Five

Talking things over with Nell sounded easier than Trey knew it would be. Since the raids, her brother, her late husband’s cousin, or one of her nephews was always around. Of course, he could go back after dark again, but he’d already upset her once by calling so late. On the other hand, he had to see her.

For several days, he made it a habit to ride the fence line that connected their ranches. One day at sunset, he stopped at the creek to rest his horse and refill his canteen, and she stepped out from the shadows.

“You need to stop this,” she said, her voice unsteady and nervous. “Ira’s seen you coming by day after day and is sure you’re planning another raid. You are going to get yourself shot.”

“I’ve been trying to find a time when we could talk. I hate that I can’t just come calling like any normal person.” He glanced at her, feeling suddenly shy. He saw how the evening wind played with tendrils of her hair. “You’ve taken a risk coming here.” He hoped that was a good sign.

“Reverend Moore spoke with you?” She kept glancing back over her shoulder as if expecting any minute to be discovered.

“Yes. We have his blessing if you—”

“And you are convinced this is best?”

He stepped forward and placed his hands gently on her shoulders, which made her look directly at him. “Nellie, who knows what’s best or not? This feels like something that will change things—certainly for the two of us, and perhaps for the entire territory. It’s a gamble, but one I am willing to take. The question is, are you?”

“We’re really just strangers,” she said softly, speaking more to herself than to him.

“I can’t argue with you there.”

“You can’t be sure this is the right thing,” she persisted.

He chuckled and bent his head so that their foreheads were touching over the barbed wire fencing that separated them. “Oh, Nellie, if there is one thing you and I both know, it’s that it’s impossible to know what’s right.” He stroked her cheek with his knuckles. “But it feels like something that we could make work if you’re willing.”

She closed her eyes but did not move away. “I wish…”

He felt a tear slide down her cheek, and although he wanted more than anything to take her in his arms and assure her everything would work out, the sharp prongs of the wire fencing made such closeness impossible, so he stepped away. Her tears confused him. Was she grieving her late husband, wishing he was the one standing before her?

Trey cleared his throat. “Tell you what. I’ll make the plan with Reverend Moore and get word to you once it’s in place. It’ll take a few days at least, so you’ll have time to think about the idea.”

“I should get back,” she said, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. “Stop coming here, Trey. It’s far too dangerous.” She gathered her skirt and turned away.

“Nellie?”

She paused but did not look back at him.

“I’ll set everything up and get word to you, but even then, it’s your choice. If you come, we’ll be married and figure things out together from there.”

“And if I don’t come?”

“Then I won’t bother you again.”

She nodded and walked determinedly up the path. Trey watched her go and tried to recall the last time in his life something had seemed as important to him as winning the hand of Nell Stokes did now.

* * *

Later that week when Addie arrived for her biweekly visit to check in on Joshua, she handed Nell a sealed envelope. “Read this in private,” she muttered, her body turned away from Lottie and Henry, who were both seated on the porch. It’s from Trey, she mouthed.

“What are you two whispering about?” Henry demanded.

Addie faced him with a smile. “Matters of the female sort. Nothing that would interest you, Mr. Galway.”

Nell saw the scowl that crossed Henry’s face. He did not like being dismissed, and he did not like Addie. She crumpled the envelope and shoved it into the pocket of her dress.

“Lottie, it’s good to see you looking so much better,” Addie said. “Perhaps I could check you over as long as I’m here? Just to be certain there are no lingering effects from your recent illness.”

“She’s fine,” Henry grumbled as he stood, glanced briefly at his wife, then stalked off toward the barn.

Addie raised her eyebrows at Nell before entering the house and calling out for Joshua.

Lottie sighed. “He’s got a lot on his mind,” she said to no one in particular as she watched her husband enter the barn.

“Has he made the arrangements for the meeting with the cattlemen?” Nell asked.

“Ernest and him have been talking about it. Ernest thinks it may be a trap.”

“But Trey…Mr. Porterfield agreed to let the herders set the time and place and include Reverend Moore. Surely, they would not do anything with the minister there.” She was well aware that Lottie had not heard anything she’d said from the moment Nell had uttered Trey’s given name.

“This Porterfield man seems to have caught your fancy, Nell. You’ll want to be careful. People are talking, and Henry says you’re in danger of losing everything if that man gets his way. Henry went to the bank just the other day to see how he might secure your property. It’s the reason why we came calling today. Henry wants to discuss something the banker suggested about him taking over for you as a kind of protector.” Nell mused that though Lottie was always demure when her husband was nearby, she did have one quirk—whenever Henry wasn’t around, she was almost bursting to tell whatever news she might have been privy to hearing. And today, that news was all about Nell.

