediately, he deepened the kiss, skillfully pushing them both to the edge of something wild and wonderful. Finally, he lifted his head, smiling at the glazed look on her face.
He kissed her forehead and moved away. If he remained so close, he’d give in to his need to love her completely and thoroughly and that would never do. Not yet, anyway.
“That, Miss Dumont, is a slobbery kiss.”
She swallowed hard as she gathered her composure. Nervously clearing her throat, she looked everywhere but at him. “I see, Sheriff. Although I’m generally a fast learner, I may require further demonstrations to firmly understand the concept.” The teasing smile on her just-kissed lips and the twinkle of mirth in her eyes when she glanced at him grabbed hold of Tully’s heart.
Desire blazed in his eyes as he nodded his head. “Name the time and place, Fred, and my lips and anything else you want are at your service.”
“Mercy!” she gasped, hastily turning her attention back to her sandwich.
Tully finished his second sandwich and pickle then opened the tin of cookies. He helped himself to several of the chocolate macaroons, leaning back on one elbow and contentedly eating the sweets.
Brianna finished her sandwich and pickle. After selecting a cookie, she nibbled it as she watched him from beneath her lashes.
Aware of her gaze, Tully put the lid back on the cookie tin, wadded up the wrappings from their food and shoved the ball of paper into his saddlebag. He removed his Stetson and set it aside. In a smooth motion, he maneuvered around until his head rested on Brianna’s lap.
“Ah, that’s better,” he said. Folding his hands so they rested on top of his chest, he stretched out his legs as his eyes drifted shut.
“What are you doing?” she asked, glaring down at him.
“I thought you liked to let mischievous boys sleep on your lap.” He opened one eye and shot her a devilish smile.
“Little boys are far different than full-grown men,” she said, pushing at
his shoulders.
Determined to tease her, he refused to move, releasing a contented sigh. “This is just what I needed after our tasty lunch and those even tastier kisses.”
“Oh! You are a wicked, crude man.” She shoved at him again.
Tully didn’t budge, settling more comfortably onto his back as he relaxed.
Only a minute or two passed before Brianna released her tension and stiff posture. Tully fought a grin as her cool hand brushed the hair away from his forehead. When she trailed her fingers along the sides of his face, tracing the line of his jaw and chin, heat surged through his veins, but he didn’t move.
Tentatively, she explored his face, running a finger along his nose, over his eyebrows, and lingering at a scar right below his lip. A wisp of her hair brushed over his cheek as she bent and kissed his forehead.
While she assumed he’d fallen asleep, Tully only pretended. He enjoyed her light, tender touches too much not to remain awake.
“Tully Barrett, what am I going to do with you?” she asked quietly.
He had several suggestions, none of which he’d voice, given the fact she’d feel obliged to slap his face if he mentioned them. Most likely, Pastor Eagan wouldn’t approve of them either. However, it was hard not to feel them with her enticing fragrance filling his nose while the very aura of her filled his heart.
Thoroughly at ease, Tully remained unmoving while each touch of Brianna’s hand pushed him closer to the brink of losing his self-control.
“It’s completely unfair of you to be so handsome and charming, Sheriff. Don’t you know how hard it is for a woman to stay on guard around you?” She spoke in a whisper, unaware he listened to every word. “How is it you possess the ability to cast some sort of spell over me?”
Tully knew what she meant. He’d felt bewitched ever since she’d arrived in town.
“You are the most frustrating, maddening, vexatious, gorgeous, wonderful man I’ve ever encountered.” The feathery touch of her lips brushing his almost made Tully give her another demonstration of slobbery kisses. By sheer determination, he managed to keep up his ruse. “Why must you be so undeniably attractive? It’s not right that you have such a kissable mouth.”
Unable to stop himself, Tully wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to his chest.
A startled squeak escaped her and she glared at him with wide eyes.
“How long have you been awake?” she asked, pushing against him.
“Who said I ever went to sleep?” He released her when she shoved against his chest again and sat up, irritated and embarrassed. “Now, don’t go getting your bloomers in a bunch, Fred. I appreciated every single word you said. It’s nice to know my good looks and charm aren’t wasted on you.”
“Oh! You are… you’re a…” Too upset to think of a response, Brianna rose to her feet and stomped over to the creek bank. She knelt down and splashed water on her hot cheeks then looked over her shoulder at Tully.
He rose up on his knees, wishing he’d let her think he slept a little longer. It sure was nice to rest with his head on her soft lap.
After he stuffed the cookie tin into his saddlebag, he settled his hat on his head, rolled the quilt and carried it back to his horse. He tied the quilt behind the saddle, tossed the saddlebags over Cotton’s back then lifted the pails he and Brianna had both brought along.
As she stepped beside him, he handed one to her and carried the other two. “Let’s pick the huckleberries first. They’ll take longer than the blackberries,” he said.
“Lead the way.”
They needed to cross the creek to get to the berries, so he wrapped his arm around Brianna’s waist and lifted her against his side.
“What are you doing?” she spluttered as her feet bumped his calves and the pail in her hand smacked against his chest.
“Carrying you across the creek, unless you’d rather get your feet wet. I can set you down right now if you prefer.” He let her slide down a few inches when he reached the middle of the creek. The water wasn’t deep or the current strong, but Brianna would be soaked from above her knees down.
