by Caroline Lee
Tess was still smiling when she tucked an exhausted Jacob into the pallet Brixley had prepared beside the bed, and slipped into the borrowed nightgown. All three ladies had made a to-do over Tess’s lack of wardrobe—judging from their own gowns and the house, they’d never had to do without fine things—and Serena immediately fetched some clothing to loan her new friend. Tess was grateful, and was looking forward to shopping for some material tomorrow.
When was the last time she’d been able to spend a day shopping? She’d always been in charge of her own inventory, so things were ordered sight unseen. For that matter, when did she last have the chance to spend an evening with three delightful ladies? And when did she ever know a man—as Serena said—as handsome as Cam?
She fell asleep wondering when her husband was coming back, and if she should be worried.
CHAPTER NINE
“Hmmmm.” Cam stretched, his eyes still closed. He felt his wife’s mouth on his neck, felt her weight on his chest. “I could get used to this.”
“Me too.” Tess’s voice was the barest whisper, but he felt it. He knew that Jacob was sleeping on the floor beside them, and as she skimmed one small palm against his chest, Cam regretted that fact. He’d come in too late last night to make love to her, but dearly wanted to. And if he didn’t know his step-son was sprawled not six feet away now, he’d make up the lost time right now. As it was, he contented himself with a sigh and nuzzling her hair.
“Cameron MacLeod!” This time her whisper was far from soft; she sounded fit to be tied. He peeked through one eye and saw her glaring down at his face. Oh, yeah. He’d forgotten about last night’s adventure. “What did you do to your face?”
Cam had glanced in the mirror down in the foyer when he’d returned with Sebastian last night, so he knew what she saw. There was a big purple bruise high on one cheekbone, where a fist aimed for his eye didn’t quite have the reach it needed, and his lip was split close to the corner of his mouth. Still, he tried his most innocent smile on her.
Tess glared in response, but then her eyes grew wide as a thought occurred. “Oh Lord, don’t tell me you got into a fight with Sebastian? In the man’s own home?”
“Nah, he looks better than me, only got in one or two punches.” Still, they’d been useful punches. “If we’d got in a fight, he wouldn’t be quite so pretty.” Cam had hit Sebastian once, last year, and though his partner hadn’t hit him back, Cam had guessed then that Sebastian had a mean jab. He’d been right.
She didn’t look amused at his joke. “Cam. What happened? What where you doing while we sat here worrying about you?”
“You worried about me, again?” He smiled at the thought, and managed to stifle his wince as it pulled his broken lip.
But she was honest, and shrugged, losing what he now realized was a faked stern glare. “No, because we thought you were off on ‘business’. Did Serena know what you were up to?”
“Sweetheart, even Sebastian didn’t know ‘til I picked him up. He’s the only man I know who prefers walking to riding.”
“What happened?”
He wasn’t going to tell her everything. About how he and Sebastian split up to search through the cattle district until they found the names of the trio of cowboys Tess had traveled south with. About tracking them down—at least, the leader and his mean-looking friend—and asking them politely what they’d done with her trunk. About how pleased Cam had been when they’d refused to talk, and how much pleasure he’d taken from beating the information out of them. Sebastian had helped, but had let his friend have his revenge. No, Cam wasn’t going to tell Tess that Willis and Crowley wouldn’t threaten another woman again. But he would tell her the good news. “I got something for you.”
She was unimpressed. “You can’t sweeten me up with gifts, Cam.”
“Maybe.” He pulled her close to him and then sat up, smiling at the way she pressed against him. Turning her in his arms, he jerked his chin towards the wooden chest in the corner. It had weighed a ton, and hadn’t been easy to sneak into the room while she slept, but seeing the look on her face now, he was glad he’d gone through the effort.
“Oh,” she breathed. “Cam, is that…?” He saw the tears in her eyes when she turned back to him, and the hesitant hope. He wondered what her life had been like, that such a simple thing as having her stuff back could bring on this response. He hadn’t seen her cry when she’d been stuck out on the prairie for three days. But she could cry over a chest?
