Chapter Twenty-three
Julie was taking her time getting dressed; she wanted to look her best for Roderick. As she worked at styling her hair, though, she found herself frowning as she recalled a part of the conversation she’d had with Ellen and Roderick earlier that afternoon.
“Julie, I was wondering,” Ellen had asked when they’d left Tessa’s house.
“What?”
“Do you suppose we could invite that Steve to dine with us?” Ellen had glanced back toward the house, as if hoping to catch one last glimpse of him.
Julie had been shocked by her suggestion, and so had Roderick.
“Ellen, you can’t be serious,” Roderick had said, looking at his sister as if she were mad. His tone was condemning.
Ellen shrugged slightly. “There’s something about him. He’s so . . . manly. I find him very interesting, and I wanted to have the opportunity to talk with him more.”
“I won’t have you talking with him or any other man like him,” Roderick had dictated.
“But I’ve never met anyone like Steve before,” she’d said a bit dreamily. It was obvious she found Steve most attractive.
“And I pray to God you never do again,” her brother declared.
“Oh, Roderick, we came out west to experience another part of the country, and this Steve Madison is part of that experience.”
Julie had found herself growing angry at the way Ellen was speaking of Steve—as if he were some kind of experiment to be studied and analyzed.
“Steve is no ‘experience,’ ” she’d found herself saying. “Steve is just a man. He’s a good man, a kind man, a brave man.”
Both Roderick and Ellen had looked at her strangely. Men who lived by the gun were completely foreign to life in their society.
“You sound as though you have feelings for him,” Roderick had said, sounding a bit surprised.
Julie had quickly denied that. “I don’t have feelings for him, but I do respect him.”
“I see,” Roderick had said a bit disapprovingly.
Julie thought now of how Ellen had hurried to change the topic. In a way, she was glad Steve hadn’t been mentioned again. She hadn’t wanted to include Steve in their plans. She wanted to be able to concentrate solely upon Roderick tonight. She wanted to impress him with her wittiness and intelligence. She wanted to make him notice her as a woman and think of her as more than a friend. She didn’t want to be distracted by Steve.
Time was running out on her original plan. Ellen and Roderick would be leaving Durango in just a few days. Unless she could spark some kind of interest in Roderick, she was afraid he would leave and she would never see him again.
With one last touch to her hair, Julie decided she was ready. Her father had agreed to take her to the hotel in the family carriage and he was waiting for her now as she descended the staircase.
“Julie, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you looking quite so lovely,” Lyle told her as he came to kiss her cheek.
“Thank you, Papa,” she said; then in a lower voice she said to him, “Let’s just hope Roderick agrees.”
“How could he not?” her father said proudly. “You are the prettiest girl in Durango.”
“And you’re prejudiced,” she answered, laughing.
She bade her mother good-bye, and they were off to meet the others.
Jared arrived on time to pick Tessa up. He was surprised when Sludge, Henry, and Miss Maggie all were waiting for him with her. He felt much like a callow youth claiming a young lady for her first dance.
“Have a good time,” Miss Maggie told them as they were leaving.
“We will, Mother,” Tessa assured her. She waved to the others as she took Jared’s arm, and they started down the walk.
“You look pretty tonight,” Jared said.
The dress she’d worn was modestly cut, but its green color accentuated her fair complexion and burnished hair. She’d worn her hair down and had tied it back from her face with a matching green ribbon. The style was simple, yet elegant, and Jared had been hard-pressed not to kiss her on sight. In fact, he was wondering how he was going to keep his hands off her all night.
“Did you make any arrests after I left the office this afternoon?” Tessa asked, her lips curving into just the hint of a wicked smile as she slanted him a sidelong look.
Jared almost groaned at her sensual ploy. “No, but I thought about it.”
She gave a soft laugh and squeezed his arm as they continued on their way toward the place where they were to meet the others.
The dinner was delicious. The conversation seemed to focus mainly on Roderick, and he enjoyed every minute of it.
“Jared, how did you become a lawman?” Roderick finally asked, just to give the man a chance to speak.
Jared had been sitting there observing as the others talked. He had met several other men like this Roderick and was glad that they eventually went back wherever they came from. He knew life was too short to be so caught up in oneself.
