Return to Whispering Pines

by Scarlett Dunn

  Clarissa glared down at him. She couldn’t imagine a man who would refuse her. “I can see I’ve made a mistake in coming here.”

  “I thought we said everything we needed to say the last time we saw each other.”

  “I thought you had more sense. One of these days you’re going to be stuck with the likes of her.” Clarissa threw her hand in Addie’s direction.

  Jack’s eyes settled on Addie. “I’d be honored if Miss Addie ever considered me husband material.”

  Addie’s mouth dropped open at his comment. They stared at each other for what seemed like minutes. They didn’t even notice Clarissa walking out the door.

  * * *

  Morgan returned from town and immediately ran upstairs to talk to Jack. “I couldn’t get Prescott to budge. If we had a different judge in this territory I feel certain we could get an adoption approved over Prescott’s objections. A decent judge would hear our case, and see Prescott is being unreasonable. I doubt Judge Stevens would do us any favors.”

  “Then I will try it my way. But it may be too late for the girls.” Jack didn’t think Prescott would agree to what he had in mind.

  “Well, I’ve been thinking about that. If necessary, we’ll go to Boston and go before a judge there. You’re a respected man in this territory. You’ll have me beside you to vouch for your character. I’m sure Clay will go with us. Having a pastor along could go a long way to sway opinion.”

  Jack grinned. “Wouldn’t that beat all? An outlaw turned preacher swearing an oath for a sheriff.”

  Morgan chuckled. “There’s a story for sure. Heck, we could do it up right and take Joseph Longbow with us.”

  “That would definitely have tongues wagging in Boston. Can’t you see Prescott’s face if that happened? Speaking of Joseph, have you seen him?” Jack knew Morgan was worried about Joseph.

  “Nope. On the positive side, no soldiers have shown up at the ranch. So maybe the judge was bluffing about that.”

  “I hope so, Morgan. Joseph doesn’t deserve any trouble.”

  “No, he doesn’t.” Before Morgan left the room, he had one more question for Jack. “Are you going to go ahead with your plan tonight?”

  “Yep, wish me luck.”

  “I’d like to hear you grovel. Good luck.”

  The girls were with Jack after dinner, but everyone was somber. Jane read a story to Claire, and Jack wasn’t really listening, but Jane said, “Don’t you like the story of David and Goliath?”

  “Yes, honey, I like it very much.” He’d told Davey to read about King David, hoping it would encourage him to stay strong through difficult situations. Jack thought about the events to come, and he felt he was the one who needed the strength.

  “We don’t have school tomorrow. Miss Addie told everyone to stay home,” Jane told him when she finished her story.

  Jack figured Addie would be too upset to teach once the girls left. “Girls, no matter what happens, no matter where you are, you know I will come to see you.”

  The girls nodded, but didn’t respond. Claire crawled up beside him and pulled his face to hers. “I’ll miss you, Papa.”

  Jack choked up, and it felt as if a vise was squeezing his heart. It was tearing him apart to have to say good-bye to them. “I’ll miss both of you. But it won’t be a forever good-bye, just a short good-bye.” He remembered the day the children got off that stagecoach. When he’d caught Claire, and she’d called him papa from the start, he was definitely a goner. He’d fallen in love with them that day. He’d already made up his mind if he had to go to Boston and steal the girls, he was willing to do that.

  Addie came into the room when it was time for the girls to go to bed. They kissed Jack’s cheek one final time, and he hugged them. “Remember what I said, girls. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  “Yes, sir,” Jane replied.

  Addie looked at him with tears in her eyes.

  “Will you come back in here tonight?” Jack asked her.

  “Of course. Can I bring you something?”

  “You.”

  * * *

  Later, when Addie returned, she handed Jack a fresh cup of coffee. “How do you feel?”

  “Helpless at the moment.” Jack took a sip of the coffee and shut his eyes. “Did Morgan tell you he had no luck with Prescott?”

  Addie set her cup of coffee on the mantel and added some wood to the fire. “Yes, he told me.”

