Chapter Twenty-six
Tessa hadn’t been able to get away from the Women’s Solidarity meeting fast enough. She’d smiled at the few people who’d spoken to her as she was leaving, but she had not lingered and she had not looked back to see if anyone was coming after her. Judging from the way Melissa had been gazing up at Jared so adoringly, she doubted he would be in a hurry to leave her anytime soon.
When Tessa had reached the house, she’d gone inside and shut the door behind her. She was tempted to ignore the loud knock at the door when it came, and she did for a moment or two, but then Jared started calling out to her.
“Tessa, I know you’re in there, and I want to talk to you.”
She didn’t respond.
“Tessa.” His tone grew more stern. “You can come out, or I can come in. I’ve broken this door down before. It won’t bother me to do it again.”
The last irritated her, and she all but stomped to the portal and threw it wide.
“Yes, Jared?”
“I need to talk to you.”
“Why? Didn’t you get much conversation out of Melissa?”
His gaze narrowed at her declaration, and then he smiled slightly. “You’re jealous?”
“Of what?” She started to turn away.
“I need to talk to you—now.” Jared was not a man used to having to beg for favors or explain himself to anyone. He was always honest and straightforward. He said what he thought whether people wanted to hear it or not. When it came to women, though, this one had the power to leave him sounding like a babbling idiot. He wasn’t used to begging for things, and he damned well wasn’t ready to start now.
“So talk.” She turned back toward him and stood with her arms folded across her chest, regarding him with less than welcoming warmth.
“Come outside with me?” Jared held out his hand to her. “Please.”
It was as close as he’d come to begging in years, and he found that with Tessa, somehow he didn’t really mind.
“Why? Anything you have to say, you can say here.”
Her stubbornness was testing him, but he told himself she was worth it.
He dropped his hand away. “Tessa, if I wanted to be with Melissa, I’d be with her right now. I was planning to meet you earlier so we could go to the lecture together, but the Moore brothers caused some trouble and I ended up dealing with a couple of rowdy, not-too-happy cowboys. Believe me, I would rather have been with you.” He lowered his voice as he said the last.
“I could tell,” she replied coolly.
Not used to explaining himself, he went on in exasperation. “When I got to the hall, there were no seats by you. I was standing just inside the doorway and Melissa grabbed me and took me back to sit with her. There was no way to refuse without everyone noticing. I was trapped.”
“Marshal Jared Trent trapped by a young woman?” she repeated, a bit disbelieving.
“Come outside with me. I want to talk to you now.” His patience was at an end. He had tried to be reasonable, but it wasn’t working.
“Jared, what a nice surprise. We missed you at the lecture tonight,” Maggie said as she came up the sidewalk with Jim, Sludge and Henry.
“I was late,” he explained, greeting them as politely as he could. He was irritated by the interruption. He wanted to talk to Tessa, but right now he could do nothing about that. “I had to make a couple of arrests.” He cast a sidelong, taunting glance at Tessa.
Tessa’s expression faltered a little as she imagined him “arresting” Melissa.
“Everything turned out all right?” Jim asked.
“Eventually, but by then Roderick had already started his readings.”
“You didn’t miss much,” Sludge said with a grin.
Henry chuckled in agreement.
“It was . . . different,” Maggie went on. “A little too dull for my tastes, but then how often do we get to hear a real, live author reading from his own works? It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and I’m glad we all went. Let’s go inside and have a cool drink, shall we?”
“I’d love to, Miss Maggie, but first I have to talk to Tessa.”
“Well, you two go right ahead. We’ll be inside.” Maggie bustled indoors with the others following her.
“Tessa?” Jared looked at her, his expression challenging.
Reluctantly she stepped out onto the porch, but she kept her distance from him. “Yes?”
Jared had been anticipating this moment all day. He’d practiced what he was going to say to her. He had been excited about seeing her tonight, just so he could propose—and he’d wanted to do it romantically. He’d wanted her to understand just how much he loved her. It had been a difficult thing for him to admit his feelings for her, but he was ready to declare himself. Yet here she was, frustrating him at every turn, and after the time he’d had with the Moore brothers and Melissa, that was dangerous.
“Damn it, woman, you’re coming with me!” Marshal Jared Trent was tired of being ignored. He took Tessa by the arm and pulled her from the porch.
“What are you doing?” Tessa demanded.