“It seemed like the thing to do at the time,” he answered easily, not particularly wanting to share his personal history. He recognized Roderick for what he was, and would tolerate him as long as he had to.
Tessa, however, was proud of Jared and what he did, and she wanted Roderick to have a better understanding of just who the marshal was and why he did what he did.
“Jared became a lawman because he likes to help people,” Tessa told Roderick and Ellen. Her gaze was warm upon Jared as she spoke.
“Somehow I’ve never thought of a lawman as someone who ‘helps’ people,” Roderick remarked.
“That’s probably because you’ve never been in any real kind of trouble—and I don’t mean ‘breaking the law’ kind of trouble,” Tessa pointed out. “Jared’s job is far more than just enforcing the law.”
“Oh, really?”
“Jared’s a very special man.”
They were sitting beside one another at the table, and she slipped her hand onto his thigh as she spoke. She had needed to touch him, had been aching to do it ever since they’d been seated.
No one was aware of her move except Jared. His leg tensed beneath her hands for her touch stirred to life fires he was trying to keep safely banked.
“It’s quite a thankless job, though, isn’t it?” Roderick asked. “I mean, the quality of the people you’re forced to deal with on a daily basis has to be less than desirable.”
The easterner’s attitude was starting to bother Jared. He pinned him with a cold look. “People are people. Some are luckier than others in what life hands them. I just try to straighten things out and keep the peace.”
“And you do a fine job,” Julie said, praising him. “Why, the way you saved Mrs. Emerson from the burning house was amazing. You’re a very brave man, Jared.”
“I was lucky that day,” he told her seriously, “and Steve was there to help me, too. I don’t think I could have gotten both her and the boy out on my own.”
“But you tried. How many men were there watching the blaze who didn’t even try to help?” Julie pointed out. “And you were injured, too.” Jared self-consciously touched his forehead. “This was nothing. I’m just glad Mrs. Emerson and the boy weren’t hurt.”
“So your life isn’t all chasing down outlaws and overseeing hangings?” Roderick stated.
“A lawman’s work is never really done. Just when you think everything is quiet, something will happen.”
His words seemed prophetic.
“Marshal Trent!” The call came from the front of the restaurant.
Jared looked up to see Nathan standing there in the entranceway, looking toward him. “Excuse me a minute,” he said.
Tessa watched as he went to speak with his deputy. His expression was dark when he returned to the table a short time later. He didn’t sit back down.
“I’d appreciate it if you could see Tessa home for me. There’s some trouble at one of the saloons, and I don’t know how long it’ll take to straighten things out.”
“It will be my pleasure,” Roderick replied.
Jared looked at Tessa, his expression serious and tinged with regret that he had to leave her. He had hoped they’d find a moment to be alone. He’d hoped for some time for just the two of them, but it wasn’t going to happen tonight. “I’ll speak with you soon.”
“Be careful,” Tessa said.
She watched him stride away, a tall and commanding man—a man in control. She noticed, too, how the gazes of the other diners in the restaurant followed him as he crossed the room. Jared Trent was a man whose very presence demanded attention and respect.
Roderick was secretly pleased that Jared had been called away. He had wearied of Julie singing his praises.
When they’d finished dinner, Ellen decided to retire for the evening. Roderick, Julie, and Tessa walked with her from the restaurant to the hotel. Then, after accompanying Tessa home, Roderick and Julie went on to her house. Julie was pleased to see that her parents had already gone to bed for the night. She and Roderick lingered on the front porch.
“I’m looking forward to your lecture and readings tomorrow night,” Julie told him.
“I am, too,” he answered. He did enjoy having a captive audience. “You will accompany us, won’t you?”
“Of course. I’ll have my father bring the carriage, and he can drive us to the meeting place. Are you enjoying your visit so far?”
“Very much so.”
Roderick let his gaze roam over her in the moonlit darkness. He was not unaware of Julie as a woman. She was pretty and certainly seemed quite amenable. He had given some thought to courting her, and the fact of her wealth was certainly an added encouragement to do so. He knew Ellen was very fond of Julie and that he could certainly do far worse for a bride. His studies and career would always be the most important things in his life. He could never let anything as trivial as romance interfere with them, and whatever woman he married would have to learn to live with that truth.
