by Becky Lower
She glanced at James. “My visit with Raoul, Susannah, and their children has been interrupted by this theft.” Her grip on the oar tightened. “More than anything, not being able to spend what precious little time I have with them is enough reason to string up Clay and Cody.”
She slapped her oar on the water defiantly. “My other brothers are Joseph, Gaston and Etienne.”
“So you’re the only girl in the family, and you’re also the youngest?” James took hold of her hand as she nodded. “And from your appearance, I’d say you’ve gotten the best of both your parents. It’s a wonder you’re not totally spoiled.”
She removed her hand from his embrace. “I’m spoiled enough. But I also work every bit as hard as the men do. When we all come to town at once, people clear a path for us.”
“Your family does sound formidable. I hope when we meet up with them, you are able to convince them how I befriended you before they do too much damage.” James scratched his chin.
“When would that have been? By stealing a kiss from me first thing, then telling the steward we were engaged and having him assign us adjoining rooms? My brothers will love to hear that story. Or would it have been when you beat me to the only canoe at the fort?” Elise smiled sweetly. “I may have to let them get in a few punches before I straighten things out.”
James’s gut twisted and his ham sandwich no longer held any appeal. He’d been trained to fight in the military, but against four big strong Indians out for blood? This was his worst nightmare. He didn’t stand a chance.
“Well then, I suggest we tie up for a few moments to relieve ourselves and take a bit of a break, then get on down the river. The sooner I can turn you over to your brothers, the better.” James picked up an oar and steered their small craft to the shoreline. Releasing her to her family was not what James hoped to do–not for long, at any rate. But in order to have any other outcome, she’d have to admit to her feelings. And she hadn’t yet been able to do so. She fought hard against her instincts, but James had been up against tougher opponents. He’d get her to admit to her feelings before this journey ended. Because in his mind, there could be no other outcome.
• ♥ •
They’d been back on the water for several more hours, but light was beginning to fade. James searched the riverbanks for a level spot where they could tie up the canoe for the night. “We need to head to shore before night falls completely.”
“Must we? Why can't we just keep going?” Elise grumbled. “We are already in danger of pulling into New Orleans long after the riverboat docks and those two ruffians will escape.”
He glanced over at her. “What’s the real problem, sweetheart? You’re every bit as tired as I am. We can’t navigate these waters by night. There’s too much other traffic on the river.” He sniffed the air. “Besides, rain’s coming. And we’ve about consumed all the food Sally gave us.” He stared at her for a long moment. “Are you afraid you’ll wind up in my arms again once you go to sleep?”
She tugged on her oar, steering them toward the shore. “I’m not afraid of anything—especially not you.” She climbed out of the canoe, and patted the whip wound around her waist, taunting him while spearing him with her stare.
He’d riled her up again. Chuckling, he rose, hoisted the canoe onto land, and found the last of the food. A huge raindrop splattered onto his cheek and he glanced at the gray skies. “Doesn’t appear as if we’ll be having a fire tonight.”
Elise checked the sky before her gaze fell on the oars. “Lovely. Not only do I have to endure another night with you, but I can’t even have a warm fire to make things a bit more palatable.”
He grinned and let his gaze travel the length of her body. “I can find ways to warm you up, if you’re interested.”
“Not a chance.” She pivoted away from his intrusive gaze.
“How about another game of poker?” He tugged the cards out of his pocket. She shook her head, not even glancing in his direction.
“Oh, come on. We need to do something to pass the time.” He glanced at her straight back, his focus on her curvy buttocks. His mouth watered. “But if you’re too tired for cards, we could lie in each other’s arms to stay warm.”
She whipped her body around. “Deal the cards, obwaam.”
He did so appreciate being called a horse’s ass in a foreign tongue. Next he supposed she’d resort to French. “Why don’t we make the game interesting tonight?”
Her eyes flared. “Last night wasn’t interesting enough?”
He grinned. “Last night amused me. But I have an even better idea for tonight. For each hand lost, the person must remove an item of clothing.”
Her eyes flashed again, running over his frame. Almost as if she could see through his clothing. Her grin matched his. “All right. But the winner gets to pick which item of clothing gets removed.”
His mouth dried up as he tried to conjure up a clever comeback. His mind numbed as he pictured Elise in the buff. A nod to her was all he could manage.
They sat next to each other in the dwindling daylight. Storm clouds gathered overhead as James dealt one card at a time until five were scattered in front of each of them. He raised his eyes to the sky before picking up his cards. A storm was about to break open here on land, too. And he had no doubt it would outmatch anything falling from the sky.
James won the first hand. He flashed his grin along with his winning hand at Elise, who squirmed under his gaze. “Let’s see. What should I have you remove first?”
She placed her arm over her bosom, as if to shield herself from his eyes.
“Ah, tempting as your breasts might be, I need to concentrate on the game. So instead, I’ll ask you to take off one of your boots.” James almost laughed at her reaction. Relief coupled with disappointment. Despite her claims otherwise, he did intrigue her. Her expressive face told him all he needed to continue this pursuit. He’d let her win the next hand and see what she’d declare needed to come off his body. And after she slept, he’d hide the oars she’d checked on earlier, just to make certain she and the canoe would still be around in the morning.
