One Night With a Sweet-Talking Man

by Ana Leigh

“Looks like they’re all headed back,” Caroline said. She saw Garrett was straddled on Jed’s shoulders.

  “They’ve got to start thinking about setting up for the barbecue. Guess what? Becky’s convinced Clay to let the women stomp the first load of the grapes as soon as the Garsons arrive. Their daughter, Etta, and her husband, Tom Davis, are coming with them, and Garth promised Etta we’d wait for her. Etta and Tom were on the same wagon train as Clay and Garth. Talk about interesting courtships! Have Becky tell you about Etta’s and Tom’s; it’s fascinating.”

  The sound of Nathan’s laughter carried to her ears, and Caroline smiled to see the three grandfathers putting their baskets of grapes onto a wagon.

  “My father is certainly enjoying himself.”

  “So is mine…and Cassie’s for that matter. I just spoke of the children growing up together, but it’s also good for our fathers to have the companionship of men their own ages, as well as that of their young grandchildren.”

  “I guess I’ve never thought about that. But I can see the wisdom of it.” Caroline changed the subject. “I’ve heard Cassie’s and Becky’s stories about their courtships, and I’m eager to hear how you and Garth came to meet.”

  “In a hole-in-the-wall saloon in Buckman, right here in California. From the moment that big, beautiful man walked in the door, I was in love.”

  “I remember you said you stole his gold map,” Caroline said as she rocked the infant in her arms.

  Rory chuckled. “Well, I didn’t actually steal it. Pop picked it up when it fell from Garth’s pocket during a fight. He just neglected to give it back,” she said with a twinkle in her eye. “So of course Garth followed us.” She smiled in remembrance. “It proved to be quite an adventure for us to tell our children one day.”

  Garrett ran up to Caroline as soon as Jed lifted him off his shoulders. “Mama, I helped pick the grapes! It was fun.”

  “I saw you, sweetheart. It looked to me like you were doing a good job.”

  “Couldn’t have done it without him,” Jed said with a familiar rumple to the boy’s hair. He walked over and kissed her on the cheek. “Good morning, Caroline.”

  The rest of the Frasers all offered her a cheerful greeting, then Colt said, “That cry sounds familiar.”

  He came over and took the infant out of Caroline’s arms, and the baby stopped crying immediately. He winked at Caroline. “Her father’s touch. You missed your daddy, didn’t you, pudding?” he cooed to the infant.

  “I think she missed her mama more; she’s hungry.” Cassie took the baby out of his arms and headed for her home.

  Colt lifted his toddler son into his arms. “Come on, Tiger, you can help your daddy get the barbecue started.”

  As quickly as they had all descended on the spot, infants and parents disappeared in one direction or the other. Even the three grandfathers left, and Garrett ran off to join the two dogs, who had stretched out under a shade tree after an exhausting morning of overseeing the activity. Only Jed remained.

  “Why didn’t you wake me, Jed? You’ve all been working so hard, and I feel utterly useless.”

  “I figure you could use the sleep.”

  “Jed, if there’s any hope for us to have a compatible relationship, don’t try to do my thinking for me.”

  “My apologies. I know the stress you’ve been under leading up to this visit and I only had your interests at heart. So is this as bad as you anticipated?”

  She felt contrite. “On the contrary. Your family has been so nice to me. It’s not them I have a problem with; it’s you.”

  “What have I done now?”

  “Must you continuously subject me to demonstrations of affection in front of them?”

  Jed appeared to be the soul of innocence. “What demonstrations are you talking about?”

  “You’re constantly touching or kissing me. Hovering over me protectively. Truly, Jed, it’s not necessary, and you’re wasting your time if you think you can break down my resistance.”

  “I’m only trying to act like an expectant groom.”

  “I wonder if you’re fooling anyone.”

  “Maybe you’re right. I’m acting too restrained.”

