Ana Seymour (14 page)

Lyle looked as if he were going to continue the argument, but then Kate spoke up, finally showing a bit of determination on her own. “Please, Lyle. Jennie and I would like to have some time alone together.”

He hesitated a moment longer, before addressing Kate. “I’ll be back this afternoon,” he said curtly, then stalked out of the room.

Carter looked at Jennie, his expression grave. “I’ll wait for you out by the carriages. Take as much time as you need.”

Then he, too, turned to leave.

With both men out of the room it was as if a weight had lifted off Kate. She pushed herself up and gave Jennie a squeeze, then took a deep, cleansing breath. “So we can do this thing, sis?” she asked, still anxious.

Jennie put her arm around her sister’s shoulder and squeezed her back. Her blood was still racing. “You bet we can, Katie. We Sheridan sisters can do anything.”

Carter’s head was in a frustrating and uncharacteristic muddle. It had started last night as he’d lain in bed in the afterglow of making love to Jennie and had realized that he might have gotten her pregnant. No, if he was honest with himself, the muddle had really started the first day he’d seen her. He’d tried to take
her side against the townspeople, which hadn’t worked all that well. Then he’d found himself renting a room from her and getting involved with her life, which had caused further difficulties. Now he was in about as deep as he’d ever been…with anyone.

They’d driven for two hours out of Virginia City in almost total silence. Jennie had had one of those determined looks in her eyes when she’d come out of the hospital after her visit with her sister. When he’d asked if they’d made any decision about the adoption, she’d fixed him with a cool stare and said, “We’ve decided not to let anyone else interfere in
our
business.” And that was the end of it.

He’d tried to engage her in light conversation but had given up after the first few attempts. They seemed to be even more estranged than they had been on their
other
trip back from Virginia City. Only this time, there was no way he could move out of her house and her life and forget she existed. This time she might be carrying his child.

They needed to talk about it, but he’d be darned if he could see how to broach the subject. The sleepy, sensual lover he’d taken in his arms this morning had been replaced by a silent young woman who looked as if she’d slap the next man who offered friendly advice. Unfortunately, Carter knew that she needed advice badly. True, so far she’d done a remarkable job of taking care of herself and her sister and even the stray, Barnaby. But she obviously had no idea of how difficult it would be if Kate brought home an illegitimate child. And she obviously had not had sense enough to stay the hell away from Carter when
he had so recklessly put her in risk of ending up in the same situation.

What Jennie needed, he thought ruefully, was a
man.
And sometime during his long hours lying awake last night, he’d decided that since he was the one partially responsible for putting her future in jeopardy, the man she needed was Carter himself.

He’d been through all the arguments. Up to now, he’d been living a calculated life, planning every step. Jennie Sheridan was definitely not in the plan. He hadn’t expected to marry for some years yet. And then it would be to some politically expedient woman who would be able to buy him influence with the important people in the state.

It was definitely
not
in his plan to ally himself with a potential scandal, a feisty, independent woman who cared little for law and less for public opinion and was determined to maintain a household of societal misfits—the same kind of misfit he himself had been.

They’d passed the grove of twisted Joshua trees that marked the halfway point on the road and he still hadn’t started in on the speech he’d rehearsed over and over in the dark last night. Before he knew it, they’d be back in Vermillion facing interruptions by Barnaby and her precious
silverheels.
He took a deep breath.

“I’m sorry about the misunderstanding at the hospital, Jennie.”

She was staring out the other side of the carriage. “I wish Lyle’d go back to his papa’s bank and leave my sister alone.”

“But…well, he’s right that it’s good to have someone there at the hospital with her.”

When she turned toward him, her eyes were glazed with tears. Not a propitious sign for the discussion he wanted to have with her. “I know it is.
I
should be there with her. But I don’t know how to do that and also get the money for her to stay there and keep the house going and take care of Barnaby and…”

He reached over and took her chin in his hand. “Sweetheart, you’re doing all a person can do, more than most people I know. Your sister understands that. But that’s why you should probably just back off a little about Lyle and let him help out.”

