Prospecting for Love

by Barbara Baldwin

  A sob escaped. Besides, on the fourth of July, none of this would matter. Regardless of how much she loved Jesse, she would save him and return to her own time -- alone, desolate, and heartbroken.

  “Fire! Fire!” The alarm was shouted as someone pounded on the door. “Bank’s on fire!”

  Cursing, Clayton jerked away from Ellie and grabbed for his clothes. Buttoning his shirt as he went, he unbolted the door and raced off into the night without a backwards glance.

  Ellie sank to the floor, arms crossed against her chest, tears streaming down her cheeks. Without realizing she had prayed beforehand, she now thanked the Lord for sparing her.

  “You all right...Ellie?”

  Startled, Ellie looked up to find Lucky crouched down at her side. She hadn’t heard anyone enter the house. She thought about it for a minute and realized that she really was all right. While Clayton had definitely scared her; he really hadn’t hurt her. She nodded, giving him a watery smile.

  “Ouch.” She touched a finger to her swollen lip.

  Lucky scowled when he saw her puffy lips, but she shrugged before he could do anything more than growl.

  “Never mind,” she patted his arm, “this is a very minor incident in the scheme of things.”

  “Thought it right clever to yell the bank’s on fire. Figured that’d be the only way to get him out of here.”

  “You mean it’s really not?” Ellie glanced fearfully at the door, half expecting Clayton to come back and finish what he started.

  “I locked the door. And he never even seen me when he teared out of here, so I ‘spect he’ll be awondering who was yelling.”

  “How did you know?” Ellie still couldn’t believe her good fortune. Her panic and shame was being replaced by anger -- at herself for not being able to stand up against Clayton, but more so at him for his brutal attitude.

  “I figured you was up at Jesse’s tonight, so I never come by to make you supper. Then, when I did wander by, I seen a light on and figured if’n you was here, I’d better feed you some.” He looked down at the floor, a blush clearly staining his cheeks. “I seen you through the window.”

  “Oh, God.” Ellie put a hand over her eyes, embarrassed that Lucky would have seen what Clayton tried to do to her.

  Lucky took her hand and pulled her to her feet. “I didn’t see nothing Miss...Ellie, ‘cept that Scott had you up against the wall.”

  “Why are you calling me Ellie?” She followed him to the kitchen, where she washed at the sink. She felt better after she got Scott’s smell off her skin. She patted her face dry and peered at him over the top of the towel. “Well?”

  Lucky put the tea pot on the stove, throwing a stick or two of wood below. He shrugged. “Guess I just figured you been here long enough. ‘Sides, that’s what Jesse calls you.”

  “Yes, but you always insisted on calling me Elizabeth to keep up the charade.”

  “Yeah, well, you ain’t Elizabeth! You’re nice and you’re tryin’ to keep Jesse from gettin’ killed and you love him. She sure as heck don’t.”

  Ellie had never seen Lucky so adamant. “Oh, Lucky, you mean to say after all this time, you like me?” Ellie gave him a big hug and a kiss on the cheek.

  Scrubbing at his cheek, Lucky pushed her away. “Go on with you now. Get yourself fixed for bed and I’ll bring you a cup of tea. Then I’m putting myself at the table with my shotgun the rest of the night in case that no good varmint comes back.”

  Ellie glanced around the shadowy kitchen. She couldn’t stay there; not tonight.

  “Lucky, take me to Jesse’s. Please?”

  Lucky glanced past her to the dark night. “You know Jesse’ll be working. They’re all working.”

  “I know, and I know you can protect me, but I’d just feel better at Jesse’s.”

  With a sigh, he gave in, sliding the teakettle to the back of the stove and pushing a cover over the open flame. Ellie grabbed a few things from the bedroom, and in minutes they were weaving their way through the trees up the side of the mountain to Jesse’ cabin.

  Lucky wouldn’t allow her to light a lantern, stating it would be too easy to see the light from town. Ellie clutched his hand and mumbled a litany about not being afraid of the dark.

