Texas Hero

  "Like this?" His clever hands began seeking out all the sweet, sensitive places of her body that he had discovered during their long night of lovemaking.

  When she gasped he covered her mouth with his in a deep, passionate kiss.

  "I guess we'll do without a fire or food," he murmured against her lips.

  Their bodies were already heated. And with their love, they fed each other's souls.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Caroline awoke to see Thad, shirtless and barefoot, tossing a log into the fireplace. For long moments she studied the way he looked in the thin morning sunlight. Pale shaggy hair dusted a wide forehead. A stubble of bronze beard gilded his cheeks and chin. The powerful muscles of his arms and shoulders accentuated a flat stomach and lean hips.

  When the flames danced along the log, chasing the chill from the room, he stood and wiped his hands on his pants.

  "The bed is cold," she whispered.

  Turning, he gave her a smile that wrapped itself around her heart. He crossed the room and the mattress sagged as he sat on the edge of the bed and drew her close.

  "Someone has to see to the unimportant details like food and warmth."

  "Mmm. I can feel the warmth." She snuggled against him.

  "But where's the food?"

  "Rosita is preparing it."

  "Rosita." Caroline began to scramble from the bed. "She's already here?

  She knows I'm here in your room? " He hauled her back and wrapped his arms around her, stilling her movements.

  "Yes and yes."

  "But I can't let her see me like... Thad, I have to get dressed."

  He chuckled.

  "That's going to be pretty hard to do, Teacher, since you don't have any clothes."

  ' "What happened to my clothes?"

  ' "By the time I got them off you last night, they were rags. I told Rosita to burn them."

  "What?" He could see the flush that colored her cheeks. "Now what am I going to do?"

  He kissed her lightly to stop the questions. Instantly she wrapped her arms around him and grew soft and pliant in his arms as she returned the kiss.

  What was it about this man that he could ease all her fears and silence all her questions? Trust, she thought, with a sigh of satisfaction.

  She trusted him completely.

  When they finally came up for air he brought his mouth to a tangle of hair at her temple.

  "Rosita sent Manuel back to their ranch for some of her clothes. So until he returns, it looks like you'll just have to stay here in my bed and let me... amuse you."

  Her fingertips caressed his head, moving in slow, sensuous circles through his hair. He sighed contentedly and drew her closer.

  She could remain like this forever, she thought. Just the two of them, hidden away at his ranch, locking out the rest of the world. She had never known such peace, such happiness. Such love.

  For no logical reason, she found herself weeping.

  Tasting the salt, Thad became alarmed and lifted his head.

  "Tears?" He touched a finger to the moisture that rolled down her cheeks.

  "Have I done something to hurt you, love?"

  Love. His use of the endearment made her tears flow faster.

  "No. It's just..." She flushed in embarrassment.

  "I

  often heard my mother crying in the night, and I know they weren't happy tears." ' " And are these happy tears? " He pressed his lips to the corner of her eye to stem the flow.

  She nodded and struggled to compose herself.

  "In some ways very happy tears. And in some ways sad. I never dreamed that loving could be like this. Somehow I always thought that it was only pleasurable for the man."

  She sat very still, loving the feel of him holding her just so, his lips still pressed to the side of her face.

  Almost timidly she asked,

  "Is it always like this?"

  "It is if you're with someone you love."

  "Then I truly pity my poor mother," she whispered gravely.

  "She was never with a man who loved her."

  "Not even your father?"

  "She hardly knew him."

  At Thad's questioning look she paused a moment, gathering her thoughts.

  Then, taking a deep breath, she said, "How much did I reveal when I was having my... bad dream?"

  "Enough," he admitted.

  "You spoke aloud about your mother, having to run away from a man. But you never revealed his name."

  He felt her stiffen. Against her temple he muttered,

  "You don't have to talk about it now."

  "Yes." She took in a deep breath.

