To Wed In Texas

by Jodi Thomas

  The savage entangled Allie in his flight. Together, they hit the floor with a thud and rolled, their arms and legs twisting together.

  Daniel fought the blackness, willing himself to stand.

  Suddenly, Karlee's arms were about his waist, holding him up as she cried his name. Her strength kept him from falling.

  Wolf's footsteps pounded across the porch like rapid gunfire.

  “What's going on?” The huge man brought the sunlight as he shoved the door open without slowing his pace. “Daniel, are you all right? Karlee? Allie…”

  The screams of a moment ago had settled and now the room seemed a tomb. Everyone looked toward the corner where the boy and Allie had landed.

  The savage knelt beside the tiny unconscious woman, one arm around her, the other holding the knife she'd used to free him. His teeth were bared, like a cornered animal, and his knuckles were white around the handle of his weapon.

  “Don't hurt the woman!” Wolf moved slowly forward. “It's me you want to kill, son. She's done nothing but be kind to you.”

  John's arm pulled Allie closer against him as his gaze darted from Daniel to Wolf.

  “Come away from her, and I'll fight you barehanded against your knife.” Wolf tried again. “But don't hurt her.”

  Daniel heard the clank of Wolf's hunting knife on the table only inches from where he and Karlee stood. The hairy man held his hands high showing he had no weapon.

  “Come on, kid. This is your chance. Fight me. It's my scalp you want for your belt, not hers.”

  “Wait!” Karlee cried in near panic. “Don't you see, Wolf? The boy's not planning to kill Allie. He's protecting her.”

  “No.” Wolf heaved his chest preparing to fight. “The kid's wanted to kill all of us, including her, since the moment he laid eyes on us. She may already be dead, and he's just an animal protecting his prey.”

  Daniel slowly felt behind him for Wolf's knife. If he didn't think fast Wolf, or the boy, would be dead.

  “Stand up and fight me, boy!” Wolf ordered.

  John swept the blade across the air at belly level. Hate darkened his eyes.

  Daniel's fingers bumped into the huge hunting knife. Slowly, he gripped the handle and pulled it forward.

  “Look, Wolf!” Karlee cried. “He's holding Allie against his chest just like she told me he did in the field. Only now she's the one knocked out. He's protecting her.”

  Wolf shook his head. “He just knows he can kill her any time. It's me he has to worry about now. She's done all she could to help him. His mind is Apache. And we're all his enemy.”

  Daniel straightened. “Stand guard, Wolf.”

  Wolf opened his mouth to argue as Daniel pushed away from the table and, with two steps, put himself in the center of the room between Wolf and the boy.

  He held the long knife in his grip as he faced the shadowy figure kneeling a few feet away. Karlee reached to pull him back, but he shoved her hand away.

  “I remember the night we first saw Allie.” He talked more to calm Wolf and Karlee than the boy. He knew the boy would wait for his chance, and the knife would give him pause. “She's a lady now, but there were some who thought she was a savage when Wes first brought her to Adam's place.”

  Daniel held up the weapon, balancing it on his open palm. “I'll not hurt you, John,” he said in a low slow voice. “I need no knife.”

  The boy shifted his smaller knife to his left hand and grabbed the offering from Daniel's open palm.

  “Wonderful,” Wolf growled. “Why don't we give him all the knives?”

  “Karlee.” Daniel didn't move from in front of the boy. “Get all we have just as Adam did with Allie. He has to know we mean him no harm.”

  Karlee made a little sound of pure fear and turned toward the shelves. One by one, she handed Daniel the knives, big and small. One by one, he gave them to John.

  The boy held as many as he could, then began to spread them around him within easy reach. Wolf moved close enough to offer Daniel a chair.

  Daniel sat down without saying a word, extending his leg in front of him to ease the pain.

  Allie moaned and finally moved in John's arms. She felt her head as she regained her senses. The moment she realized it was her brother's arm around her, she reached to hug him without the slightest hesitation or fear.

