She and Malachi had gone after her, and a kindly old couple had derided
the two of them had to be married. "But they'd been in' love for years.
They wouldn't admit it, of course, because they were too busy gouging
one another's eyes out."
"Oh, it never was that bad!" Shannon protested. "No, it was worse!"
Kristin said. She stood up.
"I think that we need a drop of brandy to go with this, too. Girls?"
Shannon and Tess both agreed. Then Tess yawned and complained that her
buckskins were filthy and that she felt as if half of Texas was covering
her.
The sisters quickly had the hip tub out and filled, and Shannon was
racing upstairs for French bath oil, and before she knew it Kristin was
presenting her with a lilac nightgown that matched her eyes. "I can't
take these things!" Tess protested.
"But you can. It's all in the family," Shannon told her. Tess shook her
head.
"I heard Jamie once. He said that no one would ever make him get
married." Kristin shrugged.
"They can't force him--but he just might choose to do so on his own."
' "Do you want him?" Shannon asked her.
Tess f~it her heart beat hard and she closed her eyes. Yes! Yes, she
wanted Jamie desperately. She had wanted him his eyes had first fallen
upon her, since he had killed since he had told her in a soft voice that
she was Since that day by the stream before the nightmare had begun and
he had touched her and said, "I think I'm falling in love with you ..."
But that had been before they had nearly been destroyea, before he had
lost his beloved cavalry mount to retrieve her.
She was trouble. He had told her that again and again. He had walked out
at dinner because he had been so furious with her that he hadn't been
able to stay at the table. "Do you?"
Shannon persisted.
"Yes," Tess admitted softly.
"I want him. For keeps."
"Then forget the arguments. Even forget the fact that you'll probably
never get along. I have," Shannon said cheerily.
"Forget von Heusen, forget everything, and cherish what time you have
together in peace."
"And get in the tub with the rose oil," Kristin suggested drily.
"There's just nothing like a very sweet smell."
"And a see-through lilac gown to match your eyes! Aren't they beautiful
eyes, Kristin?" "And she's not jealous often," Kristin said, laughing.
Feeling loved and protected, Tess stepped into the water and felt the
steam surround her. It was good to be home.
"I'm more worried now that I know just what this man is after," Jamie
said.
He was sitting on the rocker on the porch. Jori was perched on the
railing with Cole, and Malachi was seated across from him on the swing.
It creaked slowly in the night air.
Jamie exhaled. He looked at his brothers.
"Thanks for coming. I'm just wishing right now that I hadn't had you
bring Kristin and Shannon."
"Jamie, you've known the McCahy girls a long time," Cole said drily.
"And you should know at this point that they wouldn't have it any other
way."
"I just don't know what this man might plan. I do know that he keeps
twenty to thirty hired guns on his property at all times."
"We've met up with bad odds~ before Malachi reminded him.
"God damn it, don't you understand what I'm trying to say? I don't want
you, your wives or your children killed on my account."
Gabe came out then. He glanced at his father and it was obvious he had
heard some of what had been said. He went straight up to his Uncle Jamie
and took his trail-toughened face into his hands.
"There's right and wrong, Uncle Jamie, and you know that. And my pa and
my ma, they say you have to fight what's wrong, because if you just give
in, it'll bury you in the end.
I don't mind fighting. Not if it's the right thing to do."
Jamie lifted his nephew and hugged him tightly. Cole smiled.
"I rest my case."
"Malachi, those twins of yours aren't quite three years old. You think
they feel the same way?"
"Jamie, we're here, and that's it," Malachi said flatly. "Now, what
about Tess?"
"What about her?" Jamie scowled.
"She's the hardest creature to tangle with I have ever encountered,
Yanks and Indians and rattlers included." "Think you're going to marry
her?" Malachi asked pleasantly.
"If he doesn't do so soon," Jon Red Feather supplied, "I
"Damn you, Jon" -- I'll have to, to keep the poor woman honest." ,~
Jamie ou know the lot of you, you may be but I'm " She's beautiful, very
bright and has the will of a wildcat. Besides that, she's worth a damned
fortune. He's already absconded with half her property," Malachi said."
Wait a damned minute!" Jamie protested.
"The least you could do is marry her," Cole said. Jamie threw up his
hands.
"Thank you, one and all, for coming. And now I'll thank you, one and
all, to mind your own damned bus' mess Good night."
He set Gabe on the rocker and headed into the house. He was halfway up
the stairs before he realized he didn't know if he had a room in the
house. His brothers and Kristin and Shannon and even the kids seemed
very happily moved in.
But where the hell he was supposed to be, he didn't know. He headed for
Tess's room, wondering what her reaction was going to be. If she
threatened to scream and bring the house down he thought he'd throttle
her.
He tapped on her door, then pushed it open.
"Tess?" "Jamie?" She said his name softly, sweetly. Her voice touched
the air like the fragrance of roses that seemed to be all around the
room, light as stardust. Her whisper was sultry, as if he had awakened
her.
He strode across the room then paused, seeing how the moon entered
through the window and glowed upon bet.
Her hair was shining with greater splendor than any sunset, and it was
spread out behind her as if each strand were a glorious ray of the sun.
She was dressed in violet, a shade that matched her eyes in the darkness
of the night. A shade that was barely concealing, a shade that managed
to enhance every beautiful line and curve of her body.
"Tess, where the hell" -- He paused, clearing his throat, wondering why
the hell he was getting so damned angry.
"Tess, where am I supposed to--oh, the hell with it!" he growled.
He didn't see her smile as he dropped forcefully upon her, sweeping her
into his arms. He didn't really see anything 271 except the color of her
hair, entwining and tangling around him. He breathed in the clean, sweet
scent of her, and he could barely contain his longings. The Apache had
kept them apart for the last two long nights. He hadn't realized how
badly he could need her after such a short time, how much he could crave
her. She was like a sweet a man thought he tasted once, and yet wanted
more and more once he knew the exotic taste. He kissed her fiercely, and
he kissed her long, and he felt the frantic rise of her breasts against
his hand as she lost her breath. Only when she trembled and gasped did
he raise his head and stare at her.
"I'm staying here. We're doing it my way, remember?"
She returned his stare. Her arms wound around him, and she pressed her
lips to his, then she shoved him slightly away from her and started to
open his shirt buttons. Slowly, achingly slowly, she opened them one by
one, pressing her lips against his flesh. And when his shirt was east
aside she tenderly nipped and kissed his shoulders while she tugged at
his belt buckle. She inched his pants slowly down his hips. Boldly,
possessively she touched him, stroked him and trembled, her fingers
shaking as he came hard as steel to her ministrations. Then he could