by Jodi Thomas
Walker stood and collected a hot pot of coffee and three cups, thanked the cook, and left. As he walked away, he overheard something he'd never heard said before about him. The cook mumbled, "Nice fella, for an officer. Wouldn't mind if he joined us early again some morning."
When Walker made it back to the quarters, he wasn't surprised to find Lacy fully dressed and packing.
He glanced around as he set the coffee down. "She's gone?"
Lacy accepted a cup. "Poor thing, January doesn't mean to, but she has her new family now, and they want some time together. In a two-room house, that doesn't leave much room for Theda." Lacy continued as she followed Walker around the little room while he packed, "January's also got the other women around to offer all the help she could need. The wives feel a real bonding here, and Theda isn't really a part of that either, even though everyone was really nice to her. I think being around them makes her even more lonely."
Walker poured her coffee, knowing somewhere there was an end to this conversation. For a woman who didn't want to waste time talking in bed, she sure did her share of it outside the covers.
He was thinking about telling Lacy that they had an hour before they had to meet Hayes, and maybe if they hurried, they could spend half of it in bed, when Lacy added, "So, I asked her to go back with us."
"What!" Walker almost spilled the coffee for the second time today. At this rate, he'd be permanently scarred before the pot was empty.
Lacy looked at him in surprise. "I asked her to go back to Cedar Point with us. From there she can take the train."
When he frowned, she added, "You don't expect her to travel alone?"
"Of course not, but she's not my problem. Adam's her brother-in-law. Let him take care of her."
"Well, she can't ask Adam to take her; after all, he has a wife and one-day-old baby to consider. If she doesn't go with us, it could be days, even weeks, before she could go. Theda can't just ride over with the men picking up the mail. It wouldn't be proper, her being single and all."
Walker raised an eyebrow as he sat down at the table. Lacy's words sounded like they'd probably come out of
Theda's mouth a few minutes before. "Where is Miss Theda?" He feared he already knew the answer.
"She's packing and saying her good-byes." Lacy sat on his lap. "She says her brother-in-law will loan her a horse."
"I've got Hayes rigging up the ambulance wagon for you now." Walker had trouble concentrating on looking angry with her sitting on his knee. "Theda can ride inside with you."
"Oh, that's great. You've thought of everything." She kissed him then, what he'd been waiting for since the moment he walked in.
He thought of telling her that Hayes had the idea for using the ambulance wagon but decided against it as her kiss turned from thank you to desire.
He moved his hand along her leg, pulling up her dress as he kissed her. The need to touch her flesh burned like a hunger he'd never known. But layers of cotton blocked his progress. Finally, he pulled away from the kiss and groaned in frustration.
She cuddled against him. "What is it?"
"I want to touch you."
"You are touching me." He had one hand lost in the material of her skirts and another circled around her just below her breasts.
"No." He stared down at her. "I want to touch you, just you. I need..." He didn't know how to tell her that he needed to feel her with a desire so strong he feared it might consume his body completely.
"Can it wait until tonight?"
"No," he said honestly, knowing he was admitting a need for her that gave her the advantage.
To his surprise, she made no bargain. She stood, pulled off her boots, and turning her back to him, let her petticoats and underthings fall to the floor, then walked back to her place on his lap.
Walker was speechless as she curled into his arms and began kissing him again as if she'd only paused.
It took him a minute to realize what she'd done so easily. Her skirt still covered her completely, but when he slipped his hand beneath, he felt first the silk of her stockings, then the bare velvet of her thighs.
He would have thanked her if he could have torn his mouth away from hers, but as he touched her, the kiss grew deeper. She played no game but let him touch her boldly, as if caressing a woman beneath her skirt was the most natural thing to do in the world.
When he touched her most private part, she jerked in surprise, but she didn't pull away, and he knew—all the way to his soul, he knew—that she belonged to him. Not just on paper. Not just in his dreams. But forever.
