So many words were on the tip of Jordan's tongue, all words that would only make things worse. Shaking her head, she took Kari's hand and walked toward the front door when her uncle's voice stopped her.
"I may be leaving you here to rot in hell, but my daughter is coming with me."
Kari's fingernails bit into Jordan's arm. Her back straightened, and she went white as a sheet.
Frederick cleared his throat. "Marvin will be just as happy with you, my love."
"You're bluffing," Kari said, turning white under her father's cruel stare.
Frederick lifted a brow, reminding Jordan of the devil himself.
"You know I don't bluff."
Jordan stepped in front of Kari protectively. "She can't go."
"Of course she can! I am her father, and I am taking her back to our home in Virginia."
"I'm afraid that's impossible, sir," Shane cut-in.
A nerve ticked in Frederick's jaw. "And pray tell, why is that impossible?"
"Because she's marrying me," Shane said, his expression set in stone.
Frederick flinched. "That's absurd!"
"No, it's a fact, isn't it, darling?" Shane asked, looking at Kari as though he was very much in love, which Jordan realized with a start was not conjured. He loved Kari--and had for some time.
"Well, as her father, I say the engagement is broken, and she will return to Virginia, where she will live the way she is accustomed."
"That's impossible," Shane said, a satisfied smile on his face.
Frederick frowned. "How so?"
"She is no longer a virgin. I've compromised your daughter." Shane said the words with conviction. "In fact, she may very well be carrying my child as we speak."
Jordan heard Kari's quick intake of breath, making her wonder if Shane lied, though he seemed pretty convincing as he held out his arms to Kari. Her cousin wrapped her arms around his waist, and looked completely at ease as she rested her cheek against his chest.
Frederick's face became flushed, and beads of perspiration dripped from his forehead as he threw a hostile glare at his daughter. "You're no better than that whore," he hissed, nodding in Jordan's direction. "You're both nothing but lying little sluts."
"I'm tired of you speaking to your daughter and niece this way. Especially when your own morals have to be questioned, considering the hundreds of dollars you've spent to entertain a whore in your hotel room since the day you arrived in Brogan." Shane smiled, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "You see, in small towns everybody knows everyone else, making it hard for certain things to go unnoticed."
Jordan could have laughed out loud at the expression on her uncle's face. Shane's statement had taken her by surprise, but she knew it was the truth, especially when Frederick retreated to the elaborate carriage that looked grossly out of place in this part of the country.
"We won," Kari said, smiling up at Shane.
Jordan wasn't so sure. As the carriage disappeared out of sight, she felt defeated. She'd lost Gray Hawk and now her ranch; the two things that meant everything.
THOUGH KARI may have thought Shane had been bluffing about marrying her, he proved that very evening that he meant it. By that weekend they stood on the steps of the small white church in Brogan and took their vows in front of a few friends, and of course, all the ranch hands at the Triple T, who welcomed the new addition to the Catalono family with open arms.
It was a bittersweet moment for Jordan, who knew that her cousin and Shane truly loved one another. Though she was thrilled for Kari, Jordan was also sad, knowing if things had worked out differently with she and Gray Hawk, that she too would be happy and in love, starting a new life with a wonderful man.
Hank agreed to watch Tanner and Rebecca for the weekend while Kari and Shane honeymooned in a nearby county, giving Jordan the opportunity to head to her ranch, to start thinking about her future.
FREDERICK McGuire started packing his bags, his gaze continually returned to the woman standing at the window, her back rigid, her chin held high as though she were a princess, and not a prostitute.
This past month she had been a constant in his life, and though he mentioned her coming to Virginia with him before, he had never really asked her.
"China?"
She turned to him, her beautiful green eyes misty with tears. She was only twenty-nine, so she said, and without makeup she looked even younger. He knew for certain her life had been a tough one, she'd told him everything, holding nothing back. The abuse she suffered as a child by the hand of a stepfather who hated her, selling her to the highest bidder at the tender age of thirteen. He cringed, realizing how it was almost as if she were talking about him and the way he had been so willing to sell his eldest daughter or his brother's only child to a man who was unworthy. Granted it was a marriage, but was it so different? He tried to think back, wondering when it was things had gone so wrong. When had he become the man he was now?
China came to him, her eyes focused on his chest, a habit she had of not meeting his eyes. A habit he hated.
"Look at me."
She glanced up and flinched. His fingers touched the soft skin of her cheek, then trailed down her neck. Pulling her to him he kissed her. He knew after today she would be back in the brothel, spreading her legs for other patrons. The thought tore at his insides.
"I need to return to Virginia, but before I go, I want to ask you if you would come with me."
She pressed her cheek against his chest.
"Would you come with me?" he asked again.
"You're married."
He nodded. "I am."
Her smile was sad, and he knew the answer before she replied, "I will not break up a marriage, and if I return with you, it could destroy you...I would never do that...not ever."
"But it kills me to leave you here."
She shrugged indifferently. "You'll survive, and I'll survive."
"What are you saying?" he asked, fear eating at his insides.
