Skipping Heaven

SKIPPING HEAVEN by

Rayne Forrest

WHISKEY CREEK PRESS www.whiskeycreekpress.com

Published by WHISKEY CREEK PRESS Whiskey Creek Press PO Box 51052 Casper, WY 82605-1052 www.whiskeycreekpresstorrid.com

Copyright  2005 by Rayne Forrest Names, characters and incidents depicted in this book are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of the author or the publisher. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. ISBN 1-59374-456-0

Credits Cover Artist: Jinger Heaston Editor: Sue Vetter Printed in the United States of America

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT MOUNTAIN HIGH Rayne Forrest has skillfully written a stimulating romance laced with sexual tension and intrigue in MOUNTAIN HIGH. I recommend that you put MOUNTAIN HIGH on the top of your “to buy” list and prepare to indulge yourself with a genuinely pleasurable read. - eCataRomance.com Mountain High is a wonderful story of a second chance at love with the spice of trouble and danger lurking around many corners. Rayne Forrest paints a wonderful and vivid picture of small town life and love between two people that gently wraps you up to the story. It also tangles you, refusing to let you go until the final page. I highly recommend Mountain High and look forward to reading more from this wonderfully talented writer. - Enchanted in Romance There are some wonderful scenes written just one on one with Tyler and Chris that are quite poignant. Their love story in and of itself would have been more than enough for this reader to enjoy the book…a beautiful love story. Fun dialogue that feels natural helps this ebook flow. Sit back, relax and enjoy! - The Romance Readers Connection

and RIGHT FROM THE START The love scenes are explicit and emotional. I was impressed by the deep feelings that the author was able to elicit from her well-drawn characters and communicate to the reader. I enjoyed this story and think fans of contemporary romance will too. - Fallen Angels Review

This story, even though short, is a temptingly seductive work of the written word. These two characters make getting to know each other a sensual delight and makes you believe in happily ever after. I loved this book, and give Ms. Forrest the thumbs up. - Coffee Time Romance RIGHT FROM THE START is a feel good story for those who love their happy endings. Superbly written with hot, sexy love scenes and common second thoughts, RIGHT FROM THE START is a wonderful short story that has me searching bookshelves for more of Ms. Forrest’s work. Romance Junkies

Dedication To Ron, thanks for sharing my view of heaven.

Chapter 1 Appalachian Mountains, 1900 Daniel Woods battled the last few steps to the crest of the ridge and blew out a relieved sigh. He bent over to catch his breath. Zeus snorted and nudged him. The stallion seemed equally glad to have made it up the steep hill. Daniel stretched, his spine making little popping noises. The rolling hills of the Allegheny Mountains lay before them. The top of the ridge sported a few scrubby pines and a spot of green about a hundred yards to the south. That green meant a spring. “Come on, horse. Let’s go get a drink.” The stallion followed, still snorting. Daniel patted the muscled, sweaty shoulder. They’d left their home on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay just two weeks ago, traveling slowly. It was a long trek to Kentucky, and the legacy Daniel’s uncle had left him. He was determined not to tire Zeus, settling for a slow twenty or so miles a day. The land in Kentucky wasn’t going anywhere and Zeus was too valuable to ride to exhaustion. The stallion would stand at stud over the breeding herd Daniel hoped to acquire and develop. A movement to his left stopped Daniel in his tracks and he dropped the reins. Zeus was well trained and stood, hooves 1

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planted. Daniel slowly pulled his carbine from the scabbard and sighted the pheasant. One quick shot and dinner was bagged. More birds lifted from the brush. A rabbit darted away. Game in the area was a good sign that the spring was pure. He selected a spot that boasted as near to shade as there was to be had and pulled the saddle off the stallion. It was still early in the day but Daniel was called to this place. They’d rest a bit before starting down the other side of the mountain. He started a fire, cleaned and spitted the bird, then gave Zeus a quick brush and checked his hooves. The grazing wasn’t too plentiful, so he gave the stallion a few handfuls of grain. The bag was about three-quarters gone. Daniel’s map showed a few homesteads and towns along the trail and he hoped to purchase more at one of those small places. Two hours later, his meal of roasted pheasant making for a contented belly, he saddled Zeus and returned to the trail. They started down the steep hillside. He gave Zeus his head, trusting the sure-footed beast to step carefully. The condition of the trail rapidly deteriorated. The stallion’s hooves sent bits of shale sliding and clattering down the side of the mountain. Daniel could see a wider spot a few hundred feet ahead. He’d dismount when they reached there and walk the rest of the way down instead of expecting the horse to balance them both. They didn’t get that far. Zeus stepped too close to the edge of the trail. The ground gave way, sliding from under his hooves. He stumbled, going to his knees. Daniel pulled up sharply on the reins. The stallion’s muscles bunched beneath him. His head came up, his hindquarters dropped. The shale under them crumbled and they fell. 2

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**** Trouble had arrived. Justine Noakes glanced over at Duke. The dog was standing, ears and tail at attention, staring down the long meadow. A lone man leading a lame horse approached. Now was not the time for the dog to start barking. Justine had the top of one of her honeybee hives open, harvesting the honeycomb. The honeybees were docile as long as she moved slowly and gently. She carefully eased the lid back in place and stepped away from the hive. The few honeybees still clinging to her disembarked. “Get on the porch,” she ordered the dog. Duke growled low in his throat. “Go on.” She tugged at his neck. He tugged back, then trotted obediently towards the cabin. Justine picked up her crock of honeycomb and followed. She entered her small abode and pulled her Derringer from under her pillow and slipped it into her pocket. It was not the weapon she preferred, but greeting the stranger with a loaded Colt .45 might stir the man’s temper. Duke was sitting quietly on the porch. That was a reassuring sign. Duke had excellent people sense. The horse limped painfully and the stranger stopped to allow the animal to rest. Justine pitied the poor beast. Whatever had happened, the man must have hoped the horse would recover. Men didn’t walk a lame horse to help. They simply shot the beast and obtained another. Justine told Duke to stay and went to the well to draw a fresh bucket of water for the man. She was just setting it on the porch steps when the duo began moving again. Another warning growl rumbled in Duke’s throat. The man was close enough now that Justine could get a good look at him. He was a big man, well over six feet. Dark 3

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hair curled on his collar. Several days’ growth of dark beard covered his cheeks. He removed his hat and an intensely blue gaze swept her from head to toe. She hoped she passed inspection. Because if he looked at her like that again, it was going to be a toss-up between shooting him or letting Duke have some fun. “Ma’am. I’m not looking for mischief. I need a place to care for my horse for a few days. I’ll work in return for you allowing me and him to sleep in your barn.” He was dusty, dirty and visibly weary. The proud shoulders slumped. Instead of wearing his gun belt, it was looped over his shoulder. “What’s your name?” Not that knowing his name would help if he were lying or he was bent on mischief. “Daniel. Daniel Woods.” “I’m doing this for your horse, Mr. Woods. He’s a thoroughbred, isn’t he?” The man gave her another appraising look. “Yes, ma’am, he is.” “What happened to him?” The man stroked the animal’s sweaty neck. “Just a misstep. Bruised the hoof. I think he’ll be fine with a little rest.” “You’ll have to ready a stall. Are you hungry?” She knew he had to be. He walked around to the other side of the horse and removed something from the ties of the saddle. He held out two rabbits. “Will this do for supper?” Justine smiled warmly. She stepped down two treads and took his offering. Their fingertips touched. She recoiled in surprise, hoping her expression didn’t reflect her shock. 4

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“These will do nicely. Thank you. Do you want the pelts?” “No. You do what you like with them. I’ll go get settled.” He put his hat back on his head and turned towards the barn, then hesitated. “Ma’am, if you have some to spare, I’d appreciate a sliver of soap.” Justine nodded. “You’ll find a little washstand inside the barn. With soap.” Daniel tipped his hat and coaxed the horse to movement. Watching the horse struggle to walk brought tears to Justine’s eyes. “Come on, Duke,” she said softly, turning to go prepare the game. She hoped Mr. Woods didn’t mind if she roasted both rabbits. She had a hot bed of coals and might as well put them to good use. Gathering the necessary tools, she went out back to her workbench. She left the Derringer in her pocket, for all the good it would do her.

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Chapter 2 Daniel groaned with relief as he stepped into the shade of the barn. He dropped the reins and Zeus immediately stopped. Daniel was sure the horse was as grateful for shade as he was. He slipped the saddle from the tired animal’s back and draped it over the side of the nearest stall. The stallion was weary. It showed in the way his head drooped, the stillness with which he stood. Daniel left him where he was and climbed up to the loft to toss down fresh bedding into the first stall. That accomplished, he patted Zeus down and determined the horse was cool enough for a drink. He brought a bucket and set it down for the beast and began to brush him down while he drank. Once the horse was groomed, Daniel coaxed him into the stall. He searched the shelves for some liniment. The bottle was just over half full. He made a mental note to replace it for the woman, or at least pay her for it. It was clear her resources were limited. The liniment warmed his hands as Daniel sparingly rubbed down Zeus’s legs. The stallion needed a few days rest, and if the truth were to be told, so did he. Rest and a bath. He saw that the barn had a corner where a hired hand would sleep. He retrieved his saddlebags and stowed them on the cot. The washstand did indeed provide a small cake of soap, as well as a sharpened razor. Daniel drew another bucket of water from the well and set it in the sun to warm a bit. He 6

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checked out the rest of the neatly ordered barn and gave Zeus a handful of grain from the barrel in the corner. He then checked the hinges on the doors. They were in good condition. The paddock was sound, as was its gate. He checked the water trough. It was a newer one, made of the lighter, galvanized metal. Hell, he could probably bathe in it. It was bigger than a regular bathtub. The water was clean and clear and warmed by the sun. He’d just tip it over and refill it when he was finished. Maybe he’d just go tell the lady his intentions and ask her politely not to peek. Or at least not let him know if she did. He took the steps two at a time and knocked on the front door of the cabin. The sound of a hound baying came from behind the cabin. Daniel stepped around the end of the porch and collided with the woman. He grabbed her to steady her. Something heavy in the pocket of her skirt bumped against his leg. So she was armed, was she? That was good to know had he been bent on mischief with her, but he was just too damn tired to pursue it. Which was a shame because even as tired as he was he couldn’t help but notice she fit perfectly in his arms and smelled of fresh herbs, mint and honey. “Sorry, ma’am.” “Let go of me.” She pushed at him. The dog growled menacingly at him and he quickly released her and stepped back. She rested her hand on the dog’s head to quiet him. The panic faded from her eyes with the realization he’d not intentionally grabbed her. It had been instinctive, to keep her from falling.

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He took off his hat again, retreating back into politeness to reassure her. And to keep his hands from reaching for her again. “I was just coming to warn you. I think I’ll take a bath in the water trough. I didn’t want to surprise you.” She nodded and amusement sparked in her light brown eyes. “I have a kettle of water heating for you, if you want it. And some clean clothes.” “Thank you. I’ll take you up on both. I noticed your wood box is empty. I’ll gather some when the sun goes down a bit.” She almost smiled at him, ducking her head to keep him from seeing it. She wasn’t quick enough and he did. “No need. I have plenty out back. I don’t bother to keep a stockpile on the porch in the summer.” Daniel nodded again, although he decided to see the wood box filled regardless. “Ma’am, are you alone here?” Her eyes widened the barest bit. Her expression became guarded. “For the moment. But Duke is wonderful company.” “I see. I’m sure Duke earns his keep. What’s your name, anyway?” “Justine. Justine Noakes.” “Pleased to meet you, Mrs. Noakes.” Daniel settled his hat back on his head. “Wait here a moment,” she said, sidling away from him. “I’ll get you a change of clothes.” “Thanks.” Daniel sidestepped so she could pass by him without touching him again. He perched on the porch rail until she returned. She handed him the clean clothes without comment. He nodded again and draped them over his shoulder. “Supper will be a while yet. No need to hurry.” 8

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“All right. You want to show me where the hot water is?” “Back here.” She turned and walked away, leaving him to follow her to the rear of the cabin. He didn’t mean to notice, but her hips had a nice sway to them. Daniel gave her a nod of approval on her outside work area. It stretched along the length of the cabin, shaded from the hot afternoon sun by the structure. She had a worktable, an outdoor hearth, a small crate she apparently used as a table, and a strange looking chair of willow branches with a pillow for a seat. A neat, well-tended garden patch was laid out just a few feet away. “That’s an interesting chair,” he commented, hoping to get her to talk more. “My first attempt. I needed something that would not be a loss if the weather ruined it.” Her voice was soft, low and rich. Her words were carefully articulated. He judged her to be educated. “Would you like me to level it up some?” She smiled and her light brown eyes sparkled. Reaction shivered a path through him. His cock twitched. Damn. “I would appreciate that, Mr. Woods. I’ve tried, but as you can see, I’ve not been overly successful.” Daniel smiled back at her. “I’ll see what I can do after I get this grime off me.” Justine reached for the thick pad lying on her workbench and wrapped it around the handle of the cast iron kettle she had hanging over the hot coals of the hearth. Daniel touched her arm. She jumped away from him. “Please, let me get that. It’s hot and it’s heavy.” He held out his hand for the hot pad.

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She swallowed and nodded, handing him the pad. He deftly lifted the steaming kettle of water off the hook and set it on the ground. “My thanks again, Mrs. Noakes.” He adjusted his grip on the handle and trudged off. He could feel her eyes on his back. He poured all but a small amount of the heated water into the trough. The rest he wanted for shaving. It was a far cry from the luxury he’d left behind in Maryland, but it would do. Daniel had his boots and shirt off and had just unbuckled his belt when Justine came out of the cabin and down the steps towards him. She approached him cautiously, holding out a worn piece of toweling. “You might need this.” “Thanks.” “I forgot these, too.” She held out a pair of socks. “Come up when you’re finished. The meat isn’t ready, but a loaf of bread is. I’ve butter, too, and a few apples. That should help hold you until the meat’s finished.” “Thank you. I have some money, Mrs. Noakes. I’ll pay you.” She nodded. “I wish I could tell you to keep your money, Mr. Woods, but I have need of a few things and very little cash of my own. Nonetheless, there’s no need for you to be feel obligated.” “You’ve already shown me a great deal of hospitality. More than I deserve, probably.” She smiled. “See what you say after you taste my cooking, Mr. Woods. I’ve been told it’s too plain.” He grinned. “Plain is fine, ma’am. I’ll be up in bit.” She turned and walked away, leaving Daniel watching her swaying hips again. He dropped his pants and stepped into the water trough the moment she disappeared. 10

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The heated water was heavenly. It was warmer than he’d dare hope for, soothing his tired muscles. He rubbed the soap vigorously between his palms. The resulting lather had an herbal fragrance, a mix of rosemary and maybe mint, the same scent he detected on Justine. The soap had a fine milled quality to it and he wondered where she’d gotten it. Daniel leaned back and relaxed. He’d been walking for two long days. Two long days of walking and worrying that Zeus wouldn’t make it to a town or a homestead. Two long days of up one side of a ridge and down the other. The Appalachian Mountains were beautiful, but he’d hoped to see them from the back of the horse, not on foot. He was doing his best to float in the chest deep water when the woman walked from behind the cabin to the springhouse. She didn’t even glance in his direction. He wet his hair and wondered what she was doing out here in the middle of nowhere with only that Redbone hound for company. And he was sure she was here alone. The place was well tended but it lacked evidence of a man’s presence. And the clothes she’d loaned him smelled strongly of cedar, evidence they’d been stored in a chest for a long time. He soaped and rinsed again. God, but it felt good to be clean again. Keeping a weather eye out for her, he climbed from the trough and grabbed his dirty clothes. Using the trough as a shield, he laundered them as best he could in the bath water. It wasn’t a great job, but it got most of the dust and dirt out. He’d just get dressed before drawing a bucket to rinse them out. Then they could hang over the paddock fence and dry. Finished with that chore, he padded barefoot and naked to the cot in the corner of the barn. He found an old horse brush and saddle soap and tended to his boots. That completed, he checked on Zeus. The stallion seemed listless, 11

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a cause for concern. Daniel hoped the animal would be livelier after he’d rested. He used what was left of the hot water, now cooled to a comfortable temperature, to shave. Pulling on the loaned jeans and shirt, he discovered they were not a bad fit. Whoever they belonged to was about his size. Feeling presentable at last, he headed for the cabin and the smell of fresh-baked bread.

