Josh nodded grimly, remembering the events of that night all too clearly. "He killed one of his own men to save me and Candace. The really strange part was that he had come that night especially to kill me."
Felicity shuddered at the thought. "What happened to change his mind?" she asked, needing to hear all the details.
Josh led her over to the porch swing, where they sat down before he began telling her of the events of that night. Felicity held his hand tightly as he spoke, sharing his emotions as he relived the shock of the fire and the awful scene in the parlor. When he was finished, they sat in silent communion for a long moment before Felicity finally spoke.
"It's easy to understand why Jeremiah hated you so much. He must have felt that nobody loved him at all. But he was really a good man, deep down. He proved that when he saved your life and Candace's," she said, wiping away a tear and trying not to think how close death had come to her beloved.
"Yes," Josh agreed. "It's easy to see how he got mixed up with Ortega, but he proved what kind of a man he really is."
"What I simply can't believe is that your mother could do something so awful to an innocent boy. Poor Jeremiah," she said.
"She was a very selfish person. From what Jeremiah said, she must have been a little crazy, too. That's what Candace thinks, anyway. We talked about it afterward, and it's the only explanation that makes any sense."
Felicity nodded. "I just wish…"
"You wish what?" he asked when she did not finish the thought.
"I wish we could make it up to Jeremiah. I wish he could come and live here with us." She gave him an apologetic smile, certain that he would disapprove of her suggestion, but instead he smiled back, warmly and lovingly.
"I wish the same thing," he said, reaching up to stroke the soft curve of her cheek. How strange that they should both want the same thing for his half-brother. "Unfortunately, he's guilty of rustling, and he's still wanted for rape, even if he's innocent of that crime. If he stayed around here very long, he'd wind up on the end of a rope."
"It just doesn't seem very fair," Felicity said, nuzzling against his hand.
"Life is hardly ever fair," Josh said. "We just have to be grateful when we get a little lucky, the way you and I are right now," he added with another warm smile.
Felicity closed her eyes for a moment against the pure bliss his words brought her. They really were lucky, very lucky, when she considered what might have happened. And then she remembered someone else who had not been quite so fortunate. "How is Candace doing? She seemed fine last night but…"
"She keeps it all inside. Like I said, we talked some right after the fire, but not since. She never mentions Jeremiah's name."
"Then maybe I'd better go see her, and let her talk it out," Felicity said, remembering how often Candace had comforted her during difficult times. Reluctantly, she removed Joshua's hand from where it was still caressing her face. "She's helped me over a lot of rough spots. Now it's time I returned the favor."
Josh nodded his agreement as she rose from the swing and gave him a parting smile. He watched her moving away, enjoying the graceful sway of her body as she walked across the porch and back into the house to look for Candace. In those few seconds, he came to realize how much she had changed. The frightened girl he had found on the prairie was now a woman, a new woman, and he loved her in a new way. Last night, when they had come together in the heat of passion, had been wonderful, but strangely, this quiet time together had been equally satisfying.
He spent a few moments trying to decide why and came to the rather startling conclusion that he genuinely liked his wife, something he had never noticed before. He had always thought of her as a lover and a wife and sometimes even as a mother for his children, but never had he thought of her as a friend. The idea was intriguing, but perfectly logical when he gave it some thought. Who knew him better or understood him as well? To whom were his concerns more important? Who else could share both his sorrows and his happiness? And what other person had brought him more happiness? The word was the very meaning of her name. Josh smiled slowly as he recalled all the reasons why he had selected her as his bride. They had been the wrong reasons, but in his ignorance, he had made the right choice anyway. The innocent, frightened girl he had taken to wife was all grown up, molded by tragedies and hardships that might have destroyed someone else. She was everything he had always wanted, and he would cherish her as he had never cherished another person.
Josh glanced doubtfully at the letter Felicity had just given him to mail. "What makes you think Asa even wants to come back to Texas? He just spent over a year here, looking for you. I'll bet his saddle sores aren't even healed yet."
"He'll come," Felicity said confidently, "especially when he reads that letter."
"What on earth did you tell him, Mrs. Logan?" Josh asked, narrowing his eyes at her in an attempt at intimidation.
The attempt failed, as he had known it would. "I just hinted, ever so discreetly, that Blanche might look upon him favorably as a suitor," Felicity informed him, meeting his disapproving gaze squarely.
Josh resisted the urge to kiss that satisfied grin of hers into something far more interesting. But they were, after all, standing on the front porch of the ranch house, where anyone might see. Still, it was tempting, especially when he saw the silent invitation glittering in her blue eyes. The little vixen had developed into quite a temptress since her return. The past two weeks had been like a new beginning for them in which the sensual intoxication of their renewed intimacy was enhanced by the depth that tragedy and hardship had given their relationship.
If Josh had had his druthers, he would have spent every hour of every day in bed with Felicity, making love now and again but mostly just talking, exploring these new depths. He had confirmed his earlier theory that talking with her, sharing thoughts and dreams, worries and concerns, was actually another way of making love. And an equally satisfying way, too.
"Felicity," he said, giving her what he hoped was a chastening look, "did Blanche tell you to write to Asa?"
"Well, no," she admitted reluctantly.
"Did she tell you she wanted him to court her?"
"Not in so many words…"
"Felicity!" he said in exasperation. "You can't go meddling in other people's lives like this. What if Asa comes all the way back here, and Blanche won't have anything to do with him?"
"But she will," Felicity insisted. "The only reason she's mad at him right now is because he left her in the first place. If he comes back, everything will be just fine."
"Then let her tell him herself. You can't meddle-"
"Yes, I can," she said. "Blanche meddled in our lives, and just think what might have happened if she hadn't."
Josh frowned at the memory. "I would have come for you," he reminded her.
"Yes, but we would have lost a whole week together, and besides, things might have worked out differently if you'd come to Philadelphia spoiling for a fight." She crossed her arms in silent challenge. They had argued this point before, and he had conceded that she was probably right.
He did so now, but still, he fingered the envelope doubtfully. "I just hate for Asa to come all this way and be disappointed."
"He won't be," she promised, and then smiled lovingly up at him. "I came all this way and I wasn't disappointed a bit."
No longer able to resist the temptation, Joshua swooped down and planted a kiss on her perfect little mouth. When he let her go, she was blushing prettily.
"Mr. Logan, behave!" she said, giving him a playful swat. "You're making a spectacle of yourself."
"I'll do more than that if you don't stop flirting with me right out here in public," he threatened with a grin.