Come the Spring (Claybornes' Brides (Rose Hill) 5)

“I’m sure your friend is doing just fine. Don’t worry. Cooper will keep her safe.”

“You really think so?”

“Yes,” he insisted. “Now stop worrying. Knowing Cooper, he’s probably already taught her how to play poker. I’ll bet she’s having the time of her life.”

Twenty-Eight

Rebecca was going stir-crazy. She thought she would go out of her mind if she had to stay locked inside the tiny compartment with Marshal Cooper much longer. As attractive and attentive as he was, he was still driving her to distraction. He did try to make the time pass quickly. They played cards for several hours, chatted, and ate a boxed lunch the porter fetched for them. Boredom set in then, and all she wanted was to be left alone for a few minutes. In desperation, she finally came up with a plausible reason to send him away. She asked him to please fetch her brown suitcase the porter had put in the luggage compartment so that she could get her medicine. Pleading a headache, she insisted that if she didn’t drink her tonic before the pain intensified, she would have to leave the train at the next town and take to her bed.

She felt guilty lying to him because he was being so sympathetic and understanding.

“I know I should have packed the medicine in my little valise, but I forgot.”

“Is the pain bad?” Cooper asked, his concern apparent.

“It’s becoming unbearable,” she replied. “If I don’t nip it now, I’ll be sick for a week. The pain becomes blinding.”

Cooper couldn’t have been any more solicitous. After promising to hurry, he told her to bolt the door after him, and she did exactly that. Then she stood in the center of the claustrophobic cubicle and let out a blissful sigh because she finally had the room to herself and it was so wonderfully quiet. She needed time alone to think about the future and formulate her plans. Lord only knew, there was so much to be done in such a short time.

She expected Cooper to be gone at least fifteen minutes and probably more. The luggage compartment was three cars away, and once he’d made his way there, he would have to search through the baggage to find hers. Yet, less than a minute after he had left, a knock sounded at the door.

“Now what?” she muttered, assuming that the marshal had thought of yet another order to give her before he went on the errand. She forced a smile back on her face, flipped the bolt, and opened the door a crack.

The door seemed to explode against the interior wall, then bounced back. She couldn’t even scream. All she saw as she staggered backward was the barrel of a gleaming black pistol. It was pointed at her.

She fell on the bench, clutching her bosom. Panting with fear, she cried out, “What are you doing here?”

In answer, the gunman rushed inside and kicked the door shut behind him. He was dressed in a dark business suit and wore shiny black shoes. He didn’t look like a murderer.

“Get up, bitch,” he hissed.

She didn’t move fast enough. He grabbed her arm and jerked her toward him, his gun pressed into her belly. When he let go of her arm, she tried to step back, shaking her head at him in a silent plea not to hurt her, but he was indifferent to her fear.

“Please,” she whimpered.

Her plea fueled his excitement. “That’s it, bitch. Beg me,” he crooned. “I want you to beg.”

He reached between them and tore the front of her dress open to the waist, smiling when she cried out again. Before she could cover herself, his hand was painfully squeezing one of her breasts.

“No, don’t do this,” she whispered.

He tossed the gun on the bench, laughing now, and pulled her up against him. His fingers tore through her hair as his mouth slammed against hers. The kiss was wet, hot, crude. He bit her lower lip until he’d drawn blood and hungrily licked the red drops with his tongue.

He kissed her again and again, holding her prisoner in his arms as she fought him, and when he finally pulled back, he stared into her eyes as he slowly took hold of her hand and forced her to caress him intimately through his trousers.

“I want you.”

Her eyes closed in blissful surrender, and she sagged against him. Her laugh was that of an enchantress. “You always want me.”

His grip tightened, and he panted against her ear. The sound aroused her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and boldly rubbed against him. “You ruined my blouse. You’re too rough.”

“You like it rough.”

A shudder passed through her. “Yes, I like it that way,” she whispered.

He began to kiss the side of her neck. She purred like a contented cat. “We shouldn’t … The marshal will be back soon. Oh, God, that feels good.”

She leaned back so she could see his eyes. “I see you received my telegram. Are the boys with you?”

He kissed her mouth once again before he answered her. “Johnson’s in Rockford Falls waiting for the opportunity to kill both those women. The others have gone on ahead to Red Arrow. If Johnson fails, they’ll kill them when they get off the train. You are sure that’s where the women are headed, aren’t you?”

“Yes, I’m sure,” she answered smugly.

“Have you figured out which one was in that bank?”

“No,” she said. “Both of them are as scared as mice and neither one confided in me. It’s a pity the fire didn’t kill them,” she added as she slid her fingers through the hair at the back of his neck. “I went to a considerable amount of trouble.”

“Don’t you pout,” he crooned. “If Johnson can’t get them, the rest of my boys will take care of them in Red Arrow.”

“And then I’m the witness.”

Her throaty laugh inflamed him. “Yes, yes,” he whispered. “Oh, that’s fine. Just fine.”

Her hand slowly moved down his chest and then lower still until she was once again stroking his arousal. She knew the effect she was having on him and thrilled with the feeling of such power.