“And give my sister’s baby away against her will.”

He released his hold on her and she turned back to look out the carriage away from him. He spoke to the back of her head. “Are you so sure it would be against her will? It seems to me that you’re more indignant about the idea than Kate.”

“Only because she’s too weak to fight her own battles. If Kate were feeling normal, she’d have thrown Lyle out on his ear for even daring to suggest such a thing.”

Carter smiled. He could picture Jennie doing such a thing. She’d almost done it to him. But he couldn’t picture that kind of vehemence from sweet-tempered Kate. But it wasn’t Kate he wanted to discuss.

“I was sorry that it has seemed to cause some dissension between you and me after…after what we had together last night.”

His breath caught as he waited for her to respond.
When she finally turned around, she was dry-eyed. “Don’t worry about it,” she said, her voice tight.

Carter gaped at her. “Don’t worry about it? Jennie, we made love—more than once. It’s not something that you can just forget about.”

“No? It seems to me that most men manage to forget about it just fine.”

She was no doubt thinking about the man who had abandoned Kate. “Well, not me,” he said, sounding a bit lame even to himself. Nothing about this talk was going in the direction he’d planned. For a lawyer, he certainly was making a botch of his case. “Jennie, there may be consequences from what we did,” he blurted, realizing at once that this point would do little to improve the tone.

“I realize that, Carter. Which is why I’m going to ask you to stay out of my way in the future. In spite of our differences, it appears that something happens when the two of us are together.”

This
was more the direction he’d had in mind. He gave her his most persuasive smile. “Yes, sweetheart, something definitely
happens.
And I think we might as well face the fact that it’s going to happen again…and again.”

She shook her head. “Not if we don’t see each other.”

Carter’s exasperation rose. What a stubborn little minx she was. He considered whether he should stop the carriage, take her in his lap and
prove
to her that there was no way they’d be able to stay apart. It would probably make her so angry that she’d leap out of the carriage and insist on walking home. He considered
doing it anyway. The walk might do her good. But it probably wouldn’t get his question answered.

“We’re going to see each other. I eat supper at your place.”

“You can make other arrangements.”

“I’ve already paid up the week.”

Jennie wiggled around in her seat, obviously irritated. “I’ll refund the balance of your money, Mr. Jones. You’ll have it as soon as we reach Vermillion.”

Carter relaxed a little. She wouldn’t be getting this steamed up if she didn’t know perfectly well that the two of them together were dangerous. She felt it every bit as much as he did. And, being a smart girl, she ought to realize that there was only one thing they could do about it. “I’ve paid for my meals and I’ll be there to eat them,” he said smugly. “And I intend to take advantage of my evenings there to tempt you into further indiscretions.”

Jennie almost sputtered as she said, “Sheridan House is
my
business. I say who will be there and who won’t. Granted, I’m an unprotected female who was foolish enough to let my baser instincts get the better of me. But that doesn’t mean that I’ll let you come into my house and make me your mistress!”

The last word came out with a big huff. Carter sat back to get a little distance from her agitation. Then cautiously he inched forward, placed a hand on each shoulder and turned her to face him. He spoke slowly, willing her to pay attention to each word. “Jennie, I’m not asking you to be my mistress. I’m asking you to marry me.”

J
ennie stared at Carter as if he’d suddenly grown an extra nose. He wanted to marry her? She could hardly believe her ears.

In the first place, marriage was for regular people—the kind who intended to settle down behind a picketfenced house where the wife took care of children and pets while the husband went off each day to a job. Marriage was for people like the people her parents had reluctantly become after they’d discovered that an unconventional life of freedom in the mountains simply wouldn’t work.

And in the second place, if Jennie were to ever get married, it wouldn’t be to an ambitious, manipulative politician who wanted to arrange her life and keep her sister’s child out of it.

