Jodi Thomas - The Lone Texan

The kiss turned deep, and she opened her mouth. As he pushed in for a taste, his hand slid gently along the side of her breast, and she shook with pleasure.

He was right. He did know how she liked to be kissed, and that knowledge frightened her. One thought whispered in her mind, frightening her even more. What if he had said he loved her? Not just needed or wanted, but loved. Would that have mattered?

When he raised his head, he smiled down at her.

"Any chance you'll help me put my gun belt back on?" She shoved him away, more playfully than with any anger. He was a man born to drive her crazy.

A man to make her question her own will.

A man. Not a boy.

NO MATTER HOW MUCH TEAGEN TALKED OR SAGE complained. Grandfather had made up his mind that Drummond Roak and Sage should be married. He explained that Sage hadn't grown up big enough to take care of herself, even if she did think she was a medicine woman, and Drummond, being a brave warrior, would keep her belly full of babies. It was very important, he explained, for him to see many great-grandchildren.

Sage jabbed Drum in the ribs every time he got within a foot of her. All he did was smile and agree with her grandfather. She thought of murdering him the next time they were alone.

Finally Grandfather noticed her jabs and asked Drum if he wanted to break this bond. After all, his little wife seemed about as friendly toward him as a porcupine.

"I'd like to give it a try," he said, bowing his head in respect to the chief. "I think she might warm up to me in time."

She swung at him again, and he ducked, mumbling, "Twenty or thirty years might be enough."

Grandfather cleared his throat and glared at them. They both straightened back into adults.

Sage listened to her grandfather, then translated as closely as she could. "He says I'm a little long in the tooth for you, and I've been married without bearing children, so there is a good chance I'm broke”

Drum thought about it and asked, "Do you think I might get a discount?"

She hit him again with everyone watching.

Drum laughed. "All right, I'm sorry. Tell him I want you anyway. I can't do anything about you being older. I'd age faster if I could." Drum winked. "Add that I promise to work real hard on the children part. I'll even give up sleep if I have to."

"I'm not telling him that," Sage said. "You're not helping, Drummond. If you'd say you didn't want me, he'd call off this whole thing."

"I can't lie about that, Sage.” He faced her, and she saw steel in his gray eyes. "I can't. Not even to make you and Teagen happy."

When she swung again, he grabbed her hand and circled her under his arm. Before she could protest, he kissed her soundly.

Grandfather laughed and shooed them away. "Come back in two full moons," he said in Apache as Teagen translated. "She will kill you, or you will convince her to lie still. Either way, the problem will be solved.”

The chief then pointed at Sage. "Do not kill this man before you know his heart."

Sage tried to pull free of Drum. "I'm not making any such promise."

He spoke to Drum, but Teagen's words followed. "You are a very brave man. I hear of your works spoken in hushed tones of respect. One thing I ask. You will nor-Teagen hesitated as if finding the right word-"bed her"-he finally managed as the chief continued talking-"unless she comes to you. If you do, I'll murder you in your sleep, for even the brave must sleep."

Drum raised an eyebrow. "Did the chief say he'd murder me, or did you add on a few words, Teagen?"

Teagen glanced at his grandfather. "We both feel the same."

"Tell the old man I'll wait for her to come to me before I bed her, but she will come, and I promise she'll be well bedded.”

He let Sage go, and they watched the old chief walk away. Teagen reached for his horse. "I need to get back. The women have already started cooking for the feast. I'll expect both of you next week. Sage, I'll see that your room is ready, and Drum, you're sleeping in the barn." The big man turned his horse toward Whispering Mountain.

Drum wasn't surprised by his last words. If Teagen had the time, he'd probably stand guard night and day. He helped Sage onto her horse, and they headed back to town. For the first few hours, she didn't talk to him at all, and in truth, he enjoyed the silence.

He couldn't figure her out. She melted to molten fire in his arms. The way she kissed him, he knew their lovemaking would be great, but she couldn't settle on the idea that they belonged together. She had to know that he'd give his life for her, but something inside her wouldn't accept him as her man. He decided that she had this ideal of the perfect man, and he didn't measure up. Maybe no one ever would.

