«I haven’t heard Red complain. Have you?»
The question was ignored by Wolfe. After a moment, Reno stood with the lazy grace that had fooled more than one man into thinking he was slow.
«Amigo, Ithink you’re making a mistake.»
«No. I’m merely paying for one.»
«What mistake is that?» Jessica asked from the doorway.
«He’s got some damn fool idea about —» Reno began, then broke off abruptly. The look Wolfe was giving him would have frozen lightning.
Cursing under his breath, Reno snapped his gloves against his hand again and went out the back door without another word.
Jessica looked at Wolfe curiously.
«I’m giving Reno the pick of the foals,» Wolfe said.
«That’s hardly a mistake. He earned it. Without him, we would have lost more than one foal.»
«That’s what I told him.»
As though pulled against his will, Wolfe turned again and stared out the window. Jessica saw deep emotion kindle in Wolfe’s eyes, then fade into the haunted shadows she had first noticed that morning when he watched the sunrise. She went and stood beside him. She saw nothing beyond the window but the beauty of the vast land.
«Wolfe? Is something wrong?»
He turned and looked at her with haunted eyes.
«Wolfe,» she whispered, reaching toward him.
«Kiss me, Jessi,» he said, bending down to her. «Kiss me hard and deep. When you kiss me, I don’t think about what must be.»
With a small sound, she went up on tiptoe even as he lifted her in his arms, letting the wildness inside him focus in the passion only Jessica had ever been able to summon from the depths of his soul.
«Does this mean you’ve forgivenJessi for going out in the blizzard?» Willow asked from the doorway.
Reluctantly, Wolfe ended the kiss and tucked Jessica’s scarlet face against his neck. He smiled at Willow despite the bittersweet combination of sadness and desire twisting through him.
«We’re negotiating,» Wolfe said.
«Her surrender or yours?» retorted Willow.
«Mine, of course. Elves are too fragile. They either win or die.»
«In that case,» Willow said dryly, «I’ll get Ethan’s bathwater and leave you to your, er, negotiations.»
As Wolfe lowered Jessica’s feet to the floor, a cool premonition slid down her spine, the echo of Wolfe’s words.
Elves are too fragile. They either win or die.
Jessica said nothing until Willow went out of the kitchen carrying a pan of warm water in her hands. When Jessica turned to Wolfe, he was staring out the window once more. The expression of sorrow in his eyes made fear squeeze her heart.
«Love, what’s wrong?» she asked.
«Nothing.»
She shook her head slowly. «Your eyes are haunted.»
«‘Tisyour imagination.» Wolfe smiled and touched her cheek gently. «Elves are noted for their imagination.»
«Wolfe,» she whispered. «I can’t joke about what I see in your eyes. Who or what are you mourning?»
His eyes narrowed in surprise. He hadn’t expected Jessica to see into him so clearly, even more clearly than he saw into himself.
Mourning.
«I’m always sad to say good-bye to Caleb and Willow,» Wolfe said after a moment, the only part of the truth he would discuss.
It was Jessica’s turn to be surprised. «We’re leaving?»
«It’s too wild here.»
Wolfe’s voice was resonant with finality and grief. A chill roughened Jessica’s skin.
«What are you saying?» she whispered.
«We’re going to England.»
«I’d rather hunt mustangs,» she said, «or did you want to wait until autumn, when this year’s crop of foals will be weaned?»
Wolfe turned away without answering.
«Wolfe?»
«We’ll be in England when the foals are weaned.»
«Then we’ll come back next spring.»
«No.» The word was soft, final.
«Why not?»
«Spring and fall are when Lord Robert’s managers are most needed on his country estates.»
The chill moving through Jessica congealed into ice and settled into the pit of her stomach.
«What does that have to do with us?» she asked tightly.
«I will be one of those managers.»
«What are you saying?»
Wolfe looked out the window. «We will live in England.»
«You hate England.»
Wolfe shrugged. «Parts of the countryside are quite pretty.»
«They’re not a patch on this,» she said, indicating the wild beauty of the mountains beyond the window.
«No. They’re not.»
«What of your mustangs?»
«I’m giving them to Caleb.»
Jessica swayed and whispered. «You mean never to come back to the West!»
Wolfe didn’t answer. He didn’t have to. The shadows in his eyes said all that was necessary.
«But why? You love this land. I’ve seen you, Wolfe. You watch these mountains the way a man watches a woman he loves.»
«Let it go, Jessi.»
«No! Why can’t we live here? Why must we live in England?»
«This is no place for you,» Wolfe said quietly. «You have to be born for this land. You weren’t.»
«And you were.»
He made an odd, almost helpless gesture. «Yes. But I can survive England. You can’t survive the West.»
«Dear God, how you must hate me.»
Swiftly, Wolfe turned and touched Jessica’s cheek. «I don’t hate you, elf.»
«You will. I’ve cost you the only thing you’ve ever truly loved. You will hate me as surely and as deeply as you love the land!»
Wolfe saw the shine of tears on Jessica’s face and gathered her into his arms. «Hush, wife. You’re only hurting yourself.»
«I don’t want to live in England,» she said flatly, pushing away from him. «Do you hear me? I love the mountains. Why can’t we live here?»
«You gave yourself into my care. I won’t watch this wild land kill you.»
Jessica’s hands clenched against Wolfe’s shirt, digging into the hard muscle beneath the cloth.
«Wolfe, listen tome.Iam stronger than you believe. If I were the weak little elf you think me, I would have died as a child!»
His hand curled beneath her chin. Silently, he felt the delicate bone structure and soft skin. He smiled sadly.
