Most Unsuitable Courtship

by Clemmons, Caroline

  “I’ll meet up with you in a little while. Wait. Reckon I’d better get us all rooms at the hotel. I’ll register for you, at my expense, of course, for your help.”

  Bill’s face lit with pleasure. “Really? That’s right nice of you. I usually have to bunk at the jail.”

  “If ever anyone deserved a good bed, it’s you. But look sharp. You know the killers are here. We don’t know if they saw us earlier or not. I doubt they’ve registered at the hotel, but be cautious.”

  Rena held Dottie closely. “The children need a bath and bed and Lottie needs a doctor. Perhaps we should check into the hotel and wait until Bill has a chance to sound out the sheriff.”

  “Only one hotel, and it’s there on the corner.” Bill gestured to a modest building. “Why don’t I take the horses to the livery while you get settled in the hotel? I’ll let you know what I learn from the sheriff.”

  Storm threw the saddlebags over his shoulder and gave Drew one of the valises. With a hand cupping his wife’s elbow, he guided her into the hotel. What a sight they must look.

  The desk clerk’s eyes widened and Storm feared they’d be turned away. But the man straightened and smiled. “You folks need a room?”

  Storm stepped up to the counter. “We need a suite with two bedrooms for my family. A friend traveling with us will be here soon and he’ll need a room too.”

  “No suites, but I can give you two rooms connected by a door for your family. Have a room across the hall for your friend.”

  “Great.” Storm signed the register and slid a few coins toward the man. “We need baths and our youngest is having breathing problems and needs a doctor.”

  “Yes, sir, Mr. Kincaid. I’ll send for the doctor and will have the tub and hot water brought up right away.” He handed Storm two keys. “Rooms 201 and 203. The largest is 201. You want your friend’s key?”

  “His name’s Bill McAfee. I’ll be responsible for his charges, but save his key until he arrives.” Storm turned and ushered them up the stairs.

  He unlocked the door to 201 and dropped the saddlebags on the floor. Large was an overstatement. But the bed’s thick mattress invited him. A chair, table, narrow armoire, and a washstand completed the furnishings. A thin carpet covered the center of the floor.

  He opened the door between them and showed the kids their bed. Almost identical, the second room was slightly smaller. Both rooms overlooked the street with wide windows. At least they’d have a breeze.

  While they were settling in, the doctor arrived. The short, stocky man had brown hair peppered liberally with gray. His gray tweed suit appeared rumpled enough to have been slept in. Above his kindly smile, his eyes shone with fatigue.

  “Name’s Dr. Larrimore. Heard you folks have a sick child.” He set his bag on a table. The man smelled of alcohol, but appeared sober.

  Rena had laid Lottie on the bed with the child’s head propped up on two pillows. Rena explained Lottie’s difficulty to the doctor and their treatment.

  Dr. Larrimore examined her and pulled a blue glass bottle from his bag. “A spoon full of this three times a day will help. You did the right thing with the mullein. Glad she didn’t have a bad reaction to it. You have any left?”

  Storm shook his head. “We brought some with us but it’s almost gone.”

  “I’ll leave you this packet. Make her tea three times a day from one ounce of the leaves. If she needs me, just have Harvey send for me.” He looked up. “Harvey’s the desk clerk.”

  Two maids arrived, each with two buckets of hot water. Harvey carried a large copper bath tub. After emptying their pails, they left.

  “Can you send up supper? Our children are too tired to wait much longer. The dust storm left us too dirty to appear in the dining room.”

  “I’ll have your meals sent up right away, Mr. Kincaid. Roast chicken is the dinner special. And the girls will be back with more water. You let me know if you need anything else.” Harvey backed out of the room with a slight bow.

  After the others had left, Rena raised her eyebrows. “I think your coins assured we will have good service.”

  “Hope so. Need things to go right.”

  He helped Rena get the kids bathed and dressed for nighttime. He looked into the tub. “This water is filthy.”

  “I still want a bath. Never have I been so dirty.” She brushed at her britches and created puffs of dust.

