The Texan's Reward

by Jodi Thomas

  She lifted his hand and laid it over her left breast.

  Jacob didn’t move. Touching her here hadn’t been in the top ten places he would have guessed she’d wanted to be touched.

  “I know you can’t feel much through your bandage and my dress, but can you feel my heart beating?” She placed her hand on top of his.

  “I can,” he lied, for his heart pounded so hard he wouldn’t have heard thunder in his ear. And what he felt beneath his fingers had nothing to do with her heart.

  She took a deep breath, her breast rising and falling in his hand. He thought of telling her that what they were doing was far from proper, but then she might suggest stopping.

  He leaned forward and touched his lips to hers and heard her moan softly. He’d meant only one light kiss, but a hunger rushed through his blood, and he deepened the kiss.

  When she answered his need, Jacob closed his hand around the softness below layers of cotton and felt her moan of pleasure against his lips.

  This definitely beat holding hands.

  CHAPTER 23

  NELL CURLED BENEATH THE COVERS AND CLOSED her eyes even before Mrs. O’Daniel had time to turn down the wick on her night-light. She needed to be alone with her thoughts. She wanted to remember every detail of what she and Jacob had shared on the porch. The way he’d kissed her so tenderly took her breath away, and the way his hand had warmed over her breast made her feel alive.

  She’d been afraid to ask him to touch her, but she wanted him to see her as a woman, and just kissing might take forever before he woke up to the fact. He treated her like a kid one minute and like some kind of china doll that might break the next. Nell grinned. She’d given him something to think about tonight. She could almost picture him downstairs on the couch trying to figure out what happened in the shadows of the porch.

  He probably believed it was the man who made the advances. She fought down a laugh. Her ranger had a lot to learn. Maybe he never married because he didn’t understand how much a man needs a woman? Well, he was about to find out. Even if she couldn’t marry him and have his children, she’d develop the hunger in him. Once he realized he needed a woman, it wouldn’t take him long to find one.

  She didn’t want to admit how much the thought of him with another hurt. Nell had to think of his happiness. Jacob had spent all his life learning to be tough; it was time he developed a taste for love.

  She checked the Colt beneath the extra pillow on her bed. Tonight she’d be safe, but she’d never forget to check before she fell asleep. Mrs. O’Daniel’s rubdowns and baths relaxed her enough to help her rest, and the exercise exhausted her during the day. Since the nurse came to live with Nell, she’d been sleeping more, eating more, and beginning to hope that someday she might walk. She could hardly wait until Dr. McClellan saw her progress. Nell had often felt guilty when the doctor and his nurse made the train trip down to her and she remained the same. Even though they never complained, she felt she was wasting their valuable time.

  Nell fell asleep dreaming of what life would be like if she could walk. If she could just walk a few steps by herself, she’d never take it for granted again.

  Deep in her dreams, she heard a voice.

  “Miss Nell?”

  She rolled over, the sound pulling her awake.

  “Miss Nell?”

  She stretched and felt a hand touch her shoulder.

  Nell’s dreams vanished as she opened her eyes and saw Wednesday’s little round face.

  Wednesday tried to smile, but fear filled her eyes. “Miss Nell, I think I’m leaking.”

  Nell rose to her elbows and tried to see in the darkness. “What?” Maybe she was still dreaming.

  Wednesday looked embarrassed. “I can’t seem to stop. Water’s coming out of me.”

  Nell had no idea what was happening but tried not to look as frightened as the girl did. “I’m sure it’s all right. Get Mrs. O’Daniel.”

  Wednesday nodded, happy to have a plan. She waddled off to the nurse’s room. A few minutes later, Mrs. O’Daniel tromped down the stairs at full speed. When she hit the ground floor, she yelled, with no regard to Jacob sleeping on the couch, “Marla! I’m going to need water. Gypsy, wake up! We’ve got a baby coming, and I’m going to need lots of towels and sheets.”

  Nell stood and pulled her robe around her, then sat in her wheelchair. She rolled to the landing as lights were lit downstairs. Jacob had sat up, the firelight flickering off his bare chest. “Anything I can do to help?” he bellowed as Mrs. O’Daniel ran past him with a load of towels.