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Chapter 3 Duke alerted Justine to Daniel’s approach. She shushed him and checked the meat one more time. It would be at least another hour before it was ready. She grabbed a small piece of wood and drove it into the coals to increase the heat. She took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. If he’d seen her peeking at him from the springhouse while he bathed, she’d just have to own up to it. She had not intended to peek. Truly. She’d not been able to stop herself after she’d taken the towel down to him. The sight of his bare chest, broad and slick with a fine sheen of sweat, had set her heart fluttering and triggered a wonderfully uncomfortable tension deep in her belly. Peeking had not been an option. It had been as necessary as breathing. Even from a distance it had been clear he was very much a man. “Ma’am,” Daniel said politely as he came around the corner of the cabin. She motioned him to sit in the chair she’d brought out from inside. “I hope you don’t mind sitting outside. It’s too hot to be inside. I’m hoping to be able to move a young maple out front this fall. They grow so fast, I should have shade in just a few years.” “It will block your view down the meadow,” the man observed. 13

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“A bit. But it can’t be helped. The shade will be wonderful.” Her hands fluttered nervously and she jammed them into the pockets of her apron before he noticed. She needed to steady herself. She just wasn’t used to people anymore. “What can I do to help?” “Would you mind getting a fresh bucket of drinking water?” “No, not at all.” Daniel picked up the bucket and disappeared again. Justine stared in disbelief as Duke followed close behind him. Turncoat hound. Daniel was back in a few minutes. “I hear a bell ringing off in the woods.” She smiled. “That would be Bella, my goat.” She motioned for him to set the bucket on her workbench. “She’s on her way home, then.” He picked up a mason jar and examined its contents. “Nice looking honey.” “You may have some.” Justine smiled and handed him a knife and a small basket containing several slices of bread. Daniel made himself at home and smeared butter and honey on one slice. He wolfed it down in just a few bites. The woman turned away, but not before he saw her smile again. “That’s manna. I didn’t realize I was so hungry.” “Please, help yourself.” She met his gaze. “I’m not so poor I can’t afford for you to eat the whole loaf of bread if you need it.” He buttered and honeyed a second slice and held it out to her. “I’m sure you’d like some as well.” Their fingertips brushed again as she plucked it from his hand. Justine didn’t flinch away this time. “Very true.” She broke off a little bite and tossed it to Duke, who deftly plucked it from midair. Daniel whistled 14

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softly and tossed the dog a bite. It dropped to the ground in front of the hound, ignored. “Let that be a lesson to you, Mr. Woods.” She laughed softly. He grinned good-naturedly at her. “I'd bet he won’t turn his nose up at a bite of the rabbit.” “And you’d lose.” She snapped her fingers. “Eat it, Duke.” The dog pounced on the piece of bread. “He listens to you pretty well.” “I was wondering if you would do me a favor, Mr. Woods?” “Please, call me Daniel. I’ll do whatever I can, Mrs. Noakes.” She looked at him for several long moments, then slowly nodded. “Daniel.” Hearing his name on her lips sent a frisson of glee to parts of him Daniel was trying hard to ignore. No doubt about it, she was having quite an effect on him. He hoped whatever the favor was, he could disappear for a few minutes. He judged he had about twenty seconds before he’d be hard enough for her to notice, were she the kind of woman to notice such things. This was ridiculous. He was a grown man, for God’s sake. He should be able to control his baser urges. “Would you bring my lye drip up from the barn?” “Lye drip?” “It’s a box on legs with a very small spout in the front. I fill it with ashes, then pour water over them. What drains out is lye for making soap.” “I’ll get it right now, ma’am.” “Perhaps you should call me Justine.” Perhaps he certainly would. “Miss Justine,” he said politely with a smile. He turned and beat a hasty retreat to the barn. 15

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She made her own soap. He’d no idea how soap was made. All he’d ever known was that there was always soap when he needed it. His mother surely knew how to make it. She oversaw everything the servants on the Woods estate did. He doubted, however, that his mother had ever had to actually do the work herself. He cursed his own stupidity in such things. A pampered son, every whim granted, every need seen to, he knew little of the everyday, mundane things of life. Daniel stopped at the little washstand and picked up the sliver of scented soap he’d used to bathe and lather his beard. Had Justine made this? He imagined what it would feel like to have her hands, feather soft, on his chest, working up lather. “Stop it, Woods,” he said aloud. He found the little contraption and hefted it to his shoulder. It was just heavy enough he didn’t like to think of her lifting it. Carrying it to the back of the little cabin, he set it in the spot Justine indicated. She made him wash his hands, then motioned for him to sit. He noted his chair was well out of her way. He fixed two more slices of bread before easing his tall frame into the chair. Duke watched him. Two trails of dog salvia dripped to the ground. Daniel gave in and threw the hound tidbits. Apparently being given permission once by his mistress was all Duke needed. He deftly snapped the bits out of the air as Daniel tossed them in his direction. Justine worked efficiently and quietly. Her practiced movements gave evidence of experience at her chores. Daniel watched, noting her innate gracefulness, and strength. “Are you alone here?” he asked again. She turned and gave him a cold, calculating look. “Yes, I am.” 16

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**** Justine wondered just how big a mistake it was to admit that to the man. He seemed polite. He seemed respectable. But he was still male. He was bigger, faster and stronger than she was, and she’d be a fool to forget it. “Who owns the clothes I’m wearing?” “They belonged to my mother’s Uncle Joshua. We came out here so he could forget the War. Only he couldn’t.” Daniel nodded. There was nothing condescending in his manner. Justine knew he’d not yet been born when the war ended, but it was surely safe to assume the older men in his family had spoken of the War. She didn’t ask which side his family had taken. It no longer mattered. “How long have you been here?” he asked. She bit her lip to stop the confession from pouring out of her. “Several years.” “And your mother’s uncle?” “His passing was a blessing. For him, and for me. You probably think that’s horrible of me to say.” “No. I don’t think that at all. You stayed here, alone?” She raised an eyebrow at him. The answer to that should be obvious. “Yes. I stayed. I love it here.” “Winters must be hard.” “Very. But as you can see, I’m doing all right.” “I’d say you are, too. And I’m glad your husband isn’t going to show up and shoot me on sight and ruin his shirt.” Justine laughed. “No, I don’t think that will happen.”

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She watched, suddenly transfixed, as Daniel leaned back and stretched. He flashed her an odd look as he settled again, one booted foot resting on his knee. “Is there anything I can do to help you with your chores?” he asked. She looked around and pointed at the lye drip. “Well, you can dump those ashes in the hopper. After that, you can slowly pour a bucket of water over them. Here.” She grabbed an old oaken bucket from a peg on the side of the cabin. “Set this to catch the drippings. And don’t splash the ashes on yourself.” Daniel nodded and set himself to work. Justine disappeared around the corner of the cabin. She returned from the springhouse with several blocks of tallow that she stored on a tray on the shelf of her worktable. He finished pouring and stood watching the first drops of grayish liquid trickle down the chute. “You’ll need more water.” “Probably. We certainly will. The meat is ready.” He nodded and picked up the bucket once again. She wondered if he’d know how to install a piping system. That would make getting water easier. She stepped into the stuffy cabin and got two hammered metal plates. She rarely used any of the few pieces of china she had. It wasn’t that the china had any special significance to her. It was just hard to come by. There’d been a day when she’d dreamed of having a full set, with a teapot, and real gold around the rims of the plates. That dream had died when she and Joshua had found themselves the lone survivors of their family. Now it was enough to remain, day by day, in the peacefulness of the mountains. Daniel was back, carefully pouring more water over the ashes. He looked at her when the bucket was about half 18

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empty. She nodded and he carried it to the table. She handed him a plate with meat on it. “Thanks.” He settled in the chair again. She handed him another slice of bread. “I don’t intend you should wait upon me, Miss Justine.” He looked embarrassed. “You are a guest of sorts, Mr. Woods.” She handed him an apple. “It’s simple fare here, but enough of it.” Justine retreated to her unleveled chair. Duke sat in front of her, eyes begging. Long practice allowed her to ignore him. They ate in silence, for which she was grateful. Daniel showed evidence of manners as he carefully tore off small pieces of roasted hare. She ate less than half of hers, setting a portion aside for a stew she’d make tomorrow. Justine started as Daniel stood. He set his plate down on the table beside hers. “Thanks again, for the meal. If you don’t need any help for a bit, I’ll go check on my horse. Then I’ll gather up some deadwood for the fire.” “Mr. Woods, I’m sure you’re tired after walking for several days. Why don’t you just try to rest? Take care of your horse and then get some sleep.” “You’ve been kind and if I can help you out in any way, I will.” He scooped up his hat and walked away. She watched him go, thinking she’d said something wrong and knowing that in the long run, it wouldn’t matter.

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Chapter 4 “Well, Zeus, we’re just so terribly polite to one another. We are, we are. Lift that hoof, mule.” The stallion finally complied and allowed Daniel to get a look at the bruised spot. Daniel ran gentle hands over the leg. It didn’t feel as hot as it had, nor did Zeus quiver at his touch now. He breathed out a sigh of relief. He was quite fond of the stallion. A lot was riding on Zeus’s bloodline and Daniel didn’t want to have to put him down. He froze at the sound of stealthy movements behind him. A firm nudge in the center of his backside sent him forward onto his knees. A bell dinged. It was the damn goat. Zeus stretched out his nose to the beast. “Shoo,” he said, waving at the nanny. “Your mistress is calling you,” he fibbed. He eased himself over to sprawl against the side of the stall. It did feel terribly good to just stretch out and relax in the clean straw. Zeus took a limping step towards the goat. She bounced up and down on stiffened front legs. “Stop it, you two. Don’t get friendly, horse. We won’t be here long enough for that. Kentucky is still a long walk.” “Talking to yourself?” Justine stepped into the stall. She had several shriveled-looking apples in her apron. She let Bella sniff one, then rolled it across the dirt floor of the barn. The goat trundled after it. “Just talking to these two.” 20

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Zeus flicked his ears in interest as Justine held out an apple to Daniel. He climbed to his feet and accepted her offering. He’d have rather pulled her down into the straw with him. He might have if she’d shown any signs of interest in him. She held out an apple to the stallion and he plucked it from her palm. Justine did not appear the least bit apprehensive about those strong teeth being so close to her fingers. Daniel whirled around as a soft snort sounded in the next stall. He stepped quickly to the stall wall and looked over it. A little brown and white pinto mare stood calmly watching him. A wave of disorientation swept over him. He’d not seen the mare before. Zeus had not given any indication another horse, especially a mare, was nearby. Maybe he’d banged his head harder than he thought when they fell. Justine held out an apple to the mare. “Where was this horse earlier?” His voice sounded rough. Justine didn’t seem to notice. “Lady’s been right here. She was probably lying down and you just didn’t see her. It will be full dark in an hour. I just came out to see if you needed anything. I’ll be barring the door. You should do the same.” The voice of common sense said she had to be correct. The mare couldn’t have closed the stall door behind herself. He’d been so tired when he first arrived, he simply hadn’t noticed. Daniel cocked an eyebrow at her. It made sense for her to bar her door. 21

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For more reasons than one. But he wasn’t going to bar the barn door. Just in case she wanted to visit him in the middle of the night. “Are you expecting trouble?” “Always. There is a bear about, and a few coyotes. I’ve also heard what I think is a mountain lion, although I’ve been told they’ve left these mountains.” He nodded. “I’ll close the barn door tight. Call that goat so I can get her in a stall.” Justine smiled warmly. Daniel’s groin tightened. He tried to ignore it. His attraction to Justine was something he just didn’t need. She brushed past him, calling to the goat. The nanny went obediently into Lady’s stall. Justine closed the stall door. Daniel had the distinct impression she was laughing at him. “Mr. Woods, I was wondering if you’d do me a favor tomorrow.” He nodded, wondering what had happened to her calling him Daniel. “I’ll do whatever I can.” She smiled again. He needed to stop thinking about laying her down in the straw. “I’d be grateful if you’d hitch Lady to the wagon and go down and pick up my supplies. I have an order from the Bush Creek Dry Goods store that needs picked up.” “Bush Creek? According to my map, I think that’s at least a day from here.” “It is. But my order will be closer.” She brushed an errant strand of hair from her face. Daniel clenched his jaw to keep from groaning. 22

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The breeze coming through the open barn door blew it back into her eyes. He reached out and smoothed it back. She froze, meeting his gaze without flinching. The openness of her look made it hard to breathe. He’d better back himself up before he did something stupid. “How will your order be closer?” Best to get back on firmer ground. “Mr...” She cleared her throat. “Mr. Sam Miller, my nearest neighbor, was going to town. He took a list for me and will leave my items at the fork. It’s about an hour down the road.” “I see. That’s good of him.” And it was, Daniel knew. He was sure that out here in the mountains, so far from the world, good neighbors made the difference between life and death. He wondered how young and handsome Mr. Sam Miller might be. Maybe Mr. Sam Miller was sweet on Justine. Maybe not, though. If Mr. Sam Miller had any romantic thoughts in her direction, he’d bring her goods all the way to her door. “I’d be glad to go down for your supplies.” She smiled up at him. He took a step closer and drew her to him. She inhaled sharply, a quick sound of surprise. His mouth touched hers. Her lips tasted of spearmint. They parted slightly under his. He pulled away before the urge to plunder won over his need to go slowly with her. The last thing he wanted to do was frighten her. Or worse, offend her. She still had that Derringer in her pocket. It had banged against his leg, a very tangible reminder to keep his ardor in check. 23

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Her eyes opened. Her cautious gaze held no hint of fear, or offense. Unless those honey-brown eyes were good at deception, she wanted another kiss. He brushed his knuckles across her cheek. “I’d better walk you to the cabin and then turn in.” She smiled, shook her head and stepped away, motioning to the door where the hound lounged. “Duke will protect me. Good night, Daniel.” Daniel smiled down at her. “Good night, Justine.” **** Justine felt Daniel’s eyes follow her to the cabin. She twitched her hips a little more than usual as she walked up the path. She glanced down at the barn as she closed the door behind her. She couldn’t see him against the dark wall of the structure, but she knew he was there. The air in the cabin was hot and stuffy. She lit her kerosene lamp and took the long wooden pole she kept by the back door and opened the small hatches along the top of the back wall, then did the same to the small hatches along the bottom of the front wall. The cooler night air drifted in, pushing the hot air up and out. Dear God, she was so lonely for another person. Someone to talk to. Someone to touch. The companionship of her animals was pleasant during the day. Duke was a true friend and protector. But she longed for someone to share her existence with. Someone to be with her when the sun went down or when the hours stretched into eternity. She stepped out of her simple cotton dress. It was a far cry from the gowns she’d worn as a girl. That was a different life, long ago and far away. 24

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She checked her small apothecary stores and her drying rack. Tomorrow, or the next day, she’d need to collect a few things. One thing that wouldn’t wait was spearmint. With a guest, she wanted to serve spearmint tea. It was hot for June. She poured some water into the washbasin and washed her face. The cool washrag felt so good she stripped out of her shift and washed all over, feeling wonderfully refreshed when she finished. She left the water in the basin. In the morning, once the sun had dried the dew, she’d pour it on her sweet pea vines. Duke settled on the front porch with a sigh and a groan of canine satisfaction. Usually he slept inside the door, but tonight she wanted him out where he’d hear more. Justine pulled a clean shift from the cedar chest and slipped it over her head. She blew out the lamp and crawled into bed. The bed was an extravagance. It had been her mother’s, something she’d refused to leave behind when the family moved to the mountains. It was wide enough for two and long enough for even a tall man to sleep comfortably. Justine smiled at the ceiling. She may live in the middle of nowhere, but she slept in comfort on a feather mattress. She sighed and rolled over. She slept alone on her feather mattress. What would Daniel Woods think of her if she were to invite him to share the bed with her? The thought of him in the bed with her, taking her in his arms, brought gooseflesh to her arms and beads of sweat between her breasts. Her belly tightened and her most private flesh throbbed with an empty ache. The memory of their brief kiss made her nipples harden and tingle. What would he think of her if she were to go back down to the barn and join him? She curled into a ball and forced her mind away from Daniel, and on to sleep. 25

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Chapter 5 Daniel had not yet turned in for the night. He was snooping around the barn, looking for what—he didn’t have a clue. How could he have not known there was another horse in the barn? It disturbed him greatly. He opened the loft door and sat on a barrel looking at the little cabin. Justine had lit a lamp. Her silhouette moved gracefully on the stretched deer hide shutter that covered her window. He realized she was washing off and he hardened in a rush. Damn, he just didn’t need this. He had a four hundred acre farm in Kentucky waiting for him. It was beyond anything he’d ever hoped for. As the younger son, he’d expected to be deeded a small parcel of the family holdings in Calvert County, Maryland, and spend his life helping his older brother manage the family shipping business and other ventures. When word came his uncle, the black sheep of his mother’s family, had left everything to him, he’d been astonished, along with everyone else. Maybe more so because he’d not even known he’d had an uncle in Kentucky. And now here was pretty little Justine Noakes, all alone, in the middle of nowhere in the Appalachian Mountains. And here he was trying to figure out how to bed her and still be politely on his way in a few days. He just wasn’t that sort of man. 27

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But he was the sort of man who’d watch her shadow play across the window and fantasize. He adjusted himself to a more comfortable position, giving fleeting thought to easing his need. He’d certainly sleep better if he did. The cabin went dark. Daniel rose, sighing, and closed the door and climbed down from the loft. Zeus and Lady were standing at the front of their stalls, heads toward each other. The barn was secured so he opened their stall doors. “There. Keep each other company.” He patted the stallion. “Just know this, big fellow. I’m jealous. I don’t have anyone to nibble at all night long.” He stripped off his borrowed shirt, tugged off his boots, and settled on the narrow cot. The exertion of the last few days snared him. He was asleep before he could unfasten his belt for comfort. **** Justine’s breath was soft on his cheek. He shivered as her lips caressed a path down his neck, down his chest. Her mouth hovered over his aching erection. He wanted her. Please. Let her take me in her mouth. Please. Baaaaaaa. Daniel woke with a startled yelp. “Get the hell away from me!” He shoved at the damn goat, sending it back on its haunches. He collapsed back on the cot, panting, heart pounding in his chest. Black spots danced in his vision. Jesus, what a dream. He ran his hand over his chest. It came away wet with goat slobber. Disgusted, he rolled off the cot and poured what was left of the bucket of water in the basin and scrubbed his torso and neck. Baaaaaaa. “You’ll get yours. Don’t be thinking you won’t. I hear fried goat is good eating. What do you think of that?” 28

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Baaaaaaa. Daniel shooed Bella away, opening the barn door far enough for the annoying beast to slip through. “Go for good,” he grumbled, snatching up his boots and making for the side door of the barn that opened onto the corral. Lady headed for the outside. To Daniel’s surprise, Zeus limped after her. The stallion moved better this morning, obviously in less pain. Daniel saw to his basic morning necessities, then drew water for the horse trough. That accomplished, he did a quick mucking out of the stalls. Justine called to him from the front porch. He waved to let her know he’d heard her. The front door of her cabin was open when he bounded up the front steps. He peeked inside. The huge bed immediately caught his attention. Thank all the stars he’d not known she laid on that bed with its feather mattress and fine sheets last night. He’d have gone mad. He hastily walked around the porch to the rear of the cabin. The smell of bacon, eggs and fresh baked biscuits wafted to him on the morning breeze. Justine smiled at him. “Good morning. I hope you’re hungry.” “I’m starving. That smells delicious. Thank you for going to the trouble to fix this.” Her smile widened as she handed him a plate heaped with food. “It’s no trouble. You’re doing me quite a favor this morning. I’ll be able to tend the garden before it gets too hot.” He picked up his fork and began eating. “What am I looking for along the road?” 29

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“Several bags of grain, a dozen packed mason jars, some apothecary jars, a few empty honey crocks, a few other things. It’s quite an assortment.” “Good enough. I take it you fill the crocks and send them back to town for your customers?” “To the dry goods to pay for my account. I rarely ask for actual coin.” Daniel nodded in understanding. “Why don’t you sit and eat, Justine? I really don’t want you to serve me.” “Duke and I have had our breakfast. Daniel, I think you should take the shotgun with you. We have a rather unfriendly black bear in the neighborhood. They’re not generally as foul tempered as this one.” Daniel looked at the gun resting on a horn rack above her workbench. He’d swear it wasn’t there yesterday. It was there today, no mistaking it. He must have been a lot more tired than he’d thought yesterday. “I’ll take the shotgun, and my carbine. Are there many bears around here?” “Not really. This one is just ornery.” She sat in her lopsided chair and sipped from her cup. Daniel smacked his palm on his knee. “I’m sorry, Justine. I have some coffee in my pack. I should have thought of that. I’ll get it for you before I hitch the wagon.” She smiled again. “I’ll walk down to the barn with you to help you with Lady.” He nodded and set his plate down. He’d left a bit for Duke. “That was wonderful. I thank you again.” He stood and reached for the shotgun. She rose with him. He stepped politely aside and allowed her to walk in front of him. 30

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It gave him the perfect opportunity to watch the sway of her hips again. They went down the front steps together. Daniel rested his hand on the small of her back as they walked. She ducked her head, glancing away, but he was sure she inched closer to him. They reached the barn and she darted to the corral, slipping between the rails and clapping her hands. Lady trotted to her and followed her into the barn. The mare was steady and he had her harnessed in just a few minutes. Daniel placed his foot on the step, preparing to swing up onto the wagon’s seat when Justine placed her hand on his arm. He froze, looking down at her. “Thank you again for doing this,” she said quietly, smiling. Impulse seized him. He put his boot back on the ground and pulled her into his arms. He caught a quick glance at her eyes before her eyelids closed and she rose on her toes to meet him halfway. He was not trespassing. He meant the kiss to be gentle. He meant the kiss to be soft and tender. He meant the kiss to be something to lure her closer to him. Suddenly it didn’t need to be. Suddenly she was as eager for the kiss as he was. Suddenly she was the one in control of everything but the kiss. Daniel grabbed what little wits he had left and slanted his mouth across hers. Her trembling lips opened under his. Her arms came up around his neck. Daniel’s lips moved on hers. He swept his tongue over her lower lip, a slow, lazy stroke that made her hold him tighter. A small moan escaped her. It was all he needed. 31

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He backed her into Lady’s stall, pulling her down to the clean straw. She clung to him without protest. He rolled her beneath him, never taking his lips from hers, feasting on her as she feasted on him. She moaned again when he flexed his hips to hers. Her fingers dug into his shoulder. He flicked his tongue to her and she responded in kind. The heat in his groin spread, coiling in his belly. He cupped her breast, feeling the hard peak of her nipple through the thin cotton of her shift and bodice. She arched up to him, pulling her mouth from his and sucking in a great lungful of air. He sobered immediately. God, he couldn’t take her here in the straw, on the ground, in a livestock barn. He rose up to look at her. She met his gaze. “I don’t want you to stop.” “Justine.” Her name was a prayer on his lips. “I don’t want to. I’ve got to. This isn’t right. Not here on the ground. Not when I have to leave in a few days.” Her look turned sad. “You don’t have to leave, Daniel. You could make your home here.” He shook his head. “I can’t stay and if we’re together, I can’t go. I wouldn’t be able to leave until you knew there would not be a child.” “I know.” She cupped his face. He turned his head to kiss her palm. He stood and held out his hands to help her to her feet. She looked wonderfully tousled. Her lips were rosy and swollen from his kiss. He plucked a piece of straw from her hair. “I’d better be about my errand.” She nodded, her light brown eyes held his gaze in an enigmatic stare. 32

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“I’ll be here when you get back.” She turned and walked back up to the cabin as if nothing had happened between them.

