by Ana Leigh
Jed put aside his napkin. So why keep trying?
The time had come for her to face retribution for the deed. Like it or not, Caroline Collins, we are getting married. And then my brother’s son will rightfully bear the name of Fraser.
The sound of her voice invaded his thoughts. “Honey, don’t go outside after breakfast.”
He glanced up and saw she was speaking to Garrett. For a few ludicrous seconds, he had thought it was to him.
“We’re going to Sacramento later today, so I don’t want you to stray away. Stay in the house or the garden.”
“Do we have to go?” Garrett questioned.
“Your grandfather and Mr. Fraser have some business to attend to, and we’re going with them.”
“Can Buffer come with us?”
“No, he’ll have to stay behind and sleep in the barn at night. It shouldn’t be more than a couple of days.”
“But who’s gonna feed him?”
“You know he’s capable of finding his own food and water. He’s done it before.”
“But, Mama, Buffer doesn’t like staying behind. I want him to come along.”
“Sweetheart, it’s out of the question. Now go and do as I said.”
Garrett trudged upstairs.
“So you intend to accompany us to Sacramento without any further argument?” Jed asked her.
“I told you that last night in the garden.”
“I thought that perhaps the discussion that followed might have changed your mind.”
“I have given that discussion a great deal of thought.” After a glance at her father, Caroline said, “I’ve come to the conclusion that the wisest course I can pursue for my son’s welfare is to agree to marry you.”
“Honey, that’s wonderful news!” Nathan said. “I knew your common sense would prevail.”
“Let’s hope Mr. Fraser’s will, too, when he hears, what else I have to say. Last night you declared your terms, Jed; now I’ll declare mine. Had you shown patience and understanding, I might have grown to care about you, even love you in time. But you’ve destroyed that possibility by forcing me into a marriage.”
“I regret that, Caroline. But I know Garrett will love my family, and they’ll love him as well.”
“That is good to know, but under no circumstances will I or Garrett reside anywhere except in my father’s house. When you are in port, feel free to stay here or wherever else you choose. It doesn’t matter to me. Do you agree?”
“Yes, I don’t find that to be a problem.”
“And under no circumstances do you take Garrett anywhere without advising me of your intentions. At that time either my father or I will accompany you. Do you agree?”
“Did you discuss that intention with that bizarre hound you call a watchdog?”
Ignoring his sarcasm, she repeated, “Do you agree?”
“I think it’s ludicrous, but I agree.”
“Next, this marriage will be in name only. We will not share a bed or bedroom. Do you agree?”
“Definitely not. I will neither tolerate locked doors between us nor having to knock on a door in order to enter my wife’s bedroom.”
“I’ll consider that, but it will not include the marriage bed.”
“Are you aware that the marriage bed is one of the rewarding privileges between a husband and wife, Caroline?”
Caroline blushed, and gave her father an embarrassing glance. “I agreed to marry you, Jed, not to be a wife to you.”
“I have no intention of forcing myself on you, if that’s your concern. But the door connecting our rooms is to be kept unlocked.”
Nathan jumped to his feet. “I’ve heard enough of this absurdity. Good God, woman, a man has needs!”
“I am quite aware of that, and he should have considered them before coercing me into an unwanted marriage.”
Nathan gave Jed a sympathetic look, then strode from the room.
“So you agree,” she pursued. “The marriage bed—”
“Will only be at your time and choosing, madam. You have my word.”
“Very well, then I accept your proposal. Have you decided on a date?”
“The sooner the better. But since Hell has officially frozen over, now that you’ve agreed to wed me, will we need additional time to let it thaw?” he asked.
She pursed her lips to keep from smiling. He could be too damn amusing at times. “The date, Mr. Fraser?”
“I would like to have my family there. Since there are only three of us, we can go to them as soon as we finish our business in Sacramento. But for the sake of our future marital tranquility, Caroline, I’ll point out that your attitude about this is beginning to wear on my patience.”
“You should have thought of that before issuing your ultimatum.” She calmly left the room.
Well, what did you expect, Fraser, a kiss and a hug good morning? Jed thought as he watched her walk away with that slight sway of her hips that always caught his eye. It tweaked his appetite enough to be curious what was beneath that gown.
Those demands of hers were more of a challenge than an annoyance, and he looked forward to showing her how wrong she was about not wanting to share a bed with him.
You may think you’re dealing this poker game, sweetheart, but I’m about to raise the ante.
Caroline absently took a gown from the armoire, her mind on the scene with Jed at the breakfast table.
He had always remained poised and in control of his emotions before, but his anger last night had been unbearable, frightening. The tenderness they had shared so shortly before had changed to loathing in a blink of an eye.
She had reacted to it with the same emotion, instead of waiting it out and trying to come to a better decision after he cooled down. Once people lashed out with ultimatums, pride usually kept them from not backing down. “Act in haste, repent in leisure,” as her mother used to say.
Perhaps he was right. Perhaps she should have made a greater effort to inform Andy of the birth of his son. But if the decision she made when he didn’t answer her letter was wrong, there was no changing it now. What was done was done.
Why should it raise so much anger and bitterness in Jed?
