Sam Hamilton was a widower, a rather rough version of his son, and he smiled shyly at the elegant young woman standing before him. Belle, who at fifteen resembled the two men in a pretty, feminine way, was unused to girls who looked like Mariah and merely gaped until her brother nudged her arm. “Pleased to meet you, Miss Randall! We hardly ever seen such ladies as you up here.” Her hazel eyes shone in admiration of Mariah’s traveling outfit of pale, dove-gray and the wide, belled skirt. “Is that the latest fashion in St. Louis?”
Mariah smiled indulgently at the girl’s obvious need for feminine companionship but before she could answer, Clay broke in. “It’s not polite to question a lady about her apparel, Belle.” He seemed flushed with embarrassment at what he considered his sister’s lack of polish and apologized to Mariah. She hurried to assure him that she hadn’t been the least offended.
“I’m looking forward to getting to know you, Belle. Perhaps after I’ve settled in at the Bitterroot, we can go riding together and discuss the latest fashions.” Belle brightened considerably and excitedly agreed.
Sam suggested they all go ashore. “We got a small welcome home shindig planned, son.” When Clay’s face fell at the news, he hastened to assure him Mariah was a welcome guest.
“It’s not that, Pa. I promised Miss Randall I’d join her and Bryant on the way to the Bitterroot. I can’t go back on my promise!.”
Sam and Belle both looked so miserable at the news that Mariah was touched by their crestfallen expressions. Without considering the consequences, she blurted, “Please, Clay…stay in town for the party. I’m sure your family’s been looking forward to this celebration for weeks now. Mr. Bryant can escort me as planned.” Clay was literally stuck in the middle. His father’s face had brightened at Mariah’s suggestion. Now, if he refused, Mariah might consider him insensitive. “Can’t you stay for the party?” he pleaded. “When we return home, we can escort you to the ranch.”
Mariah had already begun to have second thoughts about her glib proposal but the thought of Jared Bryant’s amused mockery if she informed him she was staying in town, decided her. I refuse to let him think he scared me, she thought rebelliously. “I really am anxious to reach the ranch and settle in, Clay. I’m sure my sister is expecting us soon.” She flashed a dazzling smile that included all three members of the Hamilton family. “I appreciate your concern and your kind invitation but perhaps some other time?”
The wagon rolled up to the dock, Jared’s mount reined in behind it. “I see Mr. Bryant is ready to leave. I mustn’t keep him waiting.” Clay reluctantly walked her over to the wagon, uneasily turning her over to Bryant’s care. Jared jumped down to speak to the Hamiltons a moment.
“You get prettier every time I see you, Belle!” The young girl blushed under Jared’s steady regard and turned a deeper rose shade as he added in an aside to her father, “Sam, you’ll have to take care with her. Isn’t a man around for miles who wouldn’t want to come calling on her.” The older man beamed proudly, his arms resting affectionately on the shoulders of both his children. “Clay, you ready to move out?” Jared asked.
Clay’s voice was full of regret as he admitted the change in plans. Only Mariah could hear the triumphant irony in Jared’s comment, “Sorry to hear that, Clay, I was looking forward to your company.” His eyes clashed with hers for the briefest moment before Mariah turned her back on him to bid farewell to Clay.
“I hope you’ll remember your promise to call on me, Clay. I’ll be looking forward to seeing you again.” He blushed under her warm, green-eyed gaze and assured her he could never forget. Mariah was assisted aboard the wagon and as she tried to settle into the hard seat, Jared shouted to the team and the wagon rumbled off. Holding on to the edge of the seat, she threw him a spiteful glance and turned to wave at the Hamiltons. She had only a brief glimpse of Myer’s Landing as Jared drove the team through. Once clear of the town, he slowed the horses to a gentle trot.
“You did that on purpose, didn’t you?” Mariah accused. She had eased her tense grip on the seat’s rough edge and was breathing easier now that they had slowed.
“Don’t know what you’re referring to, ma’am.” Jared allowed a grieved, hurt tone to creep into his voice. “You seem to think I enjoy irritating you. Can’t see where you ever got that impression!” The silent laughter in his voice set Mariah’s green eyes afire with antagonism. “Really, we’ve got a two-day trip in front of us…Don’t you think we ought to call a truce?”