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Chapter 6 The wagon bounced along the trail, sending Daniel’s stomach into unwelcome queasy rolls. He braced his foot on the brake as they started downhill. His stomach took a turn for the worst as the trail narrowed, snaking closer to the edge of a steep drop. It was no wonder, he told himself. He and Zeus had taken a pretty nasty tumble. Being dizzy over the memory of it was to be expected. Considering a few of his mental lapses the last day or so, he theorized he hit his head harder than he’d thought. Lady was a steady little mare and managed the downhill without any trouble. Daniel hoped she’d do as well going back up. They reached the fork and the promised goods were there. He loaded the various bundles, sacks and boxes, as well as three potted petunias. A sealed envelope was tied onto one of the plants, piquing his curiosity. He held it up to the light. The note was folded several times, and unreadable, but the script was that of a woman. He grinned. It wasn’t a love letter from the mystery neighbor, Mr. Sam Miller. One smallish box caught his attention. The lid was only tacked down and he peeked inside. Dime novels. He laughed out loud. His mother sneaked such writings into her bedroom. Daniel knew his father pretended not to know. He 34

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secured the lid, pressing the tacks firmly in place. He’d keep Justine’s secret, too. The wagon loaded, he took a few minutes to check Lady’s hooves and run experienced hands over her legs. The load was less than he’d thought it would be. He judged it to be about two hundred pounds, about what he weighed. She’d do fine on the trail, but he’d walk with her just to be sure. He led Lady in a wide arc, turning her back towards home. Home. Daniel stopped dead in his tracks, dizzy again. Justine’s homestead was not his home. He had a new home, in Kentucky. He had a future there raising the finest thoroughbreds Zeus and his sons could sire. Heading back up the trail to the little cabin, and to Justine, felt right. It felt like this was where he belonged. And the feeling hadn’t started on the trail, or this morning when he’d overstepped the boundaries of propriety and hospitality and put his hands, uninvited, on Justine. It hadn’t started yesterday. No, it had started when he’d first ridden into these mountains and gotten stronger as the hours went by. Justine Noakes had simply solidified it, brought it into focus and reality. “Come on, Lady.” He tugged on the harness. He’d walk from here. It would help clear his head. Lady shifted her weight and the wagon began rolling. What was it about Justine? He didn’t know her. They’d met less than a day ago and already, he knew she was the one. He’d known it as soon as he’d looked into her eyes. A strange thing for a man who’d avoided such entanglements for thirty years to have happen. He stopped thinking and concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other as the climb grew steeper. 35

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Justine was at the well when he and Lady emerged from the woods and started across the long meadow to the cabin. He returned her wave and tapped the reins to Lady’s rump, asking her to trot. The little mare pricked her ears and picked up speed. Zeus greeted the mare from the corral. Great. The stallion was in love, too. That thought dried his throat so fast that he choked. He was still coughing when he stopped the wagon by the front steps of the cabin. Justine came around the corner of the porch. She held out a brown bottle to him. “Root beer?” He grinned at her and gratefully accepted the gift. “Root beer.” She smiled up at him. “I’ll have to make more, I suppose. There are only a few bottles left in the spring house.” Daniel took several long swallows of the rich, spicy brew. It was just what he’d been craving as the day had warmed. He set the bottle down and swung off the wagon and began unloading. He handed her the little box. “This looks like it stays in the cabin. These, too.” He deftly plucked the three petunias from the shade provided by the wagon’s seat. Justine dropped the box on a step and reached for the envelope, snatching it out of his fingers and scampering up the steps and inside the cabin. Daniel snorted at her disappearing back. “I guess you’ll want to read the letter right away,” he said to himself. He climbed back into the wagon and headed to the barn. He unloaded and unhitched the wagon, expecting Justine to reappear at any moment. He finished grooming Lady with one eye on the cabin. There was no sign of movement. He checked Zeus and was very pleased as the stud pulled away from him. Daniel took it to be a good sign. 36

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“How is he?” Daniel jerked upright, cracking his head on Zeus’s jaw. The stallion snorted as if laughing. Daniel rubbed the top of his head. “I didn’t hear you come in.” “I wasn’t sneaking.” She grinned at him, not even attempting to hide her mirth. “I didn’t say you were. I said I didn’t hear you.” “The stew’s ready if you’re hungry.” She motioned up towards the cabin. Daniel nodded. Now that she’d mentioned it, he did want food. He wanted to kiss her again, too, but she moved away too fast. He caught up to her in three long strides. He gestured to the south side of the cabin. “Tell me where you think you want this young maple.” “You can’t move a sapling now.” “No, but I thought I’d dig the hole for you. This mountain soil is rocky. It’s going to take some muscle to dig it out properly.” “That would be very kind of you. I’ll look for a stake and mark a spot.” She glanced up at him. “It doesn’t have to be exact. You’re correct about the rocky soil. You can adjust for large rocks if you like.” Daniel grinned. He knew he’d probably have to do just that. They rounded the end of the cabin and Daniel stopped. Three trays of creamy white cakes of soap were on the ground in the shade from the cabin. How could she have made it that fast? “You’ve been busy,” he commented. “I’ve had a lot of practice.” She picked up the one broken cake of the lot and sniffed its fragrance. “I’m glad I get to keep an extra cake of this batch.” “You sell this?” 37

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“Yes. The owner of the Bush Creek Dry Goods has a relative in White Sulfur Springs. He passes it on and it’s sold there.” She handed the piece of soap to Daniel. He examined it, not sure how she’d turned the grayish liquid lye into white soap as fine as anything to be had in Baltimore. It was probably one of those secrets a woman only shared with her daughters. He checked the water bucket. It was full. He grabbed a bowl and ladled stew into it and handed it to Justine. She smiled at him. Daniel fixed his own and settled in the leaning chair. He’d fix that as soon as he’d eaten. He glanced around her work area. She was certainly industrious. Honeycomb lay on a rack, the honey dripping into precisely placed crocks. Red juice flowed from a jelly bag into a small kettle. A long rod held wicks in preparation of dipping candles. A bowl of strawberries sat on her small table. He hated to think of her here, alone, and working so hard everyday just to keep up with all the chores that needed done and doing the extra to earn enough to barter for what she couldn’t grow herself. “Justine, how long have you been here?” She smiled sadly. “A long time. I was much younger when we came here, only a girl. I don’t mind being here alone.” Her answer made Daniel uneasy. It was clear she didn’t want to tell him. But if she were only a girl when her family had come here, then he guessed she’d been here at least a dozen years. How many of those years had been spent alone he was suddenly afraid to ask. They ate in silence. Justine would eat a few spoonfuls of the savory stew, then reach for a berry. Daniel began emulating her. It didn’t take long for the bowl of strawberries 38

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to become a bowl of little green nibbled caps. Daniel took a slice of bread and broke it into pieces in his bowl. When the bread had absorbed the gravy he called to Duke. “You’ll spoil him, Daniel.” “For some reason, I think that’s already been done.” She laughed softly. “I think you’re correct. Again.” She offered the leftovers in her bowl to the hound. Daniel stood and took her bowl from her. He placed both bowls in the small wash pan and poured near boiling water from the kettle over them, leaving them to soak while the water cooled down enough to wash them. Daniel picked up his hat. “Show me where to dig this hole, ma’am.” Justine stood and curtsied. “Follow me, sir.” She brushed against him as she walked by. He gently grasped her forearm. She stopped and looked up at him. The expectant look in her eyes sent a shiver rippling through him. What he wanted was unconscionable. What he wanted was foolish. What he wanted was downright stupidity to want. She licked her lips and the tiny spark of better sense that had tried to find tinder somewhere in his belly flickered and died. He cupped the back of her head, burying his fingers in her silken hair. He slowly lowered his mouth to hers. At the first touch of his lips to hers, Justine’s arms swept up around his neck. She moved closer to him, leaning against him without hesitation. He wrapped his arm around her and held her tightly. Her kiss was heavenly, a mix of bold fearlessness and inexperience that hazed Daniel’s brain on a rush of desire. She met him halfway, shyly touching her tongue to his, then boldly sweeping into his mouth. He nibbled at her lower lip. 39

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She moved sinuously against him, rising on her toes. He backed her to the cabin wall. His hands cupped her bottom, lifting her. She clung to his neck, breathing a soft cry of consent into his mouth. His hips pinned hers, pressing his hardness to her yielding belly. She trembled under his questing hands, but did not push him away. No, never that. She was alive under his touch, her hands pulling at his shirt, her hips now rising to meet his, her kiss hot and eager. He flushed hot even as he shivered in the cool shade. Inside, four long strides away, was that big bed with its feather tick. He gentled his kiss, pulling away from her. “Justine, let’s stop this before we take a step we shouldn’t.” Her withdrawal from him was so total and so complete that it shocked him. He felt it. “It’s not...I mean...please don’t think that I don’t want you.” He stammered under her enigmatic gaze. Thank God he didn’t see any censure in those beautiful brown eyes. She touched his face with soft, gentle fingertips. “I know, Daniel. I know.” She sighed. “You have a life waiting for you in Kentucky. It’s what you want.” “Justine, I’m sorry.” “I need to walk down to the creek later to gather some mint. Will you go along?” He could only stare at her. She spoke as if nothing had happened between them, and it had. He’d felt that, too, and he was sure she was equally aware of it. He wanted to tell her no. He wanted to stomp off and hide somewhere and recover from such a display of profound stupidity. 40

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He wanted to lift her into his arms and carry her to the bed and kiss her until that strange look faded from her eyes and she cried out his name in the midst of her passion. Daniel readjusted his hat. “Let me get this hole dug and then we’ll go.”

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Chapter 7 Justine watched Daniel’s retreating back. Her body was thrumming with a delightfully unsettling strange new awareness. Her lips were puffy and tender and her pubic bone felt bruised. Another wonderfully achy jolt shot through her belly. Daniel’s hesitation was both perplexing and understandable. He didn’t want to do something as dishonorable as lay with her and then leave. That he didn’t understand she wouldn’t suffer any harm from it opened up new avenues of thought, new things to consider. He appeared at the corner of the cabin, shovel in hand. “Where am I digging?” She grabbed up her skirt and hustled past him, contemplation set aside for now. “Do you want the wheelbarrow?” He turned and followed her. “If I need it, I’ll get it. I want to do something to lighten your load, not add to it.” “There’s no need to snap at me, Daniel.” “I wasn’t snapping!” Justine bit her still tender lip and kept walking. She marched off twenty paces from the corner of her front steps and stopped. “Here.” She pointed to the spot in front of her feet. Daniel drove the shovel into the dirt. She turned on her heel 42

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and walked away. She had any number of things that needed attention and she’d just go do them. Maybe later she’d throw a bucket of cold water on him. That would teach him to sass her. She reached the corner of the porch and darted around it, turning to peek back at Daniel. He was digging furiously, jaw clenched, lips pressed tightly together in a thin, angry line. Good. Let him work off whatever ailed him. Now if she could just work off what ailed her. She attacked her chores with vigor. Two hours later, the strawberry jelly was poured into small Mason jars and she’d added honey and water back into the pulp for jam. It heated slowly on the edge of her fire. Several of the honeycombs had dripped as much as they were going to and she dropped them in a bucket and covered them with water. Then she set the bucket in the sun to warm. Later she’d work the honeycomb down and pour the melted beeswax into a mold. She planned to make a few candles to trade with this year. Her hair ribbon had worked its way loose. She dried her hands and stepped inside the cabin. She brushed her tangled hair and then braided it, wishing for a way to secure it up off her neck. She didn’t have any fancy combs or clips. Maybe Sam Miller could whittle her a set of wooden combs to help keep her hair back and up. She opened the front door. Daniel was hefting a large rock from the bottom of the hole. He plopped the rock on the pile of dirt and sat down on the edge of the small pit. He pulled off his hat and wiped his forehead with his sleeve. Justine sighed. It was time to be nice again. She poured him a cup of water and walked down to where he now stood, leaning on the shovel. He accepted the cup gratefully. “Thanks. I was just thinking of coming to get a drink.” 43

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“This is quite a large hole.” “You want a large hole so the sapling has room to root.” “I suppose that’s correct.” He glared up at her, squinting in the bright sunlight, then he shrugged. “This soil is wetter than I thought. I could dig a sapling for you, and plant it. You’d have to keep it well watered.” Justine thought about that. The sapling would grow, she knew. She had no concerns there. “All right.” She put hands on her hips. “I do have one picked out.” “I thought you might,” Daniel mumbled, not looking at her. Justine looked away. Apparently this is what Abigail Hutsch had been talking about when she said men got testy sometimes. It would be funny if it weren’t so annoying. Maybe she’d go pay a visit to Abbie instead of writing a letter back. It was time she did that. Abbie could answer a few questions about men for her. Lord knew her list of questions was rapidly growing longer. “Do you want to dig it now or are you too fatigued?” He fixed her with a cool blue stare. “I’m only referring to the fact you took a fall and hit your head.” She left out that she wanted to hit him on the head, too. He climbed out of the hole and dusted off his pant legs with his hat. “Do you own a pair of gloves? Go get them while I draw a bucket of water and soak this hole.” She nodded and turned to fetch her gloves. She didn’t really need them but it was easier than arguing with him. Duke left his vantage point on the porch to walk with them. 44

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Daniel handed her a piece of burlap from the barn as they headed toward the woods. The sapling she’d selected was about five feet tall. Its few leaves had turned the most vivid orange last autumn. Once mature, it would be beautiful, especially if it could grow without being crowded. Daniel drove the shovel in the ground, loosening the soil in a wide circle before going deeper to get as much root as possible. He lifted a generous root ball onto the burlap, looking up at her as he wrapped. “That’s a better root than I’d hoped for. Keep it watered and it should do good.” “I know what to do.” “I’ll just bet you do.” “Hand me the shovel.” So I can hit you with it. Not that you’d be hurt. He passed the shovel to her and lifted the loosely wrapped root ball into his arms. Daniel carried it with ease. She and Duke lagged behind. She patted Duke’s back. “I should have allowed you to give him a scare,” she told the hound. “I can hear you, Justine.” “Good.” The rest of the return walk was accomplished in silence. Daniel eased his load into the hole, pulling the burlap aside. It was too valuable to allow it to rot in the ground. He motioned for her to hold the tree trunk straight while he backfilled the hole and tamped the dirt down. “Put another bucket of water on it while I take the shovel back to the barn.” “Of course.” She snatched up the bucket and walked to the well, twitching her hips as fast as she was able. Leaning against the well head, she began lowering the dip bucket. 45

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Daniel was suddenly behind her, pressing against her backside. His hands splayed across her belly. He pulled her to him. The hard ridge of his maleness nestled between her buttocks. Heat exploded in her belly. An empty, throbbing ache burgeoned within her. Her thighs slicked. This was desire, then, strong and sweet. It had nothing to do with love or reason and everything to do with wanting to take a man inside herself. She gripped the edge of the rough stonework. “Don’t pull away this time, Daniel.” He groaned, lips against the back of her neck. “This isn’t right, Justine.” She knew all the reasons why he’d think that. All of them. She’d left them behind when she’d decided to stay in these mountains. “Things are different here, Daniel. Believe me, trust me.” She pushed back against him. His hands moved up across her ribs, cupping her breasts. She jerked her hips back to his when he thumbed her peaked nipples. His teeth nipped her shoulder hard enough to tingle, but not truly hurt. “How are they different? Because no one knows I’m here? No one would see?” His forehead dropped to her shoulder. His hands gentled. “I would know, Justine. I would know. And that makes the difference.” “So you think I’m a whore?” He spun her around. His blue eyes blazed in the shadow cast by the brim of his hat. “Never say that! Never!” His look softened and he shook her once, gently. “Never say that.” He kissed her, a light brushing of his lips to hers. She wanted to reach for him, to press against him, but his distress filled the air around them. He slipped his arms around her. She gratefully leaned on his strength. 46

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“I can’t stay here. If I could, it would be different. Don’t you think I know how odd it is to find you out here? I dreamed of you, of this place. It doesn’t make any sense.” “Then stop thinking about it. It won’t help right now.” “No, it won’t” He reached out with one arm and let the dip bucket fall, then kissed her again. “I’ll water the tree. You go get out of this sun.” Justine nodded and slipped out of his loose embrace. She couldn’t help Daniel find his path. It wasn’t up to her and there were chores waiting, and the evening meal to prepare. They would be lovers, soon enough. He wasn’t the only one who dreamed. She took a deep, steadying breath, pushing away thoughts of being with Daniel and determinedly ignored the ache inside her. She checked her smoke house and pantry and decided supper would be a simple affair of potatoes and eggs. It would not be fancy, but it would be filling. She knew Daniel was good at hunting rabbit. Maybe he was good with larger game, as well. She’d ask him. She dug out the last of her apples. There were enough left for a very small pie. Maybe she’d wait and do that tomorrow. She needed her oven for that and if she heated it now, the inside of the cabin would be miserable tonight. Wrapping a handful of dried spearmint in a piece of muslin, she dropped it in a glass jug and poured water over it, then set it in the sun to brew. She plopped down in her willow chair with a loud sigh. The chair was level. She grinned. Duke trotted around the corner of the cabin. Daniel appeared two steps behind the dog. He dropped his hat on the workbench and poured a cup of water over his head. Justine 47

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looked away so he couldn’t see her smile. He perched on the edge of her table. “I don’t want to be at odds with you. I’m sorry. I’m trying to be a gentleman and it’s not working so well, is it?” “It’s working fine.” She met his gaze. “Maybe too fine.” “If you knew what I wanted, you’d tell me to leave.” “I know what you want, and I want you to stay.”