So his voice was gruff as he apologized. “I’m sorry you won’t get the chance to shop for a whole new wardrobe. I was looking forward to spoiling you some.”
“You found my trunk?” At his nod, she lifted one small hand to his cheek, and he felt her touch clear down to his soul. “You went after Willis and the others, didn’t you? That’s how you found my things. That’s how you got these bruises?”
He nodded again, but to distract her from further questions, said “I don’t know if everything’s there. They were trying to sell the whole thing, so stuff might be missing.”
He’d never seen her so excited to get out of bed, trying to untangle her feet. They both stilled, though, when they heard the sleepy little voice call “Mama?” Then again, more awake: “Mama, sun is up, moon is down.”
Tess sighed. “Good morning, Jacob.”
“Hi!” Two big eyes peeked over the edge of the bed, and Cam rumbled the boy’s curls.
“Morning, kiddo.” He lifted Jacob up to sit on the bed with him while Tess almost tripped across the room to kneel in front of the trunk. He was distracted by his curious stepson—who, it turned out, loved to play ‘cave’ under the blanket—but watched her reverently remove bundles and lay them beside her.
She was smiling when she turned back to him. “It’s all here, I think!” Drawing herself to her feet, she joined them on the bed under Jacob’s blanket cave. Hugging Cam, she said only “Thank you. Thank you so much for saving us, and returning our things to us.”
What could he do, but hug her back?
Later, after church and a quick meal, they were perched side-by-side on the wagon bench headed back to the Open Skye. Jacob was sitting behind them, playing with a set of wooden blocks his mother had stored in the trunk. He seemed happy to have his toys back.
It was another scorcher of a day, this late in the season. Cam’s sleeves were rolled up, and his hat perched high on his head. Tess was turned half in her seat, so that she could keep an eye on Jacob, and looked good enough to eat in that high-necked blouse. He liked that she’d had her own clothes to wear to church this morning, and he liked it even more that she’d unbuttoned the collar as soon as they were in the wagon, and he caught tantalizing glimpses of creamy skin whenever she moved.
“What’d you think of Serena?” He’d noticed the goodbye hug the two women had shared seemed sincere, and Serena had promised to browbeat Sebastian into coming out to the ranch soon.
So he didn’t understand why her look grew guarded. “She was lovely. Very kind, and so generous.”
“Yeah. I was hoping you two would be friends.”
“Why?”
He shrugged. “I bought the ranch from her, and she’s married to my partner. I figured it’d be nice for you to get along.”
“That’s the only reason?”
Luckily, the horses knew the route, so Cam could focus on his wife. “Yeah. What’d you think I meant?”
Now Tess was avoiding his eyes. “She’s beautiful.”
“Yeah. So?”
“I just wondered…” And now she looked at him, and he saw the sadness in her dark eyes. “I thought maybe there was more between you.”
He probably should have denied it right away, and when he didn’t, her expression hardened, her back straightened, and she looked ahead again. Cam followed her lead, his elbows braced on his knees, wondering how to explain.
Finally, he tried. “The Selkirks were my neighbors for years. I’ll show you the house I built, when I first came ou
t here. It’s… small.” It was a hovel compared to their current home, but he was proud of the work he’d put into it, all those years ago. “I watched Serena grow up, grow into the most pristinely beautiful woman I could imagine. I wanted her.” He watched her hands twist together, out of the corner of his eye, and he rushed to get through it. “I even thought I loved her, wanted to marry her.”
“That’s enough,” she whispered, but he ignored her objection.
