Whirlwind Groom

by Debra Cowan

  “He’s such a cute little thing. I’d like to keep him.” Cora took the puppy and held him up to eye level, giving him the once-over as he squirmed. “What made you think of it?”

  He shrugged. “Just seemed like a good idea when I saw the new litter.”

  She leaned up and kissed his cheek. “Thank you.”

  He knew the one-year anniversary of Ollie’s death was approaching and he hoped that maybe the company of her brother and the dog might ease it for her a bit.

  Josie’s gaze shifted from the pup to him. There was a softness in her eyes he hadn’t seen before, which started a low throb in his blood. She was a sight. For the first time in a week, a hint of color glowed in her face. Tendrils escaped from her loosely upswept hair and teased the velvety flesh of her neck. His gaze settled on the delicate earlobe he’d been close enough to nip the other day.

  She jerked her gaze from his and moved abruptly, setting plates carefully at each chair around the table.

  One look at Cora told him he’d correctly read the satisfaction in her hazel eyes.

  “Come in, Davis Lee,” she said. “Supper’s almost ready.”

  He cleared his throat. “Do I have the wrong night?”

  “No.” His friend smiled, putting the puppy on the floor and walking to the corner behind the stove to pick up a crate. “I invited Josie, too. I hated the thought of her eating alone.”

  “Hi, Josie.” He nodded, unable to stop his gaze from tracing her curves.

  “Hi.” Her eyes were wide and wary.

  Cora removed some books from the crate and turned to the younger woman, who now looked at her uncertainly. “Davis Lee eats with us on Tuesday nights.”

  “I don’t want to intrude,” Josie said quietly.

  “Nonsense. This will round out the conversation nicely. Don’t you think, Loren?”

  “Yes.” Smoothing back his thick white hair, her brother walked out of the smaller bedroom. The blue calico curtain that served as a door fell into place behind him. “Now Cora won’t feel ganged up on when Davis Lee and I disagree with her.”

  Davis Lee didn’t know what had given Cora the idea to match him up with Josie, but he knew that was what she was doing.

  “I’ll finish setting the table.” Josie wouldn’t meet his eyes. She hadn’t since he had returned her corset last Friday. He had taken care not to be alone with her for the past few days, stopping by to check on her when he knew Catherine was there.

  He didn’t fancy being this close to her now. Her light honeysuckle scent already teased him and he wasn’t even in the house yet. But he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to try and learn more about her. Maybe his little spy would be more talkative if they weren’t alone.

  He had let lust drown out his instincts with Betsy. He wasn’t going to make the same mistake with Josie Webster. He stepped inside and palmed off his hat, hanging it on the nail just inside the door.

  Cora made a bed of fabric scraps in the wooden box for the pup. Josie tied a piece of cloth into a knot and teased him until he growled playfully and tugged it away. After washing up, everyone took a place at the table.

  As the meal progressed, Loren and Cora had them laughing over stories of sibling rivalry from their younger years. Josie’s smile came easier and the stiff set of her shoulders finally relaxed.

  “Josie, have you heard about the harvest dance at Eishen’s pecan grove?” Cora asked.

  “No.”

  “The Eishens have a dance every year before the start of pecan harvest. You should plan to go.”

  “It sounds fun.”

  Davis Lee had never gone. Josie didn’t look as if she were too sure of going herself.

  “It’s coming up,” Cora continued. “Not this Friday, but the next. Why don’t you go with Loren and I?”

  Josie looked at the brother and sister, a smile curving her lips. “All right.”

  “All the ladies bring pies,” the other woman said. “If you want to bake one, you can use my stove.”

  “Okay, thank you.”

  “The dance is a good way for you to meet people and let them know you’re a dressmaker.” She leaned toward Josie and touched the lace at the edge of her sleeve. “I’ve been admiring this dress. I’m guessing you made it?”

  “Yes.”

  “Your stitch is so fine, I can hardly see it.”

