nothing. The paragon is already wed.»
«It’s not what you think.»Rafe settled his battered hat onto his head with a tug. «Willy is my sister.»
«Uh-oh.» Jessica flushed. «I’m sorry. I meant no insult to her. That is, I — oh, blazes, when will I learn to bridle my galloping tongue?»
«Don’t worry,» Rafe said kindly. «Willy would laugh as hard as anyone at the thought of being a paragon. She’s as sassy as they come. But, Lord, can that girl cook. I’d go halfway around the world for some of her biscuits.» He grinned. «In fact, I did.»
«It appears thepara — er, your sister-and I have something in common.»
«Biscuits?»
«In a manner of speaking. Wolfe has traveled half the earth and talked of little else but my biscuits in comparison to Willow’s.»
Rafe’sgray eyes lit with inner laughter. «Don’t feel bad about your own cooking, ma’am. Bride’s biscuits are famous the world over.»
«Mine are infamous. EvenMessr. Skunk turned up his pointy black nose at them.»
Rafetried not to show his amusement, but the thought of a skunk passing up food was too much. He threw back his head and laughed.
Jessica smiled up at him with real pleasure. It was good to hear a man’s laughter and know there was one soul in the West who enjoyed her company. Then her smile faded as she remembered how she once had been able to amuse Wolfe. Once, but no longer. Now all he wanted from her was the sight of her back as she walked out of his life.
«Don’t look so down, Red — er, Mrs.Lonetree,» Rafe corrected quickly.
«Please call me Red,» she said, sighing, «or Jessica orJessi or whatever suits.»
«Thank you.»
«No thanks are necessary. If no one out here wants his family name known, it stands to reason nicknames and Christian names would be used instead. One must, after all, call others something.»
Rafe’ssmiled faded as he looked out the window. A familiar tension stole through his body. He had spent enough time in rough places with rougher men to know that trouble was afoot.
The men standing around theLonetree wagon were part of the crowds of drifters, outlaws, and prospectors who had gathered in Canyon City to await the opening of the passes. Lust for gold ran through the men, but there was nothing they could do about that lust for the moment. So they talked about women waiting for them with white thighs spread, and they drank, and they bullied people less coarse than themselves.
The crowd outside had been getting rowdier with each drink from the bottle that was being passed around. WhenRafe had passed them on the way to the store, he had heard their speculations on the subject of fancy foreign ladies, and if they had a special way of riding their men as well as riding their horses.Rafe doubted that the men’s thoughts had become loftier with each passage of the bottle.
«Mrs.Lonetree —»
«That’s too formal,» she insisted softly.
Rafelooked away from the window. «All right, Red. Don’t go back to the wagon unless your husband is with you.»
«Why?»
«The men out there are drunk. They aren’t used to decent women.»
«I see.» Jessica sighed. «I have a few more purchases to make, in any case.»
Silently, Rafe accompanied her down the counters loaded with dry goods.
«Perhaps you could help me,» she said after a few moments. «I’ve never bought clothes already made. Does this look the right size?»
Rafestared in disbelief at the Levis she was holding up.
«Ma’am, I doubt that your husband could get one of his arms in those, much less a leg.»
She smiled. «I was thinking of myself, not Wolfe.»
Rafemade an odd sound as he measured the size of the denims and the delicate girl whose quality shone through her travel-rumpled clothes.
«That cloth is much too harsh for someone like you,» he said simply.
Jessica slantedRafe a sideways look and saw that he wasn’t teasing. He truly thought she was as delicate as she looked.
«You would be amazed at how sturdy I really am,» she said mildly.
After shaking out the Levis, Jessica held them against her waist. The legs fell to the floor and beyond.
«Blast.»
She put back the Levis and rummaged for yet smaller ones. In time she found a pair that had been cut for a boy rather than a man. She held them up. She suspected they would be too loose in the waist and frankly snug in the hips. On the other hand, they were the smallest Levis she had yet found.
«Would you hold these for me?» she asked, handing over the Levis toRafe.
He accepted them without a word and watched with increasing amusement while Jessica rummaged among the shirts for one that might possibly be small enough. He was still smiling indulgently when he sensed a presence behind his back. He turned around and saw WolfeLonetree standing there, measuring him for a shroud.
«Rafe, what do you think of — oh, good, you’re back,» Jessica said, holding out a shirt to Wolfe. «What do you think of this?»
«Too small by half.»
The clipped tones of Wolfe’s voice brought Jessica’s head up. She looked at him and sensed the anger that blazed just beneath his impassive surface.
«I rather thought it was too large,» she muttered, measuring her arm against the sleeve.
Abruptly, Wolfe realized that Jessica was buying clothes for herself. «Your ladyship, we already have enough clothes for two packhorses. In any case, I won’t have you parading your limbs like a saloon girl throughout the West.»
He took the Levis fromRafe and tossed them onto a table before he turned back to Jessica.
«Did you manage to purchase the dry goods on the list?» he asked.
«Yes,» she said.
Despite the red flags on Jessica’s cheekbones, her voice was civilized. Wolfe didn’t take the hint.
«Will wonders never cease.» Wolfe took the shirt from Jessica and threw it after the Levis.
Her eyes narrowed into ice-blue slits as she measured the grim lines on Wolfe’s face.
«I’ll bring the horses from the stable,» he said flatly. «By then you should have managed to get back to the wagon. The storekeeper’s boy will help you carry everything.»
With a black glance atRafe, Wolfe turned and strode out of the store.
Rafelet out a long, silent breath. Seeing Jessica’s husband in his dark, well-worn trail clothes instead of city fashions had convincedRafe that WolfeLonetree was indeed thehalfbreed who was reputed to know the mountains so well. That samehalfbreed was also reputed to be the best rifle shot west of the Mississippi and a warrior to the steel marrow of his bones.
Rumor hadn’t mentioned that Wolfe was fiercely possessive of his wife, butRafe would be happy to pass the word along to the next poor fool who innocently warmed himself at the hearth of Jessica’s smile.
«Ma’am,» Rafe said, tipping his hat. «It’s been a pleasure.»
«Don’t feel you must rush off. Wolfe isn’t as fierce as he sometimes looks.»
Rafesmiled thinly. «I believe you’re right. He’s easily twice as fierce. He’s also damned, er, darned protective of you. Not that I blame him. If I had anything even a fraction as valuable as your smile, I’d be real careful of it, too.»
Jessica’s smile flashed, then faded. AsRafe turned to leave, she said softly, «God speed, Rafael Moran.»
She gave the name its fluid Spanish pronunciation, lending the elegance of music to the syllables.Rafe turned back, struck by hearing his name spoken so beautifully.
«How did you know my full name was Rafael?»
«It suits you.» Impulsively, Jessica touchedRafe’s sleeve. «Do take care of yourself. Gentlemen are uncommon anywhere in the world.»
