Chapter Ten
Jared was standing at the bar in the High Time Saloon, downing his second drink. It was only nine o’clock in the morning, but he’d already told Nathan he wouldn’t be in until late in the afternoon. He had been up all night and was still too tense even to think about sleep. That was why he’d resorted to liquor. On days like this, nothing else would work.
Dan sensed that the marshal needed to be left alone, so he’d stayed at the far end of the bar, giving him his peace. But now that he saw his glass was empty again, he knew it was time to approach him. “Another one?”
Jared nodded and shoved the glass back across the bar toward Dan.
“Long night?” Dan asked.
“Real long,” Jared ground out, not offering any more than that. He was still shaken by what might have happened at the Sinclair house. He just thanked God that he’d had sense enough not to go in shooting. He gave a disgusted shake of his head at the thought that Tessa might have come to harm at his hands.
It had taken him only an instant to realize his mistake, and then the awareness had come to him—the sweet heat of her gentle curves pressed tightly to him. He didn’t want to think about Tessa this way, but images of her wearing only her nightgown and wrapper stayed with him and wouldn’t be dismissed.
Jared took another drink.
Damn, but she was good-looking.
He conceded that much. Tessa was a beautiful young woman.
Damn, but it felt wonderful to hold her that way.
He growled at himself, trying to deny his desire.
Tessa Sinclair is nothing but trouble.
He knew that.
He wanted nothing to do with her.
He tried to convince himself.
Jared told himself that it was his job that kept throwing them together, and, good lawman that he was, he would do his job. He would keep her safe from Boyd Wilson and from anyone or anything else she got herself involved in, but he was not going to let her mean anything more than that to him. She was a responsibility. That was all.
Jared drained his glass.
“You want one more?” Dan asked. He noticed that the marshal’s expression was still dark and that he hadn’t really relaxed since he’d come into the saloon.
Jared shook his head.
“They’re on the house, you know,” Dan added.
“Thanks, but no,” Jared said. “I’ve had enough. I’ll see you later.”
Jared strode from the saloon, out into the brightness of the day. There had still been no sign of Boyd Wilson, and he doubted there would be in the daylight. Evil men like Boyd seemed to do their dirty work in the dark.
Jared headed home. He needed some sleep.
Julie’s heart was quite light as she made her way to Tessa’s house that night. A letter had come from Ellen Prescott, a friend she’d made when she’d been back east at school, and as far as Julie was concerned, the news was the best ever. Ellen and her older brother, Roderick, were coming west on an excursion, and Ellen wanted to stop in Durango for a visit with Julie and her parents.
Julie was excited, and her parents were thrilled. The Prescotts were very well received back east, and she remembered Roderick Prescott well. He’d been six years older than she and Ellen, very mature and very good-looking. By the time she had returned home, he had already graduated from the university and had taken a position teaching literature there. Julie had kept in touch with Ellen, and, through her letters, Julie had learned that Roderick had since published several literary works and had written some poetry.
Julie sighed dreamily and smiled to herself at the thought of debonair Roderick Prescott coming to town. He was tall and blond and, oh, so very handsome. He’d always been a gentleman when she’d been around him, though, of course, he’d thought her a mere child—a friend to his little sister, and nothing more. But that would all be changed now. That had been some time ago. Now she was a woman fully grown.
As she started up the front walk to Tessa’s house, Julie’s mood was ebullient. Ellen and Roderick would be arriving in less than a week. Ellen had asked in her letter if there was any kind of literary society in Durango that might want to have Roderick read selected passages from his works while they were in town. Julie was going to discuss it with Tessa tonight and see what they could arrange. The short notice meant nothing. She was just delighted that they were coming and couldn’t wait to tell her best friend.
The sound of Jim playing his fiddle came to her as she drew near, and it surprised her. She wondered what was going on inside. When Tessa had stopped by her house that afternoon and invited her to come over for a visit, she hadn’t said anything about a celebration of any sort tonight. Julie supposed the older man was just in the mood to play his instrument. It didn’t matter. Nothing mattered to Julie tonight except the news that Roderick Prescott would soon be coming to Durango. That knowledge alone left her walking on air.
Julie finally took notice of the repairs to the front door when she knocked on it, and she realized how terrible last night must have been for Tessa. She’d been so caught up in her thoughts of Roderick that she’d forgotten what Tessa had told her during their earlier visit.