“If that’s the reason for this, then thank you.” She lifted her feet, afraid they might drag in the water.
Tully chuckled as he made it to the other side of the creek and up the bank. He set her on her feet and resisted the yearning to kiss her again.
He pointed to the berry bushes a few feet away. “You start on this one and I’ll go around to the other side. Only pick the purple berries and if they seem soft, don’t put them in the pail. You want firm, ripe fruit.”
In need of a little distance from the woman, Tully walked around to the far side of the bushes and went to work filling his pail.
“How’d you get to be an expert at berry picking?” Brianna asked.
“I did a lot of it as a boy. Once we moved here, Maggie liked to cook with berries and we didn’t mind eating her pies and jams, so we always helped her pick them.”
“When you say we, I assume you mean Thane.”
Tully nodded, even though she couldn’t see him. “That’s right. I guess Thane will either help Jemma pick or not get any berry pie this year.”
“Jemma mentioned something yesterday about picking berries later this week. She said Thane had an outing planned for her and the children.”
Tully chuckled and shook his head.
“What is providing your current source of amusement?” Brianna asked.
Humor remained evident in his voice when he spoke. “I’m just picturing Lily helping with the berry picking.”
Giggles floated over the bushes. She stopped picking, envisioning the mess Lily would make on a berry picking adventure. “That would be something to see. If she does it as enthusiastically as she does everything else, she’ll be covered in berry juice.”
“So will everyone else,” he mused.
They worked in silence for a while until they’d picked all the ripe huckleberries. Tully poured the two pails together, filling one of them almost to the top.
He carried the pails across the creek then came back for Brianna.
Rather than tug her along next to his side, he swept her into his arms. Her hands locked around the back of his neck and her lips lingered tauntingly close to his.
“Are you ready?” he asked, taking a step into the creek.
“Yes,” she whispered, although her gaze focused on his mouth.
He stumbled and took a hurried step to keep from dunking them both in the cold water. Frustrated that a single look from her could leave him so distracted he couldn’t keep his wits about him, he set her down the moment his feet hit the other side of the bank.
“We need to get the rest of the berries picked so we can get back.” Tully had no reason to rush into town, other than he didn’t trust himself to be alone with Brianna. The emotions she stirred in him, the relentless force of his longing for her, left him so disturbed, he knew the best thing was to get her back to Baker City as soon as possible.
Since they still had two pails to fill with blackberries, he figured they could stay out of trouble for the next hour or two.
Tully led the way down the creek to where blackberries grew in wild profusion. He took a stick and shoved it into the bushes to make sure no critters or snakes lurked beneath the branches before he let Brianna start picking.
While the berries were bigger and easier to pick, the bushes had painfully sharp thorns. After she poked herself several times, Brianna glared at Tully. “I don’t believe I care for blackberries.”
“Why’s that?” he asked, popping a ripe berry into his mouth before adding a handful to his pail.
“Because the thorns are quite painful.”
Tully smirked. “Then stop picking them. It’s the big, juicy berries you want.”
Brianna’s gaze narrowed as she glowered at him.
Several minutes passed in silence. Tully glanced over and noticed she had purple stains on her lips from snitching berries.
“Ar
e you eatin’ or pickin’ berries, Fred. We’ll be here all night if you don’t get on the right track.”
Indignant, she huffed. “I’ll have you know my pail is nearly full. These are much faster to pick than the huckleberries.”
“Yep. And juicier,” he said, eating another handful of berries.
“How dare you accuse me of eating them when you’ve got berries smeared all over your face and hands? You are every bit as bad as a recalcitrant child.”
Tully rocked back on one hip and stared at her. “Is that so, Miss Dumont?” He waved a berry-stained hand at her. “And I suppose you are a paragon of virtue, someone we all should emulate?”
Astonished by his choice of words, she blinked at him then noticed his teasing grin. “That is exactly what I have endeavored to convey to you, Sheriff Barrett.”
“You know what I think, Fred?” Tully moved around the berry bush, approaching her with ornery determination.
“I have no idea what goes through that thick skull of yours.” Troubled by the twinkle in his eye and the boyish grin on his face that brought out his dimples, she backed away from him.
“I think you need taken down a peg or two, Miss Sassy Britches.”
Tully lunged for her, but she dodged away from him, running around the other side of the blackberries. She scooped up a handful of discarded berries and lobbed them at him.
One hit him on the chin, and another on the cheek.
“You are in for it now, missy!” Tully tossed several squishy berries at her, hitting her face and chest.
“Stop, Tully! You…” One caught her right in the mouth. She spluttered, spitting it out.
He wrapped her in his arms and swung her around. She squirmed and wiggled with such vigor, she knocked him off balance and they both fell to the ground.
Tully cushioned the fall by turning so he hit the ground with her held to his chest.
“Now look what you’ve done,” she said, brushing hair from her eyes with a berry-coated hand. Purple juice smeared across her forehead.
Tully inhaled a deep breath and before he let his common sense take over, he crushed his mouth to hers, savoring the flavor of the berries as it mingled with Brianna’s own sweet honey taste.
Corsets and Cuffs: (Sweet Historical Western Romance) (Baker City Brides Book 3) Page 19
