“Did you lie when you said you loved me?”
Tears welled in her eyes. “You know I didn’t.”
“Then none of the rest matters now.” Case gave up the fight to keep his distance and took her in his arms. “I’ve always known who you are, Katlyn. You only lied about being Penelope Rose. You’re still my songbird. You always will be.”
Gathering her close to him, he kissed her, gently at first, then with increasing fervor as desires too long denied surged between them.
Katlyn ached to lose herself in Case’s lovemaking. But no matter how much she wanted to, she couldn’t ignore the hard truth still separating them. Easing away from him, she took a few steps toward the window.
“What is it?” he asked, trying to keep the impatience and frustration out of his voice.
“Nothing has changed. I can’t leave my mother right now. She needs to be in the hospital here, and you—” She faced him again. “You need to be at the St. Martin. You shouldn’t have left it. I know how much making it a success means to you.”
“Katlyn…” He came to her and took her face between his hands. “Being with you means more. It’s everything. I love you. I want you to be my wife. Trust me, we’ll find a way to resolve this, I promise you.”
“Oh, Case, how I want to believe—”
The press of his lips to hers silenced her plea. The simple touch ignited the fire that had been smoldering in him since the night she’d left. He pulled her closer, crushing her to him, his need a force that quickly enveloped them both.
Katlyn gave way, willingly, matching his passion with the realization of every night’s dream, every waking thought she’d had of being in his arms again. Nothing mattered but Case. The world ceased to turn around them and they came together in a heated exchange of pent-up longings.
Case deftly unfastened each button of her gown, baring her neck, her arms, her breasts, to caress the delights of all that had possessed his every thought. She moaned softly, arching back as he stripped away her undergarments one by one, relishing the taste and touch of each newly exposed bit of her skin.
“I love you, Case. I love you so much.”
“And I love you. That’s all that matters now.”
“Yes, that’s all that matters,” Katlyn echoed, refusing to let nagging doubts steal into this precious time.
She gave herself up to him and eagerly met each new advance, her need for him building with the wonder of his explorations. Impatient with the barrier of his clothing, she pushed his coat aside and as he shrugged it off, she stroked her hands over his shoulders and arms, savoring the hard feel of him beneath her fingertips. How many times had she ached to lean against his chest, needed the reassurance of his masculine strength?
As the jacket fell to the floor, Case bent and swept her to him, carrying her to the bed. He laid her down as though on a bed of new lilies, with such tenderness in his touch, in his eyes, she feared her heart would burst.
“You’re so beautiful, I haven’t told you often enough.”
She touched her fingers to his cheek. “But you have, in a thousand ways. You make me believe it. You make me believe anything is possible.”
“It is. Let me show you.”
Moments later they lay entwined, skin to skin, need to need, releasing all the harbored love empty days and lonely nights had given rise to. His lips sought her tender places and her hands roved his muscular body as each memorized the taste and feel of the other. They lost themselves in the moment, and time ceased to be.
Together they abandoned themselves, delighting in each other, melding into one perfect union of hearts and bodies, until at last, the waves of pleasure crested and broke into the satisfied lulling tides of release.
And they slept, sated, complete at last, in each other’s arms.
The next morning Katlyn awoke and turned to watch Case sleeping peacefully next to her. It felt so right, as though they had always belonged in this bed, his arm draped around her shoulder.
At last, when the light grew strong enough to draw golden bars around the edges of the closed curtains, she realized she had to rouse him. Hating to have to disturb him, but knowing she had to be at the hospital this morning, she woke him with a gentle kiss.
“Mmm, thank God it wasn’t a dream,” Case murmured, eyes still closed.
“No, my love, last night was very real,” she whispered, kissing his mouth. “And unfortunately, this morning is, too. I didn’t want to wake you, but I have to go to the hospital. There’s no reason for you to get up, though, you can stay and sleep here.”
Immediately, Case shook himself awake. “Not a chance, sweetheart. The last time I did that, you disappeared. This time I’m not letting you out of my sight.”
Within the hour, Case and Katlyn stood outside Penelope’s room talking with her doctor. Katlyn wanted to believe Case’s arrival was real and their reunion was an omen her mother’s situation might somehow change, too.
But the doctor had nothing to tell her she hadn’t already known for weeks.
“She might seem to improve at times,” he was saying, “but overall she’ll only get worse. The pattern tends to be a slow loss of sight and muscular strength. We have some medications that will help when there’s pain, but I’m afraid that’s all we can do. I’m sorry, Miss McLain.”
Katlyn’s brave front faltered a little and Case took her hand firmly in his, squeezing it when he felt her tremble. “What can we do for her?”
“She’ll require a comfortable place with enough privacy for her to rest as often as she needs to. But she should have distractions, too, people, things to keep her mind occupied when she’s feeling up to it, or I’m afraid a woman of your mother’s disposition will simply lose the will to live.”
Katlyn nodded. “You know her well.”