  “Addie, would you come here for a minute?”

  Turning from the fire, Addie thought he needed some help, so she hurried to his bedside. “Do you need another pillow behind you?”

  “Yes.”

  She reached for the pillow next to him, and when he leaned forward she placed it behind him. Before she moved away, he gripped her arm and held her close. “Addie . . .” He stopped talking and pressed his lips to hers.

  Addie was still reeling from what he’d said earlier to Clarissa. She’d told herself so many times that a man as handsome as Jack would never be interested in her, and his comment to Clarissa was totally unexpected. And now, he was kissing her again. She gently pushed against his chest and said, “Jack, what are you doing?”

  “Kissing you?”

  “I mean, why are you kissing me?”

  He met her eyes and grinned. “Why does a man usually kiss a woman?”

  She raised her palms in the air and shrugged as if to say she had no idea.

  “If I remember correctly, Prescott kissed you in the middle of the street.” That kiss still rankled Jack, and he’d come to realize it needled him because he cared about her. Lying in bed last night, watching her and the girls sleeping, forced him to face the fact that he cared more deeply about Addie than he’d been willing to admit. Who was he kidding? He loved her. He loved the children, and he didn’t want to let them go. Since the first day they’d arrived, he’d found ways to spend time with them. He wanted to protect them, wanted to take care of them, wanted to show them the love they deserved, and wipe the pain of rejection from their souls. It touched him the way Claire called him papa, and he wanted to hear those same words from Jane and Davey.

  He wanted to be a good husband to Addie. And right now, he wanted to know if she loved him. She’d kissed him without hesitation before, but they hadn’t spent much time together since the last time they’d kissed. And when they were together, they were never alone. He’d thought she cared about Prescott, and she’d thought he was marrying Clarissa. He blamed himself for allowing Addie to believe he cared about Clarissa. His only excuse was, he’d been a jealous fool over Prescott. He was angry with himself for taking so long to recognize he was in love with Addie. He prayed he hadn’t waited too long. If she did care for him, he would do whatever was necessary to keep the girls from leaving on that stagecoach.

  “Prescott kissed me because he hadn’t see me in weeks. He said he missed me,” Addie said, trying to explain Prescott’s kiss one more time. She’d explained the situation before, and she didn’t know why Jack kept bringing it up.

  Jack took her hand and urged her closer. “Sit on the bed beside me. I want to talk to you.”

  “Maybe I should sit in the chair.” Addie started to move away, but he held on to her.

  “Please, sit beside me.”

  Addie sat at his side and Jack laced his fingers through hers. When he didn’t say anything, she said, “What is it?”

  “I don’t want another man kissing you like that.”

  “Like what?”

  Jack took a deep breath and prayed he didn’t muck this up. “I don’t want another man kissing you. Period.”

  Addie searched his face, trying to grasp his meaning.

  Jack reached up and threaded his fingers through her hair. “Kiss me, Addie.”

  Addie realized she was facing one of those moments in life that would change her future. Her heart was telling her one thing, and her head was throwing up a caution sign. Her mind was telling her, You could have your heart broken. Her heart was saying, Take
a chance on him. She wanted to listen to her heart because she loved him. She leaned over, took his face in her hands, and kissed him.

  Jack was so surprised she’d actually kissed him that it took him a second to respond. He hoped it never took him so long to react in a gunfight, or he’d be six feet under. Boy, could she kiss. No way was he ever going to allow another man to have the opportunity to find out just how good she could kiss. Hadn’t Morgan told him he’d felt the same way after he kissed Rose the first time? Jack had thought his friend was crazy when he’d told him that. But not anymore. It made perfect sense.

  Without his lips leaving hers, he used his good arm to pull her on his lap, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. Jack told himself he should end the kiss and have a talk with her, but he didn’t want to stop. She felt too good pressed against his chest. Her response to him said she wanted him just as much as he wanted her. Just a few minutes longer and he promised he would stop. But not right now. He ran his hand down her spine, from her neck to her waist, pressing her closer and closer. Lord, give me strength to stop. Finally, he pulled his lips from hers. “Marry me.”