CHAPTER 29
By the time Walker helped Lacy into the ambulance wagon, everyone else looked ready to ride. Even Theda sat in the back, rearranging her bags so that her hat- boxes didn't get crunched. The old maid traveled with two trunks, three hatboxes, and a huge umbrella. They were lucky to be taking the wagon, or she would have needed a train of packhorses to move her.
The quilt Lacy made of Walker's father's old suits now lay over the bench like a cushion. It seemed to welcome her, as if the old man still lingered near. Though the canvas walls of the wagon were tied down, wind whistled through. If the day didn't get warmer, the blanket would be needed.
Lacy smiled, wondering if any of the blush on her cheeks still showed. She watched Walker. He looked so commanding in his uniform. No one would ever believe he'd sworn less than an hour ago that he would die if he didn't touch her.
They hadn't had time to make love, but the warmth of his hands still lingered on her legs, and the promises of tonight excited her. He'd looked so surprised when she'd removed her petticoats and pantaloons. He didn't understand how dear his touch was to her, she realized as she shoved her tablet farther into her carpetbag. That first day she'd written the days out one by one, counting down the time until he left.
She'd rip the number eleven out tonight. Eleven more days until he disappeared from her life. Eleven days to have a husband. She wanted to experience as much of him as possible, for there would never be another man in her life. He might have been trapped into this marriage, but she'd been there when the paper was signed. She might have only just turned fifteen, but she knew what she was doing, and she'd done it willingly.
"Ready?" Hayes leaned in to see that they were both seated.
"Yes." Theda wore a brave smile, but her cheeks were moist with tears, and fear flickered in her eyes. In a whisper she added, "This was the first time I've ever gone anywhere that one of my sisters didn't see me off at the train station and another was waiting for me when I reached my destination."
Lacy patted her hand. "Well, I guess this will be a grand adventure. We'll stop at my friend's place before dark. They'll be happy to see you. Then, in the morning, one of the men will take you to the train."
"I'm afraid," the old maid whispered. "I told my sister I was going home, but there is nothing for me to hurry back to there. But I'm afraid if I take one step off my routine, no telling what may happen."
Lacy cringed, almost hearing Walker yelling, as she said, "Would you like to stay with me for a few days at Cedar Point?" With all that had happened lately, Lacy wasn't sure if she offered her shelter or trouble, but at least it would be interesting. "Walker and I would be happy to have you."
"Thank you," Theda said. "That's very kind."
Lacy had no idea if that was a yes or a no, but she figured it could wait.
"I've never been very brave," Theda admitted.
"Me either."
Theda shook her head. "I'd think you'd have to be brave being married to Captain Larson. He frightens me a little, but then most men do."
Lacy realized that Walker no longer frightened her at all. Somehow, she'd learned to trust him. He could yell, and order her around, and demand his way, but when they were alone together, he couldn't say no to her. She smiled. Her real problem lay in the fact that she couldn't say no to him either.
"We're stopping in Mobeetie for just a few minutes, if you ladies need anything," Hayes yel
led back.
Lacy looked at all the boxes stacked by her old carpetbag. She couldn't think of anything except a nightgown. The mercantile in Mobeetie might have something with lace. It occurred to her that she didn't have any money with her. The only logical thing to do would be to ask Walker to loan her money until she could withdraw some from her account and pay him back. It seemed extravagant to spend maybe as much as two dollars on a gown and robe, but Lacy wanted to. She'd wear them for Walker and then pack them away with the beautiful dress from the dance.
"I'd like to buy a pair of gloves, if there is time," Theda said. "I left mine with January. Hers were wearing out, and I knew winter would be over before she could get out to find more."
"No problem. I'll drop you ladies at the mercantile side door and leave the wagon there. By the time I check with the lawyer upstairs, you'll have your shopping done." Hayes slapped the reins, and the wagon moved away from the fort.
Mrs. Deeds greeted them a few minutes later when Walker led the women into the shop, then turned to order the four men traveling with them to spread out along the front of the store.
While Lacy looked at nightgowns and Theda at gloves, Lacy heard Mrs. Deeds lean over to Walker and say, "Same rules apply as before, Captain?"
"Same rules," Walker answered, and Mrs. Deeds smiled.