He reached for her skirts. She shook her head. “No, we mustn’t,” she whispered as he began to tear at the buttons. “There isn’t time. It’s too dangerous.”

“We’ll make time. I want you, Rebecca. Now.”

She gave in to his seduction and stepped back to strip for him. Her blouse was in tatters, and she quickly discarded it, then unbuttoned her skirt and let it fall to the floor. “We’re fools to take such a chance, Donald,” she said as she unfastened her petticoats.

He was panting while he watched her disrobe. He waited until only a silk-and-lace chemise covered her golden body, and then impatience got the better of him. He rushed forward, thrust his hand between her thighs and roughly shoved her back on the bench. She peeled the undergarment down her body, kicked it aside, then stretched out along the length of the cushioned seat and spread her legs wide, beckoning him to take her. He wet his lips in anticipation as he greedily stared at her breasts. He knelt on one knee between her thighs. He couldn’t wait another second, for he knew he would burst with his need if he didn’t mate with her quickly.

“You know you drive me crazy, don’t you, bitch?”

She laughed. “Oh, yes, I know,” she whispered. “Who would have thought such a stuffy and prim gentleman could have such a violent appetite.”

“How much time do we have?”

“At least fifteen minutes,” she answered.

Donald was fumbling with the buttons on his trousers when he heard a knock on the door. Had he locked it? He couldn’t remember. He jumped up and turned just as Cooper opened the door.

“Rebecca, I told you to lock…” he began as he pushed the door wide. He was so startled to see her naked, he stopped. He couldn’t seem to take in the scene.

Donald stood behind the door, waiting for the marshal to come inside. He frantically searched for his pistol in his pockets.

“What the hell?” Cooper muttered as he stepped forward.

She leaned up on one elbow, her heart slamming inside her chest, and stared at Donald, silently willing him to take action. Cooper saw where she was l

ooking and turned just as Donald moved forward.

“Son of a bitch,” Cooper shouted.

Rebecca panicked. She spotted Donald’s pistol on the bench an arm’s length away from her and rolled to her side, grabbed hold of the weapon, and fired.

Cooper was going for his gun when the bullet struck him. The force was so powerful, he was thrown backward into the corridor against the windowpane. The glass shuddered from the impact.

Rebecca scrambled to her feet. To keep from screaming, she covered her mouth with her hand and fired once again. She’d aimed too high the second time. Cooper was already crumbling to the floor. The bullet missed him but shattered the glass. It rained down on top of his prone body.

“Oh, God … Oh, God,” she whimpered. “Did I kill him? Make sure I killed him. Hurry, Donald.”

Growling low in his throat like a cornered animal, Donald rushed into the hallway. His eyes darted from side to side to make sure no one else was coming down the aisle.

“If he isn’t dead, he will be,” Donald muttered. “Stop crying and get dressed. We have to get off the train.”

“Yes, yes,” she whimpered before turning to do as he ordered.

Donald quickly dragged the unconscious lawman to the door connecting the cars, leaving a smeared trail of blood in his wake. The train was slowing to take the curved trestle above a yawning black lake when Donald opened the door He could see a small town looming up in the distance on the other side of the lake. He bent down, half lifted Cooper, grunting from his weight, and then shoved and kicked him out. He stood there watching as the train clattered on around the bend, smiling when the marshal hit the water.

No one had seen him. He was sure of it, and he doubted that anyone had heard the gunshots either, for the sound the train made as it thundered along the tracks muffled any other noises.

Once again he had gotten away with murder. Excitement surged through his blood, and he began to pant with euphoria. He thought he saw a movement out of the corner of his eye, but he couldn’t be certain. He turned away as a precaution so that his face wouldn’t be seen, and then took his time strolling back to Rebecca’s compartment. The carpet had already absorbed the blood, and it looked as though the stains had been there for some time. No one would know how fresh they were unless he got down on his knees and felt the wetness.

Donald remembered to bolt the door this time. Rebecca hadn’t gotten dressed yet. Her clothes were laid out on the bench, and she was frantically shoving her torn garments into her valise. He grabbed hold of her from behind, slammed her up against the wall, and violently took her.

No one heard her screams.

Twenty-Nine

Parting wasn’t sweet sorrow; it was agony. Jessica looked as though her heart were being torn apart when she said good-bye to Caleb. She didn’t shed a single tear, however, and neither did her son. Her departure didn’t faze him, for he’d taken quite a liking to Josey and Tom Norton. He squirmed in Jessica’s arms when she kissed him good-bye, couldn’t be bothered with waving farewell, and didn’t give his mama a backward glance when she walked out the doorway. He was busy wreaking havoc in Josey’s kitchen.

Jessica surprised Cole. He knew she wouldn’t make a scene in front of the baby, but he expected her to cry and carry on as soon as they were outside. He even had an “it’s for the best” lecture all ready. But Jessie didn’t carry on. She remained solemn, but dry-eyed, throughout the journey.

She deserved a reward for holding up so well. They’d pressed hard all day, only stopping twice to rest their horses for a short spell, and by sunset, she was clearly physically and emotionally spent.

