Tess caught hold of the reins, called out to the mules and snapped the
leather in a smart crack. The animals started off with a jolt.
A little while later, Jon rode by the wagon. He smiled to Tess and
Dolly.
"Ladies, are you both all right?"
"Just fine, Jon," Dolly told him.
"Tess?"
She nodded gravely.
"Jon, was Jamie telling the truth?" She flushed slightly.
"Did he tell me the truth about all the chief's words?"
Jon hedged slightly.
"More or less. Running River went a little bit further than Jamie told
you."
"Oh?"
Jon shrugged.
"He said that it might have been Apache that attacked you. The Apache
have refused any treaties, they are constantly warlike, and stray bands
have been known to travel in this area frequently. The Comanche and the
Apache have often been enemies."
"Does Jamie know the Apache as well as he knows this Running River?"
"No. The Apache do not want to be known." Tess shivered, and Jori
quickly amended his statement.
"He does know a few of the warriors and chiefs. They will at least talk
to him. He speaks the Apache language as well as he does the Comanche."
"It's all heathen gibberish to me!" Dolly announced. Jon grinned at
Tess, and Tess felt somewhat better. There was something very reassuring
about Jamie's abilities.
Maybe it could be proven that the Apache were no more guilty of the
attack than the Comanche.
Jon waved and rode on ahead.
"I'll take the reins for a bit now," Dolly told her. "You don't need to"
-- "I'll be bored as tears if I don't put inmy part, dear. Now hand them
over."
Tess grinned and complied.
They rode until sunset, then until the first cooling rays of the night
touched them. Jamie and Jon knew the terrain.
Again, they knew where to find water. Tess climbed from the wagon the
minute they stopped, stretching, trying to ease the discomfort in her
back. Jamie pointed out the path through the trees to the little brook,
and she started out in silence, aware that Dolly followed her. The water
moved over rock and along the earth, barely three inches of it, but she
cupped her hands into it and drank thirstily, then splashed in huge
handfuls over her face and throat, heedless that she soaked her gown.
Beside her, Dolly dipped her handkerchief in the water and soaked her
face and throat and arms with it.
"Ah, the good lord doth deliver!" she said cheerfully.
"Jamie! Come on in, the water's fine, Lieutenant!"
Tess froze, aware only then that Jamie was standing silently behind her.
Dolly her ted up her bulk.
"Guess I'll head back and see if Jon's got a cooking fire started yet."
She stepped by. Jamie knelt in Dolly's place. He doffed his hat and
untied the kerchief from his throat, then soaked it as Dolly had. He
leaned low and plunged in his whole head, then rubbed the kerchief over
his throat and shoulders. Tess stared at him, unaware that she did so.
He smiled, watching her. She jumped slightly when he touched her
cotton-clad shoulder.
"You're soaked," he told her.
"I suppose so."
He grinned, recalling memories of a different brook, a different time.
"I rather like you wet."
"You" -- "Ah, now, please, Miss. Stuart!"
She fell silent, but his smile faded and he sat on his haunches, folding
his hands idly over his knees.
"We've got to talk, Tess."
She didn't intend to blush, but color rose swiftly to her cheeks.
Damn him!
"What?" she said harshly.
"Well, I'm waiting to find out if you're going to bargain with me or
not."
She was silent, feeling her body burn. "Well?"
"You are a bastard."
"Come, come, now, Miss. Stuart, will you bargain?" She leaped to her
feet.
"Yes!" she spat at him.
"Yes-and you were right, you knew damned well that I would do so. I am
desperate. You can have anything. Anything that you want."
She swung around in what she hoped was indignant fury. She was suddenly
blinded. She nearly tripped as she started forward. She reached for a
branch to steady herself. "Miss. Stuart!"
he called to her lightly.
"Oh, for God's sake! What now?" she demanded. "Well, pardon me, but you
didn't wait to hear just what it was that I wanted."
"What?" she gasped.
"I said" -- "But, but ..."
She stared at him. He was still seated so comfortably on the ground,
casual now, idly chewing upon a long blade of grass.
"But, but, but, Miss. Stuart! Where is your mind, dear lady, but deep,
deep down in the gutter?"
He stood. Warily she backed away from him.
"Listen, Lieutenant, I'm not sure that you do shoot well enough for all
this!
What do you want now?"
She backed straight into a tree. He was right in front of her, smiling.
He stroked her cheek lightly with his knuckle and laughed softly as she
indignantly twisted her face to the side.
"Still waters do run deep, eh, Miss. Stuart? You ready to listen?"
"What" -- "Land."
"What?" she repeated, dazed.
"Land. I want some acreage. Some of your prime acreage, and maybe a few
cattle. If I'm going to go out and die for this land, I'd like to have a
bit of it in my own name."
"That's--that's what you want?"
' "That's it ."
"Land?
"Land, Miss. Stuart. I know you've heard the word." She pressed against
the tree, slipping her hands behind her to hold furtively to keep
herself from falling. Then a crimson blush surged to her cheeks again,
and she raged out in a tempest.
