The Damaged Heroes Collection [Box Set #1: The Damaged Heroes Collection] (BookStrand Publishing Mainstream)

by James, Sandy

  “Damn right.”

  Leveling a hard stare at James, Cain shook his head. “Can’t allow that. Daniel deserves to be happy, and he ain’t been happy since Miz Elizabeth died. He saved me. He saved Hank. We owe him. I’ve gotta get you outta the way. Puttin’ you on a train won’t be enough.” He pointed the gun at James. “Don’t wanna kill you, but I owe Daniel.”

  Susan had seen more than enough. Hardly believing that quiet cowboy would try to shoot her husband, she jumped from behind the tree and ran to James, throwing herself between him and Cain. When she skidded to a stop, she turned to face the threat, not even caring if the gun was now pointed at her.

  “Susan!” James shouted. “Get out of here! He doesn’t want you.”

  As if she’d leave him. She didn’t even cast a look over her shoulder, focusing instead on that frightening revolver. “No. I won’t let him hurt you.”

  A growl rose behind her. “Just go!”

  “I won’t leave you.”

  “Not ’sposed to be like this,” Cain said, still pointing the gun, although he’d subtly shifted his aim and now she appeared to be the target. Better her than her husband. “You don’t know what it was like.”

  Her intuition hadn’t been wrong. This kid didn’t have murder in his heart. He wanted out. Well, she’d keep him talking, hoping somehow in all those words she’d reach him. “You think I don’t know what your life was like? Then tell me. Make me understand what you owe Daniel.”

  Red-rimmed brown eyes stared back at her, and the hand holding the Colt trembled. “We ate garbage. Hank and me. We ate garbage to stay alive. Even caught and ate a couple of rats once. Do you know what it’s like to be that hungry?”

  Her heart was breaking as she pictured the two little boys Daniel had rescued. She shook her head and tried to sniff back sympathetic tears. “I’m so sorry you had to go through that.”

  “I owe Daniel my life. The least I can do is make sure he gets what makes him happy.”

  “And you think Daniel wants me?”

  He nodded before glaring at James. “He’s in the way.”

  Finally, things were starting to make some sense. “You figured if James wasn’t around, I’d marry Daniel. You’re the one who sent Reverend Charles’s horses to run over him, didn’t you?”

  He nodded again. “Didn’t want to, but I had to make Daniel smile again. After Miz Elizabeth died, he didn’t smile no more.” His tear-filled eyes fixed on her face. “He smiled with you.”

  “You took the shot at him too. At the Golden Nugget.” Susan didn’t need for him to confirm what she already knew. “You could have killed him, Cain.”

  The cowboy shook his head, breathing like a hard-run horse. “Didn’t want to kill nobody, but didn’t know what else to do to make sure Daniel got his bride.” His hand shook so hard that Susan feared he might accidently squeeze the trigger. She needed to end this. Now.

  “It’s over, Cain. Let Big Jim go.” Proud that her voice held only a small quaver, she reached deep down to find some calm in the midst of this hurricane. This kid reminded her of a bridge jumper who desperately wanted the cops to talk him out of the fatal dive. If she kept calm, perhaps Cain would back down. She gave him some reasons to see things were really turning out for the best. “Hank has Caroline, just like you wanted. You were a good friend to him.”

  “What about Daniel? You’re ’sposed to marry Daniel.” He stepped to the side and aimed at James again. “I have to do this for Daniel.”

  Susan moved with him, keeping herself as a barrier. A kick to the back of her knees almost dropped her to the ground. She glared over her shoulder and saw James trying to kick her again. “Stop that! I’m trying to save you!”

  His face was red and contorted in a scowl. “And I’m trying to save you! You’re gonna get yourself shot!”

  “Cain won’t shoot me,” she said, glancing back at the cowboy. “Will you, Cain? You’re not a murderer. I know you’re not. You wouldn’t repay Daniel’s kindness with violence. Would you?”

  He dragged the sleeve of his shirt across his eyes, wiping away the tears. “What about Daniel? He wants to marry you.”