The arguments raced through her head in a matter of seconds, but the only word that came out was “Why?”

Carter looked surprised. “I just told you. Because we’ve made love and now I’m trying to do the honorable thing—”

“To make a decent woman out of me?” Jennie asked dryly.

“Well, no. I mean, you already
are
a decent woman, Jennie. That’s why we both need to be concerned with how this looks and what consequences there might be—”

Once again she didn’t let him finish his sentence. “It’s bighearted of you, Carter, but as I told you before, you needn’t worry. The people in town probably already think the worst of me so one more check mark on my list of transgressions won’t make that much difference.”

Carter hadn’t considered that she would turn down his proposal. In fact, he couldn’t quite believe that she was turning him down. Women liked to be coaxed. He moved closer to her and put an arm around her shoulders. “No one will ever speak about you that way again once you’re my wife, Jennie. They won’t dare.”

“Well, now, isn’t that a comforting thought.”

He’d thought it would be, but evidently he’d been wrong. “What I mean to say is that I want to take care of you, sweetheart.”

“I can take care of myself very well, thank you. Now if you don’t mind, could we get started again? I need to get back up to Vermillion.”

“Jennie, I don’t think you realize…” She gave an exasperated click with her mouth and glared at him. He decided to give up the attempt…for the moment. She was undoubtedly still feeling strange about the intensity of their night together and was upset about the encounter with Lyle this morning. He’d wait and
bring up the subject again tonight after supper when she’d be in a more receptive mood.

“All right,” he said, jostling the reins to set the horse in motion once again. “We’ll postpone this discussion until later.”

Jennie didn’t answer. She slumped back against the seat with a big sigh. She wanted to tell him that it wouldn’t do any good to postpone the topic. Her answer would be the same. But that would start up the argument again, and she’d had enough conflict for one day.

Carter watched the road ahead as they drove along in silence, giving her an opportunity to study his profile. His words had shocked her, but she had to admit that she wasn’t entirely displeased. It wasn’t every day a girl received a proposal of matrimony, especially from a man as forceful and striking as Carter. In a way it was too bad that she wasn’t the marrying type. If she
had
been, she could do far worse than the handsome prosecutor.

But, of course, the whole idea was absurd. What would Carter do with a wife like her, anyway? He’d be trying to curry votes with the town council while she was at war with them over the latest ridiculous ordinance. He’d be crazy to take on a wife like Jennie. And, she thought sadly as she pushed any notion of romance between her and Carter firmly away, I’d be miserable with someone who was so calculating that he could carry on an entire conversation about marriage without ever once mentioning the word
love.

The silverheels were already down from the mine by the time Carter and Jennie got back to town. Brad
was sprawled on the front steps of the porch while Dennis and Smitty were sitting on the swing. In the wicker rocker at the opposite end of the porch sat Delbert Hammond. He held a glass of whiskey.

“We’re entertaining the sheriff while we waited for you, Miss Jennie,” Dennis called to her as she and Carter climbed out of the carriage and started up the walk. “Offered him a nip of your spirits.”

“You on duty, Sheriff?” Carter asked.

Delbert lifted the glass in a mocking salute. “Well, I ain’t seen any bad guys around to chase, if that’s what you mean, Jones. I figured a little refreshment wouldn’t hurt nothin’ while we were waitin’ on you folks.”

“Why are you waiting for us, Sheriff?” Jennie asked, trying to keep the weariness out of her voice. She’d had enough for one day.

Delbert set the rocker in motion with his foot. “I’m supposed to find out about this overnight trip of yours with Carter. Two unmarried folks staying together in the same hotel is what I was told.”

Carter’s face grew thunderous. “And what goddamn business is it of yours, Hammond?”

Delbert continued to rock, apparently unconcerned at Carter’s tone. “Folks care about things like that, especially when it involves a public servant and someone who was granted a lodging license by the city council. Folks are talking about askin’ for a recall of the public servant and rescinding the license.”

