“Why don’t y’all put her between you and take turns?” Ida brought an extra chair, settling it at the corner of the table, in easy reach for both Jennifer and Lucas to reach the child with little effort. The plan was a good one, Jennifer realized, for the avid little mouth seemed fashioned after that of a baby robin in the nest, opening regularly toward one, then the other, of the two people who gave her sustenance.
Finally she closed her lips and shook her head. Finishing her own meal took Jennifer but a few moments, and then she rose and lifted Susan to her shoulder.
Lucas tugged at the baby’s bare foot. “Time for Lucas to leave,” he said in a singsong voice. He was rewarded by the lunging of a child determined to be in his arms.
“I’ll get the lunch pails,” Jennifer said, heading to the kitchen. The men all carried their plates and bowls out without nudging and Ida thanked them.
“Makes it easier on us with the dirty dishes out here right handy to the sink.” She beamed at the miners and they nodded their appreciation. Within ten minutes, they were gone, Lucas the last one out the door, as usual.
He leaned close to Jennifer as she held the baby in one hand, his lunch pail in the other. “See you at suppertime. Miss me, will you?”
She nodded, releasing the handle of his pail into his hand and then accepting the kiss he offered with good grace.
“What’s going on with you two?” Ida was bursting with curiosity as they watched the men trail off toward the livery stable.
“Not much.”
“You sleep with him?” Softer and lower, the words nevertheless reached Helen’s ears. She perked up and raced over, a smile announcing her approval should such a thing have happened.
“No. Not really. We talked a little.”
Ida laughed. “In his bed?”
Jennifer felt like a squirming worm on a hook. “Well, kind of.” And then she backtracked. “But it’s not what you’re thinking. It truly isn’t. We just talked and then I went and crawled back in bed with the baby.”
“Well, he’s makin’ progress, anyway,” Ida said. “Won’t be long till he has you back home where you belong.”
Jennifer felt wounded by Ida’s words. “You don’t think I belong here?”
“For now. But in the long run, you need to be with Lucas in his own place, not wearin’ yourself out runnin’ after a bunch of miners.”
“Maybe.” And that was all she’d say on the subject, Jennifer decided.
HE CAME IN late for supper, dirty and disheveled, more so than usual. Jennifer left the stack of plates on the dining room table to follow him up the stairs to his room. It was time, she’d decided, to let him know about her parents’ arrival, scheduled for tomorrow, according to their letter. Lucas turned to face her just inside his bedroom door.
“Did you come to help me wash up?” His grin made her heart jolt in her chest.
“Not really, but I did make sure you had warm water in your pitcher, and I know you have clean clothes in your drawers.” She closed the door and watched him, her mind racing as she considered her words. The chair next to the door beckoned and she sat on the edge of its seat, her hands clasped in her lap.
“What is it, Jen? You’re upset about something.” He squatted in front of her and picked up her fingers in his, looking into her eyes with an intensity that bid her to speak.
“I got a letter yesterday from my parents.”
“You didn’t say anything.” And then he waited, watching her.
“I know. I had other things on my mind, but I need to tell you that they’ll be arriving tomorrow. They’re coming to get Susan.”
“And what do you want me to do?”
“I don’t know.” It was a bold-faced lie. She wanted him to hold her close and to promise that nothing could tear the baby from her arms. But that seemed to be a solution impossible for now. Lucas could not make such a vow. And she had less right to Susan than did her parents.
“You want to go home? Back to the farm?” It was an offer she had hoped for, a plea she would have made had he not suggested it himself, and she nodded. “After supper?” he asked.
“I’ll go in the morning, after you’ve gone to your claim. Ida will help me load up what I need and I’ll take the wagon.”
“I’d rather be here to help you.” He frowned, deep in thought, it seemed, for in a few moments his face cleared and he spoke quickly, as if he’d reached a decision. “I’ll get word to Sandy that I won’t be at the claim tomorrow. Once you’re settled back at the farm, I’ll go out there for an overnight stay and catch up with my share.”
