Lonesome Bride Read online

  A tiny grin touched Caitleen's lips. “I appreciate your concern, Jed. Was there anything else?"

  Was she teasing him on purpose? “No, of course not. It's getting late, and we should go to bed. That is, to sleep."

  Cursing his fumbling tongue, Jed turned from her and hurried up the grassy slope as quickly as he could with his groin practically singing Ave Maria. Once back at the campsite, he let out a low mumble of curses directed at himself. So much for keeping her angry with him. Now the tempting redhead would think he was an addle-pated fool, and he couldn't blame her. He was acting like a fool. It seemed the bewitching Caitleen O'Neal was weaving a tempting spell around him, one he didn't really want to resist.

  But I have to, if I want to retain my self-respect, Jed thought. And blast it all, if he didn't have that, he didn't have anything.

  When Caite at last returned to the fire, fully covered in her white linen shift, Jed had already curled up in his bedroll, feigning sleep. Not wanting to risk another encounter with the delectable Caitleen O'Neal, he had rolled himself away so he could not see her. Keeping his eyes from the sight of her could do nothing to clear the vision from his mind, though.

  It's going to be a long night, Jed thought somewhat grumpily. He shifted in order to alleviate the pressure against the front of his trousers. A damn long night.

  CHAPTER 3

  Caite woke to the morning sun already beating down upon her face. She yawned, stretched and sat up, scrubbing her face to force herself awake. Looking around for Jed, she saw he was already packing most of the bundles.

  "Wake up, lazybones,” he called. Remarkably, he sounded as though he were in a fine mood. “We've still got quite a ways to go."

  "It is already hot,” Caite grumbled good-naturedly. She quickly rose, dressed and joined Jed at the wagon.

  "That didn't take long.” He seemed pleasantly surprised with her promptness.

  Caite shrugged, willing to prolong his cheerful attitude as long as she could. “Despite what you may think, Jed, I'm a very simple girl."

  Jed cocked one eyebrow at her, then pointed to her trunk. “That's why you brought enough goods to stock Miller's Mercantile, right?"

  Caite opened her mouth for a smart reply, but instead looked at him suspiciously. “You're teasing me, Jed."

  He smiled his glorious, irresistible smile. Her knees weakened. He may not be the most personable man in the world, but he certainly is handsome. He had not put his hat on this morning, and the sun picked up a multitude of amber highlights in his raven-colored hair. His gold-touched green eyes twinkled and his straight white teeth shone. A very handsome man.

  The man in question seemed to realize she was staring, for he turned his gaze from hers abruptly. The smile faded, its passing like the winter sun ducking behind a set of storm clouds. Motioning to the wagon seat, he said, “Well, let's move on then."

  There was no arguing about him helping her aboard today. Caite waited willingly for his hands around her hips before placing her foot on the wheel and hoisting herself to the seat. Was it her imagination, or did his hands linger a second too long around her waist?

  As they rode along in a companionable silence for some miles, Caite reflected that perhaps today would make up for yesterday. Deciding to forget all the harsh words that had passed between them, she turned the full force of her smile on Jed. After all, she was not entirely unaware of her charms.

  "It seems to be cooling a little bit,” she remarked.

  Jed glanced overhead and looked grim. “I think those are storm clouds. We may be in for some rain."

  "Oh, I hope not.” Caitleen frowned. “You said if it rained the trip could last longer. I am anxious to get to Heatherfield."

  Jed flicked his gaze her way, then back to the sky. “That's right. With good weather, we should be home tomorrow afternoon. If it rains, we may be stranded for a few days."

  "Stranded?” Caite's voice was small, but she tried to sound as if the idea did not bother her. “Would we have to sleep under the wagon?"

  "Under the...” Jed looked at her curiously for a moment, then chuckled. “Not if I can help it. There's a cabin not far from here. It's not in the greatest shape, but I reckon it'll keep the rain off. If we make it there in time, that is."

  He looked again at the rapidly darkening sky. A thick blanket of clouds covered the formerly intense sun. The air had cooled considerably, and the breeze had picked up so Caite's ringlets whipped about her face. Jed clucked to the horses, urging them to go faster. Caite clung to the seat as the wagon bounced horrendously, threatening to jounce her off. Wincing at the beating her bottom was taking, she nevertheless tried to keep the conversation going. After all, the whole morning had passed without an argument. She was not about to let a little storm ruin their good start!

  "Do you think we'll get there before it starts to rain?” Her voice jarred raggedly from her throat.

  Jed turned to look at her again, eyebrow cocked. “Afraid of getting wet, Miss O'Neal?"

  "I won't melt, if that's what you are implying,” Caite retorted before she could stop herself. Drat that man! He took all her best intentions and turned them upside down. Now she had nearly lost her temper again. “I merely asked what you thought."

  "I could think a sight better if I didn't have to listen to you jabbering, Miss Chatterbox,” Jed shot back.

  There. He had succeeded in making her angry again. Just when she thought it might be possible they were going to get along, he had to go and say something rude to her. Caite thinned her lips and crossed her arms fiercely. She was not about to let him win this one! She would keep her tongue if it was the last thing she did. Jed Peters was ill-mannered and disrespectful, but he was her only choice right now. It was either put up with him, or head back home to Serenity and Drake Hammond.

  As if echoing her mood, she heard the low murmur of thunder in the distance. Raising her face to the sky, Caitleen was alarmed to see the sky turning a deep, bruised purple. The wind was really blustering now, and the horses were restless in the harness. They could sense the impending storm, and by their reactions, it was going to be a big one. As she looked upward, the first fat raindrops splattered on her face and into her eyes. Letting out a startled cry at the contact of the cold water against the sensitive area, Caite shook her face free of water. Then she laughed a little at her foolishness.

  "Here it comes!” Jed wasn't laughing. Standing firmly on the bench, he urged the horses to go even faster. The rain began falling more heavily, spattering them both. “Good thing we're almost there!"

  Caite clung to the wagon as tightly as she could. If she had thought the ride bouncy before, she regretted her innocence. Riding on this wagon at full tilt was worse than being in a rowboat sucked up in a waterspout. White-knuckled, Caitleen closed her eyes and prayed for the strength to keep holding on.

  "Are you all right?” Jed shouted over the thunder of the storm and the horses’ hooves. He took his eyes off the team just long enough to shoot her a glance. “Can you hang on?"

  "Yes!” Caite cried back.

  Her teeth clattered, and she nearly bit through her tongue, but despite her fear and the pain in her fingers, she felt strangely elated. Maybe it was the sheer intensity of the storm, or the panting of the horses, but she found herself thinking of Jed's mouth closing on hers. His kiss had felt like this wild ride. She had no time to dwell on amorous recollections, however, because one of the wheels caught a dip in the road. Caite shrieked breathlessly as she bounced nearly six inches into the air and came down on her rump hard enough to bring up tears of pain.

  In the distance, she could begin to make out the small, square shape she assumed must be the cabin Jed had mentioned. At the sight of it, Jed clucked to the horses, coaxing a last valiant effort from them. The team pounded ferociously up to the building, nearly overrunning it. They scattered a clucking flock of scrawny, half-wild hens. Only Jed's superb handling kept the horses on their feet as they slipped in the sudden mud the storm had