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Chapter 8 There was no mistake. She knew what he was about. It was evident in her clear, even gaze, and in her calm manner. She knew. Maybe things were different out here. She was no pampered society girl unaware of the facts of life. She’d lived on a farm for many years. She’d likely even helped her neighbor ladies with birthings. Every bone in his body shrieked in denial. His chest tightened. His heart beat in painful thumps. “I can’t stay. I need to move on as soon as Zeus can manage it.” “He’ll be healed in a day or so more.” Daniel shook his head. “No, he won’t. The bruise is too deep. He’s coming along nicely, but it will likely be at least a week.” How was he going to keep his hands off her for a week? “Maybe you should send me up to Mr. Sam Miller’s place. It might be better.” She shook her head. “Sam doesn’t like folks around. He’s very solitary.” “Justine...” She rose and pressed her fingers to his lips. “I ask you again to trust me.”

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He swallowed hard, then nodded. What choice did he have? His whole being said he should do as she asked. He snatched up his hat and stalked away. Putting some distance between them seemed like a good idea. There were any number of things—useful things—he could be doing. He went in the barn. Zeus and Lady were standing in the shade at the rear door, head to tail, swishing the flies away from each other. He pulled his carbine from his saddle and checked it. The woods were full of game. Maybe if he shot something it would help his temper and her larder. It didn’t take long for him to be surprised by a small flock of turkeys. He sighted up a young tom and made his shot. The rest of the flock scattered in a rain of feathers. He lifted the bird by its feet and started back. He’d not been gone nearly long enough to level out his temper. Well, maybe he had. His temper wasn’t really the problem. The problem was below his belt, not above it. He skirted her clearing, coming up on the barn out of her line of sight. If she were watching for him, that is. He didn’t know if he hoped she was or wasn’t. Leaning the carbine on the side of the stall, he called to Zeus. The stallion came to him, barely limping. Daniel lifted the hoof and examined it, amazed at how quickly it had improved. His hand froze on the liniment bottle. He’d poured from this bottle several times. It still looked half full. He looked around. Maybe there was more than one bottle. He didn’t see any others, though. Another wave of dizziness swept over him, and quickly passed. He was concerned about the way the dizzy spells persisted, but reassured that the episodes were growing milder. Zeus stood calmly, nose to Daniel’s head while Daniel rubbed the liniment on his legs. 50

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“Stop snorting in my hair, mule.” The stallion blew out again. “Thanks. Now I’ll have to wash my head to be presentable.” Daniel stood and petted Zeus’s shiny neck. Perhaps another day and he could lead the horse out of here. They wouldn’t get far for a few days, but that didn’t matter too much. He went to fill the pitcher on the washstand and found it full. He sighed. She didn’t have to be doing this sort of thing for him when his back was turned. He gave his hair a quick wash and rinse to rid it of horse slobber, then cleaned his rifle. That finished, it was time to face the music. He picked up the turkey and headed for the cabin. Duke growled at him when he walked around the end of the cabin. Justine shushed him. “How will this do for tomorrow?” Daniel held the bird up. She looked up from wrapping the cakes of soap and smiled broadly. “It will do nicely.” He grinned at her and set about cleaning the turkey. He got back from putting the bird in the springhouse for safekeeping just as she was finishing her task. He washed up and watched as she wrapped all but the last piece of soap, holding it up and inhaling its fragrance. “So keep that one for yourself,” he suggested. She sighed. “I’ve already put the broken cake and one more aside for myself. This batch came out exceptionally well. It could bring five cents a cake if I were to sell it.” Daniel reached into his pocket and found a twenty-five cent piece. He handed it to her. “Here. Take this and keep a few cakes. You deserve to enjoy the best of what you produce.” 51

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She smiled up at him. “All right. If it will please you, I will do just that.” She picked up four of the cakes and carried them inside the cabin. She came back out and looked at the sky. “I need to walk down to the creek to harvest some mint. I’d feel safer if you would come along. This time of day, a lot of animals come in that I might not want to meet.” Walk her down to the creek? Oh, yes. He could do that. He bent his arm. She looked startled then tucked her hand under his elbow. She smiled up at him, then quickly looked away. His pulse picked up. Her hip bumped lightly against his as they walked. The sound of running water drifted to Daniel. They walked into a small glade. Justine’s hand glided away. He watched her pull a small knife from her pocket and carefully begin cutting the mint. She worked with practiced ease, slicing through the tough stems, harvesting every third or fourth plant. Each one was rinsed in the creek and then carefully stacked. When she was finished, she went through the patch, cutting about two inches off the top of every stalk not harvested. She picked up her cuttings, carrying them in her apron. Twilight had fallen. “Thank you for coming with me. I would have had to wait until morning if you’d not been here.” “I’m glad to hear you would have waited, Justine.” “I am careful. I have to be, Daniel.” Her words had more than one meaning. He heard all of them. And what he heard loudest was she had to be careful of him. Good for her. He had to applaud her common sense. He’d like to think she could see he was an honest man. Perhaps she did. 52

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They reached the barn and she stopped, thanking him again and wishing him a good night. He nodded and responded just as politely, then watched the sway of her hips as she crossed to the house and went quickly inside. A kerosene lamp flared to life. The door opened and Duke bounded down the steps and into the shadows. She waited at the door for him. The dog returned and the door closed once again. Daniel sighed and slipped into the barn, securing the door. He stripped off his shirt, tugged his boots off and settled on the narrow cot. He unbuttoned his pants for added comfort and closed his eyes. Justine laid the wet spearmint on her mother’s mahogany dining table, ignoring the drops of water that fell from the leaves. It was long past the time she worried over such things. Her family was gone. There was no one left to scold her. For anything. Not for the dog in the house, not for staying up late reading the precious book of poetry Mr. Sam had loaned her, not for sitting in the shade sipping mint tea until the sun was high overhead. And certainly not for her interest in the tall, quiet man who’d made his way to her lonely Appalachian hideaway. She was beyond the world’s influence here. She dipped the corner of her apron in the basin of water on her washstand and held the cool cloth to her forehead, then to the back of her neck, then unbuttoned the top three buttons of her bodice. It didn’t help. She was so sticky, she stripped and slipped into the simple sleeveless nightgown she’d made of a bright yellow calico. It was far too short, falling only to her knees, and far from modest, but she didn’t care. It was cool. And there was no one to see her. 53

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And if Daniel watched from the barn loft again, she didn’t mind. She closed her eyes and cupped her breasts, recalling the way it felt when Daniel had touched her like this. She brushed across her nipples. The sensation was pleasant, but nothing like it had been from his touch. Tears stung her eyes and she quickly blinked them away. She longed to be held again, to just have someone to lean on. Uncle Joshua had been that person when she was young. Wounded in the War, Uncle Joshua had not been able to do the more physical jobs on the family plantation. Instead, he’d been the one to keep an eye on the children of his various nieces and nephews who gathered at the family holding after Appomattox. But even their combined efforts had not been enough. The plantation was lost and the family fractured and scattered. Justine’s mother had been the one to insist Uncle Joshua remain with her. As a child, she would curl up on Uncle Joshua’s lap and he’d tell her stories about life before the War, spinning tales of those lost days. She’d felt safe, and loved, in the circle of his arms. Then she’d started to grow up and everything had changed. Then, in the way of things, Uncle Joshua had left her. His grave was up on the hillside, but she rarely visited there. His presence was felt in her heart, not standing on a plot of green earth. Forcing her hands back to her work, she bundled the spearmint and hung it on her drying rack. She picked up the larger of her kerosene lamps and slipped out her back door. Duke followed. His ears pricked at something off in the woods, but he didn’t make a sound. It was safe for her to work for a little longer. Her hands were skilled at their tasks, allowing her mind to wander. It didn’t go far, only to the barn. 54

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Was he asleep? Did he lie on the cot, or had he spread a blanket in the stall with his horse? Was he too restless to sleep? Maybe he’d found the saddle soap and was working on his tack. What would he do if she went to the barn? What would he think of her? She must have lost her mind to be entertaining thoughts of sharing a bed with a stranger. Justine leaned against the doorframe, a small sob escaping her. Her loneliness plucked at her, as did her uncertainty. If Daniel was not the one for her, why had he arrived here? She straightened and squared her shoulders. His horse was almost healed. Daniel would be leaving, maybe as soon as the morning. She couldn’t let him go, not without knowing him. She brushed out her hair and cast about for her old, worn slippers. The sound of boot heels on the steps brought her up short. A soft tapping sounded on the door. Daniel had come to her. She opened the door.

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Chapter 9 Daniel stopped, one booted foot resting on the bottom step. This was folly, to come to her in the night and expect...what? Welcome? That she would take him to her bed? Perhaps it was foolish to hope for such a thing, and yet he did. He took a deep breath and climbed the steps and tapped on her door. She opened it to him. He took in her appearance with one swift look. She wore a yellow calico garment that covered only the essential areas. He’d rarely seen a woman dressed so, and silently thanked God he was seeing one now. Her hand fluttered at the neckline. “It’s very cool to sleep in.” He could only nod, knowing his voice would fail if he tried to speak too many words. There was one thing she had to know before anything else. “I’ll turn around and go if you tell me to.” She shook her head. “No, I don’t want you to go.” She closed the door behind him. He sensed her nervousness as she moved several steps away from him, and from the bed. She sat at a large mahogany table, motioning for him to join her. Part of his brain registered how odd it was to find such a table, and bed, in the wilderness. He took the chair across from her. 56

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It appeared taking her to bed was going to be a negotiation, after all. “I’m leaving in the morning. I didn’t expect Zeus to heal so quickly.” “I know.” Daniel pulled several coins from his pocket and stacked them on the table. “Here’s ten dollars, gold. Please accept it.” “For services rendered?” The bitterness in her voice brought him up short. Their gazes locked, blue to brown. “No. For your hospitality, and your generosity.” “And for what happens now,” she replied flatly. “What happens now, or doesn’t, is outside of meals and the use of your supplies. Don’t pretend it’s not. And don’t pretend you don’t want this. Not to me.” “You told me you couldn’t be with me and then leave.” “I know. I had it wrong.” He looked away from the accusation burning in those beautiful brown eyes. He’d had a lot of things wrong in his life and he was going to have more. Packing up and leaving this place at daybreak was a mistake. He knew it in his gut. His head told him he had a new life waiting for him, one he was damn lucky to have had handed to him. The biggest thing he’d gotten wrong was thinking he could leave without knowing her. He couldn’t. If she tried to send him away tonight, he’d have to stay another day, and another, and another, until she relented. “Come with me, Justine. I’ll send men back here for all your things. I’m sure Mr. Sam Miller will keep an eye on the cabin until they can get here.” “I can’t leave this place, Daniel. This is where I belong. This is my home.” 57

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A fist clenched his heart. “I know, Justine. I know.” She rose, her movements graceful, doe-like. The flashing look he got of creamy white thigh tightened his groin. He watched as she stepped into the small pantry. A few moments later, she set a slightly dusty bottle on the table, followed by two china teacups. She poured a fragrant, purple liquid in each teacup, filling each almost to the brim. “Last season’s elderberry wine,” she explained. “Did you make it?” She smiled, ducked her head then raised her gaze back to his, daring him. “Yes. And I’ve consumed most of it without any outside help.” Laughter welled up inside him, bubbling over in a wonderful release of the tension that had coiled in his belly. She joined in. They lifted their cups, tapping them together in a silent toast. Daniel sipped the wine, rich with the taste of sun and summer. Not even the finest grapes in France could match the bounty of what Justine had made. His mind’s eye pictured her walking across the meadow on a misty August morning to harvest clumps of the tiny black berries from bushes so laden with fruit, their stems bowed to the ground under the weight. He held out his hand to her, palm up on the table. She hesitated the briefest moment, then laid her hand in his. He curled his fingers around hers, squeezing gently. She tightened her fingers for a moment, then pulled away. She took a healthy swig of wine and refilled her cup. “Let’s go sit on the porch steps. The moon’s rising.” Daniel downed his wine and rose to follow her. The night was alive with the sounds of the forest. Dark shadows moved slowly in the meadow as the deer came in to graze. Daniel toyed with the idea of getting his carbine. The venison could be dried. She’d have meat for weeks. 58

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But not even such a practicality could move him from her side tonight. Even if she didn’t allow him back inside the cabin, he’d have this much of the night with her. She leaned her shoulder against his, tacit permission for him to put his arm around her. She inched closer, sending his pulse spiking upwards. “I’ve often thought it would be nice to have a porch swing.” He snorted. “Maybe Mr. Sam Miller will make one for you in exchange for some elderberry wine.” She tipped her nose starward. “Mr. Sam Miller makes us strawberry wine. We trade on that.” Her head dropped to his shoulder and he stroked her silky hair, coaxing her towards a deeper trust. She turned her face to his and he brushed a kiss to her temple. “Are your legs cold?” She stretched out one long, well-shaped limb, rotating her foot and examining it. Daniel drew a deep breath, forcing the air back into his lungs. “No, I’m not cold at all. I like the night air.” She ran her hand over her calf. The arousal that had ebbed and flowed, teasing at him without mercy, jolted through him and he hardened. His maleness pulsed in unison with his heartbeat. It was going to be a long night if she kept that up without taking him back inside. He shifted to lean against the post, tugging at her to coax her to lay against him. She settled between his thighs and eased in against his chest. She shifted her hips restlessly when she lay across his erection. Her gaze darted to his, then quickly away. He rubbed between her shoulder blades. Best she know exactly the state he was in. Besides, it wasn’t something he 59

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could easily hide. A screech owl called, answered by a distant friend. They sat in silence, listening as the distant owl’s call moved closer and closer. Justine’s head rested on his shoulder, her hand in the center of his chest. Slowly, so slowly that warm hand moved, her fingertips stroking him in tiny circles. His hand drifted down her back to finally rest on the swell of her hip. His heartbeat refused to return to normal and his breathing refused to slow. It didn’t help that those delicate fingers had found his nipple. That rarely thought of brown disk had come alive, a strange newly discovered part of his body. It tingled, making him want to rip open his shirt and ask her to put her lips to it the way he wanted to hers. He started to work the fabric of her shift, sliding it higher, inch by tortuous inch, until the smooth white skin of her hip was revealed in the moonlight. He stroked the soft skin there, noting with detached surprise that his fingers trembled. Her teeth nipped at his shirt. Her nimble fingers unbuttoned his shirt. A lock of her hair fell forward, tickling his skin. Fresh sweat broke out on his back. He ached. God, he ached. But he was caught in her spell, caught in her rhythm. Her mouth found his nipple, suckling at him. The intensity of the pleasure caught him off-guard and his hips jerked to her. She pulled away, her breath across his wet nipple prickling his skin. Sitting up, he slipped out of his shirt, shivering once in the cool night air. She looked at him, swallowing hard, her face still and serious. Her hands splayed on his bare chest. He stayed still as gentle fingertips traced the hard muscles of his chest and abdomen. One hand stilled over his heart. He would have her naked. Now. 60

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He leaned forward again, grasping the hem of the little garment she wore and deftly pulling it over her head. Her mouth opened in surprise but she made no sound. She was lovely. Her firm, full breasts rose before him and he reached out a slow hand to gently caress their swells. Her nipples puckered, drawing into taut peaks. He took a breath and lowered his mouth to one. She cried out, a soft sound that held no protest, only an accepting surprise at his action. She arched her back and he laid her down gently. He suckled at her even as his hand took a slow path down across the softness of her belly to cup her woman’s mound. Her thighs parted and he caressed her with feather-light touches, mindful that her willingness did not equate to experience. Into that he did not want to delve, yet knew he must. He would not have her think prior lovers lessened what he felt for her nor would he do anything to hurt her more than he must. It was a fine line for him to be treading when his mind threatened to hand over control of his actions to his penis. Her fingers swept through his hair, holding his head to her breast. Soft sighs and quick gasps poured from her as he suckled and nipped at her breasts. Her hips grew restless, rising to press against his questing caress. Her thighs dewed with a welcome for his invasion, an invasion he knew he had to postpone. He would not take her here, on the hard, rough wood of the porch. No, not here. She deserved the soft comfort of her bed. He released the bounty of her breasts, trailing kisses up her neck and along her jaw line. Her hands fluttered over him, seemingly unsure of where to settle. He rose up on an elbow and looked at her, drinking her in. Her pale skin was silvered in the moonlight, a glowing pale wood sprite that 61

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he’d somehow enticed to light to earth. She laid her palm along his face. He turned his head to kiss it. “I want you, Justine. Say yes and we will go to your bed.” She smiled up at him, her eyes reflecting the starlight beyond him. “Then take me to bed.”

