by Jodi Thomas
He grumbled but didn't say a word as she moved her hands down his body. With each scar she stopped, examined it with her fingers, and then kissed the marked flesh as he'd done with her tiny scar.
His body was warm and muscular, with no softness about him. His skin tasted slightly salty as she moved over him and planted kisses first down his throat, then down his chest. She thought the pleasure of her actions would be in the giving, knowing how little he'd been touched in his life, but the pleasure was also in the taking, for she enjoyed the feel of him. She liked the way he drew in his breath when her mouth moved across his chest and smiled when he knotted the sheets into his fists to keep from raising his hand to touch her as her breasts slid over his ribs.
When she passed his waist, he drew in a breath and whispered, "A wife is not supposed to be so bold."
Lacy raised her head and tried to see his face. "How do you know? I'm the only wife you've had."
'True," he managed to say before she continued.
Amazed at the control she had over this powerful man, Lacy laughed. He reacted to the slightest brush of her fingers, and he sounded as if he were suffering. But he didn't try to stop her, and she knew he could have pushed her away with one hand. This only wife he had planned to know her husband quite well by morning.
Strangely, instead of satisfying her desires, she only needed more. The longer she touched him, the bolder she wanted to be, and the more she longed for his caress. She felt an ache deep within her she knew of only one way to cure.
Finally, frustrated, she leaned over his chest and whispered against his ear. "Can we do it again?"
"What?" he said between clenched teeth.
"You know. It."
"No," he answered. "I think another time tonight would kill me."
Lacy laughed, showing no care for his life as she wiggled against him. "Well, you always wanted to die an interesting death."
He closed his arms around her and rolled her beneath him, no longer caring if he died from the attempt. He made love to her boldly, freely knowing that she wanted him as deeply as he wanted her.
When they lay exhausted, beside one another on their stomachs, she rose to one elbow and continued touching him, running her hand over his backside.
"Go to sleep," he ordered, but he made no attempt to push her hand aside.
"All right." She leaned back down on the bed, but her hand stayed on his hip as if she planned to leave it right there the rest of the night.
Walker was preparing to risk death again an hour later, when someone pounded on their door. Before Lacy could react, he swung from the bed and lifted his Winchester.
"Who is it?" he demanded.
"Theda," came a shrill voice.
This time Lacy reacted before Walker. "Just a minute," she cried, and they both scrambled for their clothes. Neither managed to find underwear, but Lacy wiggled into her old dress and fought with the buttons in the dark, while Walker pulled on his trousers and shirt.
Lacy opened the door, and Theda rushed in as Walker lit the lamp.
"You've got to come," she cried, her words tumbling over one another. "January's in labor, and the doctor had to go to town to patch up several men involved in a fight at the saloon." She pulled Lacy along as she rattled, "We've got to help her, and I can't do it alone."
To Walker's amazement, Lacy remained calm. "Run back to your sister and tell her I'm on my way," she said, "then get all the pots you can on the stove full of water. We'll need hot water and lots of it and all the towels in the house. I'll be there before the water boils."
Theda nodded, calming now that someone was telling her what to do.
Hayes banged against the open door, looking like he'd dressed on the run. "Miss Theda, you can't be moving about the—"
Walker cut the sergeant off. "Hayes, go with Miss Theda and help. I'll bring my wife as soon as we're dressed. Also, send a rider to Mobeetie to tell the doctor to get back as soon as possible."
Hayes nodded, relieved that he wasn't somehow in trouble for letting women wander the fort before sunrise. He offered his arm, but the tall old maid only ran past him. He sprinted to catch up to her.
Walker closed the door. For a moment, they stared at one another. The world had found them, and there was nothing they could do about it.
"Lacy ..." he started, realizing he needed to say a hundred things to her but not knowing where to start.
She pulled on one of her stockings. "I know," she answered as if she'd heard all of them while they'd made love.
They dressed, helping each other find clothes that had been tossed around the room and shoes that were scattered. Within minutes, the proper captain stood before her.
She pulled on her coat. "Ready?"
He lifted his rifle and nodded.
They walked out into the dark predawn. She didn't feel the cold, for her thoughts were still in his arms. She could still taste him on her lips, and the ache for him inside of her had already begun anew.
When they stepped onto the small porch of the structure marked as married officers' housing, his hand reached for hers.
They could hear people moving about in the house and knew a guard might be watching them from only yards away. There was no time for just the two of them any longer, but he had to touch her, and her hold was tight.
Walker leaned close and whispered as he knocked on the door, "I didn't get enough of you."
She smiled, already hearing someone running to answer. "Nor I you."
"It'll be dawn soon." He let go of her hand as he heard someone turning the knob.
"But eventually we'll have the night again."
The door opened, slicing light over them. Walker only had a second to look into her eyes, but he swore he saw a hunger there.
Tlien she was gone, pulled into the bedlam of birthing.
Theda had watched her father bring twins into the world, but he'd limited his patients to the elderly by the time her mother could no longer assist him in the office. Lacy had delivered babies twice, once on the wagon train and one time when Timothy was out of town. That made her the expert, so Lacy took the lead.
