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“Jessie, bring the soap.”
She jumped at the sound of Cole’s voice. Grabbing the misshapen clump of rose-scented soap she’d made, she hurried to the edge of the bank.
“Should I throw it?”
“Sure,” he called back.
She aimed but missed by a good ten feet. Cole was able to retrieve the soap before it sank to the bottom. “You throw like a girl,” he shouted.
“I am a girl,” she called back as she kicked off her shoes and sat down on the grassy slope.
She also took her stockings off, but that was as far as she would go while Cole was in the lake. It wouldn’t have been proper for her to do what she wanted to do. Mothers couldn’t be wanton. And so she watched him scrub her son from top to bottom and then play with him, wishing all the while she were part of the antics.
Her heart fell to the bottom of her stomach when Cole casually tossed Caleb into the air and let him go under the water. Before she could shout a warning, Cole had scooped him up, waited until he’d stopped sputtering, and then tossed him in the air again.
Caleb was having the time of his life and hopefully getting all worn out. Jessica sat on the bank with her toes in the cool water until it was almost completely dark. The temperature was rapidly dropping. She fetched a towel for Caleb and waited until Cole swam over to give her son to her.
The baby’s lower lip was trembling from the cold, but he still put up a fight when she lifted him out of the water. He wanted to go back in. Jessica carried him back to the fire and quickly got him ready for bed. She’d already spread a blanket out and placed his baby doll in the center, and as soon as she put him down, he grabbed the toy, put his thumb in his mouth, and closed his eyes.
“I’ll watch him if you want to get in the water, Jessie,” Cole said from behind.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
There was laughter in his voice when he told her she could look at him. “I’m dressed.”
Barely, she thought to herself. He was wearing only a pair of snug-fitting buckskin pants. His hair was slicked back from his brow, and droplets of water glistened on his arms and chest.
A bath did sound wonderful. She waited until Caleb had drifted off to sleep, then gathered clean clothes, soap, and a towel. She walked a good distance away from the campsite so that Cole wouldn’t see her, draped her garments on a fat, leafy bush, and slowly removed her clothes. Every muscle in her neck and shoulders ached, and she was suddenly so tired, she could barely concentrate on what she was doing. The water felt luxurious against her bare skin. She sighed deeply as she cautiously moved further into the lake, feeling her way with her toes to make certain the rocky bottom wasn’t going to disappear.
It was sheer heaven. She didn’t even mind the cold, but by the time she had scrubbed herself and washed her hair, her fingertips were as wrinkled as prunes.
It would have been nice to slip into her nightgown, but that would have been inappropriate with Cole there, of course, and so she put on a clean chemise and a dark gray dress that was at least two sizes too big for her. Like most of her other clothes, the gown was a hand-me-down. Jessica hadn’t had time to take it in because she was always too tired in the evening after spending her days chasing after Caleb. As she slipped the dress over her head, she vowed once again to become more organized and headed back to camp.
Caleb was sound asleep with his back squeezed up against Cole’s side. She thought Cole was also asleep. He was resting on his back and using one of the saddles for his pillow.
She sat across the campfire from him. Kicking her shoes off and tucking her feet under her, she proceeded to brush the tangles out of her hair. She loved this time of night, when everything was so peaceful and she had a few minutes to herself. She knew she should go to sleep, for tomorrow promised to be as exhausting as today, but she was enjoying the solitude too much to do the practical thing. The heat from the fire warmed her face. She tilted her head to the side so that her hair was draped down past her shoulder and leaned close to the flames.
“You’re going to catch on fire,” Cole said.
She jerked back. “I thought you were asleep,” she whispered so that Caleb wouldn’t be disturbed.
“You don’t have to whisper. Your son’s out cold. Nothing’s going to disturb him.”
“He’s put in a long day,” she said, a smile in her voice.
A few minutes passed in silence, and then he spoke again. “You’re a good mother, Jessica.”