James threw away two cards that were diamonds, thereby destroying his chances of having a full house or a flush. Instead, he ended up with a garbage hand, while Elise flaunted her three of a kind. He could see the flash of light from her eyes as her gaze bounced over him.
“I can’t decide if I should direct you to take off your trousers or if you should merely remove your precious handkerchief.” She sucked in her cheek as she pondered what to do.
“Sweetheart, you can have me out of my trousers any time you want, but the handkerchief will never leave my pocket.” She sucked in a breath at his comment and threw her cards into a puddle on the ground.
“It’s too dark to see anything of interest anyway,” she exclaimed while she worked her foot back into her boot. “I’m going to sleep.”
He retrieved his cards from the puddle, dried them off as best he could, and tucked the deck back into his pocket. Maybe his lucky deck had lost its magic. He attempted to make out her form as she huddled on the ground, and could, just barely. He took the oars and strode a bit into the woods. Even if she were awake, she’d probably figure he had to relieve himself before sleeping, but when she woke in the morning and searched for the oars to make a quick getaway, she’d discover what he’d truly been up to.
• ♥ •
Elise crouched and stared at James as he slept on the riverbank, as if to will him awake. How could he have that smug expression on his face even in his sleep? Anger rolled off her body. She hadn’t slept more than a few minutes all night, between the persistent rain and the even more persistent charge of energy she encountered whenever she glanced his way. He made her insides jump by merely breathing the same air. Who was she kidding? She didn’t even need to have him awake to feel the attraction. Damn his hide, anyway. Where had he hidden those oars? If not for his cleverness, she would now be well on her way downstream, leaving the d
anger that was James behind.
Finally, his gorgeous blue eyes popped open. The black area around his one eye had lessened and now appeared to be a sickly green color. It should have dampened his appeal, but instead he had become an even more tempting package. Damned obwaam.
The ever-present smirk reappeared the moment he caught her gaze, and the delectable dimple flashed in his cheek. Her knees threatened to buckle under her, so she sat on the ground and stared at him as he stretched and yawned.
“Where are the oars?” She scowled, her eyes narrowing. Anger had to be the antidote to use to quell her attraction to him. She could become righteously angry.
“You mean you couldn’t find them? I could have sworn we left them in the canoe.” He grinned and got to his feet.
“If they had been left in the canoe, I’d have been long gone by now, and you’d be high and dry.” She rose, too, not giving him the advantage of height. She unfurled her whip from around her waist. “Which is the reason you hid them last night. So again, I must ask you, where are the damned oars?” She snapped the whip against the ground.
“I’ll get them in a minute.” He stretched again and brushed his hand over his very damp vest. He dipped his fingers into his pocket, removing the handkerchief, with which he wiped his face. That infernal hanky.
He sauntered over to her side, clutching the hanky in one hand. His other hand curled around her neck as he swooped in for a kiss. Despite her anger, she lingered at his lips for a moment too long. He backed away first.
“Good morning, sweetheart. You taste of the rain. Did you sleep well?” He laughed and his gaze warmed her even as she swatted his hand away.
“Since we have no food, I suggest you get the oars now, so we can be on our way. The sooner we get to New Orleans and I can be rid of you, the better.” Elise pivoted on one foot and headed for the canoe, where she had no choice except to wait on him, tapping her toe against the ground and cracking her whip.
How could the man wend his way through the forest without making a sound? Just yesterday, he’d crashed through the woods behind her, yet now she couldn’t discern any of his movement. She hadn’t even been aware he’d hid the oars last night. He must have some Indian blood in him as well, to be so sure-footed. Either that, or his activities as a spy for the past four years taught him the value of stealth. Regardless of the reason, it gave her one more thing to fume about as she waited for him.
He’d only retrieved the hanky from his pocket to further infuriate her. And she’d allowed him to get under her skin once again. They couldn’t get to New Orleans fast enough. She’d be able to get rid of him completely. Finally. If her heart cracked open a bit at the thought, so be it. She’d get over him quickly, replace him with another, better, man, never again lay eyes on him, and he and Madeline could live happily ever after, in the far off city of San Francisco.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Elise leaned over the side of the canoe. The same persistent overnight rain that made last night miserable had also swelled the river. She was hot, tired and ready to be done with this portion of the trip, which became more treacherous by the minute, as the river rose to new heights, and fallen tree trunks and other debris now clogged the waters in addition to the congested boat traffic, which tried to steer around the various items floating in the water.
And then, there was the matter of her traveling companion, who threatened to steal her heart each time he glanced her way. “We’ll be in New Orleans soon, won’t we?” The sooner they arrived, the better. She’d be back in the bosom of her family and he’d be left in her dust.
“I have no idea where we are right now, but the Mississippi leads to New Orleans, so we’ll be sure to figure out when we reach the city limits. Have you been before? It’s a charming town, if you stay away from the bad parts. I’d love to show you around. Buy you a beignet.” James’s voice tightened as he talked. Or at least she thought it had.
