Darlin' Druid

by Lyn Horner

  Tye and her father were her only living kin, and from her comments it was clear her “da” hadn’t wanted her to leave home. Thinking she ought to have listened to him, David now asked, “What made you decide to head west with your brother?”

  She threw him a hasty glance and shrugged. “Oh, I simply wanted to see the country,” she replied casually – a little too casually.

  He would bet his last dollar there was more to it than that, but again he didn’t press her, figuring it wasn’t his business, especially since they would soon part ways. Oddly, that prospect did not bring the sense of relief it should have brought him. He’d grown used to having Jessie with him, to seeing her lovely face and hearing her voice – and to baiting her just so he could watch her bluebonnet eyes flash with temper. Despite his firm belief that she wasn’t the woman for him, he realized he was going to miss her. But he would forget her soon enough, he told himself uneasily.

  Needing to think about something else, he said, “You haven’t mentioned the Chicago Fire. You and your family must have lived through it last year, didn’t you?”

  She eyed him uncertainly. “Aye, we did, but ʼtisn’t a pleasant tale. I don’t wish to burden ye with it.”

  “I’d like to hear about it, first hand so to speak.” He settled more comfortably against the tree trunk and motioned for her to begin.

  “Very well, but don’t say I didn’t warn ye.” Smiling wryly, she launched into her story. “I’ve no memory of the tenement where I was born in New York City. I grew up in Chicago, in the wee cottage Mam and Da worked hard to pay for, and I can tell ye ʼtwas painful watching the fire swallow up our home as we fled that terrible Sunday night. But we were luckier than most because we had a horse and wagon, and we were able to save a few of our belongings.

  “The fire started on the West Side but it quickly jumped the narrow southern branch of the Chicago River to the South Side where we lived. By then ʼtwas unstoppable. There was a vicious wind that carried burning embers everywhere and raised sheets of flame that flapped in the air like huge red-orange sails. The heat and the smell were awful. And the noise! People shouting and screaming, children crying, horses neighing in terror, and above it all the fire roaring at our backs like some monstrous beast. My blood runs cold just thinking of it.”

  Shivering, she hastened on as if the fire still dogged her steps. “Da had all he could do to control Nell, our mare, and keep her from rearing and overturning the wagon. Somehow he managed and we made it across the main branch of the river to the North Side ahead of the fire, with the bridges burning behind us. Only the good Lord knows how many people died trying to cross them. God rest their souls,” she said, crossing herself.

  “Then the flames leapt the river again, carried on the cursed wind. There was no where left to run except to the lake – Lake Michigan, that is. I remember Da driving Nell into the water, forcing her out until she was up to her shoulders and water sloshing in the wagon. We weren’t alone. There must have been thousands like us, soaked to the skin and shaking with cold. And there we stayed through the night and into the next day, watching the city burn.”

  Jessie went silent and stared off into the distance. Sensing she needed a few moments to shake off the scene that held her in its grip, David watched sunlight flicker through the leaves above and play upon her auburn hair and creamy skin.

  She sighed at last and finished her story. “The fire finally burned itself out in the wee hours of Tuesday morning, more than thirty hours after it began. That’s when the rain came. We hadn’t seen a drop for weeks before the fire.” She shook her head. “If only it had come two days sooner.”

  David longed to gather her close and comfort her but resisted the urge, knowing he wouldn’t be able to stop there. Clearing his throat, he remarked, “Life must have been pretty hard afterward.”

  She shrugged. “Relief stations opened up even before the last flames died and supplies poured in from all over the country, but you’re right, ’twas hard. Everyone who didn’t flee to relatives or friends lived out on the prairie or in Lincoln Park. The waterworks survived but the pumps were ruined, so the only way we could get clean water was to fetch it from an artesian well, often a mile or two away. And nothing but ashes and ruins everywhere ye looked.”

  “You didn’t live outside all winter?” he questioned in alarm.