She put her brush down. “No, I’m not, but I’m trying,” she said. “I had never been around babies when I was growing up, and I know I’ve made mistakes with Caleb. I’m more relaxed with him now, and hopefully I haven’t done anything that’s going to permanently damage him. I’ve spoiled him, though, but I don’t care. Babies should be spoiled.”
“The boy needs a father,” he said. “Are you going to find him one?”
Her answer was quick and forceful. “No, I’m not. Caleb had a father. He deserted him, remember?”
“Like your father deserted you?”
She didn’t answer the question. “I’m never going to get married. It would be too much of a complication.”
“Do you have any idea how difficult it’s going to be raising Caleb on your own?”
“We’ll get along.”
Cole stared into the fire for a long while, thinking about Jessica’s circumstances. She was too young to hold such opinions about men and marriage. “Not all men leave.”
“Most do.”
“No, most do not,” he argued. “You’ve got guts, I’ll give you that, but you have to be practical. You’re a fine-looking woman, and men are going to want you.”
You were made for loving, he thought, but didn’t add. He didn’t want to give her the false impression that he was interested. Granted, he was interested in making love to her and knew it would be a night he would never forget, but he wasn’t interested in marriage.
“What makes you think I need help raising Caleb?” she asked.
He ignored her question. “I like the color of your hair.”
The compliment startled her. “You do? Most men don’t like brown hair.”
“Where did you get that crazy notion? When a man first notices a woman, he isn’t looking at her hair anyway.”
“Then what’s he looking at?”
Cole smiled. “The whole package. We take in every curve from the neck down.”
She blushed and had to keep herself from laughing. “You shouldn’t be talking like this.”
“Like what? I simply answered your question. Your hair isn’t brown, by the way. It’s cinnamon.”
She didn’t like being the focus of his attention. It was wrong of him to try to fill her head with sugared remarks that weren’t true. She wasn’t a fine-looking woman, as he’d declared. She was a plain, sensible one.
“Why haven’t you married?” she asked.
“I never wanted to,” he replied. “Besides, in my line of work, marriage is out of the question.”
“But why haven’t you wanted to?” she prodded.
“I don’t like the idea of being tied down. I don’t want any strings.”
She nodded agreement. “I understand. I don’t want any either.”
“You’re too young to be set in your ways.”
“Are you trying to tell me I’m cynical? I am, you know.”
“The right man will change your mind.”
“The right woman might change yours,” she countered.
He stared at her for several seconds, then turned his gaze to the fire. There was a brooding expression on his face that puzzled her, and she wondered what he was thinking about now.
She got up and put her brush away, dug through her valise for one of her ribbons, and then went to sit on the blanket next to Caleb.
“I’ve decided I’m going to tie my son’s wrist to mine. If he tries to get up, he’ll wake me.”
“Jessie, that isn’t necessary. I’ll hear him.”
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She wasn’t willing to take the chance. She looped the yellow ribbon around Caleb’s left wrist and secured it to hers. Then she lay down and closed her eyes.
“I won’t sleep a wink worrying about him.”
She was sound asleep less than a minute later. Cole added some twigs to the fire, then reached over and untied the ribbon from Caleb’s wrist. Jessica had left a long strip of ribbon between them so that Caleb could move, but Cole was concerned that in his sleep the baby would get the ribbon around his neck. He wasn’t about to take the chance. Besides, he would hear the baby if he stirred. When Cole was away from home, he never slept straight through the night, and he always heard every little sound.
Jessica sighed in her sleep and rolled on her side, facing him. He stared at her lovely face, knowing in his heart that if ever there was a right woman for him, Jessie was the one, and that realization made him angry.
It could get complicated, and he hated complications.
He stretched out on his back again, closed his eyes, and let the cool night air soothe the fire inside him while he reminded himself of his basic philosophy of life.
No strings.