“Taking you someplace where we can talk privately,” he said in a growl, looking around for a nice, quiet, dark spot where he could have to her to himself. He spotted a wooden swing in the tree at the back of her yard. He stalked toward it, dragging her along with him.
“Where are we going?”
“Back here,” he said as he pointed to the swing. “Sit down.” His tone was imperious and brooked no argument.
Tessa was smart enough to do what he said.
“Steve made this for Clara and Mark,” she told him, unable to resist swinging just a little bit.
“I didn’t bring you back here to talk about Steve.” He was standing over her, wondering how the situation had gotten so out of control. “I brought you back here because I wanted to have a moment alone with you, but if you keep resisting me, I may have to arrest you for interfering with a lawman trying to do his job.”
“Your job?” She looked up at him as he loomed powerfully over her, so tall and broad shouldered and handsome. For all that he appeared angry, she felt no threat.
Jared was glaring down at her in the moonlight and all he wanted to do was kiss her. He was tired of verbally sparring with her. He just wanted to hold her and tell her that he loved her.
“Tessa, I’ve been waiting all day for this moment.” His expression softened a little.
“You have?”
“Melissa means nothing to me. You, of all people, should know that. You’re all I’ve been thinking about. There was nothing I wanted more than to be with you tonight, so I could tell you that I love you—and so I could ask you to marry me.” Jared sounded very frustrated as he blurted out his proposal in a less-than-romantic manner.
Tears filled her eyes at his words. “You want to marry me?” she repeated in disbelief.
Jared’s voice grew husky as he reached out to stop the swing’s slight motion. “Very much.”
He bent down to her and kissed her. Tessa met him in the kiss and delighted in it. She’d been holding on to the ropes of the swing, but let go to link her arms around his neck. He drew her up to him and held her close. She fit perfectly against him, and he never wanted to let her go.
“Marry me, Tessa.” It was a command.
“Would you threaten to arrest me if I said no?” she asked.
He grinned at the teasing note in her voice. “I may threaten to arrest you if you say yes.”
“Then yes, Jared. I’ll marry you,” she answered sweetly.
His mouth settled over hers in a possessive exchange that let her know she was his. Her response to him was eager.
“I liked the trespassing charge you brought against me last time,” Tessa whispered as her lips left his to press kisses along the hard line of his jaw and then down his neck. She smiled to herself when she felt him shudder. It gave her a feeling of power to know that she could evoke such a reaction in him.
Jared needed no further encouragement. He began to caress her, his hands tracing arousing paths over her slender curves.
“Do you want to elope tonight?” he asked as the idea came to him suddenly. He wanted her and didn’t want to wait any longer. “We could find a justice of the peace to marry us right away, I’m sure. I do have a few connections around town.”
Tessa looked up at him and smiled, thinking of her dream and knowing that she’d truly found her dream man. He wasn’t faceless anymore. “I would love to marry you tonight, but I’ve always dreamed of having a real wedding.”
Jared bit back a groan. “How long will it take?”
“I don’t know. Let’s go talk to my mother and tell her the good news. She’ll know what to do.” She started to move away from him.
“Wait.”
Jared snared her wrist and pulled her back into his embrace. His mouth captured hers in one last, devastating kiss before he released her.
“Now let’s go see your mother.”
Tessa was almost laughing in delight as they headed, hand in hand, back to the house.
“Mother!”
“I’m in the parlor,” Maggie called out.
They entered to find Maggie and Jim talking. The two looked up when Jared and Tessa stopped in the doorway.
“Mother, Jared and I have something to tell you.” Tessa gazed up at the man who would soon be her husband. All the love she felt for him was shining in her eyes.
“What, dear?” Maggie asked; then, seeing her daughter’s expression, she knew. She had never seen Tessa look at any man that way before. Though she had always thought Will would be the perfect man for her, she approved of Jared, too.
“Miss Maggie, Tessa and I are going to be married,” Jared announced.
Maggie’s smile was beautiful as she stood up and went to Jared. She had tears in her eyes when she kissed him on the cheek and then kissed Tessa.
“I couldn’t be happier,” she told them. She thought the world of Jared. For a fleeting moment she thought of Michael and was sorry that he wasn’t there to share in the happy moment. “And I’m sure Michael would approve of your choice.”
Jim congratulated them, too.
Tessa hugged her. “I’m going to need your help with planning the wedding, Mother.”
“When do you want to start?”