Knowing Sage, he wouldn't have long to guess what was wrong with hint She'd had no trouble telling him in the past.

They stopped at noon at the edge of the hills, where they could look out on a wide valley below. Ten more miles, and they'd be back to town. He unwrapped food he'd stocked for the trip: breads from the bakery and cheese from Elmo's place. He sat watching the sky while she walked around, checking her horse and washing her hands in a nearby stream.

Finally, she settled down beside him. "I think we need to set a few rules.”

"Like no hitting.” He rubbed his ribs. "Your elbow is sharp."

She shrugged. "All right. I have to admit I didn't act properly back there, but all of you were trying to decide my fate, and I don't want anyone doing that. Most of my life I've been screaming and fighting to hold on to free will.”

Drum studied her. "All right. The first rule is: Sage decides what Sage wants." He grinned when she looked up at him. "I don't want to own you, Sage, I just want to be your man.”

"What does that mean?"

“It means I'll be the one you turn to when trouble comes. I’ll be there if you need to fall apart, or cry, or even beat on someone. I'll be the one who holds you all night."

She shook her head. "For the first eighteen years of my life, I had three brothers riding herd over me, plus Martha always telling me how I should act. I think that's why I took off to Boston. I wanted to follow my own dreams and make my own mistakes without brothers around to tell me how to live my life. I wanted to make something more of myself than to just be some man's housekeeper and cook. I wanted to set my own rules. You may want to be my man, but I'm not interested in being anyone's woman.”

He leaned back in the grass and said, "All right, Sage, you set the rules. You would anyway."

She thought about it a minute and decided to ignore the edge in his tone and take him at his word. "Rule number one: You don't try to tell me what to do. I know you've been assigned to watch over me, and Captain Harmon would probably be the one I'd answer to if I refused to let you do your job. So you can stay on guard from sunup to sundown, but I go and do as I please. And, I promise you. I'll be sleeping alone.”

"Okay.” he said without opening his eyes. "If that's your rule. I'll follow it”

"Rule two: You will not touch me at any time, and in turn, I'll try to keep my hands off of you."

"That might be harder for you than you think, honey.” he said.

She ignored the comment and moved on.

'Rule three: Stop calling me honey.” She hesitated and added, "And don't tell anyone about what my grandfather did. I don't want everyone thinking we're really married, because then in two months they'll think we're divorced. I just want to be the new doctor in town, not the subject of every sewing- circle discussion.”

"Fair enough.”

She waited a half second, then asked, "You have any rules you want to throw into the pot?"

"I've got one rule. Only one.”

"All right.”

"At dusk, the few minutes between light and dark, you have to kiss me every night we're married, and you have to do it like you mean it, no pecks on the cheek. I'll hold you, but I'll not force you. You can step away after one kiss if you want, but until you step away, you're mine.”

"Fair enough?" she echoed his comment to her rules. She could kiss him good night every night. She might even enjoy it, but that didn't mean that she'd go to his bed.

He stood, dusted off his trousers, and offered a hand to help her up. Just as she reached for it, he dropped the offer and walked away. He didn't have to say it; she knew he was following rule number two.

She climbed on her horse, and they rode out. It was almost sunset when she saw her place and the lights of town just beyond.

When they reached the porch, Drum swung down to the ground and moved to her side as she climbed down. "Good night” he said. "I'll take care of the horses”

He waited.

She stood on her toes and kissed his mouth. "Good night," she said.

He touched her hair, and returned her kiss with more politeness than passion.

She moved away. "I need to get some sleep. If Bonnie got everything put away, we may open tomorrow.”

"My room's the last door at the back of the hotel. When you're ready to come, I'll be waiting.” He touched the brim of his hat with two fingers and left her without another word.

THE NEXT FEW DAYS PASSED IN A BLUR FOR SAGE. They opened the clinic, and everyone in town who had a boil, ingrown toenail, or infected sore dropped by. Four women showed up in the last stage of pregnancy. They didn't want to be examined, just wanted to leave directions to their houses and to ask if the doc took trade as payment for delivery.

A dozen children were brought in, one with a broken arm, one with an infected gash on his foot, and the rest with aches and pains. Sage kept the one with the infection, because she feared he wouldn't keep it clean if she sent him home.