“But surely, I would have to agree to anything—”

“I don’t know. I heard Henry tell Ernest there are ways around that. You know he wants you to marry Ernest, and if you ask me, where would be the harm?”

Nell was practically speechless. Lottie knew what Ernest had done, and she was still defending the idea of a union between them? “You can’t mean that,” she finally managed.

Lottie frowned. “Henry says you have this way of thinking you’re better than others. It’s not an attractive trait, Nell. I don’t see eligible men lining up here to take on you and Joshua or the debt of this place. Ernest is ready and willing to do that.”

“And it doesn’t matter that I don’t love the man—really don’t even like him?”

Lottie waved a dismissive hand. “Love? You had love with Calvin. You’re too old to play those schoolgirl games, Nell. You need to be practical and do what’s best for you and the boy.”

Fortunately for Lottie, Nell had no chance to express her outrage. Joshua came running down the inside stairs and slammed open the screen door of the house. “Ma! Doc Addie says I’m better.” He was breathless but beaming by the time he covered the short distance from the front hall to where Nell sat in the wooden swing. He sat next to her and kicked the swing into motion.

“That’s wonderful news, Joshua.” She looked up as Addie joined them on the porch. “Has there really been some change for the better?”

Addie grinned. “Well, this young man is not exactly going to be running races anytime soon, but yes, the signs are there. Reminds me of when Trey started to improve—little by little—and just look at him today.”

Lottie coughed, and Addie turned to her. “How about let’s have a listen to those lungs of yours, Mrs. Galway? Just to make sure they’ve cleared up.”

“No, thank you.”

Nell did not miss the way Lottie glanced toward the barn as if expecting her husband to overhear.

“No charge,” Addie said.

“I am fine, really.” Each word was bitten off.

Addie shrugged and turned her attention back to Nell. “I’d like to get Joshua back into my office for another round of those breathing treatments,” she said. “And I might have promised Isaac that Joshua could be coming to spend another night or two with us,” she added with a grin. “I’m headed back to town when I leave here, and it being Saturday, he could stay over and you could collect him tomorrow after church. How does that sound?”

Nell could feel Joshua’s body twitch with excitement. She placed a hand on her son’s knee and looked up at Addie. “You really think the breathing treatments are making a difference?”

“They are, Ma. I can tell,” Joshua said.

“I don’t see why these so-called treatments can’t be handled right here,” Lottie interjected. “After all, it’s nothing but steam.”

Maybe it was the earlier conversation about Henry’s plans for her future left unfinished, but suddenly Nell had had quite enough of her brother and his wife making decisions for her. “Go pack your Sunday clothes and your nightshirt,” she told Joshua, who was off the swing and through the door before she finished speaking. “And don’t forget your comb and toothbrush,” she called after him.

Addie took Joshua’s place on the swing, and for a moment, it felt like the two of them against Lottie. Lottie stood when she saw Henry returning to the house from the barn. He stopped at the wagon he and Lottie had arrived in to retrieve a thin leather pouch, one Nell recognized as something he only used to transport important documents.

He stepped onto the porch. “Nell, if you and the doctor are finished, we need to talk—in private.”

“All right,” Nell agreed. She had learned long ago to gather her facts before making a decision. Lottie’s gossip had been upsetting, but perhaps she had misunderstood. Henry might not always make the best choices for her welfare, but she had little doubt that he took his responsibilities as her protector seriously.

She turned to Addie. “Thank you for everything. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Addie stood and hugged her, then set about the task of putting away her stethoscope and closing her black medical bag. At the same time, Lottie seemed inclined to join her husband and Nell in the house.

Nell had no intention of discussing the business of the ranch in front of her sister-in-law. “Lottie, would you be so kind as to make sure Joshua has what he needs and hurry him along so we don’t delay Doc Addie further?”

Lottie pursed her lips and looked up at her husband.

“Well, go on,” he grumbled. “We all need to get home before dark.”

While Lottie went upstairs to Joshua’s bedroom, Nell led the way to the dining room, where she pulled out a chair, sat, and folded her hands in her lap. “What is this about, Henry?”

He cleared his throat, laid out several official-looking documents, and took the chair opposite hers. “As you know, Nell, I have only your best interests at heart.”

“I am grateful for that. What is all this?”

The last item he pulled from the pouch was a fountain pen. He twisted the cap off and handed it to her as he slid one of the papers toward her. “I need you to sign here.” He pointed to a blank line toward the bottom of the page.

Nell ignored the proffered pen and picked up the paper. “You haven’t answered my question. What is this?” She began to read, and while the language was English, the words made little sense to her.