“Now,” they both replied.
“How soon do you want to have the ceremony?”
“How fast can we arrange it?” Jared asked, his gaze on Tessa.
She smiled, thrilled by his eagerness.
“I don’t know. Let’s get started,” Maggie said, pleased by his desire to claim her daughter as his own. Jared certainly had good taste in women.
“I’m going to tell the boys,” Jim said, and he hurried out into the hallway to call Sludge and Henry down to hear the news. Steve hadn’t come home yet, so he’d have to tell him later.
By the time Jared and Tessa stood alone again on the porch, over an hour had passed. Tessa and her mother were to speak to the reverend in the morning, and if all went as they hoped, the wedding would take place in three weeks.
“When I was leaving the lecture hall, I never imagined that the night would end like this,” Tessa said dreamily as she stood with her back against Jared’s chest. His arms were wrapped securely around her, and she felt loved and cherished and protected.
“How did you think it was going to end?” he asked, brushing a soft kiss against the side of her neck.
“After seeing the way Melissa was looking at you when you were with her, I didn’t think I would see you at all tonight. I thought you were going to spend the rest of the evening with her.”
“Melissa is a nice person, and I know she would like for me to be romantically interested in her, but I’m not. You’re the only woman I want. You’re the only woman I need. You’re the only woman I love.”
Tessa turned in the circle of his arms and splayed her hands out on his chest as she gazed up at him, giving him a half smile. “You’re not jealous of my boyfriends, are you?”
“How many are there?”
“I’m very fond of Sludge and Henry.”
“I know they’re very fond of you, too, but I don’t think I have to be jealous of them. They had their chance, but I’m the one you agreed to marry.”
She gave a throaty laugh. “And not a minute too soon, either.”
Jared kissed her hungrily, parting her lips and delving within to taste her sweetness. Now that he’d found her, he never wanted to let her go. They stayed there in the shadows of the porch, stealing kisses and longing for the time when they could remain together.
“I’d better go now,” Jared told her reluctantly. She was too tempting for his own good.
“Will I see you tomorrow?”
“I’ll come by first chance I get.”
“I’ll be waiting for you.”
They shared one last embrace, and then he left her.
Jared was in a very good mood as he made his way through town, and he decided to stop at the High Time and celebrate with a drink.
“Evening, Marshal,” Dan greeted him.
“Dan,” he said, smiling at him.
“The usual?”
He nodded.
“You’re looking like you’re in a good mood. Things must be quiet around town.” He set his whiskey before him.
“I am in a good mood,” he responded. “I just asked Tessa Sinclair to marry me, and she said yes.”
“Damn!” Dan was impressed. “Congratulations! You are one lucky man.”
“I know.”
Suzie, one of the High Time’s Saloon girls, saw the marshal come in, and hurried up to greet him. She’d long been sweet on Jared Trent, but had had no luck luring him to her bed. He was a challenge to her, and she never gave up trying to gain his interest.
“Good evening, Marshal Trent,” Suzie said, posing next to him at the bar and smiling brightly up at him.
“Hello, Suzie.”
“What are you doing out tonight?”
“I’m celebrating.”
“Oooh, I’d love to help you celebrate,” she said, her eyes rounding at the thought.
“I don’t think the good marshal’s wanting to celebrate that way, Suzie,” Dan cautioned. “He’s just gotten engaged.”
“You have?” Her surprise was real. She looked at him, her eyes wide. “Who’s the lucky gal?”
“Miss Tessa,” Dan said before Jared could answer.
Suzie’s expression reflected her disappointment. “Oh. Well, I’m real happy for you.”
“Thank you, Suzie,” Jared said. “I’m happy about it, too.”
Steve had been sitting alone at a table in the back of the saloon doing some serious drinking when he’d seen Jared come in. He picked up his glass and went to join him.
“Must be a quiet night in town,” Steve said with an easy grin.
Jared smiled in welcome. “I just came in to celebrate. Tessa and I are getting married.”
“You’ve got good taste in women.”
“Thanks.”
Jared had come to respect Steve more and more as he watched him in the community. When he’d finished his drink, Jared was ready to call it a night.
Steve remained in the saloon. He was happy that things had worked out for Jared and Tessa. He felt a stab of regret. As much as he loved Julie, he could never offer her what Jared could give Tessa—a safe and secure future. He lifted his drink in a silent toast to Jared as a vision of Julie swam before him.