The door was opened almost as soon as Julie knocked.
“You came! I am so glad!” Tessa said in delight as she ushered her friend inside.
“You are?” She was surprised by Tessa’s reaction and wondered what was going on. “Why?”
“Because . . .” Tessa glanced over her shoulder toward the parlor. “We need you.”
“We, who? And for what?”
“You’ll see.”
Tessa took Julie by the arm and led her down the hall. As they entered the parlor, Jim stopped playing.
Julie stared around herself in amazement. The furniture had all been shoved back against the walls, and the carpet had been rolled up. Jim was standing in the corner with his fiddle poised, ready to start playing again. Sludge and Henry were both standing off to the side with Maggie, looking a bit uncomfortable and nervous. Will was there, too.
“What’s going on?” Julie asked, puzzled.
“Welcome to Julie and Tessa’s School of Dance,” Tessa announced, giving her friend a quick pleading look she hoped the men didn’t see. “Henry wants to go to the dance Saturday night, but he’s never learned how to dance, and Sludge wants to polish up his skills, too. I volunteered. I told them we’d help them.”
“You did?” There had been no missing the look her friend had given her, so Julie managed a slight smile.
“Mother will help, too, when we need a rest, and Will came to help demonstrate the steps. Are you ready?”
“Whenever you are,” Julie responded, but she was wondering what Tessa had been thinking to do this to her. Tessa knew what she wanted in a man, and Sludge and Henry were about as far as you could get from her ideal—from Roderick.
The arrogance of that thought bothered Julie. She had never considered herself a mean-spirited person. It was just that she knew what she wanted in a man—and what she didn’t want. Sludge and Henry were nice men, but she had no interest in either one of them. Roderick was coming to town! That was the most important thing, and now she wouldn’t even have time to tell Tessa. She would have to spend the night teaching these two how to dance. She girded herself for the evening to come and prayed she didn’t get trod upon too heavily.
As Julie surrendered gracefully to Tessa’s urgings, she realized that this was very much like Tessa. Her friend always helped out everyone she could, and the minute she’d found out that Henry needed dancing lessons, she’d arranged for that to happen. Julie’s smile became real as she thought of how tenderhearted Tessa was.
Tessa saw the change in Julie and was pleased. She always knew she could count on Julie to help her.
“Will?” Tessa looked at him. “Why don’t you dance me around the room a few times so Sludge and Henry can see the steps?”
Will didn’t need any further encouragement. He’d been waiting for the chance to hold Tessa. He went to her and took her in his arms.
“Boys, this is the best part,” he told Sludge and Henry with a grin. “You get to hold your girl.”
Jim started up a tune, and they circled the room.
Tessa was a bit irritated by Will’s remark. She wasn’t Will’s anything, but she held her tongue. This wasn’t the time for a disagreement. This was a time for helping Sludge and Henry. She glanced toward the parlor doorway one last time as Will whisked her past it, wondering where Steve was. He’d told her that morning that he would be there in time for the lessons, but she hadn’t seen him for several hours. She moved easily to Will’s lead, and when Jim ended the tune, she was ready to take on Henry.
“Did you both watch what Will was doing?” Tessa asked Sludge and Henry.
“Yes, ma’am, but Will made it look easy,” Henry remarked.
“It is easy,” Will said confidently. He was feeling quite superior to the other two, and he’d enjoyed having Tessa rubbing up against him as they’d danced. He couldn’t wait to start courting her. He was certain she was desperate for a man in her life now that her brother was dead, so he figured it probably wouldn’t be too much longer before he could approach her. The thought of having her sent a shaft of heat through his body, and he was forced to fight his need. This wasn’t the time.
“Henry, if you would do me the honor?” Tessa approached him and took his hand to draw him out on the makeshift dance floor. “Sludge, will you dance with Julie?”
“Yes, ma’am.” Sludge bobbed his head nervously and blushed as Julie approached him.
Julie wasn’t sure that Tessa’s attempt to teach these two would work, but she would do her best. “All right, Sludge, let’s give it a whirl.”
It didn’t take long for Tessa to realize that teaching the two men to dance was going to be a little more difficult than she’d originally anticipated. She and Julie practiced each step with them, changing partners occasionally just for fun and to keep the mood of the evening light. Jim started his tunes over and over again to help them, but neither man showed any natural talent or rhythm or ability. The women realized it was going to be a long night.
