Lottie shrugged. “Some people are lucky that way. Let’s see who catches the garter.”
It was a silly superstition. It didn’t mean anything. Still, Tess watched with interest as James tossed Rebecca’s garter. Part of her wanted Daniel to catch it, but Nathan made the effort. The garter hit his hand and bounced off. Rebecca’s ten-year-old brother, Billy, came away with the prize.
Relieved, Tess let out her breath. She walked over and hugged Billy. His face turned bright red, and he raced off to join his friends.
“Should I feel rejected?” she asked as Nathan joined her.
“The boy doesn’t know how lucky he is.”
She smiled. “I really should take Emily home if you don’t mind leaving now.”
“Of course I don’t mind. It looks like the party is over, anyway.”
They walked back to their table, and Tess gathered up her belongings. She took Emily from Nora and gave her mother a hug. “Thank you for watching her.”
“It’s a pleasure spending a little time with my granddaughter.” Nora patted Emily’s pink cheek then turned her attention to Tess. “Fancy you catching the bouquet. I told Fay I had a feeling about it when I sent you out there.”
“It doesn’t mean anything, Mama.”
“We’ll see. Mr. Swift seems like a pleasant fellow.”
She watched Nathan as he talked to James and Rebecca. “He is, but don’t get any ideas in that direction.”
“I do as I please, don’t I, Wesley?”
“You know she does,” Wesley answered, squeezing his wife’s waist.
Tess held up her hands. “I give up. I’ll see you both at church tomorrow.” She turned around and bumped into Daniel.
“Sorry,” he said, reaching out to steady her.
“I should watch where I’m going.” Her gaze held his.
He stepped back. “Have a nice drive home, Tess.”
She turned away, frustration eating at her, and took Nathan’s arm. She was quiet as they walked across the field to his buggy. He helped her in before hitching up his horses.
“What a pleasure,” she said as he joined her.
“What?”
“A buggy ride. Emily and I are used to traveling by wagon.”
“Do you like it?”
“It’s wonderful. You hardly feel the bumps in the road.”
“You’re welcome to ride in my buggy anytime you like, but maybe I was hasty earlier. Maybe you would rather have gone with Daniel.”
She shook her head. “No, Nathan, this is for the best.”
“Why do I feel like a consolation prize?”
She gasped. “That’s not what I meant. Really, it’s not.”
He smiled and laid his hand over hers. “I’m not offended. Anyway, I hope to convince you this is where you’d rather be.”
“It is.”
He turned the horses into her yard and stopped them. Shadow ran around the buggy barking.
“He’s quite a welcoming committee.”
“It’s nice to be loved,” she said as he helped her down.
His lips quirked. “Yes it is. Goodnight, Tess.” He bent and kissed her cheek.
Nathan’s mustache tickled in a pleasant way. She had never been kissed properly by a man with a mustache, and she wondered how it would feel. As she watched him drive away, she felt certain she would soon find out.
Chapter 6
The sun rose over the horizon as a knock sounded on the kitchen door. Tess opened it, still dressed in her nightgown and wrapper. Emily sat on her hip, and Tess held a coffeepot in her hand.
“Daniel.” She opened the door wider. “What brings you out at this hour? Is something wrong?”
He turned to wave then came into the kitchen, shutting the door behind him. “No, nothing’s wrong.”
“Who was that with you?”
“James Hill. He came by to tell me Craven and his men held up another train last night. Nathan is forming a posse.”
Tess set the coffeepot on the stove with a thump. “Are you going with them?”
He nodded.
She clutched Emily. Fear stole her breath. “Why? Why do you have to go?”
“I can help catch the man who killed my brother.”
“But what if you get hurt? I can’t lose you, Daniel. I just can’t,” she cried. The pain of Rory’s death crashed down on her, sharp and fresh. Knowing Daniel could be in danger sent her into a panic. She set Emily on the floor and faced him.
“You’re not going to lose me. I promise I won’t do anything foolish.”
