Anthology - BIG SKY GROOMS
Page 29
It was too much. Kate burst into tears, burying her face against James’s shirtfront. “I can’t believe this,” she sobbed, her hand poking in her pocket in search of a hankie.
“Here, take mine, honey,” James said with a laugh. “It’s bigger.” He offered his red bandanna and she snatched it gratefully.
“I’m taking the lady back to school, folks,” James said cheerfully. “I’ll be back.”
“IT JUST DOESN’T seem possible, James.” Kate sat on the stoop, looking toward the scene of activity. The sun was setting, yet the men still crawled over the bare lumber that outlined the form of a house.
“Their wives took food over to the lot for them. They’re having a picnic.”
Kate bit at her lip and voiced her greatest concern. “I heard that a man is coming to take over the schoolroom later this week.”
“Don’t worry about it,” James told her. “They can just ship him back to Kansas City for all I care. That schoolroom belongs to you. Now, let’s take a walk and look at our new house.”
ON THURSDAY MORNING, James watched from the doorway of the jailhouse as the stage rolled up in front of the hotel, and his cousin, Will approached it. The gentleman in question was definitely on board, and if the amount of luggage he carried with him was anything to go by, he’d come prepared for permanence.
“Mr. Powell?” Will asked, and then offered his hand as the tall, slender gentleman climbed down from the vehicle. “I’m William Kincaid, the local banker. Welcome to Whitehorn.” The driver tossed down two large cases made of leather and they hit the road, a cloud of dust rising to coat their already travel-worn surfaces.
The young man eagerly shook Will’s hand, then turned to lift his valise from inside the stage. “I’m anxious to begin work. I taught three grades in my last school, and I know this will be a challenge, but I’m sure you’ll be satisfied with my references.”
“Yes, I’m sure you’d be more than satisfactory, no matter what your position,” Will said, looking to where the rest of the town council waited on the sidewalk. James stood to one side, thankful that he wasn’t wearing his cousin’s shoes today. What Will was going to do with the young teacher was a problem all right, but if James had anything to say about the whole thing, the schoolhouse was Kate’s domain.
“We’ve already read your references,” Will said awkwardly, “and you’re more than qualified. But a small problem has arisen, and we need to have you meet with these gentlemen.”
Cam stood in the doorway of the saloon, and held the swinging, louvered door open for the five men to troop inside. Will looked back at James and lowered his brows. “Get yourself in here, Cousin.”
James shrugged and followed the group, willing to listen in, so long as Kate was not displaced from her position. The five men sat around a table and James leaned on the bar. “I’d offer you a drink, James,” Cam said in a low voice, “but I wouldn’t want your wife after me.”
“I wouldn’t take it, even without my wife to keep me on the straight and narrow,” James told him with a grin. “You’ve lost one of your best customers, Cam.” The barkeep shrugged, pulled a pair of five dollar gold pieces from his pocket and palmed them, grinning as Will began to speak.
“Sir,” Will began, “I told you there was a slight problem, but I think we’ve resolved it to everyone’s benefit. It seems your studies included a great deal of mathematics, and that brought to light another offer you might consider.” He took a deep breath and offered a brilliant smile. “Have you ever thought about working in a bank?”
KATE AND JAMES walked through the house, Kate admiring the wallpaper that graced the parlor walls. “I can’t believe they decided so readily to allow me to continue teaching, James. And then to put this house together so quickly,” she murmured, twirling in a circle in the middle of the floor.
“There’s still the stove to put in place in the kitchen and a wood burner in the parlor,” James said. “They should be here in a couple of days.” He rubbed his fingers over the wainscoting beneath the floral wallpaper. “I’m glad Mr. Blair had a good supply of oak for the woodwork.”
He took her arm and led her through the wide doorway into the hall. “Come on, honey. I want to show you the rest of the house.”
“I’ve seen it, James,” she said, glancing up at him. “I’ve been here every day after school all week long. I helped hang all the wallpaper in the bedrooms and the dining room.”
“I moved my stuff into the bedroom early this morning, Kate,” he said quietly. “I’m going to sleep here tonight.”
“There’s no bed yet.” They stood in the doorway of the room they would share, where their children would be born, and where Kate anticipated numerous nights of pleasure in her husband’s arms. “When will our furniture arrive?”
“Holt Garrison is almost done with the bed. We’ll have to use boxes for our clothes till he gets the dresser done. He’s giving us a good price though, and I think it’s worth waiting for. I checked out the Sears and Roebuck catalogue and showed him a picture of a nice one. Would have cost us fifteen dollars plus shipping if I’d ordered it, but he’s giving it to us for just twelve-fifty.”