“I don’t want to cause trouble for you.” And yet her very soul seemed to yearn for the man and his easy acceptance of her need. “Will you stay with me till my parents arrive?”
“You know I will.” He rose to his feet, pulling her from the chair and gathering her to himself. It was exactly where she’d longed to be and she leaned against his strength. He kissed her, a soft, undemanding kiss of promise, one she welcomed and returned with her whole heart.
“Now, you’d better get downstairs and do something with that stack of plates you left on the table,” he murmured. “I’m gonna get washed and dressed in clean clothes and I’ll be down in ten minutes.”
“All right.” Leaving Ida and Helen with the bulk of supper preparation had been a sudden decision, one she knew they would understand. But Lucas was right. She needed to lend a hand.
The women had things pretty much under control, and only cast her inquiring glances as she joined them in the kitchen. “I’m sorry to have run out when I did,” she told them. “It was—”
Ida waved a hand in dismissal. “Don’t stew over it. We handled things. The table’s set and the food’s about ready to carry in.” She aimed a long look at Jennifer. “I hope you got things ironed out between you.”
“Lucas is staying here tomorrow to take me back to the farm. My folks are coming in and they plan on taking Susan back to New York with them.”
Ida paused halfway across the kitchen to shoot a startled look at Jennifer. “And what did Luc say about that?”
Jennifer halted in the midst of tying her apron strings. “He didn’t. Just said he’d take me home in the morning. I suspect he thinks if we’re a family, they won’t have the heart to ask for Susan.”
Ida’s grin was wide, her eyes twinkling as her voice lowered to a near whisper. “I’ll warrant if you go to his room tonight, you’ll do more than talk, girl.”
A blush climbed Jennifer’s cheeks as she picked up twin bowls of potatoes and headed for the dining room door, almost stumbling as she heard the laughter of the two women behind her.
IDA WAS RIGHT. For when Jennifer opened Lucas’s door shortly before midnight, he sat up in bed, limned by the moonlight from his window. One hand was extended to her as the other tossed back the sheet to make an inviting spot available to her. “Come here, Jen.” It was all he needed to say. She crossed the room slowly, as if this were a decision she must be very certain of before she took the final steps.
He clasped her fingers in his palm and pulled her down to the sheet where he lay. “Come. Let me hold you, sweetheart.” It was an invitation she could not resist, nor did she have any desire to deny him this triumph. He was her husband and she yearned to know his caresses, ached to feel his strength again, needed the assurance that he would be there to protect her no matter what the circumstance.
It was simple to lie with him, his arm tugging her against his length, his mouth finding hers to blend their lips in a warmth that gave sustenance to the feelings of desire that had begun to run rampant within her. He did not rush her along the path, allowed her to set the pace she chose, and only responded as she pressed against him with an urgency she didn’t fully understand.
She only knew that she must be here, with him, in his arms, and her body ached to contain him, as if she could pull him through her pores, into her very flesh. “I want you, Lucas. I’m not even sure what it is I need from you, but I a
che for you to cover me and make me your wife again.”
“I know what you need, Jen,” he whispered. “Shall I show you?”
She nodded, embarrassed at her own ignorance. She was a married woman, and yet, except for one lone experience, she’d savored none of the joys Lucas had spoken of, that long ago night. I’ll have known, just once, what you might have been to me.
And now she’d come to him gladly, willingly, aching for his touch, knowing what his hands and mouth could make her feel, and she reveled in the knowledge that he welcomed her with open arms. For Lucas’s elation at her surrender to him could not be mistaken.
“Jen? Let me do this.” He whispered the words in her ear and she nodded, willing to do as he wanted, needing to be anything he desired. For he did desire her, and unless she was mistaken, his words the night before had been those of a man who loved deeply.
If Lucas could spell out the secrets of his heart, could she do no less? “I want you to love me.” It was a whisper he could not help but hear, spoken into his ear with a warm breath that seemed to make him shiver. “Please, Lucas, love me tonight.”
