“All right,” Jenny said agreeably. “Where are the cups?” She looked around the tidy kitchen, spotting a tray set out on the buffet. “Here we go,” she murmured, lifting the tray to the table. “How old is Jeremy?”
“Almost three,” Kate said. “He was born after Roan and I came home.”
“Here?” Jenny asked, lifting the teapot to the tray.
“We’ve been here three years now.” Her smile revealed a dimple as Kate turned from the stove. “Three wonderful years.”
“You’re happy here, then.”
“I’m with Roan,” Katherine said simply. “You want to carry the tray?” She turned to the buffet. “There’s a plate of cookies here someplace. Susanna baked yesterday.” Retrieving the heaping plate, she followed Jenny back to the parlor.
Shay stood up as they crossed the threshold, his eyes seeking his wife, his hands reaching for the tray. Relief apparent in his faint smile, he carried the tea tray toward the sofa. “Mama just said she wondered if the two of you had decided to drink yours in the kitchen,” he teased.
“We’ve got a lot to talk about,” Jenny told him, settling beside Letitia. From the doorway behind her a small voice announced the presence of Jeremy, his tones demanding his mother’s attention.
“Mama!” He stood erect, his dark brows beetled, his mouth looking so like Shay’s, Jenny wanted to laugh aloud. “I dint find you.” His lips puckered into a pout, and he ran to Katherine. She held him against her side, then sat on the sofa, one arm surrounding his shoulders, her mouth touching his forehead.
“I’m right here, sweetie,” she murmured, but the boy would not be pacified.
“I need hugs,” he said, one leg attempting to scale the sofa, seeking a place on her lap.
From the doorway, LeRoy’s dry announcement caught Jeremy’s attention. “Look here, boy. I’ve found you a cousin.” Hand tightly clasped by the white-haired gentleman, Marshall looked eagerly at the younger boy.
“He’s kinda little, isn’t he, Grandpa?” As an aside, it almost got past Jeremy’s hearing, but his head came up and he slid to the floor.
“I’m bigger,” he stated, rising to his full height. He strutted across the floor, looking up at Marshall. A half-head shorter than the other boy, he nevertheless tilted his chin and squinted his eyes. “I’m Jeremy,” he said firmly.
Marshall laughed with delight. “Come show me your dog,” he said, holding out his hand, which Jeremy promptly took. And then Marsh looked up at Roan. “I’ll look after him, Uncle Roan. I’m dependable. My papa says so.” And as if that were the final word on the subject, the two small boys left the room.
“He’s a handful, I’ll warrant,” Letitia said warmly, her smile a delight to see. Jenny nodded. Children seemed to pull things together, she thought. Now if only they could work a miracle of sorts between LeRoy and Shay.
The feather bed was soft beneath them, and the light from the window outlined Shay’s broad shoulders as he leaned over her. Jenny touched his face, her fingers traveling the familiar route from temple to jaw, as though by mere touch she could erase the scar he lived with.
“Your mama said it wasn’t as bad now as four years ago.”
“It was pretty fresh then, all red and angry. It’s not nearly so ugly now,” he said. He lowered his head to the pillow next to hers. “But Katherine was upset, I think.”
“She cried,” Jenny whispered. “She hurt for you, Shay. Not because of how it looks. Not that. Just that you’d been so wounded.”
“Sisters under the skin, aren’t you?” His voice held a trace of humor, the words dry, as if he accepted the alliance the two women had formed so quickly.
“She’s wonderful,” Jenny said simply. “And we resemble each other, don’t we? With just about the same color hair and all.”
“Yours is prettier, redder,” Shay said, “and your eyes are softer.”
“I think you’re prejudiced,” Jenny said, laughing beneath her breath. “I’ll bet Roan is telling her the exact opposite, right now.”
“And I’ll bet the two boys are still gigglin’ and wrasslin’ around in that big bed.”
“No,” Jenny said. “I just checked before I came in. They’re sideways across the bed, both of them sound asleep.” Her sigh was deep. “And I’ll bet they’ll be up long before breakfast. Marshall wants to show Jeremy how to gather the eggs. And they’re going to look for a new litter of kittens in the barn.”
