This Loving Land - Dorothy Garlock [74]
“I know that.” He cupped her head with his hand and pressed her closer. “Tell me about Travis.”
Halfway through the telling, she commenced to tremble and her voice started to break.
“And when he said that . . . about shootin’ Mary . . . I know he’d do it, but Summer wouldn’t of believed it. She thought he was nice and she was put out at Slater because he was mad ’bout him comin’ here. I thought about tellin’ Jack, but if’n Jack had rode out there he’d just a got killed, then sure ’nuff Travis would have hunted me down and done somethin’ bad to the baby.” She paused to still her trembling lips. “I don’t know why I told you, you can’t do nothin’ if you wanted to, ’cause of Mrs. McLean. And I ain’t blamin’ you. Just a tellin’ him to leave me be would be like puttin’ a torch to a dry prairie. He’d come for me sure.”
“I know that, Sadie. I won’t do anything to put you and Mary in more danger.”
Jesse sat quietly. The rage he had felt when she told him of Travis’s threats had simmered down to calm planning. He would have to be away from her to think clearly. Holding her was too distracting. He could feel the warmth of her body through her thin dress and the steady beating of her heart against his. Abruptly, he knew why she had haunted his thoughts, drifting in and out of them like a strange, sweet dream. In his heart he had known that he could not rest until he had seen her again, held her in his arms like this, comforted her, protected her. He was conscious of a desire to face Travis, force him to draw, and kill him. Yet . . . he knew he couldn’t do it, no matter how badly Travis needed killing. Her son was the center of Ellen’s life. She doted on him. No, he couldn’t kill him if there was any other way.
A half-hour passed while his hands stroked and caressed the woman in bis arms and his mind groped for answers.
Sadie turned her head and looked full at him.
“I ain’t askin’ you to do anything. I ain’t a puttin’ my troubles off on you. I just feel better for the tellin’ about it. I ain’t told nobody else.”
He felt indescribably moved at the calm way she said that, and it showed in his face. Her hand stroked his arm with a little comforting gesture. He was acutely aware of her slim figure against him, of the warm flush of her skin, the soft sweetness of her mouth. It was like coming home. This woman and her child were like coming home! His eyes wandered over her upturned face, then found and held hers. They were full of concern now, for him. His arms tightened and slowly he lowered his lips, giving her the chance to turn away if she didn’t want his kiss.
Sadie lifted her face to meet his, trembling lips slackened and parted as his mouth possessed hers. Happiness engulfed her like a tidal wave engulfing the shore, and any doubt of his response to her was dispelled by the shaking of his body against hers, and the insistent pressure of his mouth, which demanded and received a response she had never believed herself capable of giving. Clasped tightly to him, as if he would draw her into himself, Sadie felt the thunderous beating of his heart and heard his ragged breathing in her ear.
Almost instantly, he was calm again. She stared into his eyes, glorying in the tender regard she saw there. Happiness sang out like a bird in her heart, and she lifted her hand to stroke his cheek. His brow furrowed. She gently rubbed her fingers across the harsh lines of his frown, smoothing it away. His eyes searched her face. Their gaze warmed and played within the depths of each other’s eyes.
At last, his lips came to rest on her forehead and he kissed her as if she were a child and tucked her face once again into the curve of his neck. His voice, when it came, was firm.
“You must stay here for a while. You and Mary will be safe here. I’m going south with the army troop for a few days, maybe more than a few days, but when I get back we’ll plan what we’re going to do.” When she shook her head in protest, he stilled it with his hand. “Trust me. I’ll speak to Slater. He’ll see that you’re not left alone.”
“No. Summer is gettin