  Addie blinked, trying to focus. She blinked again. His kiss rattled her brain. “What?”

  Jack swallowed. “Marry me.”

  “Why?”

  He tried to keep his eyes off of her lips. “I think we should marry.”

  Addie’s mind began to clear. “You want to marry me to keep the girls here.”

  “Of course, I want to keep the girls here.”

  Addie tried to slide off his lap, but Jack kept his arm clamped around her waist. She looked into his eyes. It was wonderful of him to do anything he could to keep the girls in Whispering Pines, and her initial response was to accept because she wanted the same thing. But what would happen when it came time for the girls to leave home? Would he resent her because the reason he’d married her in the first place was now gone? “Jack, thank you for caring enough about the girls to sacrifice yourself. I can’t tell you how much that means to me. And as much as I am tempted to say yes, it wouldn’t work. Even if we did marry, I can’t see that would change Prescott’s mind.”

  “Sacrifice myself? What in the devil do you mean by that? And why do you think it wouldn’t work?”

  She felt like crying, but she held it in. “You want to marry me for the girls. I appreciate that, but it is not the basis for a good marriage. When the girls leave home, you would no longer be happy, and—”

  Jack held his hand up. “Now wait a minute. I love those girls, I love Davey, but I wouldn’t marry a woman I didn’t love to have them. I’d find another way.”

  Was he saying he did love her? “You aren’t asking to marry me just so you can adopt the girls?”

  Jack figured he might be working with half a brain after that kiss, but he got up to speed quickly. “I’m saying I’ve loved you since you got off that stagecoach. I want you and the children forever.”

  This time, her eyes filled with unshed tears. “But . . . but . . . I’m not . . .”

  Jack squeezed her to him. “If you say you aren’t pretty, I may never kiss you again.” Like that would ever happen. “You are the most beautiful woman in the world.”

  Addie pulled back. “But I’m not like . . .”

  Jack knew what she was about to say. He intentionally cast a glance over her round, soft figure. “If you don’t marry me, I can guarantee you will never press those beautiful curves of yours next to another man. And you for darn sure won’t be kissing another man.”

  “You like my curves?” Rose had told her time and time again, men loved women with curves, but she’d never believed her.

  “Like them? I love them, and I get hot under the collar anytime I catch another man staring at them.” He wasn’t lying. He’d caught a few men staring at her breasts, and he felt like punching their eyeballs to the back of their skulls. As her husband, he’d let a man know if he was out of line, but he’d have to learn to control his temper when it came to men gawking at his wife.

  “What about you? Do you love me?”

  “I’ve loved you from the moment I saw Claire in your arms.”

  Jack arched his brow at her. “Say you’ll marry me so I can kiss you again.”

  Addie did more than say yes. She kissed him again.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Frank parted company with his gang outside of Denver. He’d promised to meet Corbin later that night, at the little house he rented for his liaisons with Leigh. Arriving in Denver, his first stop was the doctor’s office to check on Leigh.

  Judge Stevens greeted him as soon as he walked in. “Doc said she’s going to make it.”

  “That’s great news. Has she awakened yet?”

  “No, but she’s moving around more, and the doc thinks she will today.” The judge told Frank about the U.S. Marshal being shot. “The sheriff in Whispering Pines was shot too.”

  “You mean the bank robbers shot the marshal and sheriff?”

  “Sheriff Trent said he wasn’t certain it was the bank robbers. He said it could have been those two wanted men the marshal had been chasing. You may have heard of them before: Culpepper and Taggart.”

  Frank didn’t respond because Leigh mumbled something. Both men moved to her side, but they couldn’t understand what she was saying. The judge grasped her hand and brought it to his lips. “We’re here, Leigh. Frank and I are right here.”

  “Leigh, can you hear me?” Frank asked.

  “Frank?” Leigh mumbled.

