by Bobbi Smith
She reached up to touch his cheek in a gentle caress. “I love you, too.”
“Will you marry me?” he asked, knowing there would be no better time, but he was puzzled when she frowned slightly.
“Oh yes! Yes, I’ll marry you!” Penny hadn’t been expecting his proposal, but she was thrilled nonetheless. She couldn’t imagine spending her life with anyone else. She kissed him quickly, but then drew slightly away from him as she added, “But . . .”
He had been overwhelmed when she’d said yes, but her sudden hesitation afterward troubled him. “What? Is something wrong?” Whatever was troubling her, he would find a way to take care of it.
“It’s Dwylah.” She fought to keep from smiling.
“What about her?” Dan was confused. If anything, he thought the chaperone would be glad that things had worked out this way.
“Well, she’s been wanting to get you to a justice of the peace for ages now. She’s not going to be happy when she finds out you’re marrying me.”
Dan laughed and took Penny in his arms. “I’ll find a way to make it up to her.”
He kissed her once more and then they set about settling in for the night as the snow continued to fall. It was much later after they’d eaten their sparse dinner and had bedded down that Penny lay curled under her blanket, thinking of how blessed she was that Dan had come into her life. He was everything she’d ever dreamed of in a man, and she loved him so much.
“Dan?” She said his name softly, not sure he was still awake.
Dan was far from drifting off. He’d been lying in the top bunk, staring at the ceiling, thinking of Penny and how much he loved her. Her call surprised him, for he thought she’d already fallen asleep. “What?”
“I need you.”
It was almost a whisper, but he heard it.
Dan slipped down from the upper bunk and went to her. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong. I just want you with me. We’ll be warmer together,” she invited, scooting over on the lower bunk.
He knew she was right. They would be warmer together—a lot warmer. He also knew lying beside her was going to test every bit of his willpower. Still, gazing down at her and seeing her innocent beauty, he couldn’t resist. He got his blanket and stretched out on his side next to her. He made sure she was wrapped up in her blanket and then he spread his blanket over both of them before drawing her to him for a tender kiss.
“I’m warmer already,” she told him with a grin.
“So am I,” he said, gathering her close so her head rested on his shoulder. He could feel her soft body against him and tried not to think about how wonderful their wedding night was going to be. He closed his eyes, savoring the intimacy of their time alone.
Penny turned toward him and rested a hand on his chest. “I love you so much. When I think about what could have happened to you in the fight—”
Dan felt her tremble, and he kissed her softly and pressed her head down on his shoulder, gently stroking her hair. “It’s over now. We’re here and we’re safe—and warm,” he added.
His touch and the deep sound of his voice comforted her, and she nestled even closer to him as she closed her eyes, knowing this was as close to heaven as she had ever been. “Good night . . .”
Dan pressed a kiss on her forehead as he cradled her against him. He couldn’t believe everything had turned out the way it had, and he knew he was going to spend the rest of his life showing her just how much he loved her. He wanted to make love to her right then. He could think of nothing more wonderful than making her his own in all ways, but he respected her too much to take advantage of this time they had together. He would get them back to the ranch house as quickly as he could, so he could ask Jack for his permission to marry his daughter. He wanted to do things the proper way. Penny deserved that much.
Dan didn’t fall asleep right away. Her nearness and the harsh sound of the wind outside kept him awake for quite a while. He hoped the storm would clear out by morning, but he knew it didn’t sound good. At least, they were safe for now. He would get Penny back to Jack at the ranch, and he would get her to the altar just as quickly as he could after that. He smiled at the thought that he would have a family again, and he knew that would be the best Christmas present he’d ever received.
Dan awoke early the next morning and looked over at Penny, where she was still sleeping close beside him. He took the time to study her, thinking she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. He carefully managed to slip out of the bunk, taking care not to disturb her, and went to look out the window. He’d been hoping that the weather had cleared overnight, but the sight that greeted him wasn’t what he’d hoped for. The snow was still coming down so heavily he could barely see more than a foot out the window. Frustrated, but knowing there was nothing he could do about it, he accepted his fate.
For now he was trapped with Penny in the line shack.
At any other time, he would have been perfectly happy to stay there alone with her, but his concern about the state of Jack’s health left him tense. Knowing there was little he could do right then, he made up his mind to bide his time and wait for the opportunity to ride out as soon as they could.
Chapter Twenty-two
It was late that afternoon when Dwylah was sitting in the parlor reading. The snowfall had let up earlier in the day and things had been quiet around the ranch. She was startled when she heard some shouting outside, and she got up from the sofa to see what all the excitement was about. It seemed a bit early for Danny and Penny to be back. Jack had told her they would be gone for at least four or five days, but then since the weather had turned bad with the snow, she thought they might have decided to return to the ranch house early.
Dwylah was eager to see them. Things were definitely too quiet around there without Danny. Looking out, she spotted some of the ranch hands down by the stable, but she had no idea what they seemed to be so excited about. It wasn’t long before she saw one of them running up to the house. The fact that he was running frightened her. She rushed out into the hallway to call for Jack, who was upstairs resting.
