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Authors: Elizabeth Lowell
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“Here’s some more—stay inside until the stage leaves.”
Jessica didn’t wait for Wolfe to open the door for her. She didn’t want him to have to turn his back on the men in the room. Without a word, she opened the door and hurried across the cold yardto the stage. Not until she was inside did she begin to relax.
Wolfe didn’t. Inside the stagecoach, he kept the carbine across his lap and watched the station with predatory attention. No one came out.
Suddenly the driver’s whip cracked like a pistol shot, the horses jerked forward in the traces, and the stage left the station as though the wheels were on fire.
“Will they follow us?” Jessica asked tightly.
“I doubt it. Their horses are played out.” Wolfe looked from the window to the wife he hadn’t asked for, the young woman who set his body on fire, the delicate aristocrat who was utterly unsuited for the Western land he loved as he had never loved anything in his life. “You’re going to get somebody killed, your ladyship. You don’t belong out here.”
“Neither do you.”
“The hell I don’t.”
“Those men took one look at you and knew you for a stranger.”
Wolfe smiled. “No one west of the Mississippi has ever seen me dressed like this, but I was damned if I’d look like your ladyship’s roustabout. Just as well. Jericho Slater was in that bunch at the stage station. If he had recognized me, there would have been hell to pay.”
“Who is Jericho Slater?”
“One of the few surviving members of Jed Slater’s gang.”
“Why does he hate you?”
“Caleb, Reno, and I did our best to kill every one of them.” Wolfe smiled thinly. “Damn near did. My only regret is that Jericho wasn’t with them at the time. He’s as bad as Jed ever was.”
Jessica frowned. “Why were you fighting a gang of men?”
“Slater made the mistake of grabbing Willow.”
The change in Wolfe’s voice and face when he spoke Willow’s name made Jessica’s breath lock in her throat. Suddenly, she had no doubt that Willow was a woman.
“Who is she?”
Jessica’s stark question made Wolfe glance over at her.
“A woman.”
“I gathered as much.”
“A Western woman.”
“Just what does that mean?” Jessica asked tightly.
“A woman strong enough to fight beside her man if it comes to that, and soft enough to set him on fire when the fighting is over. That’s one hell of a woman.”
Jessica forced herself to keep talking, to find out more about the woman who could make Wolfe’s eyes and voice gentle when he spoke about her.
“Is that why you were so angry with me over our marriage?” Jessica asked in a strained voice. “Were you expecting to marry Willow instead?”
“Not likely. I’d have to take on Caleb Black to do that, and only a fool would take on Caleb Black,” Wolfe said dryly. “He’s an Old Testament kind of man. Not much forgiveness in him.”
“Who is Caleb Black?”
“Willow’s husband, and one of the best friends a man could have.”
Wolfe watched with interest the relief that Jessica couldn’t completely hide.
“I see,” Jessica said. She drew a deep breath before she asked the only question that really matteredto her. “Do you love Willow?”
“Be hard not to. She’s everything I ever wanted in a woman.”
Jessica felt herself going pale. Until that moment she hadn’t known how deeply she had been certain that Wolfe was hers, that he had been hers since he had plucked her from the haystack, that he would always be hers.
She had never expected Wolfe to love another woman. The pain of it was shocking. It took the world away, leaving only a blankness where each heartbeat shook her, making her dizzy.
The stagecoach lurched and bucked over a rough spot. The driver’s shouts and cracking whip vied with the rattling of the wheels to deafen the passengers. For once, Jessica was glad of the violent motion. It made further conversation unnecessary. She braced herself as best she could, closed her
Jessica didn’t wait for Wolfe to open the door for her. She didn’t want him to have to turn his back on the men in the room. Without a word, she opened the door and hurried across the cold yardto the stage. Not until she was inside did she begin to relax.
Wolfe didn’t. Inside the stagecoach, he kept the carbine across his lap and watched the station with predatory attention. No one came out.
Suddenly the driver’s whip cracked like a pistol shot, the horses jerked forward in the traces, and the stage left the station as though the wheels were on fire.
“Will they follow us?” Jessica asked tightly.
“I doubt it. Their horses are played out.” Wolfe looked from the window to the wife he hadn’t asked for, the young woman who set his body on fire, the delicate aristocrat who was utterly unsuited for the Western land he loved as he had never loved anything in his life. “You’re going to get somebody killed, your ladyship. You don’t belong out here.”
“Neither do you.”
“The hell I don’t.”
“Those men took one look at you and knew you for a stranger.”
Wolfe smiled. “No one west of the Mississippi has ever seen me dressed like this, but I was damned if I’d look like your ladyship’s roustabout. Just as well. Jericho Slater was in that bunch at the stage station. If he had recognized me, there would have been hell to pay.”
“Who is Jericho Slater?”
“One of the few surviving members of Jed Slater’s gang.”
“Why does he hate you?”
“Caleb, Reno, and I did our best to kill every one of them.” Wolfe smiled thinly. “Damn near did. My only regret is that Jericho wasn’t with them at the time. He’s as bad as Jed ever was.”
Jessica frowned. “Why were you fighting a gang of men?”
“Slater made the mistake of grabbing Willow.”
The change in Wolfe’s voice and face when he spoke Willow’s name made Jessica’s breath lock in her throat. Suddenly, she had no doubt that Willow was a woman.
“Who is she?”
Jessica’s stark question made Wolfe glance over at her.
“A woman.”
“I gathered as much.”
“A Western woman.”
“Just what does that mean?” Jessica asked tightly.
“A woman strong enough to fight beside her man if it comes to that, and soft enough to set him on fire when the fighting is over. That’s one hell of a woman.”
Jessica forced herself to keep talking, to find out more about the woman who could make Wolfe’s eyes and voice gentle when he spoke about her.
“Is that why you were so angry with me over our marriage?” Jessica asked in a strained voice. “Were you expecting to marry Willow instead?”
“Not likely. I’d have to take on Caleb Black to do that, and only a fool would take on Caleb Black,” Wolfe said dryly. “He’s an Old Testament kind of man. Not much forgiveness in him.”
“Who is Caleb Black?”
“Willow’s husband, and one of the best friends a man could have.”
Wolfe watched with interest the relief that Jessica couldn’t completely hide.
“I see,” Jessica said. She drew a deep breath before she asked the only question that really matteredto her. “Do you love Willow?”
“Be hard not to. She’s everything I ever wanted in a woman.”
Jessica felt herself going pale. Until that moment she hadn’t known how deeply she had been certain that Wolfe was hers, that he had been hers since he had plucked her from the haystack, that he would always be hers.
She had never expected Wolfe to love another woman. The pain of it was shocking. It took the world away, leaving only a blankness where each heartbeat shook her, making her dizzy.
The stagecoach lurched and bucked over a rough spot. The driver’s shouts and cracking whip vied with the rattling of the wheels to deafen the passengers. For once, Jessica was glad of the violent motion. It made further conversation unnecessary. She braced herself as best she could, closed her
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