My Heart Will Find Yours

by Linda LaRoque

  Texanna reached for him. “Now, Royce, please now.”

  He held her hands above her head and spoke, his breath warm against her neck. “Not yet, love, I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “You won’t, I promise.”

  With a groan, he released her hands and settled between her legs. He ran his fingers under the hair at her neck and tilted her head to trail kisses from her ear to her jaw, then used his tongue to trace the tendon in her neck. She shivered in response and curled her arms around his neck. He settled his shaft at her moist entrance.

  “Oh, God, you’re responsive.” He grasped her buttocks and tilted her pelvis. His eyes never left hers as he drove inside her. “I love you, Texanna.”

  Texanna gasped and tensed as he thrust inside. “Oh my.” There was a sharp pain but nothing unbearable. The fit was tight, and she wondered at her body’s ability to accommodate him.

  Royce held himself motionless above her, his breath coming in deep shudders, and dropped his head to her shoulder. She felt her body ease and a heady sensation coiling inside her.

  He kissed her collarbone. “Are you all right?”

  She ran her hands down his back and clasped his buttocks. “Oh, yeah, I’m fine.” She wiggled her hips. “How about you?”

  He gave a choked laugh. “I’m better than fine.” His lips found hers, and then he started to move in slow strokes, pushing and pulling away. She arched into each thrust, grasping at the building pleasure. Her body became boneless and liquid. Her muscles trembled with anticipation.

  Oh, God, how had she lived this long without experiencing lovemaking? No man ever made her feel loved and desired as Royce did. She’d never been able to settle for just the physical side of sex, she wanted the emotional side too. As the tension inside her built, tears pricked her eyes, and she wanted to cry with abandon at the beauty of this moment.

  Royce was dying. Her warmth enveloped him, her muscles clenched around him as he drove in and out. His love for this woman overwhelmed him. Her response and joy in their joining filled his heart to near bursting. He arched his back and bent to take a nipple into his mouth. A gentle nip with his teeth and she convulsed beneath him.

  He rode the wave as her body shuddered and clutched in spasm after spasm. Oh God, she was beautiful, so beautiful. Unable to wait any longer, he dropped his face to her neck as jolt after jolt of pleasure washed over him as well.

  Royce collapsed and rolled, taking Texanna with him. His heart pounded, and he sucked air into his lungs. Texanna lay sprawled atop his body, giving him full access to her back and buttocks. He explored her curves and cupped the rounded cheeks, reveling in their shape and softness. Lord, she was a passionate woman. Her enjoyment in their lovemaking made his heart soar. And she’d been a virgin. He had his proof. He took no pleasure in knowing she was from the future, but it didn’t deter him from his purpose—making her love him so much she couldn’t leave.

  He patted her butt. “Did I hurt you?”

  “Yes, a little.” She lifted her head and smiled. “But it’s the best hurt I’ve ever felt. Not too crazy about the stickiness between my legs though.”

  The tension left his body, he laughed and squeezed her waist. “I can fix that.” He eased from the bed and padded naked to the washstand to return with a damp cloth. “This is probably going to be cold.”

  She jumped when its coolness touched her flesh, but as he gently washed her, the cloth warmed to her skin. “How’s that?”

  “Better. Thank you.” He quickly cleaned himself and tossed the rag across the room where it landed in the washbowl, sending splatters of water over the tabletop.

  Texanna snuggled against Royce when he crawled back into bed. A smile tilted her lips. She’d done it. She’d finally lost her virginity at twenty-two years old, and it was everything and more than what she’d been told. Of course, Royce made the difference. He was special. They loved each other—something she’d feared she’d never experience.

  Again she wondered if loving Royce was right. It felt right and good. She’d never been happier. There would be no going back now. Royce was her soul mate, her fate. He would be the father of her children. Lord, she hadn’t stopped to think about birth control. It was almost time for her period so she was probably safe. She had some serious decisions to make, but they’d have to wait until tomorrow. Her eyes wouldn’t stay open.