  He glanced into the open door of the barn and pulled her inside. Crushing her to him, his kiss was slow and sensuous as he explored her lips and recess of her mouth with an expertise that sent sensation spiraling through her and shivers running down her spine.

  She was too breathless to resist when he swept her up and lowered her into a nearby pile of hay. He licked her lips and moved his hand to her breast.

  “I’m up to a roll in the hay. What about you?” he murmured in her ear.

  “Get off me, you big oaf!” She shoved him away, and he lay back, laughing as she adjusted her clothing and pulled strands of hay out of her hair.

  “You aren’t amusing, Jed.”

  “Relax, Cinderella,” he said, getting to his feet and brushing himself off. “It was only a joke; you know I had no intention of making love.”

  “Anyone could have walked through that door. Did you stop to think about that?”

  “So what? It would only have been one of my brothers. They don’t shock that easy.”

  “See, that’s the very thing I’m talking about. Nobody’s watching us, so it’s not necessary for you to kiss me.”

  His grin was roguish. “Now who’s trying to do the thinking for the other one?” He pulled a piece of the hay out of her hair, then bent his head and kissed her lightly on the lips.

  The man was hopeless. Utterly, incurably hopeless!

  The butterflies were still fluttering in her stomach when she returned to the house on trembling legs.

  Becky was feeding the twins, so she pressed out her blue gown to wear at the wedding, then pressed Jed’s pants and shirt as well.

  She had just finished when she heard Cassie call out, “The Garsons have arrived.”

  Becky had told her at great length about Howard and Helena Garson and their two sons and a daughter. Farmers from Ohio, the family had been on the same California-bound wagon train in ’65. Despite the fact that the men had fought on opposite sides during the war, the Frasers and Garsons had formed a lasting friendship on that arduous and often treacherous journey.

  Helena Garson greeted Caroline with a hearty bear hug and a booming greeting from the depths of her small stature. Howard doffed his hat and shyly offered his congratulations.

  Then a dark-haired young lady carrying a babe in arms stepped forward. “Hi, Caroline, I’m their daughter Etta.” Her bright blue eyes were as warm as her greeting. “And this is my husband, Tom,” she said of the tall, redheaded man at her side. Neither one looked old enough to be married, much less have a baby. “And this little bundle in my arms is our daughter Melinda, whom I’m planning on marrying off someday to one of these handsome Frasers.”

  “You’re a lucky little girl, sweetheart,” Caroline said to the tiny infant. “You’ll have quite a number to choose from.”

  Several other families arrived in buckboards and wagons, and she soon lost track of names and who was married to whom. Bowls of salad and beans, baskets of fruits, breads, pies, and cakes were pulled from wagons and buckboards.

  The barbecue had officially begun.

  “Time to crush the grapes,” Clay announced.

  All of the younger women tied up their skirts, removed their shoes and stockings, then washed their feet in a bucket of hot, soapy water before being allowed to climb into the vat, whose bottom was covered several feet high with grapes. Jed lifted Garrett over the rim of the tub so he could join them.

  At first Caroline slipped-slopped along and held cautiously to the side of the tub to keep from slipping, but soon she was stomping and laughing like the rest of the women.

  She grabbed Garrett’s hands and they hopped, skipped, and jumped together as the men whistled and clapped. Amid the cheering and shouts, the women linked elbows and danced around Garrett in the center of their circle.
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br />   “Granddad, look at us! We’re squashing grapes!” Garrett yelled to Nathan. Caroline waved to her father, clapping and cheering among the men. She couldn’t remember a time seeing him having such a good time.

  Laughing, Caroline looked up and saw that Jed was grinning as he watched her and Garrett. Smiling, she waded over to him.

  “Hey, sailor, I dare you to come in here,” she said.

  “Not on your life, lady.”

  “Well then, will you help me out of here?” she asked, extending her hand.

  “I know what you’ve got in mind, and I’m not going to fall for it. Or should I say, fall in it?”

  “Spoilsport.” She laughed and sloshed away.