  “No. Go back to sleep and stay out of my way,” the nurse answered.

  He shrugged and turned his back as he lay down.

  Nell wanted to yell for him to go get the preacher and Harrison but realized this emergency was one for the women in the house. The men could be of no help. The men might as well sleep.

  She rolled down the hallway. When she reached Wednesday’s door, the girl stood beside her bed, crying softly.

  Nell went into the room and took her hand, surprised to find it cold as ice.

  Wednesday sniffed. “Mrs. O’Daniel told me to change my gown and get into bed, but I’m too scared. I hurt all inside. The pain comes and goes.”

  Nell didn’t know what to say. The girl had a right to be afraid. Almost half the women in the cemetery had died in childbirth. It wasn’t an easy thing for any woman, and Wednesday’s body didn’t even look fully grown.

  “I’ll help you all I can,” Nell whispered. She wished she could do something more.

  The girl nodded, then turned her back and pulled off her wet gown. Before she slipped on a fresh one, Nell had time to study the scars on Wednesday’s back. Most were healed, but the marks of her beating would never go away.

  As Wednesday awkwardly crawled into bed, Nell whispered, “The water you lost is natural. I read about it in a book at school. All mothers-to-be have it. The baby floats in a bag inside you, and the bag is full of water.”

  Wednesday’s eyes widened in interest now, as if Nell were only telling her a fairy tale and nothing more.

  Nell wished she’d paid more attention in her final classes. Many of the girls in her school were going on to be nurses, so she’d heard conversations about all kinds of things. “Next comes what they call labor. It’s going to be hard work to move the baby out.”

  The girl didn’t look like she wanted to hear more. “It ain’t fair, Miss Nell. It hurt when I got pregnant, and now you’re telling me it’s going to hurt again. I don’t like this. I don’t want to grow up. I don’t want to be a woman.” She started to cry harder. “I don’t know how to be a mother. I’m not sure I can do this.”

  Nell wouldn’t lie to her. “We’ve got Mrs. O’Daniel, who told me a few days ago that she’s delivered several babies. She’ll know what to do.” Nell thought of sending for the doctor. He’d been good to come when Jacob was brought in, but other times, he’d been reluctant to venture out to the house by the tracks. He might not consider this an emergency worth his time. “You’re a very brave girl, and you’re going to get through this.”

  Wednesday nodded, but she didn’t look like she believed Nell was telling her the truth.

  “I’ll have Marla make you some tea. Would you like that?”

  Wednesday nodded again, her eyes closed tightly as she gripped her middle. “It hurts something terrible, miss.”

  Nell took one of the girl’s hands. “You help me know when it hurts. When it starts, you hold my hand real tight. Then I’ll know.”

  Wednesday took a deep breath. “It’s gone now.”

  Five minutes later, she gripped Nell’s hand, and they both held tight through the next pain.

  When the other women hurried into the room, Nell started to move back, knowing that her chair would be in the way.

  “No, miss,” Wednesday said. “Don’t leave me.”

  Mrs. O’Daniel agreed. “I can work around you and that chair. We may need all the hands we got to get this bab
y born. You stay at her head, Miss Nell, and keep talking to her.”

  Nell wanted to say she really didn’t want to be in the room. She’d never seen a woman in labor. But she couldn’t back out now. When Nell glanced up, she saw her panic reflected in Marla’s eyes. She, too, must have never witnessed a birth.

  Mrs. O’Daniel came to the cook’s aid. “Marla, I’ll need you in the kitchen keeping water on to boil and coffee coming. Gypsy and Nell can help me here, but we’ll need coffee to stay alert, and if hours pass, something that we can eat fast to keep going. The last birthing I helped with took almost two days.”

  The cook nodded. “I’ll check in every thirty minutes or so. The kitchen’s right below. Just stomp on the floor, and I’ll come running to see what’s needed.” She vanished like a rabbit.

  Gypsy moved to the nurse’s side. “I’ve assisted a few times. I know what needs to be done.”

