Bruins' Peak Bears Box Set (Volume I)

by Sarah J. Stone

  A ways into the woods, Lily found herself surrounded on all sides by dense undergrowth. No sun penetrated those woods. She slowed to a stop and sniffed the air. “Where is it now, do you think?”

  Jude listened, but he heard nothing. “He probably took off when he heard us coming. Those skirts of yours make quite a racket.”

  Lily sighed. “Oh, well. Another time, maybe.”

  He studied her. “You didn’t really want to see a raccoon, did you?”

  “I want to see everything. I want to know everything there is to know about this country. I can’t wait to move out here for good.”

  “Well, you won’t be living anywhere you’ll be around raccoons. They stay in the woods.”

  “I will see them,” she countered. “My family plans to Homestead, just like you. I’ll be rolling up my sleeves and getting dirty with the best of them then.”

  He stared at her. “You will?”

  “Of course. Carving a Homestead out of the raw frontier takes work, and that means dirt. I never hesitated to get dirty in my life. Don’t let my fancy clothes fool you. These are just my town clothes.”

  He scratched his head. “Huh. I never pegged you for the frontier type.”

  “Most people don’t.” Lily surveyed her surroundings. “What do you want to do now? Are you in a hurry to get back?”

  He snorted. “I just asked you to take a walk with me, so it looks like that’s what we’re doing. Do you want to go farther into the woods, or do you want to go back to the road?”

  “Into the woods. Definitely.”

  “You won’t get to see my carrots.”

  She grinned. “Another time, then. Do you plan to eat them tonight? They’ll still be there when I come to visit.”

  He shook his head, and they set off through the woods. “You’re some pieces of work, aren’t you? You’re nothing like what I expected.”

  “I don’t even want to know what you expected, so don’t tell me.”

  “I never expected a lady like you to give me the time of day. I thought you’d be too worried about getting dirty.”

  She looked him up and down. “You’re not dirty. You’re just about the only thing I’ve seen in Iron Bark that isn’t—except maybe that horse.”

  They came to a tree fallen across their path. Lily put out her foot to step over it, and when she raised her arm to keep her balance, he caught her hand. She smiled up at him, and a delicate heat flashed over her cheeks. “Thank you.”

  He handed her over the log and let go of her hand to cross himself. Lily strolled through the woods, but she couldn’t stop her heart pattering. Did she excite him the way he excited her? Did he feel that charge of tension when he touched her hand?

  For some reason, the conversation didn’t restart. That simple touch of their hands hung heavy between them. Lily kicked herself, but she couldn’t think of one intelligent thing to say.

  The sunshine shone beyond the trees. The horse’s brown back stood a few feet away. Nothing remained but to leave the shelter of the forest for the real world outside. She hesitated, and Jude faced her. “Listen. I meant what I said about you coming up to see my place, but maybe you shouldn’t tell Luther about it. He would only get nasty.”

  Lily smacked her lips. “Please let’s not talk about him. He makes me so mad, and now I have no choice except to deal with him. I never want to see him or hear his name again as long as I live.”

  “I’m afraid you’ll have to if you spend any time in this town. No one can set foot outside their houses without him knowing about it.”

  “He’s a tyrant and a highwayman. I saw that the first time I laid eyes on him. If he thinks he can threaten you in the middle of the…”

  “It’s not me I’m worried about,” Jude interrupted. “He can’t touch me. I’m worried about you. You’re right there in town. All he has to do is cross the street and you can’t get away from him.”

  “So what do you suggest I do?”

  “Carry on your business as usual. Just don’t let him find out you plan to come up and visit me. He always wants to get in my face, but for some reason, he gets especially nasty when you’re around.”

  Lily groaned. “That’s just fantastic.”

  He took a step toward her. “It will be all right. You won’t be in town forever.”

  The smile evaporated off her face. “No. I won’t.”

  Jude peered through the trees at the horse. “I guess you better go.”

  “Don’t you want a ride?”

  He moved around her into the woods. “No. I’ll go this way.”