“Jack! Get down here!”
Jack had been half asleep when he heard her call, and he knew it had to be important if Dwylah was calling him. He managed to get up out of bed and start from the bedroom to see what was wrong. When he reached the top of the stairs, he saw Lou in the front hall with Dwylah. Jack hurried down the steps as fast as he could go.
“What is it?” he asked, seeing Lou’s worried expression.
“We got trouble, Jack,” he told him. “Dan and Penny’s horses just came back without them.”
“What?” Dwylah reacted first, horrified.
Jack was somber. “When?”
“Just a few minutes ago. We checked them over to see if they’d been injured in any way, but the horses seem fine.”
“But Penny and Dan—” Jack was frowning as he tried to figure out what had happened to them.
“No sign of them,” Lou said, his tone somber.
“This isn’t like Dan.”
“Not at all. That’s why I already told Fred to saddle up our horses, so we can ride out while it’s still daylight. Where did they ride to?”
“Up to the north side of the canyon,” Jack said.
“All right. We’ll get some supplies and head out in the next few minutes.”
“Do you think you can reach the first line shack before nightfall?” He worried about Lou and Fred being out in this weather, too.
“We’re going to try,” Lou promised.
“I wish I could ride with you,” he said solemnly.
“I wish you could, too. You’re the best tracker on the Lazy Ace,” Lou said as he started back toward the door.
“Lou—”
The ranch hand looked back to see what his boss wanted.
“Find them.”
The look in Jack’s eyes told him all he needed to know. “I won’t come back without them.”
A
fter spending an entire day snowed in at the line shack worrying about how he was going to get Penny back to her father, Dan went out to take a look around. There was no way they were going to be able to go after the money Jack had hidden at the third spot, so he wanted to return to the house as soon as possible. They could find the rest of the money later, when the weather got better.
Dan checked on the horse first and then walked farther out away from the shack to see how bad the trail was. Riding double on the way up the canyon in good weather had been one thing, but they were going to have to be extra cautious in the snow. As he made his way closer to the trail, he saw something up in one of the trees and smiled, knowing he was going to take some of that back to the shack with him.
Penny had realized how restless Dan was when he went outside, and since they were going to be there at least until the following morning, she decided to make this evening a very special one for him.
Tonight, she was going to surprise him.
They were going to celebrate their engagement with a romantic candlelight dinner. She’d found a candle in one of the drawers earlier, and while he was gone, she was going to do her best to make this a banquet he wouldn’t forget. She put the candle in a candleholder in the middle of the table for their decorative centerpiece. She wished she’d had some decorations to put up, too, but this was a line shack, after all.
Penny was smiling as she put the beans on the top of the stove to heat up and then set the table with the “fine china.” The metal plates were going to have to do. She wished they had a bottle of wine so they could make a toast, but they would have to be satisfied drinking water. Her engagement banquet might not prove to be the social event of the season, but it was going to be a wonderful night for the two of them.
Thoughts of an “engagement banquet” made her think of her mother, and she grew sad for a moment. She had never known why her parents’ marriage hadn’t worked out, but she was determined that her marriage to Dan was going to last. She was going to do everything in her power to make sure they lived happily ever after.
Penny went to look out the window and saw that he was on his way back. She quickly lit the candle and put the pot of beans on the table. She stood back to watch him as he came through the door.
Dan was carrying his present for Penny behind him as he came back into the line shack. It was the closest thing to bringing her flowers as he could find, stranded as they were. When he walked in the door, though, his idea of surprising her was lost as she surprised him. There before him was what looked to be a romantic dinner. There was a lighted candle on the table, their places were set, and the pot of beans was waiting for them. Penny was standing behind the table, bathed in the candlelight, looking more beautiful than ever.
“I wanted to surprise you,” she said.
“You did,” he answered, quickly shutting the door. He went to her and held out his gift. “Here. I brought you some mistletoe.”
Penny’s eyes widened in surprise. She’d never seen it grown in the wild this way. “Where did you find it?”
“It grows on the trees out here.”
“I’m glad. I was looking for something to decorate with,” she said as she took it from him, and then stood on tiptoes to give him a quick kiss. “But you didn’t really need the mistletoe to get a kiss, you know.” She gave him a flirtatious look.
He grabbed her and pulled her to him, seeking her lips in a hungry exchange that left her heart racing when they finally moved apart.
Penny gazed up at him, wondering what it was going to be like on their wedding night. She had no idea what really went on between a man and a woman, but after kissing Dan these last few days and snuggling up with him in her bunk last night, she was growing more and more eager to find out. “We’d better eat.”
“All right,” he agreed, somewhat reluctantly. What he really wanted to do was pick her up in his arms and carry her off to one of the lower bunks.