“It took meeting Sebastian, seeing the way she looked at him and he looked at her, to realize that I didn’t love her. I wanted to be married, to start a family. I wanted the Double-S, and she was a convenient way to get it.” Jacob was talking to himself behind them, but Cam focused on the boy’s mother, determined to make her understand. “I never loved her, not the way…”
Tess’s eyes were wide as he trailed off. He wrapped the reins around the brake and pulled her into his lap. She squirmed, but he held tightly. “Tessa, when I first saw you, I didn’t believe you were real. You were so…” he took a breath. “I’d never seen anyone so captivating. So strong, and brave, for such a little thing! You’re exotic, and interesting, and…” he knew he was making a mess of the explanation. He squeezed his eyes closed and dropped his forehead to hers, so that he didn’t have to see the confusion on her face. “I’m trying to say that you’re beautiful. No, you’re more than beautiful, you’re gorgeous. I wanted you more than any woman I’d ever met.”
“Don’t—”
“It’s true!” He was quick to interrupt. “Serena is like a porcelain doll, perfect and untouchable. You… you’re earthy and erotic and,” he started dropping kisses down her cheek to her neck, and when she tilted her head to give him better access, he groaned. “And from the moment I saw you, I really wanted to touch you. Everywhere.”
With his lips against her skin, he continued. “And it’s not just that you’re beautiful, Tessa. You’re courageous and capable and a good match for me. I’ve been dreaming about finding a wife like you for a long time, and starting a family.” He squeezed her, and was heartened when he felt her arms snake around his neck. “And since you brought me Jake, I don’t even have to wait on that. This morning you thanked me for saving you,” he pulled back so he could look into her serious eyes, “but the fact is, Tessa, you saved me. You’re everything I could imagine. It’s gunna be easy to fall for you, sweetheart.”
Her brows were high, her eyes wide. But she didn’t say anything, and he wondered what she was thinking.
“Tessa?”
She dropped her cheek to his shoulder. He wished he could see her expression, but he liked holding her. “No one’s ever said things like that to me. You’re quite the romantic, Cam.”
“Just for you, Tessa.” He kissed the top of her head, and waited for her to say more.
She didn’t, but was willing to stay curled against him for the remainder of the trip home.
CHAPTER TEN
It’s gunna be easy to fall for you, sweetheart.
What did that mean? Had he ‘fallen’ already? What did ‘fall’ mean, anyhow? Cam was such a wonderful man—kind and hard-working and oh-so-sexy—and she was just… well, just Tess. It was hard to imagine why he would ‘fall’ for someone so…unremarkable.
She’d grown up knowing that there was nothing special about her. In fact, many looked at her with pity, because of her mixed blood. Her parents loved her, but they hadn’t told her often. Her mother had grown bitter in the years before she’d met Baba, and could be hard. Baba was caring and sweet, but had been raised not to speak of his feelings. Tess had always been comforted and cherished, but the Li family rarely spoke of ‘love’.
Is that what Cam was talking about? Was he falling in love with her? The thought made Tess uncomfortable, as she went about her duties. Why would someone like him fall in love with her? How? Her insides knotted at the idea, and she felt herself draw in on herself, like she wanted to protect her heart. He might be falling for her, but she wasn’t falling for him. He was remarkable, yes, but he was just her husband. She married him because she and Jacob needed a place, a place to belong. They needed a home and a way to survive, and Cam offered that. Sure, she liked being married to him. She liked his personality, and how hard he worked to follow his dream, and she definitely liked the way he made her feel when he touched her. But that wasn’t love. Love was something… something more. Something delicate and fragile with wings and…
She frowned. Well, okay; she didn’t know what love was. But she’d darn well know if she was in love! …Wouldn’t she?
The quandary occupied her as she grew comfortable in her new life. Her days were spent taking care of the house—after a year of insufficient cleaning, it needed some upkeep—and cooking. She and Ian would make breakfast and dinner for their little family, and the hands. As he let her take more responsibility, he was able to go out on the range more often, leaving her and Jacob alone in the house. She could tell that the grumpy old man appreciated not having to do as much, and it seemed like he was happier these days.