A moment later, the owner of Mobeetie's best and only ladies' shop pulled out a box from beneath the counter. A matching gown and robe she swore had just come from Dallas.
Lacy shook her head. "Oh, that's far too expensive."
"What price range did you have in mind, dear?"
"One dollar, maybe a few bits more."
The old woman smiled. "Well, you're in luck; this fits within your needs."
Lacy couldn't believe it. She'd never seen anything so nice. Mrs. Deeds tossed in slippers for no extra price.
While she boxed up her purchases, Lacy turned to Walker. "I'll pay you back, Captain."
He raised an eyebrow as if he planned to argue, but said only, "Of course."
Lacy found herself pacing a few minutes later as Theda tried on every glove in Mrs. Deeds's collection. She wanted to be on her way. She'd had no word about Nell in three days, and she was starting to worry.
Walker also seemed uneasy, maybe because they were no longer protected by the fort. When she asked, he didn't take his gaze from the street as he tried to reassure her that nothing was wrong.
Theda paid for her gloves and slipped out the side door. Lacy started to follow but paused, waiting for Walker, who watched the windows, searching, as if sensing trouble. He motioned the men to mount up as Hayes came down the stairs.
Walker touched her arm. "We're ready. Go, quickly, once you leave the store."
"What's wrong?" She knew something had to be. She also guessed he wouldn't take time to tell her, and she was right.
When Lacy darted from the side door, she saw Theda swing her umbrella at a man trying to exit the back of the wagon as fast as possible.
"How dare you touch my things!" the tall woman yelled. "Get out of here immediately."
Lacy had seen the man when she'd been in town before. He'd sat outside the saloon looking too drunk to walk. She'd felt sorry for him then, not realizing he was a thief who must steal whatever he could in order to fund his habit of drink.
She smiled. She almost felt sorry for him again today, for Theda was dealing out justice with a mighty swing of her umbrella.
Walker rushed past Lacy to help the old maid, but Theda had already handled the situation. The thief darted away, screaming in pain. Two of the soldiers took off in pursuit, but Walker ordered them back.
Lifting Lacy into the wagon, he said, "Wonderful job, Miss Theda. I'll have you in my regiment anytime."
Theda, who a moment before had been raging mad, now looked like she might faint. "I can't believe my heart didn't stop with terror." She crumpled onto the bench as Hayes took up the reins. "When I climbed in and saw him picking through my boxes, I just reacted." She looked up at Lacy, her eyes wide with fear. "He might have killed me."
Lacy doubted it. The man was much smaller than Theda and looked too poor to even own a gun. But Lacy said, "You were so brave."
Theda smiled and calmed. "I was, wasn't I."
Within minutes they were clear of the town and riding hard. The bench seat inside the ambulance wagon would have been comfortable at a normal rate, but at this speed, Lacy and Theda rocked from side to side.
With a sudden dip in the road, Theda's elbow hit the iron of the bench side and she yelped, then quickly insisted it was nothing, but Lacy didn't miss the way she babied her arm.
After another five minutes, Theda was too frightened to talk.
Lacy feared she couldn't endure a day at this speed. She also knew it would be a waste of time to ask the men to slow down. There was a reason for their hurry, and if they knew what it was, Theda might be even more nervous than she already was.
Pushing off the bench, she gripped the canvas sides and crawled forward. Beneath the driver was a stack of army- issue wool blankets. Rising to her knees, Lacy spread them out on the floor of the wagon. Then she motioned for Theda to join her.
Theda spread Walker's blanket over them both, and they cuddled in the bed of the wagon. Here, the ride was smoother, and they didn't feel like they might fly off in one direction or the other at any moment.
Theda laughed. "This is exciting. How'd you know to get low like this?"
Lacy told her the story of how she came to Texas. Now that they were away from the fort, she felt she could tell everything, including how Walker and she were married and what it had been like on the wagon train. An hour passed as Theda asked questions, forgetting all about how fast they were traveling.
When the wagon slowed, they heard a tap on the side canvas and Walker's voice. "You two all right in there?"
