A Moment in Time (18 page)

      
"Pa," Todd whined, and Cole's level of confidence that this charade might work blossomed just like Elizabeth's columbine.

      
"Your ma said folks judge a man's worth by how well he puts words together."
 
Cole started toward the stable with Ruth in tow.
 
"Learning to speak proper is more important than clothes or anything else.
 
Except for knowing how to treat a lady and a horse, that is."

      
Miss Lolita coughed.
 
"So I've been elevated to the same rank as a horse.
 
Imagine that."

      
Todd laughed.
 
Actually laughed.
 
Cole stopped and whirled around to watch.
 
His son seemed like a happy child most of the time, but he rarely laughed out loud this way.
 
Something in Cole's chest swelled near bursting.

      
"Supper ready?" Cole called, needing to break the spell this strange woman had cast on them.

      
"Sure thing, Pa."
 
Taking the woman's hand again, the boy led his new "teacher" toward the small cabin's front door.

      
With a sigh, Cole clicked his tongue at Ruth and decided he'd better hurry before their guest said something she shouldn't.
 
Just before the pair vanished through the opening, Miss Lolita–no, he'd best start thinking of her as "Miss Jackie"–waggled her fingers at Cole in an exaggerated way.

      
His breath caught on a gasp as blood rushed from his head to his loins like a mountain stream during spring thaw.
 
For three weeks, he would live in this tiny cabin with a woman as mystifying and stimulating–Lord help him–as any he'd ever known.
 

      
With only an nine-year-old-boy as chaperon.

* * *

      
Jackie was determined to charm both the Morrison males until they were ready to do anything she asked.
 
Like return her to Devil's Gulch for her portrait sitting.
 
Pretty unfair of fate to send her back to a time before her portal existed.
 
However, if that were true, then how had she landed here in the first place?
 
Don't think about it, Clarke.
 
It probably violates the Prime Directive.

      
Squinting, she shook her head and banished the confusing thoughts.
 
She had enough to worry about just surviving in this time without trying to understand how and why she was here.

      
The cabin was one open room downstairs with a loft that ran its entire width upstairs.
 
A pair of shuttered windows flanked the front door, and two narrow bunks were pushed against the back wall under the loft, separated by a bookshelf built floor to ceiling.
 
The shelves were filled with books and magazines, seeming out of place in a miner's cabin.
 
But then, she'd already surmised that Cole Morrison was anything but typical.

      
A rectangular table, a pair of benches, a rocking chair, a barrel, and a pie safe were the only other furnishings.
 
Clothing hung from pegs along the back wall between the bunks; pots and pans occupied the walls nearest the fireplace.

      
"Home away from home," she muttered.
 
The cabin was pure Americana.
 
The one where Blade had abandoned her was decorated in Early Garage Sale.

      
Blade.
 
The memory of his look alike slammed into her and her blood turned frigid all over again.
 
It couldn't have been Blade.
 
Could it?

      
"Miss Jackie, I hope you like beans and cornbread," Todd said, ladling beans and broth onto tin plates from an iron kettle suspended over the fire.

      
"Beans are fine, Todd," she said, forcing thoughts of Blade and time travel from her mind.
 
"First, tell me where the, uh, outhouse is, then I'll wash up and give you a hand.
 
Deal?"

      
The boy's narrow shoulders lifted in a shrug and he flashed her a gap-toothed grin.
 
"Straight out back.
 
Take a light.
 
It's getting dark and we get bears around this time of year."

      
Bears?
 
She gulped as Todd lit a second lantern and handed it to her.
 
The boy's expression more closely resembled that of an adult than a child.
 
"You're pretty grown up for nine," she said.

      
Another shrug, but no grin this time.
 
"I gotta help Pa any way I can."

      
Jackie's throat clogged.
 
This little boy had lost his mother and lived in isolation with his father.
 
Her heart opened to him, but she closed her eyes and sent out an emotional torpedo.
 
Mission: search and destroy her caring genes.
 
She'd opened her heart to Blade and look where that had landed her.

      
Abandoned.
 
Unloved.
 
Alone.
 
Status quo.

      
She went out the back door, found the outhouse–she'd thought her days with outhouses were gone forever–took care of business, then hurried back inside.
 
She considered herself lucky not to have seen a single bear during her adventure.

      
Cole still wasn't there, but Todd greeted her with another boyish grin.
 
What a cute kid.

      
"You gonna wear Pa's hat all night, Miss Jackie?"

      
I just might.
 
For some reason, she didn't want to show Todd her hair.
 
This was the Victorian era–
ladies
didn't dye their hair, and especially not such a brazen shade.
 
Brazen, Clarke?

      
"What can I do to help?" she asked, ignoring his comment about the hat.
 
For now.

      
"There's cups and fresh water over there."
 
He inclined his head toward the barrel near the back door.
 
"Pa hauled fresh water from the spring this morning."