  Only when Ellie snuggled into Jesse’s bed, by herself, did she feel safe. She breathed in his scent and hugged his pillow tight to her chest. Lucky had posted himself on the chair outside on Jesse’s porch, although Ellie had made him swear he wouldn’t tell Jesse about Clayton’s attack. The letter and codicil were tucked safely in the canister where Jesse kept his cash. As Ellie drifted off to sleep, she hoped she dreamed of Jesse’s loving and not of being blasted to kingdom come on the fourth of July.

  Chapter 15

  Jesse had returned to his cabin late in the night, only to fall exhausted into bed. If he hadn’t absent-mindedly kissed her good-bye when he left again, she would have wondered if he had even realized she was there.

  Knowing she couldn’t go back to Elizabeth’s house for fear of running into Clayton, she had paced the small cabin most of the day, alternately trying to read, then scrubbing the floors, table and stove until she couldn’t scrub anymore. She washed everything in sight, including Jesse’s long-johns which hung on a peg in the corner and which he wouldn’t need again until winter.

  The second night, Jesse hadn’t returned at all, or so Ellie thought until she awoke the next morning to find a note and a glass full of daisies on the table. Now, she soaked in the brass tub in anticipation of Jesse’s return that evening.

  She held the note between damp fingers and read the hastily scribbled words for the hundredth time. “Shutting down at midnight. Wait for me. Jesse.” The words were less than romantic, but Ellie kept re-reading the last sentence. Those three words had her alternating between disconsolate and euphoric. Ellie knew she couldn’t leave this world without being with Jesse one more time. The thought of their lovemaking; of the touch of his hand caressing her skin raised the water temperature in her bath as her skin heated.

  It was July 3, and the minute Ellie recalled the date, her heart sank. In just one more day -- only a little over twenty-four hours -- she would be gone from Peavine, Nevada. How would she ever know if their plan succeeded? She would never again see Jesse, or Zeke or even Lucky, unless she could somehow find a picture of them in an old history book.

  Could they really change history? She was a gambler; that’s how she had gotten in this trouble in the first place, but this was the biggest gamble of her life. Ellie closed her eyes, trying to recall all the pieces of their plan. Hoping everything was in place, she ticked off the elements on her fingers as she soaped herself.

  Jesse would close the mine at midnight and through the next day so his miners could attend the Independence Day celebrations. She was to stick like glue to Jesse; Zeke and Lucky would keep an eye on Clayton. Late in the afternoon she would send word to Clayton to make him think Jesse had gone to the mine. She figured Clayton, or more likely someone he had hired, would already have the mine rigged, but this time the explosives would go off with no one getting hurt.

  The only unclear part was where exactly she had to be. Being in the dark mine, waiting to be blown to smithereens was not a choice. Zeke and she had talked, and figured it would just happen. Since she wasn’t suppose to be here in the first place, she would probably just fade away, or disappear in a flash.

  She twisted Jesse’s ring on her finger. How was she to leave him? Did he know how much she loved him? Would he love her forever instead of marrying Elizabeth? Would he even know?

  The sound of heavy boots scrapping across the porch ended Ellie’s string of rhetorical questions. Her heart flew to her throat, and she reached over the side of the tub for Jesse’s revolver, which she had taken from the holster that hung by the door. Lucky had left earlier after thoughtfully bringing some stew and biscuits that Ellie had warming on the back of the stove. Who else could it be?

  “You have this place lit up like the f
ourth of July,” Jesse commented cheerfully as he entered the cabin, swinging the door closed behind him. “I thought the celebration wasn’t until tomorrow.”

  “You know I don’t like the dark.” Ellie sagged in relief as she lowered the pistol to the chair by the tub. “Besides, you’re early.”

  Ellie watched Jesse’s eyes crinkle at the corners as he took in her nakedness. His lips turned up in a wolfish grin.

  “If I’d known what was waiting for me, I would have been even earlier.”

  As he talked, he jerked off his boots, dropped them by the door and slowly walked towards her. She couldn’t help but stare. When he stood directly in front of the tub, she slid upwards until the sudsy water just barely covered her nipples. She slid her tongue across her lips, then poked out her bottom lip in a pout. “You have way too many clothes on, woodsman.”