Henry snatched the document away and laid it back on the table. “Simply put, it appoints me as guardian for you and Joshua.”

“And for this ranch?”

“I’m not trying to steal your land, Nell.”

“But you would be in charge? You would be the final word in any decisions to be made?”

“Nell, you need someone to take control of this place. If you marry Ernest, then the problem is solved, but I know you’ve got a problem with him, so this is the next best thing.”

“And what if I choose to marry someone else?”

Henry actually laughed. “If that day ever comes, little sister, I will gladly relinquish my position to your new husband. But face facts. If you turn Ernest down, there aren’t many other options, and for the near future, you need protection. With me in charge, we can share the hired help and combine the flocks. You and Joshua can go on living here or go someplace else—move into town if you like.”

She could see that in his way, Henry was truly concerned for her welfare. This was not about taking her land or livestock. But if she gave him control of the ranch, she gave him control of her life—her future.

Gathering the papers and stacking them, she stood and reached for the leather pouch. “Give me a few days to read through these and try to understand them, perhaps review them with Reverend Moore and seek his counsel,” she said.

Henry stood as well. He was not happy, but he agreed with a curt nod. “Don’t put this off, Nell. Right now, you’ve got two options—marry Ernest or sign the papers. Make your choice, and let’s get on with it.” He slapped on his hat and headed for the porch. “Lottie, let’s go,” he shouted as he went.

Three options, Nell thought. If she was going to marry anyone, at the moment, her choice would be Trey Porterfield. She slid the papers back inside the pouch and carried them to the desk dominating one corner of the sitting room. She had always thought of it as Calvin’s desk, but these days, this was where she sat to study reports related to the flock and to work through the tight budget that kept the ranch in operation.

After placing the satchel on the desk, she thrust her hands into the pockets of her skirt and felt the crumpled edges of the envelope. She took it out, opened it, and pulled a single sheet of paper free.

I am counting on the fact that Addie has persuaded you to let Joshua stay the weekend. Reverend Moore has given us his blessing. Come to the falls at sundown…alone. If you have changed your mind, I understand, but I will wait there.

The message was signed simply: Trey.

No endearment, but why would there be? The union he had proposed was a business arrangement, nothing more.

* * *

Juanita stood in the shadows of the corridor that led from the kitchen to the bedrooms and watched. Trey stared at himself in the mirror, smoothed back his hair, then put on his Stetson, brushed off his shoulders, and softly closed the door to his room.

“Where are you off to now, Trey Porterfield?” She spoke in a normal tone, but Trey flinched, and she knew he’d been unaware of her presence. Juanita had a sixth sense when it came to the offspring, both Porterfield and her own. Jess had once accused her of being able to smell when they were up to something, and she definitely smelled something amiss now. “Well?” she pressed.

“I’ve got a meeting,” he mumbled.

“With?”

He hesitated. “Reverend Moore,” he replied.

Because his voice held a hint of triumph, she knew he was either lying or not telling her the whole truth.

“It’s business,” he added.

Now she was certain he was padding the facts.

“So after all these years, you’ve found religion?”

She watched his shoulders slump in defeat.

Slowly, he turned to face her. “I need to go, Nita. I can’t tell you the whole of it until I know for sure it will all work out, okay?”

“And if it doesn’t?”

He smiled. “Then we move on, right? Isn’t that what you always told us when we were kids and got upset about something?”

Juanita moved into the light so she could see him better. “This isn’t about the business with the herders then?”

He shrugged. “Depends on who’s asking.”

She punched him hard with her forefinger. “Do not be smart with me, joven.”

He looked down at her. “I promise you, Nita, if this works out the way I hope, then I think you will be mighty pleased.”

“And no one will get hurt?”

Again, she saw his hesitation, but this time, she was pretty sure it was because he hadn’t considered that idea. His smile was the one she remembered from the time he was a sick child, the one where he always tried to put a brave face on his feelings, not wanting to worry his mother—or her.

“There won’t be trouble, Nita, and I’m in no danger. But I might not get back until morning, so don’t sit up all night worrying.”

She patted his forearm. “I see you’re determined, and whatever happens, you know Eduardo and I will be here. We are as much your family as any, I guess.”

Trey kissed her forehead. “You have no idea how much I count on that,” he said softly. Then he straightened and tipped his fingers to the brim of his hat. “Wish me luck,” he said as he turned and left the house.

“Oh, mi’jito,” Juanita whispered to herself as she watched him ride away. “I wish you more than luck. I wish you happiness and peace. It’s your turn.” She mentally recited a prayer to the Blessed Virgin, crossed herself, and went back to her kitchen to await the outcome of Trey’s mysterious meeting.

