The door was open and she peeked around the frame. “Chase?”
“Beth!”
His smile of welcome erased everything else from her mind. Crossing the floor, she sat down on the edge of the bed, sighing as his arms closed around her. His mouth captured hers, and he kissed her as if it had been years since he’d seen her last instead of only a few weeks.
“Beth.” He whispered her name as he rained kisses on her nose and cheeks, then drank from her lips again, as if he were dying of thirst and she was his only hope for salvation.
Her hands slid restlessly up and down his arms, across his naked chest. It had been so long since they made love, she thought, so very, very long.
“Beth, what are you doing here?” he asked between soulful kisses. “How long can you stay?”
“I’ve so much to tell you,” she said.
“Tell me, then,” he said, but it was only half-true. His heart was pounding in his ears, his body, bruised and aching though it was, was thrumming with need.
She drew back a little, her gaze roaming over him. The swelling in his face had gone down. The bruises were no longer black-and-blue but a hideous shade of greenish-yellow.
“Lester Harbaugh is in town,” she said, her finger tracing the colorful bruises across his chest.
“Who?”
“The man my parents expect me to marry.”
“You are already married,” he said. “To me.”
“I know, but he’s been courting me for three weeks.”
That got his full attention. “What do you mean, courting you?”
“Just what I said. He’s a very nice man, tall and handsome, quite charming. Nothing at all like what I expected.”
His hands fell away from her waist and he drew back, his dark eyes shuttered and cold.
“Don’t look at me like that,” Beth snapped.
“How should I look?”
“Just listen. I told Lester that I couldn’t marry him, that I loved you. He’s the one who brought me out here.”
“He does not want you?”
“Well, I guess he does, but I don’t want him.”
“Are you sure?” Chase asked caustically. “You just said he was tall and handsome.”
“But you’re taller, and even more handsome,” Beth said, grinning because he was jealous. “And I love you.”
“Where is this man you’re supposed to marry?”
“Waiting outside in the buggy.” Tilting her head to one side, she regarded him for several moments. “You look awful. How do you feel?”
“You just told me I was handsome,” he muttered.
“Oh, you are.” She shook her head in wonder. “I’ve just never seen so many colorful bruises before.” Hesitantly, she touched the yellow bruise on his left cheek. “Does it still hurt?”
“Only a little.”
Her hands slid over his chest, then settled on the bandage wrapped tightly around his ribs. “I wish…” With a sigh, she looked up at him.
“What?” he asked, though he knew exactly what she was wishing.
“I wish we could make love.”
“Soon.”
“Not soon enough.” Scooting down on the bed, she rested her head on his shoulder, content to lie there while he stroked her hair. For the first time in weeks, she felt relaxed and happy.
Somehow, everything would work out for the best. She had to believe that, or she’d go crazy.
“Oh, excuse me!”
Beth jumped off the bed as if shot out of a cannon, embarrassment flooding her cheeks as Chase’s mother entered the room. “Missus Fallon, I…”
“It’s all right, Beth,” Jenny said, grinning. “I remember what it was like to be young and in love.”
“Please, Missus Fallon, I…” Mortified, she pressed her hands to her burning cheeks.
Jenny looked at Chase, who met her gaze with a rueful grin.
“Next time, we will close the door,” he said.
“Good idea. I just came in to see if you were ready for lunch. Would you care to join us, Beth?”
“I’d love to, but I can’t.” She stood up, suddenly remembering Lester Harbaugh. “I’ve got to go. The man who brought me is…”
“Is in the parlor discussing Shakespeare with Dorinda,” Jenny said.
“He’s here, in the house?” Beth asked.
“Yes, so you might as well stay for lunch. I’ll bring yours in here, so you and Chase can eat together.”
Smiling at her son and Beth, Jenny left the room, quietly closing the door behind her.
“Your mother’s very nice,” Beth said, resuming her seat on the edge of the bed.
“Yes,” Chase said. “She is. I wish I had not waited so long to find her.”