“Is the rest of the furniture coming next week?” Kate asked.
James nodded. “Might be closer to two weeks, but no longer than that. Can we just pretend we’re camping out, Kate? Make do for a while? I hate to ask you to live here without decent chairs to sit on and a bed to sleep in, but even the bed’s going to take another day or two.”
She grinned and turned to him. “For a man who spent his wedding night on the floor, I’d say you’re getting pretty picky.”
His arms circled her waist and he drew her tightly against his needy frame. “I’m tired of leaving bruises on you, sweetheart. That floor is a miserable place to sleep, and if you’re half as lame as I am every morning, you’ll be more than glad to have a bed.”
“I’ll stay here tonight with you, if you like, James,” she offered. “It wouldn’t take long to bring my things over from the school.”
“The sun’s about to go down, honey. We’ll have to hurry,” he told her, dragging her behind him as he headed into the hallway, long strides taking him to the front door in moments. “Will’s new bank teller will be pleased as punch to move into your room behind the school. Providing him with a place to live was the best end of the deal as far as Will’s concerned. He just made it part of the salary.”
“How did Will persuade the council to let me keep my contract?” Although she was pleased at the outcome, it seemed strange that the council had not fussed over her breach of contract.
James cleared his throat hesitantly. “Well, I figured if they really wanted me for their sheriff, they needed to make some concessions. I told them they could take back the tin star unless they let you stay on as teacher.”
“James! You might have lost your job over this. There was no guarantee they’d do as you asked.”
His grin was wide now as he reached for her. “They really want me, honey. And I let them know you were more important to me than any job in the world. Now, let’s get your things out of the way so Will’s new employee can move in.”
“They’ll have to move him out one of these days, when the school begins to overflow,” Kate told him. “I’m almost filled to capacity now. In another year or so, we’ll need more room, and I’ll be after the council to take down the wall, or put a door in it, so we can have two rooms for classes.”
“It’ll all work out,” James assured her, lifting her into the wagon he’d hired.
“You knew before you brought me here tonight, didn’t you?” Kate said accusingly, watching him as he circled the horses and climbed up onto the seat.
“Knew what?” he asked innocently, snapping the reins over the mares’ backs.
“You knew I’d want to move in with you, furniture or not, didn’t you? And you hired the wagon so you could bring my things over tonight.”
“I might have had it in mind,” he c
onceded, urging the animals into a faster pace. “How long do you think it will take to get your stuff together?”
Her look was measuring. “Why? Are you impatient?”
AS IT TURNED OUT, he was the soul of patience, arranging quilts on the bedroom floor, spreading a clean sheet and fluffing pillows. Kate placed a lamp on her trunk, arranged her brush and mirror beside it and viewed the uncovered windows with an eye to privacy.
“How about if I tack my old towels up, like I did at the schoolhouse?” she asked.
“It’s dark out, honey,” James pointed out. “Once we blow out the lamp, there’s not a soul can see in.”
“What about in the morning, when I need privacy to get dressed?” This was becoming complicated, she decided, rising to search out the towels that already bore holes from the nails she’d pounded through the hems. “I know they’re here somewhere,” she murmured, fretting as she sorted through a box of her belongings.
“You just dumped everything in here,” she wailed, casting a fulminating glance at James.
He sat on their lone chair, one he’d snatched from Will’s kitchen, with the promise to return it as soon as his own arrived. One foot crossed over the other knee, he tugged at his boot. “You know, you could pull my boots off for me, Kate,” he said mildly. “A good wife would help her husband get undressed.”
“Don’t you dare take off another thing, James Kincaid,” she muttered. “The lamp is still on, and if anyone sees in here, they’ll know we’re going to bed.”
His grin widened. “Don’t you suppose they’ll know that anyway? That’s what folks do at night.” The boot slipped to the floor and he worked at its mate, then rose and took her by the hand. “Look here now. We’re married, and you’ve been sleeping with me for over a week already. No one has looked at you and snickered, have they?”
Kate shook her head. “No.” Tears formed in her eyes and she blinked rapidly, holding them in abeyance. “I just…” She looked around the room, her gaze drawn to the pallet James had formed for them. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me, James. Maybe I’m just tired.”
“I know how to fix that up, honey,” he promised. “A good night’s sleep will do wonders.”