  The grin never left his face. “Yeah, well, what are you going to do about it, city girl?” He stood there, thumbs hooked in his trouser loops, and seemed perfectly content just to look at her. The heat in his eyes, though, set Ellie’s blood to boiling, and she felt impatient for much more than he was offering.

  She slid to the end of the tub, reaching up to unbuckle his wide leather belt. She threw her head back and her gaze fixed on his. She could feel the change in his desire as she undid his pants, one button at a time. Very male heat radiated from him as she slowly pulled his pants and drawers down past his knees. The instant she touched him, he jerked forward, groaned, and began rapidly shucking the rest of his clothes.

  Though Jesse longed for Ellie’s caresses to continue, he had no desire to end their lovemaking so quickly, and he knew without doubt his control was already gone.

  Gently, he lifted her to her feet, then turned her around so her back was to him. He stepped into the tub and settled them both back into the tepid water, her on his lap. When she murmured a protest, he nibbled a path from her shoulder up her neck to her ear. One hand caressed her breast while the other slid unerringly down her belly to her womanhood, open and exposed to his touch.

  Her protests turned to welcoming moans.

  “Do you like that, Ellie? Do you want more?” He whispered, before his tongue dipped in and out of her ear, mimicking the motion of his hand, and soon she was writhing in his arms, gasping for breath. She arched her back, reaching over her head to grasp his shoulders.

  “J-e-s-s-e!” Her cry echoed across the small cabin as she convulsed against his hand, the heat of her causing his manhood to throb against her bottom. He smiled at her complete and utter surrender to him. She held nothing back; there was no artifice to her response, and Jesse gloried in his ability to give her such pleasure.

  Before he realized what she was doing, Ellie swiveled in the water and straddled him, laying her chest against his. “You don’t play fair,” she murmured just before she kissed him, and Jesse could have made the same point about her.

  The kiss, bold and hot and lush, sent fire sweeping through him. No timid, maidenly brush of the lips from this gal, that’s for sure. She took control, her tongue sweeping along the ridge of his teeth and wiggling inside when he parted his lips. Her hands started at his ears, circling then massaging down the side of his neck to his shoulders.

  He hadn’t realized how sore his muscles were, or how tense he had become until her gentle strokes persuaded him to relax. As his muscles loosened, she moved her hands to his chest. Jesse held his breath in anticipation of her touch, but she bypassed his sensitive nipples and slid her hands around to his back.

  Breaking her kiss, she grinned -- saucy, sexy -- then kissed his chin. “Do you like being the teasee, instead of the teasor?” Her question stumped him, but before he could understand, she slid down and kissed his nipple, then licked it until it pebbled hard in her mouth. It was too much.

  Jesse slid his hands along the back of her knees, pulling them toward him. When she transferred her attention to the other nipple, he made his move. Hands on her hips, he lifted her just enough to slide into her warm depths. The exquisite, tight length of her just about finished him right there.

  “So, you want control, woodsman?” Ellie straightened, arching her back and in so doing took him even deeper into herself. Jesse’s brows arched as he felt her clutch around him.

  “Not if you’re going to keep doing that,” he moaned. Her breasts bounced enticingly in front of him, and he leaned forward to capture one with his lips. When she groaned, he sucked gently, hungry for her.

  Ellie ground her hips against his, taking all of him and wanting more. Even when he sucked at her breast, she felt she couldn’t get enough of him. When his hands moved to lift her, she instantly picked up the rhythm and repeatedly slid down his length. She had to grip the edges of the tub to steady herself for suddenly they were both out of control. Jesse bucked beneath her, his head thrown back, stormy blue eyes capturing her gaze and holding as he carried her ever upward.

  Ellie could feel herself tightening, tingling sensations zipping up and down her legs. As the first wave hit, Jesse pushed hard, paused, then stroked her quickly again and again. Together, they climaxed, Jesse’s hands firm on her hips to hold her tight against him as he throbbed his release into her body.

