when he saw the look of disbelief on Cooper's face, then went on to
defend his position. "I know Jessica won't like being separated from
her son, and I expect she'll argue, but in the end, she'll go along.
I've gotten to know her pretty well in the last two days, and after
I've explained the situation, I'm positive she'll be reasonable. "<_)
he threatened to kill him. Jessica was anything but reasonable. Cole
had believed that, because he was a U. S. marshal, she would do
whatever he told her to do. That was his first mistake. Letting her
get close to his gun was his second. He hadn't realized how arrogant
he'd been with his assumptions until she grabbed his gun and threatened
to put a hole through his black heart if he touched her son.
After packing his satchels, he had gone to her hotel room, knocked on
the door, and when she'd let him insideţkeeping the door open so that
the deputy assigned to protect her could see that nothing inappropriate
was going onţhe had quickly explained that he was going to take Caleb
north and that she was going to wait in Rockford Falls until he
returnedţthen she was going to Texas.
Fortunately, Caleb slept through the whispered argument that
followed.
The baby was curled up in a ball on the cot, his chin wet with drool.
He looked like an angelţbut the fire in his mother's eyes was anything
but angelic. She was acting like a bear determined to protect her
young.
"You're out of your mind if you think I'm going to let you take my
son.
" "Jessica, stop waving my gun around. It might go off. Give it back
to me." Deputy Spencer stepped into the room. "Marshal, do you need
some help? " Cole shook his head. "No, it's all right." Jessica
stood at the foot of the double bed, the gun pointing to the floor
now.
She was tense and out of sorts, and there were dark circles under her
eyes. The strain was beginning to show on her.
"You're going to be reasonable about this, " he said.
She shook her head. "I'm not going to Blackwater, and you're not going
to touch Caleb."
"I know it's difficult for you to give me your son, but I promise you
he'll be safe and well taken care of."
"Get out." He ignored the command as he crossed to the chair adjacent
to the bed and sat down. His arm deliberately brushed hers when he
walked past her, and he could have easily snatched the gun out of her
hand then, but didn't.
"I told you to leave."
"I'm not going anywhere until you listen to reason." She glanced from
the deputy to Cole and then back again.
Cole had a gun in his other holster, which made him armed and
dangerous, and Spencer had his hand on the hilt of his gun.
"I can't make up my mind which one of you I'm going to shoot first. "
Spencer glanced at Cole to see what he was going to do about her
threat.
Cole ignored the deputy and kept his gaze on Jessica.
"Please leave before I do something you'll regret."
"Spencer, " Cole said, "close the door. Jessica and I are going to
have a private talk.
" "We are not, " she whispered.
"Are you sure you don't want me to stay, Marshal Clayborne? " Spencer
asked as he reached for the doorknob.
"I'm sure." Spencer looked disappointed. Cole waited until the door
was shut and then told Jessica to sit down. She shook her head and
continued to stand there glaring at him.
He smiled at her. In fact, he couldn't take his eyes off her. She'd
changed her dress and looked even prettier than she had an hour
before.
She wore an old, faded honey-colored dress that had probably been the
color of gold at one time. The dress, noticeably threadbare at the
elbows and frayed at the cuffs, was probably a hand-me-down, but on her
it was still beautiful. Her hair was tied back behind her neck with a
thin white ribbon. Strands had worked free of the confinement and
curled around her ears. She defined sensuality and femininity, and
when she took a step toward him, the light scent of lilacs came with
her.
Damn, but she was something else.
"What are you staring at? " she demanded.
'You, " he answered. "You're a very beautiful woman, Jessica." The
compliment took the wind out of her. He didn't order her to sit down
this time. He asked.
"I want you to listen to what I have to say, and when I'm finished, if
you still want to shoot me, I'll let you."
"You know I won't shoot you, }' she muttered as she handed the gun back
to him. "I'd like to, " she hastily qualified. "But I won't. The
noise would wake the baby.
