Safe Havens Bundle
Page 70
Easing back, he waited a quick second before plunging in again. “God, you feel good.”
“So do you.”
They were the last words she could speak as he forced her higher and higher, building the tension inside her with each thrust until she thought she’d go mad. Biting his shoulder, she let him know she needed him to plunge faster and deeper.
Caleb obliged her, meeting the rhythm of her rising hips until he panted for breath and she held hers.
The second climax made lights flash behind her closed eyelids, and this time, she cried out his name as she reached the splendor only her husband could give her.
A few fast thrusts, and he joined her, spilling his hot seed deep inside her as he breathed her name in her ear.
“God almighty,” he said as he tucked his face against her neck. His hot breaths brushed over her skin, raising gooseflesh. “You’re gonna kill me one of these days, wife.”
“Thank you, husband.”
Propping himself up on his elbows, he stared into her eyes. “You ain’t said it yet.”
Sara knew what he needed to hear but simply couldn’t resist the urge to tease. “Said what?”
His growl was rather impressive. “Sara…”
“I love you, Caleb Young. With my whole heart.”
Chapter Seventeen
The first suitor arrived only a few minutes past dawn.
Caleb was sipping a cup of coffee when the knock sounded. He’d slept later than usual, feeling a bit tired and more than a little smug. He’d awakened Sara in the wee hours to make love to her again, needing to hear her declarations of love. Nothing had ever sounded as sweet as his wife telling him she loved him while he was deep inside her tight heat.
He’d let her sleep as well, not bothering to wake her when he rose. She’d murmured her displeasure when he’d lifted the covers to get out of bed, but once he tucked the quilts around her, she’d smiled and drifted back into deep sleep. She’d earned the right to catch another hour of rest, and he was quite capable of making his own coffee.
Kayla hadn’t stirred yet, so Caleb didn’t disturb her. He had no idea what to say to the woman and wanted nothing more than to get her out of his house. While he should’ve felt guilty for the predicament he’d forced on her, he knew Drew was right. Kayla would have no trouble finding another man to marry. And Caleb meant every word he’d said to his wife. Sara had saved him from his dreary existence. No other woman could ever mean as much to him, and knowing she carried his child made contentment settle on his soul.
The knocking continued, so Caleb strode to the door and jerked it open, ready to tear into whoever was daring to disturb his peace and quiet.
Dale Jacobs stood on the porch, hat in hand. The normally scruffy farmer had shaved, slicked back his hair, and donned in his Sunday best. He smelled of toilet water, something far too flowery for a burly man like Dale. “I, um, I…heard in town ’bout a new lady stayin’ at your place. Heard she weren’t married or nothin’. I’d be right grateful if you’d introduce me to her.”
Caleb couldn’t stop a laugh when two more men rode up the road to his house as Dale scowled at them.
No, Kayla would have no trouble finding a husband. He also had no doubt his door would be opening the rest of the day to admit her suitors. He, however had a huge problem. How could he prevent fights among the men vying for one of the few single women to ever come to White Pines?
Since he’d made it his responsibility to make sure she ended up with a good man, Caleb leveled a hard stare at Dale. “Ain’t surprised to see you here. I imagine the gossip’s flying around town.”
“Sure is,” Dale said with a nod. “That’s why I got here first. Want to snatch her up a’fore any other bastard does.”
“She ain’t gonna be snatched up, Dale. Sara and I want to be sure she marries proper.”
“Oh, I’m gonna marry her. Wouldn’t disgrace her by draggin’ her to my cabin a’fore I take her to the preacher.” His hands kept working around the brim of his hat, nervously turning it in a circle. “I was here first, Caleb Young. You best let me in or—” Dale’s eyes grew as wide as saucers. “Sweet Jesus.” He let out a low whistle.
Caleb glanced back to find Kayla standing in the room, dressed in her robe. He had to admit she made a pretty picture. Slender yet rounded in all the right places. She’d let her hair down, and the wavy mass swirled around her shoulders.
Looks like hers? She could marry any man she wanted.
Dale tried to push his way into the house.
Caleb blocked Dale’s path and shoved him back with a hard shoulder against his chest. The two other men had dismounted and were racing across the yard toward the house.
He barked at Kayla over his shoulder. “Go wake Sara and get dressed. I’ll deal with these rattlesnakes.”
With a quick nod, she hurried down the hall.
The three men stood clustered in the doorway. On tiptoes, they craned their necks to try to get a glimpse of Kayla. Damn if three more riders weren’t heading toward the farm, and Caleb spotted a wagon in the distance.
“Ain’t none of you coming in,” he said, his voice stern.
All of the men loudly protested that statement.
Caleb just shook his head. “I ain’t setting you pack of hungry wolves on that poor woman’s trail. And I sure as shit ain’t letting you trample mud all over Sara’s clean floor.”
“We got a right to see her!” one of them shouted.
“I was here first!” Dale countered. “Damn your hide, Caleb Young. I had first claim. You know I did.”
“She ain’t a piece of land, Dale. Let Sara and me bring her into town later. We’ll talk to the reverend and see what he thinks is best.”
The grumbling grew louder.
