“It wasn’t important, really. I haven’t remembered anything important.”
“Lyn.” He softened his voice with an effort. “It doesn’t matter to me if there’s another person in the picture. Your ex got what he deserved.”
Her head whipped around. “What?”
“Just let it die,” he said, trying to reassure her. “They told us they have next to nothing. Without a weapon they can’t charge you.”
Her mouth opened and closed; no sound came out. She looked down, toyed with the new rings she wore.
He got worried. “You okay?”
She nodded, still not looking at him. Finally, in a small voice, she said, “I can’t believe we’re really married.”
He grinned. “I know. But it’s real, baby. We’ll get used to it together.”
When they arrived at the ranch, the first thing Lyn did was go check on the gelding’s hoof. Cal pulled on his old boots and was about to follow her when his eye lit on the telephone.
“You did what this morning?” His sister’s shriek was loud enough to make him wince and yank the phone away from his ear.
“Got married,” he repeated.
“To Lyn.” Silver’s voice sounded dazed. Then she rallied. “Well, I have to confess I was hoping you two might hit it off, but I can’t believe you married her this morning.” Her voice grew severe. “You rotten egg. I can’t believe you didn’t invite Mama and me.”
“It was kind of sudden,” he defended himself. “We thought we’d get the license today but then they had a space in the schedule—”
“Excuses, excuses.” His sister sighed. “It’s going to take you a long time to earn back the points you’ve lost with this one, big brother.”
He laughed. “Oh, man, I’m heartbroken. I really am.”
“You can start making it up by bringing Lyn to dinner tonight. I’ll have a little celebratory meal.”
“A celebratory…” His good humor evaporated. He’d imagined having Lyn all to himself tonight. The last thing he wanted to do was spend the evening with his mother. “I don’t know—”
“You have to have a special wedding supper,” she argued. “Be here at six.”
He should have known he wouldn’t win that skirmish, he thought as he headed for the barn.
Later, Cal caught Lyn’s horse by its bridle as she rode past him. “Where are you going?”
She stared patiently at him. “It’s time to start dinner. Unless you’d rather.”
He gave it a moment’s thought. He’d been kicked in the ankle half an hour before by a wily cow who didn’t intend to be corralled and he was still trying to wear the cussed thing down enough to round her up. “Maybe I should. But…”
“But what?”
“Silver invited us for dinner. So neither one of us has to cook.”
She frowned. “Why did Silver invite us to dinner?”
He shrugged. “I told her we got married today. She insists on having a wedding supper.”
“Oh, dear.” Lyn’s obvious consternation bothered him. She didn’t seem the slightest bit pleased.
“Oh, dear, what?”
Her horse moved restlessly, and Cal realized he was still holding the bridle. He dropped his hand. “What are we going to tell them… I mean, won’t they ask why?”
He suddenly realized what was bothering her, and his mood lightened immediately. “We’ll tell them exactly what happened— Silver threw us together hoping to strike sparks, and it worked.”
Silver threw us together hoping to strike sparks and it worked.
Lyn stepped out of the shower in her bathroom an hour later and reached for a towel, wrapping one around her dripping hair and drying her body with a second one. She walked into the bedroom and smoothed cream over her skin—with next to no humidity, skin dried out faster than a sheet on the line in a windstorm. And as she did, she thought about Cal’s words. A reasonable enough explanation, she decided. And one that skirted the questions about love she hoped no one would ask.
Her engagement ring flashed in the light as she pulled on panties, and she stopped to admire it again. This still felt like a dream. Cal married to her? She’d wished for many things since she’d come to live with him but this…this was truly beyond her wildest imaginings.
Her dream scampered ahead a few years, and she automatically put a hand over her abdomen. Children. She couldn’t imagine herself pregnant with Cal’s child but she could see Cal on his horse with two or three young boys trailing behind him. The image made her smile. Of course, they could all be daughters—which didn’t preclude them from riding with their father.