“Why didn’t you live with her when you were younger?”
“It’s a long story.”
“Well,” Beth said, settling her skirts around her, “it looks like I’m going to be here for a while.”
* * * * *
Lester nodded, hardly aware of what the girl sitting beside him was saying. Dorinda Fallon was the most incredibly beautiful woman he had ever seen. Her eyes were dark blue, fringed by thick black lashes. Her hair was long and straight and as black as raven’s wing. Her skin was the color of dark honey, smooth and clear, with a hint of roses in her cheeks. And her mouth…ah, that mouth tempted him as nothing else ever had. She wore a blue-and-white print dress that did wonderful things for her figure, and made his breeches seem suddenly tight.
He slid a glance at Dorinda’s father, who was sitting in an easy chair across the way, thumbing through a mail order catalog.
“…so sad,” she said. “Don’t you agree?”
“What? I…oh, yes, it is,” Lester agreed, though he had no idea what she’d just said.
“You weren’t listening, were you?”
Lester shook his head. For a moment, he considered a polite prevarication, and then he grinned. “Not really.”
“Penny for your thoughts?”
“I was thinking how beautiful you are.”
“Well, I guess I can’t get mad at you for that.” Dorinda grinned back at him, charmed by his easy flirtation. Lester Harbaugh was an attractive man. She had always had a weakness for men with blond hair, perhaps because she’d never really cared for the color of her own. His eyes smiled at her, dark-brown eyes, as guileless as those of a child. She had liked him immediately. She’d heard other women talk about the way they felt when they met the men they fell in love with, how their hearts had beat fast and butterflies had danced in their stomachs, but she’d never experienced such feelings. Until now.
“I’m glad you’re not really going to marry Beth,” she remarked.
“Yes, me, too.” And just like that, he knew that he’d stay in Twin Rivers as long as Beth needed, and maybe longer than that. He hadn’t taken a vacation in years; his junior partner was perfectly capable of looking after things until he got back. His children were being well cared for. And if everything went as he hoped, they’d be a real family again soon.
“I’m going to make some tea,” Dorinda said, her gaze never leaving his. “Would anyone else care for some?”
“I didn’t think you knew anybody else was in the room,” Ryder muttered under his breath.
“I’ll help you,” Lester offered, anxious for a chance to have a few minutes alone with her.
“Thank you,” Dorinda replied.
She smiled over her shoulder as she went into the kitchen, Lester close on her heels.
“Well,” Ryder muttered laconically. “That was quick.”
Jenny frowned at him as she entered the room. “What are you talking about?”
“Lester and Dorinda. I’d say it was a case of love at first sight.”
“You’re kidding?”
Ryder shook his head. “The stew’s getting thicker every day, darlin’. If we’re not careful, we’re going to be up to our armpits in newlyweds.”
* * * * *
&n
bsp; That day set the pattern for the ones that followed. Every day or so, Lester drove Beth out to the Fallon place so she could see Chase and he could visit with Dorinda.
Sometimes they sat in the parlor and played chess, sometimes they walked along the river, or just sat on the front porch. He told her about his law practice, of cases he’d won, and those he’d lost, about his partner, who always wore black suits because Lincoln had been a lawyer and often wore black, of how hard it was to be mother and father to his children.
He listened with interest as Dorinda told of growing up on the ranch, of learning to rope and ride, of the time she’d fallen out of a tree and broke her arm. She told him about going to New York, and how her parents had wanted her to take a companion, but she’d refused, arguing that they would have let Dusty go alone without a fuss.
“I never liked being a girl,” she said. “It seemed like Dusty could do whatever he wanted, and no one worried about him, but I always had to be careful.
“Well, I, for one, am glad you’re a girl,” Lester said, kissing the end of her nose.
“Me, too, now.”