  Royce stroked her back and wondered what was going through her mind. He felt her body relax and knew she slept. His heart swelled. Having her in his arms was heaven. Their lovemaking was more than he’d dreamed possible. It had sealed their fate. He wouldn’t let her leave again without a fight. And it was such fun to butt heads with her. With a smile on his lips, he closed his eyes.

  He dozed and woke with Texanna still atop his body, her chin propped on his chest as she watched him. When he opened his eyes, she grinned and started trailing kisses along his shoulders and arms.

  “Again? Love, are you sure you’re not too sore?”

  She raised her head and pouted. “I’m fine, but if you’re too tired…”

  With a laugh, he flipped her onto her back and positioned himself between her thighs. “What do you think?”

  ****

  Damn, he wished he had another day off. Texanna was still asleep, her head on his shoulder, one leg sprawled across his. The sheet had dropped just below her waist, giving him a nice view of her hip. He caressed her back. She mumbled in her sleep and rolled over taking most of the sheet with her. The move pulled the sheet lower.

  He pushed up to his elbow, stroked her side, and couldn’t resist tugging the sheet down farther to better view her body. His eyes followed the path of his hand as he traced the shape of her side and hip. He froze and pushed up higher to get a better look. She had a picture of a flower on her butt. The only ones he’d ever seen were on the arms of sailors down at the coast. Curses spewed from his mouth.

  He jumped from the bed and stood over her, hands on his hips. “Dammit to hell, woman. What do you mean by doing something like that to your body?”

  “Hmm? What are you talking about?” She rolled to her back. Her eyes traveled his body and gave him a sleepy smile. “You are so beautiful.”

  “Don’t try to distract me.” He flipped her onto her stomach and slapped her right buttock. “What the hell is that?”

  “Ouch, that hurt.” She rubbed her cheek. “What does it look like? It’s a rose.”

  “I know it’s a rose. I want to know what it’s doing on your butt and who put it there?”

  She sat up and stretched, giving him a delicious view of her breasts. Her grin was wicked. She knew what she was doing to him, and his already engorged member throbbed in response.

  “Don’t try to change the direction of this conversation.”

  “Oh, all right. It’s a tattoo, and the man at the tattoo parlor put it there.”

  He raked his hands through his hair and sputtered. “You mean you exposed your backside to some man?”

  Her chin shot up. “I’ll have you know I had on my bathing suit, so I didn’t expose anything. A friend of mine had one put right here on her breast.”

  Texanna pointed to the inside slope of her breast. His mouth fell open. Lord, the people in the twenty-first century must be a depraved bunch. He shook his head. “Get up. Garrett will be here in a minute.”

  She jumped from the bed, “Well, I can see the honeymoon is over,” and padded out the door buck naked, her cheeks undulating with the swing of her hips.

  Too shocked to speak, and distracted by her nakedness, he stood with his mouth hanging open. With a growl, he charged out the door and caught her before she slammed the guest bedroom door in his face. Her body held flush with his, he kissed her. “The honeymoon is definitely not over.” He nuzzled her neck. “But I’ve got to go to work today.”

  She sighed. “Yeah, and I’ve got to pick apricots. Hope they won’t rot before I get some help to make jelly.”

  “They’ll hold for a while
in the larder.”

  “Wonder if Jason would bring Sally out tomorrow and help me learn to cook?”

  “I’ll ask him.”

  ****

  Texanna stood at the sink washing dishes when Garrett charged through the back door. His face was freshly scrubbed and alive with excitement.

  “Is it true? Did Aunt Molly really have twins?”

  “Yes, sir. She really did. A boy and a girl.”

  He mulled the news over. “Wow. Reckon we can go see ‘um?”

  Texanna considered the request. Doc said to keep folks away for a while but surely that didn’t apply to family. A boy needed to see his cousins.

  She ruffled his hair. “Tell you what. You help me dry these dishes and pick apricots, and after lunch we’ll ride over there.”

  Garrett found the dishtowel and dried while she washed. When he caught sight of the bathtub he wandered in to look. He didn’t appear happy when he came out. “Why’s Pa boarding up that end of the porch?”

  “So we’ll have a private place to take a bath.” She explained his father’s plans, and, though Garrett listened with interest, he looked at her with suspicion.

