The Bride Price (28 page)

“There was a loud bang, which we all thought
was a rock of some kind, but it appears to have been a bullet. It
was not an accident. In fact, I believe they were aiming for
Sophie.”

Jamie frowned. “That’s twice.”

“What do you mean, twice?” Jamie filled him
in on the attempt by the lake and Andrew swore. “You take care of
Sophie, and I’ll see what I can find out.”

Jamie nodded and went to find Michael.

Pinching the bridge of his nose to ward off
the headache approaching, he retrieved the approved bowl of soup,
and made his way up the stairs. He juggled the tray and pushed
Sophie’s door open. “You’re allowed to have some broth.”

“Lucky me,” Sophie said sarcastically as she
turned her head toward him.

“Do you need help to sit up?” Sophie shook
her head and leaned against the headboard. Jamie laid a napkin
across her lap and then set the tray in front of her. “Michael says
the danger has passed and it’s safe for you to sleep after you
eat.”

Jamie sat with her while she ate and then
forced her to climb deeper under the covers and rest. He lay down
beside her and stroked her back until she fell asleep, although her
sleep was fitful, and she jerked awake less than an hour later.
Sitting up, she called for Jamie, who was no longer in the bed with
her.

He rose from the chair in the corner and made
his way over to her. “I’m here, Sophie. Did you have a bad
dream?”

She rubbed her eyes and laid back down. “No,
I just thought I might have imagined you were here. Have you been
here the whole time?”

“Yes.” He chuckled. “I wanted to make sure
you rested, and I was having a difficult time lying next to you, so
I thought I’d move to the chair. Can I get you anything?”

Sophie nodded. “Some water, please.”

He rose to his feet and brought her a glass
of water. Leaning over, he felt her forehead. “Your fever has
broken. How do you feel?”

“I’m still sore but I don’t feel as though my
head is going to split open.”

“Why don’t you roll over and I’ll rub your
back.”

“All right.” She handed him the glass and
moved to her stomach. Jamie started to massage her shoulders and
Sophie sighed in pleasure. “You were always so good at this.”

He leaned down and kissed the back of her
neck.

Sophie gave a quiet laugh. “You didn’t say it
was going to be one
those
massages.”

“That’s just a bonus.”

She reached up to move her hair away from her
face and pain shot through her head. “Wait, Jamie, I think I’m
going to be sick.” She rolled over and sat up. Taking several deep
breaths, she squeezed her eyes shut.

“Did I do something?”

“No. Ugh, it hurts.”

Jamie stood and found a cool, wet cloth, and
then made his way back to her side. “Here, put this on, it should
help.” He laid it gently over her eyes.

She laid down on her back again and sighed.
“Mmm, yes, much better. Thank you.”

Jamie stared at her while she was essentially
blindfolded. Her nightgown had ridden up her thighs and, despite
the fact that the buttons at the front were fastened all the way to
her neck, the delicacy of the fabric didn’t distract from her full
breasts. Sitting slowly back down on the bed, he took one of her
feet in his hands and started to massage it, working his way to her
ankle.

“You’re
so
getting brownie points for
this,” Sophie said behind her blindfold.

Jamie stretched out beside her and gently
stroked her face with his hand. “How’s your head?”

“Improved, I think.”

He smiled at her and leaned down to place his
lips gently on hers. The kiss became more urgent and as she opened
her mouth for him, his hand moved from her cheek to her neck.
Sophie’s hand found its way inside his shirt and she reveled the
feeling of his once smooth, ripped chest, now covered with coarse,
dark hair.

Jamie moved his hand down her arm and rested
it on her full hip, loving the feeling of her body beneath his
fingers. She’d lost so much weight over the course of her illness,
but now, she was healthy and regaining her lush figure.

Jamie reached his hand to the bottom of her
nightgown and pushed it up her body. When he reached her hips, he
rolled her onto her back and pushed the nightgown higher, noticing
her birthmark just below her navel, shaped like the state of
Texas.

Jamie chuckled, remembering when he wanted to
venture south of the border, he’d shout “Remember the Alamo!” or
make a corny joke like not remembering the state of Texas being so
close to Virginia. Sophie’s quiet groan forced him back to the
present and he pushed himself up from the bed.

