“Was my friend,” Rachel said stubbornly, stopping at her door. “If someone must see to him, get Kate to do it. I’m sure she won’t mind.”

“Of course she’d mind!” Jessie rasped. “You can’t foist him off on her.”

“And you can’t foist him off on me, Jessica,” Rachel countered coolly, going into her room and closing the door.


Twenty minutes later, Jessie carried a platter of food into Chase’s room. It would have done her a world of good if he had been awake so she could vent her spleen at him, but he was sound asleep. She simply left the food on the bedside table, made sure he was warmly covered, and left the room.

Chapter 30

CHASE was enjoying his convalescence, even if the only cheerful face he saw was Billy’s. In the mornings, the boy would bring him breakfast and stay to chat for a while. Too, Chase was seeing Jessie every day, and he definitely liked that, sour-faced though she usually was.

He called the situation poetic justice. After all, he was laid up because he’d gotten drunk and couldn’t defend himself, and he’d gotten that way because of Jessie. So wasn’t it just desserts that she should have to care for him?

Jessie didn’t think so. She did everything in her power to show him how much she resented having to wait on him. His pride should have been stung. He should have reacted angrily. But he didn’t. He was amused by her tongue-clicking, her sighs, her brusque manner. She was acting the martyr, yet she might have sent Billy in with his evening meal, or asked him to hold the mirror while Chase shaved in the afternoons. She might have sent Jeb in to change his bandages or sponge him down. But she didn’t do any of those things. She even changed his bedding, which was usually Kate’s job. In fact, the only thing Jessie didn’t do was bring him breakfast.

He didn’t see her at all in the mornings. No one did, according to Billy, for Jessie was leaving the house much earlier than usual, heading out to the range. After only two days, he found himself listening for her return, listening for the sound of her voice when she wasn’t in his room. If she was late, he fretted. If she was early, he was delighted.

He could hear Rachel occasionally, too, but she never came near him. She made her displeasure felt without directing those accusing blue eyes at him. She even cornered Jessie one day outside his room where he could hear them clearly, and demanded to know when he would be leaving. Rachel must have been quite surprised to hear her reply that he would leave when he damn well pleased. He was certainly surprised to hear Jessie take his side. Of course, she had done it just to go against Rachel. Anything to go against her mother, he knew that. Still...

After a week of convalescence, Chase knew he had no business staying in bed any longer. His wound had closed nicely, and he had his strength back. He could undoubtedly sit a horse with only a little pain. It was time to leave the Rocky Valley, and this time not even stop in Cheyenne. Jessie had packed all his gear in his hotel room and brought it here, including the considerable amount of money he’d won during those few weeks gambling in town. The man who’d robbed him had gotten away with only the pocket change he’d been carrying that day.

He had more than enough money to head back East and then book passage to Spain. And that was what he should do.

But that wasn’t what he wanted to do. He wanted to continue seeing Jessie every day. He had gotten used to her in this last week, seeing her in an entirely different way. He’d come to understand her a little better.

They say the young can see things clearly, he recalled, and young Billy had hit it right on the head that day when he’d said Jessie only tried to act rough and mean because she thought she had to. Anger seemed to be her only defense. She used it to hide hurt, confusion, fear.

Chase knew her better. He could see the frightened girl inside trying desperately to be independent, trying not to need anyone. She’d needed someone once and had been hurt terribly by it. When he saw her in that light, he wanted to draw her into his arms, to hold and protect her. But tough little Jessie would never stand for that. No, her defenses would have to be breached first, and those were defenses built up over ten years. A king-sized effort. Was any man up to it?

Chase knew he had too many strikes against him. It was too much to hope for—Christ, did he hope for it? He wasn’t sure. The only thing he was sure about was that he didn’t want to leave yet.

He would put it off as long as he could. After all, Jessie was not pushing him out the door. But once he left this room, Rachel would. Damn, but he hadn’t remembered Rachel being such an unforgiving woman. Trouble was, she loved Jessie too much. It was too bad Jessie didn’t realize that. He wagered that, deep down, Jessie felt the same way. And their rift was at the heart of so much, it would take a miracle to mend it. Chase wished he had that miracle.