  “Does this mean I have to take a bath everyday?”

  “Yes, at least most days.”

  Garrett’s shoulders slumped. “I’ll go get the ladder and start picking the apricots.”

  It was almost lunchtime when they finished picking the fruit. She needed to fix something quick for lunch. The cookbook on the Hoosier had a recipe for potato soup that didn’t look too hard. By the time Royce arrived, the soup was ready. Since it wasn’t a hearty meal, she added chunks of ham. Garrett rushed out to meet his father, and they both washed at the pump and walked in together. Texanna had bowls filled with soup and a plate of biscuits on the table.

  Texanna stood waiting at her chair when Royce and Garrett entered the kitchen.

  “Something looks delicious.” As Royce held her chair, he whispered in her ear. “The food looks good too.”

  Her face heated, and the fool man had the nerve to grin. His lips twitched. She gave him a wicked smile. “Thank you. I hope you enjoy it.”

  He ate a spoonful and looked surprised. “It’s delicious.” He reached for a biscuit and took a bite. It broke apart and fell in his bowl.

  “Oh, drat. I followed the recipe exactly.” She was never going to get the hang of cooking.

  “They’re fine. You probably just over kneaded them.” He reached for her hand and squeezed it. “Jason’s bringing Sally over in the morning.”

  “Do like me, Pa. Soak your biscuit in the soup. It’s good.”

  Royce spooned up a bite. “You’re right, Son.” He patted Garrett on the back. “Smart idea.”

  ****

  Texanna and Garrett rode double on Josie to the farm. Excited, he talked the entire trip. She fought the long skirt the whole way, trying to get comfortable. If she had her jeans on underneath, the position of her skirt wouldn’t matter.

  Matthew met them at the porch. He picked Garrett up and tossed him in the air.

  “So, you couldn’t wait to see your cousins, huh?”

  “No, sir. Texanna said they’re beautiful. I’ve never heard of a boy being beautiful.”

  Matthew laughed. “Well, you were mighty pretty when you were first born too.” He hugged Texanna, and, with an arm around each of them, took them inside.

  Molly was glad to see them and pulled Garrett onto the bed for a good hug. Texanna stood with Matthew looking at the babies. “I can’t believe they’re both asleep at the same time.”

  “Shhhhh,” said Matthew. “They might hear you. This is the first time. We probably got two hours of sleep last night.”

  Garrett pushed his way between them and peeked into the bassinet. “Which one is Nathan?”

  Texanna went to sit with Molly while Matthew introduced Garrett to his cousins. “How are you feeling?” Having a baby might be hard work, but Molly was radiant.

  “Wonderful, but Matthew won’t let me up for more than a minute or two at a time.” Molly teared up and grasped Texanna’s hand. “We’ll always be grateful to you for saving our baby.”

  “I’m just thankful I remembered what to do. That was my first time to use what I’d learned years ago in high school health class.” She prayed she’d never have to use the skill again.

  “Royce explained to the men who you are and what’s going on.”

  Texanna stiffened. Why didn’t he tell her?

  “He had to, Texanna. Doc was beside himself to know where you’d learned such a thing. None of them will betray you.” Her eyes were sympathetic, but steady. “Royce loves you so much. We don’t want to see him hurt and broken again.”

  Texanna felt the intensity of Molly’s words. Hurting Royce was the last thing she wanted to do. She loved him. But she also had a responsibility to Pearl. “I’d never do that on purpose. I love him too much, and Garrett too.”

  Molly was quiet for a long moment, and then smiled and nodded. “I can’t believe I’m sitting here talking to someone from the future. One of these days I want you to tell me what it’s like.”

  “I will, but if you don’t mind, I’d like to talk about Pearl, what she was like as a young woman.”

  Molly was quiet for a minute. “You’re very like her, you know.” Texanna nodded and Molly’s forehead furrowed. “But, I noticed something different from the very first and couldn’t put my finger on it. I’ve laid here and thought about it the last two days and finally figured it out. With Royce, you’re outspoken, blunt, and don’t beat around the bush.” Texanna grinned. Yep, that was her. “But Pearl made her wishes known in more subtle ways. She didn’t raise her voice or argue, but Royce always got the message.”