      
"Three cups of water, then?"
 
Jackie hoped they wouldn't all contract hepatitis.
 
She'd never tasted water from a spring before–a well, yes, but never a spring.
 
Did those bears Todd had mentioned relieve themselves in the spring?
 
With a surrendering shudder, she took the cups Todd had indicated and dipped them into the barrel, then placed them on the table.
 
"What else can I do?"

      
Todd deftly filled another cup with dark steaming liquid and placed it on the table.
 
"Pa always wants coffee."

      
"That he does."

      
The sound of Cole's voice startled Jackie and she whirled around to find him watching her.
 
His gaze was wary but gentle.
 
He actually feared she might betray him to his son, even though she'd given her word.
 
Why did the knowledge that he didn't completely trust her hurt?
 
It shouldn't matter.
 

      
Another thought–a devious one–formed in her mind.
 
Could she use the threat of telling Todd to coerce Cole into taking her back?
 
She hated the idea immediately, but had to admit it made sense.
 
Todd's opinion of his father was obviously Cole's weak spot.
 
Jackie should wield that power.
 
She should.

      
But she didn't want to.

      
She gave Cole a weak smile, remembering to play her role–but just what was her role?
 
Temptress?
 
No, desperate woman was a better fit.
 
She sighed, convincing herself that she could pull off temptress with the best of them.

      
His gaze lifted to his hat still perched on her head and he cocked a questioning brow.
 
Damn.
 
She had to remove the hat now.
 
No more excuses.

      
With a sigh, she slipped the hat from her head and handed it to its rightful owner.
 
Cole stood there filling the doorway and the cabin with his incredibly macho presence.
 
Despite his impressive size and strength, there was something endearing about a man who raised his son alone, who carried water to his dead wife's flowers, and who watched his language at home.
      

      
You need to torpedo those effing caring genes again, Clarke.

      
With a nod, Cole took the hat and hung it on a peg near the door.
 
"I washed up outside and I'm starved," he said.
 
"Let's eat."

      
Jackie followed him to the table and slid onto the bench beside Todd.
 
She felt his gaze on her and she knew why.
 
Dammit.
 
Sighing, she half-turned and gave him a wan smile.
 
His eyes were wide and his mouth agape.

      
"It isn't nice to stare, Todd," Cole said quietly, reaching for his coffee and taking a sip.

      
"I...ain't never seen hair that color before."
 
Todd's incredulous tone matched his expression.

      
"Don't say ain't," Jackie whispered and took a sip of her water.
 
At least it didn't taste like bear pee.
 
Not that she knew what bear pee tasted like, of course.

      
"How'd your hair get that color?" Todd pressed.
 

      
"An accident."
 
Jackie glowered at Cole, noticing the way his lips twitched and his eyes twinkled.
 
He was laughing at her.
 
Damn him.
 
"I didn't mean for it to turn exactly this color."

      
"You mean you
dyed
your hair?"
 
Todd's obvious shock stung.
 
"I didn't know teachers did–"

      
"Miss Jackie told you it was an accident, Todd.
 
That's enough."
 
Cole took another sip of coffee, then set his cup down and folded his hands in front of him.
 
"Did I miss the blessing?"

      
"No, sir."

      
"Well?"

      
Jackie smiled to herself while Todd muttered a brief prayer.
 
Cole had rescued her, even though he'd been silently laughing at her, too.
 
She owed him one.
 
She peered through her lashes at his dark head across the table from her.
 

      
"Amen," Todd said, grabbing the cornbread.

      
"Amen," Cole echoed, looking up to capture Jackie's gaze with his drop-dead-gorgeous eyes.
 
Bedroom eyes.

      
Her breath caught and heat settled low and heavy in her belly.
 
Maybe she owed him more than one?
 
The man oozed sex appeal and she had a hunch he didn't even know it.
 
That made him all the more desirable.

      
All the more dangerous.

      
Blade had recognized and used his looks as a highly effective weapon.
 
Against
her
.
 
Deep down–really deep– she'd probably known all along that their fling would never be anything permanent.
 
The truth was, she'd been starving for male affection and had easily fallen victim to his charms.

      
And now a man every bit as good-looking–all right, even better–was charming her without even trying.
 
And he was a
nice
man, not a con artist.
 
Anyone could see that by the way he treated his son.

      
But he's also a kidnapper.

      
Then why didn't she feel like a hostage?

      
She narrowed her gaze, watching Cole crumble a piece of cornbread over his beans.
 
He scooped up a spoonful and raised it toward his lips, stopping halfway there to meet her gaze.

      
His lips curved in a boyish grin that stole her breath, then he resumed eating.
 
On the other hand, maybe he
did
know what he was doing to her.
 
He certainly knew when and how to apply his killer smile.
 
Her only defense was to turn his flirtations right back at him.
 
Maybe a bit risky, but what fun....