He’d been driving Beth out to the Fallon ranch for about two weeks the afternoon he found himself alone in the parlor with Chase. Though they’d been passing friendly up to this time, Lester felt vaguely awkward, being alone with the man. He had a feeling that Chase didn’t like him, didn’t trust him and didn’t think he was good enough for his sister.
Lester cleared his throat, uncomfortable to be the focus of the Indian’s unblinking stare. It took no imagination at all to imagine those eyes glaring at him over the barrel of a rifle, or holding a knife at his throat. It hadn’t been all that many years ago since the very word Apache was enough to strike terror in the hearts of white settlers. Lester’s grandfather had served in the Southwest when Geronimo was a young warrior. Grandpa Harbaugh had been fond of telling his grandchildren chilling tales about raids and massacres when their parents weren’t around to stop him.
Lester cleared his throat. “So, ah, how are you feeling?”
“Better,” Chase replied tersely.
“Good, good. Have you and Beth decided when you’ll get married?”
“No.” Chase settled back in his chair. “Why do you bring her here?”
“Why? Because she wants to see you, of course.”
Chase shook his head. “She told me you had come here from the east to marry her.”
“That’s right, but, ah, things have changed.” Lester tugged at his shirt collar. “She doesn’t want me, she wants you. You know that. I must admit, I’ve become quite fond of Beth these past few weeks. I want her to be happy.”
“You have a good heart,” Chase mused. “In your place, I would not be so obliging.”
“Well, to tell you the truth,” Lester said with a grin, “it’s your mother’s cooking that keeps me here. She makes the best pot roast I’ve ever had. And her apple pie is second to none.” He patted his stomach. “I think I’ve gained ten pounds in the last couple of weeks. You know, a woman’s looks fade in time, but her cooking skills last forever.”
“You are a poor liar,” Chase said affably.
“Excuse me?”
“You are in love with my sister.”
Lester ran a finger inside a collar suddenly too tight. “Shows that much, does it?”
Chase grinned at Harbaugh, liking the man more in that moment than he would have thought possible.
“What are you two talking about?” Beth paused in the doorway, wiping her hands on a dishcloth.
“Cooking,” Lester replied.
“Cooking! I don’t believe you.”
“It is true,” Chase said. “Are you a good cook?”
“No, I hate to cook.”
Lester looked at Chase, a twinkle in his eye. “Maybe you’d better think it over,” Lester remarked with mock gravity. “Remember what I said.”
Beth’s glance moved from one man to the other. “Think what over?” Beth asked suspiciously.
“I was telling Chase that beautiful women don’t always make the best wives.”
“Is that so?”
Chase nodded solemnly. “He told me that your beauty will fade, but that good cooking lasts a lifetime.”
“Well, silly me,” Beth said huffily. “Here I thought you were marrying me because you loved me.”
She was turning away when Chase caught her in his arms.
“Never doubt that I love you, Beth,” he said quietly.
“Looks like the game’s over, and you two want to be alone,” Lester muttered to himself. “Guess I’ll just go outside and have myself a smoke.”
“Dorinda is out back,” Chase said.
Beth gazed into Chase’s eyes, hardly aware that Lester had left the room. “I love you, too. I wish we could be married now, today.”
“It is my wish, also.”
“Mama ordered me a wedding gown from New York last week,” Beth said. “It’s beautiful.”
“You are beautiful.”
“So are you.” She slipped her arms around his waist and rested her head against his chest. It felt so good to be in his arms, to hold him and be held by him. She couldn’t wait for the day when she would be his wife, when nothing and no one could keep them apart.
“Beth…”
Just her name, but she heard the underlying note of desire, knew that he ached for her as she ached for him. “I know. I wish we could go somewhere and be alone for a while.”
“It is my wish also.” He drew her closer, letting her feel the very visible evidence of his need.
“Beth, I… Oh, I’m sorry.”
Beth felt her cheeks grow hot as Chase’s mother entered the room. She tried to disengage herself from Chase’s embrace, but he refused to let her go.
“Did you need me for something, Missus Fallon?” she asked, mortified at being caught in Chase’s arms.
