Authors: Elizabeth McKenna
Confusion replaced relief when he didn’t go in, but instead leaned his forehead against the heavy wood door. “What’s wrong? Are you ill again?” she asked.
Not looking at her, he replied, “Do you love me?”
“Yes, don’t you believe me?”
Ignoring both her answer and her question, Jake continued in a quiet voice. “We should have died tonight, but then your friends and Madame Tessa—well, they were remarkable. So many times in the past, I’ve faced death and sometimes even welcomed it. Tonight was different, though. Tonight, I wanted to live.” He turned around. “And it was because of you.”
She reached up and took hold of the lapels of his vest. Staring into his eyes, she smiled. “Welcome to the land of the living, Mr. Tanner.” Inclining her head toward the bedroom door, she added, “Can I show you some of my favorite places while you are here?”
Jake’s sinful smile made her tingle in places only a saloon owner would admit to having.
“I’d be mighty obliged to see everything, Miss Cassidy. Everything.”
Cera laughed as she opened the bedroom door and pushed Jake in. The moonlight streaming in from the patio created an ethereal glow. In the semi-darkness, she unbuttoned his vest, tossing it on a nearby chair. Pulling his shirt out of his pants, her hands moved underneath it, marveling at the strength of his back and chest. Enjoying the anticipation, she slowly drew the shirt over his head.
Jake groaned in frustration. “At least take off some of your clothes.”
“Shhh,” Cera silenced him, placing a finger on his lips. “It’s all part of the tour.” Stepping back, she pulled her dress off and laid it on top of his vest.
His hungry eyes traveled over her half-naked body. “Enough,” he growled. In one quick move, he swept her up, tossing her roughly on the bed. Before she could catch her breath, his boots were off and his fingers were wrestling with the hooks on her corset. “Where’s my knife?” he asked, looking around the room.
“Oh, for heaven’s sake.” She pushed his hands away and removed the rest of her clothing. Lying back on the bed pillows, she arched an eyebrow. “Is this better?”
Jake inhaled sharply as she rearranged her limbs, flashing a glimpse of the softness between her legs.
Enjoying the expression on his face, she shifted again so that her arms stretched across the top of the pillows and one thigh rested flat on the bed. “What do you think of the scenery, Mr. Tanner?”
“It’s beautiful.” Reaching forward, Jake took her foot in his hands and brought it his lips. He kissed her toe, her calf, the back of her knee, and finally the inside of her thigh before sitting back on his heels. “I love you.”
“Then how’s about you take down your pants and show me?”
Jake stood and began unbuttoning his trousers but stopped halfway through. Cera raised her eyebrows questioningly.
He shook his head as if to clear it. “Cera, would you honor me by becoming my wife?”
She sat up wide-eyed. “What?”
Rubbing a hand briskly over the back of his neck, his gaze dropped to the floor. “I’m sorry I don’t have anything to offer you, but I love you. I hope that’s enough.”
Her mind blanked as she tried to believe his words.
When she didn’t answer, he continued, “I don’t mean to rush you. You can think on it—take all the time you need.”
Grabbing the front of his pants, she pulled him on to the bed. “You’ve already given me more than I could ever hope for. I would be plum crazy not to marry you.” She pressed her lips hard against his mouth.
He leaned back to study her face. “So, that’s a yes?”
“Yes, Jake. I will marry you, but on one condition.” She held up her finger for emphasis.
“Anything,” he offered.
“You stop talking and start making love to me.”
“No sleeping?”
“No sleeping,” she replied with a firm nod.
*****
When Cera awoke, the sun was high in the sky and Jake was gone. Panic punched her in the gut. She closed her eyes against the pain.
He did not leave me. He did not leave me.
Feeling the other side of the bed, she found it cold. Her eyes swept the room for any traces of her lover. Seeing none, she hurried to make herself presentable and rushed from the room.
