by Bobbi Smith
“That was different, you and Elise.”
“Why?”
“Because you two were in love.”
“And you’re not?” he asked.
“No! I don’t love Tessa. It seems all I do is save her. Every time I turn around she’s got herself into more trouble—first with the stage robbery and then with Boyd. God only knows what she’ll get involved with next.”
“Whatever it is, you’ll be there to help her.”
“I don’t remember anybody telling me that my job required me to keep Tessa Sinclair out of danger.” He downed the rest of his whiskey and reached for the bottle to refill his glass. “I might have thought twice about taking it if I’d known that.”
Trace just chuckled at how nervous his friend had become.
“What are you laughing at?” Jared sat back and took another drink.
“You. You’re in love and you don’t even recognize it.”
“I am not in love,” he denied.
“I thought the same thing with Elise. She was driving me to distraction. All I wanted to do was keep my identity a secret until I’d brought in Matt Harris and his gang, and then she printed that story revealing that Trace Jackson was still alive and well, not knowing it was me.” He grinned at the memory. “She caused me no end of trouble, but heaven knows I couldn’t live without her now.”
“Thank you, darling,” Elise said, appearing in the doorway to his office.
“I didn’t hear you come in,” Trace said, rising to go to her and press a kiss on her cheek.
“Obviously, but thank you for the sweet sentiment.” She gazed up at her husband adoringly. “I feel the same way about you.”
“I was just explaining to Jared how wonderful it is that he’s finally in love,” Trace told her.
“You’re in love with Tessa?” she asked quickly, looking over at him.
“That’s your husband talking. I never said I was in love!” he protested.
“He hasn’t recognized it yet, but he will. He has all the classic symptoms,” Trace confirmed.
“Obviously,” Elise agreed as she watched Jared down another healthy swallow of the potent liquor and pour more into his glass. The reporter in her had already come to the correct conclusions. “I know you’re not here drinking whiskey because Boyd Wilson’s dead. If that was the case, your mood would be better. You look downright surly, so something is troubling you, and I’ll just bet it’s a woman.”
“Be quiet, Elise,” Jared said in a growl.
She laughed at his irritation. “Men are so adorable when they’re trying to hide from the truth of their feelings. Does Tessa love you, Jared?”
“No,” he replied. “Will Kenner’s the man she cares about.”
Jared remembered all too clearly how Will had taken her hand when they’d stopped to water the horses. Will had taken over running her mine for her, so he was sure that she had some kind of feelings for the man. It had irked him to ride away from her house while Will stayed on, but he couldn’t linger there when he had other serious business to attend to—like taking care of Boyd. He lifted his glass and drained it.
“Oh, I don’t know. If I had to choose between the two of you, there would be no contest,” she said with an endearing smile. “You’d win hands down.”
“I appreciate your approval, but I’m not in a contest with Will or any other man. Tessa Sinclair is not the woman for me. She’s nothing but trouble.”
He said it with such determination that Elise had to fight to keep from smiling too widely at him.
“If you say so, Jared.”
“I do. Now, can we change the subject?” he asked, reaching once again for Trace’s bottle.
It was over an hour later when Jared made his way slowly back home. He’d had too much to drink and he knew it. He was glad that he’d told Nathan he didn’t know when he’d be at the office in the morning. Tired as he was, he hoped he could sleep late. A good night’s sleep would do him a world of good right now. He was sure of it.
Tonight he wouldn’t have Tessa curled up against him. Tonight he would sleep.
Peacefully.
Dreamlessly.
Alone.
Jared frowned at the thought. Holding Tessa had been his heaven and his hell last night. Damn, but it had felt so right to have her in his arms, even if he couldn’t make love to her.
And he had wanted her. Seeing Boyd with his hands on her, hurting her that way, had left him in a rage. He had never felt that way about another woman. Tessa was beautiful. Her kisses had been wonderful.
And he—
The next thought that came to him shocked him, and he mentally pushed it aside.
Tessa meant trouble, plain and simple. That was all there was to it. He’d be lucky if she managed to stay out of harm’s way for a while, so he wouldn’t have to see her. The farther away from her he stayed, the better.
Reaching his house, Jared let himself in and didn’t even bother to light a lamp. He’d definitely had too much to drink, and he didn’t care. He went straight into his bedroom and, after taking off his boots and gun belt, fell across the bed.
Sleep claimed him almost instantly. Instead of the deep, dreamless rest he’d hoped for, though, his sleep was filled with images of Tessa. He saw her as she’d looked driving the stage into town single-handedly. He saw her coming down the steps at the boardinghouse wearing pants. He saw her in her gown the night of the dance. He saw her fighting off Boyd and then running straight into Jared’s arms. He saw her as she’d been the night before, curled up against him, sleeping. Jared did not awaken, but slept on through the night. Whiskey was a wonderful potion.
Tessa stood alone on the back porch enjoying the quiet of the night and the bright moon in the star-studded sky. She was thrilled to be home and safe. The celebration tonight had been wonderful. She was truly blessed to be so loved. They had ended up with a houseful by the time Julie’s parents joined them.
