Addie made it to the buckboard before tears started streaming down her cheeks. Other than her family, she’d never cried in front of anyone, but she couldn’t hold back.
Once they were away from the Coburn farm, Jack pulled the horses to a halt, reached for Addie, and pulled her to his chest and let her cry.
“I’m sorry, I know I’m acting like a silly woman. I should be giving thanks for Davey to have a chance for a real family.”
“I know.” Her sobs were heartbreaking, and it was difficult for Jack to keep his emotions in check. He pulled his bandana from his back pocket and handed it to her. She dried her eyes, but tears continued to flow. Jack wrapped her in his arms again and held her, trying to soothe her the best he knew how.
Once he thought she was nearly cried out, he asked, “Are the children having dinner at Morgan’s?”
Addie nodded. “I didn’t know how long we would be at the Coburns’.”
Keeping one arm around her, Jack picked up the reins with one hand. “We have to go through town to get to the farm, so I’m taking you to dinner.”
She appreciated his kind gesture, but she wasn’t in the mood to eat, not to mention her eyes were probably swollen from crying. “I don’t think I would be very good company, and I’m really not looking my best.”
“Then I’ll take you home with me. I can fix us a sandwich. I don’t think you should see the children until you’ve settled down.” He thought if the children saw her upset about Davey being adopted, they might worry that he was going to a terrible place.
He was right, she was in no condition to see the children yet. But she didn’t think being seen alone at the sheriff’s home was a good idea. She was the schoolteacher, and she had to consider the impropriety of being alone with a single man in his home. “That’s probably not wise for me to be alone at your home. If someone . . . if Clarissa saw me, the whole town would know by morning.”
Clarissa. She’d brought her up again. Of course, Addie was right. Although the town was full of good-hearted people, they often jumped to the wrong conclusion. “I see your point.”
“You can take me to the farm and I can get the children later.”
“Does that mean you’ll cook me dinner again?” Jack teased, trying to lighten the mood.
“You don’t have to stay,” Addie said, trying not to think of how alone it would feel at the house with no one there.
“You mean you won’t feed a starving man? I haven’t eaten since that roll you gave me for breakfast.”
Addie was ashamed she hadn’t even considered the amount of time he’d taken out of his day for her benefit. She didn’t have to ask if that was the reason he hadn’t eaten. “Of course, I will cook you dinner if you want to stay for a while.”
Jack’s eyes met hers. “I want to stay.” Their gaze held for a few moments before Jack’s eyes moved to her lips. He’d never wanted to kiss anyone like he wanted to kiss her at that very moment.
* * *
Jack unhitched the team, put the horses in the paddock, and washed up before he walked into the kitchen. Addie was at the counter rolling out some biscuits. “It already smells good in here.”
“I’m warming some ham, and the biscuits will be ready soon.” As she spoke, she slid the pan in the oven. Cooking dinner kept her mind busy, so she didn’t dwell on how things changed in a day.
“I’ll make the coffee. Do you mind it strong?” Having watched Addie in the kitchen last night, Jack knew where she kept everything.
“No, I don’t mind.”
As Jack was throwing beans into the pot, it occurred to him that his girls would be staying at the farm alone now. His girls. That was what he’d called them last night, and he remembered how their faces lit up. He realized he wasn’t just thinking of Jane and Claire as his girls. He’d included Addie in that thought. He heard Addie sniffle and he glanced her way. He saw her wiping away tears again. He set the coffeepot over the flame and walked to her.
“It’s going to be okay,” he said, pulling her into his arms.
“I know. I truly am thankful for Davey’s sake, but the girls are going to be heartbroken.”
“He won’t be that far away, and the girls will see him at school and at church. They can have him over for visits.” Jack was trying his best to stay positive, and he hoped he sounded more convincing to her ears than he sounded to his own.
Addie looked up at him. “Thank you.” She knew he was trying to make her feel better about the situation. “I haven’t thanked you for everything you’ve done for me today.”