  Dinner arrived and they ate quickly.

  Rena watched the children with a fond expression. “Even Drew left food on his plate before he climbed into bed. Clean and fed, the children will fall asleep quickly.”

  The two maids arrived with their steaming buckets.

  The older maid dipped a curtsy. “We apologize for the wait. We had to heat more water.”

  “How do you empty the tub?” Rena asked.

  The younger maid said, “We fill pails of bath water and carry them to the alley until the tub is light enough for Harvey to move. He’s very strong.” Her admiration was apparent.

  The elder maid nudged her with an elbow and both women left.

  Rena retrieved clean clothes and moved the screen to shield the tub from the children. Storm waited for his turn, visualizing her satiny skin as she bathed. Would she let him watch her bathe someday?

  Half joking and half wishful, he asked, “Need me to scrub your back?”

  “No, I need you to pour water over my hair.”

  He couldn’t get behind the screen fast enough. One of the pails sat beside the tub. Rena had soaped herself, including her hair. The sight of her took his breath away. His body reacted and he hardened uncomfortably. Thoughts of the night to come sent his blood pounding.

  She smiled at him as if she knew his thoughts. “You should save half the clean water for your hair.”

  “Will you help me like this?”

  She leaned forward to give him access to her head. “Perhaps, if you wish.”

  Slowly, he poured water while she massaged the curls free of soap. She pushed the wet strands from her face. “Now, I am as clean as this water allows.”

  Venus rising from the sea could not have looked as gorgeous as Rena reaching for her towel and rising from the large tub. She wrapped the towel around her. He offered his hand to help her and she smiled at him as she stepped out.

  “I now feel better, but I am dripping water on the floor.”

  He grabbed another towel. “Your hair.” He blotted the fabric against her silken tresses. A vision of the strands spread across her pillow sent his thoughts straying to the next room where a bed awaited Rena and him.

  She pulled on drawers and britches, then a fresh chemise and shirt. “Now, I will check again on Lottie while you have your bath.”

  As he watched her dress he thought her efforts wasted. In a few minutes he would remove the clothes she now fastened. Ah, well, that pleasant activity awaited him later. “Don’t forget you said you’d help.”

  She sent him a coquettish smile. “With your hair.” She padded on bare feet toward the children.

  He hurried with his ablutions, his mind on the coming night with his wife.

  Rena returned and picked up the pail. “Lottie sleeps now without coughing. The tonic and tea made her drowsy.” She poured water over his head.

  He wondered why such a simple act should tempt him. Closing his eyes, he reasoned that Rena’s every movement attracted him. If only she’d forget about killing one of the men they chased.

  She frowned. “You should have removed your bandage in the bath. Och, no, the water is too dirty. Maybe the cloth filtered out the sand.” She trailed her fingers along his shoulders. “Now I will leave you to get dressed. Then I think you will be going to meet with Bill.”

  Inwardly, he grimaced. He’d been so fixated on Rena he’d almost forgotten why they were in this place. Use your head, Kincaid. Danger stalked them and he couldn’t afford to let down his guard.

  Why couldn’t he make her understand she needed to stay with the children and l
et the sheriff, Bill, and him take care of the killers? She would only get in the way of the lawmen. Worse, she might be injured or killed.

  The thought struck terror in his heart. He couldn’t imagine life without her. How could she have become so important to him in the short time they’d been together? He counted the days since he’d first met her. Thirteen days.

  More time than his sister Pearl and her husband Drake had before they married. He didn’t know a happier family than theirs—in spite of strong disagreements after they’d first reached Kincaid Springs. He smiled at the memories.

  Was he as stubborn as Drake? He had to admit he probably matched Drake’s dogged mulishness. Rena’s obstinate refusal to be left out of the coming skirmish definitely out-stubborned Pearl. No, he recalled the times Pearl had persevered in her plans against Drake’s wishes. At first, until Drake realized what a treasure he’d married.

  He dressed quickly. A check insured his guns hadn’t been harmed by the dust and sand. The revolvers had been protected by the leather holders, but they needed cleaning and oiling. Dared he wait until he’d spoken with Bill?