  “Oh.” Her heart sank. “Well, good-bye.”

  His mouth twitched. “I had a nice time with you today. I’m glad I bumped into you.”

  “I had a nice time, too.”

  His hand moved forward. Somehow, some way, their fingers entwined of their own accord. Nothing could stop their hands coming together, but what about the rest of them?

  Lily’s breath caught in her throat. His eyes mesmerized her inches away from her face. He murmured, “Lily…”

  She clung to his hand for dear life. She found herself falling into an overpowering vortex. It suffocated her. What was happening? She swam toward the air, the light. Only one place in the universe offered her any hope. She fixed her eyes on his lips. She had to get there at all costs. She couldn’t live if she didn’t get there.

  His lips parted. His nostrils flared, and his eyes burned into her soul. He stared at her with the same burning intensity, and he fell towards her on the same unstoppable vortex. His lips followed the silent shapes of her name, but no sound came out.

  Then the light exploded out of her. Their lips touched, and she inhaled a deep breath of his scent. Oh, that heaven scent! It spoke to her out of the primal reaches of the past. It answered every secret need in her heart. He kissed her!

  His eyes glowed before her. He fought for breath before the overwhelming tide. His hand came to rest against her cheek. “Lily.”

  All of a sudden, his mouth popped off hers. He broke into a grin. “That’s why you shouldn’t tell Luther.”

  Lily burst out laughing. “You devil.”

  He grabbed her hand. “Come on. It’s getting late, and you have to get back to town.”

  She stopped next to the horse. “When can I come to visit you?”

  “Whenever you please. When would you like to come?”

  “Today is Friday, and I guess you don’t go to church on Sunday. How about tomorrow? Is that too soon?”

  “Nothing would be too soon to see you again.”

  “I thought you might want to launder your long johns before I come.”

  Jude turned away with a shake of his head. He chuckled under his breath. “You’re a bad one, aren’t you? Don’t let Luther hear you talking like that. He’ll wash your mouth out with soap.”

  Lily laughed with him. She took the horse’s bridle and walked him to the road. “Don’t go kissing any more girls on the way home, Mr. Farrell.”

  He stood back from the road and watched her climb into the seat. “Don’ t worry. I’ll save all my kisses for you.”

  She flashed him a grin and waved while the horse paced away into the lowering afternoon.

  Chapter 4

  Lily hummed to herself as she bustled around her hotel room, but that did nothing to quell the excitement rising in her heart. Jude Farrell! Could it be? He kissed her! That delirious thrill when he touched her hand, the heady power of his nearness—he filled her with such happiness as she’d never known.

  Could he really be…? She closed her eyes and shook her head, but she couldn’t stop the adrenaline scorching through her guts. She was going to his Homestead tomorrow! What if he kissed her again? He said he would save all his kisses for her.

  The same whirlwind of emotions tumbled through her. She would save all her kisses for him, too. She would never kiss another man if she thought she could kiss him. Oh, my! That man could kiss. He hadn’t done anything but peck her o
n the lips, and he left her panting and swooning for more.

  Tomorrow! She almost dreaded the coming day. What would happen? How could she bear the anticipation? Did he go home in a dither of excitement, too, after their walk under the trees?

  He wasn’t a polished gentleman like Luther. No one would expect beautiful, wealthy, sophisticated Lily Cunningham to go for a wild man from the woods, but there it was. She kissed him, and she wanted to keep on kissing him as much as he would let her.

  She went through her wardrobe three times trying to decide what to wear. She could stun him with her most expensive gown. Then again, maybe she should wear a plain work dress. She didn’t want to make him uncomfortable about messing up her clothes.

  She selected another subdued church dress somewhere in the middle. She held it up to her body in front of the glass. Then she twirled away with a happy hum when a knock sounded on her door.

  She glided to the door and flung it open, but her smile disappeared when she saw Luther standing on the landing. “What do you want?”