“I ain’t changing my mind. You all go on home. Kayla’s my responsibility, and I’m gonna do right by her.”
“Heard she was s’posed to marry you,” John Tucker said. “Heard you ordered yourself two brides and now you’re fixin’ to keep ’em both.”
“That’s foolish talk,” Caleb replied. While he could have explained, he saw no reason to give any credence to the rumor, even if it was partly true. “Sara’s my wife. Kayla ain’t gonna change that.”
The other riders had reined their horses to skidding halts.
Caleb raised his voice so they could hear as well. “Now, you all best listen to me and heed my words. Kayla Backer ain’t coming out to see none of you. Any of you start sniffing ’round here, I’ll make damn sure you never get to meet her.”
Dale narrowed his eyes. “I ain’t givin’ up that easy. No sir. Ain’t going away without my bride.”
“She ain’t your bride, and no one said you had to give up,” Caleb insisted. “Just want you all off my farm. You want to meet her?” They all nodded, even the two who’d joined them on the now far-too-small porch. “Then you best stop everyone between here and town and tell ’em we’ll bring Miss Backer to town this afternoon. We’ll take her to church, talk to the reverend, then we can make introductions.”
God, he felt like a heel. She’d have her choice of a husband, but she wouldn’t even know the man she picked. He didn’t see any other way to handle her problem, though. These men wouldn’t stop pursuing her, and she couldn’t keep staying with him and Sara. That wouldn’t be fair to his wife, to have a constant reminder that Caleb should’ve married another woman.
All the men started protesting, but Caleb just shook his head. “Told you already, I ain’t changing my mind. So you best get moving. Any more rascals come knocking on my door, we’ll make you all wait one more day for each person who disturbs us. Got it?”
After a lot of griping and whining, they finally gave him their acceptance by nodding and trudging off the porch as though their legs were made of lead.
“Good. Now git! Go on with the lot of you!” He slammed the door, grumbling to himself all the way to the kitchen.
Sara was awake, no doubt from the racket. She
was pouring some of the coffee he’d made into two cups. Damn good thing he’d made a huge pot. The day would require a lot of good, strong coffee to brace all of them.
“Who was that man?” Kayla asked.
Caleb figured the best way to handle the issue was head on. “That there was Dale Jacobs. He works some land north of town. He came to marry you.”
A gasp slipped from her lips. “But he doesn’t even know me. How did he even discover I was here?”
“They,” he calmly corrected.
“I beg your pardon?”
“How many were there, Caleb?” Sara asked.
As astute as she was, it didn’t surprise him she’d quickly understood. “Five, and more on the way.”
Kayla stared at him wide-eyed. “You mean to say there were more men, all here for me?”
Sara nodded. “You’re a single woman—a very pretty single woman—in a territory full of lonely men.”
“But–but surely they weren’t all here simply to see me.” Kayla’s disgruntled frown almost made Caleb laugh.
She really had no idea about the men in the Montana Territory. While there were families, most of the people making their lives here were men. Single men. Had she arrived only this morning, there would’ve already been men waiting for a chance to court her.
He sat down at the table next to his wife, again realizing what a lucky man he was to have been the one who met Sara the day she’d arrived. He’d been even luckier that their misunderstanding of each other didn’t prevent them from taking vows right away. He could’ve lost her to one of the many men who would’ve wanted her, some men who had more money or more land. Certainly some were more attractive.
But she was his. They could scrap like tomcats over Kayla Backer all they wanted. Sara was spoken for.
He took her hand in his, wanting to drag her back to the bedroom and make love to her again. Finding the courage to open his heart had made their bond stronger, and he would’ve been content to stay in bed with his beautiful wife for the next week, doing nothing but making love to her, watching her sew or read, and holding her close at night.
A good blizzard might do the trick.
The world wouldn’t allow them his version of a honeymoon. Not until the matter of Kayla Backer was solved.
“What are we going to do about the men?” Sara squeezed his hand before drawing hers away to cradle her ceramic mug and sip her coffee.
“They ain’t comin’ back.”
“How do you know that?” Kayla still looked as nervous as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs.
“Sent ’em back to town and told ’em to make damned...er...darned sure that every other man they passed knew to stay away from my farm. Told ’em we’ll take you into town this afternoon to see Reverend David. He can help us sort this out.”
Sara shivered once before she reached for Caleb’s hand again. Hearing how the men were clamoring for a chance to win Kayla’s hand reminded her far too much of the hassle men made at The Palace on paydays. Every cowboy and his brother fussed and sometimes fought for the prettiest whore or the one who was their favorite amongst the working girls.
Caleb had saved her from that—from her life of shame and humiliation.
Her heart went out to Kayla, and Sara wished there was another solution to the dilemma. Before she could give voice to her concerns about expecting Kayla to choose a husband from the anxious men of White Pines, a knock sounded.
“Damn it all to Hell.” Caleb shoved his chair back and stood. “Gonna knock some people into the mud if they don’t listen to what I’m telling ’em.”
Sara would have followed if she’d been dressed. Since she and Kayla were in their robes, she didn’t think it was a good idea for them to be greeting company.