“Shall we give them another demonstration?” Will offered after the two women had suffered through many awkward attempts by their unskilled partners to circle the room. He knew this meant nothing, that this was only practice, but he still didn’t like seeing Tessa in the other men’s arms. “Tessa?”
“I think I need a minute’s rest,” she said. “But I’m sure Julie would love to allow you to squire her around and show the boys another time how it’s done.”
Anger flashed for an instant in Will’s eyes at being so rejected, but was quickly disguised. “Julie?”
Will danced her around the floor, demonstrating the steps once again. Julie was a good dancer and pretty, but she wasn’t Tessa. He made it a point to keep an eye on Tessa the whole time he was dancing with Julie. He frowned when she disappeared into the hallway. He couldn’t imagine where she’d gone, and he wanted the dance to end so he could go after her and check.
As Jim finished the tune, Will looked up to see that Tessa had returned. She was standing in the doorway with Steve. She was looking up at him, obviously laughing at something he’d said. It took all Will’s control not to scowl.
“Steve’s finally showed up,” Tessa announced when Jim had stopped playing. “Julie, this is Steve. He’s our new boarder.”
Julie had been standing with her back to the doorway when the dance ended. When Will released her, she turned and grew still. There before her was the cowboy she and Tessa had seen riding into town the day before.
“Steve . . . ?” she said tentatively.
“Steve Madison, ma’am,” Steve told her, nodding courteously in her direction.
“And I’m Julie Stevens.” Julie realized that Steve was even better-looking up close than he had been from a distance, and that was saying something. He’s just a cowboy! she told herself. “Do you need dance lessons, too?”
“If you’re offering,” he said, slanting her a grin. It had been a long time since he’d had the pleasure of dancing with a lady.
His grin and the dimple it revealed in his cheek were so rakish that Julie’s heart beat a bit faster than normal. She remained standing where she was as Jim struck up another tune.
Steve took her in his arms as Tessa grabbed Sludge’s hand and Maggie cornered Henry. Will stood alone, resentfully watching the others. He couldn’t believe that Tessa had chosen Sludge over him.
Julie had no time to think as Steve whirled her about the room. His steps were infinitely more polished than either of the other two boarders, but he was not as skilled as Will had been. Somehow that didn’t matter to her. The warm pressure of his hand at the small of her back was sending shivers up her spine, and the power of his shoulder beneath her hand revealed to her that he was strong and muscular. The rhythm he set for them seemed perfect, and they moved smoothly about the room, caught up in the moment.
Steve was staring down at the lovely blonde in his arms. She was beautiful. Tessa had mentioned that her friend Julie might come by and help with the dance lessons, but he’d had no idea that Julie would look like this. Her hair was the color of sunlight. Her complexion was flawless. She moved with graceful rhythm, never missing a step even when he faltered. The hint of her womanly curves pressed ever so lightly against him was heavenly.
The sudden sensual awareness of their innocent contact jarred Steve. He hadn’t expected to feel anything like this. They were dancing. That was all. It had been a very long time since he’d had any dealings with good women, and he was surprised by the power of the attraction he felt for Julie.
Steve forced his thoughts away from her. He had no time for women or any of the complications that went with them. He was in Durango for one reason and one reason only, and that was to find the gang that had been responsible for his being sent to prison. He couldn’t let anything distract him.
The music ended. The others discussed what they’d done wrong, while Julie stood awkwardly beside Steve. She wasn’t quite certain what to do or say, and that bothered her, for it definitely wasn’t like her to be so discomfited.
“Thank you, Julie,” Steve said, deliberately taking a step away from her. The sweet scent of her perfume and the memory their dance were too disturbing.
“You’re a good dancer. You didn’t need any lessons,” she returned, troubled by the unexpected and unmistakable attraction she felt for him.
“It’s been a while since I danced last, and I knew I could use some practice.”
Wanting to distance herself from his overpowering nearness, Julie smiled faintly at him and moved off to talk to Jim. She was going to make sure that she did not dance with Steve again. She would leave that to Tessa and Miss Maggie.
Julie was slightly surprised when Steve disappeared upstairs after dancing only one more dance with each of the other women. She found herself wondering why he hadn’t come back, even though she told herself that it didn’t matter what the cowboy did, because she didn’t care. Steve had been adequate on the dance floor and nothing more. Julie convinced herself that she was glad he hadn’t asked her to dance again.