"We're snug as bugs." Theda laughed, high on the adventure. "Why'd we slow down?"
"I thought..." Walker paused. "Lacy, is it rough on you?"
"No, dear," she answered, giggling at Theda's face. "We're tough enough to take it. Let's make some time."
She heard Walker give an order, and they were off again. In less time than she thought possible, they slowed to turn onto Carter McKoy's farm.
Lacy poked her head out and watched as Walker rode up to the gate and fired two shots, then waited for an answering two shots before opening the gate and motioning in the wagon.
The four mounted soldiers waited at the entrance, while Hayes drove the wagon up to the house. Lacy was out of the wagon and running to Bailee before Hayes had even brought the horse to a stop.
The two women hugged wildly, then Lacy stepped back and introduced first Theda, and then Walker. Hayes had finished unloading the wagon by the time she got around to him. The sergeant tipped his hat, then saluted Walker and departed without a word.
Walker dismounted and moved to where Carter stood.
Ranger Dalton stormed out the door. "Hello, honey," he shouted to Lacy. "How was army life?" When he set Lacy down from a hug, he offered his hand to Walker. "Captain."
Walker straightened, and Lacy held her breath. "My wife's name is Lacy, Dalton. I'd thank you to remember that."
The ranger grinned. "I was wondering when you'd care enough to notice." He turned to Lacy. "Nell's waiting to see you inside, Mrs. Larson."
Everyone but Walker and Carter moved.
Just before Lacy stepped inside, she thought she heard Walker say low to Carter. "Fill me in?"
The big man nodded as they both walked toward the barn.
Part of her wanted to know what was going on, but right now, she had Nell to see about.
The doctor had waited with Nell while the others ran outside to greet the wagon. He stood when everyone returned, but in his usual quiet way, he made no greeting.
Lacy saw the worry in his eyes a moment before he masked all expression from his tired gaze.
She forced questions down. They could wait unt
il she could talk to him without anyone overhearing. She moved beside the bed.
Nell smiled up at Lacy. Her color was better, and the cuts on her body were beginning to heal, but, she didn't move.
"How you feeling?" Lacy kissed the girl's cheek and took her hand, which felt cold in her grip.
"Weaker than a kitten," Nell admitted in a whisper. "But the doc says I'm getting stronger every day. I guess I lost a great deal of blood." She blinked back a tear. "I wouldn't have made it if Carter hadn't come along when he did."
Lacy looked around. Nell had been set up in a corner of the huge main room and, from the location of the ranger's gear, Dalton was sleeping a few feet away on a long couch. The location was practical but offered Nell little privacy.
"You're going to be just fine," Lacy whispered.
"I know," Nell answered. "I know." She sounded as if she were trying to convince herself.
Timothy motioned with his head that maybe they should move away. "She needs to sleep. She's been waiting up until you got here, but it's time for more medicine."
Lacy kissed Nell again and stepped away as Dalton and the doctor pulled a wooden divider to offer Nell some privacy.
"She's still needing a lot for the pain," the doctor whispered when he joined them a few minutes later. "She'll sleep for a while now, and then I'll check on her before I head back to town."
Lacy noticed Theda standing by the door looking totally out of place. 'Timothy, could you look at my friend's elbow? She hurt it on the ride here and is trying to act like it's nothing, but I know it pains her."
"Of course." He grabbed his bag.
To her surprise, Theda didn't argue when she introduced the doctor and suggested he examine her elbow. Lacy insisted they use the small bedroom at the front of the house.
In a few minutes, Timothy's kind manner had won Theda over. Her sleeve was too tight-fitting to allow him to see unless she removed her blouse or he cut the material. He stepped out of the room while Lacy helped the old maid pull her arm and shoulder free of the dress.
When the doctor returned, he was as professional as Theda was nervous. But as Lacy encouraged her to talk about helping her father, she relaxed. To Lacy's surprise, Timothy had heard of Theda's father. He'd been a great doctor during the war and was still talked about at medical school for some of the things he'd pioneered in field hospitals.