Jesse's Renegade (#3 of the Danner Quartet)

by Nancy Bush

  Oh, no! she moaned inwardly, her hands to her mouth. She’d accepted his past because she loved him, letting that love drive out of her head the one truth she’d learned about men: They were untrustworthy, philandering beasts. Hadn’t her father been just the same way? Her father and Jesse Danner, the most influential men in her life, were the same. And yet she’d loved Jesse! And still did!

  Even though behind the screen of oaks and firs and underbrush, Emerald was tight within Jesse’s hard arms at this very moment.

  She closed her eyes, pressed the heels of her hands close against them, blotting out the vision.

  “When I was younger, I made a lot of mistakes.” Jesse’s voice rang out coolly in the night air. “I still make a lot of mistakes, but they’re different ones. I have no intentions of making the same one with you.”

  “You wanted me. You—you forced me to sleep with you! You stole my virginity!”

  “Your memory’s faulty,” he stated crisply. “I remember it being the other way around.”

  “You bastard!” she cried, but Kelsey heard the unmistakable sound of Jesse swinging himself into the saddle. “You ruined my life!”

  Thundering hoofbeats sounded and leaves whirled upward in Jesse’s horse’s wake, settling noisily against the dry ground. Emerald was breathing hard. Kelsey couldn’t tell if she was sobbing or swearing or both. She had no love for her scheming sister-in-law, but in this case, she almost felt sorry for her. Kelsey had always wondered what mystic force had brought Emerald and her brother together; they seemed to almost detest each other. Jace she’d understood more; he’d been licking his wounds after Lexie had refused to marry him. He’d turned to Emerald because she was from a wealthy family—a good match for one of Rock Spring’s most influential businessmen.

  But Emerald’s interest in Jace had been less easy to understand. She’d told all and sundry of the endless offers for her hand that she’d turned down, intimating that only Jace had been able to capture her heart. A cold heart it was, too, for Kelsey, who’d once lived with them, had never seen a shred of love inside it for Jace. Nor passion. Nor caring of any kind.

  So why had she married Jace? Now, years later, Kelsey finally knew the answer. Emerald had chosen Jace because he was a Garrett—and the Garretts lived next door to the Danners. And the Danners’ third son was Jesse Danner, the one man Emerald desired.

  What a sad, sick, pointless existence. It chilled Kelsey to the bone.

  “And Jesse …?”

  You are an accomplished lover… Kelsey winced in humiliation as she remembered her own breathless infatuation. Lord, she’d only declared aloud that she, too, had fallen under his spell. That she, too, lay awake in restless hunger for him night after night. Oh, God, what had she done?

  Kelsey hunched her shoulders. She was worried about this long ride to Portland, remembering the last time she’d traveled it. She’d lost her horse and her dog. But now she had a lot to think about. It was a long, dreary ride, made more so by the fact that she was so newly mended from her fall, that the night was nearly pitch black, and that a cold, persistent rain had begun to fall. But Kelsey scarcely noticed her discomfort. She had the Winchester. She wasn’t afraid. She was just cold, tired, and sick with an inner misery that threatened to consume her. The depths to which Emerald had humbled herself in order to be with Jesse shook Kelsey to her very soul.

  She would never, never let that happen to her.

  ¤ ¤ ¤

  Soaked to the skin, Jesse swept the Stetson from his head as he headed up the back porch steps and let himself in the kitchen entrance. It was predawn. The house felt cold as morning ashes. He strode down the hall and toward his den, stopping short when he saw the doors were open and a light was on.

  Samuel was seated at his desk, his eyes closed, his hands squeezing the back of his neck as if he were in pain.

  “Samuel?”

  His eyes opened wearily. “Jesse. Damn it all, I’m glad you’re back.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Zeke’s dead. There was a fire down at the shipyards…”

  The words hit like a battering ram and Jesse stepped backward as if from a blow. His jaw slackened. “No.”

  Samuel lifted a hand and dropped it, shaking his head, swallowing hard.

  “Zeke…” Emotion rose like a tide inside Jesse, drowning him. Not Zeke! Not Nell…

  “How?” he asked in a strangled voice.

  “He was there. At the shipyards.”

  “Zeke set the fire?” Jesse gazed at Samuel in despair.