Julie was standing beside him at the porch railing, staring up at the starry sky. She was unaware of his heated scrutiny. Her thoughts were a bit confused, and her mood was unclear. She had expected tonight to be one of the best nights of her whole life. She had dined out in a nice restaurant with Roderick. The conversation had been educated and cultured and intelligent, covering any number of timely topics. And yet, she’d found herself bored and actually a little distracted—even now. She had no idea why she was feeling this way, and that was what was bothering her.
Roderick was the man she’d thought she’d waited her whole life for.
Roderick was the man she could marry and move back east with.
Roderick was the man who knew which fork to use and could quote the classics to her.
Julie frowned.
“You look troubled,” Roderick said, moving a step nearer as he saw her expression.
“Oh, no,” she denied as she looked up at him. He did appear very handsome in the moonlight, but somehow she wasn’t as affected by his good looks tonight as she had been previously.
“And you look very beautiful, Julie,” he said softly.
It was then that he made his move, slipping an arm around her waist to draw her to him. He was pleased when she did not resist, but then he hadn’t really expected her to. Bending to Julie, he captured her lips in a kiss.
Julie held her breath in anticipation. She had been hoping for days on end that Roderick would kiss her. She had been hoping he was attracted to her that way. She waited for the exciting sensations she was sure were going to come to rush through her with the first touch of his lips on hers.
And yet . . .
The burning memory of Steve’s kiss surfaced from the depths of Julie’s consciousness and overwhelmed Roderick’s effort.
Roderick’s kiss was sweet. Steve’s kiss had been disturbing.
Roderick’s kiss was as polite and well mannered as he was. Steve’s kiss had been arousing.
Roderick’s kiss was pleasant. Steve’s kiss had spoken of untamed passion and flaming desire.
She had expected paradise in Roderick’s arms.
She’d gotten nice.
The realization completely shocked Julie.
“I’ll see you tomorrow?” Roderick asked with confidence as he released her and moved away. She had fallen into his arms just as he’d expected her to. The evening had gone quite well.
“Oh, yes,” she answered a bit breathlessly.
“Good night.”
Roderick headed down the walk and back toward the hotel. He was swaggering a bit as he went. Julie was his for the asking, he was sure.
Julie watched him go, her heart beating a painful rhythm. She’d been left breathless after his kiss, all right, but only because of the shocking truth that had been revealed to her.
She wanted Steve—not Roderick.
“That’s ridiculous,” she said, denying aloud the wild idea that had come out of nowhere.
Julie went inside and went to bed, but sleep did not come easily to her that night.
To say that Jared was irritated would have been putting it mildly. The small riot that had broken out between the drunks at the Gold Dust Saloon had not been easily controlled, and it was late by the time he’d gotten everything settled. He’d left the jail in Nathan’s capable hands and planned to go home. It was only the sight of the lamps still burning in the newspaper office that prompted him to stop in and see if Trace and Elise were working against their deadline.
“Going to press, are you?” Jared asked as he came through the door. He’d caught sight of Trace through the window.
“It’s that time of the week,” Trace answered, looking up at his friend. “What are you doing out now? Was there trouble tonight?”
“Nothing too exciting. Just a fight down at the Gold Dust. Nothing that Nathan and I couldn’t handle.”
“How are things going with Tessa?”
Jared almost snarled at him for asking. He’d had such high hopes for the evening, and the disappointment of having to leave her so early rode heavily on him.
“Fine.”
“Fine?”
“Fine,” he repeated.
Trace grinned. “Have you proposed yet?”
“No.”
“Well, why not? What are you waiting for? You love Tessa, don’t you?”
Jared hated admitting to his friend that he’d been right, and he knew how Elise was going to react when Trace told her. “Yes.”
“Then what’s holding you back?”
He was quiet, thoughtful. He didn’t have an answer for Trace. He didn’t know what was holding him back. There was nothing he wanted more than to be with Tessa. Lord knew, she haunted his thoughts morning, noon, and night.
“You know, you’re right. I should ask her to marry me,” he declared bravely. “I’ll do it tomorrow night after that lecture at the Women’s Solidarity meeting.”
“Not a minute too soon, either, my friend. How about a drink to celebrate?” Trace reached for the bottle in the bottom drawer.
“All right, but just one this time. I’ve got some planning to do.”