Shay stirred, turning to face her. “Sounds like I’ve got my work cut out for me. They’d better wait till Roan or I get there. They can’t be turned loose out there all by themselves. There’s more trouble they can get into than you can shake a stick at.”
“Your father said he’d go out with them, and Jethro will keep an eye out.” She took his hand and kissed the back, rubbing it against her cheek. “You need to spend a while with your mama. Just talk to her and tell her about…” Her pause was long. “About things, Shay. Not everything, but enough to let her know why you couldn’t stay here.
“Tell her about Elmira. Not about the guard and all of that, but the rest. About Carl, and the men who died and the men who lived,” she whispered. “It scarred you, Shay. Not just your face, but deep inside. Let her see the scars.”
“I can’t do that,” he protested quickly, his voice harsh. “She’s my mother. She can’t understand how a man feels.”
“I do. Because I love you,” Jenny told him. “And she loves you, too.”
“I know. Funny, isn’t it? It used to bother me that Roan was always her favorite.”
“And you were LeRoy’s. Roan told us that. But you’re still her son, and she doesn’t understand why you came home, only to vanish without a trace. How do you think I’d feel if Marshall were to grow up and go from home and not let me know where he was, or if he were alive or dead?”
“I’d go after him and…” He paused. “I couldn’t stand to see you hurt that way, Jen.” The silence was long, and then he rolled atop her, his knees making a place for himself. She moved agreeably to his silent bidding, her hands lifting to embrace him.
“I’ll do it,” he agreed softly. “I’ll spend time with her and talk to her. And then I’ll go for a long walk with Pa, as long a hike as he can handle, anyway. Maybe we’ll sit under a tree for a while.
“He looks older, Jen. But Roan said he’d improved while he was gone, has more color in his face.”
He bent, his kiss deliberate, enticing her response, and her lips opened to his, answering his caress. He groaned beneath his breath. “You don’t know how I’ve waited for this, all day.”
“Sure beats last night, doesn’t it?” she whispered. “Marshall’s three rooms away, and our door is shut tight.”
“I locked it,” he murmured against her ear.
“You did?” She turned to look through the darkness, as if her eyes could see the latch. “I didn’t see a key.”
“There isn’t one, just a bolt, up at the top. This used to be my room when I was a boy—I’d put the bolt on to keep Yvonne out.” His grin shone white in the moonlight. “There wasn’t any keepin’ Roan out. He just climbed the tree and came in the window if he wanted to.”
“Are you friends again?” she asked. “Have you put aside your differences?”
Shay considered the thought. “Pretty much,” he said finally. “He’s like my other half sometimes, and I don’t understand how our minds work in such different ways. I suppose I’ll just have to accept that they do, and leave it at that.”
“Are we going to talk all night?” she asked plaintively, wriggling beneath him.
“Not when you make that kind of an offer,” he said, bending to nuzzle her neck. “Am I too heavy for you?” He lifted onto his forearms and rose over her a bit.
“Never. At least not for now. Ask me again in three months or so.”
“Now, that’s a woman for you,” he muttered. “Three answers to the same question.” And then he stilled her sputter with the movement of his lip
s against hers, the nestling of his manhood against her belly and the touch of two hands that held her face, cradling her tenderly between his palms.
“Let me love you, sweetheart,” he whispered. His mouth was gentle, then possessive, as her hands clutched the muscles of his back, and her legs drew up to clasp his hips. He groaned softly, adjusting his position, rocking against her. “Are your breasts touchy?” he asked, lifting to look down at the swollen mounds he yearned to caress.
“I like it when you touch them,” she whispered.
“Me, too,” he muttered, shifting lower in the bed, his cheek brushing against her bosom. He turned his head, catching the dark crest in his lips and nuzzled it, murmuring beneath his breath. Her indrawn breath alerted him and he halted.
“Feels good,” she told him, the words breathed against his head.
“Well, by all means, sweetheart, I want to make you feel good,” he told her, his lips capturing the scrap of flesh once more, suckling it gently, feeling the hard, pebbled surface draw against his tongue.