  Judge Stevens smiled. “Frank, I think she said your name.”

  Frank hoped Leigh had her wits about her when she awoke. He didn’t want her to say something that would give away the nature of their relationship. It would be particularly difficult if the judge discovered the truth now that Frank didn’t have the money to get them out of Denver.

  They waited, but Leigh seemed to be sleeping soundly, so the judge asked Frank to join him for lunch. After lunch, Frank told the judge he was going to visit Aunt Ruth, and the judge headed back to the doctor’s office.

  Frank’s first stop was the bank, and he found out Aunt Ruth had deposited two thousand dollars in his name. He didn’t withdraw the entire amount, just enough to get the gang to Las Vegas and tide them over until he met them. His next stop was the mercantile, where he purchased some supplies and some guns. After he dropped his purchases off at the little house, he went to see Aunt Ruth.

  “Did you think over my offer, Frank? I’d really like to have a member of the family running my mine. It’d be nice to have someone there I could trust.”

  “I don’t know much about mining, Aunt Ruth.” Frank had thought it over, and he’d come to the conclusion it might be the best way to come into some money fast. If he worked it right, he might come out on the winning end. Aunt Ruth already trusted him, and she was angry with her brother. He had a feeling he could worm his way into Aunt Ruth’s will. And it was no secret the woman had a considerable amount of money.

  “You’re a smart one, you’d learn the business in no time. My husband delegated the menial tasks, but he stayed there to see to the day-to-day operations. It was difficult because he was away from home so much of the time, but he insisted he had to oversee the daily production. I’m sure you can see how easy it would be for those men to get the better of me. As an absentee owner, I don’t know more than what they tell me. I get the reports weekly, and I have no way of knowing if they are telling me everything. It’s a lucrative venture, and if you worked for me, I would make it worth your while.”

  Frank could see her point about trusting strangers. He’d bet they were robbing the woman blind. There might be unlimited potential for him to pocket a fortune in gold nuggets on the side. “For you, Aunt Ruth, I’ll give it a try. I don’t want anyone taking advantage of you.”

  Aunt Ruth hugged him. “Call me Ruth. It’s a good decision, Frank. You’ll be set for life and never have to worry about a thing. The mine is a two-day ride from here, and my hus
band built a small home there. Naturally, you are welcome to live there, and if possible, I’d like you to come to Denver at least once a month.”

  Ruth wanted to discuss another matter with him, so she said, “Let’s go into the parlor for a brandy.”

  Entering the parlor, she took a seat in her favorite chair by the fireplace. Frank added a couple of logs to the fire before he walked to the sideboard. He’d quickly learned Ruth liked her brandy in the afternoon, so he poured her a healthy portion.

  “Have a seat. There is something else I want to discuss with you, and I want you to speak honestly. Before that young woman my brother is dallying with was shot, it’s my understanding that you were spending some time with her.”

  “Yes, the judge wanted me to try to mend fences with her.” Frank saw no reason to lie to her, particularly since he had a feeling she knew a lot more about what was going on than she let on.

  “My niece thought she was out for his money. I’m interested to know what you think.”

  Frank saw an opening to further endear himself to her. “You’re right, Charlotte didn’t like her, but I’m not of the same opinion. She’s a young widow who is lonely and scared. I don’t think she has a means of support. The judge makes her feel safe. But, I have to agree with you, the judge looks foolish squiring such a young woman around town. For a man as prominent as the judge, it can’t be helpful for his reputation. But he won’t listen to reason.”

  “My point exactly. You understand the situation clearly. Robert seems to have forgotten our family name is well respected. Our father was a prominent judge, and Robert followed in his footsteps. I cannot allow him to taint his memory by behaving like a besotted fool.” She leaned back in her chair and drank her bandy. “Frank, does the doctor think this young woman is going to recover?”

  “Yes, she’s doing much better.”

  “Can I count on you to keep this a private conversation?”

  “Of course.” Frank had a feeling he knew where this conversation was going.