  “No, the shelter committee, God bless ’em, put up small cabins as fast as they could. We were settled in one before the worst of the cold set in. We were lucky once again because we still had Nell and the wagon. Thanks to that, Tye and Da found work hauling debris down to the lakeshore and carting supplies for one of the rebuilding crews. Only until McCormick’s reaper factory reopened, of course. Then they returned to their old jobs there.”

  “And you? What did you do?”

  She made a face. “Oh, I took in laundry until the hotels started to reopen. Then I found work as a maid, the same as before the fire.”

  David had to admire her courage. Taking in laundry when she had to haul water from a well a mile or more away must have been one hell of a job. Out of questions, he went back to watching her. His gaze lingered on her tempting lips, then slid over a satin-smooth cheek to the silky hair he longed to bury his face in. One long, fiery lock led his eyes downward to her rounded breasts, and hot blood surged into his loins, rapidly straining his self-control.

  Unaware of her effect upon him, Jessie set aside her memories and pondered the drastic changes in David today. During the ride out here she’d sat stiffly beside him, distrusting his sudden friendliness. But now, with the soft wind brushing her face, the sights and scents of nature surrounding her, and David relaxed beside her, she found herself happy in his company. Had she given up on him too soon? When it was almost too late, was she finally seeing the real man?

  She wondered again if she should tell him about her vision. She’d been tempted to tell him when he had asked what prompted her to come west with Tye, but she feared he would think her mad as a hatter. Yet, if she didn’t say or do something, she was going to lose him. They would say good-bye when he reached his post in Wyoming, and she would never see him again.

  She looked at him from the corner of her eye. One long, blue-clad leg stretched out on the plaid blanket next to her. The other was drawn up, with his left forearm resting on his knee, his hand loosely flexed. His right arm lay cradled in the black sling against his chest – where she yearned to be, she admitted.

  She turned her head, her gaze sweeping upward, and found him raptly staring at her. At her breasts, to be exact. Jessie’s breath caught and her heart began to thunder against her ribcage.

  David looked up, not adoringly as in her dreams, but with desire shimmering in his eyes, stealing her ability to move or think. Slowly straightening, he brought his hand up and feathered her cheek with his knuckles. She sighed in delight at his touch, drawing his gaze to her lips. Then he tunneled under her hair, curling his warm hand around her nape, causing her eyelids to grow heavy and making her long to melt against him. His thumb stroked a sensitive spot below her ear, and she shivered as fire shot through her veins.

  He leaned closer and she swayed toward him, letting her eyes close. His lips claimed hers with tender urgency and his arm encircled her, seeking to pull her against him, but his bound right arm lay between them. Interrupting their kiss, he impatiently ripped off the sling and tossed it aside, then took her fully into his arms and reclaimed her mouth.

  Jessie’s deep yearning for him, for the man she had come so far to find, burst forth, driving out fear and silencing rational thought. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him back, not timidly like that first time in the bedroom, but with unbridled ardor, welcoming his exploring tongue.

  Her eagerness stunned David. His fierce desire for her had overridden his determination not to touch her, but he’d half expected her to draw back and slap him. Instead, he tasted wild response. Groaning, he molded her soft curves against him, more conscious of the throbbing
in his groin than the ache in his shoulder. He ran his hands up and down her back, then slipped one between them to caress her breasts.

  She caught her breath but offered no protest. Feeling her nipples harden through the fabric of her gown, he circled one taut crest with his thumb. She moaned into his mouth and clung to him.

  “Jessie!” he groaned, kissing her eyes, her cheeks, the shell of her ear. “Sweetheart, you don’t know how much I’ve wanted this.”

  “David,” she moaned, her voice thick with passion.

  Nibbling her earlobe and the tender place below it, he reveled in her trembling response. He could lay her down on the blanket and take her right here; he doubted she would even resist. Exalting at the thought, he seduced her mouth again with his tongue while his hand moved to the top button of her bodice, eager to explore her soft flesh.

  He opened one button and another; then he stopped.

  What the hell was he doing? She was just a girl, a virgin for God’s sake! She might be willing, but he knew that was only because she’d suddenly discovered the power of her own desires. He had to stop.