She lifted her hips against him and he looked up, frowning. “Now, don’t start that, lady. I’m going to be busy here for a good long time, and then I’m going to see what else you’ve got under this sheet that I need to tend to.”
“Shay?” Her voice was plaintive, her hands moving to clasp his hips, her fingers digging into the firm muscles of his backside. With an urgency she could not hide, she tugged him closer. “We can mess around later on. I need you right now.”
“Later on?” He lifted over her, his manhood throbbing with renewed life at her words. “More than once? I won’t hurt you? It’ll be all right?”
“We need to make up for lost time. And I’m tough, Shay. I’m pregnant, not sick. You can’t hurt me.”
He found her with searching, seeking fingers, recognizing her readiness, and with a smooth, easy movement, slid into paradise.
Early morning found LeRoy behind the barn, leaning on the pasture fence. Shay sought him out there, lifting one foot to the bottom rail and clearing his throat. “You still angry with me?” he asked abruptly, wishing there were some easy way to mend these particular fences.
“Nope, I guess not. That’d be like holding a grudge against myself,” LeRoy said, rubbing the nose of a black mare that approached with a toss of her head.
“How’s that?” Shay asked. His hand itched to touch the sassy mare, but he refrained, willing LeRoy to continue.
The older man glanced at him, and his mouth quirked in a sad smile. “I used to look at you when you were comin’ up, and wish I could protect you from the pain life deals out. Now, Roan was different,” he said slowly. “He didn’t let things eat away at him. When he didn’t like the way we did things here, he just up and rode away. And when he came back, he recognized that we all do the best we can.”
“You make it sound easy, Pa,” Shay said. “It’s not that simple for me.”
“I figured that. You never could accept the changes, could you?” LeRoy asked. “When you came home, you were so filled with pain, it stuck out all over you.” He offered his palm to another mare, the two horses jostling for position.
“I knew things would never be the same again. I was changed, our whole way of life was turned upside down, and I just didn’t fit here anymore.”
“I guess I understood that. I hurt for your mother, mostly, that you walked away, just when we thought you’d come home to stay.”
“It won’t do any good to say I’m sorry, Pa. You were better off without me then. I wasn’t fit company.”
LeRoy nodded. “Like I said. We all do what we have to, boy. At least you’ve come back. We’ve never heard from Yvonne. When Roan showed up, it solved a lot of our problems. Gave your mother hope for the future.”
Shay took a carrot from his pocket, placing it on his palm. The fickle bay nosed it politely and accepted the offering. “You got these animals spoiled rotten,” he said with a chuckle.
“These two are Katherine’s,” LeRoy told him. “They’re both breedin’, from Roan’s stud. The black’s Kate’s favorite. She gave me the first foal the mare dropped.”
“Would y’all be open to selling a couple of yearlings, come spring?”
“You can ask Kate. You comin’ back?” LeRoy asked, his gaze fixed on the horses.
“Am I invited?” Shay held his breath.
“You’re our son. I guess that oughta answer your question.” His voice was gruff, and Shay gritted his teeth against the tears that threatened.
“I’ll be back,” Shay said. “Soon as Jenny has the baby, we’ll make a trip here.”
“That’ll make your mother happy,” LeRoy said, glancing to meet Shay’s gaze. “Me, too, as a matter of fact.”
Tears fell and hugs were exchanged among the women, while the men clasped hands in the accepted male bonding ritual. And then Letitia turned to Shay and held him in a tight embrace, whispering words of affection in his ear. He climbed blindly into the buggy where Jenny held Marshall close to her side. If his vision was blurred, no one paid attention, for the watching eyes were filled with tears of their own as the vehicle rolled from River Bend.
“Will we come back?” Jenny asked after long moments had passed.
“How about after you have the baby?” Shay’s gaze focused on the horizon, his words curt. Knowing his dignity was at stake, she only nodded and patted his knee, not at all surprised when he clutched at her hand and drew it to his mouth. His lips were damp, his kiss tender, and she clasped his fingers tightly.
“I like havin’ a grandma and grandpa,” Marshall announced, leaning heavily on Jenny’s arm. His yawn was wide and Shay glanced at him.