And he did. His arms held her against him for a moment and then he released her, long enough to drag the lengthy folds of her gown from her, tossing it to the floor with a murmur of satisfaction. She lay in front of him, a willing woman, a wife aching to belong to him, and he bent to her, taking the gift of her body.
It was not as it had been that other time, for she was amenable to his touch, her arms reaching for him, her legs clasping him to herself, her mouth seeking his with kisses rich with passion.
“Tell me, Jen. Tell me.” The words seemed torn from his chest, rough and tormented, as if he could not believe the good fortune she had delivered into his arms.
And she knew what he needed to hear. Knew the words that would fill the aching void within him. “I love you, Lucas. I love you— I need you. Please love me.”
He took the words from her mouth into his, with a kiss that robbed her of her breath, with a muttered repetition of her pledge. They were words he need not have spoken out loud, for she’d known, deep in her heart, that his feelings for her ran deep, that his allegiance to her was permanent, that he had meant every promise he’d made to her the day they were wed.
He filled her, not with only his masculine being, but with the joy of his love, and she basked in the pleasure of his caresses, the delight he offered her, his hands gentle yet strong as he brought her with him to a completion she ached to achieve.
“Lucas…Lucas, I love you.” The words were intense, so filled with an emotion she savored even as she felt a moment of fright, that this man could so possess her, body and soul.
They lay in the middle of the big bed, Lucas holding her fast, her arms around him, in a grip that showed no signs of lessening. “Do you want to stay here tonight?” he asked as she sighed and shifted beneath him.
“I shouldn’t leave Susan alone. She might awaken.”
“Then we’ll both go back and sleep with her.” It seemed Lucas had made up his mind, for he released her and rolled from the bed. Her nightgown was a pale shadow in the moonlight as he held it in front of her. “Put this back on. We don’t want to surprise anyone who might be wandering around the house.”
She stood in front of him and he lowered the gown over her head, then reached for his trousers. Sliding into them, he steered her toward the door, but she paused as his hand touched the knob.
“Lucas, I’ve tricked you tonight. I planned this. Sally Jo said if I wanted you, I should go after you. So I did. Will you forgive me for being so sneaky, so…underhanded?”
His laugh was without rancor. “Bless Sally Jo,” he murmured. “She’s a smart lady. I’m happy you took her advice, Jen. It seems I owe her.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
THE WAGON was loaded quickly. Jennifer carried bundles and boxes out to the lumbering conveyance Lucas had brought around to the backyard. A supply of milk and eggs were in one box, along with two loaves of fresh bread Ida had pressed into Jennifer’s willing hands.
“You’ll have enough to do, what with unpacking and putting things to rights, without having to mix up a batch of bread, girl.” A good-size chunk of butter joined the provisions and then Ida stood in the middle of the kitchen contemplating the shelves of food visible from her viewpoint. “Maybe you ought to take along a kettle of soup for your dinner,” she said, her forehead wrinkling as she considered the worth of that idea.
“I’ll take it,” Jennifer said. “You needn’t ask twice, Ida. Lucas will be hungry by the time he hauls all this clutter into the house.”
Ida grinned. “He won’t mind. Not one little bit. I’ve never seen a man any more delighted with a turn of events than he is this morning. He’s been whistling since he got out of bed, pret’near.”
“How do you know?” Jennifer was shocked by the idea that Ida had heard Lucas’s early morning teasing.
“I know where you slept last night, and I’d be willing to bet he wasn’t two feet from you all night.”
“You’d win.” Hands down, Jennifer thought, smiling as she recalled the night they’d spent curled around Susan, only their hands touching. Lucas had muttered his displeasure, warning her that, “Tomorrow night will be different.”
“I’m glad, Jen.” Ida’s eyes filled with tears and they rolled down her plump cheeks. “You belong together, the three of you.”
