Whatever tomorrow held.
Well, today, that is. Morning wasn’t quite broken yet. Cold enough for them to cuddle close under the blanket for a bit longer. Outside the miserable shed, Snap’s whicker reminded her they had things to do and places to get. Pearls to sell. Redd slept like the dead, and she reckoned a quick toilette so as to keep warm as well as not tempt him into more lovemaking. Both her heart and her body stirred at the memories.
Wherever Redd had thrown her dress last night was cause for alarm because now, naked and shivering, she found it outside the ramshackle door.
Hem ripped open. Pearls gone.
Ahab!
“Redd?” She shrieked as well as she could with her broken voice and the fact they were in hiding.
“What?” He was dressed in a finger snap.
She climbed into the dress and held up the hem. “He’s been here. Nobody else knew where I had ’em hid .”
Shudders attacked her, but before she caved in to the fear, she straightened her spine. True, Ahab had come upon her, them, but he had left them alone. “Here, and he didn’t thieve Snap. Quite unlike him.”
Redd stood scratching his head like a child just waked. “Damn, I didn’t hear a peep.”
“Ahab’s good.” Jessy Belle finished buttoning the dress.
“I’m a trained scout.” Redd’s cheekbones reddened, purely mortified. “I have heard a needle drop from a Jeffrey pine at thirty yards.”
Jessy Belle snorted although she reached for him in comfort. “Clearly Ahab is a bit better. How long you been a scout? Six years? Ahab’s been an outlaw twice that long.”
“I didn’t even hear Snap.”
“Pshaw. Ahab knows how to seduce a horse into silence.”
“Then why didn’t he steal him?”
“I admit that’s curious.” Jessy Belle tightened her lips, thinking hard. “Snap is a valuable animal. We must consider it was all about the pearls.”
Redd reached for her, suntanned and positive once again. “I know you promised your mama. About the pearls. But here you are. Safe in my arms. Alive and well. With me.”
And where I long to stay . She hugged him tight, longed to speak the words out loud but gave her brother one last thought. “Likely I should pray he finds his way. Like I did. And maybe finds the love of a good woman, too.”
Redd mumbled something into her hair that danced along her shoulders, but something caught her eye.
“What’s that flapping on my saddlebag?” she asked. “Well, I mean your saddlebag.”
“A rat?” Distracted, Redd nuzzled for her mouth. “Kick it off.”
Jessy Belle broke away, reluctant and curious both. “Why, it’s my same missive to Teresa. And she’s written me a reply on the backside.”
“What on earth? How did such a thing come to find our saddlebag? We’re miles and miles from the mission.”
“‘Cuz she’s with him.” Jessy Belle’s heart climbed right into her throat and pounded. “Teresa’s with him!”
“Your brother?”
“Of course my brother. Oh, Redd, Teresa’s caught his fever.” Jessy Belle howled like a wolf pup. “And she’s got it bad. She told me just yesterday she had no use for a man. Oh, no. What is she thinking?”
He held her close. “I once had those feelings, about no use for a woman. Then I met you.”
“But it didn’t happen in an instant!”
“No?” After a long warm while, he spoke into her hair. “What’d she write?”
“Ahab came upon the convent in search of me. Found her room.” Jessy Belle sniffed loud. “Left her unmolested when she woke up. They spoke and she saw a lost boy who needs love and a home. In her heart, too, she knows his evil must be stopped. What better partner than a woman who already has already done so?”
She explained how Teresa had stabbed her iniquitous stepfather.
“So you mean she’s going to kill Ahab?” As if in preparation, Redd laid a hand at his waist where his Bowie hung sheathed.
“No. Oh, Redd. It means she’s going to revive him to faith and truth.”
“What
Well, today, that is. Morning wasn’t quite broken yet. Cold enough for them to cuddle close under the blanket for a bit longer. Outside the miserable shed, Snap’s whicker reminded her they had things to do and places to get. Pearls to sell. Redd slept like the dead, and she reckoned a quick toilette so as to keep warm as well as not tempt him into more lovemaking. Both her heart and her body stirred at the memories.
Wherever Redd had thrown her dress last night was cause for alarm because now, naked and shivering, she found it outside the ramshackle door.
Hem ripped open. Pearls gone.
Ahab!
“Redd?” She shrieked as well as she could with her broken voice and the fact they were in hiding.
“What?” He was dressed in a finger snap.
She climbed into the dress and held up the hem. “He’s been here. Nobody else knew where I had ’em hid .”
Shudders attacked her, but before she caved in to the fear, she straightened her spine. True, Ahab had come upon her, them, but he had left them alone. “Here, and he didn’t thieve Snap. Quite unlike him.”
Redd stood scratching his head like a child just waked. “Damn, I didn’t hear a peep.”
“Ahab’s good.” Jessy Belle finished buttoning the dress.
“I’m a trained scout.” Redd’s cheekbones reddened, purely mortified. “I have heard a needle drop from a Jeffrey pine at thirty yards.”
Jessy Belle snorted although she reached for him in comfort. “Clearly Ahab is a bit better. How long you been a scout? Six years? Ahab’s been an outlaw twice that long.”
“I didn’t even hear Snap.”
“Pshaw. Ahab knows how to seduce a horse into silence.”
“Then why didn’t he steal him?”
“I admit that’s curious.” Jessy Belle tightened her lips, thinking hard. “Snap is a valuable animal. We must consider it was all about the pearls.”
Redd reached for her, suntanned and positive once again. “I know you promised your mama. About the pearls. But here you are. Safe in my arms. Alive and well. With me.”
And where I long to stay . She hugged him tight, longed to speak the words out loud but gave her brother one last thought. “Likely I should pray he finds his way. Like I did. And maybe finds the love of a good woman, too.”
Redd mumbled something into her hair that danced along her shoulders, but something caught her eye.
“What’s that flapping on my saddlebag?” she asked. “Well, I mean your saddlebag.”
“A rat?” Distracted, Redd nuzzled for her mouth. “Kick it off.”
Jessy Belle broke away, reluctant and curious both. “Why, it’s my same missive to Teresa. And she’s written me a reply on the backside.”
“What on earth? How did such a thing come to find our saddlebag? We’re miles and miles from the mission.”
“‘Cuz she’s with him.” Jessy Belle’s heart climbed right into her throat and pounded. “Teresa’s with him!”
“Your brother?”
“Of course my brother. Oh, Redd, Teresa’s caught his fever.” Jessy Belle howled like a wolf pup. “And she’s got it bad. She told me just yesterday she had no use for a man. Oh, no. What is she thinking?”
He held her close. “I once had those feelings, about no use for a woman. Then I met you.”
“But it didn’t happen in an instant!”
“No?” After a long warm while, he spoke into her hair. “What’d she write?”
“Ahab came upon the convent in search of me. Found her room.” Jessy Belle sniffed loud. “Left her unmolested when she woke up. They spoke and she saw a lost boy who needs love and a home. In her heart, too, she knows his evil must be stopped. What better partner than a woman who already has already done so?”
She explained how Teresa had stabbed her iniquitous stepfather.
“So you mean she’s going to kill Ahab?” As if in preparation, Redd laid a hand at his waist where his Bowie hung sheathed.
“No. Oh, Redd. It means she’s going to revive him to faith and truth.”
“What
Similar Books