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Chapter 10 Justine’s heart leaped into her throat as Daniel’s strong arms lifted her, cradling her tenderly as he carried her inside the cabin. “Leave the door open,” she whispered to him as he started to kick it closed. He looked at her curiously but did as she asked. He laid her on the feather mattress, following her down into its softness. His lips, no longer tender, found hers, proclaiming his intent to seize upon the rights she had ceded him, and more. Her legs were weighted to the bed, indeed her entire being was. A heavy fullness lay deep in her belly, pulsing, calling out to her to open herself to him and let him do as he needed. To do so was not submission. His need was hers. To quench the fire in him would be to quench her own. Daniel rolled away from her, perching on the edge of the bed and quickly drawing off his boots. He stood and faced her, his hands on his belt. The need in her belly jolted through her. A new wave of moisture dampened the curls that protected her most intimate flesh from his heated gaze. Her thighs parted. She could no more stop the motion, than hurl the mountaintop into the sea. His pupils flared. His mouth tightened. He unsnapped his Levi’s and let them fall to the floor, standing naked before her. He was so totally and essentially 63

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male that her throat ached. She’d never before seen a man aroused. Her gaze dropped to his erection, so blatantly male that her inner flesh loosened. The ache at the top of her thighs burgeoned inward with a wonderful tingling. Her hips lifted restlessly. The inner voice of her soul warned his possession of her would be something more than she had contemplated. It did not matter. Let him possess her. Let her drown in his maleness. She would know him, beyond all else. She’d waited long enough. This was what eternity had promised her. No matter if pain waited for her on the other side of this bliss. She would have this moment. He moved to blow out her lamps, plunging the room into moonlit darkness. Leaning over, he tugged the counterpane and sheet from beneath her, letting them lie in folds at the foot of the bed. She lifted her arms to him as he eased his weight onto her. She struggled to breathe as he gathered her into his arms, his weight on his elbows, one hand cradling her head. He wasn’t heavy, just the opposite. She reveled at the feel of his weight pressing her down into the bed. The primitive glory of the knowledge he would take her, open her soft flesh with his hardness, sent her spiraling upwards. She turned impatient, raising her knees and bringing the velvet tip of his maleness to the entrance of her very core. “No, Justine. Slow.” He shifted away, ever so slightly, breaking that intimate touch. His lips found her in a lingering kiss. His tongue teased hers, flicking in and out of her mouth, showing her the pace he would set. The pleasure twisted inside her. She clawed at him, thrusting her hips to his in a frantic need. He slid to her side, drawing a cry of denial from her. 64

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“Trust me,” he whispered softly in her ear. His hand cupped her heat, pressing down, rubbing firmly. She could only whimper as the tension in her belly coiled tighter. His fingers slipped deeper into her folds, gliding on the welcome of her body. Sharp cries poured from her as the need in her stretched taut. He teethed at her tingling nipple, then suckled. His finger slipped inside her heat. Ecstasy swamped her, rolling through her in waves that coiled out from under his hand and broke over her. Her muscles tensed and released only to tense again before falling to earth, drenched in sweat but still nestled safely in Daniel’s embrace. She fought for breath as she clung to him. Never had she dreamed of such a thing happening to her. Her thoughts of love and the union of man and woman had never included this devastating pleasure, at least not for her. Men, she’d heard, took such carnal pleasure from the act, but not women. Daniel’s hand covered her breast. His lips were on her neck. His voice was hoarse and strained in her ear. “Tell me now if I cannot have you.” It was not over for him. He had not joined her in release. What he meant to do now was clear. The tiny dying pulse between her legs flared back to life. She skimmed her hand down his side, slipping it between them to find his swollen manhood. She had never touched a man before. Her fingertips traveled his length. He shifted his pelvis, a silent plea for her to continue or permission for her to learn his size and outline, she didn’t know. He was panting, his breath hot on her shoulder. His hand covered hers and his fingers guided hers. Her fingers wrapped around his phallus, marveling at the soft, almost delicate skin under her fingertips. He moved their hands, gently pulling and sliding the silky skin over a hard 65

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core. He tensed and groaned, taking a great shuddering breathes as she found a slow rhythm. “Justine.” His hand gripped hers, stopping her movement. She pulled away, brushing against the tip of his manhood and feeling the silky drop his body had produced. This was his seed, then. She knew no child could come of their union and yet the thought of his seed inside her set her body to pulsing once more. Her body didn’t recognize what her mind knew. Her body wanted his, and with it, the gift of man to woman, a child. The need to have him inside her eclipsed all else. “Now, Daniel!” He rose above her, settling between her spread thighs. He kissed her again, deeply, calling her to him. She thrust her tongue into his mouth, shocked at his heat. His cock touched to her heat, seeking the place where her flesh would yield to his, and finding it, driving into her with shattering force. She cried at the swiftness of it, the sudden aching fullness that was pain and pleasure at once. He breathed her name once more and began moving in her. Her hips rose to his in an ancient rhythm, one she did not realize she had known. The pleasure coiled inside her, finding root again. His body drove into hers with an increasing violence, and still she met him thrust for thrust. She grasped his hips, her fingers digging into the muscles of his powerful buttocks, gripping tightly to keep from slipping on the sweat that ran off him. He rose up over her, arms extended as he pounded into her in short, merciless thrusts. She could feel him swelling harder, his whole body tensing and seeking that moment of oblivion she so desperately wanted to know again.

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He threw back his head and cried out, a guttural sound ripped straight from his belly. His thrusts lengthened, his body almost leaving hers, then ramming deeply into her. He cried out again, a dark sound of relief. The heat of his release flooded into her as he held himself pressed tightly to her. It was all she needed. She reached for the sensation that hovered, falling into bliss with him. He moved again, then, in short jerks against her that sent her awareness spiraling down to where they were joined. Her body pulsed and rippled around his, settling to a low throb that finally let go of her. Daniel was lying sprawled across her, their bodies still joined. His blue eyes showed his concern. He brushed a lock of hair from her damp face. She could feel the sweat pooling on her belly between them. The sheets were wet beneath her. He kissed her tenderly and love for him welled up within her. Did he feel it, too? They were bound now, whether he accepted it or not. “Are you all right?” he asked quietly. “Yes. Are you?” “No. I’m sorry, Justine. I...I meant to withdraw at the end. If there should be child, I won’t desert you.” “There won’t be. You do not have to worry.” She heard the sadness that tinged her voice and was surprised by it. She’d thought acceptance had come long ago. Would he take her at her word, or would he pick at it and learn that which she sensed he wasn’t ready to know? “How can you be sure?” “Daniel, I can’t dredge up the past, not now.” She cupped his sweating face. “Please, trust my word on this and let it go.” The worried look did not fade from his eyes, but he nodded. She sensed his need to move away from her. He was a very overheated male. Her own need was to cradle him 67

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within as long as possible, but she bowed to the inevitable. Sooner, or later, they would leave this shared embrace. “You’re very warm, Daniel.” “I suspect I’m also heavy.” He made no attempt to move but smiled down at her again. “You’re very wet, as well.” “Ah.” He brushed a kiss to her lips and slid sideways. A rush of liquid ran beneath her with his withdrawal. She sighed as the cool night air crept over her wet body. She rolled on her side to look at him. Her eyes narrowed. “You are feeling smug.” White teeth flashed in the moonlight. “No, I’m not.” She smacked the center of his chest. He chuckled. “You are correct. I’m feeling smug.” His knuckles caressed her cheek. “Tell me the truth. Are you all right?” “I did not lie. I’m fine.” She flipped onto her stomach, shivering as the air hit her damp backside. He rolled on his side, resting his hand on her bare bottom. It was a possessive male gesture and she recognized it for that. She ducked her head to hide her smile. She was suddenly thirsty. She glanced out the open door to where their cups of wine had been abandoned. “Would you like more wine?” “I’ll get it, Justine. Just be still.” He rose from the bed, not bothering to reach for his pants. She took the opportunity to look at him. He was tall and strong. Broad shoulders tapered to powerful haunches. He bent over to pick up the china cups and she glimpsed the outline of his maleness. He came back in and rinsed out the cups, putting the water on the trio of petunias sitting on her windowsill.

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“We aren’t the only thirsty ones still awake,” he commented dryly. She smiled. Insects did not trouble her. They’d ceased to be an annoyance years before. Daniel poured fresh wine and handed her a cup. Sitting on the edge of the bed he sipped at his, never taking his eyes off her. “Are you tired?” No, she wasn’t tired. She was very awake. A wonderful energy flowed through her. She’d be hours trying to sleep. Hope that his question meant he had an interest in more lovemaking brought a smile to her lips. “I’m not the least bit tired. Why do you ask?” “I’m not tired either. I was wondering if you’d like to sit on the porch a bit more. Let the sheets dry.” “That sounds fine.” She stood and picked up her calico shift. Daniel frowned. “I thought that was outside.” “Obviously it was in here.” She quickly pulled the garment over her head and slipped out the back door. He followed, naked, grabbing the hot pad away from her when she reached for the kettle on the hearth. “I’ll pour wash water for you.” He carried the kettle inside and filled the washbasin and pitcher. She freshened up under his watchful, interested gaze. When she’d finished, she tossed her small washcloth at him. Then it was her turn to watch him. “I would really like a porch swing,” she commented again, sinking down on the top step. “I could make a pad for the seat for on it. It would be very pleasant.” “I’ll make you a swing tomorrow. I saw some lumber in the barn, and some chain.” “You will want to leave tomorrow.” It tore her heart in two to say it, but she knew the truth of it. 69

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“No. Not now. I can’t leave you now.” “There will not be a child.” Her heart fractured a bit more. “So you said, twice now.” He settled on the step beside her, pulling her into his embrace. “Would you have this night be all there is for us? I would not.” “What of Kentucky?” She hated that unknown place that called him away from her. “It will be there tomorrow, or in a month of tomorrows.” His lips rested against her shoulder. He lifted his head to look at her. “If you’ll have me, I’ll stay a while longer.” It prolonged the inevitable. Her future was before her, black and lonely. A few more days with him would be a candle to hold back the darkness. She pushed sadness away and twisted to put her arms around his naked shoulders. “Then stay.”

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Chapter 11 Daniel settled her closer, running a hand down the length of her firmly muscled leg. None of the few ladies he’d consorted with could boast such fine limbs. Of course, none of them had ever worked a day in their life. What was it about Justine? He’d met her a day ago and already they’d become lovers. Neither of them had hesitated, or protested, very strongly. It was as though they’d somehow been made for each other. He nuzzled the soft skin of her shoulder. She’d been a virgin. He’d not had to ask to know that. Justine wasn’t the sort to take just any man to her bed. That was puzzling, too. Why him? A twinge of guilt assaulted him. He’d not been very gentle with her, or at least not as gentle as he could have been. She’d not seemed to mind, but he made a silent promise to make it up to her. She sighed deeply, drawing his attention back to the present. “What are you thinking, darling?” She gazed up at him. Her eyes were black in the moonlight. “I’m not really sure what I was thinking. Maybe I wasn’t thinking. Perhaps I was just breathing. Do you smell the honeysuckle?” “Hmm. It’s wonderful. It reminds me of home.” “Which home? The one you left or the one in Kentucky?” 71

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“I’ve never seen the one in Kentucky. I was thinking of my home on the Chesapeake Bay.” “I remember crossing the Bay as a little girl.” She squirmed around to face the other way. Her face lay in shadow. Daniel wished she’d stayed facing the moon so he could watch her expressions change. “I love sailing on the Bay.” He kissed her temple. “My family has quite a few sailing vessels, some for pleasure. In the heat of summer, we’d sail out and catch our dinner. The Chesapeake has abundant fishing. It was a yearly feast.” She turned her head, gazing across the long meadow. Her voice was low. He wondered if she were speaking to him, or to someone unseen. “I’ll show you where the rainbow trout swim in pools so still and clear, you can count the pebbles on the bottom. Where the water is so pure and fresh it burns you clean on the inside. And to sink into those still waters is to enter a world you’ve never dreamed of.” Daniel hugged her tighter. “It sounds beautiful, but cold.” “It is,” she said wistfully. “I’ve not visited those places in many years.” She tilted her head back, her face once more silver in the moonlight. She smiled up at him. “It’s much easier to bait a trap in the creek and catch whatever fish happen by.” Daniel laughed. “Are you hungry? I could certainly fry a trout long about now.” She laughed with him. “No, I’m not hungry. But there’s always honey bread if you are.” He sobered. He was hungry, starving, in fact. For her. What better judgment he had left whispered at him not to rush her.

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Duke whimpered somewhere in the dark behind him. Justine snapped her fingers and the hound bounded noiselessly into the dark. “Where’s he going?” Daniel asked. “I don’t know. He goes off, sometimes. He’ll be back by morning.” “Some watchdog, running off.” “He knows I’m safe. He’s never been gone when any of the night creatures have come calling.” “Never?” “Don’t sound so cynical, Daniel. Duke has a sense about these things.” “If you say so, I’ll believe it.” He leaned back, stretching out his long legs. The porch was hard on his bare backside. He needed to move around, or go back to bed. Preferably the latter. “Would you like to go for a stroll?” Her gaze moved over him, slowing as it reached the shadows protecting his maleness. A smile teased at her lips. “Are you going like that?” He snorted. “I’ll just get my boots. That’s all I really need.” She laughed softly. “I’m sure your pants will be helpful, too.” He kissed her quickly and rose to enter the cabin. He lit the smallest lamp, placing it carefully in the center of the table. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he pulled on pants and boots, then looked about to see if she had any sort of slippers lying about. He’d all but given up when he spied the toe of one under the bed. He pulled out a pair of buckskin moccasins, rich with beadwork. A shiver ran down his spine. 73

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He carried the moccasins to the light. Examining them, he was sure he’d seen a pair just like them in a store in Oakland. The proprietor said a peddler had brought them out of the Great Smokey Mountains where the Cherokee had a small reservation. Justine’s brow furrowed when he handed her the little slippers. She ran her fingertips over the beading. “Thank you,” she said quietly, slipping them on. He offered her his arm. She stood and they walked down the steps together. Daniel guided them towards the barn. While he was awake and wandering about, he might as well make a pass through the barn and make sure all was well inside. The horses were quiet. Justine stopped to scratch Lady behind the ears, then silently picked up two old quilts that were folded on a shelf. He watched with great interest as she tossed the quilts up onto the loft, hiked up her shift, then climbed the ladder. She stepped onto the loft and looked down at him. Her mouth dropped open. “You looked!” He chuckled wickedly. Of course he’d looked as she’d gone up the ladder. Any fool would have and he was no fool. What he’d seen had him straining at his buttons again. Long, bare legs that went all the way up to her rounded, little bottom. Then toss in the play of light and shadow at the top of her thighs, and Daniel was ready to burst. That and her throwing the quilts up to the loft could only mean one thing. He climbed the ladder two rungs at a time. Justine was spreading the quilts near the loft door. Daniel opened it and the moonlight streamed in across her. She met 74

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his gaze and slowly pulled the shift over her head to stand bare and beautiful before him. He froze that image of her in his mind. An image he’d be able to summon to hold against the despair of not being with her. He’d take it with him to Kentucky and think of her in this mountain sanctuary, far from the world and safe from harm. She smiled and the spell broke. Two long strides and she was in his arms, molding her body to his and greedily feasting on his lips. Her lack of inhibition was intoxicating. There was no false coyness about her, no pretense. His heart swelled with love for her. Her hands found a different swelling and all thoughts of past and future fled. Daniel moaned into her mouth as her nimble fingers freed his straining erection. Sweat broke out on his back as she stroked him, having learned that lesson well. He pulled away and tumbled them to the quilts. She laughed brightly as they landed softly in the hay. “Hold on, hold on,” he mumbled against her lips. He desperately wanted his boots and pants off. Her hands were on him again, inching his Levi’s off his hips while her teeth nipped at his chest. Little sparks of lust shot to his groin every time her mouth touched his body. She turned around, reaching for his boots. Her bare bottom was in the air, a scant twelve inches from his face. The need to roll her over and taste her seized him. He moaned and closed his eyes, letting his head fall back to the quilt. It was much too soon to surprise her with that most intimate kiss. Or was it? The voice of reason was fading away, leaving a demon sitting on his shoulder. Inexperienced or not, she was eager for lovemaking. The thought that he would show her these things and another man someday reap the benefits sank talons in his brain. She looked over her shoulder at him “What’s wrong?” 75

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“No...” he coughed, his throat to dry to talk. “Nothing.” “Something, Daniel.” She yanked one boot off, tossing it aside. “Tell me now, or tell me later, but you will tell me.” The second boot joined its mate. “You’re a feisty little thing, aren’t you? Jesus!” She kissed his stomach, her cheek brushing the tip of his penis. His whole body tensed, fingertips to toes. He caught his breath and managed to get his pants the rest of the way off. To hell with restraint. There was not enough time to gently lead her, step by step, to all the joys to be shared between a man and a woman. She knew it, too. He urged her down beside him. Their legs entwined. “Tell me if I do something you don’t like.” He smiled at her. “Tell me if I do. Can you do that?” She nodded and nibbled at her lower lip. “Show me what to do, what you like. Can you do that?” Not and stay sane. “I can do that.” He lowered his lips to hers. The gentle intent of the kiss vanished like smoke. He thrust his tongue into her mouth, suddenly craving her coolness. Her whole body was cooler than his, a wonderful relief to his overheated skin. She opened to him, her tongue dancing and mating with his. He was drowning in her, spiraling down to a place where he could find only her. What name to put to this? Love? Lust? Need? Desire? It was all of that, and perhaps more. It confused, and brought clarity. His testicles drew up tightly, aching to the point of pain with every heartbeat. Her hands on him drove him to the point of completion. He grasped her wrists and raised her hands over her head. “Be still, love. Let me kiss you all over.” 76

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She licked her lips, making him shiver in response. She nodded, giving her consent. Daniel lifted her hand to his lips, kissing the pulse point in her wrist. It leapt under his caress. Ever so slowly, he made his way to her face, kissing her forehead, her temple. His hand cupped her breast, teasing the peaked nipple that pressed into his palm. The pulse points in her neck fluttered under his lips. She cried out as he licked across the swell of her breasts. He suckled at each taut nipple, feeling her tense under his hands only to become pliant under his touch, then suddenly tense again. He absorbed the ebb and flow of her arousal, letting it lead him, letting it fuel his own. The sweat was beading up on his body, burning his eyes. He’d never experienced this during lovemaking before. But then, he’d never truly made love before. Those past encounters had been more about sex and release, than love. Those women, whose faces he only vaguely remembered, had never touched him as Justine did. To them, he’d been the same commodity they’d been to him. This, with Justine, was so very different. This, he suspected, was something he’d never know again. This was a joining of hearts and souls as well as body. It surprised him to realize how deeply he craved this connection to her. He rose on his elbow, drinking in her appearance. The moonlight was so bright now it could have been daylight. With gentle hands he explored her, tracing the lines and swells of her body, finding those places where a touch made her sigh, or shiver. He coaxed her onto her stomach, kissing down her spine while questing fingertips brushed across the shadowed cleft between her buttocks. She quivered under his touch, but didn’t flinch away. Her legs parted. 77

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He caressed the soft skin of her thighs, teasing at her moist heat. Her bottom rose off the quilts. The need to take her slammed through his system. He straddled her, grasping her hips and pulling her to her knees. She jerked as the tip of his cock slipped into her. He held her firmly and pushed into her. She cried out, a long quivering sound of surprised acceptance. He surged into her, hard, holding himself tightly to her, tensing to hold back the release that threatened, even as he wanted to reach for it. Her quivering sheath encased him, holding him tightly in her heat. She pressed back to him, seeking movement, seeking friction. He lay across her, bracing himself on one arm. His free hand stroked down her belly. His fingers dipped into her wet curls, finding her center. She bucked against him. Her knees slid further apart. Lust burned along his nerves and hazed his sight. He started to move within her, giving her the friction she sought. He pushed into her, deeply, feeling her open more to him, preparing her for what was ahead. Slowly he withdrew, only to sink back into her. His fingers played on her wet flesh, carefully moving in tiny circles. She trembled beneath him, but gave no quarter, moving to meet his thrusts. Her breath came in low sobs that sent sparks racing through his groin. His strokes grew longer, harder. She kept pace with him. His thigh muscles clenched. Her body rippled around his, pulsing over him, and raining down a flood of slick moisture to guide him. She cried out sharply, calling out to him. Her body pulsed under his hand, over and around his throbbing penis. His hands gripped her hips, biting into her soft flesh to hold her to him. 78

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She made little sounds in her throat as she came, sounds that tore through him and left him only one path. He surrendered to it. His body tensed. The air left his burning lungs. The heat in his groin burst, rolling outward, swamping him in a wave that blurred his awareness of everything but the climax that seized him. He slowly drifted back into himself, still rocking slowly against her. His oversensitive penis was sending a message to his fogged brain to be still. He had to obey. The relief was so complete his muscles shook. Justine was still in his arms. The only part of her moving was her ribcage as she drew in deep breaths. He released her hips. He’d gripped her so hard, his fingers had left marks. He devoutly hoped she wouldn’t bruise. Guilt washed over him again. He’d wanted to be gentle, and again he’d taken her roughly. What was wrong with him? As carefully as possible, he withdrew from her. Without a word she dropped to her belly onto the quilts. He stretched out beside her and pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her. “Justine. Justine, are you all right?” “I’m cold.” Her voice was muffled against his chest. That she was cold puzzled him. He was burning up. He flipped the edge of the quilt up over her bare back. She snuggled in closer to him. “Justine?” A contented sounding sigh was all the response he got. He held her, feeling her relax bit by bit, and slide into sleep. He brushed a kiss to her hair. The moon was framed in the open door. He lay and watched its path westward until it disappeared from view, leaving him in shadow.