“I think so, too. But my parents may take Susan back to New York and raise her there.”
“Can they really do that?”
“Lucas says not, but I’m not too sure of the ground they’re standing on. They’re the grandparents and their claim is stronger than mine. She’s all they have left.”
“They’ve got you, girl. And there’s a lot to be said for that.” Ida’s voice was rough, her demeanor indignant as she spoke.
Jennifer waved her hand as if to dismiss the woman’s opinion. “It can’t be helped, and if I can’t persuade them otherwise, they’ll take her with them. But I’m willing to try to change their minds. You know that Lucas will make a good impression on them.”
“You think so, huh?” From the doorway behind her, the familiar tones teased her. She spun to face him and barely resisted running into his arms. “You about ready, sweetheart?” he asked, picking up the last lot of belongings. Her valise and a huge box of baby things remained, and Jennifer cast a long look around the kitchen, as if imprinting it on her memory.
“I’m ready,” she said, sad at the leave-taking and yet pleased to be setting up her life with Lucas again. This time on better footing, she reminded herself. And for that she owed Ida more than she could say. Perhaps a hug would solve that problem, she decided, and approached her friend with outstretched arms.
“I love you, Ida. I’ll miss you so much.”
“Well, you always got a place to come to if Luc doesn’t treat you right, you know.” Ida’s eyes twinkled as she spoke and then her arms encircled Jennifer in a tight hug. “I’ll take care of things here, Jen. Sally Jo has agreed to take over the financial part of the business and I think we can trust her to do the right thing by us.”
“I know we can.” Jennifer’s words were confident. “And with Helen here, things will run well. You may have to find someone else to lend a hand though. This is a lot of work for two women.”
“I’ve already thought of someone I might get hold of,” Ida said. “Had her in mind when I realized you probably wouldn’t be here forever.”
“And when was that?” Jennifer was truly puzzled by the statement.
“About the time I saw the determined look in Lucas’s eye and I figured out that he planned to take you home.”
“I won’t argue that one.” With a happy smile, Jennifer picked up the baby from the chair she’d occupied at the table and tucked her tightly into her right arm. “I’m ready,” she said, nodding at Lucas. He lifted the last of his load and opened the door, one big foot holding it until Jennifer could pass him an
d step onto the porch. Buster watched them, resignation on his face, as if he recognized the departure of his favorite human would bring about changes in his life, not to mention his place in this house at bedtime.
“I’ll be out one day soon,” Ida said, brushing a last kiss on Jennifer’s cheek and then aiming another at Susan, catching her unaware and causing her to giggle and squirm.
Lucas lifted both woman and child high in the air and settled them on the wagon seat, where he joined them in moments.
“’Bye, Ida,” he said with a happy smile. “Take good care of yourself. You’ll have two more rooms to rent now. Shall I send some men by?”
“Heavens, no,” she retorted. “I’ve got a waiting list a yard long. All I’ll have to do is wait a couple of hours or so and the next two men on my list will be showing up, champing at the bit, anxious to move in.”
She waved as the wagon moved ahead, through the side yard and then out onto the road. Jennifer turned in the seat, keeping her friend in sight as long as she could, lifting one hand in a final flourish as they gained the road and the horses broke into a quick trot.
“Are you content with being on your way home, Jen?” Lucas’s look was solemn as he sought her gaze. “I didn’t rush you too fast, did I?”
She smiled at him, adjusting Susan on her lap. “I think I’m the one who did the rushing, Mr. O’Reilly. If my memory serves me, it was my doing that got us to this point.”
“If you hadn’t come calling last night, I’d planned on dragging you out of bed and carrying you across the hall anyway. I’d about had enough of sleeping alone and reaching for you in the night.”
“You haven’t slept with me for that many nights,” she told him. “At least, not many nights that seemed to please you like the one just past.”
“I was pleased.” His admission was quick, his voice low, as if he might find an audience listening. “It was a dream come true, Jen. I’d been so lonesome without you.”
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