  Finally, tired and splattered, the women climbed out to the cheers of a job well done from the spectators. They hosed off their legs and feet, then went inside the houses to change their splattered gowns.

  Caroline finished cleaning up Garrett and sent him back outside, changed her own clothing, and went out to join the others. Long sheets of wood were being laid on sawhorses to be used as tables to hold the food.

  A half dozen white tablecloths appeared from various houses to cover the tables, which within minutes were spread with food.

  As Cassie had said, from the time the barbecue officially began, the men took over the tasks and the women sat in the shade, chatting and enjoying themselves.

  The afternoon passed swiftly. The kind of afternoon Caroline had longed for: talking, laughing, and giggling with other women about recipes, children, and life in general—everything that had been missing for so long. She ate it up as hungrily as she did the food.

  The men started playing “base ball,” a game whose popularity was spreading rapidly across the nation. This time it was the women cheering and applauding the men. Cassie even emitted several whistles she had mastered from herding cattle.

  The day turned into night, and soon a makeshift band had formed, and the dancing began. The air rang with clapping and foot-stomping to the rhythm of a fiddle, guitar, harmonica, and piano that had been wheeled out of the house. Caroline was whirled and twirled from partner to partner until she was exhausted and couldn’t dance another step.

  Then the crowd settled back and listened to Tom Davis’s clear baritone as he sang familiar ballads like “Beautiful Dreamer” and “Annie Laurie.” On these and many others, they all joined in and sang with him.

  Throughout the day, much to Caroline’s distress, Jed continued to put on an appearance of being a loving and devoted suitor to her. She didn’t like putting up a false front to these people she had grown to care for.

  The evening drew to an end, and when the makeshift band prepared to play their final selection, Tom Davis stepped forward.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, in honor and appreciation to our hosts for their hospitality and friendship, we will close the evening with ‘Dixie.’” That brought whistles and cheers from the Fraser men.

  But rather than the rousing rendition they expected, Tom began to sing it slowly, haunting in its poignancy.

  “‘For I wish I was in the land of cotton, old times there are not forgotten, look away, look away, look away, Dixie Land.’”

  Jed came over to her and reached for her hand. “I believe this is our dance, Miss Caroline.”

  As they stepped onto the dance floor the men had fashioned for the event, Caroline saw that his brothers had led their wives to the floor as well. Even Garth had his arms around Rory, swaying to the music.

  “Do you miss your home, Jed?” she asked gently.

  “I do at times like this.”

  He was silent and held her closely as they moved to the nostalgic ballad, which once had been a rallying cry of independence to them, now a reminder of a time and life that was gone forever.

  Caroline felt a stirring in her heart that had nothing to do with physical desires or arousals. She closed her eyes and they finished the dance.

  After the guests departed with their congratulations and good wishes for the nuptials the next day, Caroline sat down and sighed in contentment. If this day was an example of what her life would be like married to Jed Fraser, maybe it wasn’t a mistake. Maybe the outlandish agreement would prove to be the right one for her as well as Garrett.

  Jed picked up the sleeping boy and carried him into the house.

  “Thank you, Jed,” she said upon his return. “He’s getting too big for me to carry anymore.”

  “He never opened his eyes,” he assured her and went over to join his brothers.

  One by one the women said good night, and with their husbands’ help gathered up their children to return to their houses. Caroline watched these tall, rugged men tenderly pick up the tiny little bundles and carry them away.

  “If Virginia could only see you now,” she murmured with an affectionate smile.

  A short time later as she prepared to call it a night, she paused in the doorway and looked back. The Fraser brothers had returned and were grouped around the fire talking together in low tones. She couldn’t help wondering if she and Garrett were the topic of their conversation.

  CHAPTER

  16

  After several hours of restlessly trying to fall asleep, Caroline slipped carefully out of bed to avoid waking Garrett beside her. Buffer raised his head, and she put a finger to her mouth to caution him to be quiet.