" He laughed. "You're all talk, Jessie."
"You can't make me go to Texas."
"Yes, I can, " he countered, his voice firm now, unyielding.
She buried her face in her hands. "I didn't do anything wrong. Why
don't you leave Caleb and me alone? " "You know I can't do that. "
She put her head down on his shoulder and quietly wept. He dug his
handkerchief out of his pocket and handed it to her. Hedidn't tell her
to stop crying, figuring she needed to get rid of the tension inside
her, but he hated knowing that he was part of the reason she was so
distressed.
Long minutes passed before she was able to gain control.
Ole eld her close, noticing how soft she felt against him. now you
didn't do anything wrong, " he whispered. "The Judge down in Texas
wants you to come to Blackwater." But what about Rebecca and Grace, "
she cried out. "Are "Hush, you'll wake the baby, " he reminded her.
"I don't want you to worry about your friends. Daniel will watch out
"How can I not worry? " "Trust me, " he replied.
"I'll try. But, I can't stop thinking about Rebecca and Grace.
They're in danger because of me, aren't they? " "Yes, they are. Your
names were published in the paper as potential witnesses, and I don't
think the men who murdered those innocent people will stop until
they've gotten every one of you. I can understand why none of you
would want to admit you were there, but . . . " She started crying.
The sight of her tears made Cole feel like a ee .
He started to reach for her, then stopped himself.
I on t like women who cry, " he said "Then you must hate me. I cry all
the time. I don't cry in ront of Caleb, though. It would upset him.
Sometimes . . . Iate at dnight, I pull the covers over my head so no
on h He put his arm around her and pulled her to his side "I on t like
hearing that. What makes you cry ath ? " "Of what? " "Failing. "
"You have a hard life, Jessie."
"Oh, no, I have a wonderful life with Caleb, " she whispered I'm very
content. I JUSt get . . . tired sometimes. Everything was going so
well until the day I walked into the bank. I'm ready to tell you what
happened if you want me to, " she added. "Then you'll believe me. I
know I've lied to you. I shouldn't have told you I wasn't there, but I
was trying to protect Caleb."
"I'm going to help you protect your son. I've found a safe place for
him, Jessica. You can't take him with you to Blackwater, and you know
you have to go." She finally accepted the inevitable. "Yes, I know.
Couldn't I leave him with Tilly? She loves him and would take care of
him. Caleb knows her.
He wouldn't be afraid or feel abandoned." Cole wouldn't hear of it.
"Jessie, everyone here knows who Caleb belongs to, and it would be easy
to get him away from Tilly. She's an old woman. I don't want to leave
him in Rockford Falls."
"Why would anyone want to take him? " she asked.
"Holding your son hostage is a good way to make you keep silent during
the trial."
"Oh, God."
"Jessica, the couple I've thought of will take good care of him. Let
me tell you about them. They're older. .
. like grandparents . . . " He spent a good fifteen minutes telling
her everything he knew about Tom and Josey Norton. He went into great
detail about Tom's background, stressing the fact that he had quite a
reputation with a gun and that he was now a lawman, but he didn't
mention Josey's lack of skills in the kitchen. When he had run out of
things to tell her, Jessica didn't seem to be quite as resistant to the
idea.
"You said they always wanted children? " she asked.
"Yes, " he answered.
"If you had a son, would you leave him with the Nortons? " "Yes, " he
said again.
"I'll have to meet them before I decide. If I don't like them and I
don't feel that they'll take good care of Caleb, I'm not leaving him
with them." She was determined to go with him, and nothing he could
say would make her budge on that issue.
1 8 1
"When do we leave? " she asked. "To go north with Caleb? " "Ah,
Jessie, don't start crying again. It's going to be all right. You
want to know that he's safe, don't you? " "Yes, yes, of course I do.
It's just that I don't know the Nortons, and I . . . " He started for
the door. "Pack light, Jessica. One bag for you and one for Caleb. "
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