Her voice caught. “Not like Rory.”
He took two steps forward and pulled her into his arms. “I’ll be fine.” He rested his cheek on top of her head, holding her close.
She pressed her face against his chest and listened to his steady heartbeat. Arguing with him was futile. “How long will you be gone?”
“A few days, maybe a week. It’s hard to say.” He leaned back and looked down at her. “I don’t want to leave you and Emily here alone with only Fay for company. I’ll worry about you. Pack a bag and let me take you to stay with your folks.”
She shook her head. “We’ll be fine. Anyway, we can’t possibly leave the farm. There’s the garden to see to, and the chickens. Who’s going to feed the stock while you’re away?”
“James said one of Rebecca’s brothers will do it.”
“I’ll make a point of going over every day to make sure he does the chores properly.”
“But I don’t want you here alone, Tess. It isn’t safe.”
“And I don’t want you chasing Jack Craven.”
He stared down at her, his mouth tight. “I can see I’m not going to win this argument.”
“No, you’re not.”
“Will you promise to go into town if you have any trouble?”
“Of course. I don’t take foolish risks, either.”
“I know you don’t.” He squatted down and kissed Emily’s forehead. “’Bye ’bye, sugarplum. Be a good girl for your mama.”
Tess walked him to the door, her heart thumping painfully. “Please be careful, Daniel.”
He nodded and opened the door. She touched his arm. When he turned, she kissed his cheek, wanting so much more.
“Come by the minute you get back.”
He smiled, and his eyes crinkled at the corners. Her breath caught. “I will. I promise.”
She watched him ride away. It didn’t occur to her until after she shut the kitchen door that she should be worried about Nathan, too.
* * * *
Swift stood in front of the sheriff’s office facing a half dozen men when Daniel rode up. He dismounted and joined Hank and James Hill.
“What have I missed?”
“Nothing. Everyone just arrived,” Hank answered.
“Morning,” Nathan called. “Thank you all for coming. As you know, Jack Craven and his men held up a train last night just a few miles from here. Word came over the wire they were spotted heading north, maybe toward Cheyenne. We need to travel fast to have any hope of catching them.”
“Let’s go, then,” Hank yelled. “Saddle up, boys.”
Nathan smiled. “Who’s running this show, Hank, you or me?”
“Why you are, Nathan. I promised Mary I would let you ride up front once the shooting starts.”
Chuckling, Daniel mounted his horse and urged it into a ground-covering lope. They rode hard all day, only stopping briefly to water their horses. They picked up Craven’s trail at the sight of the hold-up and followed it until darkness forced them to make camp for the night.
“We could keep going,” Daniel said. “We know which way they’re headed.”
Nathan shook his head. “What if they change course and we lose their trail completely? I don’t want to take the risk.”
Reluctantly, he agreed. They set up camp near a small stream. It wasn’t long before a fire burned brightly, casting shadows across the prairie grasses, and supper heated. When he finish
ed his meal of beans and corn bread, Daniel took a steaming cup of coffee and sat down by the water.
The night was warm and full of stars. Staring up at the sky, he wondered what Tess was doing. He guessed she was putting Emily down for the night.
“Mind if I join you?” Nathan asked.
Daniel did mind. His feelings toward Nathan were ambiguous at best, bordering on outright dislike. His pursuit of Tess set Daniel’s teeth on edge.
“Of course not. Pull up a rock.”
Nathan leaned against a tall boulder. “Nice night.”
Daniel didn’t answer. After a minute of silence he asked, “Do you think we’ll catch him?”
“I don’t know. Craven has a big lead, but we’ll try our damnedest.”
Daniel picked up a handful of pebbles and tossed them one at a time into the creek. The ripples spread out in ever widening circles. He threw the last one and wiped his hand down the leg of his trousers.
“If we don’t get him now, we will the next time or the time after that. He has to slip up sometime, and when he does, I’ll be waiting.” Nathan’s voice rang with assurance.