* * *

The sun was low and the sky streaked with orange, pink, and lavender as Trey paced the uneven rocky ground that ran up to the falls. Now that spring had mostly passed, the rush of water fed by the melting snows had weakened some, but still gurgled over the rocks in a steady flow. By contrast, the countryside was dangerously arid, and unless they got rain soon, the falls—and the creek they fed—would dry up altogether. But Trey had things other than the weather on his mind.

Will she come? And even if she does, will she go through with this marriage?

Reverend Moore had met Trey at the falls and sat on a boulder, his short, stubby legs swinging idly back and forth as he studied the sky and setting sun. He pressed his Bible to his chest with one hand, and Trey suspected he was praying. And well he should. The idea that a marriage between Trey and Nell would change minds on either side was a long shot at best and downright foolhardy at worst.

Footsteps on the loose rocks of the path made both men turn. Reverend Moore got to his feet and stepped forward to offer his hand to Nell, guiding her over and around the last of the boulders that led to the apex of the path.

“I’m here,” she said, slightly breathless from the climb.

Trey could not help but notice she made the declaration as if she were surprised. He also noticed she did not look at him but kept her focus on Moore. She was wearing a cotton calico dress in shades of blue. Her hair was twisted into a knot at the base of her head. She looked a good deal as she had that first day he’d called on her.

“Why don’t the two of you sit here?” The minister pointed to a large, flat rock and waited for them to follow his suggestion. They sat side by side, leaving several inches between. Reverend Moore cleared his throat and opened his Bible. “I thought it might be appropriate for us to discuss this union together before we proceed.”

Trey nodded, and Nell whispered, “Yes, please.”

Over the next several minutes, Reverend Moore went over the pros and cons of the plan. The longer he spoke, the more Trey felt the actual presence of Nell’s tension. And when the minister suggested they bow their heads in silent prayer, he did so but left his eyes open and focused on Nell’s hands. He watched her fingers twisting nervously, heard her quick, shallow breathing. Instinctively, he reached over and covered her hand with his, and she grew still.

“We don’t have to do this,” he said softly when the prayer ended.

“No, you don’t,” Reverend Moore said. “If either of you need more time or is having second thoughts…”

To Trey’s surprise, Nell looked up at him and turned her palms so that they were holding hands. “There is so much we have to learn about each other. In time, I pray we will come to a comfortable union—one of respect and friendship. For now, I trust you, Trey Porterfield, for your kindness to me and to Joshua. Perhaps those are reasons enough for us to move forward together.”

Her hands were dry and smooth against his rougher skin, and her words had the cadence of vows—promises she was prepared to make to him and their shared future. He laced his fingers with hers and then raised their united hands to his lips and kissed them. “Once we do this, Nell, you can be sure that I will give my life to protect you and Joshua, and—”

“Shhh,” she said huskily. “No more promises. Let us simply begin and see where life leads from here.” Trey nodded, and she turned to Reverend Moore. “We’re ready,” she said.

If it had seemed an eternity while Trey was waiting and wondering if she would come at all, by contrast, it felt as if only seconds had passed before he slipped the thin silver band his father had given his mother onto her finger and they were married. He didn’t quite know what to do. He wanted to seal their union with a kiss, but it would be their first, and he wasn’t sure how Nell might react. The reality that their marriage was starting out as a business arrangement rather than a love match—at least on her part—made him reluctant to do anything that might upset the delicate balance between them.

But they had continued to hold hands throughout the short ceremony, and now it was Nell who raised their joined hands to her lips and kissed them. Then she turned to the minister. “Thank you, Reverend Moore.”

“I’ll give the two of you some privacy,” Moore said, shaking hands with each of them before pocketing his Bible, retrieving his hat, and heading down the path to where he’d left his buggy and Trey had left his horse. It was then Trey realized Nell had walked all the way from her ranch to their meeting.

She turned to him and smiled. “And so we begin,” she said.

But it occurred to Trey that by beginning in secret, they had not thought through what their next steps might be. Where would they live? How would they handle the logistics of managing their separate properties? Should he see her back to her home and then go back to his ranch? Should he stay the night? He had been so nervous and half certain she would not come that he had failed to consider the details. If they went back to her house, what if her nephew or brother…

“Trey, please do not worry that I have…expectations. I mean, I fully understand that this arrangement is—”

And in that moment, he cast aside any doubts he might have had. He cupped her face with his hands and kissed her. He intended for the kiss to be gentle and tender, a kiss she could easily pull away from. To his delight, she stood on tiptoe and wrapped both arms around his neck and kissed him back.

Nell Porterfield, he thought, and that made him be the one to pull back. “Hello, Mrs. Porterfield,” he said, his hands still framing her beautiful face.

