For a long time, he made love to her, showing her how good it could be. He was tender and caring and she moved against him in a frenzy as he heated her. She'd never had a man prepare her, but Gil took his time each and every time and it was heaven.
~*~
An hour later, she lay sweating and panting, trying to get her breath back after multiple orgasms. Being pregnant made her more vulnerable for sex as it took very little to prepare her. She felt wanton, but she also felt loved and protected by this man.
Gil had given her so much, and she wanted to give back.
He licked the sweat from her breast and pulled her close.
She sighed heavily. "Wow, you've made a real sex-starved woman of me," she whispered, as his hands moved gently down her body.
"You let me know if I am ever hurting you," he said softly, kissing her ear.
His breath fanned her, and the stimulation thrilled her. Her breast had filled out even more now, and her figure was perfectly womanly, as he called it.
He took one breast into his hand and touched her.
"Unless you want a repeat, you better not do that," she cautioned.
"Do you want a repeat?" he asked with a smile.
"Hmm… yes, but I'm so sore now. I think I should rest."
"Then I'll behave and just hold you in my arms, if that's okay."
"Perfect," she purred, closing her eyes and relaxing against him.
"Trish, do you still want a divorce from Chester?" he asked out of the blue.
"Of course I do. I don’t want to spend my life married to that man." She glanced up at him. "Why?"
"I just wondered. Perhaps we can try again before we leave the area to get him to give you one," Gil said.
"I guess I could…"
"No. I'd never let you go there alone again," he whispered, and kissed her on the lips.
She swooned. Her happiness was complete.
Chapter Thirty-One
Trish had never ridden a train before, so it fascinated her. She stared out the window, marveling at how fast they were going. They had to take a buggy to Vada as the train didn't run through the town. Gil rented a nice rig, and they were off.
Trish was excited about seeing her friends once more. She wondered how everyone had fared since she'd been gone.
She wondered if anyone had moved off, but Sarah and her preacher man wouldn't have left and Jo Ella's husband was the law, so he'd be there and Nadine was close by. The only one she worried about was Maggie. Maggie had run off with Dakota, the half-breed Indian, the last she had heard and Trish had worried about her. It was also rumored that Maggie had become engaged to the mayor and ran off with an Indian. Trish couldn't wait to find out what really happened to her.
"You are ever so good to me, Gil," Trish said as they had coffee in the dining car.
"I aim to please you. I do have some business to take care of while we are here, so you can spend the first couple of days with your friends, alone" Gil announced. "I'll join you later.
"Poker?"
"No, honey, just something I need to take care of. I won't be gone long, I promise." Gil eyed her a moment then smiled. "It's not another woman, if that's what you are thinking."
She chuckled. "That's good. I'd hate to have to use my claws right now."
He laughed.
Vada hadn't changed a bit, still small and quaint, but Trish had to admit, she liked this little town. It had just enough to make one feel at home.
As Gil pulled the buggy in front of the boarding house, the girls began to pile out and run at her.
"Trish, oh, Trish, you're back. We thought we'd lost you for good." Jo Ella hugged her to her.
Trish giggled. "It's so good to see you."
Ma Jones came out and hugged her too.
Sarah was pregnant too so they both twirled around for each other.
Nadine came out last. "As I live and breathe girl, we thought we'd never see you again!"
"Nadine, oh, I'm so glad you are all here. But where is Maggie?"
"Believe it or not, she hasn't been seen or heard from in a couple of months." Jo Ella informed her. "I'm sorry she couldn't be here, but none of us have heard from her in a long while, not since she ran off with that Indian."
"You mean she did run of with him?" Trish laughed.
"Shh, don't say that so loud," Nadine scolded. "It's still a very sensitive subject in this town. What a scandal. I'm not sure she could come back because of all the sympathy for the Mayor. She's been gone for months. We don't have any idea what happened to her. The mayor hired people to try to find her at first, but he's given up. He's decided she wanted to run away."
"I hope she's safe." Trish cried.
