Page 19 of In Her Sights

Yet she didn't regret getting involved. If she hadn't, Jackson might not be walking beside her right now. That she would have regretted. For the rest of her life.

Jackson tucked her close into his side and carved a path through the crowd milling around the courthouse. Eventually the people thinned as Jackson and Tessa distanced themselves from the square.

Their pace slowed as they reached her boardinghouse, and instead of walking her to the door, Jackson steered her toward the large pecan tree that flanked the house on the east side. Tessa leaned her back against the solid trunk, then reached up and placed a hand over Jackson's thumping heart.

"It's only beatin' because of you." Jackson's soft murmur drew her attention to his face. "You saved my life today, Tessa." The muscles in his throat worked up and down as he swallowed. "I ain't never had somebody put my life ahead of their own before."

A self-deprecating smile curved the edges of his lips as he stroked her hairline with his fingers. Tiny shivers danced along Tessa's skin and her pulse fluttered, making her lightheaded in the most delicious way.

"Part of me wants to throttle you for putting yourself at risk like that." His chin dipped so she couldn't see his eyes. Then he planted his palm on the tree trunk beside her face and lifted his head. The intensity shining in his eyes branded her heart. "A bigger part of me just wants to hold onto you and never let go. I love you, Tessa. So much it scares me."

"Oh, Jackson." All the ugliness that had wrapped itself around her like a muddy blanket during the last half hour fell off her shoulders in one fell swoop as the sunlight of his love banished the shadows from her soul and bathed her in invigorating warmth. "There's nothing to be afraid of. I love you too, and I always will."

He bent his head and touched his lips to hers. The kiss was feather-light, but it carried the weight of forever.

Tessa fisted her hand in the fabric of his shirt, so overwhelmed by the force of her emotions that she feared being swept away.

Jackson pulled his lips from hers. For a moment, she tried to follow, raising up on her tiptoes to preserve the connection. But then she recalled where they were, and the likelihood that Mrs. Winslow or one of the boarders could walk by at any moment. She lowered her heels back to the ground and reluctantly dropped her hand away from his chest.

One of these days she'd be able to kiss him as often as she wanted. For as long as she wanted. That day couldn't arrive soon enough.

"Just so you know," she said as she slid out from under his arm and away from the tree, "I won't want a long engagement. A spring wedding would be nice. Early spring. When the daffodils are in bloom."

Jackson's eyes rounded in comical fashion. "Tessa James. Did you just propose to me?"

She gave him her most innocent look. "Of course not. Everyone knows it's the man's job to propose. I was merely making my preferences known. That's all."

He quirked a grin. "I see. What if I want a long engagement?" He crossed his arms over his chest and peered down at her like a schoolmaster giving a lesson. "A year might be good. Time to build up a nest egg and shine up my prospects. Takin' a wife's a big responsibility, you know."

She raised a brow at him. "Hmm. I suppose I'll just have to try to change your mind on that."

He laughed and shooed her into the house, promising to wait for her as long as she needed. She wouldn't be returning that favor. She'd already waited a year for Jackson to come to his senses. Waiting another one held no appeal. Maybe a shotgun wedding wasn't such a bad idea after all . . .

They married in the spring. No shotgun required.

An hour before the ceremony, Tessa ushered Laura into her room at Mrs. Winslow's boardinghouse in the hopes of securing a moment alone with her friend before her sister arrived to help her dress.

"I finished the garland this morning." Laura held out an ethereal wreath of delicate greenery interwoven with pearl beads and rosettes made of yellow ribbon. A long length of tulle draped from the edges of the wreath to hang over Laura's arm. Tessa's wedding veil.

Tessa sucked in an awestruck breath as she moved in for a closer look. "Oh, Laura. It's beautiful." She fingered the tiny details. "You've outdone yourself."

"I'm glad you like it." She gently laid the veil across the bed, then moved to the wardrobe, where Tessa's dress hung. "I can't wait to see you in this gown. It's perfect for a spring wedding. The color, the style. So lovely. When you walk down the aisle in church today, every lady in attendance will want you to design their next gown."

"My former employer sent me the fabric as a gift when she heard about my engagement. I fell in love with it the moment I unwrapped the paper. I've always favored green, and the pale fern silk she sent was so elegant, I wept a little when I saw it the first time."

Laura smiled. "The two of you must be close."

Tessa nodded. "Hannah is like a second mother to me. Everything I know about sewing, and much of what I know about life, I learned at her knee."

"She taught you well."

Yes, she had. As had her mother. Louisa James might be a humble laundress, but she taught Tessa that no job was too small not to do her best. Years of bending over scrub boards and ironing tables had taken their toll on her back and forced her into retirement this year, but even after moving in with Mollie and her husband, Mama never sat idle. In fact, she'd tatted the lace that adorned the cuffs on Tessa's gown.

Everything about the dress reminded her of people she loved. Hannah Tucker in the fabric, Mama in the lace, Laura in the veil, Mrs. Elliott in the gift of a dozen pearl buttons that ran down the back of the bodice, and even her sister, Mollie, in the cameo pin attached to the high neckline. The something borrowed every bride needed. Tessa would be wrapped in the love of family and friends when she went to meet her groom later this morning.

Giddy goosebumps raised on her arms at the thought of becoming Mrs. Jackson Spivey. Sharing his name would be her greatest honor. Especially now that the townspeople had finally opened their eyes wide enough to see Jackson as his own man and not merely a shadow of his father. Even Mrs. Winslow had softened toward him. Of course, the fact that he'd been bringing her fresh meat once a week since Christmas had helped win her over. Tessa grinned. No one could say she wasn't marrying a clever man. Heavens. She couldn't wait to say her vows and claim Jackson as her husband.

But she had another duty to discharge first. One involving Laura.