"I'll be the first to admit I'm a whore. At least I'm honest with myself and everyone else. But I have to be honest with you, Freddy. I can't be someone's wife, or even a mistress to someone who would hurt and destroy their own family for his own gain. Especially his daughter and niece, a girl who was entrusted into your care by your own brother."
He realized now that he'd told her more than he probably should have. "I'll give you a life you could otherwise only dream of," he said desperately, hating the thought of a future without her.
The silence was too final. Dropping to the edge of the bed in defeat, he stared at her in shock.
"Please don't misunderstand me," she said, kneeling in front of him. "I love you, Freddy. But despite my profession, I do have my pride. Wife, or no wife, I couldn't live with a man who only thinks of himself. What if one day you decided to use me in one of your schemes, the same way you've used your daughter and niece? And they're your family." She shook her head, disapproval of what he'd done evident in her eyes. "No Freddy, I could never stand for that."
He flinched as though she'd struck him. Never in his life had anyone talked to him the way she had and lived to tell about it. Yet as he stared at her, he found it impossible to be angry. With gentle fingers he traced the soft skin of her cheek. "Please reconsider," he whispered.
"Oh, Frederick." It was the first time she had used his given name. "I feel sorry for you. You're filled with so much greed and hate."
As she stood and walked away from him, he felt the loss like a fist to his gut.
She was to the door when she turned to him, a soft smile on her lips. "Thank you for this last month. They've been the best days of my life. I'll never forget you." Then she closed the door behind her.
He sagged against the bedpost, knowing she was right.
How ironic that it took being rejected by a whore to make him see the kind of man he'd become. Patricia would have no doubt applauded his behavior of late, encouraging him to ruin his own daughter and niece.
China. It
would never work bringing her back to Virginia with him, and if Patricia ever found out...thinking of his wife, he flinched. For far too long she held a power over him that was quickly slipping away. He had changed since she came into his life, letting her mold him into something he despised.
His mind raced, realizing how horrible he had been in the past. He grabbed the whiskey bottle off the night stand and took a long drink, enjoying the burning sensation as it raced to his gut.
As he left the hotel, he left two letters, and paid a young man to carry them out to the Triple T.
Later that day when he left Brogan, he left behind a little piece of his heart.
KARI TREMBLED as Shane helped her out of her dress. His fingers seemed to burn through the material, scorching her skin, much as his eyes were doing to her body as he slipped the garment down her arms and hips, letting it pool around her feet.
All day she'd been anticipating this moment, knowing that after tonight she would be a woman.
Shane kissed her, first softly, then with more urgency, until she felt her knees go weak. He smiled against her lips and picked her up, placing her with gentle care on the bed before standing back to look at her.
Instinctively her hands went up to shield herself from his gaze, but the soft expression on his face made her relax and she dropped her arms back at her sides, watching as he undressed. He removed his pants and she could feel her cheeks burn as his long, hard manhood was exposed to her devouring gaze. She talked to Jordan about what to expect on her wedding night, but still she was nervous. And it must have shown on her face because Shane smiled reassuringly.
He joined her on the bed, his tall lean frame stretching out beside her as he pulled her against him. He kissed her again, his fingers moving to her breast, skimming over her nipple that went hard beneath his ministrations. "You're so beautiful," he said against her lips. She wanted to please him, and she let her hands wander over the hard planes of his shoulders, his chest, down his abdomen where his manhood jutted out. With tentative fingers she touched him.
A dark brow lifted as her fingers skimmed the silky, hard surface. "You're so big," she said in awe.
His laughter brought her gaze back to his face, afraid that she had said something wrong. "And you always know what to say."
She relaxed as he kissed her and his fingers moved down her belly to the triangle of hair between her legs. Her insides pulsated as a finger slipped inside her, moving in and out, a moment later his thumb played over sensitive flesh. She felt as though she were being unwound nerve by pulsating nerve.
Pushing her legs apart with his knee, Shane slowly inched his way into his new bride. Her eyes were wide, staring at him, biting into her bottom lip. She was so tight, so sweet. Sweat began to bead on his brow, and as he came up against the proof of her virginity, he kissed her and plunged. She gasped against his mouth, and he stilled, letting her get used to the size of him.
But it was torture. Her tight sheath was so hot and slick he couldn't wait any longer and finally began to move, and with every thrust he felt her relax a little more until she matched his rhythm.
With great restraint he held himself back and was greatly relieved when he began to feel the soft flutters of her climax. Her eyes closed, her head fell back against the soft pillows, her mouth opened as she cried out, and a moment later he followed her.
As he lay with his wife at his side, he pulled her to him, kissing the tip of her nose. "I love you, Mrs. Catalono."
Her eyes so soft, looked misty with tears, and for a moment he thought he had hurt her, but her fingers moved along his jaw, and then without lifting her head off the pillow she kissed the air. "I love you, too, but I'm so tired I can't even lift my head."
He laughed then, and cradling her head on his shoulder, wrapped his arms around her, content to stay that way for the rest of the night.
Chapter 26
IT HAD been over eleven years.