  "I do. You have a right to know. His name is Silas Tate. He's a very wealthy, very powerful man who owns a tavern and hotel in Kansas City.

  When I was ten years old, my mother sent me away to save me from him.

  You see, she . worked for him." Thad nodded in understanding.

  She looked away, unable to meet his eyes.

  "After my mother sent me away, I spent three days searching among the shops and crowds in the city until I was able to locate Jonathan Coming, an old friend of my mother's. You can imagine the shock he and his wife must have felt when they saw a ten-year-old girl, hungry, frightened and looking like a filthy beggar. But they were good people.

  They took me in, cleaned me up, fed me and offered to keep me until I could take care of myself." She smiled despite the painful things she had just admitted.

  "For Jonathan, who had once taught my mother at Miss Tully's School for Ladies in Boston, the worst sin of all was that I was illiterate. I could neither read nor write. So he undertook to educate me and, to his surprise and mine, discovered that I had a quick mind. I once heard him boast that I was his best student, despite my foul language."

  Agitated, she slid from the bed and picked up Thad's heavy shirt.

  Shrugging into it, she walked to the fireplace and stared into the flames for several minutes before turning to face him.

  It gave Thad the strangest sensation to see her in his shirt. She looked so young, with her hair falling in tangles around her shoulders and her long sleek legs so pale against the first slanting rays of morning light.

  But her youthful beauty hid years of pain.

  "I began to dream of being a schoolteacher," she said softly, 'and Jonathan encouraged me. Within a year or two, he said, I could even teach at Miss Tully's School for Ladies if I set my mind to it." She smiled dreamily.

  "It was the greatest compliment anyone could have paid me. But then, one day in the spring when I had thought my past was behind me, I was strolling along the streets of Kansas City and I suddenly felt a man's hand clamp over my mouth. When I twisted around I found myself face-to-face with Silas Tate."

  Thad saw the look of revulsion on her face as she whispered,

  "He pulled my head back and ran a hand over my body as though he owned me. And he told me I looked even more beautiful than he'd remembered. And he couldn't wait to show me to all my mother's customers. Then he started dragging me toward his carriage, and I knew that if he succeeded in taking me away, I would never be free of him."

  Thad saw the effort it cost her to retain her composure, but though his heart ached for her, he knew that she needed to tell her story.

  "I was fighting him, but he was so much bigger and stronger. He hauled me into his carriage and ordered the driver to start. Then he sat back against the cushions and began to laugh. To laugh." She shook her head, as if still unable to believe his cruelty.

  "He took a knife from his belt, the same knife he'd held to my mother's throat. And he said, I made your mother pay for disobeying me. And he laughed again as he told me that he'd killed her...." A tear squeezed from the corner of her eye but she forced herself to go on.

  "But, he said, no one would ever care, since she was nothing more than a whore." Caroline's voice broke for a moment, but she caught herself and whispered,

  "I don't know what happened. Somethin
g inside me seemed to snap.

  I snatched up the knife and slashed his face, then leaped out of the carriage." Her voice was stronger now as she added,

  "In the confusion, I managed to escape. I knew I was no longer safe in the city. Jonathan had heard about the teaching position here in Hope and suggested that I send my letter and leave town at once."

  "What about the school in Boston?" Thad asked.

  She shook her head.

  "It was a lie. Jonathan didn't know about it. He wouldn't have approved of using the name of a school I never attended.

  That was my idea. I was afraid I might not get the job unless I had the proper credentials." " And Silas Tate? "

  Caroline looked at Thad for the first time. Tears glittered in her eyes, but her voice was steady.

  "I don't know how he found out where I was headed. But he must have known almost from the beginning. And he has played with me like a cat with a mouse. And now he has come to have his revenge."

  Thad crossed the room and drew her close against his chest, wishing he could spare her the pain of her memories. "You're not a helpless little girl anymore. You're a bright, educated woman who has a right to defend herself.

  And there's something else, Caroline. You're not alone anymore.