  A stubborn shake of her head only seemed to make Cain more upset. “I won’t marry Daniel. I won’t. I’m already married to Big Jim.”

  “Not if I kill him. He’s out of the picture and you’ll marry up with Daniel. Daniel’s done so much for me. I owe him this.”

  “I won’t marry Daniel. I told him at the dance. We’re friends, but that’s all. Even if Big Jim wasn’t around, I wouldn’t marry Daniel.”

  “But—”

  “I know what Daniel did for you, how he took you and Hank in when you were living on the streets. But Daniel wouldn’t want you to do this. You know he wouldn’t. He taught you better.”

  Cain shook his head, but tears still rolled down his cheeks. Murder didn’t live in that boy’s heart. Susan tried a little harder to push him toward doing the right thing. “Listen to me, Cain. I don’t love Daniel. I won’t marry a man I don’t love.”

  When Cain’s arm dropped to his side so the Colt no longer posed an immediate threat, she took a cautious step toward him.

  “I know you’re only thinking of Daniel,” she continued, “of what you think is best for him. Well, I’m not the best. I don’t love him.”

  Cain shook his head and pointed the gun again. His hand shook as if the gun weighed far too much for him to hold up. “You will. You’ll learn to love him.”

  He was waging a mighty battle with his conscience. Susan gave him a little more ammunition. “I won’t marry Daniel because he deserves a woman who can give him all of her heart. Mine was claimed a long time ago.” She advanced another step and held her hand out, not exactly sure what she’d do if he actually placed the gun on her palm. Shit, she’d probably set it off accidentally. “You don’t want to kill him, Cain. You don’t want to kill anyone. Put the gun away or give it to me. Please.”

  He released the cocked trigger and slowly slid the revolver back into the holster. “I…I just wanted Daniel to be happy.”

  “I know,” she replied, not at all surprised her voice sounded shaky. How in the hell hadn’t she collapsed to the ground in relief? “You wouldn’t have killed Big Jim. I know you wouldn’t.”

  He took a step toward James, but Susan held her hands out to stop him. James might have witnessed the struggle Cain had waged, but she didn’t figure a man who’d almost been trampled, dodged a potshot, and been through a kidnapping would be horribly forgiving right away. Not that she would blame him. It was best for everyone if Cain left so Susan could soothe James and his temper. “Go. Just go back to get Hank and Caroline. Li’l Jim and the reverend will be there by now. Go see how things turned out.”

  “You don’t want me to go to the marshal? I should turn myself in.”

  Like she’d send anyone to that ghastly fate. “It’s over. Everyone’s fine. We should all just forget any of this nonsense ever happened.”

  Moving toward his horse, Cain stopped and turned back. “I wouldn’t have…I couldn’t hurt him. I thought I could, but I couldn’t.” He stuffed his foot into the stirrup, threw himself into the saddle, and rode away.

  Chapter 23

  Susan made herself watch until Cain disappeared into the thick woods before turning back and dropping to her knees next to James. “Are…are you…okay?”

  Tears started to stream down her cheeks as she choked back relieved sobs. Her fingers felt thick and clumsy while she tried to untie the knots in the rope binding his wrists. She kept seeing his bullet-ridden body lying in the grass. Three times today, she’d almost lost him. That was three times too many.

  The thickheaded man had the nerve to chuckle as she struggled with the ropes. “Settle down, babe. I’m fine. Just get me loose.”

  “I’m trying.” She wanted to take offense with his scolding tone, but she was simply too happy they were both still alive to let anything he said bother her. As the knot finally opened,
freeing James, she squealed her joy.

  Flexing his fingers, he smiled at her. “Thanks.”

  Susan launched herself at him, landing in his arms and pushing them both back on a cushion of autumn leaves. As she straddled his hips, she cupped his face between her hands and rained kisses over his face. Dear God, she couldn’t have faced life if she’d lost him.

  When her lips finally found his, he wrapped his hand around her neck and held her close as he ravaged her mouth. Thrusting his tongue inside, he stroked it against hers. The contact became a kiss of desperation, of relief, and of passion.