Eleven long years since she last stood at this spot, looking at the slain bodies of her parents as four Indians rode away, never to be found and convicted of the crime.
Jordan stood at the front door of her ranch, fighting back emotions that had been long hidden away. But as the front door of the cabin creaked open, so did the memories, and along with it tears that slipped down her cheeks unchecked.
Swallowing the lump in her throat, she stepped inside the small room that at one time had seemed so large. White sheets that covered furniture were covered with dust and grime. The curtains her mother had spent days crocheting were now yellowed and brittle.
Her small chair sat by the fire, beside it, one of the dolls her mother had made. When they had left for Virginia, she'd only taken one with her, and the twins had destroyed it, cutting off its golden hair and pulling the arms off its body. Picking the doll up, she squeezed it tight. She would keep it for the daughter she would have one day, even if that child was not the one she now carried in her womb.
She moved to the kitchen, thoughts of her mother humming as she made dinner, mingled with memories of the sound of her father's greeting when he came home after a long day out in the pasture, taming wild horses. The feel of his strong arms as they lifted her high and held him to her, telling him how much he loved her. And then she had watched her parents kiss and hug. They had truly loved one another. As a child Jordan hadn't realized to what extent, but now as an adult, having loved herself, she knew what they had shared.
The bedrooms were the hardest, because things were still as they had been when she'd left all those years ago. Her mother's brush and comb sat on the dresser. Her father's pocketwatch sat on the table by the door. As usual he had forgotten to take it with him, as he did most every day.
Shutting the door behind her, she went to her room and sat down on the small bed. It was strange how everything now seemed so small. From the eyes of a seven-year-old, it had all appeared so much larger.
By the time she stepped back into the Living room she was both physically and emotionally exhausted. Lighting a candle, she sat down in her mother's rocking chair and waited for dark.
A feeling of total peace came over her as she thought about the future.
This is what she wanted. This is what she needed. This was her dream, and she would have it, and have it soon.
She was nearly to sleep when she heard the pounding of hooves outside. Her heart skittered remembering the day eleven years ago when her life had been upended. She came to her feet just as footsteps fell on the front porch. She froze, unable to do anything but stare at the door.
A moment later it opened and she nearly fell to her knees, for standing before her was no enemy, but the man she loved more than life.
Gray Hawk's face was drawn. He looked so tired, and almost--angry.
"You left me," he said, his voice harsh.
"How could I stay, Gray Hawk? No one wanted me there."
He frowned. "I wanted you there."
How could she tell him that from the minute she'd left the village, she almost turned back a thousand times, knowing that a life without him would be unfathomable. Yet she'd been unable to return, knowing she could not turn her back on her dream, and she wouldn't take him away from his.
Silence filled the small room, and it seemed for a minute that he was about to leave, but he had only turned to shut the door behind him. He leaned back against it. "My father died the morning you left."
His grief was obvious and she wanted desperately to comfort, but couldn't find any words other than to say, "I'm so sorry."
"I once thought being chief was all I would ever want, yet I found when I was given the opportunity it meant nothing, because I didn't have you."
Her heart lurched.
"I know you would never be happy in the village. When we went there, I hoped that you would change your mind."
"I belong here, Gray Hawk. This is my home, this is my dream. I know we come from different places, and I knew it would one day come to this. I cannot return with you, no matter how muc
h you want it."
He walked toward her in slow strides, his gaze shifting over her in a way that made her heart race and long for things that could not be. How desperate she was to have him take her in his arms and tell her everything would be all right. How she longed at this moment for him to make love to her.
He stopped before her and took her hands in his. "Marry me, Jordan."
"What?"
"Marry me. Be my wife."
"But I can't leave my ranch."
His lips curved into a smile. "I never asked you to."
As comprehension set in, her heart swelled. "You would stay with me? You would give up being chief?"
"Iron Bear will lead our people. He is their chief."
She threw her arms around him, holding him close. "Yes, I will marry you."
Lifting her chin with his fingers, he kissed her softly. "I know I don't have much to give, but I promise you I'll work endlessly to make this ranch prosperous."
"And I'll work endlessly to make you happy."
His face softened as he stared at her. "You've already made me the happiest man alive."
She shifted on her feet, uncertain whether to tell the news that soon they would be parents. Knowing there was no better time to be honest, she took a deep breath and blurted, "I'm pregnant, Gray Hawk. We're going to have a baby."
His gaze left hers to settle on the soft swell of her belly, which his hand moved to, splaying there. When he looked at her again, there were tears in his eyes. He opened his mouth, and without saying a word, he hugged her tightly to him.
Never in her life had she known such happiness.
A BLISSFUL two weeks had passed for Jordan. In that time, she and Gray Hawk had been married by the minister of the small church in Fife. He had been a kind man, who didn't question the differences between she and Gray Hawk. The man's wife had served as the only other witness.
They returned to their ranch that same day, where they celebrated by having a quiet meal out by the creek that ran in back of their home. There they had made love under a starry sky, promising each other the world.
Surrender to Love Page 23