Jack smiled at her. “You could thank me the way Claire thanks me.” He was trying to make her smile by teasing her. At least he told himself he was only teasing.
Addie didn’t think about what she was about to do. She placed her hand around his neck and pulled his head down and brushed his lips with a soft kiss. “Thank you.”
Her bold move wiped the smile off his face. He stared into her eyes, and she didn’t look away. “That’s a fine thank-you.”
Addie didn’t know what had possessed her to do such a thing. It wasn’t like her to make such a daring move. She was a reserved schoolteacher, not some shameless woman who threw caution to the wind. She didn’t have an excuse. The plain truth was, she was attracted to him and had been from the moment she stepped off that stagecoach. He was the most handsome man she’d ever seen. But right now, as his eyes bore into hers, she was embarrassed by her behavior. He probably didn’t enjoy being kissed by a frumpy old-maid schoolteacher. She felt the blush rising from her neck to her cheeks, and she lowered her eyes and started to turn away.
Jack wasn’t about to let her go. He pulled her to a halt by cupping her face in his hands, urging her to face him. When she looked up at him, he lowered his lips to hers. It was a brief, gentle kiss, but one filled with a longing that surprised him. When she didn’t pull away, his first thought was to deepen the kiss, but he reluctantly pulled back. She was vulnerable right now, and he wasn’t a man to take advantage under the circumstances, no matter how much he was tempted. But his gentlemanly honor didn’t prevent him from one more taste before he let her go. “That one was a better thank-you.”
Flustered, Addie simply stared into his smoky eyes. She told herself he’d been teasing, and she shouldn’t read more into the kiss, even if his eyes were telling her that he’d liked it as much as she had. She needed to put distance between them. “I think I smell the biscuits.”
Dropping his hands from her face, Jack stood there rooted to the floor when she walked to the stove. What in the heck just happened? He hadn’t really expected her to kiss him, but when she did, all he could think was he wanted to know what it would feel like to give her a real kiss. So he did. And he liked it. He more than liked it, he wanted more. Instead of standing there like an idiot and watching her move around the kitchen, he had to pull himself together. He grabbed two cups and filled them with steaming coffee as she placed the food on the table. He told himself to act natural, make casual conversation when they sat down. If he didn’t get his mind off of that kiss, he might grab her and give her a kiss that she would never forget. Problem was, he wouldn’t be able to forget it either, if the kiss they’d just shared was any indication. It had rocked him to his toes, and his brain was still in a fog.
They ate a few bites in silence, before Jack said, “I thought you had the legal papers with you when we went to the Coburns’.” He tried hard not to let on that his world hadn’t just been turned upside down in the span of a brief kiss.
Addie didn’t know what to make of his kiss, and now he was sitting there acting as though nothing had happened between them. But she had bigger problems than trying to figure out why he had kissed her. “I had the papers, and I know Mr. Coburn was in a hurry, but I needed time to speak to the children.”
He knew she would need as much time to adjust as the children would. “Yeah, he wanted to move pretty fast.”
“I’m not sure how to tell them. They’ve been so ex
cited to stay here together. Perhaps I should wait to tell them tomorrow after school. They can at least have a good night’s rest tonight.”
Jack leaned over and placed his hand over hers. “I don’t think there is going to be a good time. But everything will be okay.”
Addie looked at the large hand covering hers. He was warm, strong, and he made her feel safe and secure whenever he was around. He spoke with such conviction, she believed him. She looked up at him, nodded, and tried to smile, but tears were filling her eyes. Too much was happening at once: the adoption, her attraction to Jack, and that kiss.
Jack leaned over, wrapped his large hand around the back of her head, and gently urged her to him. His mouth covered hers and he kissed her soundly. Without leaving her lips, he stood and pulled her into his arms. It wasn’t a chaste kiss like before, it was a soul-searching, mind-numbing kind of kiss. He didn’t hold back, and neither did she. He held her so tightly he could feel her heart beat in rhythm with his own.
