"That's it, then." She sighed tiredly.
"Not necessarily, sweetheart," Hamilton assured her. "Married doesn't make the gambler's widow a good mother. Jewel Rossiter may say she wants those children now, but how long will that last when she's trapped up on that Godforsaken place alone with half the Apache nation?"
"She loves them, Hamilton." Comfort was no fool. She wanted those baby girls like she hadn't wanted anything else for a long time. Hamilton knew that, and he would act accordingly unless she stopped future actions right now. "I know what it is like to be desperate and alone. I don't think she's what you implied."
She scolded her husband's insult to Jewel Rossiter. "Her hands are not the hands of a prostitute. She's been doing hard work. Her hands showed it." Her own soft hands clenched as she added, "I want you to promise me you won't bother that woman again. It was not meant to be, and I won't steal a good mother's children to fill a void in my life."
Hamilton Quince wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his embrace.
"Have I told you lately how much I love you?"
Comfort's pensive gaze lifted to meet his. "Many times, but I never tire of hearing it anyway. I adore you." She smoothed the material of his shirt as she repeated softly,
"Promise me."
Hamilton's answer wasn't the pledge she'd requested. "Nobody knows if she is a good woman, darlin'. Common gossip says that Jewel Rossiter is a rough woman who joined her husband in his illegal dealings. If the day comes when I see that those babies need to be moved, I'll not hesitate. And it will be for them as much as for us."
"Hamilton, I could see her love for them. She was fairly eaten up with worry, and all you men just made it worse."
Hamilton answered her fiercely. "I paid that sonovabitch she was married to a thousand dollars apiece for the twins. I'd like to know what happened to the money. I don't think your put-upon woman is as innocent as she would have us believe. I'm not finished with Jewel Rossiter Hawks. Before it's all over, it won't surprise me at all if Hiram Potter discovers that she killed the gambler."
"Her face still bore the marks of his abuse," Comfort said with disgust. "If she killed him, let it be. She did the town a service. As for the money, this was my scheme. Take it out of the Mercantile profits at the end of the month. I want this over with."
She wasn't sure, though, that her husband would follow her wishes this time.
Hamilton wanted her childless despair at an end.
"I'll get us a daughter, Comfort. I want this as much as you do." She was certain that he already had feelers out looking for other potentially unwanted baby girls. When they'd discussed adopting, he'd grimly refused to consider a boy. It only served to deepen her sorrow knowing that she could never give Hamilton a son.
* * * *
Stoically, Jewel rode the animal, focused on one thing at a time. Emma and Amy were safe. The way they slept worried her. She was sure Ma Siler had given them something to keep them quiet. The wind whistled around her thinly clad shoulders, and she held the twins closer, sharing as much of her heat with the girls as she could.
She ignored Grady Hawks who kept his horse between her and the other men, making it clear she belonged to him. They all rode together, but he was in charge. It's only a year. A person can do anything for a year. Her thoughts chased themselves like a squirrel caught in a cage.
They eased out of town under cover of darkness and rode through the cold night.
When her hands were too chilled to hold the reins, the man who now owned her reached over and took them from her stiff fingers, leading her mount. She pulled the girls closer and huddled her body around them but shivered at her feeble attempt to find heat where there was none. Jewel was afraid that she'd never be warm again.
When they were away from town and the immediate danger left behind, Jewel had time to assess the ramifications of her hasty
"Not necessarily, sweetheart," Hamilton assured her. "Married doesn't make the gambler's widow a good mother. Jewel Rossiter may say she wants those children now, but how long will that last when she's trapped up on that Godforsaken place alone with half the Apache nation?"
"She loves them, Hamilton." Comfort was no fool. She wanted those baby girls like she hadn't wanted anything else for a long time. Hamilton knew that, and he would act accordingly unless she stopped future actions right now. "I know what it is like to be desperate and alone. I don't think she's what you implied."
She scolded her husband's insult to Jewel Rossiter. "Her hands are not the hands of a prostitute. She's been doing hard work. Her hands showed it." Her own soft hands clenched as she added, "I want you to promise me you won't bother that woman again. It was not meant to be, and I won't steal a good mother's children to fill a void in my life."
Hamilton Quince wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his embrace.
"Have I told you lately how much I love you?"
Comfort's pensive gaze lifted to meet his. "Many times, but I never tire of hearing it anyway. I adore you." She smoothed the material of his shirt as she repeated softly,
"Promise me."
Hamilton's answer wasn't the pledge she'd requested. "Nobody knows if she is a good woman, darlin'. Common gossip says that Jewel Rossiter is a rough woman who joined her husband in his illegal dealings. If the day comes when I see that those babies need to be moved, I'll not hesitate. And it will be for them as much as for us."
"Hamilton, I could see her love for them. She was fairly eaten up with worry, and all you men just made it worse."
Hamilton answered her fiercely. "I paid that sonovabitch she was married to a thousand dollars apiece for the twins. I'd like to know what happened to the money. I don't think your put-upon woman is as innocent as she would have us believe. I'm not finished with Jewel Rossiter Hawks. Before it's all over, it won't surprise me at all if Hiram Potter discovers that she killed the gambler."
"Her face still bore the marks of his abuse," Comfort said with disgust. "If she killed him, let it be. She did the town a service. As for the money, this was my scheme. Take it out of the Mercantile profits at the end of the month. I want this over with."
She wasn't sure, though, that her husband would follow her wishes this time.
Hamilton wanted her childless despair at an end.
"I'll get us a daughter, Comfort. I want this as much as you do." She was certain that he already had feelers out looking for other potentially unwanted baby girls. When they'd discussed adopting, he'd grimly refused to consider a boy. It only served to deepen her sorrow knowing that she could never give Hamilton a son.
* * * *
Stoically, Jewel rode the animal, focused on one thing at a time. Emma and Amy were safe. The way they slept worried her. She was sure Ma Siler had given them something to keep them quiet. The wind whistled around her thinly clad shoulders, and she held the twins closer, sharing as much of her heat with the girls as she could.
She ignored Grady Hawks who kept his horse between her and the other men, making it clear she belonged to him. They all rode together, but he was in charge. It's only a year. A person can do anything for a year. Her thoughts chased themselves like a squirrel caught in a cage.
They eased out of town under cover of darkness and rode through the cold night.
When her hands were too chilled to hold the reins, the man who now owned her reached over and took them from her stiff fingers, leading her mount. She pulled the girls closer and huddled her body around them but shivered at her feeble attempt to find heat where there was none. Jewel was afraid that she'd never be warm again.
When they were away from town and the immediate danger left behind, Jewel had time to assess the ramifications of her hasty
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