The man was detestable! He was forever laughing at her. She stiffened her back, refusing to even glance his way. “We have nothing to discuss. You are without a doubt the rudest, most insolent man I’ve ever had the misfortune to meet and I refuse to condone your behavior by conversing with you. Kindly leave me alone.”
His laughter boomed out, mocking her stiff reserve. “Have it your way, princess, but two days is a long time to stay silent. Never have met a female who’s been able to keep quiet for more than fifteen minutes.” Jared urged the team to a faster pace, ignoring Mariah’s anger as she clutched the seat again to maintain her balance.
Two hours later, Mariah was forced to break her vow of silence and ask him to stop. The sun was blistering, and not a cloud rolled by to ease the heat. Miserably uncomfortable, Mariah patted delicately at her damp neck and forehead with a lace handkerchief. How could Bryant look so cool and unruffled? Not a hair was out of place nor was there a damp spot on him. In a tightly controlled voice, Mariah asked him for the water canteen.
Jared smiled crookedly as he reached past her into the wagon bed. “I have to give you credit…You lasted longer than I thought you would!” He handed her the canteen, watching as she wet her handkerchief to blot at her forehead. Ebony tendrils stuck damply to the sides of her delicate oval face. A brief flicker of sympathy overcame him and he offered to let her rest for fifteen minutes. With the same stubborn pride he’d noticed on the boat, she pursed the exquisite lines of her mouth into tightness. “If you were smart,” he suggested, “you’d take off a few layers of petticoats and make yourself comfortable. We’ve still got a long way to go before we make camp for the night.”
“You needn’t pretend to worry over my comfort, Mr. Bryant,” Mariah said haughtily. “Please don’t stop on my account.”
Exasperated, Jared pulled out, whipping the team to a gallop. He was getting damned tired of her moods. Mariah Randall’s problem was that she’d never met anyone willing to put her in her place. He drove the horses furiously, pushing the animals as much as he dared, growing ever more angry and determined to overcome her maddeningly superior attitude. Finally, around five-thirty, they came to a water hole and he decided to make camp for the night. A small stand of young pines circled the water, casting a veil of welcome shade over it. Beside him, Mariah let out the smallest sigh of relief at seeing that they were stopping. Jared jumped down, placed his hands around the diminutive waist and lifted her to the ground beside him, purposely holding her longer than was necessary. Mariah stared up at him, too tired to display any spirit and waited until he tired of his game and released her.
“I don’t suppose you’ll be any help making camp,” he said in a derogatory manner. Actually he hadn’t expected her to know anything about work at all. One look at her smooth, white hands revealed she hadn’t had any experience at any strenuous activity, but he was just tired and ornery enough to try and goad her into a reply. He was immediately sorry when she flinched as though he’d struck her, and her eyes shone a brighter green in anticipation of tears.
“If you’ll tell me what to do, I’ll try to help.” Her face was tired and pale, her clothes dusty and stained from the trail, but she refused to let him assume all the work. Again it was pride that stiffened her back and gave her strength. She bit her lip to hold back the tears, when he cursed and ordered her to find a place to sit, out of his way. He stalked away, missing the frustration in her expression. First he accuses me of laziness, then he treats me like a helpless child, she thought.
She spied a large, well-worn boulder and dejectedly slumped down on it. She had already been made aware she wasn’t fit for life out here and she had yet to meet the half-sister who had expressed the same belief. She sniffed quietly as Jared returned to camp with a load of firewood in his arms. He dumped it close to the water’s edge, in a small clearing by the pool. Even while she mused over the strange clashing of their personalities, she grudgingly admired his grace and the long, lean lines of his body. He was the most exasperating man she’d ever met, the first who had treated her so disrespectfully and yet her lips still seemed to burn with his forceful kiss.
Shocked, she reined in her wayward thoughts, remembering the taunt he’d thrown out that challenged her to learn more of what he had to teach. A blush crept over her face and, as though he’d read her thoughts, Jared cast a measuring look her way. The bold, raking gaze brought added color to stain her cheeks, forcing her to drop her gaze to the ground in confusion. It was odd that he could affect her so…No one had ever before drawn the half-scared feeling she experienced whenever his disturbing, light eyes flickered over her.