While he took off his coat and washed his hands, Penny decorated the table with the mistletoe. When he wasn’t looking, she hid a piece of the mistletoe in a strategic place to surprise him with later. Stepping back, she admired their fancy dinner.
“Let’s eat,” Dan said, coming back to give her one more kiss. This time it was a sweet one, for he didn’t want to tempt himself any more than he already had.
They sat down at the table and said grace before Penny passed him the dish of beans.
“I hope you like my cooking,” she said with a grin.
“It smells delicious,” he countered.
They were both smiling as they served themselves.
“This wasn’t quite the banquet I always dreamed of—” she began.
“I’m sorry,” Dan put in, knowing how rough this had to be for her.
“Don’t you dare apologize, Dan Roland. You didn’t let me finish. I was going to say that while it’s not what I always dreamed of, it’s even better. Just the two of us, here, celebrating.” Penny picked up her glass of water and held it out to Dan. “To our engagement.”
He lifted his glass and touched it to hers. “To us,” he told her, and they both took a drink.
They enjoyed their meal, knowing under the circumstances that they were very blessed to have a roof over their heads, a warm place to sleep, and something hot to eat.
“How bad was it outside?” Penny asked as they finished eating.
“We should be able to start back in the morning. It’ll be a hard ride, but if the weather holds we should be able to make it at least to the other line shack tomorrow.”
“I wonder if our horses made it back to the house.”
“If they did, I’m sure your father sent some of the boys out to look for us.”
“The sooner we get back, the better.”
Penny got up from the table to clean up after their dinner, but Dan had other ideas. As she started past him, he caught her arm and pulled her down on his lap.
“I love you, Penny,” he said.
Their gazes met, and time stood still. Slowly, he bent to her and kissed her. It started off as a sweet kiss, but the feel of her against him lit a fire within Dan and he scooped her up in his arms as he stood up and carried her over to one of the lower bunks. Ever so gently, he laid her down on the bed and then he joined her there, taking her in his arms again.
Penny felt the heat of his body next to hers and wrapped her arms around him. She wanted to be as close to him as she could be, and when he moved over her, she thrilled to his nearness. His lips found hers, and she shivered in delight. She had never been so intimate with a man before, but she was enjoying it. Innocent that she was, she had no idea how her restless movements aroused Dan even more, and she was devastated when he broke off the kiss and shifted slightly away from her.
“Dan . . . ?” Penny whispered, wanting to be back in his arms kissing him. When she heard him give a half groan, half chuckle, she grew even more confused, and when he sat up on the side of the bunk, she was hurt. “Why did you stop?”
Dan glanced over his shoulder at her and saw her innocent confusion. He turned back and kissed her softly. “I had to, Penny. If I hadn’t stopped right then, I wouldn’t have been able to stop at all. I want to save our lovemaking for our wedding night.”
“Oh—” She suddenly realized what he was talking about and she blushed. “Can we go find a justice of the peace right now?”
“Believe me, if there was one nearby, we’d be on our way. I love you, girl.”
“I love you, too.”
Dan got up and Penny followed. As he started to go add more wood to the stove, she stopped him.
“There is one thing you missed—”
“What?”
“I get another kiss—” She pointed to where she’d put the small piece of mistletoe in the upper bunk.
“I think I can be forced to oblige you.” Dan laughed and took her in his arms for one last passionate embrace before setting her from him. “I’m real glad I brought that mistletoe back fo
r you.”
“So am I,” she agreed. “I may just keep a piece of it with me all the time now.”
“I think that’s a real good idea.”
He helped her clean up after the dinner and they began to make their plans for riding out early in the morning. Dan wanted to cover as many miles as they could the following day.
When they bedded down for the night, Dan took Penny in his arms again and held her close, kissing her one last time before trying to sleep. As they lay together, both were regretting that there wasn’t a justice of the peace anywhere nearby.
Chapter Twenty-three
It was midafternoon the following day as the stagecoach made its run into Sagebrush. Lacey’s mood was strained. Soon their trip would be over. Soon she would be separated from little Steve and the reverend, and she would probably never see them again. The possibility broke her heart. She had never known a man as kind and gentle as Nick, and she loved Steve dearly. She hadn’t had the chance to talk with Nick privately about Steve yet, but if she’d had a way to support herself, she would have asked to adopt the boy right then and there. As unsettled as her life was, she had nothing to offer him. She didn’t know how she was going to feed herself, let alone take care of a young boy, too.
Lacey glanced over at the reverend and saw the tension and excitement in his expression. Soon he would know where his brother had gone—or, at least, she hoped he would find out, and then they would be reunited. She wished she could be there with him when they came face-to-face for the first time after all these years. She knew it was going to be a wonderful, life-changing moment they would never forget.
Nick couldn’t remember the last time he’d been this excited. Danny was somewhere nearby and he was going to find him.
“It won’t be long now,” Steve said, seeing the look on his face.
“I know. I just wonder how hard it will be to track him down in town.”
“Don’t worry. We’ll do it. We didn’t come all this way to lose him now,” Steve said.