“I expect my brothers will have something to say about that.” Elise gave him a wry smile, holding her hair away from her face as the wind played with it. In her haste to leave their campsite, she hadn’t taken the time this morning to braid it.
His cheeky grin returned and he tugged on his oar, in an attempt to stabilize the canoe as it raced along. “Ah, yes. The infamous brothers. I can’t wait to meet them.”
“Be careful what you wish for, James.” She grinned before returning her gaze to the churning water. “What will you do once we meet up with the riverboat? After we apprehend Clay and Cody for their part in this madcap adventure, what’s next for you? Will you take the next riverboat back up the Mississippi?”
James trained his eyes on the water as well. “No, I’m done with gambling. I told you so a few days ago. Surely you can recollect our conversation?”
Elise recalled quite well the conversation they’d had. In fact, she could feel the heat rising to her cheeks as she recounted the hand of cards she’d tossed away. And what had happened afterward. “Yes, but I spent quite a bit of your winnings. The ruby necklace alone must have cost you a week’s worth of earnings. Money you need to start up your business. To exact your revenge.” Elise blew out a breath. “And instead of staying on board with the necklace, you jumped into the river after me.”
“Revenge can be a fickle mistress.” He brushed his healing nose and stared at her.
“What does that mean?” Elise met his stare for a second before her focus shifted to a small coop full of chickens rolling down the river alongside their canoe. The chickens squawked inside their prison, which was about to become submerged.
She snapped her head back to James. “Dinner!” With a wide grin, she slid into the water. She swam over to the coop, with its wire netting keeping the chickens inside. She hoped to open the cage and allow the chickens to have at least a chance at freedom. And if she could snare one before they all got away, or at least get an egg or two, they’d have a tasty dinner. Her mouth watered as she thought of roasting a chicken leg over an open fire.
Elise opened the door to the coop and the chickens exploded out of their confinement, hitting her in the face. She batted away the wet feathers just before the coop went under almost completely. Her loose hair mingled with chicken feathers and got caught in the netting. She cried out a warning to James as she struggled to keep the coop afloat long enough to untangle herself. She tussled with the netting for a few minutes as the current sped her and the coop down the river ahead of the canoe. Grappling for the knife she always carried, she cried out when it slipped from her fingers and dropped to the river floor. She took a deep breath as, unable to stay afloat any longer, the chicken dwelling yanked her under the muddy water.
Her long hair had become hopelessly tangled in the netting. She tugged furiously, but as soon as one tendril got free, another tangled. All the times she’d been placed in dangerous, life-threatening situations flashed before her eyes. Somehow, being drowned by a chicken coop had never once entered her mind as a way to leave this earth. James was her only hope of survival.
She kicked her feet furiously, hoping the churning of her legs would allow James to find her in the brown, murky water. Elise and her brothers had frequently tested each other to see who could hold their breath the longest, and Elise usually won those contests. Now, engaged in the biggest contest of her life, she only had James to rely on. She hoped he was man enough for the job. Man enough for her.
• ♥ •
The infernal, fractious woman had just gone over the side of the canoe, into the racing, churning river, all for the want of a chicken? When he caught up to her, he’d wring her neck, much as she thought to do with the fowl. Didn’t she have any grasp of how treacherous the river had become overnight? He paddled as fast as he could, keeping her in his sights as the small chicken coop got caught up in the swirling water and took Elise along with it.
The flying, squawking chickens hid her from view for a moment. And a moment was all it took to lose sight of her. The coop lost its battle to stay aflo
at and all he could see was her foot as she became submerged. Why didn’t she let go of the coop? Heart pounding, he leapt from the canoe and swam to where he last had seen her. Taking a deep breath, he dived under, his hands frantically waving through the water, hoping to latch onto an arm or leg.
He found her arm and she grabbed on, directing his hand to her hair, which had become entangled in the netting of the coop. He now understood her dilemma. If he tried to tug out his pocketknife and open it up in this swirling water, he could easily drop it. And then all hope of her survival would be lost. The best course of action would be to try to lift the structure and Elise at the same time, get them to shore and then free her.
Keeping one hand on her, James wrapped his arm around the small coop and kicked furiously. Elise kicked as well, sensing what he hoped to do. When Elise, James and the coop broke the surface and gulped for air, a passing log proved to be the salvation they needed. Gasping for breath, James and Elise held onto the log, the coop between them, as the current tossed them downstream.
“My hair’s caught,” Elise tugged on the strands that were wrapped around the netting of the coop.
“If we can get on shore, I’ll cut it away, but right now, we just have to hang on.” James tried to grin, but found it impossible. Their situation was indeed dire.
He kicked as hard as he could, and the log twisted toward the shoreline. He kept kicking and finally could feel the bottom of the river under his feet. However, with the current so strong, he continued to hang on to the log until they both got their footing and fell onto the bank. They lay beside the raging river, struggling for breath. James had his arms around Elise and they both held onto the coop. Their breathing leveled off, and James sat upright.