  He shoved the revolvers into their holsters. “I’ll be back soon as I hear what Bill learned.”

  Downstairs, he saw Bill at the reception desk. Beside Bill stood a large man wearing a sheriff’s badge on his leather vest. He carried a gray Stetson in one hand.

  Bill made introductions.

  Sheriff Foster stuck out his hand. “Can we go somewhere private? I’d have asked you to come to my office, but McAfee said you have sick kids.”

  Bill held up his key. “How about my room?”

  “We’ll have to speak softly.” Storm led the way up stairs. “Thin walls and we don’t know who else is here.”

  In the room, Bill pulled a chair close to the bed. He plopped down on the mattress and the sheriff took the chair. Storm folded his legs and sat on the floor. He fought a wince as his crossed-leg position tightened the skin on his sore thigh.

  “You received the wire with the descriptions?” Storm asked the sheriff.

  The sheriff nodded. “Saw one of the men in town today. This man Vann.”

  “He’s the one they sent in to sell horses in Seymour. Limps and has two fingers missing on one hand?”

  “That’s him. I warned the hostler not to cross him if this Vann wanted to sell horses. Better to go along and pretend he didn’t know they were stolen. Told him I’d see he got his money back if people came to claim them.”

  Storm shook his head. “They won’t have left anyone alive to claim them. These men are vicious and leave no witnesses. If my wife hadn’t hidden when they attacked her grandfather’s place, she would have been raped and killed.” He explained the hiding place, code word, and the places they’d found on their race to capture the killers.

  “There’s a train due tomorrow with a lot of money on it. This combination will never happen again. The payroll for the fort will arrive and be held by the bank at the same time the salary for the railroad workers up ahead arrives. In addition, the bank received a large supply of cash earlier in the week. The three taken together add up to a tidy sum. I reckon that’s when they figure to rob the bank.”

  “How would they know?” Bill asked.

  The sheriff rubbed at his jaw. “Can’t figure it out. Someone who works for the train line could tip them off. Could even be someone from the military for a share of the spoils.”

  “The man I shot said they intended to get money here. I figured they’d rob the bank.” Storm glanced from one man to the other. “But they could rob the train before it gets here.”

  Sheriff grimaced. “Could, but not likely. Sound like greedy men. Why not wait and clean out the bank while they’re at it?”

  Storm thought about the sheriff’s opinion. “They don’t know the man they abandoned talked before he died. They may suspect he said something, but I’d bet they believe I’m just chasing them, which I am. Don’t know if they know we have their descriptions or not.”

  “Reckon they suspect we know about this Vann fella. You saw him in Seymour and he recognized you.”

  “That he did. He knifed the hostler to slow me down.” Storm shrugged. “He was probably mad because the man wouldn’t buy the horses. But the hostler said Vann acted like he was going to pay for his horse’s care. Instead, Vann stabbed him. The wound was severe. I’d be surprised if the man recovered.”

  Bill’s expression showed disgust. “They’re a vicious group. I hope we capture them and send them away for a long time.”

  “Charlie Wilson, the one with the large birthmark on his face, escaped from the prison wagon. Must have been the other three who helped him. Killed two guards.” Storm wondered if Rena had it right. Did these men deserve to die on the spot for their crimes and all the misery they inflicted?

  The lines in Sheriff Foster’s face deepened. “He know you have your family with you?”

  “Vann saw my wife with me. As far as I’m aware, he doesn’t realize we have children with us. We plan to take them to the Methodist minister tomorrow so his wife can look after them.”

  Foster held up his hand palm outward. “You shouldn’t be seen with them if you can avoid it. I’ll drop by and ask her to come here and take them to her house. The less these men know of your life, the better chance we have to capture them without others getting hurt.”

  Leaning forward, Storm asked, “What if Bill, my wife, and I slipped into the bank while it’s dark?”

  The sheriff reared back in his chair. “Your wife? Man, are you crazy?”