Their father. And she would be their mother. No, she couldn’t imagine it. A family of her own. She’d stopped dreaming after Wayne. The closest she’d come since was at the wedding ceremony this morning, when they’d been speaking their vows. Cal had pledged to take her forever for his wife, and for just a second, she’d wished love was a part of what they shared. His love for her. But then common sense had inserted itself into her longing and she’d reminded herself to be grateful. She loved Cal, and she’d never thought she’d have this much. To be married to him, about to start a life that she prayed would last until they were ages old…yes, she’d be happy with what she had.
She’d make herself be.
But as she stepped into her jeans and buttoned her blouse, she remembered his words in the truck on the way home from town. She’d been so shocked and stunned she hadn’t been able to answer him when she realized he didn’t believe her. He didn’t believe there had been someone else in her apartment the day Wayne died.
Which meant he believed she had killed her husband.
The thought was almost enough to bring tears to her eyes, but she concentrated on forcing them back. With as little evidence as there was, she guessed she couldn’t blame him. And God knew, if she’d had the chance to kill Wayne during some of the years he’d knocked her around, she might have tried it.
But it hurt, a lot, that Cal had thought she was lying. It reminded her forcefully that this marriage wasn’t an ordinary one, that she could never expect the emotional support other women in loving relationships could expect. If Cal loved her, he’d never have suspected her of lying.
His voice bellowed up the stairs then, interrupting her thoughts. “Lyn? Are you about ready?”
Just as well, she decided, heading down to join him. She intended to take as much happiness from this marriage as she could. There was no sense dwelling on what wasn’t to be; she’d be grateful for what was.
Silver had done as much as she could in one afternoon. White paper wedding bells hung above the table and there was a centerpiece—a beautiful arrangement of white flowers with five candles rising from it. Real cloth napkins and a tablecloth, the lovely china and crystal she and Deck had received from Cora Lee as wedding gifts, and on the sideboard, a two-layer cake smothered in white icing with a tiny bride and groom in a circle of flowers adorning the top.
Everyone kissed and congratulated Lyn. To her shock and delight, Silver had called Rilla Weston from the women’s shelter, and Rilla had driven all the way from Rapid to be there for dinner. Cal’s mother hugged her close, whispering, “I couldn’t have chosen a better daughter-in-law myself. Welcome to the family, dear.”
Lyn cried. She couldn’t help it. This family had treated her with a kindness she’d rarely known in her life, and now she would be one of them. It was too much.
“Now, now,” said Silver, putting an arm around her and hugging her. “I know marrying my brother is real hardship.”
Cal bared his teeth at her as Lyn smiled through the tears. He reached out and plucked Lyn from Silver’s embrace, wrapping his arms around her and pressing her face into his shoulder. “Marrying your brother is her good fortune,” he informed Silver. He leaned back and looked down at Lyn, holding her gaze with his own. “And marrying her is mine.”
Lyn’s breath caught in her throat at the look in his eye. Then it hit her—he was putting
on a show for his mother and sister. That warm light gleaming in his eye was for their benefit. Straightening, she gently pulled herself out of his arms and turned to Silver again.
“Thank you,” she said. “How on earth did you accomplish all this in one afternoon?”
“We got the flowers and bells at the flower shop in Kadoka,” Cora Lee said. “And Rilla, bless her heart, brought the figurines. We made the cake ourselves.”
“And you did a fine job,” Rilla assured her.
“We were going to try for a three- or four-tier look but we knew our limits.” Silver’s eyes danced.
Rilla had a camera hanging by a strap around her neck, and she began snapping photos. “We have to have some mementos of this day,” she said happily.
Cora Lee clapped her hands. “What a wonderful thought. I completely forgot about pictures.”
Deck had been standing in the doorway when they arrived. He strode across the room and swept Lyn into a crushing hug, then offered his hand to Cal. “Congratulations. This is the smartest thing you’ve ever done, old buddy.”
“Possibly.” Cal returned the handshake, then admitted, “Probably.”