  We're in this fight together." She shook her head.

  "I knew you'd say that. But I've had plenty of time to think this through.

  I've already caused my mother's death. I won't have yours on my hands, as well. "

  She caught a flash of anger in his eyes and was reminded of his ruthlessness when he'd faced her attackers. His voice was low with feeling.

  "You weren't the cause of your mother's death. And in case you've forgotten" -- he made a strained attempt at lightness "--I have a reputation to uphold.

  Folks around here think I'm the best damned shot in Texas. We can't let them down now, can we? "

  "This isn't a joke, Thad. I have no" -- They both looked up at the knock on the door.

  "What is it?" Thad snapped.

  "I have your breakfast, Senor Con way," came Rosita's voice through the closed door.

  "And clean clothes for Senorita Adams."

  "Thanks, Rosita. Just leave them outside the door."

  They stood facing each other, listening to the clatter of a tray as it was deposited on the floor. Moments later they heard the soft tread of footsteps retreating. Thad turned away. For the moment, at least, the tension between them dissolved.

  "You agree, then," Thad said as he drained a cup of steaming coffee. He took a long, admiring look at Caroline soaping herself in a tub of hot water positioned on a rug in front of the fire.

  "We'll ride into town and let the sheriff know that Silas Tate is no friend of yours. You'll let him know that you want Tate to leave you alone."

  Caroline leaned her head back and closed her eyes.

  "You make it sound so simple."

  "It will be." He wished the day would disappear and night would come upon them again. He'd never be able to coax her back into bed knowing Rosita and Manuel were in the house. But he wanted to. He wanted desperately to love her one more time before they faced the man from her past.

  ' "Once Sheriff Horn knows that this man is here to cause trouble, he'll see that Silas Tate leaves the territory. And if Tate refuses, you'll have the sheriff and the whole town on your side."

  "All right. If you say so." As she felt a splash in the water, Caroline's eyes snapped open.

  "Thad, what are you doing?"

  He was kneeling beside the tub, his face so close to hers that his warm breath whispered over her cheek.

  "I'm washing your hair."

  "Mmm." His fingers gently massaged her scalp, and she closed her eyes, letting all the tensions begin to drain away. "You have wonderful hands,"

  she murmured.

  "I'm glad you noticed." He continued to massage the soap into her scalp, then commanded,

  "Close your mouth, Teacher. I'm about to push you under."

  He pressed her head underwater and watched the soap float to the surface.

  When she came up sputtering, he wrapped a towel around her hair and pulled her close for a quick kiss. He touched his lips to the droplets of water that clung to her lashes, murmuring,

  "You smell like Jessie's roses."

  "It's the soap Rosita gave me. She said she mixes it with crushed rose petals."

  He drew her closer, pressing his lips to her temple.

  "Careful," she warned as the water lapped around the rim of the tub.

  "If you're not careful, you'll get wet."

  He stood suddenly and began slipping out of his clothes.

  She looked shocked.

  "Thad, what are you doing?"

  "I'm going to join you. Teacher."

  "You can't," she said laughing.

  "And why not?"

  "Because you wouldn't fit in this little tub with me."

  "Want to make a wager on that?"

  He stepped into the water and it nearly overflowed.

  "See? I told you."

  He sat down and pulled her on top of him. Warm, soapy water sloshed onto the floor, soaking the rug. For a minute she was convulsed with laughter.

  Then, as he drew her head down to his for a long, lazy kiss, the laughter died in her throat.

  His hands were already beginning to work their magic. Her body reacted instinctively to his touch.

  ' "How about another lesson. Teacher?"

  She wrapped her arms around his neck and said against his lips,

  "You know I'm always eager to learn."

  "You look... beautiful." Beautiful didn't seem nearly eloquent enough, but Thad had never been a man of words.