Twenty-Five
Sheriff Tom Norton and his wife, Josey, lived in a two-story gray clapboard house on Grant Lane, just two blocks east of Middleton’s town square, where Tom’s jail was located. Three stone steps led up to the front door, and there were recently painted black wicker chairs on the porch. Two large black flower pots filled with pink and red summer flowers flanked the top step. Tendrils of ivy trailed down the sides. The house, though small, was charming.
It was dark out, but Cole still insisted on going around to the back door. He carried Caleb in one arm and half dragged Jessica with his free hand.
“I’m sure they’ve gone up to bed. It’s late.”
“It isn’t that late,” he argued. “And they wouldn’t have left all the lights on if they’d gone to bed. Come on, Jessie. We have to do this.”
She pulled on his arm as he tried to lead her forward on the cobblestone path.
“If I don’t like these people, I’m not leaving Caleb with them. Agreed?”
He held on to his patience. “We’ve been over this. I agreed two hours ago, remember?”
“I just didn’t want you to forget.”
He put his arm around her shoulders and squeezed. “It’s going to be all right, just like I promised.”
He was just about to knock on the back door when she asked him to wait a moment. Then she reached up and threaded her fingers like a comb through Caleb’s hair. The baby promptly dodged her hand.
“You ready?”
She took a deep breath. “Yes,” she answered. “I hope we aren’t disturbing them. It’s late,” she stubbornly added once again.
The Nortons were thrilled to have company and weren’t at all put out. Josey had just finished the supper dishes when Cole knocked on her back door, and Tom Norton was still sitting at the table, having his second cup of coffee.
Cole had to gently nudge Jessica to go inside as he followed with Caleb into the brightly painted kitchen.
Josey was already making over the baby, who was overcome with a sudden bout of shyness and tucked his face into the crook of Cole’s neck.
“My, he’s a handsome boy, and just look at those curls, Tom. I didn’t know you had a family, Cole, and this pretty lady must be your wife. It’s right nice to make your acquaintance,” she added.
“I’m not his wife,” Jessica explained. “But this is my son. His name is Caleb.”
Tom Norton stepped forward to shake Cole’s hand, then pulled out a chair for him and one for Jessica.
“Sit down and tell us what in thunderation you’re doing back in Middleton. You don’t think there’s going to be another robbery, do you?”
“No,” Cole answered as he sat down and perched Caleb on his lap. “We came here to talk to you.”
“Is that right?” Tom asked. “I was just thinking about you the other day. Yes, sir, I was. I see you’re still wearing the star. Have you taken to the notion of being a marshal then?”
“For the time being,” Cole answered. He thanked Josey for the cup of coffee she placed on the table in front of him, and then turned back to Tom.
“I haven’t been a marshal long enough to know if I like the job or not.” After making the comment, he glanced at Jessica. She was watching Josey closely and seemed to be weighing every move the older woman made.
Caleb reached for the hot coffee. Before either Jessica or Cole could react, Josey moved the cup out of his reach.
“Can the little imp have a cookie? I just made some fresh. They’ve got nuts in them, though, and some babies don’t like nuts. What about some milk? I’ve got plenty.”
“I’m sure he’d like some milk and a cookie,” Jessica answered. “But he’ll make a mess. Will you mind?”
“No, of course not. He’s too young not to be messy,” she added. “Have you folks had your supper yet? I could fry up—”
“No, we’ve eaten,” Cole hastily interjected. “But thanks for offering.”
“I’m not at all hungry, thank you,” Jessica answered.
“Tom, could I have a word alone with you for a minute?” Cole asked.
The sheriff led the way into the living room. Caleb was still a little suspicious of his strange surroundings and wouldn’t let go of Cole. He handed him to Jessica, winked at her, and then left the room.
Jessica wrapped her arms around her baby and held him protectively against her. The kitchen was clean. She noticed there wasn’t a speck of dirt anywhere. Josey was obviously a good housekeeper, but if she and Tom agreed to look after Caleb, would she be able to keep up with him? And would she be patient?