“Hello, Mr. Porterfield,” she replied. “We have a good deal of work to do,” she reminded him.

“Tomorrow,” he said and pulled her to him again for one final kiss good night.

She did not protest, and he realized it would never matter if they shared her house or his—they were already at home because they were together.

* * *

Nell felt light-headed but also as if something weighing her down had been lifted. She felt happy—and a little brazen—once she realized how willingly she had accepted Trey’s kiss. But the realization that he seemed as delighted as she was with their unorthodox union gave her courage. Oh, they would have more than their share of problems—especially once others learned they had married—but before all that, they had tonight. Suddenly, she wanted to share her happiness with Addie and give the news to Joshua.

“Could we go into Whitman Falls tonight?” she asked, looking up at him. “Could we go and tell Addie—and Jess?”

Trey’s breath caught, and that confused her. Surely, he had never intended to keep their marriage a secret. What would be the point?

“I guess I had hoped we might be able to hold on to this moment a little longer,” he said. “Come home with me tonight—to the ranch, Nell. I promise first thing tomorrow, we will tell my family—and yours.”

“All right,” she agreed, wondering if he intended to sneak her into his house without others seeing them. Trust, she reminded herself, but she felt doubt creep back in where just a moment earlier, she had felt only joy.

He wrapped one arm around her shoulders as they started down the trail to where he had left his horse. Reverend Moore saw them coming, waved, and then drove his buggy back toward town. As he had the day he’d rescued her from the vandals, Trey mounted his mare and then pulled her up to sit in front of him. Once again, she snuggled against the warmth of him, the scent of him, the sheer force of him. But this time, it was not fear or exhaustion that drove her. This time, it was a determination that whatever might come, she and Trey would face the future together.

He held the reins loosely in one hand, his other arm wrapped around her and holding her close. Was this really happening? She felt lighter, like a young woman without all the responsibilities she’d had to face over the last several months. She stroked Trey’s jaw. He smiled and, with his free hand, tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and rested his cheek against her forehead.

“That first day when I came out to see you and you were repairing the chicken coop,” he said, “I knew then—well, I didn’t know, but there was something there. I stopped when I reached the top of the mesa and sketched your face, but I couldn’t capture the essence of you. Since then, I’ve drawn you time and again, and each time, just when I think I’ve finally succeeded, I realize something is missing.”

“Addie told me about your drawings—you’re a little famous.”

He chuckled. “I wouldn’t say that. I like to draw. It calms me and helps me to think. Sketching you is how I think I came up with the idea that we might be together. There was something there that made me believe we could make a real difference, and then…”

“What?”

“Then, the more I tried to capture your image, the more I understood that I wasn’t drawing someone who might help me solve a business feud. I was drawing a woman who fascinated me, whose courage and determination inspired me. A woman who drew me into the depths of sorrow and unhappiness reflected in her eyes. I was drawing a woman who needed—deserved—to be loved. I fell in love.”

“With a drawing,” she reminded him.

“No. With you.”

“You can’t know that,” she protested.

“Pretty damn sure,” he whispered as he kissed her temple.

He dismounted and guided the horse to a cluster of trees on the banks of the shallow creek. He kissed her, and this time, the kiss was filled with the passion of his desire for her. Now that they were married, she had a decision to make, and she was stunned to realize that she had made it already. Tonight, they would lie together as husband and wife. She would open her body to him as even now she was parting her lips to receive the depths of his kiss.

“Nell?” His question was contained in the simple sound of her name. “What if instead of returning to the ranch, we—”

“Yes,” she whispered. “Here. Now.”

He touched her face, running his finger along her jaw, his thumb along her lower lip. She gasped but not in shock. It was a breath of pure longing.

Taking a step closer, he wrapped his arms around her. He pulled her to him so that her face rested against the hammering that she realized was his heart—or was it hers? It seemed only natural for her to relax into his embrace, give herself over to his warmth and strength. She tilted her face up to his and kissed the stubble on his chin.

The shudder that hurtled through him told her there would be no going back now. And the truth was, whatever might happen between them, she did not want to stop. In marrying her, Trey was offering her the opportunity to lay down the burdens of responsibility and fear and allow him to care for her—perhaps, in time, to love her the way he already claimed to.

“Yes,” she whispered, even though he had not asked a question.

He took a step away, his hands cupping her face as he studied her. “I want you, Nell, in every way a man can want a woman. I want to make love to you.”

“Yes,” she repeated.

He brushed her hair back from her forehead and kissed her skin, dampened by the heat of the late afternoon sun, or perhaps simply by the heat that rose between them. “Be very sure that you’re ready, Nellie. We can wait. I don’t want you having regrets.”