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He didn’t think while he watched. His mind was at rest. All he needed was nestled in his arms. For this one moment, he had peace. He closed his eyes and slept.

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Chapter 12 Daniel woke shivering. Dawn in the Appalachians came slowly, often with heavy mist. This morning was no exception. He lifted his head to look out the open loft door. Duke was sitting on the porch of the cabin, patiently awaiting his mistress. Justine was snuggled in at Daniel’s side, burrowed down in the quilts and hay. No wonder he was cold. She had the covers. He shifted closer to her, managing to get the tail of the quilt they lay on over his legs. It helped, but it wasn’t enough. He set himself to just be chilly for a while longer. There was no way he was going to disturb her. It felt too good just to hold her. He’d almost drifted back to sleep when the sound of cantering hooves jolted him awake. “What is it?” Justine struggled to prop up on her elbow. “I don’t know. Stay here.” He rolled away from her and leaned out the loft door for a look. Zeus and Lady were in the corral. The meadow was empty. “The horses got out. No one’s coming.” Daniel started pulling on his Levi’s. “Where are you going?” “To check Zeus,” he replied grimly. “He’s out there prancing on that leg. I want to get him back into a stall.” “He’s healed, then,” she said calmly. 81

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“He might think he is. He’s probably just showing off for Lady. I want to make sure he doesn’t hurt himself again.” He paused and smiled at Justine. “Stay right there. I’ll be back.” Daniel started down the ladder, dropping the last several feet. Convincing Zeus to come to him, and then to stand still, took several minutes. The stud was in high spirits. Daniel finally made a successful grab, snaring the beast’s halter. Zeus immediately stilled, becoming docile. Daniel wasn’t fooled. He led the stallion back to his stall and secured him before lifting the bruised hoof. Examining it closely, Daniel could not find any evidence the injury had ever occurred. He’d known Zeus was healing rapidly, and well, but this surprised him. “How is he?” Justine called down to him. He looked up. She was leaning over the edge of the loft. “He’s great.” Daniel unsnapped the lead and smacked the stallion on the rump. Zeus jumped at the chance for more freedom, thundering past Daniel and through the open door to the corral. Daniel slung the lead over its hook. There was no way that animal could have healed so completely in so short a time. And yet, he had. Daniel picked up the liniment bottle. The level was unchanged. He’d poured from it at least four times. What he saw was not possible. The vague sense of unease that plagued him at odd moments sharpened. He looked up to where Justine sat calmly watching him. “I’ll go gather some eggs. How many do you think I’ll get?” She smiled at him. “Hopefully, six. Maybe seven.” She disappeared from view. “Catch!” A quilt drifted down to him. He caught it and gave it a quick shake. She came down the ladder with the 82

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other one over her shoulder. Once both of her feet were on the ground he pulled her to him. Her arms slipped around his waist. “I’ll build your swing today. Tonight we can use it.” She laughed brightly. “I’ll see what I have to make a pad for it, in case you miss some splinters.” “I’ll get them all, don’t you worry.” He tipped her chin up and kissed her, not fooled by her apparent happiness. He saw the little worry lines at the corner of her eyes. She kissed him back, her lips moving softly under his. The urge to lay her down in the clean straw and take her again rode him hard. He deepened the kiss. She met him halfway. His hands cupped her bottom, lifting her. She hopped into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist. He started for the stall. He stepped into the straw and stumbled. They fell, wrapped together. She rolled away from him, laughing gleefully. He laughed just as hard. “Are you all right?” he asked as soon as he’d caught his breath. “Yes. Are you?” “I think my pride is bruised.” She laughed again, a bright, clear sound that rippled over him, and kept him smiling. She hopped to her feet and held out her hand to him. “Come along, Daniel. Let us see to breakfast, and a few chores. Then I will help you build us a swing.” He took her hand and climbed to his feet. He turned her around and dusted off her rear. She looked over her shoulder at him, rolling her eyes. He spun her back to him, kissed her soundly, then turned her again and gave her bottom another pat. “Go. I’ll be up in a few minutes.” She laughed and walked away, twitching her hips. 83

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“And stop that,” he called after her. Her hips swayed more. He quickly saw to his morning ablutions, deciding he’d shave later in the day. He slipped out of his borrowed pants and donned his own garments. He dug in his pack and found the small bag of ground coffee beans he’d promised her a day ago. Gathering up the tools he’d need to build the swing proved easy. The tool bench in the barn was well equipped. The tools looked tended. He ran his hand over the crosscut saw. It was covered in a fine layer of oil. The only explanation was that a neighbor man, perhaps the elusive Mr. Sam Miller, stopped by from time to time and kept up on a few things. There was no way Justine could care for everything here as meticulously as they were tended. Her days were spent on basic survival, he was sure of it. Frustration welled up in his chest. He was missing something about Miss Justine Noakes. Something vital. Maybe if he could figure out what, he could convince her to go on to Kentucky with him. Maybe the promise of an easier life wasn’t enough. Maybe he should ask her to marry him. For the first time in his life, he found the idea of marriage appealing. Well, he’d better stop woolgathering. He examined the odds and ends of lumber stacked in the corner. He’d have plenty for a simple swing. He crossed the yard, checking the water trough. It was full, the water clean. He stopped dead in his tracks. Perhaps she’d filled it, and the lack of trees directly overhead could account for the lack of floating debris. It was the only explanation. 84

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Justine accepted the coffee with a smile and a kiss. Then she handed him an egg basket and told him to watch out for the black hen. The black hen proved to be in a good mood, giving up two eggs without a squawk. Daniel was pleased to hand over the basket with an even dozen eggs in it. Justine took the basket without comment. She motioned for him to sit in her willow chair, out of her way. It was then he realized what had been nagging him. It was simply too perfect. Everything about her, everything about this place, was too perfect. “You’re troubled.” He snapped out of his reverie. “Why do you think that?” “Do you say that you are not?” “I’m thinking about the easiest way to build your swing. And I’m thinking that if I build your swing, you’ll never marry me and go to Kentucky with me.” She froze. She took a deep breath. “Daniel, I can’t leave this place. I belong here. I’m happy here.” “I know. You said that. Life in Kentucky will be much easier. You won’t have to work so hard. I’ll hire help for you.” She shook her head sadly. “It’s pointless to wish for such a thing, Daniel. I can’t go with you. Please, we must not discuss this further.” “There’s nothing wrong with wanting an easier life. I look at this place and I see how hard you work. I’d make it easier for you, if you’d allow it.” “No, Daniel. No. My life is here. I will not leave my home.” 85

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Their eyes locked. She was serious. If he wanted her, he had to stay, had to give up a dream so newly acquired. Indecision settled on him, a strange new feeling. He stood. “I’ll go gather some wood until breakfast is ready.” He stalked off. Justine watched him go. She turned back to her skillet, hands shaking. He was going to leave. Last night was not enough to hold him here. Was it enough for her to risk leaving? Panic beat at her, taking her breath. She grabbed her worktable to steady herself. Grief swamped her and she sank to the ground, sobbing. The glory of the night just past faded. She knew then that one night, or a dozen would never be enough. Only a future with Daniel by her side was enough. Sorrow over what lay ahead brought a fresh wave of tears. They streamed down her face unrestrained, washing her clean, and leaving her weightless. She struggled to her feet and went inside the cabin to comb her hair and wash her face. Daniel would be back any moment. She didn’t want him to see her crying. She tossed her calico shift onto the bed and slipped into her blue dress. Rummaging through her trunk she found a blue ribbon and tied her hair back. She was securing a clean apron over her dress when Daniel reappeared with a heaping armload of wood for her outdoor cooking hearth. She slid three-quarters of the scrambled eggs onto his plate and unwrapped the bread and began slicing. She set the plates on the table and turned to find Daniel holding a wildflower out to her. Their fingers touched as she accepted his offering. “I don’t want to quarrel with you, Justine. My time here is too short, and too precious for that.” She nodded. “I know.” 86

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“I don’t want to quarrel, but I need to know who helps you out here. I want to speak with them.” Her heart stopped, then started a painful thudding. “All right. Perhaps in a few days we’ll ride up and see Sam Miller.” She could say that to him, knowing that in a few days, it would be unnecessary. But if it eased his mind for a little while, she was willing to let him believe. “Good. I want to leave some money with you. You don’t have to ever spend it, but I want you to have it in case you need it. I’ll send supplies to you, too.” “Daniel, I don’t want your money, or your supplies.” “Really? Then give them to those who have need. I can’t make you keep any of what I would freely give you. But I will give it.” She took in the stubborn line of his jaw. “All right. It’s a good offer. I accept.” His eyebrows shot up. He opened his mouth, then quickly closed it. He picked up his fork and began eating. She sat across from him and concentrated on eating her breakfast. There was no way to make the next few days easier for him. They’d not been easy for her. She’d had no one to guide her until Sam had drifted down the mountain, called by some unknown cry of her heart. “That was good,” he said, smiling at her. “Thank you.” He came to stand beside her chair, leaning over to kiss her again. She wished, more than anything, that he’d come inside with her and lie down with her on her bed. But she knew he would not. He emanated distress. It poured off him in waves. Mingled with it was confusion. 87

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She would let him busy his hands. Until he was ready to see the truth, it was the best she could do for him.

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Chapter 13 Daniel leaned over her and molded his mouth to hers. She sat there, so calmly, so lovely with her hair tied up in a ribbon that he just had to kiss her. It would have been easier to stop breathing than not kiss her. Her lips opened under his and yet there was only acceptance in her. He wanted more. Much more. He lifted her to her feet, never taking his mouth from hers. Her hands slid up his arms to rest on his shoulders. He stroked her lower lip with his tongue. Her nails dug into his muscles. She took a small step toward him. “Justine,” he whispered as he trailed kisses down her neck. A small moan, deep in her throat set his pulse to pounding. His cock swelled, hardening and lengthening. He wanted her. A vision of them sprawled naked on the bed, coupling in the sunlight flashed through his mind. He pulled her against him. Her foot slid up the back of his leg. “I need to go get to work on the swing.” She clung to his neck. “No, you don’t.” She rose on her toes and drew his mouth back to her. The tip of her tongue flicked to his, then teased his upper lip. He backed her a few steps towards the open door, and the bed beyond. “I need to pick some of those berries.” “No, you don’t.” 89

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They bumped against the door. He pulled her apron from her and started working on all the little buttons down the front of her dress. His knuckles brushed her breasts. Cupping them, he thumbed over the twin points of her nipples. “I need to water the tree.” “Do it later.” He chuckled and went back to work on the buttons. “Tell me now if you don’t want me.” He cocked his head in the direction of her bed. She smiled up at him. She worked her fingers under his waistband and tugged. “I want you.” The dress slipped off her shoulders. She was bare underneath it. His gaze took her in, head to toe. She was so lovely. Desire for her mingled with gratitude. He’d truly feared she’d refuse him, and he wasn’t the sort to take a woman without her full participation. She deserved that. Every woman did. A few more buttons and the dress lay in a blue pool at her feet. He wrapped his arms around her, cupping her rear and lifting her. She held him tightly, her arms around his neck. He tumbled them on the bed. “My boots. Your counterpane.” She pulled his mouth back to hers, kissing him. He could drown in her. She pulled away the barest bit. “Your boots are clean enough.” “Uh-huh.” She could fuss him later. Hell, she could beat him with a broom. Later. He fumbled with the buttons on his pants. Her fingers collided with his. She wasn’t helping. “Let me, darling. I’m going to expire if I don’t get out of these pants.” She released him, pushing her way out from beneath him. He tried to pull off his jeans and pull her back at the same 90

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time. She laughed, reaching for his boot. Her laughter faded as he yanked his pants down over his hips. She dropped his foot and hopped back on the bed, straddling his thighs. “My boots...” “Are fine.” She inched upward. Her hands came to rest on his chest. “My pants...” She rubbed moist feminine flesh along the length of his erection. His body twitched, rising to hers. She smiled and moved away. He grasped her hips and pulled her back. He needed some mobility. She’d left his feet hopelessly hobbled. “Your pants are fine.” “Justine, please.” He kept his voice low, and smooth, more than willing to play along with her, curious to see how far she’d carry her teasing. Her smile broadened. She came forward, leaning over him to kiss him. He raised his knees, trying to bring his body to hers. She easily evaded him, laughing softly. Her playfulness warmed him to his soul. He had visions of coaxing her into a few of the tamer games he knew. It occurred to him again that he would show her these things for her to do with another man. Jealousy stabbed his heart, sharp shards that burned like hot coals in his guts. He pushed it away. His time with her was too short to waste any of it on jealousy, or other fruitless thoughts. He sat up, surprising her, causing her to sit back on his thighs. Pulling her to him he trapped her between his knees and his chest, his arms wrapped around her. “No fair, Daniel.” She laughed joyfully, seeking his mouth again. He had to release her to keep his balance. They were perilously close to the edge of the bed. 91

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She kissed him, teasing at his lips with her tongue. He reveled in her openness. Her kiss came from her heart. “If you don’t let me get out of my pants, you’ll have to take the lead.” God, let her say yes. She paused. Her eyes suddenly widened. He grinned. “You like that idea?” She shook her head. “Ah, for shame.” He kissed her again, falling back to lie on the bed and bringing her with him. “You shouldn’t lie to me, Justine.” He rolled them to the middle of the bed. She wiggled away from him to grab a boot and pull it off, dropping it to the floor. The second boot followed. He stood, stumbling over his pants as he kicked them off. Her gaze left his, traveling slowly, so slowly, down to his jutting cock. She licked her lips. Her cheeks flushed red. Daniel pulled her into his arms, holding her tenderly. Her hands splayed on his shoulder blades, then drifted down to cup his muscled flanks. “Whatever we do to please each other is all right, Justine.” “But you can’t know what I just thought about.” Her voice was muffled against his chest. He sensed her slight withdrawal. Humor, tempered with tenderness, swelled up in him. She’d had the thought, now how did he coax her into actually doing it? “I think I can.” She tightened her grip on him. He rocked against her, drawing a low moan from her. His pulse quickened. He backed up, sitting on the edge of the bed and burying his face between her breasts. “You have beautiful breasts.” He kissed one, then the other. 92

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“They’re too small.” He cupped them, thumbing across her pebble-hard nipples. “They are perfect, darling. Don’t sell yourself short.” Her fingers massaged his shoulders. She suddenly relaxed, leaning into him. His joints loosened. He shivered. She’d crossed that invisible threshold women had, moving past the point where pulling back from lovemaking was very possible, even likely. He flipped back the counterpane and she slipped past him, reclining on the pillows. He stretched out beside her. She settled into his embrace like they’d practiced the move a hundred times, not just a few. He kissed her again, softly, tenderly, nibbling along her jaw line. She threw her head back and arched up to him. He cupped her heat, slipping his middle finger into her slick welcome. Her fingers closed around his shaft. Daniel teased at her lips with soft brushes of his tongue. Her lips moved over his, her tongue danced with his. Her hand was stroking his cock, keeping rhythm with his finger gliding in and out of her. His eyes closed and he floated on the sensation her hand created. She bucked against him, her mound pulsing under his hand. Her grip on his phallus tightened. He shifted his manhood away from her and trailed kisses down her body, drenching her belly button with saliva. He went lower. Justine cried out at the first touch of his mouth to her. His hands pushed her thighs wide. She couldn’t protest, didn’t want to protest. His mouth was soft and wet, moving over her most intimate flesh in a devastating caress. The tension deep inside her coiled tighter. She throbbed with every heartbeat, a drumbeat that filled her with a desperate need to have him inside her. 93

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She heard herself calling his name, over and over as his mouth drove her to madness. Sensation hovered, just a breath away. Her nipples tingled and she covered them with her hands. Daniel rose up over her, sliding into her, burying himself to the hilt. Her legs lifted, locking around his hips. He rocked into her, hard. Her hips rose to meet his thrust for thrust. All she knew were those few inches where their bodies joined, where her flesh opened for his. Her awareness spiraled down, then suddenly burst outward in waves of ecstasy. Through the fog of pleasure she heard a long, low moan and knew she making that sound. She opened her eyes. Daniel was blurry in her vision. His arms were around her, his weight supported on his elbows. She blinked him into focus. His face was strained, his features taut with arousal. His mouth came down on hers with bruising force. A sound of distress was ripped from his throat. He swelled harder and longer within her. He drove into her; a violent thrust that jolted through her to the edge of pain. He held himself tightly to her, pressing into her. He moaned, a low sound full of distress, and bliss. Wet heat filled her. Daniel shivered once, and eased his weight onto her and lay still. His body still pulsed within hers. Justine didn’t want to release him. She did not want that moment when his body would slip from hers and separate them into two again. Daniel nuzzled at her ear, still breathing hard. “Why are you smiling, lady?” “I’m not smiling.” He snorted, and nibbled at her neck. She threw her head back. He accepted the invitation, showering her skin with moist kisses. 94

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“I’m smiling now,” she admitted. She gripped him with her thighs to keep him with her. “This is so incredibly perfect,” he murmured, sliding kisses toward her lips, then claiming them. His kiss was gentle, calling her to more than passion. She longed to say the words to him, but could not. She sighed into his mouth as his body slipped from hers. Her legs released him. He slid sideways, and blessed cooler air tickled her belly. She rolled to face him, resting her head on his shoulder. She tugged at the dark thatch of hair in the center of his chest. The midmorning sun streamed across the bed. Songbirds called back and forth in the woods. Duke sat framed in the doorway, looking down the meadow and scratching at a real or imagined itch. Off in the distance, a bell tinkled as the goat foraged. Wisps of breeze carried the rich, fertile scents of summer. Justine could not recall the last time she’d felt such peace. It was a fleeting thing, the peace of the moment. Awareness of the tension in Daniel seeped into her. She covered his heart with her hand. It was pounding. Her eyes flooded with tears. It was time. If he was ever to decide to stay with her, he had to learn the truth. She prayed silently for strength. “You’re troubled.” He shifted slightly. “Yes. I know how this sounds, but Justine, I dreamed about you. I dreamed about this place. I know I did.” “I believe you.” “Why? I wouldn’t believe it if someone told me that. A person can’t dream the future.” “Perhaps not, but who are we to say for sure?” She stroked his stubbled cheek. “If you know that you dreamed it, maybe you should accept it.” 95

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“I’m frightened by it,” he whispered. He rolled to face her, his eyes gone black. “I’ve never felt such a sense of...foreboding before. Never.” He rested his forehead to hers. “This is something new for me, darling. I’m not sure what to do about it, how to overcome it.” Her heart beat painfully in her chest. Making love with him was so beautiful, so right. Not even what would happen now could tarnish the memories. But he wasn’t the only one who’d dreamed. It had to be. “Will you do something for me, Daniel?” “If I’m able, you know I will.” He kissed her nose. She hesitated, taking a deep, steadying breath. “Will you walk up the mountain path?” “And do what?” She held him tightly. He hugged her back. “Go up the path, Daniel. Go see what is at the end of the trail.”