Anger and frustration burned deep inside Daniel. “Let’s hope he doesn’t kill anyone else in the meantime.”
Nathan spoke quietly. “I really am sorry about your brother. It must be especially hard for Tess, managing a farm and taking care of her little girl on her own.”
“Tess is strong and resourceful.”
“I’m sure she is. Still, it would be easier for her if she had a husband.”
Daniel picked up another handful of pebbles. He aimed for a large boulder in the center of the stream.
“She’s a fine looking woman.”
“Yes,” Daniel said shortly.
“You two are close. Do you think she’ll marry again?”
“I don’t know.” He threw down the last of the pebbles and rose to his feet. He stood with his hands on his hips, frowning at Nathan. Jealousy rolled in his gut. “Tess is fine on her own. I watch out for her.”
“I see.”
“No, I don’t think you do.” Daniel turned his back and stared at the water.
After a minute, Nathan stood. “Get some sleep. We’ll leave at first light.”
Daniel followed him back to camp a short while later, but thoughts of Tess kept him awake deep into the night.
* * * *
For three days the posse followed Craven’s trail. They turned west on the second day and slowly circled back the way they’d come. Nathan squatted in the dirt, scanning the ground for signs of their quarry.
“Are you sure you didn’t make a mistake?” Daniel asked. “What would be the point of doubling back?”
“I don’t know, but that’s what they did.” A couple of miles later, Nathan stopped again. Daniel rode up beside him.
“They met someone here,” he guessed.
Nathan nodded. “A rider came from the east. They all moved on together.”
At the end of the day they reached an area of high cliffs. The trail came to an abrupt end. The wind blew through the desolate countryside with nothing but scattered clumps of sage brush and a dead pine tree for vegetation. Daniel dismounted. They searched the entire area for signs of Craven and his men and found nothing.
“What do we do now?” he asked. His stomach was tied in knots. He couldn’t stand being so close and failing.
“It’s getting dark. We make camp and look around again in the morning. They can’t have just disappeared.” Nathan stared up at the forbidding cliffs. “We’ve missed something.”
“Do you suppose they have a camp around here? Maybe they went north first, trying to throw us off their trail before doubling back.”
“It makes sense. We’re only a half day’s ride from town.”
Daniel looked up as Hank joined them. “Any luck?” he asked.
Hank shook his head. “No sign of riders to the south.” He took off his hat and wiped his sweating brow. “It’s too dark to see but still hot enough to fry an egg on these rocks.”
“We may as well quit looking,” Nathan said. “We’re not going to find anything else tonight.”
They didn’t find anything the next day, either. Finally, admitting defeat, they return home.
It was after ten o’clock when Daniel rode into Tess’s yard. Though the downstairs was dark, there was still a light burning in her room. He dismounted and knocked on the kitchen door. It was a long minute before she opened it.
“You’re back. Come inside.”
He stepped into the kitchen, his gaze never leaving Tess. She stood before him in her long white nightgown, her hair hanging loose around her shoulders. His heart lurched.
“It’s late. I won’t stay, but I wanted you to know we returned home safely.”
“Don’t be silly. I won’t be able to sleep until I know every detail. Sit down, Daniel. You look tired.”
“You were going to bed, and I don’t want to disturb Fay or Emily.”
“They’re both sound sleepers, and I’m a big girl. I can stay up past my bedtime. Sit,” she repeated, pushing him toward a chair. “Are you hungry?”
“Don’t go to any trouble on my account.”
“It’s no trouble if you don’t mind a cold chicken sandwich. I’ll put on water for tea.” She bent to stoke the fire in the stove as she spoke.
He smiled, enjoying her fussing. “That sounds wonderful. Thank you, Tess.”
She turned from the stove with the tea kettle clutched to her chest. Her eyes were full of hope. “Did you find Craven?”
“No, we didn’t. I’m sorry.”
Her shoulders sagged. She walked to the pump to fill the kettle. “Tell me what happened.”
