do was go upstairs and tell Allie.
Wes didn’t hurry. He knew she wouldn’t want to go back to Victoria’s. But Hardy was right. It was the safest place for them right now.
When he entered the room, Allie was dressed, looking out the window. She’d cut a strip of cloth from the bandages and used it to tie back her hair. She wore the other dress Nichole had given her. The muddy blue color was even less flattering than the brown had been. But Wes hardly noticed. He remembered what lay beneath.
‘‘Allie,’’ he said, knowing she’d heard him come into the room.
She didn’t turn around. ‘‘We’re leaving, aren’t we? Even in the rain.’’
‘‘Yes.’’ He moved behind her, standing close enough to feel her warmth without touching her.
‘‘Do we go to look for your treasure among the ghosts?’’ She stared into the gray morning.
‘‘No.’’ He lightly touched her shoulder. When she didn’t pull away, he allowed his hand to rest. ‘‘We have to take Hardy to a safe place. He thinks Michael will kill him if Michael finds him wounded. Hardy wants to go back to Victoria’s place.’’
‘‘But what about your treasure? You need the gold to buy cattle for your ranch.’’ She leaned slightly, brushing her shoulders against his chest. ‘‘I heard you tell your friend that it would be your one chance to start over.’’
‘‘It can wait,’’ Wes lied. He knew if he stopped now, he’d never make it back. He also knew she didn’t want him to bother the ghosts at Goliad. Victoria must frighten her more than any ghosts.
She turned and placed her arms around his neck. ‘‘I’m sorry,’’ she whispered. ‘‘You must change your plan.’’
Wes had expected her to balk at the thought of going back to Victoria’s, but instead, she understood. She knew what he was giving up because of Hardy and her.
‘‘It’s all right. I’ll find another way.’’ He pulled her close, wishing he could tell her all of how he felt. He’d always been alone, worrying about himself. Now he had her. It felt good to worry about someone else for a change.
‘‘We’ll take the sheriff to my grandmother, but then we must leave for Goliad. We will not stay at the headquarters.’’
‘‘No,’’ Wes started.
‘‘Yes,’’ she answered. ‘‘If it hadn’t been for me, you’d already have been to the gold. I will go with you to look. I will help you fight the ghosts.’’
‘‘No, forget it.’’
‘‘I will not,’’ she said the words as though ending the discussion.
For the first time, he saw a stubbornness in the set of her jaw. Maybe because she didn’t talk much; maybe because she was so tiny, he’d always thought of her as a little bit childlike. But she’d understood his loss of a dream. There was nothing childlike in the way she faced him, or the way she’d felt last night.
‘‘We’ll talk of it later. Right now, we need to get started if we plan to reach Victoria’s place by midnight.’’ He looked into her wonderful blue eyes. There was so much to her, the blue seemed endless. The more he learned and understood her, the more he cared.
Without thinking of how little time they had, he lowered his head and kissed her tenderly. The taste of her lips could easily become addictive.
She accepted his kiss willingly, wanting a moment’s warmth before the long ride ahead.
When the kiss ended, Wes hesitated.
His hands rested at her waist, but he didn’t pull her closer. ‘‘About last night.’’ Slowly his hand moved up the front of her dress. ‘‘Why did you put my hand… here?’’ His fingers slid over the material covering her breast.
All she had to do was move and his slight touch would be gone. But she didn’t even breath. ‘‘I…’’
His hand gently covered her, warming the skin beneath the cloth.
‘‘I wanted to see if it hurt.’’ She fought to catch her breath as he continued touching, pressing enough for her to feel.
‘‘And does it?’’
‘‘No,’’ she answered.
‘‘All you have to do, Allie, is step away,’’ he whispered against her ear. ‘‘I’m not holding you, only touching you.’’
She didn’t move.
Wes kissed her cheek lightly as he crossed to the center of her dress and began to loosen the buttons.
‘‘Step away,’’ he said against her ear, ‘‘and I won’t follow.’’
The buttons tumbled open easily to his touch. He knew there was no time, but he couldn’t stop. The memory from the night was too strong.
‘‘All you have to do is back up, and what’s happening now will be over between us without another word being said. I’ll never touch you again.’’
She closed her eyes and tried to stand still as he pulled the material away.
‘‘But I want you to feel my touch when I’m awake. I want you to know that I’m here, whenever you want.’’
His fingers gently lifted her lace strap and pushed it from her shoulder. Then, very slowly, he placed his hand at the base of her throat and lowered his fingers over her flesh.
Allie leaned her head back and let the feel of his hand caress her. She steeled herself for the pain as he explored lower, cupping her breast in his grip. But none came. Only the warmth of his touch.
His free hand gently braced her back as his mouth covered hers. His kiss was hungry, hurried, his touch tender, hesitant. Sensations exploded inside her, shaking her body with the force.
He broke the kiss and stepped back suddenly. ‘‘Are you all right?’’ His brow wrinkled in worry.
Allie staggered forward from the sudden loss of his nearness. ‘‘I think so.’’ She placed her hand on his chest, steadying herself. ‘‘I never felt anything like that before. My whole body had a fire running through it.’’
Wes relaxed. ‘‘I thought I’d hurt you.’’
‘‘No,’’ she answered, thinking she’d like to ask him to do it again but unsure she should. She wished there were someone, anyone but Wes, to ask if what he’d just done was right. She knew what the men had done before was wrong. It hurt her, and they made sure no one else saw them. But when Wes touched her, there was no pain, only the warmth. And he’d offered to repeat the action any time as though he were giving her a gift.
‘‘Is it right, for a man to touch a woman so?’’ She pulled her dress together.
‘‘It’s right for a husband to touch a wife as I touched you,’’ Wes answered.
‘‘Then you will touch me so again, tonight?’’ She passed him and headed for the door. ‘‘Is this also done only when we are alone?’’
‘‘Yes.’’
She reached for the door. ‘‘Until we are alone tonight.’’ She vanished before he could answer.
Wes braced against the window frame, reminding himself he was her husband in name only. Only to protect her. Only until she found a home. Only til she was out of harm’s way.
But if he touched her again tonight, he’d be her husband in more than name.
He told himself he didn’t want a wife. He didn’t need a wife… he could barely feed himself. But from the looks of things, the only one who would stop him was himself. Wes wasn’t sure he was strong enough to fight that battle alone.
He was still trying to decide what to do ten hours later as he neared Victoria Catlin’s ranch. He’d noticed riders following them a few hours back, but they hadn’t drawn closer. If Allie or Jason could have driven the wagon, Wes would have ridden back to take a look. But Allie had her hands full trying to keep the sheriff settled. The old man was well into his second bottle of whiskey by nightfall. The team was too inexperienced for Jason to handle, but the boy was quick to jump out and help guide when the road was muddy.
By the time they were well onto Catlin land, the men following had disappeared. Wes thought maybe they’d just been going in the same direction, but, with his luck, that was doubtful.
When they sighted the ranch headquarters, it was near midnight. No light shone from the fortress, and Wes wondered if they hadn’t made a mistake returning. How safe could they be at a headquarters that didn’t post a guard at night?
They reached the gate with still no sign of life from inside the wall.
Wes handed Jason the reins and climbed down. The horses were too tired to walk, much less run, so the boy could handle them.