The lessons continued for almost another hour, until everyone finally agreed to call it a night. Sludge and Henry went upstairs to bed, while Will lingered in the parlor to talk a little longer with Jim and Maggie.
Julie was glad she finally was going to have a moment alone with Tessa. She all but dragged her friend out onto the front porch so they could speak privately.
“I’ve got something so exciting to tell you!”
“What? That you loved dancing with Sludge and Henry tonight and you want to open a real School of Dance right here in Durango?”
“Be serious. I’ve been waiting for hours to tell you this, and it has nothing to do with dancing!”
“Tell me what?”
“I got the most exciting letter today!”
“From whom?”
“I’ve told you about my friend Ellen from back east at school, haven’t I?”
“Yes, you’ve mentioned her before. What happened?” Tessa saw that Julie’s excitement was real, and she smiled at her delight.
“It’s not what happened. It’s what’s going to happen! Ellen’s coming to Durango for a visit, and . . .”
Tessa could tell that it was the rest of what she had to tell her that had Julie so excited. “And?”
“And she’s bringing her older brother Roderick with her!”
“Why are you so excited about this Roderick?” Tessa asked, seeing the animation in her friend’s expression. She had rarely seen Julie so thrilled about anything.
Julie quickly told her everything about him. “Roderick is such a wonderful man.” She sighed. “I can’t wait to see him again. He’s nothing like the men around here.”
“He sounds interesting.”
“Oh, he’s more than interesting. He’s fascinating! Tessa, do you suppose the Women’s Solidarity might want to invite Roderick to be a featured guest? He could read from his works. It would be so . . . so cultural.”
“We can ask them tomorrow. You say Ellen and Roderick are going to arrive next week?”
“That’s what Ellen’s letter said.”
Tessa understood her friend’s excitement. This Roderick sounded like the perfect man for Julie. From what she’d just said, he was sophisticated and handsome and cultured. He was Julie’s dream man.
Tessa was reminded of her own dream man. She wondered why it was so simple for Julie to know who her ideal man was, while she had no idea. “I’m looking forward to meeting Roderick. He sounds wonderful.”
“Oh, he is. Seeing him again is going to be so . . .” She paused, at a loss for words. “Oh, Tessa, you know what I mean. Roderick is perfect, just perfect.” She smiled ecstatically. “It’s just too bad that he won’t be here in time for the dance on Saturday night.”
“Well, I don’t think you have too much to worry about there. You won’t be lacking for dance partners. Sludge and Henry are quite taken with you, and Will and Steve will be there, too.”
The mention of Steve brought a hint of color to her cheeks. “Why didn’t you tell me that he was your new boarder?”
“I didn’t think of it, with everything that had happened the night before.”
“That was exciting. I suppose we’re lucky that Marshal Trent didn’t show up and try to break down the door tonight,” she said with a laugh.
“It was very scary last night, Julie.” Tessa grew serious as she remembered the terror of the encounter. “Someone could have been hurt.”
“I’m sure it was, but you have to admit that it’s good to know Marshal Trent is keeping such a close eye on you. That threat from Boyd sounds serious.”
“I know,” Tessa said vaguely. A shiver trembled through her at the memory she’d denied all day. Suddenly she recalled in vivid detail what it had been like to be held in Jared’s arms and she wondered how it would have felt to dance with him tonight. As quickly as the thought came, she banished it. She didn’t want to dance with Jared. She didn’t want anything to do with the arrogant, overbearing lawman.
“You know,” Julie went on, her mood lightening again, “if Marshal Trent had broken in tonight, we could have given him dancing lessons, too.”
This time Julie did manage to make Tessa laugh. “Good night, Julie!”
“I guess I had better start home,” Julie said, realizing that it was starting to get dark.
“Let me go get Jim for you. He promised he would escort you home.”
“There’s no need,” Will said from the doorway. “I’ll be glad to see you home, Julie.”
“Why, thank you, Will,” Tessa replied.
“Make sure you lock the door once we’re gone,” Will ordered Tessa.
“I will,” she answered, somehow resenting the fact that Will was telling her what to do.
Tessa remained on the porch, watching the two of them until they’d disappeared from sight. She was not aware that Jared had already passed by the house twice on horseback that evening. He was on his way back up the street once more as she went back inside.
In spite of her resentment of Will’s unasked-for advice, she did lock the door.