Deck grinned. “Come on in the den. These women have been cooking like fools all afternoon. I figure we’re best off to stay out of the way.”
Silver caught Lyn’s hand. “And you—come with us. I want to know why I didn’t have a clue that my brother was romancing you.”
“It wasn’t exactly like that,” Lyn protested.
Cal stopped in the doorway of the den and looked back at her. “It was exactly like that,” he corrected. He grinned at his sister. “Don’t tell me you weren’t doing a little matchmaking when you asked me to hire her.”
“Well,” Silver admitted. “The thought might have crossed my mind. But I wasn’t sure you were bright enough to see what a gem you have here.”
“Oh, I saw,” said Cal softly, returning his gaze to Lyn. “I definitely saw.”
As her new sister-in-law and mother-in-law pulled Lyn into the kitchen, Lyn closed her eyes briefly to regroup. Cal couldn’t have made it plainer that he expected her to play the role of loving bride in front of his family.
“Oh, my word.” Silver had caught Lyn’s left hand and now she held it up to examine her rings. “Look at this, Mama!”
“It’s absolutely stunning, dear.” Cal’s mother eyed the ring with what Lyn suspected was expert knowledge. “You have a good eye.”
“Oh, I didn’t pick it out,” Lyn said hastily. “Cal chose this one.” Then, lest they think she didn’t like it, she added, “Although it’s the most beautiful ring I’ve ever seen. I loved it the moment I saw it.”
Cora Lee had a faraway look in her eyes. “My son has excellent taste.”
“He got it from you, Mama.” Silver laid a gentle hand on her mother’s shoulder.
But Cora Lee shook her head slowly. “Cal didn’t spend enough time with me during his childhood to get anything from me.”
Lyn squeezed her hand, sensing a deep melancholy beneath the words. “He’s gentle and thoughtful and kind, just like you and Silver. It runs in the family.”
Eight
Cal eyed Lyn across the table as he and Deck finished the last two pieces of the wedding cake. She’d been quiet all evening. Not really unusual in itself— Lyn was always a quiet presence. And with three other women all gabbing at once, she’d barely opened her mouth. But he sensed something was bothering her.
His bride was talking with his mother, unaware that he watched her. Her red hair was caught back in a loose French braid, and curly wisps had escaped to form a burnished halo around her head. Her green eyes danced as she and Rilla laughed at something his mother had said, and her soft cheeks were flushed with pink.
He remembered the pink and white perfection of her long, slender frame and his body tightened. Her skin was so milky white it was translucent, especially the fragile flesh at her wrists and behind her knees, and over her breasts, where a delicate tracery of fine blue veins showed through. Her nipples were a pale pink, their centers just a shade darker—until he suckled her, and then they flushed a rosy hue that turned him on even more. He shifted in his seat, and from across the table, Deck sent him a knowing look.
“Ready to leave, are you?”
Cal knew his smile was wry. “You bet.” He looked at Lyn. “It’s been a big day. Are you ready to go?”
She gazed at him and from the way she blushed he suspected she’d read every thought in his lecherous mind. “Yes, I’m ready,” she said quietly.
He made their farewells brief because she really did look exhausted and he hustled her out to the truck. The drive home took only ten minutes, and he lifted her into his arms when she stepped down from the truck, carrying her inside and up to their bed despite her protests.
“You’re a feather,” he told her. “I could carry you if you weighed twice this much.”
“When I’m pregnant, I just might,” she said darkly.
He laughed. Moments later, he slid naked into the bed, sighing with relief when he pulled her soft, bare curves against him. He needed her desperately and he showed her so, kissing her with deep intent, stroking her pretty body repeatedly, seeking out all the tender spots he was beginning to learn were her most sensitive. At first, she was passive in his arms, and he wondered if she was too tired for lovemaking. But then she began to respond, her slim arms winding around his neck, her long, muscled legs wrapping around him to hold him to her.