  “Thank you.” Josie flushed becomingly, putting Davis Lee in mind of the rosy tint of her flesh during her fever.

  “Who taught you?”

  “My mother.”

  He caught a hint of wistfulness beneath the words.

  The older woman patted Josie’s hand. “She must be very good.”

  “Yes.” Josie smiled pleasantly, but Davis Lee sensed a stillness come over her.

  Loren reached for his coffee. “Did you say you were from Galveston?”

  She nodded, dabbing the corners of her mouth with a cloth napkin.

  “Do your folks mind you being so far away?”

  “They’ve never said so.”

  Davis Lee detected a slight crack in her voice.

  Cora rose and took a small bowl from the tall pantry behind Josie. “Are they still in Galveston?”

  If Davis Lee hadn’t been watching so closely, he would’ve missed the bright sheen of tears in her eyes before she answered. “Yes.”

  He noticed she didn’t volunteer the information that she’d had a betrothed there, too. He made a mental note to ask about her parents and the fiancé when he heard back from the sheriff down there.

  Cora crumbled up a biscuit, added a splash of milk from the pitcher by the sink and set the bowl down in front of the puppy. “Since you’ve decided to stay in Whirlwind, do you expect your folks to join you?”

  “Like Loren did?” Josie smiled warmly at him. “His coming had to be a great help. It must be wonderful to have a brother.”

  The other woman resumed her seat, nodding. “I don’t know what I would’ve done without him.”

  “I should’ve come sooner,” he said from his place opposite his sister.

  “You had Belle to think about.”

  The man turned to Josie, a shadow chasing across his face. “Belle was my wife. She passed on several months ago.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “We had a good life. That’s what I try to remember, but sometimes it’s hard.”

  “Yes, very,” she murmured. After a slight pause, she glanced at Cora. “Any idea what you might name the puppy?”

  The other woman pursed her lips. “Not yet.”

  Davis Lee finished his meal, outwardly showing only mild interest. Inside he took heed of how Josie had deftly steered the conversation away from herself. Even the answers she had given revealed no details.

  “Will you be making Catherine a new dress for the wedding?” Cora asked.

  “She hired me but now I’ll have to see if she wants someone else since I might not have it ready as early as she would like.”

  “I meant what I said about helping you. Let me know if I can.”

  “Thank you.” The smile Josie flashed had a strange tension stretching across Davis Lee’s belly.

  The older woman stood and began gathering dishes. “I’m sure glad you were with Davis Lee when that snake bit you. He can handle anything.”

  “All I did was follow orders,” he drawled, grinning when Josie’s gaze met his.

  She eyed him drolly. “He’s not very good at it, let me tell you.”

  He chuckled along with Cora and Loren. Since Cora and Loren’s questions had stopped, Josie seemed more at ease.

  She rose to help Cora clear the dishes from the table. “You have a nice home.”

  “Susannah lived here with me when she first came to Whirlwind.” Cora pointed to the doorway covered by a blue curtain. “In the room Loren has now.”

  “My niece was born in that room.” Davis Lee leaned back in his chair, rubbing a palm over his chest. He wished he could stop thinking about what Josie had on
under her dress. It near drove him crazy.

  After some of Cora’s butter cake and coffee, Josie helped their hostess wash and dry the dishes. Davis Lee brought in water to fill both the kettle and the iron spider hanging in the fireplace then went out back to help Loren check Cora’s chickens and her mare, Prissy.

  When the men returned to the house, Josie was halfway into her dark wool cloak, the puppy tugging playfully on one end. She was laughing, and the way it lit her whole face had Davis Lee stopping midstep.

  For an instant, the shadows were gone from her eyes and they glowed. He couldn’t take his eyes off her. The curve of her lips, the golden peach of her skin, the simple pleasure in her eyes when she looked at the pup. Something hot unfurled and spread through his chest.

  Loren turned for the door. “I’ll hitch up the wagon again. It won’t take long.”