Following the sound of voices, she discovered her friends on the veranda eating what looked like a scrumptious lunch to her empty stomach. At the opposite end of the table, Jake held a tray full of food while whispering in Ginger’s ear. Her responding giggle set Cera’s teeth on edge.
“Ah, there you are, Cera,” Isaac exclaimed, rising from the table. David and Li rose also, acknowledging her with a nod. “Come join us. We were just discussing our departure plans for tomorrow. I’m meeting some resistance to my suggestion that we leave at daybreak.”
She gave Isaac a half smile, but her eyes stayed on Jake and Ginger.
Hearing Isaac’s greeting, Jake straightened and grinned at her. When she only stared mutely back, his brow furrowed in confusion.
Watching the exchange, Tessa said, “There now, Mr. Tanner. Cera has saved you the trip of bringing her some well-needed food.” She stood, motioning at her vacant chair. “Please sit down. You can take my place.”
Since it was more than a suggestion, Cera obeyed but promptly turned her attention to Isaac. “I think the sooner we get home, the better. I want to find the kidnapped Chinese girls listed on the scroll. Chief Williams promised he would help when we get back to town. Did he and the prisoners get off all right this morning?”
“Yes,” Isaac replied. “They left after breakfast. It’s good to have that threat behind us now.”
Tessa took the tray from Jake’s hands and placed it in front of Cera. Wrapping her arms firmly around his elbow, she said, “If you all will be so kind as to excuse Mr. Tanner and me from the remainder of the meal, we have some business to discuss.”
*****
Tessa steered a bewildered Jake down the nearest garden path. When he looked back at Cera, Tessa rapped him sharply on the shoulder and nudged him forward.
“Madame…” he began.
“Shush,” Tessa answered in an irritated voice. “Men are as dense as tar when it comes to women’s feelings.”
“What did I do? She gets ornery when she doesn’t eat. I was bringing her some food.”
Tessa rolled her eyes. “Yes, but the first thing Cera sees after a night of romance is an empty bed and you conversing with the lovely Ginger. Can you see how that might be upsetting to a lady?”
“Oh…”
“Yes, ‘oh.’ Well, later you can use your rugged charm to smooth things over with her. However now, we have other things to discuss, such as your compensation for services rendered.”
Jake frowned. “My what?”
“Compensation, Mr. Tanner. Without you, we would not have made it through the night. You didn’t have to come back. In fact, you didn’t have to stay once you warned us about Mr. Biggs. Yet, you did, and thus, I would like to compensate you. Call it a reward, if you will.”
“Madame, with all due respect, I didn’t defeat Biggs alone. I’m not going to stand here and take all of the credit—and the reward. I don’t even want a thank you. I’m just glad it turned out the way it did.”
“What you say is all true, but nevertheless, without your leadership and planning, we almost certainly would not have survived.” Tessa reached deep into her skirt pocket. “I would like to give you this.” She took his hand and pushed a small, hard object into it.
Looking down, an emerald ring laid on his palm. More than a dozen tiny diamonds surrounded the square-cut stone. Jake shook his head, shoving the ring back at Tessa. “No, I can’t accept this.”
Tessa waved away his objection with a flick of her regal fingers. “My husband was a generous man. Unfortunately, it pains me to wear his gifts. I think this ring would be much better on someone else’s finger, perhaps as a symbol of hope and promise of a new life together. Maybe you have someone in mind that you could give it to?”
He turned the ring back and forth, watching the sunlight bounce off the diamonds. “It’s beautiful, Madame, but it is too generous of a gift.”
“I value my life and the lives of my friends more than that trinket. As far as I’m concerned, no gift could fully compensate you for last night, but this will have to do.” As Jake opened his mouth to protest again, Tessa held up her hand. “Enough. You are on the verge of insulting an old—older—woman. I ask for only one more thing, Mr. Tanner.”
Still studying the gem in awe, he replied, “Of course, Madame, whatever you wish.”
“Love her till death.”
“That will be the easiest thing I have ever had to do,” he assured her.