She barely knew this man, but what she knew of him was that he was kind and good and caring. After everything she had been through over the last months, that was more than enough. She touched his mouth. “Kiss me, Trey.”

The kiss was gentle, a brush of his lips against hers, but then he ran his tongue over her mouth, and when she opened to him, he groaned. “Nellie,” he whispered as he lifted her in his arms and carried her to a spot close to the creek where soft grass grew.

He knelt next to her on the bank of the creek, pulling off his boots and setting them aside. He glanced at her, suddenly shy, something he covered by unlacing her shoes and removing them. He watched her as he unbuttoned his shirt, pulling it free of his trousers. If he saw any sign she was hesitant, he would stop, let her know they could take their time. But then she sat up and began to unbutton her dress. Trey let out a breath and covered her hands with his. “Let me,” he whispered.

He shed his shirt and then sat next to her again, reaching for her buttons, opening them one by one as he allowed his fingers to brush against the chemise underneath and the swell of her breasts. He pushed the garment over her shoulders, imprisoning her in her own clothing as he bent and branded the side of her neck with his kiss.

“Trey,” she said, and he knew it was a plea.

He moved away, freeing her to finish undressing—or not. With every gesture, he sent the message that the choice was hers to make. He wanted her, but he would not take without her permission. She rolled away from him and stood. She heard him sigh—a sigh of resignation as he sat with his head down, not looking at her.

Quickly, she shed the rest of her outer clothing and, clad in her chemise and pantaloons, knelt behind him. She wrapped her arms around him, running her hands against his muscled chest as she pulled him against her.

“Come here,” he murmured as he turned and reached for her, laying her on the ground. He straddled her and rested his palms on his thighs. “Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?”

She wanted to deny that, but when he ran his fingers along her shoulder and throat and down between her breasts, she lost the ability to utter a sound. When he began untying the ribbons of her chemise, she felt her breath quicken, and when he spread the garment open and pressed his lips to her bare skin, she gasped and reached for him.

In a rush of combined breaths and her hands stroking his chest, he wiggled free of his trousers.

“Nellie,” he whispered as he pressed the fullness of his desire against her. “My wife.”

And in that moment, nothing mattered but that they seal the vows they had taken. From this moment on, they were one.

“Get the blanket,” she said, and immediately, he moved away.

“I didn’t think,” he said, scrambling to his feet and turning to unfasten the straps that held the blanket he carried behind his saddle.

By the time he turned back to her, she had finished undressing and was holding out her hand for the blanket.

“Holy…” he muttered.

While he hurried to shed the rest of his clothing, she spread the blanket over the grass. The sun was a half circle on the horizon as she knelt and held out her arms to him. He came to her willingly, covering her face and neck with kisses as he eased her back onto the blanket and covered the length of her with his hard body.

He slid inside her easily, for she was as ready as he was to consummate their union. There would be time later for the kind of slow exploration she knew they would both savor. For now, what she wanted was the explosion—the fury of his passion and hers coming together. She grasped his bare hips and held him to her. She rose to meet each thrust. She thrilled to the quickening pace of their lovemaking, and when he cried out, she clung to him.

When he rolled to lie beside her, she assumed he would turn away and fall asleep. Her experience with Calvin had been that once he had satisfied his need, he was done. But Trey rose to one elbow, brushed her hair away from her face, and then ran his fingers up along her inner thighs, gently stroking her with his fingers until she could not lie still, until she was the one to cry out and clutch Trey to her. She tried desperately to hold onto the unfamiliar but thrilling feeling that rocketed through her. When she could hold it no longer, she collapsed against him.

He kissed her tenderly. “Next time, we go there together,” he promised.

A moment later, she heard the soft, even rush of his breathing and knew he had fallen asleep.

Next time? she thought and smiled as her eyes fluttered closed and her breathing matched his.

But the dawn came, and so did the harsh reality of all that lay ahead for them. As she came awake, Nell shuddered to think how Henry would react. She had little doubt he would be furious. He would exact a price, although what that price might be, she did not wish to imagine. As for Trey’s family, she was fairly certain Addie would be delighted, but Jess would be certain his brother had made an enormous and irrevocable mistake. And she could not even begin to fathom the reactions of their respective communities. She trembled.

Trey turned in his sleep and pulled her to his side as if he had instinctively heard her fears. She nestled close to him, noting the way she seemed to fit perfectly under the crook of his arm and shoulder. For the first time since months before Calvin was killed, she felt safe. They would find a way, together. By the time Joshua was old enough to take charge of the ranch—their ranches—the land and its people would be at peace. Imagining what could be and doing so in the safe haven of Trey’s embrace, she drifted back to sleep.