At dusk, he stopped his horse alongside hers and silently berated himself for pushing her so hard. She wasn’t a skilled horsewoman, and the long ride must have been extremely difficult for her, yet she never once voiced a complaint.

“We’ll catch the train in Edwardsville tomorrow morning,” he said. “The town’s about five miles south from here. I doubt we’ll find fancy accommodations there, but you would be able to sleep in a bed,” he explained. “Or we could make a little detour and sleep outside by the waterfalls.”

“You aren’t thinking about going back to Rockford Falls?” she asked, already shaking her head.

“We’re a long way from Rockford Falls,” he assured her. “The spot I’m thinking about has a little waterfall that spills into a clear, blue water basin. It’s real secluded.”

“How much of a detour is it?” she asked tiredly. She pushed a strand of hair out of her eyes and noticed the dust on her hands. A bath sounded luxurious to her.

“About a mile from here,” he said. “If we do sleep out, it means getting up a little earlier.”

“What would you like to do?”

He always preferred sleeping out under the stars, away from the noise and crowds and congestion of a big town, but he wasn’t going to sway Jessica. It was her choice, not his.

“Whatever you decide is fine with me.”

“I’d love to have a bath.”

“I’m sure we can find a bath for you in Edwardsville.”

“But I’d rather sleep outside. Is it really secluded by the waterfall?”

“Yeah, it is.”

“Then I’ll be able to practice.”

“Practice what?” he asked.

“You’ll see,” she said. “I can’t do it alone. You’re going to have to help.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Does practice involve touching?”

He was teasing her and fully expected to make her blush. She didn’t, though. She agreed instead.

“Oh, yes, you’ll have to put your arms around me. At least I think you will. I’m not sure. I don’t have any experience.”

He nudged his horse into a trot and led the way down a narrow slope. She was right behind him.

His mind jumped from one licentious thought to another. What in thunder did she want to practice?

He glanced back. “This practice … it requires seclusion?”

She hid her smile. “Oh, yes, it does.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m going to make a lot of noise. If there were other people around, I would be inhibited.”

He pulled back on the reins and waited for her to catch up to him. He could see the sparkle in her eyes and knew she was up to mischief.

“You aren’t talking about what I think you’re talking about, are you?”

She batted her eyelashes at him. He burst into laughter.

“What do you think I’m talking about?” she asked innocently.

“Sex.”

“No,” she blurted out before she too burst into laughter.

“Men don’t like to be teased, Jessie. Remember that.”

He took the lead once again. She trailed behind him just as she had for the last eight hours. She didn’t say another word for a long while, until curiosity got the better of her.

“Cole?”

“Yes?”

“Were you disappointed?”

“About what?”

“That I wasn’t talking about sex.”

“No,” he snapped. “I wasn’t.”

Her shoulders slumped, and she felt an acute wave of disappointment. “Then you never once thought about it … with me?”

He couldn’t believe they were having this conversation. Didn’t she realize the effect she was having on him? Probably not, he decided. It was apparent she was innocent, but she wouldn’t be for long if she kept asking him such personal questions.

“Yeah, I thought about it.”

“And?”

“And what? It isn’t gonna happen, Jessica.”

“No, of course not,” she hastily agreed. “But I’ve thought about it too, several times, as a matter of fact.”

He almost fell off his horse. “Will you stop talking about it?!”

“You don’t have to yell at me. I was just being honest with you. You’re very easy to talk to, at least you were until you got upset, and admit

ting that I’ve thought about making love to you isn’t a crime. I’m not going to act on it. I wouldn’t even know what to do.”

“Then I don’t have to worry you’ll do anything stupid.”

“Like what?”

He didn’t answer her. He swore he wasn’t going to say another word, and he definitely wasn’t going to look back at her, at least not until he had gotten rid of the notion of dragging her off her horse, pulling her clothes off, and making love to her.

“I hope the water’s warm,” she remarked.

He hoped it was cold … icy cold.

The last mile seemed like twenty to her, and by the time they finally arrived, she was bone weary.

Cole helped her dismount. His hands stayed around her waist much longer than necessary, and she leaned into him, thankful for his assistance. Her legs were so shaky she was sure she would have fallen flat on her backside if he hadn’t held on to her.

She glanced up to thank him, noticed his clenched jaw, and quickly moved away from him. He was obviously still irritated by her inappropriate remarks.

She decided to ignore him until he was in a better mood. Her surroundings enthralled her, for everything was so lush and green. She worked the stiffness out of her legs by walking along the bank of the basin. The waterfall wasn’t anything like Rockford Falls. It was much smaller and not nearly as grand, yet just as enchanting. A steady stream of water poured across a jagged ledge above, and as it spilled into the pool below, the drops of water, like prisms, caught the sunlight and refracted it into a sparkling rainbow of colors.

While Cole took care of their horses, she prepared their camp. After gathering sticks for the fire, she laid out their bedrolls and the picnic Josey had prepared for them.

“Food’s ready,” she called out.

“I’ll eat later,” he called back.

He finished brushing the horses and let them graze on the sweet grass. The sound of the water rushing down the rocks was soothing and too enticing to resist, and while she ate, he went to the edge of the waterfall, stripped out of his clothes, and dove into the crystalline waters.