Addie was the first to pull away. “We should finish our dinner. I need to get the children soon.”
Jack shook his head, trying desperately to make sense out of why he couldn’t keep his hands off her. Not once, but twice. “Yes, we do.”
“You don’t have to stay. I can walk to get them.”
He still had his arms around her. “I’m going with you.”
Addie looked up at him. “Okay.” She wanted him to stay. She wanted more of his kisses, even though common sense said she was playing with fire.
He released her and sat back down. “I’m staying the night.”
Addie sat down and picked up her sandwich. “You can’t do that. It’s not proper.”
“The children are here. What’s not proper? I won’t be in your bed.” What was wrong with him? Why did he say that?
Addie opened her mouth to speak, but it took a moment before words actually came out. “It just wouldn’t look right.”
Jack didn’t like her staying out here alone. He didn’t know why he was feeling so protective, but he hadn’t liked it last night when he left, and the feeling was stronger tonight.
“We’ll ask Granny to come back with us. But I’m staying, even if I have to sleep in the barn.”
“It’s too cold, you can’t sleep in the barn. It will be freezing tonight.”
“I’ve been cold before. I’ll live.” He wouldn’t mind sleeping in the barn if she warmed him up with her kisses in the morning.
“Are you expecting trouble? Is it Frankie?” Addie didn’t understand why he was adamant about staying tonight.
“No, I’m not expecting trouble. I just don’t like you staying out here alone, without a man around.”
“I’ll get a rifle from Morgan,” she replied.
“That doesn’t make me feel a whole lot better. I’m staying.”
“You can’t stay every night. How would that look? And you have to return the buckboard to the livery.”
“I don’t care how it looks. I’m the sheriff, so it’s not unusual for me to offer my protection when I think it is necessary.”
“Why do you think it is necessary to protect me? Morgan is not that far away if I need help.”
“Any woman alone needs protection. If something happened, it would take Morgan some time to get here, even if he knew you needed help. You have the children to consider.”
“Do you stay at Clarissa’s? Doesn’t she live alone?”
Clarissa again. “She lives with her father. Besides, they don’t live out of town in an isolated area.”
“I appreciate your concern, but we will be fine.” Addie didn’t feel as confident about staying alone as she tried to make him believe. The thought of him being close in case of trouble was reassuring, but she couldn’t count on him to stay every night for eternity.
“No arguing. Let’s finish eating so we can get the kids and Granny.” Jack’s mind was made up, and no amount of arguing would change his plans.
* * *
“Granny went to bed not long after dinner,” Rose said. “She’d been playing games with the children and I think she was worn out.”
Addie passed a glance at Jack.
Rose noticed the look they’d exchanged. “Is something wrong?”
“No, nothing that I can talk about right now.” Addie’s eyes moved to the children who were putting on their coats. “We’ll talk tomorrow.”
Morgan handed Jack some extra blankets for the buckboard. “It’s getting pretty cold out there.”
Jack inclined his head, indicating that Morgan should follow him out the door. “I’m staying at Addie’s tonight.”
“What’s going on?”
Jack quickly told him about Davey’s adoption. “And I don’t like Addie and the children staying alone.”
“Word will get around,” Morgan said.
“Like I told Addie, I’m the sheriff and I’m supposed to protect the people in our town.”
Morgan arched his brow at Jack. “Is that all there is to it?”
Jack expelled a loud breath of air. “Yes. That’s all there is to it.”
“You plan on staying there forever?” Morgan didn’t wait for a reply before he added, “This won’t be good for her reputation.”
“Why would anyone question a sheriff looking after a woman out here alone?” Jack knew the answer; he was choosing to be obstinate.
“I can have a couple of my men keep an eye on the place overnight,” Morgan offered.
“You can’t do that forever, either.”
Morgan didn’t have an answer. “I offered to let Addie and the kids stay here, but she wanted them to have their own place.”