She started to close the lacquered door of the wardrobe, then lovingly stroked the walnut veneer of the panel, embossed with pink roses and trailing green ivy. It had been one of her mother’s most cherished possessions. Her father had brought it home from England on one of his voyages, and after her mother died, he had moved it into her room.
“Oh, Mother, I miss you so much,” she murmured softly. “And I need your gentleness and wisdom more than I ever have. How I wish you were here now to tell me what to do.”
Caroline walked to the window and stared out blindly. It seemed an eternity since her mother had died, and yet it had only been two years.
Since then, other than brief chats on Sunday mornings with the pastor’s wife, there’d been few other females in her life. There were no neighbors nearby, none of the loggers had wives, and Garrett had no schoolmarm since she taught him herself at home.
She missed having another woman in the house, a female voice other than her own, someone to talk or laugh with while hanging out the wash, shelling peas, or baking a cake—the things she and her mother had enjoyed doing together.
And oh, for a girlfriend her own age to giggle with, or share their deep secrets and wants!
Caroline moved to the mirror and stared at her image. In retrospect, she never had had any close female friend other than her mother.
So what makes you think you need one now? Stop the whining and think about the bigger problems at hand.
“Oh, shut up and go away,” Caroline grumbled. “You’re no help at all—you never have been. You don’t even have a voice.” She spun on her heel and walked away in disgust.
She finished packing, then went down the hall to Garrett’s room, but he wasn’t there. She peeked into the open door of Jed’s room, which was empty.
When she
checked the garden, he wasn’t there, either, and she began to feel uneasy.
Her father had dozed off in a chair in his den, and Caroline woke him. “Father, have you seen Garrett? I can’t find him anywhere, and I warned him to stay inside.”
“Don’t worry, honey, Jed’s with him. The last time I saw them, they were in the barn.”
“Have you packed a bag for overnight?”
“Yes, I’m ready to go whenever the rest of you are.”
“If we’re to catch the train to Sacramento, we’d better think about leaving soon,” she told him, and headed for the barn.
The barn door was open, but there was no sign of either of them. Then her heart leaped to her throat when she saw that Liberty’s stall was empty.
She rushed to the door of the barn and shouted, “Father, Father!” at the top of her voice.
Nathan came hurrying down the path. “What is it, Caroline? What’s wrong?”
“Garrett’s not here. And Liberty’s gone, too. He took him—I know he took him.”
“You mean Calhoun? You think Calhoun took Garrett?”
“No, Jed. Jed’s kidnapped him.”
Nathan relaxed and shook his head. “That’s ridiculous, Caroline. Since they’re both gone, no doubt they’re together. And obviously Buffer is with them, too.”
“They’re together, all right, and I’m going after them. He’s probably taken him to his brother’s in Calistoga.”
“If so, I’ll go with you. But not until we’re certain that is the case. I think they’re just off somewhere and will be back soon.”
“I can’t believe you can take this so lightly. The man has kidnapped your grandson!”
“Honey, Jed is an honorable man; don’t start accusing him of foul play.”
“You’re too blind to see that he’s hoodwinked you,” she said, frantic with fear. “No doubt he planned this from the start. He probably recognized the resemblance when he first saw Garrett, and staged that scene last night in order to throw off suspicion! Oh, he’s treacherous.”
“Caroline, I know that man. We fought a war together. He’s neither dangerous nor treacherous.”
“You’ve always been obsessive about him, Father. Whenever you came home during the war, Mother and I had to listen to Mr. Fraser this, or Mr. Fraser that. He could do no wrong in your eyes. Then when the war ended, and he went elsewhere, you mourned his loss as if he were a dead son.”
“I admit I thought of him as such,” Nathan said. “I had always longed for such a son.”
“Do you think I didn’t guess that, Father?” Tears streaked her cheeks. “But you didn’t have that son, did you? You had a daughter.”
Nathan drew her trembling body into his arms. “And I thank God every day for that daughter.” He smiled tenderly. “I love you, my dearest child.”
Caroline flung her arms around his neck, sobbing, and buried her head against his chest. “I know you do, Father. I’m so sorry. These past few days have been so stressful, worrying about losing Garrett, Calhoun’s threats, and now the thought of this ridiculous marriage to Jed.” She raised her head. “I can’t even think sensibly anymore.”
Nathan stepped back and looked deeply into her tear-filled eyes. “Do you actually believe I’d ever be a party to forcing you into a marriage you didn’t want, my child? And when the time comes, I know Jed won’t, either. He’s too honorable a man.”
“Isn’t that the whole issue—his and his family’s honor?” Caroline slumped down on a bale of hay. “At least now the secret’s in the open. And Jed is right. I have denied Garrett a father. I’ve never considered his needs, only my own selfish ones to keep him to myself. So as long as Jed has agreed to my terms, I might as well marry him for Garrett’s sake. I may not be able to bear the sight of Jed Fraser, but I know he’ll be a good father to my son.”
Nathan smiled kindly. “Do you really dislike him that much, honey?”
“I didn’t at first; I was only being rude to him in the hope of driving him away. I just wish he’d go away and leave us alone.”