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Chapter 14 Ice crawled up Daniel’s spine. His mind screamed at him to refuse. A cold sweat popped out on his body. It made no sense. Why would he react this way to such a simple request? “What’s up there, Justine?” He noted, in a detached way, that his voice shook. His heart hammered in his chest. He couldn’t get enough air into his lungs. Justine lay watching him, calm concern in her honeycolored eyes. Behind the calm, something lurked. He searched her face. Was it deception? His heart rejected that idea even as his mind whispered it was so. She wanted to keep him here, here where a dream had led him. A wave of sick confusion swept through him. He moved away from her. “Tell me what is up there. Tell me now.” She bit her lower lip and shook her head. “I’m so sorry, Daniel. I am. But you have to go. And I can’t go with you. Ever. Please, don’t ask me to.” She slipped her arms around his neck, clinging to him. He held her tightly. Her distress was palpable, doing little to ease the grip of the fear that had seized him. His voice threatened not to work. “When should I go?” She held him tighter. “Today, but not yet. Not yet. Hold me. Don’t let me go.” 97

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He was all too happy to comply. Holding her was all that kept him from running to the barn, saddling Zeus and fleeing. He’d never run from anything in his life, and the feeling was both unsettling and unwelcome. Whatever lay waiting for him up that path, he needed to go face it. Now. He rolled off the bed. He dressed in silence. He could feel Justine’s eyes on him, but he couldn’t turn and meet her gaze. It would serve neither of them if he postponed going. He settled his hat on his head and left the cabin. Pausing in the doorway, he almost turned back to her. Almost. Whatever was wrong here in this perfect place, and he knew something was, she’d given him all the answers she was going to until he saw whatever it was she wanted him to see. Anger rose up in him, mingling with the strange fear. She’d make love with him then play games with him? What kind of a woman was she, really? He didn’t know. And he’d lost sight of the kind of man he’d always believed himself to be. He needed that vision back. In his heart he knew the only way to that was to walk up that hill, and still he hesitated. Taking a deep breath, he shoved his hat more firmly on his head and walked away. Behind him, he heard Justine speak softly to the dog, keeping him with her. It was just as well. His long strides quickly carried him to the edge of the woods and into the cool green beneath the canopy. The trail was little more than a deer path. It was obvious Justine didn’t use it much. He walked for several minutes before the path turned steeply to the right. Daniel was in good shape, but it wasn’t long before he was winded. 98

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It would help if he knew just what it was he was seeking. As it was, he didn’t have a clue. He mopped his brow with his shirtsleeve and started walking again. Another fifty yards and he reached a small plateau. The view was spectacular. There was no doubt of the splendor of these mountains. As far as the eye could see, ridge after ridge in brilliant shades of green collided with a cloudless blue sky. A red-tailed hawk hovered overhead, gliding on the air currents. It called out, breaking the spell. Daniel turned to get back on the path. A small, bright patch of yellow caught his eye. Roses. This was a strange place to see roses. He took a step towards them. A wave of nausea rolled through him. He stopped and caught his breath. Determined, he started walking again. He dropped to his knees in front of the rose bush, crushing petals. The scent wafted up to him. Slowly he reached out his hand. **** Justine sprang from the bed and ran to the door, watching Daniel’s retreating back disappear into the woods. Her knees were shaking. The bright sun had heated the interior of the cabin, making it uncomfortable. She picked up her blue dress, shook it out and laid it over the back of a chair. It was too hot to put that back on. And besides, no one was here to see her. “Duke. Keep watch.” The hound thumped his tail in response. Busy. She needed to be busy. There were several things that needed done out back. She could start by beginning to dip her candles. She wanted a few tapers to remind her of her mother. Pillars were more practical, but sometimes she felt nostalgic. 99

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Her hands began their work, but her mind was with Daniel. It had been so long since she’d climbed that trail. She could never climb it again. She’d barely made it back last time. She could picture the trail, the sharp turn, and the open space with the view of the hills. There were other places that had just as spectacular a view, but no other so close. She rode Lady to them when the mood struck. She changed her mind about beginning to dip candles. Her hands were shaking. There were other, less satisfying ways to make the candles, but she desperately wanted to be busy. Setting the small kettle she used to heat beeswax on the coals in her cook hearth, she then readied the small, handthrown molds she had for pillars. The clean, sweet smell of the liquefying beeswax scented the air. What did he think of her, she wondered. What would he think of her when he knew the truth? Could he accept her? He’d already lain with her. What if that was something he couldn’t forgive? Slowly pouring the melted wax into the prepared molds took her mind off Daniel. She dropped a wick into each mold, carefully centering it. Perfection hardly mattered with these pillars. They’d be used inside the cabin, or maybe out here in her work area. If the pillar burned unevenly, she’d simply remelt the wax. Using pure beeswax for pillars was extravagant, but she didn’t care. The scent would be pleasant for those winter evenings she and Daniel went to bed at dusk to pass the long nights. If he stayed. The little petunias from Bush Creek needed water. So did her sweet peas, and likely the little maple. And it was time she at least put on her shift. Finding her running about 100

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completely unclothed might be one shock too many for Daniel when he returned. She smiled, imagining his face. The image of him grinning at her faded, transforming into one of disgust. Snatching up the little yellow calico, she slipped it over her head and searched for the little moccasins, then went for water. She drew a bucket of water from the well and carried it to the transplanted sapling. The little tree looked healthy. She poured the water slowly, allowing it to sink in. A second bucket was carried around back and poured on her flowers. Flowers were something she loved but never quite mastered. Her memories weren’t strong enough. The petunias were a welcomed gift from someone she’d never met. Such was the generosity of those who made their home in these remote hills. It was no use. She might as well give up on doing anything until Daniel returned. Well, there was one thing she could do. He would not have understood, before. Now he would. She climbed the steps to the front porch. The swing, with a cheery red and white calico cushion, swung gently in the breeze. She called for Duke to come and keep her company then curled up on the swing to wait for Daniel. The afternoon stretched on. The meadow was cast in long, dark shadows when Duke lifted his head to look in the direction of the mountain trail. Justine’s stomach lurched. Fear clutched her heart in a cold-fisted vice when she heard the sound of his steps. He came around the corner of the cabin and stopped dead in his tracks. Daniel’s face was in the shadow, but she could see well enough to watch him absorb the fact that she sat on a finished porch swing. He didn’t meet her gaze. “Are you all right, Daniel?” 101

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He stepped towards her. “No.” She could see his face clearly now. His haggard appearance alarmed her. Anger simmered in his voice. “What can I do for you?” “Just one thing. Tell me who you really are.” “I told you. I didn’t lie.” He pounded his fist into the post. “Then I saw your grave!” “I know.” Her heart beat painfully in her chest. She knew well what he’d seen. “You know. You. Know.” His quiet voice cut like a whip. His eyes were blue icicles. “I want the truth from you.” She thought she’d be prepared for his anger. She was not. It was then she knew he would never believe. Her heart fractured. He would leave, and not return. When he did, she would leave, too. She’d had too many years alone. She met his gaze. “My name is Justine Emily Noakes. I was born in South Carolina in the year of our Lord, 1847. I died here, on this mountain, in 1867.” “That’s ridiculous.” “No, Daniel, it’s not. What does your heart tell you?” “I know what I see. You’re living out here alone. Why? Are you out here to avoid the law? Is that it?” She shook her head. “No. I didn’t break any law. I came here with my mother and uncle.” “I don’t believe you. You will tell me who you are. Now!” He took a step towards her. Duke leaped to his feet, snarling. Daniel stared at the hound. The corner of his lip curled scornfully. “Call him off, Justine, or I’ll shoot him. Or is he a ghost, too?” “Duke. Down.” 102

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Duke had ideas of his own. He stood his ground, head lowered. Daniel stood staring at her. She wanted to go to him, to hold him and try to work past his anger only she seemed rooted, unable to move. A muscle in his jaw twitched. “I’m leaving.” He flipped her a twenty dollar gold piece. “For services rendered.” The coin clattered to the porch. He turned on his heel and stalked away. “Daniel! Wait!” She sprang to her feet and ran to him. She didn’t know how she could stop him, what she could say, but she had to try. He paused for the briefest moment, and then kept walking. Justine followed him. “Listen to me, Daniel! What if I can prove it to you? Would you believe me then?” They’d reached the barn. He didn’t respond. He whistled for Zeus and the stallion trotted through the door, coming up to him. Daniel led him into his stall and began saddling him. “I’m glad he’s healed. I’m glad he’ll be with you.” She laid her hand on Daniel’s arm. He jerked away. “All right, Daniel. Don’t believe me. Just don’t come back here because I will be gone, too! I’ve waited long enough. I thought you were the one who would stay with me. I’ve been skipping heaven, just waiting for you. And you refuse to see the truth!” She took a hasty step backward when he turned and grabbed Zeus’s bridle off the hook. “Truth? What truth? I thank you for all your...hospitality, but I have a life waiting for me in Kentucky. I want that life. I won’t give up one more minute of it. What did you hope to gain? Money?” He laughed, a tight, ugly sound that made her 103

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flinch. “Twenty dollars is it, lady. You were worth that in the sack.” He tossed his saddlebags over Zeus’s powerful rump and swung up into the saddle. He dug his heels into the stallion’s side. Zeus launched them out of the stall. Justine ran out of the barn behind them, watching them sprint across the meadow. Then they were gone. She sank into the dust and wept.

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Chapter 15 Daniel gave Zeus his head. The stallion crossed the meadow in long, sure strides. No hint of an injury slowed him down. It was several minutes until Daniel’s better sense reasserted itself and he slowed the stud to a trot, then a walk. He looped the reins over the saddle horn, not caring what path the horse took, as long as it was westward. What kind of a game was that woman playing? And why do it way out in the middle of nowhere? He doubted he’d ever come up with an adequate answer. One thing was for sure. As soon as he reached a town with a telegraph he was going to wire home and ask his brother to do some discreet investigating. He wanted to know all there was about the real Justine Noakes, the one buried on that mountain. The veteran great-uncle, too. It wouldn’t help him find out who that woman was, he knew that. She’d surely just happened along, found an empty cabin, and moved in. He washed cold, a newer, uglier thought occurring to him. What if she’d killed the real Justine Noakes? No, the small cemetery hadn’t been touched in many long years. She may live in their cabin, but she had never tended their graves. It was likely she’d only been there once, and come away with a new name. He shivered in spite of the heat. 105

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How had she managed to get that porch swing built so quickly? It wasn’t possible. He’d not heard any hammering. The sound would have carried right up the mountain. It didn’t make any sense, and yet he’d seen it. He had to put all this behind him. Maybe it was all a dream. He’d fallen pretty hard, hard enough that his head still hurt if he thought about the fall. When he found a town with a railroad, he was going to reevaluate his plan of riding all the way to Kentucky. He may just purchase room in a boxcar and he and Zeus could take it easy. The more he thought about it, the more appeal it held. They’d reached the trail that led down the mountain to Bush Creek. He turned Zeus in the right direction and settled himself for the long ride. Before long, the heat and the rhythm of the horse had him struggling to stay awake. He wrapped the reins around his wrist and gave into the pull of sleep. “Go and see, Daniel. You must. The only way you’ll ever have peace is to see for yourself. Don’t do it for me. Do it for yourself.” Daniel jerked awake. It was pitch dark. Zeus was still walking, moving easily. He must have dozed for hours. He sat up straight, easing the stiffness in his back. Glancing up, he tried to get a fix on what direction they were going. The canopy of tree leaves hid the stars. Damn, but he was cold! That was probably the reason he’d had such a peculiar dream, why he’d heard Justine’s voice. Not Justine, he reminded himself. He didn’t know her real name. The night air was getting colder and damper, and he was grateful that there wasn’t a breeze. He began to pay attention to the trail, looking for a place to stop and camp for the night. 106

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Zeus needed a rest, and some grazing, since he’d left without filling the little grain bag. They’d both be hungry tonight. He settled on a likely spot beside a stream so small he had to make a little dam to create a deep enough place for them to get a decent drink. Exhaustion pulled at him. He tied Zeus with his long rope and wrapped himself in his bedroll without trying to build a fire. “I’m so sorry, Daniel. There was no way to tell you. I didn’t know how to tell you. I know you think I’m mad, but I’m not. Come back to me. You already know. You don’t need to see. Please, Daniel.” Daniel woke, drenched in sweat. He’d heard her voice so clearly. Grabbing his canteen, he swished out his mouth. The metallic taste of blood made his stomach twist into an uncomfortable knot. He probed the inside of his mouth with a cautious tongue, only to discover it was his tongue he’d bitten in his sleep. She was right. He did know. But he still had to see. He rolled up his blanket and saddled the stallion. Once mounted, he turned Zeus north, and east. He didn’t need the trails. He knew where he had to go. Finding the exact spot would not be difficult. He’d been there in his dreams. He’d seen. **** Justine sat on her porch, watching the meadow. Despite her pleas, Daniel was returning to the place where he’d fallen. Once he saw, he would go. He wasn’t the sort of man that could believe they could exist outside of heaven. “Hey, suga’. Dat one, he be back.” “Sam!” Justine leapt to her feet and embraced the huge Negro. He enveloped her in a warm embrace. “C’mon, suga’. We just sit on dis here swing you man made you and we wait for him together.” 107

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“I made the swing.” Her voice was muffled against his broad chest. “Well, well, now. Dat’s good. Ol’ Sam dun have to worry it let him fall on his ass, then, huh?” Justine sniffled and led Sam to the swing. She nestled in the crook of his arm. The swing began to move gently, back and forth. “Do you know where he is, Sam?” “Yep. So do you. He be finding the place long about sun up. Liken he be there all day, thinking ’bout things.” “I’m scared.” Sam patted her shoulder. “Ain’t we all? We gonna get that call home one day.” Justine straightened at his words. A strange premonition came over her. “You can’t go, Sam. I need you.” “Well, suga’, you did. You did.” Sam stared out at Lady as she walked to the water trough, shook and lowered her head to drink. “My time is ’bout over. I been here nigh onto a hundred years. Seems like I should got me another job to do, somewhere.” “You love these mountains. You told me once you didn’t want to leave.” She sniffled again and wrapped her arm across his barrel chest. “I’d never have made it without you, Sam. What will I do if Daniel doesn’t come back?” “I ’spect you know. You can go home, anytime. But dat man of yourn, he’s a good ’un. I ’spect you know dat, too, don’ ye?” “I know. He’d have never found his way here if he wasn’t.” “He come back. Ol’ Sam know it.” 108

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She heard the sadness in his voice. He’d made up his mind to move on. She wondered if she ever would. The others that surrounded her, here in this special place, assured her heaven was even better than this existence. It was a strong lure. But she loved everything about her existence, lonely or not. “Sam, you never told me how you came to be here.” She’d garnered bits and pieces, but never the entire story. She’d kept her curiosity under control for years and now she wanted to hear the story. “Can’ imagine it be important, suga’.” He sighed. “But I ’spect you be curious long ’nuff now. What it been, child? Thirty seasons you been here?” “Thirty-three years. I know you were a slave.” “All us were, then. I traveled the Underground Railroad,” he said proudly. “I was a guide. I helped more than I able to count to the freedom. I jes ran into someone smarter than me. An dat someone had a bigger blade, too.” “You did good, Sam. I know you did.” “That damn uncle of yourn fought for the Confederacy.” The bitterness was plain in his voice. Justine patted his knee. “You’ve told me at least a thousand times I’m not responsible for what anyone else has done or will do.” She stared into his black orbs. “Besides, Uncle Joshua suffered for what he did. And he couldn’t believe that he could be forgiven. That’s why he couldn’t come here.” He chuckled. “I knowed you’d take to reminding me of that. You a good lady, Miss Justine. I knowed it the first time I saw you, wandering ’bout like a lost puppy.” “That was a bad time. I didn’t understand what had happened.” It had been bad. She’d roamed around the woods aimlessly, trying to figure out what was wrong with her. She 109

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found the cabin, just as she’d dreamed it, and fear had undone her. Then Sam had drifted down the mountain and found her. It had been Sam who’d taken her back up the mountain to the pool she’d gone swimming in and made her face what had happened there, beneath the still water. He stayed with her until she was strong enough to be on her own. She’d gotten up one morning and he was gone. It had taken her weeks to gather the nerve to go find him. They’d been best friends ever since. “Promise me you won’t go for a while. Will you do that? Will you stay and help Daniel?” “Suga’, you be all the help that boy need. You take him back to dat big bed you got in there. You let him do what a man do. That be all the healing it take.” “It’s not that easy.” Sam snorted. “Girly, it is dat easy for a man. You spread dem fine legs, he stay wit Justine.” “Sam!” She swatted at him, feigning outrage. “Sam!” he mimicked, then laughed. “You know you can’ fool ol’ Sam. It be good, honey, to be man and woman like you should.” He patted her shoulder again. “You wan’ me to stay a bit, suga’? I ’spect I can. I got no one needing me, least a while.” She closed her eyes and leaned on him. Sam was so solid. He’d always been there for her. It wasn’t fair to ask him to stay, but then, being Sam, he’d never do what he didn’t want to do. “He be coming back. Trust ol’ Sam. He seen what he need see. I best git back. He could take it strange like, seeing me sittin’ here on dis fine swing you made all yoself.” Justine kissed his ebony cheek. “I love you, Sam. I hope you know that.” 110

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Sam smiled and nodded. “I ’spect I know.” He stood and stretched. “You bring dat fella up my hill when he ready. I spend some time talkin’ wit ’im.” He was down the steps and away in a few quick steps, moving fast for such a big man. She knew without watching he’d be into the safety of the woods in moments. He’d been hunted, and he never forgot. Sam said Daniel was on his way back. She believed him. Sam knew things. In truth, she sensed Daniel growing nearer, too. She had not been able to trust the feeling, knowing her desire for his return affected her ability to sense it. The eastern sky lightened until finally a golden-pink glow danced along the ridge. Justine was swamped by panic, fear, anger, and finally a dull acceptance. It was Daniel’s emotions, not hers. It was not an altogether welcomed experience, but she accepted it because it flowed from him. The sun was high overhead when she decided she wanted a new dress to wear for his return. She walked down to pet Lady, thinking about the dress all the while. It was an easy thing to think of clothing, or simple things like the swing, and have them suddenly supplied. Her hesitation stemmed from not knowing Daniel’s favorite color. She’d been unnerved when she first discovered she could imagine something and it would appear. Sam had smiled at her and told her not to worry over it, just use it to make life easier. After a few weeks, she had. She hoped Daniel could accept the gift, as she did. She finally settled on a dress of purple and lavender violets on ivory lawn. It was not the sort of thing she normally wanted for life on her little homestead, but it would be nice to have something fancy. She could maybe wear it on evenings when she sat on her swing and relaxed. 111

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Shadows covered the meadow again when she emerged from the cabin in her new dress. Duke sat on the porch, staring intently at something only he could see. Finally, she spied a shadow that moved. She watched as it grew closer and took the form of a man on a horse. He saw her, she was sure, but he turned Zeus into the barn. A lamp flared and she could see him moving about as he tended the stallion. After a time he appeared, closed the barn door, and walked toward her. She rose, skirts swirling, and walked down the steps to meet him.