Her response aroused him further, and he shoved his hips against her while he slipped one big hand over her bottom to explore the warm crease. She arched against him, and his fingers slipped into the hidden valley between her legs. He probed with one finger, sliding a little way into her, making her shudder and arch against him again. He pressed harder, his finger sliding even farther into her hot, sweet channel. He was fully erect, pushing at her belly, and when she wriggled against his invading finger, she stroked him with her soft curls, encouraging his possession. Someday, he promised himself, someday he’d take this slow and easy, but not right now….
Rigid, needy, he withdrew his hand and reared back to position himself, then plunged into her with a single heavy stroke that carried him deep, deep inside her. Her legs climbed his back, and he fell into a heavy, beating rhythm that rocked her body with the force of his thrusts. She whimpered, and he caught the sound with his mouth.
“Okay?” he whispered against her mouth.
“No. No, I want… I want….”
He covered her mouth with his again, drinking deep, glorying in her response. “Sh, baby, I’ve got what you want.” He worked his hand between their bodies until he could feel his flesh plunging and withdrawing from her as he teased out the fleshy nubbin at the top of her sweet opening. Gently, he took her between his fingers, squeezing and releasing the tender flesh. She screamed into his chest, and he felt a sudden sharp shock of sweet pain as her teeth fastened on his shoulder. Tremors shook her, and then the soft squeeze of her internal contractions milked his length. A groan tore from his throat; it felt too good…too good…and he let go of what little control he had left, pounding into her for a few frantic seconds until his body stiffened and he reached his own climax, his arching back pushing him deep within her to deliver his seed.
A few minutes later, when he’d gotten his breath back, he leaned his forehead against hers. “We need to talk about babies.”
Her eyes were closed and a soft smile played over her lips. She nodded.
He couldn’t resist; he reached down and pinched her bottom.
Her eyes flew open. “Ouch! What was that for?”
“Just making sure you’re awake.”
“I’m awake. I was just…recovering.”
He chuckled. “Yeah. Me, too.”
Then her beautiful eyes found his in the dim light of the single lamp he’d switched on. “We didn’t use anything. Again.”
“I know. We could have hit the lottery already.” He he
sitated. “If you’re pregnant, I’ll be thrilled. But if you’re not… I think I’d like to wait a little while before adding to our family.”
She didn’t speak, but her eyes held questions.
He dropped his head and kissed her slowly, lingering over her response. “I’d like us to have a little time together first.”
A flare of surprise lit her eyes before she nodded. “I’d like that, too.”
“Or,” he said, “maybe I’m just selfish. I want this body to myself for a while before I have to share.” He moved from her then, settling himself and pulling her into his arms. She’d slept draped across his chest last night and he’d liked it. He’d liked it a lot. She’d be sleeping like that every night from now on.
She woke him in the middle of the night, moaning and thrashing around.
He laid her back and leaned over her, wondering if he should wake her. Then her eyes opened wide, and she screamed.
It scared the hell out of him and he jerked backward in surprise. Then he realized she was still asleep. Her eyes had slowly drifted closed again and the tight fists of her hands loosened. Her legs stopped their restless movements and she sighed. Then a single tear fell from the corner of her eye. He couldn’t stand the sight of her crying, and he gathered her into his arms, willing away her distress. He hadn’t known whether to believe her or not when she’d told the detectives she was beginning to remember the day of the murder. But the more he thought about it, he knew Lyn had too much integrity to lie, even if the lie might mean the difference between jail and freedom.
As he rocked her gently against his chest, she seemed to relax into a normal sleep. He closed his arms securely around her, and as he drifted to sleep, he made a mental note to ask her in the morning if she remembered having a bad dream. If her subconscious had revealed anything else about the man who’d murdered her ex-husband, then he wanted to know about it.
Cal reached out and slapped his hand over the alarm button, and the room suddenly went silent again. Lyn lay where she’d slept for a minute, loving the solid sheet of muscle beneath her cheek, the beat of his heart in her ear, the strength in the arm that clasped her to him. She hated to move, but life on a ranch didn’t wait for late sleepers.
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