Feeling she had to rise and offer to help in some way, just so that he would cease his staring, she walked over to him and knelt down. He was squatting, arranging the firewood and his head came up as she gently touched his hand. “I can’t guarantee it will be edible, but I’m willing to try and make supper.” Only a foot away from him, Mariah saw the wary, suspicious flicker in his eyes turn to puzzled regard at her conciliatory action and finally they warmed with a strange appraisal that made her skin tingle. He grinned, the first time he had done so without mockery or a subtle nuance of insolence. She was amazed at the change it made in his appearance. The darkly tanned face seemed suddenly younger and more carefree, and the lines of taut control seemed to vanish. They stared at each other for what seemed an eternity, although only a few seconds ticked by. Mariah felt she was being pulled down, down into the depths of the gray-blue stare and she shivered, as though a cold wind had suddenly blown up. In the stand of pines, an owl hooted, breaking the spell and Jared once again turned his attention to setting up the fire. His voice was considerably deeper when he spoke.
“S’pose we both do it together, miss.” His mouth twitched in the same, careless grin, white teeth flashing beneath the rust-colored mustache. “I’d hate to starve out here and we both need to keep up our strength!” In one graceful motion, he stood up and reached down for her hand, helping her to her feet. Almost regretfully, he released the hand and walked to the wagon to get her a small, tin cookpot. “If you’ll fetch some water, I’ll see what I can rustle up. Won’t be anything like what you’re used to, though.”
Suddenly, Mariah felt awkwardly shy for the first time in her life, almost as though she had never flirted or held a man enthralled. She accepted her assignment and slowly moved to the water hole, knowing his eyes followed her the whole way.
Between the two of them, they managed an excellent, if somewhat plain meal. While she was busy fetching the water, Jared wandered off into the bushes and returned twenty minutes later with a rabbit. The sight of the soft, furry, blood-stained animal made Mariah reluctant about eating it but by the time Jared had skinned it and spitted it over the fire, she was so famished that she overcame her squeamishness and ate with gusto. Away from the formal dining arrangements she was used to, Mariah found she was enjoying herself immensely, and the plain food seemed better than the highly spiced delicacies she usually ate. Finally, when she was finished, she stared at her greasy fingers with such dismay that Jared had to stifle a laugh to keep from offending her. Through the entire meal they had shared a companionable silence which Mariah now broke. “Mr. Bryant…”
Jared interrupted her. “You don’t have to be so formal. My given name is Jared and unless you’re angry with me, I’d appreciate hearing it. Mr. Bryant sounds so proper.”
“As long as you behave,” she said in mock sternness, “I’ll call you Jared. Actually,” she admitted ruefully, “Miss Randall sounds a bit stuffy out here also. I’m sure my mother would be scandalized, but please call me Mariah.” Jared nodded and once again the infectious grin returned. “Jared, I was about to ask if I could trust you to keep your distance while I freshen up at the pool.”
A slight touch of sarcasm returned to his voice. “Contrary to the opinion you hold of me, miss…Mariah, I’m not in the habit of taking advantage of innocent young girls. Call it vanity but I prefer my women warm and willing.”
“But you kissed me…against my will if you remember.” Mariah was slightly flustered by his bold statement and unsure exactly which category she wished to belong to. She was totally unaware that, as she always did when she was vexed, she had caught her bottom lip between her teeth while she considered his comment.
“Your virtue is safe, Mariah, you can run off and freshen up without any danger,” Jared replied coldly.
Mariah retired early, having arranged a fairly comfortable bed on the wagon floor. The long ride had exhausted her and she still had another day’s ride to look forward to. The water at the pool had been refreshing and left her a little cleaner than she had been. In an effort to assure herself she hadn’t totally left civilization behind her, she found her lavender perfume and applied it. Before she retired, she spent almost an hour brushing her hair until it hung down her back in heavy, glistening waves. Tied back with a green velvet ribbon, it curled around her neck in soft ringlets, accentuating her glowing skin. Hesitantly she approached Jared as he sat before the fire. It seemed like a wall had been erected between them again. “Will you be staying up much longer,” she inquired.