  “No, that’s all right.” Josie’s gaze went past Davis Lee to the older man. “You went to all that trouble to drive me over. I have plenty of energy to walk.”

  “You sure, hon?” Cora looked her over thoroughly. “It hasn’t been all that long since you were snakebit. You’re not too spent?”

  “I’m fine.”

  “Davis Lee can walk back with you,” the other woman offered.

  He sent her a look, letting her know he saw right through her little scheme. Josie opened her mouth, to protest he knew. So he said, “I’m headed there anyway.”

  “Yes, he’s headed there anyway,” Cora said enthusiastically.

  He mentally shook his head at her blatant matchmaking.

  Giving him a panicked look, Josie managed to get her cloak out of the puppy’s sharp teeth. “If you’re not ready to go yet—”

  “I am. Cora, thanks for supper. It was delicious.” He covered the few steps between them and leaned down to buss her cheek, saying in a low voice, “You’re not very subtle.”

  “I didn’t think you were going to do anything about it,” she said under her breath.

  If she knew his suspicions about Josie, Cora would have left things alone.

  After goodbyes all around, he and Josie started back to the hotel. The sky was icy black, the stars brilliant shards of light against its backdrop. Smoke from the fireplaces of the few nearby homes drifted on the air, mixing with the smells of earth and grass.

  Josie’s sweet scent curled around him. She kept a careful distance between him, walking slowly as she pulled on her short, dark gloves. He shortened his stride to keep pace with her. “Was the visit too much for you?”

  “I’m tired,” she admitted with a wan smile. “But Catherine warned me that it would take a while for my energy to return. I might’ve stayed too long, but I really enjoyed it. Cora and Loren are both so nice.”

  “Yes.”

  She moved slowly up the rise beside him, her skirts making a soft swishing noise against the grass. She didn’t complain, but she looked wobbly.

  He took her gloved hand and tucked it in the crook of his arm. When she resisted, he said quietly, “You look like you’re about to fall down.”

  “I’m sure I’ll be fine.” She glanced at him, then away. Finally, tentatively, she curved her fingers over his arm.

  As they passed the jail, she said, “That puppy is cute. Cora seemed pleased.”

  “I hope it’s some comfort to her.”

  “You mean because the anniversary of her husband’s death is coming up?”

  He nodded. “Did she tell you about that?”

  “Loren did. He’s very solicitous of her.”

  Davis Lee nodded. “I thought having some company might make at least one of her days easier to bear.”

  A funny, sad smile quirked her lips. “That’s nice.”

  He watched her carefully, wanting to see what effect his next words had on her. “It’s going to give me great pleasure to see Ian McDougal finally pay for killing Ollie Wilkes.”

  “If he does pay,” she said caustically.

  Was she doubtful that the law would try the outlaw this time? Or hinting that he might escape before the trial? “What do you mean?”

  “Just that he’s managed to avoid a trial so far.”

  “He won’t avoid it here,” Davis Lee said with utter certainty.

  “I hope not.”

  He felt the slight tightening of her fingers on him, sensed her distancing herself again. He about ground his teeth to a nub. Getting anywhere with this woman was like trying to get water from a rock. “There are too many people here that the McDougals have hurt. They won’t stand for Ian going free.”

  She didn’t speak for a long moment, the sound of their footsteps lost in the vastness of the night. “What if they have no choice? The judge might be persuaded to say there are no grounds for a trial.”

  “If that happens and Ian is set free, I can guarantee you Jericho will go after him and he won’t stop until the bastard’s dead. He’ll have all the help he wants, too.”

  She looked up at him, moonlight skimming over the soft curve of her cheek. “From you?”

  “And Riley and just about everybody around these parts. The McDougals have killed a lot of innocent folks and threatened plenty more.”

  “Like Susannah and Catherine?”

  “Yes.” He couldn’t read the expression on Josie’s face, but before she looked away he registered the hollow loss in her eyes.