  Texanna couldn’t imagine Pearl being mild mannered. She shook her head. “Her jump forward in time must have changed her then, because the woman I knew could put my bluntness to shame. She was a tough old broad and the sweetest person in the world.” Texanna’s throat tightened. “I miss her.”

  “What that poor woman must have gone through.” Molly shook her head. “I just can’t imagine turning around and finding myself in another century.” She shivered.

  “I can tell you, it’s a real shocker. I got on that train to please Pearl, but had no idea her theory of time-travel would work.”

  Texanna studied her hands. Her voice was thick when she spoke. “It’s the best thing that ever happened to me. I can’t imagine life without Royce and Garrett.” Making love with Royce eased the tension between them. As she’d lain in his arms last night, she’d considered her options. Now, in that moment, she realized there were none. Her destiny was changed forever.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Royce woke to the smell of coffee and bacon. He washed, using the water on the washstand, and dressed. Downstairs, Texanna stood at the stove. Snaking an arm around her waist, he nuzzled her neck until she giggled.

  “It’s about time you got up. You’re getting lazy in your old age.”

  He growled in her ear. “Lazy? Honey, I’m just a satisfied man. Your lovin’ wears me out.”

  She elbowed him in the ribs. “Sit down and eat your breakfast before I toss it out the back door.” He took the plate she handed him and sat down. With a dish towel, she picked up the coffee pot and poured them both a cup of coffee.

  “Where’s Garrett?”

  “He went next door to see if Aggie could come over and help me make jelly one day this week.” She sipped her coffee. “Did Jason ask Sally to come out?”

  “Yep, she’ll be here around eleven o’clock this morning. Has chores to do for her mother first.” He finished his breakfast and carried his plate to the dishpan full of soapy water. “You might want to stock up on sugar. It takes a lot to make jelly. Wouldn’t hurt to have more flour too.”

  “Oh, dear. I hadn’t thought about that.”

  “It’s not a problem. You and Garrett can ride into town with me this morning and pick some up at the general store.�
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  Garrett came in through the back door, letting it slam loudly. “Morning, Pa.”

  “Good morning, Son. You want to ride into town this morning?”

  His face lit with delight. “Oh boy, I’ll go change real fast.”

  Royce caught him around the waist before he could clear the table. “Have you finished all your chores?”

  “Yes sir. Even took more milk over to Aunt Aggie.”

  “Okay. Get your hair combed while you’re up there.” The boy hit the stairs at a run.

  “I better find something easier to ride in. This skirt makes it hard to maneuver.” Texanna stood and set her coffee cup in the sink.

  “There should be several riding skirts upstairs in the chifforobe.”

  Before she could leave, Royce took her hand, pulled her on to his lap, and squeezed her waist. “You’re so much fun to tease.”

  “Well, you just keep having fun. I’ll make a list of spots where pinches will be most effective.” To make her point she pinched his underarm.

  He yelped and swatted her rear. God, he was happy. He pulled her mouth down to his and kissed her. “I love you, woman.” She twined her arms around his neck and kissed him. His free hand moved up to stroke the side of her breast. When he pulled back, his breathing was ragged. His eyes flicked to the stairs as his hand moved under her skirt to stroke her leg. “Can you think of an errand we can send Garrett on? Maybe to Aggie’s to double check about tomorrow.”

  “That wouldn’t take him long enough. He can be over and back in a flash.” At the sound of Garrett’s boots pounding down the stairs, Texanna stood. “I’d better hurry.”

  When Texanna left the house, Royce had Samson and Josie saddled. He’d added a scabbard to the saddle on Josie, and the Winchester was in it. Pleased but surprised, she looked at him in question.

  “I don’t want you and Garrett out alone without protection.” He’d debated long and hard with himself about a pistol for her and finally settled on a .32 caliber pocket pistol. She could carry it in a holster, a pocket, or her boot. He pulled it from his saddlebag. “Here, I got you this.”

  She took the pistol and looked it over, checking to see if it was loaded. Smiling, she nodded and tucked it in the pocket of her riding skirt. “Thank you. It’s perfect for me.”