Jacob became acclimated to his new home, and she became more comfortable allowing him outside on his own. She still preferred to be with him—especially after Ian told her about the snakes they sometimes found—but he’d often occupy himself out on the porch while she cooked. Cam was busy with the ranch work, but would make a point of taking Jacob into the stable to take care of “the horsies” every evening. The boy loved it; Tess didn’t know if it was the independence from her, or the chance to be with Cam, or the animals, but it was his favorite part of the day. She didn’t know everything that went on during that time, but Jacob always returned excited and full of energy. He was learning new words left and right—frankly, she was impressed that the cowboys hadn’t taught him anything too inappropriate—and she came to cherish the hour of blissful peace and quiet in the house alone.
Her days were filled with hard work and laughter. Sometimes—wash days, particular—she was plumb wore out by dinner, but it was a good exhaustion; an exhaustion caused by knowing that she was part of a team that was making the Open Skye a success. She saw her husband at the dinner table, and knew that he was working just as hard, and that she’d begun to share his dream of a prosperous cattle ranch. Sometimes, he would reach across and hold her hand as they said Grace, and she would feel a sense of peace and comfort she’d never known.
Yes, her days were filled with hard work, but her nights…! Her nights were for Cam. Sometimes she wouldn’t see him at all between dawn and dusk—and sometimes he’d be gone for more than one day—but he would always kiss her, first thing back. She’d wrinkle her nose and complain of his sweat and dirt and pretend like she didn’t want to throw her arms around him and kiss him back. And he would laugh, and wink at her, and she’d feel something melt, deep inside. At night, after they made love, they’d hold each other and talk about their day, or their plans, or the future. She adored listening to him talk about his time with Jacob, and he seemed interested in her suggestions for success. Cam recognized that she had years of experience running a store, and understood money. He’d ask her opinion, and when she realized that he was following her suggestions, she became even more determined to help make the Open Skye a success.
One afternoon, during Jacob’s nap, she was straightening up Cam’s study. It was a cozy room across the foyer from the parlor, with a big desk and mostly empty bookshelves. Neither she nor her husband had much time for reading, but she’d placed her few cherished children’s rhyme books up on the shelves. Cam’s journals and record-books were up there too… and all over the desk. It seemed that he was as messy as his father when it came to paperwork. Smiling to herself, Tess was tidying up the stacks when the open book on the desk caught her eye. Twisting around so that she could see the entries better, Tess narrowed her eyes. The number in the sum column was wrong. Very wrong. She frowned, and hurried to slip the bundle of papers she was holding into the top drawer. Then she perched in Cam’s big chair and rummaged aroun
d to find a pencil. With the late-afternoon light streaming through the now-clean glass in the front windows, Tess bent over the books, and checked her husband’s arithmetic.
She muttered to herself, an old habit she’d picked up from her mother when doing sums. Sure, she was worried about the numbers being wrong, but she was happy to be tallying again. She’d always enjoyed the clear simplicity of sums, and had started keeping the store’s books at a young age. Joshua had been smart enough to put her in charge of the purchasing and inventory, and it made her feel in control of the world, if just for a few minutes.
More than a few minutes—probably a half-hour—passed before she figured out what the problem was. She’d marked up Cam’s columns and tallies, becoming increasingly frantic, wondering how he’d managed to run a ranch this long with no idea how to add properly… when she blinked and squinted at the page, and watched the numbers reorder themselves. Blowing out an exasperated breath, Tess sat back. There’s the problem!
Her husband, bless his heart, had terrible handwriting. She’d noticed it right away, but hadn’t realized how bad it was. Cam’s fours and his nines seemed interchangeable, and only a certain amount of examination proved that he started his fours at the bottom of the line, and his nines and the top, and they looped in different directions. And his sevens and twos could be tricky too, if he neglected to lift up his pencil before crossing the seven. A relieved chuckle slipped out, and Tess rubbed her eyes.
Bending forward again, she started to laboriously go back through her husband’s work, ignoring her own edits to determine which sums were originally correct. That’s how he found her, hunched over his desk, chewing on her lip.
The door opened with its usual slight creak, and she held up her finger to warn him not to interrupt her. Without looking up, she kept up her muttered additions, “One seventy-four, seventy-eight, ninety…six, two hundred and six, two hundred and thirty-six. Good, yes.”