“Sleep? If all you want to do is sleep, I could have stayed in my old place,” she wailed.
“Let me show you something,” he said, coaxing her across to the window. Bending, he blew out the lamp, then placing her in front of himself, he pointed his index finger at the scene beyond the glass panes, to where the lights of scattered houses made up the town of Whitehorn. “Those are our neighbors,” he said. “They’re the people who’ll make up our circle of friends in all the years to come, Kate. I’ll warrant you’ll find women out there who will be as close to you as sisters, through thick and thin. And you’ll teach their children and carry food to them when they’re sick, and sit in church with them on Sunday mornings.”
His big hands were taking liberties even as he spoke, unbuttoning the front of her dress, then delving beneath to lift her camisole, his fingers deft as he stroked the firm flesh he discovered there.
“Can anyone see in?” she whispered, not willing to call a halt to his wandering hands, yet edgy as she considered being on display for the neighbors’ benefit.
“Naw. Not a soul,” he assured her, stepping back a pace from the sparkling windowpanes. His fingers lifted her glasses and placed them on the windowsill. “But, just in case, why don’t you turn around here and we’ll get you out of these clothes, and you can crawl under the quilt.”
“You told me I could undress you,” she reminded him, her own fingers busy with buttons and belt. His shirt slid from his arms, and his trousers fell to the floor.
Eager hands divested her of every stitch of underwear in no time flat, and Kate found herself beneath not only the quilt, but under the muscular frame of a man who did not seem intent on sleeping. At least not for a while.
He loved her carefully, tenderly, his hands and mouth assuring her of his need, his words hot and sensual as he explored the curves and hollows of her body. Her legs, as always, were examined and caressed, and James curled long fingers around her knees, parting them to make room for himself.
“I knew the minute I saw these knees, I’d have to have you, Kate. It took me a while to get another look, but I hadn’t forgotten one inch of your pretty, long legs.” He lifted them to his mouth, his lips suckling at the flesh, his moustache brushing against her skin.
He made his way up her body, and his plea was one she could not resist. “Help me, honey.” He breathed the words against her forehead. “I need you, sweetheart. Take me inside.”
Her hands trembled, her desire for this handsome, devil-may-care man well nurtured by his tender regard. “I never thought a man like you would look twice at an old maid schoolteacher,” she whispered, reaching to grasp his male member in her hands. She shivered, knowing what was to come, her eyes filling with tears of joy as she looked up at the dark curls he could not tame.
His hair was ruffled from her fingers and his jaw was shadowed, his shoulders wide and muscular, and she caught a glimpse of something primitive in his veiled gaze. In the moonlight, he seemed almost savage, his lips drawn back, his teeth bared, and she gloried in the sight. He was her man, her chosen mate. Strong and hard-edged he might seem to the rest of the world, she knew him as no other would, had felt him tremble as she held that part of him that would forge their bodies into one.
She guided him, lifted her hips to accept his entry, and found that indeed the magic was there between them. The surging desire, the passion that drove them to completion, the love that enclosed them in a world of their own. He held her, whispered words that pleased her, finally rolling to his side to hold her against his heart. And then he slept, and she curled even closer, wrapped in his arms as his lips touched her forehead, and his voice murmured soft words, as if he would hold back the night.
“Shh,” she whispered. “Go to sleep, James.” And he nodded, his breathing even and deep.
That she could hold such power over this man was a wonder, and yet it was so. He loved her, and though he might tease her about her legs, she knew without a shadow of a doubt that his devotion went far deeper than admiration of her physical being.
They were mates, meant to forge a measure of this great country into a heritage of their own. She sensed it, as if by their joining, some great destiny had been sealed. He was a part of the Kincaid clan, an important part, and the unity of the family would be the foundation upon which a dynasty would be built.
But for now, there was only man and woman, the coming together of two people who had found love, and had earned the right to share their lives beneath the Montana sky.
ISBN: 978-1-4268-8572-3
MONTANA MAVERICKS: BIG SKY GROOMS
Copyright © 2001 by Harlequin Books S.A.
Special thanks and acknowledgment are given to Susan Mallery, Bronwyn Williams and Carolyn Davidson for their contribution to the MONTANA MAVERICKS series.
SPIRIT OF THE WOLF
Copyright © 2001 by Harlequin Books S.A.
AS GOOD AS GOLD
Copyright © 2001 by Harlequin Books S.A.
THE GAMBLE
Copyright © 2001 by Harlequin Books S.A.
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