When she woke the second time, the sun was climbing higher, bringing the promise of a hot day. Trey was gone, and she panicked, scrambling to her feet and pulling the blanket around her to cover her nakedness. She saw his horse grazing near the creek and heard the cascade of the falls as water tumbled over the rocks. That was when she heard a bloodcurdling shout. Thinking Trey had been attacked, she slipped on her chemise and pantaloons to cover herself and ran barefoot over stones and dirt to the creek’s edge.

There she saw him—her husband—splashing around in the water like a boy who had just discovered what fun playing under a waterfall could be. He radiated joy and happiness, and she could only hope, perhaps, marrying her might have something to do with that.

“Trey!” She had to shout his name repeatedly as she worked her way along the bank. But his joy was contagious, and by the time he heard her, she was laughing.

“Come on,” he called, holding out his hand to her.

“It’s slippery,” she protested, giving little thought to the fact that if she took his hand, she was likely to end up soaked.

“I won’t let you fall,” he promised.

He was naked and wearing his hat, and that made her laugh out loud. She took his hand as he pulled her to the safety of his arms. They stood together under the shower of cool, clear water with the sun sparkling on the still pool below. And suddenly their laughter died, although the fire in their eyes did not.

This time, their lovemaking had a familiarity about it, as though with that first time, they had already learned how to pleasure each other. Trey took his time as they stood under the falls. He lifted her onto a flat rock to bring her almost to the point of no return and then picked her up and guided her legs around his hips as he entered her. Their bodies joined slowly at first and then with increasing urgency, and as he had promised, they came together. Their voices raised in passion as the water babbled and rushed around them, murmuring in symphony with their cries.

Afterward, they walked back to the campsite and dressed in silence, an element of shyness still lingering between them. They would glance at one another and smile, then look away.

“We should go,” she said as she twisted her wet hair into a knot and anchored it with the pins she retrieved from the ground near the tree. “Addie will be worried when I don’t show up for church and Joshua.”

“I told Addie you would be with me,” he admitted. “Just Addie.”

“But she’s bound to tell Jess, and he’ll be upset, and what about the men at your ranch? Won’t they come looking for you when they realize you haven’t come home? And what about—”

He put his arms around her. “Shhh. Everything will be all right, Nell. We’ll make it all right. We can do this.”

And she believed him. Right up to the moment when they came riding up to Addie and Jess’s house and saw the cowboy she knew worked for Trey, the man who had ridden with the others to terrorize her. Javier was standing on the porch with Jess.

“Javier.” Trey spoke the man’s name but said no more as he dismounted, then lifted Nell down. She saw two other horses, saddled and waiting, tied to the hitching post.

Jess stood with his arms folded across his chest. “Where have you been?” he asked without so much as a glance at Nell.

Trey ignored his brother and focused on his ranch hand and friend. “Has something happened?”

“Galway claims his sister is missing and blames you. They set the meeting,” Javier replied. “If you don’t show—”

“I’m ready now.”

Nell started to protest, but Trey spoke first. “Go on in the house, Nellie. Joshua will be waiting, and you can tell Addie our news. I’ll be back as soon as possible.”

“I need to talk to Henry…before—” she said.

“I’ll meet with him, and then we’ll come to your ranch.” He pulled her to him and kissed her full on the mouth, leaving little doubt as to their circumstances.

She heard Jess suck in his breath and saw Javier look down at his boots.

“You want the whole town talking?” Jess said.

Trey mounted his horse and looked down at his brother. “I’ll kiss my wife any damn place I please,” he said.

“Tell me you’re joking,” Jess said, his gaze darting from Trey to Nell and back again.

“Nope. Now where’s the meeting?”

“Deadman’s Point,” Javier mumbled as he untied and mounted his horse.

Trey looked at Nell and smiled. “Seems Henry might have a sense of humor after all.” He glanced at his brother. “Is Pete coming?”

“He said he’d meet us there.”

Nell continued to stand at the foot of the porch steps as Trey followed Javier down the dirt street. At the far end of town, they turned a corner and galloped on into the barren landscape.

Jess hesitated before mounting his horse. “You’re going to get my brother killed, Nell Stokes. And you may as well know now, I will never forgive you for that.”

Nell wrapped her arms around herself to stop the shaking that had begun almost the minute Trey had lifted her to the ground. “My name is Nell Porterfield now,” she replied, “and if you’re so worried about your brother, then I suggest you be at this meeting where you have the best chance of seeing to his safety.” She climbed the stairs to the porch of the frame house and watched as Jess rode away.

“You’re married?” Joshua stood just inside the front door. “Does that mean he’s my pa now?”