Jared glanced up from the fire, his eyes widening at this lovely vision. Damn it anyway, he thought. Why’d I have to be so cocky about telling her I needed my women willing? The firelight reflected off the classic lines of her face, emphasizing the slight hollows beneath the high, slanted cheekbones. “You look every inch the shy, trembling virgin, Mariah,” he said softly, his voice low and full of desire. Then, as his mouth tightened into a thin, mocking line, “Get some sleep, girl, before I forget my good intentions.”
Despite the fact that he had spoken so threateningly, Mariah felt no fear. Instead she was learning to accept his remarks as banter rather than criticism. He was different from most of the men she was used to, but perhaps because he was more honest. “I do believe you have more of a bark than a bite, Jared.” She smiled softly and bidding him a good night’s rest, turned and walked to the wagon.
Jared stared after her in consternation, watching the gentle, guileless swing of her hips. He regretted the way his desire had surfaced and made his voice harsh. Girls like Mariah were not his type and he had no desire to begin a complicated relationship with any permanence to it. Lil was his kind of woman, warm and always ready to ease any passion burning within him. A man could lose himself in her lush curves and soft flesh. Still, much as he tried to convince himself to beware of Mariah Randall and all she represented, her very closeness was intoxicating, like a tempting, forbidden fruit ripe for the plucking. Leaning his head back against his blanket and saddle, Jared stared up at the cloudless night sky. By concentrating on the configurations of the constellations, he managed to edge the recurring vision of large, jade-green eyes out from his thoughts. Still, a faint touch of lavender fragrance hung in the air to tease at the edge of his senses.
Across the way in the wagon bed, Mariah was dreaming of Jean-Paul once again. In the jumbled patchwork that dreams stitch together, she saw him kneeling beside her in front of the altar of a small, ancient chapel. A halo of light, shining through a stained-glass window, cast a rosy glow over the scene and she saw her own hand as he slipped a wedding band on her ring finger. A priest stumbled over the words of a blessing, his eyes widening as they stared at Jean-Paul. She followed his gaze to discover Jared Bryant holding her hand and kneeling where Jean-Paul had been. Oddly enough, the abrupt change of bridegrooms didn’t frighten her—it seemed so natural. As the priest pronounced them man
and wife, she welcomed the possessive kiss that marked her as Jared’s bride.
The sound of an animal cry, primitive and wolflike, broke the night, penetrating her dream. Oddly, the wolfish howl, when it sounded again, terrified her less than losing the security of Jared’s arms as he faded from the dream. Fully awake now, she still had to shake herself against the vivid sense of loss she experienced, to remind herself it was a dream and nothing more. The idea of marrying Jared was ridiculous! The animal howled again, closer, and when Mariah sat up she saw that Jared had remained by the fire. The aroma of strongly brewed coffee drifted over to her and rather than force herself back to sleep, she decided to join him.
Jared started at the sound of her footstep, instinctively reaching for his gun. Mariah walked slowly into the halo of light cast by the low, burnt embers like the fulfillment of a dream. His fingers drew back from his holster and, to cover the momentary flare of lust he felt, he spoke harshly. “Creeping up on a man’s a bad habit, girl. Out here, when you hear a sound, you reach for a gun or you don’t last long.” She gazed silently at him, unaware of how appealing a picture she was or how the soft, heavy masses of hair enhanced the vulnerable innocence in her expression.
“I just thought…I thought I might join you.” The animal sounded its call once more and was joined by several others, close to the perimeter of the camp. Mariah tensed, staring off into the blackness of the night.
Jared relented, motioning for her to sit on the wide, flattened boulder a few inches from him. She obeyed instantly and as her fingers stretched for the cup of coffee he offered, Jared saw the slight tremble in the slender, white hands. “Animal’s nothing to worry about. It’s just a coyote pack. They’re kind of like a wolf but that mad howl’s the bravest thing about them.” His words reassured her, but Mariah knew she trembled more at his closeness than at the animal’s howling.
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