Donald remembered to bolt the door this time. Rebecca hadn't gotten
dressed yet. Her clothes were laid out on the bench, and she was
frantically shoving her torn garments into her valise. He grabbed hold
of her from behind, slammed her up against the wall, and violently took
her.
No one heard her screams.
_arting wasn't sweet sorrow, it was agony. Jessica looked as though
her heart were being torn apart when she said goodbye to Caleb. She
didn't shed a single tear, however, and neither did her son. Her
departure didn't faze him, for he'd taken quite a liking to Josey and
Tom Norton.
He squirmed in Jessica's arms when she kissed him good-bye, couldn't be
bothered with waving farewell, and didn't give his mama a backward
glance when she walked out the doorway. He was busy wreaking havoc in
Josey's kitchen.
Jessica surprised Cole. He knew she wouldn't make a scene in front of
the baby, but he expected her to cry and carry on as soon as they were
outside. He even had an 'it's for the best' lecture all ready. But
Jessie didn't carry on. She remained solemn, but dry-eyed, throughout
the journey.
She deserved a reward for holding up so well. They'd pressed hard all
day, only stopping twice to rest their horses for a short spell, and by
sunset, she was clearly physically and emotionally spent.
At dusk, he stopped his horse alongside hers and silently berated
himself for pushing her so hard. She wasn't a skilled horsewoman, and
the long ride must have been extremely difficult for her, yet she never
once voiced a complaint.
'We'll catch the train in Edwardsville tomorrow morning, ' he said.
'The town's about five miles south from here. I doubt we'll find fancy
accommodations there, but you would be able to sleep in a bed, ' he
explained. 'Or we could make a little detour and sleep outside by the
waterfalls.'
'You aren't thinking about going back to Rockford Falls?
' she asked, already shaking her head.
'We're a long way from Rockford Falls, ' he assured her. 'The spot I'm
thinking about has a little waterfall that spills into a clear, blue
water basin. It's real secluded.'
'How much of a detour is it? ' she asked tiredly. She pushed a strand