  Mrs. O’Daniel nodded and, for the first time that Nell knew of, smiled at the tiny old prostitute.

  Wednesday held Nell’s hand as the contractions grew closer together. Nell wiped the girl’s ashen face and watched the clock. The pains didn’t last long, and Nell guessed when each was half over. She’d lean close to Wednesday and whisper, “We’re on the downhill slope now. Hang on. Hang on. The time’s counting down.” When the contraction was over, she’d whisper, “That’s one less.”

  Wednesday would try to smile and nod as if she and Nell were playing some kind of game with the clock.

  In less than three hours, Mrs. O’Daniel smiled. “Bless my soul, the baby’s crowning. It won’t be long now.”

  Suddenly, Nell felt like all the women were in a tornado. Wednesday might be the one having a baby, but they were all working, helping, encouraging, and crying together.

  Wednesday screamed, and Mrs. O’Daniel yelled, “Push!”

  Then, like silence following a storm, it was over. Mrs. O’Daniel lifted a baby and handed the wiggling boy to Gypsy. Wednesday gave one more push as ordered, and then relaxed back against the pillows as if she’d run ten miles. Gypsy and Mrs. O’Daniel cleaned the bed while Marla brought in one of the dishwashing tubs to bathe the baby. She might not have been able to stand the labor or delivery, but she was fascinated with the newborn. She sang to him as she gently cleaned away blood and wrapped him in a blanket Wednesday had embroidered tiny flowers around.

  Wednesday whispered as she waited for them to pass him to her, “He’s real ugly, isn’t he?”

  Nell laughed. “I think all babies look pretty much the same.”

  “I don’t mind.” Wednesday smiled. “My ugliest brother was the nicest to me when I was little. It won’t make me love him less if he’s pig faced.”

  Nell watched in awe as Marla lay the baby in Wednesday’s arms. Everyone was laughing and crying at the same time.

  “He’s beautiful,” Mrs. O’Daniel announced.

  “You think so?” Wednesday asked.

  “Finest boy I’ve ever delivered. He’ll grow up to be a handsome man.”

  Gypsy grinned at the wiggling bundle. “I can tell by looking at him that he’s going to be the kind of man someday who’ll take good care of his ma.”

  “Really!”

  “Sure. I can see the truth of a man at birth when he’s learned no lies. This little fellow is going to make you proud every day of his life.”

  The new mother smiled. “You think so?”

  “I know so.” Gypsy winked. “I got the gift in my blood for knowing such things.”

  Wednesday stared down in wonder, unsure what to do, then she pulled the baby close and kissed his head. “You sure caused a lot of trouble,” she whispered, “for no bigger than you are. I don’t know how it’s possible, but I already love you, and I don’t plan on stopping loving you till I take my last breath.”

  Nell laid her hand on Wednesday’s arm. “You’ll be a great mother.”

  Wednesday looked down at the tiny baby. “You hear that? I’m going to be a great ma. I’ll try not to ever yell at you, and I swear I’ll never hit you with anything bigger than a twig.”

  Mrs. O’Daniel proclaimed it was the easiest delivery in which she’d ever been involved.

  “I thought I was going to die,” Wednesday whispered. “You mean it could have been worse?”

  Nell had to agree with Wednesday. If giving birth could sometimes be harder, how could any women stand it?

  It was dawn by the time the room was cleaned. Wednesday held her boy for a while, then carefully passed him to Nell. The little mother ate breakfast as if she’d been working in the fields all night.

  Marla, out of nervousness probably, had not wasted her time downstairs. She’d made several of Wednesday’s favorites.

  Harrison and the preacher came in to look at the baby. Harrison seemed fascinated by the tiny hand that wrapped around his finger, but didn’t say anything. Brother Aaron went on and on about the beauty of a newborn, pure and sinless.

  Jacob came into the room next. He seemed far more concerned about Wednesday than the baby. He nodded toward the little fellow, but didn’t want to hold him. Mrs. O’Daniel had to assure him twice that Wednesday had made it through the delivery without problems before he smiled. Unlike Harrison, the ranger was still unshaven and his clothes had been slept in, but he had more color to his face than he’d had the day before.