“When can she leave?” Case asked.
“Case—” Katlyn quickly turned to him, confusion clear on her face. “I don’t think—”
“She should be well enough to travel in a week or so, as long as the trip isn’t too long,” the doctor said.
“Good,” Case said firmly. “Because we have just the place for her.”
The stagecoach pulled into the snow-covered station in Cimarron to a rousing welcome. Katlyn glanced out the frosted window at the same ragtag band of musicians playing the same tune they’d attempted when she’d first arrived at the St. Martin. Only this time, freezing temperatures worsened their attempt.
Even so, she smiled. It was good to be home.
She immediately recognized all the familiar faces she’d missed so much during her stay in Las Vegas. So much had happened, but looking at the people she cared so much for, she felt a sense of deep satisfaction. Case had been right all along. This was where she belonged.
As the stage jolted to a stop, Bat and Jack helped the passengers out, while Becky and Bucky stood nearby holding a big red-lettered Welcome Home sign. Sally, Emily squirming in her arms, let the little girl wriggle free.
Emily ran headlong into Case’s arms, hugging him fiercely. “Daddy! Katlyn! I missed you!”
“We missed you, too, sweetheart,” Case said, kissing her forehead. He smiled as Emily twisted to reach for Katlyn and she returned Emily’s hug with love shining in her eyes.
Case then turned to lift Penelope out of the stage and to the seat of the buggy he’d asked Bucky to bring to the station.
“I’d like you all to meet the newest resident of the St. Martin,” he said, when Penelope was settled and smiling at the people gathered ’round. “She’s going to be living in the upstairs suite. Everyone, this is Miss Penelope Rose.”
Every person in the welcoming party stared as if they hadn’t heard him correctly and exchanged confused glances. Everyone except for Jack, who caught Katlyn’s eye, grinned, and gave her a wink.
“But, Mr. Durham,” Tuck said at last. “We all thought Miss Katlyn was the St. Louis Songbird.”
“No.” Case drew Katlyn and Emily to him, all his family t
ogether at last. “This is my songbird, Kate Durham.”
Epilogue
Katlyn pushed backward into the kitchen at the St. Martin, her arms laden with freshly picked silver roses. “Tuck, Mr. and Mrs. Erickson will be staying tonight. Could you please add their favorite pea soup to the menu? It’s another full house, so we’ll need plenty.”
“Sure thing, Mrs. Durham.” Tuck eyed her up and down. “Are you sure you oughta be out there in that sun bendin’ over and cuttin’ flowers? I thought Mr. Durham said you weren’t supposed to be workin’ no more.”
“Oh, he fusses too much. I’m fine,” Katlyn said, laying the fragrant bundle on the worktable.
“Is that so?” Case’s deep voice resonated into the room. He came up behind her and put his hands on the swell of her belly beneath the loose green dress.
Katlyn twisted to look at him over her shoulder and smiled mischievously. “As a matter of fact, it is.”
“You’ve always been a hardheaded woman,” Case murmured, pressing a kiss to her temple.
“Did you think you were going to change me?”
“Not a chance. But if you can tear yourself away from your flowers, there’s something you might want to see.”
“How can I resist such an interesting invitation?” Settling the flower stems into a warm bath, she put her hand in Case’s and let him lead her to the saloon.
At the piano, Emily perched next to Penelope. “I have a surprise for you, Mama,” Emily said, beaming.
She turned to Penelope and the two exchanged a secret smile. Penelope nodded to Emily. “You may begin.”
With that, Emily began plunking out the notes of the princess song that had always been her favorite for Katlyn to sing.
“Oh, Emily,” Katlyn whispered, smiling through sudden tears.
When Emily finished, Case and Katlyn applauded enthusiastically, and Penelope patted the little girl’s shoulder and nodded her approval.
“But when, how?” Katlyn asked.
“We’ve been working a little each day,” Penelope said. “When you lie down for your afternoon nap, Case has been bringing me down here to work with Emily.”
Katlyn felt a warm rush of love for her mother and her daughter. Of all the people at the St. Martin, it had been Emily who had first and firmly wormed her way into Penelope’s heart and given Penelope a new interest in life.
“That’s the song you used to sing to me,” Katlyn said to her mother, and for a moment their gazes met, each reflecting their mutual joy at finding this belonging at last.
“And now it’s the song you sing to me, Mama.”
Katlyn walked over and hugged Emily. “And since Grandma is teaching it to you, someday it’ll be the song you sing to your daughter.”
“I’m looking forward to that,” Case said. Moving close, he put an arm around his wife and daughter. “We have a tradition to uphold around here, one your mama started.”
Looking up at him, Katlyn laughed. “A tradition?”
“Of course.” Case grinned at her, sharing in the happiness they’d created together. “What would the St. Martin be without a songbird?”
ISBN: 978-1-4603-5978-5
CIMARRON ROSE
Copyright © 2001 by Danette Fertig-Thompson and Annette Chartier-Warren
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