  “John. You're all right.” Tears ran unchecked down her cheeks.

  “Run, Allie, run,” he mumbled words he hadn't said in fifteen years.

  She touched the scar on his chest where she'd seen blood all those years ago. “Come on, John. Let me take you home.”

  All the knives surrounding them were forgotten.

  NINETEEN

  KARLEE HELPED DANIEL BACK TO HIS BED, BUT HE allowed her to take very little of his weight. He managed on his own, with her only as a guide. When they reached the parlor, still dark from sheets over the windows, Daniel closed the door.

  “Will you put the wet cloth over my eyes for a few minutes?” He sounded tired.

  “Certainly,” she answered formally.

  When he was tucked into bed with the towel in place, she sat beside him and told him the details of Willow's childbirth.

  “Did you get any sleep last night?” he asked when she finished.

  “No.” She removed the cloth from his eyes. “But I can manage. I have lots to do today. Would you like the blindfold replaced?”

  “No.” He caught her hand before she moved away. “Rest a while. We've both had a long night and a harrowing morning. Allie needs time alone with her brother. The twins are gone. The house is quiet.” He pulled her closer. “Rest here.”

  Hesitantly, she stretched out beside him. “I thought you didn't want me so near.”

  “This seems a practical place with the house full. Had you rather sleep somewhere else?”

  “No,” she answered quickly. Too quickly, she thought. “Here is fine.”

  Daniel had to ask. The question had eaten away at him for two days and her behavior might never tell him the truth. “When I touched you a few nights ago, did you mind?”

  “No.” She felt the room suddenly warm. She didn't pretend not to know what he was talking about. “I didn't mind.”

  “But.” Words stumbled from his lips. “I didn't want you to feel like you had to allow-”

  “If I hadn't wanted to let you, I wouldn't have, marriage or not.” She rolled on her side to face him.

  “Good.” Daniel closed his eyes, worry lines disappearing from his face. “I don't want you to ever do anything you don't feel right about. This marriage should be an agreement we both make, not one setting rules for the other.”

  “That sounds a fair bargain. I can ask for nothing more.” Karlee rested her head on his heart and snuggled into place. “Being here beside you feels right somehow.” She yawned. “It's felt right since the beginning.”

  “Sleeping next to you does take the edge off the loneliness,” he admitted. “Once your feet get warm, it's comfortable. I see no reason we can't continue.” He could think of two reasons pressing against his side at this very moment, but if she didn't mind, he should forget about how they felt in his hand.

  “I find you comfortable as well.” She tried to keep her voice steady.

  They could have been poor actors rehearsing lines for all the meaning she heard in their words, but she didn't know where to start to make him care about her.

  He cupped his hand over her hair and kissed her fore-head. Then, tugged at her braid, loosening the tie and pulling her hair free. “Go to sleep, my wife. I'll wake you in a few hours.”

  Her exhausted body melted into the warmth at his side. She wanted to talk to him more, but all the hours without sleep piled atop her, weighing her eyes closed.

  By the time he finished unthreading her braid, she was fast asleep. Slowly, he combed his hand through her thick hair, amazed at how good the strands felt to his touch.

  She was his, he thought. Whether he wanted her or not, whether he eve
r slept with her, even if he didn't love her, she was his.

  He bent and paused, almost tasting her lips now parted in sleep. Finally, he could resist no longer. It wasn't a kiss, but a taste, light and thorough across her mouth. He told himself he was just getting used to her. They were no longer strangers. It was time he stopped acting as if she'd go away when he blinked. Like it or not, she was here to stay.

  Karlee turned toward him as she slept, cuddling into the safety of his arms like a child. She spread her hand over his chest.

  Daniel watched her for a long while. His eyes were clearing and what he saw in the shadowy light astounded him. Her hair was the color of autumn, browns and golds and reds mixed together to make a color unlike he'd ever seen.

  His hand migrated down her back, then up across her shoulder, placing her arm behind her as he reached her hand. He threaded his hand through hers thinking of how strange it felt to hold another's hand.