  He held out a bunch of roses. “I came to apologize and beg your forgiveness. Can’t we let bygones be bygones? Let me take you out on the town and show you a good time. You won’t regret it. I promise.”

  She narrowed her eyes at him. “If this is one of your silly manipulations to get your claws into me, I swear I’ll…”

  He held up his hand and closed his eyes. “I would never. I swear it. I only want to make it up to you. I’m afraid I’m an hopeless clod, and you were quite right to discipline me the way you did. Come with me. I want to show you around the town.”

  She leaned back. “I’ve seen the town. I’ve seen all of it there is to see.”

  “You haven’t seen the night life. I’ll buy you a drink at the saloon. Then you came come back here and hide if you want to.”

  She sighed. What could it hurt? He wanted to call a truce? She could accept it. “All right. I declare, I’m so happy, not even you could spoil it. I wouldn’t mind going out tonight, anyways.”

  “Excellent. Shall I wait out here for you?”

  She took hold of the door. “I’ll be right out.”

  She changed as fast as she could and joined him on the landing. He offered her his arm, but she pretended not to see. She walked at his side, down the stairs and into the street.

  The dust died down at night, and lights glowed from every window. They lit the streets and gave the town a sense of peaceful tranquility. Maybe this place wasn’t so dingy and depressing after all. How bad could it be with Jude Farrell in it?

  Luther escorted her down the sidewalk to the saloon. It stood not four doors away from the hotel, and it was the only saloon in town. What kind of nightlife could a dump like Iron Bark really have? All the decent people would be home in bed.

  Lame piano music drifted through the open saloon doors into the street. The mellow lights in the house windows gave the music a sad twang. No one could get excited about music like that, and most people couldn’t even hear it. Lily expected something like this when she came to Iron Bark. Now she found herself face to face with it.

  Luther pushed open the swinging doors and stepped inside. Lily entered behind him. Three cowboys rested their dusty boots on the foot rail while they talked to the barman. A man in a black ribbon tie played poker with a shaggy cowboy at one of the tables. A prostitute in a feather boa and too much make-up sat on the cowboy’s knee and made eyes at the man across the table. A man with thick glasses pounded the piano in the corner while a chorus girl danced and sang alone on a stage.

  Everyone stopped to stare when Lily walked in with Luther. Luther snapped his fingers at the piano man. “Carry on.”

  The man went back to his pounding. The chorus girl went back to tapping her feet and spinning around. The man in the ribbon tie laid three aces on the table and leaned back.

  Luther waved Lily forward, and the two took their place at the bar next to the cowboys. Conversation resumed. Lily watched the chorus girl for a while until the barman came over to her. “What’ll you have, ma’am?”

  She called over the noise, “Triple rum punch.”

  The chorus girl came to the end of her song, and the sudden silence made Lily turn around. There stood all three cowboys, the barman, and Luther staring at her in stunned shock.

  Lily blushed all over. “Just give me a bottle of beer.”

  As soon as she got the words out, everything went back to its usual gentle buzz. The cowboys ignored her. The barman set the bottle and an empty glass on the bar in front of her. Lily played it cool by pouring the drink and watching the foam settle.

  Luther appeared at her side. “Let’s sit down. There’s a table in the corner.”

  She saw the table in the corner. “I’d rather stand here. Thanks, anyway.”

  Luther stiffened. “You can’t stand here. It’s not ladylike.”

  Lily bit her lip to stop herself smiling at that. “Just the same, I’d rather stand. I’ve been sitting all day.”

  “I heard you went for a drive. Did you find anything interesting?”

  Only Jude Farrell, but Luther didn’t need to know about that. “I had a look at the empty land around town.”

  “I’ve got a parcel for sale down on the river. It’s prime farmland. It’s grazing a thousand head of cattle at the moment. I could take you there tomorrow to see it.”

  Lily thought fast. “Maybe next week sometime, if I haven’t found anything suitable by then.”

  “Of course. Just let me know what you’re interested in. I have connections in the land office. I could even get you a discount.”