“If that’s your decision, my dear, I’ll not interfere.”
“You’ve interfered already, you old curmudgeon.” She wiped away her tears and stood up. “Let’s hitch Belle to the buckboard and find them. We’ve got a train to catch.”
They were just preparing to leave when they spied Buffer approaching the barn, and within seconds Liberty appeared with the two riders on her back.
When they reached them, Garrett slid off the rear of the horse and ran up to them. “Mama! Granddad! Jed and I went fishing and he showed me how to spear a fish! And I did it!” He triumphantly held up a string with a small fish dangling from the end.
Jed dismounted. “He learns quickly.” He handed Caroline several larger fish on a string.
She just looked at him with the same nonplussed expression as Nathan.
“What?” he asked in confusion.
“How thoughtful of you, Jed,” Caroline said sweetly. “Now The Buffer won’t have to hunt for something to eat while we’re gone.” She patted the dog’s head. “Right, Buffer? And you thought he didn’t like you.”
Jed watched her saunter up to the house, swinging the fish by the string—and those damn hips of hers.
Okay, sweetheart, you’ve won this hand. But the next deal is mine.
CHAPTER
9
They boarded the train to Sacramento just as it was about to depart. Nathan sat down next to Garrett, leaving Caroline to share the opposite seat with Jed.
“I’m glad we made it,” she said. “Father and I were worried that we wouldn’t when we discovered Garrett was gone.”
Nathan peered over the top of the newspaper he’d purchased when they boarded. “I wasn’t the least bit worried.”
“Honey, in the future I want you to tell me before running off like that,” she said.
“I’ll try to remember,” Jed replied.
Garrett giggled. “She’s talking to me, Jed.”
Jed grinned. “I thought it was too good to be true.”
“Mama, all we did was go fishing. What’s wrong with that?”
She leaned over and squeezed Garrett’s hand. I was just worried because I didn’t know where you were. Next time you and Jed will have to take me with you. I’ve always been pretty good at fishing.”
“All depends on what you’re fishing for, missy,” Nathan said. He winked at Jed and went back to reading.
Caroline forced back a smile. Somehow, her father always managed to calmly bring her back down to size whenever she tried to climb on her high horse. What would her life be like without him, or Garrett?
She glanced at Jed. He had leaned back his head, and his eyes were closed. He had promised he wouldn’t let anything happen to any one of them, and she believed him. As much as he irritated her, it was comforting to have him around in a crisis.
He had said he wouldn’t disrupt their lives, but what if he changed his mind and insisted they leave Napa to live near his family, or even worse, return to Virginia?
With a heavy sigh, she opened her book. Though she tried to read it, the narrowness of the seat made Jed’s nearness impossible to ignore.
Every jolt or sway of the train caused his arm to press against her, or his thigh to brush against her leg. Her body tingled from every contact. And deep in her imagination, she fantasized about their naked bodies pressed close together.
The heat of a blush surged through her, doubled by the heat within the train car. She opened the window, then coughed when a cloud of choking dust swirled in.
She removed her gloves and hat, but that did little to ease her discomfort, so she undid the top buttons of her gown. Then she settled back to resume reading, the clickety-clack of the rails a rhythmic drone in her ears. In a short time, her eyelids began to droop.
Deep in thought, Jed mused about his mixed feelings for Caroline. The woman annoyed him as much as she aroused him. He had no intention of forcing her into an unwa
nted marriage; that would be lunacy! He’d be punishing himself as much as her. He was a rover, and no more wanted to be chained down to the responsibility of a wife and child than Caroline wanted a husband to complicate her life.
But there was undeniably an intense physical awareness between them. The wisest thing to do, after this Calhoun situation was resolved, was to legalize Garrett as a Fraser, then get out of her life as quickly as he could.
Jed opened his eyes and saw that Caroline had fallen asleep. He reached over and closed the book that was on the verge of slipping off her lap.
Then he stared at her face. He’d been doing a lot of that since he first saw her. Serene in slumber, she looked at peace, but he could easily imagine what troubled thoughts lay beneath that tranquil façade.
Lowering his gaze, the seductive draw of the open buttons of her gown gave him access to the slim column of her neck. His groin tightened as he stared hungrily at the rounded cleavage of her breasts.
His gaze softened to tenderness when he forced it back to her face. Reaching out, he brushed aside the golden strands that clung to her cheek. They felt silky and incredibly tantalizing to his fingertips. He slipped his arm around her shoulders, drew her gently to his side, and tucked her head in the hollow of his shoulder.
Caroline slowly fought through the curtain of sleep until she became aware of a steady pounding beneath her ear. She opened her eyes, which widened with shock when she realized she’d been sleeping in Jed Fraser’s arms, and the steady pounding was his heartbeat.
To her relief, the sleeping man didn’t stir as she eased herself carefully out of his arms and sat up. Garrett and her father had dozed off in the seat opposite them.
Caroline looked at the timepiece pinned to her gown and saw she had only slept for a half hour.
Hot sunlight was blazing through the window, and the heat was like a vise. She got up and went outside to the observation platform for some fresh air.