Today Chase was having a bath, a longed-for hot bath, with Billy and Jeb’s conspiratorial help. The thing was to get the water to him without Rachel knowing that he was well enough to get into a tub unassisted. They managed it, with Jeb heating water in the clothes tub out back and passing it through Chase’s window to Billy. Billy thought it was great sport, keeping a secret from his mother. Chase wanted it kept from Jessie as well, for he didn’t want her confronted with the truth of his mobility.

It almost worked. But today was one of the days Jessie happened to come in from the range early. They were both quite surprised when she walked in on him as he sat in the skinny barrel. She recovered more quickly than he did and continued on into the room.

She was still wearing her chaps. Her clothes were dusty; her hat was caught by the string around her neck. It was the first time she had come into his room without first cleaning up. But Chase didn’t think of that, too embarrassed to think of anything but how to explain himself. He was thankful that Jeb and Billy had left him alone.

“Does Rachel know about this?” Jessie asked casually, indicating the tub.

“No.”

“You’re going to get your wound all soft. How long have you been in there?”

Chase couldn’t seem to think straight with her eyes fixed on him. “Not long.”

She came right up to the barrel and stuck her finger in the water. “Too long, anyway. How many other baths have you sneaked without my knowing about them? Have I been sponging you off in the evenings only for your amusement?”

“Come on, Jessie, this is the first time.”

“But I wouldn’t have known about it, would I? I mean, there wouldn’t have been any evidence if I’d come home later, would there?”

He was guilty of intention, and she knew it. He couldn’t tell if she was angry or not. He was also acutely aware that he was naked and she was standing right next to him.

He cleared his throat. “It’s no big thing, Jessie. Water hasn’t touched the wound or not much. Where’s the harm in my having a decent bath?”

“None, I suppose,” Jessie conceded. “And seeing as how you’ve removed your bandage and are already in the tub, you might as well get your back washed, too.”

“Jessie—”

“Lean forward, Chase,” she ordered firmly. “You do want a decent bath. And I can wash your back without getting the wound too wet.”

It was easier to comply than to argue, but he wished to high heaven he knew what was going through her mind. She wasn’t acting normal. She hadn’t said one harsh word, hadn’t made the slightest fuss about his being out of bed. She was too calm. Something was wrong, but he couldn’t put his finger on it.

Worrying about that, Chase didn’t even take notice of what Jessie was doing behind him until she was finished and she commanded, “All right, stand up now, and I’ll rinse you off.”

“I can do it,” he said quickly.

“And you’ll get water all over the floor, too,” she pointed out. “That tub doesn’t have the widest of rims.

In fact, I’m amazed you could squeeze into it.”

“I hadn’t planned on any help.” His embarrassment made him curt.

“Well, you have it anyhow.”

“Will you get out of here, Jessie!”

She laughed softly. “You’re not embarrassed to display a bit of that handsome body, are you? It’s not as if I haven’t seen you in the all-together before this.”

“That was different,” he retorted.

“Why? Because I was unclothed, too? Well, I’m not about to strip down just to appease your male dignity. Now stand up like a good boy, and let’s get this over with.” Then she added teasingly, “I promise not to take advantage of you, if that’s what has you worried.”

Chase looked over his shoulder to glare at her. She really was amused. It wasn’t often he saw humor dancing in her eyes, turning them a lighter, brighter turquoise.

He stood up and felt the cool water dribble down over his body. Jessie was pouring it over him, and it felt so good.

“There now, that wasn’t so bad, was it?” she said, mischievously giving his backside a pat.

Chase gasped, but he was immediately draped in a towel and thought it best not to comment. He turned to look at her, but she was walking toward the bedside table where a stack of clean bandages was kept.

“If you’ll come over here, I’ll get you wrapped up again—if you think it’s still necessary.”

Chase grimaced. She was saying he was well, that there was no reason for her to tend him any longer.

Next she would be asking when he planned to leave.

With the towel wrapped around his waist, he came over to the bed and sat down so she could bandage him, anything to prolong her presence for what would probably be the last time he would have her to himself. He watched her intently as she leaned forward to place the folded cloth over his wound, then began to wind clean strips around him to hold the bandage in place. She was uncommonly gentle about it for once. That, and the unusual way she was behaving, stirred his curiosity almost uncontrollably.