While she made his sandwich, Daniel gave her a brief description of their days on the trail. “That’s where we lost them,” he finished as she set the plate of food on the table in front of him. “They seemed to disappear into the rocks.”
“Maybe the town should hire one of those Indian guides to track them.”
“It wouldn’t have made a difference. Nathan is good,” he admitted. “We spent hours scouring the entire area and didn’t find a trace of the outlaws.”
Tess handed him his tea and sat down across from him. “We’ll just have to wait.”
“It’s all we can do.” He slammed his hand down on the table. “I’m furious we had Craven in our sights and failed.”
“You didn’t fail, Daniel. Eventually someone will stop him. He can’t stay hidden forever.”
“And meanwhile, he’ll kill more innocent people. The conductor on the train they robbed didn’t make it.”
Color faded from her cheeks, leaving her as pale as her nightgown. “I’m sorry to hear that,” she whispered.
He jumped from his chair and rounded the table, angry with himself. He squatted beside her and took her cold hands in his. “I’m sorry, Tess. I shouldn’t have told you. I’m a thoughtless fool.”
“I would have found out sooner or later, but I can’t help thinking another woman is suffering with her loss the same way I did.”
“Don’t.” He pulled her to her feet and wrapped his arms around her. He breathed in her clean scent, loving her so much it hurt.
“Will it ever be over? Will we ever be able to put Rory to rest?”
“I hope so,” he whispered into her hair.
She turned her face up to his. He looked deeply into her eyes, and his heartbeat accelerated. Tess made the first move, reaching out to touch his hair.
With an inarticulate murmur, he lowered his mouth to hers. He caressed the softness of her lips and trailed kisses across her cheeks, her eyes, the tip of her nose. His mouth returned to hers with more aggression, demanding and receiving entry. His tongue stroked hers and tasted the sweetness of tea. He cupped her face, holding her still as one kiss followed another.
Tess stroked his hair. She caressed the back of his neck and the stubble of his beard. His skin was on fire, and he trembled as her hands m
oved down the front of his shirt, slipping the buttons through their holes.
When she ran her fingers through the hair on his chest he groaned and wrapped his arms around her. The feel of her body pressed against his was intoxicating. His hands slid down her back to cup her bottom. The thin lawn nightgown clung to her, revealing every curve to his searching fingers. He pulled her up tight against his arousal, wanting her so badly he ached.
He was past thinking as he backed her up against the kitchen wall, his mouth hot and wet against the fabric covering her breasts. His hips ground against hers until she moaned.
“Oh Daniel.”
Without a word, he lifted her in his arms and carried her into the front room. Carefully, he lowered her to the settee and stared at her in the moonlight shining through the window. She was so beautiful. Her hair fanned out on the cushions, her eyes bright with desire. He reached for his belt, and his gaze strayed to the sampler hanging above the settee. Tess had embroidered it with a verse and the date of her marriage to Rory.
Every muscle in his body stiffened. “What am I doing?”
“Whatever it is, I like it.”
He stared down at her. “We can’t. It’s wrong.”
Tess sat up. “It doesn’t feel wrong.”
“You don’t mean that. Everything about it is wrong. I’m in my brother’s house with my brother’s wife. I was about to make love to you in the home you shared with Rory.”
She stood and touched his arm. “Rory is gone, Daniel. What would you have me do, turn my home into a shrine?”
“How can you not think of him?” Anguish filled him.
“I do think of him. But a few minutes ago the only man on my mind was you. Please don’t shut me out again. We can talk about this.” Her eyes were dark pools in her pale face.
He shook his head and backed toward the door. “You don’t understand.”
“What don’t I understand? Tell me.”
“I can’t take my brother’s wife. I can’t betray him.”
“How is it a betrayal? I loved Rory, but he’s gone. He’s dead, and we’re not. We couldn’t anticipate these feelings. They’ve grown out of our mutual loss and fondness for each other, becoming something new and wonderful.” She put out her hand, taking a step toward him. “I know it’s more than just need, Daniel. I know you care about me.”
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