Tessa had found herself watching for Jared and hoping that he would come. When the celebration had started, she’d sent Sludge to Jared’s house to invite him to join them. Sludge had returned a short time later with the news that the marshal was not at home. She’d been surprised how disappointed she felt. She had wanted to see him again.
There had been no mistaking that Will had seemed particularly pleased when Jared didn’t show up. Will had stayed by her side most of the evening, dominating her, being solicitous of her every wish. It had nearly driven her crazy. She’d been glad when everyone had decided to call it an evening and go home. It had forced Will to leave, too, and she’d been relieved.
“Tessa?”
The sound of Will’s voice startled her. “Will?”
“I was hoping you’d still be up. I started to go back to my room, but I wanted to see you one more time,” he said as he appeared out of the shadows.
She had an eerie feeling about him, and she wondered how long he’d been hanging around the house. “I was just about ready to go in,” she said.
He came up Steve’s newly repaired steps to join her. “I know it’s late and you must be exhausted after what you’ve just been through, but I wanted you to know how happy I am that you’re safe. I was really worried about you.”
She looked up at him in the moonlight. Will wasn’t an unattractive man, yet she felt no physical attraction to him. If anything, the complete seriousness of his expression concerned her.
“Thank you, Will.”
“Tessa.” He moved nearer, lifting one hand to touch her cheek. “I’ve found that I care about you—deeply. When I thought you’d been harmed, well, wild horses couldn’t have kept me from riding with that posse. I had to help find you. I had to make sure you came home safely,”
“I know—”
“Tessa.” Her name was almost a groan as Will took her in his arms and kissed her.
She’d instinctively sensed it was coming, but she didn’t react quickly enough to avoid his embrace. She suffered his hungry kiss for a mo
ment and then finally reached up to push him gently away. “Will, please don’t.”
“But Tessa, I care about you.”
Tessa tried to be sympathetic as she answered, “I think of you as a friend, Will. I’m sorry, but I just don’t feel that way about you.”
Will stared down at her, fighting with all his might to control his temper. How dared she refuse him? He wanted to throttle her, to force her to his way of thinking, but he controlled the urge with an effort.
“I see.” It was all he could say.
“I’d better go in now, Will. Good night.”
Tessa moved away from him and went inside, closing and locking the door behind her.
Will stood rigidly on the porch for only a moment longer, then furiously stalked off into the night. He was going to have to rethink his plans.
Tessa stayed in the darkness of the hallway, waiting for Will to leave. When he finally walked off, she breathed a sigh of relief. She’d known that Will had feelings for her, but she’d never expected him to declare himself. She wasn’t interested in him. He worked the mine for her and she did like him as a person, but she had no romantic interest in him whatsoever.
Tessa made her way upstairs and undressed. After donning her nightgown, she sought the soft comfort of her solitary bed. She’d hoped she would fall asleep easily, but it didn’t happen. She lay in the dark, remembering how wonderful it felt to be lying in the safe haven of Jared’s arms. Will intruded on her thoughts then, and she immediately wished that she’d had Jared there to protect her this evening on the porch. She’d missed him tonight at their little party, and she missed him now.
Tessa made up her mind to find Jared and thank him for all he’d done for her. If he hadn’t ridden out ahead of the posse, God only knew what would have been her ultimate fate at Boyd’s hands. He might have killed her. Jared had truly been her guardian angel. The thought of him with wings and a halo made her smile.
When she finally fell asleep, her sleep was dreamless and contented.
Chapter Eighteen
Tessa left the house late in the morning the following day. She was on her way to Jared’s office to speak with him when she met Elise on the street.
“Tessa, it is so good to see you!” Elise said, giving her a quick, warm hug. “I’m glad Jared found you in time. That must have been terrifying for you.”
“It was,” Tessa responded. “I was very blessed that everything turned out as well as it did.”
“It’s wonderful that Jared was able to go after you and track you down so quickly. He came by the newspaper office late last night and was telling us about it. The world is well rid of Boyd Wilson.”
“Speaking of Jared, I was just on my way to his office to see him. I wanted to thank him for what he did.”
“Oh, well, I guess you don’t know. . . .”
“Know what?”
“He hasn’t shown up at work this morning,” Elise said, making sure she sounded concerned, although she was sure she knew exactly why Jared hadn’t shown up.
“He hasn’t? Is something wrong?”
Elise shrugged. “I went over to ask a few follow-up questions for the article I’m writing for the paper and only Deputy Wells was there.”
“That is unusual.” Tessa was surprised and worried. She had really wanted to talk to Jared today. “Do you suppose something’s wrong with him?”
“He’s so dedicated, only illness would keep him home. If he is sick, he doesn’t have anyone to help him. He lives alone,” Elise said, trying not to smile. She knew Tessa would help anyone who needed aid. “Maybe you should check in on him at his house.”
“You’re right. I’ll stop by and see how he is.” She was frowning.
“I’ll see you later then.” Elise watched Tessa head off toward Jared’s house, and she finally allowed herself to smile. She loved playing Cupid.