  The house was in darkness, lit only by moonlight shining through the kitchen window. She stepped outside and closed the door softly behind her, then took a deep breath and sighed, missing the fragrance of her garden flowers at home.

  “So you can’t sleep, either,” Jed said, stepping out of the shadows.

  “I guess I miss my bed at home.”

  Jed ground out the cigarette he had been smoking. “Do you want to try my bed? Maybe that would help. I can move in with Garrett.”

  “I don’t think the bed’s the problem.” She smiled. “Besides, where Garrett sleeps, so does Buffer. If you move in with him, I think his growling would disturb the whole household.”

  They started down the path leading to the vineyard.

  “It’s been a long day,” Jed said.

  “Yes, the party was so nice. Everyone was so friendly, and they appeared to have a good time.”

  “Reminded me of home before the war.”

  “Your family’s been so wonderful.”

  “Caroline, I had a talk with Clay last night and told him our reason for getting married. You’ll be glad to know he didn’t feel I should force you into marriage. He said it wouldn’t be fair to either of us.”

  She stopped and turned to face him. “And what did you say?”

  “I said I offered you a way out, but you decided against it.”

  “I see.” She resumed walking again.

  “Now that you’ve had more time to think about it, have you changed your mind? Twelve hours from now it will be too late to do so.”

  “My feelings and decision haven’t changed.” She paused again and looked at him. “Have yours?”

  Jed chuckled. “Maybe my conscience, a little. My concern is still for Garrett’s welfare, but my only reservation is whether or not you’re doing it against your will.”

  “Six days ago, I would have said I was. Jed, I’m not so naïve that I’m unaware that many people marry for reasons other than love. I think our reason is a good one. We don’t have to love each other. And with you at sea practically all the time, I don’t foresee any troubles. Do you?”

  “No, I can’t say I do. I think of Garrett as my son already, and I love and respect your father.”

  “I think the reason we’re doubting ourselves is because we’re surrounded by all these people whose love for each other oozes out of their pores,” she said. “I feel as if we’re being irreverent in marrying for any reason other than love.”

  “This whole situation is very complicated. I guess I have to trust my instincts.”

  “Some marry for money, others to gain power or prestige. Not every
one is fortunate to meet that one person with whom they want to spend the rest of their lives. It would be nice if it were true in our case, but often circumstances force marriage for a different reason.”

  They halted at a low stone wall, and he lifted her up so she could sit down.

  “I think we’re intelligent enough to make our arrangement work, Jed. Besides, when you’re in port, we can always spend some time with your family. It’s a good diversion.”

  “What do you know? Miz Caroline suggesting we spend time with those Fraser boys?”

  “You’re not going to let me forget that, are you? I suppose you repeated what I said about them to Clay.”

  “Not a word. They’re sensitive. Besides, I don’t think I could watch them falling over each other trying to prove you wrong.”

  She laughed, then studied him intently.

  “What did I do now?” he asked. “I swear, I didn’t say a word to Clay about that.”

  “I learned something about you tonight, Jed. It surprised me.”

  “I hesitate to ask what that might be,” he said, amused.

  “You’re a man of many mixed qualities. In this past week there have been many occasions for me to witness your humor, and I certainly can’t deny your intelligence. You have a fine mind and don’t make hasty decisions. You seem to put a lot of thought into an issue before deciding it.”

  “Especially the one demanding we marry,” he said sardonically.

  She giggled. “I never meant to imply you were perfect, Fraser. You have an admirable quality of loyalty and honor, not only to your family, but to my father, for instance—putting yourself in the middle of his problem with Calhoun, or insisting on becoming a father to Garrett. Oh, I know you said that was for family honor, but now that I know you a little better, I think you’re doing it for Andy as much as for Garrett. You’re courageous; I’ve witnessed that when you saved my son’s life, and you have patience. Particularly with Garrett when he’s pesty.”

  He shook his head. “I never thought he was pesty, Caroline.”

  “To add to those qualities, I’ve admired your capacity for love, not only to your family but also to another man’s child.”