"You! You made me think that--oh, God! You are the lowest, most horrid,
most terrible" -- "Disappointed?" he interrupted pleasantly. She
shrieked something unintelligible and swung at him.
He caught her hand before she could strike him, but she continued to pit
herself against him. He pulled her against him, lacing his arms around
her.
"Don't be angry" -- "Angry! I could gouge out your eyes" -- "Ouch! It
would be hard as hell for me to aim at this yon Heusen of yours if you
did that."
"I could shoot off both your knee caps!"
"Then how could I get places to find out the truth?"
"All right! All right! You fight yon Heusen, then I'll gouge out your
eyes and shoot your knee caps. Now let go of me!"
"No, not yet, I'd be risking my eyesight, I'm afraid. Or my--ouch!" he
said as she stamped on his foot. Her feet were dangerous. And her knees.
"Don't even think about it!" be warned her, pressing her so close
against the tree trunk that she could barely breath.
Nor could she kick him--his thigh was pressed close to hers. Her breasts
heaved with agitation; her heart was thundering.
His lips were close. So close to hers. He was going to kiss her again,
she thought. And if he did, she'd probably let him get away with it,
despite all he had done to her. "Did you know that you have a really
<
br /> beautiful mouth, Miss. Stuart?" he asked, his own nearly touching it.
"Ah! Not nearly so beautiful as my cattle!" she retorted.
He laughed softly again.
"You are disappointed."
"Don't deceive yourself, Lieutenant. I am vastly relieved."
"Why don't I believe you?"
"Because you're an egotist and a scurvy rat."
"Why is it that you just beguile me so, Tess Stuart? Is it that you
taste like wine and smell of roses, even in the most god-awful heat of
the day.
Is it that fall of golden hair, or your eyes, like wild violets? No ...
it must be the tender words you're always whispering so gently to me.
Words like ... scurvy rat."
"Lieutenant, will you please" -- "I do want you."
"What?" she cried.
"Very much. But I don't want to bargain about it. When you decide to be
with me, you'll do so because you want to.
You might have to think it through and weigh all the factors, or you
might just wake up one night and come to re108 aliz~ that it's going to
be, that there's just something there. I feel it when I touch you, when
I'm near you.
"You're a fool!"
"Am I?"
He l~aned closer. H~ was going to ~ h~ aga~. "Don'tv' she cfi~ out.
H~ igno~ the wa~ing, tang h~ lips with his ~n, ~d ou~ sh~ m~bl~ a ~nd
prot, her mouth was al- ~dy pa~g to his. ~d his tongu~ was d~,. d~
within bet, and it touch~ her in pla~ it could not possibly ~ch.
She ~ ~at h~ was right, and she ha~ ~ for it, but she ~ h~ stffi, and
she wan~ h~ stffi. She t~bl~ against th~ swat sava~e~ of his touch, and
she felt the p~u~ of ~s b~y, of h~ t~ aga~st h~, of mo~ than his thigh.
H~ hands we~ in her hair, strong her fa~, rounding over the full ri~ of
her b~st, and sh~ was still bra~ against him, unabl~ to do anything
other than f~l. ~en he ~1~ her. She gas~ ragg~ly and fell back.
His lips ~ghtly bmsh~ fffst her forbid, then her ch~ks. He smile.
"Egotist, eh?"
He w~ off guard. She sl~m~ her ~ aga~st h~. She didn't qui~ hit home,
but she must have given h~ a good bm~ in the thigh. He groan~ at ~e pa~,
gritting h~ ~th, flash~g her a lethal glad.
"~ Stua~, if I didn't have ~me vague memo~ of ~- ~g a gentleman" -- "If
you have any memo~ at all, sir, it must ~ vague~"
"Miss. S~art, I should tan" -- "Do ex~ me, Lieut~ant," she ~id, at~pt~g
to s~ past h~.
"It's not that you have~'t got d~nt lips, it's just that it's ~possible
to know wh~e they've ~n befog."
"~nt lips]"
"~nt, y~," she said sw~tly, still walking. He caught h~ a~ and pull~ her
into his a~s.
"I ~uld just" -- be ~gan, but then he laughs.
"Impo~ible to 109 know where they've been before! Why, honest to God! I
do believe that you're jealous!"
"Not on your life, Lieutenant!" she protested. But he touched his lips
to hers again, sweeping her swiftly into realms she was just beginning
to discover, then righting her just as quickly and dropping his arms. He
cast his arm out, indicating the trail.
"After you, Miss. Stuart. I will always wait."
"You'll wait until you're old and gray!" she snapped. She was jealous,
she thought. Anguished. It was painful to care like this, so deeply and
so quickly.
He smiled serenely.
"Will I?"
She managed to return the smile.
"Not all women are like Miss. Eliza, Lieutenant."
"No? I had rather thought that they were--at heart."
"You're mistaken."
"Maybe you're mistaken. Maybe most women are hypocrites."
"Oh, you are impossiblev' Tess cried. She swung around and began to
stride angrily toward the wagon.
But before she could reach the break in the bushes, he had pulled her
back.
