Page 10 of In Her Sights

"My own fault." Jackson shrugged. "Got between a hunter and the buck he was tryin' to take down. I shouldn't've been there. Kinda like today. I shouldn't've startled you. Thought you were out of ammunition, makin' it safe to approach. Just goes to show the folly in assumin' safety around guns. Even for those of us who think we got things figured out."

"Well, I've learned my lesson." Tessa turned her head and scowled at where her pistol lay on the ground. "I'm never shooting a gun again. Especially that one."

"That's a shame," Jackson said. "I was kinda lookin' forward to giving you some lessons."

Especially now that he knew how good it felt to hold her. Lord, have mercy. He'd only had one taste, and he was already addicted. Maybe he had more of his father in him than he'd thought. An unsettling notion. Until he remembered Crockett and Jo and how the two of them always seemed to crave having the other one around. Even after havin' a passel of kids, he'd still caught them smoochin' on the front porch more'n once.

Tessa swiveled back to face him. "You don't . . . hate me? After what I did? I could have killed you."

"Of course I don't hate you. It was an accident, Tessa. Nothing more."

He thought his reassurance would please her, but it seemed to have the opposite effect, turning the spigot back on for a new trickle of tears.

"Hey, now," he soothed. "What's all this?"

She pressed her lips together and shook her head, her dark lashes hiding her eyes. "I thought . . . I ruined everything. What man in his right mind would ever court a woman who shot him?"

Everything inside Jackson stilled. Except his heart. It raced like a locomotive on a downhill track.

"What woman in her right mind would ever accept the suit of a man whose father is a drunkard and a felon?" Her head came up, and her eyes glittered with an intensity that made him squirm. He cleared his throat. "I'm no catch, Tessa. Associatin' with me is liable to muddy your shine. That's why I done my best to steer clear of you. To guard your reputation."

Her eyes widened. "That's why you've been ignoring me? To protect me?"

"That's why I haven't asked you to step out with me." His chest throbbed. Lands, but those big doe eyes of hers were mesmerizing. "I could no more ignore you than I could ignore the sun comin' up in the morning."

Her mouth curved into the most beautiful smile he'd ever seen. Made his knees wobble. Or maybe that effect stemmed more from his wound. He hadn't lied about it being superficial, but it still needed attention. Yet the woman before him needed attention too, and at the moment, she trumped a bloody arm.

Tessa lowered her lashes, then tilted her chin in a shy way that set his pulse to thrumming. "If you were to ask me to accompany you on an outing, I'd say yes."

He stroked the back of her hand with his thumb. "Even with the baggage I carry as the son of Sam Spivey?" He needed her to be sure, because if he let himself care for her and she turned her back, he might not recover.

She met his gaze without hesitation. "You are your own man, Jackson. And a fine one from what I can see. Hard-working, dependable, a man of faith. Kind, forgiving, and willing to put up with pestering women who refuse to leave you alone."

"Well, only one pestering woman. I told all the others to skedaddle."

Tessa laughed, and the sound grabbed his heart and refused to let go. Few people in his life had ever rattled off a list of positive qualities and attributed them to him. Plenty had rattled off insults, including his pa. Good for nothing. Stupid. Bad seed. Trash. Made it hard to believe Tessa might actually mean what she'd said, but, man, how he hoped she did.

Crockett and Joanna had mended his shredded self-esteem to some extent over the years, their acceptance, friendship, and respect patching the holes left by his father and townsfolk who'd rather not be bothered by his existence. The Archers made him feel like part of their family. Helped him believe he might be worthy of having a family of his own someday. But with Tessa? Such fortune seemed too good to be true. Made him nervous. What if he screwed it up? What if she got hurt because of him? What if he really was as worthless as his old man?

He didn't feel worthless, though. Not while Tessa smiled at him with admiration glowing in her eyes. Lord, help him. He wanted to make a life with her. To have her laughter tickle his ears on a regular basis. To see that smile and feel her hand in his. To walk beside her in the woods or down a church aisle decked out in wedding finery.

Jackson swallowed. Good grief. He was already in love with her. Shoot, he probably had been for months. He'd just needed permission to do something about it, and now that he had it, the feelings he'd worked so hard to corral were stampeding all over him.

Clearing his throat, he released her hand and offered his good arm instead. "Miss James? May I escort you back to town?"

The sun was fixing to set, after all, and he really should swing by Doc Anderson's office to get his arm looked at. Now that he had a gal to impress, he couldn't afford to be laid up by an infection.

Tessa dipped a small curtsy and smiled up at him. "I'd be delighted, Mr. Spivey." Her attention snagged on his arm, though, and her smile faded. "I insist you let me bind up that wound first. It might not be life-threatening, but I'm sure it pains you. Besides, it wouldn't be very chivalrous of you to bleed all over me the first time we take a stroll together."

"Well, in the name of chivalry, then, bind away." The two shared a grin, and a hunger stirred in Jackson's belly as his focus diverted to her mouth. He wanted to share more than a smile with those lips.

She must have sensed his thoughts, for a delightful pink colored her cheeks a heartbeat before she darted away to dig through her carpetbag. "I think I have a handkerchief in here somewhere."

Jackson pictured the handkerchief Tessa would favor. Pristine white, likely with lacy edges. Something far too fine to sully with blood and grime. He reached into his trouser pocket and pulled out a dark blue bandana. "Here. Use this."

She straightened and returned to his side, a placement that instantly improved his mood. Taking the bandana from his hand, she shifted around to his right to examine the injury. When she got a closer look, her eyes grew misty.

"Oh, Jackson. Your poor arm. I wish I had some water to clean it and some salve to aid the healing. I can't believe I did this to you."