  Ellie’s own body squeezed again and again, and in her heart she hoped she took Jesse’s seed into her womb to make a baby. If she couldn’t have Jesse forever, maybe she could have his child.

  “Hey, sweet lady, why the tears?” Jesse had released her and rubbed a callused thumb across her cheek.

  Ellie hadn’t realized she was crying and fought the urge to lay her burden at Jesse’s feet. If he knew about the accident, he could prevent it from happening again, couldn’t he? Or would his knowing somehow change history the wrong way? It was too complicated to think about.

  With a sigh, she laid her head against Jesse’s shoulder. “It’s my prerogative to cry whenever I want to,” she murmured against his throat.

  “I thought maybe the shooting stars were just too bright for your eyes.” He spoke softly into her hair.

  “Stars?”

  “Mmmm,” was all the answer she got as he absently rubbed her back.

  “Jesse?”

  “I’m in love with you,” Jesse said, the awe in his voice apparent.

  “Of course you are,” Ellie answered, her heart thudding, wondering if he meant her or Elizabeth.

  He pushed her back by the shoulders. Dark brows came together over blue, blue eyes as he stared at her. “I’m serious. It’s different now. You’re different. I always felt we were friends, but I never thought about being passionately in love with you.” He shrugged as though in apology. “I was comfortable with you because I’d known you half my life. I didn’t think I needed stars and bells and lightning.”

  “And now?” Ellie held her breath in answer; an answer she hoped included her.

  “This past couple of weeks, everything’s changed.”

  “Is that bad?”

  “Absolutely not.” He punctuated his statement with a kiss. “In fact, I find I kinda like the shooting stars and flashing lightning.”

  Ellie laughed as he hauled her out of the tub and rubbed her dry. She clung to him as he carried her to bed, and she tried her damnedest to make sure he saw plenty of shooting stars throughout the night.

  * * *

  The Fourth of July, 1870, dawned rosy and clear. Ellie lay curled into Jesse, staring across the cabin at what she could see of the thin streams of pink clouds and blue sky. Her gaze surveyed the tiny cabin, memorizing all the nooks and crannies. Only when Jesse stirred in his sleep did she allow her thoughts to turn to him, knowing when she did that the tears would flow.

  Would he forget her in a day? Had she given him enough love to last a lifetime? Even though she knew there was no choice, she wished for things to be different.

  “Ellie, what’s wrong?” Jesse whispered, nuzzling her neck and tightening his arm around her waist.

  Ellie rolled to her back, turning her head to study his f
urrowed brow above those wonderful blue eyes. “How do you know anything’s wrong?”

  The furrows deepened. “There’s not much about you I don’t know.” His hand slid from her bare midriff down to her hips to emphasize his point.

  Ellie swallowed hard, fighting the tears that still threatened. “What if tomorrow never comes?”

  Jesse gave a slight shake of his head. “That’s not going to happen.”

  “But what if?”

  “I’d hope to catch up with you in eternity. I have too much to say yet; too much love to still give you.”

  “You’d love me for eternity?”

  He raised himself on his elbow and leaned forward, his lips a breath away from her own. “Ellie, I’ll love you always and then some. Believe that if you believe nothing else in this world.”

  Ellie refused to let him out of bed until he proved his point. Which he did -- at great length and quite thoroughly.

  * * *

  If Peavine did anything well, it was celebrate, and the one celebration that year bigger than Sarah’s wedding was Independence Day. By the time Jesse and Ellie had dressed and meandered into town, things were in full gear.

  Red, white and blue banners hung from every building all up and down the street. Tables were set up in the grass beside the church for the picnic to be held later. People were everywhere.

  Ellie had lived in Peavine a month, and she swore she had never encountered so many people, even at church on Sunday. Then again, she supposed the miners, working in shifts all week, didn’t venture into town except on Saturdays, and she had learned early on not to wander far from home on that night.

  Jesse amazed her throughout the day as he dragged her from event to event, laughing and joking with all the miners and townspeople, calling everyone by name. Since she didn’t know them all, but was probably suppose to, she just nodded and smiled, hoping no one asked her any personal questions.