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Chapter 16 “I don’t know what to say to you. I couldn’t tell you. You had to learn the truth for yourself. Please don’t be angry with me.” Daniel took off his hat and smacked it against his knee a few times. He was tired and dirty and sick to his soul. But angry? Certainly not with her. It was not her fault, any of it. Had the situation been reversed, he’d not have had the words to tell her, either. What was one to say? Welcome to...what? She stood there, so lovely, and so afraid of what he would say. He was afraid of that, too. He had no idea what to say to her. Perhaps starting with what concerned her at this moment would be best. “I’m not angry with you, Justine. That is your name, isn’t it?” She swallowed, and nodded. “Yes. My name is Justine Emily Noakes. I came here, just as I told you.” “And you died here?” “Nearby. It’s very difficult for me to go there, but I’ll show you if you want to see it.” Daniel shuddered. Dear God, no, he didn’t want to see it. He’d seen where he and Zeus had died. That was enough for all eternity. “No. I don’t want to see it.” He gusted out a long, weary breath. “You look beautiful.” 113

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“Thank you.” She fidgeted nervously with her skirts. “I suppose this dress is horribly out of style. It’s something the ladies all wore when I was a girl.” “It’s lovely.” He refrained from commenting how impractical it was out here in the woods. Suddenly, a few of the things that had been so muddled for him clarified. He spoke sharper than he intended. “Where did you get the dress?” She flinched. “I don’t know, Daniel. Truly, I don’t. I thought about it and now I have it.” He hung his head for a moment. “I didn’t mean to snap at you.” He gestured over his shoulder at the barn. “Did you ‘think’ Zeus to heal so fast? Did I ‘think’ his injury?” His questions sounded so bizarre in his ears. If he were back home in Maryland, they’d have him institutionalized. “No.” She shook her head. “That came from you. Just like the moccasins.” “And the swing?” The corner of her mouth turned up in a little smile. “I’ve always wanted a swing. Sometimes it’s important to long for things.” “That’s an odd philosophy.” He wondered if he dared reach for her hand. The need to touch her, and banish the terrible revelations of the last day, threatened to send him to his knees. He took a step towards her. “I came back, Justine, because I didn’t know where else to go for answers.” “I’ll tell you whatever I can. When you’re ready, we can go up to Sam’s cabin. He has an understanding with this world we live in.” “Better than yours?” He wanted a look at this Sam Miller she was so obviously fond of. They’d go to his cabin. 114

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If he stayed. If she allowed him to stay. She hadn’t said that he could, regardless of the fact she’d made a new dress to greet him in. “What happens now, Justine? Do I stay, or do I go?” He washed cold, jolted by a single thought. “I can’t go, can I? I’m tied to this place, just as you are. Tell me the truth.” She bit her lower lip and nodded. “I’m sorry, Daniel. I know you had a dream for your life. I’d give it back to you if I could.” He felt queasy. Brushing past her, he dropped down on a step. “My parents will never know what happened to me.” “I’m sorry.” “So are we ghosts? Spirits? Aberrations?” He could hear the lock of the padded cell they surely had ready for him driving home. “I don’t know, Daniel. Sam says we’re just skipping heaven for a little while.” She plucked at her skirts again. Daniel stared down the length of the darkening meadow. Fireflies twinkled in the dusk. He’d come back for answers. Justine didn’t seem to have them. Or maybe there really weren’t any. “Go up on the porch and sit on your swing, Justine. I’m filthy. I’m going to go wash up.” He stood and walked away. He heard the steps creak as she climbed them. Halfway to the barn, a crazy thought claimed him. It was one way to know for sure. “I’ll take a bath in the water trough. The water will be warm.” He didn’t know why he spoke aloud. He stood beside the trough staring at the clear water. He bent over, shivering with dread. He had to know. 115

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The water was hot. Just the temperature he liked for his bath. And there beside the trough was a new cake of white soap. He glanced up. A clean towel hung over the corral fence. He glanced up at the cabin. A white spot glowed in the darkness, swaying back and forth on the swing. He stripped and stepped into the water, shivering violently, his mind denying this could be anything other than a delusion of some sort. He had been denying it for days. He had known something was wrong when he’d led Zeus off the trail and into the meadow and seen the cabin and barn, his dream made real. But this? He was dead! Or worse. He closed his eyes and tried to relax, tried to let the water soothe the tension out of him. He tried to turn off the myriad voices of his family and friends speaking to him, giving counsel he didn’t really want. He wanted Justine. That was the underlying truth of everything. She was what he longed for all his life. The soap smelled of mint, and herbs. No wonder it was so white and pure. She conjured it with her thoughts, not her hands. So why pretend? Why go through the motions of doing all the little chores necessary to survive out here? Eternity yawned before him and he suddenly understood. Having something to do everyday would be welcomed. Without something to focus on, something to give the appearance of normality, one would go mad. He really had lost his mind. He believed he could stay here in this mountain aerie. A white shape was coming towards him. “Here are clean clothes. Come up soon, please, Daniel.” 116

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He reached out and grabbed her arm. “Wash my back.” She took a deep, ragged breath and draped her bundle over the railing. He handed her the cake of soap. He’d forgotten about a cloth. It didn’t matter. Her soapy hands on his skin were much better. Her fingertips brushed his skin, sliding along the top of his shoulders and down his spine. The contact broke, then began anew as her hands splayed on his back. He closed his eyes, his world existing only under her touch. Her hands were strong and sure, soothing him even as his thoughts turned carnal. He was ruefully aware of the spectacle he’d provide her when he stood. Well, she’d seen it before. Hell, she’d seen it now. Her slippery hands slowly traveled down his side, feeling the bump of each rib. She reached the crease where his thigh met his body. Soapy slender fingers wrapped around his rigid penis. Her forehead rested on his wet shoulder. He rested his head on hers and sighed. “You could climb in here with me.” He could tell she was smiling. Maybe she just needed a wee bit of coaxing. “I’ll wash your back. The water is really warm. You’ll like it.” She snorted softly. “Is that a yes or a no?” The hand that had been holding his manhood so gently, withdrew. She stood and began undoing her buttons. “You know, Justine, you could dream up a regular bathtub.” Those quick fingers stopped. She looked perplexed. “Why? I think out here, under the stars, is much nicer.” 117

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She had a point. “Doesn’t winter exist here, wherever it is that we are?” “Yes. Winter comes here.” She stepped out of the dress and carefully draped it over the rail. She kicked off her little slippers and climbed into the trough and into his arms. To have her in his arms was like holding heaven. His eyes stung with the rightness of it. She was buoyant in the water, floating in his embrace. He nuzzled at her neck and she turned her mouth to his. “I’m sorry, Daniel,” she whispered against his lips. “Don’t be. It’s not your fault, is it? I don’t blame you.” He kissed her, then, softly and soulfully, silently pleading with her to say he could stay. He knew what he’d seen. There was no going back and there was no going forward. They were here, in this place, and the only thing that mattered was that they could be together. This is what he’d longed for all his life. A small, quiet corner of the world, a simple life, and a woman to love by his side. This is what he’d had no true hope of finding back on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay. Kentucky had promised something closer to his dream, away from the demands of family and social etiquette. But even that future had lacked Justine. How it was that she was everything he’d ever wanted didn’t matter. What was, was. He’d been given the chance for happiness. If it lasted a year, or ten, or a hundred, he’d take it. Whatever greater power was at work here, it gave life, and love. She trembled in his arms. “What if I called you here somehow? What if I called you away from your own dream?” He buried his long fingers in her hair, lifting the tresses and letting the silken strands fall. 118

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“What if you did? Would my heart have heard yours if it didn’t want you?” He knew it for the truth as soon as he said it. Somehow, and he didn’t care how, she had called him here to this quiet place, and he had heard. He didn’t doubt she had earned the right to have her dreams come alive, for surely he had not. She held him tightly. “Stay with me, Daniel. Stay forever.” “Yes. I’ll stay.” He swept her up, lifting her as he stood in a shower of droplets. She clung to his neck as he carried her across the yard and up the steps into the cabin. The feather mattress rose around them, wrapping them in softness. The world outside ceased to be. All he knew was her. They rolled face-to-face. Moonlight spilled across the bed. Her skin was damp from their shared bath, and so soft under his fingertips. His blood pounded in his ears, his heart racing. Everything in him that was male urged him to take her quickly, to claim her as his. His love for her whispered that he should go slowly and worship her. She shivered as the cool night air drifted through the open door, and nestled closer. He tipped her chin up, and slowly fitted his lips to hers. She drew a quick breath. Her lips moved under his, opening. He accepted her invitation, kissing her until she arched to him. Her breasts flattened to his chest, her nipples hard pebbles between them. She touched her tongue to his lips. Her hand found its way to caress his chest, finding his nipple and teasing him with little pinches that sent jolts of pleasure to his groin. Her knee rose to rest on his hip, opening her to his touch. His hand cupped her bottom, then drifted down the back of her thigh. She squirmed in his arms, moving her hips in silent plea for his touch. He couldn’t—he wouldn’t—deny her for long. 119

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Her lips moved across his shoulders, trailing kisses and nipping gently. His hands grew busy, teasing at her breasts and stroking her belly. She responded by kissing down his chest. He rolled onto his back. She rose up to look at him, licking her lips. He froze, the air sucked from his lungs. She bent over him, her hair falling down to hide her face. Her soft hands stroked down his stomach and across his thighs. He shifted slightly and she gently cupped his sac, lifting its weight and carefully rolling the testicles inside. He had no concern that she would be too rough, shivering under her exploration, his body drawing tight. He sensed hesitation in her as her slender fingers wrapped around his shaft. “Whatever you want to do is all right, love. You won’t shock me.” She made a small sound deep in her throat, half laugh, half cough, and all uncertainty. He brushed her hair back. She looked him in the eye. That was all the warning he had. Her lips touched the tip of his cock. He shuddered once, from head to toe. It was impossible to relax, to just enjoy. He sucked in a great lungful of air. Her mouth was hot and wet, sending a shrieking pleasure through him. She teased the length of him with her tongue. His hips rose off the bed. She did it again. His awareness spiraled down, coiling tightly around her touch. He gripped her shoulder as she set a rhythm with her hand and mouth. His arousal sharpened, heightened by jolt after jolt of intensifying sensation centered in his aching groin. The pleasure ballooned outward in a wave of heat. Desperation sent cold stabbing into his belly. He was so close. He pulled her away, needing to slow himself down, to wait. To come inside her. 120

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She sprawled across his chest, looking at him quizzically. Her eyes narrowed and a slow feline smile bowed her lips. He ran a finger along her lower lip. She was obviously pleased with herself and what she had done to him. “Wait a moment, love.” “You’re panting worse than Duke.” Her eyes gleamed. He pulled her forward, grasping her hips and easing her to straddle his pelvis. Her smile grew broader as she wiggled her bottom. Her body was hot and wet, covering his intimately. Daniel smiled up at her. She could just be smug. That was about to change. He flexed his hips bringing the tip of his erection to her very gates. Her soft flesh yielded to his hardness. She shifted against him and he surged up into her heat. Her body clenched his, adjusting to the sudden, deep penetration. She moaned, a long, low sound of dark pleasure. His heart hammered in his chest. His orgasm beckoned. He couldn’t give in to it, not yet. He slid his thumbs into her wet curls, rolling them in tiny circles over her. She began to move on him, slowly at first, then with more abandon. Her pleasure rained down over him. Her nails dug into his chest. She suddenly cried out, pitching forward. Her inner walls pulsed around him, rippling down his length. She gave herself over to her climax, and to him. He thrust into her, giving her all he could to draw out her pleasure. Her eyes opened. She blinked as if trying to bring him into focus. He could wait no longer. He grasped her hips and brought her down over him. Sensation claimed him, holding him a willing hostage. He stayed poised on the edge for the space of two breaths, then fell with no thought, no desire, but to keep falling as the pleasure took him. 121

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Her lips brushing his brought him back to awareness. She was still perched on his hips, their bodies joined. She smiled down at him. His hands caressed her ribs on their way to cup her breasts. She leaned against his hands and he drew her down into his arms, rolling her beneath him. He buried his face in the softness of her neck. She sighed, drawing a deep breath and letting it out, making a small sound of contentment deep in her throat. Her foot slid up the back of his leg. He found her lips, kissing her slowly, soulfully, passionately. She opened to him and gave him back all he gave her. “I love you.” Her words were a whisper against his lips. “You’d better. You’re stuck with me forever.”

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Epilogue It was cold. The winter wind howled up the meadow blowing snow against the windows of the cabin. Inside, Daniel and Justine were warm and snug, nestled together in the bed, a fire burning brightly in the fireplace. Despite the cold wind and freezing rain and snow, Daniel knew it would be sunny and warm tomorrow. Justine wanted to ride up the mountain tomorrow to see Mr. Sam Miller. Every time she wanted to go visiting, the weather was perfect. He’d ceased to question it. He’d ceased to question a lot of things. Acceptance hadn’t come easily. This was not what he’d expected an afterlife to be like. Hell, he wasn’t sure he’d even believed in an afterlife, but here he was. He had Justine and that was all that mattered. She stirred in his arms. He held her tighter and she drifted back into sleep. He’d dreaded the coming of winter, feared it even. She’d merely looked at him with those wise honey-brown eyes and smiled. He’d gathered and chopped wood for a fire that didn’t seem to burn out when the weather was bad. He’d filled the smokehouse with stores of venison that didn’t seem to be dwindling. 123

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He’d worried over a well that never iced over, even when it was cold like tonight. Justine had known, and she’d let him find it out on his own. She knew him well enough that she didn’t waste the effort trying to tell him what he couldn’t yet believe. Well, he was seeing things her way now. Usually, at least. He slipped from the bed to tend the fire. There were some things in life that the doing of gave a man a lot of satisfaction. Putting wood on a fire to keep his lady warm was one of them. He checked the stove, stirring the coals to keep the water in the kettle warm. That was another thing he could have accomplished by thinking about it, but found more satisfying to do with his hands. He glanced over at the bed. Justine smiled at him. “Would you like some tea?” She sat up, leaning against the headboard, tucking the quilt under her chin. “I’d love some. You look...cold.” She looked pointedly at his naked manhood. He grinned at her. He was cold—and it showed. “I’ll warm back up.” He handed her the steaming cups and slipped under the quilt with her. She handed his back to him once he’d settled. They sipped their tea and listened to the wind sing to them. Duke whimpered in his sleep, chasing rabbits, and springtime. Spring was near. Daniel had seen little yellow flowers blooming as they’d walked in the woods a few days ago. He’d never noticed such things before knowing Justine. Her toes teased at his calf. He sighed. “I can’t. I really can’t.” She snorted softly and slid her hand, warmed by her teacup, over his genitals. 124

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“Justine, I really can’t. I’m too worn-out.” And he was. They’d made love so many times in the last week he’d started to wonder if they could damage themselves. Despite his protests, his body stirred. She grinned at him. He plucked the teacup from her other hand and pulled her down under the quilts. Mr. Sam Miller had it wrong. They weren’t skipping heaven. They’d found heaven.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Rayne Forrest has worked for a picture frame manufacturer, a plumbing company, a general contractor and as an Administrative Assistant for various non-profit organizations. She began writing fiction in 2003. Prior to that she’d designed and written newsletters, booklets and informational pamphlets for those organizations. She lives with her partner of eleven years in scenic western Maryland, where she was born and raised. They have one very spoiled black Lab and two cats that belong to the dog. All male. Rayne currently is published in ebook format. Her first five releases, Across Time, Mountain High, Right From the Start, The Rea Cheveyo Chronicles: Kiana, and Skipping Heaven, have earned stellar reviews from the toughest critics in the industry—her readers. She has several more titles coming out in the next eighteen months including The Skies of Mahdis, When the Night Comes, and the second in the series, The Rea Cheveyo Chronicles: Talyss. When not at her computer she spends time biking on the historic C & O Canal towpath, bowling, gardening, crafting, and reading romance and science fiction. She is a member of the Romance Writers of America. For more about Rayne and her works, please visit www.rayneforrest.com.

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