  Barefoot, Caroline stood in front of the looking glass and stared at her reflection. The woman looking back at her was a stranger. She was wearing Rosita's ivory, lace-frosted blouse which fell off her shoulders, and a skirt that fell to her ankles in tiers of vivid scarlet and violet and vibrant yellow. Her black hair fell to below her waist in a jumble of curls.

  "We'll have to go to my cabin and pick up a proper dress," she said without turning.

  Across the room, Thad had been studying her in silence for long minutes.

  At her words he seemed jolted out of his reverie.

  Crossing the room, he took the hairbrush from her hands and began running it through her tangles.

  "Are you still afraid to look beautiful, Teacher?"

  Despite all that they had shared, she felt herself blushing.

  "I've never really thought about it. I suppose, because of my mother's fears for me, I never wanted to be beautiful. But now, looking at your eyes..."

  She turned and placed her hands on either side of his face.

  When he gazed down, she saw herself reflected in the blue depths. And for the first time in her life she began to believe that being beautiful was a blessing. He made her feel truly beautiful. And cherished.

  "I wish..."

  "You wish what. Teacher?"

  She moved her hands to his shoulders.

  "I wish I could always see that look in your eyes."

  "You will," he said softly.

  "Even years from now?"

  "If we live to be a hundred, you'll still see the love I feel for you shining in my eyes." He pressed a kiss to the tip of her nose.

  "Now sit down."

  "Why?"

  "Because you can't go into town in bare feet. Manuel made these for you."

  His hands lingered a moment at her ankles as he slid her feet into soft kid slippers.

  "Oh, Thad. I always hated those heavy old boots." She stood and danced around the room, twirling so that the full skirt drifted and billowed around her.

  "In these clothes I feel... I feel so free," she said, laughing.

  "You are free." He lifted her and spun her around and around until they were both dizzy.

  He lowered her until her feet touched the floor. Still holding her, he bent his head and
brushed her lips with his.

  A knock at the door had them both looking up sharply.

  "Seiior Con way." From the other side of the closed door came Rosita's worried voice.

  "You must come at once."

  Thad hurried to open the door.

  "What is it?"

  "Manuel said that many horses are approaching. They are led by the sheriff and" -- she looked beyond Thad to where Caroline stood alone "--the stranger who caused Senorita Adams to run away."

  Chapter Twenty

  "I can't face anyone looking like this," Caroline said in alarm. She cast a quick glance in the mirror and was horrified at her sultry reflection. The townspeople would be shocked to see their new teacher in such a different light.

  Hearing the thunder of hoofbeats, Thad said,

  "Looks like you have no choice.

  They're already here. "

  When she held back, Thad led the way to the front porch. Holding the door open, he watched as she stiffened her spine and lifted her head before stepping through the doorway.

  "Remember, Teacher," he said in a tone meant for her ears only, "the truth shall set you free."

  The horses came to an abrupt halt in a cloud of dust. As the dust settled, Caroline could make out the sheriff and Reverend Symes, as well as Sara Waverly, Cora Meadows and Bel va Spears. All of them glanced around appreciatively, since it was their first venture onto Thad Con way's property. Until now he had steadfastly kept the townspeople away.

  If he was angered by their presence, he gave no indication. He nodded in greeting to everyone, then gave a quick, tight smile to Jessie and Cole and Clan and Morning Light.

  Though Caroline was aware of all who were there, her gaze centered on one man, Silas Tate, who rode beside the sheriff.

  Despite the presence of so many people, the crowd seemed strangely silent.

  They remained astride their horses, watching Caroline Adams as she faced the man she had fled.

  They couldn't help but notice the change in their teacher. Garbed in brilliant colors, her dark hair soft and loose, she was far different from the prim schoolteacher they had become accustomed to seeing. Many of them seemed disturbed by her appearance. And more than a little shocked.

  "Miss Adams." Sheriff Horn cleared his throat and looked extremely uncomfortable. The back of his neck turned red and he pressed a sleeve to the sweat that beaded his forehead.