  “I don’t think so.” Samuel’s eyes were glazed with lack of sleep and worry. “I think Montana knew what was up. I think—he did it.”

  Jesse’s pulse pounded in his head. He couldn’t comprehend. Couldn’t think. “Zeke died in the fire.”

  Samuel nodded. “I helped pull his body out.”

  Jesse strode slowly to the window, staring out at the black shapes of the trees just visible against the dark night sky. Everything was blurred. “He saved my life,” he stated tonelessly. “And I didn’t save his.”

  “You couldn’t.”

  “I should have been there.”

  “Jesse…” Samuel sighed.

  Time passed – minutes, hours – it could have been either. Into the dark silence, Samuel finally said, “Montana was supposed to show for a court date yesterday. He didn’t. I was elated.” Bitterness edged his voice. “I thought, ‘Now, I’ve got him!’ But he was busy sowing the seeds of destruction. I’m sorry, Jesse. I was wrong. I thought I could handle him through the legal system, but he’s just as diabolical as you’ve said all along.”

  Jesse was silent, numb. Zeke was dead. Just like Nell. “Why would Montana burn down the shipyards? He lost everything.”

  “No. You lost everything. He got his money out. There was some illegal handling of the money. Zeke figured it out. He came to my office and told me Montana and his friends had set you up. He wouldn’t wait until you got back. He was after blood.”

  “Goddammit!” Jesse expelled in pain.

  “I know. I tried to stop him. I sent you the wire as soon as I could, but I never dreamed he’d get himself killed before you could get here.”

  “Montana’s mine,” Jesse muttered, crossing to the desk in jerky strides. He yanked open a drawer and pulled out a pistol. “Enough of this.”

  “Wait!” Samuel grabbed Jesse’s wrist. “This is what he’s expecting. All you have to do is wave this gun in front of his face and he can shoot you dead and claim self-defense. Think, Jesse,” he spit out through his teeth.

  “You think. I’m through thinking.”

  “What about Kelsey? Is she still in Rock Springs?”

  Jesse nodded. “When I said my good-byes, Tremaine promised me he’d keep her there.” He glanced down blankly at the Stetson still in his hand, rain dripping from the brim onto the carpet. “Harrison gave me another hat,” he added reflectively. “I lost the first one when Montana ordered me killed.”

  “The man deserves to die,” Samuel agreed, punctuating every word to get through to his hotheaded brother. “As long as Kelsey’s safe, you’ve got time to do it right.”

  “What would you suggest?” Jesse demanded acidly.

  “I’ve got an idea. Listen…”

  ¤ ¤ ¤

  The porch lights sent out welcoming yellow rays as Kelsey slid off the weary mare’s back and led her to the stables beside the carriage house. She startled the sleeping groom.

  “Mrs. Danner!” he sputtered. “Ma’am!”

  “Please brush her down and feed her,” Kelsey said in a tired voice.

  “Yes’m! Right away.”

  She let herself in the back door, surprising Mrs. Crowley into dropping her rolling pin. “Mrs. Danner!” the cook exclaimed in shock, clutching her massive bosom.

  “I’m fine,” Kelsey quickly assured her. “I’m just glad to be home. I’ll just go to my room and take a bath and be good as new,” she added, aware of her bedraggled
state.

  “Irma,” the taciturn cook said.

  “No, please. I’d rather be alone. I just need some time to myself. Is—er—Jesse upstairs?”

  She shook her head, frowning. “Gone out, he has.”

  Kelsey’s spirits plummeted. “I see. Well, maybe that’s for the best,” she said more to herself than to Mrs. Crowley.

  Excusing herself, she trudged upstairs, every muscle aching. It seemed to take forever to fill the tub, and when she slipped into its steaming depths her eyelids drooped in response to her complete emotional and physical exhaustion. Promising herself she would stay in the bath only a minute before slipping into her bed, Kelsey lay her head against the porcelain rim and closed her eyes.

  Strong hands hauled her from the water, yanking her upward so quickly her neck hurt.

  “Jesse!” she sputtered, choking. She couldn’t breathe!