“Jamie?” Sophie reached for him. “Did I do
something wrong?”

Pacing the small space next to the bed, he
whispered, “No, sweet-heart. I’m sorry.”

Sophie sat up and glared at him, a little
irritated with the stopping and starting. Well, really just the
stopping. “Don’t be sorry, come back to bed.”

Jamie shook his head and held his hands up.
“No. You need to rest.”

Sophie slipped her nightgown off her
shoulders. “Nooo, I need my husband to make love to me.”

Jamie had to turn away from the sight of her
full breasts rising and falling with her quick breaths, begging to
be touched and tasted. “Later. When you’re feeling better. Please
put your nightgown back on.”

“No.”

Jamie sat back down on the bed, his back to
her, and Sophie knelt behind him and laid her cheek on his
shoulder. “I feel fine.”

He faced her. “Baby, you need to rest and
this is not open for discussion.”

Sophie pursed her lips and then gave him a
slow smile. “How about just a kiss?”

Jamie raised an eyebrow. “One kiss, love. I
mean it.”

Kissing her as he laid her back down on the
bed, his hand seemed to find its way under her nightgown and up her
thigh. She gasped as he moved further up her leg. “Yes, just one
kiss – ohhhh.”

“Sophie.” Jamie forced himself to pull away
from her once again. “I’m sorry, sweetheart, we need to stop.”

“Wha-what? Why?”

Sitting up, he rested his elbows on his knees
and ran his hands through his hair. “You got kicked in the head by
a horse today, were unconscious, and fought off a really nasty
fever. I think that making love to you might just overwhelm your
body.”

“You have that much faith in your abilities
do you?”

“Ten-Cow,” he admonished. Sophie burst into
tears and Jamie pulled her close. “What did I say?”

“You called me Ten-Cow.”

Jamie pushed a curl behind her shoulder and
smiled. “Yes.”

Sophie sniffed, and Jamie chuckled as he
wrapped his arms around her waist and settled her head on his
shoulder. Letting her soak his chest with her tears, he waited
until she calmed, and then he swept her hair off her forehead.
“How’s your head?”

Sophie stared up at him and sighed quietly.
“It hurts.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Settling her flat
on the bed, he stood and made his way to the bureau. “Honey, don’t
do that again, okay? I don’t want you in pain.” He grabbed the
cloth, rinsed it, and laid it gently on her forehead. “How’s
that?”

“Good, thank you. What time is it?”

“I think it’s almost midnight.” He sat next
to her again and kissed her cheek. “And you need to rest. Time to
go back to sleep.”

He leaned down and kissed her then stood and
moved away from the bed.

Sophie grabbed for him. “Where are you
going?”

“Nowhere. I’ll stay right here but in the
chair.”

Sophie grinned at him. “Chicken.”

Jamie chuckled. “I love you, Sophie.”

“I love you more.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

“Good morning.” Christine drew the curtains. “How do
you feel?”

“Where did you come from?” Sophie forced her eyes
open and glanced around the room.

“He snuck out at six o’clock this morning,”
Christine whispered.

“Oh,” Sophie said, slightly disappointed.

“He is, however, currently in the dining
room.”

“Why didn’t you say so?” Sophie jumped out of
bed. “Ow.”

“Careful.” Christine steadied Sophie. “Now,
how is your head?”

“It’s definitely better.”

“The bruise looks a bit worse today, but I
think you’re on the mend. Let’s get you dressed and downstairs to
meet your man.”

Christine helped Sophie into a yellow skirt
and simple white blouse. The colors suited her light hair and skin,
and once the yellow satin ribbon was added to her hair, she felt a
little less like she’d been kicked in the head by a horse. Sophie
rushed downstairs, and as she turned the corner into the dining
room, she stopped short. Jamie and Andrew stood as she came in the
door.

“Good morning, gentlemen,” she said as
brightly as she could.

She took her seat and Jamie brought her a cup
of coffee that he had already prepared for her and she smiled as
she took her first sip. “Perfect, thank you.”

As Andrew stood at the buffet putting
together a plate of food, Jamie leaned down and whispered in her
ear, “Meet me in the library.”