  His heart gave a vicious twist. Was her sadness for her dead fiancé or something more? There had to be more. Davis Lee knew there were layers to her that he might never see.

  They reached the Whirlwind Hotel, and when she would’ve pulled away, he covered her gloved hand with his. “I’ll walk you in.”

  She stared up at him, fatigue plain on her delicate features. He got the distinct sense she wanted to deny him, but after a moment, she said, “Thank you.”

  They mounted the steps and he held the door for her. Kerosene lamps on both corners of the registration desk and a small table in the center of the lobby brightened their way to the staircase. A lamp on the second floor sent pale yellow light tripping down the stairs. Penn stood just inside the dining room talking to a couple of patrons.

  As soon as Davis Lee and Josie reached the bottom of the stairs, she slipped her hand free of his arm. “You don’t have to see me up.”

  The fact that he again imagined her in that sheer undergarment told him it was probably better if he didn’t. “Okay. I’ll say good night then.”

  “Good night.” Gripping the banister, she backed onto the first step.

  He stood there, startled by the impulse to twine a finger in the silky strand of hair that tickled her neck.

  She hesitated then turned and started up the stairs. Davis Lee watched her; he couldn’t help himself. Her brownish-red hair was caught up loosely in the back but he pictured it down as it had been all the days she’d lain ill in her bed—a thick, silky curtain across her pillow, falling over her shoulder.

  His gaze was drawn to her trim back, the small waist, following the line of her skirt as he imagined the sleek legs beneath. The memory of her body in that see-through thing rode him like a devil.

  She had climbed two stairs when he saw her pause, her shoulder resting against the wall.

  “Josie?”

  “I’m all right,” she said faintly.

  He reached her in one stride. “You don’t look all right.”

  She lifted her head and gave him a wan smile. “I’m just tired.”

  “Let me help you up.”

  “I don’t need your help,” she said evenly. “I can do it.”

  “Okay.” He stayed where he was in case her legs gave out, which they looked inclined to do. Stubborn female.

  She trudged up three more steps and halted again.

  “Josie?”

  “I’m fine.”

  He didn’t say anything, just waited.

  After a bit, she took another step, bracing her hand against the wall. There were at least six or eight more stairs to go.

 
Dadburned woman. Davis Lee moved up behind her and swept her up into his arms. Stunned at the jolt her sweet body gave his, he said gruffly, “If you wanted me to take you upstairs, all you had to do was ask.”

  “Oh, put me down!” She pushed weakly at his chest, a blush spreading from her neck to the roots of her hair. “What if someone sees?”

  He started up the stairs. “At the rate you were going, it would’ve taken you an hour to get to your room.”

  “Hardly.” She wedged an arm between them, holding herself stiffly away from him.

  He looked down at her, able to see a hint of the valley between her breasts. “You obviously overtaxed yourself tonight.”

  “My legs are tired, not broken.” She struggled feebly to get down. “I’m sure I can walk.”

  “You can walk tomorrow. Be still. I’m just helping you get to your room.”

  “You’ve already done enough.” She squirmed. “You’ll drop me.”

  “Nah, you’re just a little bit.”

  “I’m sure I can manage from here.”

  Her voice was strained and he wondered if he affected her the way she did him. He stepped onto the second floor’s landing and turned. Wishing she would look at him, he chuckled. “This is getting to be a habit. The last time we came up these stairs together, I was carrying you.”

  “I wasn’t even conscious,” she muttered, not giving him so much as a peek.

  The circling shadows were broken by the gentle flow of light from the kerosene lamp on the table in the center of the hall.

  They reached her door. “I hope you have your key.”

  “Yes.” She reached between them, searching for the side pocket in her skirt. “You can put me down now.”

  He found he didn’t particularly want to. He liked the way she fit all warm and soft against him. Down at this end of the hall, the lamplight was just a fringe around the cozy darkness in front of her door.

  She glanced up. “Davis Lee?”