  Slowly, very slowly, his hand crossed the front of her dress. He could imagine the softness of her breasts beneath the layers of fabric. He'd been surprised when she'd said she hadn't minded him touching her.

  “Karlee?” he whispered. How could he ask to touch her again. He'd sound like a fool. “Karlee?”

  “Yes,” she answered thick in sleep.

  The slow rise and fall of her chest filled his hand with the shape of her breast.

  Daniel froze. All he had to do was move his fingers away. But his hand now weighed a ton. He tightened his grip slightly. She moaned in her sleep but didn't pull away.

  He told himself he was on fire because he hadn't touched a woman in so long. But it was more. It was Karlee.

  Carefully, he unfastened the buttons at her collar, hoping to make her more comfortable. When she didn't move in sleep, he allowed his fingers to drift along the outline of her breasts once more, gently testing their fullness and shape. Then he slid his hand along her back as though she were a sculpture he had to touch to appreciate.

  Brushing her lips, he wanted more of the taste of her. His hand twisted into her hair as he lightly teased her mouth with feather kisses.

  She stretched in sleep, lifting up to him as though in welcome.

  Moving his hand over her, his kiss deepened. He wanted more of her, far more of her. Without thought that he might wake her, he parted her lips with his tongue and drank in the flavor of her.

  Her body rocked slightly, shifting beneath his touch. For a moment, he thought she struggled. But by the time he could register the thought, she'd settled once more.

  He couldn't get enough of the taste of her. With a sudden hunger his hand caressed the fullness along her hip.

  She moved her leg over him, cuddling against him even closer. Now she was so near he could feel her breathing. He took the weight of her rounded breasts against his chest, knowing that she'd welcome his touch when he stroked her.

  She seemed to sleep so calmly while he felt himself burning. The need to feel her skin beneath his hand, to hold her against him, to blanket over her, was driving him mad.

  His hand slid beneath the layers of her skirt. With only a thin cotton undergarment to cover the warmth of her flesh, he moved his fingers along her thigh.

  She made a little sound and would have pulled away, but he gripped her leg tightly with one hand while the other stroked her face. When she relaxed, he kissed her tenderly.

  His fingers spread over the thinly covered flesh of her backside as his mouth moved from her lips to her throat. He found the place where her blood pulsed and tasted her skin.

  She moaned in need now, and he laughed as he returned to her mouth more hungry for the taste of her then ever before.

  Slowly, he withdrew his hand from her skirts and spread his fingers boldly over her breast, kneading her flesh through the layers of material. She arched toward his touch as her mouth opened, responding to his hunger.

  He smiled against her lips, enjoying the way she conformed so willingly to his touch. He hadn't expected it. But then, he hadn't expected Karlee at all.

  Through the thickness of his mind, he heard the sounds of talking coming from the kitchen. Much as he wanted more, now was not the time or place to explore further.

  His touch softened to a gentle caress, the kiss lightened. Gently, he rocked Karlee back to sleep in his arms, allowing her to grow accustomed to his hands moving over her. When her breathing had returned to its slow easy pace, he tasted her lips one last time.

  “You're mine,” he whispered. But he could no longer add “whether I want you or not.”

  Karlee tried to push away the voice of someone waking her. She wanted to stay asleep and continue the wonderful dream.

  “Karlee,” Daniel whispered near her ear as he stroked her hair away from her face. “It's noon.”

  She yawned and stretched, feeling his body beside her. “I don't want to wake up,” she answered. “I was having the most delicious dream.”

  “Dreams are dreams, but the reality is we have a house full of company.” His voice softened slightly. “You can dream again tonight.”

  Karlee sat up in bed and stretched. “You're right, of course. Do you need help?”

  “Besides being starving,” he grumbled, “I'd like to get dressed.”

  “But…”

  “If you'll find my clothes, I'll be out of this bed.”

  She stood and straightened her garments. “Of course. I'm a wrinkled mess too. I'll be right back.”