  With Wednesday falling asleep, they all moved out into the hall. Mrs. O’Daniel said she would sit with the girl for a while and ordered all the others downstairs to breakfast.

  Without asking, Jacob lifted Nell out of the chair and carried her down the steps.

  “Your shoulder,” she whispered, remembering his wounds.

  “I’ll manage,” he answered. “You look tired.”

  She smoothed his hair back as he carried her. “And you look like you just rolled off the couch.”

  “I did. Tell me, darling, does this place ever calm down? I’ve had quieter nights sleeping out in the wilderness.”

  Nell laughed, more because he called her darling than any other reason. “At least it’s not boring around here.” She cuddled against his shoulder. “And you are right, I’m very tired.”

  When he sat her on a kitchen chair, he kissed the top of her head before straightening.

  Everyone gathered round the kitchen table and ate breakfast out of huge bowls Marla pulled from the warming drawers at the top of the stove. They all laughed as though they’d been a family forever.

  When they were all stuffed, Nell asked Jacob to carry her back upstairs.

  He silently lifted her up and left the room. Harrison had already taken his cup of coffee to his desk and was hard at work. Gypsy and Marla were talking about taking a morning nap, and the preacher said he planned to keep watch from the porch, which meant he’d be snoring within minutes.

  Jacob climbed the stairs slowly. “It’s been a long night.”

  Nell rubbed the whiskers along his jaw. “Mrs. O’Daniel says Wednesday will sleep most of the day, or until the baby wakes her, wanting to be fed. He’s a sweetheart, don’t you think?”

  “He must take after his father. No hair. No teeth. Red as a beet, and I’m not sure his eyes are open yet.”

  Nell fought down a giggle. “He’s not a cat. Of course his eyes open.”

  Jacob didn’t look like he believed her. He carried her into her room and gently laid her down.

  As he tucked her in and leaned close to kiss her cheek, Nell tugged, pulling him atop the covers.

  “Lie with me a minute before you go.”

  He raised an eyebrow as if to argue.

  “Everyone else is already asleep except Harrison, and he’ll never climb the stairs without making an announcement. Just lie next to me for a minute. I need to feel you near.”

  “You don’t want to be alone?” he questioned.

  “No, that’s not it. I want to be with you.”

  Jacob stretched his arm, and she used it as a pillow, then he laid his free arm across her wai
st and stretched out beside her. His weight shifted the bed as he removed pillows and pulled the cover to her chin.

  “Comfortable?” She whispered, fighting not to laugh.

  He moved his chin against her hair. “Yes.” He shifted again. “You?”

  “Yes, thank you.”

  The sensation of having him near rocked her completely with the rightness of him beside her. She closed her eyes and drifted into sleep, knowing all the world was in balance for the first time in her life.

  While she slept, he listened to her breathing grow slow and regular. He felt the slight movement of her body as her breath went in and out. She wanted him with her. She wanted him near, he knew. Then why wouldn’t she marry him? He could get used to being beside her like this . . . well, not just like this, he reconsidered. Less clothes on maybe and definitely less covers between them.

  The thought crossed his mind that she might be trying to make Harrison jealous, but that made no sense. Harrison wasn’t the type to have such a feeling, even if he did love her, and he’d made it plain to Jacob that he didn’t even believe in love. Near as Jacob could tell, the two of them never talked about anything but the running of the ranch.

  Lines worried their way across his forehead. If he wasn’t in the running for husband, then could she be just toying with him? He knew he was her friend and more. Surely the kisses they’d shared proved that. Half the time she acted like he was her Texas Ranger and not the state’s. She wanted him near. She wanted his touch. He had no doubt about that.

  He smiled. As long as he could give her what she wanted, he wouldn’t complain. Even now the memory of her breast warmed the palm of his hand. He’d never known a woman to answer his kiss with such honest passion. The thought of her last kiss reminded him that sleep was the last thing on his mind.

  Maybe she was just trying to drive him crazy one last time. After all, near as he could remember, she’d been having fun driving him to the breaking point most of her life.

  But not like this. Not with passion.