  Lily’s blood boiled. She knew it. Now she would have to go through him to buy land. She could always leave town and buy land somewhere else, but she would find a Luther Campbell wherever she went. She didn’t want to leave this town, anyway, not when she just found Jude.

  She sipped her beer and listened to the cowboys talk about their ranching operation. The chorus girl didn’t come back, and the piano man disappeared. All of a sudden, Lily became aware of Luther moving closer. His presence imposed on her personal space and set her nerves on edge. She inched back, but he advanced so subtly, no one could see him do it.

  The shaggy cowboy at the poker table tossed his cards down and seized the prostitute. He growled something in her ear and dropped one hand under the table. The man in the ribbon tie lunged forward, seized the girl by the wrist, and yanked her off the cowboy’s lap. He hauled her toward him and sat her down on his own lap instead.

  The prostitute let out a loud, cackling laugh. Her crooked teeth stabbed toward the shaggy cowboy, and his face went black as thunder clouds. He rocketed out of his chair. The chair smashed to the floor, and he overturned the table.

  Coins, bills, cards, and glasses flew in all directions. The glasses shattered all over the floor. The cowboy launched himself at the man in the tie. The man in the tie jumped out of his chair and shoved the prostitute away. The shaggy cowboy got hold of his shoulders before the man in the tie could react.

  Luther moved in front of Lily to protect her from the fracas. This annoyed Lily more than anything he’d done before. When would he get it through his head that she wasn’t interested in his protection or anything else? She slammed her glass down on the bar and whirled away. “Come on, Luther. I want to leave.”

  The shaggy cowboy and the man in the ribbon tie wrestled and fought all over the floor. They blocked the door so no one could get by. The man in the tie pulled a tiny dagger from his belt, but when he tried to jab it at the cowboy, the cowboy caught his hand and wrangled it away.

  Lily shoved Luther out of the way and pushed past the three cowboys at the bar. The combatants rolled in front of her. Lily stepped over them and strode out of the saloon into the night.

  Luther leapt over them and burst out behind her. “What did you do that for? I thought you wanted to have a good time.”

  She dusted off her hands. “Come on, Luther. No one is having a good time in that
place.”

  She set off down the sidewalk on her way back to the hotel. Luther hurried to catch up. “Well, that’s all right. Where would you like to go next?”

  She snorted. “I don’t want to go anywhere but back to my room. Thank you for inviting me out. I’m going back now.”

  “Now, Ms. Cunningham. The night’s young. We could go to the hotel bar and have a drink.”

  “I’m not having any more drinks. Good night, Mr. Campbell.”

  He stopped in his tracks. “What’s wrong with you? Is it that fight you’re concerned about? You can’t go into a saloon on this frontier without seeing the same thing, but maybe you didn’t know that. You seem too delicate for this rough life. I can arrange to send you back East if you want to.”

  She wouldn’t look at him. “I’m not going back East, and I’m not too delicate for it.”

  He caught her arm. “Come to the hotel bar, Ms. Cunningham. You can tell me all about it.”

  Lily spun around so fast her arm broke out of his hand. “I don’t have to go to the hotel bar. I can tell you right now what bothered me. You did. You won’t take no for an answer, and you keep moving in on me. You don’t want to let bygones be bygones at all. You want to claim me for your own when I already told you I wasn’t interested. You don’t learn, and I don’t want to spend any more time with you.”

  She walked away from him, and she didn’t hear his footsteps following her. Could he have finally gotten the message? She kept her eyes fixed on the hotel. She had to get inside, back to her room, and away from him.

  She came to the end of the saloon building where a gap separated it from the hotel. She was almost there when Luther jumped onto the sidewalk. The dusty earth muffled his footsteps. That’s why she didn’t hear him come up behind her. He leapt in front of her, caught her around the waist, and hustled her into the dark space between the buildings.

  Before she could make a sound or offer any protest, he pushed her back against the building, and his mouth closed over hers. She tried to cry out, but he silenced her with his lips. His weight crushed her against the building, and his hands flew to her waist.