  “What’s the hell’s the matter with you?” he demanded fiercely. “Are you trying to drown yourself? You were underwater when I got here!” He slapped her on the back, hard, as she continued to choke water from her lungs. “You’re damn lucky I came back and saw the door to your room open. Holy Christ, Kelsey!” he added in a shaking voice. “I’ve got enough to worry about without you scaring the liver out of me. What the hell are you doing here? How did you get—oh, God. You didn’t!”

  “I’m—okay,” she managed to croak out, her eyes tearing.

  “You rode back here alone, didn’t you? You sneaked out of the house. Jesus, Kelsey!” Concern turned his voice hard. “You could have been killed!”

  “I had—Joseph’s Winchester.”

  Grabbing her under the arms, he hauled her completely out of the bathtub, staring at her with fury and some other emotion she couldn’t name. “You’re going to be the death of me,” he muttered, snatching a towel from the counter and tossing it over her shoulders.

  “You mean if Montana isn’t first?” she asked, beginning to shiver.

  He suddenly pulled her close to him, kissing her hard on the mouth. His shirt was damp. He was wearing the same clothes he’d left Rock Springs in. Whatever mission had sent him out of the house early that morning must have been important.

  “It’s not safe for you to be here,” he said as if divining her thoughts. Gently, he pushed her away. Kelsey awkwardly wrapped the towel around herself, feeling a bit embarrassed at this intimacy.

  “Gray’s left town,” Jesse said. “He’s made things hot for himself around here, and he’s taken off for a while.”

  “Where did he go?’

  “San Francisco, I think. That’s the Lady Leanna’s last stop before she sets sail for the Orient. Montana’s on board.”

  “What about your shipbuilding venture?” Kelsey asked, tugging on the towel.

  “Burned to the ground. Montana’s doing, not mine,” he added, seeing the look on her face. “But Montana managed to get out with his money,” he added bitterly. “So, I’ve got to go after him.”

  “To San Francisco?” Kelsey was suddenly alarmed.

  “Uh-huh. For Nell, and Zeke…”

  “Zeke?” Kelsey asked in a small voice.

  Quietly, and emotionlessly, Jesse told her about Zeke’s fate.

  Kelsey listened, gazing at him in disbelief and pain. “Oh, Jesse…” she murmured.

  “I’m leaving tonight,” he stated flatly.

  Jesse’s seemingly utter detachment worried Kelsey. Not because she believed it, but because she knew it hid his inner turmoil.

  “Don’t go,” she begged. “It doesn’t matter anymore. He’s gone. Let him be.”

  Jesse stared at her as if she’d lost her mind. “It doesn’t matter anymore?” he repeated incredulously. “It matters more than ever. I don’t care what it costs, I’m going to kill that man.”

  “No. Jesse. It’ll backfire,” Kelsey said, feeling her lips quiver with fear. “Nothing’s worked so far. He’s a bastard, and a murderer, and he should be swinging from a rope, but let the authorities handle it! You can’t be a one-man army!”

  “Samuel’s got a plan,” he said as if he hadn’t heard a word she’d uttered. “I’m going to confront Montana. I’ve got an ultimatum for him.”

  “No.” Kelsey shook her head. Premonition lifted the hairs on her arms. “You can’t go.”

  For the first time, a trace of something besides driven fury crossed his face. He almost smiled. Almost. “Nothing’s going to stop me, Mrs. Danner.”

  “Nothing?” Kelsey eyed him steadily, her gaze dropping to his sensually curved mouth.

  Sensing the direction of her thoughts, Jesse shook his head. “Not even sex is going to work on me,” he said, half amused, half baffled by his wife’s change of attitude.

  Kelsey’s heart was thudding so hard it almost hurt. She’d never once considered herself in the role of seductress; she was too embarrassed, too careful of her feelings. But Jesse was her husband, and for better or worse, she loved him. And she had a terrible sense he was on a path to certain death.

  Lowering her eyes, she unwrapped the towel, gripping it tightly in her hands. Then, shooting a glance upward, she encountered the cold, wary blue of his eyes. He wouldn’t give in, she realized, disheartened, but a panicked voice inside her told her not to give up.

  Carefully, she wound the towel around his neck, drawing his face down to hers

  “Kelsey,” he said on a half laugh, his voice smothered beneath the demanding pressure of her kiss.

  “I want you to stay. I want you to make love to me,” she whispered urgently.

  “Later. When I get back.”

  “Now.”