“I hate this.” Kayla stared at her cup. “This isn’t what I wanted. Not in the least.”
“What did you want?” Sara asked. She didn’t want to pry, but if they were going to find the best solution to Kayla’s situation, they needed more information. While Kayla obviously came here to accept Caleb’s offer, something had sent her running. Sara felt it in her bones.
Now they needed to know what.
Kayla shrugged and fiddled with the mug. “Does it even matter? Nothing is turning out at all as I expected.”
“Do you wish to stay? Or do you wish to return to St. Louis?”
“There’s nothing for me there.”
“Nothing at all? No family? No friends?”
“Nothing.” Kayla dropped her chin, letting her hair partially curtain her face. “I don’t wish to talk of St. Louis any longer. I cannot believe I have made such a mess of my life.” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
Although Sara hadn’t learned the specifics, she knew one important thing. Kayla was a strong woman who had endured a great deal. Everything about her spoke of being a survivor. She deserved a peaceful future, the same type of future Sara had found in White Pines.
“We’ll make this work, Kayla. I promise you that. You came here looking for a new start, am I right?”
Kayla gave her a brusque nod.
“Then remember one important thing—‘A happy ending cannot come in the middle of a story.’”
“Or so says William Shakespeare.” Drew smiled from where he leaned his shoulder against the entryway to the kitchen.
“Drew!” Sara glanced down at her robe. “Although I am pleased to see you, Kayla and I aren’t dressed properly to receive guests.”
“I’m not a guest, my dear. I’m family.” His gaze shifted to Kayla, who pulled her robe so tightly closed it covered her neck.
Sara would have to explain about Gideon and Drew’s relationship to help put Kayla’s mind at ease. They were not amongst the men clamoring to marry her.
“How are you faring, Miss Backer?” he asked.
Instead of replying, Kayla merely shrugged again.
Knowing Kayla was close to losing the emotional self-control she clearly prized, Sara tried to ease her mind. “I was just explaining to Kayla that we will all work together to solve her situation. We shall be sure her life here is everything she expected, and we shall help her find a husband.”
“Ah, but I have a better solution to propose than marriage,” Drew said, coming into the kitchen and giving Kayla a small bow. “Gideon and I would like to invite you to come live with us.”
Chapter Eighteen
Once Drew extended the invitation, Sara was sure she’d caught his train of thought. “You wish for Kayla to become your housekeeper?”
Drew nodded as Gideon and Caleb joined them in the kitchen.
After striding over to Sara, Drew picked up her hand and brushed a kiss over her knuckles. “As astute as ever, my dear.” Then he turned to Kayla. “Gideon and I are in need of someone to run our household. After meeting you, we could think of no one we would rather have in our home.”
Kayla’s gaze kept darting around the room as though she were lost and confused.
Sara tried to ease her guest’s mind. “Think about it, Kayla. Should you go to live with Gideon and Drew, you will not have to marry so quickly. You’ll have time to meet different men and get to know them better.”
“Marry in haste, repent in leisure,” Gideon added. “Or so I’ve heard...”
“I know nothing of caring for a household,” Kayla said. “Wouldn’t there be gossip should I live with two unmarried men?”
“About that...” Drew looked to Gideon, who gave him a curt nod. “Gideon and I are not men who are seeking wives. Nor, I dare say, would anyone in White Pines pass tales about you being...involved with either of us.”
“Why wouldn’t you want—” Kayla’s eyes widened. “Are you saying...?”
With a sigh, Drew nodded. “Must I say the words?”
Kayla gave him a vigorous shake of her head. “Oh dear. I have never...er... Oh dear.”
“Precisely,” Drew said. His features were pinched, and he was clearly uncomfortable with the topic.
Jean-Claude had once been offered a business venture with a man who was suspected of favoring men rather than women. When that suspicion was confirmed, Jean-Claude ended their association in a very public manner, calling the man an “abomination against God.” Sara had thought that man was kind, nothing more. She shuddered as she remembered he’d committed suicide not long after Jean-Claude’s public shaming. When she’d heard the horrid news, she’d vowed to never judge a person in such an unforgiving and intolerant manner, something Jean-Claude had seemed to enjoy.
She shook her head to try to dislodge the unpleasant memories and focused on the problem at hand. “Drew and Gideon are...discreet. The town accepts them. They are also kind and will pay you a fair salary.”
“What would you need me to do for you?” Kayla asked.
“Cook,” Drew replied. “Clean. Keep our clothes washed. Perhaps assist us with our gardening. All the things that men seem less than capable of performing adequately.”
“We’d give you room, board, and, as Sara said, a salary,” Gideon added.
Sara thought their proposition was a wonderful solution, not only for Kayla but for herself. If Kayla was set up as a housekeeper, perhaps the townsfolk wouldn’t feel the need to swap stories about unintended brides.
“Think of it, Kayla. They live only a short distance from here. You and I could visit often.” The words were out before she realized how much Kayla must dislike her. While Sara and Caleb had taken her in, Kayla wouldn’t have needed a home if Sara hadn’t stolen Caleb. “Of course you wouldn’t have to come here again. Should you wish, you would never have to see me again unless our paths crossed in town.”