"Well, now, honey, aren't you gonna introduce us? Is this, Chester?" Jo Ella frowned.
"Heavens no. This is Gil Davis, my… partner."
"Partner?" Jo Ella's brows went up. "What kind of partner?"
Trish laughed. "The best kind." She glanced at Gil, who smiled at the ladies crowding around him. "You see, Maggie's not the only one that does scandalous things. I picked up a tin-horned gambler," she said teasingly.
"He so handsome. I feel faint…." Nadine laughed.
"Pay no attention to them, Gil. They really mean no harm," Trish explained.
Gil indulged the girls their questions and teasing. Still sitting on the seat of the buggy, he glanced at Trish. "Honey, I'm gonna go on and take care of my business and I'll be back probably late tomorrow. Enjoy your visit." Gil leaned the distance to kiss her on the mouth.
The girls all awed and oohed.
Gil drove off, and Trish couldn't help but wonder exactly what he was up to. Whatever it was, he hadn't confided in her about it. She felt just a little angry, but the girls crowded around her now and she didn't have time to be mad.
"He's gorgeous, but what happened to Chester?" Jo Ella asked, her brows knitting.
"Let's go in and I'll tell you all about it," Trish said.
"Good to have you back, Trish. We've missed you," Ma said, picking up her bag and carrying it inside for her. Trish glanced at her and smiled to herself. Ma hadn't changed a bit. As owner of the boardinghouse, she'd become much more than that to the girls.
"Thanks, Ma. I could get it."
"You don't need to be lifting anything, girl. You gotta take care of yourself. I can see you got a youngun on the way. Now, let's go in the parlor so we can gossip for a while." Ma smiled.
Trish had missed the boarding house and the girls, even Ma.
When they went inside, a precious baby was playing on his blanket with a stuffed bear.
Trish nearly screamed when she saw him and ran to pick him up. She cuddled him to her and the baby seemed happy. "And who is this?"
Jo Ella blushed and smiled. "That is Lucas, our first."
"He's adorable. He's got Harry's baby face and your beautiful eyes." Trish picked him up, planted a kiss on his forehead, and set him back down to play. He sucked his thumb and reached for his bear. "Oh, it's seems like a miracle."
"Okay, so give. Where is Chester?"
Trish blushed brightly, and set Lucas back on his blanket. "He abandoned me after only three months."
Jo Ella's brow went up.
Ma frowned. "Abandoned!"
"For lack of a better explanation, he lost me in a poker game," Trish said quietly.
"You don't mean it!" Sarah reached to hold her hand.
"'Fraid so. I was sittin' in front of the saloon and the next thing I knew, Chester came out and announced he'd lost me in the poker game. Someone said he had a good hand, and that he couldn't be blamed. But Chester washed his hands of me and left me there on the street. He lost me to Gil."
"Shameful, just shameful." Nadine shook her head.
"Maybe, but it's the truth. I went back after about a week and asked him for a divorce."
"What did he say?" Nadine asked.
Trish turned her head away. "He-he… well, never mind. Needless to say, things aren't settled bet
ween us yet."
"No and I'm not telling him. If he could do me that way, he has not right to be a father."
The girls broke out in tears and grabbed her.
"Oh, honey, why didn't you get word to us? We'd have come and got you."
"As it were, it worked out well. Gil's been… marvelous to me. We have sort of an agreement… between us."
"Oh I want to hear this." Sarah shook her head and smiled. "He's sinfully good looking. I don't blame you. I'd have stayed with him too."
"So is this Chester's baby?" Jo Ella asked in a whisper.
"Yes!"
This brought all eyes upon her, and they all crowded around her. "Well, tell us…" they all shouted.
Trish went into details telling them about Chester and then Eb. When she was through, they began to cry and reach for her hand to hold.
"My God, Trish, you've been through it, honey." Ma cried aloud.
"It's all true, so help me. And it's been Gil who has stood beside me all this time and helped me."
"Oh, he's a keeper, honey." Nadine patted her hand.