  James sat up, grabbed her by the hips as she wrapped her legs around him. Then he lowered her back to the ground and settled himself against her, all the time kissing her. A hand moved up her leg, pushing her skirts up and out of the way until his fingers found the waistband of her pantalets.

  Going slow wasn’t an option. Consumed with the need to feel him inside her, she kicked off her shoes and wiggled out of the underwear he dragged down her legs. He moved away long enough to get her underwear off. She couldn’t even see him discard his own pants in the darkness. He again settled himself between her thighs.

  Another deep, tongue-dueling kiss stole her ability to think. A stroke of a fabric-covered breast was nice, but she was well past desiring any prelude. She wanted him, needed him, before another wasted minute passed. “Now,” she begged.

  That one word, said in a voice husky and full of need, told James his wife wanted him as desperately as he wanted her. He gave her no argument, abandoning his fumbled efforts at foreplay. With a smile, he thrust himself inside her. Her body felt perfect. So hot, so wet, and all for him. At long last, he felt as if he’d come home.

  Susan moaned her pleasure and pushed her hips hard up against him. She wrapped her legs around his hips as he set a fast and furious rhythm that wasn’t remotely gentle. This coupling was pure passion. That familiar and welcome tension made every muscle tighten. He tried to slow down enough to wait for her, wanting one of those magical moments where they both climaxed together, their hearts beating as one, but her reaction stole all his usual control.

  Susan met him stroke for stroke, letting him pull her along with him in the race for release. Before she even had a chance to whisper a few words of praise and desire, everything inside her shattered. Wave after wave of bliss washed over her as James buried his face against her neck. He hoarsely called her name as he pushed into her one more time and shuddered at his own surrender.

  James could still hear the ringing in his ears for several minutes. His orgasm had been so consuming, he wasn’t sure he’d have enough strength to move for a good, long while. His masculine pride loved the fact that his wife was also breathing hard and heavy. Even if he could dredge up some energy, he didn’t want to move, wishing this moment could last forever.

  He’d never felt closer to her. At the moment his body had exploded in pleasure, he’d felt hers contracting around him. Her passionate response had reached his heart. The urgency and need to be inside her made him fear he’d moved too quickly, not giving her the attention she needed to find her own release. But she’d obviously been just as lost in desire and need.

  “I need to breathe.” Her words and her finger poking into his side broke through his sated haze.

  “Sorry, Suz.” James rolled away, grabbed her underwear, and handed it to her. They dressed in awkward silence, their backs to each other.

  Susan stood to tie the drawstring, then she smoothed her skirts back down. “I can’t believe we did that.”

  His heart seemed to stop beating at the regret he heard in her voice. “Are you sorry?”

  Wide brown eyes turned to him. “Sorry? Are you kidding me?” Fear crossed her features. “Are you sorry?”

  Feelings were running so high the wrong words could turn the sweetness they’d just shared into bitterness. Susan’s lack of self-esteem often put her on the defensive, especially when she thought someone was criticizing her. He chose his words carefully, trying to stop any chance of misunderstanding. “Sorry? For making love to my beautiful and sexy wife? No, babe. That was…fantastic. I thought you might be sorry. I mean, you said you couldn’t believe what we’d done.”

  “That wasn’t because I was sorry. Just feeling a bit…weird. I mean we…you know…in the middle of the woods.”

  “And it was good. Damn good.”

  If there had been enough light, he had no doubt he’d see her blushing. Even after all they’d shared, his wife still blushed whenever they talked about sex. A coy smile crossed her lips. “Damn good.”

  He draped an arm around her shoulder. “Ready to go home?”

  Susan’s mood changed in an instant. “You mean the Golden Nugget?”

  “For now. Until we can find a way home.”

  “You want to go back to Chicago?”

  He shrugged. “I’m not really sure. I love it here. I love working at the bar.”

  “So you want to stay?”

  “I didn’t say that. What I want is what’s best for both of us, and that’s probably getting back to our own time. I guess we’ll have to start looking for that rock.”

  Susan pushed her arms around his neck and gave him a loving kiss that made his body start to harden in interest again. His wife had him absolutely bewitched.