Jennie’s blood was doing a slow boil. It had to have been Lyle. He must have wired the news. How else
would anyone in town have found out about their trip so quickly? He probably intended to use the ensuing scandal to pressure her into agreeing to his plan for the baby. Well, he’d underestimated her. Evidently he’d underestimated Carter, too.

“You can tell anyone who wants to know about Miss Sheridan’s or my activities to contact me,” Carter said, his voice now calm but much more deadly. He walked up on the porch and halted directly in front of the sheriff. “I’ll determine if the information is any of their affair and act accordingly.”

Delbert stopped the motion of the rocking chair and stood, reaching only to Carter’s chin. “Hey, Jones. I just do my job.”

Carter reached out and took the glass of whiskey from the sheriff’s hand, then leaned to pour it out over the porch rail. “Well, Sheriff, if you don’t have any more to occupy yourself than running around spreading town gossip, then maybe I should contact the county to find a better use for their money in this area.”

Delbert shrugged. “I can’t imagine this is a story you’ll want to be telling a lot of people, Jones, but suit yourself.”

For a minute Jennie thought Carter might smack the sheriff right in the face. His fists were clenched and the line of his jaw was tight. But then he stepped back to give the sheriff a clear path to the steps. “Get out of here, Hammond,” he said with disgust.

The sheriff nodded and ambled across the porch, stepping around Brad to descend the stairs. “Thanks for the drink, Miss Sheridan,” he said, tipping his hat
as he walked by Jennie. Then he sauntered down the walk and out the gate.

As if her nerves weren’t frayed enough from the past two days, the encounter with the sheriff had left Jennie with shaky hands as she prepared a quick makeshift supper. Carter had left shortly after Delbert to go change clothes and check in at his office, but he’d said pointedly that he’d be back to eat with them.

The miners, bless their hearts, had pitched in as usual to help with supper. They’d also taken over the meal at the mine to cover her absence, and then Dennis told her he had sent Barnaby fishing as soon as the sheriff had started in with his insinuating comments about Carter and Jennie.

“I couldn’t let the boy see me haul off and hit a man of the law,” Dennis said, “which is what I was hankering to do. So I told Barnaby he’d better go try catching us some trout for breakfast tomorrow.”

“You’re an angel, Dennis Kelly,” Jennie told him, and went up on tiptoe to give him a kiss on the cheek, but unlike the last time she’d done so, this time he avoided an embarrassing blush by pulling away before her soft lips could touch him.

By the time the chickens had been quartered by deadly blows from Smitty and fried with a huge pan full of onions and potatoes, Jennie was feeling better. The miners’ good humor always cheered her.

Dennis had come in from bringing Barnaby back from the creek. He’d left the boy in the yard cleaning the two tiny fish he’d caught. “By the time the bones are pulled out, there won’t be more than a bite of fish
left in them critters,” he’d told Jennie and Smitty with a wink. “But he’s right proud of them and we’ll make a fuss tomorrow when we fry them up.”

“It’s good for Barnaby to be around you three,” Jennie told him. “He needs men in his life to look up to.”

“He’s a fine lad,” Smitty said.

Dennis added, “A little too serious for his age. We need to spend some time showing him how to have fun.”

Jennie sighed. “I hope they’ll let you stay around to do it. After today, they might close this place down for real.”

“Don’t let them battle-axes in town get you down, Miss Jennie,” Dennis said. “The truth is they’re jealous of you because you’re pretty and you’re…” His eyes shyly scanned up and down her trim figure.

“You’ve got curves the right size in the right places,” Brad supplied as he came swinging through the door with an arm full of flowers he’d just cut in the garden. “Unlike most of the town matrons.”

Jennie exclaimed in delight at the sight of them. “Oh, aren’t they beautiful? What a good idea, Brad.”

The usually serious miner gave a sheepish smile. “You looked like you needed something cheery,” he said.