"When we left for Ft. Worth, I started getting mail from you, Ma and Jo Ella so I've heard about all of you. Except Maggie. You were all very quiet about her. I guess some things can't be told in a letter. I heard about Jo Ella marrying the sheriff. I'm glad, I liked him much better than Dillon." She winked at Jo Ella. "Something about man that is too sure of himself."
"She's already pregnant again, girl," Ma said proudly. "Not only that, but so is Sarah and Nadine too. Looks like we are gonna have a lot of babies very shortly."
"It really is a miracle, isn't it?" Trish glanced around them. "Yes, I guess it is. We've been fortunate. I'm so glad your Gil had the sense to wire us that you were coming."
Trish nodded. "I only wish Maggie were here, I so hope she is alright. It would be a hard, adaptive life, living with an Indian. I head Sarah got pregnant almost before the wedding. To the preacher of all men."
"Well, what can I say? He was only doin' the Lord's work. 'Be fruitful and multiply.'" Sarah giggled. "Unless this baby is born on time, I'll never convince anyone I got pregnant on our wedding night."
"And, Nadine, I heard you got the biggest man in the community."
Nadine smiled demurely. "I gotta admit, it took a while to tame me, but he had what it took to do it. And we're trying to have a baby now. We lost our first child."
"Oh my God, I'm so sorry. I wish I'd been here to help you. But I gotta admit, I'm so proud for you all. And that you look so happy."
"We've had our times. So… are you and the gambler gonna get married?" Nadine asked changing the subject quickly.
"I don't know, but he wants me to stay with him, me and the baby. You see, I'm still legally married to Chester. I can file abandonment on him in three years. Well actually about two years now. When I'm free, we plan to marry. Unless he changes his mind between now and then."
"You have to wait that long?"
"I don't know. I hope not."
The first night, they stayed up all hours talking about their ordeals and the fun they had. Trish played with Lucas for hours while Jo Ella helped Ma cook for the bunch. Sarah sat and told about the long ordeal of catching her preacher man. Nadine added to the pot by telling her of the struggled she had with Gabe.
But as night came, Trish had to admit she missed Gil almost the moment he left her. She didn't think she would. Somehow, she just didn't feel complete without him, like a part of herself were missing.
"Where'd he have to go?" Jo Ella asked when the others finally went to bed.
"I don't know. He wouldn't tell me. And I didn't want to pry. A man should have some secrets, I guess." She threw up her hands.
"You're in love with him, aren't you?" Jo Ella guessed as she watched her.
"Oh, yeah. It wasn't my intention. My intention to begin with was to survive when Chester dumped me." She spread her hands over her dress and smoothed it.
Sarah raised her head off the pillow. "Why on earth did you marry that man, Chester?"
"A man don't have to be good looking. I thought he was a good man. I loved his farm. It was so pretty. But he wasn't. Not even on the inside. Mama always told me that ugly people were usually pretty people on the inside, so I believed it of Chester."
"Did this Eb character hurt you bad?"
"Yeah, but I had a good doctor. Gil saw to that," Trish explained.
She wished she knew where he had gone. She wished he had trusted her enough to tell her where he was going, but he'd been so good to her she couldn't push him. Trish realized her trust was being tested.
"I've missed you girls," Trish began, a tear escaping down her cheek.
"We've worried a lot about you. Going off into another part of the country, that scared us. We didn't know what he might do to you. For a woman who doesn't trust men, you sure picked yourself a strange one to go with," Jo Ella said without opening her eyes.
"I've learned so much living with Gil."
"I can tell. And I also know how much you love him too," Jo Ella opened her eyes at stared at her. "I wouldn't have believed it, unless I saw it. You trust him, don't you?"
"I do."
"And how does he feel about you?"
"It's hard to explain how we feel about each other, but I love him so."
"That's a start in the right direction." Jo Ella smiled.
"Where are your husbands?" Trish asked to change the subject.
"They knew we wanted to have an all-girls night, so they got together and went hunting. They'll be back tomorrow."
"Lucas is precious. Did you have a hard time birthing him?"