  Within a few minutes, she brought a stack of clothes. She placed his on the bed and moved to the chair with her pile.

  “I've been wearing this same dress since I put it on two days ago.” She pulled the garment over her head and tossed it on the couch. Next came the petticoat and undergarments. “It will feel so good to get into fresh-” her eyes met his just as she pulled the first button of her fresh camisole together.

  “What is it, Daniel?” He seemed to have paled from a minute before.

  “You're undressing in front of me,” he said so quietly she barely heard the words.

  Karlee relaxed. “Of course I am. I've done it several times before. Surely you're used to the sounds by now.” She pulled on her bloomers.

  Daniel reached for his pants. “Let me guess,” he said as he dressed. “You've thrown your clothes in a pile on the couch.”

  “You're getting good.” She rested her foot on the bed as she pulled on her stockings.

  “And right about now all you have on is your undergarments.”

  “Good guess.” She laughed as she finished buttoning her camisole.

  “They're white, of course.”

  “Of course,” she answered.

  “With a pink ribbon laced along the top just above the bustline like a drawstring.”

  “I wove that in myself.” Karlee's fingers stopped at the last button where the pink ribbon crossed.

  She glanced up. His blue eyes were staring directly at her. “You can see!” she mouthed the words.

  “I can see.” He smiled.

  Embarrassment warred with excitement inside Karlee. She quickly pulled on her dress. “I'm so thankful you can see,” she mumbled beneath the layers of her garments. “I've been hoping and praying and…”

  “Karlee?”

  She didn't answer but turned away from him as she buttoned her dress.

  “Karlee, it's all right.”

  She slowly raised her head. “I know it's all right. I just didn't know I was being watched.”

  “You've nothing to be ashamed of. You have a beautiful body.”

  “That's the first compliment you've ever paid me.” She walked to the door, too embarrassed to say more.

  “It won't be the last,” she heard him mumble.

  • • •

  Karlee entered the kitchen hoping no one would notice how red her cheeks were, but her entire face felt as if it was on fire. She started lunch with little more than a smile to Allie and Adam.

  Allie must have stayed close to John all morning, talking
with him and not just to him for the first time. She'd even managed to get him to wear a pair of trousers.

  Wes wandered in with a nod to Karlee before sitting down at the table. He tried to get his wife's attention so he could tell Allie all about the fine horse he'd bought for John.

  Daniel entered without a word but fully dressed. He made his way slowly to the table and sat down across from Wes.

  Karlee tried not to look at her husband's face while she served the soup. She told herself his caresses had been a dream and she'd been asleep, but she knew both were lies.

  Adam broke the silence. “He's up and dressed. I guess the morning nap was the best medicine he's had.” Adam pointed to Daniel but winked at Karlee.

  “And he can see,” Karlee volunteered.

  “A little,” Daniel answered as Adam forgot the meal and started examining him.

  “A lot,” Karlee corrected. She sat down at the only chair left. The one beside Daniel. To her surprise he made no attempt to keep his leg from brushing hers. To her shock, neither did she.

  Everyone talked at once as they ate her potato soup and crumbly cornbread. Karlee had to give the McLains credit. They all thanked the cook politely, as though they didn't notice the poor quality of her skill.

  “If you think you're able to make it on your own, I thought I'd head back with Wes and Allie toward home.” Adam leaned in his chair. “I know Nichole will be wishing me home by now. I'll ask the doc in town to come by and change your bandage.”

  “There's no need,” Daniel answered calmly. “Karlee will do it for me. She does a better job than the old doc does anyway.” He absently slid his hand along his leg, brushing hers with his movement.

  “Allie and I could stay another few days if you think there will be any trouble,” Wes volunteered, even as his wife frowned.

  “No need,” Daniel promised. “Wolf's here in case trouble explodes the minute you leave.”

  Both older brothers laughed as if they half expected their little brother to find calamity the minute they weren't around, just as he did when he was a kid.