“No, dear, not as badly as Chase needs you,” Jenny replied, stifling the urge to laugh. “You two go on with what you’re doing.”
Chase met his mother’s amused gaze over the top of Beth’s head. He would have released Beth, but he didn’t want his mother to see how aroused he was. Judging from the laughter glinting in her eyes, he had the feeling that she knew exactly why he was keeping such a tight hold on Beth.
“You’ve got about forty minutes until dinner’s ready,” Jenny said. “In case you two want to take a nap, or something.”
“Thank you, cima,” Chase replied.
With a nod, Jenny went back into the kitchen and closed the door.
“Come,” Chase said, taking Beth by the hand.
“Where are we going?” Beth asked suspiciously.
“To take a nap.”
Beth pulled her hand from his, her cheeks burning with embarrassment. “I couldn’t! I’ll never be able to look your mother in the face again.”
“Why not? She knows how we feel about each other.”
“I know, but…” As much as she longed to be in his arms, she wasn’t sure she could make love to Chase here, in his mother’s house, while his mother was in the kitchen, cooking.
“I can’t.”
“You do not wish to?”
Beth shook her head, certain her parents never talked so openly of such things. No doubt her own mother would have fainted dead away to even think of her daughter wanting to be in a man’s arms in the middle of the day. She couldn’t even imagine her parents in bed together, let alone caressing each other the way she had caressed Chase. The way he had caressed her.
But then she looked into Chase’s eyes, saw her own longing mirrored in his ebony gaze. There was more than just desire reflected in the depths of his eyes—there was love and tenderness and need.
With a shy smile, she took Chase’s hand in hers and led the way down the hall to his bedroom, and boldly closed the door.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Dusty leaned back in his chair and blew out a sigh. “That was mighty fine pie, Becky. Every bit as
good as my mother’s.”
“It should be,” Rebecca replied, her cheeks pinking. “Your mother told me apple pie’s your favorite. It’s her recipe.”
Dusty grinned, inordinately pleased that she’d gone to so much trouble on his behalf. “My folks got a letter from my sister yesterday. Seems she’s coming home for Thanksgiving.”
“Oh?”
Dusty chuckled softly. “Funny, isn’t it? As far back as I can remember, all she talked about was getting out of Twin Rivers, of going to New York City to live.”
“Doesn’t she like it there?”
“Oh, she likes it well enough, but she said she misses the ranch. I suspect she misses our folks more than she thought she would. Anyway, I’m glad she’s coming home.”
“Me, too. I like your sister. Since she left, I really don’t have anyone to share secrets with.”
“You can tell me your secrets.”
“I don’t think so,” Rebecca said.
“Why not? I can keep a secret.”
A faint blush crept into Rebecca’s cheeks. “Well, most of the secrets I had were about you.”
“Me? What kind of secrets?”
“Just that I was in love with you, but you were too blind to see, or care.”
“I care now.” Reaching across the table, he took her hand in his. “I love you, Becky.”
“Do you?”
“Don’t you believe me?”
“What about Beth?”
“That’s all over.” He squeezed her hand, willing her to believe him. “Will you marry me?”
“Marry you! Oh, Dusty, do you mean it?”
“With all my heart. Say yes, Becky.”
“Yes. Yes, yes, yes!”
Jumping to his feet, he rounded the table and pulled her into his arms. “You won’t be sorry, I promise,” he whispered, and then he kissed her, gently, tenderly, and all thought of Beth vanished from his mind as Rebecca sealed her heart to his.
Breathless, they drew apart a little, though Dusty continued to hold her in his arms. “I hope you don’t want a long engagement,” he muttered with a wry grin.
Rebecca shook her head. “Name the day?”
“Tomorrow?”
“Well, I would like just a little more time,” Rebecca said. “At least a couple of weeks so I can shop for a wedding dress and a trousseau.”
Chase the Wind (Apache Runaway Book 2) Page 24