She smiled back at him and then at the other two. “You three are all I need to cheer me up. What would I do without you boys?”

“Ah, shucks, Miss Jennie,” Smitty was saying as Carter entered unannounced through the swinging kitchen door.

“Something smells good,” he said, his eyes going immediately to Jennie.

“It’s just chicken,” she told him. “If you’ll call Barnaby in from out back, we can eat.”

Her heart had taken an unwelcome leap to see him again, even though they’d only been apart a little over an hour. He’d washed and changed clothes and looked as fresh as if he’d spent the day sleeping instead of driving through the mountains, whereas she was wearing the same travel-stained dress she’d had on since yesterday morning.

She wished it didn’t matter to her. She’d hoped to be able to be more indifferent. Perhaps it would just take time. After all, a mere twelve hours ago she’d been making love to this man. But that had been a fantasy. She was home now with Barnaby and her silverheels. Soon Kate would be back, bringing the baby, and life would return to normal. She could forget about her passionate night in Virginia City and forget Carter Jones along with it. It would just take a little time.

Carter was tired. He had spent too many hours awake the previous evening pondering what he should do about the sudden turn of events with Jennie. The day hadn’t been any too restful, either. There’d been the confrontation at the hospital, the long ride home, with Jennie’s rejection of his honorable proposal of marriage, all followed by the sheriff’s nasty comments.

No one had found out about the first time he and Jennie had been forced to stay in Virginia City, but
it appeared that this time they hadn’t been so lucky. He didn’t know how word had filtered back so quickly, but now that it had, he was sure the Vermillion gossip grapevine would see to it that it was spread to the farthest reaches of town. All of which just made his case more urgent.

But Jennie had said no, and what was more astonishing, she’d appeared to mean it.

It was probably his fatigue that made the miners’ antics during supper grate on his nerves. They were obviously trying to cheer Jennie, a goal he should be applauding. But instead, it irritated him. He couldn’t help feeling a little pique at the way she seemed to relax in their company and bask in their compliments while treating him with such measured coolness. After all, it had been
his
arms she’d lain in last night, not her precious silverheels’.

Well, he’d set things right when they had their time alone together after supper.

“I’ll help Jennie with the washing up tonight,” he said loudly as the interminable meal finally drew to a close. “You boys go on with your game.”

Dennis stood and picked up his plate. “We’ve taken over the cleaning from Jennie tonight. The poor lass is weary.”

“They spoil me,” Jennie said, beaming at the three miners.

“I’m going to help, too,” Barnaby said, picking up her plate.

Jennie leaned over and hugged him against her side. “You’re always my good helper, Barnaby.” The
boy seemed pleased and allowed her to squeeze him close without stiffening.

Carter looked around at the volunteer work crew and wondered if he should also offer his services. He wouldn’t mind earning her gratitude, or, for that matter, one of those hugs she’d just given the boy, but it wouldn’t get him time alone with her.

“What you need is a bit of relaxing,” he told her. “How about if we go and sit out on the porch swing?”

“It’s a little cold for that, isn’t it?” she protested.

It probably was. “Grab a shawl and you’ll be warm enough. The fresh air will do you good.”

When she’d been thanking the miners for helping, her expression had been warm and animated. Now the enthusiasm faded as she nodded agreement and went to fetch a shawl from the living room settee. Carter felt strangely hurt. All at once he realized that
he
wanted to be the one putting a smile on her face. He’d certainly put one there last night.

It
was
awfully cold to be sitting outside. He felt the evening chill even through his wool coat. But he was determined to talk with her and press his suit. Now that the whole town would be talking about them, it was important to get it settled. He wanted to be able to announce that they were affianced before self-appointed moral guardians like Henrietta Billingsley could begin a campaign to impugn both her character and his.

“I told you, it’s too cold to be out here,” she said, though she let him draw her down next to him on the swing. She sounded grumpy.