She wished there were more time for her to find out everything she needed to know. She was relying on Cole’s judgment, but he was a man and he wouldn’t have the concerns a mother had. He trusted the Nortons. She didn’t, at least not yet, and she wasn’t going to leave an innocent baby in the hands of fiends.
They weren’t monsters, though. The kindness in Josey’s eyes told her she loved babies. She’d already taken to Caleb, and he was quickly warming up to her. Granted, his thumb was still in his mouth, but he was smiling at her.
What did he know? He was just a toddler. It was up to her to make certain he was well cared for, and, oh, God, how could she leave him with anyone? No one could love him the way she did.
Josey put a plate of cookies on the table. She poured two glasses of milk, the taller one for Jessica and the smaller one for Caleb, then sat down across from her and let out a loud sigh.
“It sure was hot today, wasn’t it?”
“Yes, it was,” Jessica agreed. She smiled at Josey and tightened her hold on Caleb when he tried to scoot off her lap. “You have a lovely home.”
“You’ve only seen the kitchen,” Josey said with a chuckle.
“Do you have children?”
“No, we don’t. We always wanted a large family, but we just weren’t blessed. I’ve taken care of a bushel of nieces and nephews, and I sure do know my way around babies, but I’ve got a longing in my heart to raise some of my own.”
“You could still have children. How old are you?”
It was a bold question, but Josey didn’t seem to mind. “I’m too old to start having babies. Why, I’m going to be forty-seven next month. It seems kind of odd for you to be asking me such a question.”
“It was rude,” Jessica said. “And I apologize if I seem a bit abrupt. It’s just that there’s so little time to decide, and I…”
She couldn’t go on. She’d start crying if she tried to explain. She took several deep breaths in an effort to control her emotions before she started questioning Josey once again.
Josey was watching her closely. She noticed how pale Jessica was and how sad her eyes looked. She wanted to ask her if she was in trouble and if so, if there was anything that she and Tom could do to help, but Jessica spoke befo
re she could get the words out.
“Do you consider yourself patient?”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Are you patient?”
“Tom seems to think I am,” she answered.
“What do you do when you get angry?”
Josey leaned back in her chair. She was thoroughly perplexed by her guest’s peculiar questions.
“I clean.”
“I’m sorry?” Jessica asked, not understanding.
“I clean,” Josey repeated. “When I get into a lather about something or other, I scrub my floors and wash my walls and do whatever else I need to do until I’ve gotten rid of my anger. Then I talk it out with Tom. Are you going to tell me why you’re asking me these questions?”
Tears sprang into Jessica’s eyes. “Yes, I’ll explain just as soon as Cole finishes talking to your husband. Do you keep lye under your counter?”
“Do I what?”
“Keep lye under your counter.”
“Good heavens, no,” Josey answered. “Like I told you before, I’m used to watching my nieces and nephews. A couple of them are about your baby’s age. They can walk and get into mischief, but they don’t have a lick of sense yet. Lye could kill them, so I keep it up where they can’t get to it. You’re in trouble, aren’t you, Jessica?”
“Yes,” she whispered. “I’m sorry I’ve been so … suspicious, but I needed to know.”
“Know what?” Josey asked.
“Cole will explain,” she replied. “But I promise I won’t hound you with any more questions.”
Josey reached over to pat Jessica’s hand. “You’re with a good, strong man to help you through this trouble.”
“Cole’s a marshal and he’s part of my problem. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t be on my way to Texas.”
Josey’s frown deepened. “I guess I’m just gonna have to wait until Tom tells me what’s going on, then. That baby’s been trying to get to his cookie for a good five minutes now,” she added, deliberately changing the subject because Jessica looked on the verge of tears again. “Why don’t you lessen your grip on him and let him have one. Can he drink out of a glass yet?”