  She pressed her damp body against his, her hands deliberately pulling his shirt from his breeches. Jesse shook his head, but he didn’t resist completely. Encouraged, Kelsey trailed kisses along his jawline and flicked her tongue in his ear.

  He thrust her away from him, holding her at arm’s length, his eyes no longer cold. A hot flame fired their blue depths. “This isn’t going to work. Besides, it would only be temporary. I’m going to San Francisco.”

  “Not yet,” she whispered seductively.

  “Dammit, Kelsey!”

  “Give in, Jesse.” A smile twitched at her lips. Cautiously, half afraid he would win this battle and therefore send her opinion of her femininity spiraling down another notch, she reached for the buttons on his breeches, undoing them one by one. A detached part of her mind marveled at her own composure. A few months ago she would never have been able to even think of herself in such a position.

  She slid her hands inside. Jesse lasted about twenty seconds.

  “Oh, hell!” he muttered, sweeping her into his arms and carrying her to his bedroom.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  If wishes were horses, then beggars would ride, Kelsey thought a week later. She’d wished and wished and wished that Jesse would cable her, or show up in person, or somehow alert her to his plans, but she’d heard nothing from him. Not a word.

  She’d awakened to a cold, lonely bed, and a cold, lonely house, and though his conscience had smote him enough to leave a note, it hadn’t kept him from chasing after Montana to San Francisco.

  That note was crumpled inside her reticule: I’ve sent a wire to Tremaine, telling him you’re safe. Don’t leave the house alone. Montana may still have someone watching you. Be careful. Jesse.

  A coolish September breeze pulled at her hair and rattled the branches of the trees overhead as Kelsey hurried along the street to Samuel’s office. She’d taken the buggy, sneaking around Drake, whose loyalties would be torn between her and Jesse if he knew she wanted to leave the house unaccompanied. Still, she couldn’t stay housebound one more moment; it wasn’t her way. And if Montana was threatening anyone right now, it was her reckless husband. Whenever she thought of what Jesse might be doing at any given moment, she broke out in goose-bumps, sick with concern.

  A horse whinnied shrilly somewhere behind Kelsey’s back. Gulping back a cry, she whirled around, a hand
to her thudding heart. But there was no black destrier thundering toward her, no clattering hooves, no sweating flanks. A horse harnessed to a carriage had simply given his partner a nip.

  Kelsey’s pulse slowed and she swallowed in relief. She could rationalize all she wanted; she hadn’t forgotten the throat-choking fear she’d felt the moment before she’d been run down.

  Samuel’s office was dark. Kelsey leaned her forehead against the wall and counted to ten. It was lunchtime. Surely he would be back soon. Unless he was in court.

  In court. Hours to wait.

  “Blast!” she muttered. She couldn’t bear it. The waiting would drive her insane.

  Hurrying back to her buggy, she wrapped her skirts around her knees and climbed up to the hard board seat. She would visit Agatha and Charlotte and maybe even take that long-delayed run on Justice.

  Anything was better than suffering through the endless minutes of worry over Jesse.

  ¤ ¤ ¤

  The sense of being followed kept touching Samuel like unseen fingers even with his mind occupied with something else. Now he felt it like a whisper on the back of his neck and he whipped around, surveying the street through sharp eyes: Men strode by in somber business suits; women pushed navy blue baby carriages, or strolled along dangling dainty parasols; drunks staggered or stretched out numbly in shadowed doorways.

  No threat.

  Half an hour later, as he unlocked his office, he was still unable to shake the feeling that someone was watching him, dogging him. Someone working for Montana Gray? It didn’t make sense. Jesse was stirring up a hornet’s nest down in San Francisco all by himself; he sent telegrams to that effect daily. There was no one in Portland who would care about the movement of one Samuel Danner, Attorney-at-Law.

  “Mr. Danner?”

  Samuel inhaled sharply, startled at the sound of the scratchy female voice. The woman standing in the doorway was of indeterminate age, but she looked as if life had been a long, hard road. Her makeup was heavy: kohl-blackened eyes, bloodred lips, and cheeks turned hectic with some kind of vile fuchsia rogue. She wore a tight, blue-beaded dress, and her hair was blond, brittle, and pulled beneath a black-veiled hat. She kept touching her lips, as if afraid her lipstick had smeared.