Luckily, Theda's panic hadn't spread to January. She might be the one screaming, but she also knew exactly what she wanted them both to do. She'd had nine months to collect notes from every woman she knew about what to do when the time came.
With the first cry from pain, Adam, the prospective father, Hayes, and Walker were out the door to guard the house. Lacy worried that they might be cold on the porch, but they insisted they were comfortable.
Millie rushed in a few minutes later, but she was too excited to be of much help. Her job quickly became darting back and forth from the bedroom to the porch with reports.
By dawn, a baby's cry came from the bedroom, and Millie ran to yell, "It just popped out!" She had to make another run to announce the sex, a boy, because the men knew better than to leave their post before called.
When January was all cleaned up and tucked among pillows, the men were allowed to come in. Adam went right to his wife, but Walker waited at the door. Hayes said he still felt more comfortable on the porch.
Lacy watched Walker, wondering what he was thinking. Did he envy them, or was he glad that it would never be him pacing the porch while she screamed?
She collected pots and towels and left the bedroom. Walker followed her to the kitchen. When he realized they were alone, he pulled her into his arms, and for a long moment they just held one another.
"That was fast," he whispered against her hair. "I thought birthing took days."
"It does sometimes. January must be one of those women that delivery comes easy to. The last woman I watched took
forty-eight hours to deliver, and most of that was at full volume."
His forehead wrinkled. "Do you think it will come easy for you?"
Lacy closed her eyes for a moment, then lifted her chin and looked up at him. "I can't have children. I'm broken."
Walker raised an eyebrow.
"How do you know?"
"I didn't get pregnant when you bedded me in Cottonwood. I've heard of some women who can never have children. I guess I'm one of them."
"Did you ask a doctor?"
"No." Why would she do such a foolish thing? She could never see herself sitting down with Timothy and asking him such a personal question.
To her surprise, Walker smiled. "I think it sometimes takes more than doing it once, Lacy."
She shook her head. "How would you know? You don't even know how long it takes to deliver a baby."
His hands spread over her tummy, but he didn't answer.
CHAPTER 28
To Walker's surprise. Lacy suggested staying one more day at the fort. She wanted to make sure January was all right. She wouldn't leave the baby until the doctor arrived and said all was well.
Walker took one last glance into the new parents' bedroom. January and her husband had the baby between them on the bed and were whispering. Theda worked silently in the corner, cleaning up.
He spent the day trying to stay awake during boring meetings with the major. Garner even talked him into assisting with the training of recruits. Though he worked with them, Walker never stepped beyond the standard manual of training. He would teach them all he could about defending themselves, but he'd promised himself a long time ago that he'd never teach another man to kill.
When he finally made it back to his quarters, he wasn't sure he could stay awake long enough to eat supper. He hoped Lacy had managed to find time for a nap, but he doubted it. Hayes had said the women all went to see the baby around noon, then planned to spend the afternoon finishing the quilt.
When he finally made it back to his quarters, dinner waited on the table by the fire, but Walker didn't see his wife. He came full awake with alarm before he spotted her curled atop the covers, still dressed, but sound asleep.
He smiled, guessing she'd done her best to wait up for him.
He undressed and knelt beside her. "Lacy," he whispered. "It's time to go to bed."
She stretched and reached for him.
Walker laughed, lifting her up as he pulled the covers down. He tugged off her boots while she curled around a pillow.
"Lacy?" he said kissing her. "Would you mind if I help you?"
He'd planned only to pull the pins from her hair and removed her dress, but as he worked, he felt like he was opening the best present he'd ever had. He'd planned to stop at her underthings, but he didn't. He'd planned to let her sleep, but he couldn't.
She awoke nude in his arms and laughed as if she were dreaming. They made love slowly and gently, floating on the pure pleasure of being back together. Now that they knew each other's body, no shyness slowed them as they touched and caressed.
'This day was endless not seeing you," he whispered as he kissed her. "I want to get you alone. I don't feel like sharing you with the world right now."
She moved her hands along his back. "I know," she whispered, telling more with her touch than with words how dearly she'd missed him.
"I thought of being here with you like this all day."
"I know," she added.
"I ached to hold you. Half the time I didn't even bother to listen to what others were saying."
"I know." She sounded preoccupied with exploring him.
He smiled. "Lacy, what do you know?" He stopped her hand from touching him until she answered.
She looked up, bothered that her pleasure had been interrupted. "I know you'd better stop talking and start making love to me, Captain."
He gave in. "You sweet-talked me into it."
When they were both satisfied, he held her close as they drifted into sleep. The last words he whispered promised they'd leave for home tomorrow.
Just before dawn, a pounding sounded on their door as it had the morning before, short, rapid-fire knocks.
Walker rolled, grabbing his rifle, and yelled, "Who is it?"
Lacy pulled the blankets around her and tried to rub the deep sleep from her eyes as she stood.
"It's Theda! Open up. I have to talk to Lacy!"
Walker laid the weapon aside and shoved his hair back. "I may have to kill that woman," he mumbled as he looked for his trousers. "Maybe I'll leave orders to shoot any female over six feet seen roaming the fort after dark. That should discourage her from her nightly run to our door."