Before Sophie could respond, Christine walked
in, so Jamie used the distraction to quietly leave the room, and
Sophie smiled to her as she stood and followed. Walking into the
library, Sophie jumped slightly when Jamie stepped out from behind
the door and pulled her into his arms. “Good morning.” He kicked
the door shut.

“Good morning.” Sophie sighed in pleasure.
“Christine said she saw you leave at six, what did you do after
that? You must be exhausted.”

“I went back to the camp.” He kissed her
again and then examined her forehead. “Your bruise looks worse,
sweetheart. Are you in any pain?”

“I still have the headache, but I think it’s
better.” She linked her arms around his neck. “Thank you for
staying with me last night.”

He leaned down and kissed her nose. “Get used
to it.”

“What do you mean, get used to it?”

“I’m not leaving you again. The men will just
have to live without me.” He pulled her over to one of the
high-backed chairs and sat across from her on the hearth.

“In bed…
with
me, right?”

“Maybe.”

Sophie sank into her favorite chair and
raised an eyebrow. “So, let me get this straight. You plan to sneak
into my bedroom every night and fall asleep in the
oh so not
comfortable chair, just so you can keep your promise of never
leaving me?”

“Something like that.” He took his left hand
and linked his fingers with hers, the clink of their rings sounding
in the quiet room.

“You’re wearing your wedding ring.”

Jamie nodded. “Of course I am. I’m your
husband.”

Sophie rolled her eyes. “Not in this century,
you’re not. Technically, anyway.”

Jamie chuckled. “Well, then I suppose we
should rectify that.”

“Oh, really?”

“You don’t agree?”

“Hm.”

“What do you mean, ‘Hm’?”

She patted his chest, leaned down, and kissed
his cheek. “That one’s for you to figure out.”

“Sophie, what is that supposed to mean?”

“Love you!” She rose to his feet and raced
out of the room.

Jamie jumped up off the chair and chased her.
“Sophie, get back here.” Almost halfway down the hall when he
caught her from behind, he pulled her back into the library,
laughing.

“Ow,” she said.

“Did I hurt you?” He turned her around to
inspect her forehead.

“No, I’m fine. I just forgot about my head.”
She leaned against him and put her arms around his waist.

Jamie took a deep breath. “No more jarring
movements, all right? You really need to take it easy for a little
while.” He dropped his chin onto the top of her head and continued
to hold her for a few minutes.

She looked up at him. “We should probably get
back. People will be wondering where we are.”

“First tell me about the ‘hm.’”

“You mean the ‘hm’ that indicated I’ll await
a proper proposal?”

Raising an eyebrow at her without comment, he
gave her one last kiss, and then they made their way back to the
dining room. After a quick lunch, Jamie forced Sophie back to bed
with a promise he’d wake her in plenty of time to check on Samson
before dark.

Jamie woke Sophie as promised, left her with
a brief kiss, and snuck out the front door.

Sophie freshened up and then made her way to
the barn, heading straight for Samson’s stall. He whinnied when she
called him before poking his head out and pushing at her shoulder
with his nose. “Yes, boy, I know you didn’t mean to hurt me.” She
gave him some sugar and kissed his muzzle.

She felt irritability creeping up on her, and
she chalked it up to the heat and the fact Jamie wasn’t waiting for
her. With one last snuggle with Samson, she left the barn and made
her way back to the house.

She passed the arena, and heard yelling
coming from Richard’s barn. She peeked around the corner and
scowled. Richard, leaning heavily on crutches was nose to nose with
Jamie.

After several obscenities were delivered to
each side, Jamie tapped Richard’s shoulder, hard enough that
Richard had to fight for balance. “She’s my wife, and you’ll go
nowhere near her.”

Richard swore. “You aren’t worthy of
her.”

“You’re a very sore loser, Dick.”

“What did you just say?” Sophie hollered.
Both men whipped their heads around, surprised to see her.

Jamie rushed toward her. “Sophie—”

“—
You did
not
just
refer to me as something you won, as though I was a prize to be
competed over, did you? Did you?”

“Sophie, don’t be ridiculous. Of course not,”
Jamie said.

“Oh, so now I’m ridiculous.” She threw up her
hands. “I’ve had enough of you two. Why don’t you just fight to the
death? Have at it. Jamie, you can pretend it’s a cage fight. You
love those. You’re both jackasses.” She stormed off toward the
house.