As was normal for him, Jared awakened at first light. He immediately regretted it. Jared couldn’t remember a time in his life when he’d had such a bad headache, and he knew he had no one to blame but himself. He fleetingly thought about arresting Trace for supplying him with liquor, and then laughed. The laughter hurt, so he stopped laughing. He was very glad now that he’d told Nathan he might not be in early today. The way he felt, he had no intention of showing up until later—much later. He was even considering taking a day off, and that was very unusual for him. He got up long enough to close all the curtains, and then went back to bed.
Several hours passed before Jared finally forced himself to get up. He pulled on his boots, washed, and thought about eating, but decided against it. He was tempted to take another drink to ease the pain and was glad that he didn’t keep any liquor in the house.
Thoughts of Tessa and his conversation with Trace and Elise last night intruded on his misery, and only made him more irritable. He’d seen the way she was with Will, but he remembered, too, the sweetness of the kisses they had shared before the campfire. Jared tried to convince himself that that had only happened because she’d been terrified and needed comforting, but something in his heart told him different.
He scowled.
The knock at the door surprised him. No one usually came by to see him, and he liked it that way. He was a man who valued his privacy. Jared was growling to himself as he made his way to open the door. He knew it had to be important if someone had bothered to come over. He wondered what could have gone wrong now.
When he saw Tessa standing there, he knew what had gone wrong.
“What are you doing here?” he demanded curtly, shielding his eyes a bit from the glare of the sun.
Tessa was taken aback by the coldness of his greeting. She was surprised, too, by his appearance. He looked totally disreputable this morning. He hadn’t shaved and his clothes were rumpled. “I was going to your office when I heard you might be sick. I came by here to see if you needed anything.”
“Who told you I was sick?” Jared snapped.
“I met Elise, and she said—”
“I can just imagine what she said,” he broke in. Squinting at Tessa in the sunlight, he went on. “I thought I told you to stop helping people.”
Tessa knew when she wasn’t welcome, and she stiffened at his verbal attack. “You’re in a bad mood today. All I wanted to do was thank you for everything you did for me. That was why I was going to the office in the first place.”
“Fine,” Jared said tersely, trying not to notice how beautiful she looked. He was staring at her lips and remembering how sweet they’d tasted. He remembered a lot more, too. In spite of his headache, he found he wanted to take her in his arms. Jared wondered miserably if Trace and Elise had been right, but in an act of pure self-defense, he bit out, “You’re welcome. Now go away and leave me alone.”
Tessa was surprised by the change in him. He had been so kind and thoughtful yesterday, and now he was so cold and rude. She wondered why. “Are you sure you want me to leave you alone? If you’re really sick—”
“I’m not sick! I’m hungover! And, no, damn it, I don’t want you to leave, but you’d better—if you know what’s good for you.” His last words sounded almost like a threat.
She was shocked. “I don’t understand.”
Jared was trapped as he stood there staring at her. God, but she was beautiful. He wanted her so badly. His body was aching with the need to be one with her, but he knew it wouldn’t work between them. He knew he should insist she leave now. He knew he should send her away from him.
But he didn’t.
He took her by the arm and pulled her inside. Without saying a word, he shoved the door shut to give them privacy, and then he kissed her. It was a hot, passionate exchange that told her without words everything he was feeling.
Tessa melted against him, linking her arms around his neck and returning his kiss without reserve.
“I care about you, Tessa,” Jared said in a hoarse voice when he ended the kiss and miserably put her from him. “But it’ll never work between us.�
��
She hadn’t wanted to move away from him, and she stared up at Jared in confusion. “Why not?”
He shook his head and took a step back, deliberately putting more distance between them. He was too tempted by her nearness to think straight. “Because we’re too different.”
“Oh, no, we’re not,” she countered, closing on him. “Whether you’ll admit it or not, we are just alike. We both help people in trouble.”
“No, I—”
“You put yourself in danger coming after me,” she challenged, interrupting him. “Boyd could have killed you!”
“That’s because it’s my job,” he said.
“That’s because you chose to make it your job. You want to help people. Everyone goes to you when they’re in trouble and need help. They know they can count on you. They know they can trust you. How can you think that you don’t help others?” She moved to stand right before him and, lifting one hand, she gently caressed his cheek. “You are just like your father.”
Pain that had nothing to do with his hangover stabbed at Jared’s heart. He stood there, staring down at Tessa, experiencing emotions he hadn’t allowed himself to feel in years.
If he loved, he was vulnerable.
If he loved, he could be hurt.
“I love you, Tessa.” The words were torn from him.
“I love you, Jared,” she whispered, tears filling her eyes as she rose on tiptoe to press her lips to his.
His arms surrounded her in a fierce embrace. He crushed her to his chest as he deepened the kiss, and she gloried in his need. Jared lost himself in the wonder of Tessa’s nearness. She fit against him perfectly, and he never wanted to let her go. Desire surged through him, and he stifled a groan as he ended the kiss and just stood there holding her.
“You should go now,” he said hoarsely, savoring the feel of her, the scent of her.
“But I came here to make you feel better,” Tessa said in a husky voice as she gazed up at him. She could see he was exerting rigid self-control, trying not to let things get out of hand, but the siren in her was lured on by the challenge of seeing if she could break his will.