  But she felt so good, tasted so sweet. And Lord help him, he wanted her so much. So you’ll steal her virginity and then walk away?

  No, dammit! He couldn’t do that, and the only alternative was marriage. Did he want to marry Jessie Devlin? Again the answer was no. He wasn’t going to tie himself to an impulsive young girl who would likely hate living on a dusty frontier army post – or a remote Texas ranch. Who would also come to hate him.

  Abruptly breaking off their kiss, he drew a startled gasp from Jessie as he pushed her away. Breathing hard, he held her at arm’s length and pinned her with a furious glare as he fought to harness his raging desire. Damn her bluebonnet eyes, she needed to learn a lesson! The next man she kissed like that might not bother to restrain himself.

  Struggling for breath, Jessie clung to his arms and stared at him in confusion, wondering why he glowered at her so. Then the reason struck her – she’d behaved like a wanton, encouraging him to take scandalous liberties. Oh God, what he must think of her!

  “Changed your mind about what’s proper, Jessie?” he taunted. “Should I show you where that kind of kissing leads?”

  She shook her head in dismay. “I didn’t mean to –”

  “Come to think of it, maybe I’ve held back the past few days when you really wanted me to take you.” He smiled coldly. “How about it, sweetheart, want me to show you what it’s like? If you do, just say the word. Only don’t expect me to feel obligated later.”

  “Nooo!” she whimpered, sickened by his cruel attack. She’d lost her head, but she didn’t deserve this. How could he hold her and kiss her and whisper sweet words one moment, then be so hurtful the next? She twisted out of his grasp and scrambled to her feet.

  “I hate ye!” she shrieked, tearing off the shawl he’d given her and throwing it at him.

  David caught it and rose to face her in one lithe motion, as if the wound in his shoulder didn’t even exist. His enraged expression drove Jessie back several steps.

  “Is that so?” he snarled. “Then get back to the damn buggy! Before I forget I’m supposed to be a gentleman and you’re supposed to be a decent woman!”

  Believing him capable of any wickedness at that moment, she gave a frightened cry, picked up her skirts and ran, sobbing, toward where the horse and buggy stood in the shade of a tall cottonwood tree. Hot, choking tears streamed down her face, blurring her vision, causing her to trip over a snag in the underbrush. Her hand shot out, grabbing the smooth trunk of a young sapling. She steadied herself and ran onward.

  Moments later, she sat hunched on the buggy seat, fighting to suppress her tears, not very successfully, when David strode up to the buggy. He’d donned his hat and coat and the black sling was back in place, supporting his right arm. Turning her face away, she ignored him as he shoved the picnic basket and blanket under the seat, then climbed in beside her. When he tossed the ivory shawl into her lap, she jumped.

  “Keep it or burn it, I don’t give a damn which,” he growled.

  Jessie clutched the silk wrap, wishing she could strangle him with it, and huddled away from him on the narrow seat. Not only did she hate him, she hated herself for letting him reduce her to such a miserable state. Sniffing loudly, she searched for her handkerchief but couldn’t find it. She must have forgotten to put one in her pocket that morning.

  David snorted disgustedly, fished inside his open coat, and thrust his large handkerchief into her hands. “Here. Wipe your face and stop crying, unless you want to explain your red eyes to Milly Cooper. She might jump to the wrong conclusion, and I might end up in another fight, with your brother this time. Maybe you’d like that. But I promise you I won’t be forced into a shotgun wedding.”

  Jessie glared daggers at him. “Don’t flatter yourself!” She blew her nose to clear it, then told him exactly what she thought of him. “You’re a vile, unfeeling ogre, David Taylor! I wouldn’t have ye for my husband if ye were the last man on earth.”

  He slanted her a mocking grin. “Seems like we agree on one thing at least, Jessie. Because I’d never pick a reckless, bad-tempered little witch like you for my wife, either.”

  “Begorra! How dare ye call me bad-tempered after the way you’ve treated me? By the saints, I can’t wait to be free of ye!”