“You’re about worn-out, son. That dog led you around like a monkey on a string, didn’t he?”
“I wish I had a dog like Jeremy does, Papa.” Marshall’s small voice was wistful. “He was lotsa fun, and he likes to sleep by Jeremy and me when we’re playin’ on the porch.”
“We’ll see about it,” Shay told him.
Marshall sighed blissfully, settling his head on Jenny’s lap, his eyes closing.
“A dog?” Jenny asked softly. “Where would we get one?”
“Your father had a litter of pups in the back of the barn when we were there,” Shay told her. “Why don’t we stop by and take a look. It’s been months, but he may still have one left. We can ask anyway.”
“Is it much out of the way?”
He shook his head. “Not far. Just a short jog south, then due west.”
The short jog south took them into farm country, with no nearby towns to spend the night. Shay stopped at a farm, where the barn was larger than the house, and inquired about renting a place to sleep. The farmer took scrip, and gladly, Shay thought. His wife provided quilts, and the hayloft offered a cushion for their comfort. Jenny decided one night of such primitive facilities was enough for her as they started out the next morning.
“I’m still picking hay from my hair,” she complained, scratching the back of her neck. “If it had been my house, I’d have offered a spare bedroom.”
“You didn’t want to sleep in their house,” Shay said with a grin. “I wouldn’t have accepted the offer of breakfast, except I figured we were beyond hungry, and hot food might be welcome. The stuff Susanna sent along will have to do for dinner, I think.”
Jenny looked at him, her curiosity alive. “Do I want to know what the house was like inside?” she asked finally.
He shook his head. “The barn was the best choice, sweetheart. Trust me on this.”
The morning was long, and the basket of food beneath the seat was empty of cheese and bread by the time they approached the familiar lane leading to Jonah Harrison’s place.
Marshall bounced on the seat. “Is this where my other new grandpa lives?” he asked. “The one who has puppies?”
“I thought he was asleep,” Shay murmured, and Jenny shrugged her shoulders.
“You’d better hope he’s still got one of them left.”
<
br /> Jonah stood in front of the barn as the buggy wheeled into the yard, and lifted a hand to shade his eyes. “Is that you, Jenny?” he called. “Is that fella treatin’ you right?” he asked, peering up at her face as Shay drew the vehicle within a few feet of the older man.
“I’m happy, Papa. Shay’s good to me,” she said joyously, pleased at being recognized. “I brought someone to meet you.”
Marshall scooted back in the seat, suddenly shy as he became the center of attention. Jonah leaned to look past Jenny, his bushy brows lowering as he surveyed his grandson for the first time. “Looks like a Harrison to me,” he said gruffly. “Puts me in mind of myself when I was about his size.”
Marshall looked closer at his grandfather and his brow furrowed. “Is my hair gonna be white like that?”
“Not for a long time,” Jenny assured him, lifting him to her lap. “Do you want to get down and talk to your grandfather?”
Marshall nodded, sliding from the buggy. Jonah reached to grasp Marshall’s hand and it was swallowed up by the bent, gnarled fingers. “I got some half-grown dogs runnin’ around out back of the barn. I’ll bet you’d like to look at them, wouldn’t you?”
“That answered that question,” Shay said under his breath.
“You got more than one dog?” Marshall asked, eyes wide in wonder.
“You want one?” Jonah offered. “There’s a couple of them goin’ beggin’. Crowder’s the daddy, and the mother’s a stray that stuck around. One of the litter belongs to Henry, but the other two need some young fella to take care of them.”
“Two dogs?” Jenny asked, watching as Marshall skipped beside his grandfather around the corner of the barn.
“Better than none at all.” Shay stepped down from the buggy and held his hands up for Jenny. She gripped his shoulders and he lifted her, snatching a kiss as she stood before him. “I’m going to ask him to come home with us,” he said quietly. “The winter will be hard on him, Jen. It’ll be cold enough to light a fire some days, and he needs someone to look out for him. What do you think?”
“I’ll love you forever, Shay, if you can talk him into it. We can probably get enough furniture from here to take along, and I’ll bet Henry and Clay would drive him in the wagon—”
The Seduction of Shay Devereaux Page 26