Tessa smiled. “Perhaps…”
******
After lunch, Cera roamed the paths between the rows of the sweet growing grapes with Jake. Neither one of them talked, as they took turns staring at the distant mountains. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched him, wondering what he was ruminating on, but still feeling bruised from waking up alone, she didn’t ask.
Taking her hand, he began to hum the same tune they had waltzed to in the saloon.
“It seems like a lifetime ago,” she said, finally breaking her silence.
“Hmmm?” He gave her a puzzled look.
“That tune. It wasn’t so long ago that we danced to it, but it seems like forever. A lot has happened since that night.”
Jake stopped and turned to face her. With a stiff bow, he brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. “May I have this dance, sweet Cera?”
“Why, sir, my dance card is full. If I dance with you, what will I tell all the other gentlemen that I have promised?” She fluttered her eyelashes in her best Ginger impersonation, waving a hand toward the imaginary men in waiting.
“Tell them your heart belongs to me.” He whirled her around and around before settling into a slow, formal waltz. His eyes held hers as tight as his hands held her body.
The earnestness of his expression made her heart race until they tripped over a root and fell in a tangled heap. Laughing, she asked him if he was all right. “You hide the pain from your injuries so well. I forget that you should be taking it easy.”
“I’m more than fine,” he replied, pulling her closer to him as they lay on the ground. “It’s good to hear you laugh.” He paused for a moment. “Cera, I’m sorry I asked you to marry me last night.”
“What?” Shocked at his words, she struggled out of his embrace.
“No, you misunderstand me.” He grabbed her arm, holding her in place. “What I mean is, instead of just blurting it out in your bedroom, I should have done it fancier—more romantic.”
“Oh.”
He studied the ground between them. “I want to give you the world, Cera.”
“I don’t need the world. All I need is your love.” Lifting his chin with her finger, she brushed her lips over his.
Jake took her left hand. “I do have something to give you.” He reached into his vest pocket and pulled out a ring. Slipping it on her finger, he asked in a rush, “Cera, will you still marry me?”
Dumbfounded, she looked down at the glittering gem that had appeared on her finger. “Good Lord, where did you get this?”
“Madame Tessa,” he answered with a shrug.
“Oh no, you have to give it back.” She struggled to remove the ring from her finger, but it went on easier than it was going to come off.
“You don’t like it? I’m no girl, but I thought it was kind of pretty.”
“It’s beautiful—and worth a fortune—which is why you have to give it back. I can’t accept this.” Cera tried again to remove the ring, but she couldn’t get it over her knuckle.
Jake chuckled at her effort. “Seems like you don’t have a choice. Besides, I’d like to see you try to give it back to her. There’s no arguing with that woman once she has her mind set. Which reminds me of someone else I know, but you haven’t answered my question. Have you changed your mind?”
Exasperated, she pushed Jake down and rolled on top of him. Grabbing his hands, she pulled his arms over his head and straddled his waist. “Maybe I need to beat some sense into you, Jake Tanner, if you don’t know by now how much I love you. I plan on having a long and happy life with you.”
Jake grinned and rolled them so that he was on top. Sliding a hand under her skirt, he caressed the inside of her knee. “You’re so beautiful, Cera. Let me show you my love.”
She shook her head. “What if one of the workers comes along? I didn’t survive last night to die of embarrassment today.”
“No workers. Madame Tessa gave them the day off.” His hand moved farther up her leg.
“Well, what about one of our many friends? They could be out here wandering…” Her words died in her throat as his fingers sunk between her legs. “Ohhh, no, Jake…”
Covering her neck in tender kisses, he asked, “Do you want me to stop?”
“Ohhh, no, Jake…” was all she could reply as her mind clouded and her body took over. The last thing she heard before he took her to new heights was “I love you, Cera.”
Chapter 18
Standing in front of a decrepit building in the early morning hours, Cera frowned in disgust. “This is where Lan Chiu is supposed to be?” she asked Li. “I can’t believe a rat would live here let alone people.”