  She kissed him long and deep. As she pulled away, she stared into his eyes. Her cool fingers reached up to trace an eyebrow. “Does your eye hurt?”

  He’d forgotten the shiner Daniel had given him. “Nah. I imagine it looks worse than it feels.”

  Susan nodded before giving him an enigmatic smile, the one that always said she knew something he didn’t.

  “What? What’s flying through that busy mind of yours?”

  “Come with me, James. I’ve got something to show you.”

  She took his hand and led him back into the woods.

  Chapter 24

  “There!” Susan squealed, dancing around like a happy child on Christmas morning.

  Following her gaze, James had to guard his reaction when the enormous, familiar stone came into view. The weight of the disappointment was heavier than he’d expected. He’d hoped for a few more days, if not weeks, to enjoy his job and this beautiful place. Even the horror of his kidnapping didn’t dim the draw he felt to this simpler time. Was he really ready to leave?

  Don’t be selfish. Take your wife home.

  His heart knew what to do, the only right thing to do. But if they left, so much of him would remain behind in River Bend.

  “I’m offering you a choice, James. You get to decide what we do.”

  Surely he hadn’t heard her right. Susan wanted to go back to Chicago. She’d made that plain enough. A choice? What possible choice was there for her to make? “I don’t understand.”

  “The rock. Now that we know where it is, we can go back. But only if you want to. If you want to stay here, I’ll stay with you. What do you think is best?”

  Like he’d tell her the truth. Like James would ever be honest with anyone about what he wanted. His wife. His boss. His father. They always expected him to tow the line. “We’ll go back.”

  “Really?” Her eyes searched his face.

  He wasn’t going to show her his reticence. He’d had plenty of practice hiding his feelings. “Really.”

  His answer obviously pleased her. She rose on tiptoe to kiss him, a quick, butterfly kiss that tied his stomach into nervous knots. He couldn’t disappoint her.

  Susan flashed him a smile that made his insides melt and circled to the opposite side of the rock. If only he shared her confidence. She held her palm above the surface. “Just like last time, right?”

  James drew closer, letting his own hand hover over the stone. What else could he do? There really was no other choice. The joy in her face forced his hand, as did his fears for her future here in the nineteenth century.

  “Ready?” Her brown eyes sparkled in the pink and orange glow of the rising sun.

&n
bsp; He gave her a curt nod, hoping this trip wasn’t nearly as disorienting as the last one.

  “On three. One. Two. Three.”

  Two hands slapped the stone.

  Nothing happened.

  A dismayed gasp escaped Susan’s lips, and she lifted her hand to smack it against the rock’s surface again. Three more hits quickly followed. “I don’t understand.”

  “There’s no noise. Didn’t the stupid thing get really loud last time? Remember?”

  She nodded but seemed to be paying little attention as she continued to hit the rock. When she started pounding her fists against it, James hurried to her, grabbed her hands, and turned her to face him. “Stop. It’s not working.”

  Sobs rose from her chest as tears streamed down her cheeks. “It’s not fair! Here’s the damned rock! Harry said we needed to find it. Why won’t it send us back?”

  “Harry? You mean that old coot from the museum?”

  She nodded.

  “You saw him here? In this time?”

  “He came to me the first day, then I saw him again when I found the rock.”

  “Why didn’t he ever come to see me, too?”

  A ragged sigh slipped from her lips. “He said he didn’t need to, that you accepted this.”

  And so he had. James always felt like he belonged here, and the odd circumstances that brought him here had never really mattered. “I knew there was something weird about that guy. Did he send us here?”

  She wiped away a few more tears. “No. He said destiny did.”

  “Destiny. Keeps popping up, doesn’t it?” At least he got a chuckle from her. “He said you’d have to find the rock to get back to the twenty-first century?”

  Susan nodded as tears brimmed her eyes again. The poor woman had surely been on an emotional rollercoaster for the past few weeks. “I want to go home, James. I want my kids.” She jerked her hands away, whirled back to the rock, and started to hit it again. “I want to go home! I want Lynn! I want John!” A haunted scream fell from her, enough to make James’s heart break as he felt her pain rush through him. “I want…I want my baby back!”