  A muscle flexed angrily along his jaw. “Yeah, well, another day or two and you’ll get your wish. And I reckon it won’t take you long to forget me.” He sent her a hard green glance. “Same as I’ll forget you.”

  She flinched at his cutting remark, wanting to call him every ugly name she could think of. But that would only confirm everything he’d said about her. Refusing to give him that satisfaction, she wrapped herself in angry silence and stared straight ahead during the ride back to town.

  So much for her cursed visions!

  The rest of the day passed in a desolate blur, with Jessie fending off Milly Cooper’s worried questions about her numb silence. Later, after Tye and Mr. Cooper returned from the emporium, she pretended everything was fine. She caught Tye’s watchful gaze upon her, however, and knew he sensed all was not fine, but even if she could bring herself to tell him what had happened, she didn’t dare. Not with David’s warning echoing in her head. She didn’t want him to get into a fight with her brother. He was in no condition for that, and no matter how much he had hurt her, she refused to be responsible for him getting hurt again.

  By the next evening, when the moment came to bid the Coopers thank you and farewell at the train depot, Jessie was able to smile as she hugged Milly good-bye. She would sorely miss this woman who had quickly become a good friend, the kind she’d so seldom had.

  “Promise you’ll write and let me know how you are, dear,” Milly implored, dabbing at her damp eyes.

  “Aye, I promise,” Jessie vowed, knuckling tears from her own eyes.

  “And do tell me if anything should develop along the way to your destination.” She cut a pointed glance at David, who was shaking hands with her husband.

  Jessie sniffed and nodded, knowing nothing would change between David and herself. Giving Milly a final quick hug, she turned and ran for the train.

  Then she was heading west again, with her brother beside her and David seated across from them. Fury toward him simmered in her heart, mingling with bleak despair over her lost dreams. Lost because of him! Determined to ignore him, she stared fixedly out the window, watching the landscape turn gray and fade to black as the sun went down.

  Unfortunately, Tye wasn’t content to let her brood in peace. He kept trying to draw her into conversation with David and him. When she rebuffed his efforts, he began to tease her about her stony silence. She was in no mood for that.

  “I’m too tired to talk,” she snapped, releasing her pent-up anger on him. “Besides, I’m not about to prattle mindlessly the way you do.”

  He scowled at her. “Well, do forgive me, Mistress Devlin, for distu
rbing you. I had in mind lightening your mood, but I should have considered your waspish temper.”

  Tye spoke not another word to her for the rest of the night. On top of that, Jessie hated knowing David had witnessed the episode. Attempting to ignore both men, she sought escape in sleep but found it difficult to doze off. By morning, she was aching with fatigue and about to go out of her mind from being caged up with her blue-coated nemesis for so long.

  When the train completed its climb to Sherman, at the summit of the LaramieMountains in southeastern WyomingTerritory, Jessie gazed out her window morosely. The highest point on the Union Pacific route according to her tourist’s guide, the wind-swept little railroad stop only added to her gloom. Yet, she would have gladly returned there a short time later when the train inched its way onto the DaleCreekBridge.

  Jessie swallowed hard as she read a sign warning engineers to slow their locomotives to four miles per hour before crossing the high wooden trestle. Then an ocean of empty space opened beneath her window. Heart pounding with fear, she stared down into the rocky gorge, through which a narrow stream flowed. She’d always been afraid of heights; this threatened to suck the breath out of her.

  Beside her, Tye was on his feet, craning his neck to see. “Bejaysus! It has to be over a hundred feet down! What a job it must have been building the thing!”

  Jessie heard a rushing noise, spots danced before her eyes, and the world began to spin around her. Then someone was shaking her, hard. With an effort, she managed to focus her eyes and saw David leaning forward, gripping her arm. He wore an oddly concerned frown, she noticed absently as the rushing noise in her ears began to recede.

  “Don’t look down!” he barked.

  “Let go,” she mumbled, resenting his high-handedness even in her feeble state. She made a weak attempt to pull free, but he only shook her harder.