  Storm glanced at Bill then at the sheriff. “I’ve tried to talk her out of it, but she is one stubborn woman. She’ll be dressed in men’s clothes but that only fools people from a distance. She saw them murder her grandfather and is determined to be in on this.” He didn’t add that she intended to kill one of the men.

  Sheriff Foster slashed a hand. “Now I understand you’re Federal and all, but I know this town. I reckon to put Bill on top of this hotel with his rifle. Bank’s across the street. I’ll have one of my deputies on another building covering the bank’s back door.”

  He rubbed at his jaw again. “No use anyone doing anything until ten o’clock tomorrow. Train arrives then and guards will deliver the money at the bank before half past.”

  Storm looked up. “And then?”

  “You and I will be waiting for them. Your wife, you want my opinion, tell her to stay put. Well, I guess what she does is up to you. Although mine doesn’t listen to a word I say.”

  “I wish it were up to me. Then she’d be sitting in the room across the hall with the children. We had this agreement before we found the children or were married. I gave her my word.”

  The sheriff stood. “My wife is waiting up for me and she hates me being this late. She’ll blister my ears if I don’t shake a leg. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  Storm sprang to his feet. “My wife’s waiting for me, too. Good night.”

  Bill pretended to be upset. “Dang, makes me the only one alone tonight, don’t it? Good night.”

  Storm chuckled at Bill’s comment, but his mind dwelled elsewhere. He eagerly anticipated the night wrapped in his wife’s arms.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Rena knew when Storm entered the room. He must have removed his boots, for she barely heard his steps. She listened as he checked on the children before quietly closing the connecting door. His clothes dropped to the floor as he disrobed.

  Would he think her too bold?

  He slid into bed and rolled toward her. He exhaled in astonishment. “Mmm, what a nice surprise.” His strong hands glided along her body from her hips to her breasts, gently caressing.

  All doubts fled when he touched her. She exhaled relief. “I hoped you would approve.” Her body thrummed with pleasure from his enticing touch. She throbbed with anticipation of the lovemaking to come.

  He leaned on his elbow to nuzzle her neck. “Definitely a welcome discovery. More time for this.�
�� His mouth worked magic up her neck and across her cheek and eyes. Like butterfly kisses, the gentle touch from his lips only whetted her need for more of his wonderful mouth kisses.

  Their lips met in a soft brush.

  “I love when you do that, but more of the lip kisses, please.”

  A low rumble sounded in his throat and he increased the pressure on her mouth. His tongue slipped inside and she met his thrusts. Her yearning increased. She grasped his broad shoulders and tugged him closer.

  Their bodies touched from her shoulders to her toes. No, she needed more. She needed to absorb him, to have him inside her. Her hand scooted to his rock-hard manhood with its velvety tip. She tried to push it toward her delicate folds.

  His pulled her hand to his muscled chest. “Patience. We have all night.”

  “No, I cannot wait.”

  “Shhh. Let me pleasure you.” His lips closed around her peaked nipple and his well-formed hand gently pinched the other.

  She emitted a sound she’d never made, like a large cat purring. His hand skimmed slowly across her ribcage and her stomach to stop at the center of her desire. He massaged the nub as he suckled her breasts. Dear heaven, she thought she would explode from delight.

  “I tell you I can’t wait. Now, now.” She threw her legs around him, holding him near, demanding more.

  His hard length slid into her. Her hips met his thrusts. His mouth returned to hers and their tongues matched the mating dance their heated bodies continued.

  All conscious thoughts ceased. She floated higher and higher. Any moment her body would explode into a thousand joyous pieces and shower across the sky. When she thought she could never return to earth, she exploded.

  “Storm.”

  At the same time, he arched his muscled back. “Rena.” He collapsed beside her, cradling her in his strong embrace.

  Bodies slick with perspiration, they lay entwined. She reveled in this newfound gratification. “In our home, can we enjoy one another every night?”

  “You can count on it. I can hardly wait until I can show you the ranch. Until I see you there in the kitchen, the parlor, and especially in our bed.”