Colorado Courtship

He bent and his lips touched hers, at first a familiar, undemanding whisper of lips pressing together, of warmth and soft caresses that soon were not enough. His mouth opened over hers and he allowed his tongue and teeth the freedom to invade her mouth in the same way he ached to claim her woman’s warmth. She leaned against him and he rejoiced that his hands were to be allowed the freedom of touching her ripe, fruitful body.

Held tenderly in his hand, her breast was firm, the crest hardening against his palm and he lifted it with care, measuring its weight and squeezing it with a gentle touch. His other arm circled her, holding her close, aware of the burden of her pregnancy between them. The fact that an unborn babe was her gift to him in this marriage was uppermost in his mind, and he spoke the words that begged to be said.

“Once you’re my wife, this will be my child,” he said. “I want you to forget that Lyle ever had any claim to your baby.”

She bent her head and pressed her cheek to his chest. “I don’t know how easy that will be,” she murmured. “I’ll have a hard time forgetting—” She inhaled sharply, and he felt compassion for the memories she carried within her.

His palm lifted her chin and he looked down into her eyes, rued the tears that again swam on their surface and fell to stain her cheeks. “One day, I’ll make you put all that behind you,” he promised. “I’ll never hurt you, Jess.”

“I may not be able to be the wife you want.” As if the words were torn from her, she shuddered in his grasp. “I’m not very good at that part of marriage, I fear.”

And how much of that fear could be laid at Lyle Beaumont’s feet, Finn wondered? The man had much to answer for. A woman should not be made to dread the touch of her husband. Should Jessica be apprehensive about the coming days when she would become Finn Carson’s wife, he alone would suffer for it, would pay the price for Lyle’s cruelty.

And yet, none of that would make him change his mind. His arms hugged her close, swaying a bit, as if he would comfort her. “You’ll do fine,” he said quietly. “I’m not a harsh man, Jess.”

She nodded, her head moving against his chest. “I’m counting on that.”

Council Grove was a small town, one street running its length, storefronts on either side, with a primitive sidewalk of sorts to keep the ladies’ skirts out of the mud. This morning there was no sign of the recent rain, only a rutted road that held both wagons and men on horseback. The wagons were circled on the edge of town, positioned on a piece of land apparently used before for the same purpose, if the remains of campfires and ruts from other wagons were anything to go by.

“Mrs. Beaumont.” The voice speaking her name was familiar, and Jessica looked out the back of her wagon to see Morgan awaiting her attention. “Could I speak with you for just a minute?”

“Certainly,” she told him, unwilling to climb down in front of him, knowing how awkward her descent would be. She settled instead on the floor and met his gaze.

He walked closer, accepting her unspoken invitation to approach, and took off his hat. The man was good-looking. There was no getting around it, she thought. His gray eyes were dark, bold and searching as he paused, seeming to gather his thoughts. And then, as if he knew it was his last chance to speak his piece, he began.

“I’ve asked you to consider me as your husband, ma’am. I couldn’t help but notice you seem to have an understanding with Carson, but I want you to know the offer still stands.” A smile touched his firm lips and his fingers gripped his hat brim. “I made a mistake when I spoke of a wedding ring, about perhaps buying one from one of the ladies. Now I’ve heard that there’s a store in Council Grove where one may be bought.”

“Yes, I’ve heard that, too,” she said, her smile genuine. “In fact, that’s where Mr. Carson plans on purchasing one for me.”

“Is there anything I can say to make you reconsider my offer?” he asked. “I’m willing to go wherever you like, find a homestead and settle anyplace that suits you. I’ve got money enough to outfit us nicely in Council Grove, if you don’t have enough supplies to go with mine to make the trip.”

“And will you accept my child as your own?” she asked. And then saw the hesitation he could not mask.

“I’d certainly try,” he countered. His mouth firmed and his eyes became shuttered against her, and once more she thought that he was a man with secrets, and perhaps a plan that did not bode well for her. “I understood from talk around the campfires that your husband bragged of a deed to land near Pike’s Peak, ma’am. If you’ll share it with me, I’d be willing to work the land and make a home for you there.”

Jessica’s skin felt chilled, and pebbled at his offer. “I don’t have possession of such a deed,” she said, hedging the truth a bit. “I fear I will go to my new husband with nothing but the contents of my wagon and the child I carry.”

His gaze grew sharp and a disbelieving smile turned his mouth into a travesty of humor. “You don’t have a piece of paper that gives you the rights to a piece of land?”