Nell saw Addie come to stand behind Joshua. She rested her hands lightly on the boy’s shoulders. “Let your ma get in out of that hot sun. We’ll have something to eat and talk about everything.” Nell could see Addie’s children lining the hallway. “Children, go out back and play,” she said.

“But you said—” Isaac began a protest that Addie cut short.

“Joshua will bring you milk and biscuits in a few minutes,” she promised. “Now scoot!”

The children scattered, and Addie held the door open for Nell to enter. Nell opened her arms to her son, but he turned and walked away, down the hall to the kitchen. By the time she and Addie followed, he was already seated at the table, his eyes downcast. His arms were folded across his thin chest in imitation of Jess, and one foot rhythmically kicked the pedestal of the round table.

“Stop that,” Nell said and heard the irritation in her tone. While Addie busied herself setting up a tray with glasses and a pitcher of milk and filling a plate with biscuits, jam, and butter, Nell took the chair closest to her son. “I am sorry for not talking to you about this, Joshua, but I need you to understand. Some things are adult problems, and the solutions might not seem right to you, at your age.”

Joshua sat still as a stone and continued to avoid looking at her. Nell watched Addie slice each biscuit open and fill it with butter and jam. The butter oozed down the sides, telling Nell that the bread was still warm. Her stomach growled as she tried to think of how to make things right for her son. “Mr. Porterfield and I believe that by joining together, we can begin to heal this terrible hostility between those who raise cattle and those who raise sheep.”

She could tell he was listening, so she continued. “Mr. Porterfield will see to it that we never have to be afraid again. Not of night raids, or fires, or any of the things we’ve been through since your father died.”

“How’s he gonna do that?”

“I’m not sure, but I trust him. He’s been good to us, Joshua. I thought you liked him.”

She saw her son wrestle with that truth. “Do I have to call him ‘Pa’? What about my name? Does that change?”

Nell realized that for her son, this was a question of loyalty. While he and Calvin had never been close, the boy had idolized his father and sought to please him. She placed her hands on either side of Joshua’s face, gently forcing him to look at her. “You are and always will be Joshua Stokes, son of Calvin Stokes. As for what you will call Mr. Porterfield, we can work that out once he returns from his meeting and we’re back home again.”

She had raised yet another question for Joshua—and herself. “Where will we live?” Joshua’s eyes were wide with alarm, and that’s when Addie—bless her—decided enough was enough.

She brought the tray to the table, set out glasses of milk for Nell and herself, and turned to Joshua. “Seems to me like you might be making problems where none exist, young man. You have your ranch and the house and room you like there, but now, in addition to that, you will also have your own room at the Clear Springs Ranch and a whole bunch of new territory in need of exploring. And then there’s that library you were going on about. All those books just waiting for you to choose them?” She shook her head in wonder at all that awaited the boy.

Joshua fought a smile with a determined frown. “I guess,” he admitted grudgingly. “Can I go now?”

This was directed to Nell, who nodded, carried the tray to the door, and then handed it to Joshua as he stepped outside. Addie’s children surrounded him right away, more eager for information than they were for refreshments. Nell stood for a moment watching and wondering if she had just made a huge mistake.

“No regrets,” Addie said. “What’s done is done.” Gently, she guided Nell back to the table where they both sat. Then Addie gave her a sly grin and said, “So how was the honeymoon?”

Nell blushed.

“That good, huh?” Addie toasted her with her glass. “It’s all gonna work out, Nell. Trey fell for you that first day—I knew it the minute he showed up here after. Never saw him so unsettled. Of all the Porterfields, Trey has always been the calm, quiet one. But that day, he could barely sit still.”

“I think I love him,” Nell whispered. “But isn’t that impossible?”

“Love comes in all sorts of ways, honey. Slow for some and a thunderbolt out of the blue for others. You can fight it with all manner of rationale, but when it’s right, there’s no denying it. I ought to know. Jess and I tried every way we could to deny our feelings, but in the end, love won out—as it does every time.”

And in that moment, Nell felt as if Addie might just be right. Everything would work out. She and Trey and Joshua would face whatever challenges came their way, and in between those challenges, their days would be filled with laughter and love and all the good times that came from being part of a family. “I’m going to work every day to make sure Trey doesn’t regret his decision,” she promised.

Addie laughed. “My guess is, if the glow I saw on both your faces earlier is any indication, you just need to keep on doing whatever it was that you did last night.”

Once again, Nell felt her cheeks flush. “Addie!” she protested.

“Doc Addie knows of what she speaks,” her friend replied with a wink. “Now drink your milk, and let’s see about getting you and Joshua home.”