She started to snap something to him, but the words caught in her throat
when his smoky gaze fell upon her.
"Tess, you are different."
"Different from what?"
He smiled.
"From any other woman I have met," he said softly.
Then he stepped past her and preceded her to the camp fire Jori had
burning with a welcoming warmth and light.
Chapter Six.
The delicious aroma of cooking was already filling the air as Tess
stepped toward the fire. She inhaled deeply as she tried to dispel her
immediate memories of Lieutenant Slater. The fire had been set in the
center of the clearing. A small animal roasted on a spit atop it. Jon,
on his haunches, turned the spit. On a bed of hot rocks surrounding the
fire sat a coffeepot.
Dolly was coming from the wagon with tin plates, and with mugs for the
coffee. She smiled at Tess.
"Rabbit! A nice, plump brown rabbit. Jon caught and skinned that thing
in minutes flat. I do declare, he's a fine provider!"
"Yes, he is," Tess said, smiling at Jon. She strode past him and
daintily swept her skirts beneath her to sink upon the ground. Jamie was
coming across the clearing toward them, too. He sat beside her.
"You caught a big one," Jamie acknowledged.
"Good."
"We need some water for this coffeepot," Dolly said.
"I'll get it," Jamie and Tess volunteered simultaneously. "Fine, you get
it," Tess said.
"No, you can go."
"But, Lieutenant" -- "Jori, give me the damned pot, will you?" Jamie
said.
He started toward the brook, then paused, looking back.
"How's our supply in the barrels?" "Good," Jon said.
"Later we can fill the canteens." Jamie nodded and started toward the
water.
Tess hesitated a minute, then started after him. "Tess!" Dolly called.
"I'll be right back!" "We'll never have coffee!" Dolly said dolefully.
Tess ignored her.
She was panting and breathless, and wondering what in hell had made her
rush into the den with the lion.
She caught up with Jamie at the brook. When he wanted to, he could move
quickly.
He stared at her as he filled the coffeepot, arehing one brow.
"You want acreage," she said.
"How much?"
"Well, now, I don't know. I haven't seen the property, have I?"
"Give me an idea."
He shrugged. His eyes were hard as he stared at her. "Half. Half of what
you own."
She gasped, stunned.
"You're insane!"
"I can ride back to the fort."
"But you don't even know what I own!"
"That's right. You're the one pushing the point here."
"A quarter."
"Half."
"Never!"
"Half. And that will be it. I won't ask another thing of you, Miss.
Stuart."
"Not on your life."
"We can ride right back." He stood and walked toward her. He didn't
touch her, but he was smiling still.
"Miss. Stuart, normally I don't barter at all, not without seeing what
it is I'm willing to risk my life for."
"You're in the cavalry. You risk your life daily."
"They pay me. And you" -- "I'll pay you wages."
He shook his head slowly.
"You know what I want."
Tremors swept through her. She did know what he wanted--
and he kept
saying it was property. He kept smiling, and his eyes roamed up and down
the length of her. "Like I said, I usually like to see what I'm buying
with my time and my Colt. Since I trust you so, I'm willing to take a
chance in this circumstance."
"A quarter," Tess said firmly.
"Half."
He walked by her quickly. She stumbled to keep up with him, but he moved
too fast. She was still stumbling when he walked into the clearing. She
slammed into him and he turned, lifting her chin.
"Half!" he whispered.
She pulled quickly away from him.
"We'll discuss it later. I think you're insane. I think you're just as
crooked as von Heusen. Just another Yankee carpetbagger."
He stiffened, dropped her chin and turned in harsh, military fashion,
then took the coffeepot to the fire. He sank down across from Jori.
"Well, the coffee will taste much better once we've eaten that sizzlin'
sweet rabbit all up!" Dolly said cheerfully.
"It's cooked enough for me," Jon said, leaning over and ripping off a
leg.
He winced as the meat burned his fingers, then he smiled.
"Dig in!"
They all ate hungrily, and in silence. Jamie rose and brought a loaf of
hard bread from the supply pack. It didn't matter that it was hard--it
was delicious. And when they were finished eating, the coffee was done.
It did taste wonderful after all the food, just as Dolly had so
cheerfully suggested.
It grew dark as they sipped it. Velvet dark. The moon was a bare sliver
in the sky, but there were hundreds of stars out, dotting the heavens.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Dolly said.
"Very nice," Tess agreed. She yawned.
"We should take the dishes to the water and wash them now."
"Don't be absurd. It's dark as Hades," Jamie said harshly. His eyes were
smoke when they touched her. He was furious, she realized. And it wasn't
their arguing over the payment in acreage, it couldn't be. He liked to
taunt her and anger her, the silver light of challenge was always in his
eyes then.
But he wasn't feeling fondly toward her at all at the moment, she was
certain. Her heart beat too-hard as his eyes touched her, and she
thought she saw something lethal in him, something that made her shiver,
something that made her think she did not want him to be her enemy. He
was coming to fight her battle, she reminded herself.
But then why did he look as if he wanted to strangle her? "I--I can
bring a lantern," she heard herself saying.
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