“I have no such deed,” she said again stubbornly. Where Lyle put it is a secret he took with him into his grave. She’d tussled with that knowledge almost daily for the past two weeks, and looked forward to turning the search over to Finn’s capable hands.

“I see.” Morgan appeared thoughtful. “I’m still willing to marry you,” he said. “I’ll need a wife once I get a place to live.”

“Perhaps you’ll find a willing woman somewhere between here and Santa Fe,” she told him.

“But it won’t be you?”

She shook her head. “No, it won’t be me. I’m marrying Finn Carson this morning in Council Grove.” She watched as he clapped his hat on his head, offered her a nod and walked away.

“That was well-done,” Finn said from the front of the wagon. He climbed up onto the seat and made his way between the stacks of her belongings to where she sat. “I told you he’d make another stab at it before we got here, didn’t I? There’s nothing like leaving things till the last minute.”

And then he bowed his head to her in a solemn gesture. “You handled him nicely, Jessica.”

“Did I?” She thought of the hidden anger that had firmed the man’s jaw, the dark shadows in his eyes, and the determination that hovered over him as he stalked from her presence. “I fear I’ve only made him angry. But I didn’t lie to him.”

“It couldn’t be helped, sweetheart,” Finn told her. He was bent over beneath the canvas top, too tall to stand upright. “You look pretty today, Jess.” He offered his hand. “Are you ready to go to the store for your ring? Arlois and David are waiting for us.”

Her ring shimmered in the sunlight, a simple band given to her with solemn vows accompanying its placement on her finger. “With this ring…” She repeated them over in her mind as she turned her hand to catch the gleam of gold. The wagon seat was padded with Finn’s own bedroll, for her comfort, he’d said. Ahead of her, he walked beside the oxen as they leaned into their yoke.

Behind her, within the canvas walls, five new boxes of supplies vied for space with her remaining foodstuffs, and tied securely to the north side of the wagon was a cage carrying four laying hens, plus a rooster, who was a bit frustrated with the crowded conditions. Finn’s plans included building the lone male a cage of his own at the first opportunity.

His bargaining skills had made her smile as the farmer outside of Council Grove fought for the best deal he could get. Finn had made him throw in the cage and a large sack-ful of feed, to be used on those days when the chickens couldn’t be turned loose to forage. The bed of the cage held a nest in one corner, and even now, the biddies were jostling for their turn to settle there.

He’d bought canned fruit, a real treat, to be used sparingly, and then told her they would stand the empty cans up on a tree limb for her to aim at during a session of target practice, assuring her that she should learn to use a gun. Stubbornly he’d convinced her of the need, and she’d agreed to give it a try.

All in all, it had been a most satisfactory day, she decided, waving as Geraldine came into sight, waiting up ahead beside the trail for Jessica’s wagon to roll past. As it reached her, Jessica held out her hand and Geraldine climbed up to join her on the seat.

“I wanted to talk to you back in Council Grove and didn’t get a chance,” she said. She looked ahead to where Finn walked beside the oxen and then leaned closer to Jessica.

“I’m so glad you chose Mr. Carson. I was afraid that Gage Morgan’s good looks would sway you. The man is persistent, I’ll give him that, but I think you got the better of the two. The rest of the bachelors didn’t stand a chance with you. We all figured that out, and I think they all knew it, too, once Finn set his sights on you.”

“Morgan’s a good-looking man, but he doesn’t hold a candle to Finn,” Jessica told her. Her gaze dwelt for a long moment on the tall, slim-hipped figure who walked before them. “He’s as good-looking as Morgan, just in a different way. More importantly, he’s kind and generous.” She waved a hand at the extra supplies behind her, tied in place inside the wagon. “You wouldn’t believe the stuff he bought for us in Council Grove. I agree with you. I know I made the right choice.”

“Well, he’s getting a bargain, too,” Geraldine said, lifting an eyebrow with good humor. “He’s got a ready-made family, and chances are you’ll have a boy. First babies usually are boys, you know,” she said confidentially. “And besides that, you’re far and away one of the prettiest women I’ve ever known, Jessica. I’d say he got himself quite a good deal.”

“I hope he thinks so,” Jessica answered, even as she wondered what Finn’s thoughts were. He’d been quiet after the return to the wagons, working in silence as he sorted out their new supplies and packed them amid the wagon’s contents. But even though they spoke little, he was all that was kind and considerate as he readied Jessica’s seat for the afternoon’s journey and saw to her comfort.