"A little. Actually Ma delivered him. He came pretty quick for a first baby, Ma said. My water broke here at home, and just me and her were home. We sent word to Harry, but he had to deliver some papers to someone so he wasn't at the office. By the time he got here, Lucas was born and Ma placed him in his arms. The look on that man's face was unbelievable. He must have smiled for a week." Jo Ella laughed.
"I'm a little scared about having the baby."
"So is Sarah. You two are due about the same time. Nadine just got pregnant about three months ago, so she's got a little more time than the rest of you."
Jo Ella relaxed. "You have a right to be scared. It's not fun, but it is worth it." She was quiet for a long while then she added, "It's hard to believe we all came here, found someone, married, and now have or are going to have children. We are ladies at long last! We did it girls."
"Except maybe Maggie!" Nadine added.
"Maggie is a strong woman. No matter what happens, I think she'll come out of this the way she wants it to. I guess we did and we are! And I'll be the first to admit I had my doubts about it all." Trish glanced around the room. As the night began to pass, they went to sleep and Trish was content. Mostly.
Chapter Thirty-Two
The next morning around the breakfast table the telegraph man came running over and delivered a telegram from Maggie.
"It's from Maggie!" Ma announced as she glanced over Jo Ella's shoulder.
"What does it say?"
"Not much, just that she'll see us in about a month, not to worry. That's all…"
"Well, at least she's not dead!" Nadine smiled.
"I'll miss seeing her…" Trish hung her head in disappointment.
"At least we know she's alive." Jo Ella affirmed.
Ma had made a huge breakfast, complete with country gravy and home-made biscuits.
"Aw, I won't get to see her?" Trish pouted.
"Well, if you didn't have to rush off, you would." Nadine commented.
Trish shrugged. "I don't know. That's up to Gil. I wish he'd hurry back."
"Easy, girl. He'll be here. The look on his face told me that. That man is in love with you, in case you don't know it."
"I know it, but this is the first time we've been apart in a while… since Eb…"
"You've made love, haven't you?" Jo Ella guessed.
"Ye
s."
"I'm impressed. I never thought you'd find a man you could really love. When you married that Chester, I felt you gave up so much of your life. I knew you weren't in love with him, but you were so afraid you wouldn't live up to that contract. I can understand that. I just wished you'd found your Gil before him."
Trish sighed as she peeled potatoes for the evening meal. "So do I."
"Is there no way you can get a divorce now?"
"I don't know. I don't think so, at least not for a while."
"So you and Gil plan to marry, when you're free?" Jo Ella asked as her and Ma busied themselves with cooking.
"Oh yes…when I'm free…of course."
"That's good. It would be even greater if you could marry here in Vada," Jo Ella suggested.
"Don't matter where, just that you do." Ma chuckled. "'Cause I can tell you love that man and you want to make a family. You know, it takes a special kind of man to accept another man's baby. If your Gil is willing to do that, you hold on to him, girl."
Trish smiled, "I plan to Ma."
Surprisingly, Gil showed up at dinner time and joined them. He met the girls again, their husbands, and little Lucas. When Gil didn't hesitate to pick him up, Trish watched him with the child.
"I can tell he's going to keep you plenty busy, Jo Ella." Gil laughed when Lucas wouldn't turn lose of his finger.
"He already is. He can walk just a little, but Lord help me, when he can run, I’m done for." She chuckled.
Gil sat him on his lap and fed him mashed potatoes. "How many teeth do you have young man?" Gil looked at the tike.
"He's got two on bottom and one coming in on top." Jo Ella crooked her head. "You are really knowledgeable about babies, Gil."
"I love kids. I want a whole houseful. That is, Trish and I do."
"Joe is bashful around kids," Sarah said. "He acts like they are complete strangers. He's really just scared of them. Lord help us when we have our first one."
Gil glanced at Sarah's husband, who was watching the interplay of Gil and Lucas. "My ma only had two kids and one died, so I was an only child. I'm not used to them yet, but I love children."
Winning the Lady (Book 4 of the Red River Valley Brides) Page 20