Their conversation ended when Addie and the children walked outside. Jack wrapped the children in blankets, and put one around Addie before they left for the farm. When they arrived back at the farmhouse, Jack carried a sleeping Claire inside.
After Jack gently laid Claire on her bed, Addie said, “I’ll be down after they are all in bed.”
He nodded, understanding she didn’t want to have the conversation about him staying the night in front of the children.
Addie walked in the kitchen only to find it empty. She looked out the window and saw the buckboard was in front of the barn and the team had been unhitched. Thinking Jack was most likely caring for the horse, she walked to the front room to start a fire. She hated to make him drive all the way back to town as late as it was, but she didn’t know if allowing him to stay was the right thing to do.
As soon as she entered the room, she saw a fire blazing in the hearth, and Jack was sitting on the settee with his eyes closed, sleeping peacefully. He’d removed his boots and placed them by the front door, along with his hat. She smiled, wondering if he placed them there for a quick getaway, or from habit. She stood there quietly and stared at his relaxed masculine features. She could almost envision how he must have looked as a young boy. In her estimation, he was a remarkable man, having overcome a difficult childhood to make something of himself. He could have easily become more like her brother Frank. Jack possessed an enviable strength of character, and yet he was remarkably tender.
He’d been so kind to the children since they’d arrived, giving up his own personal time to give them attention. After spending time with him, the children were smiling more, Davey seemed less jaded, Claire was always laughing. Jack did what most adults failed to do: he made the children feel important.
Her thoughts drifted to his kisses. She knew it was probably a mistake to kiss him, but he was irresistible. She thought she might never have another opportunity to kiss a man like Jack. So why not? What could it hurt? She sighed. Sadly, she knew the answer. She was on the verge of losing her heart to the man sleeping on her settee. She didn’t want to be an old maid pining after a man who’d never consider more than a flirtation with her. It would be wise to rein in her longings, or she was bound to have her heart crushed. From now on, no more kissing.
She approached the settee, fully intending to
wake him and suggest he return to Morgan’s for the night. But seeing how soundly he was sleeping, she didn’t have the heart to wake him. He had to be exhausted tonight, because she was, and his day had started long before hers. Thinking about all he’d done that day for her and the children, she decided to let him sleep. People would think what they wanted to think. They had done nothing wrong. She turned around and walked back upstairs to get some blankets. When she returned to the parlor, she placed a pillow beside his head and covered him with the blankets. After adding some logs to the fire, she lowered the lamp and left the room.
* * *
Jack didn’t know what time it was when he woke, but the room was cold. He started to get up to stoke the fire, and he saw the blankets covering him. When he saw the pillow beside him, he smiled. She’d allowed him to spend the night. He thought she was going to give him a good argument, so he’d sat down after he’d built the fire to wait for her, but he’d obviously fallen asleep.
After he had a nice blaze going, he stretched out on the settee, stuffed the pillow beneath his head, covered himself with the blankets, and thought about Miss Addie’s kisses. He liked the way her soft body felt in his arms. He’d kissed Clarissa before, and Addie was right, she was very slim and trim, but something was missing. Compared to Addie, Clarissa felt like a skeleton. It was difficult to explain, but he wasn’t attracted to Clarissa in the way he was drawn to Addie. Clarissa was probably the type of woman he’d thought he was attracted to, but something had changed. His attraction to Addie was more instinctive, his desire for her more primitive. When he held Addie, she filled his arms, but it wasn’t only a physical space, she filled a void in his being. He felt like she thawed his heart, much like the children.
He reminded himself attraction was one thing, but taking on all of the responsibility that came with her was another thing all together. He thought he’d be ready to marry by the time he found the right woman, but he wanted a relationship to develop over time, in a slow, orderly fashion. Like most men, he’d planned on finding a woman to court, marry, and make a home with before children came along. With Addie, it would be a package deal from the get-go, and that was a monumental leap from having a powerful attraction to a woman to making a permanent union with a ready-made family.
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