Lacy giggled and reached for her gown. "I'm coming," she shouted.
Walker managed to get one button on his shirt fastened before Lacy threw the lock.
"Come in, Theda." Lacy stepped back. "Hurry, before Hayes sees you and sounds an alarm or something."
Theda rushed in. "I stayed in the shadows away from the guard's sight. I don't think anyone saw me."
Walker frowned. The army should think about recruiting this tall, thin woman for his job. If no one saw her, she'd outsmarted three hundred trained men, proving their fortress not as safe as he'd thought. And apparently she'd done it unarmed and wearing a skirt.
Theda pulled the hood of her coat away from her face. "I couldn't wait any longer, Lacy. I had to talk to you."
The old maid glanced at Walker and blushed. "I'm sorry to have disturbed you, Captain, but I was afraid you might be leaving at dawn, and I'd miss Lacy."
He nodded once, accepting her apology and noticing her tearstained cheeks. "Please, Miss Theda, have a seat." He motioned toward the table by the fireplace where two chairs and the dinner they'd forgotten waited.
Walker moved to the chair at the small desk by the door and pulled on his socks, then boots. He noticed TTieda lowered her eyes. Apparently, the sight of a man putting his shoes on was too personal a sight to see.
The women kept watching him, and he got the hint. He grabbed his coat. "If you ladies will excuse me, I think the cook will have coffee on over in the mess hall by now." He turned to Lacy.
She nodded, telling him he'd guessed right. "Please, Captain, take time to eat breakfast."
He understood. "I will, and I'll bring some back when I've finished." He watched Lacy's face. "It should take me half an hour."
His wife nodded slightly.
"Just coffee," Theda managed to say. "I don't think I could eat a thing. Worrying always upsets my delicate stomach."
They turned away from him. He felt like a waiter who'd been dismissed. Walking out of his own quarters into the cold morning, he tried to figure out what had been so hell-fired important that the woman couldn't have waited until daylight, but deep down he decided he already knew. He'd seen it all in the one glance yesterday morning. The old maid was no longer needed, or wanted, for that matter.
Walker wasn't surprised to find Hayes having an early breakfast with several men already dressed to travel. Walker sat down with the men in the mess hall's kitchen, and after a few minutes they relaxed and talked while they ate. He knew having an officer among them was strange, but he didn't feel like eating alone in the empty, cold officers' mess hall at this time in the morning.
Four of the soldiers were riding to Cedar Point at daybreak. They were excited about spending the night in town before picking up a payroll off the train and riding back the next day.
Hayes commented that since the weather was good, he might ride along and pick up a chair the major ordered from Dallas that had been stored at the station for a week now. He also talked about a lawyer in town who'd ordered a box of books, and if they were in, he'd promised to pick them up for Temple Houston.
"I owe the son of Sam Houston a favor, and it wouldn't be no trouble," Hayes added. "If I'm picking up the chair, I might as well get the box of law books."
"Would you have any objection if I ride along with you as far as the ranch a few miles before you reach town?" Walker couldn't believe his luck. He'd be taking Lacy to the McKoy place with an escort. "I'll need to borrow a horse for my wife. If you wouldn't mind bringing it back?"
"I'd be honored to have you along," Hayes answered. "But since I'm taking the wagon, she's welcome to ride with me. She'd be more
comfortable."
Walker tried to consider whether she'd be safer on horseback or in a wagon. He'd like to have her double up with him on Trooper, but it wouldn't be the safest way. If trouble came, he needed to be able to move fast, and if Lacy were with him, she'd be in greater danger. But the thought of holding her all day in his arms was appealing.
"I heard her tell the ladies while they were quilting that she hates riding a horse." He laughed. "She said with her short legs she's always afraid of falling off and not being able to jump back on." Hayes suddenly looked embarrassed that he'd mentioned the captain's wife's legs. He hurried to add, "But Miss Lacy said she could drive a buggy as good as a man. Said she drove a wagon all the way to Texas once."
Walker took a long drink of his coffee, resenting the fact that Hayes had managed to find out something about Lacy that he knew nothing about. While he drank, he watched Hayes squirm a little. The sergeant was hoping Walker had let the comment about Lacy's legs slide.
Walker might not have, but he got to thinking about those legs and how good they felt. The inside of her thigh was soft as butter and—
"More coffee, Captain?" The cook interrupted Walker's thought.
Walker almost spilled the remaining grounds in his cup as he looked up. "TTianks," he managed to say as he pulled his mind back out of bed.
When the cook moved away, he realized Hayes was waiting for an answer. "How about I ask my wife which she prefers," Walker said. "We'll be ready to leave in less than an hour."
Hayes nodded. "If you don't mind, I need to make a quick stop at Temple's place in Mobeetie and let him know I'll be picking up his box. Otherwise the man might think I'm stealing it and sue me."
"All right." Walker didn't like the delay, but he agreed.
"I could take the ambulance wagon if you like. We've got a bench seat that fits in back. That way Miss Lacy could be out of the weather for the day."
Walker smiled. Hayes was going out of his way. "That would be better." He knew the sergeant was aware of his wife's kidnapping and the reason they'd come to the fort in the first place.